The New (niu or cow) Year and some carpets to muffle the noise

My last lab mate will be leaving today, so we’re going to have breakfast to send her off and then I’ll be on my own. In case I didn’t mention it before it’s coming up on Chinese New Years, the year of the Cow, and since I’m quite fond of cows I feel this new year will be a good one. There are large red and gold cows all over the city. Paper cut-outs sport multiple floors near the shopping districts and banners, lights, and slogans are draped along streets competing for attention against the backdrop of the thousands of pairs of drying clothes that always seem to be present. I wonder how the Chinese would feel if they only knew that across the border, the Indians (from India) do a much better job with the cow decorations, allowing real cows to walk and wonder the streets (see the picture that tops this page). India probably makes the Chinese feel a little sheepish about their worship of the cow, but I guess you do what you can with the resources and society you’re given.

I’ve decided to stay in Shanghai for the break, partly because I just got here and also because a friend Lily who was one of my roommates in undergrad will be coming to visit her parents, who live in Shanghai. It will be nice to relax a bit and not have to worry about travel, but also get to experience a little bit of tradition. So on the 25^th which is the day leading up to the New Years I’m going to have dinner with my friend Jenny’s family (who are also Shanghainese) and then the 26^th, which is New Years, and probably a few other days I’ll be with Lily’s family.

I recently bought a small hand-made rug from a small shop that I discovered. Actually I’ve been to the shop before to chat and have tea with the store-owner. So two days ago I stopped by and told him it would be lovely to have a small carpet to put in my room, so I gave him my price and we picked one out. I came across his store while walking the neighborhoods and almost decided not to go in but I had never really seen quite a carpet store like this before. The store was a bit small for the number and size of carpets he had, and attempting to roll out a carpet to show a customer was a bit of a challenge. In fact on entering I again almost left because the door seemed to be locked, but the lively shop-owner quickly moved carpets out of the way freeing up the path of the door and it quickly swung open. Carpets were strewn everywhere, so that it was impossible not to try them out a bit and stomp around. Hanging on walls and in piles above on second floor loft were more beautiful carpets. Aziz, the owner said that eventually he wanted to move to a large place where he could have an area to sit down and drink tea, the windows, walls and floors would all be decoratively displaying carpets and customers could come chat have tea and buy carpets if they chose. It turns out Aziz comes from Xinjiang, which is the western semi-autonomous region of China where there have been some crack-downs of supposed anti-government terrorist organizations. One of the main Muslim populations the Uighers are mainly targeted in these anti-terrorist campaigns and recent laws have limited the length of services at Mosques and the gathering of Muslims. The Uighers are actually probably a lot more Turkish than anything of Chinese decent, in fact a recent discovery of human remains dating back to the pre-Roman area suggests that it was not the Chinese that first entered this area but was traders from the West. This research is very controversial because it invalidates the historic claim to the land that the Chinese maintain control of. While there is little information about what is actually going on in the West, it does appear that there are some violent pro-independent factions that the government probably does have reason to be silencing, but I still don’t agree with the measures that infringe on people’s right to practice religion and customs and live relatively normal lives.

As for Aziz when I asked him about his situation, he claimed that he came here for work, after spending a few years in Shenzhen. He married an Itialian and opened his carpet store in the French concession of Shanghai. The art and craft of carpets have always been a passion of his and willingly explains the meanings of different symbols and styles. Many of his carpets are from Afghanistan (he joked that I should join the army so that I could get some nice carpets! bad joke), but he also has some from his home in Xinjiang, which is what I decided to buy. They are a little more simple than those from Afghanastan but have a rustic feel that which may represent the dry dessert area of Xinjiang. (I’m probably delusional though).

An interesting and unfortunate aspect of life as a Chinese citizen is that is often hard to switch your official residency or hukou. Aziz owns a house in Shanghai, is married, and owns a viable, legal business, but he still does not receive any benefits of being a Shanghai citizen, including certain health rights and schooling for children (I believe he still has access to health and education but it is not covered by his residency). Therefore his attempts to travel with his wife to Italy have been impossible because he cannot get a passport. Because different regions have their own governmental bodies he has to apply through the Xinjiang government which he claims is non-functional. Being from Xinjiang, likely doesn’t help with his efforts to convince Shanghai or National government bodies to help him, as people from Xinjiang are usually associated with drug-dealers and thieves. In fact Aziz himself reiterated this position to some extent – saying that many of those from Xinjiang that come to large cities get involved in illegal business’. In fact my experience with people from Xinjiang has largely been positive. They usually man roadside meat kabob shops that while questionable in hygiene are extremely tasty. So it’s tough to tell what to believe. However I do think the stereotype has truth behind it, but like any stereotype it cannot be extended to all from Xinjiang (i.e. Aziz himself).

I told Aziz I'd likely be back, although I will probably not buy another carpet, your welcome for tea anytime he said and he also invited me to come by the Mosque to enjoy the scenery and the many different types of food that have integrated themselves into the life of the Mosque. And I hope to go to Xinjiang someday, so I might tap Aziz for suggestions. As I left the shop I greeted him happy new year, and he replied in a tired look : I dont know how I'm going to make it through this new year, it's too too loud... at least these carpets will muffle the sound. This just shows how different Xinjiang actually is from the Han majority Chinese. In bed that night I was startled by loud explosion and colorful lights... now I new what he meant. The new year has started... I'm actually a little excited...