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WhistleOut brunch video dream job

Sharing meals and happy hours with friends, family, and co-workers over video is the new normal. Sure, the food probably isn’t as good as it is at your favorite restaurant, and it’s far too easy to hear the loud chewers in the group, but it’s better than eating alone — especially now that people are feeling lonelier than ever in self-isolation. And now that we’re all doing it, it’s the American way to try and monetize it. That’s where WhistleOut, a phone plan comparison website, comes in. The company will pay someone $1,000 to host three virtual brunches.

The gig includes conducting the brunches on three video chat apps, which offer a choice of Houseparty, Bunch, Airtime, Squad, and Rave. Which also means you’re required to have friends who are willing to eat a meal on these apps with you. After each one, there’s a little report to complete about how the app worked (food descriptions and brunch-stagrams not required).

Only one bruncher will be paid, but the chosen one, in addition to their initial $1,000 payment, gets a $300 Grubhub gift card so they can at least buy the food for everyone. Or they can keep it for themselves. No judgment here.

For the chance to hop on this remote gig, head to the WhistleOut website and write 200 words about, as the site puts it, “why you’re passionate about brunch, video chatting or, ideally, both!” Having social media platforms you can tag WhistleOut on doesn’t hurt, either.

The application process ends at 11:59 PM PST on May 15.

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Restaurants and borders reopening

“A version of this article was previously published on May 12, 2020, and was updated on May 13, 2020, with more information.”

Slowly but surely, the world seems to be waking up. After the surrealness that took over the planet in mid-March making staying at home and social distancing the staples of our daily lives, one by one countries are starting to find ways to safely reopen. That means everything from restaurants with glass partitions in Italy to parks at 30 percent capacity in China to travel bubbles in Europe’s Baltic states and Oceania. And as the United States begins to find its own way back, perhaps we can look around the world for examples of how to do it correctly.

Australia and New Zealand

After New Zealand effectively eliminated the coronavirus, and Australia almost did too, the Oceania nations proposed the world’s first post-COVID “travel bubble,” allowing free movement between countries. The bubble is predicted to start around August, right in time for ski season in New Zealand. It’s especially important for the tourism-dependent islands as Aussies make up almost 40 percent of New Zealand’s visitors.

Austria

If you want to go to Austria and avoid the mandatory 14-day quarantine, you can get a speedy COVID-19 test right at the airport. Though the country is only currently running flights to eight cities, arriving or departing passengers can opt for the 190-euro ($206) test, with results ready in a few hours. Departing passengers can also use the results to enter other countries and show they’re free from the virus.

Baltic states

The countries of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have also agreed to open their borders to each other beginning May 15. This “travel bubble” will allow free movement between the countries, which reported fewer than 150 COVID-19 deaths and now have daily new cases in the single digits. Visitors from other countries will still be subject to 14-day quarantines upon arrival.

China

The country first hit with COVID-19 is also among the first to recover, with China now opening its public parks and tourist attractions at 30 percent capacity. The Forbidden City palace complex in Beijing has capped daily visitation at 5,000 people as well. Following in public parks’ footsteps, Shanghai Disney reopened on May 11, making it the first Disney park to reopen since the pandemic began. It too will be limited to 30 percent of its normal capacity and will require masks and social distancing for all guests.

China also resumed domestic flights in low-risk parts of the country, just ahead of the Labor Day holiday on May 1. Flight demand jumped 1,500 percent the first weekend flights were permitted, though volume is still at 45 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

Hong Kong’s international airport is introducing cutting edge technology in hopes of getting people in and out of the city without risking infection. Its new Cleantech disinfecting facilities will put passengers through a 40-second full-body disinfection. Passengers will also have their temperatures taken prior to entry, and disinfecting robots will roam the airport and clean public surfaces. The airport is also launching a test program where it covers touchpoints in a clear, anti-microbial coating. The trial will conclude at the end of May.

France

Likely encouraged by the suddenly clean air around its cities and the massive reduction in traffic, French authorities are encouraging citizens to use their bicycles for commuting as the nationwide lockdown ended on May 11. To incentivize its population, the government is offering 50 euros ($54) per person to go toward bike repairs, as people dust off their handlebars and lube up their chains. It’s also extending a program that allows employers to reimburse up to 400 euros ($435) of travel costs for employees who cycle to work.

Germany

If South Korean baseball can only hold your sports interest for so long, good news is on the horizon: Germany has allowed the Bundesliga to begin practicing with games starting up again on May 16. In addition, schools will completely reopen for the summer term, and smaller shops have been reopened with strict social distancing guidelines. Berlin’s famous botanical gardens have reopened too, though all visitors must wear masks. That said, the country has allowed local governments to revisit restrictions if new infections return to 50 per 100,000.

Greece

Greece is trying to salvage some of 2020’s tourist season, aiming to open its borders to international tourists by July 1. After experiencing only 150 deaths from COVID-19, the optimistic country will be opening city hotels on June 1, and other hotels a month later. Visitors will be subject to a throat swab, a health questionnaire, and a COVID-19 test upon landing, with results ready in just 12 hours.

