following an unknown path

pompoms and favor bags

Mom and I spent some time this week working on wedding stuff.

First, we started making things to hang at the wedding.

We will be hanging these tissue paper pompoms both in the tree and in the reception hall.  Have I mentioned we are having an outdoor wedding and are getting married under this great big, 200 year old tree:

I've always dreamed of an outdoor wedding.  As a side note, I always told my family that I'd get married barefoot in someone's backyard--it almost happened till mom found the inn.  And, well, I'm going to wear sandals because Lawrance thinks it's safer.

Back to the pompoms.  Mine will be orange, teal, pink, and yellow.  We also have some pomanders made out of several different colors of gerberas to hang from the tree.  Mom made those.

We also bagged candy that Lawrance and I picked out in Taiwan.  Traditionally in Taiwan, a bride and groom will stand at "the exit door" to thank all the guests for coming to their wedding.  This also ensures that everyone at the wedding has one more chance to congratulate the new couple. 

They stand at the door with their parents and pass out candy and cigarettes.  I'm not sure what the cigarettes symbolize; however, I do know about the candy.  :)  The giving of candy at the wedding symbolizes the guests sharing in the sweetness of the new marriage.  Or that the guests wish a sweet life on the new couple. 

Lawrance also told me that in Taiwanese the word for "candy" sounds like "di di" which means "little brother."  So, by taking the candy the guests are also wishing the couple has a son very soon.

One aspect of the candy is that I've been told to take the candy in even multiples.  In other words, never take just one piece.  Taking two pieces is important because you want the two of them to stay married forever. 

So, . . . Lawrance and I got some of the traditional wedding candy and also some other fun Taiwanese candy we thought Americans would like.  We aren't going to stand at the exit door at our American wedding, but we will give out the candy in little bags with an explanation of its cultural significance as our American wedding favors.  The little bags look so cute and make me very happy.

frozen delights (simply taiwan 3)

There were many times I told my cousins "you've not really been to Taiwan if you haven't ________."  And, one of those "fill in the blanks" was "eaten cuo-bing" (剉冰, shaved ice).

Cuo-bing is a wonderful Taiwanese delight!!  Cuo-bing is shaved ice topped with yummy stuff.  I like it topped with either fruit or an assortment of chewy things.  And, traditionally it is topped with things like peanuts, beans, sweet potatoes, or taro pieces.  In addition to these yummy things, a sweet syrup water is poured onto the ice and sometimes sweet condensed milk is also added.

The above photo was taken at a self-serve cuo-bing shop at a night market.  You fill up the bowl, they weigh it, and then top it with ice and the brown sugar water.

Here are some fruit topped bings I've enjoyed:



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Here are some of my students enjoying a great big bowl of fruit bing:



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This one is a more traditional bing one of my friends enjoyed--it is topped with green beans, herbal jelly, and peanuts:



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These girls are enjoying ice covered with green beans.  Yeah, I prefer mango too. ;)



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There are many kinds and types of cuo-bing. And . . . they are so YUMMY!!!!

birthday cakes galore!

One of the benefits of having 8 hours of class on my birthday is that over 140 people sang happy birthday to me!

And . . . three of my classes surprised me with cakes!!

The first class actually used another student from another class to tell me they were in an assembly in another building, and our class would be canceled and I was free to go home.  I walked by their classroom before my class and it really was empty (little did I know they were hidding in the stairwell).  I debated for a moment whether to trust them or not.  I decided they were trustworthy.

I sent a text to one of the students and told her what I expected them to have completed by our next class.  But, about 5 min into class time the three guys in the class came into my office and told me the assembly was over and they were ready for class.  So, we all went back to the classroom.  I was thinking about how amazing these kids were since they were willing to have class even though they actually had a free pass for the final hour of the day. 

When we walked into the classroom, there was a party going on. :)  (Can you see the numbers on the cake?  That's right . . . 18!!!)



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They had transformed the chalkboard into a giant birthday card.



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Another class came back from the break during the second hour of class with a cake . . . and so we had a party too! :)



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Even though my last class wasn't over till 9:00 and I didn't get home till after 9:30, some special friends were waiting for at my neighbor's home with pizza and cake to celebrate with me.  I don't have picture of that cake, but here I am with my neighbor and her daughters. (I don't know if you can tell, but to me, I look SO TIRED.)



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Then the following day, 15 minutes into class, some of the "absent students" came in carrying a cake and singing "Happy Birthday!"  First thing one of them told me after singing was "you can't count me tardy" (apparently, I'm known for being strict about that.)



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Then later during the week of my birthday, a dear friend, Anna, stopped by with a beautiful little cake to help me celebrate my birthday.  She had seen my blog on Monday and thought I needed some cheering up--isn't that so sweet!!



