This is interesting: the law student veterans group that I established while at the UCLA School of Law is in the news. Bigshot appellate attorney Howard Bashman has the details here. What's more, he filed the group's amicus brief.
- posted by Prince Roy @ 2/25/2004 07:30:00 AM| |

 
Happy Birthday to the Realm! Hard to believe I started this blog exactly one year ago. This landmark date just also happens to coincide with the 生日 (b'day) of Princess Roy, so we are on our way out to celebrate with a few of my old VOA partners-in-mischief. It's been a while since my last check-in. That's because I've decided I need both a physical and mental/spiritual detox. By that I mean I need to jog up my routine for a bit of rejuvenation. So I've been doing different things that don't involve any of my old habitual patterns, i.e. surfing the Internet 3+ hours a day. To be honest, I could really use another short-term retreat, even if it was only for a weekend, but I haven't been able to locate an appropriate facility in the DC area. If anyone happens to know of one, please send me some info. Anyway, I'll try to update every week or so, but I still haven't figured out how long this will take. I leave for India in a little over a month so I'll be sure to give everyone a shout-out re my situation. Ciao for now and stay mindful...
- posted by Prince Roy @ 2/21/2004 08:20:00 AM| |

 
Slowly but surely our A-100 gang is splitting up. We each are adapting to our own specialized training stages, be it foreign language classes or specific vocational courses. Sometimes we still meet up for lunch, but it's just as likely now that I'll run into my A-100 mates chumming with an entirely new set of associates---it's kind of like encountering an old high school classmate at university. But we'll always have the bond that being part of the Mighty 116th gave us. Class ties run deep in the Foreign Service, and this relationship is the initial building block of the all-important networking system. I know I've mentioned before that I can't wait to get out at post, and that is my truthful sentiment, but I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't admit to just a little language envy, especially when I see my A-100 classmates loaded down with their textbooks for languages like Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese (that brings back some memories), Nepali etc . My first tour is an English assignment, although it is likely I'll get a language course for my second posting. But State has developed excellent distance learning programs, and I'm enrolled in such a course for Chinese reading maintenance. We start next week and I can hardly wait. I'm worried that I won't have much opportunity to maintain my current Chinese level in India, and this course addresses at least one aspect of my concern. Now if they'll only come up with one for listening comprehension too... The class is set up so that anyone anywhere in the world with Internet access can participate. We read an article every two weeks and the instructor posts a series of questions on the class website. We answer these either by email or bulletin board, in Chinese if possible, but English is ok too since the goal here is reading comp. Each lesson also contains a variety of interactive grammar and vocabulary exercises. The software is pretty cool, allowing the reader to switch from traditional to simplified characters at the click of a mouse. The six articles in the course are from a variety of public PRC media. Selected topics include: "谁是'中国人'?" (Who is 'Chinese'?), "反腐败中的怪现象" (Strange Phenomenon in the Anti-Corruption Campaign), and what I'm sure will be my personal favorite, "第八次被拒签" (Being Refused of a Visa 8 Times). You'd think the poor guy would've taken the hint after, I don't know, say the third or fourth refusal. This course is open to those who have attained at least a 3 reading level in Chinese. I've glanced over the materials, and all I can say is if these are for a 3, I sure wish this is what they had given me to read on my test. It just confirms for me the differences in writing styles between the PRC and Taiwan. For any A-100s-to-be out there who have learned Chinese, I strongly recommend you elect to take the reading portion of the exam in simplified characters so as to ensure your reading samples will be PRC in origin. I've been to meet with the instructor a couple of times, even though it isn't really necessary for a course like this. But I'd like to get to know her since I have the opportunity, and once in India that would obviously be impossible. She is very well qualified, and we're lucky to have her, especially since I want to practice my writing skills as much as possible. She is a native of Beijing and has a degree in Chinese language and literature. She's quite dedicated, and she hopes that her students acquire not only a knowledge of China's language, but more importantly of its people, society and culture. In fact, she basically echoed the very same sentiment contained in this post I wrote before entering the Foreign Service. That's why I made this appeal to all you feral sinologues. There's still plenty of time.
- posted by Prince Roy @ 2/11/2004 06:00:00 AM| |

 
花椒 Huajiao Futures For Sale By Owner---Cheap Reader Rex brought to my attention this story in today's New York Times (free registration required). The USDA is finally enforcing the 1968 import ban on Sichuan peppercorns, an indispensable ingredient in Sichuan cooking, and the article suggests this may bring about the end of the cuisine as we know it in the US. Or not. Apparently the little buggers may carry a canker that devastates citrus trees, but there is yet no evidence to indicate the dried, packaged version can contaminate other plants. We haven't yet noticed the shortage, either here in DC or when we were in LA, but you might want to stock up while you can...

