The weekend was over and now it was back to school. Today it was time for us to work in groups on the topics that had been presented over the last few days. These were as follows:
I chose dating because it was the subject that interested me the most. I wanted to learn about the differences between China and Germany. To compare our levels of knowledge on the topics, we exchanged questions and answers within the group (my partner, myself and a second tandem).
The exchange and comparison
What our partners told us for the comparison:
– Dating in China heißt, dass du mit deinem Freund oder deiner Freundin auf ein Date gehst
- the age where teenagers start dating is actually quite late like between 18 and 20
- parents have a saying in the relationship
- the man handles all the decision making in dating
What we told our partners for the comparison:
- when you say dating in Germany, it means you meet an unfamiliar person and try to get to know the person through dates
- the age where teenagers start dating is actually quiet early like between 13 and 16
- parents are not that strict in Germany and everyone can decide for themselves
Once we had noted down the differences, we brainstormed. We wanted to gather even more opinions and results. But the day was already over and we had to go back home for the day.
Shamian Island
For the evening we decided to visitShamian IslandAs the name suggests, it is a cute little island in Guangzhou. The island is home to many historical buildings and is also the location of many consulates general. The island has several restaurants and stores for tourists. So if you are looking for gifts, the island is a good place to buy souvenirs. Due to all the old buildings, the island is also a very popular photo spot, both for tourists and locals who take their wedding photos there.
When the western dress size M corresponds to a 3 XL in China
We women in the group actually bought traditional dresses from the stores. These are called Qipao or Cheongsam. However, it was a bit of a shock to hold the dress in the right size in my hand and then realize that the size on the label was 3XL! We all know that Asian sizes can be relatively small, but I myself am a size M in Germany and suddenly I actually have 3XL!!!! Well - time to eat and digest the shock! As always, we wandered around until we found something appealing.
Ice cream with an unusual filling
For dessert, I grabbed an ice cream at 7/11. But not normal ice cream, of course. As you know, I love trying things I don't know. And I discovered a funny-looking ice cream in the freezer. At first I thought: "It looks like some kind of weird fruit. Maybe something with currants?". But when I took a bite, it turned out to be kidney beans. Vanilla ice cream with kidney beans. Interesting! I would never have thought of that. But then I remembered that we also have desserts with beans in our Vietnamese cuisine. In many Asian countries, beans are generally made into a sweet dish. That's it for today for now :D
Three things I learned today:
1) Dating in China means you go on dates with your official bf/gf
2) Shamian Island is a good spot to buy souvenirs
3) The name for the traditional dress is Qipao or Cheongsam
