I know it's been longer than expected without a journal entry (especially

here at the first of our adventure) but I really didn't have anything to

report (anything that was positive that is.)  We've all been sick with what

is known as Mao Tse Mao's revenge, and the jet lag has been a

killer.  Being sick really slants your perspective on things, all I wanted

to do was go home.  If there had been a plane from Jinzhou I would have

been really tempted to be on it!  Now however, we are all healthy again,

although Julie is still complaining non stop about missing her Nanny.

I've been meeting many many new people.  There have been several students

that knew previous teachers and have maintained email contract with them,

that have come for a visit.  Judi P, Sarah really is a dear, she's been

over several times with Nancy and Kathleen.  I also got to help a student

chose an English name.  This particular student told me she liked poetry so

I suggested the name Elizabeth, you know as in Elizabeth Barrett

Browning.  All three of the girls tried to say Elizabeth and decided it was

to much of a mouth full so I consulted the ole baby name book and looked up

nick names for Elizabeth.  We decided that Elise would be a good

name.  Elise then asked my name and when I told her Karen, she said "oh I

like that name"  I told her she could have it as well, but I think she

chose to stick with Elise.

I've also met a family.  The father, William, is an engineer at the power

plant and his wife, May, works there in the data control department.  They

have a baby who is 9 months old and looks amazingly like Julie did at that

age.  William wanted me to give him private English lessons, but right now

taking on outside work is something I'm really not interested in.  They've

been over a couple of times to visit and today had me over to show me their

home and prepare jaozoi, a delicious spicy meat filled dumpling.

Their apartment is what I understand as being very typical of the average

Jinzhou city dweller.  It is on the 7th floor (no elevator)  Over here

instead of having several apartments per floor there are only two, there

are just many more staircases.  So a building may be very long and have

many apartments but for each "stack" there is a stairway.  This particular

building only had 7 floors so we were on the penthouse floor.  Williams

apartment had two bedrooms for his family (oh did I mentions his in-laws

live with them?)  Grandmother and grandfather have the larger bedroom which

was the only one with a bed.  William and May had mats on the floor.  There

was a fairly large bathroom with a western toilet, but there wasn't a

shower or tub, just the plumbing for one.  I assume the whole bathroom,

which had a drain in the middle is considered a shower?  The kitchen area

was about 6" by 10" and had a Chinese stove, which is kind of like a

Coleman double burner, but it is enclosed and gets much hotter.  Stir

frying requires much hotter temperatures than our stoves in the US

typically put out.  (Just ask Jamal, one of the other teachers here, he is

constantly burning something because he puts the fire on high and goes to

his room.)  There was also a sink and a water purification system, but

William told me you still  can't drink that water, it is just cleaner.  The

living room area was kind of separated into two areas and the room was

probably about 12" X 20".  William told me the whole apartment was 56 sq.

meters (around 750 sq. ft)  Everything was very neat, but what we'd

consider sparse, you know, not a lot of junk to dust!

We had a very nice time with our new friends and the jaozoi was

wonderful.  Grandfather also prepared a very delicious soup for us.  This

was all served with Almond juice.  Another first.  The can said it was made

from almonds, water and sugar, and contained vegetable protein. I though it

was pretty good, probably very high in calories too, but it didn't taste

oily so I don't know.  Julie and Charlie didn't really care for it

though.  Oh the new smell and flavors we are encountering!  I'm going to

have to check into a Chinese cooking course, I understand they are available!

Two new teachers from the US are scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so I won't

be the "new kid on the block"  ha ha ha.  I've still got sooooooooooo much

to learn!