On January 2, one of the greatest modern American scholars of the Chinese language passed away.
John DeFrancis was born in the waning months of the Qing Dynasty, and first went to China during the Great Depression to seek out business opportunities. That experience, which included traveling across China on camels and rafting down the Yellow River on an inflated sheepskin raft, led to his becoming a scholar of Chinese. He taught for years at the University of Hawaii, and compiled the greatest Chinese-English dictionary in the history of humanity: the ABC Comprehensive Dictionary. He was active in scholarship and dictionary compilation until the very end, at the ripe old age of 97. For DeFrancis I say:
為吾故兄奠一壺酒
(Roughly translated: "Libate a jug of wine for my late brother." In other words, "Pour out a 40 for my dead homie." By the way, is "libate" the actual verb form of "libation"?)
RIP John DeFrancis (1911-2009)
Friday, January 9, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Yangmingshan Hike & Shilin Night Market
Today we drove up to Yangmingshan National Park to hike. The park is a large area of mountains and grasslands to the north of downtown, and makes a popular place for day trips.
On the way up we were surprised to encounter this critter:
We saw at least four more of these wild Formosan macaques on the road or climbing in the trees, just down the road from Chinese Culture University.
Chinese Culture University sits on a hill above Beitou, and offers wonderful views of Taipei.
We drove up to Qixingshan (Seven Star Mountain), and did a short hike to Dream Lake. This small lake is home to a rare species of quillwort, Isoetes taiwanensis.
Afterward, we had lunch, then went to Qingtiangang, a grassy area with feral cows. It was very misty, so we didn't take many photos. There was a good trail here, which we hiked along for nearly 3 kilometers.
Here are 3 of the hikers. In the middle is Katannya, who was showing off her hi-tech hiking footwear! (Crocs!) Kate was trailing behind, taking it easy because of her injured ankle.
We came to this wonderful area and had a picnic.
Then it started to rain. So we headed back. But the rain got worse and worse, until it became a downpour. Despite our raingear, some of us ended up soaked. It was a miserable hike back.
We got in the car and drove back to Town. We dropped Kat off at the MRT station, and the rest of us went to a shabu-shabu place nearby. Very good, but very filling!
Then Kate left, and the Kitty, Patty and I went to the Shilin Night Market to browse around.
This area was also visited by Andrew Zimmern. So I decided to photograph some bizarre foods. Unfortunately I was too stuffed to want to try anything. Another time.
Here's squid on a stick:
Duck tongues
Chicken parts (cocks' combs, gizzards, hearts, and some unidentifiable parts)
You can even catch your own shrimp and have it barbecued.
A little dessert of sweet tofu soup before going home.
Looks like someone took a very literal approach in attempting to translate the Chinese for "valet parking" into English:
On the way up we were surprised to encounter this critter:
We saw at least four more of these wild Formosan macaques on the road or climbing in the trees, just down the road from Chinese Culture University.
Chinese Culture University sits on a hill above Beitou, and offers wonderful views of Taipei.
We drove up to Qixingshan (Seven Star Mountain), and did a short hike to Dream Lake. This small lake is home to a rare species of quillwort, Isoetes taiwanensis.
Afterward, we had lunch, then went to Qingtiangang, a grassy area with feral cows. It was very misty, so we didn't take many photos. There was a good trail here, which we hiked along for nearly 3 kilometers.
Here are 3 of the hikers. In the middle is Katannya, who was showing off her hi-tech hiking footwear! (Crocs!) Kate was trailing behind, taking it easy because of her injured ankle.
We came to this wonderful area and had a picnic.
Then it started to rain. So we headed back. But the rain got worse and worse, until it became a downpour. Despite our raingear, some of us ended up soaked. It was a miserable hike back.
We got in the car and drove back to Town. We dropped Kat off at the MRT station, and the rest of us went to a shabu-shabu place nearby. Very good, but very filling!
Then Kate left, and the Kitty, Patty and I went to the Shilin Night Market to browse around.
This area was also visited by Andrew Zimmern. So I decided to photograph some bizarre foods. Unfortunately I was too stuffed to want to try anything. Another time.
