The good thing about those long intercontinental flights (18.5 hours total flight time in my case) is that they give you plenty of time to catch up on some reading. In one of the magazines that I brought with me, I stumbled upon an article about effective blog writing and in there it stated that one should post 3 to 4 articles a week to keep the readers interested. So I started to think about a suitable topic to write upon arrival. Little did I know that the answer was waiting for me on my kitchen table. When I walked into my apartment yesterday, I noticed the red box right away: a box with the famous moon cakes. It was left by the management of my apartment complex with a little note. Those cakes are not really my favorite as an acquired tasted is required to appreciate them. Although I can stomach the red bean pastry ones (they are sweet!) but I prefer to stay away from the single egg yolk lotus ones. The most interesting part of moon cakes to me is the packaging: they always are presented in real nice boxes with great decorations. In the supermarkets they have beautiful displays with all kinds of moon cake boxes: a favorite present to give this time of year. Here is an excerpt from the note that was left to me: “The moon cake or Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 25 September this year, or every year on the 15th day of the eight month of the lunar calendar. According to Chinese tradition, the moon’s fullness and brightness on this occasion is symbolic of an ideal time to celebrate the abundance of the summer harvest.” Today is also a national holiday so the office is closed and it gives me some time to recover from jetlag and fill up the fridge, not with moon cakes however, they are gone already, but the box I kept.
7 comments:
Paul,
I'm glad you were able to spend some time with the boys prior to your return to China.
The AMSA(American Medical Students of America) ride in Oxford was very well put together although the longer distance did not have good road markings. Why is that always the case in any ride out in Oxford? Anywho, I put my stoker skills to work and got us through the 100 miles.
So we broke our season record - 6 centuries - in Italian it would be Cento ;-)
It was a good pain when the quads are locked up with a bit of lactic acid and the sit bones are remembering long hours in the saddle.
It is mid-term at Miami University at this time so at every rest stop and at lunch we'd see these pre-med students pouring over their text books and notes.
We told them to PLEASE have the ride again and they're thinking of putting their efforts with the Oxford Odessy next year. Of course, we let them know not having the event the same day Yom Kippur could also help increase the turn out.
We really missed riding with you and hope we can get another training ride in with you on your next visit home.
Take care,
Linda
Paul,
For some reason these Moon Cakes remind me of those nasty looking American Fruit Cakes that are packaged in beautiful tins.
Linda
lang leve Wine Gums
Welcome back, paul
you are already an excellent blog writer-always keeps me interested with (more than) "3 to 4 articles a week". Keep going.
BTW, the egg york one is the only kind of mooncake I do enjoy-which remind of me the delicious yellow in the crab.
ray
Peter,
Wine gums? What about Cercle: 4th place? That is so sweet !!!!!
Linda,
Arrived at the office and another set of moon cakes were waiting for me? Again ,I'll keep the box.
you should try some moon cakes from Starbucks. They have ones w chocolate filling & I beliver something like caramel filling. Available in limited quantities for a limited time only - so do not delay!
Paul,
I just finished the 12noon Yoga class at BodyCrafters, Luxottica's corporate fitness center, and one of the Chinese associates explained last Tuesday began "The Celebration of the Moon".
She also shared that her English professor in college was so feed up with her bicycles being stolen she would hike up 4 flights of stairs with her bicycle over her shoulder.
Namaste,
Linda
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