Italy

Italy lifted some of its strict social distancing requirements, now allowing people to visit family members within their same region, as well as outdoor exercise. Always a country to appreciate the importance of food, Italy is planning to follow up by allowing restaurants and bars to open in June, though early plans out of Rome and Milan have many restaurants using plexiglass shields and partitions. The country only recently reopened restaurants for delivery and take out.

Mexico

America’s closest warm-weather international getaway is looking to reopen its border for non-essential travel later this month, with a decision expected on May 19. Assuming outsiders are allowed back in, two of the country’s top destinations — Los Cabos and Quintana Roo — are looking to open as soon as possible. Los Cabos announced a five-phase plan to reopen, aiming to have its international terminal open by July 1 and 62 percent of hotel rooms back online by that time. It’ll also offer businesses a “clean point” certification from the Mexican government, signifying they’ve bet a certain level of sanitation.

Quintana Roo — the state that’s home to Cancun, Isla Mujeres, and other popular destinations — has installed thermographic scanners at the airport to seek out visitors with fevers. It’s also starting a new “Come 2 Cancun” campaign in which local hotels will be offering two-nights-for-the-price-of-one stays.

The Netherlands

Figuring out how to lure cautious diners back into restaurants has been a serious dilemma for surviving restaurant owners. And though it hasn’t become law in the Netherlands, one restaurant along Amsterdam’s waters has begun using separate plexiglass booths, effectively secluding customers in their own private greenhouses. Though restaurateurs argue this is likely not a long-term solution, it very well may be something we see popping up when Dutch restaurants reopen later this month.

South Korea

South Korea, which got its first coronavirus case the same day as the US, began letting up on its lockdown toward the end of April. By the Labor Day long weekend in May, shopping malls, golf courses, and beaches were all packed with people. Despite lockdown restrictions easing on April 19, Seoul only saw 10 new infections in the week leading up to the holiday.

And, of course, the Korean Baseball Organization will be playing games in empty stadiums. They’ll be broadcast live on ESPN, if you’ve grown tired of watching professional slippery-stair climbing.

Spain

Spain, which had the most strict lockdown rules on the planet, finally let its people outside at the beginning of May, the first in a four-phase plan to have the country up and running by June. Exercise and outdoor activity is allowed from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM, with time slots allotted by age group. Public beaches in Barcelona are still closed, but the next phase of reopening will see bars and restaurants running at half-capacity, and groups of 10 allowed to socialize in public.

United Arab Emirates

In true Dubai fashion, Emirates became the first airline to offer almost-instant COVID-19 testing in April when it announced 10-minute blood tests at Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3 group check-in area.

United Kingdom

Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in the UK, will begin using cameras that can detect passengers’ temperatures in Terminal 2, with trials beginning over the next two weeks and hopes to roll the cameras out airport-wide. The airport is also looking into UV sanitation and contactless security checkpoints.

Vietnam

Vietnam has been an under-the-radar COVID-19 success story, with only 270 reported cases and zero deaths. Beginning April 24, the country began to reopen restaurants, retail, trains, and busses, and is aiming to bring international visitors back in June. Talks are currently underway with China and South Korea — which make up 55 percent of Vietnam’s visitors — to create travel bubbles between the countries. And plans are to approach Australia and New Zealand if the first bubbles prove successful.

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European Union summer 2020 tourism

Until recently, a summer European holiday sounded like wishful thinking. Now that EU countries are slowly easing restrictions, and appear to be flattening their respective curves, the prospect of a Eurotrip isn’t as grim as it once was. Tourism accounts for almost 10 percent of Europe’s economic output, so understandably, the union is eager to safely introduce travel. According to Paolo Gentiloni, the EU’s economic affairs commissioner, “our message is we will have a tourist season this summer, even if it’s with security measures and limitations.”

While no plans have been solidified, countries are expected to work together to gradually remove travel bans and border checks while maintaining necessary health precautions.

Border restrictions are likely to be lifted in phases, with seasonal workers allowed to cross internal Schengen borders first, followed by European holidaymakers, and then international travelers. Each EU country will make its own decision regarding border openings.

This Friday, Austria and Germany will start imposing random checks at border crossings, followed by the return of free movement on June 15. German Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes that the Schengen zone as a whole will follow suit. She told the Bundestag lower house of parliament, “The goal is, if the occurrence of infection allows it — I want to say that again — that from June 15 onwards border controls in the Schengen area can be completely eliminated.”

Air travelers coming into the UK should currently expect to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, though the country already has a bilateral travel agreement with France and Ireland, removing quarantine mandates for travelers between those countries.

On Friday, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will introduce a “Baltic Bubble,” allowing rail, sea, and air travel between the three countries but imposing a mandatory quarantine for travelers from elsewhere.

