Full Thread: I DID Not Know That
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Old August 2nd, 2012 #1
Alex Linder
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Default I DID Not Know That

This thread is for things you did not know.

Was filing away paper scutwork, and came across some guide to China and the Yangtze River. It says:

In the West, offering a cup of tea impiles an invitation to linger and socialize. In China, tea drinking traditionally signifies the end of a social or business encounter. When a guest arrives, the host serves tea. The business is conducted and only then does the host drink his tea, indicating the closure of the meeting.

And also this:

In Confucian thought, the cold steel of a knife and fork represents weapons and violence. Chopsticks are considered benevolent and non-threatening. Since a meal is meant to be almost a ceremony of peace and hostility, the Chinese choose chopsticks.