Mid-Autumn Festival

Qingdao, Shandong Province 山东省， 青岛市

As the sun slowly set this evening, the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 began. My friend and Chinese language teacher at my school, teacher Sun 孙老师 (pronounced soon) invited me to spend the evening with her family. It was a fantastic dinner and I met great people.

Her family lived outside town in more traditional-style Chinese housing.

This is a very common sight. Old guy sitting on a stool outside smoking a cigarette.

In addition to lighting lanterns and eating mooncake, it is traditional to burn offerings to one's ancestors during Mid-Autumn Festival.

And of course, the centerpiece of any festival: an abundance of food and drinks to share with friends.

My conversations with these gentlemen were some of the most enlightening regarding current roles and pressures for Chinese men in society today. They felt that women were simply gold-diggers and if they were to have any chance of landing a partner, they'd need to make a lot of money. It wasn't fair, they said, because all women need to do is look pretty and they'll be fine.

My host's mother and father-in-law and son, Yaoyao 要要. They are all great people and I miss them.