So, I thought I would take a moment to share a few funny and interesting moments we have had while traveling here in China. I hope I can communicate the humor we found in them.
- While ordering at Chinese restaurants IN China, you are presented with a beautiful menu that looks more like a coffee table book than a menu. The pictures of the food are so beautifully presented. The literal translations sometime catch Westerners off guard, though. My favorite thus far has been steamed bullfrog testicles with glutinous rice. Went into a restaurant in Beijing to have dinner and after looking at the menu we realized there was every part of the animals, EXCEPT the general meaty or muscular portions that Westerners usually eat. The only thing we could find were chicken wings. So, I asked how many wings were on a skewer (in broken Chinese) and the waitress held up four fingers. That's good! We only needed two for Kimmer and one for each child. Dinner was on it's way! So, when the wings came, there were two wings on two sticks. Exactly where did the number four figure into that scenario? She certainly wasn't saying it was enough for four people. At a restaurant in Nanchang, we ordered using the pictures and a few words I got out in Chinese. The pictures looked delicious and we couldn't wait for the food to arrive. The only problem was that when it arrived we looked at each other as each item came and wondered exactly which item went with which picture. NOTHING looked like the pictures. They must have a good marketing/menu design company! The great thing about China, though, is that the food tastes nothing like it does it the States. That is to say, it tastes phenomenal here! We avoid eating Chinese food out at "American Chinese" restaurants as they just don't taste like Chinese food! The food we have had has been incredibly delicious (despite the picture feux pas and the literal translations of items). Our best meal so far consisted of sticky rice with pork ribs and Chinese dried plums, pork and vegetable steamed dumplings, stir fried rice noodles with egg and cabbage and sesame balls (our favorite dessert!). All for only $10 US!!! Woot!! (Then we had noodle soup with eggs for dinner for only $1...for ALL of us!)
- Making phone calls in China can sometimes be tricky. Most people only speak Chinese and a phrase book doesn't get you far when they are speaking Chinese quickly and you only have pinyin (a romanized pronunciation system for Chinese words) in your phrase book and only understand pinyin. Yesterday, when our guide called our room, I answered in Chinese. She responded in Chinese and immediately asked what room number then proceeded talking up a storm. I had to interrupt her in English and she just laughed saying, "I thought I called the wrong room number. You were speaking Chinese." Honestly, I know enough to make simple conversation and bargain at the market. Kimmer, though, will be the first to confess that he was not blessed with the gift of acquiring languages. That being said, he wasn't thrilled when I asked him if he could call housekeeping to get extra pillows. He graciously called and said, "Could you please send up some extra pillows?" He repeated himself three times. Then we heard a ring at the door. Housekeeping! Wow! That was fast! But the woman was holding towels and tissues! He said, "No, pillows. Two pillows, please." She understood after he put his hands to his head like he was sleeping. (No fault of hers that she knows limited English.) Once she returned with pillows, Kimmer tried to give her the DVD player housekeeping had delivered the day before to our room. She said, "Housekeeping no take." Really? But you delivered it to us! So, we're not sure who to call to get the DVD player out of the room.
- Today we were out exploring Nanchang and the market area. On our way back we stopped at a small store/stall for ice cream. An older woman, probably in her seventies, stood up and started saying things in Chinese I didn't know. All of a sudden she's pulling at my son's pants and looking inside. I guess sometimes you just have to check to see which is which! Jonathan slept through the whole conversation and pants check. Never did find out WHY she had to look.
- Two words I have learned well are "tea" and "water". Two distinctly different words. That didn't seem to matter today when we went to lunch and asked for tea (even after our guide had ordered it before she left). I asked two different waiters for tea, then finally pointed to the Chinese characters in my book that said, "Pot of tea." Yeah! We got a pot of tea! We poured it, drank and Kimmer and I looked at each other. That tastes an awful lot like water to me! I picked up the lid of the pot and lo and behold....WATER! We just laughed. Never did get tea at that meal.
- I now have a list of words that Lonely Planet and Berlitz need to add to their phrase books. One of them would be, "Drive faster, please," or, "We are in a hurry." They probably didn't put them in the books because those are not words usually needed in China.I like the driving in Asia...a little scary for some who aren't used to it, but give me free reign of my horn and I have fun driving in Asia! For some reason, though, Kimmer and I have this knack for flagging down the SLOWEST taxi drivers in the world when we are on our way to an airport. From Mexico to China, we do it every time. Our taxi going to the Beijing airport actually STOPPED at yellow lights (they do NOT make a habit of that here) and he let a car pull in front of him to make a left hand turn across four lanes of traffic. And I've never been in a taxi that was the slowest vehicle on an expressway! It really was a good thing our flight was delayed!
- When telling our guide that our room got really hot at night she said very matter-of-factly, "They always turn off the air conditioner at night." That's not exactly what I thought she was going to say.
