Back to the blog-- more adventures with company

I know I haven't been blogging much this week, but we had a bit of a computer scare and I have been spending my little free time backing up all our documents and photos in the event of a crash. We removed some new software and are crossing our fingers! To catch up, on Sunday we took Dona and Laura and the kids to Gulanyu to church and for some serious souvenir shopping. It was the day of the holiday (Duan Wu Jie) and a few other people had the same idea, so the ferry was packed, and the Coloradans got a taste of life in a crowd.

A hot, sticky moment in the church yard..

Followed by some local Xiamen cuisine in our regular Sunday lunch spot, although we were such a large group that they sat us upstairs next to the drying laundry. Nathan is sampling some octopus.

And Mary is demonstrating her skills with chopsticks...

Nick and Sophia were constant companions this week.

Part of the gang in the traditional tourist photo spot. It was an exceptionally clear day by China standards, muggy but lovely.

We shopped for trinkets, pearls and of course, tea. We are having the usual Fujian style tea tasting.



Mary got a Chinese outfit and posed with Helen for a photo, although we discovered we had been had when the closures began coming unglued! Since we could not find any festival festivities, after a nap at home we headed up the beach road to a restaurant we had been wanting to try..."under the big tree sea food place". You order your food by pointing it out inside the restaurant lobby...



And then you eat it in style outside on the patio under the lights with the ocean near at hand...it was terrific!

This morning we have just said goodbye to the gang as they head up to Xi' an and then to Beijing. Hopefully they have had enough of a China orientation to survive-- and Nick has mastered a couple of phrases. In Xi'an our good friends are setting them up with some drivers, etc.
I have lots more photos of their visit, including our trip to see Hakka tulou, which I will post later or tomorrow. In the mean time, my apartment is a disaster and I have so much catching up to do!

Sublime to serene: from the Temple to the Botanical Gardens

Yesterday was reasonably clear and overcast, so we headed next door to the temple. Here we are at the back gate of the temple, and if you look close you can see a corner of our building peeking at the upper right hand corner. I have grown accustomed to the proximity of the temple, the gonging, the smell of incense, etc... Not to mention the beauty of the mountain (Five Old Men Mountain by name) which we can easily gaze at out or windows. The lily pond in front of the temple was in full spring time glory.



Doesn't Emily look so grown up in this picture?

Nanputuo Temple


Roof detail...much of the temple has been restored and repainted while we have been here -- just magnificent.

Emily at Guan Yin's altar...the goddess of mercy. This image is a Bodhisattva with many many hands (for helping the suffering).

People ask me if we get too much unwanted attention when we are in public. At a tourist destination such as the temple, undeniably the answer is yes. Sometimes the requests are made so sweetly or enthusiastically that we can't say no -- then a scene like the one above ensues. When someone touches her or is too forward, she usually lets out a bone chilling scream that knocks them for a bit of a loop . So I guess she can handle the paparazzi herself for the most part.

Back on topic -- I finally found the oven in the temple where they burn the "hell money" people bring for their ancestors and deceased love ones to use in heaven ( I have also seem paper clothes, houses and cell phones, too).


We were happy to find our favorite monk to meet the family. He naturally ushered us into his office (its a cave, if you recall) and plied the kids with candy, Buddhist medallions and this time started giving us Buddhist scriptures in Chinese to read since I told him I am learning to read Chinese. While I am not ready to read them, I did finally look up the character painted on the rock behind the altar the monk tends -- is the character for Buddha, not surprisingly. He got very excited and showed us around a bit, trying to get us to understand different sayings painted on rocks, even calling a friend to translate (but she said -- "I can't say it in English")
.

We headed up the mountain, passing some caves on the way -- many filled with all shapes and sizes of religious images brought by pilgrims.

At last -- the top of the mountain!

And over the top to the other side and into the 10,000 Rock Botanical Garden with some goofy children.


It began to rain, so we "escaped" to the desert buildings -- the most impressive collection in the garden, in my opinion.

These were both too unusual for Aunt Laura to pass up photographing.




Helen with the "corn on the cob" cactus she found.

Finally a tired group heads back to campus by bus.

Today, being the 5th day of the 5th lunar month is a holiday called Duan Wu Jie. In English we call it the Dragon Boat festival, although racing dragon boats is only one of the activities associated with this festival which celebrates the life and death of a faithful and devoted government official long long ago who drowned himself after realizing that corruption had destroyed the nation he helped to build. In addition to the dragon boats, its customary to eat zongzi -- glutinous rice mixed with dates or pork and wrapped in palm leaves...see photos below. The people wanted to make some rice offerings to the honest official, but had to wrap them to keep the fish from getting them! My friend's mother had made us some delicious zongzi.



Unfortunately, not much was happening in the way of festivities, because the dragon boat races had been canceled due to mourning the earthquake victims, according to some friends of ours.

Just a note on the photos -- all the good ones were taken by Laura with her stupendous camera. The best was when she captured on film something I have been trying to photograph all year -- a baby in split pants. In lieu of diapers many Chinese children wear these pants with the hole in the back until they are old enough not to need them. Amazing.

Lots of eating, shopping, and Helen takes Mary to school

Since the recommended treatment for jet lag is sunshine, the Colorado folks spent some of their first day at the beach, which was not at its cleanest with the tide coming in.

Then lunch at my favorite restaurant, Cai Jia Po ---spicy noodles (both wheat and bean based) and mango smoothies!

