While most of the annual Spring Festival migration is from big cities to the small cities and the countryside as workers, students, and whoever else was able to find a plane or train ticket leaves their jobs for a week to spend the holiday with the family back home, I have noticed over the last few years that there is also a little reverse migration, mostly the parents and older relatives of younger city dwellers coming to check out the metropolis in which their son or daughter lives. In Shanghai it’s rather easy to find these people because, quite simply, they stick out like sore thumbs, their raw Chinese-ness in contrast with an increasingly international metropolitan city.
Yesterday I ate at McDonalds near the Hongkou Football Stadium, and I was seated next to a pair of older women who, while waiting for their food, engaged in watching my every move as I ate my lunch. A few uncomfortable minutes later, a young man came over with three chicken sandwiches and three cups of Sprite, sat down with them, and they all started to eat.
About two bites into her sandwich, one woman turned to the younger man with wide eyes. “What flavor is this?”
“It’s chicken, mom.”
“It doesn’t taste like chicken. What flavor is it?”
“It’s the sauce, mom. I don’t know.”
“Well, I don’t like it.” She then proceeded to take the bun off, and scrape all of the sauce off both the bread and the meat. A few minutes later…
“What vegetable is this?”
“Lettuce, mom.”
“It’s raw. I don’t like raw vegetables.” Off went the lettuce, leaving chicken, bread, and cheese. A couple bites later…
“What’s this yellow stuff?”
“Aiya, cheese, mom!”
“What?! Chinese don’t eat cheese.”
“Yes they do mom.”
“Well… I don’t.” She stripped off the cheese, leaving just a naked piece of meat and some bread. She finished that, and grabbed her drink, and took one sip…
“Ah, this drink is cold!”
I’ll bet that guy won’t shed a tear when she gets back on the train home.
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February 15, 2007
4:17 pm
Well,pretty interesting post.
Even I’ve had similiar experiences and I understand that it does feel awkward.However,we should give these people some time to get acquainted to the new metropolitan way of life.They’ll surely start recognising the flavours and vegetables in due course.
Gerry
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February 17, 2007
3:54 am
Funny piece. Chinese are rightly proud of their food, because it is the best in the world. However, it does prevent them from eating new things. My grandmother (Chinese) never liked to go to foriegn (non-Chinese) restaurants because she felt cheated that you had to order tea, and it wasnt free with the meal.
I am organizing a tour this summer/fall to Sichuan and would love for any readers of this site to give their opinions to me about what they would love to see in such a tour.
MyBlog
February 17, 2007
3:55 am
That is for my blog
My apologies
February 21, 2007
10:38 am
I loved that, it’s so funny and yet so true. I live in a smaller Chinese city so I get stared at a lot, but I still never get used to it.
I always laugh when Chinese people ask me how much I love Chinese food (it’s not really a question, so much as a statement you’re expected to agree with) then when I tell them one or two dishes I don’t like they are shocked. How can you not like “insert-dish-here”!
March 4, 2007
5:30 pm
speaking of china and cheese, i’ve heard many times that are lactose intolerant and thus don’t like milk products, including cheese. last year, i interviewed sharon ruwart, co-founder of the beijing cheese society, for a magazine and she said there were some misconceptions about this. here’s the relevant paragraph:
“We are also seeing more interest in our events from Chinese [in try cheese at the Beijing Cheese Society events]. There’s a perception that Chinese are lactose intolerant and will react badly to cheese, but cheese is actually lactose-free since the bacteria consume the lactose as part of the ripening process and leave only lactic acid. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how eager our Chinese guests are to taste the cheeses. Blue cheeses are among the most popular kinds. My own theory is that it reminds Chinese of chou dofu (stinky tofu)!”
cheers, bb
March 5, 2007
2:36 pm
John, hilarious post - and having just returned from my ‘holidays’ part of which involved relocating my mother-in-law from the north east to the tropical island of Hainan… I know first hand how true this is.
@boyce: great add in - as I’ve heard that rumor too. Nice to know the truth behind it.
December 10, 2007
12:03 pm
My mum does that! Yet despite her disdain for raw vegetables and dairy products, she love thousand island dressing. And we thought the Russians were a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a mystery . . .