Charlie and the Dumpling Factory

When you think of the signature voice, you think of Frank Sinatra. When you think of signature cigars, you don't think too far from Havana. Now, when you think of signature Chinese cuisine, if your in Asia, think Din Tai Fung. I have written numerous posts about the quality and scrumptious taste of their dishes, so I don't need to get into that in too much detail. Instead, today I got a first hand glimpse of the behind the scene magic that goes into each and every dumpling.

I arrived at the primary store in Taipei and met up with the owner of the company. Along with two other American girls (relatives of the owner) and the CEO of Burger King (bizarre, I know), we piled into his private car and were chaufeurred over to the central kitchen in Yonghe, about 30 minutes away.

Upon arriving at the central kitchen, we were promptly shown into the small temple in the office where we briefly prayed, in Chinese called "bai bai". After which, we donned masks, hairnets, boots, and smocks that made us look like we were being prepared for a tour of a nuclear facility rather than a food factory.



Our first stop was the dumpling room. Actually, the first stop was the disinfecting room leading into the dumpling room. Only two people were allowed into this room which was essentially a giant vaccum cleaner followed by a sink adjacent to a disinfectant pool. If we weren't clean already, we were now!


We then entered into the dumpling room where we saw the doughs rolled and the meats packed. It was like watching a dream come true, seeing all these dumplings at once.


After that it was over to the noodle room. The owner doesn't trust other noodle makers to make his noodles for him, so he makes his own!


Here are some more shots from around the factory, including shipping, basket storring, meet preparation, EVA Airline preparation, and specialty prep.


A man who believes in cleanliness was present all day. The factory had more cleanliness regulations than you could imagine and you can rest easy knowing you are getting the cleanest, freshest food possible when eating at Din Tai Fung. From your golden ticket holder, Michael.

Surfin' Bird

I have never surfed before, but I have wanted to try it for a long time. Taiwan is home to some of the best surf in the world and as a result, boasts some really excellent surfing communities all around the island. For those in Taipei, there is no better day trip for surfers than to Ilan on the western coast.

The timing was right before a typhoon which always guarantees large breaks. But for someone's first time on a board, this was perhaps not such a good thing. I went with three Taiwanese buddies of mine down to Ilan at 7am in the morning. We got to a little surf shop and rented our boards. I seem to be out of touch with surfer lingo and have no idea what nicknames surfers use to call their boards, but it was gnarly.


We got down to the beach and I got a five minute introduction on how to use my board, in Chinese, before I was sent off to tackle the waves. I decided that it was best to approach this day in stages. I have been boogey boarding before, so I thought I should spend my first set riding the waves in on my stomach. It was tough at first catching a break and timing it just right to allow me to ride the wave in all the way, but it wasn't long before I got the hang ten of it.


My next time out I decided that it would be a good idea to try and stand up. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Each time I tried to hoist myself up on my surfboard, I immediately fell off into the ocean. But not to worry, I collected my board and tried, tried again. About my hundreth attempt I finally got up on the board, rode for about two seconds and fell off. I figured now I was ready to take it off the beach and into the ocean. Just kidding, I really did surf!


We took a short break and played a pick up game of volleyball with some other surfers before going back out into the ocean. It was at this time that some guy walked by missing an entire eyeball, and instead geisers of blood were gushing out of ocular socket. Turns out he was hit in the head by another surfer and that was about time I decided to retire from the great sport.

After leaving the beach, we went into town to get some good beach food before we dashed off back home. From your bird, bird, bird, bird is the word oh well a oh well a did you know about the word, surfin bird, Michael.

The Underground River

I just recently returned back from my third encounter with the Phili- ppines. My first take on the country was in Legazpi, where I swam with whale sharks, camped on one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes and explored the black sand beaches of Santo Domingo. My second trip took me to the ancient rice terraces of Banaue where I was offered a rare glimpse into traditional Filipino life, with some villages only accessible by a two hour hike in the jungle. My third and most recent journey took me to Palawan, an island in the southwest part of the Philipines, which contains a UNESCO World Heritage site known as the Subterranean River. Quite simply it is an 8.2 kilometer long river that runs underground and empties into the ocean. But I am getting ahead of myself.

I arrived early in the morning in Manilla- 3.00am to be precise. By the time I got through customs and raced through Manilla in my taxi (Manila after 3.00am is a very interesting place to be), it was already almost 5am before I plopped down in my hotel. It was a late start the next day, but I got through my work and before long, evening had arrived and I had a date with a friend.

