another week

The weeks go by so fast!  This one especially because we didn't have school on Monday.

The other day we went to Walmart to pick up some shampoo and conditioner because we were out.  We decided to go with the package that had shampoo and conditioner because it was the cheaper option.  Turns out it wasn't shampoo or conditioner.  You would think that we would have this whole buying shopping for essentials thing figured out because we have been living in China for a few months but we don't.  In China they like to sell two bottles of body wash in the same package.  One bottle was a pump and the other just a normal bottle.  So we were thinking that the pump bottle was the shampoo and the regular bottle was conditioner.  Nope.  So what is the score now?  China 552 and Kelsie 5, and those 5 points are generous.  In case you were wondering, we got the shampoo and conditioner thing figured out.  We went back to the store a few days later and after playing a few failed attempts of charades, and one successful one, we left the store with shampoo and conditioner.  Now, just imagine two American's in the supermarket pointing to a bottle of what we think is shampoo and pretending to wash our hair.  It was definitely a sight to be seen.  On the plus side, I don't think we will ever have to buy more body wash while we were here.

Friday Shelby and I set out to try to find Huaxi Park again.  This is the park that we tried to find last week but didn't ever end up finding it.  While we were riding our scooter this week I noticed a sign pointing in the direction of Huaxi so I thought I knew which direction we needed to get on the bus.  Wrong again but that shouldn't surprise you.  We had the Chinese characters on a piece of paper that we showed a man on the bus so he could help us get off at the right stop.  He kindly informed us that we needed to get off the bus and go the other direction.  So that is what we did and we eventually got to the park that we were looking for.  It was beautiful!  I am definitely going to miss all of these super awesome parks here in China.  We got off the bus and bought a few baked goods at the bakery on the corner so that we could have a little picnic.  We rented a tandem bike.  She asked for my ID and instead of giving her my divers license I gave her my student ID card that is pretty much useless to me anyway but she didn't need to know that.  Don't worry, we eventually returned the bike and I got my ID card back.  Riding around on the tandem bike was so much fun.  The park was around a river and it was beautiful.  I really need to come up with a better word to describe these parks we go to.  Breath taking?  Maybe that is a better one.  Words and pictures don't really do it justice.  Everyone just needs to drop everything you are doing and come experience China with me.  I really wish that were possible.  Okay, but this park though...

(The bakery had a doughnut!  I was in heaven.)

Saturday Emma and her family invited us to spend yet another day with them.  Aren't we lucky to have our own personal tour guides?  We got in the car not knowing what to expect for the day.  Typical.  Her husband took us to Ivy's house where we picked up Zach and Alice and, of course, some sushi.  Yes, I think it is safe to say that I like sushi now.  I know, surprising but when you have something practically being forced to you on a weekly bases you better learn to like it.  I would say that I have done pretty well with trying and enjoying new foods.  My family would be proud.  I was the child left at the dinner table crying hysterically because I couldn't even eat my meatballs.  There is one food that I don't think I will ever learn to like.  Tofu.  I hate it and I hate every time I have to pretend to like it.  I can't even stand the stinky tofu smell on the street.  I have had to eat tofu way too many times.  Anyways, back to the day...  After we met up with Emma and the kids we went to a Buddhist Temple to have some lunch.  It was fun to go to another temple.  We went to so many when we were in Beijing but I hadn't been to any in Guiyang yet.  After lunch we were informed that we were going to Huaxi Park.  Yes, the park that we went to the day before.  That didn't matter though, it was worth going back to.  It turns out that we were either at a different park that we thought on Friday or there is another section of the park that we had no idea about.  Either way, the place we were at was amazing but that is now to be expected.  We rode on a few little rides with Alice and Zach.  We rented a family bike and rode through the grass and up hill by choice.  I obviously wasn't in charge of the steering wheel because I would have stuck with the paved path.  We were also lucky enough to rent a pedal boat and float around the little lake.  It was beautiful and so relaxing.  After the park, we survived a traffic jam where we everyone was stuck and couldn't move for about 20 minutes.  We made it to our friend Ivy's brothers restaurant for some dinner.  We ate BBQ fish again.  It was delicious.  I think that BBQ fish is my favorite kind of fish.  A day spent with Emma and her family will never disappoint.  We are so lucky to have them as friends because they treat us so well.  

This plant pictured below was found in the bus.  Yeah, I don't know how it was growing there either...

tombs day

Yesterday was our lucky day because it was a holiday and we didn't have to teach!  Apparently it was Tombs Day.  A holiday when you honor those who have passed on.  Good thing we have Emma to tell us when there is a holiday because the school doesn't bother to let us know important little things like that.  Emma picked us up to go "see some flowers".  We weren't really sure what the meant but we were all over that plan.  We drove two and a half hours to the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life.  It was gorgeous.  I have never seen anything like it.  The mountains were just full of the most beautiful trees with flowers in full bloom on them.  That is one thing I love about China, the flower trees.  I can't get enough of them.  Are you ready for a picture overload?

