Easter eggs

We went up to the site for the first time this year on Easter weekend. We were all so excited to get out of the city and back to what for us feels like home. Spring has not arrived in full yet but winter is over and the kids ran around and played like dogs being let outside after a long stretch inside. We painted eggs and hid them and I was reminded yet again of how my kid's life is different from my own childhood. I never got to hunt Easter eggs in China.

Dinner with Dave and Katie

Our friends David and Katie decided we had lived in China far to long without trying the best restaurant they know. The Street. So last night we were given a lesson in how to enjoy the many different kinds of food you can buy and enjoy outside. At the Chuar (BBQ) wagon you pile a plate high with different veggies and meats or tofu varieties and then have them cooked. Right next to the chuar wagon there is a soup trolley. In the same way, you pick the vegetables you want in your "soup" and then they boil them for you and stick on some spices. You have to be careful though because "la" means hot and they do love that "la" sauce. In this one little street there are 10 different wagons selling different foods. We all woke up feeling great and we look forward to going again. Come and join us!!!

"Wow, that was hot!"

School

The kids go to an international school about a 10 minute drive from our apartment. In this building about 400 kids from kindergarten to 12th grade receive instruction in the basics, and also how to kick a soccer ball karate style. :) Eric recieved an A this quarter for style and effort.

Buying fruits and veggies

Outside of our apartment complex there are fruit and vegetable stands where we buy most of our produce. We were craving fruit smoothies last Saturday so B.J. and I walked and bought some strawberries and bannanas and went home and we all enjoyed them.

Trip to a village school

Brianna was able to visit the same village school that B.J.'s class went to in the fall. She was part of a small group who went to talk with students and do crafts. I can tell by her smile that she had a great time!!

Bria and Basketball

At Bria's school she has the opportunity to play three sports. Soccer, Volleyball and Basketball. Here in Tianjin she has the opportunity to play against other international schools. In Shenyang there was no one else to play against so they just practiced. It is so much fun for us to go and watch and cheer for our girl. I always looked forward to that day and I am thankful for the schools that try hard to give our kids this experience.

Chinese

Chinese words are like Chinese bicycles. There are so many of them and sometimes they are hard to tell apart. When I first started learning Chinese I was told that "wo shi" means "I am". This last week I learned from my teacher that "wo shi" can also mean bedroom. Early on I learned that if I "mai" something and say it short and hard it means" to buy" but if I say a scooby dooby doo "mai", dragging it out and going down and up I am saying "to sell". There are many of these words in the Chinese language mainly because of the four tones. The word can be spelled the same but sound different and by using the wrong tone you say something else. You can imagine the trouble this could create for a foreigner. At this point I don't think that I have ever offended anyone. My favorite of these words it "ma". If you say it in the first tone, kind of like singing "do" from do re mi it means "mom". Beware though because if you use the wrong tone you will be saying horse. Hmmmmm I wonder who came up with this language.