Li Gong Xiao Xue

is the name of the kids' school. Li Gong (Lotus) is the name of our campus. These pictures were taken when we picked up the kids for their break.

Carlos' classroom:


Elena's classroom:


One of the nap rooms. About 20 other kids also go home during nap time (noon - 2:30). I guess their parents don't want them up until 11 pm either! C. and E. put in a full day - they're usually conked out by 8 pm. School starts at 8:30 and ends at 5:30.


Each child has their own towel, cup and bowl.


All cleaned up after lunch, and the snack will be prepared soon. Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack (usually fruit or soup) is provided.

B-b-brrrrrrr

It's cold!! I know that all of you in the Midwest can relate with the recent snow and ice. And it looks like the worst of the storm didn't quite get as far as Michigan, right? Well, you have company. Last night we were jolted with a cold front (from Siberia, maybe?) coming in. Even though we are not experiencing freezing temperatures, we are cold. It's a dry cold with the temps in the low 40's. The temperature has been dropping and the wind has been picking up all week.

Today I opened up our "Winter suitcase". Gustavo and the kids were surprized (and glad) to see their warm coats. We've had the hats and gloves out for a while now. (There was a strange cold spell that lingered for a week in October.) Since I experienced winter in two other countries that do not have central heat, I ignored the conventional wisdom to forego packing the winter gear. Ha! Winter is winter, which means one thing - cold (san the Carribean). Not only did I pack the coats, hats, gloves, long underwear, wool socks, scarves and ear muffs (for me), I brought along an electric blanket, two down throws, and winter slippers. I did leave the boots at home though, mainly because I detest wearing boots!

We do have a small heater that can take the chill off. With no central heat, it can be warmer outside than inside. December is the coldest and driest month for Kunming. It can get as low as freezing and it has snowed for a day or two in recent years. If it's cloudy, it's downright uncomfortable. If it's sunny, it feels much warmer, and wearing sunscreen is advised because the sun is so intense.

I like to believe that God created Winter so we would appreciate the other three seasons all the more. Remember, we'll get through this one, just like the ones before. Stay warm!

The Movies

We noticed that the Disney movie Ratatouille was playing at a theatre near us, so we decided to see it before it left town. Movies at the big screen don't last long, but soon after the DVD (and all the bootleg copies) become readily available. The ticket girl was hesitant to sell us tickets, making sure that we knew that the movie was "no English". We said "dui" (ok, no problem), bought the tickets and entered the cinema. It was huge - 6 floors, with 6 screens per floor. With comfortable seats and excellent screen quality, we enjoyed the show. We understood the movie just fine and it was fun picking out the Chinese that we do know.

Teaching English, Learning Mandarin

Gustavo is teaching English three times a week to one of the "Kindergarten Moms". We are also doing a weekly language exchange with two students. I'm proud to announce that I now can recognize ten (!) addtional characters. However, to read Chinese for understanding, one needs to be able to read the characters as a group to get the meaning. Reading individual characters is similiar to reading syllables - it doesn't mean much unless it's connected to another syllable. But it's a start! It's also a thrill to see something in print and pick out a "tree" among the "forest". Our speaking skills are improving, too. Gustavo is still ahead of me, but he always talks way more than I do anyway - in Spanish, English, and now Chinese...

Gustavo with his student ZhangJie demonstrating a common photo pose.


Our very patient tutors DanQing (on the left) and Liu.

The English Club

Tonight I was honored to be the guest speaker at the KMUST English Club. The club consists of about 100 students from various majors. They come together to speak the language and to learn about the cultures of English speaking countries. I spoke for a few minutes on American cultural expectations of invitations to a dinner/party at someone's home. Then, a Q & A on anything related to U.S. culture. I answered some very insightful questions ranging in topics from American football to politics for two hours!

Some of tonight's club attendees:


This young man is preparing a thank-you gift for me.


Traditional brush and ink caligraphy is a true art.


The end result: a wish for a long life filled with happiness! I couldn't ask for anything more!

Downtown Sunday

We went downtown today to try out a new restaurant. MaMaFu's comes highly recommended in the guide books, on the Kunming message boards and from people who've we met. The kids loved their grilled cheeses and french fries. Gustavo raved about his meal - a hamburger - and said that it was the best meal he's had in China. (I took a bite of it and wasn't that impressed!) However, his hamburger was a lot better than my order. I thought what I ordered was a baked potato with cheese, broccoli and bacon bits. What came was something similar, but not exactly what I was hoping for (plus it had too much pepper on it!). So Gustavo ate that also, and I finished off the left-over grilled cheeses (and the salads that came with it!! First time we've seen salad in China). We'll return, but next time I need to read the menu more carefully! Here are some sights on our way to lunch:

The entire country is eagerly awaiting the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I bet every city has some sort of display like this one that's made with local flowers.


