NFL Week 17: Cambodian Food

Hello from the Siem Reap airport in Northwest Cambodia! Got to spend 4 days here in Siem Reap for our Christmas-New Year vacation.

The main attraction is the Angkor Wat template, which is very impressive – an 11th century temple that is huge and vast. I’m sure a simple Wikipedia search will come up with better images that what I have on my phone.

I’ve been trying search for the right adjective to describe Cambodian food. The native food is very simplistic – no more than 5-6 ingredients; it’s not overdone with too many spices to overwhelm, but the food could be considered bland since it’s very…..simple. I guess minimalist is the best way to describe the food.

The appetizer seen here is pumpkin soup with green onions – and, well, that’s what it is! A pumpkin broth with a few green onions thrown in. It was very tasty and it goes well together, but it doesn’t “wow”. (And yes, that is a Tom Collins in front of the soup. I had to have it once I saw it on the menu!

The main courses were the same. The dish at the bottom was mine, which was a braised pork with palm sugar – was basic, although that sounds negative. It was good – but served simply. Janice’s dish was the lemongrass chicken, done very well but nothing special to overwhelm or excite. Cambodian food is basic, gets the job done, but in the end is nothing especially memorable.

(Except the spring rolls….wow…best fried spring rolls in Asia that I have had. Light, crispy, not greasy….now those were awesome).

I guess the Cambodian cuisine is a fitting end to another forgettable Browns season.

The spring rolls were the 3 game winning streak at the end of the season – but in general, it was a season that delivered its share of close losses, maddening coaching decisions, and a team playing just well enough to lose close games…..like many seasons since our last division title in 1989. The year was better than some other recent years – like 2009, or 2004, ….. – but it’s nothing spectacular in the end. And now Thad Lewis is our starting QB for the season ender? God help us.

On to the games:

Atl 23, TB 20. Not sure what anyone has to play for here - I do think the Bucs will stay in it and make it a game.

Buf 27, NYJ 24. It would be fitting for the Jets to have Sanchez play well in the last game vs. a horrid Buffalo defense....  

Cin 24, Bal 23. No idea. Home field advantage takes it for the Bengals?  

Det 23, Chi 16. I think the Lions will try to prove something - and the Bears are not that good.  

Hou 31, Ind 17. The Texans want to have a good showing before the playoffs. The Colts are ready for a let down after clinching last week.   

Jax 27, Ten 21. I'll go with the better offense here.   

Pit 24, Cle 6. Why will I be watching this game?  

NO 31, Car 27. Should be an entertaining game between two teams playing well - but out of the playoffs.   

NYG 23, Phi 20.  Vick's last stand?  

NE 31, Mia 17. Another team ready to have a good impression before the playoffs.   

GB 24, Min 20. I think the Pack are overrated, but the Vikes have no passing game.   

Sea 27, StL 13. The Hawks continue to roll...  

SF 23, Az 10. The Niners will get up big and then take the gas off the accelerator.  

SD 27, Oak 10. Terrelle Pryor?  

Den 23, KC 13. See the Niners game above.  

Dal 27, Was 24. Everyone is high on the Skins - and yes, this rivalry usually ends in a split every year.   

Best bets: 17 of them. Last week: 11-6-1; overall: 137-114-7.   

NYJ/Buf over 39
Bal/Cin over 41 1/2
Det +3
Chi/Det under 45
Hou -6 1/2
Jax +4
Jax/Ten over 41 1/2
Pit -10
Phi +7
NE -10
Sea -10 1/2
Az +16 1/2
Az/SF under 39
SD -10
KC +16
KC/Den under 42
Dal +3  

Supercontest: Last week: 4-1; overall: 42-36-2  
Jax +4
Hou -6 1/2
Pit -6
Phi +7
Dal +3

Merry Christmas to all!

Hope all of you readers out there - whoever you are - have a very Merry Christmas! Two videos to share:

1. A Phillipine choir came around the neighborhood caroling and stopp at our house while we hosted a small party for some friends. Some nice music to keep you in the holiday spirit:

2. The housing complex hosted a Christmas party for the residents....and this is some of their entertainment. This is a typical Chinese version of a Christmas song. Note the lyrics in the song...I guess "sleigh" doesn't translate well.....

 

NFL Week 16: Singapore Sling

It's been about 1 year exactly since our visit to Singapore....and this is  a good time to review the famous drink from the country, the Singapore Sling. This drink was invented by a bartender at the famous Raffles hotel in the 1920s, when Singapore was under British rule.

Before I tried it, I knew I was going to like it! It was red and had fruit! As many of you know, I am the king of colored, fruu-fruu drinks......some of my staples in the past have been:
   - the Tom Collins, of course
   - Pina Colada; not bad on vacation, but I did get a lot of strange looks from my friends on a church golf trip after playing 36 holes; we went to Applebee's for dinner, and I wanted something cold and alcoholic. Pina Colada!
   - and the Sloe Gin Fizz, the regular drink I ordered from Club "I" for 2 years in 1992-94.

We were staying at the World Famous Marina Bay Sands....and for dinner that night, I ordered it. It came to the table looking very much like the picture above. I tasted it......

..........

Vicks 44D came to mind. It was awful. Syrupy, but medicine-y also. Strong and artificial.

Actually, another drink came to mind as I sipped the Sling. Back in my freshman year at college, we would mix all sorts of things together and drink. The container I used to mix my drinks was a 32oz plastic bottle from the Arco AM/PM mini mart back in Sacramento. I could go on for pages about that, but it was directly from senior year high school where Bill (my best friend in Sacto) and I would hang out at the AM/PM after B-ball practice or other activities. Yes, I was quite the rebel.

Anyway, so one night we were low on supplies....so in the AM/PM bottle I mixed:
- Jack Daniels, and
- Wyler's Wild Cherry Kool Aid

Ah yes. That didn't sit too well. The whole bathroom floor and toilet was dark red by 12:30 am that night.  Unfortunately, the Singapore Sling's taste reminded me of that Wyler's concotion from October, 1989.  I never did finish the Sling, and I don't want to try another.

It's too easy and cruel to compare Pat Shurmur to the Singapore Sling...so I won't. Suffice to say that the good feelings from the last 3 weeks came crashing down against the Skins on Sunday. Wow - were we unprepared for Cousins, the Washington D, anything. I have a feeling now that since the season is officially over, there will be players giving up (Shurmur has a habit of throwing players under the bus in press conferences) and these last two games may be ugly. It will be ugly anyway going to Denver.

On to the rest of the games....why are there 11 early games? That's horrible.

NYJ 20, SD 10. I think McElroy does feel this is a chance of lifetime and will try his hardest in New York. The fans will be behind him. I can't see the same enthusiasm out of Rivers.

Car 27, Oak 13. Carolina will be the team that ends hot and everyone picks as a sleeper next year.

NO 27, Dal 23. Just when you think Dallas is back, something happens to upset their season.

GB 23, Ten 20. Wow, just because you beat the Bears doesn't mean you are at the top of the NFC> The Pack is at best the 5th best team in the NFC.

Hou 24, Min 17. I don't appreciate what Adrian Peterson is doing. I better start.

NE 31, Jax 20. I just don't see any motivation at all out of the Pats.

Ind 17, KC 16. Indy is overrated and may overlook the Chiefs here.

StL 30, TB 20. Tampa's defense is terrible, and Bradford and company want to look good.

Was 27, Phi 17. How can you bet the Eagles here?

Pit 23, Cin 20.  Cincinnati has not been able to get over the Pittsburgh hump - 9 straight losses now- and they won't do it here in Pittsburgh.

