DAY TWO continued: Cokes explained: no one is drinking anything but tea.
Skyler: They don't drink much with their meals. And while we're on the subject of etiquette - never point your chopsticks at anyone and don't stab them into your rice and leave them standing upright.
Me: O.K. Why would I stab my rice? And why is he distributing bits of food into our bowls with his chopsticks? What does Yue Li think about that?
Yue Li eats placidly, cuddling baby Star on her lap.
Me: Why do you keep putting food into my bowl?
Skyler: It's considered polite for the host or the head of the household to do that.
Me: Oh. (I bite into a small rib bone and discreetly spit it out into a napkin.)
Skyler: You can just spit the bone on the floor. Everyone does.
Me: WHAT? NO! Crossed-my-line, crossed-my-line. I'm not spitting my bone on the floor and I don't see anyone else doing that either. Yue Li! Do people spit their bones on the floor??
Yue Li: Sometimes. (Smiles at Skyler)
Me: No help there, they're in this together.
Did Sky use the eating ends to distribute food? When I was there, the host would turn the chopsticks over and use the other end.
ReplyDeleteWell, according to Skyler and Yue Li both this area is the "rough" part of China, which includes manners, I think. Sky compares it to the Texas of the U.S. And I have to say, on the plane ride to Bejing and in the airport everyone seemed subdued and orderly. When I reached the gate and seating area for the flight to Chong Chinq I thought there was a keg party going on. People were shouting to each other, generally having a good time. Very loud. Granted, there were a couple of groups there, a shopping group composed of adults my age, and a high school field trip of some kind, but wow, you could certainly see the difference. The high school kids hung over my chair and asked me endless questions in Chinese on the way over, taking their pictures with me and showing me their pictures. (Of course I whipped out all of mine of the family) The teacher finally had to pull them off of me. Was hysterical.
ReplyDeleteHello Miss Maggie- miss you at PAD. All is well.
ReplyDelete