BBQ Chicken & Feng Shui

A friend came over to have lunch with us today. She is an English teacher and when she told her class that she was coming here for lunch they were very excited for her to tell them about it . I think they were specifically curious about what we would eat. Today we had barbequed chicken, rice, and stir-fried carrots and green beans. I guess maybe it wasn't really a typical American meal, but hey, we're Americans and we like to eat it. Here in Taiwan they sell Barbeque chicken flavored chips, so that was something she could compare it to.
I am always very encouraged when I visit with her because I learn more about the culture I am living in. Just before she left she asked about how we arrange our bedroom furniture. She shared that in Chinese culture they believe you should not be able to see your bed when you open the bedroom door, since noise comes through the door. If someone opened the door while you were sleeping, your spirit would have the least chance of being disturbed (it is part of Feng Shui). In our apartment three of the four rooms have beds facing the doorway and she had seen in movies this was also often the case. She wanted to know the reason why. I told her there wasn't any reason, we just liked it that way and sometimes we even rearrange the furniture just for a change. I think there is probably some practicality in Feng Shui, but I find it very satisfying and freeing that I don't have to be concerned with all of those little rules.
The best part of our conversations I feel are when we find common ground in our lives. For example, we both enjoy our free time in the evenings and tend to stay up too late and then not get enough sleep at night.