This is Mike from Taiwan, who we met on the airplane from Xi'an to Hong Kong. We want to give him a Book of Mormon. We planned to give it to him the night he came for dinner, but he brought a Chinese friend with him, so we could not.
These are the children and the foreign teachers at the Daming Palace Heritage Park. The park will be open in October of 2010 and the organizers say this park will be comparable to Central Park in New York. They plan to plant 3 million trees by the time it opens. We did our part and planted 1 tree each today!!!!!!! 
Afterwards we were treated to lunch of Peking Roasted Duck. Ross chose that one!!!
A chef carves the duck beside your table. It really does taste good. The meat is cut into small pieces. It is eaten by wrapping the meat in a very thin crepe that has some kind of sauce like a soy sauce and some very thin green onions wrapped with it. Then you eat it like a burrito.
This is the Wild Goose Pagoda. We have never gone inside because there is so much to see on the outside. It is a place that the Buddhists can burn their incense and say their prayers. They have a water light show every evening that we still need to see. There are many vendors, pretty walkways and gardens.
This ice cream cone looked so good -- from the pictures -- It has 4 small round scoops of ice cream in different colors. We chose a white, 2 brown and green scoops. Then we tasted them. The brown was chocolate (Chinese style - so it doesn't taste quite right), the white was kidney bean and dirt flavor, and the green was a watermelon, we think. Neither of us could eat the white flavor. We won't be buying ice cream again unless it is from KFC!
This is a puppet show. The two people look through a little window and the man in the gray hat (looks like a monk) performs the words to the puppet show and he will pull some strings every so often at the back of the little stage. It cost 5 yuan to watch the show.
This is my student, Jean, who is in my Friday, 10:00 class. She spoke to me first.
The one in the middle is my student Fay. She is in my Monday 8:00 class. I did recognize her.
I have been trying to get one of these pictures for a long time. I wanted you to see the split crotch pants for the little children.
Letter #26 (March 15, 2009 – March 21, 2009)
Sunday, March 15, 2009 – Dad - Branch Presidency Meeting at 8:30am at our apartment. The Branch President and the clerk take a bus to be here on time. In Sacrament meeting we had Helena speak – she is from Taiwan and has been a member of the church for three years. She told of her conversion story and bore a simple testimony but yet so humble. We had branch council after the block and planned the next three months activities before most of the branch leaves to return to the USA. Later in the afternoon we strolled to the main gate of campus to collect the mail. On our way home, we passed a food vender who had noodles in a five gallon can, all prepared; they only have to re-heat and serve. After eating all of these Chinese foods we may return with parasites. Today the government turned off the heat until November 15. If it gets cold again we have two space heaters available.
Monday, March 16, 2009 – Dad – Strawberry’s are beginning to show themselves in the dirt market where vegetables and fruits are sold. We purchased ours on the street – about $1 for 8 of them. We went to Metro (the western food) store and bought ham, butter, bread, pasta, rice krispies and insect repellent which is dispensed by plugging it into an outlet. Our tub has not been draining right since we arrived. We finally had our fill and called the director of the housing – we got action. They will repair it tomorrow. A warm day – 75 degrees.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 – Mom – St. Patrick’s Day – I did not even tell my students about this holiday. I decided it was too complicated because I would have to explain to them my explanation of St. Patrick’s Day. This has often been the case that I will use a word to explain another word and then I have to explain that word to them. Spring is here. The trees are getting their leaves and the blossoms are out and that includes the dandelions, which are even pretty over here. Today was about 75 degrees. So we went from wearing four layers of clothing last week to 1 layer this week and it was hot in the sun. Our colleague from Lebanon, Wallid, is leaving the university because of illness, so we invited him for dinner tonight and had homemade chicken vegetable soup. He is Muslim, but was and always has been very open minded with Christians, so we asked if it would be okay if we blessed the food. He was okay with it. Wallid will be moving to England, but he hopes to sell his home in England and buy a home in Utah. Interesting. You may all meet him some day. This evening I was asked to participate in a “focus group.” It was like a panel discussion with a survey. The Chinese girl’s thesis is on restaurant menus and wanted input from foreigners regarding the English menu in a local Chinese restaurant. It was interesting and every dish that she showed a picture of, I would NEVER eat, except for the stir fried beef and vegetables. Other pictures included slugs, pig’s feet, duck feet, fish, oysters, black stuff, etc. etc. It was a pleasant experience and she gave all of us participants a seal, which is a little stamp with our name engraved. That was very nice and a surprise.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 – Dad – On the way to school this morning we were sitting in the bus enjoying the commotion in front of us and we saw two halves of a pig lying on the road. They move their meat by tricycle or a bike with a cart on the back. The two pig halves must have slid off and onto the road. It caused quite a commotion! There is absolute no lawn anywhere. It is either in crops, produce or barren. You never see anyone cutting the lawn or trimming it. This evening we invited “Mike” over to have dinner. We met Mike on our flight to Hong Kong. He is from Taiwan and living in Xian. We brought him some New York Yankee items because he mentioned how much he loved the Yankees on the flight. We wanted to ask the golden questions since he is not from mainland China but he brought a friend with him who was a native from China. We had a good time.
