Vietnamese Coffee

It has been almost ten years since my first visit to Vietnam. I love many things about the country, but lately I have been having frequent cravings for Vietnamese coffee.

Whether it's cà phê sữa đá (iced coffee) or cà phê sữa nóng (hot coffee),  the strong yet sweet taste is always a delicious treat. Furthermore, the process of brewing a Vietnamese coffee is incredibly relaxing and can really help me to unwind. Whenever I see a Vietnamese drip filter, it evokes memories of serene afternoons spent in Hanoi's Old Quarter.

Today, the coffee exporting industry is hugely successful in Vietnam. Coffee was first introduced to Vietnam in the mid 1800s by a French priest. At the time, dairy farming within the country was still developing, so sweetened condensed milk was used as a replacement for fresh milk.

How to make Vietnamese coffee

You will need a drip filter, a glass, a spoon, condensed milk (it tastes just like milky bar white chocolate, but in liquid form!) and a coarse roasted coffee grind (I chose Trung Nguyên for the authentic Vietnamese flavour). There is no need for filter papers so you can feel good about helping the environment every time you brew a cup of coffee.

The coffee filter, or phin, is made up of the following components: The filter, a damper and a lid. 

1. Firstly, pour a little condensed milk, (around 2 tablespoons ) in the bottom of your glass. If you like sweet coffee, add a cheeky bit more.

2. Remove the lid and damper, then add two teaspoons of coffee granules into the filter. I used Trung Nguyen coffee.

3. Next, gently shake the filter to level out the coffee. Press the damper down on the coffee (some dampers require screwing.) 

4. Place the filter on the glass. Once the kettle has boiled, pour a little hot water over the damper and let it soak into the coffee grains, allowing them to expand.

5. After about 30 seconds, fill the filter with water and place the lid on top.

6. Allow the water to drain through the filter. It will take around five minutes to be ready. Take the filter from the glass and place it on top of the upturned lid (to avoid any extra coffee dripping onto clean surfaces).

7. Use a spoon to mix the coffee and milk together.

8. Finally, drink your coffee! If you want iced coffee, pour it into a glass filled with crushed ice.


The pleasure and enjoyment of Vietnamese coffee has inspired me to create a short poem about the wonders of this precious treasure:

How Wechat Changed My Life

Wechat is a hugely popular messaging application in China. Not long after moving to Beijing in 2012, I discovered that many people use this app to communicate. According to its developer, Tencent, as of August 2015, there are over 600 million active users. Wechat, or Weixin (微信-micro message) provides features associated with similar messaging and social media platforms. You can send multimedia messages to other users and also post text, photographs and links on your “moments” for your contacts to view and comment on.

For the longest time, I used Wechat for the sole purpose of sending messages and sharing information with my friends. After some time, I heard whispers and rumours that there were more exciting Wechat features. But just like my feelings in relation to leprechauns and politicians, I wasn’t yet ready to discover more about these unknown entities. How was I to know that there was so much untapped potential in my mobile app, just waiting to be utilised…

…Things had to change. A couple of months ago I decided to bravely take the plunge and get a Chinese bank account. Previously, I only had a card with a Chinese branch of an international bank, which restricted me in terms of paying for things online. However, with a genuine Chinese bankcard, the world (or in this case, China) is my oyster.

Once I had become the proud owner of my very own Chinese bankcard, I swiftly linked it with my Wechat account. Yes – I could now explore those unchartered territories that I’d feared for far too long. I could embrace the majestic wonder of WECHAT WALLET. With this option at my disposal, I felt like after three years of living in the Middle Kingdom, I would finally be a truly accepted and functional member of society. All the cool kids were using Wechat Wallet. Now, all the cool kids and a Welsh foreigner could. It was as if I had been welcomed into a club of elite social media users. I believed I now qualified as a “real person” by my perhaps misguided perception of Chinese standards.

Wechat Wallet allows users to send money to other contacts. This is perfect if you owe a friend some money or need to share the bill for a meal and don’t have enough cash. Some shops and supermarkets now allow you to pay for goods using Wechat, with just a quick scan of a QR Code.

