Chanuka and Christmas

For those who don’t know, Chanuka is the celebration of the military and cultural victory of the Jews in the land of Palestine over the Asserian occupiers, whom controlled that land following the death of Alexander the Great. As far as I know, it is the first known war for religious freedom. It also has nothing to do with Christmas, and is, in general, a minor holiday anywhere where Christmas is not present.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Everyone knows this of course. It is also a holiday which celebrates family life – hence, you are supposed to get together with your family at this time. It is also a holiday which celebrates capitalism…for without Christmas, the capitalism countries of the world would be much poorer.

Santa is every corner in China (at SGV in SND).

In the past I did not like Christmas because I did not like to celebrate Jesus or capitalism. And I have other holidays to celebrate family. I have recently changed my mind. Even though I do not view Jesus as my savior, nor do I see him as divine (at least, not any more divine than any other man), nor do I recognize him as the son of G-d (in any way different from myself and every human as the sons and daughters of G-d)…and even though I really hate how his message has been twisted and changed by religions through the ages…I realize that his life and his message are universal and are worth celebrating. Furthermore, Capitalism is what brings my customer's money which they can then spend on me. So Capitalism is also worth celebrating.Hence, we attended a Christmas party with a bunch of American Expats last night.

Here is how it went. We got “Autie Gu” (our domestic helper / babysitter) to babysit Akiva after he went to sleep last night. We taxied over to the party on the far other side of town. There were a bunch of GMs of companies and their wives. They all lead very different lives from Haga and I because they have more money and they are more separated from the Chinese culture around them (several been in China for years and still don’t speak any Chinese). They were really nice people though. I didn’t have much to talk about though because they were interested in talking about football and their past Christmas experiences…and I really can’t talk about any of this stuff.

A self portrait of drunken couple after Christmas Eve party

So I got drunk drinking fine whisky. Haga drank a little and got red faced so she looks more drunk than me. About the time I’m nice and happy drunk, we needed to go home. The next day was the first day of Chanuka. Haga made delicious potato latkes.

We lit the candles.

Microwave Cake for Holidays

The first day of Chanukah is 25th of December. I want to make a cake but I don't have an oven. One of Japanese friend gave me a microwave container for cake. All I need is put two eggs, flower and a bit of milk and oil into blender and mix them and pour into the container and microwave for 5 minutes. I put some chocolates. It came out like steamed bread. I don't want to make it again. Jesse said it sucked. We need to buy an oven/toaster.

Akiva at Baby Group

Bullfighter Buffet

We went to Bullfighter Stake House for all you can eat salad bar. All main dishes stake, beef stew, or noodle, come with a salad bar including coffee, fruit drinks, cakes, and ice creams.
A week after I moved from the State, Jesse took me there. I didn’t like their food. I thought salad bar was too Chinese, jelly fish, five spices beef, and dry tofu salad. I also thought their desserts were for diabetics. Their ice creams were not rich enough, taste like none fat and low sugar ice cream. I didn’t taste any sweet on their chocolate cake. Now days I like to go there. Chinese salads are not bad. I don’t taste cream cheese, but their cheese cake is OK. I like their dog biscuit like cookies. At least I can have fresh green salad for RMB39 (5 dollars). By the way, no matter what kind of ice creams, Jesse has to pill it like Mt. Everest.

Bullfighter Stake House
111 Shishang Road, SND
or 92 Business Street, SIP

Battle of Breakfast -Part 2- northern breakfast

In 1991, when I was an exchange student at Beijing University, there was street food stands in every corners. My favorite was jian-bing-guo-zi stands at the south gate. Jain-bing-guo-zi is like a Northern Chinese burrito, egg, none-sweet doughnut, some cilantro rolled by crape. You can make it spicy or not. I ate it everyday as snack. I quickly gained a lot of weigh. Years and years after, I am in China and eating my favorite Chinese snack jian-bing-guo-zi. In Suzhou, it is hardly find a good Northern food. Suzhou people tend to dislike Beijing food.
One morning a jiang-bing-guo-zi stand was a corner of my apartment. I was very excited. It is hard to find a Northern Chinese food in Suzhou because Suzhou people don’t like salty food. In addition to that, there is less and less food stand nowadays, because government is trying to control tax or sanitation.
Jiang-bing-guo-zi tastes exactly the same as back then, but as I remember you tiao (doughnut) was soft not thin crunchy. Jesse thinks it was crunchy. I have to confirm with Josh and Ingrid, our good friends from Beijing. One jiang-bing-guo-zi is RMB1.5 yuan. Back then it was like RMB0.2 mao. I think world wrapps franchise in the state should add jiang-bing-guo-zi to their menu.

Battle of Breakfast -Part 1- a new comer

We have five different breakfast places in 3 minutes walking distance from our apartment. 1) The Chinese family restaurant which sells breakfast in the morning, rice pouch, youtiao (Chinese donuts but not sweet), buns and soymilk. 2) In the vege market, there is a bun shop, we call a big boob girl’s bun shop (Jesse will describe her later). They sell only buns and soymilk from morning till night. 3) The corner of vege market, there is Chinese flat pancake shop sells a sliced potato inside of crape, one thousand layer crape, soba and corn flower buns with delicious soymilk and tofu drink (I am totally addicted their soy products). 4) And one more place sells Jian bin guo zi run by young either couple or brother and sister. Jian bin guo zi is a Northern Chinese breakfast, you tiao (Chinese non sweet donut), egg, some pickles inside of crape. We support them because I think they came out from country side in North and dream about opening own restaurant. Currently they use a part of wall in a whole restaurant in the morning to sell jian bin guo zi.5) A street vender sells sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf. He will disappear after 8 am.Yesterday a new Chinese bun shop opens where was used to be a pilot movie store. The store owner lady moved the movie store to a Japanese bar street and opened the bun shop and a flower shop there. The bun shop is a franchise and has an OK reputation. There was a long line yesterday and all buns were sold out before 9 a.m. Today we went there 8 a.m. if there is any left. They have at least fifteen different buns on menu, several porks and veges, sweet black bean, daikon, and seafood etc. Today we were able to buy four kinds, pork, Chinese cabbage, daikon, and sweet black bean . Their buns are bigger than other breakfast shops. I thought taste is OK but nothing special (I had better buns in Shiquan street in Suzhou or a famous Tianshang buns in Shanghai). But bigger size and variations may attract some people. We need to go back there again and try more different buns.