Summer is here, therefore the oh so glorious, much sought after in the west, tanning rays of the sun. But to an impressionable young Chinese girl summer does not bring the hope of a splendid, hair hiding, leg lengthening tan but the never ending battle of Sun vs Parasol.

My students are always oh so horrified when they see me in shorts, cap sleeved shirts and sunglasses. I am most obviously missing the most essential summer accessory my Parasol! While I am trying desperately to get back my usual summer tan my students run from shade spot to shade spot precociously angling their parasols for the most shade coverage. Don’t get me started on the number of girls who where tights in this sweltering heat.

Beauty is relative to where you live. In America thin, tanned, well curved girls are the standards to which we strive while here in China it’s the anorex, white, flat as a board girls who get the attention. Humm how well do you think I’m fitting in.

I promise to add pictures of more Parasol sporting girls but for now the following will have to suffice.

While Katie, like myself, is trying to accomplish the western chore of a even natural glow Thomas has taken a more Chinese approach to his summer.

Oh Thomas...

At one time it was Katie’s yellow purse that I looked for in a crowd but now Thomas’s Purple Parasol, a good three feet above the rest, is so much easier to spot.

So I’m in love! Yes you read that correctly, Kayte Reagan has fallen and fallen hard. The object of my affection is a gift of the gods, the ultimate in take out food and the one thing I shall spend the rest of my life craving. The direct translation is Fire Hand!

The woman who started it all...

Yumm street food, just thinking about it makes me hungry. Hou Shou 火手is a sandwich of sorts that comes in a myriad of varieties. My two favorites, egg & pork and beef & chilies.  The filling is stuffed in a pita like bread that has been warmed.

I'd devoured half before I thought of taking a picture.

Outside of the middle school I teach at on Monday and Tuesday is the most delicious Huo Shou 火手. The woman is there every morning with here cart that is attached to her scooter. She fires up the grill and we’re in business. Plenty of grease, a herb mix to die for and a I”m in heaven. For Y2 really can you ask for anything more?

I few few weeks ago I decided to branch out and try a new variety. I think it might have eclipsed my love for egg and pork. It is juicier and the bread is always fresh rather than rewarmed.

Okay now I want one...bad.

The beef and chili is sold by the vendor next to the other woman but I’m pretty sure their related so no hard feelings for the switch.

At lunch they are not there so I go for a deep fried chicken version, smack, delicious. Oh yes, I’m in love.

While I was home in February I would often find myself recounting various daily events that I’ve never blogged about as daily events seemed inconsequential and boring here.  My father on the other hand was quite intrigued and asked for more pictures of daily life. So here are a few.

Not too many resturants can beat street food.

Street food is the new Take Out. I’ve been quite fortunate, knock on wood, my stomach has not revolted against the greasy and sometimes questionable street food I often partake of. I’ve decided I’m just building my immune system each time I try a new vendor.

Recycling is a living for some.

You can often find people rummaging through trash cans to find recyclable materials. Cardboard and plastic are the two most commonly collected items. The various modes of transportation are also quite inventive here. I’ve never seen so many peddled vehicles.

They start 'em young in the family business.

I was out one afternoon and came across someone hammering away. I just couldn’t help but take a picture when I realized it was a 3 year old kid.

Katie and Thomas fearlessly went to the box office to asses the situation. Through the help of a student via cellphone they discovered the movie was as predicted dubbed in Chinese but the theater did have a copy of the film in English with Chinese subtitles. The great thing about being a westerner in China is the fact that businesses are always trying to please you! They offered to show the movie in English with Chinese subtitles for the final showing at 10pm as it was hardly booked. Of course we jumped on it.  

Word is now spreading in Weifang that there is a possibility to see a film at the theater! A high point in everyone’s week. We’re going to push for Alice in Wonderland 3D, I’m trying to get a group for Sherlock Holmes. Movie tickets are American prices, ¥60 for a 3D film and ¥40 for a regular but well worth the treat.

Don't we look cool!

According the theFreeDictionary.com Fall means:

1. To drop or come down freely under the influence of gravity.

The last time I checked gravity pulled downward, so can someone please explain how the snow is FALLING sideways out my window.

Everyone is speculating a warm burst for Wednesday this week but I’m not that optimistic. My only prayer is that come March 15th when the heat for all of China gets turned off the government takes pity and leaves it on. I can hope can’t I, and hey they did turn it on early this year due to severe weather up North.

