Saturday:

Another week packed with prom, Thanksgiving, The Wizard of Oz, clubs, a great English corner (a crowd of 2011 students came back to say hello) and all kinds of culinary discoveries. Recovering from a hectic Friday (Dehang class field trip, imagine coralling 130 plus students to hike to either a mountain or waterfall, then back again. No small feat). Woke up feeling almost rested for the first time in 2 weeks, and then went to an ex-student’s home to visit— with the stipulation that every person had to cook a dish. Vegetables were washed in a courtyard that housed chickens and geese. The kitchen was a single hotplate. Pushing more boundaries. We shopped and I threw together a mixture of flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and cheap beer that was then semi-sucessfuly fried in a wok with apple slices. This concoction found its way onto some “waffles” found at the supermarket (we opted for the non-cheese flavor) …I could’ve done worse. Cameron’s tofu was ok.
The students spent most of the time arguing and playing guitar/singing, but we also caught a glimpse of the Olympics on CCTV over watermelon and stinky tofu (no thank you. no, really). I imagined everyone at home sitting on their couches in the land of normal flavored potato chips and felt far, far away. Yet I also felt like we were in the right spot.
Things have been pretty solid as we pass the halfway point of our trip. Good stuff.