I took a taxi over to Burgos Street where I met a friend of mine. She is the girlfriend of my friend here in Taiwan, but she is currently living in Manila. We had a few drinks at this nice little open air bar before we had some tasty Filipino barbecue. Afterward, she took me to a bar recommended by our mutual friends in Taipei, and offered me this warning- don't buy any of the girls drinks. Fair warning, I thought, but why was it necessary? Necessary, because she took me to a go-go bar where half naked women dance on a stage and, if the price is right, you can take bar fine her for the evening. I required my friend to stay by my side for the entire evening to keep up appearances that she was "with" me to prevent any of the girls coming over to ask for a drink commission. What can I say, I'm a shy guy. The plan worked and despite the seedy environment, it was actually a really fun night of bar hopping and catching up.


The next day, I took the afternoon off and spent some time around the old Spanish fort in downtown Manila. I have to say- this quarter of the city has completely refurbished my impression of Manila. I began by exploring the fort which is the original part of Manila. From here you could see where the city developed its roots.

The fort itself is a unique antiquity, an anachronistic Spanish citadel in a modern Southeast Asian city. The fort came complete with large, blasting cannons, dungeons, historical buildings, and a modern golf course. That's right, should you fancy the back nine after some historical touring, you can hit up the golf course which winds its way through the moats and barracks of living history.


One of the most interesting components of this of this area was the vantage point it provided of surrounding Manila. Manila is a city of extremes with the amazingly rich and the destitute living side by side. From here, I could see the skyscrapers of the wealthy nestled within the slums of Manila.


After the fort, I shot over to one of the more famous Cathedrals in Manila called San Augustin Church. The artwork in this monastery-now-museum and the religious relics preserved here rival any of the artwork I have seen lavishly displayed in Europe. The craftsmanship of the pieces, the architecture of the church and the overall design of the grounds were truly inspiring.
Unfortunately, I didn't have much more than 30 minutes to linger as I had a plane to catch and this was one flight I was not intending to miss. You see, this flight would result in the final destination I had wanted to visit since first planning my trip to the Philippines three years ago.


My flight, after a 30 minute delay, arrived in Peurto Princesa, Palawan- a long sliver of an island located in the southwest hemisphere of The Philippines. Coming out of the airport, I took a tricycle to my hotel, and then off to dinner at a surprisingly fancy restaurant by suggestion of my driver. However, I am glad I did as this place is actually constructed out on the ocean and connected to land by a long gangplank. The menu served up fine Filipino and western meals and you could top it all down with buko- a young coconut with a hole cut through the top and a straw inserted so you could get at the sweet waters inside.


The following morning was an early one for me. After my complimentary Filipino breakfast of sweet pork, I made my way to the bus station. Today, Palawan is quickly becoming a popular tourist destination and so the most popular method of getting to the underground river is by planned guide. I think this takes the fun out of the adventure and I had no intention of taking a guided tour. Once at the bus station (actually, more like a field in a jungle) I found out that the next jeepney to the Underground River was departing at noon. Seeing it was 8.30am, and a bus was leaving at 9am, I figured that was the best way to go.

When the bus arrived, surprisingly on time, I had two options- I could ride on the roof with the cargo or be seated inside the bus on one of the hard wooden benches. Seeing as I didn't have any sun screen with me, I optioned for the inside. I plopped down next to a window, ensuring a breeze would come my way, and waited patiently for the bus driver to take off.


At about 9.45, we finally pulled out of the station to a restaurant across the street. The bus driver and crew all got off the bus, loaded cold drinks onto the bus, enjoyed a beer themselves, and then hopped back on. Only again to drive across the street and into the gas station to fill up. It was starting to get ridiculous. But the Filipinos on board were patient enough. In fact, there I was stashed into this bus complete with all sorts of locals. Families traveling back from the "city", children taking live chickens back to the farm, all walks of life.


The bus is known as a Christmas Tree Bus because of all the things that are packed on top of it, resembling a Christmas Tree. During the ride, "ornaments" from the xmas tree kept falling off and the bus would have to stop, pick it up, pack it up, and continue on. I was dreading this bus ride a bit because were taking what was known as the "abortion road"- a road so bumpy and unpaved that it was nicknamed as such for the free abortions it resulted in. I always thought this was a funny name considering The Philippines is so intensely Catholic. I was relieved to discover that this road was recently paved, making what should have only been a 9o minute drive into a four hour tour with my new family.


