Hoornament

Hoornament
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

dollymama's (Why the apostrophe? I don't know) by Joey for Silverstri was sent to me in London from Jenny in Seattle via Joan in Vancouver. Isn't she grand? Any resemplance to anyone you might know is purely accidental.

Best place for a cup of cha: Japan?

If you ask, "Tea or coffee?" I will usually take coffee... (double macchiato if available), but that's because I don't make it better at home. In the last while, I have discovered more and more of the pleasures of tea (divorced from any socio-cultural interest in the ceremonies of tea preparation, drinking rituals or artistic appreciation of its utensils). I have long loved the bitter taste of matcha, but in Korea, I discovered ginseng tea, honeyed jujube tea, pumpkin tea, cold persimmon and cinnamon tea. In China, I found jasmin tea to be a thousand times more fragrant and delicious than what passes for jasmin in Vancouver's Chinatown. In Taiwan, high mountain Oolong was fantastic... And in Vancouver, my friends all recommend Creamy Earl Grey from Kerrisdale's Secret Garden teahouse. (Although regarding Earl Grey and Jasmin, my favorite way to injest those flavors is through truffles from Hong Kong's hotel famous for British high tea, the Penninsula!

Anyway, just back from Paris, I have added a couple more tea tastes to my cupboard from Mariage Freres. Wow! The Mariage Frere is like a Parisian cross between high tea at the Penninsula and lunch at Ten Ren tea company's Cha for tea in Taipei! But if you want to live somewhere where you can easily stock both Ten Ren and Mariage Frere, you'd better move to Tokyo, Yokohama or Tokyo (or live in Paris and order your Oolong online as I doubt the Mariage Frere version is as good as the Taipei variety).

Dangerous Foods

Oh la la! I forgot to tell you about the most tremendous taste experience in Paris- my friend's sister's husband's dad's Christmas dessert! , FIREY HOT PEARS (It was certainly NOT Poire Belle Helene!) Anyway, I had to remember the taste, so I found a recipe on the Internet... I think you should add a little more chilli to this if you try! It is definately even more tongue tingling than the chilli chocolate ice cream in Vancouver's La Casa Gelato.

Chilli Poached Pears

Ingredients

• 720ml/24fl.oz. Red Wine (not too full bodied)
• 450g/1lb White Sugar
• 1 Red Chilli, halved and deseeded
• 5cm/2-inches fresh Root Ginger, sliced
• 3 Whole Star Anise
• 2 Cardamom Pods, cracked
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 4 Pears, peeled

Instructions

1. Place the wine, sugar, chilli, ginger, star anise, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick, in a saucepan, bring to the boil stirring then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Add the pears to the saucepan liquid and continue to simmer very gently 15 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat, leave it to cool then refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To serve - slice the pears in half and remove the cores. Very good served with a refreshing sorbet.

Keep a close watch..

Waiting for a taxi
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

... for your taxi! They start their meters as soon as they arrive whether you are in the car or not. Unfortunately, I am not an experienced Eurostar traveler and I, uh, mistakenly thought my arrival time in Waterloo was the departure time from Gare du Nord. (Even more regrettably, it was on the last train to London). Luckily, the station attendant took pity on me and stamped my ticket so I could actually get on a train the next morning with my non-refundable, non-exchangeable ticket without shelling out another hefty Eurostar sum. But I did shell out for taxis as I ended up going back and forth between this balcony and the station 3 times.

Postcard from Paris

Postcard from Paris
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Look Mom! It's me in front of the Notre Dame.

Festive Dinner Decorations

Festive Dinner Decorations
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

A most gorgeously red and festive room and table in a lovely Bastille apartment festooned with metallic garlands, paisleys, candles, red Christmas lights, red wine glasses and other red and gold twinkly glass items...

We were so pleased to find that we could also decorate ourselves! (Our most gracious host also was decorated with little crystals forming beauty marks in strategic places on her face--near eyes and cheekbone).

Borgeois Bohemianism

Borgeois Bohemianism
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Sol introduced me to this concept: I am not saying she embodies it! She, dressed as the Queen of Christmas Cheer (and the rest of us), are on the way to witness this concept in its gypsy-ish realization.

Glogg

Christmas Eve @ Omaya's
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

We were all feeling pretty calm and spacy this Christmas Eve @ Omaya's! It was the wonderful GLOGG that got us I think! Probably the best mulled wine I have ever tasted... I searched the kitchen and caught a glimpse of the bottle... NOt sure, but I think it was this one! Click the link and it might be the 3rd bottle from the right in the bottom row of the 5th picture down. If I ever go to Sweden...

