You’ve got questions? She’s got answers

Ayi， why is there so much news about cafeteria food containing rat heads these days？ Now I’m scared to eat in my office canteen.

Scared office worker

You youngsters are so 嬌生慣養 （jiāoshēngguànyǎng， spoiled）. Your generation have never planted anything with your own hands or starved to the point that you have to go 挖野菜 （wā yěcài， dig wild vegetables） like back in the days when we didn’t have enough food. If you’re really worried about 食品安全 （shípǐnānquán， food safety）， cook your own food！ That’s way better than the 垃圾食品 （lājīshípǐn， junk food） you young people always get for 外賣 （wàimài， takeout）. It’s not rocket science to cook a 營養豐富的 （yíngyǎngfēngfù de， nutritious） and衛生的 （wèishēngde， sanitary） meal. If you’re too lazy to take half an hour to 炒菜 （chǎocài， stir-fry vegetables）， you have no right to complain about rats in your 便宜的 （piányi de， cheap） cafeteria food.

Ayi， should I take my 5-year-old daughter to see Barbie？ I think it could be a nice activity for us to do together， but is she too young for the film？

Ellie’s mother

I don’t understand this 芭比 （Bābǐ， Barbie） everyone is suddenly talking about. When I was growing up， I didn’t have any 娃娃 （wáwa， doll）. You know what I did instead of 過家家 （guòjiājia， playing house） when I was little？ I took care of my younger brothers and sisters. I don’t understand what dolls have to do with 女性主義 （nǚxìngzhǔyì， feminism）. All the women in my household were busy working and pitching in for the family. We don’t talk， we work.

If your kid has too much time to kill， sign her up for a math 輔導班 （fǔdǎobān， tutoring class）. You don’t want her to 輸在起跑線上 （shūzàiqǐpǎoxiànshang， lose at the starting line）， or so my daughter always says. And all that pink is so 辣眼睛 （làyǎnjing， “stings the eyes，” ugly）. What’s wrong with traditional 大紅色 （dàhóngsè， bright red）？

– Illustration and design by Cai Tao and Gao Fei

Got questions for Agony Ayi？ Send them to agonyayi@theworldofchinese.com