Watching and Learning Doesn't Always Work
>> January 2, 2010
China is a whole new world. On the first day of the new (western) year, while we wandered through the beautiful botanical gardens of Sun Yat-Sen, I came across a bright yellow platform, raised about five feet off of the ground, with a steep set of wood stairs leading up from the ground. Being who I am, I obviously had to climb to that nominal height, certain that a particular view, incredible sight, or mysterious vantage would be made clear. Nope. Nothin'. But I have joked from that moment on that it was in this moment, atop a yellow plane several feet from the pine forest floor, that I really GOT China.
But really, I don't. At all. That's not to say that you can't enjoy or appreciate or love something that you do not fully understand.
Sometimes the best way to understand or to learn is simply to watch. Had we visited the Botanical Gardens during a warmer season, perhaps the purpose of this strange yellow platform would have been illuminated. However, the cold weather meant that we were the only crazies around.
As owners of backpackers hostels in south America, and on a long journey ourselves, I so often see travelers rushing, ticking off items on their checklist with great efficiency, and building a store of impatience at cultural items that don't fit into their schedule or assumptions. I always tell them, "slow down!! In your hurry to see everything, you are missing it all!"
In my opinion, much more valuable is time spent sitting and waiting and watching the world go by you instead. Our first day in Tokyo, we were famished and loopy from jet lag and desperate for food. Finding a small restaurant, we had to quell our hunger pangs and graciously let a woman in front of us in line. If you know Asian culture at all, especially Japan, this involved much bowing and insistence and embarrassment for both parties. Using our very embarrassed "line-cutter" as an example, we learned that to order food, one must order from a vending machine (using photos), which then spit out a series of tickets, which then you presented to the restaurant waitress. Voilà, soup and noodles (and ??) were enjoyed just a few moments later.
Last night, our method of watching and learning didn't go so well.
With only two days left in Nanjing, we opted to veer off course from our favorite (and AMAZING) Hui noodle shop, and check out another place instead. We walked in: big beer cooler, incredible-looking dishes of meat and vegetables on every table, people laughing and drinking and scarfing down fanciful dishes that were cooked on grills right in the middle of the tables. The waiter showed us to a table....WOW, that food looked good. He handed us a menu. Um....here we go again. Nine pages of Chinese characters, all with different prices, and no photos. We pulled out the "Point It" book, with our high hopes already sinking. Soon we had a crowd of five waiters hovering around our table, while curious customers also occasionally popped over to see what the hubbub was about. Meanwhile, I was sinking lower and lower into my bamboo chair. We tried, oh how we tried. We pointed to eggplant and beef and onions and lettuce. But somewhere along the way, we realized how futile our efforts were going to be....the image of our table festooned with glorious dishes was rapidly fading. Oh how I anticipated that savory meal. But our illiteracy denied us this exceptional experience and we bowed out, as gracefully as possible. my face blushing deep red.
We ended up at a noodle shop across the street, ordered randomly from the menu, and were delighted by our noodles and wonton's when they arrived.
After arriving back at our hotel room after dinner, I flipped on the television, praying for something in english, or something off-the-wall with costumes and dancing (the latter has been much more prevalent). Instead, I found a program that was most likely called, "Western Dining 101." In the show, a Chinese businessman sat at a table, and showed viewers how to use a knife and fork to cut up a steak. He ate with great relish, and then daubed his mouth with a ginormous cloth napkin.
But really, I don't. At all. That's not to say that you can't enjoy or appreciate or love something that you do not fully understand.
Sometimes the best way to understand or to learn is simply to watch. Had we visited the Botanical Gardens during a warmer season, perhaps the purpose of this strange yellow platform would have been illuminated. However, the cold weather meant that we were the only crazies around.
As owners of backpackers hostels in south America, and on a long journey ourselves, I so often see travelers rushing, ticking off items on their checklist with great efficiency, and building a store of impatience at cultural items that don't fit into their schedule or assumptions. I always tell them, "slow down!! In your hurry to see everything, you are missing it all!"
In my opinion, much more valuable is time spent sitting and waiting and watching the world go by you instead. Our first day in Tokyo, we were famished and loopy from jet lag and desperate for food. Finding a small restaurant, we had to quell our hunger pangs and graciously let a woman in front of us in line. If you know Asian culture at all, especially Japan, this involved much bowing and insistence and embarrassment for both parties. Using our very embarrassed "line-cutter" as an example, we learned that to order food, one must order from a vending machine (using photos), which then spit out a series of tickets, which then you presented to the restaurant waitress. Voilà, soup and noodles (and ??) were enjoyed just a few moments later.
Last night, our method of watching and learning didn't go so well.
With only two days left in Nanjing, we opted to veer off course from our favorite (and AMAZING) Hui noodle shop, and check out another place instead. We walked in: big beer cooler, incredible-looking dishes of meat and vegetables on every table, people laughing and drinking and scarfing down fanciful dishes that were cooked on grills right in the middle of the tables. The waiter showed us to a table....WOW, that food looked good. He handed us a menu. Um....here we go again. Nine pages of Chinese characters, all with different prices, and no photos. We pulled out the "Point It" book, with our high hopes already sinking. Soon we had a crowd of five waiters hovering around our table, while curious customers also occasionally popped over to see what the hubbub was about. Meanwhile, I was sinking lower and lower into my bamboo chair. We tried, oh how we tried. We pointed to eggplant and beef and onions and lettuce. But somewhere along the way, we realized how futile our efforts were going to be....the image of our table festooned with glorious dishes was rapidly fading. Oh how I anticipated that savory meal. But our illiteracy denied us this exceptional experience and we bowed out, as gracefully as possible. my face blushing deep red.
We ended up at a noodle shop across the street, ordered randomly from the menu, and were delighted by our noodles and wonton's when they arrived.
After arriving back at our hotel room after dinner, I flipped on the television, praying for something in english, or something off-the-wall with costumes and dancing (the latter has been much more prevalent). Instead, I found a program that was most likely called, "Western Dining 101." In the show, a Chinese businessman sat at a table, and showed viewers how to use a knife and fork to cut up a steak. He ate with great relish, and then daubed his mouth with a ginormous cloth napkin.
Well, I guess that everyone has something to learn, right? What is on your "to-learn" list?
xoxo
xoxo
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1 comments:
I love reading your posts, seriously :) I am now craving hot pots (love that stuff!), noodles and thinly sliced veggies and beef lol. It's amazing how much food has to do with culture and the ability to take others into your travels with a simple explination of what you are eating! Keep up the good posts and enjoying the oddity that is China!
- Rebecca
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