Weekly Highlight Reel

Transitions are hard and my year has been lived in transition. It took me a little while to adjust to living in China, but over the past month or so I really feel like I'm settling down into a routine. Of course there are good weeks, bad weeks, great days and crummy days (just like back home), but I am really comfortable with calling China my home. I've made connections and expanded my network of people and acquainted myself with my local city. I'm finally finishing my first semester of teaching and looking forward to my upcoming vacation. Even though I have a terrible cold that I just can't kick, this week has been very productive and rewarding.    

Forbidden City

Here's a look at the highlights from my week:

1. Booked my airplane ticket to Cambodia for winter break
2. Ate hotpot for the first time
3. Woke up to the first snowfall of the season
4. Took a day trip to Beijing with a visit to the National Museum and Forbidden City
5. Had a traditional Chinese dinner at Jasmine Restaurant
6. Bought my train ticket to Chengdu in January
7. Dinner out with a friend on Friday night
8. Leaving today to spend the weekend in the countryside

 

What made your week memorable?

Photo Friday: Madison

 

Madison, Wisconsin

March 2014 

Traditional Chinese Dinner

This semester, in addition to my normal classes, I also teach a group of eight working adults in the evenings at my university. Tonight the school hosted a meal for us at a restaurant so that we could eat a traditional Chinese meal and learn the traditional dining etiquette rules. Each of the students shared a different aspect of the culture.  We covered everything from different types of tea, rules of using chopsticks, a story on birthday noodles, how to host a meal and other dining tips.

For a Chinese meal, the food is all placed in the middle of the table and the center spins so you can easily pass the food around. When something comes by that you want, you reach your chopsticks out and take a piece. Some tables are motorized and move on their own and you place your fingers on the table to pause the motion. The table we had today was not motorized so we would spin it to pass the dishes around. Etiquette dictates that you check to make sure that no one is taking food from a dish before you spin the table. If someone is selecting something from a dish, you wait until they are finished and then rotate the table to get what you want.     

Traditional style chair

In addition to the presentations on Chinese culture we had a variety of dishes to try. I liked almost every one of them. Many of the foods area similar to what I eat back home, but they are cooked in different ways and with different sauces or ingredients. 

Here is a look at the dishes I ate:

Chicken

Cucumber

Beef

Pork Meatballs (aka Lion's heads)

Chinese Pizza

Dessert

White Carrot

Wild Goose

Fish

Chicken

Beef

Lotus

Shrimp

Have you had an experience learning the etiquette rules of another culture?

National Museum of China

Living in China for a year gives me a chance to explore the history of a culture that I know little about.  I've studied various types of histories throughout my years of education and travel though I never had the opportunity until now to study China. I love reading about history and visiting local museums and there are a lot of museums in China. One of the best is the National Museum of China in Beijing located just east of Tian'an Men Square. There is a variety of items on display ranging from art, sculpture, pottery and bronze work.   

Song Dynasty Stone Carvings

During the recent APEC meetings in Beijing, the National Museum of China opened a new exhibit on the Silk Road in China. I honestly get so excited to see pieces that people created and used in their daily lives over a thousand years ago. In all of my years of visiting historic sites and museums, I don't think I've ever viewed anything in person that was dated b.c. However there are a few pieces in this collection that are. Here are a few of my favorite treasures from the Silk Road exhibit:

Bronze Vessel (beginning of 3rd century - 221 B.C.)

Brocade Pillow, Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.)

Brocade Armlet, Han-Jin Dynasty (202 B.C.- 420 A.D.)

 

Lacquer Sewing Box, Qing Dynasty

This museum has a lot of great items and I can't wait to explore more of the collections on display. Best of all, the museum is free to visit.

Do you have a favorite museum? What did you enjoy seeing lately?

Chinese HotPot

I'm so excited that I finally had hotpot for the first time! Before I ever arrived in LangFang I'd heard from my husband and others who had traveled to China before that hotpot was amazing and delicious and I had to have it. I can't believe it has taken me so long to get to a hotpot restaurant. 

There are two different types I'm told. One serves hotpot in individual pots, the other is served in one giant pot that everyone digs into. I currently have a horrible cold so I opted for the individual pots to avoid passing my illness on to others as much as possible. The restaurant we ate at is the hotpot chain, Xiabu Xiabu. They are located all over and are often found in malls. I've noticed that in China the top one or two floors of a mall are usually dedicated solely to sit down restaurants. The location near my apartment is part of a strip mall.       

At this restaurant, there are several long bars for seating. Once you order, they bring you an individual pot full of hot water and seasoning that you chose. I went for the spicy version tonight. Next they bring out your selection of raw vegetables and meats to add to your pot.  

Raw Beef

Raw Vegetables

Raw Fish

I received fresh herbs, vinegar and sauce packets to mix the sauce to my liking. Once the pot is heated up, you drop in the raw food to cook then pick it out with chop sticks, dip it in the sauce and enjoy! It was so good that I ate long after I was full. I can say for certain that I'll be back!   

Have you tried hotpot? What's your favorite Chinese food?