I arrive at around 1pm in Sabang- the harbouring port and jumping off point for the Underground River. I spent a few minutes lounging on the white sand beaches watching the waves roll in, sipping on my coconut juice straight from a coconut itself. It wasn't long before I got my permit and took off for the river. There are two ways to get there- you can either hire a boat or hike over there. Seeing as I was in no hurry, despite the very long bus ride there, I opted for the hike instead. It was a little bit difficult finding the trail head and at one point, I had to recruit a local family to paddle me through the mangroves to the start of the trail.


I finally made it to the Jungle Trail route and began my final leg to this promised destination. It was a two hour hike along the ocean side, through the jungle and up mountanious terrain. But the greatest part was the end when you had to traverse this rickety old platform through this maze of sharp, jagged rock. At the bottom, it let out to the mouth of the cave where I waited for a boat to come.


I joined a group of Filipinos who quickly became my good friends! We got into the boat and our tour guide paddled us into the cave. We went in about 2 kilometers and experienced the most amazing underground river in Asia. This cave was home to bats, stalagmites and stalagtites in the shape of religious personage, and some of the most awe-inspiring cavernous areas I have ever seen. I was really surprised at how large it was inside, and how wide the river was. It took me some time to realize that I was on a boat, underground!

We came out of the cave thus finishing our tour. I got the contact information of my new friends and we still keep in touch about our journey to the Underground River. But we soon parted ways and before we knew it, I was stuck two hours away from the pier, bloody tired and in no mood to hike back. I paid a longboatman 200 pesos to stow me away on one of his ferries back, which he did and I met some more very nice people. In fact, I met one nice guy that was a talent manager in the Philippines. I think he gave my contact information to one of his friends because I got an e-mail a few days later saying hello!

When I got back to Sabang, I found out that there were no more busses or jeepneys back to Puerto Princesa leaving me stranded in Sabang. Obviously, this was not good! Fortunately, there were lots of tour groups hanging around and after some begging, I was able to hitch a ride back with one, again meeting some really great people along the way. One common sentiment all my new friends that day shared was- they couldn't believe I was traveling alone. But I enjoy traveling alone as it really allows you to engage in conversation with lot's of people- meet the locals so to speak. Had I not gone alone that day, I would not have made such excellent friends!

Back in Puerto Princesa, I went out to eat at a local canteen called Kinabuch's. This restaurant has a lot of local and foreign specialies, but there were two things that caught my eyes! The first was a pint of draft San Miguel beer was only 35 pesos, or the equivalent of 75 cents! The second was their specialty- Ceviche Woodworm Mollusk. Essentially, this is a plate of long, raw woodworms served with a dish of vinegar.


With a strong stomach, I twirled one of the worms around my fork like past and dipped it into the vinegar. In doing so, it came unravelled and when I pulled it out, it was dangling down. I lifted it high above my head and tail end first, I lowered it into my mouth. It was terrible. It tasted like I was eating oolong noodles prepared with dirt. I washed down the worm with my cheap and necessary beer and then called it a night.


The following day I decided to do some island hopping. I got on the tour this time as tours were absolutely needed for the island hopping. We did some excellent snorkeling along a stunning coral reef, laid in the sand on white sand beaches, took up sun, swimming, bbqing and really just unwound as the sun and splash made for one of the nicest, most relaxing days I have had in a long time.


The prepared food was to die for, which is odd for the Filipino cuisine. There were green mangos, pork, fresh fish, plantanes, roasted eggplants- all served along the ocean front. Here you can see the food being prepared.


And here is the presentation!


Getting back to Peurto Princessa, I went to the local market where I was sure to purchase my favorite filipino snack- bananaque (fried sweet bananas), then hopped on a plane back to Manila where I caught a connecting flight back to Taipei.


It was a short weekend trip, but it was a great thing for the state of mind. From your river riding spelunker in Palawan, Michael.

One Hundredth Post

This is my one hundredth post! It seems like only yesterday I arrived in Taiwan- an eager youth in his prime ready to tackle on the greatest curve balls Asia had in store for me. Now, almost three years later, I am reflecting on 100 vignettes that I have decided to share with you about my time in Taiwan.

