A BIT of SUN in WINTER

The past few days have been pretty bleak here in Shanghai. Grey overcast skies and drizzling rain. Days to get things done around the house. So thanks to the depressing weather I am now proud owner of the tidiest drawers and cupboards in the building. Okay, I have no idea if that is true or not, but I am feeling very smug about my accomplishment.

So when I woke this morning and saw a glimpse of sunshine from behind the curtain I knew a nice walk was on the cards. I had a couple of bits to buy, so by taking the long way round I could combine necessity with pleasure, and a bit of much needed exercise too. It was 3c but without wind I knew it would be a pleasant walk.

It was so nice to see first signs of Spring with buds appearing on the plum trees. Traditionally this is the first tree to bud, and with this comes the promise of Spring. It's a few months away, but nice to see a hint of it right outside the doorway.

Around the next corner was evidence that it is still winter despite the sunny skies. The trees are wrapped up keeping them safe from the nasty elements of wind and frosts. This happens all over the city. Must keep many people busy.

So off I set on my way passing very familiar sights. My regular route, which I hadn't taken since I returned before New Year, was still reassuringly familiar. The car wash boys were busy at work. A whole team of guys who never seem short of a car to wash. As they wash them quite literally in my path I often have to detour around them. Today I was very surprised to see them hard at work on a Rolls Royce! A car which is far more common here than you may think. A lot of money around this city.

A stop at my favourite coffee shop, Gloria Jean's for a warming cup of coffee was next up. I like going here because the staff are welcoming and friendly and understand my Mandarin offerings. Although one thing I can do is order my coffee, tea or whatever other drink I am having, I can order the size and state it is for drinking in. I always feel very proud of myself, and it makes me smile knowing I am able to do this. Who would have guessed?

A walk down a side street brings to mind how every day there is something new, something unexpected around every corner. Today it is dried fish hanging up outside a wooden kiosk which sells cigarettes, tobacco, lighters sweets and various other things I'm sure. However no reason I can see for them to be selling dried fish, open to all the elements. These things always amaze and amuse me. They make the city different, at least from anything I have known before.

I then set off to cross the road, my nemesis. Today I don't hear an electric bike approach but to be fair he managed to swerve around me. I then almost have a incident with a car, yes the green man is there, but I guess not having dealt with Shanghai traffic for several weeks I had forgotten what a game of roulette it can be! 

Thankfully I made it across safe and well. Long may this continue!

Last stop local bread shop, Paris Baguette. All I need was some rolls but couldn't resist taking a picture of, well not exactly sure what it was, but basically it was a chocolate cake with chocolate filling encased in a plain cake with a cream filling between the two. To top it off there was a streusel like topping. The lady in front of me was actually buying it. I so wished I could have asked her more about this delicacy. They only sell it in half pieces. Why? No idea. Hope she enjoyed it.

On the last stretch I was delighted to see boxes of delicious strawberries on sale. Yes the strawberry season has arrived in Shanghai. Seems strange to see them so early, have not seen them since last year. It made me smile and tempted me into buying some to enjoy at lunchtime.

All in all it was a nice brisk walk and conformation of how much I love this crazy chaotic city. I look forward to the next few months and to seeing what surprises and challenges they may bring.

PS  The strawberries were every bit a delicious as they had looked. So please I succumbed to the temptation.

BACK in SHANGHAI

After a wonderful, if exhausting trip to Scotland for the festivities I am now back in Shanghai. As usual we ate to much, drank too much and stayed up way to late, but it was so much fun and just what was expected!

It was great spending time with family, the grandchildren were so excited about us being there, and were able to enjoy lots of hugs and kisses and early morning cuddles in bed. Did I spoil them? Never......

Taking some time to catch up with old friends also made the trip enjoyable. Funny with some people it doesn't matter how long the gap is between get togethers it still feels like old times. A big thanks to everyone who took the time to fit in with our tight schedule. It was a blast.

Of course goodbyes are always difficult, but after 15 solid days of heavy rain, maybe they were a little less traumatic than usual.

We arrived very late in Shanghai on Saturday night,to flurries of snow, and a cold chilly night. Now the cold I can deal with. Lots of warm clothes to keep out the chilly winds. The Chinese take the cold very seriously and wrap up well against it as you can see fro this photo. They are taking no chances.

We tried to get back on track, tried to catch up on sleep but of course hogmanay was but a short 48 hours away. Once again we were out  partying. More eating and drinking, this time there was also singing and dancing. Thanks to our new friends who hosted a small, but wonderful party to herald in 2013. We were a group of 6 Scots, 3 English and 1 American. It was a group who loved to party and did so through until 5-00am. Safe to say we all had a great start to the new year. It was so good to be able to spend this time with new friends and like minded people. 