Some countries, like Spain and Greece, are already eyeing the return of international travel by July. Spain is planning to keep its borders closed to international travelers until then, and Greece — which has been lauded for its effective containment of the virus — is aiming to open the nation’s border to tourists starting July 1.

For free air travel to resume within the EU, however, the Commission is suggesting several guidelines. Passengers, airline staff, and airport workers will be required to wear masks, and the reorganization of check-in and luggage drop-off areas to avoid large crowds will also be recommended. They’re advising that inflight meals only be available by pre-order, cabin ventilation should be improved, and movement within the plane should be restricted.

Some countries, like Iceland and Greece, have already started issuing free COVID-19 tests at the airport to incoming passengers. These tests must become more prevalent before international travel can fully resume.

Guidelines were also proposed for buses, trains, and ferries, including limiting passenger capacity, using windows for ventilation instead of air conditioning, increasing train frequency to reduce passenger density, and incentivizing off-peak travel.

And even if travel does return to Europe this summer, it won’t exactly look like summer 2019.

Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission’s Vice President, told reporters, “Of course this isn’t going to be a normal summer, but when we all work together … then we don’t have to face a completely lost summer.”

All of this depends on the virus itself. If countries see an uptick in cases as they begin reopening, you can bet that those border openings will get pushed back even further. If the virus appears under control, case numbers decline, and the proper safety measures are in place, we may just get the summer vacation we’ve all been hoping for.

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Best outdoor activities in Bordeaux

Bordeaux is known as the Port of the Moon, thanks to its position in the curved nook of the Garonne River in southwest France. For centuries, the region’s growth has been shaped by the reputation of its wines, which have been shipped out from Bordeaux’s flourishing port since Roman times. But this UNESCO-listed city has more to offer than just quaffing — from gentle river cruises to tough climbs up Europe’s biggest sand dune. So put down your wine glass and strap on your boots. It’s time to explore Bordeaux’s stunning landscape from the water, sky, bike saddle, and sand.

Cruise, canoe, or paddleboard on the Garonne River

Photo: Bordeaux Canoë/Facebook

The flowing Garonne River is the city’s lifeblood, so show your appreciation for the river by embarking on a cruise along its broad waters. Boat cruises offer the chance to go deeper into the history and wine culture of the region in style. A great option to start a romantic night out is a sunset apero cruise, where you’ll experience a three-course wine tasting paired with local produce, cheeses and bread, and tapas while spending 90 minutes on the water. Bordeaux River Cruise also offers a comprehensive history cruise if you want to learn about the city’s wine and shipping history.

For a more adventurous expedition on the water, a two-and-a-half-hour guided canoe tour lets you explore wild islands, traditional fishing huts, 18th-century architecture, and masterfully engineered bridges. You’ll get an upper body workout while paddling the river with a focus on experiencing the waterfront and its surrounding architecture — rather than sipping.

Stroll the promenade

Photo: wjarek/Shutterstock

The quayside should be one of the first stops on your Bordeaux itinerary. The classic 18th-century facades of the historic buildings lining the river helped the city achieve its UNESCO-heritage-listed designation in 2007. Begin your stroll along the glitzy left bank promenade from Place des Quinconces, an expansive 63-acre plaza, past an architecturally stunning backdrop evoking the romance of a bygone era.

Cross the river at the Pont de Pierre to see where the waterfront has been transformed from a tired area into a trendy hotspot. A disused military barracks has found a new life as Darwin, a cultural space exuding hipster vibes with an eclectic mix of art space, eco-friendly cafes and organic grocers, urban gardening projects, and skateparks. If you prefer hops to grapes, don’t miss trying the local brew, Darwin beer, washed down with famous Arcachon Bay oysters.

Explore one of the world’s most bikeable cities

Photo: goodluz/Shutterstock

The Copenhagenize Index, which ranks cities by their bikeability, listed Bordeaux as fifth in the world in its 2019 survey. Its flat environs are best explored on two wheels as you’ll be able to take everything a bit more slowly, in true Euro-fashion, and not have to worry about renting a car or driving. Combine wine tasting with a guided tour with Bordeaux by Bike or hire a bike for the day for just $11 and explore the city at your own pace.

For a taste of quintessential French countryside, follow the river out of town until you hit the Lapébie bikeway, a disused railway line from Bordeaux to Sauveterre with a 15-mile stretch in and around Bordeaux that takes you past abbeys, villages, and endless rows of vines, culminating at the inviting Espiet lake. The pathway is named after the 1937 Tour de France winner Roger Lapébie, and on any given day you’ll see many of the region’s most passionate cyclists cruising its wide thoroughfare.

Cross-country cycling routes cut through Bordeaux towards the coast and in the opposite direction, towards the city of Toulouse. But here’s the big insider tip: You can take bikes on many trains for free. Hop the train to wineries in Médoc and Saint-Emilion, pedal your way between tasting rooms, and train it back to your lodging in the city at the end of the day. You’ll feel like a pro and will have worked off those calories just in time for dinner. Plan your routes in advance to coincide with train schedules.