Here's squid on a stick:
Duck tongues
Chicken parts (cocks' combs, gizzards, hearts, and some unidentifiable parts)
You can even catch your own shrimp and have it barbecued.
A little dessert of sweet tofu soup before going home.
Looks like someone took a very literal approach in attempting to translate the Chinese for "valet parking" into English:
Friday, January 2, 2009
My visit to Wulai
On New Year's Day I went on a trip to the town of Wulai (or Ulay, as it's spelled in Atayal).
It's historically a settlement of the Atayal Aborigines, and it's a popular tourist destination due to its hot springs, scenery (including mountains and a majestic waterfall), food, and Aboriginal culture. There are a lot of mountain trails in this area, and we often come here to hike, and sometimes to eat afterwards. It was pretty crowded this time, it being New Year's Day:
Following my recent pattern of visiting places where Andrew Zimmern ate, I decided to try my hand (or, should I say, mouth and stomach) at the restaurant Taiya Popo (泰雅婆婆), which sits right on the main drag. It specializes in Aboriginal cuisine.
I ordered two of the dishes that Zimmern ordered: betel palm salad (涼拌檳榔花) and tmmyan (的麼面). The latter, pronounced something like "damamein", is salt-cured pork fermented in jars. It tastes something like prosciutto with sour yogurt. The sourness comes from lactic acid produced by the fermentation of the meat, and the acid "cooks" the meat and kills harmful pathogens.
I didn't order the fried bee dish Zimmern ordered, because it was rather pricy, but when I come with others sometime I will order it then to share. Interestingly, the boss lady noticed what I chose, and asked me if I saw the Travel Channel show. I told her "yes", and she was very happy. She's the one who sat next to Zimmern as he tried the food, and she's every bit as sweet as she appears on the show. She also gave me a free cup of millet wine and wished me a happy new year.
Then I went to the Wulai Atayal Museum, which was worth a visit at NT$50 (aboutUS$1.50).
It has an interesting collection of artfacts, and gives explanations of various customs, beliefs, hunting techniques, cooking methods, and more. One diorama shows a pair of hunters, a father and son, out setting traps. Press a button, and there's a recording of a conversation. The Chinese version makes full use of Atayal accents in the Mandarin dialogue, adding an interesting air of authenticity (even though the dialogue itself is forced). The English version is presented in cheesily inflected American accents.
I remember reading a 19th century ethnography describing Aboriginal knives as being placed in half-sheaths: "The knife is of iron, eighteen inches long, sharp-pointed, and generally crooked, with a one-sided open hardwood sheath." - G. L. Mackay (1896). Well, here is one, just as described:
My main complaint was with the headhunting exhibit, which was peppered with tu quoque defenses of the practice, as if saying, "Well, yeah, sure we practiced headhunting, but who are you to judge us? After all, you Chinese killed people in wars and conquests. So are you really any better than us?" Sigh. Please, just present the facts, and stop trying to make value judgments.
At one point, I overheard the museum staff engaged in a conversation. But the weren't speaking Chinese. They were speaking Atayal!! This is the first time I had ever heard anyone converse in Atayal! Being a language geek, I was overjoyed. I attempted to use my cell phone to record their conversation, but it didn't work out.
The museum then closed (the annoucnements made in Atayal, Mandarin and English), and I went back onto the tourist drag. I saw a vendor selling sausages made of Formosan wild boar (Sus scrofa taivanus). It came in two flavors: plain and maqaw. I asked the guy what maqaw is, and he described it as "Aboriginal mountain pepper." Turns out it's a peppery, lemony spice harvested from the seeds of the native lauracea tree Litsea cubeba. I bought a sausage and it was delicious.
I decided to go back home before too many people started crowding the buses and roads.
It's historically a settlement of the Atayal Aborigines, and it's a popular tourist destination due to its hot springs, scenery (including mountains and a majestic waterfall), food, and Aboriginal culture. There are a lot of mountain trails in this area, and we often come here to hike, and sometimes to eat afterwards. It was pretty crowded this time, it being New Year's Day:
Following my recent pattern of visiting places where Andrew Zimmern ate, I decided to try my hand (or, should I say, mouth and stomach) at the restaurant Taiya Popo (泰雅婆婆), which sits right on the main drag. It specializes in Aboriginal cuisine.
