Hot Pot in the Dorms

Last night, some of Matt's grad students invited us to have dinner with them in the dorms. It was a great time and pretty smart of them. Since student dorms have no heat, cooking "hot pot" keeps the room pretty warm!


Hot pot is a traditional Chinese style of cooking in which you boil some really spicy soup and then drop meat, veggies, and noodles into it to cook. We ate and ate and ate... For two hours we ate, then I had to leave to meet someone else. Matt stayed longer and ate even more.

Penpals

Back in October, I had this great idea that I thought would be so simple...

I gave my students an assignment to write a letter to one of my friends in America. I would grade their grammar and writing style; and, in turn, they would make friends with someone new who could share with them about life, culture, and all kinds of things! It may have been a great idea, but definitely not a simple one!

After finally gathering all the letters from my students, I sent them off to America (half to one city, half to another city). Needless to say, I underestimated the time it takes to get 150 students to write a letter, then to grade them, send them off, have my state-side friends write response letters, then have them all sent back to China again! Yet, finally, after nearly 3 months, I gave the students their return letters from their penpals this week. I have to say that all the headache, the two hours in line at the post office (3 different times), and the hassle of grading was totally worth it! The students were so excited to get letters from these "strangers" in America.

So, thank you to everyone in Knoxville who participated!

Unfortunately, the Cleveland letters got lost in the mail and then returned to me in China. (Aaagh!) So, I am attempting to send them off again very soon. Be on the lookout for them!

The Post-Christmas Post

It's Saturday here; and although our Christmas party that had been planned for students was unfortunately canceled at the last minute, we've really enjoyed the past few days, anyway. On Christmas Eve, we headed into the downtown for a Christmas concert at a local club.

Then, on Friday, we took it easy around here... Made cinnamon rolls, chatted with the families, opened gifts and hung around most of the day. Students dropped in and out to say Merry Christmas and drop off gifts for us (which really should be another blog in itself considering some of the things we received!). We really enjoyed spending the day with them. At about 3pm, some girls came over insisting to help me finish cooking for our 4pm party with our American friends. So, they helped me finish the Christmas cookies! Then on Friday evening, we got together with friends, ate some yummy finger foods and played games. Our Jenga tower reached 36 stories, which according to the box, means we are "real pros"! Then today, we, along with some local friends, headed out into some of poorer areas and workers' dormitories to spread a little Christmas cheer. It was definitely a highlight of the week!

Click here or on the photo above to see more pictures!

Thank you all for keeping my mom in your thoughts this week. She is out of surgery and recovering well. What a great Christmas gift!

A Surprise Christmas Greeting

I was using the Chinese Internet's largest search engine called Baidu last night to find some video clips from Christmas movies and TV series for class. I searched for "Friends Christmas." Imagine my HUGE surprise, when the second page of results popped up a video of MY friends at Christmas! Check it out... You may know these folks!

Click on the image above to link to the video

The Sweet Potato Guy

Although I'm not a huge fan of eating sweet potatoes, I love the smell of them here in China. These guys cook them in a large metal container on the back of their tri-cycles and then sell them on the street for about $0.25.

A Long Week

It's been a long week for us. Many of you have already heard, but for those of you who haven't, we ask for you to help us in praying for something. Last week, my (Amy's) mom was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Since the initial shock, we have learned that the prognosis seems really good. The doctors caught it early as the result of an unrelated X-ray, and it seems the problem can be taken care of with surgery to remove the affected kidney. There will be another couple tests on Tuesday to ensure that it hasn't spread elsewhere. Please keep my mom in mind over the next couple of Tuesdays: Dec. 15 is the test, Dec. 22 is the operation.

It is definitely not easy being so far away from her and the rest of the family at this time. But we feel so blessed that our Father has given us peace and confidence in Him.

Thanks for joining us in lifting her up.

JiLiang Idol

You may wonder why Matt's students are covered in Christmas tree garland and clutching stuffed animals and roses while they appear to be singing...

