For the three day dragon boat weekend I headed to the beach! Normally I would be paddling a DragonBoat but it has been cancelled again …
We hired a car to go what should have been a 3.5 hour trip, but 6.5 hours later we finally arrived. At least we had snacks and my friend’s dog to keep us company! I have not been able to travel with Michael and Amber for over a year. They were great buddies for travel in 2020. My friend Fran also joined us.
Some of the traffic snarls were accidents but others were people stopping to give their child a bathroom break. I think moving over to the shoulder is more appropriate or at least placing the child between you and the car….
Finally we arrived and went to check out the beach. A negative 48 hour COVID test was required to enter the village. No one was allowed to enter otherwise.
Our dinner included scallops, oysters, clams, and mussels.
The hotel allowed dogs and was pretty decent for a Chinese hotel. Some things have me scratch my head….
The village temple
The next morning I went for a run. The village was small but beautiful to look at parts of the village. This village charges to enter the beach and the prices of food are more expensive, but we are far from a city and the village takes great care with their spaces to maintain a clean and nice beach.
We noticed that the old village was being destroyed. I had heard that sewage used to be dumped into the sea and the government put a stop to it some time ago. China is looking to expand tourism and provide money for updating the villages.
On the beach we ate the hummus and veggies we brought with us and spent the day enjoying the sea air.
To keep sun off you, go into the water with an umbrella!
Fish for dinner!
On the last day, we could not go back to the beach as our COVID test was after 72 hours. Never mind the fact that we did not leave the village at all….
These cucumbers are really amazing and there are a few ways to make them.
The ingredients
This recipe vinaigrette uses soy sauce/vinegar instead. Use the cucumbers that you like but ideally the seeds should be small. There are many options here to change based on your taste. It is my favorite way to eat cucumbers in China.
1 or 2 cucumbers
2-3 garlic cloves
Pinch of sugar to taste
Salt to taste
1 Tbs. Sesame oil
1 Tbs soy sauce (this is optional as it makes the salad darker. A light soy sauce would be better here)
1 tsp black vinegar (this is optional but this vinegar has a nice flavor though it makes the dish even darker. You can eliminate or use other vinegar that you like such as apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp or more chili oil to taste (this can also be optional or you can use chili flakes here instead which is what I usually prefer)
Wash the cucumber. If skins are tough, they can be peeled. Cut in half lengthwise and put the cut side down. Cut into chunks.
Using the side of the blade of a knife, smash the cucumber pieces. This will smash much of the seeds out and split the pieces even further. Remove the loose seeds.
Add the rest of the ingredients in a bowl to mix. Pour over the cucumbers and serve as a dude dish or pair with rice. This looks not as beautiful as I have made in the past. I used a darker soy sauce and also the chili oil. The result is a darker sauce. I have made it before without the dark vinegar and using chili flakes and it is good as well.
Beans are my favorite vegetable and I loved Thai peanut sauce. Here is a recipe I’ve put together from different dishes I have tried.
This dish has a few variations.
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 kg or about 1 pound green beans
For the sauce
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon fresh or ginger powder
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Whole peanuts toasted
1/4 cup water
Salt, to taste
Rinse and trim the beans.
Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl until blended.
In a wok or skillet on low or medium heat, brown the garlic until fragrant.
Add the green beans and peanuts and cook until almost done. Add the sauce and stir until thickened and beans are cooked but still having some crunch. You can add more water as needed. I served it over quinoa but you can serve with rice.
We stayed in great cabins by the lake and at the top of the Grand Canyon (where the waterfall begins).
We then started the descent into the Grand canyon. Lots of stairs and very steep declines. Fresh air and exercise: a perfect combination.
There is a hydroelectric station at the bottom with a way to move huge equipment.
On the climb back up we crossed a barrier and took a plunge in the very cool water.
We found this cool insect of the family Flatidae. They are leaf hoppers that suck the sap from the phloem of plants. It is peculiar add it looks like a flower on top.
Finally at the top of the canyon again.
One of my friends had to get a COVID test as she was missing the one being taken she requested from her apartment building that morning. As we were going by Huanghua again, we stopped there for her test, ate lunch, and then took a bike ride.
We ate at the same restaurant that smokes chicken. They also cook corn that way. Yummy!
