...to do with the price of tea in China...

This is the tea shop that is in the front of the Lotus Supermarket.  This bag of Jasmine Tea was 7 RMB (yuan).  The exchange rate is approx 6 RMB = 1 USD.  The bags of regular green tea are very cheap compared to US prices.  All the tea is loose leaf.  I also found dried lavender which makes great tea in the evening.  We have a hot water dispenser in our apt, so that is handy. 

On the weekend we went in the McDonald's which is about a 15 minute walk from here.  I mainly wanted to try the french fries and see how they compared.  They were excellent.  You could tell absolutely no difference from the ones we have in the US.  A medium fry is 9RMB.



Here is our shopping bag after a shopping trip to try to find snacks.  The Orion Pies are...yes, their version of Moon Pies.  Fairly good.  The dried kiwi is excellent, esp b/c it doesn't have that weird salty flavor that seems to permeate many of the other dried fruit snacks.  The little bag in the front is little cups of jello type things.  I like them.  Ben doesn't.  The bag in the upper right contains individually wrapped dried apples.  They are about the size of prunes, with seeds still in them too.  As one foreign teacher said about eating here, "Chew cautiously."  The snacks are pretty cheap, which is good, because it is a total gamble as to what might be appetizing...or not.

We bought 2 of these thermoses for 29 RMB each.  They are excellent at keeping water hot all day long.  The students and other teachers all carry them around and there are many hot water dispensers in the offices.  The little box of special tea was a gift from the principal here.  In the background, of course, is the view from one of our windows.  We don't pay anything for the view:).

China is certainly a land of tea drinkers.  So when we saw a coffee shop right around the block, Barry, Ben and I went in.  We were given the English menu.  The prices were Starbucks style.  Oh well, we thought, coffee is a treat...so, here we are smiling, which is actually grimacing, over this "special" instant coffee.  Uff da.  (yes, the Norwegian expression definitely fits here)  Mark "Ming Tien Coffee Language" (no, we don't know what coffee language is either) off of our list of top 10 places to go in Xi'an.

THEN...Kevin and Stacey discovered the Dunkin Donuts, which is in the Lotus grocery store complex.  THIS is the real thing.  I'm a bit embarrassed at how happy we were to find it.  One British businessman we met in there asked me (on the 2nd day we ran into him), "Are you pretty addicted to this stuff?"  Ha.  At 14 RMB it does feel like a bit of a luxury, so we are not making it a daily habit.  By the way, we haven't yet tried the donuts.  Some of them are standard--Boston Cream Pie...and others are standard Chinese--shredded pork donut, green tea filled donut...yes, I am not making this up.

...sounds of Xi'an, continued...

After I posted this morning, I realized I had forgotten a very significant and frequent sound: firecrackers!  On a regular (think--daily) basis, and especially on the weekends, a rapid smattering of pop pop pop pows...echoes among the buildings.  We are not sure what they are all for, but Sunday morning we heard some in the courtyard of the next apartment building and we looked out to see a stream of people pouring out of a building.  There appeared to be some sort of celebration.  Last week we happened upon a wedding procession and in front of the banquet center, the red paper confetti that explodes from these noisemakers was all over the cement. 

The florists also decorate the cars used in the wedding procession.  This procession included at least 8 or 9 of these SUV's. 

Meanwhile, across the street, was this gentleman, in a much less noisy vehicle. 

...sounds of Xi'an...

Photos can't capture sound, but this morning I want to share some of the common sounds we've been hearing.  I should begin by saying that here in our apartment, we are fortunate to have a great deal of quietness.  This building only has a few occupants--all foreign teachers or students.  We haven't had to use our earplugs yet! 

I had expected a constant, undecipherable din of humanity.  In actuality, the sounds are very distinct and not really annoying.  There is the honking of car horns, for sure.  But they seem to take turns, as if in a conversation.  (And, usually, they are having a discussion that seems to be translated into something like, "Hey! Can't you see I'm coming?  Why are you obeying the green light and going anyway?" and "Helloooo!  I'm a truck with no brakes and you are a mere bicycle with just a little load of 55 crates." or "ExCUSE me, right turn on red and left turn on green give me license to ignore pedestrians!"  Regardless of the chaos this seems to convey, it really all works miraculously smoothly.  I have yet to hear the sound of tires screeching to a halt. 