Students here love to perform. Really, really love it. Singing competitions are a normal occurrence, and usually (like last night) only about half of the students on stage can actually carry a tune. But no one seems to mind and no one gets booed. Instead, students (despite their singing ability) are given tons of gifts, hugged, kissed, etc. by their friends, admirers and classmates... All while singing!

A Few More Photos...

From Me desperately trying to avoid the photo...and failing

From The full spread of food

From Our friends with whom we celebrated

From The Tree

Three Days of Thankfulness

We celebrated Thanksgiving here on Friday evening with our friends and had a great time. As is the Thanksgiving tradition, there was more food than we could possibly eat--leading to lots of yummy leftovers. After dinner we hung out and played Scattegories for a while before walking home in an attempt to burn a few of those calories. It was delicious; and this morning, I am still stuffed. Unfortunately, the camera battery died mid-celebration, but there will be more pictures later as friends email them to me. The final spread of food was definitely picture worthy!

On Thursday, Matt and I kept things low-key, baking calzones and going to a coffee house. It may seem very un-American, but we enjoyed it. :-)

We also enjoyed sharing the holiday with students a bit. On Wednesday, I baked my first-ever pumpkin pies for the students coming to our English Corner. They were so excited to try some traditional Thanksgiving food and totally loved it. Some girls ate three slices; we had to convince them to save some pie for the guys coming later!

thanksgiving 2009

(Click the photo to see a bigger slideshow.)

A funny site...

Each year on our campus, the workers wrap up the palm trees like Christmas gifts. To me, it always seems festive and one of the first signs that Christmas is approaching; although I'm sure it's for some much more practical purpose, like to keep them from getting too cold and dying. But it just seems funny... Seriously, why plant palm trees in a city that requires the wearing of long underwear in November?

In other news, things have been going well--lots of English corners as we try to get to know our new students better. We're also getting ready for Thanksgiving this week and the craziness of the Christmas season after that. Thankfully, here, the craziness of the Christmas season is still far less hectic and commercialized than at home. It's just crazy due to activities we bring on ourselves and the excitement of sharing the holiday with others.

Whistlin' Dixie

This afternoon, I am sitting in a tea shop next to our house, and I am not lying when I say that a guy outside is actually whistling Dixie Land. You know... "Look away, look away, look away Dixie Land." I have to say, it's not something I ever expected to hear in China, but this place never ceases to amaze.

In other news, I've been sick the past week and after days of avoiding going to doctor because I was afraid I may be diagnosed with swine flu and thereby be quarantined, I finally gave in. If you're sick in China, you don't go to a doctor's office, you just go to the hospital. It was my first trip to a "real" China hospital that didn't have a foreigners clinic, and I have to say that I now have a new and great appreciation for those foreigners clinics! I didn't have swine flu, as it turns out, and am feeling much better now. Aside from one small annoyance, that is...

Perhaps my biggest pet peeves about China is also one of the things I love most about it. The Chinese people are so kind and so eager to help out when you need something. Most of the time, this eagerness it appreciated and loved. But, then it becomes wintertime, and suddenly, every student becomes a worrisome mother--constantly warning us that we should wear more clothes, drink more tea, eat more rice. And when we get sick, it only increases. For example, this is one of the many text messages I received this week from a student: "Amy, have you had supper and taken some medicine? Drinking some hot water will be better for you. These days the weather is bad so be careful and wear thick clothes." Another girl called at 7am to tell me I needed to have a rest, which is exactly what I was doing until she called. I know, I know... They just care and are trying to help, but even this foreigner knows to dress warmly in the cold weather and rest when she's sick!

Yuck...

If there is one thing I will never figure out in China, it is snack food. The foods here that people are able to slurp through a straw are amazing... and often disgusting. Yet, we've become accustomed to students drinking green pea-type and red bean porridges for breakfast (definitely the most popular item). I just never thought I would be partaking of one of these strange food/drink concoctions.