Skydive or hot air balloon over the bay

Photo: saranya33/Shutterstock

As fun as the biking is, thrillseekers get the best view of Bordeaux as they fall from a height of up to 13,000 feet over the vineyards. Bordeaux has become a popular spot for skydiving, thanks to the magnificent views it affords divers of the sea, estuary, mountains, forests, beach, and tiny villages of the area. Air Mauss offers divers the chance to freefall for almost one minute before sailing to a sandy landing spot along the coast for around $310.

Or, slow down the fall in the basket of a hot-air balloon. The charming nearby village of Saint-Emilion is the launching pad for hot air balloons. Floating above the region’s 12,000 hectares of vines is worth the pre-dawn start. La Ferme du Ciel offers flights daily starting at $226, or visit during October for the Saint-Emilion Hot Air Balloon Festival, during which dozens of visiting balloon operators take tours morning and afternoons.

Sun, surf, sleep in style, and scale Europe’s highest dune

Photo: Delpixel/Shutterstock

Surf’s up at Lacanau, just one hour by car or under two hours by train from Bordeaux. The area is home to a great break for beginners and intermediates alike, with consistent waves along its eight miles of sandy beaches. With dozens of surf schools in the area, you’ll be able to find a friendly instructor to show you the ropes, no matter the season. Start with Ocean Ride, which offers individual and group lessons specifically tailored for kids, teens, adults, and first-timers.

Those who aren’t keen to surf can still enjoy the coast. Europe’s biggest sand dune, Dune du Pilat, lies approximately 37 miles by train from the center of Bordeaux, and it’s well worth the visit. Rising 360 feet above sea level and stretching 1.6 miles along the coast, Pilat is a unique, ever-changing natural wonder. Test your stamina as you scramble up the giant dune to admire the impressive views across Arcachon Bay and Landes forest, then unleash your inner child and roll down the other side.

Photo: trabantos/Shutterstock

When it’s time to rest your weary legs, just out of town Les Cabanes de La Romaningue offers a quirky collection of bubble cabins, treehouses, and vintage caravans on its 80 acres of vineyards. Opt to explore the site’s bikeways, golf course, or nearby wineries, or just sit back and relax with a good book and a dose of French country air. The Le Saint James Hotel in Bordeaux proper attracts cyclists pedaling across the country, as well as other outdoor enthusiasts, making it a great option for lodging if you want tips on routes and conditions. Rooms start at about $200 per night.

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Earth-like planet discovered

Astronomers have detected a new planet 25,000 light-years away, and it appears to have Earth-like qualities. The discovery was published by a team of scientists from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand in the Astronomical Journal.

The rocky planet in question, named OGLE-2018-BLG-0677, is between the size of Earth and Neptune, and orbits a star — in the same way that Earth orbits the sun — that is one-tenth the size of the sun. One big difference is that this newly discovered planet has 617-day years.

The presence or possibility of life on this new planet hasn’t been determined yet and won’t for a long time because it is too far away for available instruments to determine its temperature.

The planet was discovered using a microlensing technique, which employed telescopes in Chile, South Africa, and Australia, to examine light in the solar system.

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London’s urban forests

Any of London’s 3,000 parks offer a dose of nature. Forty percent of its acreage is open space, making the city one of the greenest major urban hubs in the world. Even more fascinating is that pockets of ancient woodland still exist within the capital’s boundaries. London is the world’s largest urban forest, all 388,400 acres of it. We don’t just mean a concrete forest, though there’s plenty of that, but an actual forest — made of some 8.4 million trees. Someone counted. That means there’s no reason to rub shoulders with fellow joggers vying for your turf. Not when there are acres upon acres of forests to get lost in. The next time you’re looking for an urban getaway in London, head to the forest.

1. Epping Forest

Photo: LucasGranger/Shutterstock

Epping Forest is first up on the list, in part due to its sheer size. It covers roughly 6,000 acres of terrain. London shares joint custody of this forest with Essex, its 12 miles of natural landscape, wetlands, grassland, ponds, and bogs stretching from Chingford, past Loughton, and up to Theydon Bois.

Back when knocking another guy off a horse with a massive stick was considered the height of entertainment, Epping Forest was declared a royal hunting ground. Basically, it was the king’s personal playground where he got the first pick of game. Or mutton. Or whatever it else was on the table back then. Then, in 1543, Henry VIII built Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, a surviving timber structure still standing today. It’s located on the southern tip of the forest, a 10-minute walk from Chingford Rail Station. Tudor exhibitions are hosted on the regular, so it’s the perfect starting point to get a feel for the forest before you strap on your hiking boots.

