The Birder's Guide to Everything (2013)

This is an entirely enjoyable indy movie about a 15 year old boy, David (played so naturally by Kodi Smit-McPhee) who has lost his mother 18 months before.  He is struggling mightily with his grief and add onto that the anger he has at his father, who is getting remarried, and to one of the nurses who took care of his mother over the course of her illness.

David's mother was an exceptional birder, and she passed the love of the hobby onto her son, who recognizes birds by their GISS (which is pronounced JIZZ,for reasons which escape me because it seems like potty humor and many birders are well above the age where that would be appropriate)--the general impression of their size and shape--as well as by their songs.  He is humble and shy and intense all at the same time.

The movie is about how he uses birding and his peers to find a way to forgive his father, to let go of his anger and see what his father is going through.  It is a sweet story that is told in a soft way.  Very enjoyable.

Green Soup

This soup is yet another way to enjoy the abundance of greens that spells summer.  There are a multitude of ingredients that you can use to make this soup, so I will start with one version, and end with variations.  The most important step is to turn the broth off as you add the greens so they retain their vibrant green color.

4 c. stock
1 onion diced
1 carrot diced
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
2 medium potatoes diced
1 bunch of greens coarsely chopped (I like kale, or kale and spinach, but any greens will work)

Saute the onions in a little olive oil until onions are becoming translucent then add carrot and garlic and saute a couple more minutes.  Add stock, potatoes, and some salt and pepper and put soup on a slow boil until potatoes are soft.  Turn off the heat, add the greens, stir until they wilt, and then puree (if you have a Vita mix, fantastic--the smoother the texture the better), and serve.

The potatoes add starch and heft to the soup so you do not have to add cream, but you can finish it off with that at the end if you want, or add a dollop of creme freshe or sour cream as you serve.

You can substitute rice or white beans for the potatoes if you prefer--or as might be the case, that is what you have in the fridge.

You can add mushrooms--think about the color of these--paler will keep the soup this bright green, which I think is one of it's biggest attractions.  The mushrooms add unami, another flavor dimension.

Ming Tombs, Beijing

The Ming Tombs near Beijing were built in accordance with the principles of Feng Shui (because who wants to have bad luck for all eternity, after all).  According to these, bad spirits and evil winds descending from the North must be deflected; therefore, an arc-shaped valley area at the foot of the Jundu Mountains, north of Beijing, was selected. This 40 square kilometer area—enclosed by the mountains in a pristine, quiet valley full of dark earth, tranquil water and other necessities that are felt to bring luck in the Chinese culture.

The Ming emperors were lucky--China was no where near as densely populated when they were planning their final resting place (which has been looted a few times over the centuries, so while the exterior of the building is beautiful, the inside is a bit underwhelming).  The principles of Feng Shui make building apartment buildings in modern China a challenge.  One bathroom misplaced can significantly decrease the value of an otherwise perfectly nice place.

The Book Thief (2013)

I was avoiding watching this movie for quite a while because I had read the book and knew that it was going to be hard to watch.  I wasn't wrong about that--any movie set in Germany in WWII is going to contain a fair amount of difficult material.  It was not a mistake to wait until I was ready to watch it, but it is a very good movie.

Liesel is a young girl who is adopted by a family after her mother is sent to a concentration camp.  Her situation prior to this has been difficult--her brother dies en route to Berlin and they pull over to the side of the road and bury him there.  Then when she arrives at her new home, her new mother Rosa (Emma Watson) is none-too-welcoming, but her father Hans (Geoffrey Rush) more than makes up for it.  She is illiterate when she arrives, and her new father teaches her to read, which becomes an obsession for her.  She breaks into the mayor's mansion on a regular basis to borrow books to read, returning the one she took on a previous trip before removing another.  Over the years of  the war she becomes not just well read but a good story teller.

