The Best Thing (Chinese Drama)

           The Best Thing Chinese drama is my favorite drama this year (2025). It is about the severely insomniac hotel manager Shen Shi Fan and the good-looking neighborhood Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor He Su Ye.

From the setting alone, the scenery, I became hooked with this drama. You should watch it if you are interested in Chinese Traditional medicine. The actor Zhang Ling He who plays the TCM doctor is right for the role. 

The female lead looks like a younger version of Shu Qi. This drama is lighthearted and no serious problematic plot. Real life is stressful and by watching this series it was a beautiful escape for me from the real world for awhile.

I really like the OST of this drama, I like the song of Silence Wang, You Are In the World I Like and Thoughts of Loving You by Yan Ren Zhong. 

I have two items, memorabilia from this drama photocards and the Chinese novel by Sheng Li, which is so cute because it has a hand written note and a beautiful quote that says, "The happiest thing in the world is that the person you love just happens to love you deeply too." 

Osmanthus Bean Cake

 I finally found the cake I’ve always admired in the Chinese dramas I watch—the soft, fragrant osmanthus mung bean cake. This is exactly the kind I’ve been longing to try, not like the powdery biscuit version I once posted about. What makes it even more special is that these cakes are made by 知味观 (Zhī Wèi Guān), one of Hangzhou’s most popular and historic food brands founded in 1913, celebrated for their authentic flavors and cultural presentation.

I also love the covers of the boxes—they tell the stories of beautiful West Lake scenes, and here are some interesting facts I discovered about them:

Left box: Osmanthus Mung Bean Cake (桂花绿豆糕 Guìhuā lǜ dòu gāo). The cover illustrates 花港观鱼 (Huā gǎng guān yú), “Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor,” one of West Lake’s Ten Scenes. This place is famous for its red carp gliding gracefully beneath pavilions, surrounded by flowers in bloom—a lively yet poetic reflection of the osmanthus flavor within.

Right box: Original Mung Bean Cake (原味绿豆糕 Yuánwèi lǜ dòu gāo). This box shows 曲院风荷 (Qūyuàn fēng hé),  “Lotus in the Breeze at the Crooked Courtyard.” In summertime, lotus blossoms fill the lake, swaying in the warm breeze. The pure, original flavor of this cake mirrors that same calm beauty.

Bottom of the Green Box (both cakes). Printed here are the phrases 晓食时令 (Xiǎo shí shí lìng)  “Seasonal Delicacies at Dawn” and 湖山十景 (Húshān shí jǐng), “Ten Scenic Views of Lake and Mountain,” tying these sweets to the cultural legacy of Hangzhou. The motto—知景 (Zhī jǐng) / 知味 (Zhī wèi) / 知西湖 (Zhī Xīhú), “Know the Scenery, Know the Taste, Know West Lake”—reminds us that enjoying these cakes is also savoring a piece of history and culture.

The numbers printed on the boxes 20250813 and 20250814 are the production dates. In China, it’s common to print the date of manufacture, while in the Philippines we are more familiar with seeing the expiration date on food packaging. ✍️

Osmanthus Pastry Biscuits

The Yunnan-style osmanthus bean pastry (桂花糕, Guìhuā gāo – Osmanthus Cake) is a traditional Chinese pastry made with sweet bean paste and fragrant osmanthus flowers, giving it a delicate floral aroma. The pastry is typically soft, slightly flaky, or chewy, and lightly sweetened to complement the filling, making it a smooth and aromatic treat often enjoyed with tea. 

This particular version that I bought is not from a major national brand like Huangshan, Zhiweiguan, or Daoxiangcun. Instead, the packaging and design suggest it comes from a smaller local or regional producer, likely in an area known for traditional snacks. The artwork on the packaging shows a traditional rural scene of people making cakes with a steamer, highlighting the brand’s “authentic handmade” style.

Each bag weighs 130g, a souvenir-sized pack, and the cakes are individually wrapped, which is common for regional specialty snacks intended for gifting or sharing. While this brand is not widely famous, the cake represents an authentic traditional snack, popular especially in southern China (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan) where osmanthus flowers have cultural significance. The texture is slightly crumbly, floral, and sweet, and the product likely originates from the Jiangnan region or another area with a strong osmanthus tradition. Its texture reminds me of our own Philippine pastry dessert which is called polvoron.

In short, this 桂花糕 is a regional specialty pastry that combines traditional flavors, handmade appeal, and cultural significance, offering a sweet, fragrant, and authentic taste of Chinese dessert culture.

Purple Clay Pot or Yixing Tea Pot Set

           The other day the cousin of my husband went to our house to give us a few things from the aunt of my husband. I received a beautiful tea pot set and not porcelain but a clay pot set.

Let me tell you about this clay tea pot set or as my online Chinese friend told me, it is called a purple clay. I researched about it and it is also called Yixing tea pot. I love teapots since I am also fond of tea. I'd rather drink tea any day than coffee! I also own an expensive teapot from Cath Kidston that I bought wayback. 

