Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
more new year fun
Right before the big holiday my friend Liuliu and her son Qiaoqiao came over to play. It's been a long time since we've gotten together because Qiaoqiao is in preschool all day, every day. But since he was out for the new year break they came over and we had a great time.
Every single time I see Liuliu she brings me at least 5 or 6 items, usually food, and often brings something for Grace. I can't keep up! (Part of the "guanxi" or relationship system here is give and take of gifts, etc.) Here are two food items she brought. Can you guess what they are?
Zongzi is very popular to eat at the new year time, especially in the south where we live. It's a pyramid-shaped conglomeration of glutinous rice with some kind of filling in the middle. It's wrapped up in a bamboo leaf. Looks pretty fun, eh?
Here it is cut open. This zongzi has egg and some sort of meat in the middle. I can see how people enjoy eating them but can't say I am a huge fan...
But I'll take a zongzi any day over this next item. It was translated on the package as a "new year cake"but that's really a stretch. It's made of glutinous rice and had a bit of sugar and oil but was so dense I had to push hard with this knife just to get it partially cut. As much as I tried, I couldn't cut through it completely! I pulled off a bit to taste and although I've never actually eaten plastic, I'm pretty sure it would come close to the taste of this cake. Slightly-sweetened plastic. I think maybe it's supposed to be the new year equivalent of our fruit cake, but without any fruit and much more dense! (Grace heard the word "cake" and thought maybe it would fit into her kid's bake ware she got from Nana and Pappaw for Christmas. Unfortunately, there was no way to make it fit.)
There was a lot of activity next door to our apartment complex for a few days. We got together with friends the other day and headed to the park, then afterward grabbed some "shao kao" (roast meat on a stick) at the bird and flower market.
shao kao roasting over the coals...
This sesame flat bread is my favorite
The shao kao was spicy and Grace said, "Mommy this milk helps my mouth not to burn so much." She can throw down some shao kao!
It's common to see signs such as these hung on front doors. It's the Chinese character for "blessing" and it's usually hung upside down, as if to say the blessings are being poured out into the household.
Grace is not a big fan of the loud fireworks so Daddy got her some sparklers the other day. She really loved these small ones so we got her some bigger ones later on!
Once they were lit she took off running. Yes, running with fire. We're nothing if not safe.
But at least we kept her from running at Trinity 
And the big "silent" finale...sparkly but not loud, just like Grace likes it. I'm REALLY OK that Grace doesn't want to be around the big fireworks, especially after Kevin and some friends set fireworks off the other day and ran into some crazies who were being careless and shooting fireworks sideways and setting them off in the canisters. 
Every single time I see Liuliu she brings me at least 5 or 6 items, usually food, and often brings something for Grace. I can't keep up! (Part of the "guanxi" or relationship system here is give and take of gifts, etc.) Here are two food items she brought. Can you guess what they are?
Zongzi is very popular to eat at the new year time, especially in the south where we live. It's a pyramid-shaped conglomeration of glutinous rice with some kind of filling in the middle. It's wrapped up in a bamboo leaf. Looks pretty fun, eh?
Here it is cut open. This zongzi has egg and some sort of meat in the middle. I can see how people enjoy eating them but can't say I am a huge fan...
But I'll take a zongzi any day over this next item. It was translated on the package as a "new year cake"but that's really a stretch. It's made of glutinous rice and had a bit of sugar and oil but was so dense I had to push hard with this knife just to get it partially cut. As much as I tried, I couldn't cut through it completely! I pulled off a bit to taste and although I've never actually eaten plastic, I'm pretty sure it would come close to the taste of this cake. Slightly-sweetened plastic. I think maybe it's supposed to be the new year equivalent of our fruit cake, but without any fruit and much more dense! (Grace heard the word "cake" and thought maybe it would fit into her kid's bake ware she got from Nana and Pappaw for Christmas. Unfortunately, there was no way to make it fit.)
There was a lot of activity next door to our apartment complex for a few days. We got together with friends the other day and headed to the park, then afterward grabbed some "shao kao" (roast meat on a stick) at the bird and flower market.
shao kao roasting over the coals...
This sesame flat bread is my favorite
The shao kao was spicy and Grace said, "Mommy this milk helps my mouth not to burn so much." She can throw down some shao kao!
It's common to see signs such as these hung on front doors. It's the Chinese character for "blessing" and it's usually hung upside down, as if to say the blessings are being poured out into the household.
Grace is not a big fan of the loud fireworks so Daddy got her some sparklers the other day. She really loved these small ones so we got her some bigger ones later on!
Once they were lit she took off running. Yes, running with fire. We're nothing if not safe.
But at least we kept her from running at Trinity 
And the big "silent" finale...sparkly but not loud, just like Grace likes it. I'm REALLY OK that Grace doesn't want to be around the big fireworks, especially after Kevin and some friends set fireworks off the other day and ran into some crazies who were being careless and shooting fireworks sideways and setting them off in the canisters. 
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Chinese New Year!
It might be Valentine's Day in the west but today in the far east, it's also New Year's Day! I've mentioned it before but we've lived here more than 4 years and this is our first time to be here for the big Lunar New Year. Last night was louder and more exciting than I ever imagined!
Even as I write the fireworks are ringing outside. They will be a familiar sound for the next week or longer. But last night, New Year's Eve, took the cake. The firecrackers had been going on and off for the past few days. But yesterday late afternoon they started getting louder and more frequent. And all through the night it got louder and louder. Around 10:30 things really started ramping up and at midnight it was truly amazing. I've never heard such a sound. I think our apartment was vibrating! I have to say that once I got over the annoyance of my children not being able to sleep, it was pretty fun to watch. I took these pictures outside of Grace's bedroom window around 10:30 last night. They were setting these off inside our apartment complex. At midnight, there were so many fireworks that I couldn't get a good picture because the sky was completely filled with smoke! (I have to say it's a good thing the buildings here are made of concrete! I did see a kid start a grass fire yesterday afternoon but an older girl got it stomped out quickly enough.)
