Food for sharing

Aaahhh... I'm still in holiday mood.

I blame my friends because lately, I keep receiving news that people are travelling somewhere for holiday! Niceeee...!! I can't help but think back to my Beijing trip. hehe, some of u are probably bored with my constant talk of BJ but I can't help walking down the memory lane, again! Blame my friends because they are the cause haha...

My friends think I'm a food addict. Hmm.. i don't know where i got this reputation *in denial* I do eat a lot of meals throughout the day. hehe, what to do? I go hungry fast.

They also say I eat 'weird' stuff. Stuff that people don't normally like or eat (like onions - raw or cooked! Yummm..). When it comes to food, I'm pretty easy-going. I get a bit more adventurous when I'm in a foreign country. Eating what the locals eat is the way to understand a new country. It's the way to get to know the place, people and their culture! ^^ I don't blindly eat k. I eat with reasons.

I've never eaten little lambs or sheeps or goats all my life. I just don't like the 'smell'. But I ate quite a fair bit in BJ! *unbelievable!* I had to!

We went to a very nice restaurant for Mongolian Buffet where customers can dine and enjoy live Mongolian perfomances at the same time. And what do Mongolians eat? GOATS! Lots and lots of goats - fresh goat milk, goat milk candies, BBQ mutton 'satays', roasted whole goat, lamb shank, goats' 'spare parts' etc. Goats occupy 95% of the buffet tables. They also serve other things like Mongolian noodles soup, dumplings, chicken, pork, vege, sashimi, sushi etc. Come to Mongolian Buffet, must be Mongolian. So I joined the rest and digged in.

I tried all the mutton-related food. I can't believe I'm saying this - they tasted so good! I couldn't even tell that I was eating goats! I even had two kebabs stuffed with roasted goat meat! There were so many varieties of food to eat that I lost track of the number of times I went back to get more! haha... Man, this meal was really value for money. I was too busy to even watch the perfomances! haha...

Another incredible thing abt this buffet is that, you can have all the fresh fruit juice, canned drinks, yoghurt, beer, wine you want!! At the wine section, I told the waiter that I want a glass of their best wine. He quickly grabbed a bottle, opened it and handed it to me. Yes, the WHOLE bottle! I looked at him and said in amazement "Is this all for me?". He nodded. OMG! Okie, I may look like a country pumpkin but which restaurant in Kch can offer such a deal??? NONE, definitely!

I'm actually drooling while writing abt this unforgettable experience! I feel hungry just by thinking back! *going to fridge to look for food* This place is like a Disneyland for food lovers. It makes u feel excited the minute u see the fun that you will get ~.~

My last plate of food
The nuts & seeds 'pie' is my favourite! Had 3 pcs altogether ;p

Master at work - slicing roasted goat for us!
Haiya, just give me the whole goat!

Drink all you can!

Go ahead & get drunk!

Okie, I know I said in the beginning that I like to eat what the locals eat. But, there is always an exception to everything ^^ And the exception is:

BUGS!!!

I hate bugs
I am afraid of bugs
I don't live well with bugs
I don't eat bugs

Fried Grasshoppers, silk worms and lizards @_@

Look crispy don't they?
I didn't even know that star fishes were edible until I saw someone eating one!

Baby Scorpions and sea horses

Bigger, darker & more poisonous LIVE scorpions! Ewww...

Can get these weird food at Wangfujing Snack Street 王府井小吃街 which is only a 2 mins walk from our hotel. The bugs sellers kept persuading us to try their exotic snacks. They are local delicacies. Emmm, I'm not so hungry. Feel so 'ge li' just by seeing them, let alone put in my mouth! *No Appetite*

These are more to my liking. Bugs must be thankful that I spared their lives ;p

冰糖葫芦 Lots of new varieties
眼花撩乱

BBQ sweet potatoes at roadside. Very sweet!! It's one of my favourites in China. So nice to eat hot potatoes and chestnuts in winter. They warmed up my cold hands and body immediately.

“We may live without poetry, music and art; We may live without conscience, and live without heart; We may live without friends; we may live without books; But civilized man cannot live without cooks.”

~Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1831-1891) Lucile (1860)~

A nite with the Ducks

I started imagining having this meal ever since we decided to visit Beijing months ago. I fly all the way to Beijing, so MUST NOT miss the Famous Beijing Dish ~~ Peking Duck! Otherwise, how to forgive myself?? How to say that I've been to Beijing?? How to.....???

I very much wanted to run straight to the Beijing's 老字号 called 全聚德 (one of the restaurants that makes yummilicious Peking Duck) the minute I stepped out of the plane. But we had something arranged everyday & nite, so I had to wait for it to happen. Painful, torturing 10 days man!! The best meal was actually saved for last! LAST, really. Only got to taste it on our final night in BJ! Right before we left for airport! Mixed feelings again - I was excited [Peking Duck, finally] and sad [End of my holiday] at the same time. In icon terms ~ (^V^)y + :'(

I will let the pictures speak for the meal itself. I only have one word for it - Brilliant!