I ordered two of the dishes that Zimmern ordered: betel palm salad (涼拌檳榔花) and tmmyan (的麼面). The latter, pronounced something like "damamein", is salt-cured pork fermented in jars. It tastes something like prosciutto with sour yogurt. The sourness comes from lactic acid produced by the fermentation of the meat, and the acid "cooks" the meat and kills harmful pathogens.
I didn't order the fried bee dish Zimmern ordered, because it was rather pricy, but when I come with others sometime I will order it then to share. Interestingly, the boss lady noticed what I chose, and asked me if I saw the Travel Channel show. I told her "yes", and she was very happy. She's the one who sat next to Zimmern as he tried the food, and she's every bit as sweet as she appears on the show. She also gave me a free cup of millet wine and wished me a happy new year.
Then I went to the Wulai Atayal Museum, which was worth a visit at NT$50 (aboutUS$1.50).
It has an interesting collection of artfacts, and gives explanations of various customs, beliefs, hunting techniques, cooking methods, and more. One diorama shows a pair of hunters, a father and son, out setting traps. Press a button, and there's a recording of a conversation. The Chinese version makes full use of Atayal accents in the Mandarin dialogue, adding an interesting air of authenticity (even though the dialogue itself is forced). The English version is presented in cheesily inflected American accents.
I remember reading a 19th century ethnography describing Aboriginal knives as being placed in half-sheaths: "The knife is of iron, eighteen inches long, sharp-pointed, and generally crooked, with a one-sided open hardwood sheath." - G. L. Mackay (1896). Well, here is one, just as described:
My main complaint was with the headhunting exhibit, which was peppered with tu quoque defenses of the practice, as if saying, "Well, yeah, sure we practiced headhunting, but who are you to judge us? After all, you Chinese killed people in wars and conquests. So are you really any better than us?" Sigh. Please, just present the facts, and stop trying to make value judgments.
At one point, I overheard the museum staff engaged in a conversation. But the weren't speaking Chinese. They were speaking Atayal!! This is the first time I had ever heard anyone converse in Atayal! Being a language geek, I was overjoyed. I attempted to use my cell phone to record their conversation, but it didn't work out.
The museum then closed (the annoucnements made in Atayal, Mandarin and English), and I went back onto the tourist drag. I saw a vendor selling sausages made of Formosan wild boar (Sus scrofa taivanus). It came in two flavors: plain and maqaw. I asked the guy what maqaw is, and he described it as "Aboriginal mountain pepper." Turns out it's a peppery, lemony spice harvested from the seeds of the native lauracea tree Litsea cubeba. I bought a sausage and it was delicious.
I decided to go back home before too many people started crowding the buses and roads.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Stinky Tofu...Episode 2!
Today my 8-page translation project turned out to be a three-pager, giving me about 4 hours of free time. Precious free time!!
I decided to make good use of this gift of time: I searched out a restaurant that was featured on Bizarre Foods. It was one of the few places that was able to defeat the sturdy taste buds and cast-iron stomach of bizarre food eater Andrew Zimmern. Its name is Dai's House of Unique Stink! (Chinese: 戴記獨臭之家)
As a stinky tofu lover, I had to take on the challenge.
After Googling for the location of the restaurant, I found a Taiwanese website that showed where it was. I hopped on the MRT, went to Taipei City Hall Station, and went in search of it. Turns out that the location was wrong. I asked at a local shop, and the woman pointed me down an alley, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, you should see it when you reach the end of the alley." Sure enough, I saw the restaurant, looking exactly as it did on the TV show, at the other side of the street.
Inside it was sparsely decorated, rather plain-looking. This is always a good sign to me: it shows me that they put top priority on their food, rather than in the way the restaurant looks. Here and there on the walls are some pieces of calligraphy extolling the virtues of stink.
The moment of truth was at hand. I decided to test my mettle by sampling two dishes made with their home-fermented tofu. I decided to order the same dishes that Zimmern ordered: cold-stirred stinky tofu (涼拌臭豆腐) and stinky tofu hamburger with beef (漢堡臭豆腐).
