Maolan steam cakes

In celebration of Easter which isn't until April 24 this year apparently, not like I would know by the candy sales at Target here. I mean, there isn't Target here, I don't actually mean that sarcastically... anyway - in pre-celebration of Easter, and actually mostly just in celebration of the weekend, I decided that I would head over to Maolan and conduct a small baking experiment! When I returned to the States in February, I made sure that I brought back the Wilton silicon baking cups that I bought from Sur La Table last year. Baking is a passion of mine and I wanted to make sure that I made it possible in China. With the cute cups, I also bought matching Easter egg with chicks cupcake papers. See:

Ah! But I'm getting ahead of myself, letting you see the finished product before I even show you my equipment. Surely you're wondering how I plan on baking muffins in China with no oven... I contemplated it for a while before my eyes fell upon this.

Ta da! The rice cooker, prominent in almost every Chinese household, Lucas, Casey and Chenyuan's house was no different. Sitting in the corner of the kitchen would be my oven for the day. I came prepared, not only with cups, papers, but a mix. A just add milk mix that I would never have touched in America.. but feel so blessed that I have in China!

After a quick pour of milk, I whipped the mix gently before I  dolloped tiny portions into the cups. 

 

 Would this turn out to be delicious or a hot mess? With fingers crossed, I tossed three experimental ones into the rice cooker.

 

Sssss! The steaming of the rice cooker sizzled as I lifted up the top. I couldn't resist! I had to seeeeee! Success.  Behold! Nommy blueberry American muffins. Just in time for Easter colors. 

The Biggie

I steamed with 1/3 of a cup of water at the bottom of the pan - I wasn't sure how the heat would travel through the rice cooker without the help of a little bit of moisture. Ten minutes later - another batch came out! I made a total of four batches of tiny mini steam cakes. Nothing tastes better than success on the first try. Except, perhaps repeated success... I have chocolate chip muffins - to which I will add some bananas, next time. For those of you coming to China with hopes of eating delicious baked goodies, there's hope for you yet!

The minis

*These muffins have received the Alex Casey Jones stamp of approval!

China's trashcan

When in doubt, throw it out the window.

Bus Station STRIKE!

Unlike it's big brothers and sisters, Beijing and Shanghai, Yunxian, a low low level city apparently has no problem allowing its bus drivers to go on strike. Strike? I don't know the process here but, there weren't any police batons out or people crowding around in dissent.

People can strike in rural China. It's true. Bus drivers sat in plastic chairs in the bus station depot, smoking, eating and pointing pointedly to the signs they had made to post on the buses. Regular civilians like yours truly milled around the bus station, taking, strangely, the only two routes still in operation. I think it's because my town is so rural that if there were no buses, people would go crazy. Thanks, Terror (my favorite bus driver, photo to come soon) for still operating bus lines!

Interesting signs right? Unfortunately, I can't... quite make it all out.

Sorry. Illiterate. BUT, I did take photos so that you can see what I see, and perhaps even translate? I figure, you know it must be shady if even the Chinese people are protesting.

THESE are not my kids

I wish my kids had it together like these kids in Japan. If they can do this:



Imagine what their performance is like in the classroom!

Hpnotiq: turning heads and breaking necks?

I don't know if you're old enough to remember Hyp and Hen - a classic gangsta drink mentioned in the early 2000s. That was my first introduction to Hpnotiq. My second came in the form of my mother. She had just been off traveling somewhere, stopped into Duty Free and was hypnotized into buying this beautiful blue bottle. Imagine her chagrin when I revealed to her the social context by which Hpnotiq in its beautiful opaque smokey bottle was being consumed. She removed the bottle of Hypnotiq from atop my upright piano and stored it away for ever. I haven't thought of Hpnotiq since, until this weekend.

Thanks, Greg for being so socially aware as to bring Hpnotiq BACK into my consciousness. Ya'll. It's a girl's drink now. No more mixing it with Hennessy. It's LADIES' NIGHT.

I find this hilarious. Somewhere, an advertising team is hoping that we don't remember Hpnotiq from 2004.

stood up

How does one explain to a room full of seventh graders the concept of being stood up? quite easily actually

How does one actually get stood up by a room full of seventh graders? ahh!!! today my kids in class invited me to go and honor the dead with them, they promised to get me, but instead - I waited, waited, all afternoon for them to come get me. What has life come to that 51 kids can't remember to come get their teacher for a dead honoring ceremony?

Quake continued

Take a glance at my part of the world. A is Shaojie, B is Dali - Dali is on both maps.

Earthquake in Shaojie!!

