It's certainly possible that many did. There were elite traditions of women becoming involved with religion (probably because it was seen as a safe, non-sexual social outlet).
The problem we have is that there is far too little documentation of what women did or thought, so it's not easy to know exactly where their frustrations went. Also, many of the Tang poems "about women" are actually only using romantic relationships as a metaphor for patron-client relationships.
But this poem goes into such detail and psychological depth, that I think it must represent a real attempt to draw a portrait of a female character.
Thank you, Phil. Is it too invasive to ask about your life in China? How long have you lived there and do you have work? What is your opinion of China’s culture compared to the U.S.?
I did Chinese at university, mainly because I was trying to be clever and do something "different". It didn't go very well, to be honest, but when I finished the course with only mediocre Chinese, I decided I wanted to finish the job, so I got one of those zero-qualifications teach English in a poor country jobs, and moved to China. For a year, or so I thought.
I ended up in Xiamen, which turns out to be a mini paradise. It's subtropical, out-of-the-way, has its own fascinating history and local language and idiosyncracies, and I ended up just loving it. It's probably mainly the climate: as a Brit, I'm a sucker for the sun. (Also Chinese bayberry is legit the best fruit in the world. You may never get to try them unless you come my way, because they don't travel well, and as far as I know, they only grow them here. But if you ever see one, make sure to have a bite. Bayberry season is just a purple juice chaos every year.)
I started doing some translation to supplement the teaching, and after a couple of years met my wife here. We got married, got pregnant, and then that was pretty much that, Xiamen was where I lived now.
I got some training as an interpreter, but didn't quite make it to the UN-level high echelons of the industry. I've always been a written translator by vocation, so I did written translation, and got hired by a Huawei, which is a massive corporation. That turned out to be a bit of a mistake, as I didn't mesh with corporate culture at all, so after my contract with them finished, I abandoned translation as a job, and went back to teaching to make money. I just keep this poetry translation going as a hobby.
So I've now been here for 21 years, pretty much all my adult life. As for the culture... There are a few things I really like about culture and attitudes here. First, they're fanatical about education here, and that is a very positive attribute, even though it sometimes goes way over the top. Second, there's enormous depth and richness to the culture because of the length of history. If you're interested, there's an ocean to lose yourself in. Third, because of the recent very fast modernisation of China, there's great positivity here. People believe that life will be better for the next generation, and are willing to encourage change and try the next thing. This can include a lot of crazy get-rich-quick schemes and speculation, but it also means opening new businesses, learning new skills, and encouraging children to go abroad or dive into a new industry.
These days I divide my time between Xiamen, which I love; and Shenzhen, which is the richest city in southern China, and embodies this go-getter attitude more than anywhere. But I should say, China is bigger than and as diverse as Europe. There's no single China. My experience is just of my little part of this country.
I don't think there's much need to compare cultures, exactly. Every country has its positives and negatives. I am always surprised by how much I like the smell of England every time I get off the plane - there are things about your childhood home that you just never shake, I guess. And I miss pubs a lot. But southern China is home now, and I'm pretty happy with that.
I’m glad I asked. You tell a lovely story of natural flow and happiness. Last year, I spent 3 months in the Azores and loved the beauty and more simple culture. I compared it to a reclusive life of the Chinese wilderness poets.
Really like the way you create suspense with these posts, Phil.
What if this wife turned to Chan Buddhism to know her true self, beyond a relationship?
It's certainly possible that many did. There were elite traditions of women becoming involved with religion (probably because it was seen as a safe, non-sexual social outlet).
The problem we have is that there is far too little documentation of what women did or thought, so it's not easy to know exactly where their frustrations went. Also, many of the Tang poems "about women" are actually only using romantic relationships as a metaphor for patron-client relationships.
But this poem goes into such detail and psychological depth, that I think it must represent a real attempt to draw a portrait of a female character.
Thank you, Phil. Is it too invasive to ask about your life in China? How long have you lived there and do you have work? What is your opinion of China’s culture compared to the U.S.?
Not at all! I'm very happy to tell...
I did Chinese at university, mainly because I was trying to be clever and do something "different". It didn't go very well, to be honest, but when I finished the course with only mediocre Chinese, I decided I wanted to finish the job, so I got one of those zero-qualifications teach English in a poor country jobs, and moved to China. For a year, or so I thought.
I ended up in Xiamen, which turns out to be a mini paradise. It's subtropical, out-of-the-way, has its own fascinating history and local language and idiosyncracies, and I ended up just loving it. It's probably mainly the climate: as a Brit, I'm a sucker for the sun. (Also Chinese bayberry is legit the best fruit in the world. You may never get to try them unless you come my way, because they don't travel well, and as far as I know, they only grow them here. But if you ever see one, make sure to have a bite. Bayberry season is just a purple juice chaos every year.)
I started doing some translation to supplement the teaching, and after a couple of years met my wife here. We got married, got pregnant, and then that was pretty much that, Xiamen was where I lived now.
I got some training as an interpreter, but didn't quite make it to the UN-level high echelons of the industry. I've always been a written translator by vocation, so I did written translation, and got hired by a Huawei, which is a massive corporation. That turned out to be a bit of a mistake, as I didn't mesh with corporate culture at all, so after my contract with them finished, I abandoned translation as a job, and went back to teaching to make money. I just keep this poetry translation going as a hobby.
So I've now been here for 21 years, pretty much all my adult life. As for the culture... There are a few things I really like about culture and attitudes here. First, they're fanatical about education here, and that is a very positive attribute, even though it sometimes goes way over the top. Second, there's enormous depth and richness to the culture because of the length of history. If you're interested, there's an ocean to lose yourself in. Third, because of the recent very fast modernisation of China, there's great positivity here. People believe that life will be better for the next generation, and are willing to encourage change and try the next thing. This can include a lot of crazy get-rich-quick schemes and speculation, but it also means opening new businesses, learning new skills, and encouraging children to go abroad or dive into a new industry.
These days I divide my time between Xiamen, which I love; and Shenzhen, which is the richest city in southern China, and embodies this go-getter attitude more than anywhere. But I should say, China is bigger than and as diverse as Europe. There's no single China. My experience is just of my little part of this country.
I don't think there's much need to compare cultures, exactly. Every country has its positives and negatives. I am always surprised by how much I like the smell of England every time I get off the plane - there are things about your childhood home that you just never shake, I guess. And I miss pubs a lot. But southern China is home now, and I'm pretty happy with that.
I’m glad I asked. You tell a lovely story of natural flow and happiness. Last year, I spent 3 months in the Azores and loved the beauty and more simple culture. I compared it to a reclusive life of the Chinese wilderness poets.