The biggest convenience that I have discovered is online shopping. Can’t find what you want at the local supermarket or mall? Not wanting to venture outside during a smoggy day? Then you can order almost anything online and have it delivered straight to your door or workplace. This can all be paid for using Wechat Wallet.

My most recent purchases include a laser egg that measures air pollution, a hotpot cooker for the cold winter months and a Chinese set of ‘The Walking Dead’ comics (行尸走肉) in the hope that they will inspire me to keep studying Chinese characters. These treats have certainly cheered me up when the pm2.5 pollution levels have reached over 600 outside.

Buying things from the comfort of my home while avoiding crowds and toxic smog is still a novelty for me. Has Wechat changed my life? Well perhaps the title of this post is a tad dramatic. But it has made buying things a lot easier. Now I’ll just have to work on my self-restraint. I wonder if I can buy a guidebook on how to do that…

Please note that Wechat is not sponsoring me for this blog post (although if you are reading this Tencent, I am happy to receive some kind of payment or praise).

Tianjin

What do I know about Tianjin? Until recently, my knowledge of the city was quite limited. I was aware that it is a short train journey from Beijing and that it’s located near to the coast. Tianjin is now synonymous with the tragic explosions in August 2015, which killed and wounded hundreds of people. Typing ‘Tianjin’ into a search engine shows that currently, three of the top ten Tianjin-related searches are about the catastrophic blast.

I had a fleeting visit to Tianjin in 2013, when my flight from Inner Mongolia to Beijing was diverted due to bad weather. I was taken to a pretty swanky hotel for a few hours sleep but did not have enough time to see the city before I caught the connecting flight to the capital.

On 3rd September, there was a national holiday to mark the 70th anniversary of victory over Japan. Jensen and I decided to take this opportunity to visit Beijing’s neighbouring metropolis. I was surprised by how quickly the high-speed took us to our destination. In fact, it took us longer to get to the Beijing railway station than it did for us to get from Beijing to Tianjin. In just thirty minutes we were in a different city.

The national holiday resulted in pristine clear skies and fresh air. It ensured that we could enjoy the interesting scenery of our new surroundings. I was impressed by the European-style buildings. The colonial architecture is a popular tourist attraction in Tianjin.

While roaming the city, Jensen and I were able to sample some delicious food, including the famous Tianjin jianbing. These savoury crepes are different to the ones I have eaten in Beijing, as they include extra fillings such as youtiao (a deep fried dough stick). We tried a jianbing from a street vendor and later visited a famous jianbing seller who attracts queues of hungry customers. Jensen and I both agreed that the jianbing from the street vendor was actually more delicious. We also ate lamb noodle soup and 烧饼夹牛肉, a flaky pastry filled with beef and egg. 

In the evening, we walked around the streets and stopped to take some photographs near the river and Tianjin Eye. Being so close to the sea, Jensen was keen to try some fresh seafood so we stopped off at a restaurant and gorged on prawns, clams, fish and vegetables.

Tianjin was a nice break from Beijing. I didn’t realise that two months later I would be seeing a completely different, luxurious side to the city...

Jensen’s friend, Lisa, was organising a José Carreras music concert and invited us to stay at the Tianjin Shangri-La and attend the show on the 15th November. The weekend itself was a huge contrast to our previous trip to Tianjin – this time the air pollution levels were extremely high.

But the smog was not too much of a concern - we were far too busy enjoying the hospitality in the Club Lounge, which allowed us to snack continuously throughout our stay and remain hydrated with a plethora of beverages. We only ventured out to visit a nearby Hai Di Lao hot pot restaurant in the evening.

Before the concert, Jensen and I were able to meet José and had our photographs taken with him. During the performance, I was surprised by how powerful his singing voice is. It was a fantastic way to spend a smoggy weekend and I appreciate Lisa’s kindness and generosity.

What do I know about Tianjin now? It is a city that is trying its best to move on from a dreadful catastrophe. It has enough attractions and interesting locations that make it a perfect weekend getaway and I am sure there is plenty more to enjoy on future trips.

