Divide Loyalty: Feeling Like An Outsider in Your Home

Chinese food

Divide Loyalty: Feeling Like An Outsider in Your Home
by fionareilly | Posted on Apr 26 2012 | Family Matters 0 Comments | 0 Bookmarked
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I visit Australia once or twice a year, always enjoying the fresh air, the endless catch-ups and the totally drinkable tap water. But on my last trip I just couldn't shake the feeling of not fitting in. Instead of being grounded and happy, I felt displaced and ill at ease.

The difference in me became obvious the minute I arrived as I stealthily crept through two red lights on my way home from the airport and parked illegally at an ATM. The very same night I disgraced myself at a restaurant by leaving a large pile of fish bones on the tablecloth next to my plate before realizing no one else was doing it.

But there were less obvious differences too. People asked endless questions about my life in China that I found irritating and uninformed, like "Do undercover police follow you when you go out?" and "Can you buy dog meat at the supermarket?"

Even worse were the blanket statements uttered by those who had never set foot in China. "They make death row prisoners pay for their own bullets, you know" and "They are the world's worst polluters." I'm treated to diatribes about environmental destruction, infanticide and how Chinese parents are stealing school places from perfectly worthy Australian children by sending their kids to study overseas. It's relentless.

Then I wonder—why do I feel the need to defend China at all? Why don't I just feed their misinformed opinions by telling them it's a filthy country, saved only by cheap DVDs and dumplings?

But I don't. I say how complicated it is. How the longer I live there the less I understand the place, but the less it matters. How the country is diverse, fascinating and intriguing. I defend China because I feel conflicted. My loyalties are divided and I'm defending China the same way I defend Australia when people complain about the price of everything and the bigotry.

It doesn't end until I leave the country. At the airport, the customs official says with a sly wink, "You must have a lot of patience, living in China." It's a bit offensive, but it also holds a kernel of truth.

On the plane heading back to Shanghai, I get to thinking about all the positive things China has taught me. Patience. Perseverance. Persistence. Acceptance of ambiguity. Not bad for a filthy country. China is changing me, but not all for the worse.

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Fried Pot Stickers / Cooking Chinese Food 韭菜盒子

Fried Pot Stickers are one of my favorite foods. You can cook them many different ways, and with many different kinds of fillings, but this is my favorite way to make them: with ground beef and Chinese Leek filling. These pot stickers are a mix of two very different textures and flavors, but everything works out perfectly to make this a delicious and healthy addition to your diet. Enjoy!

Video Rating: 4 / 5

Wanchai Ferry Restaurant Favorites, Orange Chicken, 13.7-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 4)

  • Kit includes a special chicken meal
  • Different style Chinese dinner kit
  • Leading brand in Hong Kong
  • Fabulous dish to try out
Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken Chinese Dinner Kit has orange sauce, long grain white rice, seasoned cornstarch and red chilies. Just add meat and you have a meal. The history about Wanchai Ferry food products is pretty interesting. In 1977 Madame Kin Wo Chong left her home in Qing Dao, China to start a new life along with business in Hong Kong. She actually pushed a wooden cart around the Wanchai Pier located in Hong Kong, selling her handcrafted dumplings made from an old family recipe. Today, Wanchai Ferry is a leading brand in Hong Kong and China. It is fabulous and you wont be able to wait to try this product.

List Price: $ 19.39 Price: $ 18.64



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