I have never been one for clip shows, so I would like to give you some suggested reading instead. Here are my top ten favorite blog postings that I have made over the last third of a decade. Happy reading!

Bugs on the Teeth- Here in my first fews days in Taiwan, I found myself very lost on the streets of Taipei. It wasn't long before a friendly Taiwanese man came up to me and offered me a ride home. He plopped me on the back of his scooter and before long I was zooming around Taipei in my first ever scooter ride. I knew then I had to get me one of those babies!

One Squid, Two Squid- Ah, my first adventure down to Taroko National Park and Hualien. What an adventure! But the real fun came as the sun set and my friends, Kate and Tony, and I creatively spent the better part of an hour disposing of squids we never wanted. It should be noted that squid balls are processed calamari in the shape of a ball, not a mollusk's reproductive organ!

A Regular Thursday Night- A war zone? Not quite but almost. I got to ring in the Chinese Lantern Festival with a bang, literally, as I went out into a free-for-all fireworks bash that shook buildings, set off fireworks and even sent some folks to the ER. As these videos show, there were some close calls!

Whitewater-Ho! We saved the lives of these whitewater rafters and it was almost as if we got shafted for doing so. Well, at least I got the whole thing on video. Please forgive my shaking video taping, it was half capturing the event half heroic deeds!

The Good Concert- I spent one marvelous weekend with World Vision, the company for which I taught English Private Lessons, down in Sun Moon Lake. We toured aboriginal villages, explored butterfly gardens and the lake itself, and I even gave a speech at the benefit concert itself. But the best part was the private tour of the organic tea farm!

The Bridge on the River Kwai- History and excitement abounded for me on my first trip to Thailand! While it was difficult to choose one specific part of that amazing two week journey into the land of smiles, I decided on my time in Kanchanaburi where I posed with tigers, rode elephants, and saw the death railway. If you have time, be sure to check out my other posts on Thailand too!

The Crazy Lady Returns- I don't think any story I have quite compares to the strangeness and creepiness of the Crazy Lady on my balcony. I also don't think anyone quite sums up Taiwan's quirkiness quite like her as well! I have to say, though, thanks for the dinner!

The Rice Terraces of Banaue- There is nothing I love more than vacationing in the Philippines. I love the people, the scenery, and increasinly Manilla. Here I took off to the 2,000 year old rice terraces on the northern edge of the country. Truly my favorite place to be.

The Din Tai Fung Club- I don't think I will take away a greater memory than all the joy, happiness and dumplings I have had at Din Tai Fung. I have made strong and lasting friends at this restaurant and I hope to maintain these friends for all my life to come.

A Man and His Mortorcycle Part 4- I don't think I can say with utmost certainty that I preferred any leg of my motorcycle trip around the island more than another part, but when push comes to shove, the trip over the mountains on the Southern Cross Island was like nothing I have ever seen before. A trip of a lifetime!

Here's to another 100 posts that comprise the big and small moments making up what I call my life on this island. From your David Letterman counting down in the Far East, Michael.

Pam Does Asia!

Where to begin! Seriously, I have no idea. I have always prided myself on packing in as much as I could into a vacation, but when my mom visited me in November, 2009, I think I really outdid myself. We both spent the entire vacation eating eating eating and traveling traveling traveling. Enough so that the latter outdid the former and we came away from the two weeks lighter than going into them. Well, there's no way to cover EVERYTHING we did in this fortnight, so it's best to hit the highlights!


After viewing some of the necessary components to Taiwan, like Taipei 101 and the golden mountains of Jioufen and Jinguashi, I decided it was time to introduce my mom to some of, not all of, the tea in China. After a day at the zoo seeing the pandas, we took a taxi up a mountain side into the Maokong Tea Houses. I took her to my favorite restaurant, Da Cha Hu, or Big Teapot, which boasts fine tea, excellent cuisine, and stunning views of downtown taipei from a mountainside.


We ordered a local brew, to compliment our foods. While we waited for our meals to arrive, I introduced my mom to the delicate art of pao cha, or brewing tea. After some sips of this intoxicating blend, our first course arrived- tea fried rice! An absolutely mindblowing combination of dried tea leaves and fried rice, this is something that has never been tasted before or since. The second course was some tofu braised nicely in a brown sauce. The tofu was simply terrific- it was like eating diced cream. A nice side order or greens grown in the restaurant's own yard before the main course- the San Bei Ji which translates to Three Cups Chicken. The chicken is served in a sizzling hot plate mixed with herbs, spices, tea, and more ingredients than I could pick out.