Mike's Chomping Cheesy Chinese Chow Challenge #9 – Sweet Potato

Disclaimer: That is a sweet potato and not a Christmas poo...

The temperatures are plummeting and the Beijing skyline is full of feathery white snowflakes. The city may be transforming into a winter wonderland, but of course that will not stop me from continuing my cheesy Chinese chow challenge.

At this time of year, you would be foolish not to seize the opportunity of scoffing a baked sweet potato. There are a number street vendors selling these winter warmers all around Beijing. If you see someone standing next to a metal drum, then it’s likely they are baking a batch of sweet potatoes! Once you choose the potato you desire, the seller will weigh it and tell you the cost - but don't worry, you can buy a spud the size of your face and it will still be a pretty cheap snack.

Many happy customers can be seen gnawing on a freshly baked potato straight out of the serving bag. I decided to give my sweet potato a cheesy challenge upgrade. After I selected the most scrumptious-looking spud, I took it back to my apartment. I then sliced it open and added baked beans with grated cheese on top.

I was instantly transported back home to the UK, with memories of jacket potatoes, bonfire nights and cosy autumnal evenings flooding back in a delightful nostalgic daydream.

The baked beans and melting cheese were the perfect companions to the fluffy, warm potato. This is a seasonal treat that cannot be limited to just once a year. I feel confident that a cheesy baked bean sweet potato will be a regular item on my winter menu.

Seven Signs Of Beijing Winter

I am going to channel Game Of Thrones and send out a warning about the impending cold season known as winter. Well, truthfully Beijing's annual two-week Autumn (Shortumn) is pretty much over already. But the deepest, darkest, depressing depths of winter have yet to reach the capital...

Ned Stark would be the first to tell you that the coming of winter can be a pain in the neck, so it is important that one prepares for the dry, cold, grey months ahead. I may not be the most observant person, but aside from the drop in temperature, I have noticed some other signs that show us when the cruel mistress we call Winter is well and truly on her way:

1. Candied fruit

As the temperature cools, it is only a matter of time before swarms of street vendors start selling 糖葫芦(Tang hu lu). The candied fruit on a stick is traditionally Chinese hawthorn coated in sugar, but a lot of the stalls now sell cherry tomatoes, strawberries and pineapple, which I feel could help people meet the recommended five-a-day fruit and vegetable intake for a healthy lifestyle.

2. Getting flap-slapped

Another sure sign that winter is arriving is when you notice establishments hanging large, thick, cumbersome curtains over the entrance to buildings. The main aim of these chunky drapes is to keep out the cold, however from personal experience, I have noted the following issues with the curtains:

a) Fumbling your way through the curtain can often end in an awkward collision or an accidental grope with a person on the other side of the curtain.

b) If a person ahead of you releases the curtain as you are walking through the doorway, you can end up taking some seriously heavy fabric to the face. A beefy curtain slap is the last thing you want on a cold day. But it wouldn't be a true Beijing winter without getting flap-slapped.

3. Static shocks

When winter comes along, I get an incredible amount of static electric shocks. It may be the work of an electric demon stalking me and taunting me with its painful shocks. But more likely, it's the synthetic material of my winter coat building up a powerful electric charge as I shuffle around the city. I have to pay particular attention around escalators and taxi doors. It's not a pleasant sensation but there's nothing quite like an electric shock to blast away the winter chills.

4. Street sweet potatoes

It's a bittersweet moment when the street vendors start selling sweet potatoes around the city. Yes, you have easy access to a cheap and deliciously warming snack, but it is also a harsh reminder that the heat of summer is rapidly diminishing. Wipe away those frozen tears and grab a tasty baked potato. It certainly makes the colder weather more bearable.

5. Cold weather bike accessories

When you spot a person riding a bike while wearing what appears to be oven gloves, stop whatever you're doing and put on some thermals! During the cold months, people on motorbikes and scooters cover themselves in a thick blanket and attach large oven-mitts to the handlebars in order to shield themselves from the biting cold wind.

