27.01.09 Big family lunch at a restaurant

After eleven we went to a restaurant to have a big family lunch with Yanfeng's wife's family. There were three big round tables full of Nancy's relatives, one that had all the husbands, one with wifes, and one with younger children. In the middle of the table was a big round glass plate that you could turn and where all the food was placed. And there was lots of food, like every time we have had lunch or dinner, but this time there were more people and, of course, tons of food. It's amazing how much food and how many plates can be placed on a table. The plates are stacked on top of each other, so that you can still get everything with your chopsticks. And yes, with your own chopsticks. Everyone uses their own chopsticks and spoon to take food and there are no separate spoons just for taking food. Because I'm a guest and not so used to using chopsticks, especially with big slippery foods, I'm offered food with people's own chopsticks.

One other thing with chinese food that Finns are not probably accustomed to, is that the fish is served as a whole, with fins, head, skin and, of course, bones. Also the shrimps have their head and skins still. So, what you are supposed to do, is stick the piece of fish or a shrimp in your mouth and get the fish bones and shrimp skin out with your mouth, and then place them on the table, or spit them on the table.

Before the lunch started, a lot pictures were taken. Now I know my numbers from one to three well, because with every picture was the same thing. Yi, er, san, smile :)

During the lunch people, especially men, would go from table to table and toast and say New Year's wishes. There was also singing during the dinner, and it was no other singing than Chinese Opera. From what I've understood, Chinese Opera is very hard and a very special type of singing. The singing continued with more modern type of singing after the dinner in a karaoke place, loud of course like many things here. The karaoke was not like finnish karaoke where you go in front of a bar on your own turn and sing. Here you get your own karaoke room where you have a big TV and you can choose songs from a machine by yourself. So, the day continued with karaoke singing and also dancing, and of course drinking tea and eating snacks.