Also, I made the Chinese news.  When we got to the park, a news station spotted us.  Surprising, right?  They then followed us around and took random videos and pictures of us.  They then wanted to interview us about the park.  So that is exactly what happened.  Maybe I should start doing my hair if I am going to be on television...  

On our way back we stopped and got some dinner with them.  We ate fish.  Before I came to China, I would hardly even look at fish.  I quickly had to get over that.  We ate fish with Emma and her family.  I prefer my fish de-boned and without the head and fins still attached.  I don't like my food looking at me.  I was so full and couldn't eat another bite.  In fact, everyone at the table was full but that didn't matter.  Emma's husband ordered two more things of fish.  Two more!  We still had some of the other ones left.  It is okay for them to be full but as soon as we tell them we are full, that isn't okay and they won't accept that answer.  So I was forced to eat more.  It is one thing to eat past comfort by your own choice but it is another thing to be forced to eat past comfort but I survived another day and I can't really blame them because they are so generous.

More China

Nothing too exciting has happened over on this end of the world so I haven't had anything good to blog about.  Life has been pretty normal around here.  I go to class, try to teach a lesson, students end up crying because of who knows what, and no one participates or even listens to a word I am saying.  Don't feel bad for me.  It's normal.  I'm pretty sure there have been less than five times I have gotten through a class without at least one person in tears at sometime during the 40 minutes.  Sometimes I just try to ignore the tears and the sobs but that never works.  Some student always runs up to the front of the classroom to grab my arm and tell me, "Teacher.  Her sad" pointing to the student crying.  I tell them that I already know but they don't seem to understand those words.  They won't stop pulling on me or saying, "Her sad" until I go over and assess the situation.  I ask why and the proceed to tell me, in Chinese, what happened.  Of course, I don't understand.  Then the charades begin.  Let's just say, I challenge any willing participant to a game of charades when I get back because I am now a master at this game.  The crying usually stems from someone punching or kicking them or someone stealing their pencil case.  If I could just confiscate everyone's pencil case and throw them out the window, life would be so grand.

Emma and her family are so nice to us.  They are always inviting us to do things with them.  Of course we always jump on those offers.  Last weekend she took us to Forest Park for BBQ.  Chinese BBQ's are strange but so good!  It was fun to eat food that was grilled even if it did have Chinese taste to it.  The park was beautiful!  It was full of my favorite flower trees.  I could have stayed there all day.

Friday Shelby and I wanted to do something fun so we set out to try to find another park we had heard about.  Well, remember how we can never find anything the first time we try?  Yeah, same situation.  We never found the park.  So instead we wandered around and ended up at the mall.  Emma then called us and wanted to know if we wanted to go to her friends house with her to have sushi.  She came and picked us up at the mall and took us with her.  I am not the biggest fan of sushi so I knew that this was going to be a challenge for me.  Turns out, I did just fine.  I didn't gag and have to spit it out like I did the last time I tried to eat it.  And I might even venture to say that I kinda enjoyed it.  Just kinda.

Saturday was a fun day.  Emma picked us up and took us to an English competition that some of the students were participating in.  It was so fun to see our students outside of school and with their families.  They are adorable!  They all did pretty good in the competition, some better than others.

After the competition we went to the cinema.  Our tickets were bought by Emma's husband and we had a little bit of time to kill before the movie.  Obviously, you would kill this time with food.  Emma took us over to a place that had really weird food so we pleaded "not hungry" and moved on.  Apparently her husband won't take that for an answer.  I came back from the bathroom and her husband had bought me a "fruit dish".  I was thinking, "okay, I can handle this."  It wasn't fruit.  I don't know what it was.  I looked at Shelby and asked her how she got out of eating one.  She just laughed at me because now I had a huge bowl of who knows what in front of me and she didn't.  Joke is on her.  A few minutes later, she had one too.  According to Emma you have to eat everything that is ever placed in front of you because there is "no wasting in China".  Good thing this "fruit dish" was actually not too bad.

After eating whatever that was, we went into the movie.  We gave the person our tickets, got our 3-D glasses, and were entering the theater when I turned to Shelby and said, "I don't think I have ever gotten this far into a movie and not known what movie I was seeing."  Yep, it was happening.  I had no idea if I would be able to understand the movie but I was just going with the flow.  Right before we walked through the door Emma told us that we were seeing, "America's Captain".  Ah, Captain America.  Yes!

After the movie we met up with two more friends and took an elevator ride to Thailand.  Thai food is delicious!  I love it.  They had the best mango juice that I have ever tasted.  I think I might go back and just order that mango juice.

After dinner we then found ourselves at KTV once again.  Of course it was a good time.  Is it sad that the only songs we can sing without the artist singing with us is Backstreet Boys??  I haven't listened to them in years but apparently my heart is still with them because I haven't forgotten a single word.

(This fruit tray is a stable at KTV and I love it!)

(Selfie.  Shelby and I have mastered the Asian fingers.  She is still working on the eyes...)

Oh, as I was going through my pictures, I found this gem.  I was able to watch one of my classes do a play this week.  I have no clue what was going on but one of my students dressed up like a girl.  It was hilarious.  Should I be concerned that he played the part really well?