I apologize that I didn't take any interesting photos this week. Some interesting things did occur, however. I'll start with last Sunday. In the afternoon, there was a knock at my door and I opened it to find one of my private students (eight-year-old Amy) and a teenage girl. This girl introduced herself as Amy's sister and I soon learned she was actually her half-sister. Shelly, as she told me her English name is, stayed for an hour. At first she stood looking embarrassed in my living room and said, "I want to make friends with you." I was surprised when despite her limited oral English abilities and obvious discomfort, she was able and willing to open up and share a lot with me. She's a Senior 3 student (equivalent to an American senior in high school) at my school. Sadly, Senior 3 students do not receive oral English classes because they are preparing for their college entrance exams and this exam tests them on English grammar but not spoken English. 

Shelly shared about her family background, some conflict she's had with her father, and her hopes and dreams. She must be very artistically talented because she showed me an acceptance letter from the best art university in China. She studies acting. I felt for her when she told me that her father loved Amy more than her, but she was glad that at least her grandma loved her best. She fears that her father won't let her go to the university she was accepted to. 

It will be interesting to get to know her better in the future. She invited me to eat at her grandma's house next Sunday and to go to cinema sometime. 

On Monday, I was surprised when Mr. Wu invited me to dinner at his home, after he had just treated me at a restaurant two days prior. I had a wonderful time with him and his wife again. It's funny to watch them interact. His wife doesn't speak any English and only understands "Hello" and "Thank You". Mrs. Wu is a great cook. She made a traditional noodle dish and I watched her slice the homemade noodle dough. It was really good! Before the meal, as before, Mr. Wu treated me to fruit. This time after consuming a banana, three-fourths of an orange, and two jujubes I told him that I wanted to save room for the noodles! After the meal more food came out. Even though I had said, "wǒ bǎo le" (I'm full) three times they offered me more fruit, which I didn't take, but I couldn't refuse the walnuts, cashew kernels and raisins. 

On Tuesday I had lunch with my student Drogon and his parents. He came to my office on Monday afternoon and said that the music teacher told him about my piano skill. He then asked if he could learn from me! He invited me to play the piano at his home after the meal. However, we ended up eating at a restaurant. I instantly liked his parents. His dad speaks only Chinese, but I could tell he was quite humorous, and his mother is an primary school English teacher.

They waited for Drogon and I at the restaurant and had ordered way to much food, because they wanted to make sure I would like enough of the dishes. One interesting food I had was what they called “corn bread”. It was sweet corn glued together with a very sugary translucent substance and sliced in triangles like pizza. Drogon's mother invited me to have lunch with them everyday and to travel with them during the holiday. Before I was done eating, Drogon got up and said he had to go take a nap so that he wouldn't fall asleep in class later. Most of the people here take a nap of between 10 minutes to an hour in the afternoon. I knew that but it still seemed weird to me.

Thursday night I returned to the mini hot pot restaurant with Erika, Bob and Todd. While we were waiting in line to pay for the food and go to our table, a young woman in front of us turned around and said, "Hi! Do you remember me?"

I did. We met on the bus maybe a month ago. She told me she had had several foreign friends in the past but recently had not had the opportunity to practice English. We talked until the bus reached my stop. A few seconds before that she asked for my phone number. I didn't mind giving it to her but I don't have my number memorized and I couldn't reach for my phone in time. It was in the bottom of my bag, underneath my groceries (in China, ever since the 2008 Olympics, customers at supermarkets have had to pay for plastic bags. If I can fit everything I buy in my bag, then I don't ask for a plastic one). At the restaurant, Angel was very happy to get my number.

After dinner I went to Vanguard, the largest supermarket with imported food, because Bob told me they had been selling margarine for the past few weeks. I was excited to find it. I also found some Chinese Herbal Jelly that I picked up on a whim. The ingredients intrigued me: water, cane sugar, grass jelly, honey, tuckahoe, taraxacum, honeysuckle, liquorice, tortoise, mint, lohankuo. It's supposed to have cooling properties according to TCM.

Friday night brought me the opportunity of eating a home cooked meal at Jane's house with Erika and Todd. Bob drank a bit much the night before so he didn't show. While Jane cooked, Erika taught Todd and I to play mahjong, a popular game that was born in China. I've seen retired people gathered together to play it on the streets.

Saturday might as well have been Monday. My school ran the Monday class schedule, so I had to teach five classes, after which I was simply ready for a nap. I wasn't ready for one in the afternoon when I was compelled to take one, however. Drogon's mother called me during a break between my classes to invite me to lunch again. She said her son didn't know. I took the bus after my last class at 11:10 and met Drogon's dad who walked with me to their apartment, which turned out to be quite close to mine, near the vegetable market I shop at. The three of us were eating when Drogon walked in after his last class at noon. He stood and stared for a moment, obviously very surprised to find me in his home. However, after the shock wore off he was glad that I was there so that I could play the piano for him. After I played one he insisted on another before his nap. Then his mother said I could rest on the bed in that room and after Drogon went out she closed the door.

The reason for the extra school day is International Labor Day on Tuesday. We have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday off for it.

Tomorrow (Monday), I'll go to the Yellow River Stone Forest with Drogon's parents and on Tuesday I'll go to Lanzhou with Erika and Bob. So, I promise to post some beautiful photos!