The Chinese Art of Flattering Trump

Trump received an energetic spectacle upon arrival in Beijing

Donald Trump's highly-anticipated visit to China was a lesson in subtle visual clues on how Chinese leader Xi Jinping would treat the American president.

These kinds of state visits are a window into what kind of image Beijing wants Trump to see.

He was greeted in person by Vice President Han Zheng, which Trump probably thought was highly respectful, but in fact Han doesn't have much political power, making his position mostly ceremonial.

Children jumping as they greet Xi and Trump

Nevertheless Trump got the fanfare he wanted as 300 young people dressed neatly in sky blue and white uniforms and white sneakers, waving flags in unison as they shouted slogans.

How very... 1960s...

There was a similar scene outside the Great Hall of the People as younger children jumped frantically up and down waving bouquets, with boys in trousers and polo shirts, the girls in dresses.

Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping and it was overt flattery, as Trump laid the endless adulation on thick, calling him "a great leader" and how "powerful" Xi was, but he kept a poker face.

The state dinner didn't have McDonald's hamburgers (which Trump could have ordered from Alipay or WeChat), and instead he was served a menu of lobster in tomato soup, crispy beef ribs, Peking roast duck, slow-cooked salmon in mustard sauce, stewed seasonal vegetables, and for dessert, tiramisu.

Why not all American apple pie? Oh there was also fruits and ice cream though.

Xi and Trump at the state banquet

For Xi, having Trump in Beijing was the perfect opportunity to showcase China's 5,000 years of history compared to the United States merely celebrating its 250th birthday in July.

Xi showed the American president the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City, both dating back to the Ming dynasty in the early 1400s.

However, what was really interesting was Xi showing Trump Zhongnanhai, a place even ordinary Chinese people have never seen. Zhongnanhai is the compound where senior Chinese officials reside and work. It is adjacent to the Forbidden City as the former imperial garden. 

As they walked through the garden, Xi pointed out the trees and explained they were over 100 years old, some up to 400 years old, again emphasising they were older than the US.

Trump was in awe, and asked if other leaders had toured Zhongnanhai before.

Xi replied very few, except for say, Putin.

Xi gives Trump a tour of Zhongnanhai

When he heard that, Trump beamed.

The Chinese gave the pageantry Trump wanted without making any substantial deals.

Talk about sleight of hand.

Berry Good Deal

White Spot restaurant has a great deal this summer -- The Blueberry Bundle.

For $20 you get a side of green salad or Caesar salad, a Legendary burger and a blueberry pie made from blueberries from a farm in Maple Ridge.

The highlight is the dessert. While it's not exactly a baked pie, it's really a lot of fresh blueberries marinated in a light sugar syrup and placed in a pastry cup, topped with whipped cream.

The deal is so good I've had it twice in one month!

Picture of the Day: Pedalling Smoothies

Want to pedal for your smoothie?

Around lunchtime today I finished my long 8K trek around Pacific Spirit Park and went to Memorial Park West to see if the Dunbar Little League was playing.

They were in the midst of a game against Kerrisdale and the snack shop was open. I could get a freshly made hamburger (with lettuce, tomato and pickles) for C$7.

As I waited for my hamburger, there was a drinks stand nearby and two stationary bikes with a curious contraption. They were selling strawberry and mango smoothies -- you could make yourself!

For the same price as a burger, you could get fresh whole strawberries or mango chunks with water in a blender, which was placed in front of the handlebars. When you push the pedals, the blender starts to move. Cute DIY gimmick, but don't know if they got any takers! 

Picture of the Day: White Spot Blueberry Pie

The blueberry "pie" choc full of blueberries

White Spot is the family-friendly place to go for a meal that's a giant step-up from McDonald's and doesn't break the bank.

Available now is the "Celebrate BC Bundle" for CAD$18.99. It includes a Legendary burger, Caesar salad, and a blueberry pie.

The burger is straight forward -- a beef pattie with iceberg lettuce, tomato, and the "Triple-O" secret sauce in between the bun and a thin slice of pickle. 

Accompanying the burger is a small bowl of Caesar salad, a good enough portion for one person to chow down on.

Once those are consumed, the dessert arrives. It's advertised as blueberry pie, but instead they are individual-sized tart shells, filled with a mini mound of blueberries that have been mixed with gelatin and topped a squirt of whipped cream.

The blueberries aren't cooked at all, but some of them are big! 

This set menu is a great deal, considering a Legendary burger on its own is CAD$16.99.

However, the meal is not great for the waistline! I was super full afterwards and needed to walk off some of those calories!