Quicky Night-time Posting

bund-tunnel4
Originally uploaded by Wasting Moments.

Had to pop back online quickly to download the latest Western States DC Metadata Best Practices document and the conference schedule. I keep forgetting that I'm ostensibly here for work. I figured I'd post quickly while connected anyway. So here's one of many images from the absurdly trippy journey through the Bund Tunnel this afternoon.

Apparently, there is an element among my readership that cares not for my depictions of historically significant sights or my astute observations about Chinese culture. Nor do these perusers of this blog wish to hear about pockets of astounding beauty, either hidden away in the corners of immense urban centers or on their more rural outskirts.

No, this group of readers is interested in hearing about one of two things: food and gifts. I'll indulge this group with a post that addresses both of these topics.

I think I had my best meal of the trip (thus far, anyway) this evening. No, I didn't go back to O'malley's pub for corned beef and cabbage, although I suspect I will before the next week is done. Instead, I went to a place called Fragrant Camphor Garden and had a pot of fruit tea and one of the chef's recommendations: Matsuzaka Beef Shaba Shaba.

The dish seemed somewhat similar to hot pot, although not in the traditional sense. This was very much a gourmet type fusion restaurant, so the meal was updated accordingly. I was served a plate of very thinly sliced raw beef, a few raw shrimp and a raw egg. Along with this was a bowl of rice, a soy based sauce (with dried red chillis, chopped garlic and green onions for adding to taste), a few chunks of cantalope and a metal device full of fire. Yes, a metal device full of fire. Atop this flaming tripod was a dish full of seeting, simmering, boiling broth and pieces of cabbage, mushrooms, various bits of processed or re-formed seafood in the shape of roll-ups or scallops (perhaps they actually were scallops, but didn't seem so to me). The raw meats and eggs were to be added to the broth and cooked in it. Then you pull them out, drop them onto the rice to cool, dip them in the soy-based sauce and devour. Absolutely delicious. I have a couple of photos, which I'll post later.


On to the second topic. I recently read a comment that stated an expectation of personalized gifts. Let me remind you: I'm in a Communist country, attending a conference at which the primary topic of discussion will be metadata standardization. The word of the day, folks, is uniformity. To mix my metaphors I can promise you cookie cutter gifts, all from the same cloth. The only uniqueness will be the flaws of poor craftsmanship that come with shopping at the stalls of street vendors and hovel-like back alley shops. Even the text of postcards is selected from a collection of pre-composed phrases. To personalize any of this smacks horribly of effort. Frankly, I just don't care enough. You'll have to be happy that I'm buying you things at all.

The comments have been entertaining. Thanks for being interested, reading along, and sharing your reactions. Knowing that family, friends and colleagues are following my journey provides a warming feeling and helps temper the effects of the whole "solitude in the midst of millions" thing.