Bits and pieces (5-11)

Sometimes it’s surprising how much happens during times when it seems like not much is happening.

It’s birthday time for foreign teachers, and Cindy, an English major, has decided that we need to celebrate them together. First was Sam’s birthday. Cindy and Julie did a DIY cake—a cake that you frost and decorate yourself. After English Corner, Julie brought Sam to a drinks shop for a surprise party. She was surprised, and it was a nice evening.

Kasey’s birthday was next, but it was on Sunday of the May Day holiday weekend; so half of the teachers were out of town. Cindy wanted to do the DIY cake again, but she wasn’t here on Saturday; so I suggested having lunch or dinner together. That turned out to be fine with Kasey, as she doesn’t like parties at which she is the focus. She, Cindy, Roger, Omar, and I went to a barbecue that she likes. I’d not been to one like this one before. You cook your selection of meat and veggies on a flat pan indented in the table. It was good, and, since it was all you can eat for a standard price (34 RMB/$5.65), we were all very full when we left. It was a quiet celebration.

Since I don’t have classes on Friday and the holiday was Friday to Sunday, it wasn’t anything special for me. On Thursday, I went to Chengdu. I had decided to look at cameras because I’m tired of the circle that appears in photos when sunlight reflects off dust inside the lens. At the camera shop where I purchased the camera, they sent for an English-speaking man. For some reason, I told him I like my camera very much but that it had spots inside the lens. When I showed it to him, he understood and asked if I wanted it cleaned. That sounded like a great idea, but I hadn’t considered it because, when I had my previous camera, I was told that the inside couldn’t be cleaned. He took me upstairs to a repair shop. I left the camera and went to the mall for a sushi lunch. When I returned an hour later, it looked clean. So instead of a new camera, I have a clean lens for 200 RMB/$33. A good deal.

Next I went to see if the art museum is open. It’s not. Tianfu Square was being prepared for May Day. There was a stronger police presence than usual, and there were floral decorations.

Then I went to the art district. On the way I stopped at the Sichuan Silk and Embroidery Museum, another place I’d been intending to visit that I can now check off. The museum is small but has a nice collection of reproductions of old silk patterns, 

embroidered pictures,

and silk robes.

The purpose of the art district trip was to find jade earrings that Raven requested I purchase for her. I was on a mission. So I went to the third floor where there are many jewelry shops. I was surprised to find that they have abundant necklaces and bracelets but very few earrings. The man in a shop that had one pair of earrings called a neighbor who speaks English very well. She helped me with his earrings which I decided were not what Raven wants. After I asked if she has a shop, we went there. She showed me a few pairs of earrings that were not appropriate. Then she brought over several sets of jade pieces and explained that the usual practice is to purchase the stones and then go to another shop to have them set. I liked the woman, who is an acupuncturist at a clinic two mornings a week, and was happy when Raven liked photos of some of the stones. Step one accomplished.

On Friday, since everyone was free, a small group of us—Cindy, Roger, Linda, Kasey, Omar, and I—went to the Green Belt. 










After walking for a while on an out-of-the-way path, we came to the main area where I’d been two years ago with Peggie, Megan, and Katy. Not surprisingly, it was crowded with people riding bicycles—not always well. Avoiding them was sometimes a challenge. After a few hours, we headed back to campus, stopping for dinner on the way. It was an enjoyable outing even though it wasn’t really fun walking on the path.

Since the weather has become hot, Kasey wanted to buy a skirt for teaching. So we walked downtown to an area I knew that has clothes stalls. She was successful. Then we walked back. A few more hours of walking on the weekend.

Saturday Kasey, Hannah, and I went to high tea at the Felton Gloria Hotel, which we had always called the Gloria Felton, not noticing the reversal of the names and thinking of it as an American name. The Felton Gloria is a five-star hotel in Wenjiang and has a beautiful foyer. When Kasey mentioned that she’d seen the advertisement for high tea and would like to do it sometime, her birthday seemed like the perfect time. She chose Hannah as a friend to join us. We walked there, which took about an hour. 

They have high tea on the ground floor and the 28^th floor. We chose to go up, which was a good choice as the view of the city was lovely. 

We ordered one of each of the two sets, which were variations of the same items—small sandwiches—tuna, ham and egg, and tuna, ham, and egg—on toast cakes, and tarts. 

It was lovely. We ate and chatted for about two hours and then walked back.

Peggie invited me to have dinner with her and her husband on Sunday. I hadn’t seen her for months. Recently, Hannah mentioned that when she was talking to Peggie, she’d mentioned my leaving. So I emailed Peggie to let her know officially, which I’d been meaning to do. It was good to see her again and get caught up. I finally saw her wedding photos. They come in three albums—large, medium, and small—and only have portraits of the two of them wearing several different wedding outfits. Most were of them as a couple, but there are a few of each of them alone. They were taken at a special area in Chendgu that is set up for wedding photos with a lake, a church, and a building in which they can have indoor photos. No photos of the actual ceremony.

Peggie offered to help me with anything I need in getting ready to leave. After dinner they took me to a shop where I could get my vision checked and buy new glasses. Since my current ones are a bit scratched, I’d decided that this is a good time to get new ones, as they are much less expensive here. With the 30% discount, the pair I selected costs 1618 RMB/$270. I also bought a pair of sunglasses that fit over glasses, which I love. These were half price: 200 RMB/$33.

The last birthday was Monday—Julie’s. We all were asked to attend the show for the singing contest competition that evening. 

One round was duets in Chinese, and the other was individuals singing English songs. They were quite good, as they should have been since they were the winners of about three previous rounds. 

Afterwards, we met in a tea shop for cake. A surprise was that among the fruits on the cake were cherry tomatoes. I know they are a fruit, but, since we Americans use them like a vegetable, I’m still surprised to see them in the fruit market, not in the vegetable market. Large tomatoes are in the vegetable market.

Four more weeks of classes and two of final exams. Things are winding down.