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

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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."