Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

India

Like in any culture, the best way to get to know someone is to sit down to the table and share a meal with them.

Perhaps this will explain why it is so hard for Indians and Chinese to do business. What will they eat when they sit down together?

The Chinese love and are very proud of their food. I read recently that there is about one restaurant for every 400 Chinese. What is 1.3 billion divided by 400?  Answer: A lot of restaurants.

The Chinese pride themselves in what they eat, the variety of what they eat: – turtle penis, frog ovaries, duck tongue, deer testicles, deep fried scorpion. The higher up the food chain one gets in business, the more they eat and serve.

The Indians, however, become more and more picky when they climb the corporate ladder or take a higher seat in society: no meat, no onions, don’t even let people who indulge in such nasty dishes in the kitchen.

It is a problem when Indians and Chinese sit down to a meal. In a recent article at www.hinduonnet.com the writer says trade officials agonize when Chinese and Indian business delegations sit down together.

“Indians won’t eat anything,” the Chinese say, while “the Chinese eat everything,” the Indians bemoan.

What are you having for dinner this evening?

go to 老毕看中国

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.