Yum Cha

Today started badly. 4/5am ish was the third time the fire alarm went off "in error" since I had arrived. On the upside this proves beyond all reasonable doubt that they did not deactivate the alarm after the first time it went off. On the less positive side I was almost in tears with tiredness on arrival at work today. (For the avoidance of doubt at no point did I actually cry). A lot of hot chocolate was consumed to maintain a sugar high throughout the day. Go sugar. Hurrah for it being a bank holiday tomorrow (as the apartment manager pointed out to me when I complained about the sleep-deprivation "tomorrow is a holiday, you can sleep then"). Words fail me.

Things improved materially when for lunch my team took me out for yum cha, literally meaning "drink tea", otherwise known as Dim Sum. I ate, quite literally, twice my own bodyweight in the most delicious food.


The team ordered for me and boy did they order. Some of the dishes we had were as follows (there are a number I have forgotten, I have never seen so much food!) When reading this please realise there were only six of us...


- deep fried silverfish (imagine deep fried tadpoles and you are close, you could still see the eyes)
- deep fried taro (a turnip like vegetable in squares with chinese salami, squares deep fried)
- shrimp dim sum
- vegetable dim sum
- roast pork dumplings
- sticky rice (as linked to the Dragon Boat festival)
- stir fried greens
- deep fried fish (a famous kind...)
- deep fried squid
- stir fried squid
- roast pork and mushrooms
- a version of victoria sponge (similar to the English cake but steamed not baked)
- eel, cooked with honey (surprisingly tasty)
- rolled rice rolls stir fried with soy sauce and spring onions (my favourite, am going to learn how to make it)

Pudding was a soup of red figs, fungus and a honey base.

Hungry yet?? Plus, if you run out of tea turn the lid upside down, it will be refilled!

If you see people tapping their fingers on the table when being poured tea it is not to ask for more, it is to say thank you. This comes from when an Emperor (apologies I can't tell you which one, but a long time ago) used to go out in disguise to see what the public were up to (and probably just for fun). Think celebrities in large sunglasses, no make up and a big hat.

So, he is out with his aides having dim sum. He has a bit to drink and pours tea for his aides. This is never usually done by an Emperor so his aides want to thank him. The traditional manner of acknowledging when an Emperor has done anything for you is to bow and knock your head on the floor. Had the aides done this the Emperor's cover would have been blown so instead they tapped their fingers on the table, mimicking the action of the head.

So, if you're out and someone pours you tea, tap two fingers up and down to thank them (or say thank you...). Handy when mid conversation and a waiter tops up your tea!

In an attempt to remedy the massive eating session and inspired by a colleague who just completed a 30day bikram challenge (which is, quite frankly, an amazing achievement) I signed up for a trial class called "hot yoga1".

90 minutes of yoga, in a sauna (arguably I could have just stayed outside, it is hotting up here). Whilst when it had finished and I had had a very cold shower I felt amazing. However, during the class I went through a range of less pleasant emotions including considering vomiting, fainting and wondering why everyone else in the class could contort themselves into quite frankly alarming angles whilst I spent as much time as possible trying to sit on my mat quietly and hope that that teacher did not notice me shirking...

This resulted in me getting my first ever taxi. For some reason the driver was convinced I really wanted to go to "Happy Hour" - I'm pretty sure this is linked to me directing him to the red light district (which is where I live, I did not choose my flat). However, I opted for home and now for sleep. Let the fire alarm stay silent (no work tomorrow so it probably will do).