Fun with Food

When we met for dinner, we went to the “western” style restaurant.  I guess this was TC’s way of reducing the culture shock.  This hotel was huge and was within walking distance to the ocean – it probably was a resort at one time or another – but there did not seem to be many people around and about.  In fact, we were the only people in the dining room.

I was determined to get used to the local food and customs so this meant, of course, no western flatware – only chopsticks.  TC asked me what sort of things I liked to eat (beef, chicken, pork, lamb; I’ve never been big on seafood) and made a few selections.  There was green tea, and fruit juice available as well as the local beer and “white wine” or bai jou (more on that later).  I had heard stories of formal dinners where the food was really an afterthought to the drinking and smoking (no smoke-free zones in China); however, if you cultivated a perception that you did not drink, it was respected.  More on that later.

A little while later, the food started to arrive.  Like Chinese restaurants here in the US, dishes are served family style.  That’s just about where the similarities end.  There are generally no serving utensils, so you have to pick food off the plate with your chopsticks, and transfer it either to your rice bowl or a small plate in front of you.  At the formal restaurants, napkins are folded and arranged very artistically.  A server comes and places one corner of the napkin under your plate, allowing the rest of it to fall over the edge of the table onto your lap.  You get a small package of tissues to wipe your mouth, and a warm, wet washcloth for washing your hands and face prior to the meal and your hands during the meal.

One dish stood out – the pepper steak.  In the US, pepper steak is basically beef with onions and green bell pepper drowning in a savory sauce.  In Lianyungang, pepper steak is beef with small, hot green chili peppers just barely coated in a savory sauce.  I saw them in my local US supermarket under the name finger peppers.  These are not jalepenos – those are too big.  I am not a fan of overly spiced food, so I took some of the beef, and it had a nice kick.  TC asked why I did not eat the peppers – I had put one in my mouth and it was far too hot. “No they’re not!” he said and started munching on one.  He quickly reached for his drink and allowed that these were hotter than normal.  We also had some vegetable dish and a chicken dish, with dumplings (these arrive at the end of the meal) and rice.  We then agreed on a time to meet for breakfast and retired to our rooms.

Chinese beds do take some getting used to.  They are hard and do not have much in the way of padding.  In fact, it’s almost like trying to sleep on a straw mat on the floor.  There was a bottom sheet and a quilt – no top sheet.  I settled in for the night.

Until about 1:00 AM.  The phone rang and a voice in Chinese said something I did not understand.  I answered in English and he hung up.  I figured the guy was drunk or had dialed the wrong number.  I started to drift off, until about 1:30.  The phone rang again, and this time a voice using some broken English asked if I wanted a “friend” for the night.  Since I am not in the habit of paying for friends and I value my marriage, I thanked him and said “no”.  No more calls, and I slept until about 5:30, when the sun rose.

I rose and got ready for the day.  Since I was to meet TC at around 7:30, I decided to check my e-mail using my company’s VPN.  This hotel must have had a number of western visitors, because CNN was available on the TV.  I had that on in the background while I was getting logged in and downloading my e-mail.  This hotel did not have broadband, so it was a dialup connection and very slow.

CNN had just started its 25 year anniversary and was recapping some of the key stories of the past 25 years.  Today, they happened to be reminiscing about Tianamen Square in 1989.  I was told and had read that there were 3 topics to avoid – Tiawan, Fulang Gong, and Tianamen.  I was also surprised that the Great Firewall was allowing this topic to be aired.  For about 5-10 minutes, they were recapping the lead up, with pictures of the demonstrations.

Then CNN showed THE PICTURE.  The one of the guy standing in front of the tank.  CNN went dark.  For three days.

I reviewed my emails – nothing important – and decided that it was time for breakfast.  I shut down the laptop, gathered my breakfast coupon, and went down to meet TC.

The banquet room for breakfast was a large buffet line with all manner of things to try – some familiar and some not.  There were some Danish, eggs to order – if you spoke Chinese – dumplings, steamed buns, soups and porridges, meat dishes (bacon, ham, beef, and fish), vegetable dishes and fruits.  We ate breakfast and then got ready to be picked up by the company driver.

Next: First Contact