Behold Bohol’s otherworldly Chocolate Hills

January 5, 2015January 6, 2015 / slightlyreworded / Leave a comment

One of the more unique landscapes in the Philippines can be found in Bohol province, home of the Chocolate Hills.

The hills, which range in height from 40 to 120 meters, jut out of the ground like camel humps. Scientists say they were formed by the “uplifting of ancient coral-reef deposits, followed by erosion and weathering,” according to Lonely Planet.

This phenomenon can only be found in two or three other places in the world (one of those places being the island of Java, in Indonesia). Continue reading →

Roast Duck Dynasty

January 3, 2015January 6, 2015 / slightlyreworded / 6 Comments

Beijingers love their roast duck. It’s a dish that’s synonymous with the capital and has been served since imperial times.

There’s even a museum dedicated to Peking roast duck (北京鸭子), which walks visitors through its origins and, more interestingly, shows step-by-step how the animal goes from the farm to your dinner plate. The museum is located on the seventh floor of Quanjude (全聚德), one of Beijing’s most popular roast duck restaurants.

First, we see the ducks sunning under radiant blue skies, enjoying their last moments of freedom.

Now in captivity, the ducks are fed to fatten them up, so they can later return the favor and fatten you up.

Stubborn ducks that skip meals will not be tolerated.

Once they’re nice and plump, things get serious and out comes the knife. Continue reading →

Balancing baby: cute or cruel?

December 24, 2014January 6, 2015 / slightlyreworded / 4 Comments

My grandfather Ed liked to balance babies — usually one of his grandchildren — on one hand. He’d hoist them within inches of a deer head mounted in his living room and chuckle, while they either gazed in curiosity or turned and whimpered at the sight of the animal’s antlers.

The Chinese man in the video below takes the balancing baby act to a whole new level, twisting and twirling the boy (who I assume to be his son) over his head and through his legs, much to the child’s delight. Continue reading →

Balancing act

December 17, 2014December 17, 2014 / slightlyreworded / 2 Comments

A group of women prepare for a dance performance at Intramuros, a colonial-era walled city in Manila, Philippines. The centerpiece of Spanish Manila (1521-1898), Intramuros was heavily damaged during a battle to recapture the city from the Japanese during World War II. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Manila.

Dog rack

November 5, 2014 / slightlyreworded / 2 Comments

So apparently the racks outside the bank aren’t just for bikes. I hope this little guy didn’t have to wait long.

Snakes and alcohol don’t mix

October 30, 2014January 6, 2015 / slightlyreworded / 4 Comments

I recently wrote a review of the world’s first bar dedicated to baijiu, a traditional Chinese rice liquor. Capital Spirits opened in August in Beijing, and offers more than 40 different varieties of baijiu.

Baijiu, which literally translates into “white liquor,” has been made in China for more than 5,000 years. The drink is generally 40 to 60 percent alcohol by volume, and its taste has been compared to bathroom cleaner and cheap perfume. Continue reading →

Postcards from (smoggy) Beijing

October 27, 2014October 30, 2014 / slightlyreworded / 14 Comments

Pollution levels reached "hazardous" levels in Beijing on Saturday. Some scientists have labled Beijing as "unlivable" because of the poor air quality in the city.

Air pollution reached “hazardous” levels in Beijing on Saturday. Some scientists have labeled the city as “unlivable” because of the poor air quality.

Pollution masks have become a necessity in the capital. I started wearing them a couple of years, after I noticed that I was getting sore throat and coughs more frequently.

Pollution masks have become a part of everyday life in the capital. I started wearing them a couple of years ago, after I bought a bike and began using it to commute around the city.

View of suburban Beijing from a subway car. Some scientists have labeled the city as "unlivable" because of the poor air quality.

View of suburban Beijing from a subway car. An Australian soccer player who spent a year in China told the magazine FourFourTwo that playing in the smog “was like closing your garage door, turning your car exhaust on and running around in the enclosed space.”

Zima, back from the dead and now available in China

October 24, 2014January 6, 2015 / slightlyreworded / 6 Comments

Remember Zima, that lemon-lime alcoholic beverage from the clear drink craze of the early ’90s? Coors Brewing Company stopped producing it in the U.S. in 2008, but it’s found new life in Asia.

The 7-Eleven near my apartment in Beijing began stocking it recently, and just for the sake of nostalgia I bought a bottle. Zima was a staple at house parties when I was a teenager, a drink for girls who didn’t like beer or liquor. Jolly Ranchers, a type of hard candy, were often added to “improve the taste.” Continue reading →

Postcards from Tagaytay

August 8, 2014August 8, 2014 / slightlyreworded / 2 Comments

Coconut trees along a highway outside Manila.

A group of police officers on an early morning run in a small town near Manila.

A brand-new Catholic church. Around 80 percent of Filipinos are Catholic.

The inside of a church under construction near Tagaytay.

Tagaytay is located about 65 km south of Manila. Because of its high altitude, temperatures are mild, and many people from Manila come to Tagaytay to escape the heat and humidity.

The area around Taal Volcano is regarded as one of the most attractive spots in the Philippines.

The scenery around Taal Volcano in Tagaytay is stunning, and is regarded as one of the most attractive locations in the Philippines.

When in China, beware of man-eating manholes

July 31, 2014July 31, 2014 / slightlyreworded / 7 Comments

A friend of mine who moved to Beijing a couple of years ago told me that his mom warned him to be wary when walking near manholes in the city. She had read a story about a man in China who fell into an uncovered manhole at night and was found dead a few days later.

A mom’s worst nightmare.

As a mom, she was, naturally, worried that this was part of a larger problem, and that road work sites in China were more dangerous than ones in the US.

As silly as it seemed, her concern stuck with me, and whenever I bike in Beijing I always glance at manholes before speeding over them. Today, I biked past a road work site and saw this …