Rain has been rare since last fall, so any kind of precipitation these days is welcome. The good news with rain is that oftentimes after the “bad” weather has passed, usually the air is a lot of cleaner, which means: a day of rain many times is followed by a day of clear skies that sometimes even resemble the color of blue – something I still appreciate even after years of having been in this country! Therefore it is my stance to say: Yay for the rainy days!
Cold dishes on the side are a very common addition to every proper meal here. Usually, various kinds of vegetables, nuts and tofu are offered in all different kinds of variations. These, for example, are beans combined with a kind of tofu. Tofu in China comes in many different ways, and the tofu here has the texture of bread.
Found a cute little story on the internet the other day, and since I’m a language teacher, I just have to share it with you here: Two mice sat in their hole watching Cat lurk outside. “I know how to make Cat go away,” said the first mouse. “How?” the second mouse asked in surprise. “Watch! Bow, wow!!!” barked the first mouse. Peering through their hole in the wall, they saw Cat running away in fear. “Ah, see the benefit of knowing another language!” Found at http://www.eleaston.com/
Lesson #4: Interesting 有意思 – yǒuyìsi you = have yisi = meaning youyisi = have meaning – interesting (If you can’t see the Chinese characters, because you don’t have any Asian languages installed on your computer, don’t worry about it.)
If a man does only what is required of him, he is a slave. If a man does more than is required of him, he is a free man. Chinese Proverb
Our last bake sale has been quite a while ago. If you remember, it was back during the Christmas season in December. So, this bake sale was long anticipated! And not only that, but probably it’ll be the last bake sale in a while, since most of my colleagues who usually organize it are leaving after this semester :-(. Anyways, the profits usually go towards an organization that supports orphanages in our area, which makes buying these delicacies all the more justifiable. Though the line of those wanting to indulge was long, and the best goodies sold out immediately, I still was able to get my hands on some of the treats. Don’t ask me what exactly they were, for I don’t remember much beyond the peanut butter cups, peanut oatmeal non-bake cookies, and a cupcake. But I sure did enjoy to give myself a treat!
Sign reads: “Cherish your life, keep away from fire!” Note: When posting anything in the Fun with Chinglish section, I don’t mean to show disrespect towards anything or anyone in any way. I’m simply sharing the fun we get to have with all those great signs & documents!
Summer is almost here, and what a happy circumstance it is that several months ago a new place in town opened its doors to the public – a mixture between coffee shop, fast food restaurant, and dairy store. Some of us call it the sandwich place, but basically it’s like a nice cafe where you sit and talk, and enjoy a cup of coffee or ice cream. I admit, I love ice cream! So, with the weather getting oh so warm, every once in a while this is a nice place to stop by and get a little treat!
I have to say, salads and fresh vegetables are not very common in Chinese Cuisine. Most vegetables come fried in the wok (like almost everything else). If you look hard enough, though, you can find some fresh vegetable dishes like this green leaf salad. I can’t even tell what kinds of leaves actually made it into this salad, though around here, salads often come with mint leaves. The dressing usually consists of some spices combined with vinegar, and though they may not look like the typical green salads we can get in the West, Chinese salads still can be quite tasty!
Officially, we are still on vacation today, but that doesn’t mean I can’t bring you the next installment of our Chinese Corner. Lesson 3: Careful 小心 – xiǎo xīn xiao = small xin = heart xiao xin = little heart – careful (If you can’t see the Chinese characters, because you don’t have any Asian languages installed on your computer, don’t worry about it.)
