Last Sunday, after I completed my blog post, I went to Lavender's house to make homemade dumplings. She invited several other teachers. I was surprised at how nice her apartment is. It seemed like it was the first time the other teachers had been there because they were all admiring the lights and curtains and so forth. Before we started, I looked at Lavender's two wedding photo albums. Wow! She and her husband had four different changes of outfits in the photos. In one, Lavender wore a wig. The photos were obviously enhanced. I'd read that the Chinese spend a lot on their wedding photos and that some middle aged couples who couldn't afford wedding pictures are now having it done, using makeup and technology to make them look younger. The album had English phrases and love poems. Most of them had correct grammar, but of course there were some mistakes.

Making the dumplings was fun although I need some more practice. The other teachers, who must have done this countless times before, made their dumplings quickly and with beautiful designs. Beside them, I ineptly struggled to just seal the dough without letting the filling squish out. Although mine didn't look flattering, they all tasted good. We sat down together with one of the teacher's husbands, and one of the teacher's sons to meet them. The 14-year-old son was Jolloe's. I ate dinner at her house once before. Her son hadn't said a word to me and kept his head down in his bowl most of night, only occasionally glancing up curiously at me. This time, whenever I looked up his eyes were on me, but he still didn't speak to me. He didn't speak to anyone else either, though.

Thursday Mr. Wang treated me out to lunch and another teacher whose name I do not know joined us. The two men finished their beef noodles (loads of egg noodles in broth with a few teeny bits of beef) quickly and waited patiently for me. I have not mastered the noodle technique with chopsticks, and the egg in my bowl was so slippery that it was impossible to pick up. Furthermore, the dish was not at a comfortable temperature until I was finishing. I don't understand how Chinese people can bear drinking water that has just stopped boiling!

After I finished eating I hopped on the bus that took me to the supermarket to get some groceries. There I found Jordan, the teacher who treated me to lunch last week. He was with his one-year-old son and mother-in-law. He asked if I would mind posing for a picture with his son. I didn't, but the latter started fussing and crying just at that moment.

Following my classes that afternoon, Mr. Wang and the other teacher we had lunch with took me on a short walk as promised. We stopped inside an interesting store filled with Buddha and Guanyin china figures, Mao Zedong statues, porcelain urns, and monkeys and men carved of jade, bearing peaches. The most interesting figure was a woman riding huge pig. Mr. Wang translated for the store owners, who jokingly said it was a “happy couple” from the famous Chinese literary work, Journey to the West.

Next time, when I'll be sure to remember my camera, we'll stop in again, and they'll also take me to a historical museum nearby which I didn't know existed. Yay! I love museums.

Saturday, I was back to teaching just my first two private students. Jane, my FAO, texted me late the night before to tell me that her friend's daughter needed to prepare for her piano exam, so she wouldn't be coming anymore. I wonder if there was another reason.

That afternoon, Jane helped me shop for a pair of dress shoes. Due to limited space, I only brought a pair of tennis shoes, hiking boots, and black flats with me. Knowing that I will also have limited space when I return, my aim was to buy a pair of shoes that could match with many clothing articles. The first pair I tried on were a cute opened-toed off-white pair with fancy looking bows and low heels. I decided to look around more. There were several other pairs that I liked, but whenever Jane asked for my size (40 in China) they didn't have it. According to Chinese standards, I have big feet. There was one other pair that they did have my size in. They were pink and more comfortable than the first, but wouldn't match with as many outfits. So, at last, I bought the first pair. I also bought some nylons, which, to my annoyance this morning, turned out to be way too short. I think I'll give them to Jane because they would probably fit her.

Just as I got off the bus after returning from shopping, bearing some other things I purchased beforehand, I spotted Mr. Wu, who waved to me. He had invited me to dinner and Lisa, who would be our translator for the evening, was supposed to call me in just a few minutes. Instead of going home, I waited on the corner with Mr. Wu and Lisa arrived shortly. We took a taxi to a mini hot pot restaurant. We ordered potato, pumpkin, thin potato noodles, two types of mushroom, lettuce, and two different kinds of mutton. Mr. Wu announced that he wanted to lose weight and ate surprisingly little. He kept putting more food into my bowl and sometimes Lisa's, even when we protested that we were too full.

After our meal we walked to Goldenfish park. The square connected to the park was full of people walking around, playing badminton, and using the exercise equipment. I tried some of it for the first time. It's funny because in the U.S. only children would use this kind of equipment, but in China adults use it too!

When we walked further we found some middle-aged women doing a traditional Tibetan dance in perfect synchrony. There was also a group of older couples waltzing in another area. In yet another spot, a large group of people crowded around a group jumping rope with one long jump rope. They were all adults. Any fun exercise activity is welcomed here. On the other hand, Chinese adults shun popcorn as it is seen as a child's snack only! Reflecting on these things, I think that American adults would improve their fitness by being more like the Chinese.