Chinese Propaganda Posters

Today I bring you a SWEET Chinese propaganda poster from Stefan Landsberger’s aptly named Chinese Propaganda Poster Pages. I find the Chinese propaganda art very fascinating. They are highly stylized and completely lacking in subtleties. These posters are as much art as a window into the political and cultural undercurrents of their times. You have to appreciate their power or boldness even if you don’t agree with the messages or powers behind the posters.

This poster, entitled "Space Flower Garden", was commissioned to celebrate the glorious Chinese space program. It is so fascinating. There is a child taikonaut (Chinese astronaut or taikongren) skipping hand in hand with the Monkey King on an idyllic alien planet. The Monkey King is probably the most beloved character in Chinese literature from China’s golden age. The poster invokes the glorious past to promote the glorious picture of the future. All to promote, or justify, the Chinese space program. On top of it, it is aimed at children.

So enjoy this link of the week. Posts may be spotty for the next while because I will be playing away from internets and phones.

Chinese Landscape in Alaska

Last March, I found myself with in Valdez with a van full of architects and engineers and six hours to kill. It was also one of those rare sunny days in Valdez. So we drove around site seeing and taking pictures.

We headed up Keystone Canyon and I took this picture of a frozen waterfall at Bridal Veil Falls. I liked the shot but it wasn't until afterwards that I noticed the ice climbers. Can you spot them? Then I really liked the shot because it reminded me of Chinese landscape paintings, especially those of the Song Dynasty.

In the Song Dynasty (960-1279) Chinese landscape paintings often represented people in ant-like fashion against wild, exotic landscapes. This suited both the Taoist and the Buddhist philosophies of the time. Toaist with their focus on the natural instead of the man-made or Wu Wei. Buddhists with their focus on the realization of emptiness or Shunyata. I think Song painters would have liked this photo too.

P.S. I have added about 25 photos to my Flickr site (see right)

Thirteen Weird Foods

I pride myself in having a flexible pallate and my iron stomach. I never turn down a chance to try something new. My philosophy is if someone is offering you something to eat, you try it. First, it’s polite. Second, if they are serving it someone has to think it tastes good. You never know, that person may be you. In general, I have had a lot of fun trying things and it has opened me up to whole new experiences and flavors. But it has also provided me with several interesting stories. Here are thirteen weird things I have eaten.

1. Fish Eyes. I hear it takes 14 tries before you start to like a new taste. Let’s just say I’ve been offered fish eyes enough to start to like them. As for the taste, think egg yolks.

2. Jelly Fish. Nature’s bubblegum. It was cooked in a very spicy Szechwan sauce, but it was so chewy I couldn’t swallow it. Burned my mouth with every chew.

3. Sea Cucumber. Nature’s jell-o. Clear, no flavor, and pointless.

4. Sow’s Ear. I hear you can make a purse out of these, which is got to be better than putting them into fried noodles.

5. Pigs Snout. Tastes just like you think it would.

6. Stinky Tofu. This is a favorite street food in Taiwan. It consists of fried rancid tofu. Even the locals will tell you it smells like death while cooking. That is why you never eat it right away.

7. Black Ants. I was at a friend’s house in Lotung, Taiwan. His mom served us a standard diakon soup. As I drained my bowl, I noticed that some of the pepper didn’t look right. Just as another friend was asking for seconds it dawns on me the pepper were black ants. Later I asked my friend if the soup was suppose to have ants in it. He said it wasn’t and they must have fallen in while his mom was cooking. I am not sure I was comforted by that statement.

8. Stinky Fruit (durian). This spiky Southeast Asian fruit looks more like a weapon than something to eat. Its tag line is “smells like hell, tastes like heaven.” I’ve got another six more tries before I will believe the second part.

9. Dragon Eyes (longyan). The Chinese call these dragon eyes because they have a large nut surrounded by juicy grape-like flesh. Consequently, that makes them feel like eyes when you are chewing on them. Very delicious though.

