frauke at large

Went into Ningbo town centre on friday afternoon to have a little look around. 

 

From the bus I saw the first white Magnolia in bloom (a Magnolia soulangeana). If the weather gets a bit better, they will be absolutely magnificent in a weeks time or so – I must make sure that I stop to take a few pictures, as the alleys of Magnolia are breathtaking here. 

I have noticed, actually it sank in on my trip to town whilst driving through and observing the streets, that many things here are still very uniform – as I have a particular gusto for blue and white china I’ve been trying to spot some nice plant pots or cups to bring back as souvenirs or to use whilst I’m in Ningbo. I have been to several different supermarkets, have observed what people have on their window sills and have even been to Hangzhou and Yiwu for diversity and all the china is the same. In fact, many people on campus carry the identical mug to the office everyday. It’s so hard to find something unique and special. It could also be that I have not ventured deep enough into the country to find the uniqueness and diversity that I am looking for – ‘it is not until you wander of the beaten track ‘ and all that. I know the observation is rather obvious in light of China’s recent history and its cultural penchant for collectivism, however I never expected it to be so drastic, in that there are only 3-4 different designs of mug or plant pot you can acquire. Although, I guess it’s the same everywhere in the world – there really is only a small amount to distinguish the product offerings of the bigger cities from one another anymore. 

Ironically, I went to Starbucks after a long day of trying to find diversity! 

On a different note – the last few weeks have been very busy with work – I have spend most of my days working and preparing for lectures and doing diverse admin jobs, although I have sprinkled this with spots of running and yoga. I have also engaged in a new quest: to learn Chinese – or Mandarin. Now, in terms of grammar, it’s not that hard, but it’s the way the sounds are created which is really tricky. Furthermore, one can’t really relate any of the words to words which one might know from other languages and thus memorise them easier, therefore it has become imperative for me to ‘learn and repeat the words‘, which, after having learnt all the language that I speak by listening and being part of the culture, is not as easy as it sounds. It’s great fun though! I’m starting to pick up quite a few words and it’s just a matter of jumping over the barrier and actually trying it out before I will be able to engage a little more with the country. (I’m only on lesson 2, so we’re mainly talking about ordering food, directing a taxi and asking for directions).