What I eat.

I think I need to eat better. I've never been a fan of the Chinese fare offered in the school cafeteria, since it always seems like rice and a random steamed vegetable thrown in. But it has to be better than this Campbell's Chunky.

I've been buying a lot of Western food at the special grocery store downtown, and I wonder if it's worth it. I buy pasta, sauce and parmasean cheese, and also grill cheese ingredients like bread and Kraft Singles (high in calcium!). These things are imported from America or Italy or wherever, so the prices would be high even in the Canadian market. I think I should stick it out and choke down the school's food.

I went to an Easter dinner of sorts today, paid for by the school's principal. All the teachers were there, and everyone was stoked because it was free. I got word that everyone was there at about 10:30, and made my way there as I was already close by. I got to the restaurant at about 11, and everyone just sat around for an hour before the food came at noon. It's weird to me the way official Chinese meals take so long!

Carol wasn't at this meal, so I was the token foreigner that all the teachers liked to watch eat. I guess they find it interesting to see me struggle to down cow intestine, and pass on frog legs. I was given a lot of fish too, and got a bone stuck in my throat crossways, but I washed it down with a mouthful of rice. It's normal to eat the bones, then drop them out of your mouth on to your plate, where they land with a ting.

I was struggling at one point with a pork rib or something, and one teacher told me I could use my hands, so I did. Then, since there were no napkins, I licked the sauce off my fingers. This was apparently a no-no, since another teacher told me what I just did was really bad.

I thought licking my fingers would be fine, because table manners in China, even at nice meals, are a lot different from what I am used to in Canada. When you eat soup or rice, it's just fine to bring the bowl right up to your face (or lean your face right down to the table), pucker your lips, suck in, and shovel/spoon the rice or soup into the suction. It sounds like a household Hoover would if you tackled a pile of soggy vomit with it. This savoury symphony allows everyone around to enjoy your food with you.

Even though it's hard, I must have better eating habits. I can't be running a lot and eating overly-expensive processed food. I need to buy more fruit and brave the school cafeteria more. We'll see how I do.