From Yulin

[Randy W]

Larry, my estimation (especially after my two trips to the U.S. last year) is that we eat better and more satisfyingly here - but suffer from a SEVERE lack of variety, even among the available Chinese foods. In my own humble little opinion, Guangzhou and Hong Kong are two of the BEST food cities ANYWHERE - Yulin is at the VERY low end of that scale. Maybe we can get out more once Jiaying's building is finished.

 

So whatever comfort foods I find, believe me, - butter, cheese, mustard, steaks, bacon, German beer, etc. - GREATLY figure in to the picture. I figure that freezer full there may last for as long as 6 months, especially when I cut the steaks in half.

 

It's unclear how much time I have left - I'm sure cholesterol will be the end of me (my father died after a series of strokes) - but HEY! This was my dinner tonight (street pork).

 

 

Yes, thanks for sharing your story!

[Randy W]

I think they've found the source of last year's pool contamination - the overflow trench around the pool has been overflowing INTO the pool. The last section there in the picture got most of the slime. Now they have the trench fixed so it drains properly, but water is STILL coming into the pool area from somewhere off to the left.

 

Jiaying doesn't think they'll be opening the pool again, but they can hopefully at least fix it.

 

[Randy W]

Looks like they may be OPENING the pool maybe TOMORROW!

 

[Randy W]

Tyically Chinese snacks - 'Finding Nemo' Seaweed and chicken feet

 

 

[Mick]

When I first arrived in China to live (1997), I tried various snack foods and was generally spitting them into the trash before they ever made it down my throat, especially anything coming from the sea. My first year I pretty much survived on Skippy Peanut Butter.

[Randy W]

When I first arrived in China to live (1997), I tried various snack foods and was generally spitting them into the trash before they ever made it down my throat, especially anything coming from the sea. My first year I pretty much survived on Skippy Peanut Butter.

 

 

Lay's potato chips and Oreo cookies are VERY common these days, as is chocolate. We are starting to see some foo-foo foreign import stores, what I call "2xAs Stores" that occasionally have good stuff.

[Allon]

Here is a more informative take on high blood pressure in concert with cholesterol vs high blood pressure. You can have very little cholesterol and still have high blood pressure that can threaten your health.

 

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045868

 

I think that the primary problem with that delicious beacon is cholesterol but if it is cured with salt then there is the double whammy of high blood pressure too.

 

 

It is the trans fat and nitrosamines that are the problem with eating animal fat. Cholesterol per se is in a lot of food that really OK to eat. Like shrimp, lobster and especially eggs. A lot of doctors will say don't eat eggs because of the yolk being high in cholesterol but your body processes that kind of cholesterol differently than animal based cholesterol. And eggs do not directly affect the LDL (low density lipoprotein) which is the "bad" cholesterol.

 

Moderation is the key.

 

Good lean meat is OK unless you have a heredity that does not handle the serum cholesterol in the meat. Same with pork and chicken, less the fat and skin. Lamb is an avoid food altogether.

 

The wife is now facing cholesterol and triglyceride problems and she hardly eats any of either foods that are the source. It's her heredity and age. The doc gave her a statin, which will lower both levels. Using a statin especially if you are Type II diabetic is a good idea. But don't eat grapefruit.

 

It took a fight to get her to accept an American doctor. She almost went to the Tie Tie Circle but I finally won when I put my foot down. High HDL and triclycerides are damn dangerous.

 

And if you smoke too then quit. (rant over.)

[Randy W]

Remember that the future of humanity is in your hands

 

[Randy W]

On a quick trip to Beihai, we stopped at Lai Lai Tommy's . . .

 

Lai Lai Tommy's at Waisha seafood area. restaurant in stand-alone mansion. Western food and bbq. background music. Chairs outside. Swedish-Australian owner named Tommy.

 

 

 

 

 

Tommy apparently had headed back to Australia a few years back, and left/sold the restaurant to the Chinese workers. Not bad. but not especially special.

[Randy W]

New Sources for Vital Expat Food Groups

- different places I've bought from

[Randy W]

Setting up for that perfect wedding shot

 

[Randy W]

the daycare graduating class of 2016. Chenxi moves along to the 1st grade in September (no kindergarten)

 

[Randy W]

These boys are "out to play", as Jiaying put it, and drive fast, even in town. You don't see the plates covered like that very often anymore - it's an automatic license suspension if you're caught

 

"桂N" - on the one visible plate - is from Qinzhou, on the Gulf of Tonkin, near the border with Vietnam.

 

Edited July 2, 2016 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

A little orphaned thread that I came across from 2014

 

We Didn't Make It!

[Randy W]

I am flat-on-my-back sick for a few days from excessive bile prodction - looks like it will continue for a few mre. They are treating it with IV's