Mia 24, Buf 10. A good defense will stop the Bills.

NYG 31, Bal 27. This will be a fun game to watch - who will be choking more during the game?

Az 20, Chi 17. The Bears have imploded.

Sea 27, SF 20. Yes, Seattle is ready to beat the Niners - and this is at home.

Best bets: 18 of them. Last week: 9-8; overall: 126-108-6.
NYJ -2 1/2
SD/NYJ under 37 1/2
Car -8 1/2
Oak/Car under 46 1/2
NO +3
Ten +12
Jax +14
KC +7
Ind/KC under 41.5
StL +3
StL/TB over 44
Was -6 1/2
Mia -4 1/2
Buf/Mia under 41 1/2
NYG/Bal over 47
Az +6
Sea -1
SF/Sea over 39 1/2

Supercontest: Last week: 2-3; overall: 38-34-2
NYJ -2 1/2
Jax +14
Car -8
NO +3
Sea pk


 

NFL Week 15: DongBei Food

Dong Bei in Mandarin is "East North" - so we are talking about Northeastern Chinese food, like from the Beijing area. (Yes, the "Bei" is Beijing does mean North; Jing is Capital. So Beijing is literally "North Capital". Is there a South Capital? Yes, yes there is - there is a "Nanjing", which was the old capital in the old dynasties....)

(And that ends the Mandarin lesson for today. )

There is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant right near work that served Dong Bei food - and I go there about 2 times a month. The food in there is very much like the American Chinese food that you may be used to. The steamed dumplings. A Mongolian Beef that is a stir fr y with peppers and onions. The vegetables - oh! The vegetables!

I think I have said it before, and I will say it again here...the Chinese have no idea how to do meat. However, they do wonders with a vegetarian dish. They have this eggplant and potatoes dish that is lightly covered in brown sauce and stir-fried ---- oh, that could be a main course that I order in the States.

And there is bread in the Dong Bei diet! The southern cuisines in China do not have any sort of bread - that's why it's so hard to get a good sandwich around here - but the Northern cuisines have enough wheat to make bread-like things. One of the dishes is "Straw Hat bread"- which is a light doughy pancake fried on a shaped griddle to look like a Farmer's Straw Hat. Everybody dives in and pulls apart the steaming hot bread as it arrives.....

The wildest thing I ate there was the ....donkey. It was a donkey dish served with green onions and cilantro, stir fried (of course). With the sauce, the stir fry and the vegetables, I can honestly say it tasted very similar to pork. The donkey meat did not have a discernable flavor to it at all.

(Or, I could say that it tasted like ass. Thank you! I'll be here all week!)

No cute segue to the Browns here. I feel like I am Dick Clark doing the $100,000 tournament on "Pyramid". We are at week 15, and we still are somewhat in the race on the fringe. No time for the Mystery 7 and the "7-11". We need the following events to occur:
- Dallas to beat Pittsburgh
- Pitt to beat Cincy next week
- Bal to beat Cincy week 17
- The Jets to lose once
And if all that happens -which is not that farfetched - then if we win out we are in. It starts today vs. the Skins.

On to the games:

Atl 30, NYG 27. I think the Falcons will be ready to play, and their D is still good.

Bal 24, Den 23. Yes, we think Bal is a very weak 9-4, but what about Denver? Who have they beaten? (For the Browns, I think we are rooting for a 59-0 Denver win).

GB 27, Chi 17.  The Packers can effectively clinch here and the Bears are heading downhill.

Hou 31, Ind 17. The Texans will be pissed.

Jax 20, Mia 13. I think Miami is mailing it in now about what happened at Candlestick.

NO 34, TB 20. Why am I still picking the Saints to score in the 30's? Maybe because tampa has no pass defense.

StL 23, Min 13. The Vikes are a horrid road team.

Det 27, Az 24. Nothing can be as bad for the Cardinals as last week's result.

Sea 24, Buf 13.  Not sure how Buffalo will score in this game.

Car 27, SD 20. OK, the Chargers and Norv had their last hurrah last week - now it's time for them to pack it in.

Oak 27, KC 24. Usually, these sort of 2-win vs 3- win games late in the season are fun.

Pit 17, Dal 13. I believe in both of these defenses and in neither of these offenses.

NE 23, SF 20. Yes, I think the 49ers can handle Brady and the offense.

NYJ 20, Ten 10. The improbable Jets' playoff drive continues on.

Best bets: 17 of them. Last week: worst week of the season at 6-11. Overall: 117-100-6.

NYG/Atl over 50.5
Bal +3
GB -3
Hou -10
Ind/Hou under 47.5
Jax +7
NO -3.5
StL -2.5
Az +6.5
Det/Az over 43.5
Sea -4.5
Sea/Buf under 43.5
Car +3
KC/Oak over 43.5
Pit/Dal under 45.5
NYJ +2
NYJ/Ten under 41.5

Supercontest: Last week: 2-3; overall : 36-32-2
GB -3
Jax +7
StL -3
Car +3
NYJ +2

 

Our mystery guest: Barry Sanders!

This picture was taken at last week's "NFL Experience" in Guangzhou, where the NFL came for a day-long festival of activities, games and celebrities. This year's NFL star that made the trip was the one and only Barry Sanders.

I have a good friend who is a big Detroit fan - I need to send this to him to make him cry.

Of course, all the Dads were much more excited than the kids in getting this picture arranged......

(That is Warren in the bottom right of the picture...our neighbors in GZ are Steelers fans. The horror.)

 

I Phone 5

Do you have an iPhone v5? If so, was it this advertisement that convinced you to buy one?

This was seen in a computer store in Zhuhai, in the plaza underneath the border gate to Macau. It is PACKED with people every day.

 

NFL Week 14 - Dumplings

I would like to go back to one of my earlier posts and expound on a food that I glossed over - dumplings! The dumpling is a staple of Northern Chinese cuisine - and on our trip to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, we went to a restaurant after the tour.

The food at the restaurant? No menu - we were promised 15 courses of dumplings.

I have fallen in love with this food. Some of America knows the Chinese Dumpling only as "pot stickers" - fried pockets of meat served with soy sauce that can be found at the end of the buffet. Don't get me wrong - I love the fried dumplings! I remember one hotel breakfast buffet we went to that had a station just for the fried dumplings. Hoo boy, I hit that 3 times for a total of 20 dumplings at 8:30 in the morning. A great start to the day.

But most dumplings in China are served steamed. The dough is made fresh; it is filled with all sorts of various fillings - and then they are hand-closed. That's the part I feel guilty about when I woof down 3 at a time. "Oh gees, someone took the time to craft these personally....oh well ..... *gulp*".

The filling is what makes the dumpling. A popular filling is pork and leek - and the flavor of that type is directly proportional to the amount of pork found in the dumpling. Shrimp is another popular item; chicken is a rarity. Lamb is a surprisingly good choice.

The best one I had at the restaurant was a "spicy crab" dumpling. Wow! Just wonderful Crab, some spinach, other filling(rice?), and spices in a steamed dumpling. This plate was the 10th or 11th one sent out - and by then, most others were done- so I had them to myself. Sucks to be you!

(Of course, I was done by the 12th plate, so we missed the last 3).

Any flavor, any type - I love me some dumplings. Kind of like the Browns victories now. I don't care how they come - vs. a 38 year old quarterback, or a horrid Raiders team - just keep them coming. Let's not think about the off season yet - let's let this young team beat the Chiefs for 3 in a row, and then we can surprise RG3, and then Denver has nothing to play for....

