When in Changchun, do as the locals do
By Wang Zhen
2015-02-05
When he starts setting up his stall at the Chinese New Year market, Michael Claus, a German car engineer who lives in Changchun, Jilin province, is sure to greet his neighboring stall owners and passers-by cheerfully, drawing lots of attention.
And, Claus’s stall is a real stand-out compared to the Chinese stands here and there all decorated in traditional red, while Claus’s has different colors and many Germany specialties, ranging from home-made sausages to bottles of beer and other alcohol.
He also has his own way of promoting his business by pan-frying some sausages on the spot and pointing to the sizzling tidbits with his spatula raised to attract people, while saying the "smell can surely attract some people".
And he enthusiastically dishes out the slices of sausage while continuing in broken Chinese, "Mei’nv, German sausage, have a taste, it’s free."
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German stall owner serving home-made sausages, at the Changchun railway station hall. [Photo by Jiang Shengsong/Newculturenewspaper] |
Claus has been in China seven years and has a Chinese wife and clearly understands the Chinese tradition of preparing for the New Year about a week or two ahead, and how people stroll around street markets looking for all sorts of goods they need for the occasion such as new clothes or groceries.
He goes on to explain, "We Germans also have one big time to do this but it’s at Christmas time, usually in early December, when we look for Christmas cookies, gingerbread and handmade items, toys and books," so, naturally it occurred to him that German sausages might be something new and exotic for Changchun’s people, and at least it’s fun.
And luckily enough, Claus got a free stall in the market from a Chinese friend, Ms. Zhang, who explains, "He’s a nice guy. So I invited Claus to join me and here he is," patting her German friend on the shoulder.
And Claus is good at the job, even taking time out to take a photo with passers-by, with a patient smile on his face -- even though he hasn’t sold a single sausage.
But, it hardly seems to worry him, after all, "This is just my part-time job, and seeing people coming and going is a lot of fun."
He concludes, "Maybe people think my sausages are too expensive, but that’s ok."
Why? Because he intends to keep on doing this until one day "Claus’s" becomes famous.
And, Claus is just as persistent in his other life in Changchun and plans to stay here as long as possible -- simply because he likes the simple life and Changchun’s people.
