Now the people who were performing were essentially a bunch of international students from China (because Mid Autumn Festival is a typical Chinese festival, right), so it's not like I could expect anything spectacular. Except they were actually so shit. Well, not shit, just... utterly uninteresting. It's like they might as well be shit, because then it'd be more entertaining. I swear for 2 hours straight it was just music music music from various "traditional Chinese instruments", except I am no longer impressed by traditional Chinese instruments because I've heard them a million times. Every single song sounded the same, and when they switched bands I couldn't even tell the difference.
Sleeping? No... I was just closing my eyes for a better musical experience.
To top it off, the show started with some Chinese ambassador giving a massive speech about giving back to your country, never forget where you came from, you're in Australia so you can learn things and help out your fellow countrymen, we are all brothers and sisters etc., etc. Like, it's a great speech, and I'd be moved if I wasn't already so Westernized. And hearing the people behind me, I'm not sure I want to be associated with my Chinese "brothers and sisters".
So the entire night I sat in front of these young people, who looked like they were in their early to mid twenties. Now, I didn't like the ambassador (simply because I thought what he said was a load of crap and because I wanted the show to start), but I have like... basic civility. Then you hear the people behind me saying "我操" twice every line (it means "fuck" in Chinese, in case you can't read that). The simple fact that I wasn't swearing at the ambassador made me feel so much more... noble.
From observation and experience, I'd say 80% of these international students are actually scumbags. I mean, I swear plenty, but I know to control myself in a public venue. Maybe I was only thoroughly disgusted because my parents were sitting next to me, and I am sure they could hear (as well as I could) everything those people said.
After the ambassador left stage, more randoms came up to stage and babbled on about the hardships of studying overseas, but even so we must not forget good ol' China our dear mother country etc. etc. Forgive me for not being very patriotic. They just lost my interest when they said that we should always keep Marxism at heart. That went on for a good 30min, before the music played. As I mentioned before, it was pretty uninteresting.
Then in the latter third of the night--- shit got real. They've moved on from traditional Chinese (I'm not even sure it's traditional Chinese--- I mean last time I checked, traditional Chinese music didn't sound like crap) to modern interpretation. I gaped. It was so...utterly inappropriate. But maybe that's because I'm overly conservative. Still, loud music, sharp rhythms played, and then you got all these Asian girls (who looked like they were 13 because they were so short) on stage, wearing short shorts and shaking their asses. After 2 long hours of listening to boring-ass "traditional Chinese" music, I guess watching girls shake their asses was rather attractive. EXCEPT MY PARENTS WERE THERE, AND ALL I COULD FEEL WAS SHAME. Like, omfg, I don't want them to see this. If I had to describe it, it'd be like having your model girlfriend invite your parents to her show, and then she starts stripping on stage to show off the season's latest fashionable underwear. Like, model girlfriend, hot stuff. Plus your parents though... it's just fucking embarrassing.
I'm on Mars right now. Please never look for me again.
1. I HATE that song.
2. IT'S KOREAN. THE "GANGNAM" HERE REFERS TO SOME DISTRICT IN SEOUL, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL OF KOREA, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. I mean, I love Korea, but are you seriously ripping music off another to play on a festival which emphasizes the theme of loyalty towards China? After that 1/2 hour speech about how we shouldn't forget our roots.... ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
Oh, but it didn't end there. THEN THEY PLAYED THE OPENING OF Gee by SNSD, which is a Korean girl group. I'm like, FFS, is China devoid of its own music? Sure Gee is popular and SNSD is great, but--- oh the irony of the night is killing me.
Argh, I give up my rage. The entire world wishes they were Korean. Why do I bother resisting. It's just that... if they insist on playing Korean music... why can't they play something decent? Gee is sooo overrated. I prefer CN Blue.
At least they're hotter than PSY
So uh, that was the most memorable part of the night. Being embarrassed as hell, and being ashamed to call myself Chinese after what happened. So much for cultural pride. I DON'T RECALL SEEING ANYTHING GREAT ABOUT THE CHINESE CULTURE. What, are we famous for shitty "traditional" music and rude international students who like saying "fuck" twice every sentence? ARGH.
I guess it's good that I'm being frustrated, because at least it means I still care about China, in some deep, dark corner of my heart.
Oh, there was a good part to the night though. There was this choir (Rhythm Syndicate Choir, I think they were called), and their conductor had a sexy ass. Couldn't see his face, I was sitting at the back of the theatre--- but I remember thinking to myself, huh, not bad. Then there was some funky band from Sydney--- the singer had a cute voice. http://www.facebook.com/VOICEINPANDA <--- there's their fb, if you want to see. I like their name.
Well, enough rage for one night. I'm going to sleep. This is by far the most... different Mid Autumn experience I've had.
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