Thursday, March 19, 2009 – Mom – I asked the teachers in the faculty room why there was not very much grass in China. The answer: There are so many people that they just trample the grass and ruin it. Today was about 75 degrees but overcast due to pollution. We decided that is why everyone spits so much because they need to clear their throat of the polluted air that we all breathe. We are taking our turn this week to gather the mail for all the foreign teachers. We usually stop at the mail box at the end of our walk. On our walk today, we bought some peanuts in the shell. I also got a haircut. I think the gal that cuts both Dad’s and my hair does a very good job. Last week I went to a yoga class. It is interesting, and I went back again today. My legs are still stiff from that hike up the mountain last Saturday. I arrived home from yoga at 6:30. We went for an evening walk and bought an ice cream cone at KFC. Last night, Mike called me Ross and Dad, Edith. He was very embarrassed when we straightened him out.
Friday, March 20, 2009 – Dad – We had classes in the morning and on Friday afternoon we try to prepare our lesson for the coming week. We are ready! I want to tell you about a little China man who stands all day on a corner on campus and pops popcorn. It has turned out to be a popular item with the students and us. He has an old propane bottle which is hooked to an old plate which he turns on and off between batches. He has a spoon which he uses for the flavoring, sugar and popcorn putting all into a very old dirty maybe rusted pot. No, we don’t know if he washes it each day – we doubt it. The pot has a homemade handle which is metal – he uses an old glove, any glove to hold it as he turns a handle vigorously all the time to keep the popcorn from burning. Even though the sanitation is questionable it is outweighed by the taste and cost. Cost for a large bag - $.25. They only have sugar coated popcorn not salted.
Saturday, March 21, 2009 – Mom – 1st day of spring in America. The 1st day of spring has already passed in China. A week ago, our waiban asked for volunteers to help some students plant trees and talk English with them. So 8 American and 1 Australian couple went to the Daming Palace Heritage Park to participate. This is a park that is under construction located on the site of a 1,350 year old palace from the Tang Dynasty. It was windy and overcast today, but the event was very enjoyable. When we arrived, the children were standing in a line. The older students – probably 8-10 yrs – were dressed in uniforms and looked very sharp. The younger students (3-6 yrs) brought their own coloring supplies and drew pictures of the future park. An interesting thing – in all of the little kids drawings, they colored the sun either red or orange because that is how it looks most of the time here. The students were all so cute and many spoke excellent English. Some of the younger children were embarrassed to talk with us. After an hour of talking with the children while they drew and colored their pictures and discussed the message about the environment and the park with the older children, we were all ushered to another area where holes had previously been dug. They asked each of us adults to find a hole with a shovel, then a student drug a 10 foot tall tree over and we planted the tree together. Then we watered the tree and hung little signs on it to show that we had planted those trees on this day. We teachers were asked to present the awards for the artwork. The award was a pencil box full of colored markers. Many photos were taken and the TV station was there. It was a very enjoyable and fun experience to spend time with these cute children. Besides the good time, they gave us gifts for coming, a bag, a handkerchief, a cd, 2 books and 100 yuan! Afterwards, the 10 of us were taken to a restaurant (compliments of the university) and had the famous Peking roasted duck. It was a nice meal that we enjoyed very much and were very full. A typical Chinese meal at a restaurant consists of 8 cold dishes and then maybe 8 (I actually lost count) warm dishes to include sweet and sour chicken, some pork and vegetables, a seafood medley and then they brought in shrimp that has been deep fried and the shell, head, eyes and feet are still intact. Also, they brought a large plate with another kind of whole fish to include the head. They brought in a whole chicken which included the head (we gave that to the birthday boy – Kent Summers). Then the chef comes into the private room and carves the duck and also included was the head sliced right down the middle. After our little nap, we went on a long walk to the Wild Goose Pagoda which is probably around 2 miles away. It was very crowded with visitors today. On three different occasions we were asked by people if they could take pictures with us. I also had two of my students come up to me. I did not remember either of their names. One I recognized immediately and the other called me Mrs. Brown or I would have walked right past her. Today, when we left the park about 5:00 pm, the sun was white. I am sure it is because of the pollution in the air here.