The story that is told lacks some of the grittiness of the book--as the war progresses, German citizens are getting less and less food.  Liesel's family talks about starving, but they don't get progressively emaciated.  They hide a Jew for a period of years (which is how we know that Rosa is much better than she first appears) without much difficulty, a feat that few accomplished.  The movie is narrated by death, which is a bit histrionic.  Overall, though, I really liked the movie, which puts me at odds with the critics, but that is nothing new.

The Hutong, Beijing

It was a little bit camp, but we took a took through one of the last (if not the last) old neighborhood in Beijing in a modern rickshaw (meaning it had a bicycle driver).  The predominant color in the neighborhood was red--red signs, red lanterns, red items for sale.  The color of good luck was very much in evidence in this crowded area with narrow streets that would no accomodate a full sized car.

Here is an aerial view--see, no room to move, really.  We were able to gointo the home of an artist who lives in the Hutong, and he was asked about the ownership of the house and the Cultural Revolution.  Yes, the house was divided into four dwellings during that time, and while his family maintained their deed in secret, when it was all over, all they were able to keep was the 1/4 of the property that they occupy.  Such is the immediate past of modern China.

The name Hutong comes from the Mongolian word for town, and dates back to what is called the Yuan Dynasty but was really a time of occupation for China.  Khuba Khan, one of the all too numerous offspring of Ghengis Khan, was running the show and had been for years, but in 1271 he proclaimed the Yuan Dynasty and declared himself Emperor of China.

The Ming Dynasty followed the Yuan Dynasty, and hutongs were organized with the Forbidden City in the middle of Beijing, and hutongs going out in ever expanding circles, the richest hutongs being closer to the center and the poorer ones furthest away.  Now they have largely been bulldozered over and had high rise apartment buildings put on top of them--all but this one.

Garlic Scape Pesto with Kale and Basil

'Tis the season for kale to be abundant, and the window when garlic scapes are too.  I have been making everything I know to make with kale, and this is a nice addition.

½  pound or 6 leaves of kale, strip leaves from stem and chop finely

8-10 garlic scapes, trim off tough end and green end above the bulb part

¼  to ½  cup olive oil

Handful of basil

¼ cup grated fresh parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Makes enough for a pound of pasta--reserve the pasta water to add a little to the pesto if you refrigerate it before hand.

Modern China's Move Towards Freedom--Tiananmen Square

Here is the famous gate at Tiananmen Square, which separates the large square in Beijing from the Forbidden City.  The day that I was there it was impossible to get this photo.  The place was teaming with people, most of them domestic tourists from other parts of China visiting the attractions of their capital city.  There is no hint of what happened in this spot 25 years ago.

In the summer of 1989 thousands of Chinese students gathered to protest the lack of freedom in their country at the time.  They were seeking three kinds of freedom: economic freedom, political freedom, and religious freedom.  At that time none of those were available.  The world was shocked when China moved in tanks and literally rolled over students--there has never been an admission of the death toll, and since the Chinese government controls the internet in the country, any mention of the protest is expunged from the record there.

In the 25 years since, there has been an astounding change in economic freedom in China, with a rapidly expanding middle class and widespread education available to what was a largely illiterate country in 1989.  The ability to choose your spiritual beliefs and follow them has also become widely available in China today--Confucius' house is open to the public, Buddhist temples are reopened, and people openly display their religious beliefs.  So all that remains is political freedom, which is no where in evidence.  Mao ruled China with an iron fist.  Millions of people died of starvation under his rule, and yet there is much admiration for him today.  He brought the country out of a feudal time and set in motion what modern China has become.

Arriving in China

Coming from the United States, even on an exceptionally good itinerary, the traveler has been on the road for hours, and is likely to have lost some sleep somewhere along the way.  This trip was my first to China and my third to Asia, so the cultural shock was still quite real, even if I had been 100% rested, which I was not.

