So this is Hot Pot...

Meet "huo guo"... what we like to call Hot Pot! The bowl is set in the middle of the table with a gas flame under it to bring the broth to a boil. The outer layer is the tongue torcher...you can probably tell by all the little red peppers floating around in it! You get to order all sorts of interesting food to cook in the broth.

Right outside of our apt. complex is this jammin' Hot Pot resturaunt. They always have music blaring out of their speakers and we always chat with the hostesses when we pass by. In the mornings and afternoons all the workers (I'm talking managers, hostesses, waiters, waitresses, chefs, janitors, and cashiers) come out on the side walk to do exercises and stretches together! It's a blast to watch...they even do an interpretive dance to a song about Hot Pot! This week we decided we would ask to join them for their morning exercise...and they let us! We got to meet all the workers and introduce ourselves.

Today we ate lunch there with one of the managers and one of the hostesses!
Yummy... I got to try some cow stomach for the 1st (and potentially last) time!!! It really wasn't bad tasting...the texture was just a little unique!

And my favorite part of every meal...the dessert! This is some kind of breaded sweet potato.

Won't you be, my neighbor?

One day as Val and I headed out to get a taxi to go into town, I noticed a lady leaving from my apartment complex around the same time walking close behind me. It’s not very easy to find a taxi on the road where we live, and when we got to the end of our street I realized that this lady was looking for a taxi also. I was sort of bummed when a one finally came by and she flagged it down before we could! But to my surprise she looked our way and spoke to us in English saying, “This taxi is for you! You are my neighbor, and I want you to take it!”

That might not seem like too big of a deal, but I had little tears forming in my eyes because one of the locals had called me their neighbor. For one of the first times I felt accepted by the precious little people here, and I felt that they understand that I’m here to live with them! Now I know that I’ll never truly "be one" with the people here, especially for a 6’1” white girl with bouffant hair among a sea of 5’0” and under adorable Asian faces! But her maker used the words to really encourage me!!!

These are a few of my favorite things...

We have the most helpful guards that work at our apt. complex. During the day one of them usually gets up on this guard stand and salutes everyone that walks by.

We call these "bubbles." Kids actually pile up inside the bubble and try to push it across the top of the water...no water gets in the bubble so it just kind of floats on top of the water.

We went to see a ballet on the history of the city...we learned so much! And I got to pick up a few new dance moves!
So these guys make the BEST candy in the city! I'm really not sure why they begin by smashing it with these hammers...but the end product is a little goodie that reminds me of peanut butter fudge!

They enjoy speaking the 2 English phrases that they know with us..."Hello, beautiful...hello, beautiful!" They just keep saying it over and over...it always makes me smile!

I'm pretty sure that these chairs along the river take "squatty" to a whole new level!

Outdoor Grocery Shopping

The fruit here is SO delicious! So we like to buy it at the little market just down the street.

This sweet little lady always smiles when we come to visit. She helps us practice our language too...because she speaks no English! Val accidently asked her for 6 friends last time we visited, instead of 6 apples...we had a good laugh!

There's also a fresh meat market...let's just say that the preference here is for REALLY fresh meat!

When we ordered chicken in our "hot pot" (which is just a bowl of boiling broth) at a nearby resturaunt, we acutally got to witness the chicken being being killed and skinned in the kitchen!

Happy Day!

When I woke up Tuesday morning and I saw the sunshine peeping through my window I couldn't believe it! I knew it could only mean one thing...my boys were dominating the 'ship!!!

My first ever blue sky and sunshiny day! It was such a sweet bl.ssing from above!

New friends!

Val whipped up some homemade pizzas for her friends, and then we taught them how to play ERS (Egyptian Rat Slap...a fun little card game)!

We had a blast...and lots of good laughs!!! Everyone got a little intense w/ the slaps!

Sally was the winner...look at her cute little grin!

Please remember the students as many of them prepare and finish their finals, then head home for winter break!

The Big City

Please remember the city often!

Though the days are pretty gloomy...the nightlife is SO bright!!!

Sweet Goodbyes

To those who've gone before me...

My amazing grandparents...thank you for leading the way! I love ya'll!

And my wonderfully awesome family...

The bag boys/airport support groupies...

Thank you for lifting up our travels! Miracle after miracle got me through the many tears and on each flight with all that I needed! And thank you so much for remembering the luggage...all of it finally arrived! Yay!!!