Simrit Singh
Hanover, NH
May 2019
Informant Data:
Simrit Singh, “Sim,” is a Dartmouth ’19 majoring in Economics and Asian & Middle Eastern Studies. She attended the Beijing Language Study Abroad at Beijing Normal University in the fall of 2016. Sim is from Utica, New York. Her family is of Sikh heritage.
Contextual Data:
The informant has an interest in East Asian studies from an academic and cultural perspective. She is fluent in Chinese and familiar with Zodiacs
Cultural Context:
I interviewed Sim as a subject of our Folklore Collection Project as I knew she had visited China for an extended amount of time and had learned about Chinese Zodiac Folklore there for the first time. We met in person for the interview.
Item:
Sim was at a weekend market in Beijing, where many of the vendors were selling various items, including small trinkets and clothing with Zodiac themes. Sim inquired as to the meaning of the various Zodiac symbols, and the woman selling the items explained Zodiac superstitions and a few personality traits associated with some of the animals. She asked Sim what year she was born in, and Sim replied that she was born in 1997. The woman told Sim that she was an ox, and gave her some insights on her compatibility, and recommended she marry a man born in the year of the snake or the dragon. Sim purchased a small wood-carved, painted ox from her stand.
Collector’s Comments:
I found this story very interesting. Sim was learning about the Zodiacs for the first time, and she commented that the lady seemed very happy to explain the context behind the Zodiacs in casual conversation even to someone who is not Chinese. This suggests that Chinese natives apply the Zodiacs to everyone, regardless of heritage, and believe that all should adhere to the beliefs of the Zodiac. I also found the commercial use of the Zodiacs interesting, and their artistic possibilities and the value they add visually and culturally.
Collector’s Name: Lillian Jin
Lillian Jin
2133 Hinman
Hanover, NH
03755
Dartmouth College
Russian 13
Spring 2019