Hi everyone! the last few months Blogger has been blocked in China and i have been unable to update my sight. I am now back home for the summer and will do my best to update you all on the last few months in China...

Update letter from -End of Feb. Beginning of March (some of this will be a repeat from my earlier post)

Hi Everyone!
Xin nian kuaile (happy new year!) Today was a special day in China- Shiwu- the 15th day of the Lunar New Year and the final day of celebration. As I begin this letter, my room is being lit up by the fireworks going off outside! The sound of fireworks and firecrackers is echoing throughout our complex! Today is also the final day of fireworks. Christy and I got to see many splendid firework displays through our balcony and bedroom windows. Most of this update letter will be about this celebration, but I will also try to catch you up on what has been happening since my last update.








Christy, my roommate, was able to go "home" over the new year break to the Philippines! She brought back some great gifts! -Sarongs, necklaces, and of course a Starbucks mug from Manilla! I should explain the matching shirts in the pictures- every week the four of us girls meet to watch some of our favorite stateside shows on the computer... We also usually do some baking together! This week I learned how to make homemade noodles!!! We made noodles, mashed potatoes and chicken! It is a time I look forward to each week when I can get away from the busyness and spend time with friends.





Last week, Christy, Kira, Anna, and I went to one of our Chinese friend's home for dinner! Her mom cooked so much food! I am sure that she had probably been cooking all day! I was so full, but had to go up for seconds (her mother kept telling us to eat more, eat more...) even so there was a lot of food left over! While there, I was given another lesson on jiaozi making (dim sum) For some reason I could not get my hand to do what lily's hand was doing... which made her laugh! I am not a good jiaozi maker, but it was fun to make it with friends. As we said goodbye, Lydia's mom told us (through Lydia) that she lifts us up everyday. It was nice to know that people I haven't even met before have been lifting me up for the last year and a half.


As I mentioned before, today marked the end of the new year celebrations. To mark this, christy, some friends, and myself went to TangQiuHui (sugar ball festival) - which is a like a fair- lots of different food from all over China (Wuhan, Tianjin, and cheese from Inner Mongolia) for sale - the main ones being meat on a stick (camel, ostrich, squid, pork, beef, deer, etc. although I am not sure if this was false adevertisement or not) and fruit on a stick that is dipped in a melted sugar. The most popular one being Shan Zha- haw berries, although they dip several other fruits in a sugar glaze as well. We, being christy and I, managed to not be the subject of random photographs until just before we were about to leave. Often when we go out to special events we are photographed... This time a man asked us to pretend that we were quite interested in the pig. We weren't supposed to look at the camera, but pretend to be examining the pig... so it is quite possible that we might be featured in tomorrow's newspaper! Who knows, maybe we will become famous! :) Another exciting thing that happened, is that Christy and I were asked to give our new friend and english name! (We chose Esther)

After walking around the fair for a few hours, freezing- the weather dropped from mid 50's to low 30's this weekend! We actually saw a few snow flurries!- we went to the market. Christy and I were only allowed to watch as the guys bought spices, vegetables, noodles, and seafood to use in making Chinese hotpot. When they had finished shopping we went back to our place to make hot pot. A quick explanation of hotpot if you are unfamiliar with it: a pot of boiling hot water with spices in it sits on the table. As you eat, you place food into the pot to cook and eat it when it finishes cooking.
The men wouldn't let us do anything to help with the preparations. They said they were taking care of their sisters. So we became the guests in our own home! It was a great time of fellowship with some of our chinese friends. For dessert we had a traditional dessert that contained red beans. I am not sure how to describe this exactly- it tasted like rice with a red bean paste in the middle- you buy them frozen and then boil them in the pot... it was interesting! not sure if it is my favorite food though.

PTLs/requests
As always, please continue to lift up our school and new land. I apologize, right now I do not have any new info.

PTL-
for my wonderful 4th graders. As many of you know I was quite nervous at the beginning of the year about teaching upper elementary. I have to say that I am so thankful for my students. They truly make me smile everyday! It was a great first week back, not as productive as I would have liked it to be- I had several students absent which caused me to change some of my lessons- but overall it was a good week getting back into the routine with my students. I am also so thankful for my Teacher's Aide. I am so spoiled by her. She makes my job so much easier. I am hoping that we will be able to work together again next year.



Please lift up all the transitions that will be happening in the near future- I know of several current and past students who will probably be returning to their home countries next year. Being from a small town, I am not used to people moving away. I taught many of my students for multiple years. Transitions seem to be part of living in China. There are always people coming and leaving... On top of people leaving, our school will be moving to a new location. These next few months are going to be busy ones.

Well, the fireworks seem to be fading... I miss you all and hope to hear from you soon. When replying to my emails, please send replies to ericahiscoe@yahoo.com
Thanks!
Love,
Erica