So last night was the play. During and after the play I learned that the group was sort of holding out on me. I sort of have mixed feelings about the situation. So I’m really glad that I’m apart of this, because it gets me out of my dorm, and I’m around really nice, funny and outgoing students. I have been going to practices almost every night for the last week. I have met new people, I went to the schools other campus (I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t joined the group). All of these are great things. But a fair amount of the time, I was pretty shy. Like, I didn’t know what all to say to them, and I figured only 2 people knew English (which was good, gives me an opportunity to practice Chinese), but I couldn’t follow all their conversations. I’d sit there and try to follow along, but it was way too fast and way too many words that I didn’t know. Watching the play during practice was really helpful. The first time, I understood a little of it. Then the main actress explained a bit of frame of the story and each time I watched them practicing the scenes I understood more and more. But I know I am not getting all of it. When the play was going on last night, I was listening back stage, and the audience laughed at parts that I didn’t really think was funny. So I know I’m missing something, but humor doesn’t translate really well all the time.
Within this group I swung back and forth between feeling like I really belonged to feeling like I was an outsider. I spent Thanksgiving evening with them, and one girl went up to me and asked if I had been able to celebrate the holiday today…I explained that it was a family holiday and that I couldn’t celebrate it. It meant a lot that she asked, and it also meant a lot that the entire conversation happened in Chinese. But other times they were joking with each other and talking so fast, and I didn’t have a clue what was going on. Its strange how lonely you can feel when you are surrounded by people.
The guys in the group would always escort me to my building after practice, because we’d get home around 11pm. I would bring food (most times) because I didn’t want people starving…and I like feeding people. We would be missing dinner because of practice. Some of the people in the group brought food too, and one of the guys always brought a bunch of water bottles….I felt sorry for him cause he carried a case of them up 4 or 5 flights of stairs every night. But I really appreciated it.
Well, last night during the play, and at the after-play dinner people FINALLY started opening up to me. I discovered 2 of my fellow actors can speak English, (they are ICB students, but I didn’t know that), and 3 or 4 other people started talking to me in Chinglish. (That’s what I spoke back to them too, Chinese/English mixed). I enjoyed the dinner, and didn’t know how to act during it. I know that it is a noisy party, and that a lot of the people (cast, stage hands, prop/costume makers, hair/makeup artists, sound and light crew) wanted to get drunk. And boy did they. But I don’t have any intention of getting drunk any time and I am not confident enough to actually be loud speaking Chinese that way. So I know that they probably thought I was not having a good time, sitting there quietly chatting and eating, but I really did have a good time. Especially since people were interacting with me (yay alcohol for washing shyness away!). The food was great, and the conversations were excellent.
Afterwards, Joanna (don’t know her Chinese name) was really quite drunk and she talked to me about the last few weeks. She said that the group felt bad, like they hadn’t treated me well because they knew sometimes when they were talking that I didn’t know what was going on and that I seemed sad and lonely. She said that they didn’t know what to do about it, and they felt they hadn’t done right by me. She also said that sometimes foreigners seem a little selfish. For instance when they are eating they want to have their own plate, they don’t like sharing. She said that I’m not like that, cause I was sharing food with them all time, so they all really like me and whatnot….she was trying to say 入乡随俗 (When in Rome), and since I actually was adapting to Chinese lifestyle I impressed them. Its sorta complicated.
Poster for the show
Moli (Joanna) the main Character
His English name is Jason
梁健 (This guy is AMAZING!)
Zoe (pronounced Zoey), being her happy self!
The clown of the group
Our main Director, his English name is Karen
Another director, his English name is Jesse. He was the guy who recruited me to join the Drama club.
Our final director. ^^
Four deaths with Moli and Andrew (makeup artist extraordinaire!)
Everyone!~ I'll post more photos on facebook (when I get them and facebook starts letting me upload photos) also I'll post video on my youtube (again I have to get the video, but I'll post it when I get it).
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