Fourth of July with Chinese Characteristics

We began celebrating the Fourth of July 12 hours before most Americans as today culminated with an "American-style"　BBQ. Unfortunately China lacks most of the essential ingredients, but we provided local passersby with amusement nonetheless. Ryan and I bought out the local grocery's store's entire selection of hot dog buns and all 2 packs of their hot dogs. We then supplemented "Taiwan sausage" for the rest of the meat source and purchased boiled corn on stick in large quantities. It seems the Chinese lack an intermediate between toilet paper and kleenex, so we resorted to toilet paper as the most traditional napkin option. Finally, a case of Budweiser, sweet tea, and Coca Cola confirmed our Western appearances in the check-out line.

Of course one cannot buy ice in China, let alone a cooler, so we had to bribe the kitchen staff of a nearby restaurant with 15 kuai to cool down our drinks in the industrial refrigerator for an hour and a half.

Ryan, ever resourceful, had purchased a 50 kuai ($7) grill at the larger, more distant super-market last week, so we fired it up with great labor and Colin eventually took command of cooking our mini-Asian-size hotdogs. A fireworks screensaver and an album of patriotic American songs from my laptop assuaged our nostalgic feelings for home while our dinner party became more and more crowded. Ryan passed watermelon around while the flags, as usual, hung limply in the thick, humid air.

Finally we sang the National Anthem and our teachers sang the Chinese Anthem with great enthusiasm.