Chinese Dinner "Kamikaze"

Being denied lunch at the company, cause of us not ticking off Monday behind our names on the respective list and no opportunity to go for food outside without taking a taxi not knowing where a nice restaurant might be, we had to be content with instant soup stored for emergency in my desk. Shocked and relieved at the same time by this narrow escape we first entered a recurring meeting in our Outlook calendars to remind us of the essential ticks on the lunch list and second planned to go for dinner together this evening. "We" is Christian, an intern from Austria and me, both not able to converse in the Chinese language and barely in the position to transmit even the simplest information in Chinese. Meeting in Xinjieko, which is the commercial center of Nanjing we found us surrounded by manifestations of American culture imperialism in the form of McDonald's, KFCs, Pizza Huts and Star Bucks. Burger King was mercifully missing. Sneering at these trivial fast food temples, we started to roam side streets on the hunt for a nice Chinese restaurant. Dismissing a couple of Chinese copies of above mentioned establishments and turning in and out through the revolving door in one go of a Chinese place deemed too posh (and probably to expensive), we ended up in a rather big but nice restaurant seated comfortably in front of a cup of local tea.

Pointing out two dishes on the Chinese menu without having the slightest idea what it might be, we felt like two explorers in a unknown country. On second thought it felt more like two stupid and ignorant tourists completely in the hands of the cook and waitresses.

Later we learned that we ordered chicken and fish or at least that was what we got. The chicken came in a delicious sauce with chili and peanuts and was, contrary to the fish, which was ice cold, at least lukewarm. But despite the temperature and being full of fish- resp. chicken bones it was not too bad. The rice we ordered, commented with a laugh from the waitress, was one of the highlights ;-)

Consequently we went for a cold beer in a non-Chinese bar afterwards! :-D