Dining Chinese Style

Fresh pigeon - heads, beaks and all!

I've already indicated some thoughts about the food situation.  As my sister Diane can attest, we grew up in a Midwest home with a Mom who only cooked the basics.  Pork chops, potatoes and canned green beans - roast beef, potatoes and canned corn.  Not much experimentation, so I have a very unsophisticated pallet!  As an adult, I now love lots of different kinds of foods, but I realize that they have all been Americanized in someway.  The Chinese food we eat at home has been totally change to suit our style and tastes, and certainly not what they serve here.  All the different regions in China have their own unique way of cooking, but they all believe in fresh and local and healthy.  In China, all parts of the protein are used to the fullest.  We have been told that this certain dish includes the neck of the pig, where this one is the stomach, or that one is the back of the leg.  When cooking, they never take the meat off the bone.  The bones, tendons and ligaments are all important ingredients to provide full nutrition during the cooking process. 

When you sit down to eat, you are at large table with a Lazy Susan in the center.  The place settings utilize one or two smaller plates, and one or two smaller soup bowls.  As the food is placed on the Lazy Susan, you only help your self to a small amount of that item- and eat that.  No filling your plate with everything and then eating.  You work your way around the different dishes, and can go back and continue enjoying the ones you like.  Soup is a huge part of the meal, and you might have 3 or 4 at one sitting.  Some are vegetable based, and others are chicken, fish, pork, or even salamander!  Again, the bowls are small, so you don't take large portions.  The plates are also utilized for keeping up with the bones.  The hunk of meat in your bowl is usually cut up to include all the bones within that section.  Using only chopsticks, they pick up the meat and eat around the bones until they can be left on the plate.  It was amazing to see how precise they could be.  Most of the time, I simply had to use regular utensils, that they always had set out for us.

I think eating has been somewhat of a mental game for me, as knowing what certain things were, made it harder to eat.  This is certainly the time when "ignorance can be bliss"!

Deb

Last day in Wu-Yi

Our sleep in the cold room and hard bed was not too great, but we had to get going for breakfast at 8:00 am.  We had a nice breakfast that included Matthew again - his Mom, Mrs. Wen was at a meeting.  At 8:30 we all left to raft the river through Wu-Yi - including Matthew.  These are not rubber rafts, but bamboo rafts that hold 6 seats and are flat on the water except for the front side which is curved upward.  The water splashes through the large bamboo, so you have to keep you feet placed carefully up on little rests so as not to get wet. 

On the raft

Did I mention that it is freezing, freezing cold??  Not really the best day to be floating down the river, but off we went.  We had two boatmen, one in the front and one in back.  They utilized long bamboo poles to push us along and steer through the turns and the more rapid water.  I don't know how the front guy did it - no hat, no gloves and a rather thin coat.  His hands were always wet from the icy cold river water, yet he seemed fine.  It really was a wonderful float, if only it had been a little warmer.

Winding thru the valley

The scenery was wonderful and they told us about how they built the boats, and how long they last.  The rock walls were very high and there were places on the sheer face where there were caves that had been used for burial sites eons ago.  You could still see the remnants of coffins up there.  The river was quite shallow due to the time of the year, although parts of the river were 30 feet deep.  There had been a flash flood on this river about 9 months ago that did lots of damage to properties, including the Training Center we were at.  In the dining room they said the water was up the wall by 3 feet.  You can still see debris high up in the trees in the river valley. Although it was a wonderful trip, we were beyond cold and so ready to get back on the warm bus!

Wonderful views!

Back to the Training Center for lunch, and then pack up for our trip back to Fuzhou.  Mrs. Wen was now back to join us as well as Andrea.  We had a great time over lunch, although I guess I was struggling with the eel dish!  The kids were so delightful and expressed their interest in coming to the US.  We exchanged contact information and promised to be in touch with them all.  Andrea wrote me a lovely note in English that she asked me to read later.  It was addressed to her American Mother!  Mrs. Wen and I hugged and it was so neat to realize there are no cultural or political gaps between Moms. We just love our kids and want the very best for them.  This trip was truly a moment in time of great exchange and respect.  Throughout our whole trip to Wu-Yi, they always referred to us as "their honored guests".  They constantly treated us with great attention and kindness, and are an inspiration as to how to behave.

