Upon the beginning of every meal here there is an edicate to wash your chopsticks in hot water or the tea that's served with the meal. You are given a dish, a bowl, a soup spoon, and a cup. Usually the cup is filled with tea. You are then supposed to dump that into your bowl and you wash your chopsticks in it. Afterwards you pour the bowl's contents into a collection dish. Afterwhich the same tea is poured into your tea cup for drinking. That's at least what I've seen every time I've been out to eat. My problem is that on a few occasions I've drinken the same tea due to thirst or dehydration. Every time, I've been told not to do this because it is uncooth and unclean. I don't get it. It's the same thing everyone ends up drinking but for some reason I've grossed everyone out at the table. That doesn't make sense when I see others drinking the tea after rinsing their sticks or better yet picking their noses before a hand shake. This is definately a land of contrasts.
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