Merry Christmas

Another holiday season. Time to eat too much rich food and drink too many wonderful beverages (of the alcoholic variety, I suspect).

It is also a time to share your good fortune with those who have less. Time to share hugs and smiles with friends (although all of mine are now so far away that I doubt my arms will reach!). And time to reconnect with family.

Best wishes to all of you, and may you have a Merry Christmas and a safe a prosperous New Year.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms, mushrooms everywhere!

Just outside our new offices, there is a small strip of grass between the parking lot and the Fraser River. This little strip of green is home to the biggest mushrooms I have ever seen. Some of these monsters measure up to 8" in diameter.

If some appear to be damaged, they are, as I forgot to look where I was walking.


The come in a variety of shapes and sizes, domes, cups, flat, big and small (although I suspect the small ones are just catching up). And different colors as well. I wonder if the vibrant color means "Don't dare eat me!" like it usually does with frogs, toads and numerous insects. How does one tell which mushrooms one can make into a soup or include in a steak and mushroom pie?



Perhaps the best thing is to leave them where they are, and purchase my veggies from the supermarket.

Summer Splendor

Thought I should dabble a bit with the blog once again, if only to prove that I had not passed on to the great compost heap in the sky! Not just yet, I am still kicking and playing in the garden, where I must admit I have enjoyed some success. As a complete rookie at this, I am somewhat surprised that things have turned out as well as they have.

The question now is, are they ready, and what do I do next? Any advice?




Now, these little devils (hot peppers!) still have a way to go before they get plucked, but their fate is ordained. They will flavor many a dish of Chinese mixed veggies, rice noodles, sweet and sour pork and "multiple mushroom soup". I can hardly wait for their contribution.







And these lovely little cabbages are have only one fate: to become the main ingredient in a friends' special cabbage roll recipe.








I have thoroughly enjoyed my little vegetable garden. It has provided me with a purpose when I stand in the back garden, a lovely bit of beef on the BBQ and a pint of beer in one hand, because I now needed to move around and water the veggies with my free hand. Creating life, and exercising all at the same time. Life is grand.

Garden Success

I have tried my hand at a bit of gardening this year. I have always liked puttering around in the back yard, but have always restricted myself to planting flowers. After all, I am not known to be a great lover of vegetables, so why bother?

This year however, Mr. DBM really decided to get into vegetable gardening, and kindly offered to supply me with some home grown plants that I could start in my own garden. How could I refuse?




My tomatoes are a bit small at this juncture, but my peas have been going great guns, and have been harvested once, and are now producing a second batch! Who would have believed this?


And my broccoli, although just beginning to peek out at the world, is showing some promise.


And lastly, because the cabbage and peppers and green onions have a way to go before I dare show them to anyone, here is my pumpkin. What the Hell am I going to do with a pumkin??

Munchies in the Middle Kingdom

Well, here I am with a bit of time on my hands, watching the financial news on television, and feeling a bit better about the economy and the future - bloody optimist! So, back to reality, or what passes for reality in China.

Now don't get me wrong, if you visit that amazing country you will find grocery superstores that put anything here in Vancouver to shame, in terms of size and product diversity, and wonderful little shops that specialize in all manner of foodstuffs. But you will also find, if you go down some of the side streets, some of the most amazing little street markets selling the staples, fresh meat and veggies, and some truly bizarre items.

These markets can be small, comprising just one enterprising farmer, or they can be quite massive, stretching for many city blocks and offering foodstuffs and almost anything a small entrepreneur can manufacture. Many are obviously well established, and you can buy almost anything you might want, fresh (read live here) or fully cleaned and dressed. And everything is purchased through the art of bartering, so do not purchase if you do not have a local in tow, or you will definitely pay way too much!
















I did inquire as to whether or not the sellers of fresh and processed meats were regulated, their product inspected, and the product safe to consume. The safety aspect was confirmed, but regulation and inspection was greeted with laughter. Oh well, given recent problems around the world lately with government inspected meat sold in refrigerated display cases in air conditioned supermarkets, I wonder if buying meat in this type of market is any more risky than what we "westerners" are accustomed to?



So, you can get a bit of a feel for what can be purchased in the markets. These are the ultimate farmer's market, although I suspect that this form of food distribution is much more common than I suspect, and is the norm rather than the exception in many countries. It's just that this is the first time I had been exposed to it.


One could spend many hours walking around these stalls (although the meat stalls soon become a bit odorous), but the veggies and fruits are great. I gave the specialty booths a bit of a wide berth, as I was not particularly interested in snake, bugs, turtles, live chickens etc. etc. One thing I did notice here is that the sellers are very composed and polite. No hawking or screaming at potential buyers. Unlike the sellers who after tourists, as they can be quite verbally aggressive, and very loud indeed.

That, however, is another adventure altogether.

X'ian China

I have a few moments free this morning, so thought I would try to continue my posts on my not so recent trip to The Middle Kingdom. The second city visited was X'ian, southwest of Beijing, and a trip I was really looking forward to. The beginning of the adventure was not that auspicious, as we arrived at the Beijing airport in the middle of a snow storm. Two hours early for our flight, we were told by a very helpful agent that our flight might not leave due to the snow, but she could get us on the plane leaving in about 10 minutes, if we hurried.

