Some More Chinese Culture (and all that noise)

The Chinese take a special delight in noise, as I've said. In fact, they have a phrase which expresses this delight. Transliterated, it goes like this, "How Ruhr Now!" which means 'Okay! Hot and noisy!'. (It also infers a great pressing crowd of people. I kid you not.) Contrary to what any right-minded Westerner might think, this phrase is used to express joyful satisfaction. Noise itself is an essential, integral and defining element of Chinese social events. Asked how the wedding party, the political rally, the free concert or the shopping mall was, a Chinese would say "Great! Hot and Noisy" if they want to express their delight. Raucous, exciting, crowded and bustling; "Hot and Noisy" does it for them.

And, lest you go off thinking that 'hot' by itself is a desirable element, it's not. Whether it's for the weather, over-exertion or the fact that they've simply over-dressed for the temperature or the activity, Chinese will exclaim how hot they are as if expecting sympathy or commiseration for their plight. Being hot is not a desired condition unless it is accompanied by din and clamor. Then, it's ecstasy.

I don't mean to infer that noise is only an accompaniment to special occasions in Chinese society. Anytime is a good time to generate noise. One especially noisy hobby is playing a kind of shuffle-board with the furniture across tiled floors. Evidently, the trick is to make the chair or the table skitter as it is pushed heavily across the floor. This causes the floor/ceiling to vibrate like head of a conga drum under the drummer's dragged thumb. The resultant groan of the floor/ceiling is loud and irritating. Traditionally, this activity is conducted most enthusiastically after midnight.

Other popular means of noise production abound. The semi-annual chiseling off of ceramic tiles from concrete floors and walls with industrial-strength electric drills is a favorite. The grinding of the drill resonates through a building's steel and concrete producing the effect of being inside a tooth at the dentist's. This might go on for hours or days. Another of the more physically demanding processes of noise production is pounding on the walls with heavy objects such sledge hammers or chiffoniers.

Noisemaking needn't be organized or strenuous, though. Simple pleasure can also be gotten by rapping forcefully on the walls with anything to hand, it seems. Watering the plants can be a raucous event if one flings gouts of water with enough abandon, willy-nilly to plash onto the awning of the apartment below yours. The vociferation of this activity can be enhanced by shouting at passers-by. Shouting and screaming are perennially popular pastimes which can be done anywhere and at anytime. And are. Believe me.

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