![\"\"](\"http:\/\/laowaiteacher.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/2006-september-395.jpg\" "\\"2006")
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I don’t remember where this photo was taken, likely at the entrance to small shop, what caught my eye here was the offerings in front of the statue, especially the offerings of food. \u00a0Like so many other places we have travelled to as well as at home, food is front and centre.<\/p>\n
In China, the central importance of food shows up not only in these offerings, but also in daily language. \u00a0Where a Canadian would say, “Hi. \u00a0How are you?” a Chinese person could say, “Hi. \u00a0Have you already eaten today? (n\u01d0\u00a0ch\u012b\u00a0le\u00a0ma\u00a0– \u4f60\u5403\u4e86\u5417)” \u00a0If you are ever asked this question, the simplest and likely best response would be to say, “Yes, I have eaten. (ch\u012b gu\u00f2\u00a0le –\u00a0\u5403\u8fc7\u4e86).<\/p>\n
I don’t remember where this photo was taken, likely at the entrance to small shop, what caught my eye here was the offerings in front of the statue, especially the offerings of food. \u00a0Like so many other places we have … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/laowaiteacher.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/2006-september-404.jpg\" "\\"2006")
<\/a>For us, as foreigners, we see the importance of food in terms of the gifts given to us by students and colleagues, especially with the approach of festivals such as the Mid-Autumn Festival (Zh\u014dng\u00a0qi\u016b\u00a0ji\u00e9\u00a0– \u4e2d\u79cb\u8282)\u00a0also known as the Moon Festival. \u00a0The practice of giving moon cakes (yu\u00e8b\u01d0ng\u00a0– \u6708\u997c)\u00a0is the norm at that time of year. \u00a0Of course, we got more moon cakes than a person could possibly ever want to eat. \u00a0But as in the western world, it is the thought that counts.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"