The one in the middle is my student Fay. She is in my Monday 8:00 class. I did recognize her.
I have been trying to get one of these pictures for a long time. I wanted you to see the split crotch pants for the little children.
Letter #26 (March 15, 2009 – March 21, 2009)Sunday, March 15, 2009 – Dad - Branch Presidency Meeting at 8:30am at our apartment. The Branch President and the clerk take a bus to be here on time. In Sacrament meeting we had Helena speak – she is from Taiwan and has been a member of the church for three years. She told of her conversion story and bore a simple testimony but yet so humble. We had branch council after the block and planned the next three months activities before most of the branch leaves to return to the USA. Later in the afternoon we strolled to the main gate of campus to collect the mail. On our way home, we passed a food vender who had noodles in a five gallon can, all prepared; they only have to re-heat and serve. After eating all of these Chinese foods we may return with parasites. Today the government turned off the heat until November 15. If it gets cold again we have two space heaters available.
Monday, March 16, 2009 – Dad – Strawberry’s are beginning to show themselves in the dirt market where vegetables and fruits are sold. We purchased ours on the street – about $1 for 8 of them. We went to Metro (the western food) store and bought ham, butter, bread, pasta, rice krispies and insect repellent which is dispensed by plugging it into an outlet. Our tub has not been draining right since we arrived. We finally had our fill and called the director of the housing – we got action. They will repair it tomorrow. A warm day – 75 degrees.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 – Mom – St. Patrick’s Day – I did not even tell my students about this holiday. I decided it was too complicated because I would have to explain to them my explanation of St. Patrick’s Day. This has often been the case that I will use a word to explain another word and then I have to explain that word to them. Spring is here. The trees are getting their leaves and the blossoms are out and that includes the dandelions, which are even pretty over here. Today was about 75 degrees. So we went from wearing four layers of clothing last week to 1 layer this week and it was hot in the sun. Our colleague from Lebanon, Wallid, is leaving the university because of illness, so we invited him for dinner tonight and had homemade chicken vegetable soup. He is Muslim, but was and always has been very open minded with Christians, so we asked if it would be okay if we blessed the food. He was okay with it. Wallid will be moving to England, but he hopes to sell his home in England and buy a home in Utah. Interesting. You may all meet him some day. This evening I was asked to participate in a “focus group.” It was like a panel discussion with a survey. The Chinese girl’s thesis is on restaurant menus and wanted input from foreigners regarding the English menu in a local Chinese restaurant. It was interesting and every dish that she showed a picture of, I would NEVER eat, except for the stir fried beef and vegetables. Other pictures included slugs, pig’s feet, duck feet, fish, oysters, black stuff, etc. etc. It was a pleasant experience and she gave all of us participants a seal, which is a little stamp with our name engraved. That was very nice and a surprise.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 – Dad – On the way to school this morning we were sitting in the bus enjoying the commotion in front of us and we saw two halves of a pig lying on the road. They move their meat by tricycle or a bike with a cart on the back. The two pig halves must have slid off and onto the road. It caused quite a commotion! There is absolute no lawn anywhere. It is either in crops, produce or barren. You never see anyone cutting the lawn or trimming it. This evening we invited “Mike” over to have dinner. We met Mike on our flight to Hong Kong. He is from Taiwan and living in Xian. We brought him some New York Yankee items because he mentioned how much he loved the Yankees on the flight. We wanted to ask the golden questions since he is not from mainland China but he brought a friend with him who was a native from China. We had a good time.
