Just in jest
<p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="humorous">humorous</span> <span word="column">column</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="paper">paper</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="caused">caused</span> <span word="ructions">ructions</span>, <span word="begging">begging</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="question">question</span>: <span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="foreigners">foreigners</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="seriously">seriously</span>?</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="uses">uses</span> <span word="comic">comic</span> <span word="irony">irony</span>, <span word="others">others</span> <span word="tend">tend</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="confused">confused</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="option">option</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="across">across</span>. </p><p><span word="An">An</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="friend">friend</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="mine">mine</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="vigorous">vigorous</span> <span word="argument">argument</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="learn">learn</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>. <span word="My">My</span> <span word="feeling">feeling</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="appreciating">appreciating</span> <span word="fast">fast</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="entre">entre</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="culture">culture</span>. </p><p>"<span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="stupid">stupid</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="gorge">gorge</span> <span word="yourself">yourself</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="fast">fast</span> <span word="food">food</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>. </p><p>"<span word="But">But</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="me">me</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="distinguish">distinguish</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="KFC">KFC</span> <span word="burger">burger</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="McDonald">McDonald</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="burger">burger</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="credibility">credibility</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span>-<span word="trained">trained</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="suffer">suffer</span>. <span word="Nobody">Nobody</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="effort">effort</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="birthplace">birthplace</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fast">fast</span> <span word="food">food</span>," <span word="I">I</span> <span word="defended">defended</span> <span word="myself">myself</span>. </p><p>"<span word="But">But</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="junk">junk</span> <span word="food">food</span>. <span word="It">It</span>'<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="kill">kill</span> <span word="you">you</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="warned">warned</span>. </p><p>"<span word="Where">Where</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="from">from</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Golden">Golden</span> <span word="Arches">Arches</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="symbol">symbol</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="cuisine">cuisine</span>," <span word="I">I</span> <span word="said">said</span>. </p><p>"<span word="But">But</span> <span word="that">that</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="else">else</span>." </p><p>"<span word="Other">Other</span> <span word="burgers">burgers</span>?" </p><p>"<span word="There">There</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="cuisine">cuisine</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="burgers">burgers</span>." </p><p>"<span word="Like">Like</span> <span word="what">what</span>? <span word="French">French</span> <span word="fries">fries</span>? <span word="I">I</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="France">France</span>." </p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="friend">friend</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="serious">serious</span> <span word="guy">guy</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="typical">typical</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="sense">sense</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="humor">humor</span>. <span word="Had">Had</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="adopted">adopted</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="approach">approach</span>, <span word="say">say</span> <span word="comic">comic</span> <span word="irony">irony</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="easier">easier</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="accepting">accepting</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="point">point</span>. </p><p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="extolled">extolled</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="virtues">virtues</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="fast">fast</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="thus">thus</span>: "<span word="There">There</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="burger">burger</span>, <span word="you">you</span>'<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="culture">culture</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="burger">burger</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="quintessence">quintessence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="gastronomy">gastronomy</span> - <span word="munchable">munchable</span> <span word="Americana">Americana</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="speak">speak</span>." </p>
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