To explore the forest, start at Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge and keep walking until you get to Connaught Water, a large lake on the outskirts of Epping Forest. From here, carry on to the east through the fringes of trees, where you’ll be met with the sound of bubbling streams. Follow the marked trails, sidelined by massive gnarly oaks, until you reach the Lost Pond. Don’t be put off if you don’t see any Fallow or Muntjac deer the moment you get there; they’re shy. Stay put and admire the beds of moss, bracken, and fern. You’re likely to see one eventually.

There’s no shortage of camping sites in the area, easily accessible by car or bicycle. If you do stay the night, Epping Forest is the perfect spot to observe the night sky. The airfield that’s located nearby will make for some unforgettable stargazing moments.

2. Highgate Wood and Queen’s Wood

Photo: I Wei Huang/Shutterstock

North London’s Highgate Wood is actually smaller than the more popular Hampstead Heath, but that’s not the point. Highgate Wood sits between Muswell Hill and Highgate Station, the only forest that’s survived the rapid growth of London’s suburbia. It’s joined to Queen’s Wood via a trail known as the Capital Ring.

Prehistoric flints have been discovered here during excavations, and archaeologists have established that the forest was used to make pottery way back in the first century, during the Roman era. That ceramic pot you’ve just tripped over isn’t someone’s leftover picnic scraps.

The forest’s fauna is predominantly made up of beech, hornbeam, and oak, though for a few weeks every year (normally towards the end of April) bluebells bloom, and the forest floor is transformed into a blanket of pretty lilac. Start your walk at Gypsy Gate and cross the massive clearing used as sports grounds (where zip-lining prevails) then head to The Hollies, a bird sanctuary with over 70 different species. If you’re more of a night owl, you can join the wood’s warden on one of his evening strolls to spot nocturnal creatures like bats and badgers.

3. Sydenham Hill Wood and Dulwich Wood

Photo: The Picture Studio/Shutterstock

Located in South London’s Dulwich, Sydenham Hill Wood sits on the site of a former railway line and is roughly 24 acres in size. It’s the last remaining swathe of the Great North Wood, an ancient forest that once stretched from Deptford all the way to Selhurst. The most popular trail here, known as Cox’s Walk, takes you across a footbridge over the disused railway track and past a closed tunnel, which is now a bat roost. (Nature always finds a way.)

Back in its heyday during the mid- to late 1800s, the walk was the subject of much artistic scrutiny — this painting from 1871 standing as a prime example — and although the view has changed, the trees have not. You’ll be walking under oaks so old they creak and moan in the breeze. Stay still long enough, and the forest floor will become alive with foxes, rabbits, and the odd surprised deer. Woodpeckers, owls, and bats haunt tree canopies, while rare fungi and mushrooms can be found in their moist crevices.

Dulwich Wood lies adjacent to Sydenham Hill Wood, the two woodlands interlinking with trails snaking through them. Once you venture into Dulwich Wood, you’ll come across the ruins of a folly, a Victorian garden feature, lying hidden in an enclosure of trees. The trees and folly are the leftovers of a once-grand estate known as Fairwood, which, for a time, housed the Lord Mayor of London.

4. Oxleas Wood and Severndroog Castle

Photo: Fotosin/Shutterstock

Oxleas Wood is an ancient woodland located across Shooter’s Hill in South London’s Greenwich, dating back as far as 8,000 years. It’s part of a larger site that encompasses Oxleas Woodlands, Castle Wood, Jack Wood, and Shepherdleas Wood.

The area is considered a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of the impressive trees that inhabit it, including oak, silver birch, hazel, and hornbeam. You’ll be privy to stunning views across Oxlea meadows, which offer acres and acres of open grassland. If you want to get stuck into nature, make a pitstop at the Oxleas Wood Apiary, the bee farm that has created a lot of buzz with its beekeeping courses.

If you follow the trails all the way up Shooter’s Hill, you’ll also come across Severndroog Castle, built in the 18th century and listed as a Grade II building — which is a note to its historical significance. The gothic tower offers panoramic views of London. Just a word of warning: It’s a steep climb. We won’t judge if you need to stop to catch your breath on the way up.

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Beijing sesame sauce

At lunchtime on a regular weekday in October, the small restaurant in Beijing’s old Muslim quarter was extremely busy. I had to share a table with three middle-aged women, who were heatedly discussing real-estate flipping in crisp Beijing dialect. Their food came — meat pies, napa cabbage, and the restaurant’s famous baodu (blanched tripe). Soon every dish would be slathered in zhi ma jiang, or sesame paste, a condiment ubiquitous in Beijing cuisine.

I first tried Beijing sesame paste as a hot pot dip when I was in college. I grew up in South China where sesame paste, or sesame sauce as it’s sometimes labeled at the grocery store, isn’t quite as common. It was a curious taste at first — slightly bitter on the first bite, but almost immediately, the bitterness is overcome by a rich nuttiness, which is enhanced by the creamy texture.

