1.%D¬hinaDiningCustom%D%ATableManners%D%AThemaindifferencebetweenChineseandwesterneatinghabitsisthatunliketheWest,whereeveryonehastheirownplateoffood,inChinathedishesareplacedonthetableandeverybodyshares.IfyouarebeingtreatedbyaChinesehost,bepreparedforatonoffood.Chineseareveryproudoftheircultureofcuisineandwilldotheirbesttoshowtheirhospitality.%DªndsometimestheChinesehostusetheirchopstickstoputfoodinyourbowlorplate.Thisisasignofpoliteness.Theappropriatethingtodowouldbetoeatthewhatever-it-isandsayhowyummyitis.Ifyoufeeluncomfortablewiththis,youcanjustsayapolitethankyouandleavethefoodthere.%D®atingNo-no's%D­on'tstickyourchopsticksuprightinthericebowl.Instead,laythemonyourdish.Thereasonforthisisthatwhensomebodydies,theshrinetothemcontainsabowlofsandorricewithtwosticksofincensestuckuprightinit.Soifyoustickyourchopsticksinthericebowl,itlookslikethisshrineandisequivalenttowishingdeathuponapersonatthetable!%D%AMakesurethespoutoftheteapotisnotfacinganyone.Itisimpolitetosettheteapotdownwherethespoutisfacingtowardssomebody.Thespoutshouldalwaysbedirectedtowherenobodyissitting,usuallyjustoutwardfromthetable.%D­on'ttaponyourbowlwithyourchopsticks.Beggarstapontheirbowls,sothisisnotpolite.Also,whenthefoodiscomingtooslowinarestarant,peoplewilltaptheirbowls.Ifyouareinsomeone'shome,itislikeinsultingthecook.%D­rinking%D%AGanBei!(Cheers!“GanBei”literallymeans“dry[the]glass”)Besidesbeer,theofficialChinesealcoholicbeverageisBaiJiu,high-proofChineseliquormadefromassortedgrains.TherearevaryingdegreesofBaiJiu.TheBeijingfavoriteiscalledErGuoTou,whichisawhopping56%alcohol.MoreexpensiveareMaotaiandWuliangye.%D%A-%D%A-%D%AOfcourse,themaindifferenceontheChinesedinnertableischopsticksinsteadofknifeandfork,butthat’sonlysuperficial.Besides,indecentrestaurants,youcanalwaysaskforapairofknifeandfork,ifyoufindthechopsticksnothelpfulenough.TherealdifferenceisthatintheWest,youhaveyourownplateoffood,whileinChinathedishesareplacedonthetableandeveryoneshares.Ifyouarebeingtreatedtoaformaldinnerandparticularlyifthehostthinksyou’reinthecountryforthefirsttime,hewilldothebesttogiveyouatasteofmanydifferenttypesofdishes.%D%AThemealusuallybeginswithasetofatleastfourcolddishes,tobefollowedbythemaincoursesofhotmeatandvegetabledishes.Soupthenwillbeserved(unlessinGuangdongstylerestaurants)tobefollowedbystaplefoodrangingfromrice,noodlestodumplings.Ifyouwishtohaveyourricetogowithotherdishes,youshouldsaysoingoodtime,formostoftheChinesechoosetohavethestaplefoodatlastorhavenoneofthematall.%D%APerhapsoneofthethingsthatsurprisesaWesternvisitormostisthatsomeoftheChinesehostsliketoputfoodintotheplatesoftheirguests.Informaldinners,therearealways“public”chopsticksandspoonsforthispurpose,butsomehostsmayusetheirownchopsticks.Thisisasignofgenuinefriendshipandpoliteness.Itisalwayspolitetoeatthefood.Ifyoudonoteatit,justleavethefoodintheplate.%D%APeopleinChinatendtoover-orderfood,fortheywillfinditembarrassingifallthefoodisconsumed.Whenyouhavehadenough,justsayso.Oryouwillalwaysoverea