Happy but cold!

With bags in the trunk, the circus of large people got into the small car for the long 4 hour trip back!

Deb

An Evening in Wu-Yi

So after a long and busy day, we headed back to the Training Center for dinner and sleep.  Mrs. Wen had mentioned that she wanted her son to join us for dinner, as he had been taking English classes and she wanted him to practice.  Honestly, I can't remember his Chinese name, as he wanted an English one and we named him Matthew!  Matthew is 14 and such a great kid.  He loves basketball and studies very hard.  His mom worries that he likes to play too many video games - so typical!  The dinner table was very festive, and we were excited to visit with everyone while we ate.  The first course of soup came out in a covered bowl.  When she took the lid off, I really couldn't tell what was in the broth- it looked like some kind of green vegetable.  Then Dave's lid comes off and his eyes opened wide, and then Mike, who saw a foot sticking out of his.  At that point, Louie is translating the dish for us and saying something like "I'm not sure what you call it, it is not really a frog, but does live under rocks by the water".  Then I really took a look at it and asked Dave if it was a salamander.  He and Mike were quietly laughing, especially when they saw the look on my face.  I did my best to work on the broth, but there was no way I was nibbling on that little reptile!  Dave thinks it must have been something like a mud-puppy, if you know what that is.

There were a few more meal surprises to come, but I have been trying hard to at least sample as much as I can.  Mrs. Wen always discussed how the food was totally local and fresh.  Each meal was carefully planned to be completely balanced, and she would tell us what each dish was good for.  Like, the certain vegetables were good for your skin, certain dishes good for your liver - each one had a purpose.  Surprisingly, they don't eat much rice with their meals, or drink lots of tea while they eat.  The conversation was so much fun, especially including Matthew.  He was so enamored with Michael, as he wanted to be a businessman someday - a CEO!  I told him that when Mike was young, he said he would major in CEO when he went to college!  

I had mentioned to Mrs. Wen that I was hoping to get to see some local artisans, to see if I might find something to take home.  Again, she had arranged for the large van and a driver to take us to a fabulous shop that does wood carvings.  It is impossible for me to describe the incredible scale and skill of the pieces.  Utterly amazing work - and not all that inexpensive.  There was a 20 foot table that was made from a single slab of wood that was truly one of a kind.  It had a price on it of $100,000 US.  I was looking for something small that I could take on the plane, and found the most beautiful carved tea pot.  The wood and the craftsmanship was crazy beautiful- it was small and I felt destined to buy it.  When I inquired about the price, it turned out to be very rare, one of their best small pieces and was priced at approximately $3,000 US!  Darn!  After visiting another store, I did find something much more in my price range.

Did I mention that it is freezing cold???  The stores have no heat and their doors stand wide open.  Sure doesn't give you an incentive to browse!

Mrs. Wen had made arrangements to then take us to the home/establishment of a local tea grower.  The tea growers are doing very well, as indicated by the home we visited.  The owner was so gracious and invited us into what is the first floor and his place of business.  He had a wonderful tea room and brought us in and we spent the next 2 hours learning about tea, sampling and visiting.  The owner also had a 17 year old daughter who is studying English, and she was there to have an opportunity to talk with us.  Her English name was Andrea and she was so wonderful I just wanted to take her home with us!  We hit it off right away and agreed to be email pals.  Then she gave me her phone number, made that little hand gesture like a phone and said "call me!" in perfect English!  What an amazing evening we had with Louie, Mr. Wing our driver, Mrs. Wen, Matthew, Andrea and her father.  We sampled lots of tea and learned all about the process of really having tea the right way.  We finally realized it was almost 11, and headed back to the Training Center - with plans to have lunch with Michael and Andrea the next day. 

Two pair of long underwear, wool socks and a stocking cap are featured on our model! That's what he wore to bed and was trying to change his clothes in the only warm spot in our room - under the heat lamp in the shower. We skipped showers completely - with so many layers, who could smell us??

