Bizarre Foods / Three Sheets Update

I can’t say I wasn’t warned about dinners out…

Last night we celebrated a work related goal by taking the entire plant out to eat (actually half the plant was last night, the other half tonight).  Everyone came in from their day off to meet at the restaurant.  I was told to expect to have to give a speech and I read in one of the numerous “So You’re Moving to China” books that you will be tested with alcohol.  By tested, I mean college level fraternity testing.

Let me digress first to say that everything a foreigner does is noticed here.  The way I hold my chopsticks was commented on by the cleaning lady at work.  How much you know about Chinese culture is noticed.  If you’ll eat the duck’s blood is noticed (and what face you made).  I figured how you act when hammered would be noticed too…

The meal started off well when I heard we were going to eat at a hot pot restaurant (kind of like really cool fondue where you pick out raw foods to cook in a boiling broth in front of you).  I love hot pot.  This place was all-you-can-eat-and-drink where you can pick out any food you want:  meatballs, fish, sliced mutton, pig brain, stomach, mushrooms, live shrimp you fish out of a tank, etc.  For the squeamish readers this place is so massive that you can definitely find something to suit you, no problem.  All that for under $15 apiece!

My “problem” is that I always find myself next to one of the most adventurous eaters in China!  This man has introduced me to such delicacies as chicken feet, duck’s blood, duck tongue, jelly fish, turtle stew, and last night pig brain (no flavor but the texture was off putting, like eating a spoonful of extra thick mayonnaise).  I love the guy.

Also, people kept coming up for a toast with me, one where you are expected to drain your glass.  Thankfully the glasses were only about 4 oz.  After a few of these mini-chugs, I noticed that I was seeing the same people come up and they were all sitting at a table with each other (yeah, the maintenance guys).  I figured I needed to do something! I went over to their table, demanded they get bigger glasses (in my limited Chinese I was able to piece together that they had little boy cups), and then made them all drink at once with me.  As I headed back to my seat, one of the ladies from the production floor gave me a golf clap.  If only she knew it was a defensive move, not a show of international good will.

Thankfully I outweigh everyone in the building by at least 40 lbs, which is probably the only reason I was able to man up to defend the good ‘ol U.S. of A.  It was actually pretty tough because there is that “one of the guys” line that you don’t want to cross here, which I think I was able to avoid doing.  I’m also not that much of a drinker, it’s been over ten years since I’ve had that much to drink.  Today I got compliments on my big stomach (for beer) and that I am “already Chinese”.  The legend (and my stomach) grows…

Below are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.