Fear Factor

Last night was truely historic.

For many reasons.

It was our last night in China as a family. Today we all hit the plane and head home. The family in Economy - me in Business. Hey... as Seinfeld said - once you've been upgraded - its so hard to go back... And if you've never been up... well... you don't know what you're missing... :)

Actually - my ticket was bought months ago and theirs just recently... and with 911 and all - there isn't the freedom to go back and forth between cabins anymore...

(at least that's what I'm telling them....)

So last night we had a big meal with all of my Chinese co-workers.

Star picked the restuarant this time. Star is very colorful and has been working with me on the editing. She is from Dong Bei - a northern province up near Korea - so she wanted to take us out for Dong Bei food.

It was pouring rain last night - thus difficult to get around in the city. Beijing runs on buses, bikes and subways - but when it rains - everyone wants a cab... and then it takes forever to actually get one. Last time it was raining that hard - I waited in the rain for over two hours till I finally got one.

Last night wasn't quite as bad - only a 30 minute wait.

The place was really cool. Sort of a rustic vibe - everyon was in traditional clothes - and lots of wood. Sort of like a Chinese Lone Star. We were on the third floor in a private room. At the top of the stairs was an old wooden cart being pulled by a stuffed deer. My kids immediately started petting it and wanting to get their picture taken with it.

Once in the room - the first thing I noticed was a big deer head adorning the wall. This was obviously part of the theme. While normally I take no hand in ordering - especially when there is someone who picked the restuarant and knows the cuisine - I did ask the waitress if they had venison on the menu. She said they did - so I had to order some.

Star did pass me the menu - and I also saw something that reminded me of the old Beijing days.

When I was here 98-99 doing our TV show, the American crew had a deal that everytime we ate out - we would order the strangest thing on the menu and everyone would at least try it. This lead to us eating camel, donkey, dog and sheep testicles.

Last night I saw a picture of these grubs on the menu. And I had to try it.

So we ordered it up.

The food was great - and every now and then - I'd grab a grub and shove it in my mouth. Ting Ting and Cho Shang also ate one every now and then. And Chris - Star's husband - ate a bunch as well.

My son kept asking a lot of questions about the grubs. What they tasted like. What they felt like when you ate them. Over and over. I finally gave him one cause he said he wanted to try it. I told him if he ate it I'd give him 5 bucks. He touched it, held it, thought about it a lot, asked more questions - and waved it in his sister face.

Finally - towards the end of the night - he ate it.

And then he started to dry heave.

But he kept it down. Most of it. He did spit out some of the shell. But he got his money.

And then -to my surprise - my daughter picked one up and shoved it down - all of it - without skipping a beat.

So they both walked out with cash in hand.

Bug Money, my son called it.

But it spends just as well as real money...

Now... to get ready for a long plane ride home....