But today at lunch, I was presented with a milk tea drink, only to be shocked to find jello (the least of my worries), red beans, oats and peanuts hiding under the surface. Here is a picture of my "drink."

This Thing Called "Sports Meeting"

Today and tomorrow at my school is the Sports Meeting. Basically, it is a track and field meet for the freshmen students. But like most things in a foreign culture, there are so many elements in this that we just find strange!

For example, this is your all-inclusive track and field meet--complete with pole vault, javelin throw, discus, high jump, hurdles, etc. BUT... few (if any) of these students have EVER taken part in any of these activities before today. So, you have students attempting pole vault, hurdles and everything else with no training. At Matt's sports meeting last week, a student broke his leg jumping hurdles and students throwing discus could not even throw it past the circle they were standing in. And yet, students suffer through it each year.

Every student I've ever talked to hates sports meeting day--in spite of the fact it is supposed to be fun. The ones that are not competing sometimes take part in the parade and performances of the opening ceremony. But most students just sit in the stands watching. And that's another thing... All freshmen students are required to attend sports meeting all day for both days. Sophomore students are required to attend for at least two hours each day. This is so the stands appear full when pictures are taken. And just in case you think of slipping away unnoticed, the class monitor takes attendance every 10 minutes to be sure everyone is still there!

To top it all off, I am at a school that is 70% girls and 100% art students who would rather sit in the park reading poetry or make films rather than do sports. The plus side is that the opening ceremony at my school's meeting was rather entertaining--seeing as how dance is one thing my students actually like doing.

Click on the photo below to see a few pictures and video of this morning opening events.

Chuan Mei Sports Meeting

The News in China

At an English Corner with some students last night, we heard one of the truest and funniest accounts of Chinese TV news since being here! He was right on in his evaluation. And it was funny because, although as foreigners, we definitely think it is true (and therefore, never bother watching Chinese news), most locals will never admit it is so.

And, so here was his take on things:
"The Chinese news broadcast is made up of three parts. One, how well the officials are doing their jobs (mostly a lot of hand-shaking). Two, how great it is to live in China. And, three, how dangerous it is in the rest of the world."

If you don't see the humor, you probably haven't seen Chinese news broadcasts. Live here for a few weeks, and you'll understand!

LongJing Tea Village

This week was the sports holiday (aka, field day) at Matt's school. So, instead of having class, the leaders at his school took all the teachers (and one lucky wife) to LongJing Tea Village. Matt and I had been there before, but it is a lovely place at the southeast edge of our city and a nice escape from the city.

Tea Village

Click on the picture above to see more...

Recently-Spotted Chinglish

People often place classified ads in our city's English magazine to find language tutors. From this month's edition:
"hi everyone i'm a young girl i would like serich a english teacher for teach me english and i can teach him Chinese. that would be very funy and useful."

And, as seen on signs over the urinals in public restrooms:
"One small step forward, a giant leap for civilization."

Highs & Lows

This semester is proving to be a great one, so far. After two and a half years, we finally feel like we're in the groove of life here! We've really been challenged lately about our work here and feel like we are making some good changes to our approach.

That being said, this week alone has been a bit of a roller coaster. In a span of a few days, Amy had one of the most exciting experiences since being here, and Matt had the most discouraging. We're hoping for more and more exciting times and wisdom in the disheartening times.

Holiday

Today is the last day of our holiday, which means back to classes tomorrow. During the 8-day holiday, we stuck around here, along with many of the students. It was a good time to have some great talks with students since they did not have as much pressure to study this week. Here's a bit of the fun stuff we've been up to...

Click on the photo to watch the video.

From holiday

Or click here if you can't see the photo above.

60 Years of the New China

Yesterday was a HUGE day here. It was the 60th anniversary of communist rule in China. In the West, the centennial celebration is a big deal; here in the East, the number 60 holds similar importance. So, it was huge, and because of it, we have an 8-day holiday!

