Back to the scene

It has been a long time since I have taken a look at this blog thing. I have been trapped in the void of constant work for the past month or so and haven't gotten around to spilling my thoughts on the computer. I will soon be finishing up though and then will try to get back to documenting every living moment of the non stop action that is life in Zaozhuang. Here are some interesting things I have seen over the past few weeks.

A few weeks ago I saw this article on CNN.com which I found surprising for a few reasons, most notably the fact that China might be seen as a good place for clean energy, but also for the fact that CNN (supposed enemy of China) printed it.

For something a little easier and sexier to digest I recommend checking out this Korean pop video from the exciting television show Super Junior.

And finally here is one AWESOME television show, one of many that you can get around here. This website is the Chinese Youtube and is hours of entertainment if you can figure out how to navigate it. One would never even imagine the entertainment found on these videos.

And finally here is one way I find to relax on the weekend over this way. It might not be the most typical of partying methods, but it is satisfying none the less. Yesterday a friend and I combined forces to enjoy a Sunday Hotpot Extravaganza. A hot pot is a pot of broth that you you stew for a while to get the flavor. Then you turn up the heat, get it boiling, and throw in vegetables and meat to cook them up. Here are some pictures to make the process a little more clear:

The pot, and the raw meat about to enter the pot, but first we gotta wait for the pot to get hot:

The aray of foods that will enter the pot to be cooked, including cabbage, Carrots, Meatballs, Mushrooms, and Glass noodles

The homeless alcoholic I allowed into my home to eat hotpot with me, in goes the cabbage...

A shot of the cooking process, doesn't that look delicious?? It tastes much better than it looks, believe me.

And the post boiled meat and vegetable coma begins to set it, complete with an oil stained T-shirt thanks to my careless feeding.

This eating style is really popular over here, especially during the cold winter months when you are still forced to wear sweat clothes to stay warm inside, despite our coal powered heating. Nothing more fun than drinking a few ganbei's and enjoying boiled meat dipped in sesame sauce to relax on a sunday afternoon.