We rode bikes through the village. It was a beautiful day and a nice ending to the trip. We were to have the bike ride on the second morning but could not with inclement weather.
This is a May holiday here in China. Our school has the weekend plus Monday off even though the Chinese holiday lasts until the 5th. It means we return before the traffic is large! Due to some outbreaks of COVID in China, travel out of the province is discouraged. There are some beautiful scenery and hiking here in Guangdong still worthy of exploring. Yingde and Shaoguan is a beautiful area.
After a few hours driving early on Saturday, our small group arrived in Huanghua (“yellow flower”) to take a COVID test. We already had one to travel but needed another less than 24 hours to go to the scenic spot on the second day. We then continued to the mountain.
These mountains are called karst formations. The limestone wears away from underground water making the unique landforms. They are more prevalent in other areas. The connected mountains give a wavy landscape view and are called the wavy mountains. We hiked up and then down for 8 hours.
At the top, another hiking group was dancing while their drone was filming. They asked us to join. I took this picture from behind them after we joined in.
Also at the top you could buy water and tofu dessert with ginger. Yum.
The pony helps bring supplies up the mountain.
Heping village is at the base of the mountain where we ended the hike. The climb up was steep and the down muddy and with rocks but it was fun. Great to be out in nature and smell fresh air.
We then walked to a cave in the village. It was massive. The wall and outer house was built in the 1800’s to protect the cave as it houses ashes of ancestors in the barrels.
Inside the front part of the cave looking out.
The goats were foraging and followed us around. Actually they were finding the rest of their group!
The hotel in Huanghua was beautiful. It had a hot spring pool on the roof and as it was raining when we finished the hike and into the next morning, it was perfect.
Lunch was at a really great restaurant that smokes chicken and corn in concrete pits.
After checking out we headed to Ruyuan and the Xianmenqixia scenic spot. Along the drive there were many rural farms with many crops including corn and other veggies interspersed with rice paddies.
The scenic area was stairs going up to a temple and was peaceful (the rainy day helped).
It is a scenic spot so places to take selfies and a few kitschy things like fake flamingos and golden monkeys hanging from a tree across the river…
Next stop: the Guangdong great canyon in Shaoguan.
This has been an interesting two weeks. I was cautious when I was in the US. I came back to China with cases already increasing in Shanghai. To be honest, I was already concerned as China has not had large case numbers and recently had made it more difficult to travel even within its borders due to more cases of the omicron variant in multiple cities. But the case numbers are nowhere near what they are in other countries.
After my release from quarantine on March 30, there were two school days before Spring break. I finally was able to see the new building!!! This picture is taken in the media center looking upwards. There are many places for students to sit and work including these enclosed boxes. The classrooms are on the back side of the hallways on each floor.
Not my classroom…. I’m still organizing it!
After spring break, classes are online….. Teachers can still go to school and get a little opportunity to play during breaks.
I could not travel so I planned to do outdoor exploring and dining. I had been inside for over 3 weeks. See the end of this post to learn about the two codes China uses to track infections and why I could not travel.
I connected with friends, went to dinner (outdoor generally), took walks, and enjoyed the beautiful flowers.
I went with my friend Heidi to Haizhu Lake park. Beautiful! The self driving drink vehicle was interesting.
Of course dragon boating and stand up paddle boarding are some of my favorite activities!
With large group activities, each individual had to sign in, record their temperature and show their health and travel codes.This pastry is delicious and has a filling of taro and mochi. It was a great snack before paddling.
The sights at night are still beautiful here!
English translation is always a mess.
It felt great to go back to volunteering with homeless love and seeing my friends Shalini and Sai.
There are less people out generally than normal and everyone wears masks. In my travel in China these past years, people in Guangzhou wear masks at a higher rate than other places. In fact, the lax mask wearing rules has had me concerned. When SARS broke out a decade ago, it was here in Guangzhou. The citizens have a more protective mentality.
And now there are more requests for community testing. It is an annoyance and some places have to test everyday. But they identify areas of concern and control it much easier this way. I wonder how long they can continue to do this as it is disruptive on people’s lives and those that cannot go to work and work from home are really suffering.
They scan your code which keeps track of your test so that the results are posted where you can see it.
