When I teach Introduction to Anthropology I often like to use simple examples to relativise taken-for-granted categories. “Common-sense” examples usually communicate these the best—so I might talk, for example, about what categories of animal constitute food or how daily life is inflected by tiny habits, rumors or superstitions. I often mention, for example, lucky numbers in China—most often used for phone numbers or car license plates that have variations of one, six and eight in them. I usually also mention […]

Categories: China, Everyday Things, Mythologies • Tags: 4, bad luck, Chengdu, Chengdu Qixin Da Jiudian, elevator floors, hotel elevator, superstition, unlucky numbers, 四, 死