Thursday, March 19, 2009 – Mom – I asked the teachers in the faculty room why there was not very much grass in China. The answer: There are so many people that they just trample the grass and ruin it. Today was about 75 degrees but overcast due to pollution. We decided that is why everyone spits so much because they need to clear their throat of the polluted air that we all breathe. We are taking our turn this week to gather the mail for all the foreign teachers. We usually stop at the mail box at the end of our walk. On our walk today, we bought some peanuts in the shell. I also got a haircut. I think the gal that cuts both Dad’s and my hair does a very good job. Last week I went to a yoga class. It is interesting, and I went back again today. My legs are still stiff from that hike up the mountain last Saturday. I arrived home from yoga at 6:30. We went for an evening walk and bought an ice cream cone at KFC. Last night, Mike called me Ross and Dad, Edith. He was very embarrassed when we straightened him out.
Friday, March 20, 2009 – Dad – We had classes in the morning and on Friday afternoon we try to prepare our lesson for the coming week. We are ready! I want to tell you about a little China man who stands all day on a corner on campus and pops popcorn. It has turned out to be a popular item with the students and us. He has an old propane bottle which is hooked to an old plate which he turns on and off between batches. He has a spoon which he uses for the flavoring, sugar and popcorn putting all into a very old dirty maybe rusted pot. No, we don’t know if he washes it each day – we doubt it. The pot has a homemade handle which is metal – he uses an old glove, any glove to hold it as he turns a handle vigorously all the time to keep the popcorn from burning. Even though the sanitation is questionable it is outweighed by the taste and cost. Cost for a large bag - $.25. They only have sugar coated popcorn not salted.
Saturday, March 21, 2009 – Mom – 1st day of spring in America. The 1st day of spring has already passed in China. A week ago, our waiban asked for volunteers to help some students plant trees and talk English with them. So 8 American and 1 Australian couple went to the Daming Palace Heritage Park to participate. This is a park that is under construction located on the site of a 1,350 year old palace from the Tang Dynasty. It was windy and overcast today, but the event was very enjoyable. When we arrived, the children were standing in a line. The older students – probably 8-10 yrs – were dressed in uniforms and looked very sharp. The younger students (3-6 yrs) brought their own coloring supplies and drew pictures of the future park. An interesting thing – in all of the little kids drawings, they colored the sun either red or orange because that is how it looks most of the time here. The students were all so cute and many spoke excellent English. Some of the younger children were embarrassed to talk with us. After an hour of talking with the children while they drew and colored their pictures and discussed the message about the environment and the park with the older children, we were all ushered to another area where holes had previously been dug. They asked each of us adults to find a hole with a shovel, then a student drug a 10 foot tall tree over and we planted the tree together. Then we watered the tree and hung little signs on it to show that we had planted those trees on this day. We teachers were asked to present the awards for the artwork. The award was a pencil box full of colored markers. Many photos were taken and the TV station was there. It was a very enjoyable and fun experience to spend time with these cute children. Besides the good time, they gave us gifts for coming, a bag, a handkerchief, a cd, 2 books and 100 yuan! Afterwards, the 10 of us were taken to a restaurant (compliments of the university) and had the famous Peking roasted duck. It was a nice meal that we enjoyed very much and were very full. A typical Chinese meal at a restaurant consists of 8 cold dishes and then maybe 8 (I actually lost count) warm dishes to include sweet and sour chicken, some pork and vegetables, a seafood medley and then they brought in shrimp that has been deep fried and the shell, head, eyes and feet are still intact. Also, they brought a large plate with another kind of whole fish to include the head. They brought in a whole chicken which included the head (we gave that to the birthday boy – Kent Summers). Then the chef comes into the private room and carves the duck and also included was the head sliced right down the middle. After our little nap, we went on a long walk to the Wild Goose Pagoda which is probably around 2 miles away. It was very crowded with visitors today. On three different occasions we were asked by people if they could take pictures with us. I also had two of my students come up to me. I did not remember either of their names. One I recognized immediately and the other called me Mrs. Brown or I would have walked right past her. Today, when we left the park about 5:00 pm, the sun was white. I am sure it is because of the pollution in the air here.
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