Unlike the tahini used in Middle Eastern cuisine, Beijing sesame paste is made from roasted sesame seeds, and the final product is mixed with a small amount of peanut butter, imbuing the paste with a sweet, smooth flavor. The smooth taste also makes it extremely versatile. Beijingers can eat almost everything with sesame paste. For breakfast, it is kneaded into pastries and stirred into congees. For lunch and dinner, it’s smeared on pies and blanched meat. In summer, it’s drizzled on salads and cold noodles. In winter, it’s a popular hot pot dip. My favorite (and many locals agree), however, is to simply slather sesame paste on a plain, piping hot steamed bun. The sinful but sacred union of fat and carbs all in one nutty, chewy bite evokes our most primal feelings for food.

The fraught history of sesame paste

Photo: Mirko Kuzmanovic/Shutterstock

If you’re looking for sesame paste in Beijing, your first stop should be Zhaofujie Food Store, tucked away in a narrow alley behind an imposing 15th-century drum tower. The store opened in 1956. For more than 30 years, it was a state-owned vendor distributing meat, vegetables, eggs, and a small selection of tightly rationed gourmet food to more than a thousand households in the neighborhood. Before China’s 1992 reform, which abolished central planning, the country’s economy operated largely under a rationing system in which everything, from food and clothes to home appliances like radios and sewing machines, had to be purchased from designated vendors with government-issued coupons.

“You [couldn’t] buy anything without a coupon, no matter how much cash you have,” my dad once told me. He was born in 1955 and still has vivid memories of buying rationed meat (250 grams per person per month) for his parents.

Sesame paste, as a cherished gourmet food, was tightly rationed back then. From 1956 to 1992, only 200 kilos were shipped to Zhaofujie Food Store every month to be distributed to as many as 1,300 families in the neighborhood. Local residents who grew up in the 1960s and ‘70s still have fond memories of picking up their families’ monthly ration of sesame paste from the store. The kid handed over a jar and the family’s ration book. After checking the accorded amount, a senior store clerk scooped out a ladleful of sesame paste from a huge vat, held the ladle above the mouth of the jar, and nimbly turned his wrist. Creamy sesame paste would then flow down in a thin, smooth stream. When it was about the right weight, the clerk shook his wrist to stop the flow, and threw the jar on a scale — just to confirm.

“The quota was 50 grams of sesame paste per person per month. If one family got more than its share, someone else would not have enough,” a friend’s mom who grew up in Beijing told me.

Local families would stretch their monthly sesame paste ration for as long as possible.

“My mom would mix a little ma jiang [sesame paste] into the dough when we made steamed buns every week. Or if it’s summer, we would drizzle some onto the cold noodles,” she added.

The current owner of the store, Li Ruisheng, started working at Zhaofujie Food Store in the late ‘80s. Against the backdrop of privatization, supermarkets and food markets opened across Beijing, offering varied product selections and explorative shopping experiences that were completely unheard of in the communist era. Zhaofujie Food Store, along with other state-owned vendors, struggled to keep up. To survive, it stopped selling money-losing fresh produce and rented out more than half of the store space. Only a selected assortment of traditional specialty food continued to be sold there, which included its beloved sesame paste.

Despite these efforts, the rigid business operations from the past era were no longer compatible with the booming consumer economy. Business was dismal. Li Ruisheng, however, decided to remain open. His strategy was to sell only authentic Old Beijing flavors that are increasingly hard to find in the rapidly changing city.

To ensure consistent quality of his sesame paste, the best-selling product, Li Ruisheng sampled sesame paste from producers all around Beijing before finally deciding to source exclusively from a factory in the Shunyi suburbs. The producer only uses heirloom sesame seeds domestically produced in Anhui and Hubei Province, which is less bitter than the cheaper imported kinds, and mixes in a slightly lower proportion of peanuts to make the sweetness less overwhelming.

Words quickly spread. Customers from every part of the sprawling city began to buy their sesame paste at his shop. Many even drove here from distant suburbs to try the store’s artisan sesame paste that reminded them of childhood. Sales surged. According to one news report on the store, a “55-kilogram jar of yellow sauce can be sold almost every day.”

The best sesame paste in Beijing

Photo: elwynn/Shutterstock

Last October, I visited Zhaofujie Food Store for the first time during a trip back home. It has been almost 10 years since I graduated from college, and every time I go back, usually for not more than three days of layover, I am surprised at how quickly the city is being gentrified.

“Many mom-and-pop shops have been forced to move away,” a longtime friend who has lived in Beijing for more than 15 years told me. “There’s an ongoing initiative to renovate the streets. To some extent, the city now looks glossy but sterile.”

Zhaofujie Food Store and its neighborhood, however, defied my expectations. It was late in the afternoon, and the wooden shelves were only half stocked. A few plastic basins of pickled mustard were laid out on the old counter. In front of the counter was a huge, half-empty vat of sesame paste. Salt-and-pepper-haired Li Ruishing was chatting quietly with an old man carrying groceries. All other customers I saw also seemed like local residents.

