Cultural differences

[tonado]

I would think most people wouldn't have this problem since China has an one child policy. So you wouldn't have any siblings. Actually, my wife does have an older sister and a younger brother.

[awch]

I gave up being a vegetarian so we could eat the same food- unfortunately I didn't plan very well because there are still so many foods he loves that I won't eat- pig bone soup- ugh.

Syl- I did this too.

I just forgot about it cuz it was so long ago.

 

I want to go back to veggie when we move to the US. Don't know how that's gonna work out though....

 

It didn't make much of a difference for us either cuz I'm such a picky eater anyways....

[Dan R]

I gave up being a vegetarian so we could eat the same food- unfortunately I didn't plan very well because there are still so many foods he loves that I won't eat- pig bone soup- ugh.

Syl- I did this too.

I just forgot about it cuz it was so long ago.

 

I want to go back to veggie when we move to the US. Don't know how that's gonna work out though....

 

It didn't make much of a difference for us either cuz I'm such a picky eater anyways....

Amber you are a pickee eater and eat out in China??? How does that work? Are people there understanding about such things? I would make it clear that I don't want red meat and other than a couple of times they did their best for me. I am wondering how it is when they regard you as a resident and not a short term guest?

 

I would like your observations on this. Thanks.

[rogerluli]

When I first went to China I decided I would just eat everything...and I did... ...baby pigeons, snake, eel, unknown sea creatures fronm the GZ seafood market, turtle, silk worms, pig blood. pig intestines...I made up my mind to eat whatever my SO could eat. But when we got to Hunan and everything was filled with red peppers I had to cut back...

[tonado]

I want to go back to veggie when we move to the US. Don't know how that's gonna work out though....

 

It didn't make much of a difference for us either cuz I'm such a picky eater anyways....

Over in Boston, we have these upscale food markets that sell all kind of organic food including veggies. I like organic veggies but they can be pricey.

[awch]

Amber you are a pickee eater and eat out in China???  How does that work? Are people there understanding about such things?  I would make it clear that I don't want red meat and other than a couple of times they did their best for me. I am wondering how it is when they regard you as a resident and not a short term guest?

 

I would like your observations on this. Thanks.

Wow, Dan... I could go on and on about this.

 

I'm probably one of the pickiest eaters you'll ever meet and it really makes the going tough here in China. In fact it's probably the number one reason I want to get back to the US.

 

It's not really a problem for my fiance's family, they accept that I don't eat about 90% of the food they cook. His parents will make special dishes for me that I like everytime I come over.

 

For starters I don't eat anything with bones, fat, heads, legs or skin still attatched. So that cuts out most meats and seafood here. His parents will cook chicken breast for me or soup.

 

As for going out to eat there is really only 1 Chinese restaurant I eat at. It's very clean and not too expensive and the food is soooo good there. It's also very close to my house. I've gotten food poisoning from eating at small dirty restaurants so I'm really careful.

 

At least twice a week I eat at an American coffeeshop here where they have "genuine" Western food for not too expensive.

 

The other times I cook at home but it's very frustrating as I can't get so many of the ingredients I want.

 

As for an acceptance and understanding thing, when I don't want to eat something no one has seemed to percieved it as rude but just put it down to my "foreigness". When we go to a friend's house or something though I do make an effort to try stuff I normally wouldn't eat at all. One woman was really nice and took off the skin and all the bones of some fish before giving it to me to eat.

 

Hope that answers your questions.....

[BuffaloPaul]

When I first went to China I decided I would just eat everything...and I did... ...baby pigeons, snake, eel, unknown sea creatures fronm the GZ seafood market, turtle, silk worms, pig blood. pig intestines...I made up my mind to eat whatever my SO could eat. But when we got to Hunan and everything was filled with red peppers I had to cut back...

Roger you are a better man than I. I was raised on a diet of 2 veggies (corn and wax beans), hamburger, chicken and pork - prepared the same way week after week. I tried lots of stuff in China but there were some things I was just to squeemish to eat

[Dan R]

Thank you for the response it is very interesting. .

