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8.
Drinking
When someone pours you a drink, a polite and discreet form of thanks
is to tap the table next to the glass about three times with your
middle finger. This is a miniaturized imitation of the tradition
of bowing three times when thanking a superior.
The traditional Chinese toast is performed by holding up one's glass
with both hands and inviting your friend to drink. The other person
also holds up his or her glass with both hands, and looking each
other directly in the eyes, both people drink at the same time.
The typical toast in Mandarin is kanpei (pronounced "ganbei"), which
means "drain your glass." If this toast is offered, both individuals
are required to drop the whole drink down the hatch. The Taiwanese
equivalent is "Hotala."
However, if you do not wish to drink the entire portion, you can
quickly respond with the words "suei yi," which mean "according
to your liking." Then both parties can sip however much they prefer.
Drinking can be competitive, and hosts often feel obliged to achieve
in their guests a state of thorough intoxication. But if you've
reached your limit, or you don't want to drink at all, just politely
refuse, as many times as it takes. Eventually, you'll be let off
the hook. A good excuse, like "I have to drive," helps. Remember
that the most important thing is to toast your companion, in order
to seal your bond of friendship. Asking for a non-alcoholic drink
and toasting with that is an excellent method.
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