Cute little duckie that holds my chopsticks!

Duck Master in action
- slicing crispy, juicy duck skin & meat for a bunch of hungry guests

So yum yum that i'm licking my monitor now!

The long-awaited food - Steamy warm pancakes & crispy, crunchy, juicy Peking Duck! Can't wait to wrap them in the pancakes together spring onions & sauce & put them in my mouth!!

Contented look
*puff, really full after 7 servings of Peking Duck Rolls, etc!*

A unique 小菜 - pork and salted egg yorks!
High in cholestoral but who cares...

My favourite 小菜 - Honey Red Dates!
I ate them all when friends were not looking ^^.

Foodie Goodie

Believe it or not, I was ranked only the 2nd Great & Big Eater in Beijing. *What?! I'm not the 1st??!?!* Told u guys that I don't eat a lot lorrrr... *V*

During the trip, i noticed that the Top Great & Big Eater in our group is indeed a Great & Big Eater. He practically stuffs everything into his tummy, regardless of the taste and quality of the food. I can see why I'm ranked the 2nd. Even I willingly present him with that title with both hands! haha...

I may be eating slightly more than an average person but I've my own food philosophy. I eat only good quality & tasty food. must have valid reasons that i can live with mah. Why becoming a hippo for bad food that I don't enjoy/like? Learn from the master - this is called proper planning... ^^

If you visit Beijing, U must not miss Gui Street 簋街 (发音为“鬼街). It's a food street that never sleeps! How I know? J & I tested it by sneaking out to Gui Street for supper at 12am on a week night. It was freezing But the street was still brightly lit with red lanterns and there were still hungry people like us wandering around looking for food to eat.



As we walked on the street trying to figure out which restaurant to go into, the waiters started promoting their restaurants' specialites by reading us a long list of their menus. Without a comma or full stop that is. All I heard was "@£!%^&&*$("@......" Incredible!!! We also stopped in between to comment on the menus we saw - fried rabbit head? grilled rabbit? dog meat? 羊蝎子? 爆牛肚? etc. errrm... I'm simple person. Simple food will do lah.

炸兔头anyone?

We settled at a very small (only 9 tables in total & a bit run down compared to the big & nicely decorated restaurants nearby) but crowded eating place. Don't judge a book by its cover because not only were food very good but also very CHEAP!

拉面, 凉醋花生--非常清淡

刀削面
[Yes, It's soaked in oil but tastes damn GOOD!]

It's dinner time! Yummmm....
Eating raw garlics with noodles is Heavenly....

It was a nice feeling to swallow hot soupy food and cold beer in the freezing winter! I know it's suicidal [heard that cancer can develop by mixing hot food & cold drink] but it is just too wonderful not to do it!! You gotta try the combo! It warms u up on the inside immediately! Very contented lah... We even went back for the 2nd time!!

かわ いいね

可愛いね!!

Not the Ah Pek lah. I mean the small kids. Duhhh...



She is so cute that I just had to lift her up!! She is turning two this month (Happy Birthday Cutie) & can even speak English!!

Matching colours ~ Pink & Pink & Pink!

Say Cheeezzzeeeee.. YEAH!

Actually, we came her to see Lugou Bridge (also known as Marco Polo Bridge). The bridge may look ordinary. It's in fact, a very special place in the history of China. Apart from its stunning beauty and amazing architecture, it is also a place that holds many painful memories as it was here that the 8-year-long War of Resistance against the Imperial Japanese Army started in 1937, that culminated with the surrender of Japan in 1945.

Today, this is also a place where the locals mingle with the tourists.

It was a beautiful day to be outdoor

It's the season to be jolly!

Beijing is the perfect place and season for me now.

Sweet persimmon in my hand

It's the season for PERSIMMONS 柿子!!

The Chinese persimmons don't look like the normal round ones that we get in Australia, etc, but they taste just as nice. I prefer & love crunchy persimmons. Because biting into soft ones are just so..... weird & 'ge-li'!

However in China, people consider that as 'pre-mature'. They eat only the 'slimmy' & "goo-ey" ones. I thought I wouldn't like it that way but....... I do!! Surprisingly! It's so soft (& watery) that it's like 'drinking' persimmon juice! SwEeEeeeeettt... Someone, pls hand me a straw!

Hmmmmm.....

