We've discovered that the best way to practice Chinese it to hang out with old retirees in the park. They're there every morning and evening and love to talk. They don't have any particular place to be.
In the park they do all sorts of activities, including playing with a device that resembles a diabolo (a large yo-yo controlled with two sticks and a string) and an old fashioned top. It's called Congza or "Empty Bamboo". Through a translator Seth started talking to "George Hu", one of the Embpty Bamboo players, who said they have a big Empty Bamboo festival at the SJTU Campus Track every Sunday morning at 6am, and that Seth could buy one there. Sunday comes around and the place is swarming with Empty Bamboo twirlers, none under the age of 62. One of the retirees has a few for sale and he tried to give Seth the tourist price but George Hu and Co. stepped in on his behalf and renegotiated the deal. When Liz saw how much Chinese they wanted to speak with Seth, she bought her own, purely as a tool for language acquisition.
Here are a few clips of the empty bamboo. In the first you'll see how it should be done, in the second you'll see Seth getting a lesson from George Hu and the gang, and in the third you'll see that he has learned one trick.
We love to see all your comments! It makes us so happy to stay in contact.
Labels: blogsherpa, China, Shanghai
Amazing tricks. So much to learn!
You are having food delights everywhere.
Reggie said...
July 13, 2009 at 5:32 AM
Seth you are so talented! And Liz you are quite the movie maker. Very impressive. But I didn't watch the fish video. As with other movie trailers where they reveal it turns out bad for the hero, I took a pass. Can't wait for a photo of Arleen in the tuk-tuk.
Sherry and Ed said...
July 13, 2009 at 7:44 PM
This reminds me of the circus stunts my kids did in Sweden. Love to see the playfulness of the seniors. May we all keep alive the child within without being childish.
Liz Nassen said...
July 13, 2009 at 9:36 PM
Now I know why you want us to visit. You like hanging out with "old retirees".
Sherry, the best photo of me will be me eating anything without the benefit of a fork.
arleen said...
July 14, 2009 at 12:33 AM
dude i can't do any tricks and i was messin with those things when i was four!
Allen said...
July 14, 2009 at 6:13 AM
Sherry wrote:
> Seth you are so talented! And Liz you are quite
> the movie maker. Very impressive. But I didn't
> watch the fish video. As with other movie
> trailers where they reveal it turns out bad
> for the hero, I took a pass. Can't wait for a
> photo of Arleen in the tuk-tuk.
Yep, Liz is quite the film maker. Shooting the thing on our camera is just step one. The tricky part is editing, cropping, syncing the music, adjusting the frames-per-second, etc.
I wouldn't have guessed that you'd be squeamish about a fish. Didn't you used to skin groundhogs and put crippled goats out of their misery?
Seth and Liz said...
July 14, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Allen wrote:
> dude i can't do any tricks and i was messin
> with those things when i was four!
IT'S ALL IN THE WRIST!, so said my instructors. (It's universal: everywhere, everyone, in all endeavors, says it's in the wrist.) Back in me college days there was a juggling store in boston that sold all sorts of things... but I'd never seen one of these until coming to Shanghai. I'm surprised they havn't taken off already.
Seth and Liz said...
July 14, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Hi Our Amazing Niece & Nephew.....
Everything you are doing and exploring is an absolute joy to watch. Laughing, crying and enjoying the 2 most talented people we know!!!!!!!!!
Aunt Sheri & Uncle Peter said...
July 15, 2009 at 3:41 AM
Allen's claimed childhood Congza expertise cries out for challenge, so bring one back and Allen must make his own video to share. Seth, you are renewing your fab college-era juggling coordination, and we want to see you return to Boston's MIT juggling club to astound them. Have fun in water town. Arleen and Steve, join the blog now!
Beth said...
July 16, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Beth you are a sophisticated lady.
Allen said...
July 17, 2009 at 6:10 PM