Join us behind the scenes of Formula 1: our reporters were present at every Grand Prix in 2025, including in China. We write about our experiences not only online, but also in our magazine. Part 2 of 24: Gerard Bos on duck tongue in Shanghai
In a country like China, in a city like Shanghai (with around 24 million inhabitants!), there is plenty to experience as a reporter. Big and small adventures, I relish them. Take the media shuttles that transport you from the hotel to the circuit and vice versa. More than once, a driver got lost. A 45-minute ride quickly turned into two hours. Well, it comes with the territory. Complaining is pointless: they don’t understand you anyway.
Thankfully, there are translation apps. Although? In a convenience store, I asked for a bag, a bào bào or tibào, according to the app. After my eight attempts in four different ways, the stocky old man behind the counter still looked at me questioningly. So, I just pointed at a bag. Aaaahhh!, he exclaimed, followed by a grin.
Perhaps he was pulling my leg. Because he also wanted to sell me some meat. That didn’t seem desirable, as I couldn’t read what it was. He then grabbed a green bag of chips. ‘Bolognese!’, I thought immediately. I’ll take that one then.
Fortunately, I know that in every country, the color of a chip bag says nothing about its contents. And luckily, this one did have the contents listed in English. I had almost bought the ‘spicy flavor of braised duck tongue’. I put the bag back, leaving the seller visibly disappointed. I ended up with just two bananas and some water. ‘Know what you’re eating’, I muttered as I left the store.