So now I am struggling to restore sleep pattern, given the double whammy of jet lag and late night partying. I am also trying to compensate for all the delicious food consumed, over what was a very long, and very enjoyable festive season.

So as these were typical Scottish breakfasts.............

      

This is what breakfast for the coming weeks, or months will be looking like......

Have to pay for all the fun, and this really isn't too bad a way to start my day.

So the start of 2013 sees me hoping for a smaller waistline, a larger bank account, and to spend more time keeping old friends close, and to making new connections with new people who hopefully will find a place in the old friend category.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

or as they say here in Shanghai

XIN NIAN KUAILE

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

  One more Christmas night out, one more sleep and in 14 hours I'll be airport bound. 4-00am start but I don't care. I am so excited about being back with family for Christmas. 

Also after 10 consecutive nights of Christmas events I so need to relax, to be with the grandchildren and put the high heels and spanx to one side for a bit! Fear another night out may put me into sweatpants for Christmas, lol. There will be nights when they need to be resurrected, but for the most part I'll be chilling out waiting for Santa.

Shanghai has been a huge surprise. I didn't realise there would be so many Christmas events. We had a night out for my husbands colleagues which was so much fun. I had brought crackers back from UK and put them on the table. No one had the slightest idea of what to do with them. However, once told they entered into the spirit, sadly jokes were lost in translation, but hats were worn even as we left the restaurant, and some I believe were still being worn in taxis on the way home. 

Once again the Chinese amazed me with there love of partying. They certainly know how to have fun. They all ended up back at our apartment where Christmas songs were sung, mainly by my husband, but with the Chinese joining in where they could, wine was drunk and a good night was had by all.

So as I step on to the plane tomorrow I will have good memories of my first Christmas in Shanghai, and will be looking forward to making more family memories in Scotland. 

I plan to, no, I need to sleep as much as I can on the way home. I plan to, no, need to stay away from the food served on the plane. I on the other hand should be staying away from the champagne on route, however, I have absolutely no intention of doing so! Well it is Christmas after all............. and it may help me sleep.

So I want to wish everyone who has passed by my blog this year, A Very Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Healthy 2013.

I hope to see you all again next year.

CHRISTMAS COMES TO SHANGHAI

Had not expected to be seeing so much Christmas activity around Shanghai. As the Chinese don't celebrate Christmas I had thought, quite wrongly as it turns out, that it would be business as usual in the city.

But I guess the commercial lure of the season is just to much to ignore. So all around the city signs of the Festive Season are on display. From huge Grottos to a few bells and tinsel it seems everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love everything connected to the season. Even the shopping, although here in Shanghai this is somewhat easier than at home as the shops are not all crowded with hoards of Christmas shoppers It is really business as usual here, so no queues for coffee or lunch when out on the weekend shopping trip. It is really very pleasant surroundings in which to seek out these special gifts for people we love. 

If anyone I love is reading this please don't get excited by the photo above, it is only to let you see the decorations, not an indication of where I have been shopping. 

Even my local coffee shop has decorated the windows and is offering Christmas mugs for sale. I just had to buy some and was really delighted that the boxes they came in actually played a Christmas song. Think they might be recycled in the coming weeks. 

If you are interested it plays "We wish You a Merry Christmas."

I will not be spending the festive season in Shanghai but will be heading home to Scotland, to be with the family. I am so excited about it, can't wait to be with them. However, thanks to the world commercialism connected to the season I can start the build up before I head on home.

One thing that took a bit of the shine of the Christmas Spirit was seeing a box of Cadbury's Chocolate Fingers, christmas packing, on sale for 88RMB, in real money £8.80. Seriously does anyone want one so much that they are willing to pay this? Think, or at least hoping not.

So I will be happily preparing for the trip home, shopping in comfort, in reasonable temperatures, enjoying coffees and listening to the Christmas music being played everywhere. I will not however be enjoying a Cadbury Chocolate Finger anytime soon!

SCOTS in SHANGHAI

Saturday night saw us "amongst oor ain folk". We were attending an evening hosted by a young couple who have fairly recently arrived in Shanghai. The get together was to bring Scots they had met together, to eat, drink and be merry, which as Scots we can do very well. An evening like this was bound to be a success.

