Saturday, October 10, 2009

Chinese gluttony



Click on the picture! Click it!


Today the school hosted a welcome party for the international students. When I got there the place was already packed. Five big tables with a lot of food had been set up for us to enjoy after a bunch of speeches.

I don't have a good impression of Chinese people. It must be said that I haven't met many, but at least a hundred of them were representing today. Wow. 45 minutes before we could start eating the Chinese people had all gathered in airtight formations around the tables, all ready, clutching a pair of chopsticks and a paper plate, looking like herds of vultures that hadn't had a meal for several weeks.

When it finally was time to eat, unnecessesarily to say, they threw themselves at the food, leaning over the table while seemingly eating as fast as they could, eyeing the food like a bunch of crazy people, almost playing catch with their friend on the other side of the table who's desired dish was out of reach.

I lost my apatite. This must have been the biggest culture shock I've experienced since I came to Japan - and it wasn't even caused by any Japanese people. I was so shocked, appalled and fascinated, all in once. They must be getting really small student loans, to be praying to such an extent on the free food. To get to the table I had to say "SUMIMASEN!!" (Excuse me) and push some obnoxious Chinese person, desperately hogging a spot around the buffet table, out of the way. Are all Chinese people like this?

It's a dog-eat-dog world
, obviously. No pun intended.



My classmate, Lorraine - not some gluttonous Chinese person


A Paula Taylor lookalike! I'm in love!


After the fine dining we all went to the sports hall to see various Japanese martial arts being performed.


Heidi and a few other classmates


Magnus - my internet saviour


A few pictures from the Kendo performance:








Pretty neat.

On the way into the sports hall we were all given a lottery ticket each, and after all of the performances they held a lottery. One of my classmates won a portable dvd-player and someone else won a camera (so that's were all of our school tuition goes - how about investing in a ventilation system for the study hall, ey?). Anyway, I didn't win. Karma.


The gartners at school are always working hard


Paddy fields on the way home from school

2 comments:

DanielDenial said...

Du tar bra bilder aaaaaaaaaas!!!!

ciliee said...

hahaha.. du kan bare glede deg til det er sånn juletrefestgreie med gavebytting og sånn, og kineserne kaster seg over de største gavene de finner..


Jeg lover, du kommer til å mislike kinesere så mye mer enn du ante var mulig etter at du har vært i Japan.

De kastet seg over maten da vi var på sånn greie også.. de sto nesten og trippet mens det ble holdt tale..