"Ciao" or "Chow?"

What is the difference between “ciao” and “chow?” “Ciao” is a common way to say “goodbye” in Italian. There's something romantic and almost intimate about the word though it’s even employed by strangers. You could also say “a presto” which means "soon." “Ciao” is like “a bientot” (literally “until soon”) or “a tout a l’heure” (“in a little while”). Chow, the first word, of the popular Chinese-American dish, which is also pastime, is roughly translated as "meal." It’s interesting to deconstruct these words which resemble contractions to the extent that they're abbreviations though “chow” and “ciao” are significant since they're homonyms or words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings. You could end a letter in French by saying “a bientot” or “a tout a l’heure.” However you might say “bises” or “kisses,” which is tantamount to the formal way that French women kiss you on both cheeks when they don’t want to “baise.” As for "chow," you might order the old #1, composed of chow main, fried rice, egg roll and a choice of egg drop or wonton soup.

read "Combination Plate" by Francis Levy, HuffPost

and listen to "Little China Girl" by David Bowie