On our second day in China, we had already been asked to join the school for supper. Nervous and unsure of the food and table manners, we politely agreed. Coming to China, the thing I was most nervous about was the food, and now my first dining experience would be with the school staff.
In Chinese culture the most important person sits facing the door. When plates of food started arriving, I wished I had practiced my chopstick skills before arriving in China.
Chinese culture is all about being hospitable (好客的). This means ordering lots of food and encouraging you to keep eating. It also means drinking wine or tea. You'll never have an empty glass.
It's polite to try everything, but if you know me, you would know I don't eat everything. Fresh fish? Sure, an entire fish on the plate staring at you while you pick at it. Not for me. Snails with their shell crushed and cooked into a meal? No thanks! The lung of a pig? I'll pass. It seems that the Chinese really eat everything!
The Chinese people are friendly. They want to learn about you and teach you about their culture. They like to ask questions, and it is polite to ask them many questions and keep the conversation going.
Every day I'm pushed out of my comfort zone (舒适区). But for the most part, I discover something I really enjoy. The experience itself is quite amazing, I've learned a lot, yet there's still so much to learn. It surely is different from my culture and way of living, but being in their shoes and seeing life through their eyes has really helped me to understand. And I look forward to discovering more!
