From Grits to Chopsticks

During the first week of October, China celebrates it’s National Day holiday.  For us, the week provided an opportunity to meet people each day for meals.  Also, one of our former students drove us around nearby Fuxian Lake:This beautiful lake is over 500 feet deep and has fairly clean water for fishing:During meals with other friends, we experienced a few unique dishes, like this bowl of spicy frog soup:and this soup of blood and guts (literally, cubes of blood and organ meat):And just when you thought it was safe to eat a Snickers Bar, watch out for the one with red peppers on the label:We met some more friends at a shopping mall which had the largest balloon animals we’ve ever seen, including this multi-story Pink Panther: Our city has a large park which showcases the special cultures of different minority groups in this province.  We have often thought that some of them remind us of Native Americans in their dress and dance (click Minority Dance):At the minority park, we didn’t just see displays of old traditional culture.  They also had a very modern bathroom monitoring system, complete with colored “in-use” indicators:Finally, we can honestly say that this has been one of the rainiest seasons during our eight years in “The Spring City.”  Here’s a picture of me walking to school in the heavy rain:But that afternoon, the sun finally came out and we enjoyed a bright, long-lasting rainbow from our apartment window:We are thankful for this beautiful display of grace!