oh well life and stuff!
Well
Yan’an is still cold, it is winter so no surprise there, but we are going through a very cold period. Yesterday we had biting winds, the kind that cut though what ever you are wearing and makes you huddle down into your jacket, not that it makes any difference!
I have to say that it last week was intersting. Tuesday I went out to eat with one of the teachers, we headed downtown to grab some food it was good. Wednesday I went for a back massage, just down the road from me a very short walk if I want to go back. It was a good massage, but a little weird at the end when they placed a cloth on my back and set fire to it. Then left it burning until I indicated that it was too hot. This they did not once but twice, so it was hmm interesting!
The rest of last week for me was quiet, I struggled with my internet connection to check and reply to e-mails. I guess like most people I have gotten used to the almost instant communication that exists now! It is hard when that communication is slowed down, ironically from what I read and hear it seems that some people do better than others as far as connection goes!
Exams started this week for students and the other two teachers have been finishing up their exams this week. They have had some interesting experiences with one person coming up with an interesting way of cheating. The student wrote down notes on tape and then placed the tape on their desk, this was discovered before the exam and they fail the class and have to retake it!
This week is still cold, and if you go out to eat you tend to think of where is the warmest place to eat. Having stayed home the first two days I called the other two teachers and we went downtown. We went to one of our favourite places, a xinjiang restaurant, they make great noodles, kebabs and bread. It was freezing inside the place and we bumped into some students, one of them is from Xinjiang so a taste of home for her. The food was great, I ordered too much, but that meat I had some stuff to take home to eat tomorrow. When paying the bill I was able to pay for the students as well, they did try to stop me, but they were on the other side of the room and well sometimes it is just good to be able to do that!
We stopped to shop some, I picked up grapes at my favourite fruit store, I have brought so much fruit from them that I get a discount and free fruit now. They do have some great imported fruits which are more expensive but so good! I figure that it is worth paying the extra money because I eat the fruit! Local fruit is often picked too early and tends to be sour, except for the apples. We have great apples up here, a friend from washing to state who considered themselves a connoisseur of apples liked them. I have known other friends who in other parts of China check to make sure that they are from here.
The interent feels worse, at least I can post here!