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The Oyster as a Spiritual Metaphor
Within the oyster’s silent inner world, there is a reservoir of ancient wisdom.
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Good morning Hanoi: the food tour
And like the world’s worst well-travelled traveller, I had no plan and no itinerary. I didn’t even know the exchange rate from Dong to Dollar. I spent the morning doing some research and decided on a food tour in an open-air jeep from the Soviet Era. What kind of crazy traveller decides to go on…
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Day 2 in Xi’an: the Hui People, Paomo, the Great Mosque, the Bell and Drum Towers and the City God Temple
Islam was introduced to China by Arab traders during the Tang Dynasty: which is considered by many to be a golden age in China’s history. The Muslims who settled in China married the local Han Chinese in the area. The Great Mosque was built to honour the founding fathers of Islam in China.
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Day 1 in Xi’an: the journey to the Muslim Quarter in China’s Ancient Capital
I’m relatively familiar with history of the Uyghur Community in Xinjiang Province – since it’s covered in the news a fair bit – but I was largely unaware of the Hui People of Xi’an. But ignorance is nothing that a bit of light reading and personal experience can’t fix. The origin of the Hui People…
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The Great Tsukishima Marvellous Monjayaki Adventure
You take the mini spatula and slowly slide a little bit over the hot plate till it’s brown and slightly crunchy. You have to do it a little at a time and very very slowly if you want to get the desired results – slightly burnt and crunchy baby food. The whole experience is pretty…
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Silk Road Murat: Uzbek Food in Saitama
I’m a huge huge fan of Uzbek food. Actually, I’m a huge fan of all food that has a lot of lamb. I’m a big lamb lover. Unfortunately, the Japanese don’t share my fondness for the meat that is often described as ‘gamey’. BTW – it’s only gamey if you don’t know how to prepare…
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Girls Day Out in San Francisco: the California Academy of Sciences and Burma Superstar
Burmese Cuisine is one of my favourite cuisines in the world. It’s a delectable fusion of Indian, Chinese and Southeast Asian food. The flavours and combinations are absolutely delightful and I highly recommend Burmese food to all hardcore foodies. I’m a little sad that it’s not that popular internationally and a little happy that I’m one…
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Day 1 in the Bay Area: Mexican tortas in San Jose, Stanford University tour and new agey dosa
A torta is a massive Mexican sandwich with everything good in it. Meat, cheese, avocados, tomatoes, jalepenos etc etc etc. It’s so humungous and so over the top that my atheist Argentine Spanish teacher said that ‘it made her believe in God’. Well – there’s nothing like a born again believer.
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San Francisco Bay Blues, Oysters, Clam Chowder and a long walk
San Francisco is the first city that I’ve visited in a long time that actually embodies the Pisces energy. A Pisces on the Aries cusp – but a Pisces nevertheless. I feel like I can just get lost in the moment and let it take me where it wants to – that I can stay…
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Uzbek Dumplings: making Chuchvara in Tokyo
Who doesn’t love dumplings? I feel it’s one of those things that you can find in just about every cuisine. Meat wrapped in flour that’s either boiled, steamed, pan-fried or deep-fried. Yum yum yum! So my friend Noza taught me to make chuchvara – boiled dumplings served with either soup or tomatoes and onions.
Twinn Swan 