Here's the first dish. Zimmern had 1000-year-old eggs on his, but this option didn't seem to be on the menu, so mine didn't have it. This was exceedingly pungent...very sharp in odor and flavor, like a poweful, aged French soft cheese...not runny like brie, but instead boasting a firm, creamy texture kind of like cream cheese. However, I enjoyed it! I don't know how Zimmern, a guy who eats brains, worms and testicles with relish, wouldn't be able to eat it.
Then came the hamburger. The buns of this hamburger were made of deep-fried stinky tofu. It was served with a side of pickled vegetables. Now I could forgive Zimmern for passing over the above if he had at least had the guts to try this one. This is quite mild. And delicious, I might add. Not much of the tofu stink at all...no more so than your average street-stall deep-fried tofu. Come on, Andrew...man up!! This is child's play!
As I left the place, I took a few business cards. I'll definitely recommend it to the gastronomic adventurer. Then, as I walked back to the MRT station, I noticed that I seemd to be enjoying a natural high...perhaps it was just my recent lack of sleep, or perhaps it was the joy of having tried something new, but perhaps there are some peculiar organic chemicals brewing in those fermentation vats upstairs...
I decided to make good use of this gift of time: I searched out a restaurant that was featured on Bizarre Foods. It was one of the few places that was able to defeat the sturdy taste buds and cast-iron stomach of bizarre food eater Andrew Zimmern. Its name is Dai's House of Unique Stink! (Chinese: 戴記獨臭之家)
As a stinky tofu lover, I had to take on the challenge.
After Googling for the location of the restaurant, I found a Taiwanese website that showed where it was. I hopped on the MRT, went to Taipei City Hall Station, and went in search of it. Turns out that the location was wrong. I asked at a local shop, and the woman pointed me down an alley, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, you should see it when you reach the end of the alley." Sure enough, I saw the restaurant, looking exactly as it did on the TV show, at the other side of the street.
Inside it was sparsely decorated, rather plain-looking. This is always a good sign to me: it shows me that they put top priority on their food, rather than in the way the restaurant looks. Here and there on the walls are some pieces of calligraphy extolling the virtues of stink.
The moment of truth was at hand. I decided to test my mettle by sampling two dishes made with their home-fermented tofu. I decided to order the same dishes that Zimmern ordered: cold-stirred stinky tofu (涼拌臭豆腐) and stinky tofu hamburger with beef (漢堡臭豆腐).
Here's the first dish. Zimmern had 1000-year-old eggs on his, but this option didn't seem to be on the menu, so mine didn't have it. This was exceedingly pungent...very sharp in odor and flavor, like a poweful, aged French soft cheese...not runny like brie, but instead boasting a firm, creamy texture kind of like cream cheese. However, I enjoyed it! I don't know how Zimmern, a guy who eats brains, worms and testicles with relish, wouldn't be able to eat it.
Then came the hamburger. The buns of this hamburger were made of deep-fried stinky tofu. It was served with a side of pickled vegetables. Now I could forgive Zimmern for passing over the above if he had at least had the guts to try this one. This is quite mild. And delicious, I might add. Not much of the tofu stink at all...no more so than your average street-stall deep-fried tofu. Come on, Andrew...man up!! This is child's play!
As I left the place, I took a few business cards. I'll definitely recommend it to the gastronomic adventurer. Then, as I walked back to the MRT station, I noticed that I seemd to be enjoying a natural high...perhaps it was just my recent lack of sleep, or perhaps it was the joy of having tried something new, but perhaps there are some peculiar organic chemicals brewing in those fermentation vats upstairs...
Sanzhi space village
In the coastal town of Sanzhi, there's an odd sight to be seen, but not for much longer. It's known by various names: "space village", "pod village", "mushroom houses"...the locals call it the "flying saucer houses". It's also rumored to be haunted.
It's an abandoned seaside resort. Built in the late 70s, the resort languished and fell into disuse due to debt. Since that time it became a favorite site for photographers due to its otherworldly appearance. Sadly, it's being torn down now.
