Apparently the Chinese invented toilet paper (which is a sad irony from the perspective of a mildly prudish American who never leaves home without her own supply - I hardly ever see stocked toilet paper rolls here), and they must have invented the pun, too. It’s New Year’s Eve, and I’ve been trying to get a handle on all the superstitions that come along with that. The traditional Spring Festival gift is a red envelope filled with cash. However, it’s inappropriate to give an amount of 4 RMB, because 4 (si) is a homonym for death. Likewise, 8 is a good amount, because 8 (ba) sounds like wealth. Buying shoes is bad luck because the word for shoe is also the word for evil, and you shouldn’t buy books either, because the word for book also means lose. Also, the fu thing is usually upside down - the character itself means “auspiciousness” and “upside down” is similar to “arrival”, so the overall meaning is “the arrival of good luck”. It’s also bad luck to break something, but if you drunkenly knock over a glass, the best thing to do is shout “Suìsuì píng’ān!”, which means something about eternal peace, and sui is a homonym for “shatter.”
This is knowledge from wikipedia, not the streets. I have been so terrifyingly lazy for the last few days. We went out with Leif and Lily, who returned safely from the Philippines, but other than that, there’s been a lot of internet and tv and not much else going on. For example, it’s almost 2 pm, and I’m still in my pajamas, with no indication that the situation will be changing any time soon. But we are going to take a trip outside of Nanjing, hopefully tomorrow, and then I’ll have stuff to talk about again that doesn’t involve Cylons or suburban drug dealers (Weeds! Rock me!).
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