Zhoumo kuaile!

The weekend is off to a great start. Mike is the new owner of a beautiful custom Factory Five track bike, and even though he doesn't look it in this photo (courtesy of instagram.com/factory5), he was as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning last night when he brought it home.

And today, I found this restaurant review, written by yours truly (!), published in City Weekend, a leading expat mag in Shanghai.  

I had gotten in touch with the editor and got the opportunity to officially review my first restaurant. Here's to my next assignment!

P.S. Aren't these office reminders great? Take them as a hint about a big decision I recently made, which I'll disclose next week... 

Down with DOMA

"This bill is a slap in the face of the Declaration of Independence. It denies gay men and women the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Marriage is a basic human right. You cannot tell people they cannot fall in love. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used to say when people talked about interracial marriage and I quote, 'Races do not fall in love and get married. Individuals fall in love and get married.'" 

- Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) from the Congressional debate on the DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT, United States House of Representatives, July 11, 1996 

Noah Berger / Reuters

Strange China News

In today's headlines:

U.S. businessman: China workers are holding me hostage in my own factory

Beijing purging all 'large and vicious' Labs, collies and retrievers

What perplexing and terrible stories.

Zhoumo kuaile!

We're taking this weekend at home to catch up on errands: filling an empty fridge with food and a not-so-empty closet with summer threads (the kind you can throw out come fall because you've worn them out living in a summer sweat lodge). 

You may have seen this already, but I wanted to repost because I loved it so. How lucky I am to have had two of these grandmas of my own (and their delicious dishes)! What I wouldn't do for some "tolma" and "kuoshry" right about now... 

http://www.demilked.com/delicatessen-with-love-gabriele-galimberti/

Beating the Heat

I can't believe the stifling heat is back again. It's been pretty miserable the last few days, the kind of weather in which there's no other choice but to coexist in sweat and stink and stickiness. Here's how Chinese men cope. 'Tis the season of big bare bellies! 

 

Yangcheng Lake Bike Trip

The weekend getaway from Shanghai was fun! Completing about 30 km on bike in total Saturday, Mike and I easily found our way to the beautiful Fairmont Yangcheng Lake (thank you, Google Maps). We had been worried about bringing our bikes onto the train, but apparently, it's no big deal (though you do get stared at a lot). We had taken the train from Shanghai to Suzhou (riding the bikes from home to the train station, and from the station to the hotel), and looking back, we should have stayed on our bikes the whole way (it's not that far and we wouldn't have had to adhere to the train's schedule). Next time ('cause there will be a next time, I think).  

After checking in (to our upgraded suite!), we checked out the grounds, and later ate at the hotel's restaurant, which sources its food from its organic farm.  

The next morning was the ride (race, for some) around the lake (another 40 km). Here we are at the starting line (and before Mike left me in the dust):

The BBQ was awesome, but eating ribs in the extreme heat and humidity took away from the enjoyment of the meal. Regardless, it was a lovely end to another China bike adventure.

P.S. As if 70ish kilometers weren't enough over the weekend, Mike and I joined the crew again last night for a Tuesday night ride, which was neither short nor mellow. I'm tired. 

Zhoumo kuaile!

We're off on an adventure this weekend! Mike and I will help inaugurate a new 42-kilometer bike path along Yangcheng Lake outside of Suzhou on Sunday. The event is sponsored in part by our favorite bike guys (Factory Five), and proceeds from participants support Yan'an earthquake relief efforts. 

As if the event couldn't get any cooler, the ride will be followed by a "Game of Thrones-level feast," an Argentine Asado-style BBQ. I'm not even sure what that means -- apparently there's a three-meter long pit involved -- but I think I'm gonna like it. Especially since the meal will be concocted by some of Shanghai's most famous chefs (Austin Hu from Madison, Brad Turley from Goga, and Hamish Pollitt from M on the Bund; Madison and Goga -- which is short for Golden Gate, btw -- are two of my favorites here and remind me of eateries back home in LA and SF). Profits from the BBQ will go to the The Good Earth Project (remember them from our Chongming bike trip?). 

