Happy 34th, I mean 36th Birthday to me...

My birthday is tomorrow, January 23rd.  I was born in 1979, so that makes me 34 years old.  Not so in China.  In China, when you are born, you are 1 year old.  Then at the following Chinese New Year, in my case 3 weeks later, a person turns 2.  So, on January 23rd 1980, I was turning 3 years old.  This means, not only did I lose 12 hours just coming here, I lost another 2 years.  I am now closer to 40 than 30.  Damn you China!!!

Anyone who knows me well knows my favorite food is sandwiches.  They also know that my favorite sandwich is the Grilled Cheese.  I have been here for 3 weeks, and have gone to multiple grocery stores to find that they do not sell cheese.  Yesterday, I was on a mission.  I went to some larger Super Markets on my quest for Cheese.  In the 3rd store I finally found it...Yay.  Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese.  It was like Gold.  (and cost enough...it was like 8 bucks for a package, but it was worth it).  I also got some butter and bread and I was ready for a piece of Heaven.  I turned on my Hot Plate and started to get to work, buttering the bread, slicing the cheese.  As I placed the sandwich on the pan, something strange happened.  It lit on fire :(  I don't think the pan I have was made to be on the direct heat of the hot plate, whoopsie.  I managed to finish grilling/burning the grilled cheese without burning down my apartment.  It was half burnt-half raw...and so freaking delicious!!

Grilled Cheese Fixins'

This WAS a brand new pan!!

 

Going through the Super Markets here in China makes you realize you're not in Kansas any more.  Full Chicken bodies,  and duck bodies (not like home).  Looks like the rubber chickens my brother juggled when he was 8.  Then there were turtles and frogs.  They were just laying there dead.  Normally I'd be really grossed out, but I think I'm getting used to it now.

 

 

During my excursion, I found myself in the chip aisle and I found a new one!!



Fried Prawn Flavor!!!

(It reminds me of a joke Uncle David told me once, which is why I really don't want to try these!!!)

Fish 'n Chips...I mean Fish Chips!!!

One thing I love about traveling new places is the chips.  I remember in Ireland there were so many new flavors of Pringles, I couldn't help but try them all.  China is the same.  Sort of.  I've had cucumber chips (not too bad), lime chips (taste way too much like lime), chicken hot pot chips (sort of like barbeque), and a few others that were pretty regular.

I have decided today to try a new chip, even as I'm typing this, I have still not opened the bag.  But I did take a picture.  Please note, not only the flavor, but the picture in the corner describing the flavor.

Why a picture of a whole dead fish would make me want to eat these is beyond me.  It's also beyond the Chinese.  I have asked others about these chips and either they never tried them or don't like them.  So, I just took a video of myself trying the chips for the first time, but I could barely open the bag, and they're actually not that bad, so the video is useless. It kind of tastes like that Old Bay Crab Seasoning.

Not much else new here.  There's a couple of cool bars with live music where the foreigners go.  I've met Americans, Italians, and British in these places.  They also sell these towers of Beer which is fun for the table.  Tiger Beer is the one everyone drinks.

 I have classes all weekend, so hopefully the kids can give me some more material for the blog.

Talk soon.

Good-a Food-a in China

I started teaching this week.  It is a lot of fun.  It's also pretty easy.  Basically, there is a Chinese Assistant that puts together a power point which I read to the kids and ask questions.  My students are between first grade and seniors and high school.  I love the little kids, they are so cute.
 
Today I taught eight classes...it was fun, but exhausting.  Some of the kids are, as the Chinese teachers say, "naughty"!!
 
In a few of the classes we did tongue twisters. The kids were pretty good at it.  The best one was...How many cookies could a good cook cook if a good cook could cook cookies? A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.  The reason it was so funny, is that they say "cook-a, or good-a".   So, it sounded like "How many cookies could-a good-a cook-a cook-a if a good-a cook-a could-a cook-a cookies?  Every kid sounded like this and it took all I had not too laugh.
 
We also talked about local food.  One of the pictures was of a traditional rice dumpling.  It didn't look like any dumpling I've ever seen.  It was something wrapped in what I think was Bamboo shoots.  Later on one of the teachers said that two of the boys, Jerry and Jelly, bought me one to try.  So cute.

This is the "traditional rice dumpling" the boys bought me!!

 
 

This is what it looked like when I opened it up.

 

The rice inside was brown and sticky.  I took a bite to try it, but then I threw it out.  It was not good.

