Have I mentioned being very busy at the moment? I'm sure I have... Deadlines, deadlines. Obstacles, obstacles. Not that much fun.

Above is the view from our window, which I've seen a lot of...

So I have little to talk about except food (one has to eat) and streets (one has to walk).

Food highlights this week can be divided into two:

1. Round things

-- Supper back at El Maiz. This time, a pleasant Argentinian Malbec accompanied cachapas (corn pancakes with white cheese) and tostones (crisply fried plantain slices, topped with pulled meat, cheese, and a nice green sauce). We rounded off with quesillo, which is a relative of the creme caramel, but subtly different in texture.

-- A J.Co doughnut. J.Co is Indonesian by origin, I read, and this was a classically Indonesian chocolate-and-avo combo called the Avocado Dicaprio (come on -- you've got to smile...)

-- And, not round so much as spherical, a morning affogato (the decadence...) from Jamaica Blue, which is a pretty nice coffee shop.







2. Tea-related things

-- Lunch at the Purple Cane Tea Restaurant where we have not been for many a long year. Dong Ding Oolong to drink. Soy beans and spicy green mango slices while you wait. Two tea-steeped dishes (tea-infused rice with sweetcorn and long beans, and chicken in tea with tofu, soybeans, cucumber, and a delicious sauce). Lotus root and other vegetables. Copious, elegant, and delicious.

-- And cheese tea! We first saw this advertised in Haikou, but I was too shy to try to acquire such a mysterious product with my creaky Chinese. So having spotted it on sale at Regiustea, I was determined to try it. Nigel was not impressed (the cheese got in his moustache), but I thought it was a pretty fine thing. Order a low-sugar version of the tea, and you'll get a sweet/bitter/salty/creamy melange that's very pleasing (and if you don't stir, but swig at the recommended 45% angle, the combination changes as you make your way down the cup).





We acquired our cheese tea at the Velocity mall, by the way. This is in Maluri, which would have been a really nice place to live when we come back. But it seems that's not to be...



In the morning or the evening, we scurry out for walks. It's the city. There's always something to draw your attention.