Wednesday or WetDay

Today was breakfast at 7 a.m. but then an easy paced morning after that.  The students were all working on Spring Festival (two week celebration marking the start of the New Year) cards to take to the caretakers at the orphanage tomorrow so the Americans did various things as they chose.  Shaun, Sullivan, and Barbra went to keep an eye on the students and help where needed. Barb assisted with the play rehearsal and then mostly helped putting together props and scenery.  I went to the shopping mall to see what it was like and to look for face masks.  Here most people where face masks of every color and style.  We thought it was because of air pollution and dust but we were corrected a few days ago and told that it is winter; they are worn to keep the faces from getting cold.  I picked one up to bring home and show Dharma.  When Barb found out the true use for the face masks she immediately started using the one I bought because it helped her keep her face warm without wearing a hat and scarf which might mess up her hair.  Ha ha.  Anyway, she said she needed to bring a bunch back to Alaska and start a fad there because it made so much sense for girls to wear them.  So at the mall (5 stories tall, square shaped with all the merchandise around the edges and a big opening in the middle where the escalators are and people can glance from floor to floor) I bought 10 more masks of various styles and two winter hats.  There is a grocery like Fred Meyer (but not quite) on the basement level where I bought Oreo cookies, a couple chocolate bars, and some gummy fruit snacks that are pretty tasty.  After shopping we joined the rest of the group at the Activity Center.

The sun has been out every day here and by about 10 a.m. it is beaming in the windows of the center.  To us from Alaska it feels like a pure piece of heaven.  We make sure to stand a little in the rays each day.  Today I didn't have an assignment to I pulled a chair to the window and a little glass cafe table and put my head down.  It felt so relaxing and warm that I fell asleep and woke up just before lunch time.  Boy do I miss the sun after seeing it here!

Lunch was back at the noodle place I went to a couple days ago that I enjoyed so much.  Sullivan at their with his group also.  Barb and Shaun went to other places.  The noodles were even better this time and I practically licked my plate clean.

Then it was off to the swimming pool.  Many of the students had never been swimming before so this was a big experience.  The school had taken them shopping for swim suits before we arrived and discussed hygeine, etc. with the students.  We went to the new 5 start hotel in town (we were suppose to have been staying there but something fell through so we ended up at this hotel--which is very centrally located so we have enjoyed it) to swim.  What a fun time!  

Hot showers afterward were followed by a 10 minute walk to a nearby farmhouse converted into a restaurant for dinner.  The rooms were heated by stoves and the chill never left the air. Dinner was nice but we were ready to get moving afterward.  We walked back to the 5 star hotel to catch taxis but only one showed up so we kept walking.  Here and there people were able to catch a single taxis passing by but there were very few because we were far out on the edge of town.  So our group kept walking.  Forty five minutes later when we had almost walked all the way back to the activity center we finally got a taxis to fit the last six up us still walking.  To be honest, we were having such a good time talking and singing and sharing that I was sad when the taxis showed up to take Barb, me and the four students with us back to the hotel.  The cute part was that as we talked in the back, the driver was talking animatedly with the student in the front seat.  We were enjoying the ride when suddenly the students were shouting that we had missed the hotel.  The driver quickly pulled over half a block away and the student in the front seat got out giggling.   She said that the driver said he had never seen Americans before and that he had really never had any riding in his taxis.  He said that all the English we were speaking sounded soooo sweet and that the students should listen and study hard to learn such a beautiful language.  It was because he was so pleased to be driving us that he missed our stop. Heather told us earlier in the week that no foreigners come to Pingliang and especially not Americans.  The only time Americans are seen are when they come to volunteer or work at the school.  So this was a real treat for this driver.

Anyway, it is now the end of another day, and I am whooped.  Barb went to sleep almost an hour ago.  Sullivan is hanging out with Zach, and they are playing guitar with some of the students.  Shaun is reading and as soon as I finish I will join him while I sip my cup of tea.  Our time here has been amazing.  The students are all so wonderful.  The teachers here are really neat people.  The fellow Americans on this journey are tireless, enthusiastic, and uncomplaining.  What an awesome experience!

Love to all.  Special hugs and kisses and squidges to DD.