 

Speaking of food, I went to lunch downtown with one of the girls that works at the school.  She took me to a traditional Chinese restaurant.  I had the dumpling soup, which was delicious.  They also have this hot pepper paste that I add to just about everything.  She got Chicken Feet.  I did not take a picture, since I was already a little grossed out by the scales and talons.  I was thinking I may try it after I watch her eat one.  She picked the foot up with her chop sticks and chomped off a toe.  She chewed for awhile and then spit a bone onto the table.  As, she continued to de-toe the claw, and spit bones on the table, I decided I was just not ready to try it just yet.Here's a picture I found online.  The ones she ate were blacker and had more scales.  Now I wish I took a picture.  They were pretty gross.  I'll try one before I leave, and make sure I take a pic ;)

 

Final Note.  Many of my students have an American name, but not all.  I have the ability to name these kids.  I named my first little girl today.  She was adorable, and I named her Katie.  This was after a very good friend, who has been my portal to America.  Thanks for Skyping and keeping in touch Katie!!!  Love ya.

Just a little bloodwork!!

Today I want to Hangzhou, the Capital of the Province I live in.  Thank goodness one of the teachers, Emma, took me.  I had to go to the hospital there to have a medical exam.  Basically I was told I needed to just get a "little bloodwork" done.  It was a little more than that...  First, I gave blood.  Then I has to pee in a cup.  The next room checked my height, weight, blood pressure and pulse.  Seems normal so far.  Then, I go into a room, where the nurse asked to me lay on a bed and lift up my dress.  She checked my stomach, hands, neck, etc.  Not really sure what she was looking for.  The next room had a bowl of big spoons on the counter and more on the floor.  What the hell is this room??  They checked my eyesight, while I held this spoon over each eye.  This is some advanced medicine in China!!  After a few other random rooms, ekg, x-ray, I did what every pregnant woman has to do.  I had to let some woman rub that cold gooey thing all over my stomach.  And damn, is it cold!!  So much for a little bloodwork ;)

After that debacle, Emma took me to West Lake.  It was beautiful.  Below are some photos.

 Pagoda by West Lake

The West Lake

 I don't know what this really is??

Emma at The West Lake

Dogs, Dogs, and more dogs!!

Well, I'm here in China.  About time, huh?

My first morning here proved rather eventful, and me rather an idiot.  The apartment is nice.  I have a king sized bed and a real shower (good pressure and hot).  There are also some heat lamps and a vent in the bathroom.  I decided to turn on all the lights at once and blew a fuse in the entire apartment.  I searched the apartment for a fuse box but no luck.  I put on my flip flops and search the hallway.  Still nothing.  I then decide to check around the apartment building.  I lock my door in search for a fuse box of sorts.  I still can't find anything.  I texted the principal of my school Nancy for help.  She said to check the closet in the apartment, and it should be there.  Wonderful.  I go to unlock my door, but can't.  I try over and over, lifting the handle as hard as I can when it sounds unlocked and nothing.  Two separate people by the elevator watch me struggle, smile, but no help.  By this time, I text Nancy again, and she's on her way to help.  Ugh.  I can't believe I've managed to do this all in 10 minutes.  Frustrated at myself I decide to step outside for a moment, only for one of the grounds people to shoot a giant snot rocket and then point at my flip flops and laugh.  Yeah, she just shot her boogers across the lawn, but I'm weird for wearing flip flops...Gross!!  Needless to say, Nancy got me into my apartment.  It seems every time I lifted the handle of my door, I relocked it...over and over again.

Later that day, the landlord was coming over to fix a couple things that were broken.  Also, a teacher, Cecelia was going to come over and show me around.  I receive a knock on my door hoping it was Cecelia, but it was the landlord and his son.  The kid was about 9 and had this big stuffed animal with him.  After a minute the stuffed animal moved.  It was a dog.  One of the cutest dogs I've ever seen.  Another man showed up as well, who I believe was the maintenance man.  After a minute of looking over my apartment the two men leave to get some parts, leaving this kid and dog in my apartment for about 20 minutes.  The kid was holding the poor dog by the arms and swinging it around.  After he dropped the dog for the second time, I ask if I can hold him.  This is the time Cecelia finally comes by, looking at me with confusion, when a child opened my door and I have this dog in my hands.  All she could say is "Are these yours??".  Haha, nope not mine.

On Friday, I was to go to the school and meet Tracy to take me to the police station to register myself in the city.  She was so sweet, and brought me coffee and breakfast.  I had already had some fruit, but she said it was bread, so I figured I'd try it.  It was bread alright.  Good brioche looking roll, with one strange thing.  It had a hot dog inside it.  This was breakfast??  I ate it...and it was good.

The next day I couldn't stop thinking about the hot dog bread.  It was so good, where do I get more?  I head to the bakery across the street and find a small package of "pigs in a blanket".  Woo Hoo!!

Yesterday, an American, Joshua took me shopping.  I mentioned my new found love of the Hot Dog Bread.  He gave me a weird look and proceeded to tell me he would never eat that, and if I ate it everyday, I would probably die.  Sad day for me and the hot dog!!

This is the view from my apartment.  I'm right next to Long Island, which is a river.  I'm on the 14th floor.  I'll take better pictures when it's sunny out, but that hasn't happened yet.