In fact, the entire neighborhood, despite being in the historical center of Beijing, felt more residential than commercial. School children chased each other in the narrow alleys. Groups of retirees were kicking jianzi in public parks. For the moment, the old neighborhood seemed to have survived the roaring trend of gentrification. Still, many old courtyards are quickly being turned into cafes, galleries, and boutique hotels. Li Ruisheng, after more than 30 years in the store, is considering retiring. I’m not against commercial developments, but I still could not help wondering what tradition, including food tradition, which carries so many of the city’s memories, would be lost in the process.

I found my answer in Niujie (also known as Ox Street), part of Beijing’s old Muslim quarter that’s known for its bustling food scene. The neighborhood is all wide streets and highrises. But the sidewalks are full of hustle and bustle. In front of popular food stores, locals on their daily grocery runs stood in long lines. When it’s their turn, they shout their orders into the narrow take-out windows impatiently. “One kilo of rice cake!” “Two Kilos of sesame paste turnovers!”

Later that day, I went to Zhangji, a hot pot restaurant. The young owner is said to have perfected his sesame paste dip recipe. He dilutes his sesame paste with water infused with assorted herbs and spices, and mixes in a small amount of minced chives, shrimp paste, and pear confit to brighten up the taste. The waiter insisted on the proper way to apply the dressing.

“Don’t stick the lamb slices into the dip. Drizzle a little sauce onto the sliced lamb. This way, the sesame paste balances but not overwhelms the flavors of the lamb,” he instructed.

The use of Beijing sesame paste in fine-dining restaurants like this one reassured me that it is by no means a nostalgic item on the verge of becoming obsolete but a living tradition that evolves with the ever-changing consumer tastes.

I realized that for Beijing people, the love for sesame paste, just like many other traditions, is ingrained in their lives. For them, sesame paste symbolizes a passion and resilience to pursue joy and refinement with limited resources, even in times of poverty and scarcity. Now, when former luxury becomes an everyday staple, such a spirit remains, continuing to shape the palates and minds of generations to come.

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Mannequins in empty seats

The Inn at Little Washington, a three-Michelin-starred luxury restaurant in Rappahannock County, Virginia, had big plans to open up on May 15, but there have been a few bumps along the way. First, Mayor Ralph Northam decreed that diners would have to eat outside in the first phase of restaurant reopenings. So the Inn’s chef, Patrick O’Connell, pushed the opening date back to May 29. Then the mayor announced another regulation: Dining rooms could only be filled to 50 percent capacity, which means there would be a lot of empty seats in spacious restaurants. O’Connell knew that would throw off the restaurant’s atmosphere so he came up with a plan to simply fill all the empty seats with mannequins dressed in mid-century formal wear.

According to the Washingtonian, the theatrical chef, who majored in drama in college, is working with Shirlington’s Signature Theatre to get his mannequins outfitted in ‘40s-era garb for their big debut. O’Connell is not treating his attempt to bring some life into his restaurant as a laughing matter: Servers have been instructed to pour wine for the mannequins and “ask them about their evening,” as the Washingtonian reported.

The mannequins are supposed to make the dining room look crowded, mimicking the feel of a busy night on the town, eating and enjoying wine while being surrounded by the boisterous conversation that usually accompanies a restaurant dinner. Of course, COVID-19 changed all that, and the vast majority of Americans have n0t been able to enjoy a sit-down dinner in about two months, or even seen anyone outside of their kids, partners, and pets.

While it’s still unclear if diners will want their first dining companions in months to be mannequins, kudos to O’Connell for trying something to make his establishment appealing to restaurant-starved diners emerging from quarantine. He’ll also be offering custom-made masks with “Marilyn Monroe smiles and George Washington chins.”

Restaurants have to be creative to stay in business right now, so no matter what you might want to say about forcing people to dine with creepy mannequins wearing costumes, you can’t deny that O’Connell is trying his hardest to get interest drummed up before he opens.

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Iceland opening to tourism June 2020

Believing that tourism is integral to the successful resurgence of its economy, Iceland is planning to reopen its borders to travel by June 15. Since Iceland has successfully contained the virus, conducted more tests per capita than any other country, and has only 15 active COVID-19 cases, prime minister Katrin Jakobsdottir announced their intent to loosen travel restrictions, which have been in place since March 20.

Travelers to Iceland would be given a free COVID-19 test upon arrival. If it’s positive, they will be asked to quarantine in their home or hotel for 14 days. Right now, everyone entering the country — both foreigners and citizens — must undergo a 14-day quarantine, although only travelers with Schengen passports are currently permitted to enter.

If incoming travelers have reliable documentation that they have already taken a coronavirus test, and tested negative, they will be exempt from taking another one. Everyone, however, will be asked to download Iceland’s contact tracing app, which tracks users movements and helps the government inform those who may have come into contact with an infected person.

Authorities have said that if the screenings prove successful at Keflavik Airport, Iceland may open other entry points like ferry routes and smaller airports.

