Suzhou and the etiquette of Gan Bei!

You hear so much about different cities and people argue about which one is more beautiful or more grand or maybe more peaceful. Cities have interesting sayings that try to capture your interest. Almost like slogans to entice you to come and visit and spend money. They have to do that I guess but after a while you become jaded to the hype. These slogans usually written by some office of tourism or city agency no matter how clever or well thought out often fall deaf to the ears of seasoned travelers or just cynical people. Suzhou is no different. In fact the sayings associated with Suzhou are pretty good. Up in the sky there is heaven, on earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou .  That is a pretty bold statement when you consider the size of China and the many beautiful places that live within its borders. 

Suzhou is an ancient city, built in 514 BC. Marco Polo passed through it while on the Silk road. Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War in Suzhou when it was the kingdom of Wu.  The city is famous for it’s beautiful gardens and rich history but with any city, the thing that will bring people back is the experience they have while there.  My Suzhou experience was unique. Invited with several other photographers to photograph their city, I was given a little more special treatment than the average tourist. Starting with a banquet on my first night where I learned about the hospitality of Suzhou. Our host offered us an amazing meal of dishes typical of the area. It was at that banquet where I learned the custom of toasting with bai jiu a strong alcohol and the true meaning of Gan Bei.

When our host stood up to toast everyone I couldn’t understand a word he was saying but as a polite foreigner, I followed suit and drank from the thimble sized glass. Easy enough I thought. Then I noticed our host toasting individuals at the table. I thought to myself, this guy is going to have to drink a lot if he keeps this up. Soon he decides that the small glass isn’t appropriate for some reason and takes up a small wine glass full of the clear potent drink and toasted another person. Soon he stood up and shouted from across the table. Miker! My name is Michael but that is close here. He lifted his glass and I knew I had to respond in kind. I reached for the small glass, eyed him quickly and he shook me off like a baseball catcher shakes off a pitcher. I reach for the larger glass and he nods in approval. The curve ball eh. I raise my glass and before we drink he announces that we will gan bei I don’t know many Mandarin words but I have learned that it means bottoms up. Gan Bei literally means dry cup. 

Gan Bei!!

Ok liver, I know you won’t like this but I can‘t be rude. We both drink then he shows me the glass as if to prove that it is empty so I do the same. The whole table applauds and with that one small act I realize that I am part of the group even though I don’t know anyone really and no one speaks English. Soon I find out that the tradition holds that you have to toast with everyone at the table. We had about 20 people there and soon I realized that it was going to be a long night. We toasted with little glasses and larger ones always showing proof that the gan bei was respected. Even though I understood very little of what was said I found myself laughing and very much a part of the evening. One of the photographers stood up and did some sort of skit that looked like a cross between Peeking opera and SNL. He had the whole room in stitches and I found myself laughing along even though I couldn’t understand what he was saying. One by one everyone came up to me to toast often more than once.  I was struck by how easy it is for me to feel at home in China despite the fact that almost everything is foreign to me. For a foreigner alone in China, it means more to me than I sometimes realize.

Suzhou may be a destination spot because of it’s history or canals but there is something less tangible that struck me. There is a feeling in Suzhou; a feeling that they care about how people live. There is a peaceful easy sensation that makes you feel relaxed and at home. Maybe it is the way people smile when you talk to them. As I visited the Ding Hui Temple, I met 80 year old year Han Chow Yun who works there. I asked if I could take her photo and her smile lit up the morning.

I think you can often get the feel of a place by how it’s elderly live. If they are happy, that tends to make me think it is a good place to live. I was taken to the Er Lang Xiang community rest home where they provide health services to the elderly of the area. They can exercise, have their blood pressure checked and get foot massages. There is also an area where they can take in oxygen and relax on comfortable chairs in a quiet room.  The only cost to them is for meals. There were several women working out but one in particular caught my eye. She was Lu Zong Zhen age 93. I was told that she exercises regularly. She gladly showed off here abilities on a machine that exercises arms and shoulders.

Artists, musicians and craftsmen abound in Suzhou and the government provides space for them to paint in the Suzhou Artist Palace. There they practice traditional paintings. Or play music for the elderly. Beautiful places inspire beautiful art.

Suzhou seems to have a remarkable amount of dishes that they are known for. Every meal was delicious and balanced with fish, fresh vegetables and a few reptiles thrown in for good measure. The Heng Jie market is a good place to go find those local delicacies. On my last day in Suzhou, I attended yet another banquet. There were so many dishes to chose from and I relied on my interpreter to tell me what I was about to eat. One dish was put in front of me and I asked her what it was. Chicken she said. It was the most delicious chicken I had ever had. A few minutes later, she corrected herself. Uh not chicken…..Turtle.  Just then the lazy Susan spun to me with a large turtle shell in a dish. I just thought…. Mike, today we are trying new things. 

A beautiful golden Buddha at Ding Hui Temple in Suzhou.

One of Suzhou's friendly people 80 year old Han Chow Yun works at the Ding Hui Temple.

