we love to entertain our friends in our small apartment on weekends or holidays, and the food is a very important part of the party. sometimes i am frustrated by the fact that some of our friends are more interested in foods than in conversations, and what makes me even more frustrated is that many of them will call us (usually call my wife) to ask for joining the party, "it's golden week, don't you have any plan for a gathering?" or "i miss the dishes your wife prepared last time, let me know when i can enjoy another one at your home!" or "i guess you must be busy preparing for another party, we haven't met for a long time, we should find time to talk!" usually too many people come to my small place and cooking becomes a big burden for us.
so, is there a polite way to deter some of them? yes i do have one.
if i include some western style dishes such as below and fax the menu to them, they very probably will not come:
- boiled beans (british style)
- mashed potatos (american style)
- roast beef (german style)
- sweet corn soup (mexican style)
"oh, sounds you are experimenting some new stuff, i don't want to be a lab rat"
"maybe i will come, maybe i don't come, maybe you know, maybe i don't know, maybe maybe maybe ..."
"i'd rather your wife is in charge, i think every body like the dinner she prepared"
"i have a great idea, you should ask every guest to take a dish to the party"
"i know a great restaurant, should we go out for dinner after the gathering?"
the "robinson potato", the most powerful weapon to deter a chinese
i realized it over time that western foods could be a good way to deter them, they love chinese (or some non-western) foods and they will stick to it for some time, maybe forever (long live chinese foods and chinese politics!).