Potlucks Need a Theme or You Get Seven Bags of Chips

Themes reduce anxiety and duplicate snacks.

This is a longer take on Potlucks Need a Theme or You Get Seven Bags of Chips for people living in Chengdu — not collecting weekend trophies.

What actually matters

Assign cuisine or course slots in the invite; keep it light, not authoritarian.

Not "what's best in the city," but what survives your real week — budget, commute, kids, temperament.

A workable approach

One primary option, one backup, and a phone note with the Chinese name so you stop reinventing this.

• Repeatable on a tired Tuesday
• Close enough that travel friction doesn't kill it
• Cheap enough in attention, not only money

Common stumble

Treating this like a scavenger hunt. Residents need defaults; tourists can afford chaos.

If a plan only works when you're energetic and the sky is perfect, it isn't a plan.

Do one concrete step this week. Consistency beats intensity here.