Adding Stamps

I sat on the right side of the Dean, a little intimidateing is an understatement.

Tonight was the big dinner, the official welcome and start of the new semester for all the foreign teachers. I’m so grateful I had Adam and Dantzelle there to walk me through the evening’s many toasts and dishes.

We all arrived at the Teacher’s Dinning Hall and then were directed to a back room. It was a beautiful Dinning room with a large circular table in the center. We were assigned seats, I was terrified to discovered I was being placed next to the Dean I figured Adam would have been seeing as he speaks Chinese. I found out once seated the right side is an honor which only made it all that much nerve racking when the Dean entered. James introduced me and I gave a weak smile and an even weaker Ni Hao.

 

Throughout the meal when the Dean would address me I tried hard to focus on him and avoid the temptation to look terrified at James for a translation. James always came through, as soon as the comment was given, with a quick translation and then returned my reply. The Dean was a very pleasant man who really made the whole situation as relaxing as possible. He even kept his chuckles to a minimum and all in good humor at my feudal attempts with the chopsticks! He would even demonstrate easier methods of grabbing at certain foods. I was obviously not the first western who had muddled up the basic eating utensil.

 

 

Can I just start by saying I witnessed the largest Lazy-Suzanne in the world! The food was served one dish at a time and was circled around for everyone to grab at their desire. The first dish was shrimp and was sent directly to the Dean who offered me the first piece,here was the first butchered attempt to grab with the chopsticks. I think everyone got a clear picture of were the night was headed for me. An amused chuckle filled the room at this first attempt on my part. Of course I was the only new-bee at the table, the other foreign teachers being from Japan and Korea and Adam and Dantzelle having had plenty of practice. Dantzelle was at my side the entire time offering encouragement and getting my food when the 7th try still was coming up fruitless.

 

So onto the parade of food…

 

 

 

 

Some of the less exotic foods included Edamame, my favorite (the Dean asked if this was my first time trying them as I seemed to go for those anytime it circled round, I admitted no as it was a favorite back home), shrimp and vegetables, mushrooms and pork, beef slices and leeks. Dantzelle warned me the fish was salty but that could not stop the shock when I tried it. I thought I had licked a salt cube and then some! Not a repeat that was for sure! The fried bread disks next to the fish was great though.

Towards the end of the meal the toasts began. This is where Adam and Dantzelle really came in handy. You are given a class of water, tea (which we kindly declined) and a toasting glass (we got juice rather than beer). You only touch the toasting glass at the toasts and have the option of downing it or sipping it each toast .  Once the toast has been given you tap the Lazy-Suzanne and then drink. They asked each teacher to give a toast expressing their first impressions of the campus. I was the first to go. I said I found the campus very beautiful and everyone extremely nice. The Dean said that was a high evaluation indeed and was pleased. I was grateful I was not the only one to give my toast in my mother tongue as most of the other teachers did as well.

Once the toasts were all over the Dean announced that the dinner was too fold, one to welcome the new teachers, the second to celebrate my Birthday. So the hot seat got hotter. They presented me with the biggest birthday cake I’ve ever had or seen in real life for that matter.

So my first, hopefully not last, birthday in China was wonderful! Even if I did have to eat my cake with chopsticks!