East Meets West

The Chinese, like the Israelites in the Bible, are an eastern people and think symbolically. Westerners don't think that way. Think of all the symbolism in the Old Testament sacrifices, how the temple was built, and the number 7 being the number of perfection.

In China, for example, the color red means happiness. I chose to wear a color because it looks good because I [Deb] am a winter, and that color looks good on me. When I buy David matchbox cars, I don't worry about getting him the right number of cars. In China, for example, you don't give someone four of something, because the word "four" sounds like death. You also don't wrap it in white, which symbolizes death.

The number 9 on the other hand, symbolizes longevity, along with turtles and cranes. We haven't found out what parakeets symbolize yet. So, in this picture of us by a door in the Forbidden City, we are sending you a message. There are nine golden knobs in a row in every row on the door. Do you know what we're saying? If you guessed long and happy life, you're right.

I asked Angela about the Moon Festival because the government offices shut down for a week while we were waiting for our Travel Authorization during the Moon Festival. One of the things they do during the Moon Festival is visit family and eat mooncakes which they only get once a year. They bring a box filled with several small cakes of all different flavors (not like chocolate and vanilla, but fruity). I asked Angela if you could make these yourself, thinking I would maybe go to the grocery store and try to find a Betty Crocker Mooncake mix. Oh, no, she told me. Nobody makes them themselves. If they're so good, I couldn't understand why they wouldn't try to make them more often.

Angela finally got to the heart of the matter. Nobody has ovens. I was incredulous. How can you survive without an oven? Angela calmly explained they don't need ovens for the way they eat. They steam their food, including their steamed rolls (which I tried at the buffet and did not like at all), or they sautee their food. Then she smiled sweetly and added, "We don't bake cookies."

That finalized it for me. They may have a wonderful long history which is fascinating, but I'm not moving anywhere where I can't have chocolate chip cookies a couple times a day.