Our second culinary treat came just a few days later at a familiar yet special restaurant- Din Tai Fung. This was extra special because my uncle, who was living in Taichung at the time, came up with his wife Clare to join us for dinner. And what made it even more special was that we had reservations to dine with the owner of Din Tai Fung himself.


The evening was a smash! We all sat around the table wining and dining on scrumptious Xiao Long Bao, shrimp Xiao Mai, hot and sour soup, chicken soup, and so much more. The finest array of Chinese food in all of Asia, with the finest company in all the world. After, the owner invited my Uncle and his wife, along with my mother and me, back to his place for a digestif. We sat around the living room, eating imported hams and cookies from Japan, sweet delicious fruits from the mountains of Taiwan, and rich wine from the heart of Bordeaux.

The following day, I took my family to the national palace museum after a delicious greasy bread breakfast. We spent the morning and early afternoon browsing some of the finest examples of chinese art and literature in the world, kept safe during the communist revolution in China. But our time at the museum was short lived as my mother and I had a plane to catch to Honkey town!


That night, as a birthday gift to my mom, we boarded a plane and took off for three days to Hong Kong. We arrived late at night, so after getting in from the airport, we decided it was best to head straight to bed. The next day was an early rise as we took the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Central for some Dim Sum at my favorite little dim sum restaurant. A bit out of the way, but worth it. Then it was up the Peak Tram to the top of Victoria Peak. We were the on a particularly clear day, so all of Victoria Harbor and Kowloon was in fine view. We took a stroll around the mountain (about three kilometers) and then sat for a late afernoon drink on the lookout peak.


Then, it was back up to the flying wok at nighttime for some stunning views of the harbor at night. We took a taxi back down the mountain side, got over to the Kowloon side, and set up shop along the harbor to watch the Symphony of lights where they light up the buildings and synchronize them to music on the central side.


The following day, a little bird called out to us- Macau! Macau! So we hopped on the ferry and took a boat over to Macau for the day. Just our luck that we arrived at the same time as the Macau Grand Prix- it was a thrill to watch the high speed cars zooming through the narrow little streets in this old Portuguese settlement. (Speaking of which, a lot of the signage is still in Portugese and Chinese, with no English translation!)

Our first stop was a quick walk through the Grand Lisboa hotel and Casino to see the high rollers. Then it was onto the old portugese historic district, where it felt like I was transported back to my days in Europe. We ate tasty custard pastries and dined on spicy portugese cuisine.


The highlight was to see the ruins of St. Paul's cathedral and the old fort. From a distance, it looks like the cathedral still stands in all her beauty. But, as one approaches, one notices that only the front facade it left. Still, one can explore the ruins and even enter the old crypt!


After the fort and lunch, we decided it was time to head to Venice! That's right, we went to one of Macau's newest and most impressive casinos, the Venetian! Walking inside is like taking a trip to Italy. Golden idols, studded chandeliers, escalating spiral staircases- it was all too much! But the certainly outdid themselves with the indoor gondola rides with authentic gondaliers!


With that, it was time to say good-bye to Macau and head back to Hong Kong for some more fun. My mom and I had some great dinner and a few drinks before heading back to bed. The following day, we explored the 10,000 Buddah's Monastery and took an open aired bus tour of the city! Had some more dim sum, and then took a plane back to Taiwan for week two of our trip! That's right, that was all only in one week, and I skipped out on a lot of things like the night market in Keelung where my mom tried sugar cane juice and had her first baozi, or the historical searches through Sun Ya Sen and Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Halls, or even over to the ultra hip shopping district of Ximending!

Week two started with a high-speed train ride down to Taichung to meet with my Uncle Donnie and Clare. They picked us up bright and early at the train station and we took a car to one of the more attractive locations around Taiwan- Puli. Known for it's wistful mountains and sunny weather, this was not a day to disappoint.


We started our tour with an introduction to the an old fashioned winery where, sadly, they no longer produced wine. Some of the highlights included:

The Ten Commandments of Drinking (my personal favorite is number ten: "When feeling for another one means you are about to be drunk. Stop immediately."

The Drunk Simulator

After the brewery, we moved our way over to a paper factory where we learned the time honored tradition of paper making. Here, my mom got to make some of her own paper followed by producing a printing on the paper.


