China Dish

Available but expensive: The following items are available locally, but some are specialty items marketed for foreigners and are more expensive than in the U.S. In some cases flavors and textures may differ from U.S. brands, and quantities may be limited. If you have favorite brands or use these items in large quantities, you may want to include these items in your shipment: ground coffee, jam/jellies, cocoa, pasta, pasta sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, pickles, some spices, oatmeal, powdered skim or low-fat milk (powdered whole milk is the only kind available locally), evaporated milk, white and brown sugar (the sugar here is damp and coarse and not good for cakes), noodles, juices, feminine hygiene products, dental and hair care products, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, and furniture polish. Domestic HelpLast Updated:  12/11/20 ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Rice wine (shaohsing) is often served at Chinese dinners, although guests may drink juice or water if they desire. The first toast is frequently a general one, with everyone drinking together, usually as soon as the first dish is presented. After this it is general practice for all at the table to toast others, starting with the host/hostess toasting the guest of honor. Couples generally drink as a unit, though they are free to drink as individuals. Remember that the Chinese only drink shaohsing when toasting. There is always a tumbler of water, beer, or soft drink to quench one's thirst. In toasting one does not necessarily say anything, but it is common to specify the kind of toast. The most common toast is "gan bei" (literally, "dry cup," the equivalent of "bottoms up"). Both parties are expected to drain their glasses and show each other the empty glass. You do not necessarily have to "gan bei"; you may respond with "sui yi," meaning "drink as you please," or, on occasion, "ban bei ... [Read More]

2004 Report of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

Satellite: In Cuba, Radio and TV Marti were available on the Hispasat as a free-to-air network available to all Cubans with satellite dishes. With the transition to Hispasat transmission, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting will phase out the aerostat transmission system in September 2004. ...

Satellite penetration rates are growing exponentially in many regions. This is particularly true in the Middle East, where some services are free to anyone with a satellite dish and receiver. The Nilesat satellite alone reaches 7.1 million households in the Middle East - double the number from last year.35 According to Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, satellite television is "not only the biggest media phenomenon to hit the Arab world since the advent of television; it also is the biggest political phenomenon" across that region. At the same time, in areas that lack the means to access satellite broadcasts, such as southern Africa, radio remains the medium of choice. ... [Read More]

IEW Events > United States

Students will research countries and create for an International dinner at the school. Students and parents will celebrate the diverse populations by attending the dinner. Five guest speakers will speak at the dinner and explain their involvement in international education. Parents will bring a dish from their home country; students will bring a dish from the country they studied. ...

As a follow up to a successful 2001-2002 Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, Cavendish School (Eastbourne, UK) teacher Marc Vickers and Okemos High School teacher Amy Huntley are coordinating email communication between their two classes. This program will be launched in early November and run throughout the academic year. ... [Read More]

Neil Klopfenstein, "Celebrations of Thanksgiving: Life on a Turkey Farm" , U.S. Society and Values, July 2004

The table ritual was also always the same. My mother sat at the end of the table next to the kitchen. Father sat opposite to her. I sat on the side next to my grandmother (I was grandma's boy) and my brother sat next to grandpa. We gathered around the table and Mother would ask one of us boys to say the blessing; my brother usually did it. Then, my father would cut the turkey and we would pass our plates and load up on the side dishes. My mother and grandma would talk about her old neighbors and friends back in her hometown and the two farmers, grandpa and dad, would talk mostly about agricultural stuff. My brother and I would vie for the adults' attention. Occasionally, the table topics would turn to the events of the day: the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, inflation; but mostly the talk was local. ... [Read More]

The United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria: Press Release - Islamic Influence Runs Deep In American Culture

What Americans identify today as southwestern or Mexican cuisine also has deep roots in the Islamic world. Spicy meat dishes, rice and seasonings such as cinnamon and cloves introduced to Spain via the Muslim trade routes have combined with New World vegetables such as beans, tomatoes and peppers to produce some of the world's most flavorful foods. "A Mexican meal is history in a dish," writes culinary historian Terrie Chrones. "When I order, I like to look for and taste the Arab connection, imagining the chefs of these cultures creating this marvelous blend." ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

 Linking all traditional and cultural practices is the exchange of money from the husband for food from the wife.  The Palauan money and turtle shells fashioned like a shallow, oval dish are always the icing on the cake at customs (Ron: missing text?).  ...

Basic furnishings for the Charge’s residence include bedroom and living room furniture, electric stove, refrigerator, freezer, television, water heater, water distiller, washer, dryer, dishwasher and patio furniture.  The house has wood and brick flooring. Each room has an air conditioner. ... [Read More]

Women's Rights - First Lady's remarks at UN on3/4/99

I have spoken to young girls in northern Thailand whose parentswerepersuaded to sell them as prostitutes, and they received a greatdealof money by their standards. You could often tell the home ofwheregirls had been sold because they might even have a satellite dishoran addition built onto the house. But I met the girls who hadcomehome after they had been used up, after they had contracted HIVandAIDS. If you've ever held the hand of a 13-year-old girl dying ofAIDS, you can understand how critical it is that we take everysteppossible to prevent this happening to any other girl anywhere intheworld. I also, in the Ukraine, heard of women who told me withtearsrunning down their faces that young women in their communitiesweredisappearing. They answered ads that promised a much betterfuture inanother place and they were never heard from again. ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

VOA and BBC broadcast in English 24 hours a day on FM channel 106.6 and 103.1. BBC and several other English-language television broadcasts are available via commercial cable TV services and by satellite dish. Star Cable Network is available in the employee’s housing and contains a movie channel, a U.S. program channel, sports channel and others. AFN (Armed Forces Network), U.S. programming without commercials, is also available. The Embassy provides one TV and VCR per home. Newspapers, Magazines, and Technical JournalsLast Updated:  10/3/2004 11:52 PM Two English-language newspapers, the Mongol Messenger and the UB Post, are published weekly. They contain information on local news and cultural events. There are a few international English-langu ... [Read More]