What is the normal drink you would choose?
For me i can drink anything but with ice, to tell you the truth...i was 'the ice addicted'. When you live in tropical country like Thailand, it can't help if you want to drink something cold, right? Just...I might be a bit too much since anywhere I go...no matter it's winter season in Japan, Korea or England, i still preferred to order ice water. However, if you are in Thailand, to order any drink with ice is usual habit for all of us. Cold water will quench your thirst and refresh your body.
But for Chinese-Singaporean and Chinese-Malaysian who live just about an hour by plane far from Thailand are think differently. Hot tea is their first and most likely an only choice for them. Hot tea is not just only to fulfill their thirst or to clean their mouth but to clean their vascular system as well. Since they believed that when you eat food, their somehow will has some food scraps as well as oily food stuck in the vascular system, and hot tea can clean it. So in the opposite way, they believe that cold water isn't good for the body especially when the food is oily, because cold water can make oil become stiff and hard to absorb.
For me, Chinese though may be right...but it's still hard for me to drink hot water or hot tea (-.-") anyway, i will try to reduce drinking cold water at least, may be i will choose just normal water without ice instead.
An interesting observation - espcially considering the relative proximity of the countries/cultures involved. So do you think that personal preference is determined mostly by culture or by individual taste? Also, is it possible that non-Chinese people living in the Sino-centric cultures in Singapore and Malaysia would adopt their preference for hot beverages? [After living in Thailand for a number of years I've grown to prefer my beer with ice in it - this is considered very strange n the US.]
ReplyDeleteI would say that culture and environment can shape our preference. Because when you are in society if you can get along with those society wel, it will reduce uncertainty in your mind and you will not feel that you are stranger.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we need to see the way of education in the childhood as well, if it so strong in the way they develop while they growing up...then, it could not easily change.
Anyway, non-Chinese ppl who live in Singapore or Malay, if they live in the town full of pure Chinese who always drink hot beverage...it could have a high chance that he/she will adopt this kind of habit.
The example that i saw in the house of my mum's friend (in Singapore) she's indonesian who become a made in a Chinese house. Her habit change little by little, from Indo food to Chinese food, from cold water to hot tea, the way she dress also change.