Meeting the Family

I slept in until 9:30 this morning. Latest time ever (in China at least.) Still, I was a little upset, because I went to bed at 1 last night. I could have slept longer. Apparently my internal clock didn't agree though.

I ate my two slices of bread for breakfast, and prepared myself for a long day of studying and mind numbing dullness. Thankfully, I was quickly saved from that fate. My dad walked into my room as I was opening up my college essays, and declared that we were going to my mothers' older sisters house for lunch. I got a little confused, because he said now (and it was only 10:00) but I put on some nice clothes anyway, and we all trooped out the door and to the car.

Apparently, my Chinese skills still aren't as good as they should be. Because we stopped at the Air China something to pick my mom up, and then we went to the sisters house. I was also informed that there would be a small baby there, but rather than try to disect that piece of information, I simply waited to see what the situation was before I really started thinking (I didn't want to hurt my brain, you see. I am still on vacation here.)

It was about an hour drive from our house to the older sisters house. (My mom has 3 older sisters, and this was the second one, I think.) The apartment was actually very nice. Apparently the husband flies airplanes for Air China (I'm starting to think half the country works for Air China) so I guess that must be the cash cow. In true Chinese form, as soon as we got there, I was told to sit on the couch, and watch tv, while the sister brought out more and more food to put on the table in front of me. I literally had food shoved into my hands, and was watched like hawk until every crumb was gone.

I was silly to think that we would be the only ones over at the aunts house. Soon, the baby's mom showed up. Then a cousin with her boyfriend (both of whom I have met before.) Then another cousin and husband (she speaks perfect English, and I have met both of them before as well.) Then another aunt, and the baby's dad. Total, 13 people. It was crazy. I don't know what you have heard about Chinese families, but I am just going to give my impressions. Loud, big, overbearing, and absolutely protective. With everyone there, people were basically screaming to get themselves heard, and it seemed like everyone in the room with 2 X chromosomes wanted to get their hands on the baby, or shove food in my hands. They also don't seem to understand that I can't understand them when they speak Chinese a mile a minute at me. Needless to say, there were a lot of blank stares and pleas for translations. (I hate to admit it, but I mean, really. I can't just nod and smile at everything.)

Very soon after the last person arrived, we all left again. Apparently we were eating lunch at a restaurant, which is much more plausibly (it would be a nightmare to cook for an entire Chinese family. Nightmare.) Everyone got into their own cars, and we drove to yet another slightly sketch looking restaurant in the countryside (my mom's whole family lives in the country.) They ordered an incredible amount of food, most of which I didn't eat. Aside from the fact that I don't like most of what they wanted me to eat, it is way to entertaining to just watch everyone eat. The family has a very interesting dynamic, and I was sidetracked. They kept worrying that I wasn't eating, but I just said I wasn't hungry, and when that didn't work, I said I was full.

After lunch, as we were all walking back to the cars, my sister asked me, quite innocently, whether or not my teachers would allow me to go to karaoke. I thought, stupidly, that I would have some time to wiggle my way out of going to karaoke, so I said that there was no problem. Oops. Her face lit up, and she ran around telling everyone that I could go to karaoke. Then, with an alarming quickness that the Chinese are capable of, plans were made. We went back to another aunts house, and I played with the dogs (husky and lab. It was so nice to play with big dogs again), unaware of what was in store for me. When my parents herded me into a nice car, I still had no idea where we were going.

I didn't realize something was up until we arrived at a nice building, with music pumping, and my cousin went up to buy tickets. When asked, my sister told me we were at a karaoke place. My only thought was, Shit. I'm not singing.

The way that this place worked was, you rented a room, and then the group that you were with all sang karaoke. Inside, there was a bunch of huge sofas, a screen and speakers, and some tables. It was rather cozy. It was just the "young people" who went (3 cousins, and their husbands/boyfriends, another aunt, my sister and me) and we all settled in. A cousin started us off, and it snowballed from there.

Everyone else sang songs in Chinese, and I thought that I would be exempt from singing, because no one would understand what I was saying. But that was not the case. Once I was cajoled into singing a song (Born to Be Wild. Hells yes.) they decided that I was actually a good singer, and pressed me for more. I ended up singing Bitch, Mamma Mia, Can't Fight the Moonlight, and We Will Rock You. It was great. I tried to pick songs that were catchy, and that they might know, and it went wonderfully. They went nuts when I started to sing We Will Rock You (although it was a weird version so I could only sing the first half.) We kept this up for about 3 hours. It was a surprising amount of fun, especially since I never sing infront of people. The family and I bonded, I think. :) At the end, one of my cousins told me that I gave her a big surprise, which I really hope was a compliment. Overall, I am now motivated to go sing karaoke more often. It was great.

We still had to go back to the Aunts house though (after we were literally kicked out of our room, maybe I add) but it was only a short car ride. We also got dinner there. I surprised myself again by enjoying the meal. It was noodles, with this eggplant sauce all over it (yum. I know Rach, be jealous of my food.) During dinner, one of my aunts kept trying to talk to me, but she was speaking in the really fast, slurred Chinese that people seem to speak, so I had to get one of my cousins to help me. (She works for NBC, and speaks really good English. She has also met Michael Phelps and Shawn Johnson, ps. I might be a tinsy bit jealous.) My aunt told me that I was gorgeous, and she wanted me to come live with her instead of her own daughter. I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that one.

The car ride back to our house was weird. For some reason, my sister was sulking the whole way, and wouldn't talk. So I just entertained myself by singing songs in my head. I also asked my parents where else in China I can travel to with my American parents. They told me that ShangHai is boring because it is such a modern city, bu that if I really wanted to travel, to go to Xian or Sichuan.

Yet again, once I got back home, things were rather boring. I took a quick shower to wash the Beijing grime off of me, and then basically went to my room. My family really winds down after dinner. Now, it is the next morning, and I have said all I need to say. Peace out.