Going dark for a few days...nobody panic. I'm heading to Datong this weekend to see the caves and the hanging monastery. Tonight I take my first night train in China (and I'm not talking about fortified wine).
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Last night we went to dinner with some of my professors from Purdue who happened to be Beijing for some sort of conference, some Chinese Purdue graduate students, and some new Chinese friends. The restaurant was very nice but there were a few problems. For example, I was seated all the way at the end of the table making it very difficult for me to get enough to eat. In China all dishes are put in the middle of the table and people pick out the food they want directly from the platter with their chopsticks. Perhaps not the most sanitary custom but I haven't gotten sick yet. A small plate is provided to spit out bones, wraps, or to put a few pieces of food on but this is generally no larger than a large saucer. As a result of being at the end of the table only a few dishes were accessible to me and I had to ask to be passed several dishes that contained meat. Then again I didn't end up paying for it so who am I to complain. Overall it was a really positive experience and I have pictures that I'll post as soon as I get the opportunity.
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So Jen and I bought this bottle of Chinese rice wine that we really haven't touched. The stuff is rough. My chinese friend Jim took a big swig of it and I did the same. Tastes like someone put a few shots of pure grain alcohol into a bottle of sake. I checked the label and it's 80 proof...ugh.... Last night at dinner we did actually end up with a nice bottle of Tibetan wine. Very delicate without much of a bite. The stuff was excellent and was what we would think of as wine in the United States and Europe. A lot time when you order wine here you end up with something made from fruit that slightly resembles port or brandy.
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Last night we went to dinner with some of my professors from Purdue who happened to be Beijing for some sort of conference, some Chinese Purdue graduate students, and some new Chinese friends. The restaurant was very nice but there were a few problems. For example, I was seated all the way at the end of the table making it very difficult for me to get enough to eat. In China all dishes are put in the middle of the table and people pick out the food they want directly from the platter with their chopsticks. Perhaps not the most sanitary custom but I haven't gotten sick yet. A small plate is provided to spit out bones, wraps, or to put a few pieces of food on but this is generally no larger than a large saucer. As a result of being at the end of the table only a few dishes were accessible to me and I had to ask to be passed several dishes that contained meat. Then again I didn't end up paying for it so who am I to complain. Overall it was a really positive experience and I have pictures that I'll post as soon as I get the opportunity.
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So Jen and I bought this bottle of Chinese rice wine that we really haven't touched. The stuff is rough. My chinese friend Jim took a big swig of it and I did the same. Tastes like someone put a few shots of pure grain alcohol into a bottle of sake. I checked the label and it's 80 proof...ugh.... Last night at dinner we did actually end up with a nice bottle of Tibetan wine. Very delicate without much of a bite. The stuff was excellent and was what we would think of as wine in the United States and Europe. A lot time when you order wine here you end up with something made from fruit that slightly resembles port or brandy.