Just think....if Pittsubrgh can somehow lose this week and Dallas beats Cincinnati, then we are 2 out with 3 to play....and we have another game vs. Pittsburgh in week 17. It's not over yet...there still is hope here. No sense in thinking about the draft when we still have a minute shot....

On to the games as I continue dreaming.....

StL 24, Buf 20. Fisher won't let this team quit.

Atl 23, Car 17. Somehow, the Falcons will find another way to win here.

Dal 30, Cin 23. Yes, I am calling for the upset. The Bengals can't play 5 good games in a row, can they?

Ind 28, Ten 17. Do people realize that Tennessee just isn't that good? They still have another game vs. the Jaguars,don't they? Ugh.

NYJ 17, Jax 13. Speaking of the Jaguars....

Chi 31, Min 17. The Bears have too much to play for to allow a slip up here.

Bal 27, Was 24. The Skins bandwagon is full, and everyone is down on the Ravens. Time for a contrarian pick here.

TB 34, Phi 17. The Eagles are done.

Pit 23, SD 10. Um, aren't the Chargers done?

SF 24, Mia 20. I think the loss last week to the Rams is a bad sign for the Niners.

NYG 31, NO 20. The Giants are desperate - and that usually means Coughlin will have them coming out firing.

Sea 23, Az 13. The Cards have their QB back in Skelton - so maybe they score more than 10 points?

GB 34, Det 20. Like the Bears, the Pack have everything to play for - and the Lions are playing out the string.

NE 27, Hou 20. I think you can pass with ease on Houston.

Best bets: 17 of them. Last week: 9-8; overall: 111-89-6

StL +3
Atl/Car under 48
Dal +3 1/2
Dal/Cin over 46
Ind -5
NYJ/Jax under 38
Chi -3
Chi.Min over 39 1/2
Bal +2
TB -7 1/2
Pit -7 1/2
SD/Pit under 40
Mia +10
NYG -4 1/2
GB -6 1/2
Det/GB over 48 1/2
NE -3 1/2

Supercontest: Last week: 2-3; overall: 34-29-2

Dal +3
Ind -5
Bal +2 1/2
Mia +10
NE -3 1/2
 

NFL Week 13: Chicken Pho

Continuing on the Vietnamese theme, this week we cover Pho! What an awesome find. Pho is noodle soup from Vietnam, usually served with some sort of meat or fish (chicken, beef, or shrimp is the common option).

When we visited, we didn’t know what to get the kids at the restaurant – Warren was a bit sick on the first day – so we tried this to be safe. Oh my – it’s much more than just plain chicken soup. The noodles are spectacular – wide, tasty, and filling; the meat is not like the Campbell’s meat in their soup, but actual Julienned slices of chicken, and then there is the broth.

We all fell in love with the broth the first time we had it. It was flavorful – not spicy hot, but you can tell the rosemary and (possibly) coriander in there. And it felt –silky. It was definitely not broth made of 99% water. There was something to that broth.

We ended up ordering two full-adult size bowls for the kids that night – all three of them ate it up – and ordered 3 more bowls at a different restaurant on that time with the same results.

Good Pho is an experience worth savoring. We’ve had both good and bad Pho in China so I can definitely tell the difference in quality in the soup. Hopefully you will have a chance to try good Pho sometime soon.

What can make Cleveland Browns fans feel all better during a horrible year? A nice bowl of Chicken soup – and a victory over the Steelers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, spare me the 8 turnovers. We executed on defense and did just enough on O to win. It’s not every year we get a win vs. the inbred – we’ve only had 5 now since 1999 (2 by Chris Palmer!) so we have to savor it. A win over the Steelers is chicken soup for the Browns’ fans’s soul.

Now to follow it up vs. the Raiders. If this team truly is up and coming – many national people say this team is much better than their 3-8 record – then this game vs. Oakland is a game we need to control and win. I’m not talking a 55-20 shellacking like the Ravens, but a solid, 23-13 effort.
Am I predicting that? Hell no. Young team traveling out west? Boy, I’ve seen too many games vs. San Diego to think that we can play well in the 4:25 pm slot.

On to the rest of the games:

Buf 27, Jax 14. So am I the only one in the world who think the Jags’ recent success is a mirage?

Chi 20, Sea 17. Maybe I should believe in the Bears more. But that Seattle D is tough.

Det 27, Ind 16. Indy is a horrible road team, and Detroit is playing better on D.

GB 27, Min 20. The Packers seem to struggle to put inferior teams away at home.

Car 17, KC 16. Sad news from KC after the death/suicide of their linebacker. Who knows what will happen in this game.

NE 27, Mia 24. I think we need to look at the Pats logically and see that they do struggle against good defensive teams.

NYJ 27, Az 17. If you think the Jets are a mess, then you may not know what’s going on in Arizona.

Hou 24, Ten 10. I think that titans are starting to pack it in for the year. They looked awful vs. the Jags.

SF 28, StL 24. Maybe I’m biased by the tie 3 weeks ago, but I think the Rams play tough at home and the Niners are due for a letdown.

TB 26, Den 23. Denver has not played all that well recently, and the Bucs are desperate.

Bal 17, Pit 16. The Steelers still have a great defense, and I have to believe that Batch will play better with one more week of practice.

Cin 31, SD 23. I’m not sure why I think the Chargers will score 23 after the debacle last week wit the 4th and 29 play.

Dal 23, Phi 20. This Cowboys team should not be favored by 10 1/2 over anyone.

Was 27, NYG 24. Monday night underdog? RG3? Yes, please.
Best bets: 17 of them. Last week: 8-8-1 (identical record 2 weeks in a row now); total: 102-81-6.

Buf -6
Det -6
Ind/Det under 51

Car/KC under 40

Mia +7 1/2

NYJ -6

Az/NYJ over 36 1/2

Hou -6 1/2

Hou/Ten under 47

StL +7

SF/StL over 41 1/2
TB +7
Pit +7 1/2
Cin -1 1/2
Cin/SD over 46
Phi +10 1/2
Was +3

Supercontest: Last week: 1-3-1; overall: 32-26-2

Det -5
NYJ -4 1/2

Mia +7 1/2

Pit +7
TB +7

NFL Week 12: Vietnamese Sandwich

One of the great surprises of Asian cuisine for me has been the food of Vietnam. Before heading to Vietnam last year, I had the impression that Vietnamese food was similar to Thai – fish soups, fish sauce, and cold noodle dishes covered in vinegar.
As Larry the cucumber would said, I “couldn’t be more wronger”. (over/under on how many people got that joke? 1.5 –ed).
We had a great food experience in Vietnam when we visited. The first discovery was the Vietnamese sandwich. Wow! The best of Asian spices, good ol’ American pork and French bread. The sandwich is made with pork, usually containing plenty of flavorful fat. Added to it is celery, carrots, cucumbers, and sesame spread. No cheese is included – and that’s a plus. I’m not a fan of cheese on my sandwiches.
The topper, of course, is the bread. The sandwich is served on a French Baguette. As you may know, the French have a huge influence on Vietnamese culture, as they were the colonist presence there before 1950. Oh, the bread is crisp and soft – just like you would see in Paris. I may have had 3 or 10 of them when I was there last October. I haven’t found a place here in Guangzhou that serves the authentic thing yet……I’ll be looking out for it.
The sandwich is served any time of day – it can be a refreshing breakfast, the main course at lunch or an appetizer at dinner. It fits so well and it needs to be perfected and spread out across the US.
No real segue to the Browns this week after another painful loss last week, this time to the Cowboys. We have lost 18 games by 1 possession since 2010. 18! We have lost 18 one-possession games and have only won 10…..not 10 by one possession, but 10 total!!!!! That’s all coaching.

