food adventures no. 31, 18 and 34

Yesterday night after having finished my noodles. I wave to the waitress. She says something incomprehensible that leaves me wondering. Nevertheless I nod confidently. And that is how I pay the bill ;).

Today at the student cafeteria, I ask
- what is this?
It looks yummy. It is in the delicatessen section. Perhaps some part of duck? I had spotted it already yesterday.
- rou, zhu rou
ok got it. Pig, but let me double check first. Better safe than sorry.
- shi zu rou ma?
- erduo de
erduo.. i would have gotten this anyway, but she flapped her ears before that. My answer was
- oh thank you.
What I really felt like saying to her was "thank you my daughter (κόρη μου/bint...), may god bless you and your family". I felt very humble and god-fearing listening to her.

A moment later, still feeling confident, I decide to be adventurous. I go to the same restaurant day after day because it is close to the department. The student restaurants here are like market places. They remind me of stock markets. They are extremely busy and different cooks try to win you over. But I am a bit bored of the tastes in this one. So I will go for something unusual. Now that looks interesting. It's definitely meat but has some small brownish balls inside. They look like some sort of fruit. I try to find the end of the stem. I can't but the shape is definitely that of a small fruit. Meat with prunes, wouldn't that be wonderful? I also thought maybe an egg, but these are too small for chicken eggs. But what if they are part of a dead animal's male distinctives? Do Chinese eat testicles? I ask "what is this?". Yes, I can do that part well. Chou rou is the answer. OK this is roast meat. It can't be testicles. How wonderful, maybe even prunes? Leaving the vendor I decide to try one before I actually sit down and rest. It is slippery but now I am getting anxious! I manage to hold one. Bite. Not what I expected! Not bad either. They are soy eggs of some bird - I guess maybe... duck?

Some days earlier, being scared by one of Fatima's emails, I ask my catholic friend about balls, ears, hearts and staff. Can I find them here? Not that I wouldn't try them one day, but at least I should know what I am having. He said they are delicacies and he later showed me some chickens' hearts. Chickens' hearts are much smaller than I expected. He asks me why I am weary of such food. He says they are "delicious". I start with an admittedly flawed example, and on the way I even decide to drop some details (in brackets) to make the English conversation smoother.
- (let's say that) in Greece we eat monkey's eyes!
- really?
- (well not really but) would you try them if I cook them for you?
- but you can't find them here.
- no no, I have found a place to buy them. Would you like to try them?
- Yes I would!
I knew it was wrong to count on (the existence of) universal yacks. Eating human parts maybe? There is a Chinese film about human parts and eating. Feces maybe but children adore them or so says Freud. Monkeys in Greece? Was he on to me? :D