Food!

All the foreign teachers here say that at the beginning you lose weight because hardly anyone speaks English and everything is in Chinese characters and impossible to read. But by the end you will be fat because you gradually learn some Chinese and you eat lots and lots!

Since I’ve been here, my diet hasn’t been the best. I’ve eaten lots of rice, noodles, fruit, biscuits and a few McDonald’s!

There’s so much street food by where I live but I doubt I will ever eat from a street stall. Every Westerner I have spoken to who has eaten from street stalls has been ill. I don’t think I’ll be taking my chances, even if it smells so good when I walk by when I’m hungry!

Even ordering from McDonald’s is difficult. McDonald’s has a very different name in Chinese. McDonald’s in Chinese is ‘Màidāngláo.’ Everything is in Chinese characters and everything has a Chinese name. In China, chicken is ‘jī,’ hamburger is ‘hànbǎobao,’ Coca Cola is ‘Kělè,’ Sprite is ‘xuěbì’ and chips is ‘Shǔ tiáo.’ I’m only now learning the names for different food in Chinese. Luckily, McDonald’s has a menu and I’ve been pointing a lot!

 I’ve been told that the Chinese like to put sugar on their chips? I’ve had a few chips and I haven’t noticed anything different but I’m always a little suspicious and doubtful now whenever I order chips!

I’ve been invited out to dinner a few times by different teacher’s Chinese friends. Even when they have only just met me, they have invited me along to dine with them at expensive Chinese restaurants. The other teachers speak Chinese so they can translate for me.

The tables are usually round with a turning table in the middle. When the food arrives, it’s put on the turning table so that everyone can help themselves. There are always a number of different meats, vegetables, tofu and dumplings. They like to mix and match!

I’m still mastering using chopsticks. It’s so difficult! Typically though, I can use them perfectly well after a few cocktails!

In China, if someone invites you to eat or drink, they will pay for everything. If you protest and insist on paying, you offend them. They see this as a sign that you think that they cannot afford to pay for you! So I have had a fair few free dinners since arriving!

The Chinese food is obviously so different to the UK’s Chinese food! It’s very nice but some things take some getting used to! I’ve seen turtles on menus and I have seen fish in fish tanks in the restaurant ready to be killed and put on a plate. That’s what you call fresh food!

At the end of your meal in a Chinese restaurant, it is unheard of to leave a tip when you pay your bill! Again, they will take offence if you leave extra money!