Your Ultimate Guide to a Chinese BBQ

Imagine an all out American BBQ. Now take that imaginary BBQ and place it at a park where there is a large group of people who are fishing by the river, grilling & eating delicious food, playing games and enjoying each others company. How are they fishing? What are they eating? How are they preparing the food in the park? What games are they playing or in other words, what's their source of entertainment?
Now that you've painted a clear picture let's take that imagine and place it in China and I'll tell you exactly how it should look.

Everyone fishing needs to have an old glass jar with a long string wrapped around it so you can easy retrieve it when you drop it in the water. That jar needs to have a piece of saran wrap over the top and a small whole for the fish to swim in and eat the bread that is bait.

There needs to be a man who is a stranger to everyone there but has been called in to be the personal grill master. He rides in on his scooter with a skinny, long rectangular grill, a box of coals, and all the food necessary to feed the crowd. He proceeds to set up, cook, and serve everyone.

The people should be eating flubbery pork skin, grilled seaweed, skewered tofu & cilantro wraps, a variety of spicy grilled meat chunks, fish, shrimp, dehydrated beef, chicken feet, and the international staple-watermelon. There were some "hotdogs" on a stick but they look and taste like they're plastic. Hotdogs are already unnatural but these bring hotdogs up to an entirely new level of being unnatural.

The people are sitting around on picnic blankets making sure no one forgets to try any of the delicious food (it was all actually very tasty). You are repeatedly offered beer no matter how many times you refuse it. Others are up running around with the kids, playing badminton or Taiji dragon ball.

When Andrew and I were invited to go to a BBQ by his students' parents we didn't know what to expect but we had a feeling there wouldn't be any potato salad. Now you can be prepared the next time you're invited to attend a Chinese BBQ. Your welcome.

Just remember that even though it looks strange they will be able to catch some fish (they were just small little baby fish but the kids loved it--and loved trying to kill them in little to no water). Also, the food may look inedible but it's safe. When you hear "pig skin" just eat. The texture of some things may throw you off but the spices they use are yummy yummy. If all else fails stick with the fruit and shrimp. That's usually safe. You will see the Chinese people playing games and think that you can be just as amazing. It's harder than it looks but try it anyway for a good laugh. I'll give you a leg up and show you what two player Taiji dragon ball is supposed to look like. Just become one with the ball and follow its lead. Good Luck!

Monday FUNday

What else do you do when you have Monday off from work after a seven day work week? 

I don't know about you but there's nothing this nature girl wants to do more than soak up the sun while strolling around the park. 

It was a blissful afternoon. 

Have I ever mentioned how much I love parks in China? That is one thing they are really good at doing and everyone spends a lot of time walking around them when the weather is just right. It's a peaceful place.

I had one of those days when your head hits the pillow you feel really accomplished. They've been rare lately.

I woke up early to go running and lift weights. Finally tackled the piles of laundry in our room. Swept and mopped the downstairs flooring. Spent the afternoon at the park with my love. Made a delicious spaghetti dinner. And enjoyed an uplifting Family Home Evening lesson from {Hannah}. It was a nice change from being sick and lazy for the last week.

Mondays don't have to be terrible. You make your days as good or bad as you want them to be. 

...Of course it helps when you have the day off.

aren't toilets ALWAYS an emergency ?

so any colorful kites. next time i'm buying one.

World Traveling Sweet Rolls

Ovens. They're few and far between in this great country but seem like such a necessity in America. It's hard to believe we've lived here all this time without one.

Friends like the Curtis' make not having an oven more bearable on Sundays like today. Amy baked the cheesiest, warmest, most delicious lasagna I may have ever had the privilege of tasting. It's been a long time since of had a slice of that staple dinner option. It's always comforting to have familiar home cooked meals. On top of that, they were nice enough to let us trash their kitchen and use nearly all the necessary ingredients from their cupboards to make Granny Olson's famous sweet rolls. You just don't seem to need buckets of flour and yeast when you don't have an oven in Zhangjiagang.

My mother in law sent a message to us not too long ago addressing her desire to have these tasty treats baked in as many places across the world as possible to spread a little of Granny's love everywhere. Seeing as they've been baked in various states in the USA, the Canary Islands, Mexico, Guatemala, and Canada it is only fitting that we try to make them while we're over here in China. Not having an oven would have made it impossible but thanks to the Curtis' we can now add China to the sweet roll's world traveling list.

Just like the rest of dinner these rolls were beyond delicious and the added cream cheese frosting (not from granny) really brought it up an extra sugar notch on the yummy scale. It was almost as much fun to make the rolls as it was to eat them. I'm glad Amy was there because I was a little lost on what to do. Baking is a science. Hopefully Granny is proud!

Thank you Curtis family! We had a blast and are so glad you moved into the branch while we were still here so we could become friends.

Now feast your eyes on all the yumminess!

Dog Restaurant

This afternoon Andrew and I were waiting outside our normal lunch spot for his to-go order when we looked down and saw these animals in a questionable position. We had to do a double take to realize that it was one dog feeding cats! What?! Yes, you heard me right there were cats being fed by a dog! You don't see that everyday.

As I took out my phone to take a picture the owner of the shop where the animals were at came out and started talking to us. He was really friendly and informed us in Chinese, with helpful hand gestures, that this one dog feeds FOUR cats on a regular basis. She's a busy little restaurant! Just another typical day in China seeing peculiar situations.


Coincidentally we just got back from English corner (its like a forum where the Chinese teachers are able to practice their conversational English) where Wayne taught us about the Mayan prophecy about the end of the world. Wayne did a really good job teaching everyone about the Mayans and their calendar. I learned some things but that isn't the point of this side note. At the end of the PowerPoint her had this picture:

"When the kitten hugs the dog, you know something bad is going to happen."

Ladies and gentlemen the internet has now confirmed that what Andrew and I witnessed today was nothing other than a sign of the end of the world. Buy your truck loads of water and prepare your emergency kits because cat's are not only hugging dogs they are feeding off of them!

Consider this your warning.