SmElLing ThE RoSeS. by .:ning:.

Dinner-time. I think my mum is absymally bad at the art of persuasion. Over nian gao with sliced cabbage and pork, she tries to coax us to eat the chicken legs. "Zhen hao chi," she says, chomping vigorously on the once-claws. "Hai neng ba na xie xiao gu tou yi ge ge tu chu lai." All ready to give a ready demonstration ("ni kan!") and waiting for the EPIPHANY and JOY of chewing on chicken toes to dawn upon her daughters.
I'm not convinced. But I bite my tongue and try not to laugh. Or have I stopped doing that already? Yes... then take a grape, stare down the insipid mail-order catalogue fairy-girl statue eavesdropping from between the potted plants outside. Have the usual argument about going to Macs to study ('cos she never believes we actually do that) but we know it's a stalemate no matter who wins.