Memoirs of Beijing

Every month, I usually receive an email from Pantry Magic on their latest promotion and events.  I signed up to their newsletter when I bought baking items for my aspiring baker sister, Karen. 

Pantry Magic

The store is located at Unit 108D of Nali Patio along Sanlitun North Road.  They sell imported and quality products for your baking and cooking needs.  They also provide knife sharpening services for RMB 20 and carries cookbook and baking books for amateur and professional individuals.  The price is a little bit on the high side so I would suggest you only purchase something from them if you’ve already exhausted all avenues.

I never was a wine, liquor, champagne or beer drinker.  First, I’m allergic to some of them especially champagne.  Second, I never had the opportunity to try any of those when I was young.  Third, I don’t want to get drunk and do something stupid.  Fourth, I never like the taste.  However, since I joined the corporate world, the need to socialize and drink is needed.  Thus, my quest for alcohol which won’t cause me allergies and suit to my palate began.

Last autumn, Carrefour Shuangjing had its first annual wine fair.  It was a perfect place for me to search for that elusive wine which I will like.  I remember going and trying different kinds of wines from Australia, Italy, Argentina, China, France and US.  After trying several, all of them taste the same.  However, there was one wine which stood out and I came home with 4 bottles of them.  The wine, Brown Brothers Moscato.   Brown Brothers is an Australian wine company.  I have a partiality with Australian companies since that’s the first country outside Asia where I was able to visit.  Also, my first job in Beijing is with an Australian company.

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I’m invaded by small, round cakes everywhere I go.  I give away a box, I receive 2 boxes.  When I walk in the street, everyone’s carrying boxes of these cakes.  The usual clothes sale counter at the mall is filled with this mooncakes!!  I can’t seem to hide from them.

Anyway, enough about that drama.  Seriously, I received 2 boxes, gave 1 away, the next day got 2 more boxes, gave 1 away, then the next day got 2 more boxes again.  Some boxes are fancy like the one in the picture to your right which I received yesterday.  Some contain 4, 8, 12 mooncakes.  Some give away tea (Papa.. I have tea for you again!), while others give away the stinky Chinese wine!

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I love cute, tiny, short haired dogs.  In China, you can only have small dogs as if they are bigger than the allowable dog measurement set by the government, they have the authority to keep your dog and kill it.  So.. most dogs in my neighbourhood are small.

Anyway, as a dog lover, I can’t understand how people can stand to eat dog meat.  I remember once after church, Marco and I were walking along the west gate of Chaoyang Park looking for a place to eat.  We entered a Korean restaurant and was looking at the menu.  Marco chose something based on the picture.  When I asked him if he was sure, he replied, “Why? It looks good!”  I told him, “You want to eat dog meat?”  After telling him that’s it’s dog meat, he veered away from that page and ordered other stuff.

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When the dark restaurant became a fad in Beijing, my Friday dining group went to one of these restaurants to experience it. It was relatively expensive as the waiters need to wear night vision goggles to lead you to your table and serve your food. You order and pay for your food at the lobby area and leave your things in the locker before they lead you to your seats. It was messy, fun and quite an experience. You get to appreciate more those who were born with visual difficulties.

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For a person traveling in a country where they do not speak the same language, it is difficult to relay what you want to say or do. One major headache especially in China even for me, is ordering dishes in a restaurant. Not all restaurants have English menus and if they do, the translation doesn’t help. If you look at the picture I got from another website on the right, you will know what I mean.

A friend of mine experienced going to a restaurant where they have different prices for English and Chinese menus. He said if you can’t read the characters on their promos, you might miss something cheap.

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