Vietnam, Cheap Coffee and Beer

Beer for $.25

We’ve flown 9 times in the last month and a half. Yikes! That’s a lot of flying.

We are now on a “last minute” trip to Vietnam. At least, more last minute then our typical travels. Mike had an invitation to join a HADR Exercise and Disaster Management Exchange in Haikou, China , only a few days after arriving back from our US visit. Since we would already be packed and traveling, we decided to continue traveling in that portion of the world and into Vietnam.

Chinese Christmas: More Santa, Less Jesus, and Disappointingly Few Fireworks

I know it’s been awhile since we’ve posted here, so much has happened and we hope to catch you up over the next several blogs. We went from the holidays in December, straight into the chaos of finals/papers/planning for a 5 week trip to SE Asia, right into our travels! I was hoping to have some time when we were traveling to write, but we never had any extra. However, traveling through SE Asia was amazing, and we have so much to tell. But for now, we have to go back and talk about Christmas and New Year in China.

While somewhat late, I’d first like to share how we spent our holidays, which were actually much better then we had anticipated. We certainly did not expect to see Christmas everywhere, decorations, etc, but they were, at least at the last minute. Our apartment complex even had a little tree. To some extent it started to look like Christmas, with more Santa and less Jesus (commercialized holidays seem to do well here). We spent Christmas Eve with friends at our apartment (we made our own gluhwein!), and for Christmas we were guests at another friends apartment. Although we weren’t spending it with our family, it still felt very comfortable because of our close friends here. Our Kiwi friends even invited us into their home to celebrate with their family NZ style with a roasted ham and biscuits- delicious. The Grinches at ZJU did schedule class on the 25th, but like most other foreigners, we forgot to attend. (Mike was docked 3 points on his final grade for missing the class)

A Getaway to Hong Kong

I’ve been wanting to write another post for awhile now, but I have been indecisive. I’ve been going back and forth, wanting to write about our daily lives here (boring), how much I hate going to Walmart (don’t want to think more about it then I have to), the chaos that is the streets of Hangzhou(again, don’t want to think too much about it), how I’ve been more sick here than any other time of my life (I’ve had four colds in the past few months, one for over three weeks, and multiple stomach irritations, but that’s not very good reading), and many other topics that I don’t want to spend too much time complaining about. I do that enough during the day with Mike. He may hear about these topics later.

How to make bamboo tube rice

Bamboo tube rice

In Southern Zhejiang Province, the ancient village of Guodong is not just another pretty place. Yes, it’s nestled in some inspiring mountains and surrounded by bamboo groves. The Ming Dynasty architecture and village lifestyle are also 真不错 “really not bad.” And even during the National Day Holiday, when 20% of the world’s population goes traveling, the crowds here are not that bad. But another good reason to make a trip here, and the subject of this blog, is to see and enjoy fresh 竹筒饭, or ZhuTongFan- Bamboo Tube Rice. Its mostly local, mostly healthy, and mostly easy to make.

Why does everyone want to come see Hangzhou?

Mike and I have just had a “china day”. What’s a “china day??” Anyone who has lived overseas before has probably experienced it….And it’s something we’ve learned in the few months here. There are just some days that all those things that you’ve accepted about the country–the ones that you don’t like but can’t do anything about–just get to you. You try so hard to not let it get to you, knowing it could only make you miserable, but sometimes you fail. Days like this it is best to stay inside the apartment.

I’m not going to talk about our china day on this post, I want to instead share some of the awesomeness in pictures that is Hangzhou. We really love this city.