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So, if I had to be in school all day on my birthday, it was nice being surprised so many times! :)  And, I also appreciate the others who through out the week made me feel special too. :)
 

happy chinese new year!!!

Happy Year of the Rat!! 

This photo above was taken at the day market on the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve a few years ago. During the Chinese New Year time, every store sets out candy and every home has a tray of candy set out for guests.

Perhaps it is to wish friends and neighbors a sweet year--that's just a random guess on my part. :)

(I'll try to share some more Chinese New Year traditions with you next week.)

Here are some more photos of Chinese New Year candy for sale.  Some are in the shape of firecrackers, some in the shape of an ancient weight for currency, and some look like Chinese lanterns.

blessing fruits (updated)

At Chinese New Year, everything is a little more festive--including the fruits that have "blessing" values assigned to them.

I forget which blessings pineapples and oranges are supposed to bring.  Perhaps wealth--anyone know for sure?

UPDATE: In the comments, Lawrance, answers my question.  I put his reply here to make the answer more accessible to others.  Thanks for clearing up my vauge impression, Lawrance.

Pineapple means prosperous because of it sounds like "prosperity come"(旺來：旺--prosperity，來--come) in Taiwanese.

Orange means auspiciousness because of it sounds like 吉子 in Mandarin.(吉：auspiciousness，子--children). Parents hope gods can bless their children with auspiciousness.

secret ingredient in sweet and sour chicken

Remember the neighbor-friend that I'm swapping cooking lessons with? 

Well, last week she taught me how to make sweet and sour chicken.  Wanna know what the secret ingredient is?

That's right: KETCHUP!!! This is what makes it sour!

Oh!  It was so yummy too.

So, if your in the neighborhood, stop by and I can try out my new Chinese cooking abilities on you. Just give me a little heads up, so I can head on over to the grocery store for some ketchup first.  :)

eating at a department store

Department store food court food in Taiwan is actually quite good. 

I had this for dinner one day last week when I was starving.  It is a fried chicken breast served with a tomato rice omelet and curry.  It also came with corn soup (aka thick egg drop soup), steamed egg (with mushrooms, fish balls, and chicken broth inside for flavor), salad (shredded-cabbage based), and some herbal jelly soup.

And, to make it even better . . . this yummy meal only cost me about five US dollars.  Sweet huh?

a new favorite

When I babysat for a missionary family awhile back, the mom made oatmeal casserole.  It was the first time I've ever tried such a thing.  You eat it warm, but pour milk over it kinda like cereal.  I am an oatmeal lover, so this new twist to an old favorite was a welcome treat.

I decided to make it for my own weekend-before Christmas guests who were spending the night.  Like many casseroles, you can put it all together the night before, leave it in the fridge and just pop it into the oven the next morning.

Here's what I did:

1/3 cup butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup raisins
2 small apples, chopped skin on
1/3 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans
1 cup plus 2 TBSP. milk

3 cups quick-cooking oats

Grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish (I don't have a casserole dish, so I just used a cake pan). Preheat the oven to 177C or 350F.

Drop in the eggs and beat them slightly. Add the brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well, and make sure there are no brown sugar lumps. Whisk in the melted butter and the milk. Stir in the oats.  Stir in the optional raisins, apples, and nuts (although optional, these make it oh so scrumptious).

Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes. The top should be starting to brown. Remove from oven. Spoon into bowls and pour milk over the top.

I just mixed everything right there in the casserole dish.  This fed six of us, even with going back for seconds.  I also happen to know that it is good warmed up in the microwave the following day.

Next time, I am going to experiment with using Splenda instead of the brown sugar, I know it will give it a slightly different taste, but that'd be ok. 

Also, the original receipe I followed was slightly different.  One difference is that it called for 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder; I didn't have that so I left it out.  I didn't miss it, but you might.

yummy

This was yummy. It only cost $1.50.  No other commentary needed. :)

hot pot just gets better

Pumpkin hot pot used to be my favorite.  But, I think I might have just found one that is even better. 

At A Guan, a restaurant near my apartment, they allow you to have two kinds of soup for boiling your food in by providing a split pot.  I chose coconut milk and curry.  The curry soup base was so wonderful I didn't even need the hot pot dipping sauce that I love so much.

This was also my first time to have chicken hot pot.  I usually choose beef or pork.  The chicken at this place was wonderful . . . I'd choose it again in a heartbeat. 

Anyone wanna come join me for hot pot this weekend?  I'd be happy to go again!

i need help (cream of mushroom help)

What's a girl to do when the recipe calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup . . . but she can't find any?

