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Published: September 14th 2007
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Shelby and I get Massages
Craig came in during a more gentle portion of the massage. My Biggest Workout Since Landing in China
Well Friday rolls around, I'm tired from a week's work, tense from sporting my backpack daily, and well, I think still full of kinks from the 16 hours on an airplane a month or so ago. It was time for my first massage. Yvonne (another teacher at the school) brought Shelby and I to her favourite masseuse.
This is not like any massage I have ever had. It was fantastic but not relaxing. She was working out my knots with her elbow. Karate Chopping my back. At one point she had me on a stool, with my hands behind my head, with her back to me, she locked her arms through mine, bent over and lifted me right off the stool. While parts were...painful, most of the time it felt fantastic. Notice how peaceful I look in the picture. Afterwards, my muscles felt really warm, like I had just finished a really intense weight lifting session. The next two days I was actually stiff.
The funny part of the story is that Craig placed his dictionary on the front counter. When he picked it up to leave, he accidentally
took a photograph. Craig and Aaron opted out of the massages, and left to play a game of pool. So when Shelby, Yvonne and I were paying, the head masseuse called a Chinese TA from our school and explained that my husband had taken a picture! I called Craig on his cell and he said he didn't. I thought, maybe she wants a copy of the picture that Craig took! But then Craig phoned back and admitted he found a picture in his bag under the dictionnary. So, I've agreed to return for another intense massage soon, and return her photo to her.
Venturing Further into Chinese Cuisine, and Street Cuisine!
This week I have eaten 3 times at restaurants with no english and no pictures on the menu. The first was on Friday, I went into Tianjin with a translator for work and we had lunch out. It was a fantastic meal (best chinese food yet), a spicy chicken and vegetable dish, a sweet and spicy beef dish, a cold cucumber, ham and noodle dish. I enjoyed it so much, I had Mina (my translator) right down how to order the dishes. When I
Beth eats a dumpling.
This is a staple food item in Northern China. While they come in all shapes and sizes, the traditional Tianjin dumpling is breadier and steamed rather than fried. This one is filled with pork. I am actually growing a little tired of them, but they are filling. Rosemary is in the background showing off her pot of hot water. went to the counter to pay there was a big rubbermaid tote half full of water by the counter. It was full of live bullfrogs, turtles and a couple big carp. Happilly, I'm quite sure I hadn't eaten any of their friends. There was also a cage full of pigeons by the front door, but Mina assured me I really did eat chicken. Mina took great delight in sharing some of the interesting chinese dishes. While she enjoys frogs a great deal, she told me that the idea of eating dog makes her throw up. At least, I'm hoping she meant "the idea".
Anyway, a bunch of us were in Tanggu on Saturday and we had lunch at a very popular, very chinese restaurant. We had a fantastic meal, the foods just kept coming! The great thing about eating at these restaurants that don't cater to foreigners is its dirt cheap. Our meal cost us about 3 dollars each. Admittedly, we had a Chinese TA out with us to help us order, so we weren't truly on our own...yet!
Feeling more confident on Sunday night, Craig, Aaron and I ventured to a Chinese Restaurant right outside the gate
Finding the Longest Noodle
Hillary (Shelby's TA) explains that on your birthday you hope to find the longest noodle possible, as it symbolizes your longevity. to our apartment complex. I ordered Gong Bao Ji Ding (a spicy chicken dish) and ban san si (the cucumber noodle salad) and white rice. A little later on, feeling we needed more vegetables, using my "Chinese for Dummies" book (Thanks to Kelsey and Allysia here), I tried to order spicy eggplant.
Well, 5 minutes later they came out with a huge platter of coconut shrimp! None of us really like shrimp and were generally embarrased thinking eggplant must sound like shrimp! We phoned a chinese friend and had them explain to our waitress that we were very sorry, we don't want the shrimp but will still pay, could we please have eggplant? Well it turns out we didn't mess up! The shrimp was meant for the next table. The waitress simply took the plate from our table over to the next and soon enough we had our tasty dish. The food was great, we need to learn some more dishes to order though, as I had these two dishes three days in a row.