10. Dragon Fruit. This is a popular fruit in Asia. It is oval shaped and with varying shades of pink and green all over it. It also has these curvy little soft thorns. It looks like something from a B-grade sci-fi movie. The inside meat is white with tiny black seeds. It tastes like a sweet kiwi or sour strawberry. Very tasty in my book.

11. Chicken’s Feet. Not the legs, just the feet with claws incuded. They were fried in a hot sauce. The reminded me of the Colonel’s secret recipe. Only the fried skin has any flavor.

12. Bai Bai Food. Many people through China and Taiwan would have home shrines to ancestors and various gods (usually a combination of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian figures). They often would offer food and incenses as sacrifices on the shrines. I had always been careful to be respectful about the shrines when I was in people’s homes. One day a lady I was visiting asked if I wanted something to eat. She then looked around the room. When she spied the shrine she grabbed an orange from her father’s picture and handed it to me. She thought my shock was pretty funny.

13. Whole Baby squid. I was at a cafeteria in Taipei when I saw these bite-sized babies. You had to be careful not to swallow the beaks and pen. One bonus is it turned your mouth black from the ink. Oddly enough that too tasted like egg yolk.

Bonus: I always wanted to try dog when I was in Taiwan, but never found any. The Chinese call it xiangrou which euphemistically translates to fragrant meat. Also I have always wanted to try Eskimo ice cream, which consists of caribou fat whipped with berries, sheefish, and sugar. Most people tell me it is to die for. Some day I can add these to the list.

Chinese and Charlie's Bakery

Ever since I lived in Taiwan I have loved Chinese food. This has been a blessing and a curse. It opened me up to all the wonderful foods, dishes, and tastes of China. Unfortunately, I am now tainted because I know what real, good Chinese food should taste like. I still enjoy the occasional Carrs/Safeway Chinese takeout, not as authentic Chinese food, but something completely different.

As odd as it sounds, Anchorage has a pretty good selection of Chinese restaurants. This probably has to do with the sizable Asian population and proximity to Asia. The best place I have found in town for authentic Chinese food is Charlie’s European Bakery. Yeah, you read that right European bakery. (Actually they have changed the name to just Charlie’s Bakery, but you can still see signs and stuff with the old name.) It is a little café and bakery located on C Street and Northern Lights. They do sell some European breads, but their main staple is their Chinese food.

One of the reasons Charlie’s is so good is its authenticity. It is owned and operated by a Chinese Family from Taiwan. Their “niu ruo tang” (braised beef noodle soup) and the “hong dou bao” (red bean paste buns) are the best. The only difference between what I use to eat from noodle shops and street vendors is the size. The proportions are definably American.

The other thing I liked about Charlie’s is the atmosphere. It feels like the little bakeries and noodle shops of Taiwan. It has that relaxed, family run feel of all small Taiwanese shops.

Yesterday, I stopped by to surprise my wife with lunch. I got there right at 11 AM right as they opened. They were still just getting started and I had to wait as the hong dou bao came out of the oven. Now I have to confess. I am a horrible eavesdropper when it comes to Chinese. It was a habit I picked up living in Taiwan and trying to learn the language. While I waited, I listen to two ladies behind the counter talk back and forth about sales at Costco, whether or not the today’s portions were too small, or other such routine things. I just smiled as I listened to their wonderfully thick Taiwanese accents. The Taiwanese accent is the Chinese equivalent of a Southern American accent. They soften their vowels and slur syllabus together.

Every once in while they would call back to “mei mei” for an update on the day’s baking. Mei mei literally means little sister, but is also used as a familiar name for any younger female. In this case, mei mei was a lady roughly my age. Still a mei mei at thirty.

I left Charlie’s with four piping-hot fresh hong dou bao, lunch, and smile from ear to ear. Speaking or even passively listening to Chinese always puts me in a good mood.