Colonels Abroad in China: Logan eats stinky tofu in Guangzhou

Níhao,

Today, we woke up at 5:40 a.m. in order to pack and leave the hotel by 6:20 a.m. Our train for Guangzhou left at 8 a.m. The high-speed train ride consisted of 6 hours filled with plenty of snacks and discussions ranging from Norwegian folklore to “Fifty Shades of Gray.” Yes, you read that correctly.

Throughout this trip, it has been interesting just observing the cultural differences in China. Beijing was very historical, and often referred to as the “countryside.” In all, Beijing’s architecture was a bit more historical compared to Shanghai and its modern structures.  

Guangzhou is in the south of China, so I’m expecting even more cultural differences. Dr. En Mao told us she believes Guangzhou has the best food, so I am certainly looking forward to visiting. I spoke with our tour guide about the differences in language, as well, since in the south of China more people speak Cantonese rather than Mandarin. Cantonese and Mandarin are written similarly, but they are spoken differently. It’ll be interesting to see if I can hear the difference.

When we arrived in Guangzhou, I was greeted with a nice, warm and sunny breeze. Today the high was 32 degrees Celsius, which is about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to that, the humidity here is above 90 percent, so needless to say it reminded me of home.

Although today was a relaxed kind of day, especially with the 6-hour train ride, I’ve come to the realization that I’ve really stepped out of my comfort zone with food on this trip. I know I have mentioned it before, but I have really tried some interesting dishes. These range from various animals to even stinky tofu. Again, you read that correctly.

Stinky tofu is a very common snack in China, from what I’ve heard. Like its name dictates, it has a somewhat unflattering smell. In all honesty, it sort of smelled like feet, but I still tried it. It may have smelled funky, but it tastes like scrambled eggs. In addition to that, tonight I tried chicken feet. I never thought I would ever try it, but why not? Also it apparently is packed with collagen, so it’s good for your skin. Trying out new foods and preventing aging at the same time!  

I’m looking forward to the other foods I might try in the next few days. Until next time, zijian!

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