The "play" had its "Scene One" in Beijing's Haidian District. After a long walk looking for a famous museum at Dazhongsi, I approached a young man and his girlfriend standing on the footpath. "Do you know if the Great Bell Temple is near here?" I asked. "You're right in front of it," they said, adding that they were also going in, and inviting me to walk around with them.

Their English was fairly clear and we struck up a good rapport. They told me about their studies as design students at Tsinghua University, and offered to meet me again to visit some other sights around Beijing.

Two weeks later brought a request which doesn't often come the way of a foreigner. I was invited to dinner to meet the family of the young man (whose English name is Rain) at their apartment in Xuanwu District, southwest of Tian'anmen Square.

I was excited but anxious at the prospect of entering the inner sanctum of a Beijing family. After climbing several flights of stairs, I was welcomed by Rain's parents who smiled and shook my hand warmly, saying: "Hello Ed-i-win." Dinner started with a vast array of fruit and nuts. Then Rain was asked to enquire if I had ever experienced a Peking Duck banquet.

When I replied "no," they had a quick conference and arrangements seemed to change, as we started heading for the door.

They had decided to take me to a Peking Duck restaurant just a few streets away. It was an easy walk, and while we waited for a private room to become vacant, my eyes immediately fell on the aquarium filled with fish having their last swim. It was all new to me.

The short wait over, Rain, his parents, aunt, uncle and cousins, led me up the stairs to a private banquet room. I had heard about these famous banquets from members of my family who had been to China. Now it was my turn, not as a tourist, but in the company of a Beijing family.

They were all terribly excited to be my hosts in this famous Chinese gastronomic environment. Cameras popped, along with the caps of lemonade and beer.

I looked in amazement as dishes of food of all colours and shapes arrived to please our every taste. They included what I had assumed was the famous Beijing duck, and after we had eaten, I asked Rain to tell everyone, how "fantastic" the meal had been and thanked them profusely. I really believed it was the end.

Then Rain's dad tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the doorway. My mouth opened more in disbelief than hunger as a table bearing an oven-baked duck was wheeled in by the chef.