We were there for 4 days. Probably the most gruelling 4 days of our lives. From cramped budget airline seats with filthy toilets, super hot weather (Hainan island is the southernmost part of China, hence the hottest) to the toughest Chinese praying session I've ever attended in my whole entire life. The details...
Location: Weicai, Hainan Island, China
Scene: Burning offerings and lighting joss sticks
Prop: 1000 rims of fake paper money, 10 boxes of paper clothes and jewellery, one hard-boiled egg per actor (eggshells to throw into the fire, eggs to eat), seven joss sticks per actor
Setting: A scorching hot summer day at 12 noon, with strong winds from north south east and west to blow off the fiery ashes right to the actors' noses
Set: A 10mx10m bush area of wild weeds and grass the height of a sycamore, sparsely growing trees, unclear footpath
Climax: My poor father-in-law collapsing right onto the bush out of heatstroke
Imagine what my daughter thought about the whole thing.
I wish I had any pictures to show of the ordeal. But that would simply be rude. So instead I took a picture of the house that my husband's grandfather built. The house is located about 5 minutes walk from the 'set'. In the picture are my parents-in-law.
No comments:
Post a Comment