This Tea Comes with Frills

There are certain perks to living in China, and having access to abundant amounts of delicious green tea is one of them. Loose leaf tea is common, and the most fun to brew. I love to spend a small amount of my work day watching tea brew. The leaves start out dry and then expand as they rehydrate. Small residual currents in the water can make watching tea brew about as interesting as a lava lamp.

 It only requires access to hot water and some way to filter the leaves off the finished product. In my sample video, I've used a specialized tea mug that comes with a metal screen (you'll see at the end how well it doesn't work) but other contraptions such as french presses can work too. Some of the professionals use their teeth to strain out the leaves, and chew the remains like whole leaf tobacco.


I'm not expert enough to pick out a good tea until it's been brewed (and poured in my mouth) and I couldn't name any specific type. The term "green tea" seems to refer to any tea that is green. Some has huge broad leaves, other teas have small slender leaves and I've seen some that include flowers or other frills. There are certain types from certain regions of China that are "famous" and I'm trying to learn by sampling as many as possible and trying to remember the Chinese characters for each.

Regardless of the tea origin, one important factor is to not over steep the tea. Leaving it too long or using too little water results in bitterness. The batch I made for this video was deliciously brewed at ten minutes. It is unlike anything you'll get in a bag from Lipton.

A taste for good tea is one of the many small effects China will have on my life. Will I be disappointed after returning to the states? Or will I find a local source for "broad leaf green tea with frills?" I've already got the mug...

Squeeze From the Bottom

Life in China is full of quirky little things that we find fun.  For example, we buy ketchup in a tube - like toothpaste.

We choose the tube not only because it is the cheapest form of ketchup. It's also fun to squeeze out the last drop.

Randomness From My First Day as a Housewife

There is really no theme to this post.  TV is less than satisfactory and Clif will not be home for awhile, so this will be all about my first day on my own in Suzhou.

The day began with a Chinese medical check.  Back in the States I also had a medical check, some chit-chat about family history, looking in my eyes, ears, and mouth, checking out my toes and heart beat.  Here is China they take it a little more seriously and it is more an assembly line of nurses and doctors than a private room.  I had the basics: blood pressure, blood drawn and weight checked.  Then it got a little more intense.  In one room you are given an ultra sound to check your gall bladder, kidneys and I don't know what else.  In another room you are given an EKG (Someone should ask Clif about putting his hands down...).  I got to skip the chest X-ray due to baby on board.  I ended my check-up in the vision screen room.  Pretty sure I failed the colored blindness test and it was pretty iffy on the vision check, but the doctor gave me my stamp anyway while she and the other patients had a good giggle.

This next segment is called "What you ask for, What you get"

What you ask for: toaster oven
What you get:

 I was actually expecting a microwave after the conversation I had with the realtor.  I would point to a toaster oven and say, "toaster oven" and she would respond with, "Yes, microwave."  I suppose this is a compromise.

What you ask for: a dresser
What you get:

Looks like I will be keeping my undies in a vanity.

I have not yet gotten brave with my food choices.  This is about as adventurous as I have gotten:

100% Peach Juice. I am taking baby steps at trying new things.

On the left you will see fresh bread.  You do not buy loaves of Butternut at the grocery store.  There are several local bakeries where you buy fresh bread about 8 pieces at a time.  This bag was still warm when I picked it up!  The bakery, Franco Pappa, had lots of yummy looking items I will be trying in the near future.  You might also notice the blue "S" logo on the bread.  You will find this on many products.  Evidently, if the Chinese government has deemed the food to be safe, it is marked with this logo.

The Chinese love their beds firm and by firm I mean like blocks of cement.  This has lead me to be spending the past few nights on the only slightly softer couch.  I met many expats today and one wonderful women loaned me a small comforter until our mattress pad arrives in a few weeks.  I think I folded the blanket about a half dozen times to make myself a more cushy island on my side of the bed. Sorry Clif, your pregnant wife gets all the luxuries! He is going to have to make his own friends with extra blankets.

Really, I kept very busy on my first day.  I met lots of wives at a Starbucks gathering, the lovely women mentioned above went with me to the grocery and later in the afternoon went back out with me to show me around some other parts within walking distance.  She will also be going with me to a new store tomorrow called Metro, I am told it is like a Sam's club.  All of the expat wives seem super friendly, want to get you included in all kinds of activities and seem to be willing to loan you anything you may need to get by.  I have already been invited to multiple events this week and collected many business cards, which evidently is a must and I need to get some made quickly! We will see how many names I can remember next time I see them all!

Finally, as I am sure many of you have been eagerly awaiting my review of the Japanese toilet, I am quite fond of the heated seat.  I used our second bathroom once and nearly jumped back up when I sat down on the cold seat. So, I say "Yes, please" to the heated seat.  Clif also convinced me to try the bidet and the jury is still out.  There are other buttons on the toilet I have not yet braved. Don't worry, I will keep you posted.