Sunday, 24 May 2026

Different perspectives: 02 (China)


Saw a TV documentary back in the 1980s (when I had a set then) about British people in China in the 1930s (maybe Shanghai, maybe Tianjin).

    A white English woman described the kind of childhood she had back then:  big house, parties, servants for various duties, including a housekeeper who'd take the orders from the mistress before filtering them down to the different individuals.

    One day, the mother went into the kitchen to check on the proceedings for the dinner party.  She found the male cook washing the lettuce (for the salad) with a toothbrush to remove even the smallest bit of grit from between the folds.

    She was so surprised at this method of cleaning veg that she cried out, "What ARE you doing?!?"

    Misunderstanding her reaction, he said, "It's all right, Madam.  I'm using my own toothbrush, not yours."

    Salad was taken off the menu for the dinner party that evening.

(China, 1930s)


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