In
addition to Christmas-related activities, there were several other events this
month. First was Dale’s birthday. We had dinner at an Italian pizza place April
and I had been to. They also have Western dinners, and a few of us had chicken.
When we returned home, we had cake here. It was a fun evening.
I
was surprised to learn that winter solstice is celebrated in China. Some students
who live in or close to Chengdu went home for the special dinner featuring
mutton. Mutton is eaten because sheep have wool that keeps them warm and eating
it will keep people warm for the cold season.
Speaking
of keeping warm, that has been a challenge. I now have three lined, stretch
sweatshirt fabric tops. These are snug on the body and keep me warm. I also
have leg warmers and lined tights. And I’ve succumbed to wearing lined boots,
which are my latest purchase. I knew they were worth the money when I wore them
to class and, for the first time this month, my feet weren’t freezing after an
hour. All the new layers keep me warm in the unheated classrooms. I’ve realized
that it doesn’t matter what clothes I wear because we never take off our coats
and seldom unzip them these days. Temperatures have been in the 40s and up to
the 50s some days in the afternoon. Without heat, that’s cold for standing or
sitting in class.
My
other addition for the purpose of keeping warm is my hot water bottle hand warmer.
It heats electrically and stays warm for a couple hours. I took it to class for
final exams so I could take turns warming my hands while students talked. Sometimes
I take it to bed with me for a last minute hand and chest warming before going
to sleep. It’s one of my favorite things.
On
the way home from the buffet dinner on Christmas Eve, we passed the Global
Mall. Our driver pulled over so we could take photos of it lit up for night.
When I got home, I looked it up on the Internet and learned that it is the
largest free-standing building in the world. April and I decided we had to see
it. So, on Saturday after our Christmas lights trip, we went to Global Mall.
Since we arrived before 10:00, the stores weren’t open yet. So we had to go to
Starbuck’s, which is conveniently open for early arrivers, for April’s morning
coffee. I had a hot chocolate and cinnamon roll, both of which were delicious.
When
the mall opened, we went to the top—the fifth—floor to start walking around. In
addition to seeing the mall, we were also on a last quest for Christmas
decorations. Some stores had trees, and there were a couple trees in central
areas.
The hanging mobile in the center featured snowflakes, presents, and
parachuting Santas.
The mall is beautifully decorated. There are many large
vases of artificial flowers. 
On the bottom floor, there’s a water park. We
looked at it only from outside, as there’s an entrance fee. After two hours, it
was time to leave, as we were meeting Jane for lunch. So we didn’t see the
whole mall, but we saw enough to know what it’s like.
On
the way to meet Jane, we made a quick stop at Tianfu Square to see if there
were Christmas decorations there. There weren’t, but there was a huge 2014 in
the street; so it was worth the trip. It was also worth the trip because April
hadn’t been there before.
Jane’s daughter and two of her tourism students
joined us for lunch. Of course, it was huge. We had Beijing duck, shrimp,
broccoli, and other dishes. The most unique was one that April selected:
chicken and duck. It wasn’t what she expected from past experience. The dish
had half a chicken on one side and a bowl with duck tongues standing up on the
other. I tried a duck tongue out of curiosity and found it tough with not much
meat; so I didn’t eat it.
Jane’s
daughter is a high school junior at an IB school that sounds prestigious from
the way Jane talks about it. Chloe speak English very well and hopes/plans to
go to the U.S. for university. Her first choice is Cornell.
After
lunch, we were off to meet the Wangs for their son’s birthday. (Dale was unable
to join us because he was ill.) The party was at a nice karaoke place. The building
has five floors of karaoke rooms. We had been told to meet them at 1:00, but
April changed it to 2:00 because of the lunch with Jane. So we thought we’d be
there for only three of the four hours that rooms are rented for. Not the case.
When the birthday cake was served just before 5:00, it became clear that we
were there till 6:00. I’m not sure why we were to be there an hour early, but I’m
glad we changed it. This was the nicest karaoke place I’ve been to. The room
was large with comfortable seats. The videos were good and were interesting to
watch. So I was able to stay interested for a few hours. But four is too long
for me. It’s not my favorite thing to do, but this occasion helped me see how
it is a good activity for a group of people spending time together. Wang Ji had
two of his good friends and a cousin with him for the occasion, and two mothers
were also there. Most of the singing was done by the adults, but Wang Ji got
into it, too. April and I were given a small, framed shadow puppet.
After karaoke, we all went to dinner. Another large, delicious
meal—our third for the weekend. A special dish was a special fish served for
the new year. I don’t remember why it’s special for this occasion.
Students--mostly freshmen--in each department have been having new year’s shows. April and I went to the
one put on by the computer technology department. She, Dale, and I went to the
show for the foreign language department on New Year’s Eve. For that one, we
were seated in the front row with the special guests. The shows consist of
dancing—modern and traditional, singing and short skits. It’s fun to see the
students demonstrating their talents.
Final
exams will be finished on Friday. Thus ends another semester.
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