You Are Old

The Emporer and his wife

On Friday, October 21, 2005, Frank and I were met by Lemon, the Foreign English Teacher Intern, at the gate of Yichang No. 1 Middle School.

“Why have we been chosen to have our photos taken?” I said.

“You are old and every year the Chinese have a festival for old people. It is part of the Chinese New Year celebration,” Lemon said.

Together we travelled by taxi to the Love Photograph Shop. Our hosts invited us to try on a formal North American wedding gown and tuxedo. We accepted and returned from the dressing rooms in outfits that brought tears to my eyes while reminiscing about our wedding in Canada a year before. Frank laughed at how he looked in his ‘get-up’ as he referred to it. He asked the shop owner if we could wear traditional Chinese wedding garments. The accommodating proprietor instructed his staff to clothe us in outfits fit for an emperor and his wife.

We stood in various poses orchestrated by the photographer. Afterward, the photographs were prepared and refined on a large computer screen. We chose the ones we liked best and left with a computer disk and fond memories of being old in China.

Frank and Susan in Yi

Rule No.6: Enjoy yourself.