The latest addition to the Realm's Endangered Species List...

- posted by Prince Roy @ 2/05/2004 06:25:00 AM| |

 

above: Bai Family Original Hot and Sour Flavor Instant Sweet Potato Noodle

It's an unfortunate fact of life that, through no fault of their own, many people live in areas of the world without access to authentic Sichuan cuisine. This is certainly true in most parts of the US. However, an end to such needless suffering may well be at hand. We've found a very good product for the noodle dish I wrote about in my earlier post. It is called "Original Hot and Sour Flavor Instant Sweet Potato Noodle". The Chinese name is 白家四川名小吃正宗酸辣方便粉丝 Baijia sichuan mingxiaochi zhengzong suanla fangbian fensi. It is an instant noodle product, but very well done. In fact, we think it contains the perfect balance of spicy and sour flavors that is so essential to this dish. The only drawbacks are that the noodles are not as high quality as the ones you'll find in restaurants, and like most instant noodle products, it contains too much black pepper. But it sinks to the bottom of the bowl so this is not so much of an issue. Other than these small qualms, we can give it our highest recommendations. The picture above is the delicious bowl my wife made for my lunch today. All she added were the greens. The flavoring packets contain everything else you need--even the crunchy soybeans! The company that manufactures this product is 四川雅士食品有限公司 Sichuan AS Food Co., Ltd. and it is based in Chengdu. You should be able to find their noodles in most Asian groceries---they make other flavors but we think this is the best. If there are no Asian markets near you, then visit their website (English here). We hope to bring several cases with us to my two-year posting in India.
- posted by Prince Roy @ 2/02/2004 12:40:00 PM| |

 
Welcome to the 2004 Northern Virginia Chengdu Challenge!!! Here is my promised review of the two somewhat authentic Sichuan restaurants I've found in Northern Virginia. Readers relocating to DC for an A-100 class should take special note, as some of you might get a China posting and these places can offer you a hint of what you’re in for. It doesn’t matter if you’re not posted to Chengdu---Sichuan cuisine, or chuan cai 川菜, is very popular all over China. And for any others planning a visit to DC, you should know that food here pretty much sucks, but you can find decent fare if you make the effort. OK, on to the restaurants. One is called Formosa Café (Chinese name: 川菜香) and is located at 2333 South Eads Street, Arlington, VA but they are moving very soon to Fairfax, VA. When they do I’ll update the location. The other is Charlie Chiang’s (Chinese name: 蓉园). You’ll find it at 660 S Pickett in Alexandria, VA. This place was the site of our recent China Blog Mafia banquet. Both places employ chefs from Chengdu, and the menus of both offer a sampling, albeit somewhat meager, of what Chengdu cuisine is particularly renowned for---the small inexpensive dishes known as xiao chi 小吃. But first thing’s first. In his teachings, Confucius emphasized the Rectification of Names, this being the idea that language should always bear the same meaning, or, that the meaning of words ("Names") should be the same for everyone. I'm guessing he would have had quite a problem with Shakespeare’s assertion: “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. I’ve provided the relevant passage from the Analects here. When it comes to restaurants, at least, I have to side with Master Kong. There’s an immediate, jarring incongruence in the name “Formosa Café”. Formosa is the old Portuguese name for Taiwan and I didn’t come here for either Portuguese or Taiwanese cuisine. “Charlie Chiang’s” refers to the guy that owns the place—not particularly creative, but not unreasonably dissonant either. Well, what about the Chinese names? “Chuan cai xiang” [Appetizing Sichuan Dishes] is ok I guess, but it lacks sophistication and literary flavor. Compare with Charlie Chiang’s “Rongyuan”. Rong is a classical designation for Chengdu (Chengdu=literally, the ‘perfected metropolis’) and yuan means ‘garden’. This name, then, has it all—artistic elegance and practical significance. The Old Master would be pleased. Advantage: Charlie Chiang’s. Now I’ll move on to the actual food. As noted, the specialty of Chengdu is the various xiaochi. My new favorite is a noodle dish called suanla fen 酸辣粉 [Spicy Potato Noodles]. The noodles are made from potato flour, either regular potatoes or sweet potatoes. The broth consists of chili oil, vinegar, and scallions. It’s out of this world.

