That is the sentiment from one of the acting “models” that was chosen for the day to represent a developer in West China. In this short film by David Borenstein of the NY Times, it gives you a glimpse into the world of how Westerners are viewed in China. The specialty firm collects groups of foreigners, often found in bars whom they rent out to attend events to make it seem more “international”. Clients can select from a menu of skin colors and nationalities, but when it comes to white people, it doesn’t seem to matter which country he/she is from, what matters is the image it can create to promote the global, modern feel.
I have noticed walking around China, that the advertisements with foreigners usually end up using very average, even a little unhealthy looking white people. I often ask myself, “where did they find this person, and why?” I recently watched a movie called Shanghai Calling which wasn’t particularly a well-made movie, but it did give you a unique perspective into an expat’s life in China. In this movie as well, there is a character that poses as a hired “lawyer” for the day, to represent a company being accused of copyright infringements. It seems impossible and even wrong to allow these things to happen, but that is the way China runs, and it even becomes a bit charming after a while. No, things don’t always go as “written” or promised, but the unpredictable aspect makes us better prepared, more patient and brings us closer to the few people we can trust. Photo is a scene from Shanghai Calling
0 Comments
In my experience, I have yet to meet a person that doesn’t like Mexican food. Even in a remote area of China where most people have never heard of Mexico before, when we introduced a sort of Mexican food to them, they usually think it’s fun and delicious to eat! The combination of fresh crunchy vegetables, protein and rice and tortillas with rich seasoning and tartness from the lime is an amazing balance of wonder and familiarity in your mouth. Oh, I stand corrected, I have met Brazilians that despise Mexican food, but I think that is because when certain ingredients are cooked in a similar, yet fundamentally different way, it is harder to accept.
Today, we will take a look at Fish Tacos, originally from the Baja California peninsula in Mexico, now well-traveled across the US and abroad. There are conflicting stories about the origin and history of Fish Tacos, but we won’t get into that. The region is surrounded by the sea, and tortillas are abound, so it only seems natural that Fish Tacos would appear. Depending on your taste and region, there are many versions to Fish Tacos. This NY Times article goes into the art of Fish Taco on how to maximize enjoyment, and I would have to agree that on a freshly fried fish fillet, it is best to maintain the crunch by using sauces that are not watery. So avoid pico de gallo or salsa. Just use the crema sauce or substitute with a kind of tartar sauce. A crunchy purple cabbage slaw is also a must! And add to that pickled red onion, and it is set to go. Here is an excellent recipe of a proper beer-battered fried cod filet fish taco recipe with purple cabbage slaw and chipotle sauce. Mmmmmm… Need I say more? For some fresh, organic taco experience, you can try out The Taco Truck in their various locations here. Photo from Once Upon a Chef blog If you have any plans to be in the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maartens in the Caribbean in the next few days, you should know that the biggest holiday of King’s Day (Koningsdag) is coming up on April 27th, 2015. Many people may not even be aware that the Netherlands is a Monarchy, but indeed it has been an independent monarchy since 1815, but has been hereditarily "governed" by members of the House of Orange-Nassau since 1559 according to this wikipedia article. If you’d like to a few more trivia about the Dutch Royal Family, take a look at this article on the guardian about the 12 things you never knew about the Dutch Royal Family.
Back to the holiday at hand, King's Day is a national holiday celebrating the current King Willem-Alexander's birthday. King’s Day is celebrated with everyone wearing, drinking and dying their hair orange to honor the House of Orange. The whole city becomes a party in Amsterdam and many other cities, with anyone allowed to sell their second-hand items anywhere for that day. This open flea market is called Vrijmarkt, and the streets literally become filled with everyone selling things from their attic. For more information about what to expect and where to go, read this article on National Geographic Intelligent Travel. The article goes on to say that after the mayhem is over, you can enjoy the flower show at Keukenhof Gardens, 40 minutes southwest of Amsterdam. The garden is filled with Holland’s world-famous tulips blanketing 80 acres. That must be a spectacular sight. |
AuthorUnicultural team and trainers, sharing our views and experiences on everything cultural. Archives
May 2016
Categories
|