6. Barmy for lip balm

There is no time to feel bored during the cold days of winter. You will be kept busy by the incessant need to apply lip balm and other moisturisers, in a vain attempt to prevent oneself from drying up into a flaky husk. The lip balm activities are mainly focused around:

a) Wincing in pain when you crack a smile and your chapped lips burst open.

b) Militantly applying lip balm every five minutes and getting the occasional comment from a friend that perhaps you have applied it too aggressively and it now covers your entire lower face.

c) Constantly checking where your lip balm is, resulting in anxiety attacks if it cannot be located. This can also create a panic-driven, bulk buying situation whenever you are in a shop that sells lip balm - you will always need those 'back-up balms'!

7. Counting down to Central Heating Day

Autumn is officially over when you start to notice that it is colder in your apartment than it is outside. November the 15th is the official date for when Beijing officially turns on the government-subsidised central heating system. If you cannot wait until Central Heating Day (供暖日) then you have to huddle around an electric heater and clutch a hot water bottle, while staring longingly at the calendar. Once the central heating system is switched on, it stays on until March the 15th!

Take care this winter wherever you are!

Mike's Chomping Cheesy Chinese Chow Challenge #8 – Harbin Kao Leng Mian

Recently, my work load has intensified. However, this has not kept me off the bustling streets of Beijing. If anything, being so busy has just increased my hunger and subsequently deepened my dedication to finding delicious Chinese street food and adorn it with tasty cheese.

Sometimes, the street sellers have to take zoom off on their little frying-snack-stalls-on-wheels (henceforth known as fry-mobiles) when there are police in the neighbourhood. But when the police are preoccupied with doing policey-type-things in other parts of the city, there's generally quite a gaggle of fry-mobiles that cluster around the subway station. This provides me with ample opportunities to select a new snack and combine it with dairy products in a controversial yet fulfilling experiment.

One of the many snack stalls on wheels

With the temperature getting cooler, I decided that this time I would opt for 哈尔滨烤冷面 (Harbin Kao Leng Mian)。This is a wide, flat noodle that looks very similar to a lasagne pasta sheet. It is then coated in cooking oil and fried with onions, coriander and slathered in a paste of your choice. It can be made with a spicy, savoury or even a sweet flavour. Once it has been fried, it will then get folded over and sliced into bite-size chunks. 

Once I'd bought my warm cup of kao leng mian, I took it back to the safety of my apartment where I added a fine cheddar. As I have found with other Chinese street snacks, grated cheese works so well with food that's been coated with chili. It cooled down the heat of the chili and the melted cheddar tasted great with the fried noodle (unlike when I've dabbled with parmesan cheese in the past). 

I decided that I would also add a healthy dollop of red onion chutney to the cheesy fried noodle concoction. Some people may say that this would make the meal far too oniony (especially people within close proximity to me after I finished eating it). However, I think that the onion chutney gave the fresh onions a wonderfully tangy boost and it wasn't too overpowering. 

I am already plotting my next Chinese Chow Challenge...stay tuned!

Beijing gym on a whim

It began as a rather normal Sunday. I was furtively hunting for some new teaching materials to bring to school. On this particular occasion, I was searching for sandpaper so that students could test the durability of rocks...but let's get back to the story.

After a forty minute walk I still hadn't located any kind of paper, except for the occasional discarded leaflet drifting solemnly in the breeze. If I kept walking on this unsuccessful mission then perhaps my worn down feet would suffice as an abrasive material to test rocks. This lack of sandpaper was starting to rub me up the wrong way.

Suddenly, I saw something promising in the distance. It was the characters "五金" which I knew meant hardware. Just like the mirage of a water fountain in a desert, I stumbled onwards to reach the beautiful vision before me. It was not my imagination - it was a real hardware shop! The shopkeeper gave me a strange look when I requested sandpaper, but to my relief and sheer euphoria, I became the proud owner of eight sheets for approximately 80 pence.

