Food

Andrew, Blair and I went to the Agriculture University to Jason's tea lab. It was so interesting. We were there 3 hours before we had even realised.

Anyway at the tea lab the professor said that you can't have a tea lab with out having a tea house. So the professor paid to deck out the tea house. It looks fantastic and is very welcoming. We sat in there and drank tea. We had the whole tea process shown to us.

It amazes me how the Chinese prepare their food.

There are the pineapples which are presented with the head in tact and the pineapple with all the little eyes cut out.
The baked sweet potato cooked inside some heating contraption and served in a plastic bag.
The Chinese hamburger.
Popcorn is cooked in this strange contraption. It is hard to explain how it actually works but the first time you hear it explode you wonder if you need to duck for cover as the country is being bombed!

I'm sure I will think of other things to add to the list over time.

The Chinese table manners would offend most people I associate with. Eating with the Chinese can take a little getting used to. They spit their bones and other wanted food onto the table. It is quite acceptable in China and is done in most restaurants! Of course I find it quite appalling. The loud eating of food - munch, munch, crunch, crunch with the mouth open would see my brother on the first plane out of her. Sometimes it really is like eating with children.

The meat markets will make most people cringe. It certainly does make me cringe but I've learnt to look the other way. Most people know that in Asia many foods are eaten that we in the west would find too difficult to eat.

In China we also know that the Chinese people will eat anything. I guess when there are 1.3 B people to feed and poverty and starvation has played a huge role in their 5000 year history, that this is more a case of reality and not choice. Their taste buds and sensitivities are different to ours.

We are horrified about dog meat. The Chinese are shocked at our reaction to the thought of eating dog meat. I am keen to report that it isn't the household pet that is eaten but dogs which are specially bred for this purpose. Dog meat is a delicacy.

I love going to the vegetable markets. The traders are so friendly and happy to sell you their produce. If it is not the best they tell you not to buy. The Chinese race are very honest!