Stories of the Middle Kingdom: Cultural event

The business that invited me to this country (you need an inviter for visa purposes) asked me to attend a charity event today. I was asked to prepare an English poem to read at the event. I had no idea what this event was all about, but of course I would cooperate!

I somehow expected it to be a fundraiser. Don't charities always need money? If you need money, you ask as many people as you can to attend. So I expected 100 people or so. Fifty minimum.

When only 11 people showed up and some of them didn't look old enough to be making much money, I worried. Would I be viewed as a rich foreigner who would donate all I own to make their charity a success? Awkward!

A couple of young ladies were sent to be with me at the event. I wanted to ask them about the purpose of the event, but if I asked, then they might think I was complaining, and they would be embarrassed. So I just sat back quietly and played along.

We all sat at a long table with Chinese tea cups and nuts for snacks. We were inside an exquisitely decorated traditional Chinese tea and furniture shop.

As it turns out, charity is a bad translation for what this group is all about. The group exists to help preserve Chinese culture through sharing poems, playing traditional Chinese musical instruments, sharing photography, and engaging in other arts. Obviously my English poem is not preserving Chinese culture, but hey, they asked for it, not me!

In attendance were teachers, musicians, photographers, and a TV producer. Three of four of those present read Chinese poems. Three played musical instruments. One guy showed his photographs on a flat-screen TV.

The only man present read a long poem. It must have lasted 6 or 7 minutes. He was speaking dramatically as he read the poem. He was halfway through the poem when his phone rang.

He reached over to turn it off.

Except he didn't turn it off, he answered it and had a conversation in front of all us in the middle of his poem! It would be like if you were at church and in the middle of the sermon the pastor's phone rang, he answered it and had a conversation in front of the entire church.

The organizer lady looked mortified, not so much for herself, but for fear that their foreign guest (me) would think them crude. I just smiled sweetly as if I hadn't noticed. It makes no difference to me really, except it is a little humorous. It's not her fault. People just do things and you never know what's going to happen.

I had an enjoyable afternoon, and no one asked me for money. I consider that an overall win!

When it was over, we could stay and talk or we could leave. I asked the two young women with me if it was okay to leave. One of them, age 24, did everything but roll her eyes. She said she was not middle aged and she just wasn't "getting the feeling." Chinese culture means nothing to her. I suppose that's why the group feels the need to exist, to preserve what many care nothing about anymore.