This picture was taken from our balcony. You can see the long line of firecrackers going off. Trinity has been able to sleep through most of the fireworks tonight (amazingly!), but when they set them off right outside our window last night there was no way to sleep through it! Fireworks could still be heard in the distance last night when we went to bed at 1:30.
And being the ignorant foreigner that I am, I thought there wouldn't be any fireworks set off early this morning. (You know, since everyone was out partying last night.) Wrong! I shot out of bed this morning at 7:30 when they started out our window. Amazingly, Kevin, Grace, and Trinity slept through it. Here was the smoke scene from our balcony this morning.
More Chinese New Year fun to come soon...
Even as I write the fireworks are ringing outside. They will be a familiar sound for the next week or longer. But last night, New Year's Eve, took the cake. The firecrackers had been going on and off for the past few days. But yesterday late afternoon they started getting louder and more frequent. And all through the night it got louder and louder. Around 10:30 things really started ramping up and at midnight it was truly amazing. I've never heard such a sound. I think our apartment was vibrating! I have to say that once I got over the annoyance of my children not being able to sleep, it was pretty fun to watch. I took these pictures outside of Grace's bedroom window around 10:30 last night. They were setting these off inside our apartment complex. At midnight, there were so many fireworks that I couldn't get a good picture because the sky was completely filled with smoke! (I have to say it's a good thing the buildings here are made of concrete! I did see a kid start a grass fire yesterday afternoon but an older girl got it stomped out quickly enough.)
This picture was taken from our balcony. You can see the long line of firecrackers going off. Trinity has been able to sleep through most of the fireworks tonight (amazingly!), but when they set them off right outside our window last night there was no way to sleep through it! Fireworks could still be heard in the distance last night when we went to bed at 1:30.
And being the ignorant foreigner that I am, I thought there wouldn't be any fireworks set off early this morning. (You know, since everyone was out partying last night.) Wrong! I shot out of bed this morning at 7:30 when they started out our window. Amazingly, Kevin, Grace, and Trinity slept through it. Here was the smoke scene from our balcony this morning.
More Chinese New Year fun to come soon... Tuesday, February 9, 2010
on my mind
My computer crashed. Literally. Trinity managed to get the cord wrapped around her walker and it took a tumble. Kevin (aka "resident computer genius") has it back up and running. But I still can't post pictures because I need to load another program to shrink them for uploading. So 'til then, I have a few random things in my head and therefore feel the need for bullet points.
- This country is getting ready for its biggest holiday...the celebration of the lunar new year. This coming year will be the Year of the Tiger, roar! We've lived here going on 5 years but until this year have always been out of the country for this holiday. Schools are out for a few weeks and friends are traveling to see family. Over the next few weeks, people will cook and spend time with family, give out red packets of money to kids, buy new clothes (often including red underwear for luck!), and set off FIREWORKS!! I have to tell you the fireworks here make our 4th of July celebrations look pretty puny. They know how to par-TAY with the gunpowder. Today in a span of not much more than a mile I saw SEVEN fireworks stands along the road. Serious pyro-mania. Young and old alike participate. Kevin's pretty pumped and wants to set them off, too. Me? I will not be allowing my children anywhere near! In fact, as I write I can already hear fireworks in the distance. They've been setting off small firecrackers in our apartment complex at random times the past few days. (And yes, I'm a little worried about my 11 month old sleeping on New Year's Eve but hey, we'll deal with it.) This will be an interesting few weeks!
- Because friends' schedules have slowed, our schedule has slowed a bit as well. It is kind of an unusual time right now. We are hoping to take some time the next week or so for personal retreat and to see a few friends we don't get to see that often.
- We are having a few days of unseasonably warm weather. Temps were in the 80's today and tomorrow the forecast is expected to hit 90!! Close to ninety degrees in February?!! Craziness. As I was sweating on the way to the store today I was floored to see most people still in their long sleeves and jackets. The calendar says February. Therefore the winter clothes are out and worn. Some things still boggle my mind. But I am so thankful for the sunny days we've had lately. Our family had a picnic at a park tonight and we all had a blast! I kept thinking how odd it was to hear about all the snow in the US right now.
- Grace's new thing right now is to tell jokes. Jokes that she made up. She cracks herself up with stuff like, "Mommy your nose is a computer!!" This has necessitated us teaching her a few actual jokes. I love 3 year old humor!
- Trinity is starting to walk with the aid of her little walker. I think she's still several weeks away from walking on her own...at least that's what I'm hoping! I'm not really in a hurry for her to walk! She is such a cuddly baby girl and over the past month has started saying, "bye bye," "ba" for ball and "ni ni" for night-night. Nothing is consistent but it's fun to hear her little voice.
- We feel like 2010 will be a big year. We are planning on moving late summer to a much smaller town. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous. We go back and forth between excited/nervous/excited/anxious/etc. I think especially lately the Father has been trying to get out some of the junk in my heart in preparation to move. I often have such an impatient attitude towards the little inconveniences of living here and forget all the amazing blessings to be thankful for. Such a constant struggle lately. But when I stop and look and meditate of His goodness it completely blows me away!
- It's late and my bed is calling my name. So until next time...I'll be ducking and covering from the fireworks! :)
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