Chinese Family

My Chinese family consists of Wang Shu Shu (Uncle Wang, which he demands to be called because he is too young to be my father), his wife and two-year-old son, both of whom I have yet to meet, and his complicated niece-type person thing, whom I address as 'older sister'. Whether it's a cultural norm or a facet of their personalities I am unsure, but they are all especially welcoming, polite, and interested in what my HBA sister and I have to say.

During our first encounter, which was arranged by HBA in a classroom on campus, we learned that Wang Shu Shu is a professor at a local (forestry?) university. He's never been to America, but he plans to go next year to work on what he called an 'almond project'. Sounds lucrative. The Chinese love our nuts. His niece is an English student at Beiyu, the shortened Chinese nickname for Beijing Language and Culture University, where we stay.

The next weekend Wang Shu Shu, his niece, and her mother (visiting from Xiamen, southern China) took us out to see the Olympic complex. Since the conclusion of the games two years ago, the whole area has become a nightmare of a tourist trap. One cannot walk three steps without being hassled by a souvenir-peddling local whose command of the English language is limited to salutations and basic phrases denoting consumer satisfaction (Make you happy! Very cheap!). Nevertheless, the Bird's Nest and Water Cube are impressive feats of engineering and architectural design, as is the Olympic Park, a vast area of open land nearby which was a neighborhood just 5 years ago. The government paid residents something in the ballpark of one million RMB to pack up and leave so it could replace their houses with neatly trimmed shrubberies and a man-made lake. What a beautiful tragedy.

To cap off the night, Wang Shu Shu treated us to one of his favorite foods at a local, relatively upscale restaurant: lamb's back. The meal was served hotpot style -- the staff brought out a large bowl of lamb vertebrae soaking in water and placed it on a heating element in the middle of our table. We ordered our own additional vegetables and sides and added them to the mix as it heated, effectively creating a meaty stew unlike any I've ever had. My recommendation? Definitely a must-try. Don't be deterred by the awkward nature of the food's name, it's actually quite good. A lot like baby back ribs. Do take care to ensure your meat is cooked all the way through though, I've heard horror stories about hot-pot style meals.

Our meal played host to many a lively and entertaining conversation, as well as several (perhaps too many) toasts. As my eyes wandered around the restaurant to other tables, I quickly realized excessive toasting was just a part of Chinese culture. People will take advantage of any opportunity to raise their teacup emphatically with a hearty cry of ganbei (lit. dry cup), indicating that everyone else should do the same. I enjoy this custom. It adds an element of excitement and camaraderie to mealtimes which I believe is lacking at the American dinner table.

Wang Shu Shu and his family are taking us out again this Sunday. I'm not quite sure what we're doing yet, but if last time is any indication it's sure to be a lot of fun.

再见
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