Of concern are the lines of people being tested who have yellow codes (green is good, red is not so). Yellow means you have visited or been near a place that had a positive case. Your location history is used and you would have to have been near the area for over 10 minutes. It is a precaution but you cannot go to work out travel by mass transit. You cannot enter buildings and must stay home except to take 3 tests in 7 days. This is the line for those people. I know, they are out in public and it is not a perfect system. At least they are not taken to quarantine. If they were in close contact of someone who tested positive, then they would be.
China has two codes, one to show whether you may have been in contact with people who may or may not have COVID and to show your latest test results. I am always happy when my red quarantine code is changed to green.
The other code shows your travel history. If you traveled to another destination that is considered medium risk, an asterisk appears next to the name of the city. As my quarantine was in Shanghai, I have the asterisk and therefore cannot travel, join a tour, or check into a hotel. I was actually lucky to leave Shanghai at the time that I did as most flights out have also been stopped since.
After the mark for Shanghai was removed, Guangzhou had cases and now I have another mark for this city.
I am really hoping to be able to travel this summer and the next school year. I signed another one year contract and will leave China after next school year. Of course all of this is subject to change as who knows what will happen next here or in the world.
As a record of what I have enjoyed eating abroad, I will post recipes from time to time.
One of my favorite dishes is so simple to make and flavorful to eat. Make rice to round out the dish but it is perfect on its own. This is a dish you serve along with other dishes and though good for brunch it is rarely seen here as a breakfast food.
The ingredients:
4 medium tomatoes
2 scallions
4 eggs
1/2 + 1/2 tsp salt to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1-2 tsp rice wine (not vinegar!!!! You can also use Sake)
2 + 1 Tbs Vegetable oil or light olive oil
2 tsp sugar
1/2 c water
This is best prepared in a wok. You can cook this in a skillet but be sure to get it nice and hot to cook as fast as you can. You will also need something to act as a lid. Have all the ingredients ready on hand.
Prepare the veggies by cutting the tomatoes into smallish wedges. Chop the scallions.
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat thoroughly with half the salt, pepper, sesame oil, and rice wine.
Preheat the wok or skillet until it smokes and then add the 2 Tbs vegetable/olive oil. Quickly cook the egg mixture and remove as soon as it is cooked.
Add the remaining oil to the wok/skillet and cook the tomatoes and scallions for 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar, remaining salt, and water. Add more water if needed.
Add the cooked eggs back to the wok/skillet and mix together.
Cover the wok/skillet and cook for another 1-2 minutes. It is done when the tomatoes are completely soft.
Uncover and cook until the sauce is thickened to your liking. Serve with or without rice.
This is actually one of my favorite foods to order. It is simple, but don’t think that it is just tomatoes and eggs. It has an amazing flavor. You can also adjust this recipe and I know there are many other recipes out there. As with any family dish (like spaghetti, chili, etc.) there are many variations. A Cantonese friend taught me this dish.
Boarding the flight required filling out a China customs app and showing our green health code which made us eligible to fly. We showed them often…. The hardest part of the flight was keeping a mask on for 24 hours. We could take it off to eat and drink but not for long. The key is to change masks often for comfort. There were empty seats so the crew was nice in letting us move for more space. The food was good and I was able to get vegetarian. Add there was wine…. And I was able to lay down across seats to sleep. I appreciate it now that I’m 57 and my legs swell when I sit for so long even with compression socks.
It took 14 hours to get from Dallas to Seoul. It took a little longer than normal as the Russia-Ukraine war has changed the flight patterns to avoid Russian air space. As China covid rules even apply to flight crew, many US crews cannot enter China without giving up weeks for quarantine. We stopped in Seoul only to change crews and we were not allowed off the plane. Three hours later we landed in Shanghai.
The first thing we saw at the gate were the quarantine personnel waiting to deplane everyone aboard. We grabbed our carry-on and walked out the gate.
I have to give the Chinese credit for organization and mobilization. International flights arrive in an area separate from the rest of the airport. It was a long walk which was welcome after being seated for so long. We walked through temperature scanners, people checking passports and assigning a bar code for us to be scanned throughout the process, COVID test (both throat and nose), checking passports and customs codes again…. After getting our checked bags we were then placed in holding areas based upon where we live in China. This makes it easier to move people to the next steps. We also made sure all of us were in the same bus to go to the same quarantine facility.
