wedding in suzhou

At the beginning of June, we headed an hour and a half out of Shanghai to Suzhou for the weekend. We've made quite a few good friends since we've moved to Shanghai, and were invited to Joey and Simona's wedding!  Simona is from Suzhou and Joey is Chinese-American from the L.A. area.  It was our first wedding in China, although, from what many of our friends told us, this wedding was somewhat a hybrid of traditions as they incorporated both American and Chinese customs into their ceremony and reception.  The ceremony was held in predominately Mandarin, but they included some English translation.  The reception was in a large hotel ballroom, with what I think was at least 400-500 people based on the amount of 10 top tables in the room.  I lost count of how many courses we had, but from what I know, many of the dishes are served at weddings and represent good luck, fortune, and health.  Simona (laying on the ground in the first picture below) had at least 4 outfit changes, her last one is her in a wig with the red feathers, and Joey morphed into Lady Gaga to serenade her slightly before this picture was taken.  

Here's a few pictures from the wedding:

Joey is in the white tuxedo and Simona is laying in the front with the black wig - you can also spot cardboard cutouts in this group photo of Joey and Simona as well!

It was probably the most fun we've had at a wedding.  Ceremony was short and to the point, and the reception was super entertaining.  Joey and Simona are two people that can bring life to any gathering, and their wedding definitely showed their personalities! 

Unfortunately, the weather was a bit rainy that weekend so we didn't have a chance to visit a lot of the outdoor parks; however, we did go to the canal area that Suzhou is known for, as well a silk factory.  Here are a few pictures:

For our complete (but very short) photo album from Suzhou, click here. 

~ Trisha (and Nate, too!)

taipei

In May, I know, this entry is way overdue as usual - we went to Taipei for the weekend.  I was really surprised by just how different it is from mainland China.  Like mainland China, the main language spoken is Mandarin; however, you could easily get by without knowing any as most people we came across spoke a little bit of English as well.  What we also didn't expect was the amount of people we saw on the streets and on the subway - there just weren't that many!  It made us realize just how many people we live with in Shanghai, and compared to that, Taipei seemed so empty to us.  During any given hour in Shanghai the metro system is pretty full, but in Taipei we could actually sit down!

As promised, the food was very good.  Taiwanese food is a lot more mild than most of the food we eat in Shanghai, and a lot closer in style to the Cantonese food I grew up eating in Hawaii.  Taipei is also known to have good Japanese food, so we made sure to take advantage of that too.  Shanghai has good Japanese curry houses, but Chinese food is definitely their strength!  

Taiwanese-style hotpot - mild in comparison to the common Sichuan hotpot but still very good!

Bao's galore!

Taiwanese dessert - need I say more? Nom, nom, nom...

Katsu Curry

Japanese fusion - fresh fish!

One of my favorite things about Taipei was their night markets.  They were filled with tons of street food, shops, and stayed open until late at night/early morning. 

Lots of open spaces to relax and enjoy...

Taipei was a very nice weekend get away, but I do have to say that I enjoy the culture in Shanghai a lot, and sort of missed the hustle and bustle that we have around us each day.  We hope to visit Taiwan again, and this time head to the east and south sides of the island where we've heard the natural beauty of Taiwan can be seen.

To see our full Taipei photo album, click here! 

~ Trisha (and Nate, too!)

summer vacation begins!

It's been a while since I've been able to say that! 

A few weeks ago I completed my final exams and finished my first semester of intensive Mandarin classes.  I did well on both my listening and reading/writing classes, and 'ok' in my speaking class.  The week after classes ended I found myself busy doing, well, nothing!  I went from 4 hours a day of classes, and several hours of studying, to not having a daily routine.  To tell you the truth -- I'm bored!  

Luckily, Nate has reminded me that I shouldn't be since I have several things to blog about, and several photo albums to work on getting posted!  Yea...so, here's the very overdue Laos album with a lot more pictures from the trip - click here.  

Next up?  In the past month we've visited a city outside of Shanghai for a friends' wedding, Taipei, and Beijing.  

Enjoy!

~ Trisha (and Nate, too!

P.S.  Nate has already posted a few pictures from Taipei and Suzhou - click the following links to view - taipei [may 14] and suzhou [june 14].

the mekong, waterfalls, and eating bugs

About a month ago we had a few days off of work and school due to a national holiday in China,  and finally had a chance to visit Luang Prabang in Laos.  We chose Luang Prabang over other areas in Laos as it is a UNESCO World Heritage city, and came highly recommended by many people we've met abroad who have traveled there.  From the minute we landed, we were not disappointed.  It was probably one of the most relaxing vacations we've taken -- even though we were actually quite adventurous in the activities we did.  Nate and I don't usually take part in many outdoor activities, but this place had us crossing seasonal man-made bridges, floating down the Mekong River during a storm, trekking through the mountains to see waterfalls, and yes, even eating a few non-conventional dishes.  