The Olympic mascots with names are depicted on the reverse of the display.


Another flower display in front of Government Square. Can you tell who the ruling party is? LOL!


A part of the government square complex. The morning fog was just about to lift.


"Hey! Whatcha lookin' at?"

A Holiday Bazaar

A Scandanavian business, Nordica, hosts an annual Christmas Bazaar. Most of the booths showcased the area's minority Chinese arts and crafts. There are over 50 ethnic minority Chinese groups and about 25 of these groups live in Yunnan Province. Nordica is a cafe (outstanding Swedish meatballs and desserts, we've been told), an art gallery, holds dance and art classes, concerts and sponsors tours to the minority regions. During December, special Christmas smorgasbords, concerts and Scandanavian traditional crafts classes are held. It was a fun afternoon and we will return.

Two pairs of busy hands decorating paper ornaments to give our home the holiday look.


A scene from the fair. A nice mix of Chinese and European ethnicities in attendance.


Goods from one of the many tables.


Two "Northeners" enjoying cups of hot chocolate. Even though the weather didn't warrant it (the temps were in the low 60's), it sure tasted good and reminded us of a real winter.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Enjoy the food, the game and the company! Take a moment to count all your blessings. We are thankful for the wonderful people in our lives, the opportunities given and the men and women in our armed forces and veterans who work hard everyday to protect the freedoms we often take for granted. As we witness our 1.3 billion neighbors live without the freedoms of speech and a free press, to worship, and have a choice in family planning, etc., we can only wish that everyone in the world could be half as lucky as we feel. It's just another Thursday here, but you are very much in our thoughts today. Have a wonderful holiday.

--The more we count the blessings we have, the less we crave the luxuries we haven't. --William Arthur Ward

Up and Down and In and Out

That is how my Tuesday went. On Tuesdays, after our coffee outing, I usually head downtown to Carrefour to pick up more baguettes (the best and least expensive around - leave it to a French company) and maybe a few other things for the week. This particular day I was on a mission to pick up some Frosted Flakes - known as Frosties here. The kids eat it everyday for breakfast (and sometimes dinner). There were about six boxes or so on the shelf when I was shopping on Friday. I thought we had enough... So, of course, by Tuesday, the shelf was empty. I'm suspecting the two Western people I saw entering as I was leaving Friday, snagged the remaining loot :). I buy my few items, board the bus, and return home.

Tuesdays or Monday afternoons are the days I have a long enough block of time to get to a store that requires taking a bus. My other options are the Metro store (long bus ride) or Wal-Mart (which I despise). I decide on Metro because I can pick up the tea we like (Jasmine in teabags - the Chinese prefer their tea loose) and I wanted to see if they carry graham crackers. So, down the four flights of stairs, walk to the road that I need to catch bus 96, walk to Metro from exiting the bus and enter Metro. No Frosties!! Apparently, the weekend crowd bought all and the restocking hadn't yet taken place. But, I scored a coup - they have graham crackers! I head back once again. Walk to the bus stop, etc.

Now this leaves the dreaded Wal-Mart option. But, they usually have the coveted Frosties in-stock. After a brief rest (it's now almost 4 pm), I head out. Down the stairs, walk to the road to bus 98 etc. I get to the store and climb four more flights of stairs to enter (another reason why I don't like that place) and claw my way to the cereal aisle. That store is always jam-packed. Frosties! Yes! I pick up four boxes (they're little, like everything else in China). On the obnoxious P.A. system, Christmas songs in Chinese are blaring away. So there I am, in line at Wal-Mart (shudder) with my boxes of Frosties, humming along to a Chinese version of "Rudolph", while waiting for the guy in front of me to pay for his two huge bags of seaweed and hunks of shrink-wrapped "mystery meat?"!

It's now shortly past five. I decide to walk the under two miles home because the busses are very crowded with the downtown folks returning. I didn't want to hassle with the crowds while carrying bags. The sidewalks are pretty clear at this time because schools are not dismissed until 5:30 or later. Then, it's teeming with kids from Kindergarten to high school. I return home a bit after six, wiped out. The kids are home from school, ready to eat dinner. Good thing I have some Frosties...

Tang Dynasty Pagodas

Just a few blocks south from the downtown area are these two wonderfully preserved pagodas. The Tang Dynasty period took place in the years AD 618-907.

The west pagoda:


Close-up of one of the many statues of Buddah.


Ornate topping of the adjoining building.


The east pagoda.


A relief depicting daily life during the Tang Dynasty era.