I’m so ready to get rid of Shurmur. If we can’t beat the Steelers this week with 54-year-old Charlie Batch at QB – then Haslam should go down on the field (a la Arthur Blank) and fire him on the spot at 4 pm.
Will we win? Of course not. Batch will throw for 295 yards in a 27-20 Steelers win.
On to the rest of the games:
Chi 17, Min 16. I don’t care who starts – if the Bears can’t get turnovers, they won't score.
Cin 30, Oak 27. Carson Palmer’s revenge in his visit back to Cincinnati!
Ind 31, Buf 20. I don’t get the love for the Bills. Fitzpatrick will make 3-4 mistakes each game to cost the Bills.
Ten 24, Jax 13. The Jags are spent after throwing everything at Houston last week (and still losing).
Den 27, KC 10. I’ve seen this show before – the “everyone quits on Romeo” show.
Atl 24, TB 20. I think Atlanta plays this game with urgency to show the league the truly still are a force.
Sea 20, Mia 16. No idea here. Which Miami team will show up? Which Seattle team – the home powerhouse or the road weakling?
SD 27, Bal 24. The sandwich game for Baltimore between 2 games vs. the Ravens. One last gasp for Norv.

Stl 20, Az 13. I trust Jeff Fisher more than I trust the 4th string Cardinals QB.
NO 30, SF 20. You can’t play games with your starting QB this late in the season and expect things to go well. Plus, the Saints want revenge from last year.
NYG 24, GB 17. It’s time for the resurrection of the Giants! Plus, I still think the Packers are overvalued..
Phi 27, Car 20. When in doubt, take the home team.
Best bets: 17 of them. Last week: 8-8-1; overall: 94-73-5

Min +6.5
Oak +8
Oak/Cin over 50
Ind -3
Ten -4
Ten/Jax under 44.5
Den -10
Den/KC under 43.5
Atl +1
Atl/TB under 51
SD pk
StL +1.5
NO +1
NYG -3
GB/NYG under 51
Phi +3
Car/Phi over 40.5

Supercontest: Last week: 4-1; overall: 31-23-1

Ind -3
Ten -3
Atl -1
SD +1
NO +2

NFL Week 11: Macanese Food

Hello from Qube, the kids play area at the Venetian Macao! The family is here for a long weekend because the kids have a random day off from school on Monday - and Janice and I are celebrating our anniversary!

You would think that when I write about Macao food, I would talk about Asian dishes or the popular Portuguese Egg Tart - but no. The enduring memories from Macao will be two restaurants:

- Morton's, and

- Fatburger.

As I have mentioned before, Macao is our escape - we are not interested in the culture here; we come here to get away from it all for a short while and shop/eat/gamble (I guess I have to, since it is here). And the presence of familiar Western chains make it all the more comfortable.

This trip we had some long delays in immigration and got into the hotel at midnight Friday night. The kids were hungry - thank God Fatburger was open until 1:30! That's usually our first stop on any Macao trip - the Fatburger and the milkshakes are soothing after weeks of green beans and pork.

And yes, Morton's is here at the hotel as well. It's the only place we regularly go to for real steak. Wiz took me here on a date last winter (he paid); I was here for my 40th; we took my parents here, and Janice and I have been twice. It's nice now that the boys are older and can stay in the room by themselves for 2 hours as we indulge ourselves.

So we leave the culture-exploring to other countries; for us, we strictly eat American when in Macao.

On to the games:

Atl 31, Az 27. A letdown for the Falcons - and I think the Cards will have some tricks up their sleeve after the bye.

Car 20, TB 17. I am jumping off the Bucs bandwagon here.

GB 31, Det 24. Green Bay needs to keep accelerating to have a chance at the division.

Hou 20, Jax 17. After winning "a playoff game" last week (their words), a letdown is coming for the Texans.

StL 23, NYJ 16. Boy, that Rex Ryan sure can coach, can't he?

Phi 23, Was 20. I know where the Eagles are at - but what about the Skins? Are they still trying their best? Are they playing their youth? Who knows with Shanahan.

Cin 27, KC 10. Last Monday night was the last stand for the Chiefs.

Oak 31, NO 27. Another letdown game. The Saints - after their big win - going outdoors to the West Coast? Not a good situation for the Saints. 

Den 26, SD 23. I just don't htink the Chargers will be embarassed again.

NE 30, Ind 27. The Colts offense will keep this close (even though their defense may get torched).

Pit 27, Bal 20. The Steelers have experience in playing with Leftwich - and I don't think the Ravens D is all that good to shut down the Steelers. 

SF 20, Chi 10. It looks like Campbell will go Monday night, right? The 49ers will be ready. 

Best bets: 17 of them. Last week: 11-7; overall: 86-65-4.

Az +9 1/2

Az/Atl over 44

Car +1 1/2

TB/Car under 48

GB -3

Jax +15

StL -3 1/2

Phi +3 1/2

Cin -3 1/2

Cin/KC under 43

Oak +5

SD +7 1/2

Ind +9 1/2

Pit +3 1/2

Bal/Pit over 40 1/2

SF -4

Chi/SF under 36 1/2

Supercontest: Last week: 2-3; overall: 27-22-1.

Cin -3

Jax +15

StL -3

Pit +3 1/2

SF -4

HSBC Review

As many of you know, we went to the HSBC champions tournament in Shenzhen last week. I took Freddie and Warren for Thursday and then Janice and I went on Sunday. Some random thoughts:

1. If you are going to take kids to golf tournaments, there's no question the best day is Thursday (or Friday). We got there around 10 - and there was no one there. None. We went directly to the 15th (a par 5 over water) and had a great view of the 2nd shots coming in. We were 15 feet from the back bunker, was able to sit down and enjoy everything.
The kids were the only caucasian kids out there on Thursday, so we stuck out - which was good for our next point.....

2. Phil is awesome. Enough said. On his back nine, we positioned ourselves from the walkway from 4 green to 5 tee; he saw the kids and flipped the ball to Warren. "Here you go" he said. He looked at Freddie and said "if you keep following me, I'll have something for you later".

We followed him for 2 more holes, then went to the 9th green (his last); he made eagle for 66. He walked off the green, down the walkway and saw Freddie; he went directly to Freddie and said "I promised I'd have something for you! Here you go!" and gave Freddie the ball.

2a. Of course, Warren being Warren, he tried to get that ball from Phil as well, but was denied. Phil's playing partner (walking 10 steps behind) saw all this, and seemed to take pity on Warren. "Here you go, kid" and the partner gave his ball to Warren.

That golfer? Lee Westwood.

2b. Got random golf balls from Brendan Grace and Robert Garrigus as well.

3. I have to say this - the spectators were the rudest I have ever seen. Photos constantly during play. The Marshals clueless - the marshals were even moving while golfers were over the ball! Watney was putting at one point, and had to back away twice because a marshal was moving in his sight line and then an inside-the-ropes photographer was moving around. A voice boomed from teh other side of the green. "STAND STILL!!!!" yelled Ian Poulter.

4. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is a very slow golfer. Janice mentioned that to me - and she has seen me play tournament golf, so she knows slow golfers.

