Add to my reading list

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

To steal from the website:
There are more Chinese restaurants in this country than McDonalds, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken combined.In The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, author Jennifer 8. Lee takes readers on a remarkable journey that is both foreign and familiar: penetrating this subculture by traveling the world (and almost every American state) in her quest to understand Chinese food and the people who make it.Her journey took her to the hometown of General Tso (a military hero immortalized as much for crunchy chicken as his conquests), the surprising origins of the fortune cookie (it’s not China), and to six continents in search for the world’s greatest Chinese restaurant. The book also sparks debates as to who really invented chop suey and why Jews love Chinese food, or as she puts it: Why is chow mein the chosen food of the chosen people?The book is a tribute to immigrants and to America. If our benchmark for Americanness is apple pie, ask yourself, how often do you eat apple pie? Now how often do you eat Chinese food?

*** Notice how the author's middle name is 8? See previous blog on Asian English names.

I personally would have chosen 7+8

After creating an extensive list of ridiculous English names that Chinese people have, I have compiled the best ones for your enjoyment. As Ring says, "I picked it myself."

8) Ring
7) Seven
6) Nemo
5) Cool
4) Panda
3) Cake
2) Login
1) 2+1

For a comical take on the above topic watch Sexy Beijing: Lost in Translation

Hong Kong bathrooms are better than Canadian bathrooms...

... except when they are squatters.

The inside of the HKBU library bathrooms:

Inside of the bathroom stall on the door. That is a naughty bee.

Wall tiles at a Baptist University, don't you forget it.

Dr. Yang

So there is this older, male, Chinese pharmacy owner in Kowloon City, an area not known for its English speaking population. But, he has perfect English and speaks with an American accent which Andrea and Samantha and I find very amusing. From now on I will start posting his various entertaining sayings to keep historical record.

1) Jessica: I would like to buy this toothbrush

Dr. Yang (lets say thats his name): Okay, thats cool.

2) 12 bucks

3) No plastic? Save the environment.

Gwongdungwa haih naahnhohk.

So I have a Cantonese quiz tomorrow. I need to know things like Hong Kong is very beautiful, Heunggong haih hou leng, and your wife is cheap, Neih taaitaai haih pehng. Fingers crossed or... okay I have no idea what that is in Cantonese.

Thats a Chinese Myth Dragon

About a month ago Andrea and I visited the land in Kowloon City that she has proclaimed "Little Thailand" during a big Pad Thai craving. It was a very Cantonese resturaunt so I let Andrea ask for a vegetarian version for me. Simple enough, and the waitress expressed a clear understanding. When our meals arrived, I noticed mine was significantly less colourful than Andrea's because not only was there no meat, there was also no vegetables, only egg and noodles. When we were finished Andrea asked the waitress why I had no vegetables. They spoke back in forth in Cantonese for about 5 minutes as Andrea started to look more and more confused. It turns out that at the end of an ancient Chinese legend, a pig, cow and chicken turn into that particular green vegetable which led to the logic that I don't eat it either. I clearly need to look more into what my food originally was in its past life.

An Edible Tour Through Southeast Asia

Andrea and I speant 9 days in Thailand and Vietnam about a week ago. It was absolutly incredible. The sights were amazing, the people were generous and the weather was perfect. But what added most to the trip was the food. Hilariously enough my mom said I look thinner in the pictures. Andrea's obsession of taking pictures of our food istranslated into a short culinary tour through our trip below:

Breakfast on our first morning in Bangkok.
Teddy bear shaped fried rice at the Joy Luck Club, unknown relation to the book/film.
Curry, roti and salad at The Treehouse in Ko Chang, Thailand. Agreed upon as being the best meal on our trip.
Cooked bananas in honey and butter with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. And an ice mocha too of course.
Pad Thai and a whole sweet and sour fish in Ko Chang.

The food in Vietnam was good also but looking through the pictures it seems as if the photo taking died down when we hit Ho Chi Minh City.
For inquiring minds, the rest of our pictures are on Facebook.

HK Love

I am sitting in my room eating the best pear I have ever eaten in my life only 2 days after eating the best mango in my life. This has inspired me to reflect on the other amazing things of Hong Kong.
1) The Cat Place (roughly translated from Cantonese): An adorable little cafe, accessible through a sketchy hallway and up a ghetto elevator where cats and bunnies rub up against your leg while you eat cat shaped Tirimisu.
2)<----- Junction Park: The perfect date for two aging recluses lost in HK; cherries, elderly exercising and Understanding the Holy War. The park has re-invented playground equipment intended for low impact workouts for HK’s adorable aged.

3) Stores that sell $600 HK Marc Jacobs heels (approx $85 CDN): Direct from the factory and on sale, it’s possible.

4) Random neighbors who make dinner for you: Forcing me to like unidentified food.

5) Jackie Chan is my neighbor: Okay, well not quite. His office is about a 5 min walk from my building.

6) Signs that say “Tim Fuk Road”: Immaturity at its greatest.

7) Having a window that looks into the fitness centre at the neighbouring fire station. 8 ) Drinking beer on the street.

9) Professors who accommodate for non-English speaking students by insisting essays be written in point form with abbreviations.

10) The everyday opportunities to become a better person: Taking advantage of the most pivotal experience that will make me the adult I will be. 11) The Edison Chen Scandal: wiki it.

12) 50% off tea-time sushi. Salmon hand roll for 65 cents Canadian. Why not?