The rules

Last week, I was on the welcoming committee for a visiting professor from Sweden. Initially, I wasn't sure what my responsibilities would be, but I quickly learned that in addition to providing cultural and linguistic translation services, and of course making insightful comments on the research agenda, I was also expected to do quite a bit of drinking.

Throughout China, alcohol flows liberally when guests are in town, but Shandong locals are particularly well-known for their enthusiasm regarding this traditional form of welcome. I have learned a bit more about Chinese drinking culture since I last wrote about it here, so let me quickly bring you up to speed. You can refer to the following handy diagram to assist in your understanding of this complex ritual:

The person at the head of the table (Position 1) is the host. He is the one paying for the meal and therefore is responsible for leading the first and last toasts, and taking care of the guests. He is the most respected one at the table. The person to his right (Position 8) is the guest of honor. The food all goes to him first, and no one can eat until he starts. If there is a second guest, he sits at the host's left, in Position 2. The person directly across from the host (Position 5) is responsible for making sure the people at his end of the table are drinking enough. The other seats are filled according to status, with higher status people being closer to the host, and lower status people being closer to the senior person.

The actual drinking is very formalized, with the host starting by proposing a toast welcoming the guest. Then everyone chugs until they've emptied their glass. The waitstaff promptly comes around to refill. Then someone else proposes a toast and the process is repeated. This continues throughout the meal, until everyone is jolly and chummy. This is how professional relationships are solidified and where official contracts and agreements are born.

A few additional rules:

- You must never, ever, under any circumstances take a casual sip from your glass. If you want to drink, you either have to wait for someone else to say a toast, or you can take the initiative and propose a toast of your own. Either way, drinking must be done as a group.

- When you clink glasses with someone, you have to make a concerted effort to make sure that the rim of your glass is below the rim of their glass. This shows respect for the other person. Inevitably, this occasionally ends up being a race to the floor.

- Unless otherwise stated, all toasts must result in an empty glass. It's considered respectful to then hold up your glass to show that it's actually empty. Sometimes, you even hold it upside down to show that there's not a single drop left. If a drop falls out, you're then "punished" by having to drink another glass.

- If you get drunk before others at the table, it's a serious loss of face and can result in some disadvantageous business deals. In my opinion, this is part of why women have such a hard time ascending to positions of power in China. Don't worry about me though. I've been able to hold my own quite nicely thank-you-very-much.