The Toast Of The Town

Apparently these things need titles, but I don't like titles and Papa Trescott has probably been giving them lame ones when he posts for me, so this is what I've chosen for today.

I guess it’s about time for what has become my weekly update. I’ve accepted the fact that I’m not so good at this whole blog thing and posting on a regular basis. Sorry to the loads of you who I’m sure are compulsively checking for updates. Anyways, here are a few things I have to share.

This weekend I was invited to a luncheon on Saturday to celebrate those graduating from my lab group. I brought Nebromaha along because I’ve crashed many of his lab group’s events in the past, plus I needed a mode of transportation. (Nebromaha continues to drive me around on the bike, and we’re pretty much experts at this point. He’s getting some serious Lance Armstrong thunder thighs, and I’m becoming a balancing pro—I can now pull the “look, Mom! No hands!” trick with confidence. I am also incapable of riding the bike myself because it is too big.) The lunch was held at a restaurant on campus, and it was the traditional Chinese family style with twenty different dishes squeezed onto the table’s built in Lazy Susan. These meals are excellent because there is always something new and exciting to try. This meal was especially good because of the added entertainment.

This was not the first celebratory meal that Nebromaha and I have participated in, so we thought we were prepared for the festivities. The Chinese people like to share their appreciation for one another. This makes the meal a marathon toasting session. Everyone stands up and toasts. Five minutes later three people get up and toast each other. A couple toasts a few minutes after that. Someone toasts the group. This is all well and good, and makes for an enjoyable time.

But I have forgotten one part of the equation. The alcohol. Now, it is no surprise that these students might celebrate their graduation with a few drinks at a nice luncheon with their professors. Now here’s where the real dinner entertainment comes in. In Chinese culture, when toasting someone, it is imperative that you finish everything in your glass as a way of showing your friendship and appreciation. This makes for a great drinking game! Especially when the glass is full of traditional Chinese paint thinner quality alcohol. (Needless to say, Nebromaha and I declined.) This game is particularly challenging if you are the professor or one of the graduating students, when everyone wants to show you their deep appreciation, and you the same. It was clear after the first twenty minutes of lunch that these people had no other plans for the day, and frankly, I have no idea how some of them were able to get on a bike and ride home. My professor was MIA after the first half hour, a few were passed out with their heads on the table an hour later, and at two hours, the hitting on the foreign girl game began. This behavior might be commonplace at a frat house, but at an upscale restaurant at noon with a handful of professors, this is a completely different story. But it certainly made for a fun afternoon.

Now that I’ve got the drinking out of the way, here are some random things I’ve wanted to share. And believe me, they’re random…

· In China, it is not inappropriate to spit out your guts anywhere you please while making the most disgusting noises possible. This is an aspect of Chinese culture I really can’t stand, and it usually makes me feel like puking.

· There is always something malfunctioning in one of our hotel rooms. Air conditioner, internet, toilet, electricity, you name it. But someone always magically appears to fix it right away, even at ten o’clock at night.

· Dairy products are very hard to come by, so I’ve had to satisfy my cravings with ice cream. (What a shame.) But we splurged yesterday and went for pizza. I am still basking in the glory of melted cheese.

· One night last week I visited the Olympic park. It was magical, and I just kept thinking about Bob Costas, inspirational Visa card ads, and Michael Phelps. We can’t wait to go back to enjoy the indoor water park in the Water Cube.

· This weekend at Tian’an Men Square, there were about fifteen workers scrubbing the pavement with what appeared to be toothbrushes. Wow!

· If you think low tide smells are good, come to Beijing. The smells never cease to amaze me. I’ll be walking along when all of a sudden a wall of stench will hit me. The majority of the time, the source of the stench is a mystery.

· To those of you who have expressed concern about the helmet situation, you should know that the only people in Beijing who wear helmets are the Mcdonalds, KFC, and Mr. Pizza delivery guys.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Work is picking up, so it’s time to be productive.

Betty