It's been an interesting lead up to yesterday. Security has been heightened significantly. Although it is common for lots of police to be monitoring here, lately, the police have been carrying guns, which is not common. In Beijing, tanks and military checkpoints have surrounded areas of significance and many roads are completely closed.

Yesterday, there was a full-day celebration held in Beijing. It began with a military parade at 10am, followed by a citizens' parade, and then an evening performance and fireworks show. (The evening show was said to be even bigger and costlier than the opening ceremony of the Olympics last year!) Interestingly, the general public had no access to any of the activities. No one was allowed anywhere near the parades except for key Communist party officials. Everyone else watched on TV, which showed everything all day and is in re-runs already today. We watched a few minutes of it here and there but were often frustrated by the broadcast on government TV--for example, the Korean War was referred to as the War of American Aggression.

It was an exciting day for the Chinese people, though, and interesting to be a spectator for the outside. They are nothing, if not proud of their country and history--even when acknowledging its flaws.

Here are a few pictures from the events: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/30/china.60years.preview/index.html#cnnSTCPhoto

And here is a link to a story about the National Day and its history: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/30/china.60years.preview/index.html#cnnSTCOther1

Updates

It's been a while since we posted any pictures. But here are some of recent happenings. The picture and video are from a recent scavenger hunt we did with students. One of the tasks was singing an English song.

The other three pictures are from my trip to Shaoxing with some students a few weekends ago. Unfortunately, the best moment of the trip--when one girl fell into a lake--was not captured on film!

Whew!

Those slow weeks upon first returning to China are long gone! We've both met all our new students now; and for whatever reason, this year's students are much more eager to do... well, anything! We've already been making lots of new friends, and after only one class, Amy was invited to travel with a few girls to a nearby canal town. Matt is really enjoying teaching again this year and is still finding time for Chinese study about 6 hours a week.

Funny stories from our first few weeks of classes:

Amy was told by a student that she was pretty, but not cool b/c she didn't wear her sunglasses during class.

In a slight misunderstanding, Matt was thought to be 38 years old by a number of his students!

The rumors that we have a child named Levi are circulating again... No matter how many times I say "nephew," there are always a few who choose not to hear.

Matt has a male student named Daffodil.

Amy got temporarily locked inside a nearby college campus in their attempt to contain the swine flu.

The Swine Flu Scare

Today was Teacher's Day in China, which was lovely. I received lots of well-wishing messages and, even, a box of chocolates from one class. Usually, our universities give us a gift, as well... This year's present? A thermometer.

Swine flu fears had begun here even before we came home this summer. And, at one point, we were fearing getting quarantined at the airport. But all was well, and we haven't heard much about the infamous flu until this week. And suddenly, it's made a big comeback (the fear, not the actual flu).

Estimates from our city say that 1 student (that's right... 1) has swine flu and up to 20 students have shown flu-like symptoms. Not that they actually have the flu--just the symptoms. Seriously, in a city that has a student population of 250,000, I don't think that's so serious!

But apparently, I am wrong. For the past two weeks, people have been restricted from entering our campus unless they could prove they were a student or teacher here. If you were a student, but forgot your ID card, you were subject to a health check before entering. Other schools and businesses are taking similar measures, and students are sporting surgical masks to class. Soap has even made an appearance in the public bathrooms (the one good thing out of this)! Our friend at another university is required to send his supervisor a daily text message of his temperature reading. And now, I've been given a thermometer...

We are easily frustrated by the strange reactions to this virus. But at the same time, I guess when you have a country of 1.3 billion people living in close quarters, things spread quickly, as they learned with SARS a few years ago. Not to mention that health care is often at a bit of a different standard than some places. (Check out this story that happened in our city.) I just hope it all goes away soon--mostly, of course, for the public's health safety, but also for our sanity.

