When China Called: Dining Part 3
 |
| Statue of Bodhi Dharma on top of Mount Song, Dengfeng, Photo Credit: Mohamed Hakim |
I didn't have any... adventurous foods while I was in China! Had I been to Beijing, or some of the more Cantonese areas, I would’ve been in for a bit more of a culinary experience (2017 Kuperard Culture Smart China, Flower, p. 103). Almost everything I had was stir fried.
I’m starting to believe that chicken is universally accepted as protein of choice. Almost in all cases where I declined pork, chicken was offered instead. That, of course, does not change the fact that the Chinese love their pork. They love it so much I now recognize the Chinese word for it, Zhurou (猪肉)!
Once I was done with my meal, I took a few steps to a table hiding behind a small divider to check on my guide. I found out that she hadn't the chance to finish her lunch yet. By American standards, I am a slow eater too! Nevertheless, there doesn't seem to be an ideal speed for eating. When I tried to slow down my food consumption in the city of Dengfeng later, my guide had finished his noodle soup ages before and was ready to roll.
As far as guides good go, I am
not quite sure why, but repeatedly my guides made up excuses to not share
lunches with me. I was told they had packed a lunch at least on one occasion and they had a late breakfast on several others. I imagine it’d be polite to
offer your guide to join you for lunch, but I speculate there is some
kind of a company rule in effect or some unwritten social construct that
prevents them from joining. Perhaps, if you really want
to invite your guides to lunch, it is best to arrange with the agency beforehand to have
lunch provided to your guides. Once again,
there may be some company rules in effect.
Of course, I made the mistake of not asking a few times, at least on one occasion! I also made the mistake of not offering in the first place, on several others.
Whenever you offer something to the Chinese, they will refuse a few times.
Furthermore, it is considered impolite to accept a thank you the first time! However, most English-speaking Chinese recognize “you’re welcome” or “not a problem” as the way to respond to “thank you,” without bringing complex Chinese etiquette into play. That said, under no circumstances are you allowed to stay silent, nod, or hmm a “xie xie”. You must respond with “bu keqi” (不客气). Yes, unfortunately, I do speak from experience.
To be continued...