So, did I mention that it is freezing cold???  Our room had no heat and we were pooped and couldn't wait to get into bed.  One small note is that our beds did not have mattresses, just the box spring, and it was hard as a rock.  There was only a bedspread on the bed, but they had shown us where the comforters were.  We put 2 heavy down comforters on the bed, then 2 lighter weight ones, and then we found 2 large wool blankets.  We were each wearing long underwear, with multiple layers on that.  I had on 2 pair of socks and wore a shawl over the top of my head - while Dave wore his stocking cap.  Even then we had to snuggle way down into the double bed to cover up as much of our faces as possible.  We just laid there and laughed so hard!  We hoped we didn't have to get up in the night to go to the bathroom! 

Deb

Wu-Yi Mountain

First thing Thursday morning we started out for the Wu-Yi Mountain district.  This is about a 4 hour drive on a rather new, divided highway.  Our group included Dave, Mike, Louie the translator, myself and Mr. Wing our driver.  We were able to use Karen's father's car, which was extremely nice of him-other than the car only holds 4 passengers comfortably, and we had 5, with 2 guys being 6' or taller.  It was very confining, but we did take a break halfway to stretch our legs.  There were nice service areas along the way with food and gas.  The landscape became more beautiful as we went, with green mountains and valleys.  After about 2 hours we were in a region very famous for tea growing, and the hillsides were manicured with rows and rows of tea bushes. 

All the arrangements for this excursion were arranged by Karen's father, so we were not sure where we were staying or what we were actually doing.  When we arrived, Louie was instructed to call our local contact, Mrs. Wen.  She was the most lovely and charming person - and physically beautiful.  She managed a training/conference center in Wu-Yi, which was where we would be staying.  It is very much off-season for tourists and the training center, so we had it to ourselves.  Mrs. Wen had arranged for a wonderful lunch to be served in the dining room, and we all enjoyed the food and the ability to stretch out. Our rooms were nice - but there was no heat!  Actually, there is no heat in 95% of most of the properties, as the cold weather is so limited.  However, the building was block, and the floors were tile, and it was colder inside than outside. The only heat we had in the room were heat lamps in the shower and a hairdryer!  Of course, our visit collided with some of the coldest weather ever! 

Before our ascent!

 

Our group with the guide and Louie behind her - Mr. Wing is taking the photo.

After lunch we decided to hike to the top of Wu-Yi Mountain.  Mrs. Wen already had a guide arranged and a wonderful, large van to transport us to the Mountain- and even our driver, Mr. Wing came along.  The Wu-Yi Mountain area is designated as a national historic, cultural and eco preserve area.  It was the site where many scholars and philosophers studied, and we definitely felt like we had entered the world of Shangri-La!  It is well managed within the park, with only buses allowed to travel back into the area, much like some of our national parks.  The climb to the top was very strenuous - I think our guide mentioned something like 2,000 stairs cut into the mountainside to get to the top.  Many of the steps close to the top were very steep, almost like climbing a ladder.  I was ready to "park my butt" about 3/4's of the way up because I wasn't sure I could do it.  But Louie said "you must believe in yourself", and I hunkered down and kept going.  I was really doing the Yahoo's when I got to the top - probably not culturally correct, but - I am woman, hear me roar!!

STEEP!

Can you see all the hidden doorways and archway

Of course, the walk down was much easier, but humbling when we saw a man carrying two huge boxes of something UP the steps.  He had a flat, wooden pole resting across the back of his shoulders, dangling the large boxes off each end.  He looked to be about 50 years old and weighing about 120 pounds - and yet, up he went.  There is a large beautiful building at the top of the mountain that has a museum in it as well as bathrooms, and a small outside restaurant.  Each day, employees and materials must be carried back and forth up and down the mountain.


This area is very well-known for a place to come and breathe. The air is supposed to be heavy with negative ions that are very beneficial to your health.  With the challenging climb up, I know I sucked in a lot of those ions.  Mags, I was thinking of you the whole time, and knew you would be singing beautifully from the mountain-top!  The Chinese traditions are very deep here, and almost all the mountain peaks or rock formations are named or have a story about them - much like native American Indians. Around the mountains, you can see arches and doorways that definitely look mystical and magical.  There are lots of caves everywhere, a beautiful river running through the area, and some waterfalls.

