Linsifu Got Married

Linsifu got married this afternoon and it was funny - like all Chinese weddings.  Lin had a beautiful new foreign hat he held on to all thru the ceremony.  Lo-yin had a lovely dress - too bad we just didn't have any pretty flowers.  Went to their feast after services - good food.  Japs + China fighting in Burma - Singapore still holding out.  - Annette, January 1942

I'm heading to a wedding this weekend, so I started thinking about what weddings would have been like for Frances and Annette.  Here, Annette writes about the wedding of one of the community's 'servants.'  The missionary group had cooks, housekeepers, drivers, and other workers periodically throughout their stay in China.  Annette wrote often about Linsifu (Lin was his name; 'sifu' was Annette's spelling of shi fu - 师傅 - meaning 'qualified worker').  Annette was teaching him English, and in turn, he kept her informed of all the gossip around the community.  He was a good student, and Annette seemed to enjoy their classes.

Think back to the weddings you have attended - what do you remember most?  The venue?  The dress?  The party?  For Annette, it was the clothes and the food - no surprise there!  She also participated in the festivities by creating the flower arrangements.  From this entry, it sounds like the crysanthemums didn't bloom as she had hoped. 

We get a wartime update as well.  They didn't have the luxury/curse of a 24-hour news cycle, so their updates came sporadically.  I can only guess that the updates were a big deal, since Annette always mentions when they receive news.  The war could be both all-consuming and background noise.  You never forget that it is happening, and still, daily life marches on. 

A wedding can be a joyful respite from a difficult world.  I tend to get bogged down by all the hurt and suffering in the world.  This weekend, I will step away from the news to celebrate LOVE.  I'm sure it will be a beautiful, memorable night.  

A Huge Feast

All the foreigners were invited to a huge feast today by all the Generals Major - met so many big shots.  There were 200 present.  This affair was all 'tung ming guo' - all allies together - and has never been done in W.  The food was good but not extraordinary, but we did enjoy being there + meeting so many of the people.  - Annette, January 1944

Last night was the Opening Night of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I at the Fox Theatre.  I'm sure many of you know the story.  Anna, a single mother of English upbringing, travels to Siam to teach English to the many wives and children of the King of Siam.  Just before Act Two, the King learns that Western countries find him 'barbaric,' so Anna helps him plan a lavish party to display the kindness, beauty, and tolerance of the kingdom of Siam.  In some ways, the party is a success...and some ways not.  No spoilers!  Go see the show! =)

While playing the show last night, I kept thinking about Annette and her role in China.  She played organ at the church, helped train the nurses at the hospital, cared for the children at the orphanage, and through it all, taught English to the women and children who lived in the village.  Here, she describes a party with some very important military leaders.  She describes the event as "'tung ming guo' - all allies together."  This is likely tong meng guo, or 同盟国.  This was a time to celebrate the collaboration between the US and China - one never before done in Wanhsien.  I'm sure it was quite a lavish event - much like the party that Anna and the King planned.

What an exciting evening!  Of course, she mentions the food - a crucial element of every party!  I wonder what they served their American guests.