now experiencing the fragrant aroma of saigon
After checking into our hotel, we walked across the Fenjiang River to Zhongshan Park. (“Zhongshan” is the Pinyin transliteration of Sun Yat-Sen, and a popular name for parks all over China.) The park is beautifully maintained, with paths meandering between lakes and traditional buildings, including the headquarters of the Foshan Chinwoo Kung Fu Association. The hour was late, so we were unable to rent one of the brightly colored fish boats for a paddle around the lake.
We explained to our new friends that we were looking for a cheap hotel in the old part of Foshan, and they told the taxi driver exactly where to go – the Home Inn on Shengping Road. It was a bit upmarket compared to the hovels with which we are accustomed, but there was internet in the room so we were able to discover the nearby sites. Foshan turned out to be a rather nice city, well-maintained and respectful of its historical architecture and gardens.
Granddoctor Alpo and I agreed to meet at the Guangzhou Airport at the start of several days traveling in China. I figured it would be easy to get there. No problem getting as far as the Guangzhou East Railway Station – first ferry from Pak Kok to Aberdeen, bus to Hung Hom, Intercity Through Train to Guangzhou. Then things started getting interesting. There was no sign of any transportation to the airport from the neighboring Tianhe local bus station. All information and signs were only in Chinese. I couldn’t find anyone who spoke English. Luckily, I was able to access Google on my phone and found that I had to get to Tianhe Dasha first. Eventually I was able to find the correct local bus and transfer to the Airport Express bus, just in time to meet the arriving flight.
We didn’t have any idea where to go from the airport. Checking the destinations of the outgoing busses, we found one that was leaving for Foshan, a destination recommended by Alan’s colleague. The bus dropped us off at a stainless steel wholesale market in a barren outlying industrial area. We didn’t know where to go or how to get there. Just as we were starting to despair, we met Feng Qinhang and Zhang Fei. They bought us lunch and pointed us in the right direction.
Zoe was supposed to be home this morning for her first ever Easter egg hunt, but she and Trinh are still stuck in Saigon. After waiting at Tan Son Nhut airport for five hours, United Airlines announced the cancellation of the flight due to the airplane being broken. The eggs, decorated by Sharpie and Hi-Liter, are ready and awaiting Zoe’s arrival for a slightly belated hunt.
It has been a rather surreal evening. I met up with Hans Kemp, who is in Hong Kong to escape Songkran. We headed to the cinema to see Two-Legged Horse, a strange and unpleasant film by Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf. We left the cinema, heads spinning and with no idea what to make of the movie. Still in a state of confusion, we stumbled across this art installation (I think it’s an art installation) next to the ferry pier. The only clue was “RUBBISH PLEASE” scrawled underneath an overturned barrier. The title of the piece? A request for art supplies? A request for disposal?
I returned from a day in China, but missed the Lamma ferry by five minutes. Rather than cooling my heels for an hour, I grabbed a sandwich of the day at Subway (HKD 19) and a half-liter can of Tsingtao Draft (HKD 6) from 7-Eleven, and enjoyed a picnic at the end of Pier 9, taking in the Hong Kong skyline under the full moon on a clear warm springtime evening. Click here to see the full panorama. (If you don’t have QuickTime installed, here is a lower-resolution Flash version). Life is good!
The third loaf of sourdough rye was very successful. I discovered the key is patience, allowing at least two hours for the dough to rise and over an hour to bake. I’ve been feeding Nüwa every day for nearly two weeks now, and she’s developed some interesting flavors and aromas.
I haven’t been food shopping for over a week, so I never know what I’ll eat until I have a look through the kitchen and garden. This time it’s a spinach and bacon quiche. I made the crust with a mixture of white and whole-grain flour, butter, a bit of salt and a splash of water. I couldn’t figure out how to roll it out successfully, so I just patted the crust into the pie tin. First a layer of spinach from the garden sautéed with half an onion and a couple cloves of garlic went in. Then a layer of crumbled applewood-smoked bacon. Finally a mixture of four eggs, a cup of milk, and a handful of grated Maasdam cheese, seasoned with a bit of mustard powder, cayenne and white pepper. I baked the quiche for about 40 minutes at around 400º F. Now the cupboards are nearly bare – I may have to venture into the village soon.
Nüwa the Mother Sponge has is on her fourth day now. Each day I feed her sugar water and rye, and within minutes she starts furiously bubbling and boiling. Nüwa is a sourdough starter, created from rye flour mixed with live kefir, live vinegar and live yeast. Tomorrow she will be ready to be made into a sourdough rye bread.
Zoe confirms her reservations at the Airport Express check-in counter as she and Trinh prepare to leave for Saigon. They’ll be back in Hong Kong on Easter morning.
