过年How?: Vegetarian Dumplings and Avoiding Spoiled Brats With Yajun Zhang of Wǒ Men Podcast

We quiz some long-term Beijingers on how they intend to spend this year's Chinese New Year and hopefully uncover some horror stories along the way. 过年 How, y'all?

Thought after you got married all of the awkward questions from relatives disappeared in a puff of smoke? Think again. We chat with a co-host of the bi-weekly podcast Wǒ Men, Yajun Zhang, who claims there is never an end to it. On the podcast, the co-hosts Yajun Zhang and Jingjing Zhang share their personal experiences and tackle social issues that affect women in China. 

Bellow, Zhang shares her experiences and pet peeves related to Spring Festival and encourages us all to not shy away from eating more. 

What's your full name and where are you from?
My name is Yajun Zhang. I was born in Tianjin but I have been living in Beijing for almost two decades.

What does your average CNY entail? Where are you headed this year?
CNY has lost a lot of its flavor since I was a kid. Back then, we looked forward to the New Year festival for the entire year. Eating a lot of dishes, especially with meat, visiting relatives and blowing shit up (firecrackers, etc.) was pretty awesome! However, these days eating too much only involves guilty trips to the gym. Visiting relatives mean that you will be grilled and tortured with endless questions like “How much do you earn?” “Why don’t you have kids?” Also, firecrackers are now banned inside Beijing…Where’s the fun?

READ: Spring Festival Fireworks Go Off With... a Whimper

Instead, I will take my parents and my husband down to Bali in Indonesia. My mom believes that Bali is one of the most romantic places in the world, so hopefully, she can find the romance that she couldn’t enjoy during her youth in the 1960s and '70s.

Tell us about a particular CNY nightmare that you've encountered.
I really cannot think of any. And knock on wood, I won’t encounter any nightmares on CNY for the rest of my life.

Which dishes do you particularly look forward to gorging on every year? 
Dumplings, of course. My mom will make a special kind of vegetarian dumplings with more than ten ingredients, including bean curd, mushroom, fungus, nuts, and a whole lot of other things. Both my husband and I are meat eaters. We believe that a meal isn’t complete unless some animal gave its life. However, I love these special veggie dumplings. According to my family’s tradition on the first day of the new year, we have to eat veggie dumplings. They symbolize a new year full of peace without any trouble or chaos (素素静静 sù sù jìng jìng).

What are three tips for avoiding the excesses of eating and drinking that CNY is defined by?
There is no way to avoid the excesses of eating and drinking. What’s the point? Actually, I think food and drinking is the best part of it. Go for it! Besides, there’s always the gym.

How do you deflect awkward family questions?
I usually turn to my American husband and repeat the question. Then my husband would shrug and play the “Laowai who doesn’t understand Chinese” game. Even though he has been in China for many years and has no problem with the language, somehow this trick still works with my relatives.

When are you getting married?
My husband and I celebrated our 11th anniversary in 2018. After we got married, for a while I thought I finally escaped those embarrassing questions, such as, 'why don’t you have a boyfriend?'. Unfortunately, relatives are gifted in finding other tough questions. 'So, why don’t you have kids?' has been the key one that they use to torture my husband and me.

What are you going to spend your hongbao haul on?
I am too old to receive Hongbao. I just hope I won’t run into any kid from the extended family and be obliged to give money to some spoiled brat that I only meet once a year.

Do you think this year's New Year Gala will include: racism, sexism, ageism, or all of the above?
Of course. CCTV is very talented in these departments. I have total faith in them.

What do you predict the Year of the Pig holds for you?
Avoiding eating like a pig (except for during CNY).

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Email: tautviledaugelaite@thebeijinger.com

Images: Yajun Zhang