advice: meals

cecilia, who arranges all study abroad programs for students at long beach state, learned something big here. when advising students prior to departure, she always tells them to experience the local culture and food and not to just hang out a pizza huts and mcdonalds.

but after three weeks on this trip she would have killed for pizza hut. in fact, we tried to hit one one night, but it had just closed. there was almost a mass suicide at the front gate! i can't remember being so let down .... santa claus, tooth fairy .... nothing compared to pizza hut closing early.

my advice would be to mix it up, but make sure you get what you want. i was adventurous with the food (snails, stinky tofu, unidentified mollusks, etc.), but i also didn't feel guilty about sneaking a mcdonalds ice cream cone on the side (plus they're only like 20 cents). going on a tour with meals included can be a blessing (what convenience!) and a curse (we're stuck with this again). so maybe try a package that includes just one meal a day, like lunch .... that means you're free to explore the city for a funky dinner. breakfast is easy enough to do on your own.

also, if you're sick of the food, dont' feel stuck. this is the land of cheap goods and cheap eats. you'll find something appealing ... don't be afraid to venture out on your own. most places have handy picture menus -- good for pointing!