I’ve been meaning for some time to write about why I chose to name this blog ‘Jianghu’. If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that I have a liking for the dodgy, decrepit, grey zones, such as Keong Saik Road or Geylang in Singapore, or Qianmen in Beijing. Often, though not always, these are red-light areas. So, here goes. It’s a mult-layered thing. Before going any further, it may be worth looking again at my ‘About‘ page, to be clear on my definition of ‘jianghu’, because there are others!
The first layer is that these places are down-to-earth, authentic. The Spectacle hasn’t colonized them yet. These areas are raw and unfiltered; they’re about cheap and uncomplicated access to the first three of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: clothing, food, shelter, sex, and so on – though perhaps not in the same order as Maslow envisaged. There are no sophisticated marketing campaigns urging you to achieve a better life, or become a better person, through shopping. The simulacrum, the mediated packaging of artificial needs and their solutions that usually surrounds us, is absent.
The next layer is that the essential realness of these areas forces you to be present. Many of the denizens of these areas are, in the way of things, not nice, shy, or retiring. You cannot remain focused on the screen of your phone, and shamble unaware of your environment as a meanderthal – a state that sometimes appears to be our default, especially in Singapore. You must be present, conscious, and aware of your surroundings, undistracted by the unreal.
This leads on to the next layer: your own true nature becomes apparent through its reflection. My experience is that in these liminal areas, the unfiltered, authentic nature of the people will return and magnify your attitude towards them. The everyday masks and deceits of our contrived, everyday world are absent. An arrogant or aggressive nature will meet aggression and arrogance. An open, direct and generous approach will meet the same, but more so. That’s why some of the best and most memorable times of my life have been spent here, out on the fringes. Here, we see more clearly how we ourselves shape the world we think we live in.
At the next level, we have to decide how we react to the choices given to us. Areas like Geylang or Qianmen are focused on sensation. The food is cheap, varied, and delicious. Alcohol, likewise. Brothels of varying types are tucked away all around. Do we indulge, given the opportunity? The ease of opportunity makes this a very clear choice. In my case – well, I’m vegetarian, so it’s my choice to decline the vast majority of the food. The girls are fun to watch, and often interesting to eavesdrop upon, as they sit at outside table to eat or tout. While I generally speaking have no issues with working girls earning a living, I choose not to use their services. As for the beer – well, like the communicatrix, I’ve found this year that “bread + beer = belly”. Oops. Another thing to choose not to use in 2008! The choice is there, made plain, though: to indulge in sensation, or to opt to control it. The nature of the decision has all ambiguity and pretence stripped away, in the jianghu…
To be continued…
This is bizarre–I could have sworn I left a comment here before…but perhaps I was only dreaming I did.
I think I know what you mean about places like this forcing you to be more present. But I can’t help but wonder if that isn’t a side effect of being placed anywhere outside of your comfort zone.
Of course, the effect will be lesser or greater depending on a number of factors, including one’s own ability to deal with new input and the rawness/differentness of the place. But still…I do wonder.
It will be interesting, seeing what your own experience is like, moving to this new place.