5. Back to the photos - on Sunday, the lead groupd had additional marshals roving with the groups to help control the crowd and the photos. The marshals would look right at a spectator with a phone - and say "Put the phone away". The spectator would nod. The marshal would say again, "Phone - down". The spectator would nod and hold up one finger - as if to say "yes, in a sec...let me get this shot first''.
The marshal would start moving his hand to the camera, then the spectator would lower the camera from his face - but hold near his chest.
"Away! Down!" . The spectator would nod again, but in reality, he has no clue what he is supposed to do.

This would be repeated 15-20 times on Sunday.

5a. The Chinese also think that port-a-potties are sound proof; people went in there to take phone calls and start yelling into their phone.....while play is proceeding 20 yards away....

6. I am no Verne Lundquist. Here is Westwood's approach to the par 15 on Thursday:

 

NFL Week 10: American Food

The Browns are on a bye - so I can take a break as well from reviewing Asian food! Let's talk a short bit about the American food options that are present over here.

Fast food:
McDonalds - It's true! A Big Mac here is about the same as a Big Mac in the US. The basics are identical - Big Mac, Hamburger, Quarter Pounder, Egg McMuffin, Hash Browns....it's the peripheral items that are different. They serve a Spicy Chicken Filet sandwich here that is good. There is a lot of boiled/steamed pork on buns that I haven't had the courage to try yet. There's no milkshakes, but there is a mango juice, ice, and ice cream float....

Burger King - Whoppers are the same - they have Spicy Whoppers here. DO they have this in the US? It's the same as a Whopper with a cayenne sauce spinkled on the burger. It's very good. Onion rings are hard to find. No Chicken sandwich, however....(that's the official Hangover sandwich of F&J).

KFC - the biggest American food presence in China - No one gets a bucket of chicken here. It's all chicken sandwiches and "rice" dishes. These dishes are rice with meat gravy poured on them, served in a bowl. Completely for the local appetite.

Subway - Growing day by day here in Guangzhou! The taste of the steak sub is a little "off", and there are no meatball subs. (This makes Freddie very mad). The turkey doesn't seem to be exactly right - but it's close enough. Toppings all the same as in the US. About 97% of the customers order a 6 inch for their meal. I, of course, am one of the 3%.

Pizza Hut and Papa John's  - Not bad; pepperoni topping is really salami. Other popular toppings include corn, popcorn chicken bites, green onions, shrimp, and actual chili peppers.

Sit down restaurants
There are two in the city that can truly be called "American"-style restaurants. One is Gail's, which used to be only go-to place in town. The burgers are ok; they serve pierogis that are straight out of the freezer (but are delicious) - but the salsa is horrible for their fajitas/burritos.

A new pub opened up which is an "Irish" pub but really seems like an Irish pub that would be in suburban Cincinnati. Their burgers are HUGE - until you realize that 90% of the volume of the burger is the huge bun. But the beer is good, and the kids menu is decent - so it's our favorite place to go when we need Western food.

The best burger is by far at the Ritz Carlton hotel - but that's priced at $25 each so it's a special treat.

Next week will be an interesting review as we are heading out of town.....to a location to be named later......

On to the games:

NE 30, Buf 20. Have the Patriots fixed their problems in their secondary? We will see.

NYG 27, Cin 16. Has to be a bounce back game for the Giants, right?

TB 27, SD 17. Chargers victories have come against SD (twice), Ten and Oak (week 1).

Bal 27, Oak 24. The Ravens will win, but their offense does not seem to be in sync.

Atl 30, NO 23.  Went back and forth on this one - until I realized that NO hasn't beaten anyone good.

Min 27, Det 20.  The Lions are not good enough to be a road favorite in a divisional game.

Mia 24, Ten 10. The Titans are awful on the road - and the are playing a good defense in Miami.

Den 23, Car 17. Maybe the Panthers are better than I thought.

Sea 20, NYJ 17. Rex will have something cooked up (Tebow?) after their bye.

Dal 27, Phi 23. How many more things can go wrong for Andy Reid? And - in one of these games - things have to go right for the Cowboys. (of course, it will probably be next week.....)

SF 17, StL 10. I like Jeff Fisher after the bye.

Hou 20, Chi 16. All the focus is on the Bears and their turnover machine defense. Um - who has that been against? Carolina, Jacksonville, St Louis, Dallas (cough).....anyone good in there?

Pit 19, KC 13. With the Ravens looming next week, isn't this a classic look ahead for the Steelers?

Best bets: 18 of them. Last week: 11-4; overall: 75-58-4.

Buf +13
NYG -4
NYG/Cin under 49
TB -3
Oak +7 1/2
Atl -2 1/2
Min +2 1/2
Mia -6
Ten/Mia under 45
Den/Car under 47
NYJ +6
Dal -2 1/2
Dal/Phi over 44
StL +12 1/2
Stl/SF under 38 1/2
Hou +1 1/2
KC +11 1/2
KC/Pit under 42

Supercontest: Last week: 3-2; overall: 25-19-1.
TB -3
Atl -2 1/2
Oak +7 1/2
NYJ +6 1/2
Dal +1 1/2
 

Election 2012 - Open Thread

I have a feeling that todays election will produce some surprises. I'm just not sure which way yet! Here is a quick preview of my thoughts as I try to keep this as fact based as possible. Please feel free to call me out on the facts if I have something in error.

Fact: Obama won in 2008 by a 53-47 margin (7 points).

Opinion: I think we can all agree that the popular vote polls are about even right now. Some say Romeny +1, some say Obama +2  - can we call it even?

Fact: If we call it even, then that's a 7 point swing to the R side.

Fact: The Presidency isn't decided by the vote, it's decided by the states

Fact: Florida went for Obama by 2.8% in 2008 and Ohio for Obama by 4.6%.

Opinion: It's hard for me to understand how Obama keeps Florida. I think that state (and NC, and IN) is in Romney's column now.

Opinion: If the national swing is 6 points, then I think Ohio will swing to Romney. Barely, but it will.

Fact: Obama won Virginia by 7% four years ago.

Opinion: This will be a nail biter in VA. How much does the federal worker presence in Northern VA outweigh coal country?

Opinion: Is Pennsylvania really in place?

Fact: On 5 dimes, I can bet on Obama with -340 odds (and Romney with +280 odds).

Fact: The partisan turnout in 2008 was Democrats +8 ( I think).

Opinion: There's no way that is repeated again this year. I think it will be D +2, D +1 or so.

Fact: Many of the polls you see show a "weighting" of D+6 or higher (CNN was D+11 yesterday).

Opinion: How does that even make sense? How is Romney tied with a sample of Democrats 11 points higher?

I just hope this election is decisive one way or another.

Prediction: really? I have to pick this? I think Romney will win Ohio, eke out Virginia and that will put him within one state......and I think Wisconsin will decide it all............

I'll be here in the morning (my morning) to comment....let's have a good old fashioned open thread as the results come in......

 

NFL Week 9: Shanghai Cuisine

Falling behind on blogging this week after a bad week at work. I wanted to post something about our experiences at the HSBC Champions event at Mission Hills (proving, once again, why Phil is the #1 fan favorite in the world.....and Lee Westwood is a nice guy, too); and I want to post something about the election next Tuesday....

But no time! Time for week 9 of the NFL!

Today's theme is Shanghai cuisine. Shanghai was an old sleepy fishing village until the 1930s, when it opened up to the West and then later it was determined that it should be major city. Bam! Investment, business and people. It is a shoppers' paradise as well...there is a saying in China that:
a) The only thing that people in Beijing do is talk;
b) The only thing that people in Shanghai do is shop; and
c) The only thing that people in Guangzhou do is eat.