The elements of culture shock for me included things that I had experience before and things that were new.  The language barrier is often there--I am not a multi-lingual polyglot and I like to travel so that is almost a given.  I expected to have trouble with the characters, but amazingly almost all signs that had a government connection to them were also in English.  So getting to the bathroom was never an issue--what you would find there is another story.  For some reason I find the squatting toilet to be a challenge.  The second thing is that I became an instant ethnic minority.  By far the most common tourist in China is Han Chinese.  They out number those of European origins by a long, long shot, and so even in the airport I stood out.  But the thing that surprised me the mist was that you had to pass through a temperature sensor to enter the country.  Big brother is literally watching.

I had booked my tour through a Chinese company and was a bit trepidatious about whether I would be met at all.  I had crowd sourced my choice, and in the past that has been a very good strategies--no surprises--you are apprised of the good, the bad, and the ugly, and you make a choice with your eyes wide open.  But there she was, right outside of customs, and we started our tour of one of the oldest civilizations on the planet.

The Hand of Fatima

On my recent trip to Morocco, I was fascinated by the prevalence of the Hand of Fatima, which marks the house as a Muslim home.

It is an ancient talisman for protection against malocchio, commonly known as the Evil Eye. Since the dawn of time, humans have used symbols of protection against malocchio. Traditionally, it is believed that the curse of the Evil Eye may befall a person who is the target of willfully directed negativity in the form of envy, jealousy, or hatred. Some cultures adopted the eye as an amulet for protection while others favored the Hamsa (hand). Over time the two symbols were married and thus the Hand of Fatima was born.

This symbol is commonly seen hung at the threshold of homes where it is believed to guard the household and all who dwell there from the influence of negativity. The talisman is purported to offer special protection against fires making it a prominent fixture in many businesses.

Worn on the person as an amulet, the Hand of Fatima offers not only protection, but blessing. The wearer will be granted abundance, luck, vitality and will find the favor of benevolent forces. Many belly dancers have adopted the Hand of Fatima as a luck charm. It is considered most fortuitous to wear the talisman as a bracelet. This is especially potent when one finds themselves at a crossroads in life. The Hand of Fatima will shelter the bearer from obstacles, strife and adversity, helping the seeker transform fate into destiny.

The Hamsa is recognized as a sacred symbol in many cultures and religions including Judaism, Buddhism, Shamanism, Hinduism, Christianity, Jainism and Islamic belief. The Hamsa is a symbol of the "one hand that writes all" and has associations with Divinity. The Hand of Fatima can be seen both upright or upside down, depending on the culture. Additionally, the symbols featured within the hand are of significance and vary in different parts of the world. Despite variations, it is an archetypal motif that speaks across borders of language, cultural and religious belief.

Spicy Ginger Noodles with Bok Choy and Pork

Yet another culinary adventure into Asian cuisine--this one with rice noodles.  Yum!

• 12 ounces baby bok choy (3 or 4 small heads)
• 1 ounce ginger root (1 fat 2-inch-thick knob)
• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces rice noodles, not too thin(if using partially hydrated rice noodles, 12 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
• 1 pound lean ground pork
• 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 fresh Thai or habanero chile, seeded if desired, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, more for drizzling
• Cilantro or torn basil, for serving
• Black vinegar, for serving

1.

Trim bok choy and separate dark green tops from white stems; leave tops whole and thinly slice stems. Peel ginger and finely chop half of it. Slice remaining ginger into thin matchsticks.

2.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and run under cool water; drain again.

3.

Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, breaking up with a fork, until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to a bowl.

4.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Stir in half the scallions, the finely chopped ginger, the garlic and the chile. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add bok choy stems and a pinch of salt. Cook until bok choy is almost tender, about 2 minutes. Toss in leaves and return pork to skillet.

5.

Toss noodles, remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar into the pan. Cook until just warmed through.

6.

Transfer to a large bowl and toss with remaining scallions, sesame seeds, sesame oil and herbs. In a small bowl, combine ginger matchsticks with just enough black vinegar to cover. Serve ginger mixture alongside noodles as a garnish.