Day 1

Every evening around 6:PM they close down several blocks in the central area and host their night market.  In almost every country in Asia, you will find large night markets where stall after stall of vendors are selling various local-made (or imported from China and Vietnam) items.  It's usually a very lively activity as vendors are trying to get your attention in various ways.  We were pleasantly surprised by how quiet the night market was.  The vendors seemed as relaxed as we were, they would say hello as you walked by, and if you decided to look at something but then not purchase they let you go on your way.  

Handicraft Night Market - behind it, the Royal Palace Museum grounds. 

Day 2

The next morning we woke up bright and early to watch Tak Bat, the monks' call to alms.  Tak Bat is a meditative ceremony that happens each day at dawn.  Locals wake up every morning to give their offering of sticky rice. We were able to capture these photos from a distance since Nate has a long zoom lens (it is considered disrespectful to be shooting photos up close).  

Next up?  A day of "Wat-ing".  We decided to stay around central Luang Prabang, get familiar with the area, and see the many wats that Luang Prabang is known for.  What was most interesting was being able to see the everyday life of the monks that live at the various monasteries.  Here are a few of the many that we explored:  

It was an extremely hot and humid day, but that didn't stop Nate from dragging me up some 350 stairs (while carrying a bird we bought to release - don't ask), to the top of Phu Si hill.  Although I thought I was going to pass out a few times, the views at the top were worth it.  

All that "hiking" worked up an appetite!  A small afternoon meal at Coconut Garden.  Lao food is DELICIOUS!

I do not remember the name of this - but inside the steamed banana leaves were mushrooms.

Sticky Rice and Larb Gai (Chicken Salad with Mint, Coriander, Chilies, Onions, etc.)...sooo yummy!

A few hours later...Nate decided he wasn't done with today's adventures.   Every year, during the dry season, a bamboo bridge is built so that you can walk across to the other side of the Nam Khan river.  During rainy season, the bridge is taken down and people use boats to cross this area.  On the other side of the bridge, Dyen Sabai, a restaurant that Nate just HAD to try!  We slowly made our way across the bridge, stopping for various selfies along the way, and by the time we crossed it, it was dusk.  

Nam Khan River - this river meets the Mekong right around the bend to the left.

Due to some digging happening up stream, the water is murky but according to the hotel owner, it's usually crystal clear!

When you're near a river, surrounded by jungle, and it's 80 degrees out...yep, mosquitoes!  The food was really good, but we ate it really fast as we were getting eaten alive!  Unfortunately, we weren't able to really enjoy the whole point of the 'outdoor-sit on big comfy pillows lounging-while eating a delicious meal' feeling we had hoped for.  By the time we left it was dark -- the only light we had crossing back over was the string of lights you see.  Sort of eerie with all the jungle noises surrounding you...

Day 3

Another day, another adventure!  We decided that instead of just staring at the Mekong from our hotel room balcony, we should float down it!  The hotel's front desk suggested that we hire a private boat so that we could make a few stops along the way and see some villages.  Our choice was either English-speaking guide with hard wooden bench seats, OR non-English speaking guide with comfortable seats.  We are used to being surrounded by non-English speakers and do just fine - obviously the comfortable seats! 

Ah, nice relaxing boat ride down the Mekong...Mekong Riverweed, check!  BeerLao, check!  

Um, Nate...I think he's signaling for us to put on our life jackets.  Mine only has one buckle, the other one is broken, how about yours?  Oh good, we're floating down the Mekong during a thunder and lightning storm -- at least this boat is completely wooden (except for piece of metal lining the roof above our heads)....

No worries, if our driver seems unfazed by everything, putting on the life jacket is merely a fashion statement.  Luckily, about an hour down the river, the weather cleared as we arrived at the Pak Ou Caves.

On our way back down the Mekong, we stopped at two local villages.  One was a whisky village, the other was the paper village.  A long time ago our friends Nick and Angie, introduced us to snake whisky -- yep, this was there!  At the paper village we got to see handmade paper being produced - sorry, we forgot to take a photo, but here are a few from around the small villages.  

Hungry for some Laotian food, we stopped by Tamarind.  They have an excellent set-menu that lets you sample various Lao cuisine.  Chicken stuffed in lemongrass, buffalo jerky, Mekong river weed with buffalo chili paste, fish steamed in banana leaf...we were in heaven!   

In fact, we enjoyed our meal SO much, that Nate decided he wanted to try the Lao Adventure Meal.  The description on the menu said it was only for the most adventurous of eaters.  Obviously that's what "we" are (ahem, Nate is).   We spoke to the chef who ensured us that there would only be a few bugs in the 15-dish meal that the chef would prepare the next evening...