The shop in the centre with a blue sign is a sandpaper utopia

Feeling quite happy with myself, I left the hardware shop and was met by a young man trying to entice members of the public to join a nearby gym. This is quite a common occurrence in Beijing. If I had one yuan for every time I was handed a gym leaflet by someone on a street corner, I could afford a hefty supply of sandpaper by now. However, I had been considering joining a gym for a while and since this was the first person to offer me an actual view of the gym , I decided to check it out.

The gym was just a short walk from the sandpaper paradise shop. I was still buoyed by my triumphant mission and quite enjoyed the labyrinth that was the gym entrance. To get to the main gym, you must first enter the building, then take the lift to the basement -1 level, sign in at reception and finally find a different lift which will take you up to the third floor.

Following a quick tour of the basket ball court, bike machine room and swimming pool on the lower -2 level, I ascended to the third floor and checked out the equipment. I was still undecided about whether I wanted to commit to a gym. It could have been the incredibly cheap one-year fee of around £200. Or perhaps it was the promise of a free swanky gym bag if I signed a contract. But I decided that I would indeed join.

With this bag, I am now a legit exerciser

I am not a social exerciser. I don't want to play a team sport and have people watching me sweat and suffer. Thankfully nobody I know seems to visit this gym which is another good selling point. Plus the free gym bag would make me look like the real deal.

Once I signed on the dotted line, I filled in some forms and a personal trainer asked me to stand on a machine which measured my weight. The jovial instructor became suddenly very serious and said that I was a number "8" on the machine's scale. If I reached number 9, he warned me that I would have terrible health issues. It is true, since coming to China, the only running I have done is occasionally running a bath. But I knew for sure that my health is not as dire as he would have me believe. I found it quite amusing but nodded all the same.

I returned to the gym the following day for a free session with the personal trainer. His English is limited to saying "OK" and counting to ten (generally leaving out number seven). I realised that not only will I be developing my health, but also my Chinese skills. He explained to me that I should run on the treadmill for thirty minutes and then he would give me a one hour class on weight training and exercising specific muscle groups. He was keen for me to him some English and also give him an English name. He seemed pretty happy that he could now be called Colin.

Colin's gym poster

After just a short time of going to the gym, I did begin to feel more energetic. I wasn't sure if it was just a placebo effect or if I was actually already feeling the benefit of exercising. I have likened it to eating a delicious yet spicy curry. The after effects the following day can be a little painful but you know that it's been a worthwhile experience. It has now been three and a half weeks since I started at the gym and I was rather chuffed to beat my personal best time by running over 6km in less than 30 minutes.

Woohoo! See you later number "8", I am going to be a "7" soon!

Colin is a trained Kung Fu teacher. He is quite strict and during one session decided to teach me some basic Kung Fu. I am guessing he did it just for a laugh. I am not the most co-ordinated or well-balanced person. After a couple of minutes of teaching me some shaky moves, he chuckled and decided to go back to weight training. Colin may be fit and healthy, but timekeeping is definitely not his forte. Although he stated that the training sessions would total one hour after I finish on the treadmill, he will often work with me for an hour and a half, sometimes almost two hours. Even though I end up exhausted, it is definitely value for money.

One thing that is a little peculiar is that after each session, Colin gives his gym members a massage. This may seem like a good idea in order to relax people's muscles after a strenuous workout. However, Colin uses a large rubber tube (almost like a thin tyre) in which to "massage" his clients. This in itself is not too uncomfortable. It kind of feels like he is trying to roll me out like a piece of dough. Once this ritual has been completed, Colin then decides to beat me with said tube. I still haven't figured out how this helps me in any way, but I'm guessing that he is trying to beat the fat out of me so that I am no longer an "8". Not so much an exercising session, more like an exorcism session. But the whole thing is funny and I usually end the class chortling on the floor (with the occasional "ouch" involved).

Instrument of torture. Apologies for the blurry quality - I was still shaking from the post workout beating.

I do live in an often highly polluted city, so I hope that I can maintain this healthy decision to regularly go to the gym. We shall see!