Eating at the Jiangs house

Here we are eating Real Chinese food (as opposed to what we call Chinese in America). As you can see, Jerry and I are the only ones with plates, everyone else eats from the common dishes (which are abundant and filled with things we don't recognize). They are quick to refill our plates with their chopsticks whenever ours get low. Notice also that except for shotglasses there are no beverages on the table. (as a concession to us, Ric and I are given pepsi this year..hooray...the last time we were here we couldn't figure out how Chinese got enough liquid in their diets until we noticed them drinking the soup broth with their china spoons). The floor in the downstairs rooms is cement which makes it easy to sweep up and throw everything out in the front alley (where the children play, watching out for the occasional car or motorcycle that drives through) - as opposed to the back alley which you walk through to get to the kitchen and bathroom, which has a western toilet that flushes by pouring water into it (of course, at the moment that is how the one in our hotel works also....but I am not complaining , it is a zillion degrees here and at least the hotel is air conditioned !!)