Our first girl students were from China.. We had a wonderful time and laughed alot...
First of all.. we had never had girls and they were 16 or so... everything was funny to them.. or tears.. depended on the situation..(this will be another post)
Second.. what really made them laugh and as time goes on we see it over and over again is..
what is Chinese in California isn't Chinese in China..
They laughed when they saw the Chinese food section of a local store.. laughed even harder when they saw the frozen food section..
When I tried to put a sauce on the wrong food item.. that was a bit stressful
. During the Olympics in Beijing, the food stops had to put out pictures of what the foods looked like. What the westerners were expecting was going to be very different.
Now we know that China isn't the only country that has other names for food
In Spain they have Tortillas that are very much like a frittata.. and not at all like a Mexican Tortilla
In America..we really are a melting pot... this is not only true culturally but with our cuisine..
Dishes are brought to this country and modified or added to using what else is here... and becomes a very different dish..
Learning how to combine cultures, cuisines and life experiences are what make home stays so valuable and enjoyable.. with the summer coming.. I would encourage you also to learn a culture from the comfort of your own home.
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