Chinese Food Humor AND Wisdom

Jews, humor, and Chinese food go hand-in-hand like, oh I don’t know… someone fill in the blank for me.  We love humor.  Especially self-deprecating humor.  If we can’t make fun of ourselves, then a) we can’t make fun of anyone else, and more importantly to us, b) we would cry.  Humor helps us cope.  And Chinese food, helps us cope too. It’s the comfort that we get from Chinese food AND humor that makes or human… and Jews!  Or, is it the other way around??

Chinese Humor

So here are a couple of stories that will hopefully put a smile on your face, and even make you think.  But, be careful… all that thinking, and laughing, could make you hungry.  Lucky for you, we also know the best Chinese restaurants on Long Island and New York City!

The Story of Chen and The Cakes

Chen was extremely hungry, so he left work and went to a local snack bar where he bought a cake.  When Chen had eaten the cake, he found that he was still famished, and so he ate a second one.

Even then he was not full, so he promptly ate six cakes in succession.  But he still hadn’t satisfied his hunger.  Not until Chen had eaten the seventh cake did he feel satisfied.

Then, suddenly, he had a feeling of regret. ‘Ah, if I had known this before, I would have eaten the seventh cake first and that would have been enough and there would not have been any need to eat those six others.’

Huang Fu and the Bottle of Wine Parable

Huang Fu was a very rich man who was deliberately tough on his farmhand, Hop. Huang Fu gave Hop a bottle and said, ‘Buy me a bottle of wine.’

Hop, the poor farmhand inquired, ‘How can I buy you wine with no money at all?’

Huang Fu replied disdainfully, ‘Anyone can buy wine with money. It takes real skill to buy wine without money.’

Time elapsed and Hop eventually returned with the empty bottle. He handed the bottle to Huang Fu and murmured, ‘Enjoy the wine, please.’

Staring at the empty bottle with some dismay, Huang asked, ‘There is no wine, how can I enjoy this?’

Hop replied to Huang Fu, with a straight face, ‘Anyone can enjoy wine if there is some.  It takes real skill to enjoy wine when there is none.’

Huang Fu made a choking sound but was unable to utter a word.

Do you have a story, joke or parable to share with us?

Humbly submitted for your consumption,

—Mee Magnum  (“Chop!  Chop!”)