Where was I going with that? I guess there is no discernable theme to the food in Shanghai. The twon is on the ocean, so the food is centered around seafood - but there is no real spice/cooking style to tie it all together. It's very much a mixture of different types of food. You don't know what you are going to get.

You get the "fried" fish that is presented as a living fish (with the pea eyeballs).
You get the "yin and Yang" soup (very oatmeal-y).
I was offered a soup once with many small pieces of bones in it; each bone piece has a small amount in it. It looked like boiled human knuclkes in chicken broth.

I asked - "Um, what is this?"

3 second delay. "Why don't you try it first then we will tell you?"

Um, ok. I took a bone piece and chewed on the end for the small piece of meat. "Ok, not bad. So - what is it?"

"It's frog". And it wasn't frog legs.

The fried fish above was good, and the beef they serve is a bit bland but good - but you have the other dished that are complete mysteries and could be a "1" or "10" on the scale from 1-10. You just don't know.

I'm getting to that point with the Browns now. Spin the wheel - you don't know what you will get on offense or defense. Some days Weeden will be above average and throw for over 300, but the defense lets us down. Or the D is good and the receivers drop balls. It's a crap shoot right now - no discernable theme yet to the team .

There's no way I am picking them to win this weekend. The Ravens, off a bye and off an embarrassing loss? No thanks. We may keep it close, but in the end, I see a 7-10 point loss.

On to the games:

Cin 23, Den 19. The pick makes no sense whatsoever - so it must be right! Cinci off a bye, and Denver has played a few emotional games in a row.

GB 31, Az 17. I think Rodgers won't take his foot off the gas in this one.

Hou 24, Buf 13. The Texans will shut the Bills down, and I think the Texans are more one-dimensional on offense than anyone realizes.

Mia 20, Ind 17. I don't have a lot of faith in Indy to score against good defenses.

Det 23, Jax 21. I don't trust Detroit on the road just yet.

Was 31, Car 13. I believe that Carolina will be disheartened after throwing away last week's game vs. Chicago.

Chi 24, Ten 16.  The Bears defense will always be there to bail them out.

TB 24, Oak 21. Can we truly trust the Raiders? Do we give them credit for last week when KC handed them the game?

Sea 28, Min 17. I think the Seattle D will be able to copy what Tampa did against Ponder and company.

Pit 27, NYG 24. Just a hunch. When is the home clunker coming for the Giants?

Atl 30, Dal 20. Like the Panthers, this will be an emotional letdown because of last week's horrible loss.

NO 31, Phi 23. In the Superdome? I think Brees and co. will take care of business.

Best bets: 15 of them. Last week: 9-6; total: 64-54-4.

Cin +4
Den/Cin under 48
GB -10
Buf/Hou under 47 1/2
Mia/Ind under 43 1/2
Jax +5 1/2
Was -3
Car/Was under 48
Chi -3 1/2
TB +2
Sea -4
Min/Sea over 38 1/2
Pit +3
Atl -3 1/2
NO -3

Supercontest: Last week: 3-2. Overall: 22-17-1
Was -3
Sea -4 1/2
NO -3
TB +1 1/2
Cin +3 1/2




 

NFL Week 8: Indian Food

Ah, Indian food. It took me a while to really fall in love with this cuisine. I started liking it when we first moved to Cincinnati - and Janice's brother lived in Clifton (near the University) - and there was an excellent Indian restaurant near him. We'd go there, and I instantly loved it. Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori Chicken, even a Saag Paneer... most everything is good. And Nan....oh! The Nan! I could eat Nan for a whole week (and yes, I will capitalize Nan for this whole post).

When we lived in the suburbs in Cincinnati, there was a local Indian joint that was good - we went there to eat in or carry out about once a month. The boys started liking it too (especially the Nan).....oh, and they had the best Onion Nan .....wow, I miss that place....... The highlight was heading into the restaurant after both Freddie and Warren had Little League games - so all the Indians in Mason, OH were gathering on a Friday night, and this family walks in with two kids covered in dirt...... now that's multiculturalism!

When we first moved to China, some of our ex-pat friends were Indian fans as well - our first family get together was Indian - an Indian family told us the best place in Guangzhou for Indian, and we've been there numoerous times since being here.

I travel to India frequently for work - I've been there 4 times so far - and, let's just say, the experience is not exactly the same. The dishes are very similar - lentils, chicken, sauces, the Nan is great - but ends up being unsettling. How do I put this nicely? I don't get sick or anything, but.....I don't excrete anything solid for the the next 7 days. When I'm in the plant, I get a 10 minute warning from my body and it's "uh, excuse me, where is the bathroom?".

The taste - great. The after effects......that's where the problems are. Why does the authentic version cause so much suffering? This is a case where the foreign imitation is better than the real thing.

I don't want to compare the Browns to diarrhea - Lord knows that joke has been done over 10 million times in the past - but that's where we are. The team looks good on paper. Offense - we actually have players that people want to start in Fantasy! The defense is average; we have a stud kicker (since our offense stalls at the 30 regularly, it gives Dawson opportunties for multiple 40+ yd FGs every game....)

But we are 1-6.

And that goes to one person - the head chef, Shurmur.

I feel this week is an elimination challenge with the two bottom chefs in the league - Shurmur and Norv Turner. If you are outcoached by Norv, you should be fired immediately.

On to the games:

Chi 17, Car 13. A letdown game for the Bears after a divisonal win on Monday night.

NE 27, StL 20. I can see the Rams winning, but just can't pull teh trigger on the upset.

Ind 27, Ten 23. The question here, of course, is Chris Johnson. Is the Colts' run D as bad as the Bills'?

GB 27, Jax 10. What's the motivation here for the Packers?

Det 23, Sea 17. The Lions are slowly playing better - their D was impressive last Monday night, and this is a team desperate for a win - and at home.

Phi 27, Atl 24. Why, why, why, do I think the Eagles will show up for this game?

Mia 23, NYJ 13. The Dolphins - off a bye - facing the Jets,who came off a tough divisional loss.

Pit 31, Was 20. Have you seen the Steelers offense recently? It's all passing. And the Skins don't do well in the pass D department. And I think LeBeau willhave something cooked up against RG3.

KC 27, Oak 13. I can't trust Oakland on the road. So - I'll ride Romeo and Brady again,just like it was 2008.

Dal 24, NYG 17. I think Dallas's D matches up well against the Giants.

Den 31, NO 21. This is a classic back door cover game here, but I like what I see in Denver against the NO defense, especially off a bye.

SF 17, Az 16.  The last stand for Arizona - at home - if they want to contend this year.

Best bets: 15 of them. Last week: 6-8. Overall: 55-48-4.
Car +7 1/2
Car/Chi under 42 1/2
Ind +3 1/2
Jax/GB under 45 1/2
Det -2 1/2
Mia +2
Atl/Phi over 42 1/2
Pit -4
Was/Pit over 44 1/2
KC -1
Dal +2 1/2
NYG/Dal under 48
Den -6
Az +7
SF/Az under 38 1/2

Supercontest: Last week: the dreaded 0-5. Overall: 19-15-1
Det -2
Mia +2
Pit -4 1/2
KC -2
Az +6 1/2
 

We have our fourth!

When Steve, Kermit and I play golf over the summer, we usually are lacking a 4th to go along with us. I need to get this guy's number and invite him to the US for a few weeks - just for the comedic value......

(Please God, let my swing never look like this in 40 years....)
 

