chicken, beer, expatriots, dangers

The meat cuts in china feature an awful lot of skin and bones. Eating is rather like crossing the street. Something I used to do without thinking, but now must pay careful attention to on peril of death.

We've been going beer drinking with motley assortment of expats. There is a sizable number of Americans, a few Brits (one is Scottish actually, but I'm going to act like an American and not make a distinction) and a few Austrailians. The Brits are fun lads, but a bit hard on the liver.

We mostly drink beer. I had some Jack Daniels when I was feeling homesick, but it's relatively overpriced. Chinese liquor is called baiju (white spirit), it's cheap but intimidating. Baiju's reputation amongst the foreigners here is so bad and so consistantly bad that I still have not tried it. Not only does everyone dislike it but they nearly all say the same thing: "tastes like lamp oil," "tastes like kerosene,"and my favorite, "tastes like vodka that hates you."

The Chinese as a whole do not seem possessed of exceptional alcohol tolerence. They get flushed and silly quickly, especially from baiju. I've already seen many a grown man step out on to the street, wobbly and belligrent.

Chinese girls are expected not to drink, especially at more formal occasions. When our boss took us out to dinner with his family, Claire -my fellow lao wei- was the only woman particapting in the toasts. The rest of the women drank fizzy milk (yup). When our boss took us out again for teacher's day, only one TA joined the boys for beers.

Fortunately for me and unfortunately for my figure, Chinese beer is great, especially Qingdao's. It's light and it tastes of mineral water. It's also cheaper than water and less dangerous.