The skilled hand of Calligrapher Yan Lisheng at work.

Yan Lisheng made this scroll for me. It translates roughly to Truth follows the way of nature.

Li Wen Da age 80 relaxes and reads the paper while taking Oxygen at the Er Lang Xiang Community Rest Home in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.

With Suzhou's relaxing air, it's always a good time to catch a nap. This vender was selling chickens and took advantage of a lull in business to rest.

The Ruiguang Pagoda at Panmen Gate stands 43.2 meters and is known as the Pagoda of Auspicious Light.

Lu Zong Zhen age 93 exercises at the Er Lang Xiang Community Rest Home in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.

Good People

I have always been lucky in one area of life and that is meeting and making friends with amazing people. Friends that make my life better even when they are thousands of miles away. Even here in China in a short time I have met new friends who I can’t imagine life without.  Sometimes it is difficult for us to tell people how we feel or that we care about them. Sometimes you just put it off for later. Sometimes you are having too much fun to stop and have a serious conversation.

I had a friend who had a great joy for life. He was crazy and fun and a joy to be around. He had an ever-present smile with just the right amount of devilish sparkle in his eyes. He was stricken by cancer and in a very short time passed on. I was lucky to be able to spend a lot of time with him in his last days and at one point during Christmas he was too weak to put together his son’s bike. I came over and with him lying on the floor we assembled the bike. Even in his weak state. Bob was trying to take control. He would tell me the directions say to put bolt a onto socket b etc etc. I wanted to just ignore most of the directions because I am a man but I realized that I was just being his hands in this situation. He wanted so bad to put the bike together and probably realized that this was his last Christmas with his son.

That was such a memorable night because even though his body was wracked by pain he was laughing and I felt like I shared a great moment with him. I recalled years of his company and the way he always made people laugh. I decided that I would write him a letter to tell him what a great man I thought he was and how honored I was to be one of his many friends. I sent the letter and he died soon after. His wife told me that he was too weak when my letter came and he never got to read it. After that, I told myself that I was going to be better about appreciating the people I really care about and letting them know. I miss you Bob Ivins.

This week the world lost two people who I thought were class acts. Burl Stiff was the long-time society writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He was a dapper gent, small in stature but large in influence. As a photojournalist, the last thing you want to shoot is a society party. The shots were simple, people holding drinks and smiling at the camera. A trained monkey could do it. Burl realized that we didn’t like shooting that kind of thing and tried to make it as painless and quick as possible. What he didn’t realize is that he made them fun. He knew everything about the rich and powerful of La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe. He would throw out tidbits of information about the highbrow guests that would make it less painful to shoot. He always appreciated the photo department and every year at Christmas, he would give us each a bottle of good booze. That got pretty expensive when the staff reached 42 one year. Later after many of us told him he didn’t need to do that, he just brought a box of good chocolates up to the photo lab.

John Kulkin also worked at the UT and was a gentle soul with a huge heart and epitomized the word class. He always had a welcoming smile and in his duties had to ask the photo desk for favors. His battle with cancer was a long one but he always seemed to have a positive outlook. He never seemed to let it get to him even and I was humbled by his bravery. His cancer was in remission for a long time and hearing that it came back and claimed him was a shock. I wish I knew him better but am grateful for the “away from work” conversations we had. He was a musician and an artist and his absence leaves a great hole in the universe. He will be missed by so many.

Being so far away from home and hearing news like this is difficult. I lost my Aunt since I was here and hated that fact I couldn’t be there for my mom and the family. But even at great distances it only takes a moment to stop and think about a good memory or just try to see someone’s face in your mind.  It is a good reminder to live life to its fullest and appreciate the people that make the world a better place. It can be so easy to take them for granted.

Character Development

I met Gong Zhen Shan at a park near the China Art museum. He was writing Chinese characters with water on the walkway of the park. Using a long stick with a foam brush on the end he created beautiful characters. When I walked up with a friend he was writing a message that translated roughly to peace for the four seasons. I started to photograph him at work and he asked where I was from. When he found out I was American (Meguo ren), he wrote a message that said welcome to my American friend. I have learned how to ask for names Ni jiao shenma? He wrote it in Pinyan cursive. He asked my name and my friend told him my Chinese name which is Mai Bao Fu. Which means Wheat, Treasure, Blessing. They often try to find a name that sounds like your English name. Michael (Mai) Paul (Bau) Franklin (Fu). Older Chinese people really seem to like that name because it is a prosperous name.  He wrote the characters so I could see how my name looks. He then offered me the brush and asks me to try. I told him I haven’t written characters before but he is insistent. I try to copy his strokes and a passer by reads them as I write. Mai Bao Fu. Mine don’t look anywhere as nice as his but his smile tells me that he is pleased that I tried. He then wrote Fu once more very large. He gestured in a way that said big. I asked my friend what he was saying and she told me he was wishing me great blessings.