Our luggage was taken from us and we literally ran through the airport, accompanied by two uniformed security guards, through security and to the gate. Onto the plane, pulled away from the gate, and then sat on the taxiway for 5 hours due to a shortage of de-icing facilities. Not happy! At any rate, we arrived in X'ian in late afternoon and were met by persistant rain. We checked into our hotel in the 'old city', and prepared to take in the sites the next day.




Our first side trip was to the Ming Dynasty tombs, which they wouldn't let tourists into, but the little museum and the local entertainers were both fun and informative. The weather had improved, now it was just misting as opposed to raining, so we spent the better part of the morning here.


Then it was back to X'ian for an afternoon of sightseeing. The city is one of the oldest in China, and was the site of the Qin Dynasty, the first Emperors of a unified China. It remained the centre of Chinese political and cultural life up until the time of the construction of the Forbidden City in what is now Beijing. In 1370 AD a new wall was constructed around the main city, and remains to this day. Obviously repaired and reinforced, we circumnavigated the top of the wall (about 12 km) and were able to see much of the ancient city. Although the ancient city has now been replaced by a very modern metropolis.


This is the entrance to the South Gate. From here we were able to get to the top of the wall, and begin our rather chilly and wet trip. We saw both the new and the old from the wall, a pub, an outdoor market (protected from the rain by tarps), the old buildings and the new.


This a photo of the outdoor market. These can be found almost everywhere in China, and are quite fascinating places to visit, if you can stand the crowds. Many times I had to step aside and find a little space to call my own, just to get my breath back. Whatever one is used to, I guess.



This of course is the pub, which unfortunately did not stock my brand of ale, but it sufficed!


Then off again around the wall. We did discover the X'ian Railway Station. Not a fun thing to find, as M. Cortes informed me that she had no interest in flying to Shanghai, not after our last experience from Beijing. We were going to go by overnight train! God Bless - I cannot even describe this experience. I suspect I am not one of those travelers who wants to immerse himself in local culture. I much prefer my human comforts. Anyway, by train we went. But Shanghai is another story. We still have to visit the Terracotta Warriors just outside X'ian. That is for another day.

Beijing

To Duck, or not to Duck.

This is the original Peking Duck Restaurant in the heart of Beijing (although I must assume there have been numerous upgrades and minor renovations over the years). Quite the restaurant though, for both locals and tourists alike, and definitely in the five star category. Their ducks are worth their weight in Gold, and they charge accordingly. Apparently, there is one farm only that supplies the special birds to this restaurant, and on an exclusive basis. Definitely worth a look and a bite if you are ever in Beijing.


After a nice bit of glazed fowl, you must travel north of the city to see one of the wonders of the world: The Great Wall. We went by taxi, hired one for the day (which was not overly expensive) so that we had a bit more flexibility than we would have had a part of a tour group. You must travel north to Badaling, where the government has reconstructed and repaired a good portion of the wall for the purpose of tourism. This is an extremely impressive sight, and one which should not be missed.

If you take the trip by coach, you will enjoy a nice quiet ride (so I am told) in air-conditioned
comfort. If you hire a private vehicle, be well strapped in and grab hold of something. The road is a complete mess, the drivers pay no heed to the centre line (actually, there usually isn't a centre line), and everyone passes wherever they can - on the left, or the right, on corners and in the middle of intersections. Quite an experience.

Another of the "don't miss tourist attractions" has to be the Forbidden City. Directly across from Tiananmen Square and the Great Hall of the People, it is a work in progress for the Chinese Government. The "city" is massive. Much larger than I had ever imagined. Much of it is still under renovation, and although we enjoyed the finished parts, I wanted to search out all the little back alleyways and isolated parts. It was interesting to find these buildings, most of them unlocked, and open for exploration. And no one else around!

The original work in marble and wood and stone really is quite amazing, and you can quite easily imagine the grandeur and the pomp and ceremony that once existed within these walls. There are literally miles of walks with thousands of steps, and many singularly unique carvings and statues to see.We spent most of a day within the confines of the Forbidden City, and could have stayed longer had we wished to join the many queues that formed to enter some of the more impressive pavilions.
Rather than spend time standing in line, we went exploring.

Voyage to China

It was December 5th, 2007, and I was off on an adventure. Going east, east to China. I was a bit apprehensive, but looking forward to it at the same time. What would it be like? How would I be received by the locals? Would I be the only white guy in town? Could I eat the local food
from the local shops? And survive? I was in for a few surprises.

There are at the bare minimum, two faces of China. There is the modern, upwardly mobile, trendy population, wealthy and extremely resilient. Then there is the traditional, the less than wealthy population, those who ride bicycles instead of driving Mercedes, BMW's and Volkswagens. I got to see both sides, and was impressed by each in their own way.

