China Stories

Prepare yourself...

7th June 2008, Gerald

It's all in the detail.

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All the tea in China.

7th June 2008, Maria

Gerald was filming a blogger and her friends in a teahouse today. The Chinese love their tea. We get served it with every meal and have grown to really enjoy all the different varieties. There are black, red, green and flower teas. You never take it with milk, I haven't seen anyone take it with sugar and you definitely don't use a teabag, it's usually got tea leaves floating in it. The way it is served has varied in every place we have been: - sometimes it's served in big cups, sometimes tiny thimbles, sometimes in bowls with lids and sometimes in a glass (not one I enjoy as you have to wait until it is cool enough to lift). Your cup is continually filled but if you decide you don't want anymore you just don't drink anymore.

There are loads of teahouses in China, apparently people go for the social scene as much as for a cuppa; sometimes they have live music, sometimes people play chess or sometimes they just come to read a newspaper - a bit like our pub culture I suppose.

My suitcase has had a wonderful aroma since we visited our Little Emperor's weekend house because I was gifted some Tibetan red tea which I think is quite rare. I was told to throw out the first brew (that's the water not the leaves) as some impurities from processing will still exist. It tastes delicious and I'm not sure when I get back to Scotland I'll want to use a teabag ever again.

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It's a wrap!

7th June 2008, Gerald

Today went really very well. As I mentioned I have been pretty nervous about this final film as it's probably the most controversial of the lot. I had been worried in particular about our contributors not wanting to talk on camera about the government's control of the internet. However, our main contributor (who's name I can't currently remember) was a real surprise. She had very clear ideas about internet use in China and was very balanced in her opinions. We had a really good interview and she made me think about some of the issues in a new way.

We did the interview at her flat (we got soaked getting there as it was pouring with rain) and filmed some stuff with her on her computer and with her flatmate, then it was off for a bit of lunch before filming our last sequences at a tea house. Our contributor (whose name I STILL can't remember and I don't have my notes to hand just now) had arranged to meet up with some friends. We filmed them drinking tea and chatting and they had some really good debates about the internet and the changing face of the media in China. Really interesting stuff.

All of a sudden, that was it. We were done. After 4 weeks in China to have it all finished (or "in the can" as they say in the biz) was very strange. I was pretty emotional to tell you the truth. We have all worked so hard in such a strange, alien environment under a lot of pressure, a lot of the time. It was just a relief to finally have it all done. It has been a fantastic experience but we are all exhausted!

Now I just can't wait to get home to see my family. 4 weeks is a long time to be away and I have missed them all like mad.

It's a wrap #2.

7th June 2008, MariaandGerald

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