Today I went to the foreign language building to make copies, return and check out some magazines and check the post office. It was 11:15 in the morning when I reached the building and unfortunately, most offices were closed for lunch. I couldn't make copies and I couldn't go to the library because all the workers were taking their break. Another foreign teacher was there wanting to do similar things but a Chinese professor told us they wouldn't be open again until after lunch at 2pm.
This is not really a big deal because I have lots of time and can just return in the afternoon after lunch, but it always amazes me how long the noon break is. Last year I could count on the offices being open until 11:45 or at least 11:30 but this year it seems people are sneaking off to lunch at around 11. And after lunch they are open until about 4:30 but sometimes they close at 4 - you just never know. When I asked the Chinese professor why this was happening, he said the workers wanted to get to the cafeteria first to avoid the long lines of students eating lunch and dinner. I can certainly understand this; the average campus lunchtime migration is a larger crowd of people than an American can even dare to imagine. The hungry and impenetrable mob of people surging toward the cafeterias is a twice-daily event I try and avoid altogether.
So what do the Chinese do during their noon break? First they eat which takes about 5-10 minutes. They eat very quickly in order to maximize the time that they can nap. The noon siesta is a sacred part of the day and is not to be disturbed. Campus quiets down significantly as everyone is snoozing from 12-2 - it's amazing! I was always familiar with the Latin American siesta, but I never knew that the Chinese napped until I came here. It can be a little maddening if you want to get things done during that time, but since there is no way I am going to change the system, I had better adapt and start taking naps myself and get up at 5am like everyone else.
The thing about the extended noon break that seems so odd is that it doesn't seem like the school workers do much when they are supposed to be working. I know this is not the case with everyone, but from my experience whenever I go into one of the copy offices or the library, the ladies are a) playing computer games like Happy Farm b) on their phone c) on the QQ chat program d) watching a movie on their computer or e) sleeping. This is fine for me because everyone is always up for chatting and practicing Chinese/English and there is definitely a relaxed vibe, but it's still kind of funny.
Apparently, the government jobs are the worst (best?). My students tell me that the best job to get is one with the government because then you really don't have to do anything - all that's expected of you is drinking tea and reading the newspaper. No wonder the students that have gone abroad and interned at a German or Swiss company come back shocked at the difference in work culture. One of my students at Web said, "They [the Germans] are so efficient while sometimes we Chinese don't get things done quickly." I'm just going to go out on a limb here and guess that a German company doesn't have a 3 hour siesta in the early afternoon.
Anyway, the cool thing about today was that the post office was open and we got an Easter package from Sean's dad. It was chock full of: peeps, cadbury eggs, jelly beans, chocolate peanut butter eggs, Easter candy corn and malt eggs. YUM. Unfortunately, the can of spam and hash were confiscated (read: eaten for lunch by a Chinese government worker) and didn't make it. Sad.
Hopefully they won't confiscate the mac and cheese I mailed today! (Not even sure if you can make that, or if it's available, but it's definitely American!). P.S. I was so annoyed that I had to list the contents right on the package. What fun is that?