Fuzhou

In mid-January, we flew south to Fuzhou (my Dad’s hometown) from to visit our Grandparents and other relatives.  The airplane ride was pretty short, only 3-4 hours long.

When we were there, we had a chance to try a special food.  It is called zhe.  My Dad said that it was one of his favorite foods when he was growing up.  The outer layer is made from sticky rice flour, and the inside is made of sticky rice (sweet).

Fuzhou is by the ocean, so there is plenty of fish to eat.  However most of the fish have plenty of bones; at least 3 or 4 times as much as salmon has.

My uncle brought us to the sand banks of the Ming Jian River.  

There were a couple of people picking clams to bring back home to eat.  We found a lot of clams, too. But, of course, we didn't eat them.

We also found a pumas rock.  When we put it on the water, it floated.

My brother and my younger sister wanted to take some of the clams home for pets.  Dad said that they could each take 2 clams back home.  So they took a bottle, put 8 clams inside (2 for my older sister and 2 for me, they said), and brought the clams back to the apartment where we were staying.

They are also many dogs in Fuzhou.  As a result, there are also many droppings on the ground, so be careful where you step!

The libraries in Fuzhou are more (and also better) than the ones in Beijing.  We even found a whole shelf of English books.  In the streets there are also many 24 hour self-service libraries.

The taro in Fuzhou is one of the best in China. They taste delicious, especially since taros cannot be found in Beijing.

We made sweet buns at home.  There was no bread machine to mix the dough, so I did it with my own hands.  My younger sister and my brother helped shape the buns, and they were very creative.

My younger sister helped my Mom make nien gao.  It is made from sticky rice flour.

We rode the high speed rail back to Beijing.  It is really fast, and goes up to around 300 kilometers an hour. 

After 7 hours on the train, we arrived at our destination and a taxi driver drove us back home.