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.