They are a typical breakfast item in these parts of the world: Baozi – steamed buns stuffed with various fillings, varying from pork, vegetables, egg, tofu and mushrooms. People like to eat them in combination with one of the soups or porridges, and freshly made can make a hearty breakfast!
I got a problem. Well, it’s a good problem because it’s got to do with the generosity of one of my good friends. And yet, it’s a problem. A banana problem. Well, here’s why: The other day, my friend visited me, and of course, quite suitably according to Chinese rules of visiting etiquette, that friend brought me a gift, as visitors are supposed to do to honor their hosts. My gift – I’m sure you can guess – was bananas. Nothing wrong with that. I like bananas. They taste well (especially when they’re well ripe and sweet), and you can make lots of delicious things using bananas. The problem is, that my friend, likewise quite suitably according to Chinese rules of generosity, didn’t just bring me two or three bananas (which would perfectly match a single-person household like mine). That friend brought me 10 bananas (which, let me tell you, these bananas don’t last as long as ten days. They won’t even last 7 days, that’s for sure.). And now, I’m desperately trying to find …
I learned another useful lesson again today. And that is: Check your schoolbag for trash more often. It’s something I actually rarely do, and when I get to it, I marvel at the stuff that I can find in there. Stuff like an old slice of cheese, that I collected a couple months ago, put it in my school bag and never thought of taking it out again. Remember? Cheese is a rare commodity around here, so it definitely should be treasured. Except: that treasure shouldn’t be buried in your school bag for months and months. On the other hand, it wasn’t as bad as you might think now, because it neither was moldy nor smelly, or else, I would have gone treasure hunting in my school bag a lot sooner! PS. Lesson on schoolbags and buried treasures learned. Check.
He who lives without discipline dies without honor. Icelandic Proverb
If you’ve been following my blog for a little while, you’ll know that I love snow. Indeed. I do. I love snow. Except when the white stuff coming down from the sky doesn’t stay white as soon as it hits the ground. Or when it comes down at a time when my little heart is actually preparing for the sweet time of spring. Like today. I thought, spring’s supposed to be around the corner. But not here. Not today. Today, it’s snowy but not white; it’s just wet and cold. Surely, winter is trying to hold on as long as possible. Brrr!
They aren’t my favorite food, so I’ve never actually thought of mentioning them on my blog – mushrooms. But as a matter of fact, mushrooms are quite a popular side dish locally. For the dish you see in the picture today, oyster mushrooms were mixed with other mushrooms and vegetables, and fried in oil (as is typical for any dish in China). A yummy addition to any meal – if you like mushrooms that is!
First, let me start out with this: A couple of years ago, I’d never have thought that drinking hot water would grow on me. But I guess, living in China has marked me some way or another. Now, on a cold winter day, I couldn’t even imagine downing a cold cup of water that would make me shiver all over. And that’s my problem now. Like today, when I was getting ready for class, and wanted to fill my water bottle with warm water from the water dispenser. (I have to add, though, that our classrooms here can be as cold as outside, so I use the hot water from my bottle not only for warming up my insides, but also to warm up my outsides!) But alas! Problem #1: One of the two water coolers on our floor was completely out of water by the time I had to leave for class today, and Problem #2: The second of the two dispensers was turned off, which means: Cold water only for class today. Brrrr! So, …
Spring Festival (and the winter break for that matter) is just behind, which means it’s the busiest time of the year – traveling-wise. After all, pretty much all of China is shifting some way or another, going back to celebrate the holidays with their families, visiting friends and relatives, or simply taking advantage of having a couple days off work to travel. Traveling season also means that those who venture into leaving the comfort of their homes to go on a journey, may be facing a series of obstacles. Obstacle #1 | The Tickets The problem with this one is: Officially, you can only start purchasing train tickets (the main means of transportation here) about 10 days before you mean to travel. But when the 10th day before the journey comes, and you run to the ticket center early in the morning, and get to be the first one after they open their doors to purchase a ticket, the answer still will be most likely: “Sorry, no more tickets available!” How that’s possible? Yeah, good …
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Today is the day when for the first time this winter I could go and play tennis without a scarf since it was nice and sunny outside. Today is the day when for the first time this winter I was overrun by people and balls at the tennis court – yes, the students are back! (But I also get to have someone to play with, which is fun!) Today is the day when the streets on campus are filled with students again, and most of the stores are open. Today is the day when the supermarket downstairs has piles of toilet paper set up in front of the entrance – yes, the students need to stock up on necessities. Today is the day when I decided that I’ll go and get a meal in one of the student cafeteria some time soon, and treat myself to a cup of caramel milk tea. Today is the day when I’m glad that life is back to normal again.
