James Lie: Pics from October 17

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Pics from October 17

A full and happy Lie Lie

Here we are eating. Somethings to notice - Joseph is wearing his Phillies Jersey and has Pizza. I am trying to keep up with Lie Lie and get him food. Lisa's friend is at the head of the table, her sister in law is at the other end and Lisa is next to me. Joe is taking the picture. The host, Shu, offered fire water, but we stuck to beer, juice (Lie Lie) and water.

The wonderful dinner we had at Lisa's Friends' House.

James Lie Lie and Ba Ba (Daddy)

The family in line to rub the happiness symbol.

Wen Shu Monastary

Joseph and a little boy at the Leather Factory

Leather Factory

Read the post below for more of the story behind the pics!

Love, Kelly, Joe, Joseph and James

3 comments:

Unknown said...: It makes sense that Jimmy Lie would be attached to Joe. I'm guessing he was the first adult male to pay any real attention to him. That's gotta be a big deal for James.

And try not to be sad about leaving his hometown. He will adjust and won't remember soon. Not that we moved a lot compared to a lot of families, and my move to a "foreign" country happened when I was much older, and clearly US-Ireland isn't China-US. My point is, he'll wonder sometimes what his life would have been like if he stayed. And there will always be that "red thread" connecting him. But you will have made his life for him and given him so much love he'll never regret it.

Lisa and her friends are amazing. Can you image opening your house to strangers and offering them dinner? I'm sure they do this for all of Lisa's clients - it's got to be a fantastic experience for them too. And how cool for you - you get the personal experience - this is how the owner of a business lives in China!

I love that Joseph brought pizza and wore his Phillies shirt. Someone must keep it real! You go Joseph!

I suggest a slide show/video review night - once you are all settled back, months and months from now.

Holy cow, you have a vacation in China and a new child.; October 18, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Christina said...: What a little love muffin! (I mean James, Joe!) And you're famous on La Vida!!! What a wonderful slide show of pics!; October 18, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Crankshaw said...: I know why James is becoming attached to Joe.....the same haircut! (Of course, James's hair still will be coming in and Joe's.....well we know where it is going) Just kidding.
Oh I love the beer import, Joe - Budweiser!; October 18, 2008 at 7:35 PM

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About Chengdu

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, the most populous province in China (map). Sichuan means “Four Rivers,” referring to four of the more than 80 mighty rivers spilling across the province. There is much diversity in the Sichuan landscape - the east supports one of the densest rural populations in the world, the west rises in giant steps to the Tibetan plateau where green tea shifts to the Tibetan staple po cha (butter tea) and Confucianism shifts to Buddhism. In fact, Chengdu provides the main inland city access to Tibet.The remote mountains of Sichuan, bordering Gansu and Qinghai provinces, are the natural habitat of the giant panda, the shy animal that has become synonymous with China. Visitors gravitate to the Panda Breeding and Research Center located in Chengdu, which houses the world's only giant panda breeding and research center.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (35-330 AD), the imperial court appointed an official to supervise the fast-growing brocade industry in Chengdu, which was then known as Jincheng, or Brocade Town. When it was discovered that the brocade turned brighter and fresher after being washed in a nearby river, the river was given the name Jin Jiang, or Brocade River.

Since ancient times, Chengu, which is surrounded by mountains in all directions, has tried to reach out to the outside world. As early as the third century, Chengdu had already opened the famous Southern Silk Road that started in the city and continued to the ocean. The earliest paper currency, Jiaozi (not the dumpling!), was first printed in Chengdu.

During the Five Dynasties era (907-960 A. D.), Chengdu was for a time the capital of China, and hibiscus was planted all along the city wall. Because of this, Chengdu became known as the City of Furong or Hibiscus. Today, flowers and trees grace the wide streets and the city’s many parks.
Agriculture and light industry are the mainstays of the region and brocade is still manufactured along with other textiles and handicrafts.

An old adage says China is the place for food, but Sichuan is the place for flavor. In Chengdu, visits can enjoy delectable Sichuan (often spelled Szechuan in the west) cuisine, the hot and spicy food known all over the world. Common preparation techniques in Szechuan cuisine include stir frying, steaming and braising, but a complete list would include more than 20 distinct techniques.

Sichuan pepper and chili pepper are some of the ingredients in two of the region’s signature dishes: MaPo DoFu, which is a spicy tofu with a meat sauce; and Gong Bao JiDing (known in the west as Kung Pao chicken) named after a Qing dynasty government official named Ding Baozhen who is said to have particularly enjoyed it. There are many conflicting stories about why Ding Baozhen favored the dish, including one that claims that a chef invented the finely chopped dish because Baozhen had bad teeth.

In Chengdu, chili is as common at mealtime as rice is across the rest of China. So is Sichuan pepper, known in Chinese as huājiāo (花椒; literally "flower pepper.”) Despite its name, Sichuan pepper is not related to black pepper or chili peppers; it is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum.

Although many dishes live up to their spicy reputation, Sichuan cuisine also includes recipes that use little or no hot spices, including Tea Smoked Duck.

Despite its fiery cuisine, Sichuan is one of the most laid-back regions of China, where entire village populations lull about in teahouses, playing mahjong and gossiping. There is a saying that holds that the tea houses of Sichuan rank first in the world, while those in Chengdu rank first in Sichuan. Even in busy Chengdu, locals find time to shop, cook, eat, and spend hours relaxing and socializing in teahouses.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Pics from October 17

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