Following a worker in the final step at the airport to a bus that will take us to the quarantine facility.Buses lined up to take passengers to quarantine.
It is one thing to self-quarantine and another to be part of centralized quarantine. To self quarantine you may still go get supplies and live with those in a household. Centralized quarantine means behind a door in a small room with meals brought to you, twice daily temperature checks, and COVID testing every three days. You cannot leave the room.
More paperwork and paying 4200 rmb ($662.51) for the 2 week stay and then I was taken to my room. All luggage was sprayed with a bleach solution even though it has been shown you don’t get COVID from objects. This is the Songzhi apartment hotel that used to house workers for the Songz automobile air conditioning company. Bare basic accommodations….
Some basic supplies in the room. Toiletries, laundry detergent, TP, bleach tablets for the bathroom…
Very. small. room. The wide angle shot makes it look bigger. To be able to have space to workout I pushed the bed against the wall. The bed is pieces of wood slats for a foundation and a mattress less than an inch thick. I folded it and the comforter to lay on. I have a run but warm blanket I take with me on airplanes Good thing I don’t roll much at night as I’m sleeping on an area the size of a sleeping bag.
That white chair is the only seating in the room besides the bed. The bar area is the only place to eat and work.
I unpacked necessities and made a little coffee bar. I have the mug I bought from Jess Greene, an amazing artist. I also have the other mug I won in the Resolution run race when I ran with Michele Belak. The kettle came with the room. I planned to make sure I have my coffee.
We can get some deliveries but cannot order meals from outside. I did bring some oatmeal and almonds for snacks.
The hallways are also sanitized with bleach several times a day. Trash can be set out at different times of the day for collection.
Food overall is pretty good. Even if it is not vegetarian there are so many veggies I can skip the meat. It is amazing how hungry you become when you hear the cart roll down the hall.
Starting the next morning after we arrived we were still teaching online which helped the days go by. It is definitely a relief to not have to teach in the middle of the night.
The weekends will be the hardest when there is nothing to break up the time. I have workouts and stretches planned throughout. I also saved books to read and computer files to sort. Wifi is pretty decent except at night. My school sent a couple different extra wifi options which help. In four days I have watched the Loki and Hawkeye avenger series… I also have West Side Story on my laptop but if I watch it anymore I will break out into song as I watch!
My school created a wechat group with support people from the school. Part of their job is to be available with translation help including the apps we need to go from Shanghai to Guangzhou. They were able to help us get supplies we need and even talk to my health office so I can do my third week of quarantine in my apartment!
Over half the people in this chat are support peopleThey even sent this card to keep track of quarantine days with a stamp of a ram, the school mascot.
I also brought this diffuser Becca gave me that I had not yet taken back to China. With some Patchouli oil, it helps to humidify and scent the air.
Now to keep to a schedule I drafted to make it through the days. I must confess that there are days I wonder why I came back. I almost made the decision to leave China this year. But, I still have a few places yet to visit here and it is a place I have always wanted to be. My school paid a nice bonus to stay and I have another year in a leadership position I would like to finish. The whole process is testing my resolve and this is a fluid situation.
If there is anything we have learned from the pandemic is that things change often and we will adapt. I can come home again in December but I may postpone it until Summer 2023. After all, I stayed longer this time than what was planned. I am also looking at where I would like to be next in the world…
We had two flights cancelled in this whole procedure of getting back to China. First the original flight from LA to Guangzhou then a flight from San Francisco to Shanghai were both cancelled. I had looked forward to SF for the weather and opportunity for being outdoors.
But the flight from Dallas to Shanghai was the lucky one. After the Olympics concluded it was only one of two flights allowed to proceed from the US. Of course flying in to Shanghai changes quarantine a bit. Now three weeks will be spent in a quarantine hotel (or a central facility if someone near me on the plane tests positive.) After I arrive in Guangzhou I will have another week and more COVID tests.