I know here I am complaining once again about the weather but to be fair, I’m getting use to it. Really I just needed a few rather poignant lessons in layering and proper winter attire which usually means donning rather less than attractive outerwear. On a whole I don’t mind as I know I will always return to my toasty apartment and be able to thaw in a matter of minutes. With the heat off I’m afraid I’ll have no respite for my frozen marrow.

Just a quick glance into my life, for a person who loathes snow to a rather unhealthy level at times how is it I always manage to end up in cold snowy places? Rexburg, Id – Jacob Lake, Az – Weifang, China Who is booking my travel arrangements? I should fire them.

A turn of luck delayed Bonnie’s departure from Weifang just long enough for  me to say goodbye. We all met up Wednesday night for dinner. Bonnie decided on our usual, Weifang Family Restaurant. Wendy and Peter joined us along with Tina, Steven, Anna, and Kelly. We had a delightful evening and great food.

Even though the semester is shaping up to be fun filled, Bonnie will be missed greatly. I’ve come to rely on her excellent Chinese food vocabulary heavily. Needless to say I had her help Wendy write down all my favorite dishes so I won’t starve once she leaves.

Bonnie and I had many great afternoons in Weifang even if they were not always productive. To be honest it was just a relief to have someone to go into town to see during the week. Bonnie I think you should stay, really why go back to England to your family, friends and comfortable life?

Have a safe flight to New Zealand and Enjoy a good curry for me when you finally make it home to England.

Kelly and I landed safely in China yesterday. After 36 hours traveling I was relieved to finally get back to my apartment and pile my bags in the entry way, mind you half are still sprawled there as I dug through to get out the few things I needed. 

My trip home was worth all the trouble. It provided a much needed relief and a fresh start to the upcoming semester. With a roommate now and a new found determination to learn Mandarin it is already shaping up to be a great semester.

The trip began with me eating my words I gave the previous day to my friend Maria. When dropping her off at Bakersfield to head home I’d teased her about the Prop-Plane at the Airport. I’d never ridden in one and hoped never to have to. Everything comes back to bite you I’ve learned and sure enough before I knew it i was boarding a Prop-Plane to LAX. It was everything and worse I’d imagined!

Upon exiting the Prop-Plane my purse broke! I’d always made fun of luggage and bag stores in Airports, I mean come-on by the time you are getting onto the plane shouldn’t you already be packed!! But here I was stranded with a broken purse still facing another 24 hours of travel, I was willing to pay anything for relief! I found a tacky Hollywood bag at Hudson News and headed to my next gate to settle in for a long layover. Poor Kelly, we were to meet up at LAX and catch the same flight to Beijing together. She got stopped at every security check and pulled aside for further scrutiny. We tried to change seats to sit together but it was a full flight.

As they began boarding we ran to Starbucks for a last meal. Fiji water, blueberry scones and shrink-wrapped turkey sandwiches. I found my seat and was relived to find yet another window seat. I’m sticking with Expedia, since adding a window seat preference, that’s all I’ve scored on flights through them. I’m finally learning the trick to sleeping on international flights, oh another dozen and I should be a pro! Flights went smooth. In line after costumes I ran into the Sorensons, the BYU teachers from Jinan. I had ran into them going through security at LAX when flying home in January. We all had breakfast then headed to our domestic flights.

The puddle jump from Beijing to Qingdao was quick and James was waiting at the luggage carousel. It was intriguing watching Kelly’s reaction to Mainland China on the two hour drive home. I felt relieved to be done with flights and back into a normal routine. Qingdao to Weifang seems to be practically a Tulare – Visalia run most weeks.

James took us out to lunch before heading to the apartment. Lunch was wonderful. I’m thrilled to no longer be the novice with chopsticks, knock on wood. Kelly is reminding me of all my first experiences that have now become casual everyday events. Lunch was a usual conglomerate of vegetables, meats and tofus, chopped, diced and sauced up! With a hot bowl of noodle soup for the main course.

Once back on campus and in the apartment I finally felt I could relax after 36 hours of travel.

It’s good to be home and settled back in!

Okay so the new rule, once you run out of the ability to hold your own purchases the shopping trip is over.

Embarrassingly enough yup that's all mine! Thanks Thomas.

There is this really cool street on the outskirts of town, Yangjiabu or for those of us who still can’t grasp Chinese names, Kite Street. There are tons of family kite shops and print workshops. Some of the kites are even painted by hand which are beautiful to look at.

At the end there is the Yangjiabu Folk Grand Viewing Garden (direct translation I suppose). Supposedly some of the structures date back to the Ming Dynasty. The Print Shop and the Kite workshop was a treat to go through.