I have to say we were not all Scots, an Irish couple had slipped through the net! I think they qualified as fellow Celts, and the host himself was only there because of his Scottish connection, his fiance, so we really had to accept him, and a couple of English ladies, with Scottish husbands, into the fold. Everyone warmly welcomed only criteria, have fun. And we all did.

Our hosts had done a wonderful job of pulling it all together, not just the assembled company, but also the delicious Scottish fare on offer. People had brought along various Scottish dishes and the hostess had worked really hard to produce some delicious food. I had taken along Scotch eggs, always a favourite, and some tablet  http://thecelticcook.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=tablet click on this for recipe.
However I was not alone in producing tablet, but there is never such a thing a too much, so I'm sure as the week went on the supply grew smaller. There was soup, a good wholesome broth, shepherds pie, stovies, an Irish stew, and a bowl of turnips, Shanghai style. Not a bad thing, they were delicious. It is just that some things are not so easy to track down here and sometimes you have to be prepared to compromise. But as far as I could tell it was a turnip dish, okay maybe a few varieties but pulled together tasted good. An attempt had been made to recreate the famous "square sausage" I did not get around to tasting it, but as people were tucking into rolls filled with it there didn't seem to be much wrong with it. There were even tattie scones and skirlie on offer.

The table groaned with a good old Scottish "Bill of Fayre" and everyone got stuck in. Desserts were also on offer, apple crumble, pancakes and jam to name but a few. I'm full thinking about it. "Fu tae burstin' " as a Scot might say, or as we are in China perhaps we should be saying, "wo chi bao le" A truly international blog today folks! 

Anyway, wine, food and conversation flowed. New aquaintances were forged and business cards exchanged. I am sure we will be spending more time with some of these people as our paths cross during our time in Shanghai. There is a comfort in chatting with people who know how you think, know where you come from, and are accepting of new cultures, not only of accepting but embracing them. We shared with these people the experience of living far from home,  the fun and challenges that go hand in hand with it. Until you have done this it is difficult to understand, and for a few hours on a Saturday night in Shanghai we were all able to share tales of here and of home. 

So a big thank you to our hosts. To organise this after such a short time here tells me that they will fit in. You have to put yourself out there and make the best of your time here and this was a great way of doing that. I'm sure many invites will come their way.

I had only one slight regret about the evening. 

And that was I had decided to wear my tartan shoes in celebration of the Scottish night.

6" heels + 4 hours standing = "sair feet" 

"Hell mend you" I can hear my mother say.  Fellow Scots will I'm sure know this phrase.

So a big thank you to our kind hosts. Here's to many more nights like this.

AUTUMN in SHANGHAI

Today is a beautiful day here in Shanghai. The sun is shining, the skies are blue and it is a perfect cool 16c. The hot humidity of summer has gone leaving everyone feeling more comfortable. The trees are still green, which feels strange but there is a definite feel of Autumn.

This is the time of year I love. I love being able to pull on woolies and to feel cozy and warm. Especially at night when outside it is much chillier and I can cozy up with my magazines, a good book, DVD or on the rare occasion when there is something worth watching on the TV. I feel so happy at this time of the year.

However I do miss being at home. I don't miss the rain and grey skies, but I do miss beautiful colours of the trees and the build up to Christmas, which will now be well under way at the moment. Here of course there is no Christmas, but there are signs of some places cashing in on the ex pats love of this time. Not too much, but a hint of the commercial side of this holiday.

One thing I love to do on these cooler nights is to get back into the kitchen and start cooking some homely warming dishes. Often in summer it is just too hot to put the cooker on. Hard to believe I know but can be the case.

So not quite cold enough for stews and thick soups, but I have made a few delicious soups and look forward to a nice big stew cooking away all day in the slow cooker. I love the smell when I come home and the house and is filled with a nice aroma of supper. I think smells are the one thing that stimulates the brain most. Smells can transport me back into my Gran's kitchen, to Mum's kitchen on baking day and even back to the school dining room. All very evocative of good times. Great memories all prompted by the smell of cooking.

Anyway it was a creamy risotto I turned to this week. A nice comforting dish to be had any time of the year. But as the mushrooms were looking so good at the market this week a risotto seemed the obvious dish.

I choose a big bag of different kinds and set off home to make supper. I knew this dish would please my husband. One of his favourites.

I used to be afraid of attempting risottos, but once you make a few then you realise just how easy it is.

I cannot buy arborio rice here but with so many choices I chose one which looked much like the one I use at home. I knew as long as I could get the starch out of it then I would be fine.

A splash of oil, a finely chopped onion, a small glass of wine and some gently boiling stock was all I needed.