The origin of Yixing clay is usually from Jiangsu, China. They usually harvest this kind of clay. Clay extraction from this place dates back from the Song dynasty (10th century) and the popularity of this teapots started in the Ming dynasty (15 to 16th century). 

I am not sure if this is an original Yixing clay teapot set. As we all know, there are a lot of fake tea sets around. For me, I value it for its aesthetic beauty and the rich tradition behind it. 

My Chinese friend online who is from Xiamen told me that on the tea cups are auspicious words happiness and sustenance. The cover of the box there is a statement to frequen tea drinking makes the body strong and healthy. You can see there is a carving of a woman standing on a dragon. According to my research is it the Chinese goddess Guan Yin. 

My New Smartwatch: Huawei Band 10

           I recently bought a new smartwatch, Huawei Band 10. I was eyeing the Smart gt 5 watch but it is too expensive and I cannot eait to have my own smartwatch with a panda character. 

My first smartwatch was North Edge watch NL60 women's watch and F60. They were just okay for me, not bad for a smartwatch. The next smartwatch that I bought was the Xiaomi Mi Band 3. The most expensive smartwatch that I bought was the Xiaomi Redmi Watch 4. 

I love that the Huawei band is affordable and that it is the most cheap compared with all the Huawei watch that has an emotional assistance feature. Compared to the gt 5, the actions of the panda here is limited. There are 3 panda pose to remind and tell you of your mood. The watch also features, heart rate and oxygen. 

I am attacked by anxiety sometimes and the Huawei feature of emotional assistance is really helpful for me. Just seeing the cute panda makes me feel happy. 

My Favorite Chinese Series

            I am so glad that I have discovered these Chinese platform apps in android. Like what I have mentioned before, I usually watch Chinese dramas in IQiyi but now I discovered another Chinese app, WeTV IFlix. I have seen a lot of Chinese series wayback. Scarlet Heart starring Cecilia Liu is one unforgettable drama. 

I recently saw Money is Coming and I actually enjoyed this drama, the female lead or FL is not your typical lead, witty and  has a strong character. The male lead aside from being good looking, I like the vibe that he gives out, mysterious yet there's a romantic part in him.The synopsis is a female college student finds herself entering a book. I will not spoil the story, you better watch it. This drama is from Iflix.

Two of the dramas from IQiyi has a "moon", in its title. The first one is Moon Love, It is about a girl who sees ghosts or immortals as they call it. She was saved by the god of the moon. Their paths have crossed before and now they will embark in a fantastical journey. 

The other drama is Song of the Moon, the lead actor here is popular as I have seen him in other Cdramas. The synopsis is a young girleets a mysterious man with whom she exchanges her future for 3 full days of happiness. She will be involved in the battle between immortals and demons.Find out who is the mysterious man by watching this series. I also love the cinematography of this drama.

Last but not the least is Mr. Bad. The FL here is the lead of the popular drama, A Love So Beautiful. A young girl who loves to write accidentally summons the villain from the novel she wrote when she made a wish. This is a lighthearted and sweet drama. If you want a cute and feel good drama, I recommend this. 

My escape from this chaotic world is by watching Chinese dramas. When I am so stressed out by my monotonous life, these series has helped me. I really wish that someday I can see and visit China. As I am writing this wearing my Tang Hanfu dress and shoes, I long for that place that I can only see in my dreams. Wishing it would be real.

Moonlight Mystique (C-Drama Series)

          This is a Xianxia series adopted from the novel 白烁上神 (Bai.Shuo Shang Shen) , starring Bai Lu and Ao Rui Peng. This is about the youngest daughter of the governor who tries her best to become an immortal, to repay another divine being who helped her when she was young. In her journey she came across the Demon Lord of the Bright Moon Palace. 

          I have seen a few xianxia series. My favorite is Eternal Love. I even bought the English  version of that novel of that from Fully Booked, "To the Sky." by Tang Qi. This is the first time that I got hook in a Chinese action fantasy series. I am now nearing the finale episode. I usually watch Chinese series either from Netflix or IQiyi. 

Watching this rekindled my Chinese culture interest again. Its just sad that I disposed my collection of Chinese related books when we moved here in Bulacan. My husband does not want clutter and we don't have that much space.

Moving on, this Chinese series is really very good. Up to 40 episodes but I didn't get bored or I didn't even fast forwarded the episodes. There are many things you will learn in this series. You will learn about the demon Lord Zhen Yu of the Cold Spring Palace and Fan Yue of the Bright Moon Palace. There are many sects also 72 was mentioned and Lanling was the top sect. There is also the 3 extinct divine race Jing Yuan (Demon Lord),  Xing Yue (Lunar Lord) and Mo Li (Hidden Lord). Plus, the other races like the Fox clan and stone clan. 

I love this series so much that I ordered  few merchandise online and I even paid an extra aside from my subscription in IQiyi just to watch the finale in advance. I bought a nice desk calendar, Xing Yue's bracelet with photobook. The female lead and the male lead is perfect for the role. I recommend this series to all xianxia lovers.