Making new friends!

After the homestay, we all just hung out Tuesday and got caught up on stuff.

Wednesday morning we taught the screaming children. They're really into "chanting" because that's their text book says to do. My favorite one goes like this: "Hungry me, Hungry you. Eat the jam, 1 2 3. Hungry Me, Hungry You. Eat the peach, 1 2 3..." (If you want to see the coordinating dance and hear the rhythm of the chant, call me, it's priceless). In the afternoon we went to Sheng Shui Si, a buddhist temple in Mianyang. It was really cool. We saw chanting monks (a legit form of chanting), and beautiful statues, and people praying. Always cool.

The statues and I 

A giant sleeping buddha, and more statues. 

The right side of the temple

Last week my friend Josh was practicing kungfu in the park with some chinese people. Side note- if/when you ever come to China, you MUST go to a Chinese park at night or in the morning. It's teaming with people dancing, singing, playing games or sports, etc. It's a great way to experience Chinese culture, make new friends, and get your picture taken because you're foreign. And people will yell  "HELLO!" at you and when you respond, they will laugh at you because they're so funny. We're kinda like monkeys at the zoo, but I like it. haha

Anyways, We were all there watching and made friends with a girl named Moria. She invited us to go to dinner and English Corner with her on wednesday night. English corner is a bunch of chinese people who get together to practice their english at a tea house. I think every chinese city does this. It was really awesome. I got to practice my chinese a little bit. We talked about politics, ear wax, sex, tampons, and more. Very interesting conversation! haha. My friend Moria has offered to take us around to various places around Mianyang, I can't wait! We're definitely going back next week to talk some more, it's a great way to share ideas and culture and such. Then we went to McDonalds for McFlurries, and surprise- at McDonalds we met another foreigner! It's pretty embarrassing that we met at McDonalds, but seriously, there aren't many of us here so it's a very rare sighting. He was cool and we chatted in line so that was fun.

Then today I was invited by Mrs. Zhang, the head of the english department or something, to her house for lunch to practice Chinese with her son who is in an english competition tomorrow. He was too shy to actually speak english though, or say anything to me really. But the parents were nice and lunch was great! She made hot carrot juice (a great accompaniment to spicy food), steamed pumpkin (delicious!), spicy corn, vinegar mushrooms, duck soup, fish soup, and mushrooms with peppers and pork. A typical chinese meal, aka WAY too much food. And then we ate some dragon fruit and lychee. I mentioned that I liked dumplings, which led to me coming over again tonight to make dumplings (for the second time this week) and eat them. I have never eaten so many dumplings in my life. They kept saying, oh you don't like it do you? So I'd have to eat more. and more. and more. And then, just when I thought we were done, out comes the soup! I didn't have any. But of course then I had to eat lychee and watermelon, which was yellow. weird. I didn't like it very much. Then we walked through the park at night and it was super crowded and awesome. Kids were playing in fountains, people dancing, etc.

Tomorrow night we're going out with the english office for dinner. This weekend I'm escaping to Hong Kong! I say escape because 1) the Children's palace is like a prison; 2) We joke about how I'm Jasmine stuck in the palace; and 3) they don't actually know I'm going away....yikes. haha, hope they don't find out/care! Also hope I don't have any trouble getting in and out of china. (I know Hong Kong is "part of china" but the immigration rules are different) so ya, talk to you after Hong Kong! woo!