Work has been great about making us feel welcome. We had a lovely lunch out right after we arrived with the new foreign teachers and the 'old pros' who have been here for a while. The food in China is amazing but I have discovered that it tends to be different than "American" Chinese food.
After I started working full time at my school in Wangjing, we had an employee party for all of the employees at our school. They shut the school down for a couple of hours and everyone went across the street to a hot pot restaurant. At a hot pot restaurant they bring out to metal pans, one with mild liquid and one with spicy liquid and place it on the table in front of everyone. Then they bring out all kinds of different foods that you place into the pots and let cook. There was everything from sweet potatoes, to rice things that looked like fries (yummy!), to mutton, to steak, to vegetables, to intestines (very crunchy), to pig brains (kind taste like bland scrambled eggs), to duck blood (turns dark brown when you cook it)....FYI: I did NOT try the ducks blood. I may be adventuresome but I'm not that adventuresome....yet! My boss, Vivian, told me that the Chinese believe that whatever part of the animal you eat makes your same part stronger and healthier.  |
| Spicy is the right and mild is on the left |
It was such an interesting experience. I promised myself that when I moved to China I would do my best to be open minded about experiencing as much of the culture as possible. Of course I am drawing the line at duck blood but.....my time here is just beginning...who knows what will happen in a couple of years. If I can talk River into trying pig brain (Stan still refuses to try it!)....which she never had (and she is from China!)....then duck blood cooked in the hot pot may be on my "To Do" list in a year or two or three or so!
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| River and Stan...what a cute couple! |
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| Pig brains before they are cooked |
I had lunch with a great group of people and the Chinese teachers have been amazing....so friendly!
I have met some wonderful people and I am looking forward to getting to know them better as time goes on. Especially Betsy....my "Stop eating Noodles!", "You need a cellphone!" "You better call me during break!", "Stop going in the closet and finding flash cards!!".....computer desk buddy! :-)
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| Me and "My" Betsy! :-) |
We had so much fun at lunch...lots of laughing...and I think the Chinese teachers were pretty surprised how open Jacob and I were to trying new foods. For those of you that know "Chicken McNugget" Jacob...he tried the pig brains!
Our boss....Vivian...made the rounds making sure everyone was enjoying themselves and were getting enough to eat. She has been so sweet to me since I moved here and it is going to be a pleasure working with her at First Leap!
They provided everyone with aprons at the restaurant and they gave us the longest chop sticks I have ever seen! It probably had to do with the fact that you are sticking your chop sticks into scalding hot water to get your food out after it cooks! They also gave the women hair ties to pull their hair back and eyeglass cleaning rags to those of us that had eyeglasses.
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| Jacob showing off the fancy aprons! |
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| A picture of the hair tie, eyeglass cleaner, REALLY long chop sticks and the hot towel to wash our hands off before lunch |
Our boss....Vivian...made the rounds making sure everyone was enjoying themselves and were getting enough to eat. She has been so sweet to me since I moved here and it is going to be a pleasure working with her at First Leap!
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| Vivian and I...and yes...I am leaning down! LOL! |
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