Uhhhh.....

My friends and I always say its never a dull day here.....

This is what I saw last week as I walked through my school gate... (no one was hurt)

I ride my bike through here everyday.... that is definitely a little hill that the truck was parked on and is the reason why the truck was on its side

Bulldozer came to the rescue!

Bulldozer leveling out the truck!

Tomb Sweeping

When the street sellers start selling fake money on the streets I know a tomb sweeping day is soon to occur. There is a holiday in the spring called 清 明节 (Qing1 Ming2 Jie2) which is a national recongized holiday, but I've realized its not just on that holiday where the money burning occurs. There are other days in the year I've seen it occur. I still have a lot to learn! Will be one of my questions I ask my teacher tomorrow in class.

The sellers

The fake money that is sold on the streets.

Tradition is to use white chalk and draw a circle and burn the fake money inside

The tradition is to burn the money so it can go to the family's ancestors in the afterlife

Its an opportunity for families to remember and honour their ancestors. Sometimes food, tea, chopsticks, accessories, and paper replica of material things (related to houses, maids, cars, phones, etc) are also burned. The night I took these pictures it wasn't the public recongized holiday of Qing Ming Jie (last year the streets were filled with people celebrating). Thats why I am curious and want to ask my teacher why I've seen it celebrated a few times throughout the year not just on Qing Ming Jie.

The ashes and remains of the burning

In my class I just started a new textbook where I'm learning in Chinese all the traditions and holidays celebreated here. Its been so fasincating learning the history and culture behind each holiday/tradition. This country has a very long history and traditions that go back thousands of years.

SNOW!

Just have to show you pictures of all the snow!!! I live in a city where the weather is mostly dry, and doesn't snow (but gets really cold) but suddenly one night it just started to snow and didn't stop.

The road into my apartment complex

The main street in front of my apartment building

The street... see the cars driving. That night I was across town at a friend's house and didn't realize how fast the snow was falling. We waited outside for a bus or taxi to drive by for 45 minutes until a bus finally came and then I had to get off and switch to a taxi. The driver said no one knew how to drive on roads like this and thought it was to dangerous so just went home (keep in mind - it doesn't usually snow here). No shoveling nor salt was laid on any of the main roads - definitely a little crazy coming home that night.

See the magazine stand... I'm good friends with the owner and his wife. Sometimes I'll stop and we'll sit outside on the street on stools and talk for little bit.

Anyway, I took this picture... cause this is where I about wiped out on the sidewalk, it was all ice! Fun sliding on! :)

Pretty pictures of the snow from my campus

雪人 （xue2 ren2) translates 'snow people'

Tight Rope Walking On Electrical Cables!

These were taken last spring.... Rach and I were biking home and just had to stop and document the moment!

Getting ready to fix the cables

Climbing up on a bamboo lander!

Tight rope walking on electrical cables!

6 kuai for a dvd!

Dvds are sold for 6 kuai! Which is about $ .90 cents. Hundreds of dvds sold in shops like these and on the street. Popular movies, shows, documentaries, and dramas from all over world. Movies being shown in the states at the theatres are sold here first on dvd.

Liver and intestines anyone?

"CHEAP! Buy liver and intestines! Very cheap prices!" -screaming the meat seller infront of my house.

Almost every evening there are meat sellers lining the street, selling random animal parts off the back of their bicycle carts. Last night I stopped and talked to one of the sellers. He was trying to convince me that the meat he was selling was good quality and tasted great. Also, that he would cut it up into pieces for me right there, so it wouldn't be a 麻烦 (hassle) for me later.

Unfortunately I had to tell him I wasn't in any need for liver that night.






He asked me why I wanted to take some pictures... I told him I wanted to show my family and friends in America how 方便 (convenient) it is to buy meat on the street. Then went on to explain that in America you have to get in your car and drive to the store and it can take some time. Also, that Americans aren't accustomed to eating liver and different intestinal parts...

His response... "I can't believe that... thats just wasteful.... WHY NOT? ITS SO GOOD FOR YOU! AND, ITS THE PARTS TO EAT! 最好吃的 。"



Since living here, lets just say I know I have eaten a lot of what my family and friends would say in America as- 'unusual foods.' While not my favorite, with my friends I know in restaurants I have eaten liver (to be honest... not my favorite), intestines, and who knows what other parts/animals (without knowing it, because at the time I didn't know the translation) - its not a common everyday meal for me. However, some of it is considered a 'special treat' and is ordered here.

Construction...!

Last week while riding my bike I stopped when I saw this construction site and thought I would take some pictures and ended up talking to some of the workers. They are all migrant workers from different provinces.

New apartment buildings being put in

A weekend outside of town in a village

We went outside of the city for a weekend to get a little time away in a village. We stayed in a 'nong jia le' 农家乐 -a farmer's house. These are the pictures I took while walking around and exploring and talking to people I met along the way.

Me -showing off some of my layers! Wearing three layers on top, my leg warmers and wool socks! Layers are important! Used to not having heat out in the villages, so we packed lots of layers to stay warm.

Reparing the roads