| oddity - a strange attitude or habit strangeness, unfamiliarity - unusualness as a consequence of not being well known |
The following are some random oddities I have encountered during my stay here in Qingdao.
Take Out Draft Beer
On a sweltering (exceedingly hot and humid) night last week, I decided to stay home and imbibe on cold beer while watching the news on my one-channel TV set (there is only one English channel in all of China).
The neighborhood store had ran out of bottled beer. So I was offered draft beer. I said no, I did not want to drink in his store. He said, "meiwenti". I think it meant "no problem". Whereupon he poured draft beer into a clear plastic bag. I handed him 2.5 yuans and ask for a straw. I was so afraid the plastic bag would burst and spill my precious draft beer. I poked a hole in the bag, stuck the straw and happily sipped the beer while walking home.
One of my consulting jobs is located in the Qingdao World Trade Center.
One day, my Chinese staff and I went down to the employee cafeteria. For 8 yuans, I had a choice of three kinds of dishes plus rice, vegetable, soup and Chinese buns. Enough food for a week.
That particular day, I had a choice of:
(1) stewed chicken feet,
(2) sauteed chicken neck,
(3) fried chicken head and
(4) dish of chicken hearts, livers, butts, etc.
While devouring my lunch, I asked one of my Chinese staffer, "What happens to the rest of the chicken - breast, wings, legs, etc.".
He made a face and said, "We don't like those parts, no taste. So we export them to the US".
For months I have been paying 1 yuan (US$0.14) for bus trips almost anywhere in QD. Last week, I boarded bus #232, and put my 1 yuan bill in the box. The driver scowled at me and motioned I should put one more. I may be a little bit overweight, but I refuse to pay the equivalent of two people. We argued (he in Chinese, I in English). Luckily a Chinese lady (tall, gorgeous and young) intervened and explained that I must pay another yuan for the air conditioning. Since it was too late to get off the bus and take a cheaper non air-conditioned bus, I had to cough up another precious yuan. What a rip off!