The river running through it...                                                                                                                      

Although the day was cold, we warmed up nicely with the hiking.  We were hungry and tired, and ready to head back for dinner.  Dinner and our evening excursions ended up being another wonderful adventure.

Hope you are all well!    Deb

Language Barriers

#1:  Dave, Mike, myself and our translator had finished a day of being together.  We had a car driver from the hotel, while we had been out for the day, Dave was trying to keep us located on the Fuzhou map to get a feeling for the city.  Since we ended up so close to Louie's (English name for our translator) apartment, we thought we would just drop him off and head back to the hotel.  Dave was now riding up front with the driver, and pointed to a place on the map and asked if that was where we were.  The driver nodded yes and continued on.  It became apparent in about 15 minutes that we were no longer on our way to the hotel, and in fact he was trying to take us behind some building - God knows where - to let us out.  Apparently, Dave's pointing to the map made him think that was where we wanted to go, instead of inquiring where we were.  Lesson learned:  if you can't speak the language, do not point at maps!

#2:  Being the fashion statement I am, and my hair driving me nuts, I decided to get a couple of inches cut off the bottom.  There is a nice salon in the hotel, and I found out that you never need an appointment - how convenient!  Karen's Mom went with me to clarify that I could charge the cut to my room, and  how much I wanted taken off- then she left.  So, it was myself and two Chinese hair dressers who are using hand signals and laughing to accomplish the work.  The shampoo area was wonderful, where I laid completely down while she gave me a massaging shampoo. Then off to the cut - and all was going well.  Before she finished, she noticed that my bangs needed a little shaping, and gave me an inquiring look to see if it was okay.  I nodded yes.  Well, she worked on my bangs as long as the rest of the hair!!  When she was done - Holy Asian Bangs!!  Daisy, if you are reading this- I will need an appointment as soon I get back!!  Lesson learned:  if you can't speak the language, do not get your bangs trimmed- especially before the wedding celebration on Saturday!!

Deb

Mountains and Springs

Beautiful temple!

Yesterday we took a wonderful trip to Gu (Gwee) mountain to visit a Buddhist temple.  This mountain is located just outside of Fuzhou with the temple at the top.  People walk up the mountain on trails or the winding road - either way, a very long walk!  This temple is over 1,000 years old and is very beautiful.  There were many different buildings with altars, statues and courtyards.  It is close to New Years, so people are visiting to burn incense and pray.  The day was cool and the air very still, so the incense just hung around us.  The statues were stunning and the buildings beautiful in the surroundings.

On the temple grounds

The monks live here and take care of the property - we wondered how they were staying warm, as the weather is unusually cold. We also took a walk back into the mountainside that traversed the area, finding small pagodas and old buildings. There was very old calligraphy on the rock walls as we walked along - so hard to believe how long ago this was done.  Some of the areas were just magical, almost like finding Shangri-la. 

Our interpreter took us out for a wonderful late lunch and then we asked to go to the store.  He took us to Sam's Club!  That was really fun, as it was crazy busy with people shopping for the holiday.  It also wasn't our Wisconsin version of Sam's Club!  They had huge tanks of fish - I mean huge fish - that you could pick out for dinner.  They would just catch it for you and cut it's head off and send it home with you!  How handy, super fresh with no fuss or muss! 

After a brief rest, we had a terrific dinner with Karen's Mom's family.  It was held at a great restaurant, and we had a private room with table settings that looked presidential!  The food was of the highest quality, but also tested my pallet!  I can now say I have eaten coagulated pigs blood and quail eggs!  Not sure if I will do that again!  It was a wonderful time getting to meet Karen's aunts, uncle, grandparents and cousins.  They went all out for us, and we certainly enjoyed every minute of our time together!  We were exhausted when we got back to the hotel, and immediately went to bed.

Today we took it a little easier, and went with Karen and Mike to one of the famous Fuzhou hot springs, spas.  We soaked our bodies in the heated herbal baths, as well as the mineral baths. The temps were up to 102 and felt great.  There were lots of people there, old and young enjoying many different pools and temperatures.  There was a milk bath, that was good for your skin, and cold baths, or even very cold baths - we did not bother with the cold ones, but Mike did!  It was very relaxing and we felt great when we left.  Back to the hotel for a glass of wine in the Australian Wine Bar - go figure! 

