It's been an entire week since I have last written and I apologize. I always seem to get distracted when living in a new place of Xizhou, which its literal translation is "Happy Town." Now doesn't that just put a smile on your face?! I will make up for lost time by telling you all what I have been up to in Xizhou and Dali this past week. Last Saturday was spent in Dali with the boys for the afternoon. They have friends there who are also American, so they went to hang out and play with them as well as visit one of the beloved baskeries in Dali called Sweet Tooth. I was able to exchange my money, and what do you think I did with it right away? Yes. Spend it. Well, luckily not all of it, but I did by a fun long floral tank top and with the world's best bartaring skills of Lei Lei, I was able buy the shirt at a much lower price. The walking pedistrian streets in Dali remind me of how Playa del Carmen, Mexico was about 10 years ago. Little shops selling the local crafts with cafes that you can sneak into if your feet are getting sore from walking on the cobblestone. Afterwards, we jumped back in the car to head back to the Linden Centre and relax for the rest of the night. Dali really takes a lot out of you.
Even on Sunday I was still a little exhausted, so I spent the day hanging out at the Linden Centre and taking another long walk to the lake. The painting group came back from their 3 day tour, so they brought a buzz back to the center. Right before dinner, Brian invited two women that he has known for a long time to show their textile work to the painting group on the rooftop terrace. There were so many beautifully embroidered pieces to look at. Everything totally different and unique. Some of the pieces were beautiful baby carriers that the women used to wrap their babies on their back. They are much more intricate and goregous to look at compared to a Baby Bjorn!
"Hello! Hello!" is called out to me whenever I'm walking in the streets of Xizhou. I am never hassled that I am a foreigner. I am just given smiles as I walk through the center of town. On one of my long walks to the lake the other day, I came across a small little temple at the end of a dead end road. It may be quite common to stumble upon a temple all over China, but to me it was such a treasure to see. It is a very small temple with incense burning around it and rice surrounding the area given for offerings. Finding that hidden treasure along my walk has given me more incentive to keep exploring my town, especially when I feel like I'm going through culture shock. Instead of writing home, I decide to walk out, breath the fresh air, and discover something new. Then I will allow myself to write home because usually after a walk, my feelings have changed and the culture shock has usually worn off.
Teaching the boys is such a blast! Yes, it is quite a responsibility, but I am having such a great time with them! We joke around during our breaks...they are seeing my silly side more and more every day! We are in class from 9am - 2:30pm with about an hour break every day. After class, the boys usually have either piano or guitar classes. The last time we went to their music classes, we jumped on our bikes and headed into town. Crossing the major street is always da challenge. During the times that you are not looking both ways to watch out for the oncoming traffic, you are covering your mouth so you don't breathe in too much dust or pollution! While the boys were in their music lessons, Jeanee was teaching me the Chinese vowels. I am getting them down, but I have to practice everyday! Learning Chinese will be a slow and steady process! When I am just relaxing by myself, you can either find me playing board games in the cafe area with the boys or reading on the rooftop terrace to catch some sun. One of the times when I was up on the rooftop terrace with the painting class, there was a commercial being filmed out in the fields that surround the center. We were guessing that it was an umbrella commercial since there was a man standing on top of a ladder who was pouring water from a large metal watering can down onto a group of men using their umbrellas. We were trying to look at what they were doing by using bonochulars, but we were close enough that they saw us doing that, so they were waving to us to stop! opps! Maybe I will be in the background of a Chinese umbrella commercial!
There have been many animals that have graced our presence at the Linden Centere. Some I feel in love with at the first moment that I saw them and others I wouldnt mind if they turned into Christmas dinner. A little kitten, who Bryce and I named "Little Stinker," was found by a large, nearby tree by one of the journalists who stayed at the center for about 4 days. Little Stinker meowed and meowed and meowed, but he was so cute that we really didn't mind. Another animal that pranced into the center and found my loving arms was a little black and spekcled brown puppy that is owned by one of the boys in the village. The puppy and I just sat in the sun while he fell asleep in my arms. The only animal that I wish I have never met is the neighbor's goose. We have not formally met this noise machine, but this goose has become an alarm clock at 5:30am for anyone staying on the right side of the center and he won't stop honking until 9am. Thank you, Mister Goose. (By the way, that is the animal who I am wishing will magically disappear...and if he is our Christmas dinner, so be it!)
Brian is an expert antique hunter. Whenever he comes back from day trips, he comes back with new antique treasures that take all of the guests' breaths away. His recent find is a large Buddah that would stand about 4 - 5 feet tall. This large blue statue represents one of the local gods of Xizhou. Brian found him in a temple that was under constuction and he basically saved him from the reckage. Once again, I have to say that I must have done something right in my past life to be able to have this position as a teacher, to be living in such a whimsically beautiful place, and be surrounded by a great family who pulls me into new adventures, teaches me Chinese and the local culture, and makes me feel at home. Yesterday (Oct. 31) we celebrated Shane's birthday, even though his actualy birthday is today. In the morning, Jeanee and I made a chocolate cake that we made in the shape of a football and the field goals. I frosted the cake which we served after veggie and sausage pizza that the chef made especially for Shane's birthday.

More to come about trick-or-treating and day adventures in Dali. In the mean time, check out my photos that I recently uploaded and enjoy!

Miss you all.
Peace, love and sweet travels,
Martha