Let's Talk About Sex, And Food, and Kitty

This past 4th of July was hot, rainy and humid as Hades in Chongqing. We had our 4th of July American-style barbecue in the 8th floor stairwell because of the rain, which gradually moved into one of our apartments, because of the heat. One of the volunteers was dating a Chinese girl who spoke very fluent English and she came to our party. In the apartment we started talking about sex, as rained-out Americans in mixed company are want to do. I found out later this girl was shocked that we would discuss such things in mixed company in such detail, as this is just not done in Chinese culture. And, she was shocked at how much sex education we all had and felt comfortable discussing, period. Of course, we thought nothing of it. It reminded me that learning the language of another culture does not always equal understanding the culture. (This was also the weekend T. ate food he'd dropped on the stairwell floor and the next day got too sick to leave my apartment to go home and the resulting escapade of the peppermint tea, but that is another Chongqing story.)

Some other things I know my Chinese friends didn't understand/found perplexing about Americans:

1. Eating a fried egg sandwich. My host-mom looked like I popped out my own eyeballs and started eating them, she had never seen such a thing before!

2. Our comfort level with PDA.

3. Our comfort level with discussing intimate things with the opposite sex.

4. Cold drinks and ice.

5. The fact we didn't like eating steamed veggies for breakfast.

6. Our boss is only our boss at work. (In China, your boss is your boss in every facet of your life.)

7. Diet soda

8. How frequently and easily we move and change friends.

9. Our lack of enthusiasm for titles and hierarchy; i.e. we call everyone by their first name, even if we've just met them.

10. The penis size of American men and the breast size of American women.

11. That KFC, McDonalds and Starbucks have no real status in America, and in fact are considered undesirable to a lot of people.

12. That liquor is not available every 100 feet, 24 hours a day in America.

Here are some pictures I found of that weekend, I don't think I ever posted them. That stairwell was poorly lit, so they are not so great.

Potato salad, made in a rice cooker bowl, with as close to American ingredients we could find. Looks gross, actually pretty tasty!

The shocked girlfriend:

 Meat for barbecuing. Yes, it is sitting inches from an ashtray.

T. and G. Yes, G. is that stunningly gorgeous all the time.

Awesome ladies and friends K. and J. Please note the wall of that shop is selling nothing but cigarettes and hard liquor. These little hole in the wall convenience stores are located about every 100 feet. No, that is not an exaggeration.

BONUS PIC!

We walked into a restaurant for dinner and this kitty was on the chair. We sat at a different table so as not to disturb kitty. A Chinese guy came in and pulled out the same chair, gasped in surprise, and also sat someplace else. Kitty ruled that chair.