Day 4

About an hour away from Luang Prabang, is Tat Kuang Si, a park that is known for their tiered waterfalls.  We had wanted to visit a waterfall in Langkawi, but since it was dry season so was the waterfall.  As we were in Luang Prabang just at the beginning of their monsoon season, it had rained on and off for the past few days so the waterfalls were beautiful!  We had intended to go swimming in the crystal clear waters, but the weather was on the cooler side (75 degrees) with drizzle, so we just waded around instead.  

Last adventure on our trip?  Dinner!   Course #1: Platter of various greens found in and around the Mekong River, with a side of sticky rice, fried stink bug, and "another type of bug" (says our waiter).  I tried the various greens, all pretty tasty and seasoned well.  Nate had one each of the stink bug and "other type of bug".  Course #2: The real adventure begins...baby catfish, pig intestine wrapped with lemongrass, herb stuffed chili, baby prawn salad, bee larva, and fermented fish (2 ways: recent and 6 months).  I tried the catfish, pig intestine, stuffed chili and baby prawn salad.  Nate tried everything.  

I was pretty full by this time, when the waiter came by and asked if we were ready for our final platter.  What's coming next we inquired? Some very local specialties found in both the mountains and in the river.  Oh, well then!  You can take the first platter of vegetables (and bugs) away!  We want to make room for the final platter.  Course #3: What's on the final platter?  As they cleared the vegetable platter away..."frog, snake, eel, and skewel."  What's a skewel? "It's like a rat.  Do you know what a rat is?" Oh, like a river rat? "No, from the mountain." Hmm...Oh well, I wasn't too concerned as I wasn't really planning on eating any of it.  I did however, try a little of the vegetables and broth surrounding each dish as I wanted to taste the flavors of the dishes.  Nate was busy chewing on each of the various meats, being the adventurous eater he is...

I still don't know what a skewel is.  I think he means squirrel, Nate says.  No!  He said skewel.  Nate pulled up a picture of a squirrel and on his phone and called our waiter over.  Is this what this is?  "Yes, a skewel, like a rat, but with a bushy tail!" OH!  That explains what's staring at us!  

Course #1

Course #2

Course #2

Course #3

Unforgettable adventures in Luang Prabang, and definitely one of our favorite places in SE Asia!

~ Trisha (and Nate , too!)

P.S. Yes, I'm still working on our photo album and will post the link in a future blog entry!

better late than never!

I can hardly believe it's been one month since our last blog entry!  In a nut shell, Nate's been traveling for work quite a bit, I had been heads down for two weeks studying for mid-terms, and then we went on vacation last week to Luang Prabang, Laos.  I'm happy to report that I did really well on my listening, and reading/writing mid-terms.  My speaking mid-term?  Well, I'm still working on that one...

Needless to say, I just realized that our Singapore photo album wasn't uploaded yet!  Click here to see it.

I will be working on getting our Luang Prabang photo album ready, as well as a blog on the highlights from our trip soon!  In the mean time, you can see some of our pictures in Nate's travel photo section laos [may 14]. 

Enjoy!

Trisha and Nate 

my first successful purchase...

...all in Mandarin! As I mentioned before, I'm currently enrolled in an intensive Mandarin language program at Jiao Tong University.  What does intensive mean?  Well, it's 4 hours of class a day, 5 days a week, followed by about 2-4 hours of studying each day just to keep up.  I'm learning to read and write Hanzi (Simplified Chinese Characters), and hopefully one day figure out how to put all the vocabulary I've been cramming into the proper grammatical structure and speak!  I know how to say a few useful phrases, but I'm still mainly only able to say one or two words at a time.  Good news, the few words I am able to say are helping make ordering food a bit easier!  

For the past few months I've been walking past a street side vendor staring at these large bamboo steamers, and watching people buy steamed buns.  The signs are completely in Chinese, and so I didn't know how to ask for the plain steamed bun...until recently.  We were in class, and went over food vocabulary.  It was the BEST day ever when I figured out how to say the word for plain steamed bread - mántou.

I decided to try my limited language skills out the other day...

你好! 有 没有馒头? Hello!  Do you have plain steamed bread? 

有.  Yes, have.  我要两个. I'll take two. 

多少钱? How much? 

SUCCESS! Two plain steamed buns for $0.24USD.

My first successful purchase fully in Chinese!  It only took me 6 weeks of class and I don't know how many hours of studying...