Tomorrow Dave and Mike and I are off to the Wu Yi mountains for 2 days. It is a 4 hour drive from here into the countryside.  Sounds beautiful!

Deb

Odds and Ends

It' about 4 am here and my clock is still not quite right- so I thought I would add a little more about China.  First of all, the women are so beautiful!  The flight attendants looked totally spectacular throughout the flight - beautiful hairstyles that didn't droop or change, and lovely make-up.  When we landed in Shanghai, it was very apparent that my fashion backwards style was the new grunge look!  For someone who does not follow fashion very well (as my daughter Kate might attest to!), even I could see the fashion forward looks here.  Amazing styles and crazy shoes were everywhere - on simply beautiful women.  It definitely made my comfortable "sweats" even more sweaty looking, especially with the added blood stains!  Good thing I could throw my coat over the whole mess!

Our hotel is called the Lakeside, and is just beautiful.  It sits on the West Lake which has parks and amusement rides and little boats on it.  We are on the10th floor, so we have wonderful view of this area and the hillsides around it.  Karen's father made arrangements for us to have a large suite with a living room and bedroom as well as a small kitchen area, washer/dryer, etc.  Our bedroom is huge - extra huge by Chinese standards - with full wall windows in both the bedroom and living room.  The hotel and this area caters to travelers and business people, so it has every amenity you could image.

Yesterday we ate lunch here in the hotel at the buffet.  It was a huge feast, but certainly a reminder that we are not in Kansas anymore!  My tummy was still adjusting, so I wasn't too brave, but Dave was going for it.  I really couldn't watch him eat the pickled octopus - a whole one (they are small) and it was red.  I stuck to rice and some other starches. I knew we had a family dinner that evening and I wanted to see if I felt a little better then.  Actually, at that meal I can report that I did eat fish lips soup!

We took a walk yesterday into an area called something like "3 streets and 7 alleys".  It is a historic district in the city that has been revitalized for tourists. It is beautiful, and hopefully  I can post a photo or two.  There are many interesting shops along the way with some tourist items, but other stores like local pharmacies.  We went through one pharmacy that of course only sold traditional remedies - Shirley, we were thinking of you!  It was a trip, with jars and drawers of all kinds of things.  A  lot of the big jars had things floating in them -  in some kind of a preservative.  It was definitely not your Walgreens, to be noted by the snakes and other critters in the jars.

Fuzhou is a city of about 2M, but the region is approximately 4M.  It is bustling with commerce and universities and is on the coast across from Taiwan.  The city is  south  of Shanghai and north of Hong Kong.  Although the weather is cold right now - 40 to 50's during the day, it is actually rather tropical looking with Banyan trees and palm trees.  The difference between here and Florida is the mountains also in the area.  Most of the homes do not have heat - fortunately, the hotel does.  Karen and Jack were going to stay at her aunts home, but it was just too cold!  Jack was in about 4 layers of clothes while he was there yesterday.  Even the restaurant last night was cold, and everyone wore their coats to eat - even the waitress was wearing her coat!  We drank lots of warm tea!

By the way - the ginseng got though just fine, but the cheese didn't!  Karen's grandfather likes cheese, and we bought some to bring along.  Unfortunately, those little blocks shaped like Wisconsin are still in our refrigerator at home!!

Nihao!

We have arrived in China.  There have been some technical difficulties in utilizing the blog page here,so I am sorry this is a bit behind. 

Not long before the notorious fall!

