"Hi, I am Inga from Germany." This is usually a good way to introduce myself to a Chinese interlocutor. After telling my name and my country of origin it is mostly easy to continue a conversation.

I am surprised about the Chinese interest in my origin and about the knowledge some Chinese have about my country. But I also realize that I cannot fulfill their expectations about Germans.

Most of the chats start in bars, so I am asked to drink a beer with the person I talk to. At this moment the first disgrace rises. How can I explain that I do not like beer? In fact every Chinese is astonished and opens wide their eyes, when I order orange juice or coke.

It is true that most of the Germans enjoy drinking beer but I never do because I do not like the bitter taste. As an excuse I can say some of my German friends also prefer cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks. Yet I always see the disappointment of my drinking partners and the first doubts about whether I am a real German.

It does not take long before the conversation turns into an exchange of national habits. Especially food is one of the favourite topics. After I have been given an introduction to Chinese food I am asked about German specialities. Again I have to explain that the German favourites such as pickled knuckle of pork, suckling pig or the most of the well-known sausages are not to my taste. I only eat the Nuremberg or the Thuringian sausages. At this point it gets more difficult to convince the new friend of my nationality. For that reason I do not mention my preference for Italian and French food.

To divert from the fiasco I once changed the topic into hobbies. Unfortunately I saw myself afterwards in a discussion about football and I do not dare to confess my personal indifference.

If Chinese know more about Germany they ask me about the Munich Oktoberfest and other big events. Yet I have never been to this beer festival simply because I don't like beer. I also have never joined the Cologne Carnival or a Formula 1 race at Hockenheimring because it is far away from my hometown Berlin.

At the very last I have to confess that I do not even have a German name. My surname and my first name are Swedish. This is not my fault; ask my parents and ancestors about that.

Finally I always feel stressed and my interlocutor does not believe anything I say about Germany. To avoid these embarrassing talks I just have to find a fact, which connects me to the German culture. H'm, there is one little thing - I prefer to eat dark heavy bread for dinner like most of my compatriots. I might introduce myself next time: "Hi, I am Inga and I eat dark bread like a real German!"

starcomment@yahoo.com