By Jacques Timmers

Before I went to China and HK the first time, a common recommendation for an “acceptable excuse” was: allergy! Not only for not having to join in the drinking thing, it also applies for those who are not sure about wanting to eat certain foods.

While the advice can be useful, you may reconsider whether you want to use it. It is probably true that this will avoid your host to lose face, but… for your host, having you as a visitor may be an excuse to take you and some of his staff out for dinner, drinks and to have some fun and a good laugh. Your host may want to show off with you to the others at the table, but keep in mind: this is primarily to increase his own status.

Your host may bring his very own bottles of rice wine to the restaurant, and yes, he will try to test you. There may be very “interesting” kinds of food, things like chicken feet, jelly fish, turkey “fries”, cow stomach, pigs ear etc. You are going to do your host a HUGE favor if you undergo it with a smile and be courageous and adventurous. Praise him for having the experience, that you never thought you would try these delicacies and that it is thanks to him and his hospitality that you have experienced this.
However, if you use the ‘allergy’ argument for both the drinking and the eating, your host may feel like a little bit of the “fun part” he had in mind is missed. It may be a bit more difficult to get “buddies” with your host if you keep yourself out of the ganbei game and the interesting food game.
As concerns your “holding capacity”, if you expect to have to be around the drinking table, then try to plan this a few days after you have arrived in China, rather than the first day, so that your body is more adjusted to the time difference, the different climate, the different air and food etc. This may seem self-explanatory, but in our drive to spend time productively and in our hurry, we sometimes seem to forget this.

What also helps is to be open-minded and not worry too much in advance. Reading about what is “expected” from you will make you feel more at ease, and will give you some tips. It is ALWAYS good for you, if you make your hosts feel that you are interested and have taken the trouble to learn a bit about the “do’s and don’ts”. Good reading on this part is the Culture Shock! series of Time-Life books (there is one on most countries). Good luck and Ganbei!’

Jacques Timmers, Horizon International Consultant Ltd.