Characters are very important in China, not just because they are the basis for the language but they say a lot about the history and culture of China. Whey they are written by a true artist like Mr. Gong, they say a lot about life. There is a respect for each stroke. They are beautiful and meaningful. There is a scene in the Chinese movie Hero where the Nameless character asks Broken Sword to write the character for sword. By the way he writes the character, Nameless will know how to defeat him. The scene shows Broken Sword writing a huge character and it is like a dance with the brush and paint.

I was struck by how precise Mr. Gong was with each stroke performed in the exact order prescribed by custom. But even in that precision, there is art and interpretation that is from his own hand. It is obvious that he has written each character thousands of times in his life every time trying to make them more perfect. Writing his messages on the ground with water makes them alive. They are born from his hand,  there for the universe to see and they fade away but leave a mark on a visitor, a stranger to him but one who is grateful for the chance to meet an artist and share even a few moments in peace and understanding. I am always reminded that in China, you never know what the day will bring. I am completely connected every day. Something I had lost a little in the U.S. Maybe China was what I needed to take me out of my comfort zone and into a rediscovery of who I am.  When we discover something, the first thing we do is give it a name. I was given my Chinese name by co-workers. It was nice but didn’t feel real until I saw Gong Zhen Shan write it in his way. 

Gong Zhen Shan

Character for Peace.

My Chinese name in Characters.

You try!. Photo by Liu Zhe

Photo by Liu Zhe

The master on top, my feeble attempt at the bottom. Ok so I need a lot of practice.

Say Eggplant

So I am not sure where the habit of asking people to say cheese started in the U.S. to make people smile for photos. I am sure it was some frustrated photographer who had to shoot some stiff businessman and the art director said we really need a photo of him smiling. The businessman probably never smiled in his life. I can see the photographer trying everything. Witty repartee,  talking about his kids, funny stories and nothing worked. Then it came to him! Have him say cheese! That will make the corners of his grouchy mouth go up! Genius! I can see that passing on though the network of photographers. Spreading like wildfire. The miracle for getting people to smile! Well there may be a different story but that’s the one that sounds good in my imagination.

I read a book years ago about Russian photographers which when translated into English was titled Cheesers. It got that title not because of a literal translation but because it is from a word that they say to make people smile because saying the word makes your lips go up at the ends. Unfortunately I have forgotten the word and when I have tried to look it up it comes in Cyrillic, which I have even more trouble trying to read than Mandarin characters. Anyway the book was a fascinating account of Russian photographers who formed a society that they called Cheesers. They found ways to document life in Russia and sneak photos out past the censors to show the world true Russian life instead of what the Kremlin wanted people to see.

I started to wonder what photographers in other countries say to make people smile so I got on the trusty internet and found a thread on WordReference.com here area a few responses from random countries.

Catelan - Louis  pronounced  loo ees

Czech -there is a Czech phrase "Vyletí ptáček!" (or "Pozor, vyletí ptáček").

It means "(attention,) a birdie will fly out". But it is usually used for attracting the attention of little children and they usually do not smile.

Buenos Aires -Digan Whiskeeeeey!

Brazil -They mostly say Xis (pronounced shees), which is how we pronounce the letter x in Portuguese

France -the most common is "ouistiti !" which means marmoset

Bulgarian- зеле (zele) - literally "cabbage".

We also generally say: 'Look at the birdie' (Kijk naar het vogeltje), but do not make them pronounce any words. (We know that does not help ;-)

(I do use a trick like the Turks, counting 1-2-3 and then going on, jumping to irregular numbers. That always helps produce a very natural smile...)

Turkish -we go for: 333 which is pronounced: üç yüz otuz üç!

The Estonian version makes absolutely no sense at all. We say "Hernesupp!", which just means "Pea soup!"

So I bet you are wondering what they say in China. Well they use “Say Eggplant!” Eggplant is not only a tasty meal here but it is handy for making people smile. 茄子 pronounced roughly like Chiezuh. Some of the younger Chinese just say cheese. As a photographer I don’t always want people to smile for portraits but it is handy to know what to say to get that smile if you need it. Usually though all I have to do is try to speak Mandarin and not only do I get a smile but often a big laugh. I never realized I was so funny in China….Wait, they are laughing with me right not at me??

One photographer who has photographed more smiles than probably anyone in China is Wang Wenlan. He is a revered and maybe the most well-known newspaper photographer in China. He has spent most of his life documenting life in houtongs and the ubiquitous Bejing bicycle. He has published several books and seems to be one of the happiest men I have met. He is always smiling. You can tell he loves his job. He is sought after by camera makers to test out their new cameras. He invited me to his home for an end of spring festival lunch with some of his friends. He is a gracious host and carries himself with an aire of dignity and experience. I hope to learn from his work while I am here but so much of what he has photographed has all but disappeared which makes his photographs an even more important record of China’s ever changing landscape.

All photos © Michael Paul Franklin. 

You don't even need teeth to have a good smile.

The more the merrier

Super famous newspaper photographer Wang Wenlan

Some people don't like cheese or eggplant.