We have also ventured into the world of streetfood. Again, just by the gate to our complex. The first item we tried just
The Dough Kings
The Dough Kings beckon us from across the street. Come over and harden your arteries a little more. looked too good to pass up. Basically, they deep fry dough into sticks. Its actually not sweet...(most breads in china are sweet). Its incredibly good, but very greasy and salty. We had one each on the way to work and had to stop at a magazine stand to get bottles of water. Since then we share just one. Craig commented that if only we could have them dip it in honey, and serve coffee, we would have our own Tim Hortons outlet. Craig is somewhat serious about bringing honey next time. Its quite fattening, so its not an everyday treat. However now that the dough guys recognize us as "their westerners", they yell for us to come over every morning as we walk to work. TEMPTATION!!!
The next interesting treat we saw being cooked up inside our local cornerstore. Its kind of a crepe, with egg and green onion. Then they put this big deep fried piece of batter. They brush it with hoisin sauce and fold it up. So its warm, soft and crunch in the middle. Its really good. There is a movie attached of the girl making it for us.
Enough of food.
Deep Fried Dough Sticks
Look at them sizzle. Yum Yum Yummers. No calories here. Saturday Random Fun
You never know what you will see next living here. We were back at the foreign market and this place is just fun to check out the different stalls. We were there only a week ago, but hadn't noticed the stall selling knives and swords, nor the one selling giant dried and salted fish. There were also a number of stands selling dried shrimps and prawns. Considering the heat that day, it really didn't smell good but I included photos anyway.
On Walking Street we saw window washers. In Canada, workman's comp would likely have had a heart attack. These guys are suspended by ropes from the top of the building. The pull themselves up. They are seated on... plastic buckets. They are not wearing harnesses. In order to get close enough to the windows to wash them, they start pushing each other, and start swinging around. Once they are close to the windows, they have these big suction cups so grab hold of the building. It wasn't just foreigners who gathered around to watch this stunt.
They really like to celebrate with fireworks here. Not big colourful ones at night time that
Our new favourite Breakfast
Deep Fried Batter, Brushed with Hoisin Sauce, Wrapped in Egg and Onion, Wrapped in Crepe, folded into a large tasty rectangle of greasy goodness. make pretty designs in the sky. Really loud smoky ones that stay close to the ground. They use them to celebrate the opening of a new business. This week walking down third avenue, we saw this line of missile launchers with pretty red bows outside of a hotel. The hotel isn't new, but it is sporting a banner for the mid-autumn festival. We aren't sure if they are for the purpose of fireworks, or maybe just for show. Not that Canada should talk, we who love to put tanks in parks, and jets on sticks. Anyway, it was quite the sight.
Saturday night we took it pretty easy. Normally we go out with a bit of a crowd to a soccer match, or to somebody's house, or for pool, but we were tired. We stayed in, had a bottle of Australian wine and some brie (yes I can get cheese here) and watched a really good/crazy movie. "The Science of Sleep". It was nice to have a little downtime. This weekend seems it will be on the busy end again.
Stay tuned for upcoming adventures including: taking the school bus to the volleyball games on Friday, our
Swords anyone?
This stall is ready to serve all your self-defense needs. first chinese wedding, Craig and I get away for a weekend (belated anniversary), and ... October National Holiday destination probably Chengde.
Loved getting all the messages! Some people have emailed that they want to get the blog, but I checked the subscription list and they are already on it! If you are not getting the blog, please check your junk mail folders for travelblog.
Til next time.Beth
*Check back on Sunday for movies of the girl at the cornerstore making our breakfast and the window washers at work. My camera's batteries are out of juice and I can't transfer the video footage right now.
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Rick Flanagan
non-member comment
Awesome
You two seem to be having a ball there. Loved the photo of Craig stuffing himself, too much! I love receiving the blog and hope you continue sharing your adventures with us. Maybe I'll have to start one about playing music in Memphis on Beale St. Tell CW I have a house gig at BB Kings on Beale. It's the number 1 spot to play and like the McDonalds commercial says, "I'm lovin' it." RF