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How airlines are social distancing

Until this weekend, it seemed the pandemic would lead to a sliver of a silver lining: less-crowded airplanes.

Multiple US airlines had promised to book fewer passengers per plane and leave middle seats open. American Airlines stated it would block “50% of standard middle seats.” JetBlue pledged to sell fewer seats on most flights, and Southwest Airlines said that health measures would include “limiting the number of passengers onboard.”

Delta announced it would cap its seating at 50 percent in first class and 60 percent in its main cabin through June 30. And two weeks ago, United sent an email to customers, telling them, “We’re automatically blocking the middle seats to give you enough space on board.”

Yet as people start traveling again, the reality of on-board social distancing is looking a bit different. That became clear on Saturday when Ethan Weiss, a UCSF cardiologist, flew back to California with a team of doctors who’d spent the last few weeks working at New York City hospitals.

Weiss tweeted a selfie of himself on a packed United Airlines flight. His comment: “I guess @united is relaxing their social distancing policy these days? Every seat full on this 737.”

I guess @united is relaxing their social distancing policy these days? Every seat full on this 737 pic.twitter.com/rqWeoIUPqL

— Ethan Weiss (@ethanjweiss) May 9, 2020

This was not what Weiss had expected given United’s email that had promised otherwise and which Weiss shared on Twitter. Before landing, Weiss tweeted again, saying “people on the flight are scared/shocked.” He added, “This is the last time I’ll be flying in a while.”

Weiss’s tweet was liked by over 28,000, shared nearly 10,000 times, and republished in multiple outlets. That got United’s attention.

United replied to Weiss yesterday, he said. He tweeted that the airline clarified that if passengers’ flights turned out to be fuller than anticipated, United would allow those customers “to rebook on a different flight… or receive a travel credit.”

While Weiss seemed satisfied with the United’s “gracious” reply, questions remain. Will airlines keep middle seats open, or won’t they?

Airlines under financial pressure

Photo: Mimadeo/Shutterstock

Given that air travel has fallen off a cliff, dropping 98 percent over the previous year, it seems it should be easy to keep planes uncrowded. It wasn’t that long ago that social media was awash in images of desolate check-in kiosks, deserted airports, and nearly empty aircraft cabins. According to the trade group Airlines for America, the average domestic flight had only 12.5 passengers on board last month.

So why was Ethan Weiss’s flight so full?

It turns out that all the empty planes have led to a lot of canceled flights — with airlines operating minimal flights to many destinations. All those canceled flights means more passengers on the planes that are still in operation.

As United said to the doctor, “because our schedule is so reduced (we’re only operating a single flight a day in some destinations), there are a small number of flights where our customers are finding planes fuller than they expect.”

In fact, airlines can’t fly forever with so few passengers without raising ticket prices significantly. International Air Transport Association, a trade group representing airlines, said that airlines need to fly at 77 percent capacity to break even, leading to the association to come out against social distancing requirements on airplanes.

Flying “ghost planes”

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As part of their federal bailout package, airlines have to keep old routes open. Unless they earn an exemption, airlines must keep flying to all the destinations they served before March 1 — although they can consolidate airports in an urban area. These “ghost planes” come at a cost not just to the environment but to the airlines themselves. Even though there are hardly any planes over Europe at the moment, the situation is different in the US.

With the expense of flying empty planes added to the financial squeeze airlines are already experiencing, filling seats with passengers who are willing to pay for them may be hard to resist.

While Frontier Airlines intended to charge passengers for the security of having an open middle seat, it had to pull back from that plan after pushback and complaints from lawmakers. But it looks like airlines may still have some discretion to fill those seats — regardless of passenger preference. American Airlines has said that while it will strive to keep middle seats open, and it “will only use those seats when necessary.” It didn’t define what “necessary” means.

United, for its part, will try to give passengers advance notice if their flight will have more passengers than they expected. The airline said, “we’ll do our best to contact [customers] about 24 hours before their departure time so they can decide whether to adjust their plans before they arrive at the airport… and we’ll provide this option at the gate, if more than 70% of customers have checked in.”

“We’ll do our best” doesn’t sound like a legally enforceable guarantee, but if you are very uncomfortable about flying, you could try rebooking at the gate, as United has offered. If you did that, though, you’d have to deal with the additional hassle of going to the airport more than once — so it’s a call you’d have to make based on your comfort level.

What you can do now

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For now, there are still things you can do to stay safe. For one, most airlines are asking their passengers to wear a mask. The latest airline to announce a mask policy was Spirit Airlines, joining United, Delta, JetBlue, American, Southwest, and Alaska.

Several airlines have also announced changes to their boarding procedures to enforce more social distancing and have reduced or eliminated in-flight service on some flights. Southwest, for one, will not offer food or drinks on short-haul flights.

All airlines use HEPA filters, which do remove a lot of contaminants from the air. And don’t forget to wipe down the area around you, including the touchscreen in front of you, with disinfectant wipes. And use that hand sanitizer. Often.

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