The photo above is from the Stanley Market just outside of Hong Kong. Here you can purchase Tom and Jerry's ice cream, or scorpions on a stick. You can sit at a seaside table and enjoy a slice of pizza and a German beer, or scamper down an alley for local dumplings and tepid tea. Either way, completely enjoyable.

The shopping is quite an experience. You can browse through the most modern shopping malls, seven stories high, with all the shops from England, France, Germany and Italy, with the REAL goods. Or, you can go to the Ladies Market in Hong Kong and find the same products at 1/10th of the cost. Hmmmmmmm!



Crowds, crowds, and more crowds. And something else, there is no concept in China for your "personal space". The idea simply does not exist. Shopping is a little like a two hour bump and grind. There were many times I simply had to escape, just to catch my breath, but the experience was so fascinating, I always plunged back in for more.

But I am getting ahead of myself, because Hong Kong was the last stop on our tour. I will be back to show you some photos from the other cities, some of the amazing sights. Too bad I cannot share the sounds and the smells as well. Let me leave you with one little photo that might give some inkling of what is to come.

Plains of Abraham

Well, as I have stated many times in the past, I do not give a rats ass about being politically correct. I do consider the feelings and sensitivities of others, and carefully weigh these against my propensity for stating what I think. So far I win.

Now here we go again. In 1759 the British fought the French on the Plains of Abraham, above Quebec City, and the English won. Took them 15 minutes. Longer than most battles the French have been in. And the prize? British North America.

So why am I upset? Because the National Battlefields Trust of Canada wants to re-enact the battle for this summer, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Canada. But the separatists in Quebec do not want this. It is affront. It is an embarrassment. It is a provocation. They should have thought of this 250 years ago when they set the precedent for French arms sales worldwide: "Never fired, only thrown down once!"

To hell with political correctness. They lost. Re-enact the battle.

Photo Challenge

I cannot resist a good challenge. I located a photo file of my trip to China, and the fourth album was from the city of X'ian, just a bit south southwest of Beijing. I went there to see the Terracotta Warriors underground, but as you can see from photo #4, there was a lot more to enjoy in this most ancient of cities. This is the South Gate in the original city wall (well, maybe fixed up a bit as it is more than 3000 years old).

Famous Last Words

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda.

Famous last words for those who didn't, and now find it is too late. No regrets! But what if (more famous last words) I hadda? Hadda actually gone into archeology in University, like I wanted to? Would I now be in some far forgotten land, burrowing deep beneath the ground in search of some lost treasure, some link to mankind's murky past? Doubtful, I'm not built for that, the trench would have to be far too wide.

So I did not become an archeologist, or an architect, I became a teacher - then realized that "our little darlings" are only little darlings at home, and someone completely different when they are in a pack (as they are in the classroom). Simply could not stand the little buggers. Once I knew I was not made out to be a teacher (after 4 years in university!), I embarked on a checkered career of being a tailor; raising chickens; farming; selling life insurance; selling vaccum cleaners (God, I almost forgot that one!); selling office supplies, then office furniture, and now self employed, selling "pee proof" furniture for retirement homes! No regrets! I met some amazing people along the way.

But, what if I had become a riverman, plying my trade up and down some busy little water route, instead of driving around in an over-sized truck? I might relish the different sights and sounds, the unique smells of the river, the little bite-sized habitats I would have seen on a daily basis.

I wonder if that would have altered my outlook on life at all? Not that I need to alter my outlook on life, at least I don't think I do? What if I had taken that trip to Australia that I really wanted when I graduated from University? What if I had actually married my high school sweetheart? What if my first car had been a Ferrari instead of a 1964 Ford 500, column shift and with an engine too large for a 16 year old lad who had no fears at all.

This could go on forever. We can always look back and wonder "what if"?

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Tomorrow is my 59th. I have great friends, great family, a good business, and regardless of my meanderings above, I am perfectly happy with my station in life. But I can't help wondering, from time to time......

WHAT IF?

Words and Phrases

We are constantly assaulted by words and phrases we hate, and ones that are misused or abused by people for whatever reason. I don't know about you, but I would like to eliminate some of these from the English language, erase them from human memory, and make it a criminal offense to use them in print or in conversation.

I list my choices here for any comments you might have, and invite you to submit yours. Just putting mine on the list will make me feel better, I know it will........... OK, so, moving on..........

1. Moving on ....... (yes please, and don't bother coming back)
2. Going forward (where else? You can't go back)
3. D (It's defense! Don't be so bloody lazy!)
4. Funding (don't be afraid - say money)
5. Stakeholders (way too many of these around these days)

Well, now I feel better. I think this actually brought me some closure. Oooops, there's another one that we simply do not need.

Dreaming Away

On Sunday I was channel hopping on the TV and got stuck on the Golf Channel. Big mistake. Now, all I can think about is golf, warm weather, the smell of freshly cut grass, the mumblings and the grumblings of fellow golfers as they watch their balls do things they are not supposed to do.
This idyllic sport will get me out of the current weather doldrums and into the sunshine. It will allow me to perhaps visit a friend in his new 'hood', share some good steaks and good beer, have a chance to get to know his new wife, and relax for awhile.

Then, no more of this!