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China 2009: Week 3
Finally, the last week or so of my visit back to Shanghai! Not photo-heavy at all, but there are one or two photos of beauteous Asia-only candy~... and a video!
06/03/09
So I suppose this is the problem of putting off recounting stuff that happens for extended periods of time. Especially when the "stuff" consists of admittedly mundane events--you forget the details and such. Mostly rested the entire day though, so even if there was some break in the monotony, it probably isn't worth mentioning.
06/04/09
Got invited by my mom's friend to go to the apparently newly renovated 黄河路/Yellow River Road for its array of restaurants and stuff. Ended up wandering more towards 南京路/Nan Jing Road and having hotpot.
One of the essentials to hotpot is the sauce. Here are four main sauces, which can also be mixed until you get the desired flavor.
Another auntie joined us and together they ordered a lot of raw ingredients to our Yin-Yang hotpot. A lot. So much that it was obvious that we wouldn't be able to finish everything, but again, the older ladies still retained that horrible, horrible misconception that "younger" people could eat more than "older" people.SRSLY WTF, DO I LOOK LIKE A STRAPPING YOUNG MAN OR SOMETHING??
The view from the window was really pretty though... granted a reprieve between bites/fishing more stuff out of the pots.
The funny thing about an eating experience with raw ingredients is that freshness is key. In China, it's really easy to distinguish freshness via color and elasticity of the ingredients. However, with some foods, the best way to ensure to the customer that the product is fresh is... well... XD I was amused.
Ate until I honestly wanted to somehow spontaneously combust, but still had room for the fried pumpkin mochi cakes which were delicious~
06/05/09
... stayed home and helped around with chores?
06/06/09
Went to see my maternal grandmother again. Talked with her for about 2 hours before going out to lunch. Had a bowl of sweet and sour soup and more mini dragon bunsand DAMMIT I'm missing the food already /sob
06/07/09
Got invited out by one of the only people I bother keeping in touch with and her mother (same aunt who accompanied Inaho and I to get glamour shots). Went to 五角场 and had hotpot there too... only difference is, the restuarant in 五角场 was really ritzy. Glass tableware, 20+ flavoring sauces in wine glasses, complementary pickled veggies and fruits, separate pots per person, and just. Really, really fancy. >_>; They even had menus which were printed on high-gloss UV paper or whatever (compare with regular hotpot restuarants which have a sheet of regular paper with the available ingredients listed into a wall of text). Didn't dare take photos though, since the ambient lighting was pretty dim, and I'd have had to use the flash to get anything decent.
The shrimp balls where amajiiiiin (they used REAL shrimp, as in freshly peeled, slightly pounded and twisted-together-to-form-a-ball-shape shrimp). And there was also spam. Spaaaaam. Served on a lovely plate, garnished with a purple dendrobium orchid, hand-spooned into the boiling pot for you by a waiter, and referred to as... har? Yar? God, I don't even remember. It was definitely SPAM though.
Got caught up with my friend, and her mother ended up insisting on buying my mom something. At first we were looking at shoes, until the aunt realised that she didn't remember what size my mother wears (I told her, possibly a 37, or a 38.... she wasn't inclined to believe me |D) So we looked into nightgowns instead. Originally I was planning on doing the purchasing, but the aunt insisted. The final decision was still mine though, but that didn't stop her from pulling out a few sheer, super lacy lingerie-type robe gowns that she insisted mother should wear and to which I negated adamantly because no, no, I can assure you that will sit in its original plastic till the end of time.
06/08/09
Went out shopping again with my grandmother for last minute things. Mostly food items, like snacks and breads. Bought a bunch of Glico fruit gummies (new design, I think?), which taste almost identical to Kasugai gummies but with possibly less distinction between the fruits.
Peach/White peach, Red & Green apples, Grape/Muscat. :D
Grape/Muscat on the left; Apples on the right. The two colors for peach weren't as distinguishable.
Bought a bunch of breads with preserved shredded meat on top and in order to smuggle it back, hid it in a cake box and carried it as a carry on. |D
06/09/09
Flight back! Watch Inkheart on the plane... liked it and contemplating dl-ing it when I find a good source for the DVDrip. Also had two seats to myself since there was very few people on that flight. Everybody ended up spreading out at will. XD Got past customs without a hitch, despite probably carrying some things I should've declared shhhh, but the joys that are having an American passport and the appearance of a freaking exhausted student prevented any mishaps from happening. :Db
AND DONE!
