I quickly learned one thing about the Chinese culture. And that is the love of food. Food in any form, of any delicacy, done in the most lovely ways: spicy, salty, hot, cold, stir fried, pan fried, simmered in a hot pot, steamed, boiled, braised...so many ways to do food, and yet, I've experienced so little. I had the opportunity to try such interesting delicacies as silkworms and earthworms...I also tried frog. It sounds so exotic, but really, it is everyday fare in this province. The other thing I quickly learned, on my company trip to the volcanic island last weekend--Chinese people are usually doing one of two things. They are either sleeping or eating. The entire trip, though very picturesque and beautiful, consisted primarily of eating fancy meals, or sleeping post-meal. Which sounds great in theory--but then the concept of sightseeing and *activity* are completely butchered. Moving on, I wanted to know what the Chinese did for fun on a weekend night, besides the aforementioned. "QQ (the equivalent of MSN chat), or computer games..." they said. "I meant, involving human interaction?" I asked, perplexed. "The internet IS interaction..."
Oh my. I did not understand. And I couldn't tell if it was cultural or personal differences that caused my lack of understanding..I quickly took a poll within my coworkers and local friends to see what they did for fun. I even asked my hairdresser, taxi driver, and fruitstand lady. The response was overwhelmingly the above, with a sprinkle of television or video games thrown into the mix. Clearly I have not yet experienced the stimulating effect of a local Saturday night here....I must embark on this cultural journey....