Suzhou is a quick train ride away, and Mike and I are getting there unsupervised and on our own a day early to check out the city. I think this leg of the trip will be the adventure part... Wish us luck! 

More on HK

I knew I'd love this place the moment I landed here for a quick layover while on the way to Singapore. It was so green! And surrounded by water!

We did exactly what we had set out to do -- eat, hike, shop, sleep; eat, hike, shop, sleep.  Our first night, we ate at a great tapas place near the apartment, Tapeo.  All of the dishes were good, but the standout was a salad of hearts of palm, fennel, olives, and orange slices -- incredibly refreshing in the heat and humidity of Hong Kong. The next day, we set out for more of an urban hike, starting and ending at Peak Tower, admiring the views of the city along the way (and even catching a glimpse of the duckie from way far away). 

The rest of the day was spent doing what many people come to HK to do -- shop. I may have purchased this cute summer dress (on sale!). That night, we treated ourselves to a few things that are hard to come by in Shanghai: burrata (at Pubblico) and the movies (we saw Great Gatsby; if you saw it, what did you think? We liked it!). 

Following the same schedule the next day, we hiked eight kilometers in a more rural setting to Big Wave Beach (whose name is deceptive, in case you were wondering), getting caught in the rain (20 minutes of downpour, really). Despite the weather, our lack of adequate footwear (we were in flops!), and an attack of mosquitoes, it was lovely. And exactly what we needed. 

There was dim sum too, of course. And we went local. Very local. To a restaurant where the carts don't even make it around the room before patrons snatch up dishes like fried turnip cakes and rice in lotus leaves and chicken feet.  

It was great little getaway from Shanghai, and if anyone you know claims hardship in Hong Kong, don't believe them -- it's Manhattan on a tropical island. 

Just a Sunday Night in HK

Why the faces you ask?  Oh, we just happened to be wandering the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday evening and encountered this dancin' fool: 

And he kept going and going (not to mention his partner in the black cardigan behind him)... This was in area of town called Lan Kwai Fong, filled with expat bars/clubs, and close to where we stayed (in Central). We decided to get a place on airbnb (if you haven't used the service yet, I highly recommend it! We've had great experiences.) -- the lime studio. The apartment was teensy tiny, but it served its purpose well, providing us with our own little place in a fantastic location.  

More on HK soon...  

Zhoumo kuaile!

We're off to Hong Kong tomorrow! Although I'm a little worried about getting there. Weather in Shanghai is terrible; it's been pouring windy rain all day. And Mike's day trip to Beijing has turned into an overnight stay thanks to a flight cancellation. 

My primary goal for the trip is to hike, breathe in the ocean air, and eat dim sum -- on repeat. And maybe we'll finally get to see some dragon boats! Yes, it's that time of year again, and apparently, Hong Kong celebrates better than Shanghai. There's also the giant rubber duck.    

pinterest.com/pin/165296248796293525

Tourist Season

What Chinese tour groups look like in China...   

And in case you can't make them out, those are blue camo bucket hats.  

That is all.  

Fatty Tuesday: Balls

The Chinese are not known for their desserts, which include bad (as in flavorless) imitations of French pastries (you've heard the expression, "lipstick on a pig"? In this case, whipped cream is lipstick).  But I've found one Chinese dessert I quite enjoy -- black sesame glutinous (sticky) rice balls (or simply, balls, as I like to call them; don't get any ideas, this is a PG blog).  

Served hot, four (or so) balls arrive in a bowl of warm water or some kind of rice wine syrup (I prefer water; the Chinese aren't great at wine either, although there's been a recent push to market their liquor. I digress). You start by taking a nibble to make sure they've cooled. The outer layer is sticky rice, a lot like mochi if you've ever tried that (and if you haven't, order it after your next sushi meal). Unlike mochi, which comes cold and has ice cream at its center, these balls have a sweet black sesame filling that oozes out as you bite down. I love the contrast in textures, the sticky rice and the liquid center, and the sweet against the neutrality of the sticky. Our visitor liked them too (check out Kira's answer to the "best meal" question).  

Although I first had these at a restaurant, I quickly found out that you can find them in grocery stores and they've become a staple in our freezer ever since (boil water, drop a few in, and ta da!).