Trip Reports - #7 : Beijing : What in the world is this?

The hotel is nice and I only have two minor complaints. First, everything is very, very smoky. But I have also realized that many things here are. Second, the beds seem to be a traditional Asian style which is more or less like sleeping on the floor. Not quite as bad, but I am used to a soft bed. I can see why all the Chinese people stand up so straight. I am getting used to it and it surprisingly doesn’t hurt the back after a few minutes of moving around, but I have woken up a few times during the night to a very sore back and have had to walk around a bit.

After a quick shower, I headed down to the lobby to meet one of the teammates. She arranged a dinner at the restaurant in the hotel with about 10 other people. About half the people were from the program including the three team members. One, who is the only Chinese member and therefore the only Mandarin speaking member, ordered for the group. Soon enough, several plates of food came into the room. I don’t remember (or know) what each were but they included a whole fish, lotus root in a sweet sauce, pumpkin with chicken sauce, broccoli, eggplant with a sort of spicy and salty cous cous, black bean and soy bean noodles, bbq beef slices, curry rice, and a couple that I didn’t try. It was enough for the group but then the staff brings in for each of us something that I couldn’t even describe. People looked genuinely confused as to what it was and whether we were supposed to eat it. Many poked at it but I just waited since I knew it would be rude not to at least try it if she did indeed order it. But the more it was poked at, the less appealing it became. Finally, it was announced that it was a half (sliced lengthwise) sea cucumber and that we did not in fact order it. Phew. I am sure it was wonderful but I am not a huge fan of the sea food, I am not a huge fan of the cucumber, and I couldn’t imagine having them mixed together. At least not at that point.

We continued on until about 10 when we parted ways and I went back up to get some sleep.

#1: Intro, PHL-LAX-LHR-DXB, Dubai (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=409654)
#2 : London : The Flumps (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412328)
#3 : London : The Great Navigator (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412333)
#4: PHL-LAX-SIN : Surviving USScareways (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412336)
#5 : LAX-NRT-SIN : A Singaporean Experience (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412424)
#6 : SIN-PEK : On to China (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=413060)

Finally, it was announced that it was a half (sliced lengthwise) sea cucumber and that we did not in fact order it. Phew. I am sure it was wonderful but I am not a huge fan of the sea food, I am not a huge fan of the cucumber, and I couldn’t imagine having them mixed together.

Just making sure...Dunno if you're aware, but the sea cucumber is not a cucumber at all, it is an animal.

Nice story...

Oh the stories I could tell of meals in China...:D The benefit of the 'family style' meals in China is that most of the time, you do recognize something, and eat heavily off of that. And you can ALWAYS get white rice. Sometimes when all else has failed for food recognition, I've gone through 2-3 bowls of white rice. Just ask for 'Bai Fan' (pronounced like 'buy fun').