The Chinese teachers in my English department at school are so sweet and generous. At least three times a week, someone is offering me some kind of food. We all walk around to each other’s cubicle with whatever we have so everyone can share. Sometimes it’s chocolate but most of the time it is dried Read More
Category: Maine
Places in Maine that we have been, stayed, eaten or experienced.
A little Western comfort in Hong Kong
This move to China has meant completing a lot of “firsts” for us. It’s my first move out of the United States. We are teaching in real classrooms for the first time. This is the first time we’ve been completely dependent on public transportation. We have eaten so many new foods, obviously for the first Read More
Durian part II: my own personal pan evil pizza
Since deciding that durian does not belong in ice cream, I’ve seen many other food groups that have been invaded by the fruit. I’ve been curious but afraid. I remember the conflict of my senses: it smells like onion, it initially tastes like onion and it’s creamy. There’s a tiny bit of sweet toward the Read More
If the zhu fits, have it for lunch.
If you’re reading this, you may have gone to public school. You went to school somewhere to learn how to read, right? If you went to public school, you probably ate public school lunch. You may have had a favorite meal and were so excited when pizza burger day came around. Or mac and cheese. Read More
Snacks: they’re mine and I won’t share. Yes, I’m being shellfish.
I love snacks. I love every kind of snack. Portable snacks. Snacks you eat with a spoon or chopsticks. Snack mixes. Nuts, dried fruits, rice crackers, seaweed, spicy, saucy, sweet, salty… I love it all. I love the textures, I love the sound, I love the flavor combinations. Snack mixes are convenient for an on-the-go fuel Read More
Are chicken feet the next chicken wing?
I knew a little about chicken feet before we moved here. I had first seen them when I still lived in Vermont; a coworker traveled regularly to China for business and once he brought back a vacuum-sealed package of chicken feet. They were in a red sauce but I could still see the toenails and Read More
Durian…evil Chinese fruit or evil Chinese fruit?
Trendy durian When we got to China, we heard about this fruit, durian, and its polarizing effect. You either like it or you hate it. It has a distinctive smell, for sure; it smells like…it’s hard to describe. I think it smells like a cross between a dirty bathroom and feet. And onions. Kim can’t Read More
One of the favorite chapters in our story, Beauport Inn
So many pages… The Beauport was our home base before we left Maine. Even when we lived in Maine, Beauport felt like home too. It was one of our favorite places to get away to. We could relax there. And we could be productive there. I’m adding some more proof of just how at home Read More
Gimme some Moya’s!
If you think you smell pizza… Shortly after arriving in Nuevo Arenal, we caught a ride from Agua Inn to town to grab something to eat and some groceries. We walked down the main street so Kim and the girls could check out old places they remembered. The only place we could fathom going for Read More
Gingerbread. Not just a Christmastime treat anymore
Time to experience the legend… When we weren’t lounging and reading books or snapping selfies, we managed to sneak a little time in town. One night we had dinner at Gingerbread with our friends and owners of Agua Inn, Trent and Javier. Kim and the girls were dying to finally try this place, having lived Read More