Hi, Mom!
Yesterday was a scorcher here! I was outside most of the day, the weather was beautiful, but the sunlight was so strong… we went out and spent most of the peak hours hiding from the sun in coffee shops, restaurants and convenience stores. It was so hot! So I promised that I would write, and once I have confirmed your address, I will mail the letter for you. My address for all purposes is
Actually, the neat thing is I can send the letter to you without going to the post office or buying a stamp or even printing out the letter. Pretty amazing!
Life is gogogo right now. Though I’m not teaching so many hours at school, I’m responsible for much of the back office: billing, supplies, money, banking… quite a long list of tasks. The students are great, though one or two of them have issues that are way beyond the bounds of teaching ESL. We find that we have to do a lot more than just teaching grammar and vocabulary! Part of the ‘joy’ of running your own school, I guess.
Christine has been keeping herself quite busy with her little garden, it’s too hot right now to spend much time outside planting. And many plants wilt in the heat, because her water supply isn’t stable. So she’s been learning to make soap, the way she cuts it means that the soap board looks enticingly like a cheeseboard. I have to catch myself each time from thinking it’s a white cheddar!
Actually, cheese and butter here are both quite expensive so we don’t buy a lot of either. They are easily about GBP4-5.00 to buy … and that’s just the consumer branded cheeses and butter. Nothing exceptional. I guess it’s a positive since we don’t consume as much of that deliciously high fat product! But occasionally a nice piece of Scottish cheddar on a sandwich or with apple is desirable.
One thing that surprised me is the quality of Japanese cream, ice cream and cheese. Wow! Those are good. But Taiwanese do not like these flavors, they feel they are TOO rich, TOO sweet, and TOO sharp for their palate. So a lot of local products tend to cut the fat, sugar and acid profiles in their food; leaving a bland taste. In fact, that is a perception that many visitors have about Taiwanese and Japanese food: too bland, overall.
What is interesting though is that the blandness comes about for different reasons: Japanese chefs tend to prepare food in as close to its original state as possible. This adherence to a ‘standard’ also applies to ice cream, etc. so they never water down their foods, though they often create their own local versions. Japanese also prefer textures, and have a strong affinity for seafood of all kinds, which tends to be rather bland. And yes, they do create their own versions of international foods like spaghetti and curry. But they do not copy the Italian or Indian versions, they are products in their own right.
In Taiwan, chefs know that local customers don’t like strong tastes as much. So often local products ‘water’ down the ingredients in favor of “nothing too much”. Cut the sugar so it’s not TOO sweet; cut the salt because it’s so salty; cut the cream because it’s TOO rich, etc. Unfortunately, they do so in a way that creates inauthentic variations of food.
Often locals cite reasons of health for this; but at the same time quick examination of any convenience store or supermarket or restaurant will show that these foods that are still used are in fact as unhealthy as the Western versions. While Taiwanese enjoy the ‘watered’ down versions, they often come across as bland variations. The reason is simple: Nothing in Excess is a principle that cannot be applied to itself. If you do nothing in excess, then you are doing something in excess by being excessively non-excessive.
A classic example is the traditional margarita pizza where the chef cuts down the tomato sauce dressing because it’s TOO sour for local tastes, an irony given that locals like sour products in other categories. In some restaurants, you’ll find the margarita merely said hello to the tomato sauce as they passed in the hallway; and that the resulting margarita is 99% insipid, unsalty cheese.
Anyway, it’s Saturday. Time for a football game, not that I’m keen on the game. Christine said, “Let’s watch it!” So I said “sure!”… After 5 minutes of the first half, she’s like “… nothing much is happening! It’s not like basketball at all!” Funny girl! Neither of us care a hoot who wins! Right now, England is one up! I’m sure the guys in the TV room must be making quite a noise!
On the writing front, I’ve managed to submit two pieces for publication: one for a charity magazine (unpaid) to be published in August; the other is paid (but only a pittance) for a personal piece in a local Travel magazine for September. I’m busy working on a third one but I haven’t found a place to submit it. Several places have popped up on my radar, but nothing yet confirmed. The first is a “Travel Log: My interesting in photographing Taiwan”, the second on “Handling Taiwan’s Summer Heat”, and the third is something about Tamsui’s historical spots for tourists.
So that’s pretty much it for just now. I’d better get it sent off…
Take care,
Kenneth