The Pig

The farmer that Matt stayed with last week raises pigs and sells them at the market. As a gift, he gave us a cured ham. It was so kind, and we are really appreciative. But being give an entire hind leg of a pig presents some problems... Like Matt having to carry the 20lb. leg while traveling across the country (he had hoped to travel light). Not to mention that we have no idea what to do with a whole leg of pork! The ham is delicious... similar to a country ham, but not as sweet and with a better flavor. It's just a LOT of meat! So far, we've shared a bit with some friends, stir-fried it with onions and peppers, and used it in some chili. I'm thinking of baking the ham with some apples later this week. Any other suggestions? :-)

Village Life

Newspaper accounts of China are quick to print stories about the fast development of cities, rags to riches stories, and the plight of the urban poor. Little is said about village life, so I was anxious to see it for myself. A friend of mine, who also happens to be one of the official minorities that total 8% of the population, invited me to his home in the Southwestern province of Yunnan.

While there, I was truly humbled by the attention and hospitality showered me by everyone with whom I came into contact. I believe that I was the first Westerner to visit my friend's village--a party of Japanese researchers had visited it early in the year to observe farming techniques--and I was definitely an object of curiosity. The people gave and gave-sometimes far in excess of their means, and certainly more than I needed or deserved. At one point, a chicken was prepared for me, and the liver was reserved for me (and I despise chicken livers). This offering was made even worse because the gallbladder was still attached. But that was not the only culinary delight offered me--guinea pig is apparently highly valued in Chinese medicine, and the meat is extremely expensive. My host family raises guinea pigs for sale, and took the excuse of my visit to try it for the first time. It wasn't too bad--but it was difficult to know which part of the creature I was eating. To be fair, I think my fellow diners were also a little surprised that wealthy Chinese would pay so much for the opportunity to eat a rodent.

All in all, I think the people of that village gave me plenty of insight into hospitality and generosity of spirit, even if my friend later informed me that they believed they had not done enough. The trip definitely was perspective altering in regard to those materials and items we classify as necessary to modern life. Some people do seem to cope without morning coffee or a flush toilet--things that I am certainly loathe to give up.

I will write a little bit in a day or two about some of the pictures and areas we visited after we left the village.

In the meantime, click on the photo below to see a slideshow of more pictures:

Things Looking Up

Matt returns back to our city of Thursday afternoon after his 10-day trip to the Southwest. The first week was a bit rough, but this week has been great! He and his friend have really enjoyed exploring business opportunities there and have met some great people that have been very helpful along the way. I'm excited to hear more of his stories when he returns!

Around here, it is the first week of school, so campus is booming again! It's a great change... even waiting in long cafeteria lines is no big deal after 2 weeks of a deserted campus! Even though it is the first official week of class, most of my classes do not begin for another couple of weeks. So I've really enjoyed the extra time I have to catch up with students from last semester. It is great to see them again, and I'm looking forward to meeting my new students soon!

Matt & the Village

Matt has been gone since Monday, and unfortunately, it's not going as well as he'd hoped. It's not bad; it's just a difference in culture. In China, when you host someone, the guest is considered very special. Unfortunately, in the village, this means that most of Matt's time there has been sitting on the couch resting and watching TV, which is special to them. When he tries to help with the water buffalo or cooking, he is told, "No, no... Have a rest." He is, as you can imagine, a bit frustrated, as the original plan was to explore the surrounding villages, as well. It's hard for someone who grew up in a village to understand that just everyday village life is special to us.

It's not been all bad. He's had some great chats and met some great people. But he's ready to move. The purpose of this trip was to meet our friend's family, but also to tour the area looking for possibilities regarding a potential tourism business. So far, he's not seen much useful in the way of tourism.

Tomorrow, they are finally heading out of the village and going to another area. Hopefully, it will be a bit more productive! Keep them in your thoughts as they travel.

We're Back!

