2004-12-21 - 1:08 p.m.
So I'm waiting here for a different site to open so I can do some more grading.
Last week I went into Zhengzhou (jung joe) to see about getting some playground equipment for the kids. maybe a cheap swing set like you can buy at walmart, or one of those cheap plastic slides. We were able to find one store, and they only carry "littletikes" or some such american brand name. They wanted 8000 RMB for a plastic house with a 3 swing swing set on it. Taht is $1000. I couldnt' figure out why. The friend I was with asked, and was told it was imported from America. We tried to find out where we could get the cheap chinese knock off, but he wouldn't answer. so we decided not to bother. While trying to kill 3 hours until our return bus trip, I asked them about snakes.
People seem mortally afraid of snakes throughout most of china. The snake is a symbol of deception, stealth, power, and death. I can't blame them for that feeling. In the south of china there are 100 different types of snakes. 99 are so poisonous that you will die within a day of being bit, and that hundredth snake will eat your ass whole!
My students think it is hogwash, but they understand the cultural power of the snake. I have wanted to get crissy a snake for some time now. When we were at south family a snake was expressly forbidden, and we didn't want to try to bring one to china and go through the customs nightmare. But if we are going to be here 18 months it might be worth it.
So we started a journey to find where we could buy a snake. My friends are afraid of snakes, but willing to try. (That is the definition of friendship, willing to do something that frightens you to help a friend). So we start off by asking the cab driver where we can get a snake. The cab driver locks up his breaks (in the middle of the freeway) and pulls over to teh side of the road. He rattles off in rapid chinese to my friend. He was telling us the sale of snake is expressly forbidden. Apparently when the SARS outbreak occured 2 years ago, it was partly blamed on a province in china that would eat anything. Including snake. Part of the reaction was to outlaw the selling of snake.
My friends tell me this is common when you ask for something that is outlawed. The person will put on a show that they are not willing to break the law. They will then drop the show in a couple of minutes (depends on how well they know you) Because I am a Lowwei (Think of the beginning of loud now remove the d. Lou why) (foreigner) he feigned ignorance for several minutes. Now keep this picture in mind. A taxi stopped on the freeway with traffic whizzing by on the side of us with a driver who is swearing he doesn't know anything about snake.
My friend is very good at weasling things out of people (I want to adopt this kid) and has the driver convinced we are not the police in about a minute. He then explains we want a snake. The driver replies, ah yes I do know a place to get snake for lunch. we reply, no not for lunch. The driver replies, well snake is not good for dinner.
We manage to convince him we want it for pet. Long silence (about 3 or 4 mintues) he turns around in the cab to look at me in the back seat (and I'm sure he said something like crazy lowwei in chinese) and he replies. "I have been a taxi cab driver in this town for 10 years, and I have never heard anything like this" So he calls out over the taxi radio looking for snake. the first reply is from another driver, ah a snake toy. By now my friend is rolling with laughter. no nota toy, a snake. Ah... for lunch. No not for lunch. for pet. the chinese radio goes silent. (again think crazy foreinger) and a call comes back. WE can go to the fishmarket, but make them pull the teeth of the snake. (rolling laughing, just imagine a toothless snake gumming your hand....)
I didnt' know zhengzhou had a fish market. We are 1000 km from the ocean, and about 100 km from the closest river that I know about. But there sure is a fish market. it is about as wide as a normal alley, and goes back about 50 meters. There are several alleys that intersect this one at right angles, and they have poultry, or pigs.
So we go up to the first person we see in the fish market selling stuff, and my friend tells them we want snake for pet. Their eyes get so big and round you wouldn't have know they were chinese. A pet? are you crazy, snakes are dangerous. Crazy. Yes I know someone who sells them... but not for pets.
we are taken down the alley to a back alley (only in china can your alleys have back alleys) and down the back alley all the way to the end. Now for the images. Think of blood on the walls, splattered on the ceiling, and on the floor. Think of random chicken feathers stuck to this, and lets not forget the wonderful smell of dung.
we get to this shop, and there is an old woman there. She looks like she went to high school with GOD. Ancient stooped over, and dark white hair. More facial hair than I have, and very large mole on the side of her cheek. (could have been the wicked witch of the east's mom) And she won't talk about snake. She swears her son's business is honest, and would never sell snake. The son is out and won't be back until next week. Oh well. didn't get snake, but got a great story
Will
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