China Town for almost any situation
'To talk much and arrive nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish,' (Chinese proverb). So let's get straight into London's China Town.
Located in the West End, and central to Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Shaftsbury Avenue, East meets West with a chimera of colour. The telephone boxes have pagoda-style sloping roofs, whilst the 3 giant paifang (Chinese gates) are the most popular place for tourist photos.
China Town exists not just for the tourists but also for the local Chinese community. The New Loon Moon supermarket is very traditional and stocks an interesting array of oriental food and grocery items. I remember when I used to live in Hong Kong, I would be walking towards the exit of the Metro and a terrible smell would come wafting down from street vendors selling the durian (or stink-fruit as some call it) fruit. It might look alien with its spikes and green covering, but in the centre is a tasty, creamy filling. I am sure you'll be able to find it
Proverbs for almost any situation
Throughout its 4,000 years of recorded history, the Chinese have produced proverbs for almost any situation. Extensive use of proverbs in Chinese writing is considered a sign of good education rather than showing off one's knowledge of clichés. Chinese proverbs are often layered, the more you read them, the deeper the meaning, hence the reputation Chinese philosophers have for being a source of great wisdom.
For me, its just fun: 'A smile will gain you 10 more years of life', and this is certainly true if you head to the Laughing Buddha Restaurant on Macclesfield street. I was here with friends a couple of weeks ago as they have a dinner buffet (served at your table) that includes as much crispy aromatic duck as you like (my favourite Chinese dish). The wall mounted TV screens on the 1st floor are for Karaoke - the waiters sometimes sing Abba songs ('dancing Queen' seems to be popular) to the diners on off-peak nights. Friendly staff and good value food.
'Elephant tusks cannot grow out of a dog's mouth' which is why I avoid some of the really cheap China Town restaurants (some top up their buffets with food piled into plastic buckets surely it would be easier to give each customer a mini-bucket to hang below their mouth?).
If you want to eat your noodles with large picture portraits of communist leaders looking down at you, then the Special Zone 1997 (19 Wardour Street) is the place to go. Check out the pearl tapioca teas - unusual outside of Hong Kong. The waiting staff will immediately warm to you if you say, 'Ni hoa ma, ' ('How are you' in Mandarin Chinese). Also worth a mention is the Friendly Inn at 47 Gerrald Street.
'A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections'.' The Jen Café is another favourite of mine. This is a corner café on Newport Place with speciality bubble teas and some unusual hot drinks. The aluminium covered floor with picnic type tables may not look great but the food and drink are authentically good. A woman often makes fresh dumplings at the front window (order them grilled); the aromatic pork is a must ditto the soup bowl noodles. In the summer you can sip a dong ling cha (ice lemon tea) and listen to the clack of Mahjong (a classic Chinese solitaire game) tiles from the open upper floor window of the house opposite.
Being Bruce Lee
'If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of', so said Bruce Lee, who started his martial arts career by first learning the art of Wing Chung (sometimes known as Chinese street fighting, a form without form). The Chinese community centre (http://www.ccc.org.uk )on Gerrald Street offers Wing Chung and other martial arts courses in addition to Chinese opera and cooking classes. Waxy's Little Sister and Waxy O'Connor's are good bars to go to on Wardour Street.