[Dan R]

When I first went to China I decided I would just eat everything...and I did... ...baby pigeons, snake, eel, unknown sea creatures fronm the GZ seafood market, turtle, silk worms, pig blood. pig intestines...I made up my mind to eat whatever my SO could eat. But when we got to Hunan and everything was filled with red peppers I had to cut back...

Roger you are a better man than I. I was raised on a diet of 2 veggies (corn and wax beans), hamburger, chicken and pork - prepared the same way week after week. I tried lots of stuff in China but there were some things I was just to squeemish to eat

Ok it looks like you guys are about ready for L.A.

 

I know a plavce where the pigeons are cooked just right. On temple street the Blood Stew is made with the right amount of intestine, We can have almost any sea creature for Sushi. The turtles you can pick your own. Do you know what Menudo is? Very good for curing hangovers from Tequila I'm told. Vietnamese Pig Feet Bin Bo Hue is spicy and tasty. But we can start building you up with the heat index by gradually getting up to Sichuan Hot Pot from Jalopinos.

 

China, HAH I live in L.A.

[david_dawei]

I would think most people wouldn't have this problem since China has an one child policy.  So you wouldn't have any siblings.  Actually, my wife does have an older sister and a younger brother.

The one child policy didn't take effect till 1976 (?) ... so anyone older than 30 would have siblings..

[Dan R]

I would think most people wouldn't have this problem since China has an one child policy.  So you wouldn't have any siblings.  Actually, my wife does have an older sister and a younger brother.

The one child policy didn't take effect till 1976 (?) ... so anyone older than 30 would have siblings..

It also is not applied evenly throughout China. Minorities are excluded so it actually only applies to Han Chinese. Also the law was recently altered to fit the application in most Sheng that a woman who remarries can have another child with the new husband. As with all things in China money and connections changes application of the law.

 

I suspect that in the near future population control will become a matter of economics and personal choice like in Japan. Japan is the first country in the world to reverse population growth. This does make another concern though. How will the majority of people, who will be retirees in only 25 more years, be supported by the working minority?

[david_dawei]

I would think most people wouldn't have this problem since China has an one child policy.  So you wouldn't have any siblings.  Actually, my wife does have an older sister and a younger brother.

The one child policy didn't take effect till 1976 (?) ... so anyone older than 30 would have siblings..

This does make another concern though. How will the majority of people, who will be retirees in only 25 more years, be supported by the working minority?

Also the stress this puts on the one child (now an adult) to be responsible to take care of aging parents. I know in Zixuan's case, they have shared this burden among the siblings, and even then it seems to take a toll on them.

[oregonknl]

Yeah, Dan,

 

The "One Child" law has many exceptions... If you make your living in agriculture, you can have one, or more extra children...

 

Also, because of that law, perhaps one of the biggest recent changes is the government offering finincial incentives to couples having girl infants..... to counter the long held belief that boys are more important, and leading to a shortage of girls in China.

[david_dawei]

Also, because of that law, perhaps one of the biggest recent changes is the government offering finincial incentives to couples having girl infants.....  to counter the long held belief that boys are more important, and leading to a shortage of girls in China.

To counter the long help practice of female infanticide... girls are killed or abandoned as infants since a boy did not get produced.

 

Consider the word "hao" (good) in chinese. the symbol is a woman with a child... a male child.

 

The female symbol, nu, has changed over the years to reflect the changing attitude toward women.

[Dan R]

Communication is made more difficult by the use of multiple languages. That is not to say it is not difficult between those speaking the same language. Language is given meaning through the producing culture and its societal influences. Nuances and word imagery often make translation difficult and at times exact word meaning transfer impossible. This is the reason that a translation by law is a new document in itself.

 

As cultures over theglobe mix more and more and a global society emerges, I believe we will see greater understanding between peoples and eventually succeed in rebuilding the tower of babel. In this way perhaps Peace may be achieved.

 

I mean this in a global sense not in a domestic sense