After that, it was over to the paper dome- a reinvented catholic church constructed entirely out of paper. It was a unique and leisurely afternoon at this "religious" site.


Returning back to Taichong, we had some delicious hot pot followed by a nice stroll around the city's night market.


Perhaps the best part of the evening was when my mom tried Chicken Butt, and actually enjoyed it!


The following morning, after a visit to the science museum, we hopped back on a train and were back in Taipei for dinner with Vivian (my cousin Yuhsin's sister) and her two daughters, Zoe and Lily. The dinner was just perfect.

However, we still had a full week of sightseeing ahead of us, with journeys to the Lin Family Garden, then up to Danshui along the pier, over to Yeliou to see the moon rocks, back to Din Tai fung for some lunch and shopping. However, I ensured that we set aside one day to visit the famous Taroko National Park.


We took a fast train down to Taroko and upon arriving, hired a taxi driver to tour us around the gorge. This ended up being an excellent option as it got us into the gorge quickly for a relatively good price. He took us to see some of the most spectacular sights along the trail, along with some unique stories about how he climbed the fascinating high trails or rocks that resembled King Kong or Jumping Fish. This was also a tremendous visit for me as some trails reopened that were originally closed that last few times I visited the park. This afforded me some fantastic views of mountains I had yet to witness.


After the Gorge, I took my mom into downtown Hualien to try some famous Bianshi, a type of wonton noodle mentioned before on my blog. I took her to the two best spots for this dish to compare and we unanimously agreed that the first, smaller shop was our favorite. While there, we met a nice couple who told us about a famous bakery to buy some great tasting tiramisu. So after a little shopping (we bought an engraved rock) we got some italian cake, boarded the train, and made our way back home.

Upon returning to Taiwan, we still had quite a bit of sightseeing to do. Our primary focus was on getting out to the moon rocks in Yeliou, where minus the gravity, is nothing short of an extra terrestrial experience.


After Yeliou, we also ensured a nice day trip to the aboriginal locations around Wulai, complete with Muaji, logging train rides, alpine gondola lifts, archery, and stunning waterfalls set among Taipei's rugged wilderness.

In the evening, we had a rather unique experience. I took my mom over to the Longshan Temple area where we explored the mysteries of snake alley. The temple itself was exotic and mysterious while the snake soup we dined on was equally exotic and mysterious. However, and I will agree with my mom on this, the soup itseld is putrid. I tried explaining that it wasn't the snake that tasted bad (as I have eaten snake before and quite enjoyed it) but rather the herbs the put into the broth.


After snake alley, it was a quick jump over to the Wisteria tea house where we joined a fine historic culture of Taiwanese cultural heroes as they performed the fine tea culture Taiwan is known for. This is a particularly important tea house as it is the location where former political dissidents met during Taiwan's White Terror.


The following morning, we had a day left of shopping to do. One of the items on our list was purchasing a new cage for Zeke. While at the pet shop, I got a strange call from a friend wondering where I was. I told her I was at the pet shop. Turns out she was on my balcony with a pot of Mash Potatoes (it seems like all my stories involve potatoes or women on my balcony). You see, I was to have a Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday night, but she got the dates wrong and arrived a day early with her boyfriend.

Not to throw the night away, and since I knew they had no plans, I invite them out with my mom and me. That night we dined at a great little hole in the wall that has no menus, they just bring a set dish of traditional Taiwanese food. After dinner, we took a stroll through the famed night market up in Shilin before we settled in for some Shrimp Fishing up in Tienmu.


Our last day pretty relaxing, strolls around the city, some shopping, some KTV singing, and finally preparations for Thanksgiving dinner. That night, we had about 50 guests arrive at my apartment, all with food in hand, to celebrate this wonderful holiday with my mom and me. The next day, it was an early flight home back to the old US of A, where a loving husband was waiting for her to tell the tales of her mysterious journey to Asia.

And this was only just a snap shot of Asia- it doesn't include stories about our bus rides, going to my Chinese school and meeting my Chinese Professor, eating beef noodles and meeting the owner of the best beef noodle shop in town, going to Sababa, visiting the school where I used to teach, shopping at the fashionable Wufenpu clothes market, trying delicious japanese cookies, the ten thousand buddhas monastery, and oh so much more!!!

From your loving mother and dutiful son mountains, Michael.