Hotpot Cooking

Fine eats with the Hess Posse: Wednesday night of the kindergarten training found your humble narrator munching the hot bubbling goodness of Taipei's hottest hot pot cuisine.

My roomate, Mike demonstrates his mighty chopstick prowess while downing the kimshee hotpot. In his times in Asia, Mike has developed a hankering for Korea's spicey cabbage concoction and is seen here digging its red pepper goodness.

The posse includes: Elaine (USA), Gemma (UK), Betty (CA), Mike (USA), Janus (S. Africa), Nick (USA), Jenn (USA), Michelle (USA), and me. The hotpots include fishballs, clams, shrimp, funky mushrooms, and (pending which hot pot you order) spicey kimshee or rice noodles. None of us ordered the stinky tofu hotpot -- heeding the warning that this delicacy is only for locals.

We hardly notice the Chinese subtitles in the Star Trek episode or the bad Stallone movie -- making us all pose the immortal question: what was the last good Stallone movie? Mike says Over The Top. I am tempted to note the Dolly Parton classic, Rhinestone, but must throw a little reality on the fire before I do so. Deathrace 2000? Rocky? Maybe he never made a good movie. I know that First Blood and Planet Hollywood French fried both turn my stomach like steamed frogs on a hot summer day.

Nonetheless, enjoy the little things: they don't call it a Royale With Cheese here, however, I cannot decipher the chinese characters on the McDonalds menu, however, we as Westerners should be ashamed to eat there in the first place. Travolta wouldn't do it.

This week, I wish my mom a happy birthday and I hope she feels well after last week. To everyone in Seattle, I note the sunny warm days I've enjoyed here. I toast the following people with Taiwan Beer: My dad (they do fertilize the rice patty with crap. eewwww), Evan (dance a jig), Racheal, Brenda, Steve Ditore, Dawn, Chrissy, Paul Rinehart -- stuck in Virginia, eh? -- Ryan and Pat and the Shamrock Posse, Pat and Pippa, Barb and Mark, Gary and Kristen, Brad and Barbara, Dave and Sarah, Alex, The Quantum Posse, The Jack Straw Posse (including, but not limited to Abe Beeson, Cheryll Waters, Tahoma Hauptman, Doug Hair, Joan, and Pat), Gabe, Chris C, Christian --wherever you are, Markus in P-Land, Malcolm the Malcontent, Lori (becuase you still kick ass), Kelly (because you do, too), the incomparable Speight, expatriots everywhere from anywhere, my mom, Daffy Duck, and Freddy (STOP SURFING THE WEB AND DO YOUR HOMEWORK).

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