Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing（令人迷惑的）. A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences. They decided that miscommunications were always possible, even over something as simple as “yes” and “no”.

On her first day in Micronesia, an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. The day was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks?” The woman there didn’t say anything. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her. She had raised her eyebrows（眉毛）, which in Micronesia means “yes”.

Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was famous for its cabbage. She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today?” He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.

Tom had a similar problem when arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They answered with many different nods and shakes of the head. He thought some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing.

He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean “yes” or “no”.

Look at the “rabbits” in the pictures on the right.

【小题1】 Are they toys? Well, if you think so, think again. These cute “rabbits” are huabobo. It is a traditional bun (小面点) in Shandong.

These rabbit-shaped ones are made by Zang Chaiyuan, a young woman from Yantai. 【小题2】 Her grandmother was good at making these buns. They would not only look beautiful but also taste great.

After she finished college, Zang wanted to start up her own huabobo business. At first, her parents were against the idea. 【小题3】 She started by learning the basic skills from huabobo masters. In the beginning, the buns would often break apart after being steamed (蒸). Zang felt discouraged. But by practicing her skills again and again, she was finally able to make perfect buns.

Zang believes that paying attention to detail is important. These days, she carefully designs her “rabbits” facial features (面部特征). She also creates nice-looking dresses for her “animals”. After being steamed, the “rabbits” seem to take on a life of their own.

【小题4】 Every day, the woman receives around 40 orders from around China. Each of these orders is for two to three kilograms of buns. Zang’s huabobo has given this traditional bun new life. What is your favorite local food? Can you make it yourself? What do you think you could do to help pass down this tradition?

China is a country with many colorful days and festivals. Dragon Head Raising Day (Longtaitou) is one of them.

This special day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar (阴历). It stands for (代表) the start of spring and farming. This year the day falls on February 24.

The dragon is important in Chinese culture. We Chinese people call ourselves the “descendants (后代) of the dragon”. Therefore, people celebrate Dragon Head Raising Day with many customs about dragons.

On the day in ancient times, people put ashes (灰烬) in the kitchen. This was to “lead the dragon into the house”. People believed that with the help of the dragon, they could have a good harvest (收获) in autumn.

Also, people eat special foods on the day. The foods are usually named after dragons. For example, people eat “dragon whisker (须)” noodles and dumplings called “dragon teeth”.

Today many customs have faded away (逐渐消失). But one that has remained (保留) is the cutting of hair. It is said that a haircut during the first lunar month may bring bad luck to the mothers, brothers. So many people have their hair cut on Dragon Head Raising Day.