While we are on the note of crossing the street, I might mention that I had to override my instincts the other day on my walk to school.  A little grandmother with some sort of cane or assistive walking device started to shuffle across the large intersection at the same time I did.  My tendency was to slow down and walk with her.  Then my brain took over and said, "Kelly, this woman has obviously lived long enough to be using a cane.  You have not.  She likely knows much more about how to get across these 6 lanes of regular traffic and 2 bus/bicycle access lanes on either side of the road than you do."  ...and I traipsed across as cautiously as possible.  One thing that really helps is that the traffic signals here all have timers on them and so you can see how many seconds you have left to cross the road. 

Back to sounds...there are water trucks that traverse the streets daily, except on rainy days, I suppose, to spray down pavement, in a never ending effort to reduce the dust.  For several days we heard them from the apartment, and assumed they were ice cream trucks.  Why?  Because they play tunes like Jingle Bells and Yankee Doodle.  Yes.  Here.  In March. 

And onto more unexpected musical sounds: When the 2 hour lunch/nap break at the schools ends, instrumental music recordings are broadcast over the school grounds.  Last week the wake up song was Danny Boy, which was definitely pleasant.  Yesterday to my surprise another familiar tune emerged: Amazing Grace.  Yes. Here.  Paradoxes abound.

The walkway in the park is a beautiful detour to the sidewalks along the city street.  In the evening, we hear Beijing Opera selections booming out of portable stereos and there are groups of women practicing traditional dances.  It is really impressive. 

Earlier this week I heard what sounded like military marches.  I got nearer the square and saw men in civilian clothes in formation, marching around the square.  The next day, on my return from school, I heard the same group.  The day before must have been just rehearsal, because the 2nd day they were in full uniform.  I took a video of them, and showed it to Xiaolan back at the office.  She told me they were not military.  They are security.  (These are different people than police.) I guess they must have monthly practices. 

This is one of the intersections near the school.  The dog looks just like Buster Tackitt, so we were sure to take the photo for Steve and Pat :).  The pet dogs here are obviously well cared for, but rarely on leashes.  They seem share their masters' instincts regarding traffic navigation.

...around school...

Here are some snapshots around Gaoxin No. 1 High School campus as well as Gaoxin No. 2 Primary School.  I have a nice 20 minute walk to the primary school where I am spending a couple weeks.  I have been teaching some of the English classes there and it has been a great experience.  A few myths have been dispelled.  Namely the notion that students here sit quietly and at attention at all times.  Kids—no matter where they live on this planet—are kids.  J  To manage a classroom of 60 students takes some sort of magic that I haven’t acquired yet.  And when class is over, to be mobbed by all these first graders who want to stand right next to the teacher, requires more than a bit of balance!!  Their greetings never lack in enthusiasm.  And when they ask, “What is your nationality?”  and I respond, “I am American,” the entire class breaks into applause and cheers.  They are encouraged to answer all questions asked by the teacher in a very loud voice.  Chinese classrooms are not places for soft spoken folks.  I was comforted to see a teacher wear a wireless microphone on Monday.  She said most teachers have some voice problems.  I can understand why.

Gaoxin Primary students with Flat Stella and Pepe

*for more adventures with Pepe, check out Ben's blog: http://lasperspectivasdepepe.blogspot.com/



The teachers are involved in the morning exercise, and I got this snapshot of Ben on the track with the Biology teacher when I left the apartment yesterday morning.  

After school basketball group @ Primary School.

High School girls between classes.

Ben and Kevin teaching English conversation.

...just around the neighborhood...

Of course, we could be taking photos constantly…and sometimes we are! (loving the Panasonic Lumix, thanks again Ed & CarissaJ)

Some sites are recorded with specific people in mind, and Ben said, “Are you sure you’ll remember to show them when we get back?”  So, I’ll make a note of who we specifically thought of the moment we snapped it…and maybe the rest of you might find them kind of neat too. 

These are just random photos taken while we’ve been out and about.  We took several today during our 2 hour walk around the area.   

If we are going to learn the language here, the park may be the best place to practice.  This man wanted to chat, and we exhausted our vocabulary in 15 words, but he was very happy to have his photo taken with Ben.  Behind them is a monument to the archaeological accomplishments regarding the historical city wall.  

