L as in Lucky, M as in Money, H as in Happy

CE found that she could not use Western names when spelling things out over the phone in Beijing. H as in Harry meant nothing to the person on the other end of the line. Other words would garner quicker and more universal recognition. It makes perfect sense. Still, the first time I overheard her doing so, it gave me pause.

All cultures have their quirks and superstitions. Beijing (and China as a whole) is no exception. The second time I got on the elevator in her building CE pointed out the button panel. Look closely. What do you see? Or rather what do you not see? That's right. 4, 13, and 14 are absent. In Mandarin the word for the number 4 sounds very similar to the word for death. So 4 is considered to be very unlucky and the 4 and 14 are gone. In some dialects of Chinese the number 14, in particular, sounds like "guaranteed death." Great for a horror movie but bad for an apartment building. It's a pun-y kind of superstition. As a consideration to their North American friends, the builders also took out the number 13. People, particularly business people are very careful about the street number of their location and the digits of their phone number.

I picked up very little in the way of manners or superstitions having spent most of my time with CE and the ex-pat crowd.
A friend of CE's insisted that you must always make eye contact when you clink glasses in a toast. If you don't you'll have seven years of bad sex. CE joked that the sex was assured to be good if you made eye contact and then winked. All this coordination was a bit much for me while trying to get my drink on. But in the interest of avoiding a Chinese curse of bad sex I kept up the best I could. I have no confirmation that such a thing is more broadly practiced in Beijing or China. But the following things, I think, are.

-The spout of the teapot must never face anyone at the table.

-It is fine to grab the teapot by the spout rather than the handle.

-You pour tea for everyone at the table with space in their cup before you pour yourself a cup.

-When a whole fish is served at the meal the head should be pointed towards the honored guest such that good fortune flows towards him/her.

-When the tea pot is empty at the restaurant and you need a refill you set the top ajar or place it up/inverted on the pot.

-At a fancy meal/banquet asking for a bowl of rice is an insult to the food and the host. You don't eat rice or noodles at a restaurant until the end of the meal, if at all. You don't fill up on carbs when there's good stuff on the table.