Blogging on this familiar interface makes me feel like a rebellious kid, who ran away from home to explore the 'greener' grass, only to realize that home is where I do belong. I have tried Tumblr, Wordpress, Typepad and even ventured into Japanese blog services (uh huh, I am that curious.) to pen my thoughts.
But nothing beats Blogger, really. Else, Google will not have acquired them.
So, I was looking for a perfect place to blog about my crazy, impromptu trip to China and every blog account I hold failed me. That left me with infringing the boyfriend's blog space, heh.
I booked my air tickets three days prior to departure. WTFISH! It was an outrageous move, deserting projects and assignments. Perhaps being with the travel geek for too long has inspired me (read his last three posts before this). March 27, I chucked my burdens away and hit the road!
We went to Shantou specifically, southern part of China. This is where the Heng family hailed from. Some of my relatives are still living there, so it was a great spring gathering for us.
You don't want to guess how much food we ate and this is only the first day. We had steamboat at our aunt's place. She can make the best oyster egg 蚝煎 in the world! It is normal for them though because orhlua is the Teochew specialty! Why I love China Reason #1 - Orhlua is my favorite hawker dish and I silently vowed that I will try all the orhluas in the world. I would die happy eating them everyday if I live here.
Most of the night's photos were badly taken so too bad, many wonders will come following on... Can you make out some of those food I had for supper (above) just three hours after dinner?
Day 2
A few years ago, we stayed in the exact same hotel 声乐大酒店. It looked like your typical school hostel then. Today... ZOMG! Why I love China Reason #2 - Rate of development accelerates faster than a fighter plane. The transformation will always leave you speechless and conceit defeat to China's capabilities. Our hotel underwent major facelift to become Singapore's Meritus Mandarin equivalent, or even better. My favorite part was the light sensors installed on every hotel room door, where lights will come on automatically when your presence is detected. High-tech, no kidding!
This knife blade is almost as long as my MacBook, that is 13" long. GASPS.
Braised duck intestines with a hot bowl of soup for the cool, breezy weather. Well, it was cool for us but not my mother, obviously, who wrapped herself like a dumpling. I have no idea why these people can cook so well. The braised duck beats any stall in Singapore. We were the first customer to step into his shop. When the boss opened the door for us, the smell of his gravy immediately activated our saliva glands. I was literally wagging my tongue like a dog while he prepares the dishes for us.China is probably the only place I would dare to consume pig's lard without flinching. Like my cousins would tell me, without the lard, the food will lose its flavor, and you will get your typical Singaporean dish. That might be the trick but I would not want to have lard everyday either. Once in awhile, in China, I would do as the Chinese do. That's it.
Funny that they think my grandaunt would continue to be a smoker in the other world.
Later that day, we went to the grave site of my grandaunt to commemorate Ancestors Day, or commonly known as Qing Ming Jie to the Chinese. My relatives prepared a trunk full of delicious food. Compared to Singapore, I am quite ashamed of our offerings - a few types of fruits and pastries. Are we stingy or can we really use land space as an excuse? Anyways, I am amazed that authorities shaped the fire furnace as a cute gourd with little openings to save the environment. Kudos to them! Why I love China Reason #3 - These people value traditions a lot, which is why their history dates back from 5000 years back. Traditions are a form of culture that inculcate moral attitudes and behaviors. Without them, we lose our identity... and become part of the norm.
Lulu is my FAVORITE drink. A must-try in China!
In the afternoon, my uncle got a chef to prepare lunch banquet at his factory. Yikes! I thought it was just a small lunch spread, but he served abalone. The abalone was fantastique, just looked at the stunned look on my brother.
My blessed grandmother and her grandchildren. We went shopping together because I am jealous of her shoes. My uncle got it from Shanghai for her. I love the colors and oriental details, so envious! So I was hoping to find similar shoes and lo and behold, I got it! Tweeted about it a few days back. Hit on the link and be AMAZED! How can you not love China?! They have the best tailors there! Yep, I tailor-made my qipao in Shanghai three years back. Why I love China Reason #4 - craftsmanship is superb, which is why they can produce almost perfect imitations. Remember Grade A, Grade B, Grade C on your Louis Vuitton bags? Hehe, think about it.
Seriously, a word of advice before I take a break, China is a must visit destination before you die. No, actually if you have just a least bit of interest in China, better visit within the next few years. Otherwise, you will find yourself unable to afford anything there. Korean clothing in China is far more expensive in Shantou, a developing city in China, than in Singapore. Can you imagine what will happen in 3 years time at the very least?
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Catch me on Twitter (@adelinejoie).
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