above: Formosa Cafe's Spicy Potato Noodles

What I especially enjoy about the Formosa Cafe version is that they add fried soybeans (the yellowish beans you see in the photo), which adds a crunchy texture to the dish. They also include bean sprouts and greens, as well as that perennial Sichuan staple huajiao 花椒. This is the infamous spice that numbs the mouth. The accepted translation is 'Chinese prickly ash', but I prefer 'Sichuan peppercorn'. In my opinion Formosa Cafe does this dish quite well, although the quality can vary. My wife thought that the flavor of the noodles pictured was too sweet. I did not find that to be the case at all and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It could be a bit spicier though. Formosa Cafe charges $3.95 a bowl---a good value. The dish presentation is first-rate too, a work of art.

above: Charlie Chiang's Spicy Potato Noodles

Normally the portion at Charlie Chiang's is much larger than this,and the proportion of noodles to broth is equivalent to Formosa Cafe. My wife actually had to hold up the noodles with a spoon here so I could take a picture of them. I think it is because the restaurant was extremely busy that night. We informed the waitress and she deducted one dollar off the $4.95 price. Though they don't add greens, bean sprouts and, unfortunately, fried soybeans, I think the broth is better here. As you can see, it has a much richer red color. It is a good deal spicier, with less huajiao and more vinegar. By 'spicier' I mean not only in the peppery sense, but qiang 呛---the irritating sensation given off by burning hot peppers. Wonderful, to a point. Charlie Chiang's has perfected that in this dish. Be warned, this is not for the meek, or the spicy wimp. This is extremely close to the point of being almost statistically insignificant, but advantage: Charlie Chiang's.

above: Formosa Cafe's Mala Douhua(r)

This dish is a pure joy, both to behold and to consume. The Chinese name is mala douhua(r) 麻辣豆花儿. I forgot to jot down the English name from the menu, but will update next week. Basically it is a kind of gelled tofu. Believe me, it tastes much better than it sounds. It contains stir-fried soybeans, scallions and a bit of black bean paste. This also sells for $3.95 and in my opinion this is Formosa Cafe's finest offering. One could make a great lunch here from rice, and bowls of mala douhua(r) and Spicy Potato Noodles. Unfortunately, Charlie Chiang's as of yet does not offer mala douhua(r), but the one at Formosa Cafe would be hard to improve. Advantage: Formosa Cafe. Main Courses: So far I've concentrated on xiaochi, but both restaurants have extensive main course selections. It is here where Charlie Chiang's blows Formosa Cafe out of the water. We have been completely disappointed by the main courses at Formosa Cafe. The ones we've had are Westernized to the extreme. What do I mean by that? Well, they put water chestnuts (!) in the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce 鱼香茄子. Anytime you find water chestnuts in a Chinese dish, alarm bells should sound off in your brain. We've also tried their lanrou jiangdou 烂肉豇豆, a pickled green bean dish. While the overall flavor was ok, the green beans were soggy, whereas they should be crunchy. We've enjoyed just about everything at Charlie Chiang's, but their Kungpao Tofu and Sichuan Stir-fried Green Beans (干煸四季豆) deserve special mention. Both pictures of the dishes at the China Blog Mafia feast show the Kungpao Tofu and Green Beans. Charlie Chiang's is an anomaly: it has a buffet-style set-up and a Mongolian BBQ for the laowai (Westerners), but also quite authentic Chinese food---Chinese from all over Northern Virginia patronize the place. It's best if you can bring a Chinese person with you---the best part of their menu, on the left hand inset, isn't even in English. Advantage: Charlie Chiang's. Conclusions: Charlie Chiang's emerges as the clear winner, although Formosa Cafe is certainly worth a visit---just steer clear of their main courses. We had high initial hopes for the Formosa Cafe. The owners are from Sichuan's Huayang Township in Shuangliu County 双流县的华阳镇 and they speak the same dialect as my wife who is also from Shuangliu. And remember, this review is for Northern Virginia only; most Chinese in the DC area live in the Potomac Heights/Rockville area of Maryland. There are some excellent restaurants up there, but it is normally too far for us to make the trip. If I do run into any outstanding ones I'll mention them, and readers can do all of us a favor by leaving a comment about your favorites.
- posted by Prince Roy @ 2/01/2004 11:35:00 PM| |