After a bit of trial and error, we have managed a way to bring our blog back here. Who knows if it will last... We may end up having to move it again, but at least for now, you can find us here!

You may be wondering about our journey to LinPing. Well, it was pretty good, actually! Not much to the town, but it is a nicer suburb than where we live. People seem to have cars a lot more, which probably means it's a bit wealthier. But it wasn't crowded. There were nice, wide, tree-lined streets and a park in the middle of town. We went to a museum there, which was pretty interesting, as well as some other places. It turned out to be a really good visit with some good time to talk while they showed us around. Apparently it's "famous" because an emperor once found safe haven there from his enemies (LinPing literally means safe hiding) and for its watermelons. There are street-side watermelon vendors everywhere. We stopped to buy some from a guy in ashed, with his watermelon patch behind. Turns out the tent is also his house; one bed for two adults and, at least, one kid. Pretty eye-opening.

The day after LinPing, Matt headed out. He is visiting a fried of ours who lives in the rural SW of China. This is Matt's first experience with village life, and I'm sure he'll have lots of stories to share when he comes back.

Things are starting to liven up around here as students are returning. My school is the first to begin classes on August 31, which Matt will start on Sept. 7. We are looking forward to jumping in, meeting new students, and reconnecting with past students!

To LinPing

Everyone we meet in China claims to have the best hometown. I know that at home, Knoxville people think Knoxville is best and Cleveland folks say that Cleveland is best... But here in China, it is taken to a totally different level.

Every town--no matter how small--is famous for something. If you've ever been to China, you know exactly what we're talking about. One town is famous for its umbrellas, another has the best apples, another has the cheapest shoes. We live in Hangzhou, which actually is a famous city--it's known for West Lake and is often written about in ancient Chinese literature. The suburbs of Hangzhou are not so famous. We live in Xiasha--there are people living in downtown Hangzhou who have never heard of it. Another suburb is called LingPing. Until two weeks ago, we had never heard of it, either. A friend's boyfriend kept going on and on about how LingPing is so much better than Xiasha (it wouldn't take much) and how we just HAVE to come visit there.

These invitations to our friends' hometowns come often. Who knows how many times we've been told, "Welcome to..." Nothing ever comes of it, though. Even when we wish it would--like when we have students who come from really cool cities.

This time, however, the invitation to LingPing has come through. Although our hopes for the actual town are pretty low, we are excited to visit our friend and her boyfriend in their hometown and meet their families.

We'll let you know how LingPing is...

Pretty Quiet Here

There's not a lot going on here, as the school semester doesn't actually begin until September 7. Students will probably start coming back around the end of the month, and we are definitely looking forward to it. A few of our former students did not go home this summer to stick around taking graduate school entrance exams or doing internships. Amy's students who are still around are pretty busy, but Matt's friends have a bit lower key schedule. So he's been able to have some great times to catch up and study together with them.

In a week or so, Matt will be taking off on a trip to one of his good friend's hometown. He is excited about this opportunity but not excited about the 36 hour train ride! Before he can take off, he has to get his temporary visa exchanged for a residence permit. We are hoping that can happen efficiently...

To the Airport

Today is Laurel's last full day with us. We will leave for Shanghai soon and take her to the airport tomorrow morning. We've had a great time with her the past couple of weeks and are sad to see her leave! This week, we've been introducing her to some of our friends, seeing a bit of our city, and celebrating Matt's birthday.

Yesterday, we went to a teahouse where we tried all kinds of new foods.

We flew back into the country last week, along with Matt's sister Laurel, who is staying with us for two weeks. Last week, we saw some touristy sites; and this week, Laurel is getting to meet some of our friends (the few who stuck around school for the summer, anyway).

Here are a few pictures from last week.

Heading Home!

