I used to tutor a Chinese boy (Andy), in fact, I taught him to speak English. His parents owned a Chinese food restaurant. After tutoring for a few years, they would offer me the food they ate at home.
His parents only spoke Chinese, so we communicated by hand gestures and of course we used Andy as a translator. One day his mom offered me a bowl of soup. In it were tiny little squid (squids? squidii?
) and I really, REALLY didn't want to eat them. But I had to. In the Chinese culture, its offensive to turn down food. Andy, that little sh*t, wouldn't eat it, and he sat there grinning at me as I choked them down and tried to look happy about it. YUCK!!!!!!!
So, of course, since they owned the Chinese food restaurant, every night as part of my compensation, I got to pick something from the menu. I turned to Andy and asked him what was good. He looked me dead in the eye and said, "I have no idea, my Mom won't let me eat this food, its all fried and not good for you!" OMG!
Even funnier, after a few years a competing Chinese Restaurant opened in the neighborhood. Andy turned to me one day and said, "You will never believe what I heard about the new restaurant!!!! They use CATS!!! Can you believe it!!!!??" The poor child was horrified, and I realized I was going to have to have a little talk with the poor chap about stereotypes.
Ahhhhhh, I loved that boy, and he is now attending George Washington University, Pre-Med. *Puffs out her chest proudly*
