This article is part of a series on my First and Lasting Impressions of Asia.  If you would like to read about and/or articles related to this topic, please CLICK HERE.

One of the great joys that I have experienced in living in this part of the world for these past 10 years has been the food.  I honestly was fearful of this prior to moving over here.  I had never liked Asian food as a kid.  The eating part of living in Asia honestly brought fear to me.  I had always struggled keeping weight on and feared that I would shrivel away to nothing (at age 40, this is not the case anymore!).  However, my fears could not have been less grounded in truth.  The food is creative, delicious, diverse, and inexpensive.

This specific area is famous throughout all of East Asia, if not the world, for its food.  I had read about this prior to my arrival, but nothing could have done it justice to truly prepare me for it.  This food is known for its spiciness and wide variety of tastes and choices.  It has definitely lived up to its billing.

I could not even estimate the number of dishes and types of foods I have had over the years.  Yes, I have had some more “exotic” meats, but I will not put that in print here.  I’m sure I would lose some of you if I were to get too specific.

One of rare foods found almost exclusively in this region is called shao kao.  Shao kao is a type of BBQ in which meats and vegetables and even some specialized breads are placed on small sticks and cooked over a grill.  The food is incredible, with special spices that are unlike anything I had ever experienced prior to arrival in Asia.  It is so spicy that your mouth is still numb for an hour or so after you eat it.  I actually have grown to miss this post-meal numbness when I am in America.

One of the oddities of shao kao is that is not served in restaurants.  It is sold exclusively by street vendors who gather in various sections around the city.  Each little stand, individually owned and operated, has a section in front where all kinds of meats and vegetables are raw and available for consumption.  This is up front in the stand.  Behind the raw food storage area is a large grill.  This is where the cooks do their magic and transform a dark street corner into a 5-star dinning experience.

To place an order, you simple pick out the sticks of raw food that you desire for them to cook, hand it to them, and tell them if you want it spicy or nuclear.  Give them a few minutes to grill the food up and instant culinary joy!

These shao kao stands are special in many ways beyond it being great food.  For one, they don’t appear on the streets until dark.  At this point the sidewalks of the areas they inhibit are covered in these grills.  Miniature tables and chairs flood the sidewalks where the food is served, creating a type of grungy, family environment.  The grills will stay active until well after mid-night, always ready and willing to grill up your every desire.

Another thing that is special about it is that these shao kao dealers are all illegal, for the most part.  In order to do anything in this country, you must get a permit from the government.  The street vendors/grill masters are, by in large, a bunch of enterprising entrepreneurs [Read more…]

Yesterday late afternoon, I was laying on my couch in a semi-vegetative state.  I find myself fighting of an “everything virus” right now that has included about every symptom known to modern medicine (I will spare you of the details).

As I was laying there, dreaming of a healthy body, I got a text.  It was in Chinese and from a contact whom I identified simply as “Wang Rabbit Guy”.  He informed me that their newest rabbit was ready to be purchased.  I replied that I will be there tomorrow to pick the little guy up.

Let me explain . . . living in Asia in high-rise apartments, pets are often not an option for people.  However, children the world over still desire to have a small, cute, and breathing animal to care for and play with.  So, rabbits are a good substitute for dogs and cats in the midst of such cramped quarters.

In the city where I just moved from (and still return to once a month for meetings), most of my friends have children . . . all of which, naturally, want a pet.  Last year, I found a great little pet store/high school girl’s trinket shop.  Seriously.  The pet portion of the store has gerbils, spiders, guinea pigs, AND, you guessed it, RABBITS.  All animals which are easy to put in a corner in a flat.

Their rabbits are cute, domesticated, and cheaper than anything in my previous city.  After I gave “Buddy” to the Todd girls for Easter last spring, I am now fielding other request to purchase rabbits for families and bring them up to the other city. 

Back to my story. . .  I now have a rabbit guy. After completing yesterday’s texting session with “Wang Rabbit Guy”, I put the phone down, got back prostrate on my couch, and began thinking. [Read more…]