One of the best ways that a foreign man can experience genuine Chinese hospitality is when he shares a meal with his Chinese love and her family. An ancient Chinese parable that demonstrates their perception of heaven and hell also illustrates the importance of neighborliness to the Chinese.
The parable goes like this. An old man, knowing that he would die soon, wanted to know what heaven and hell were like. He asked the wise man in the village, €Can you tell me what heaven and hell are like?€
The wise man told the old man to follow him, and the walked down a long path until they reached a large house deep in the countryside. Inside, there were many rooms filled lots of people and tables overflowing with food.
The old man noticed that despite the huge amounts of food, the people were all thin and hungry. They had chopsticks that were 12 feet long which they could use to pick up food; but the chopsticks were too long to bring the food to their own mouths.
€This is what hell looks like,€ said the old man. €What about heaven?€ he asked the wise man.
The wise man led him further down the same path until they reached another large house which also had many rooms. There were also plenty of people and enormous tables teeming with food but, this time, everybody looked well-fed and happy. The old man noticed that the people also had chopsticks that were 12 feet long.
Puzzled, the old man asked the wise man, €Why do these people look well-fed and happy when they also have chopsticks that are too long for them to feed themselves?€
The wise man replied, €They feed each other. This is what heaven looks like.€
Compared to the west, mealtimes in China are always a joyous affair of sharing, whether among family members, friends, or co-workers. Whereas in the west, each person often has his own plate of food, in China, dishes are served in common plates and/or bowls from which everyone can get food for themselves and give food to others.
Indeed, it is a big part of Chinese eating traditions for people to put food on each other's plates. When there are guests, they are often offered the choicest pieces of meat or fish and are served first and often. Actively offering food to each other fosters harmony and enthusiasm around the table. When you are eating with your Chinese love and her family, you should not refuse food being offered to you and you must also participate in the practice of food sharing.
Whether or not you like a certain dish or are willing to try one that doesn't look appetizing to you, you must always be polite and indulge their offers. As the guest, you should expect your hosts to actually put food on your plate or into your bowl, maybe even directly into your mouth! Sharing a meal with your special Chinese lady may also turn out to be a genuine Chinese food adventure, not just an experience of Chinese hospitality!
Mealtime hospitality is practiced all over China. The dinner table is probably the one place where you, as a foreigner, will really feel welcomed the most. This is where you can start forming ties with your Chinese love's parents and other family members, especially when you feel confident that she is The One. Around the dinner table is also where you will have the chance to let her family know that your intentions are good.
If you have serious intentions of marrying your Chinese love, you must also sincerely want to immerse yourself in Chinese customs and traditions. You can learn more about these, as well as about Chinese dating and relationships and Chinese women on the blogs, forums, and magazine of ChinaLoveMatch.net, the trusted home of Chinese online dating.
The parable goes like this. An old man, knowing that he would die soon, wanted to know what heaven and hell were like. He asked the wise man in the village, €Can you tell me what heaven and hell are like?€
The wise man told the old man to follow him, and the walked down a long path until they reached a large house deep in the countryside. Inside, there were many rooms filled lots of people and tables overflowing with food.
The old man noticed that despite the huge amounts of food, the people were all thin and hungry. They had chopsticks that were 12 feet long which they could use to pick up food; but the chopsticks were too long to bring the food to their own mouths.
€This is what hell looks like,€ said the old man. €What about heaven?€ he asked the wise man.
The wise man led him further down the same path until they reached another large house which also had many rooms. There were also plenty of people and enormous tables teeming with food but, this time, everybody looked well-fed and happy. The old man noticed that the people also had chopsticks that were 12 feet long.
Puzzled, the old man asked the wise man, €Why do these people look well-fed and happy when they also have chopsticks that are too long for them to feed themselves?€
The wise man replied, €They feed each other. This is what heaven looks like.€
Compared to the west, mealtimes in China are always a joyous affair of sharing, whether among family members, friends, or co-workers. Whereas in the west, each person often has his own plate of food, in China, dishes are served in common plates and/or bowls from which everyone can get food for themselves and give food to others.
Indeed, it is a big part of Chinese eating traditions for people to put food on each other's plates. When there are guests, they are often offered the choicest pieces of meat or fish and are served first and often. Actively offering food to each other fosters harmony and enthusiasm around the table. When you are eating with your Chinese love and her family, you should not refuse food being offered to you and you must also participate in the practice of food sharing.
Whether or not you like a certain dish or are willing to try one that doesn't look appetizing to you, you must always be polite and indulge their offers. As the guest, you should expect your hosts to actually put food on your plate or into your bowl, maybe even directly into your mouth! Sharing a meal with your special Chinese lady may also turn out to be a genuine Chinese food adventure, not just an experience of Chinese hospitality!
Mealtime hospitality is practiced all over China. The dinner table is probably the one place where you, as a foreigner, will really feel welcomed the most. This is where you can start forming ties with your Chinese love's parents and other family members, especially when you feel confident that she is The One. Around the dinner table is also where you will have the chance to let her family know that your intentions are good.
If you have serious intentions of marrying your Chinese love, you must also sincerely want to immerse yourself in Chinese customs and traditions. You can learn more about these, as well as about Chinese dating and relationships and Chinese women on the blogs, forums, and magazine of ChinaLoveMatch.net, the trusted home of Chinese online dating.
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