 There are people of all ages enjoying the space, which is well kept, accessible, and with a nice variety of non-motorized equipment that are like treadmills, ellipticals, and here, Ben is using a back massager. 

 Kevin and Stacey had told us about the parks with unique exercise equipment and legions of ping-pong tables, and we discovered this one right across from the school.  

These “public health clubs” are amazing.  The Chinese really are constantly thinking about their health and good living habits.  Hopefully on a more sunny day, I’ll get a more comprehensive view of how impressive these parks really are.

While we were walking in the park, we spotted this couple in western wedding attire accompanied by professional photographers.  I’m not sure if they were just having photos or having a wedding.  There are parlors here where people can just get dressed up as a bride and groom for photos only.  Naturally, *Rachel Taylor came to mind J.  If you don’t know who she is, please look at her website:  http://www.racheltrebolo.com/ .  She’s Ben’s cousin, and whenever we think we are taking a lot of photos, we mention her name J and realize we are mere novices!

Komatsu equipment reminds us of *Adam Trebolo, of course.  We’ve seen several on construction sites and spotted this one on the highway en rte from the Terra Cotta Warriors tour yesterday.  The highways are unbelievably well maintained, with people out sweeping the sides of these major roads with little brooms.  We have yet to see a pothole in the shiny new highways.  Of course, there are narrower bumpy streets in town, but most of the roads near here are excellent.  That’s a good thing, because the driving habits of the populous here certainly don’t need the complication of swerving to avoid Detroit style “speedbumps”.

The city has put a lot of effort into landscaping, which, in this dry area, is quite a feat.  Their method of helping the trees retain moisture and stay straight is to use ropes wrapped around the trunk and then add a layer of plastic and they dump water into the top of the plastic sleeve.  *thought of Uncle John at the tree nursery J

When we deplaned in Xi’an, one of the first billboards we saw was this great advertisement for beef.  I said, “We have to take a photo of this for *Dad!”  Also, perhaps Myers Meats would like to open a store in China?  The man from Shanghai that we met on the Detroit flight told us that one of his favorite foods to eat in the States is steak.  These folks eat lots of soy and veggies, but plenty of meat as well. 

As forecast, we had rain this morning and the temp was around 40 degrees.  Although we needed to pull out every layer of clothing we’d packed to keep out the chill, the rain succeeded in clearing the smog away somewhat.  Here are Ben, Kevin, Stacey and Carrie leaving our apt bldg this morning.  Due to the rain, our trip to the Muslim Quarter/Market was postponed and we went to the history museum. 

…and this is a snapshot taken for the enjoyment of all the engineers/electricians/construction workers…can you see the wires wrapped up on the poles in the upper righthand corner of this photo?

...and if the sight of the wiring gives palpitations, fear not...we discovered this medical facility nestled among at least 4 pharmaceutical factories on our walk.  Actually, it is nice to know we are not far away, and this really looks like a good place...if you need it...hope we don't!

Ben and I were in the high-tech factory zone, near the clinic.  Note the very modern cars.  If you have seen Ben’s blog, you’ll already know that not everyone here has the same style of vehicles.  Also, note the sidewalks.  Most of the sidewalks in this area are done in these colorful tiles. 

We’ve seen this puppy a few times now.  It is evident he owns the place.  Dogs are very popular here, and we’ve seen all shapes and sizes.  This morning at the gatekeepers’ building here at the school, someone had a beautiful border collie. 

While the attendant was fueling the bus, Kevin went in to get a drink.  I’m not sure if the name of the gas station mandates that no one complain about gas prices?

 ...and this is our "Magic Schoolbus"...oh the places we go and the things that we see...Ms. Frizzle's class has nothing over on us!  With Mr. Chen at the wheel and Xiaolan as our guide, we've had a great couple of days.  We've been working on digital fieldtrip projects to use in the classrooms when we return to Lexington, and there has certainly been plenty of raw material!  Tomorrow we will be entering the Chinese classrooms.  Stacey and I will go to the primary school.  Ben will be here at the high school along with the others.  

Good Night!

...what we are eating...

(updated)

The food here in Xi'an has certainly lived up to its reputation.  Outstanding.  Flavorful.  Diverse.  Plentiful.  Definitely plentiful.  I am mentally reviewing meals we have served our Chinese friends in Lexington, and wondering what they think when they sit down to a table with only 4-5 bowls/plates of food. 

