Ugg...Sick

Well, I finally got sick.

Amazingly, I lived in China for three months without getting the usually stomach distress.

That all changed Sunday. I made a big dinner for Sara's birthday, and around 4 I started to feel just awful. I called to cancel dinner (I didn't want to get anyone else sick) and crawled into bed.

Well, I just now (Wednesday morning) crawled out. It was a really awful as-sick-as-my-G.-I.-track-can-get sick. Yuck.

I've been taking care of myself - lots of clear liquids to prevent dehydration. And I'm starting on some crackers. So far, so good!

Unfortunately we're supposed to go to Guiyang tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I certainly hope I'm well enough to go!!!!!!

Cooking

I've been meaning to post about learning to cook forever. So here it is!

During October holiday one of my students, Danielle, taught me to cook. She called around 10 and we went to the market to buy the needed food.

Here is a photo of buying eggs. It's so different than in the States, don't you think? Every week the price is different and you can buy as many as you want.

We (well, mostly Danielle) decided we would have four dishes: eggs & tomato, winter melon soup, thousand year old eggs, and potatoes.

The very first thing we did was to render pork fat to make lard. I never ever want to do that again. I admit lard makes food taste good. But I'm much, much happier using canola oil, and I'm sure my arteries are too!

For each dish I'll write the recipe and show a photo.

Eggs & Tomato
-put some lard in the pan on medium heat
-crack eggs into a bowl
-add some salt and scramble (with chopsticks)
-cook the eggs in the pan, take them out
-put sliced tomatoes, garlic shoots, a little water and some salt
-cook for a few minutes
-put the eggs back in


Winter Melon Soup
-put some lard in the pan on medium heat
-add 1/2" water, bring to a boil
-add winter melon and sliced ginger
-put some meat tenderizer on sliced pork
-add pork and salt, cook for five minutes
-add bean sprouts, chicken bullion and sliced tomatoes
-cook until melon is tender, add green onions


Thousand Year Old Eggs
(you must know that I really don't like these at all. They are eggs that are buried in cement for two weeks and then eaten. Ewwww)
-peel the eggs, chop
-mix cilantro, green onions and garlic
-put the eggs in the cilantro mixture

Potatoes
-put oil & lard in hot pan
-add sliced garlic, sliced green peppers
-sautee one minute
-add sliced (tenderized) pork, sautee one minute
-add shoestring potatoes, cook 4-5 minutes
-salt, cook until potatoes are tender

My Birthday/The Wedding

My birthday was October 28th. I turned 23 (I feel so OLD!). It was also the day of Grace and Paul's wedding.

Grace is a high school teacher in Anshun. Paul works in the government. They're both Chinese and have Chinese names which I don't know. I know them because Grace knows Joni. And we got an invitation to the wedding!

Here's how the day went.

We met Joni at her apartment at 12:30 for lunch. When we got there we also found out that we were going to be making the bouquets! It was rather informal, but a lot of fun. We made the bride's bouquet and two bridesmaid's bouquets, plus a dozen corsages/buttoniers.

At 2:30 we all went to the church. Joni had made a groom's cake which we brought in the taxi with us.

Joni was doing the service, so she was all dressed up. The rest of us wore jeans. [Kris said that the first wedding she went to in China she wore a dress; and that she was the only person besides the bride to wear a dress!].

We brought a boom box for music and all of the flowers. The wedding was supposed to start at three, but Grace didn't come until almost 3:30. We were all a little worried...

The ceremony was very similar to an American wedding. There was a processional, the father gave the bride away, there were vows, rings were exchanged... it was very nice, but not very Chinese.

In China a wedding lasts two or three days. The first day is the "Bride's day". There is a ceremony, usually at a restaurant, and a big banquet thrown by the bride's family.

That night the friends and family go to the bride's house. They tell stories and play practical jokes. The groom comes to take the bride, but the family and friends won't let him. He must give money and gifts to the bride's family. Finally, they let him take the bride. This happens at 3 or 4 in the morning.

The next day is the groom's day. They have a ceremony and reception with the groom's family.

The bride can have up to six different wedding dresses that she wears for all the parts of the ceremony.

It is unusual to have a church wedding in China, but it was important to Grace and Paul, and it was very sweet. After the ceremony we had cake and then went to the restaurant. There was an emcee who welcomed everyone. As we entered we were offered sunflower seeds (a favorite snack here), candy and cigarettes.

Then we waited a long time (that part was like American weddings!) for dinner. We had a small opportunity to talk to Grace and Paul. They both looked so happy.

It's also traditional for the bride and groom to go to every table and toast with hard liquor. Thankfully, they don't drink! So there was only one toast for the whole reception.

We ate banquet food including turtle soup with a whole turtle in it. I have decided that I prefer cheap food to fancy food here in China. Fancy food is "delicacies" like chicken heads and pig's feet. I can live without those kinds of delicacies!

We didn't leave the restaurant until 8. It was a long day, but it was such fun to share in the joy of the wedding!