NFL Week 7: Pad Thai

Ah, Pad Thai. I've had some bad memories with this dish over the years. It all started when I got my first job in Dayton out of school. About the 2nd month I was there, some of the guys were going to the Thai/Vietnamese restaurant in a suburb....so I went along. At that point, in 1994, the most experience I have had with Asian food was Chinese (and a lot of it!)

So I ordered the Pad Thai - noodles and meat? What could go wrong?

It was disgusting. It was drowned in fish sauce, which I thought (and still do) is the most vile sauce to cook with. It was drenched in it, and I couldn't finish it. I never joined the group again when they went back to this place in Beavercreek.

Fast forward 10 years in 2004 - when we lived in Iowa; again, I joined a group as we went to the Thai/Cambodian restaurant on the outskirts of Iowa City; again, I tried the Pad Thai. The dish was a bit better - less flooded with the sauce - but the pungency of the entire restaurant soured the dish for me. How can you enjoy it with the fish sauce in the air? I think I went back once or twice - but no more - in our 2 year stay in Iowa.

(That place was near the river; the big flood of 2006 pretty much directly hit the plaza where the restaurant was. I wondered if it reopened.....in the same place? )

Then we go to earlier this year - February - when we went to Thailand for Chinese New Year. We went to a local, outdoor restaurant one night; as I walked in, I saw somebody at another table eating Pad Thai?

"That's Pad Thai? That looks delicious!" So, I tried it again for the third time.

As you can expect, having Pad Thai done by the natives is 100000% better than a Dayton or Iowan version. Perfectly fried, no mystery fish sauce on it - noodles, bean sprouts, chicken/shrimp....Excellent. Just like it is advertised!

It's now in my top 10 dishes I get over here when eating at a hotel or traveling for work. It truly is amazing the difference in the dish and how it is prepared. I know, I shouldn't be surprised.

I think the national media is having the same feeling when it comes to Brandon Weeden. All they remember about Weeden is the awful game 1 performance against  the Eagles. Make no mistake, he was awful in that game.
But weeks 2-6 have been solid - but not spectacular. Yes, there are some rookie mistakes resulting in interceptions...but the arm is there to deliver the long passes to Gordon and others. And he is developing in reading through the progressions and finding the tight end, or the 3rd  receiver. The stats have been very good in the last few weeks.
Slowly, some are starting to realize that Weeden is not the disaster they saw in week 1. Simmons actually had some good things to say this week in his preview column. In a few more weeks, the memory of the Dayton Pad Thai will wear off and a new impression of Weeden will emerge. This guy could be the Browns QB for the next 5-7 years.

This week? The Jeff Zahn magic continues in Indy, as my dad will be there in attedance again and the Browns will win again, 27-24.

To the other games:
Buf 24, Ten 16. Less a vote for Buf but against Tennessee. I think they are one of the worst teams in the league......how do we explain last week then? See below.

Dal 27, Car 17. Yes, I am falling for this. I can't see Dallas losing this game - they are desperate.

Hou 27, Bal 24. Clearly, the two best teams in the AFC. I think they are evenly matched.

Min 23, Az 10. The Vikes are a solid team at home.

TB 27, NO 23. The Saints had a bye last week - but I'm thinking that the lack of a coach prevents them from getting the full benefit of the bye. And their only win was against Norv....does that only count as 1/2 a win?

GB 24, StL 20. I do like the Rams here, but something tells me the light has clicked on in the Packers after last week.

NYG 31, Was 27. Should be a shootout - and the Giants should be able to move the ball easily against the Skins D.

NE 31, NYJ 24. The Jets are slowly getting better, and should keep this close.

Oak 27, Jax 17. The weak link for the Raiders is the pass D - but Jax doesn't have the offensive fire power to take advantage.

Cin 24, Pit 21. Two desperate teams here. I think Pit is overrated. It was amazing to see Ten - and before, Oakland - move the ball at will against them. Cin needs this win here....and being at home is the difference.

Chi 27, Det 13. I watched most of the Lions game last week - their O looked awful for 3 quarters. Hard to see them finding a rhythm against the Bears.

Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 6-8-1; overall: 49-40-4

Buf -3 1/2
Ten/Buf under 46
Dal -2
Bal +7
Min -6 1/2
Az/Min under 41
TB +1 1/2
Was/NYG over 51 1/2
NYJ +10 1/2
NYJ/NE over 47 1/2
Oak -6
Cin +1
Chi -6 1/2
Det/Chi under 47

Supercontest picks: Last week: 3-2; overall: 19-10-1
Buf -3 1/2
Bal +6 1/2
TB +2 1/2
Oak -4 1/2
Cin +2 1/2

 

NFL Week 6: Hong Kong Cuisine

I have to admit, I have not had too much experience with true Hong Kong food. Whenever we get there, it's an escape from the life in China - so we head to the 24-hour breakfast diner to have pancakes and eggs, the Mexican restaurant for Vanilla Margaritas (cue Dan Hicks: "Expect anything different??" - ed), the Italian restaurant right next to our hotel, or the English fish and chips places on Stanley on the other side of the island.

It's rare that we walk the street trying to find food - but that's the situation we found ourselves in in February, when Freddie and I went to Hong Kong for his birthday. The father of his best friend from Cincinnati is a pilot for Northwest, and the dad and Freddie's friend came in for a quick 3 day weekend. It was wonderful, and a great treat for the four of us to run around Hong Kong - and to see the city through the eyes of 10 year olds.

Most of our meals were Western-based; Freddie's dinner the next night for his birthday was at the Italian restaurant above (where his poor friend couldn't keep his eyes open due to the jet lag), and the next night dinner was at Dan Ryan's Steakhouse, where I told Freddie: "You will get the Petit Filet Mignon and you will LIKE IT!"

However, when the plane landed, we got to the hotel, and it was 9 pm; Freddie was wide awake and excited to see his friend, so all of us went out walking the streets in search of.....nothing in particular.

And then we found a street stand that was selling fried foods. These 14 inch fried bread sticks caught our eye - "ooooooh, we must have them".

They didn't even need sugar. It was pure fried, airy dough for $7 HKD - less than $1 USD. Yes, it was leaking grease while we were eating - but no matter. It filled a need and seemed like comfort food for all of us - even though it was 100% Hong Kong.

God, I hope the Bengals are like the fried dough sticks for us. We need a win. We have been playing tough and hard over the past 5 weeks - with nothing to show for it. Yes, we are young, and yes, that means we will do dumb things (although shouldn't a coaching staff take care of that???). But we have been in every game (for the most part). However, if we don't get a win soon, I feel things will start to implode here. It's been 11 games since a win. 11.........and that win was a 14-10 ugly one vs. Jacksonville last year. We need the fried dough---- a satisfying win. Today. 28-20, Browns.

On to the games:

Atl 31, Oak 17. I know, too easy. But Oakland can not play on the road - and Atlanta has a decent defense.

Dal 23, Bal 21. Just a hunch here. Dallas off a bye, and they should be able to move the ball vs. the Ravens. The question is how many turnovers will Romo have?

Mia 24, StL 13. Bradford was horrible at home against the Cards last game. I don't see them competing well on the road.

NYJ 30, Ind 20. Indy is off a very emotional game (with their coach issues), and the Jets showed last week they can move the ball a bit.

Phi 21, Det 20. Which to pick? The offense that self destructs, or the defense that can't stop anyone? The offense that can only pass, or the D that can stop the pass?

TB 16, KC 13. Brady Quinn 2.0 begins! I didn't realize the Chiefs had Brian Daboll as well. Good luck with that!

Az 20, Buf 19. I think we need to discuss how good Arizona truly is. And the Bills can't throw three stink bombs in a row, can they?

