Confertzel: The Pesach Edition

Being as Pesach (Passover) is a celebration of freedom (beyond the metaphorical appreciation of The Exodus) in all forms, I have been thinking a lot about what "freedom" means to the average Chinese person. My reflections have coincided with some interesting China-related current events: Mike Daisey taking "freedoms" with his reporting on the Foxconn factories that supposedly oppressed workers; Bo XiLai's ousting over, in one way or another, acting too freely with his power; and the recent and brief shut-down of China's version of Twitter because of false rumors about a coup in Beijing. (That last link also has a good discussion about what foreigners can expect career-wise in China.)

So thin...Eat! Eat!

When I ask my students about "freedom," many say they believe they are as free as anyone should be--that they are free to do and say as they like. This is an obvious delusion or a "Polly-want-a-cracker" trained response--interpretations will vary based on cynicism and views of an Orwellian China. But my students seem to be vaguely aware of their limits because of the way they blanch whenever the following topics arise: politics, religion, and criticism of the Chinese government.

Despite what people say about the inherent power of Chinese democracy, this is still a country essentially run by ten chairmen. They govern based on the infantilizing policy that they know what is best for the Chinese people. Average citizens have little sway over the voice of these chairmen. These chairmen will oust a popular Party member if he (or she) doesn't tow the line enough; and these chairmen will sever Internet communication over even preposterous rumors.

My students go even further, though, to accuse The U.S. of being a falsely free country. My students cite: economic disparity, the death penalty, gang activity, and the drinking age. Some of these examples encourage debate, but I find their ability to observe lacking freedom elsewhere versus domestically (in China) a curious contradiction.

With those thoughts in mind, I am thankful to be in a position to take advantage of the freedoms of being a modern Jewish American living in China.

***

The "Confertzel Cookbook" should serve as documentation of one Jew-in-China's attempts to make "soul food" using what is available at local Chinese wet markets and corner stores. I intend to keep the recipes fairly low budget and to use methods that most people in China (or with limited resources and kitchen facilities) could accommodate. If I offend anyone with how heinously I drift from traditional recipes, let me apologize preemptively. Specifically, I apologize to my Jewish grandmother.

Confertzel Cookbook: Mocchitashen

So thin...Eat! Eat!

The "Confertzel Cookbook" should serve as documentation of one Jew-in-China's attempts to make "soul food" using what is available at local Chinese wet markets and corner stores. I intend to keep the recipes fairly low budget and to use methods that most people in China (or with limited resources and kitchen facilities) could accommodate. If I offend anyone with how heinously I drift from traditional recipes, let me apologize preemptively. Specifically, I apologize to my Jewish grandmother.

***

Firstly, I want to wish a Happy Purim to friends and family: I hope you had a festive if not inebriated holiday. חג שמח. In my stead, I hope everyone consumed at least half of an apricot hamentaschen and half of a poppy seed hamentaschen. I usually only eat about two bites of each variety before I remember that I only enjoy four-bites-worth of hamentaschen per annum.

For those unfamiliar with the traditional Purim treat, hamentaschen (or, oznei haman) are representative of the Purim story's villain's ears. Carbohydrate-packed, doughy, apricot-filled ears.

Confertzel Cookbook: 渴舌发日你试渴

So thin...Eat! Eat!

The "Confertzel Cookbook" should serve as documentation of one Jew-in-China's attempts to make "soul food" using what is available at local Chinese wet markets and corner stores. I intend to keep the recipes fairly low budget and to use methods that most people in China (or with limited resources and kitchen facilities) could accommodate. If I offend anyone with how heinously I drift from traditional recipes, let me apologize preemptively. Specifically, I apologize to my Jewish grandmother.

*** 

Kasha varnishkas has always been one of my favorite side dishes in the Jewish cookbook. Generally speaking, the noodle-and-buckwheat-groat-based dish is savory in flavor and comforting in nature. Not to mention, the dish takes advantage of my [possibly genetic] love affair with cooked onions. All traditional versions of kasha varnishkas will implement a heavy dose of shmaltz (chicken fat)--and when it comes to Jewish comfort food: the more shmaltz, the better.

This is a good dish for the Confertzel Cookbook because of kasha varnishkas's simplicity. The preparation is simple, and it demands several compromises to accommodate resource availability in the Chinese market. The compromises open the door to be filled with Chinese flavors.

