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Total entries in this category: 51
Published On: Mar 07, 2006 03:02 PM
Total entries in this category: 51
Published On: Mar 07, 2006 03:02 PM
Corrupted!
Last night, we took part in an episode of
bribery.
We were having dinner at the house of a friend
whose husband teaches in the neighborhood middle school. He was not home, but
the phone kept ringing with calls for him. Towards the end of the evening, his
wife explained the situation. The parents of students were calling, offering
gifts and favors for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.
"They want the teacher to be happy so that he will give more attention to their children," she said. Her husband had already received many boxes of moon cakes, a small round pastry, baked with a variety of fillings; the traditional gift of the Mid-Autumn Festival. "Does this happen in the United States?"
Well, actually, no. At least not that anyone admits. But now, around 9 PM, a call came from the parents of a boy who had recently been in a fight, giving his classmate a black eye. They were requesting that she meet them at the school gate. She felt very uncomfortable about the whole situation. I asked her if she was worried about her safety, imagining strangers with guns. But she was just afraid that the meeting would be socially awkward.
Because this was a wealthy family making amends for a boy in trouble, the gift potential was enormous. Deb and I though this was extremely intriguing, so we offered to accompany her on the rendezvous. She liked this idea; the benefit to her would be that, with foreigners present, the family would keep the meeting short. She liked the idea so much that she offered to share the booty with us, half and half!
The walkways were pitch black and a misty drizzle was falling as we walked to the gate. I felt like a spy in a '30s noir film. How would we know who we were meeting? When we saw the the shiny new parked car (the only car) it was clear. "That's a 'Santana'" our friend said, "It costs over 300,000 yuan!"
The driver stepped out, wearing an expensive tailored suit. He looked like a gangster, with slicked back hair and a cigarette in his mouth. He was holding three very large, red gift bags, and was unsteady on his feet. I realized that he was nervous too, and also drunk.
Our friend and the drunk began exchanging traditional social pleasantries. He gestured awkwardly, his hands juggling the clearly heavy bags and his teetering cigarette. As predicted, with us there, the official business was taken care of quickly. We each took one bag, everyone profusely thanked everyone else, and we all headed home.
Now that the transaction was over, our friend became noticeably more relaxed. We began to giddily contemplating the contents of our bags. Deb said, "I feel like I'm carrying 10 kilos of heroin!" "Maybe it's gold!" our friend dreamed. Me? I was actually hoping for more moon cakes, because I think they're delicious.
Back in her living room we pulled enormous, shiny red boxes from the bags. The boxes were elaborately decorated with embossed images of golden calligraphy and floral arrangements. I'd seen boxes like these in department stores, selling for 400 or 500 yuan each. They were moon cakes, and undoubtedly the best!
But unfortunately for us, the best moon cakes in Yunnan are filled with ham, a famed local delicacy. Not the sweet red bean paste and chestnut filling that I love. Still the packaging was exquisite; each elaborate box was satin lined, cradling perhaps a dozen, no less beautiful, individually boxed cakes. These smaller boxes were so nice that Deb took home two of them (empty) to use for holding jewelry.
So, no heroin, no gold, not even a sweet lump of bean paste. But the truth is that I can go to any bakery in town and buy plain-wrapped, sweet-filled moon cakes for about 10 cents each. And after the holiday, they'll all be half price. Maybe crime doesn't pay.
"They want the teacher to be happy so that he will give more attention to their children," she said. Her husband had already received many boxes of moon cakes, a small round pastry, baked with a variety of fillings; the traditional gift of the Mid-Autumn Festival. "Does this happen in the United States?"
Well, actually, no. At least not that anyone admits. But now, around 9 PM, a call came from the parents of a boy who had recently been in a fight, giving his classmate a black eye. They were requesting that she meet them at the school gate. She felt very uncomfortable about the whole situation. I asked her if she was worried about her safety, imagining strangers with guns. But she was just afraid that the meeting would be socially awkward.
Because this was a wealthy family making amends for a boy in trouble, the gift potential was enormous. Deb and I though this was extremely intriguing, so we offered to accompany her on the rendezvous. She liked this idea; the benefit to her would be that, with foreigners present, the family would keep the meeting short. She liked the idea so much that she offered to share the booty with us, half and half!
The walkways were pitch black and a misty drizzle was falling as we walked to the gate. I felt like a spy in a '30s noir film. How would we know who we were meeting? When we saw the the shiny new parked car (the only car) it was clear. "That's a 'Santana'" our friend said, "It costs over 300,000 yuan!"
The driver stepped out, wearing an expensive tailored suit. He looked like a gangster, with slicked back hair and a cigarette in his mouth. He was holding three very large, red gift bags, and was unsteady on his feet. I realized that he was nervous too, and also drunk.
Our friend and the drunk began exchanging traditional social pleasantries. He gestured awkwardly, his hands juggling the clearly heavy bags and his teetering cigarette. As predicted, with us there, the official business was taken care of quickly. We each took one bag, everyone profusely thanked everyone else, and we all headed home.
Now that the transaction was over, our friend became noticeably more relaxed. We began to giddily contemplating the contents of our bags. Deb said, "I feel like I'm carrying 10 kilos of heroin!" "Maybe it's gold!" our friend dreamed. Me? I was actually hoping for more moon cakes, because I think they're delicious.
Back in her living room we pulled enormous, shiny red boxes from the bags. The boxes were elaborately decorated with embossed images of golden calligraphy and floral arrangements. I'd seen boxes like these in department stores, selling for 400 or 500 yuan each. They were moon cakes, and undoubtedly the best!
But unfortunately for us, the best moon cakes in Yunnan are filled with ham, a famed local delicacy. Not the sweet red bean paste and chestnut filling that I love. Still the packaging was exquisite; each elaborate box was satin lined, cradling perhaps a dozen, no less beautiful, individually boxed cakes. These smaller boxes were so nice that Deb took home two of them (empty) to use for holding jewelry.
So, no heroin, no gold, not even a sweet lump of bean paste. But the truth is that I can go to any bakery in town and buy plain-wrapped, sweet-filled moon cakes for about 10 cents each. And after the holiday, they'll all be half price. Maybe crime doesn't pay.
Posted: Fri - September 5, 2003 at 10:40 PM