cultural evolution

old folks day

Ancient Chinese custom holds that the number "9" is lucky. Thus "99" is double lucky. And everyone wants to live to be 99. So on the 9th day of the 9th month of the Chinese lunar calendar each year, the Chinese honor their old men and women. They celebrate their age and wish them that they live to be 99. It also part of this tradition that the younger generations go out and climb a mountain, or in the case of this year, of a group of Shanghainese, the fourth tallest building in the world which is in Shanghai. (After 911, make that the second tallest building in the world.)

This is all done to honor the old and to keep themselves feeling young.

I'm crossing a canal bridge in Suzhou this summer and this man breaks into a smile about 30 meters away when he sees me. He just smiled and smiled as he walked his three wheeled bicycle cart towards me. I fumbled through my bag and grabbed my camera and snapped this picture as he drew abreast of me. I hope he had a Happy Old Persons' Day last month. By the looks of him, he'll be around for quite a few more.

Unbeknownst to me, in my first year in China, 1998, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month fell on October 28. Which was also the day I was craving a pizza. So my buddy Xu Bai Xin (Mike from Chuck in China -3) and I went to the Bear Restaurant to grab a pizza. The Bear is a "western food" restaurant with hamburgers, fries, pizza, steaks, knives and forks. The owner, Liu Yang came over to our table and asked if we could stick around for awhile. He told me about Old Folks Day and that his restaurant had invited 9 (there's that magic number again) old couples to have a free dinner to honor them on this special day. Soon a camera crew from Jinzhou TV arrived and a reporter from the Jinzhou Evening Newspaper. And nine elderly couples slowly made there way in - a bit dazed at the western surroundings. The Bear is quite a bit different looking from your average restaurant here. (For one thing, it is immaculately clean). And the Bill of Fare for the evening was going to be western-style food.

Well, Liu Yang and the TV people had an idea. They wanted me to play "foreign friend" to the assembled. And as I am a teacher, I suggested that I hold a brief class for the old folks.

Subject matter: How to eat with a knife and fork.

So with cameras rolling, I held a culinary class in the middle of the Bear with amusing but not very successful results. Food was falling off forks at most of the tables. But the old folks loved it. (As did the TV crew).

Each of the old men got up and gave speeches. Mike told me that they were telling old war stories - WW II and Korea. I guess the old folks here are no different than the folks at home.

Suddenly, one of the men broke into a song: an old Irish ballad which he was singing in perfect English. I was shocked and delighted and I grabbed some flowers off the table and presented him with the makeshift bouquet. (If you've read Chuck in China you know that Karaoke is the national obsession here-young and old. Songs break out everywhere. Every restaurant has Karaoke machines. And the custom is to give flowers to the singer.)

As thrilled as I was at hearing an Irish ballad, the crowd was just as thrilled when this crazy foreigner bounded up to the ancient man and handed him the flowers.

"Thank you very much," he said.

"Your English is excellent," I added.

"Thank you very much," he said.

"Where did you learn to sing an Irish song?" I asked him.

"Thank you very much," he said.

Later, they asked me to say a few words to the group. With my good friend Mike translating, I explained how I admired the fact that the Chinese honored their elderly with their own day and that it was a shame that my country didn't have a similar holiday (American Greetings, Hallmark? Are you listening?).

I told them that my parents, like most of the assembled, were in their 70's and that I am sure they would be thrilled if they could be here to be honored. I told them that I missed my parents very much right at this moment and that when I returned back to my apartment I was going to call them and wish them "Happy Old Folks Day!"

Later that evening, we took a group picture with all of the assembled and then the party broke up. As the Chinese-Irish crooner was leaving, he grabbed my hand. As Mike translated, he looked at me and said, "Young man, you make sure you go home and call your Baba and Mama tonight!"

"Xiexie," I said, "Thank you very much."

The Jinzhou newspaper the next day carried my remarks and a few students and people in the city stopped me to ask me if I had, indeed, called home as I was quoted as saying. In fact I had.

When I had returned home, the previous evening, I called home. It was 10:30 a.m. in Cleveland and my mother answered the phone. She was surprised to hear from me. My father was out, she explained, and she was getting ready to leave for a luncheon: Her college class would be meeting in an hour and a half for a luncheon celebrating their 50 year anniversary of graduation (Notre Dame College Class of 1948). My timing could not have been better. I explained the evening I had just had and how the Chinese honor the old folks. And I wished her and her friends "Happy Old Folks' Day" on behalf of myself and the folks here in Jinzhou. And she carried those wishes to her classmates that afternoon so that for one day, at least, the Chinese custom of honoring the elderly crossed the Pacific and found its way to Cleveland, Ohio.