After lunch they napped and I went to class. We re-gathered for dinner at the restaurant next door, including our friend Tian who helped us order lots of interesting dishes including sea worms for Nick and a whole fish for the rest of us.


Friday morning we hit the second hand market (and yes , Mom we got you another clock -- for just 200 kuai). Laura and Emily got silver dowry bracelets and Nick emerged as the big shopper and best bargainer of the day.


While we were shopping, Mary was having a day as an exchange student to Helen's class for the morning. Getting on the bus...

And when we arrived to pick them up, they were finishing lunch -- rice porridge, fish some vegetable and xigua 西瓜 (watermelon) for dessert.

Laura took this picture of the room where Helen's class naps in their bunk beds, but we brought the girls home after lunch. On the way we had a bit of a campus tour, including a good view of the oldest buildings on the campus.

Its Saturday now, and we just got back from a long but satisfying morning at the temple next door and on the mountain. Will try to get that blog post going later tonight.

In other news, we have heard from the family who is coming to be the Fulbright family in Xiamen next year ...and they even have kids....hurray! At least we can pass on some of the stuff we can't take with us to someone who will appreciate it! Although it makes are leaving all the more real. I realized today at the top of the mountain that we might not make that hike again, and the things we are showing Don and Laura and the gang -- this may be our last visit in some cases. After they leave we will really begin the countdown in earnest. How else can I cope but to try to begin anticipating some things to look forward to? But I am not really ready to let go of my life and projects here, such as learning Chinese, teaching and tutoring in English, and trying every day to be open to at least one new experience or idea. I guess maybe that last bit is a notion I will have to take home with me.

The Colorado folks have arrived!

Actually they arrived yesterday evening in time for dinner and are "roughing it" in our building, which is convenient. Of course hosting visitors means were are eating very well in all our favorite restaurants. Tomorrow my little niece Mary, age 8, is going to school with Helen. The rest of us will head to the antique flea market and I will try to bring my camera this time! (sorry no photos today but we mostly walked around and they went to the beach) The family seems to be surviving jet lag pretty well except for Nathan who is a little sick but recovering. Anyone who has made that crossing can appreciate what an arduous trip it is. I am dreading it next month! We have lots of plans to visit sites in Xiamen while they are here, and it is also a chance to do things we have been putting off -- the time is flying by and maybe there are some things we won't have the chance to do again. After a week here they will also visit Xi'an and Beijing.

I promise photos tomorrow. Today you have to be content with this graphic:

Hockey fans...I think you know what this means, (especially any Ottawa fans who might be reading this!) Go Red Wings!

Weekend Update

Michael here for the weekend update. On Friday evening we had our last dinner with our friend Gary, who left on Saturday morning with his students - heading off for a tour of Beijing before returning to the states.

As Gary was leaving, Helen's friend Rouen came over for a play date. She immediately put on the pink princess dress that she loves [we hope to leave it with her when we finally depart].

And of course, Sophia has to do whatever the big girls are doing - including dresses, umbrellas and ubiquitous V sign.

The girls all made 'American cookies' with Ann - this being a rather new experience for Rouen. Since very few Chinese people have ovens, they do not have much of a recent tradition of baking your own cookies, breads and cakes. Rouen was sent home with a plate of chocolate chip cookies for her family. And thanks to our visitors who brought the chocolate chips! We remember it was one of the Marys but cannot recall which one.

After her play date, Helen had her last paper cut class. Here she is with her teacher.

Actually the last class was a final exam, although we didn't know it. Helen arrived late to discover the exam (make 5 paper cuts in the class time) but was able to make 4 paper cuts and was graduated to the next class. Hurrah! Unfortunately, we will not be around for the next course. :(

Here is the indomitable Huan Huan with her teacher and some of her graduating class with a background of rather colorful paper cuts.

In the evening we had a babysitter [she was supposed to come the night before so we could go out with our friend Gary, but she couldn't make it], so we went out Saturday to dinner and some strolling around with our friends Jason [who teaches English at Xiada] and Melanie [who is a fellow student with Ann at the Overseas College].

Upon our return home we were greeted by our old friend Wushu the lizard who, it appears, had not left but had crawled up the wall.

We were glad to see him and took a few shots of him before he scooted off into our huge pile of shoes by the doorway.

On Sunday we went off to church, but first we all checked our shoes thoroughly in case we squished poor Wushu. Our lunch after church is usually rather quiet, with the exception of our children in the restaurant. But this Sunday - because it was officially Children's Day - almost every table in the place was filled and with small kids at almost every one. It was a noisy but enjoyable lunch.

Helen actually had another play date with Rouen, this time at Rouen's house. Since Sunday was Children's Day they went to Bailuzou Park where there were various festivities [we have been promised pictures].

Around bedtime, my student and one of our babysitters, Fu Qinqin, came over with a big bag of candy for the children. I think that her boyfriend sends candy over from Korea, but she doesn't eat it. So she stocked it up and brought a big bag over on Children's Day.

She also brought over a traditional food for Dragon Boat Festival. It is flavored rice with pork in the middle, then wrapped in bamboo leaves or reeds and tied with a string. Her mother had sent them with her from Zhejiang Province.

We are getting ready for our next batch of visitors: my brother's family. They are to arrive on Wednesday afternoon after many flights. So we wish them well as they prepare for their cross Pacific journey.