And I used to be a picky eater...

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting used to Asian food or just getting brave in my food choices, but I have been experimenting with food I would never even think to eat in Canada. It is often said about the Chinese diet, “If it’s back faces the sun, they’ll eat it.” You name it, and you’ll be able to find it somewhere in Asia. Although I refuse to try dog meat (at least knowingly,) here are a few things I have tried:

Bamboo - In Guilin, walking past a street vendor I see him peeling off the outer layer (umm… bark?) of the bamboo. Curious, I asked him, using my best hand/eating motions, if he is selling it as food. He nodded, (perhaps just getting a kick out of looking at this stupid white person) and I bought one to try. It was quite juicy and sweet, but after you got that out, what u were left with was straw like substance with no flavor and very difficult to break down with your teeth, let alone your stomach. I ended up just sucking the juice out and then spitting out the rest (When in China….).

Donkey - This is by far the best meat I have had in China thus far. Very lean meat shaved like roast beef in a dish with vegetables and spices. It could also help that the meat was super fresh due to the farm/butchering area they have in the back of the restaurant. You can go back to see the next donkey, chicken or dog to go under the knife.

Chicken hearts - I tried these in Shanghai. They are sold on the street as meat on a stick, 8 little chicken hearts in a row. A guy we were with said “I know it sounds gross, but you have to try these chicken hearts”. They were quite tender and tasty, although I felt a little guilty knowing it took 8 chickens to make that one stick of meat.

Snake booze - I first saw this on our boat trip from Guilin to Yangshuo. The waitress came around with this jar full of clear alcohol of some sort surrounding about 10 dead snake carcasses. Mmmm… appetizing. No thank you. Well two days later I’m at a pub when I hear an American guy that I met say “Hey Canada! Are you going to come do a snake shot or what?!” I said no and he proceeded to give me the I’m-sorry-your-a-wimp look and headed to the bar. Well I couldn’t my Canadian/female pride (especially after beating him at beer pong!) be hurt so I ran up to the bar and said I was in. Turns out, the alcohol is baijiu, which is 70 proof and would be the Chinese equivalent of 151 rum or something, with the snake touch of course. It wasn’t as bad as I imagined it to be, even a little watered down, but it was definitely a do-it-to-say-you-did-it moment and not something I’d indulge in again.

I have been trying to practice the language here. Funny, when we were in Shanghai we realized that no one understood even our basic Chinese words that we use every day. I guess I am learning the Wuhan dialect. After being in Thailand where I could get away with knowing 10 Thai words, I was looking forward to being forced to know more Chinese, because English isn’t as prevalent. I soon noticed however, that although I was learning more, I was still stopped learning after I had the basics down. I talked to my friend Lisa, who taught in Wuhan at another school two years ago and who is fairly fluent in Chinese (at least to my standards) and got her to teach me a few things and she would make me practice them with our taxi drivers. On Sunday morning I took a taxi down to Starbucks and when I got in the cab driver started making fun of me to somebody on radio, telling them I was a foreigner who didn’t know anything. I was shocked I understood everything and laughed at him. Next thing I know, I’m in a full conversation in Chinese with this guy! We’re talking about where I’m from, how old I am (which took a bit to understand) and how I’m a teacher, and that I drive in Canada, but not in China. I got out of the cab and was stoked on life! I just had my first Chinese conversation! It is definitely motivating to learn more.

I’m continuing my exploration of the country is a trip to Beijing this weekend where I will be meeting up with my friend Emilie, who taught in Thailand with me. Should have mucho stories to tell!

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