Here is a snapshot from the lazy susan at the local restaurant the driver, Mr. Chen, suggested yesterday.  We each had bowls of pumpkin soup and then there were 2 other soups as well as bread (not pictured), and this photo was taken after 2 or 3 dishes had already been removed.

This is a spinach tofu dish (as far as I could tell).  It was delicious.  However, there are very few vegetarian dishes in this country...lots of very tasty meat.

Our driver, Mr. Chen (who has nerves of steel and total control of the wheel...thankfully!), with the utensil they use to make a specific kind of noodle.  He hollered to the kitchen for them to bring one to supplement his excellent "sign" language. 

...to be continued...

On Tuesday, Madame Wang, the principal, and Xiaolan, the international coordinator, took us to eat "Hot Pot" at a very nice restaurant.  The tables have a sunken center with gas burners and a large pot of boiling broth with various meats and vegetables.  Then you take a small soup bowl to what I'll call a "sauces and seasonings bar" and you create your own sauce.  Back at your table, broth from the communal pot is added to each person's individual sauce.  Then plates of raw meat and vegetables are brought to the table and you add whatever you want to the pot an fish it out with your chopsticks when it floats to the top (indicating it is cooked).

 Our friendly server with butterfly shrimp.

Many kinds of noodles are also brought, including a beet noodle, sweet potato noodle and a fancy noodle created during a performance that resembles a skillful lasso-ist.  After he finished swinging these noodles, each table received a pile to add to their hot pot.  You can see the principal and Xiaolan in the background.  They are wearing red aprons (just like Ben above:) provided by the restaurant because the meal can be easy to wear.  This place has creature comforts down to an art form.  Need a hair tie or glasses cleaner?  Provided before you were distracted enough from the food to even realize you needed them!

While the restaurant meals have certainly been a welcome treat, our regular fare is fairly hard to beat.  Here is a snapshot I took of Ben this evening in the canteen.  We eat breakfast and supper there.  For less than    5 yuan, we have a great meal.  (That is less than $1USD for both of us)  I will say, sometimes we are unsure what exactly we are eating in our soup.  The other night it definitely looked like octopus, which was very sweet.  Another new item we finally identified with the help of other teachers is lotus root.

We eat the noon meal on the next floor in the regular dining room.  Although you can't see any students in the background, there were several on the other side of the dining hall, and many were scurrying in and out to keep an eye on the basketball games in the main courtyard.

My chopsticks skills are improving.  Its also encouraging to know that it is quite acceptable to pick up your bowl and drink the soup!  Also, the rice is pretty sticky, that's another bonus.

...from Detroit to Shanghai...

Ben's parents took us to the Bluegrass Airport Saturday morning and we flew to Detroit.

@Lexington

Of course, at the Horse Capital of the World, one would not be surprised to find an airplane just for horses!

(I guess horses don't need windows:)

Our nephew, Jacob, was wondering which direction we would be flying.  He is very interested in finding places on his globe.  The flight trail took us up across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the clear skies allowed a nice view of the Great Lakes!  We continued on over Hudson Bay and further toward the top of the globe.

@Detroit

Ben took some photos from the window seat.  To see his account of today, go to his blog at mcmainelaoshi.blogspot.com.

I found out from our seat mate that Chinese people believe in drinking a lot of water. (I'm going to like China :) When I mentioned the standard advice of 8 glasses a day that Americans advocate, he informed me that amount would be considered the minimum!  Ice water is not popular, nor considered healthy.  Rather, hot and warm water is recommended. Here is a photo from the Shanghai airport, likely common here, but new to us.

We found a comfortable hotel near the airport where we are glad to rest and regroup before the final leg of our trip tomorrow to Xi'an.  Interestingly, the door key card also activates the electricity for the room.

Our group is to meet at the airport with the director of the school and travel together to the campus.

somewhere over the tundra...

Ben working on his blog for Spanish students about the adventures of Pepe.  Check it out even if you don't speak Spanish!  http://lasperspectivasdepepe.blogspot.com/

The local time is 12 hours ahead of eastern time zone, so we have essentially skipped ahead a half day.

Good Night in Mandarin Chinese - 晚安 wǎn ān