Allergies

I love springtime. From the fragrance of blooming trees and bushes, to the gray morphing to green, to the rain showers that clear the air, it is by far my favorite season. Of course, I don’t suffer from allergies like thousands of others do, so when I see the snowfall of flower pollen filling the air, it just makes me smile as another sign of spring.

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Nasty bugs abound in Beijing these sweaty, summer days (and by that I don't just mean mosquitoes) - lately it seems that every day yet another of my daughter's classmates or a colleague at work falls victim to some form of seasonal illness -- be it a simple summer cold or strep throat.

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I enjoy working with clients’ ayis because I often end up learning as I teach. Typically I get to explore local and regional food beliefs and practices with them and that inspire me to think a little more about certain issues, particularly about cross-cultural communication regarding nutrition.

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When I first arrived in Beijing, the word hua sheng 花生, or peanut, became the most important word in my vocabulary. I am severely allergic to peanuts, and China is a particularly dangerous place for someone who suffers from a peanut allergy. Not only are peanuts prevalent in most dishes, but waiters just don’t seem to grasp the gravity of the situation.  

When I order food I say, “I don’t eat peanuts,” or “I am allergic to peanuts,” but invariably, the dish will still have peanuts lurking inside, although considerably fewer peanuts than usual. I’ve taken to saying in Chinese, “If I eat peanuts, I will die,” and this request, although extreme, seems to get the point across. 

It makes sense that Chinese people are often baffled by my peanut allergy. It’s estimated that three million people in the United States are allergic to peanuts, yet China has virtually no peanut allergy. 

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