Xiamen

We had a presale meeting with a bank in Xiamen, I was dragged along with my manager for support and backup. But I think his true intention is to let me gain some presales experience and practice my Mandarin speaking in public.

I do struggle when speaking Mandarin in a formal setting, I constantly fumble around my brain to look for the accurate phase to use. I think if I talk in the way I feel comfortable (the way I talk to my parents), I might either sound like a rebelious adolescent or a 6 year old.
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My first time in Xiamen, arriving at night, the taxi drivers drove as if he is in a Formula car racing. Wow, that brings back so much nice memories. The local dialet is Hokkian, which is largely spoken in Taiwan. The Hokkian infused Mandarin is very easily identified. The "F" and the "R" sounds are never clear defined.

We went out for a late night snack, picked some fresh river shrimps and small razor shell clams. The shrimps were boiled to just cooked. Soy sauce with some minced garlic is the only dressing. Delicious. The small razor shell clams were quickly fried with scalion and chilly slices, mixed with soy sauce and rice wine. Yummy. I always wonder why we cannot enjoy foods like this in Northen China.

It is winter in Xiamen yet warm enough that smell the osmenthus moves around in the night. Xiamen is very nice and clean, less dust and filthy looking labour workers on the streets. Perhaps that's because it has less construction sites than Beijing.