Can she easily make her own alternative?  How?  Any ideas on what can be used instead?  It's for a casserole I want to make.

Or, alternatively, anyone in Taiwan know where that same girl could actually find cans of cream of mushroom soup in Taiwan?   Do they carry it at Costco?

green tea latte

I never had the chance to try Starbucks' Red Bean Frappuccino (Stacy, did you ever actually try it?), but I did try their "new" Green Tea Latte.

Now, I love green tea.  And I really love anything with mauh-cha (green tea powder) in it--ice cream, Kit-Kats, cheese cake, donuts.  And, I've even had a similar green tea drink at a local restaurant.

But this drink from Starbucks?  Not worth it.  It was ok, but just barely ok.  I'll stick to coffee from Starbucks, and green tea greatness from the local tea places.

When you go to places like Starbucks, do you venture out and try their "new" drinks or do you stick to your favorite standbys?

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or 中秋節 in Chinese, is the second largest holiday in Taiwan.  It is a harvest celebration and occurs when the moon is her biggest.  So, this year that is today, September 25th.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a national holiday in Taiwan.  So, that is why we had the four-day weekend.  However, Monday's work and classes will have to be made up this Saturday since Monday was not a national holiday.

To celebrate the Moon Festival, people share and eat mooncakes, BBQ with friends and family, and eat pomelos. 

Mooncakes are traditionally round Chinese pastries about the size of a biscuit.  (But, they taste nothing like a biscuit!) The outside is either flaky or soft, and then the middle is filled with  . . .well, a filling.  Fillings can range from a salted egg yoke to red bean to taro to green tea. 

Here are some of the mooncakes I was given last year:

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And there here are some other pics of typical mooncakes by flickrites who've given permission to use their photos:

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Another relatively new part of the Moon Festival celebration is to BBQ with friends and family.  BBQ here is quite different than in the States.  Namely--it is done on a much smaller grill and everyone is involved the whole time.  Another major difference would be the food items on the grill. :) (Can you tell what's on the foil in the first pic below?) 

Here are some photos from 2004's Mid-Autumn Festival BBQs with students.

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Pomelos--a grapefruit-like fruit--are also part of Mid-Autumn Festival.  Of course, you eat them, but you can also wear them on your head like a hat!

Happy Moon Festival!!

Photo Credits: 1. Pandan Mooncake, 2. Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake, 3. Snow skin red bean mooncake, 4. 中秋月餅 山水楼 小淵沢, 5. Mooncakes = Yum!, 6. 基隆詠盛餅店蛋黃酥 Yolk Moon Cake1. POMELO FRUIT, 2. Pomelo

little changes

I shocked myself this week when I drank American Kool Aid for the first time in perhaps 2 years.  I found some that I'd kept in my freezer and decided to whip up a batch.  When I first got to Taiwan, I drank Kool Aid all the time as a comfort drink.  Tiny packages make for easy transport over the ocean, and the dividends are huge.

It called for 1 cup of sugar--I added less than a 1/4 cup of Splenda.  I already knew to add less "sugar" for my new Asianesque tastebuds.  However, I was not prepared for the explosion of overpowering sweet cherry that was about to pour over my taste buds. 

Wow!  That's some strong stuff!  I seriously was overwhelmed by black cherry Kool Aid.  I watered it down--1 part kool aid and 3 parts water--and enjoyed it much, much better.

Who'd a thunk it?

pizza delivery

Q: So . . . how does pizza get delivered in Taiwan? 

A: By moped.

And, cuz my mom asked before, here is how I get pizza home when I order take out.

seafood pizza

Did you know that there are actually multiple kinds of "seafood pizza"?

Yes, yes, that's right . . . you can choose between:

1. Surf and Turf,
2. Shrimp Delight,
3. (Just Plain) Seafood,
4. Seafood Jungle,
5. Lobster Abalone Cheesy Lava 3, or
6. French Style Seafood.

When some of my students came to my house for an end of the year/graduation party, they ordered pizza.  They had three different kinds of the above seafood pizzas and Black Pepper Beef pizza (the above picture).

And, once, I ordered a Shrimp Delight for my own dinning pleasure.  It was so momentous an occasion--that I choose to order a seafood pizza by myself--that I deemed the occasion picture-worthy (see below). :)

Don't knock till you try it!!

So, exactly how many kinds of seafood pizza have YOU tried lately?

taiwan hearts FOOD

When I asked some teachers this summer in a week long English camp to list the top ten things to do while in Taiwan they listed number one as "eat" and number two as "eat some more." 

When I asked my kid brother what I should make sure to take our cousins to do and see, the first 75% of his list was all about food!!

