Culture Acquisition

Laura and I have been in China for over 19 months now. Culture acquisition has been a primary goal of ours since day 1. We've read books, developed friendships with locals who can be honest with us about our cultural blunders, and we've spent an abundant amount of time in the rural countryside soaking up every nugget of information we can gather. I can honestly say that I'm feeling quite comfortable in a city that was once completely foreign to me. But, there are some things about China that I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to. For example, Laura and I went to a hole-in-the-wall noodle place for lunch the other day. As we sat and waited for our meals at a little miniature size table, the women next to me got these delivered to her by the waiter. It still shocks me.