Social Topics
March 3rd, 2010
 Why are these Vietnamese schoolgirls wearing masks Vietnamese school girls, in the hot Mekong delta, ride their bicycles to and from school. They wear these beautiful pant/dress outfits, and large face masks. We learned that they wear the masks mainly to protect their skin from the sun and air pollution, not so much their lungs. It is the same reason they wear full covering clothing in such a hot climate. In much of Asia, class is shown by lightness of skin: if you have clear white skin it means you are from the upper classes, not from the working classes.
Supposedly classless Communist Vietnam, was more complex than we had imagined.
Photo by Claire Rogers from the back of our tandem Zippy on our In Search of Shangri-la journey throughout SW China and SE Asia.
February 27th, 2010
 A Slice of Lao Life This woman was selling fresh pineapples at a roadside market in Laos. We bought one, and she expertly peeled and sliced it in finger friendly pieces and put it in a bag so we wouldn’t get our bicycle sticky. It was a pineapple I will remember forever, because it was so perfectly ripe. Our interaction was fun with the few Lao words we know, but smiles go a long way when language is short. The price was a few cents, and sustained us on a long hot day. I hope our small sale helps that bun in the oven get an education one day, something few Lao children get.
Click here for the beginning of just one of our adventures in SW China and SE Asia:Lost in Laos
February 14th, 2010
 Collards Greens, salmon, yam dinner Ingredients: one bunch of collard greens, one medium onion, five cloves garlic, 1 cup red peppers, one yam, two pack-of-cards size pieces of fish (we used wild salmon), hearty white or light red wine, LOTS of extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, Trader Joe’s 21 Salute seasoning, to coat fiish, 2 tb fish sauce, 1 tb red curry paste, 1/4 cup chicken broth.
Preparation: Pour the cook a glass of wine.
Chop onion and stems of greens, saute in LOTS of extra virgin olive oil, add chopped leafy collards, red peppers, curry paste and chicken broth, summer until done to taste.
Microwave yam, turning often until done. Let sit in microwave covered. Remove collard mixture to bowl, cover and add to microwave to stay warm and finish.
Cook and main squeeze have a glass of wine together. This is, after all Valentine’s Day. You should have done two other healthy activities with your main squeeze this day: exercise and sex. Dinner is the fianalle.
Coat fish with seasoning and fry in LOTS of extra virgin olive oil. Put on plate with greens, yam and serve with another glass of wine.
Leave the dishes for tomorrow and go to bed early.
February 6th, 2010
 Leftover Salmon Medley w/coconut milk and more A thanksgiving celebration for two, of a 70degree sunny day of bike riding in the lovely Sonoran desert with good friends, and the apparent rapid healing of my buggered ribs and shoulder.
Ingredients: 1/3 cup dry Whole grain rice and wild rice mixture, leftover wild salmon, 2 medium zucchini, 1 onion, 1/2 red pepper, 1/3 cup mushrooms, LOTS of extra virgin olive oil, 6 cloves garlic, 1tsp tarragon, 1/3 cup coconut milk, white wine of your choice.
Pour the cook a glass of wine.
Cook the rice 35 min. in extra water and a little sea salt, drain, cover and put aside.
Stir fry onions, zucchini, red peppers and mushrooms in LOTS of olive oil. Add garlic, tarragon, leftover salmon and coconut milk near the end.
Serve with wine and love.
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