FOOD

I've (sadly) passed the halfway mark of my stay in China, and my supply of American cereal bars remains almost entirely untouched. I've really enjoyed delving into Chinese cuisine; whether folding jaozi (Chinese dumplings) or ordering lunch in the cafeteria, eating is always an adventure. I think Host Dad has finally stopped worrying that I don't like the food, although it took me awhile to get my point across. About one week into my stay, he asked me what I was accustomed to eating, what I liked best, etc. I tried to explain that he needn't worry about me liking the food; "I'm really not picky," I said, "I'll eat just about anything." We talked for a few more minutes, and he said, "O.k., so you can eat anything, except for 'pig-ky.'" I laughed and went to get my English-Chinese dictionary.

The biggest adjustments food-wise have had more to do with logistics rather than taste. For starters, the Chinese don't usually set the table with napkins. This makes chopstick proficiency very important. Also, some dishes are just plain hard to eat; I'm pretty good with the chopsticks, but I stop short of using them to peel boiled shrimp. The host fam just had to excuse me using my fingers on that one. I did manage ribs though, and I've gotten really good with fried eggs. I think perhaps the labor-intensive dishes, along with the practice of only taking small bits of food at a time from a shared plate, help to explain why fat people are rare in China.

I'm always excited to see what host dad will set out for breakfast. The one constant is the warm milk. Often fried eggs are included with the meal, but after that it gets much more random. Sometimes breakfast includes left-overs from dinner, sometimes packaged goodies; ­it varies. This morning Host Dad gave me warm milk, a fried egg, garlic toast, and a giant creme puff in the shape of an ice-cream cone.  I laugh about this every time I think about it.

On weekdays I almost always eat lunch in the cafeteria. Besides the fun of seeing if what I receive matches what I think I've ordered, there are some foods that I really like. Baozi, for example, I will miss when I return to the U.S. A baozi is a big dumpling/bun made from really thick dough that usually has some kind of filling (sometimes meat and veggies, sometimes bean paste, sometimes sugar¡­discovering what's inside is half of the fun.) I will also miss the red-bean Popsicles, of course, and the tea¡­Host Dad's promised to take me tea-shopping before I leave. Other than this, I really like the "Fragrant Spice Beef Shreds" from the cafeteria, which are served on top of some kind of shoot, maybe asparagus, or some kind of bean? I've also had some excellent tofu and some wonderful eggplant. Oh, and I've finally figured out how to properly pronounce "lo mein," so I can order this whenever I like. I don't have enough nerve to try the "Suitable for Eating Tree-Fungus" however. There are limits to my adventurousness.