"Shirtless in Suzhou" or "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem". Some little cultural differences that one observes from time to time in a foreign country really strike us. In this case, I'm referring to the fact that in hot weather one sees some Chinese men pull up the their shirts to bare their midriff, or they completely remove their shirts. I haven't seen this phenomena much here in the Chinese burbs, but I have seen it here and in Chengdu. It's not something you see a lot of, but you do see it, and for obvious reasons, I couldn't resist the first alternative title. And I have to admit, I haven't seen anyone shoeless in a restaurant, so I admit to some artistic license with the second alternative title. I haven't done this, and I won't until I have those 6-pack abs. You can breath easy now. And for what I hope are apparent reasons, no photos with this piece.
"Let me point something out to you."Today I went to lunch and to the cleaners for the first time here without the Glamorous Nomad as my interpreter and guide. To say that my Mandarin is not up to these tasks is an understatement the size of Mt. Everest. But I find that resort to the universal language of pointing and grunting can work. Based on a picture in the restaurant, I received a delicious bowl of noodles, the specialty of the house at my favorite neighborhood eatery. As for the laundry, I'm hoping that they got my sign language that one set of clothes needed ironing only (back and forth with the hand) and the other needed washing and ironing (making a hand-washing motion followed by an ironing motion). Time will tell. Anyway, the opportunities for miscommunication are rife, but with my current (miniscule) level of Mandarin, it's all we've got. (Technology fails us here, as C recruited the GN to give us the phrases, but my phone is in the shop getting gerry-rigged for China, thus leaving me bereft of guidance.)
Check this out: These photos from The Atlantic online provide a glimpse of 21st century China. China isn't not quite as diverse as India, in that it's much more modernized for the most part, but it is an ancient culture and one in amazing transition such that no particular scene seems out of place. We haven't been here for long, but you don't need to be here long to get a sense of "yup, that's what we see".
Cool, cool water. At home, that is, not from a Chinese home or restaurant. While the hot, sultry days of last week made cool water from the frig a must, when I was out at our local coffee shop (NB: coffee shop, not tea house) and I'd finished a delicious panna cotta, the barrista gave me a glass of warm water. That's the Chinese way. They don't think cold water a good idea, even in warm weather. Needless to say, I found that first sip a bit disconcerting, yet I've lived to tell the story. I think that the difference comes out of Chinese traditional medicine. Just another one of those little cultural differences.
"Let me point something out to you."Today I went to lunch and to the cleaners for the first time here without the Glamorous Nomad as my interpreter and guide. To say that my Mandarin is not up to these tasks is an understatement the size of Mt. Everest. But I find that resort to the universal language of pointing and grunting can work. Based on a picture in the restaurant, I received a delicious bowl of noodles, the specialty of the house at my favorite neighborhood eatery. As for the laundry, I'm hoping that they got my sign language that one set of clothes needed ironing only (back and forth with the hand) and the other needed washing and ironing (making a hand-washing motion followed by an ironing motion). Time will tell. Anyway, the opportunities for miscommunication are rife, but with my current (miniscule) level of Mandarin, it's all we've got. (Technology fails us here, as C recruited the GN to give us the phrases, but my phone is in the shop getting gerry-rigged for China, thus leaving me bereft of guidance.)
Check this out: These photos from The Atlantic online provide a glimpse of 21st century China. China isn't not quite as diverse as India, in that it's much more modernized for the most part, but it is an ancient culture and one in amazing transition such that no particular scene seems out of place. We haven't been here for long, but you don't need to be here long to get a sense of "yup, that's what we see".
Cool, cool water. At home, that is, not from a Chinese home or restaurant. While the hot, sultry days of last week made cool water from the frig a must, when I was out at our local coffee shop (NB: coffee shop, not tea house) and I'd finished a delicious panna cotta, the barrista gave me a glass of warm water. That's the Chinese way. They don't think cold water a good idea, even in warm weather. Needless to say, I found that first sip a bit disconcerting, yet I've lived to tell the story. I think that the difference comes out of Chinese traditional medicine. Just another one of those little cultural differences.
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