- Trisha 

singapore pigfest

Yes, I know, it's been over a month since our last blog.  The week after we returned from Langkawai I started Mandarin classes.  The amount of work to keep up has been a bit more than I expected.  Time has flown by and today is the first holiday in the semester, thus, some time to finally sit down and write!  This blog is way overdue as we were actually in Singapore at the end of February/beginning of March.  My last visit to Singapore was a 24 hour layover the day after Christmas in 2011.  Nate has been back a few times for work, but this time got to do a little sight-seeing.  The city is under quite a bit of construction - new buildings, sites, improvements to their rail system - but one thing still hasn't changed, how yummy the food is!

Our first time eating Singapore's highly regarded chili crab was in 2009 - our very first visit to Singapore.  Nate and I had stumbled upon a random restaurant in the Clarke Quay area.  We ordered a 1 kg crab and spent over two hours devouring every last piece of it.  I've been dreaming of chili crab ever since.  Nate's co-workers took him to No Signboard during one of his previous business trips, and he kindly shared this secret location with me.  FINALLY...chili crab!!!

Of course no trip to Singapore is complete without a visit to a few hawker stalls...

chicken satay with peanut sauce

minced beef noodles

carrot cake

ice kacang

One morning, while trying to decide what to eat, we saw a line at one of the stalls.  Clearly the food MUST be good if people are willing to stand there for what ended up being 30-45 minutes.  Nate was very patient, and I'm happy to report it was worth the wait!

I was also very happy to see that our favorite (as well as Anthony Bourdain's) hainanese chicken rice stall is still in business!  In fact, it doubled in size -- two stalls instead of one!  

I've been debating whether or not to admit we did this next activity...We've been to Singapore so many times, that I finally decided we had to do this since everyone always mentions it to us and I'm also a sucker for animals! 

Yes - we went to the Singapore Zoo to go on the night safari.  It's one of those places that I'm guessing you need to have a child to enjoy since it was basically a crowded amusement park with zoo animals.  Glad the mystery is over, and it's nice to see animal conservation at work, but I'm not sure we'll be doing this one again...

We'll be uploading our full Singapore album soon.  In the mean time, you can visit Nate's singapore [mar 14] album for a few pictures!

- Trisha 

langkawi

Last weekend Nate and I spent a few days in Langkawi, Malaysia.  Since I start full time Mandarin classes on Monday we decided it would be a good idea to get away for a relaxing vacation before I hit the books.  There are no non-stop flights from Shanghai to Langkawi, so the overall trip took us 9 hours inclusive of a 3 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur.  The first thing we did after checking into our hotel was head to the night market for dinner.  The night market features local foods, fruits, and a little bit of clothing that are enjoyed by the local community and tourists.  Each night the market moves to a different location around the island.  Luckily for us, Thursday's night market location was just down the street from where we were staying.   We spent all of RM10 ($3USD) and stuffed ourselves with char kway teow (fried flat rice noodles), popiah (fried spring rolls), apam balik (pancake filled with sweet corn and peanuts -- see picture below), grilled corn on the cob, and two refreshing fruit flavored juices.  Needless to say we were in Malay street food heaven! 

The next morning we awoke bright and early as I was like a child on Christmas Day -- I couldn't wait to see the beach!  We were not disappointed!  We stayed on Pantai Cenang which is a beautiful stretch of beach with powder white sand located on the southwest side of the island.  

In case you're wondering...yes, the beach is actually that empty!  There's a stretch of Pantai Cenang that is a little busier with cafes and water sport activities; however, the stretch we were on was literally like having our own beachfront.  

That evening we decided to watch the sunset and have drinks at the Cliff, which is a restaurant with a view of the opposite side of Pantai Cenang than we stayed on.  Here, you can see that there are more people, but we were surprised by how little tourist were here considering this is high season!

For dinner we ate at Tomato, a street side cafe that specializes in Indian and Malay food.  The roti canai and tosai were y-u-m-m-y!

There are plenty of activities you can do in Langkawi -- snorkeling, diving, jungle trekking and island-hopping -- to name a few.  Since we only had a few days and we wanted to spend most of our time just relaxing on the beach, I had the great idea that we should take the cable car up to the top of Gunung Machinchang which is approx. 708m above sea-level, and then walk across a suspension bridge above the jungle.  As I was looking over the information for this activity, we found out that the suspension bridge was actually closed a few months ago due to maintenance...hmmm...well, the view was still supposed to be spectacular from the top!  Did I mention I'm scared of heights?  Maybe it was the sun, the 90 degree weather, and the beautiful beach I starred at all day, but it didn't quite register that the 20 minute cable car ride was up the side of the mountain...

Nate was kind enough to capture this shot of me, all of 10 seconds into the ride...

I survived, and the views really WERE as beautiful as that pamphlet that sold it to me said it would be.  

~ Trisha 

P.S. For a few more pics from our trip to Langkawi, go to Nate's langkawi [feb 14] travel album.