far cathay

[elysesewell]

I'm still pretty high from Chinese New Year. The prolonged break from the frustrations of ladypose moil, combined with the fact that I'm reading The Travels of Marco Polo, a mostly-true catalog of Marky Marc's impressions of unfamiliar provinces, has my soul incandescing daily with delight at the myriad subtle ways in which the Chinese mode of

Comments

[scotophobic]

She's probably the tallest woman in China right now. Last year she took a picture of an airport filled with people, and it looked like Elyse was standing on a chair, but she wasn't.

apparently someone has never been to China...

[euphory]

Miss World (Miss China) is over 6 feet tall. And you do know China has models too right? And China's famous women's volleyball team...

And even with ordinary citizens, if you even go to Northern China, particular in Shandong and Northeast China (where people are stereotyped as tall and big), the average heights for girls are probably 5'6'' or 5'7''. Even for the generation that grew up with famines and tiny food rations, 5'5'' and over women are everywhere in Northern China. Girls who are over 173cm (miminal height requirement on Top Model?) are not all that unique.

Elyse's height would be on the tall side, but she would stand out in these places because she's Caucasian (and a graceful willowy model), not because she's tall.

There seems to be a height difference in different parts of China. I myself am only 5'6'', pretty average in where my family originally from (I'm the shortest person in the family...), but when I go to Canton and even in the U.S., Chinese people have commented on how tall I am.

Re: apparently someone has never been to China...

[anonymous]

Agreed!!!

Re: apparently someone has never been to China...

[ladyofannwn]

I think it's more of a respectful thing.... in India some of the girls I worked with called me Aka (big sister), even if they were a little older than me. : )

[made_of_toast]

Exactly!

[elysesewell]

Oh, it was in Mando, though: "Jiejie." I LOVE that feature of the language: basically any woman is "big sister," any kid is "little sister" or "baby sister" (waitresses are also "little sister"), any old lady is "grandmother." I've heard that to dis someone, you can call them "grandson" or "granddaugher," but I've never actually heard it.

Also, in Korean, when our model managers would introduce us/describe us to clients, they would call us "chingu," or "friend." ie, "This friend is from Canada; she just shot the cover of Elle Girl."

[_swallow]

That's so awesome!

[temperamental]

I've heard that to dis someone, you can call them "grandson" or "granddaugher," but I've never actually heard it.

It's actually a bit more common to call yourself their grandparent/other-grand-relation. Which I always find highly amusing.

-- and I just realised that sounds like the same thing, but with how Chinese works ...

[fgg_1]

Huh, that sounds like Spanish. "Esta amiga acaba de salir en la portada de Elle Girl."

[black_silver]

icon ftw

[fgg_1]

Speechless RPATTZ ftw, indeed.

[kittypuppy]

haha omg I love that

[nekostef]

That is incredibly charming!

[_that_slut]

I learned this from Firefly :] (Kaylee calling Book, 'Grandpa' , Mei Mei etc)

[perfiction]

Firefly FTW!