end of week 8

monday
Brynn & I went grocery shopping today. The lady checking out in front of us had a fish in a bag she was buying that kept flapping around. She was chatting with the cashier and flat handed the fish and kept right on talking. It was pretty hilarious, but it's a bit scary to see flapping closed bags in people's carts. Startles me every time. It is so busy in the store; you can hardly walk through the aisles. Oh and the produce section? Forget about it. After all that we made it home alive, and then had "P.E."-- off to the neighborhood gym! Ran a whole .8 miles and felt way too tired... we're all out of shape. For dinner/ family night we went to a Chinese restaurant (shocker) that everyone recommended. The spicy green bean dish was apparently to die for... pretty sure I almost died eating it. No one in the entire facility spoke English, so we tried pointing to pictures, which didn't work. We ended up with dumplings, fried rice, and spicy green beans. We walked through downtown old Shekou and the city was hopping. Dinner time is packed! Little shops will set up tables with all types of things like veggies, noodles, dumplings, roasted dog-- You know, just normal stuff. You pick what you want and they cook it right there. Taxied home. Raining now. Brooke and Sophie aren't feeling well (shocker). Emails from Ally. Oh how we miss that girl.

tuesday
Not much. Seminary, school, and tostadas. went with little girls in the rain to the times square building, import stores for cheese, and to the candy store. Fortuitous because Todd was riding in a taxi home and passed us just as we were crossing the street, so we hitched a ride with our heavy bags- mostly orange juice for dad's famous green smoothie. They dropped me off by our gate to get the scooter. I ran back to the parking lot, but the s otter wouldn't start. Unfortunate because it started rainging and our house is at the end of a steep hill. I called Todd and he told me a trick to use and it started right up. phew. Side note: We bought what we thought were flat limes... turns out they're oranges! They have green peels here.

wednesday
Brooke still not feeling great. Todd working from home. I went to Pon's kitchen (my neighbor two doors down) for a thai cooking lesson. She taught me how to make green papaya salad, stiky rice in a steamer basker, and the egg over rice with hot sauce. We went to the gym while Brooke and Chase started their internship at Wasinc. Later the kids had tennis lessons with Peter. They thought that was fun because it sprinkled all the way throught. Sophie kept saying "I love this weather!!" Hurried home to make dinner. Brynn's request was beans and rice and mango. Granted. I also made homemade cream of mushroom soup and then they, including Todd, were off to mutual.

thursday
Found a Mandarin teacher who comes this weekend. Todd off to work and Brooke napping after seminary. Girls still asleep, boys playing a soccer game. I'm itching to get on the subway and go exploring. Brynn, sophie, and I met up with Sarah Warr to go to a ceramics warehouse. It was pouring rain. We had about 10 minutes to wait on nanhai rd and it was fun to see the traffic in the rain. My favorite was a man driving a scooter with another man on back. The driver had a plastic plant holder (with a crack up the side) on his head like a hat. The ceramics store was hard to find. Up two flights of stairs in an old warehouse there were stacks and stacks of platters, plates, canisters, cookie jars, salt and pepper shakers, bowls, mugs, and figurines. SO MUCH STUFF. Workers few and far between. The ones I did see were sewing, eating, sleeping, and one guy walking around in boxers. He had a planter filled with water and began to wash some dishes... his own dishes. It was as if he lived there with the dishes and rodents. And he couldn't care less about anyone seeing him in his sleepwear. The girls and I got ice cream bars and stopped by the store to search for Campbell's chicken noodle soup and Gatorade and dill pickles for the sickie at home. We also found Chinese mosquito repellent and bite soother, and the ingredients for the green papaya salad I learned to make yesterday. Later, Brig, Brynn, and I went to a store called muji and purchased some art supplies. On the way home- man peeing standing on the sidewalk even as we got like 5 feet away. They care not.

friday
volleyball game at the local school. one kid ran into the net pole adn landed hard on the ground- Chase: "Don't they put pads on the poles?" Matthew: "Dude, we're in China!" We watched two boys' games and the girls were on the court next to them. and by court I mean concrete floors, outdoors, and concrete bleachers. yep, we're in china. No jump serves. Joyce Youse, our RS president came and picked me up for a Shekou tour this morning. She showed me her favorite stationary shop, DVD shop, fresh flower district, theNogogo warehouse and final stop, the oversea import store. I order groceries online from the latter two. Workers were walking around shirtless, veggies were being packaged at a tiny little sink/counter and the cats! Oh boy. Good thing I can order online and rinse EVERYTHING off! At the stationary store I got poster board, mechanical pencils, notebooks, subway card holders-they had a random selection of things. After the volleyball game Brigham and I walked to the sporting goods store to look for church pants. No luck. No luck finding a cab either! We almost walked home before finding one. Friday night troubles. When we finally got home I made chili with cheese and tortillas on top.  No date night, too tired!

Saturday: Mandarin tutor, Horrine Gwo,  came and will be great. Chase and Brooke can begin their Chinese classes now. Gym. Pool. Ice cream bars. Sticky rice patties dipped in egg and pan fried, topped with cilantro, shredded spinach and hot sauce for lunch. Naps. Tis a good day. Dinner tonight with Hwangs at the Boathouse in coastal rose garden. Mr Hwang is Todd's work colleague and Chase's friend Matthew's parents. (embarrassing moment happens for me!) Brigham had Ernesto over today...they played soccer, swam and went downtown for lunch. Chase and brigham had friends over tonight Til late. I heard laughing downstairs until about 1am. Chase was making the girls laugh like crazy by putting his legs through the arms of a sweatshirt and running around. 

Sunday: church, Cambodian mission fundraiser lunch at our friends' house/Todd's colleague so we went to support. Ayi'shusband brought us a fruit basket in hopes of us hiring him as a driver. Dinner at Kester's-spinach calzones, mashed potatoes and gravy, beets, and we brought salad and magic layer Texas sheet cake. 

Kids are progressing in their school-online school is tough! Boys are enjoying BYU football, girls are being crafty, our pantry is beginning to have some bulk and we are learning where to buy everything we need. Lessons and jobs are filling in the weekly schedule and we have somewhat of a routine. Finally! Chase is busy, busy teaching swimming, school, seminary, internship, Mandarin lessons, preparing for the ACT in Hong Kong in two weeks and speaking in District Conference on Sunday. Brooke is enjoying her photography class, teaching piano lessons, internship, Mandarin lessons, tennis lessons, seminary and making lots of videos. Brigham loves heading to the gym and park every day and is self motivated in his schooling. Tennis and seminary keep him busy day and night.   Brynn and Sophie do school off and on all day long, til bedtime most days because they take so many breaks and field trips with me.  They love  playing tennis, piano lessons, and going to the gym as well, Sophie likes it best when someone lets her borrow theiripod for some tunes.  Todd is learning more and more about the Chinese business culture every day-growing in patience and new ways of thinking.  

We love hearing from you throughout the week.  So nice to stay in touch even though we are so far away! We think about you often! Let us know how you are doing.  

Love from China, 

Jane & Family