When I show my students a picture of an armadillo, the very first question they all ask is either "how do you cook it?" or "does it taste good?"

Anyone who has been to Taiwan knows that Taiwanese people LOVE food. 

Every city, every county, every village has a food that it is famous for.  And, please do not return back to your hometown and tell people you didn't try the famous foods of the place you just visited.  This is a major faux pas. 

Oh, and instead of bringing back "My grandma went to LA and I all got was this t-shirt" gifts, all you have to do in Taiwan is bring back a box or bag of famous snacks from the town you visited and everyone will be happy.

Yes, it is true, the Taiwanese LOVE food.

When Sandy posted a youtube video on stinky tofu, I just had to go check it out.  I was pleased to find that there are actually a total of six videos on (bizarre) foods in Taiwan.

Part 1: Stinky Tofu
Part 2: ShrLing Night Market
Part 3: Herbal Foods
Part 4: A Food Court in 101
Part 5: Foods from Tea
Part 6: Aboriginal Foods

If you wanna know more about Taiwan, you can learn quite a bit (not just about food) through this Travel Channel show broken into 6 parts.  But, if you only have time for one . . . you gotta watch the first one on stinky tofu--THE national food of Taiwan--that "stinks even worse than it sounds." :D

But, my two "gripes" with this show are (1) he never leaves Taipei County and (2) they are mostly all unusual foods (not the things we eat on a daily basis). :)  But, the name of the show is "Bizarre Foods: Taiwan" so number 2 makes sense.  Oh, and he never tried the 1,000 year old egg that was on his plate. . . he is weak I tell you, weak.

All kidding aside, I would love for someone to make a show of this quality about the GREAT, unique foods ALL of Taiwan has to offer.  I would buy a copy of that DVD for sure!!

What's the most bizarre thing you've ever eaten?

the most awesome virtual recipe box ever

My officemate and good friend, Kady, jokingly calls me "google girl" because I love google and all their cool gidgets and gadgets that make life online easier.  I know google has it's drawbacks, and they probably know more about me that I know about me, but still you have to admit . . . This is just too cool!

What is this?  It is Google's virtual recipe box (still in beta).

When you choose something from the pull down menus (which are actually checklists), the listings below instantly change to meet your criteria.  How cool is that!?! 

The pull down menus available to you and the options inside them also change according to what you have checked in the other pull down menus. 

You can even choose "grid view" and see the photos associated with the recipes (of course sometimes that might mean a picture of grandma, but I am sure she is the cook). 

You can sort by a myriad of options so that the listing (or grid) falls into line in the way that best fits your needs.

Clicking on a recipe could take you to either a website hosting the info or a special "google base" page dedicated to that specific item.

Speaking of "Google Base," the virtual recipe box is actually just a small part of the larger "Google Base," which is way bigger (and just a tiny bit scary):

Google's goal is to organize the world's information, and that includes almost anything you might want to contribute, whether it's your store inventory, collection of original poetry, or research paper on cancer receptors. You can submit your information using either the standard web form or, if you have more than 10 items to submit, via our bulk upload options.

Wow.  Just wow.  Google (the noun) is giving all new meaning to google (the verb).

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Don't forget you can still vote for amanda. hint. hint. :)

i am craving . . .

TACOS!!!

Specifically . . .  beef tacos with gobs of melting cheese and lettuce and a few, finely chopped tomatoes.   Other fixings, nice but not necessary.

Soft?  Crunchy? Doesn't matter. 

Taco Bell?  ok. 
Taco Cabana? ok!
Little hole in the wall place my family goes to? OK!!

It doesn't matter . . . I just am really, really, really craving TACOS!!!!

(Photo Credit: pictures of yummy tacos are thanks to fllickr photographers using the creative common licenses: 1, 2, 3, 4.)

a fave Taiwanese sweet treat

This is 花生豆花 or "hwa shung dou hwa" or Peanut DouHwa or Peanut Tofu Pudding.

Whatever you wanna call it, this is my second favorite Taiwanese sweet treat (first place is chawbing or shaved ice).

It is a soy bean based pudding topped with brown sugar water and peanuts.  Yummy!!

A small cup (this one) costs 20 NT or about 60 US cents.

 

Theme: Sweet | See More Sweet Stuff

i do weird things

Yeah, that's right . . . you stick the whole head in your mouth, bite down, and chew. :)

I love shrimp.  And constantly having fresh shrimp from living on an island has spoiled me to no end, but I learned last night a new way to eat shrimp.  It is possible, if the shrimp has been deep fried to consume the whole creature--eyeballs, legs, shell and all! 

And you know what?  It is quite delicious that way! :)