Things going through my head at the time:

Is my wooden cabin shaking?
Uh oh, I should put on some pants.
How about I put on this hoodie instead?

I think things are fine now. House not moving from side to side - side side to side (USHER)

We're safe again.

Now, a much more awesome picture of my seventh graders

Sometimes we have fun.

It's a Ludovico morning.

Today is one of those mornings where you wake up and it's seriously cold. Frigid. I turned on my heating blanket and I've got some serious rainy day piano music playing. This morning I woke up and I had a serious craving for Bach for Breakfast, a CD series that I discovered as a nerd in middle school. Everything about my life is like middle school all over again. Awkward, but enlightening.

I'm eating a cookies 'n' cream Luna bar as I'm typing this and it tastes as though it's laden with liqueurs. Mmmm! This sounds like it could be a problem that I think it's so delicious but.. hey. The stormy weather has made me glad that I kept all my winter clothes around and now can putz around my classroom warmly.

Gloomy rainy days mean that I will not be able to shower and that maybe just maybe I'll be inspired to paint. Happy Ides of March to ya'll in America. It's the day before St. Patty's Day here! In honor of St. Patty's... I reveal to you, my black board that is actually green and 53 of my 7th grade students.

I'm China

We entered the second semester of seventh grade with a unit on countries and their adjective form. After two full weeks in class, my students still say... "I'm Chinaaaaa.........ese?" This frustrates me, but I don't mind. I've been completely obsessed with grading things, if only to fill in the little boxes in my grade book. I was a suck up in seventh grade. Now that I'm teaching seventh - it's hard to stay as committed. I used to go to school early in the mornings, back when we still had to go to school for 7 hours a day. I'd go 90 mins early just so I could enter grades into a computer. That sick curiosity drove me just as my need to fill in the little boxes is driving me now.

The simple fact that I'm keeping track of all the work that I assign in my classes is helping me like I'm in control. I just got a crazy schedule change, which means that on Thursdays and Fridays, my kids are going to get English overload. Some of students have requested new names. Last semester, I didn't have the heart to give them less than decent names - now, I'm just going to look up the cast of the Expendables and go down the list.

Dolph
Sylvester
Mickey
Jet
Gary
Bruce
Arnold
Jason
Randy
Terry
Steve

I can't wait for Friday!

P.S. Since I'm in China, I thought I would post some Chinese food. I ate this today, and on Friday. The one I've posted was actually made by Chenyuan. Thanks, Lil' Buddy!

WK

I've had these uploaded for weeks now - if a picture says a thousand words - then that should be enough.

Best meal ever.

Jose Andres made love to my mouth

@Cafe Atlantico:

 Pork sandwich with cheese, egg, avocado. Dear heavens!

@Jaleo:

 Don't ask. Just feel it.

Where is the food?

 This is a food blog right (for now!)? I tried to move beyond food, but I couldn't. What's better than food? Food with mimosas duhhhhh.

Sara Brinda and I hit up my favorite Dupont disco brunch place, Level One for some yumyums. I ordered the Saturday Night Fever hangover.

Then took a sip of my mimosa, only to realize that it was straight champagne. Yay! Nothing to make my Saturday brunch better, my afternoon blackout and my dinner miserable.

Since I was deep into my cups at brunch, I wanted to demonstrate my love for Sara Brinda using a newly learned Laura Zulliger move. Caress the other's face.


Exhibit A:

*I don't know about you, but I'm loving this ACC 2007 tour!

Asian girl self pics

If you liked the work that Monica did, what do you think about Billy? One year of teaching Korean children - great takeaways Billy!

 Thanks for the best angle photo! Rawr. Billy was my wedding date to my big sis Clancy's wedding! Together we hunted muffalettas together.

Funny pictures of me and Monica

Just two girls drinking bubble tea. What up.

Don't hate me. Mwahahaha.

I have friends in America, too

But friends are forever, eat this food while it's hot!

After an all too short Asian vacation, I landed in Atlanta, home sweet home. Then, just as fast as I landed, I flew to DC where I ate this luscious lunch. 

TOO CUTE TOKYO

If you can't understand why true love is putting a miniature version of your fried in puppet form on your hand and introducing yourself to it, then I CAN'T HELP YOU. If you do understand, then we are kindred spirits indeed.



Moar cute babies! Introducinggggggggggg...

Cookie Hello Kitty Monster

Big Hello Kitty Bird

Hello Elmo Kitty

El - Hello Kitty - Mo

Seriously, who is in charge of Hello Kitty's ideas? Because they are genius. I want to be you.