 

I gently sweated the onion before adding the rice. I stirred to coat it in oil the added the glass of wine and stirred until it evaporated. I then started to add the stock a cup at a time all the while stirring gently, coaxing it into a nice creamy dish. There should still be a bit of a bite in the centre of the rice, so constant tasting is essential.

I fry the mushrooms in a splash of oil and knob of butter. I also season them well with salt and pepper. Once the rice is ready I season it then add the cooked mushrooms. Mixing it all together.

To finish off I sometimes add a handful of grated parmesan, or to make it a really special and extra creamy a spoonful of marscapone will do the trick. This is for special suppers only, not for mid week nights.

So soon we were tucking into a nice bowl of risotto and of course nothing to do but drink the rest of the wine which I had used to cook with. We both enjoyed it. The mushrooms were really earthy and delicious. A very satisfying supper indeed.

CHINESE COOKING CLASS

Yesterday I went to my first Chinese cooking class. Although I do what I can at home I wanted to check out the real way to cook good Chinese food. We were a group of 10, two celts, two Germans and the rest of the group were American. Our teacher, Mike, was in fact Korean, and not Chinese, so were were truly a multi cultural group.

The class started with a trip to a wet market, much like the one I use, only this one was much bigger. Mike helped out answering our question on some of the more unusual fruits and vegetables, giving us tips on how to prepare and cook them. I love being able to but fresh bamboo shoots, fresh dates and fresh water chestnuts. It's great to see all the rows of neatly arranged produce just waiting to be be turned into something delicious. 

Then on past the rows of rice. So many different kinds, one good for sticky rice, another better for fried one for boiled, it goes on and on. I am still experimenting with the different types. It seems they all turn out to be sticky by the time I've cooked them. I'll crack it eventually.

No hard sell here. "Man,man lai" is a phrase they use here which means take it easy, and I think the person photographed here is taking the advice very seriously. Anyway a group of foreigners are probably not going to be his biggest buyers today.

We continued our trip around the market, finding new and interesting things around every corner. Some of the things and smells not so pleasant. But you kind of get used to that here, and it doesn't bother me as it did in the beginning, although  few of the ladies were very new to Shanghai and found some things very difficult to deal with. I know it's not how we do things in the west, but it's not so long ago you would find live chickens at markets and be able to buy parts we no longer use, although it seems there is a new revival of nose to tail eating. Easy to find that here.

YES LIVE PIGEONS FOR SALE................

 AND YES BELOW IS A SELECTION OF BIRD HEADS FOR YOUR DELECTATION

My husband had duck head for lunch this week, not sure why. He said it tasted fine but here wasn't much eating in it. Really! A big part of the Chinese enjoyment of food it chewing and sucking on bones. Not for me, especially when they are spat out on to the table in front of you. There are things here which I don't think I'll ever get really used to. But it is all a great experience, one I would not have missed.

So as we wandered around, a group of women many meeting each other for the first time, we had fun getting to know each other. Finding what had brought us all to this amazing city, mostly our husbands! We were a group of lucky ladies looking for things to do in our adopted city, and there is never a shortage of things to do. I find the thing is there is almost too much to do, and to see. So meeting at this class meant from the get go we all had something in common, a love of cooking, or for eating, and most of all a wish to become more familiar with the cuisine of Shanghai.

Soon were all back in the kitchen, chopping and preparing. Mike had good English and explained the dishes well. We were cooking Shanghai Noodles, Spicy Green Beans and Mike would demonstrate a Spicy Chicken Stir Fry. It always amazes me at just how few condiments and spices are used to produce the amazing flavours. Garlic, ginger, dried chillies, light and dark soy sauce, pinch of sugar and salt and a shake of pepper are the only flavourings we used. Although in the Shanghai Noodle dish we did put a pinch of five spice. I am always surprised at how few spices are actually used to produce such wonderful flavours.

The green beans were the first dish produced and we all tucked into them. It was surprising how all the dishes tasted a little different depending on how much of the various spices we added. But they all tasted good.

So the afternoon progressed, we were creating new dishes and at the same time making new friendships. I was a great afternoon. All too soon it was time to go our separate  ways. We had all gained an insight into new ways of cooking. Some of us would be trying out these dishes as soon as we could. Some of us would probably never cook them, but had enjoyed the company and the fun of the day spent in the company of like minded women. We will probably meet up again at various events and classes, some of us will have made new friend. But whatever people get out of these events one thing is for sure is that they are always fun.

So thank you ladies, and thank you Mike for helping make my time in Shanghai a great one, and for creating another memory of my time spent here. 

Cheers!