Funny China Stories


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Asia » China » Guangdong » Zhongshan
March 21st 2012
Published: March 21st 2012
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Ok, so here are some funny things that have happened since coming to China.



The first experience with the Chinese people actually occurred in the Chicago airport as we were boarding the plane. I was one of a handful of non-Chinese people on the flight. Since the import tax on American goods is so high, all the Chinese people had purchased duty free items from the airport and wanted to carry the items on the plane. So the English speaking airline workers were trying to explain to the Chinese-speaking passengers how to collect their packages and carry them on the plane. Because there were so many, they just kept trying to shove the items in the overhead bins, and finding any room they could find so people were just running around everywhere. Then when the plane landed, all of them jumped up at the same time and began to pull their belongings out of the overhead bins and all trying to be the first to get out of the plane. It was quite hysterical.



My first real Chinese food experience was when a local took us a "Asian / Western" restaurant. In China its common to place all the food in the middle of the table and then people just grab what they want to eat. For this meal we sat at a square table which seems to be the only "Western" part of the meal I could see. There was a pit of boiling water in front of us, and our waitress just kept throwing meats and vegetables into the water and then pulling them out and placing them in a little bowl. I had no idea what most of the items were. None of the meats resembled anything I'm used to eating, and I didn't really know there were other types of meats you could eat. After reading books on Chinese culture I was under the understanding that guests are not supposed to eat until the host begins. However our host had a lot to talk about and it was close to 40 minutes before he had picked up his chopsticks. All the while our waitress just keeps taking food out of the boiling water and placing in one of the several bowls we had in front of us. I eventually caved and decided to at least start on the soup as it was beginning to get cold. I then remembered that I had it backwards and the host is not supposed to start until the guests begin. The lunch lasted nearly 3 hours with our host talking the entire time. When I replay this in my head I see him speaking in Chinese with English subtitles below and occasionally he just starts laughing, so I do the same.



My next authentic Chinese meal was here in Zhongshan. Our host wanted to impress us with local cuisine so she took us to a place with a giant bird out in front. I asked her about the bird and she said "Ah yes we eat the bird". I was like oh so its chicken? "She laughed and said no its a little bird". We sat down at a round table and the waitress brought out a picture of hot tea. Our host immediately began to pour the hot tea in all of the little bowls, thinking she must thought we were very thirsty I said "Oh I'm ok this is enough for me" and she informed me she was cleaning the dishes as they are not usually sanitary. When it was time to order we walked though an what seemed like an aquarium. Everything was alive and inside a glass box or a tin bowl. Our host kept pointing at creatures asking if we liked it. I said I have no idea I'll just let you pick it and don't tell me what it is. At the end of the line we did find some fruit and vegetables that we ordered some pears and corn on the cob, at a slight surprise from our host. When the food came out, the entire creature was placed before us so there was no mistaking what we were eating. I kept looking for the fruit and vegetables, but when they came out they had been juiced. So I drank my hot corn on the cob out of glass.



Another meal I had at the factory also included strange meats I’d not seen before. After scooping a dark meat out into my little white bowl, my co-worker said what I thought was “This is pigs-head” I’m said “Maybe it’s better I don’t know. I don’t like eating heads of anything.” And she said “oh no pigs hand, HAND”. And I said “oh ok that is ok”. And then she said “the pigs head is in the soup!”

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28th March 2012

funny stories
It's very funny, I like your article. It let me think of the happy time:)

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