Chinese Mom's Rule #1

'Never arrive empty handed when you're a guest in someone's home.'
Chinese mom rating of importance = 9

This used to be an extremely embarrassing policy to follow, because at the time, being young and rebellious in a 1990's kid kind of way, it just wasn't cool to bring the proceeding items on the list below, to a friend's home. Chinese mom always say: 'You have no option!'

List of items:
1. huge watermelon
2. cases of soda
3. bag of fortune cookies
4. box of cereal
5. juice (two cartons if it's a two for one sale)
6. left over home cooked Chinese food
7. spanikopita
8. melons of any kind
9. bag of oranges
10. box of 'price club' pastries
11. toilet paper
12. box of chicken in a biscuit, ritz, or cheez-itz crackers
13. frozen juice

I've since realized that it's a great rule, and find it extremely difficult to show up empty handed.