I’m still discovering Weifang and I love it! This town has character once you seek it out. I’m excited to really delve in this next year and make the most of my familiar surroundings.

The grapevine is a wonderful if not inconvenient thing at times! It is probably best that we discovered this little treasure trove so late as I would have gone broke making purchases and then had no way to get them all home.

Katie had been told by Kelly who had been taken by Charlotte who had been taken by Daria who had been brought by someone to this little painting school downtown.  They produced originals as well as reproductions of contemporary as well as traditional works of art. It sounded too good to pass up so we got verbal directions to a side street without any specific address.

Can I just say if you ever have to find a little place with no address,  only verbal instructions to go by, in a foreign country in which you really don’t speak the language, Katie and Thomas are the two to go with. They can find anything. We hopped on the bus, Thomas found the stop and we began looking in window fronts for what we wanted. We soon found a small school but when we walked in a children’s calligraphy class was in session. The teacher soon directed us further down the street. He didn’t speak English but between the three of us we are getting quite good at charades. We discovered this was an annex of the school but we were looking for the main building.

Just a sampling of what we browsed through

We soon found the main part and headed in. Again as it was Saturday classes were in full swing. Drawing classes downstairs, with still life, and calligraphy classes upstairs. We met the director who turned out to be the contact Kelly had mentioned.

She happily took us on a tour then led us back to the annex to look at paintings.

I was a little shocked when she started pulling out manila envelops with folded paintings. Katie saw my hesitation but reminded me that Kelly said their mounting jobs were phenomenal and all imperfections would vanish in the mounted work. We hungrily sorted through works with Xiong explaining their origins.

Some were originals by local artists or professors others were replicas of the great masters. Katie and I started forming piles of possibles. Prices ranged from ¥10 – ¥80 for the paintings with a flat ¥30 mounting fee.

I soon found two pieces I just couldn’t live without and three small flower pieces that I thought would be a beautiful gift. I arranged to pick up the mounted works the Saturday before I was to leave for America.

(3 graces/Lady with Blue / Flowers)

Second choice was still beautiful!

When I went to pick them up I unwisely  agreed to browse through their new works with Katie. I fell in love with yet another piece and agreed to purchase if they could rush mount it before I left on Tuesday. Xiong said she could and I hastily agreed.

I returned Monday afternoon to pick it up, to find a rather distraught Xiong. She told me she had written something down for me to read as she wanted to make sure I understood it all. She had had to send the piece to a friend to be mounted that weekend because he husband had been out of town. It was mounted and ready to go when her friends shop had been broken into and robbed. My piece along with others and cash had been stolen. There had been two Cherry Blossom works and so she quickly mounted the other and had it mounted to give to me. She felt awful and apologized profusely. She gave me this piece free of charge with an additional flower painting.

Second Choice was still beautiful although that first piece was AMAZING! So now I have no excuse for empty walls. I mean really with the prices hoovering around $12 for portable art lookout next semester.

I sadly realized on the bus ride home this evening that besides my Nativity blog, I’ve not written about Christmas in China. Where to begin, humm, maybe that’s why I’ve not written it I have no idea how to.

The Reason for the Season. I have the star of my scene.

 With the nativity saga my baby Jesus did arrive in time. I got it two weeks ago actually. It was just a single piece and didn’t warrant a bag I guess, so I just slipped it into my coat pocket. It always caught me off guard when I would slide my hand in, I’d finger the object for a second to figure out what it was.

It is now on my coffee table and will most likely stay there through January. A reminder of home. Mom would you take some pictures of my favorite nativities so I will have them for next Christmas. Children’s Christmas Pageant, the Russian Nativity and don’t forget the Black Bears.

Christmas lights are up all over the city but that really isn’t Christmas that is just typical tacky Chinese decorations, they are up year round. Surprisingly for a country that doesn’t celebrate Christmas beyond apple exchanging there are quite a few decorations up. Of course there only seems to be one set of window stickers in all of Weifang.

(add picture)

Surprisingly my students are quite familiar with Christmas and its customs. It is strange though when you talk to children they know who Santa is but they will tell you straight, “Santa doesn’t come to China”. Don’t tell and American child that they would be horrified he is suppose to go to every child.

All though they know the traditions they do not participate in them. The only gift they really give is an apple. The apple is a symbol of peace.

Christmas music has been playing in the stores for the last few weeks. Most songs are in English and sometimes you can even close your eyes and just focus on the bustle and almost feel like you are back in the US, then you get one good whiff of that China smell and you are right back here.

Christmas is most definitely a unique experience in China.