Here are the only three photos I've ever had the chance to take of it:
It's an abandoned seaside resort. Built in the late 70s, the resort languished and fell into disuse due to debt. Since that time it became a favorite site for photographers due to its otherworldly appearance. Sadly, it's being torn down now.
Here are the only three photos I've ever had the chance to take of it:
Monday, December 29, 2008
Stinky Tofu
Shenkeng, just outside Taipei, is exalted far and wide as being the "tofu capital of Taiwan." But one particular variety of tofu, the notorious "chou doufu" (stinky tofu), reigns supreme among the comestibles available in this town.
You know you're at the right place when you see the huge, century-old bishopwood tree (Bischofia javanica) in a small square by the main road. As you stroll down Shenkeng St. (better known as Old Street and even better known as Tofu Street), your nostrils will be assailed by a peculiar odor. It's been described as unwashed feet, an open sewer, or horse manure. But as is the case with Camembert or Limburger cheese, odiferous fermented curds can taste heavenly. Many foreigners don't like it. I love it.
Here's Tofu Street:
Allow chunks of tofu to ferment in rotten vegetable matter for a couple weeks, and the result is stinky tofu. Whether you like this delicacy or not, Tofu Street makes for an interesting scene with restaurant after restaurant displaying bubbling pots of tofu, simmering in rich, spicy broths.
In addition to stewed tofu, you can also get deep-fried tofu and, believe it or not, barbecued tofu. There are many stalls selling barbecued tofu, which are then stuffed with your choice of fillings, such as fermented cabbage. This one, Jindading, is the most famous stall of them all, and consistently has the longest line. It was even visited by Ma Ying-jeou (then Taipei mayor, now president of Taiwan) in 2004.
This happens to be the stall visited by chef and food critic Andrew Zimmern, in the Taiwan episode of his show Bizarre Foods. He adheres to the wise principle that if there are several stalls selling the same thing, go to the one with the longest line. However, he made a mistake. This stall does not sell the same thing as the other stalls. This one specializes in "xiang doufu" (fragrant tofu, or actually, non-stinky tofu). Don't get me wrong: what they sell is excellent, but it ain't stinky.
I decided to go across the street, to this stall: Shenkeng Jindakuai. This had the longest line of all the stalls selling barbecued stinky tofu.
Barbecued, brushed with sauce, stuffed with fermented cabbage and dusted with hot chili powder: it was excellent! A little messy and unwieldy to eat, because the tofu wants to fall off the skewers, but they make a tasty treat for the stinky tofu aficionado. Andrew Zimmern, eat your heart out!
Yum!!
You know you're at the right place when you see the huge, century-old bishopwood tree (Bischofia javanica) in a small square by the main road. As you stroll down Shenkeng St. (better known as Old Street and even better known as Tofu Street), your nostrils will be assailed by a peculiar odor. It's been described as unwashed feet, an open sewer, or horse manure. But as is the case with Camembert or Limburger cheese, odiferous fermented curds can taste heavenly. Many foreigners don't like it. I love it.
Here's Tofu Street:
Allow chunks of tofu to ferment in rotten vegetable matter for a couple weeks, and the result is stinky tofu. Whether you like this delicacy or not, Tofu Street makes for an interesting scene with restaurant after restaurant displaying bubbling pots of tofu, simmering in rich, spicy broths.
In addition to stewed tofu, you can also get deep-fried tofu and, believe it or not, barbecued tofu. There are many stalls selling barbecued tofu, which are then stuffed with your choice of fillings, such as fermented cabbage. This one, Jindading, is the most famous stall of them all, and consistently has the longest line. It was even visited by Ma Ying-jeou (then Taipei mayor, now president of Taiwan) in 2004.
This happens to be the stall visited by chef and food critic Andrew Zimmern, in the Taiwan episode of his show Bizarre Foods. He adheres to the wise principle that if there are several stalls selling the same thing, go to the one with the longest line. However, he made a mistake. This stall does not sell the same thing as the other stalls. This one specializes in "xiang doufu" (fragrant tofu, or actually, non-stinky tofu). Don't get me wrong: what they sell is excellent, but it ain't stinky.
I decided to go across the street, to this stall: Shenkeng Jindakuai. This had the longest line of all the stalls selling barbecued stinky tofu.