Overall, the trip was very well planned.  Flights were on time and all of our bags made it here!  Honestly, with all the luggage between the 5 adults and Jack, we looked like refugees relocating to a new country!  At check in at JFK, we were given the opportunity to have a full row of 8 seats for the 5 of us.  That worked out great, as had a little more room for Jack to play and stretch out in.  Somewhere over the north pole Jack finally settled into a good sleep laying on two seats with Karen and Mike on the ends - also dozing.  Dave was in a chemically induced sleep while Karen's Mom and I were reading.  Suddenly, there was this great "clump" on the floor as Jack rolled over and flipped off the seats.  Of course he woke up so startled that he was really screaming. Mike had grabbed him and I picked him up to sooth him and walk down to the back of the plane - Karen followed from the other side.   When Karen and I met up in the crew / kitchen area she said "oh, the blood!"  By then, Jack and I were pretty covered in blood from a cut on the back of his head.  When he fell, he had hit his head on the steel frame of the seats in front of them - no wonder he was screaming!  At that point, you never saw so many flight attendants in action.  There were medical kits popping out of everywhere and everyone talking at once.  Also, we had gathered a few other on-lookers who wondered why Jack was screaming so much. It was very dramatic looking with all the activity, and that Jack and I looked like we had tangled with a chainsaw!  By the time we were flying over Siberia, everything had settled down again and we made it to Shanghai.  Connections were a bit close as the original gate for our connecting flight was changed - but we arrived at the right spot as they were boarding the plane.  This flight also contained many children and babies, and while on our descent into Fuzhou they all started a crying chorus!  It was hysterical to have them start one by one - even sleeping Jack woke up and joined in. It was a snap picking up bags and Karen's father and uncles were there to greet us with cars to head to the hotel.  That trip took another hour, so we didn't arrive to our hotel until 2:30 a.m. It had been more than 24 hours of travel and we were pooped!!  Well, I'm off to bed now as it is10pm and we have been exploring, eating and trying to get on the right time zone. Tomorrow we have a full day planned,with our translator arriving at 9 am.  He is a professor of Foreign Languages here at the university, and a super nice guy. More tomorrow!
Deb

New York

Leaving Madison - Grandma, Grandpa and Jack!

Arrived last evening in NY.  Great flight and clear skies as we flew in over Manhattan!  Jack was a trooper the whole way. 

We spent the night in a wonderful hotel in Flushing, which is Karen's old neighborhood in Queens.  Looking out our window we can see Shea Stadium and the home the US Tennis Open.  We slept great so we are ready for our flight.  Karen's Mom actually spent the night with her friend in the neighborhood, which worked out great.  She will be coming back here shortly with dim sum treats for Karen.  We had hoped to go out for dim sum this morning, but it was too cold to go walking 3 blocks.

In the meantime, Jack is napping and we are relaxing.  At 11:30 we will leave for JFK, to allow plenty of time for baggage "schlepping" and security lines.

Jack checking in at JFK

Next stop - China!

                                       
               

   

Crazy Days

The last few days have been so crazy!  I don't know what I would have done without my dear friends, Aimee, Annette, Kristen and Shirley for helping so much with work (and life) related stuff.  I'm so grateful that they are willing to step in and carry my load for the next two weeks. 

I have finally opened the suitcase this evening and started to see what will fit where.  I am still wondering whether the Wisconsin Ginseng that we are taking to China for gifts will make it into the country.  The baggies of Ginseng tea look quite similar to pot!  I keep asking if I will get arrested with it in our suitcases, and have been assured they they would only confiscate the "goods"!  I'm hoping the tea and the roots get through as the Wisconsin Ginseng is thought of very highly.  We are also taking some small amounts of Wisconsin cheese, honey and even bee pollen.  The Chinese are very health conscious and like different vitamins and supplements, and bee pollen is an all-natural remedy for many things. 

Tomorrow we begin our trip by flying to New York, then on to China on Saturday. 

Deb

PS  On two personal notes - Mags, I'm thinking of you at this sad time, hugs to you all. 
      And, little Griffy, thank you so much for the big laughs this week, I really needed it!

Count-down!

Only 4 more days before we start our China adventure.  Last night we had a tutorial from Karen and her Mom about certain customs, i.e.eating, greeting people, positioning to pick up the check, gifting to the family members, etc.  Karen's family has graciously made many arrangements for us, including a translator and getting local cell phones so we can reach one another while there!  This will help so much in our being able to explore the area without depending on Karen.  From a little past experience, the language and alphabet barrier can be a real challenge!

We are all wondering how little Jack will do on this very long, 20 hour plane trip.  He's a happy and very busy little guy, so I'm sure he will keep each of us from getting too bored!

Tonight, it's back to packing and sorting and organizing what is going and what is staying.  The weather will be in the 40's and 50's, so we will need to layer up and down accordingly.  With travel planned into the mountains, it will be chilly - however, likely to not be snowing as it is doing right now.

Deb