From what I hear, love is a complicated thing. I haven’t had the fortune (or misfortune?) of being in actual love, though I hope I haven’t missed the boat at my old age. Especially when one is not in love with anyone, it can be tough, or even sickening, to be around two people who are in love with each other.
I’ve spent a lot of time being the third/fifth/nth wheel—hell, I’ve been a third wheel when on half of the couple was present only through the modern miracle of text messages. I had to wave my hands around and be like, “Hello, I’m here in front of you!” You know who you are.
Getting to the point, with Jean and TJ, none of the above is true. It helps that I’m individually friends with each of them, but I always felt like one of the pack. On Saturday, our pack started the day with a edifyingly sugary breakfast of Frosted Flakes, fruit, and donuts.
This is Jean’s hallway.
We all marveled at how much better the hallway looks in the photo than it does in real life. The miracle of light—in reality it’s a dark, crumbling laundry-dodging obstacle course.
Sugared up, we headed to a noon showing of Avatar at Oscar Movie Theaters.
The 3-D showings were sold out for the whole day, but honestly, I’m glad, because I had a headache just watching the plain-ol’ 2-D version. Since I was a film major, I can’t resist a review. In brief: pretty, too long by a third, terribly written and poorly acted. In briefer: typical James Cameron. Mr. Cameron, do us all a favor and hire a writer. I happen to be available for a reasonable price.
Donuts still in stomach, Jean and I munched our way through two buckets of popcorn and some Pocky during the movie, but when it finally ended, she led us to her favorite Hangzhou snack place for a late lunch.
Wait, popcorn wasn’t lunch?
Not that I’ll complain if you buy me xiaolong bao, or soup dumplings.
And a bowl of beef noodle soup.
And a bowl of beef and another-kind-of-noodle (fensi) soup.
That’s love, folks—noodle soup and soup dumplings. And donuts. All within 5 hours of each other.
We digested at a West Lake Starbucks as the sun went down and the animal prints came out.
I pulled TJean out of their coffee chill-out because it was witching hour, the time just before the sun sets or rises when the light is ideal. It was time for a photo session in awwwww.
Luckily they were more than willing to participate—the photos will come in especially handy during Jean’s US Visa interview next week. Photos together prove the ‘legitimacy’ of the relationship. I’ll consider these photos my meager contribution.
I am sending good thoughts your way. Good luck at the interview, Jean!
Before we knew it, it was dinner time. We went to another frequent TJean haunt: Babela’s, which TJ described as “Italian Chinese-Italian.” So in typical Italian Chinese-Italian style, we started with beer-fried bananas.
I was skeptical that the white stuff in the dish was ice cream—I wouldn’t put it past an Italian Chinese-Italian kitchen to give us a scoop of butter—but it was mercifully ice cream.
Some vials of liquor that tasted like cough syrup.
That’s what you get for 18 kuai.
Chicken toasts.
When asked by TJ to describe what was beneath the cheese, I replied: “Brown.” He took a bite and agreed. “Yep, that’s pretty brown.” Ground chicken + black pepper= tastes like brown.
“Sicilian” Baked “Risotto” with “Italian Sausage:”
If you don’t speak Italian Chinese-Italian, that means white rice baked in spicy tomato sauce with cheese and sausage.
To keep things balanced, we ordered a vegetable: Mashed potatoes and bacon.
And cheese.
Pizza the second night in a row.
*Contrary to how the photos look, these portions were actually fairly small.
The restaurant was in a mall, so we wandered, trying on funny glasses at H&M.
And watching the kiddies play in the very padded play place.
On our way home, we stopped at a bar because they had a special: Buy 6 beers, Get 6 beers free.
I didn’t think we would, but over about 2 hours, the three of us consumed all 12 of those beers. I think I had between 2 and 3. Ugh.
We waddled home through the chilly night to jumpstart the days-long digestion process. The next day I had an appetite only for apples. Blame the cheese.
And I ended the weekend the devoted fan club president of TJean. Most of us want someone to eat donuts with, to eat pizza with every weekend, to check our eyes for stray eyelashes…
…and I’m so glad they’ve got each other. As my students like to tell me, I wish you two happy everyday.
I was going to eat breakfast after I read this but, I think the battered, fried bananas in ice cream followed by bacon potatoes made me feel too full. Love the pictures though. I especially like the TJean shots during twilight.
Wonderful photos. So much food!!!! Keep having fun.Much love.
Plate of Wander: Diet Tool. Eating so you don’t have to.
That could be a new motto. Or marketing ploy.
And I’m becoming an avid follower of the Ellis principle of baking: as long as there is enough butter, sugar, flour, and probably an egg, even if it falls apart, it will be edible.
Hmm, third wheel, texting… no, you can’t be talking about me. You were my steering wheel, without you I would have lost my way – staring at the phone texting
I agree with Gerald: “Eating so you don’t have too” should be your new tag line. I love it!
For some reason I can’t figure out how to change the tag line. So I have no choice but to turn to the professional who not only set up this blog but also still does my taxes: Daddy?@Gerald, I’d say I was more of a check engine light that had been on for a while but which you covered with a piece of black tape in hopes it would resolve itself. And your steering wheel. And probably your radio, too.
Whereas you split up the Hangzhou trip into two blog posts, I combined what should’ve been four into one.
The good news is that I didn’t worry about not being so thorough about the Hangzhou weekend, because your posts have been eloquently so.
Ellis you are one of the best friends I’ve made in China, and not only because you have managed to tolerate my seemingly aimless and sometimes random ramblings and/or rants, though that is a common thread among all my good friends. Jean and I will take all your good wishes with us to Guangzhou, as well as the well-wishes, hopes, and prayers of anyone else who wouldn’t mind passing them in our direction this week
You sure were good entertainment, though not so much singing. So, if you were a radio, which channel?
Never felt like you were a problem, though, so the warning light-analogy…
@Gerald, obviously I was NPR.
@TJ, you just gave me the biggest awwww. That was such a sweet comment. And you as well have been one of the best friends I’ve made here. I’m lucky to have you as a neighbor, co-worker and friend.
Now I know that Italian food in Hangzhou=cheeeese
LOL at the animal prints.