Chairperson -Paris Metro Chair Club

chairperson -Paris Metro Chair Club
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

When traveling by metro in Paris with the CHAIRperson of the PMCC (see title), it seems ironic when the doors open at the station named Pere La CHAISE!

Later that Christmas Eve, we saw yet another group of metro-riding people with chair in tow. Unofficial members?

Meeting of PMCC members

PMCC2
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

This photo was taken by the chairperson of the newly formed Paris Metro Chair Club. Although not actually IN the Metro, these chairs were found sitting randomly within the courtyard of ????

A typical afternoon in Paris (?) with patners in rabble-rousing.

Tired feet in salsa heaven

Lovely Rianna in the Taipei-Hsinchu Salsa Yahoo group wrote in that salsa digest today:

How you doing girl with all those men to dance with you must be tired out to the max. You are in Salsa heaven Honey!

I had to tell her that I have actually gone more than a week without dancing!!! The salsa heaven thing refers to the fact that on Mondays at the ultra-popular Bar Salsa, there are actually more women than men at the lessons... and afterwards. The thing is, after Bar Salsa, I discovered Sundays with Leon Rose and the SO salsa team... And then I got introduced to Lee and his classes on Wednesdays at Bar Cuba...

Now when a salsa-dancing friend asks if I want to go dancing (on top of those three nights), I have to admit, I'd prefer to have a quieter night. After my school assignments are written, then maybe I'll be ready to try a few more. At the top of the list are the Fridays at Ealing Town Hall (my Tuesdays and Thursdays are taken up with classes, and it seems Saturday is an off night in London... although there are plenty more venues for Mondays and Wednesdays).

Blogthings

After reading cloudwalker's blog, I saw that he had a blogthing stating that he was Chinese food... er... OK. So, of course I had to know what kind of food I would be... and what animal I was in a past life (since according to my mom's crystal-toting "phsychic" friend, I have had many).

You Are Japanese Food

Strange yet delicious. Contrary to popular belief, you're not always eaten raw.

What Kind of Food Are You?

No, you will often also find me half-baked...

You Were a Praying Mantis

You have the still power of a legendary warrior. You are able to manipulate time - or at least, the perception of it.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

Great! Nice to consider that I was also one of those creatures likely to bite my partner's head off moments after mating.

Skating at Hampton Court Palace

Skating at Hampton Court Palace
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

My first rail jouney since moving to London... Shannon (classmate) and I walked over the bridge from Hampton Court station and were met by the most magical sight: Who could imagine such a cruel king as Henry VIII could have living in this fairy castle. The fortress was outlined against the sky not as a silhouette, but like a forest on fire, glowing against the darker sky. The ice shone white against that and was ringed with lights and bordered by a merry-go round spinning at top speed. We couldn't wait to get on the ice (after the more pressing need to find a washroom was satisfied).

Merry-go-round

Merry-go-round
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Spinning quickly... spinning out-of-control... Is it better to stand back and watch? It was so fast as to feel unsafe for kids. I wanted on!

Eid: Bangladesh to Britain

All dolled up for Eid
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Far right is my landlady's sister. She and all the others were born here in London (as far as I know), but "home" is Bangladesh even for those who have never been! Eid is a time to celebrate the ending of Ramadan and feast all day, but also to show off all your most recently purchased finery (whether it be from "back home" or from the markets in Southall, London).

The Naked Lady Party

The Naked Lady Party
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Kim, fashion design student and friend of Sarah held a party for her women friends to try a clothing swap... get rid of those unworn things and take home something new. I took home only two items, one I have worn and I felt like someone else for the day. It was fun and I was complimented on my attire; the other I haven't had the courage to try yet.

Getting reacquainted

Sarah tries on a new vest
Originally uploaded by zanmei east west.

Ok, so I haven't been writing in my blog, but I am still alive and am settling into London life: getting reaquainted with London (not that I really knew it before), student life, and long lost friends. The picture you see is of Sarah trying on a vest at the "Naked Lady" party (see next entry). I have her to thank for a painless resettlement. (What would I have done without her gift of the A-Z of London and her reassuring text messages?) She was my undergraduate housemate for a year and amazingly, after about 13 years of barely-there-contact, we are back in touch and it's like no time has passed... except for that it has. Luckily, renewing friendship has been easier than readjusting to student life. Sarah and I have actually traveled in different directions that have brought us closer to the same destination that we were in Vancouver. How great it is to have such a friend actually living in the same country after so many years of (not only long distance loves), but long distance friendships. But it brings me to a question. Are there some people with whom it is easier to have a closer friendship the further away you live?