Submitted by Aaron Tinkleman on the 2016 winter session program in China sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice...
After a couple weeks bundling up in Beijing, now we’re in Xiamen (basically pronounced “shah” with a falling tone, then “men” with a rising tone). Beijing was not as fast-paced as Shanghai maybe (business central), but Xiamen feels more relaxed than Beijing. I like to call this place ‘tropical China.’ Beijing was 10-30F and incredibly dry, whereas here it’s 55-70F and no hand lotion is needed. This place gives me a beachy, spiritual vibe. A couple Buddhist temples are located near our residence (Xiamen University), there’s lots of green on the island and it’s pretty foggy right now.
On our first day (of a week) in Xiamen, our professor Dr. Ivan Sun showed us around the campus and the surrounding area. Readers, use caution: severe cliché ahead. I came across an old fisherman standing on a rocky mound off the shore. In the attached photo, he’s the guy in the hat farthest down the mound.
With my phone, I motioned that I wanted a picture with him. I don’t know what he understood, but he immediately handed me his fishing rod, placing my hands in the proper position. I asked my friend Tim to ask him (in Chinese) for how long he’d stand there today fishing. The man replied, precisely, “From sunrise to sunset.”