Two of our Directors recently returned from a trip to Beijing, China for an Operations Review meeting.   During a staff meeting after their return, we heard lots of cool things about the Sun Beijing engineers, the site, and Beijing in general.

We also heard about how different the food was there.   For example, at one meal, they ate donkey meat.   They found this to be quite... unusual.

Thank goodness my telephone was on mute, because I started laughing out loud as I recalled a dinner we had at home recently.

Earlier this month, we introduced Georg's mother and one of his sisters to a local delicacy:   Der Hummer, as it is called in German. (Yes, Hummer like the big car).   Lobster, as it is called in English.   Lobstah, as it's pronounced in New England.

Lobster is considered a bit of a luxury food in Europe.   And one that neither had ever eaten before.   Here in New England, it is practically a regular summer staple, something I grew up eating as a kid.   It is clearly my favourite food, but apparently not everyone takes a liking to it.

Until their visit, I don't think I ever realised how BIZARRE it must appear to the uninitiated...   to boil a live, alien looking creature, place it on your plate, look into its dead eyes, and drool as you crack open that first claw, quickly dropping the meat hidden inside into warm, melted butter before popping it into your mouth.

Some Europeans enjoy horse meat.   Donkey?   I imagine it's not much different.   But, for our visitors from the Black Forest, lobster was definitely pushing the culinary envelope!

My Director loves another exotic food:   Crabs.   No doubt eating these strange looking creatures would put off some red meat eaters.   And earlier today, I munched down on some whole clams (belly & all) which were dug out of a salt water mud flat.   "Mmmmmm, yum!"

So, you can see why I laughed during the concall!   One man's culinary delights are often another man's "Ooooo yuck, no thanks!".