I was required to be at the city of departure a full 7 days before flying. There we are to health monitor by answering questions and taking temperatures each day for 7 days. We also have to declare our vaccination status and prepare documents such as passport, visa, resident registration, vaccination form, itinerary, test results….. All of these need to be uploaded to an embassy site to be authorized to fly. Now the waiting begins. Without the code you are not allowed on the airplane.
I stayed in a suite so that I could cook food and not go to restaurants. I still had to teach online from 6 pm until around midnight. A walk everyday, swimming in the pool, and running allowed some breaks.
The hotel was in a corporate area so not a lot of thru traffic. There was even a small nature center 2.5 km away. As it is spring it was wonderful to smell pines and juniper and see everything turning green.
For outings we went to Bass Pro Shops to look at fish and did some mall walking. The weather was pretty decent for early March to be outside. One other colleague stayed in the same hotel. It was nice to walk and talk to someone each day.
It was good to see colleagues and students on the screen. This is my student government students and the other advisor Katie. And the days blended together….
One former teacher, now retired, lives not so far away. I stopped to see her and walk around her neighborhood. Ruth Volz used to live in my compound in China as well. Lots to catch up on!
Two days before leaving we had to go to two different testing sites to get a PCR test. Pretty stressful as the whole plane had to do the same thing at the same places. We prepared all the documents to be ready to upload to the consulate site and then wait to get the green code. I was able to get mine pretty quickly but half of our group were still waiting for their last test result before they could start they process. Needless to say it is very stressful.
Finally we showed both codes multiple times and was cleared to board. Next stop, Shanghai and three weeks of quarantine…
As I was preparing to leave for the US, a number of celebrations were enjoyed with friends. Home is any place where you have family, friends, and a sense of belonging. Sometimes it is more than one place.
Dinner at a sauerkraut fish place with Jack. Of course I saw the menu and noticed pig brain.Not having tried it before, we ordered it too. It really had no specific taste but was quite good.
I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner with friends and the food was delicious. Some favorites of the holidays and others a mixed bag of other international dishes
I am blessed to have so many beautiful people in my life.My ugly Christmas sweater I made for the staff holiday party. LED lights make the fire glow Friends at the school held a cookie exchange.The school wide holiday Bazaar was also fun with great games for students and all things Christmas.
It is difficult to say goodbye to friends leaving the country you are in but we know it is not goodbye but until I see you again. My friend Trisha is going back to the UK.
And of course dragon boat which is my weekend hobby, exercise, and time with more friends.
This year I went out of my comfort zone and played the bass clarinet in a teacher ensemble for the students. I also performed a pantomime with other teachers for the whole school.
Before I knew it, it was time to leave for the US. I left lessons for when I am gone in January, made sure there was plenty of food for the kitties and people to take care of them, and planned my packing. A COVID test less than 24 hours old was required to get on the plane. At the airport, I ate in the China southern lounge.
After an uneventful flight to LA, the rest was a travel nightmare. Spirit airlines cancelled 8 flights and waited until boarding time to announce. Without a US sim card, I had no cell phone off of wifi. With the help of another kind person, I found a flight from John Wayne airport fire the next morning and she dropped me off at a hotel across from the airport.
I arrived 12 hours after I was originally to land in Pittsburgh where I went to my son Ryan’s apartment. He cooked a yummy falafel meal and it was great to finally be near him. Talking on the phone for three last 2.5 years was difficult.
The next morning I planned to renew my driver’s license, get a COVID vaccine, and walk around Pittsburgh to where Ryan works. It had been some time since I have been in a smaller city and could see beyond huge skyscrapers. It was an enjoyable walk through the different areas of Pittsburgh.
The hot metal bridge area in the Southside is where trains and barges brought coal to make steel. Along the river were many historical relics from that time.
Ingots of iron.
For lunch I stopped at double wide grille. Here they have all kinds of food including vegan and vegetarian. It is located in an old gas station and the food is so good here.
Afterwards we drove to my brothers house in the country. I planned on staying here for the rest of the week before going back to Ryan’s. I drove to see my old friends at punxsutawney high school and just relax and watch movies. I also need time to get new credit cards and take care of the mail I received the last 2 years. On a run that week, it started to snow and the wind was brisk. A big weather change from Guangzhou.
I will also be traveling to Wisconsin to see Becca. I am sure it will be cold there.