I got very excited when we traveled from Beijing to Cheng De by bus. I jumped out from my seat (and no longer feeling sleepy) and stuck myself to the window at the sight of thousands of golden permissons 'dumped' on the ground (like 小山丘!) at the roadside for sale!! Each time we past by piles and piles of persimmons, pears, apples, Shan Cha, red dates and wild nuts, i got more and more excited! How i wanted to get out of the car to buy them all!! Or better, just swim in sea of persimmons & eat them at the same time! ;p


Bus was moving too fast, so I didn't manage to take a pic of the incredible sight! :( It's captured in my mind though (^.^) Unfortunately, you can't look into my brain hehe... The image is still fresh in my mind & it makes me want to move to Beijing this instant!!! ^^

Small stalls operated by farmers at the roadside

Dried berries aren't bad either!! It's called 野姑娘

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Persimmons"

Just look at my messy hair, puffy eyes and face!! Isn't it easy to tell that I just arrived in Beijing?? hahaha... I didn't sleep on the place at all because I was OVER-EXCITED! (; Didn't really wanna show you this pic. Hesitated so long but hehe, nvm. You know I usually look better than this ^^

Another night in Beijing

Haven't been updating my blog for exactly 12 days. No internet access in Beijing mah. Actually, got free internet access in my hotel room, but me 'laptop-less' ><

So, am now back to real (harsh) life :( It's time to work like a dog and cow again to 'recoup' the $$$ spent. Sad sad sad.... How i wish my holiday was longer! or better, UNLIMITED! I'm now in 'post-holiday depression'. Think it will take me a while to recover. That's the side effect of having too much fun & food (& cold wind) in Beijing!

I had so much fun in Beijing that I don't even know where to begin to tell you about it! Will definitely take days to bring you thru my holiday :) So, do keep following my blog k ^^

OOOoo.. I bet you guys can wait to view my holiday photos too. Hehe, u gotta be patient because they are everywhere. I need a few days to sort them out n.n Am not exaggerating. I really need that much time (or even longer)! :P

Like every other holiday makers, one of the most-made wishes is to hope that there is no end to their trip/holiday. I'm DEFINITELY one of those ppl :) I remembered telling J on the day of our departure that I hoped our flight from BJ to SG would delay so we could stay in BJ for another night! That, ALMOST happened.

After our Peking Duck meal, we headed to BJ airport. We arrived 4 hours before our flight. FYI, we weren't being kiasu or anything. That's because Beijing aiport is famous for its human congestions. We were the 1st to arrive and even ordered the officer to arrange the best seats for us.

5 mins, 10 mins, 15 mins had gone by, still there were no sign of our boarding passes. One officer after another checking the system & with each other, still we hadn't checked-in. Finally, the supervisor in-charge came to us and said "You guys are 24 hours late to the airport" *Eyes wide OPEN!!!* 24 hours late?!?!?! He got to be kidding!! That's very late!!! @@" [<-- not my real reaction. In fact, I was really happy abt it, hehe. My real reaction --> Y(^0^)Y YEAAAAHHH...] We were told that the flight was quite full & he would do everything he could to get us on board. I said "No worries buddy. Don't have to try very hard" in my heart ;p

Apparently, our travel agent has made a mistake. Our tickets said "23 Nov 2007 12.05am BJ-SG" but our itinerary stated "24 Nov 2007, 12.05am BJ-SG". YoooHoooo! My wish materialised! Couldn't believe that we could stay in Beijing for another night & the best part is, we could punish our travel agent by having them pay for all our expenses in Beijing!! How wonderful is that!?! ^^

Sadly, a very helpful officer [damn him!!] managed to get us all on board *Disappointed* I mean, how often do u get a chance like this? The travel agency is in luck or else, they would incur a big loss on this project because we would definitely choose to stay at the best hotel in Beijing!! Oh well, I shouldn't be so mean to the officer lah. Should thank him instead. If I don't come back, I will sure end up becoming a super duper king kong-sized fatso hippo for I couldn't stop eating in Beijing!!

A few of my MANY favourite pictures:-

Snowing in ChengDe!

Breathtaking picture ;)

Me & marching soldiers at Tiananmen Square

Passport photo. Took it myself because I was the only one to the furthest point at Great Wall of China.

Stopping to buy persimmons (only RMB 0.40 each!), pears, apples, fresh chestnuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts (All kind of nuts [wui, except for that kind of nuts. u r so dirty-minded!] for only RMB10 per 500kg!), etc!

Do you see why I don't wanna come back?

"Emotional Dilemma"

I'm now on half day of study leave. Half day ONLY! *can't believe it* That is ALL I can afford. How pitiful is that? I remembered the time when I sat for my CPA exams, I took up to 1 month of study leave just for 1 module!! Ahhh, how I miss the good old days.....

Mum made me a hearty lunch just now - home-grown organic chives with eggs and a cup of brain-power & energy booster [No gingseng from Korea. Just Milo lah].

I've been in 'emotional dilemma' since last week - am excited about my Beijing trip [leaving tomorrow nite!] but at the same time, am stressed and worried about my exam! Because of that, I don't feel a bit excited about my vacation. YET. Actually, my tension is more from the trip itself because I have NOT packed!

Checked weather forecast on Yahoo. Wah seh, got negative one!! My body fat can only keep me warm in the Australian-type of winter leh. Nvm, I shall work on my 'natural sweater' when I get to Beijing.

Happy Holidays guys! And I shall talk to you all when I get back (^^)/

Me - after exam tomorrow