the ox

The Motherland is overwhelming enough with its what, 1.3 billion inhabitants, but in the weeks leading up to Chinese New Year it's just claustrophobic. This is my first time spending the season with family in my hometown and I've been like a fat kid in a candy store, or like myself in a candystore, observing all the preparations around me.


The roads are packed with men and women making the pilgrimage home to share a meal with the parents and pay respects to the elderly. You cannot get a cab period. I've learned to cower behind my warrior mother as she ferociously battles other weary travellers for that rare empty cab. Honest I'm not cut out for this country, its dog eat dog, man eat man, man eat dog, etc. I'm slowly learning that you can't be nice, at least not all the time, because you WILL get shat on. So sometimes you need to be a little more nimble, shove a few elbows out of your way, hold onto your purse like its your newborn, and be ready to wage war when someone surprise tackles the rickshaw you are about to embark. I've learned that these people arn't being rude, they're just living the everyday hustle like you and I. Cept they've gotta make it work with a few hundred million peeps all up in their grill.

There's so much new years product being sold in the markets it's staggering. China is a country where food and drink is of the utmost importance, with events, meetings, and family functions revolving around multi-course meals. Chinese New Year is a food coma on steroids with 400 food babies that run like Kenyans. In other words I'm in heaven. In the weeks leading up to this weekend, there are thousands of stalls around Chengdu selling New Year goodies like sesame brittle, dried fish, smoked meats, and other unidentifiable delicacies. Kids also love this time of year because they get new clothes and most importantely "red pockets" which are basically red envelopes of cash monay. You are supposed to sleep with it untouched under your pillow for a year and the story is that it will double. After a few years of rich slumber I told my mother it was a sham and spent it all behind her back. I may be too old for red pockets now but I won't say no if you insist.

my 8 year old cousin

some cute sticky rice thingie, i just want to eat them all

my cousin took me to eat this. it's called cold pot, as opposed to hot pot, where all the skewers are dunked in cold Sichuan chilli oil. yes. yes. yes.

Stinky tofu. The name says it all. This has got to be the most delightful culinary treat that smells like a thousand port-a-potties floating in a bog.

Chinese sassauge and smoked meats are huge during the new year, this age-old method of preserving meat has been improved upon by the Chinese to an art

the five characters below say "Sichuan Famous Snacks" or "small eats" to be literal. They are simply the best, cheap and filling, the tastiest dumplings, wontons, thick noodles, among other delightful things swimming in hot chilli oil oh my god.

some cute kid who I want to eat.

this corn is chewy gummy goodness

this brother is mixing up an intoxicating batch of toasted peanuts, sesame and syrup ...

to form this, which is currently being hammered by these two brothers into a many layered brittle. COME TO MAMA

sugar cane. I remember eating this as a kid and simply loving it. My moms would buy me a stick and I'd sit on our steps blissfully chewing the juice out of it and spitting out the shredded cane. Now in Singapore they take all the work out and run the cane through a machine and fill up a cup in less than a minute. But the work was the whole fun of it.

sticky rice ball goodness on a stick

mmm ungodly pork buns...

lady mixing our "xiao chi" (small snack) of noodles in sweet and spicy sauce

the best noodles of LIHFFFFF

massive block of peanut brittle being shaved and put into little savory spring rolls

need I say more?

This year our family's celebrations are muted and somewhat sobered, as my eighty year old Yeye (paternal grandfather) is in hospital recovering from a gall surgery last week. I had not seen him in over seven years, and the sight of his frailty knocked the wind out of me. I could barely see when I dabbed his lip with a wet cotton swab as he still could not drink despite great thirst. To provide some much needed entertainment I stood by his bedside and told tales of my adventures in Nepal. But then I had to stop because his heartrate monitor went crazy when I got to the part where I jumped off a 200m bridge. Oops. Thankfully he is recovering nicely and we may be able to have a makeup version of the family dinner next week.

When I left Nepal, I thought I left the incessant queeries about my marital status behind. No, apparantly my family members have even greater interest in matchmaking than Nepali villagers. My closest cousin, three years older than me, just recently got married, and evidently all eyes are now on me. I've got instructions raining down on me from all sides, "Its about time you know", "Why don't you find a Chinese one", "I'm not picky, he can be whatever background you like", and a harsh "This is a serious matter!" when I double over in a giggle fit. My no-nonsensical grandfather who always spurts confucian proverbs, took a break while lying horizontal with feeding tubes going into his stomach to inquire if I've settled down. I said to the poor man he can set me up on a blind date.

Tommorrow is an important date on the lunar calendar. My mother's side is celebrating with a massive meal at lunch, the pictures of which I'm sure will give you an authentic taste of the Chinese New Year family celebrations. I can't wait to light all kinds of cheap fire crackers. Until then, Gong Xi Fa Cai (congrats and be prosperous), and Xin Nian Kuai Le (happy new year)!

shadow puppets! these things provided entertainment for generations of Chinese before there were things like Tivo and Facebook

a "lao wei" (foreigner) hustlin in Chengdu


These are commonly called plum blossoms, they're abundant in Chinese watercolour paintings and are so famous because of their intoxicating fragrance. I've never smelled anything quite like it, it only grows in the coldest of weather in China and during the winter every family keeps a bunch in the living room. I don't know why there isn't a perfume with this scent yet. Note to self: get on that.

wall in a Chengdu monastery

lighting incense for Buddha to ask for health and prosperity

beautiful wall

beautiful garbage

ok, all stop. this is the best souvenier PERIOD. I had to have one of those fatty pork slices, its a famous Sichuan dish called "Hui Guo Rou". effing genius.


keeping the monastery clean

not sure what that says, but it must be pearls of wisdom, so read up kids!


xo