So in the past few weeks I feel I have perfectly exemplified that signing up for my blog alerts will result in little to no emails. I just got back to Shanghai from Hangzhou. On my trip I realized no matter how much I want to write about different Chinese cuisines and the numerous dishes I encounter, the language barrier makes it extremely difficult. Most times when eating out I order either by pointing to a picture on the menu or by pointing to a poorly written English translation. Consequently, the majority of time I know only vaguely what I am eating and finding out the ingredients and cooking methods from the waiter is next to impossible. So even though I will post pictures of amazing looking, and tasting food, I most likely will not know anything more than the name of the dish...if I even know that. So instead, I will settle with describing my day to day experiences, travels, and encounters starting with my trip to Hangzhou. Hangzhou is a two hour train ride west of Shanghai and is known as the "Paradise of China." Now, when I envision paradise 
I think of an island with 50 inhabitants. This paradise is slightly different. People are drawn to the West Lake in Hangzhou, which is a lake surrounded by 5 million inhabitants. That being said, Hangzhou is beautiful. Along the East side of the lake you have a city of high rises with 5 million people roaming the streets. However, on the West side of the lake you have mountains and hills coated with temples and shrines. I went with my boyfriend and a small group of people from Disney English. We found a hostel across from the lake set back from the road and surrounded by trees. Definitely a great find until we were awoken by kids at 7 in the morning performing drills right outside of our bedroom windows. Behind the kids we couldn't help but notice a large painting on the side of the school depicting planes dropping bombs and tanks romaing the streets. No big deal. Ah, Paradise. In between renting bikes, walking around, and taking a boat ride, we got a chance to taste some of the typical Hangzhou cuisine. Besides being super tasty, there is not much more I can tell you with 100% confidence. We did have 
the infamous Beggar's Chicken, which consists of a whole chicken (feet and all) wrapped in Lotus leaves. The various versions of the history of the Beggar's Chicken all follow the same story of a beggar stealing a chicken and having to hide it from the Emperor's guards. In a hurry, the beggar covered the chicken in mud to disguise it and when it was eventually cooked, the mud proved to make the chicken extremely juicy (and a bit sandy too i imagine). A mixture of mushrooms, onions, soy sauce, and sugar seemed to comprise the stuffing for the chicken. Some flour and soy sauce must have coated the outside to resemble the clay (im borrowing this from a recipe because there is no 
way I could have gotten a run down from the server on the cooking methods). In addition to the chicken, an eggplant dish with scallions stood out not only in taste but color. The eggplant had the brightest purple coloring I have ever seen. The sauce it sat in was a concotion of soy sauce, sugar, and oil, perfetly complimenting the consistency of the cooked eggplant. All in all, Hangzhou was a great break from the city. I can't wait to go back when snow is coating the ground and I have more time to explore the multiple museums, historical sites, and temples surrounding the lake. But for now..back to teaching Chinese kids and searching for a bike to 
buy to navigate the streets of Shanghai.
I think of an island with 50 inhabitants. This paradise is slightly different. People are drawn to the West Lake in Hangzhou, which is a lake surrounded by 5 million inhabitants. That being said, Hangzhou is beautiful. Along the East side of the lake you have a city of high rises with 5 million people roaming the streets. However, on the West side of the lake you have mountains and hills coated with temples and shrines. I went with my boyfriend and a small group of people from Disney English. We found a hostel across from the lake set back from the road and surrounded by trees. Definitely a great find until we were awoken by kids at 7 in the morning performing drills right outside of our bedroom windows. Behind the kids we couldn't help but notice a large painting on the side of the school depicting planes dropping bombs and tanks romaing the streets. No big deal. Ah, Paradise. In between renting bikes, walking around, and taking a boat ride, we got a chance to taste some of the typical Hangzhou cuisine. Besides being super tasty, there is not much more I can tell you with 100% confidence. We did have 
the infamous Beggar's Chicken, which consists of a whole chicken (feet and all) wrapped in Lotus leaves. The various versions of the history of the Beggar's Chicken all follow the same story of a beggar stealing a chicken and having to hide it from the Emperor's guards. In a hurry, the beggar covered the chicken in mud to disguise it and when it was eventually cooked, the mud proved to make the chicken extremely juicy (and a bit sandy too i imagine). A mixture of mushrooms, onions, soy sauce, and sugar seemed to comprise the stuffing for the chicken. Some flour and soy sauce must have coated the outside to resemble the clay (im borrowing this from a recipe because there is no 
way I could have gotten a run down from the server on the cooking methods). In addition to the chicken, an eggplant dish with scallions stood out not only in taste but color. The eggplant had the brightest purple coloring I have ever seen. The sauce it sat in was a concotion of soy sauce, sugar, and oil, perfetly complimenting the consistency of the cooked eggplant. All in all, Hangzhou was a great break from the city. I can't wait to go back when snow is coating the ground and I have more time to explore the multiple museums, historical sites, and temples surrounding the lake. But for now..back to teaching Chinese kids and searching for a bike to 
buy to navigate the streets of Shanghai.
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