I have this photograph from the first time I was in China for any period of time. It was 2000, and I had spent the summer in Dalian with a group of students, most of them from K-State. At the time the photo was taken, we were in a hotel in Beijing, where we had spent a couple of days before leaving the country, and we were getting ready to check out as a group.
(Darn it all, I wish I had a digital version of the picture, but it was taken in 2000, before I owned a digital camera.)
Anyway, there was this guy, sound asleep in one of the chairs in the hotel lobby. When I say "sound asleep," I mean it. There were about 40 of us students milling around, laughing, talking loudly, even jostling the furniture, but he didn't budge, or even twitch an eyelid. We were all impressed by his ability to keep on sleeping, despite all of our noise-making. So, two of the jokesters of the group--Jay and Jeremy--posed right next to this sleeping guy, their faces just inches away from his, while I took a picture. He never knew it happened.
Public sleeping is an artform in China. I am amazed at Chinese people's ability to sleep in places where I can't even concentrate enough to read a book. I've seen people sleeping in markets, on buckets, in wheelbarrows next to construction sites. Everywhere. While messing around online today, I found a site that captures the unique ability the Chinese people have to sleep when- and where-ever the urge may strike: www.sleepingchinese.com
It is incredible some of the places this guy has photographed Chinese people sleeping. If only I were so relaxed . . . .
Hiking: Cave Spring Park
8 years ago
2 comments:
Very interesting. I have fallen asleep in an airport. Knowing it's socially acceptable there, I'd probably fit right in. I love me a good nap. :) Hope you're beginning to feel better and up to studying.
Katie E.
amazing. i forgot about this quirk in the chinese culture. so interesting.
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