Fresh herbs are not widely available in China. There is a very successful farm between Suzhou and Shanghai that produces some basil, thyme, and sage, but it's intermittently available at best and usually reserved for people like Sean Jorgensen and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Buttheads.
So imagine my delight at finding the odd "egg and mint soup" on the menu at a kick-ass local bistro, Heavenly Manna. That's right: fresh, crisp mint leaves grow with such abundance here that they hardly know what to do with them. So they throw them in soup, on top of chicken and practically line thier birdcages with it.
The soup was terrible.
And yeah, pretty much all of my posts will have puns in them.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Head in the clouds
A casual observer of three culture fish might wonder at the many-monthed posting gap that lies between February and September. But the more discerning eye will notice that these months ocurred while I was living in Suzhou.
No offense to Suzhou. It's just not a city that generates many comments. The occasional monsoon downpour, perhaps, or another failed Western restaurant and what went wrong. But for a truly successful blogger to blog he needs material.
Enter the city of Kunming. Situated in the heart of Yunnan, the fabeld land of the southern clouds, Kunming represents one of the most diverse and unique places of interest China can muster. After only a few days of doing what a Kunminger would consider doing nothing, I have already been exposed to a cacophony of fascinations that may take years to record.
No offense to Suzhou. It's just not a city that generates many comments. The occasional monsoon downpour, perhaps, or another failed Western restaurant and what went wrong. But for a truly successful blogger to blog he needs material.
Enter the city of Kunming. Situated in the heart of Yunnan, the fabeld land of the southern clouds, Kunming represents one of the most diverse and unique places of interest China can muster. After only a few days of doing what a Kunminger would consider doing nothing, I have already been exposed to a cacophony of fascinations that may take years to record.
Emperor of the dinosaurs
Thanks BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8233797.stm
Chinese palentology is an exciting and burgeoning field. Many historic finds were made right here in old Yunnan. Although we may have coined such classics as ultrasaur and pteradon, it's pretty hard to top Qiaowanlong Kangxii. This new semi-brachiosaur is named after the first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Toy versions to follow. Cha-qing!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8233797.stm
Chinese palentology is an exciting and burgeoning field. Many historic finds were made right here in old Yunnan. Although we may have coined such classics as ultrasaur and pteradon, it's pretty hard to top Qiaowanlong Kangxii. This new semi-brachiosaur is named after the first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Toy versions to follow. Cha-qing!
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