06/03/09
So I suppose this is the problem of putting off recounting stuff that happens for extended periods of time. Especially when the "stuff" consists of admittedly mundane events--you forget the details and such. Mostly rested the entire day though, so even if there was some break in the monotony, it probably isn't worth mentioning.
06/04/09
Got invited by my mom's friend to go to the apparently newly renovated 黄河路/Yellow River Road for its array of restaurants and stuff. Ended up wandering more towards 南京路/Nan Jing Road and having hotpot.
One of the essentials to hotpot is the sauce. Here are four main sauces, which can also be mixed until you get the desired flavor.
Another auntie joined us and together they ordered a lot of raw ingredients to our Yin-Yang hotpot. A lot. So much that it was obvious that we wouldn't be able to finish everything, but again, the older ladies still retained that horrible, horrible misconception that "younger" people could eat more than "older" people.
The view from the window was really pretty though... granted a reprieve between bites/fishing more stuff out of the pots.
The funny thing about an eating experience with raw ingredients is that freshness is key. In China, it's really easy to distinguish freshness via color and elasticity of the ingredients. However, with some foods, the best way to ensure to the customer that the product is fresh is... well... XD I was amused.
Ate until I honestly wanted to somehow spontaneously combust, but still had room for the fried pumpkin mochi cakes which were delicious~
06/05/09
... stayed home and helped around with chores?
06/06/09
Went to see my maternal grandmother again. Talked with her for about 2 hours before going out to lunch. Had a bowl of sweet and sour soup and more mini dragon buns
06/07/09
Got invited out by one of the only people I bother keeping in touch with and her mother (same aunt who accompanied Inaho and I to get glamour shots). Went to 五角场 and had hotpot there too... only difference is, the restuarant in 五角场 was really ritzy. Glass tableware, 20+ flavoring sauces in wine glasses, complementary pickled veggies and fruits, separate pots per person, and just. Really, really fancy. >_>; They even had menus which were printed on high-gloss UV paper or whatever (compare with regular hotpot restuarants which have a sheet of regular paper with the available ingredients listed into a wall of text). Didn't dare take photos though, since the ambient lighting was pretty dim, and I'd have had to use the flash to get anything decent.
The shrimp balls where amajiiiiin (they used REAL shrimp, as in freshly peeled, slightly pounded and twisted-together-to-form-a-ball-shape shrimp). And there was also spam. Spaaaaam. Served on a lovely plate, garnished with a purple dendrobium orchid, hand-spooned into the boiling pot for you by a waiter, and referred to as... har? Yar? God, I don't even remember. It was definitely SPAM though.
Got caught up with my friend, and her mother ended up insisting on buying my mom something. At first we were looking at shoes, until the aunt realised that she didn't remember what size my mother wears (I told her, possibly a 37, or a 38.... she wasn't inclined to believe me |D) So we looked into nightgowns instead. Originally I was planning on doing the purchasing, but the aunt insisted. The final decision was still mine though, but that didn't stop her from pulling out a few sheer, super lacy lingerie-type robe gowns that she insisted mother should wear and to which I negated adamantly because no, no, I can assure you that will sit in its original plastic till the end of time.
06/08/09
Went out shopping again with my grandmother for last minute things. Mostly food items, like snacks and breads. Bought a bunch of Glico fruit gummies (new design, I think?), which taste almost identical to Kasugai gummies but with possibly less distinction between the fruits.
Peach/White peach, Red & Green apples, Grape/Muscat. :D
Grape/Muscat on the left; Apples on the right. The two colors for peach weren't as distinguishable.
Bought a bunch of breads with preserved shredded meat on top and in order to smuggle it back, hid it in a cake box and carried it as a carry on. |D
06/09/09
Flight back! Watch Inkheart on the plane... liked it and contemplating dl-ing it when I find a good source for the DVDrip. Also had two seats to myself since there was very few people on that flight. Everybody ended up spreading out at will. XD Got past customs without a hitch, despite probably carrying some things I should've declared shhhh, but the joys that are having an American passport and the appearance of a freaking exhausted student prevented any mishaps from happening. :Db
AND DONE!