Last Friday we went to a party for the foreign English teachers. There was us, Howie, Staci and their 3 kids, Jeanne and Nelson and their two grown kids who are visiting and about 50 student ambassadors. I don't know where the student ambassadors came from, but there was one from my class who I didn't recognize.
The tables were laden with snacks and soda pop. We played games - picking up beans with chopsticks and running to a relay with it (Dad's team won) A word description game, like password, that Jeanne and I won!! They also had entertainment - a group that did hip hop dance - a guy that did tai chee and a singer. After two hours of this they took us for dinner at the cafeteria. We had 10 to a table and 4 tables. They served about 16 different dishes! including the whole fish, lamb, a vinegar salad, butter beans,two soups, rice ,mushrooms, etc.
We were well fed and well entertained.
Friday, we also went to Ancient Culture Street. It's supposed to be old stuff but not quite. It was still pretty touristy, but they had beautiful kite shops. Dad wants to go back when it's warmer. Me too. We went with a guy and his girlfriend who Dad met on the street near our house last Sept. David spent 7 yrs. in Canada and returned to China 3 yrs. ago. His English is great. Claire, his girlfriend, works for Korean Air and speaks English but she's intimidated by it. They were wonderful hosts!
When David parked his car on the street, next to a parking meter, a guy came up and he paid the guy to watch his car for 2 hours. That was the parking arrangement. No meter.
They also took us out to lunch for dumplings. It's not Dad's favorite dish, but these were VERY good! Not as doughy as others we've had. David did the ordering. We had corn soup that was very watery and the corn was ground up:( Three kinds of dumplings and then pork knuckles. The pork knuckles are served with a plastic glove and a straw so you can pick it up and gnaw on it and then you stick the straw in the bone and suck out the marrow.( we didn't do that part) But the knuckles were OK.
The restaurant wasn't too far from our apt. so we want to take Nelson and Jeanne because they like dumplings, but the restaurant didn't serve rice. They have pictures of their dishes on the wall and they had a lot of weird stuff.
Speaking off... I was looking at Lay's Potato chips yesterday in the store and they have several flavors that we don't have in the states. Fried Chicken Flavor - Mexican Tomato Chicken Flavor - Italian Red Meat Flavor - Cucumber Flavor - and Original. Any of those sound good??
Saturday was just a regular day, cleaning and laundry and singing carols and reading the Christmas story with our neighbors.
Sunday we had church at 9:00 for an hour. Then came home and Dad made brunch. Jeanne had given us home made bread for a Christmas present so that was a wonderful addition! And then we opened our presents. It took about 5 min.! Our stockings had candy and mandarin oranges! I gave Dad a belt and a DVD of Wind in the Willows and he gave me slippers and a table cloth. We gave ourselves a hand carved Nativity set that we will keep forever.
For Christmas dinner we had the Johnson's over, who teach at Nankai University, Aaron and Elisha Mower, a young couple who work here. They're members of our ward. She writes the stories for video games and he teaches at an elementary school, but he's an engineer. And Joseph who is also a young member of our ward. He'll be living in our apt. bldg. and teaching here next year.
We had a wonderful ham and all the trimmings and apple crisp for dessert that Becca made. The apples here are delicious. Then we played Phase 10 and snacked. After everyone went home I did the dishes and we relaxed! The end of a near perfect Christmas. Next year will be more perfect! Apparently we have to be home!
Love to all! just 2 more days of finals!! Mom XXOO
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