One of my Chinese friends at first couldn’t understand when I told her that we have the same fruits in the grocery store, and that all meat is conveniently chopped into boneless skinless chunks and wrapped in plastic. “But how do you know what food is in season?”
Seasons in China is an interesting thing for me because I’m always here in the summer. Uncle will always talk about the great seafood that comes in season in the Fall, and how I’m never here to eat it. Likewise, I always draw myself and others traipsing through these comics in short sleeves and skirts because I have no idea what Chinese people wear in the winter. My own seasonal experience of China is truncated.
Part of this was inspired from watching Food, Inc before leaving for China. Part of this was inspired by walking around the streets of Shanghai and spotting all sorts of vendors. A final part of this was inspired by our visit to the countryside by Ningbo where they fed us 5 different types of fish in one meal (all with heads, all alive in the kitchen), and then in the next meal, served us another 5 different types of fish. I love fish, and yet, I am not good at dealing with fish bones. River fish tend to be full of bones. As in, if I take a bite, there’d be 20 tiny bones in that bite.
Also: Ugh, I can never figure out how to do motion lines. 
Finally: I think this comic is a little wider than usual. Hope it doesn’t break anyone’s friends page. (Or am I the only one still using a 1024px wide monitor?)
In winter Chinese people wear mian ao, of course. Bundled up like a zhong zi
(mmmmmm. ::slobber::)
At the same time, I can buy 20 cans of tuna and have a tuna sandwich whenever I want instead of going to the store
The small refrigerator size threw me for a loop in Japan, because I’m an American and used to buying groceries for a month, but since the grocery is a bike ride away, I got used to it. The American style of buying a shitload of stuff at the grocery store really works a lot better when the nearest grocery is a 15 minute drive from your house.
Oh, and I almost forgot: if you want fresh meat that is cut for you on the spot, there’s always the local butcher shop. Beef Mart is such a happy place for me. Also, farmer’s markets are gaining big popularity in the US. Fresh tomatoes!!
True about the farmer’s markets gaining popularity, but in lots of places that’s just on the weekends, and still takes traveling at least the distance of the grocery store. Whereas here I can buy the ingredients on my way back from work. Or no more than a 5 minute walk from anywhere.
But yeah, tuna sammiches are yummy.
they still wear mian ao? XD
…Hell if I know, last winter I was there was 17 years ago. XD
But why wouldn’t they? They’re so cozy and effective XD
ah. I figure they probably wear those puffy marshmallow coats now instead. Like mian-ao, but modern!
What, those things aren’t called mian-ao? Ni rong san or something?