NE 24, Sea 17. Yes, yes, a sucker pick. I just don't see Seattle being able to score if needed to keep up with the Pats.

Was 27, Min 20. Even with the status of RG3....Minnesota has not been tested on the road.

SF 31, NYG 27. How much revenge is on the Giants' mind?

Hou 30, GB 21. Green Bay has been a bit off, and this place - a rockin' Sunday Night crowd against a good D- is not the place to get better.

Den 24, SD 17. If not for the fumbles last week, the Broncos would have been in the game vs. the Pats.

Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 8-6; total: 43-32-3.

Atl -9 1/2
Dal +3
Mia -5
NYJ -3
Ind/NYJ over 44
Det/Phi under 47
TB/KC under 40 1/2
Buf +4
NE -3 1/2
Was pk
NYG +7
NYG/SF over 46
Hou -3 1/2
Den pk
Den/SD under 48 1/2

Supercontest picks: last week: 4-1. Overall: 16-8-1
Mia -3 1/2
Dal +3 1/2
NYJ -3
Hou -3 1/2
Den +1 1/2

 

When Central Planning goes awry

As I alluded to in the last post, last week was an official holiday week in China. It was called "Golde Week", as the mid-Autumn festival fell on the dar before the National Holiday week - so everyone in the country had 7 days off.

In general, this week and Chinese New Year are the only times where regular working Chinese people can actually travel and see the sights of China. It is a very busy time, and most local businesses are closed....that's why the advice to ex-pats for these holiday periods is to just leave the country.

The government wanted people to enjoy their time off, so in order to generate interest for traveling, they declared that all toll roads would be free. The tolls are quite expensive; for example, a toll road from downtime to the airport is about 20 km and costs roughly 20 RMB - about $3. that's a lot for normal people.

So - we have a national holiday, with 1.3 billion people celebrating, and the toll roads are free - what could go wrong?

Plenty.

Record crowds were seen at all the national attractions. How about these for the Great Wall?

 

 

And the traffic? 12, 14 hour delays were reported as routine. Some pictures are below.

What's that saying? "Be careful what you wish for......"

Eric the romantic

As many of you know, Janice's birthday was on Saturday (Oct 6th). I really outdid myself for her birthday dinner this year!

2010: Sunset dinner on the beach in Malaysia
2011: Dinner at an intimate French restaurant in Vietnam (this was an excellent meal).

2012: Well, we flew home that night into Hong Kong from Bali, and we were making the 2 hour drive home after the flight (starting at 10 pm). So - since Burger King was closed - I got 15 Chicken Tenders, Cajun Fries, and Popcorn Shrimp from Popeye's in the airport for our dinner in the car for the ride.

Let's just say that the fries taste awful after sitting around for 15 minutes.

 

NFL Week 5: Indonesian Cuisine

Back at home again after a week of vacation in Bali for the China National Holiday week. It was nice to get away for the week - I'll have more on that in the next post - and great to have Don, Mike and their wives spend the week with us!. Taking a week listening to the waves crash is not a bad way to live.

Also, I got the slingbox working correctly on Monday morning, and I was watching the end of the 1 pm and 4 pm games while sitting outside on a lawn chair on the grass in the moonlight with the waves in the background. Yes, I was wearing a 2 inch layer of "Off" while doing that.

One of the highlights was biking down the "mountain" of Bali with the group. It was a great ride as we went through rice fields, small villages, and even passed a parade. At the end, we had a lunch buffet that "represented local Balinese cuisine". My (second) plate is seen above! Clockwise from the white rice:

- Steamed Rice
- Fried Noodle (yes, two starches...sue me)
- Some sort of chicken stir fry dish. I think it may have been a "bean Curd" chicken dish, but I can't recall. It was not memorable.
- Peanut Tofu stir fry. Delicious. The star of the show. As you probably know, tofu does not have a lot of flavor (if any), so it carries the flavors of the spices/sauces in the dish. Well, how can you go wrong with Peanut sauce? Instead of just scooping up the peanut sauce and drinking it with a sppon, this is a more elegant way to get your peanut sauce fill. Just fantastic.
- Smoked Duck and Smoked Chicken. Pulled off the bone as well as any BBQ joint in the US. Tender and wonderful.
- Indonesian mixed vegetables, which seem to be 90% minced green beans and some spices. Pretty good!
- Vegetable roll, which is the same mixed vegetables rolled into a cabbage roll. This was very enjoyable, especially with - you guessed it ! - the Peanut sauce in the middle!

You may be seeing the same dished repeated over again in a lot of the southeast Asia posts....Rice, noodles, stirfry, even tofu.......well, that's how the current season is going. I can guess how most of the Browns game will be played.  A lackluster 1st half with some mistakes causing us to be in a hole; then in the 2nd half, Weeden is unleashed and we make a few plays to score....and the defense does just enough to get our hopes up but then lets up the big play to have the win be out of reach in the end.  I think it will be the same way this week with the Giants....we will be down 17-6 at half; James Brown will then cut into your game in the 3rd to say "The plucky Browns are not going away!" as we make it 17-13; it will be 20-20 early in the 4th when Brown will again come in and say "In New York, the Giants are putting this game away on a 75-yd TD pass to Cruz, followed by a pick six from Weeden- who has 350 yards passing". Giants, 34-20.

I don't see how we win given that our two best receivers (Massaquoi and Benjamin) are out. We have Stone Hand Little, Decapitated Cribbs and 100% raw Josh Gordon as our receivers for today. At least this is the last game for Haden's suspension.

On to the games:

Mia 26, Cin 23. I have gone back and forth on this one all week over Vodka Tonics while overlooking the beach. Who has Cincinnati played? Any good defenses?

GB 23, Ind 20. I kept waiting for the Pack to put the hammer down on the Saints last week - and it never came. Maybe....maybe....they have slipped a bit. The loss of Jennings certainly hurts.

Bal 31, KC 21. Is this the week where Brady Quinn makes his reappearance in the NFL? Brady and Romeo, together again....

Pit 20, Phi 17. Don't underestimate the Eagles' D. It is good.

Atl 31, Was 27. Still don't have a good feeling of either team. But Washington is similar to Carolina, and I think the Skins will hang close.

Chi 23, Jax 13. I can't see the Bears letting down in this game with a bye week next.

Car 24, Sea 14. I am concerned about Marshawn Lynch vs. the Panthers' D, but the way to beat Car is through the air -and I don't think Seattle can do that yet.

Min 20, Ten 17. Two weak offenses here.

SF 27, Buf 24. SF's offense is average if you don't give them anything....and I am hoping that Gailey and the Bills will not have a repeat of last week.

NE 34, Den 27. Who will stop who in this game?

NO 27, SD 24. Your guess is as good as mine here. Which Saints team will show up? Will Norv actually coach a good road game?

Hou 23, NYJ 20, OT. I can't believe that Rex Ryan will let the Jets be embarrased - again - especially on Monday night. They will throw everything in the playbook at them - including Tebow - and still wind up a bit short.

Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 9-6-1; overall: 35-26-3

Mia +3
Ind +6 1/2
GB/Ind under 48
Bal -6 1/2
Bal/KC over 46
Phi/Pit under 43
Atl/Was over 50 1/2
Chi -5 1/2
Car -2 1/2
Ten/Min under 44
Buf +9 1/2
Buf/SF over 45
Den/NE over 51 1/2
NYJ +7 1/2

Supercontest: last week: 3-2. Overall: 12-7-1.
Mia +3
Ind +7
Chi -6
Car -3
NYJ +8