No Room for Proctor

You know all that crap you hear about how the Chinese people value their families a lot? I know Mr. Duffet liked to talk about it, and always turned to me expectantly and asked for me to concur. I think he half-expected me to bow when I said yes. You know what my relatives do when they get together? Gamble and drink. That pretty much sums it up. Sometimes, they throw in some karaoke, but gambling and drinking covers most of it. Sometimes, there is food. But have I mentioned gambling and drinking? Chinese families are not very suitable for young children.

And how have I adjusted to all this? I am fed a lot of beer. And I turn down even more cups of beer, though I manage to slip off the hook when it comes to the vile spirits that they drink. And yes, even in China, people like to laugh when your face turns red after a few sips of beer. I do not play mah-jongg, because I'd lose too much that way, but have learned a couple of popular games with playing cards that I manage to be halfway decent with. And I always pretend I don't understand what they're talking about when they start mentioning playing for money.

In other news, I saw an authentic, traditional Chinese wedding in the farmlands, a badminton competition, and lots of people burning incense in hopes of receiving a son, but not all at once.