Christmas Magic

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. - Norman Vincent Peale 

This Weekend

On Friday afternoon, we pondered why there was a stroller, with a child in it, in the middle of a football field.

We realized that bedding was just as happy as us to see sunshine.

We strolled the waterfront, taking a few pit stops along the way.

We watched locals wait for the catch of the day to arrive...

...and old men complete their daily exercise regime.

While climbing, a kid realized this statue was an epic slide as well.

On Saturday, we caught these boys hiding and smoking cigarettes behind our apartment. Nothing says cool like sneaking cigarettes and listening to Gangnam Style on repeat.

Sunday afternoon, we attended the grand opening of a new Starbucks. It is true; they proliferate like bunnies.

That night, Zach judged a business negotiation competition while I watched a magic show.

Just another active weekend in Zhanjiang. 

So Far This Month

Lamentations about life moving quickly can be rather redundant and cliche, yet there are profound moments when I find myself staring into nothing contemplating the swift speed of days...or months. This past weekend, Zach and I stood in front of our calendar, mouths agape. Whereas we are fully prepared for the spring semester to fly, we were not ready for this fall semester to follow suit. Zach is in the throes of proctoring his final exam and I will listen to ninety demonstrative speeches next week. Furthermore, by this time in years past, we have a plan for our holiday travel - as of today, we have not even booked one ticket by air, bus, train or boat. The realization of a fleeing semester was evident on our faces as we stood before our calendar. Thus, before we become bombarded with brown paper bags, mounds of paperwork, and endure a good bout of fist-shaking-cussing-at-the-crashed-computer-system, I wanted to take a moment to record our month so far.

SHERATON STAYCATION

For four years, we watched it be built. We vowed that when it finally was completed and opened, we would spend a weekend. Thanks to our annual sports extravaganza, we found ourselves ensconced within the luxurious Sheraton hotel that now towers over the Jinshawan beach. For three days/two nights, we moved from hot tub to pool to hot tub to awesome locker room shower to breakfast buffet to bathtub to cozy couch overlooking the bay. We read, laughed, relaxed, enjoyed afternoon tea and felt rejuvenated to face the remainder of the semester upon leaving Sunday afternoon.

CULINARY CREATIVITY

While experimenting in the kitchen has always been a favorite pastime of mine, living in China has forced me to face a plethora of new ingredients as well as figure out how to create some of our favorite dishes without the luxury of a mega grocery store. While I still look at the dried bark aisle with trepidation, this month I have conquered beets and persimmons. 

One of our senior students wanted to learn how to make borscht. While beets are not sold here, the magical land of Taobao produced a box of beautiful beets. We loved the soup and Zach continually gagged. I am still baffled that a man who can eat crickets and yak tongue swoons and dramatically gags at the sight of pickled beets. 

However, there was no gagging upon eating persimmon cookies and a loaf of persimmon bread. Zach loved them so much he has already requested more be made. I agree with his assessment and look forward to future adventures with the orange blobs. 

GRADUATION PHOTOS

It is mayhem on campus once the seniors decide to take senior photos. It is over the top and ridiculous - most classes will spend a minimum of six hours, with most taking twelve hours. On these days we try to steer clear of the prime photo stops. If we do not, we could be trapped in a revolving photo shoot - like the other day when we walked across the plaza and a group of senior English majors spotted us and came running. While most of the students have not even spoken to us in the two years since we had them, they were determined that we had to take a photo with them. 

However, every year we do have students who have stayed in contact with us; some even moving from student to friend. When they ask to take a photo, we oblige. This year we have had numerous requests, though the funniest one was from our Kingdom Girls. (One of the girls is named King.) They did not want a quick photo shoot, but rather a dress up session. For them, we agreed, but set a time limit in the negotiations. Thus, we found ourselves one sunny afternoon dressed in traditional clothing, snapping photos, and ultimately becoming a spectacle because foreigners dressed as Chinese is just really funny.

 

ANNUAL FRONT YARD LIGHTING CEREMONY

Gavin led the charge once again in turning our front yard into a (tropical) winter wonderland. Colored lights joined the display this year, as did a few more decorators. Alex and I took to decorating the lights with gusto, while Masha beautified the bushes. Gavin was in charge of the wiring because he really is an electricity junkie. The lighting was met with oohs and aahs by those passing by and it has since become the couple strolling lane. We love standing in our hallways watching those who pause to snap pictures or squeal with delight alongside their friends. There have even been a few children who have filled our yard with giggles and squeaky shoes.

STRAWBERRY PICKING

Strawberry season in Zhanjiang is a blink-and-it-is-gone season. Zach and I still laugh about our first year here when we completely missed eating strawberries because we thought the berries would be in the market for months. While deeply saddened by our lack of strawberry eating, we were completely fascinated with the entire strawberry business. 

Instead of year-round strawberry patches, local farmers create insta-fields. One day, remnants of a rice paddy, the next, mounded rows covered in black plastic with strawberry plants plopped on the top. It is actually a very bizarre farming method. Were do the plants come from? How can they produce strawberries so quickly? Is it actually safe to put an insta-patch where a large garbage pile stood the day before? 

Yes, that last one is true. No, I did not eat strawberries knowingly from that patch. 

Ultimately, I am not sure I want to investigate fully the insta-patch method, so I blindly indulge my strawberry love from the red morsels beautifully piled in the market.

Until this year. 

These patches are open to U Pick, which is what I spent a Saturday morning doing alongside some very giggly girls. Donning our neon blue mud boots, we took to the field with foraging gusto. The owners were thrilled to have such a fun group in their field, plus the foreigner made a few locals stop, stare, and even buy. 

Even though I had told the girls that I had done u pick fruit many, many times in America and had grown up on a farm, their exclamations over my full basket were baffling and hilarious. I was dubbed the winner of a contest I did not even know existed. Nonetheless, we returned to campus toting a lot of yummy strawberries.