What a Typical Morning is Like in a Chinese Village
.jpg "What a Typical Morning is Like in a Chinese Village") |
What a Typical Morning is Like in a Chinese Village
The Chinese village of Shaokao is located in the county of Zhen, in the city of Xi’an, and it has almost 1,500 people living there (including men, women, and children). People get up at 6 A.M., typically have breakfast around 7:30 A.M., work from 8 A.M. to noon, then rest or play for 2 hours before starting their lunch at 2 P.M., working again from 3 P.M. to 8 P.M., then resting from 9 P.M.
Wake Up
.jpg "What a Typical Morning is Like in a Chinese Village") |
What a Typical Morning is Like in a Chinese Village
In most parts of China, it’s still normal to wake up at dawn. When residents of one village woke up for work one morning, some were confused by the sight of street lights still on. They soon realized that their alarm clocks had malfunctioned and no longer registered dawn as daybreak. City dwellers often set their alarms 15 minutes earlier to allow time for getting ready – but in villages where life moves at a slower pace, preparation time can take half an hour or more.
Walk Around
Before my breakfast of fried rice and pickled turnips, I walked around for two hours talking to people. Few had much to say about anything other than how life was better when they were younger. When we didn’t have to worry about environmental damage, one said. When we still thought it mattered who won elections, another added.
Eat Lunch
Lunch is typically a big meal in China, often consisting of numerous courses. The staples include rice, noodles, and leafy greens such as bok choy or mustard greens. But dishes can be cooked or prepared from scratch using just about any ingredient—including dog meat, bugs, or sea cucumber. Eating lunch at home may consist of leftovers from dinner or something simple like fresh fruit and nuts.
Afternoon Work
In most villages, it’s almost lunchtime before children even get to school. Most schools don’t hold classes until 1 p.m., which means they often miss out on morning sunlight that would normally boost their immune systems and help them stay alert. But it isn’t so much lack of sunlight that makes these children yawn, as it is lack of sleep.
Fall Asleep
As with most morning routines, waking up early takes practice. Some people’s circadian rhythms make it difficult to fall asleep before midnight, while others can’t get out of bed until eight or nine. You may have to try multiple times at different times of day—and even on different days—to find when your body will wake up and feel rested. When you do sleep, set an alarm for later than usual so you can get more sleep than normal.