Indulging

The weather has finally turned gorgeous, but hot.
Wendy went racing on Saturday on a new (different)
boat. Following the race, we partied heavily on the
boat and then at the club, then headed to a nearby
restaurant for a huge seafood feast and more beer.
Sunday we got up early for a Dim Sum breakfast with
the same group. I'm not sure how we all made it since
I think we all had hangovers.

After a short respite, we all reconvened a few hours later for
a days outing on comfortable catamaran. We sailed all around
the local islands in perfect conditions to another restaurant
for a huge seafood feast and then finished the day with a swim
off the boat in another nice bay.

The food here is fantastic and going out with a big group to a local seafood restaurant means you can order more things to share. As we've discovered on many occasions during the last few months, a large group Chinese family style meal truly tests our chopstick skills as we try to get enough to eat and keep our portions on a tiny plate without making too big a mess; Without serving utensils, everyone reaches across each other to take a portion from communal bowls far across the table using the chopsticks they've put into their mouths. Yet no one seems to mind. And everyone dribbles a bit on an overly crowded table. (Why napkins are so scarce or non-existent at Chinese family style meals is beyond me since I need them far more than I would normally.) Visiting the local seafood restaurant, called a
daipadong, is a very popular thing to do and we've certainly enjoyed it on many occasions with yacht club folks.

We've really enjoyed getting to know people through the yacht
club and that has helped to make up for the fact that there are no
cruisers around. And sailing to a nearby bay for a seafood feast
with a big group brings together some of of our favorite things
in life: sailing, good company and good food!