Duck for supper again!

May 11th, continued

Having walked right around Qianhai Lake with a stop at the tea house, it was time for lunch. With Sha to help with the ordering again, we particularly enjoyed the kong pao jiding and spinach pancakes with creamed tofu flavoured like a vegetable pâté, Sha's favourite. There were large bowls of noodles to which we added a glutinous sauce and finely sliced cucumber, radish and celery. To drink, hot water was served; we had bottles of beer as well.

 On our way to supper: "Bird's Nest" stadium in the background

Our evening meal that day was a special occasion: Chris and I attended the international pulsar timing conference dinner with George, Sha, her parents, and all the participating astronomers, several of whom (people who have been good friends to George during the last few years) remained in Beijing until the weekend. The restaurant for the conference banquet, another branch of the Quan Ju De chain, was in the modern part of the city near the university and Olympic Park.

We had to walk a few blocks from where the taxi dropped us, seeing the dramatic architecture the other side of a pond: the blue Water Cube and the world famous Bird's Nest Stadium.

Sweet and sour mandarin fish

Guests of honour at the banquet, as were Sha's parents, we shared a circular table with the conference organisers from China, with Jonathan and Daniel from Australia and with two scientists from Russia. Toasts to George and Sha were frequent and the wine, the beer and the bai jiǔ––of very good quality, 75% alcoholic––flowed liberally. The latter tasted surprisingly innocuous; however, I was cautious and only had a small amount. I read on this website that "Chinese women do not drink baijiu," so I hope I am not considered too forward. The dishes revolving on the lazy susan included ducks' hearts, like walnuts in appearance, to be individually toasted on skewers, over a flame. Slivers of "duck stomach" were served as well as the ubiquitous slices of roasted duck and its crispy skin. Duck liver pâté to accompany that as well as a crispy and colourful "Mandarin" fish (a speciality of Suzhou) and unusual vegetable dishes (black cloud ear fungus, seaweed and the like) as well as the politically incorrect (in North America) though apparently highly desirable (in China) shark fin soup, traditionally served as a mark of respect for one's guests, or perhaps as a status symbol.

After supper Jonathan and Daniel came through the Olympic Park with us and with Sha's parents, everyone now off work and in high spirits.