If you visit a restaurant in Shanghai you shouldn’t be
surprised to find the owner of the joint completely wasted before the night is
over, serving food in the meantime. In my first restaurant an elderly lady with
cheeks too flushed for excitement draped herself over the table as she took the
orders. When her customers appeared to be too specific for a quick write-down,
she seated herself and ordered a beer in the process. For herself. We just
pointed to the bottle and in came six more. What appeared to be the mother of
the happily gassed one tried to convince her of tea instead. To no avail. We
ate a delicious meal however, while the drunk hostess flaunted around, touching
an elbow and a shoulder here and there. She seemed to have a wonderful time.
The other night, the same group visited a small family
run restaurant where the owner had dubbed himself Elvis. Not only because of
his black hair, but supposedly his vocal capacities had something to do with it
too. Of course we wanted to hear. Elvis belched out a high pitched version of
‘Return to Sender’ using the beer bottle for a microphone. Ending the chorus,
Elvis took another swing of the bottle and toasted: ‘Only for happiness!’. We
wondered what made Elvis happy, and it turned out that Elvis was enjoying his
current job as a restaurant manager very much, and that he had quit his job in
advertising which he hated.
Having quit my job myself before coming here, I
immediately felt a warm sympathy for this man. Not many people can afford it to
follow their heart’s desire and especially in China, many people are obliged to
participate in the 24/7 economy. Especially the less fortunate see themselves
working long days with little time off, being separated from their partners and
children as well, as it is usually too expensive to inhabit an apartment in the
city with the entire family. And so it happens quite often that one of the
partners works in the city and the children are brought up by family elsewhere.
In order to save as much money as possible, some people even sleep in the
street. In the end, their salaries should give their children a better future
and a glimpse of happiness.
According to Confucian tradition, the Chinese keep
their eye on the horizon. Long term prevails over short term, stability and
discipline are key. The ancient philosopher is very popular again, as the
Chinese are revaluing their history, taking different colors from the past and
painting them into a new composition. Confucius is read in school and gains
influence among the Chinese population. His philosophy is quite logical: take
good care of yourself first, then extend your benevolence to your family, your
village, your province and then your nation. This process is supported by good
health and wealth. It is ok to earn money: with the money comes responsibility.
The more you have, the more you can carry out.
Last Monday was mid-autumn festival, a celebration for
the moon. According to one of the legends, a husband lost his wife to eternity,
and she transcended to the moon. Once a year, when the moon is at its fullest,
the man sees the outline of his wife in the moon and he cooks her favorite
dishes to honor her. On this public holiday of legendary separation, the
opposite takes place as the Chinese move back to their homes and their
families, indulging in moon cakes and no doubt, a beer or six: ‘only for
happiness!’.