We are currently in a hotel at Shanghai Airport. Tomorrow morning we fly out and have an overnight layover in South Korea before flying to Atlanta on Wednesday. This past week was a busy one, as we juggled grading exams, getting Chinese visas approved, saying good-bye to friends for the summer, having last minute meetings (one of which was a GREAT one), and hosting a good friend's birthday party.

To say the least, we are excited to be en route to Tennessee. The hotel here in Shanghai has CNN, Discovery Channel, and a Burger King--it's like we are already on vacation!

We may not be blogging much while at home, but we hope to see many of you in person very soon!

The Guys

Seems like I'm always posting pictures of cooking with my students... Usually, the guys aren't so excited about learning to cook. But these guys were wanting to learn spaghetti. Matt and the guys did the whole meal themselves.

It was funny... The guys took video of everything Matt said and did. And when the top of the cornbread cracked in the oven, one guy thought it was because he didn't stir it well enough. He was very relieved to learn that it was normal! They did a great job, and it was all delicious!

On the Streets of China...

Here's something you don't see at home... We first noticed this when moving here in 2007, but we never got it on video until this week.

Imagine taking a 15-minute break at work to do mandatory "exercises" (the term is used loosely--you'll see why in the video). At least once a day, we'll see workers from a restaurant, retail store, or beauty shop (in this video) all standing outside on the sidewalk dancing around. It's hilarious, of course. Sometimes the exercising is combined with shouting and cheering of some sort.

I wonder what happens if you're getting your hair cut when it's suddenly exercise time....

From Exercises

If the above video doesn't play, you can watch it here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Meo3QmiJ_mDGET-3zlwP9w?feat=directlink.

Updates

So, Blogger.com (the Website I use to post this blog) has been blocked in China for about 3 weeks, now. This is why the updates have been so infrequent. Occasionally, I can access it as I am today through another Website, but even then, I can't post pictures... So frustrating. In any case, here are a few photos that I've uploaded via another site. The biggest news from us is that Matt has finished his 2nd semester of Chinese study! He's definitely come a long way over the past year. 他的汉语很好！

If the slideshow below does not show up, you can view the pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/shortames/June?feat=directlink.

Dragon Boat Festival

We've had a three-day weekend for Dragon Boat Festival, and it has been nice. Most students didn't go home, so we were able to spend time with them a bit. Matt and one of his good friends went out and had a GREAT time on Wednesday night. And I was able to catch up with a student from my old school, as well as have some of my current students over to eat zongzi (the traditional Chinese food for this holiday).

As we were eating zongzi and watermelon, we were making quite a mess, so I went to grab some napkins out of my cabinet. (These were some of the napkins sent from America with pretty designs on them.) You would have thought that I had given them the most amazing gift of all time. They refused to use the napkins until I promised to give them a clean one to take with them and keep! They were so excited about the first napkins I gave them, that I also handed out Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas napkins. These girls were squealing with each new napkin I pulled out of the cabinet! It was hilarious!

Last Week

These days, we rarely carry around the camera anymore. But last week, I tried to keep it in my bag to get some pics of life. Here are the results...

On Sunday afternoon, some American friends came over to help teach our students some American kids games (you know, Duck, Duck, Goose; Freeze Tag; Hot Potato; etc). The students also taught us some Chinese games.





Hanging out in the Student Dorms.


Matt got a suit made (About $50 total!) for my sister's wedding. The ones he has in America are all too big now.


At the students' tug-of-war match.

The Chairman

In China, the word for cat is "mao," which sounds like "meow." Makes sense, huh? What's funny, though, is that it also sounds like the name of China's famous Chairman Mao.

So... last night, we found a super-friendly stray cat playing around our house, and we went outside to feed and play with her. Of course, she needed a name. And what better than "The Chairman," of course. Since she is a girl, we call her Ms. Chairman to her face. (Chairwoman just doesn't have the same ring.)

Anyway, here are some pics of The Chairman. We're hoping she comes around again tonight and every night! We really miss having pets around.

A Little Japanese Lesson with Chinese Friends

Making Sushi