Cross-Cultural Snacking: A Tale of Laughter and Friendship

Cross-Cultural Snacking: A Tale of Laughter and Friendship

Living in Wisconsin, every Sunday, we used to go to the church for worship and then attend Bible class. We have maintained this habit for many years.

In the class, there was an interesting tradition. Before each class, everyone would bring some snacks to share. The rule was simple: each week, someone would take turns to bring snacks for everyone to enjoy before the class.

At first, we used to buy snacks from the American supermarket. You know, those snacks that are both sweet and salty. I thought this wasn't quite right for our  health to keep eating like this.

Our solution was to venture to Asia-town and search for Asian snacks. These snacks were not overly sweet and suited our taste better. We found snacks like twisted doughnuts and the famous rice cakes, which I used to love eating as a child. However, I was surprised by their current prices - they had become quite a luxury. I mean, imagine a twisted doughnut being priced at 1 dollar! And it was a thin one, about the length of a finger. Anyway, we bought them and kept them well, as we felt we would let our classmates enjoy them more.

Then, an interesting twist occurred. One day, an American classmate tried these Asian snacks and was amazed by their taste. He exclaimed, "Wow, these are so delicious!" Even a engineer, then who was our teacher, got fully involved. He would taste these delicacies, sometimes influencing his pre-class prayer after savoring them. His mouthful prayer with food provoked laughter from all of us.

I suggested our classmates take the leftovers home, as it seemed everyone liked them a lot. It was a cross-cultural exchange of flavors, so I decided not to take them home anymore instead of sharing them with the classmates.

Then there's our class manager, who was also the teacher's wife. She has a fondness for these Asian snacks because they are not overly sweet. She said she loved them so much. The teacher's wife came up with an idea. She gave me money to go to Asiantown and buy snacks for her. Her reasoning was that these snacks I gave her were just too delicious, and her husband couldn't resist the temptation and secretly indulged in them.

I laughed, realizing that even our classmates were captivated by these Asian snacks. The story circled back to our eating habits. My husband humorously teased himself, suggesting that this might be why he was becoming a little plump - his eating habits in America were different from in Asian. They laughed along, admitting there might be some truth in those words. We discussed the impact of exercise and diet on health. The class manager questioned if exercise alone was enough. Everything unfolded in a friendly atmosphere.

Observing how our eating habits and tastes transcend cultures was indeed an interesting experience. We even joked that the fast-food culture might turn anyone into a "little plump" - just a tad chubby. Our conversation eventually shifted to Asian cuisine, a topic that piqued their interest. However, they confessed that some dishes, like hotpot , pig feet and stinky tofu, were a bit much for them. They acknowledged they couldn't adapt to authentic Asian dishes.

As we shared these stories, our bond grew stronger. In this Bible class, besides studying, we found a shared love for snacks, a sense of humor that transcended cultural barriers, and the joy of forging lasting friendships.