Pure Country!

We got to spend some retreat time this month out in the COUNTRY!

3 little pigs went to market!
Aint he cute!


No, I didn't bungee jump...and yes, those are monkeys!

...be the center of our lives...

It's been a super busy week, but a great one! Thank thank thank him! I've learned so much through struggles, rejoiced in victories small and great, and actually seen progress in language!

So I like to pretend like these goodies from the bakery are LITTLE DEBBIES!

Every Friday we have a calligraphy class! Our teacher is not afraid to call me out when I hold my hand incorrectly or slouch in my seat while writing!

YEP...I was actually concentrating that hard on making straight lines with the brush! It's all about the baby steps!
Joy was so excited about her work...she hung it on the fridge when we got home!

And after warming up with the straight lines, we moved on to this:

SIKE! Our teacher wrote our names for us!

Oh...and no day is complete without making a stop by what I call the "Kit Kat store!" I can't find kit-kats anywhere, but this little store outside of campus sells them!

That's gonna leave a mark!

We began language school this week! We were SO excited about starting school Monday, but boy were we in for a surprise! All of our classmates are from another country in Asia, and have been studying our new language for much longer than us! The good thing is that to communicate with them we have to use the language b/c they know only a few words in English! Thankfully by the end of the week our teachers realized how far behind the rest of the class we actually are! So in addition to our regular schedule we'll be studying w/ our teachers in the afternoon as well! Woohoo...30 hours a week of language school! I'm so grateful that I know who's in control and who knows exactly what I need...because other wise I'd be feeling a little stressed! Hopefully this will help us pick up language way faster than we expected!Another fun surprise was that our advisor signed us up for a shadowboxing, or Tai Chi, class one night a week! While we were jogging laps around the room at the beginning of class to warm up, I failed to notice an electrical outlet protruding out of the middle of the floor and did a graceful little tumble onto the floor! I was laughing so hard, along with all my classmates and I just kept saying "bu hao yi si" (I'm embarrassed)! I got to redeem myself though, because during the break I figured out how to tell my instructor that I had studied ballet and I ended up getting to lead the class through some of our exercises! How funny! All those years really did pay off Daddy!

After our Tai Chi class we got to meet and watch some guys bust a move! They were break dancing to some old hip-hop/techno songs! It made my heart glad to watch them!

What a wonderful Maker...

WOW...I'm overwhelmed with thankfulness for such a GREAT time with such WONDERFUL friends in such a BEAUTIFUL place!

Just some friends who happen to have the same name!

Umm...yes ma'am they did have BROWNIE BATTER BLIZZARDS!

There's just something about riding in the back of a truck that makes me HAPPY!

Just For Your Enjoyment!

This is what we call "team" pressure-washing!

We discovered a new way to meet people around our apartment! Now you know I'm not big on exercising but if it means I get to spend time outside, hanging out with my roomates, and meeting people...well then I'm game! We had been noticing this outdoor play area next to our apartment, so we decided to give it a try! You won't believe this, but actually the primary users of this little outdoor gym are older people.

So I'm convinced that I'm way to big for all the equipment...but I enjoy seeing others laugh! I can't believe Joy actually caught this graceful move on camera!

GOOBER!

And we know all things work together for good...

I had the best time this weekend visiting the home of a local family. Though our communication was somewhat limited through words...just spending time with them enabled us to share things our speech alone couldn't. We made dinner together...the best meal I've had since I've been here...and even played "paper, rock, sizzors" to see who had to finish off the leftover food around the table! We had some great laughs, especially since I lost every time and had to keep shoveling down greens! After dinner we headed out for a walk, where I found one of my most favorite spots in the city. People gather in this large plaza every Saturday night to line dance! There's music coming over the loud speakers and different groups form to do all sorts of line dancing for all ages! There's also a big fountain that's mist follows the beat of the music.I'm pretty sure Chevy Chase has met his match with the amount of lights that are strung around this city at this time of year! It's so fun to look at!!!

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.