Barbecued, brushed with sauce, stuffed with fermented cabbage and dusted with hot chili powder: it was excellent! A little messy and unwieldy to eat, because the tofu wants to fall off the skewers, but they make a tasty treat for the stinky tofu aficionado. Andrew Zimmern, eat your heart out!
Yum!!
Friday, December 26, 2008
There's Gold in Them Thar Hills
Christmas Day! And just as it was last year, it's a work day. (OK, Ma Ying-jeou, now that you're president, please make it a holiday again, like it used to be!) Anyway, it's a holiday for me, because I demanded this day off from work. If there's one day of the year I won't compromise on with my employer, it's this one.
As last year, I took this day as a chance to go out on a drive with Nick and Ginny, unhindered because everyone else is working this day. This time Clara joined us. (From left to right: Ginny, Clara, Nick)
Road trip!!
Got on National Hwy 1, then onto Provincial 2B, and on the 62 Expressway, and before we knew it, we were on Coastal Hwy 2, on the northeast coast. The speed of our journey amazed us.
Inspired by my visit to the Japanese shrine in Taoyuan last week, I decided to drive us to Jinguashi, an old gold mining area. In Jinguashi are the ruins of another Japanese shrine, the Ogon Shrine (a.k.a. the Gold Temple) up on the mountain.
The bare, standing columns are reminiscent of a Greek or Roman ruin.
On the way back down, we decided go to one of the old mines that was open for tourism:
Inside are some dioramas showing the hard, sweaty labor these miners did.
As we walked down a flight of stairs to the park entrance, we passed an abandoned Japanese house. We poked around inside it and saw that it was a complete mess now, but must have looked very nice in its heyday. It looked recently abandoned (we surmise the occupants simply moved into the brand new house that was built next door). (Oh, by the way, the "orb" you see is not a ghost...it's a raindrop illuminated by my flash.)
A scene we passed as we drove along the mountain road to Jinguashi.
The hills were crisscrossed with these hulking concrete pipes that looked like something from the move Alien. We thought they were for transporting slurry down to the bottom of the hills, but then we read the sign which explained they were flue pipes for venting fumes from the smelting plant below up to the higher reaches of the hills.
Up from these pipes is a structure where apparently ore was loaded onto vehicles. We drove up to check it out and saw the remains of huge hoppers.
Later we went to Jiufen, a picturesque (but over-touristed) former gold mining town nearby.
As last year, I took this day as a chance to go out on a drive with Nick and Ginny, unhindered because everyone else is working this day. This time Clara joined us. (From left to right: Ginny, Clara, Nick)
Road trip!!
Got on National Hwy 1, then onto Provincial 2B, and on the 62 Expressway, and before we knew it, we were on Coastal Hwy 2, on the northeast coast. The speed of our journey amazed us.
Inspired by my visit to the Japanese shrine in Taoyuan last week, I decided to drive us to Jinguashi, an old gold mining area. In Jinguashi are the ruins of another Japanese shrine, the Ogon Shrine (a.k.a. the Gold Temple) up on the mountain.
The bare, standing columns are reminiscent of a Greek or Roman ruin.
On the way back down, we decided go to one of the old mines that was open for tourism:
Inside are some dioramas showing the hard, sweaty labor these miners did.
As we walked down a flight of stairs to the park entrance, we passed an abandoned Japanese house. We poked around inside it and saw that it was a complete mess now, but must have looked very nice in its heyday. It looked recently abandoned (we surmise the occupants simply moved into the brand new house that was built next door). (Oh, by the way, the "orb" you see is not a ghost...it's a raindrop illuminated by my flash.)
A scene we passed as we drove along the mountain road to Jinguashi.
The hills were crisscrossed with these hulking concrete pipes that looked like something from the move Alien. We thought they were for transporting slurry down to the bottom of the hills, but then we read the sign which explained they were flue pipes for venting fumes from the smelting plant below up to the higher reaches of the hills.
Up from these pipes is a structure where apparently ore was loaded onto vehicles. We drove up to check it out and saw the remains of huge hoppers.
Later we went to Jiufen, a picturesque (but over-touristed) former gold mining town nearby.
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