Back to China... again

[david_dawei]

A Dog-on Good Meal

I know what some can't stomach the idea of eating dog but there is almost nothing under the sun I won't eat. Since I first had dog stew over 2 years ago, I have been on a search for equivalent good meal; finally had it last night. We had first spotted this place because they hang dogs out on a hook, street side, and skin and quarter them. We asked Lulu's brother about the place and he said yes, it is actually one of the best places for dog despite it's far off into one of the corners of Fushun.

 

We got a private room which seemed suitable for the street side quartering; so I pulled out my phone and took a video.

 

I have often wondered about the sheer amount of diversity that chinese will eat; whether on land, air, or sea, there is a myriad of edible items which one never sees in the west. It seems an obvious case of intentionally avoiding food which is available to an every growing world. Not that I would push dog or anything on anyone to consume but it is always an observation I have that the diversity of food here makes pragmatic sense.

[david_dawei]

I made it out of China but not without a 'foot in mouth' snafu; early on (ie: already in the air) they announced we would arrive 30 minutes early. In the end, we arrived over 3 hours late. Everybody basically missed their connections and since it was 'due to weather', they don't provide any hotel. I got my next day flight (well, technically it was already after midnight so the same day) and went to the gate to just wait 8 hours. It is actually amazing how many people are throughout this entire airport (IAD) all through the night in every concourse.

 

I made it through Chinese security with the typical, how many bottles of jiu can you possible get by them. I think the restrictions are 2 bottles for all combined checked bags. When they scanned my bag, they asked lulu to explain all the bottles. She said most were empty, I just collect them (which is true). They he grabbed a box; she said it was not jiu but oil (massage). He never grabbed one of the full ones and decided it was not worth the trouble to pursue further. In fact, I had four bottles all together. She said to me that I always get off easy with chinese security since I am an american (must think the stoopid lao wai does not know any better so just let him go). When we went through Jiuzhaigou security, I had a knife in her purse. When she told him that it was a gift I bought at the mountains, they encouraged me to go back to our baggage quickly and put it in the checked bag, which we did. She said that if it was her alone, they would just snatch it from her.

[Beachey]

She said to me that I always get off easy with chinese security since I am an american (must think the stoopid lao wai does not know any better so just let him go). When we went through Jiuzhaigou security, I had a knife in her purse. When she told him that it was a gift I bought at the mountains, they encouraged me to go back to our baggage quickly and put it in the checked bag, which we did. She said that if it was her alone, they would just snatch it from her.

 

 

I run into similar situations like this in China all the time. Mostly I think it is due to the language barrier, I can not speak enough Chinese and they do not speak enough English that it is easier to just to let me go. I have walked into VIP receptions where no one stops me since they assume I must belong. A couple of my friends live in a building with security that just let me walk in, they open the door. Best I can tell their job is to stop me and call my friends to clear me before they let me in.