Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, July 8 – This is a clock shop from the wholesale market we went to in Guangzhou last week. LOTS of clocks to choose from…. BUT, you should buy one for yourself NOT to give as a gift! Do you remember from back in May that you shouldn’t give an umbrella as a gift in China? The same with clocks! I’ll just quote this from online “In Chinese, saying ‘giving a clock’ (送钟 sòng zhōng /song jong/) sounds exactly like the Chinese words for 'attending a funeral ritual' (送终 sòng zhōng) and thus it is bad luck to gift clocks or watches.” Clocks also can symbolize that time is running out, so giving a clock as a gift, especially to an older person, can be seen as you wishing death upon them! In a wholesale market like this one, the shops have samples of what they sell on display, and you can buy just one of something, or you can buy large quantities. I had purchased four picture frames from a shop and had to wait 30 minutes while they got them from somewhere nearby.
Umbrellas
Umbrellas have a very long history in China. They were first made from silk and used to shade people from the sun. Then, supposedly, China was the first to waterproof their umbrellas by oiling the paper they were made of. Today in China, umbrellas are commonly used for protection from the sun and the rain. I see them more here than I ever did in the USA, but, I think that may be because people are outside more on a regular basis despite the weather. Women don’t like to get suntans, they think white skin is more beautiful, so parasols are very common in summer, and you can buy some beautiful ones! Parts of China still make silk and paper umbrellas, but, for daily use, they are made from plastic or nylon etc. An important thing to remember in China is to never give a Chinese friend an umbrella as a gift. The word for umbrella, san (pronounced “sahn”), sounds like the word for “breaking up” or “parting company,” so, if you want to keep your friend, choose a different gift! Even if it is raining and your friend has no umbrella, it is better to offer to share yours with them than to give it to them to use. These pictures were taken in the past few weeks around where we live.
