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Our 2006 Scottish Dancing Troup before a performance at Hong Qi Hui Tang (Red Flag Hall)
This year's graduation show was scheduled to take place at Red Flag Hall and, having decided to postpone the follow-up trip to Ninger by one day, we were getting quite excited about what music and dance extravaganza lay in store. In fact, the forthcoming evening out was used to persuade Edie to drink up her Dioralyte. She needn't have bothered, as it turns out the show has been and gone. Despite WEEKS of asking Chen Yong about the date [and him saying "Sunday the 20th of June"], no-one informed us of the date change. The fact is, it was an 'invitation only' event this year and we weren't invited. How easy it would have been for someone to say, "oh, sorry, didn't you know, it's invitation only and I'm afraid you won't be able to come" instead of stringing us along.

This is the 'face-saving' way, of course, and it's something I have got used to though it still leaves me flabergasted when it happens. The question remains, was anyone going to call us and say, "Don't go to Red Flag Square this evening, despite me telling you the show was on"? How about: "Don't bother preparing your performance because you won't actually be there"? That's right, we were supposed to be presenting a Simao slideshow to music, until yesterday, when we happened to decide to make it a separate event. Thank goodness we changed our mind. It seems that keeping quiet and pretending a problem doesn't exist is often preferable, here, to acknowledging the pink elephant that is staring everyone in the face. To me, more 'face' is lost by apparently 'misleading' [I accept this perspective is culturally relative] someone or showing lack of responsibility than by being open and upfront. Many people have said to me over the years that Simao must be a much easier placement than others in China, or other parts of the world. In fact, it's still China and I'm still an international volunteer wading through cultural complexities and quandries in order to get my work done. The deeper one tries to go, the harder it can become. I just haven't given up yet and I may, finally, be managing to let some things just wash over me and be forgiving of this new (and sometimes challenging, to me) way of doing things. What's certain is that I still have so much to learn about Chinese culture.
Paul
20/6/2010 09:29:18 am

Despite having experienced this sort of thing umpteen times before, it must still feel so frustrating... grrr

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Leandra
20/6/2010 10:55:31 pm

Oh, frustration!!!! You never get used to it, isn't it? Who ever said Simao must be easier hasn't been in China? In China nothing is easy. And although we all the time try to safe face from everyone, they seem to manage to do it to us (well the "loosing face thing") all the time... Can imagine the frustration. have fun on your trip!

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