Confertzel: Identity in the Face of Tragedy

Confertzel

This entry could certainly use more research and reflection, but I feel a slight pressure to post it within a few days (or weeks) of Nanjing marking the anniversary of The Nanjing Massacre--also called The Rape of Nanking.

During The Nanjing Massacre (1937), Japanese troops laid waste to the city while committing atrocities like attempted genocide on innocent civilians and raping uncounted numbers of women. China claims that over 300,000 Nanjingers were murdered, while the United States tends to officially estimate the total somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000.

Understandably, the repercussions from these crimes can be felt today. Nanjing marks the memorial every December 13th by sounding a siren for one minute during the day, when much of the city pauses for reflective silence.

This all echoed of how Jewish people memorialize those who died in the Holocaust. Holocaust remembrance days are held throughout the year, and many congregations will dedicate a segment of Yom Kippur to honoring deceased love ones as well as the victims of the Holocaust. Other Jews light a  yahrzeit candle to "remember" and honor those who died in the Holocaust. In Israel, much of the country will acknowledge a two-minute-long siren on Holocaust Remembrance Day with a moment of silence.

What I find most interesting about the Chinese and Jewish memorials are how "national" identities shifted in response to tragedies. (I am referring to a "nation" as a body of people instead of a "nation" with borders.)

Confertzel Cookbook: 拉题卡

So thin...Eat! Eat!

The "Confertzel Cookbook" should serve as documentation of one Jew-in-China's attempts to make "soul food" using what is available at local Chinese wet markets and corner stores. I intend to keep the recipes fairly low budget and to use methods that most people in China (or with limited resources and kitchen facilities) could accommodate. If I offend anyone with how heinously I drift from traditional recipes, let me apologize preemptively. Specifically, I apologize to my Jewish grandmother.

*** 

Confertzel: Interfaith Love and Marriage in Relation to Parents

In a recent conversation with two students I tutor, one student, John, bluntly asked: "Do you believe in--" He then paused to look-up a word on his phone's dictionary, "--God?"

This is a difficult topic to address regardless of a language barrier; to explain one's conceptions of "God" to someone who does not even know the word for "God" is a mental exercise in its own right.

John did not intend for the conversation to veer into philosophy, though. He quickly followed my simplistic answer with a story. John had recently proposed to his girlfriend: He showed me a silver band as validation and explained that modern Chinese custom is to use the engagement ring as an opportunity to exchange what Westerners might view as a "Promise Ring"--a non-diamond ring that signifies commitment but carries substantially less gravity. And given different economic standards, I am not surprised that the practice of giving a diamond ring (much less a three-months-salary-worth ring) is a rare occurence in China.

In any case, John's parents were not nearly as thrilled with his decision to propose to his girlfriend of fourteen months. According to John's mother, John "must" marry someone who believes in "God." John's girlfriend does not. (On a saddening side note, John's grandmother disapproves of John's girlfriend because she is not as pretty as John's cousin's wife. Therefore, John's grandmother and the rest of the family will "lose face" if he marries his girlfriend.)

"What can I do to change my mother's mind?"

Obviously, I advised honesty about his love. But I cautioned him that there are many details about the situation that make it so only he can truly find the "right" answer. I advised him to take into account the balance of tradition, legacy, familial love, independence, his own love, and his girlfriend's love. Then I asked him if he believed in "God": "No."

An Introduction (new series)

I was recently clicking through Wikipedia articles (an act of procrastination related to a lack of direction in writing a blog post about how my students revealed their hierarchy of values during a class activity about societal pressure). In my distracted efforts to hone my now rusty pub-trivia-oriented mind, I continued through Wiki pages for at least an hour. I landed upon "Felix Mendelssohn" and was delighted to follow a link to an external page about Mendelssohn's decision to embrace Lutheranism over Judaism.

Despite being born a Jew, Mendelssohn was baptized in accordance with his parents wishes--his parents, however, were not baptized until Mendelssohn was a teenager. These conversions are now widely interpreted to have been indicative of a general shift away from shtetl life in 19th century Germany: In 1812, Germany guaranteed German Jews full civil equality if they converted from Judaism. Theoretically seeing an opportunity for socio-economic advancement, the Mendelssohns became some of the more famous converts from Judaism.