Did you know...? Part 2

I am learning how to cook Chinese food and here’s what I’ve learned so far… everything is fried and everything contains msg.

I have been served duck head, ‘rubber tube’ – which has to be some sort of intestines, pig’s feet, chicken neck, chicken feet, chicken head, various internal organs, many animals with eyes (evidently they’re tasty), and so many other things I simply didn’t bother to ask the name of. Sometimes it’s best I don’t know because in China it’s rude to not try the dish. So… yum!

Double eyelids are considered beautiful. A small percentage of Chinese have double eyelids and they think it’s pretty, along with large eyes, a thin nose, and white skin.

Lucy Liu (the actress in Charlie’s Angels) is not considered beautiful here. I asked several people and they all say she’s not pretty.

It’s a little weird when people come up to you and say ‘you’re so beautiful, such white skin’. My first instinct may be to defend myself and tell them I’m not sickly. But then of course here’s it’s good to be white so there’s just the awkward moment of denial then a polite thank you. It’s China – so you can’t just accept the compliment without denying it first.

I’ve heard Chinese girls compare themselves to bananas – yellow on the outside but white on the inside.

In Chinese ‘fried squid’ means you’re fired.

Instead of night owl the Chinese say night cat.

The Chinese word for careful is literally 'small heart - xiao xin'.