More Comfy in the Kitchen

Yep, PTL!!!  I'm getting more comfortable in the kitchen and figuring out where to buy things needed to make food (which has always been the harder task here). :)
Thank you, thank you, thank you to those who have been interceding on my families behalf with this after my transformed post.

I even created a list of recipes we've been trying and rotating into our weekly routine.
Routine?
Yes - shocking right?
We have begun making routines. :)
For starters - a weekly menu...
Now, life happens and that means sometimes the menu doesn't always get fulfilled, but it certainly helps with shopping and planning. Meat only lasts about a day here, veggies maybe will last a couple, so, planning is imperative.

We even started a routine for the afternoon so that we can help our kiddos get to bed earlier (again, sometimes life happens...but it helps us somewhat stay the course).

Some pics of the food we are now eating. :)  I think all the recipes pictured can be found on our recipe page (at top of blog there is a tab or click here).

Every Friday is still pizza night, but since Papa John's won't deliver here and they are $$, homemade pizza it is. Granted - cheese nor pepperoni are cheap, but I think it is about $7 per pizza.

Someone even introduced us to these little "jalepeno like" items that we really love (we order them online from Taobao). :) 

Mini corn dogs with mac-n-cheese.  Occasionally we can find Kraft Mac-n-cheese on taobao for a decent price, kids love the taste of home. :)

Tacos - with homemade salsa and sour cream.  (Tabasco was brought from the states... Brian is REALLY missing his cholula). Taco night not as easy as it is back home (hours of cleaning veggies, cooking, prepping, etc, but still yummy.  :)

Pulled BBQ pork with homemade BBQ sauce and buns (I haven't seen buns of any type here so far, but these are pretty easy to make and actually taste like a bun - even though it looks like a biscuit).

French Toast with Homemade Cinnamon Syrup.

Chik Fil A nuggets and fries (almost) - Seriously the sauce sent from Aunt Rae and Uncle Wayne made them taste like the real thing. :)  

Pizza Hut Cheese Sticks (almost)

We do occasionally feed our kids veggies and fruits as well, they are great for an appetizer or dessert and snack in their lunches. :)

Of course, we also rotate the normal stuff like pot roast with potatoes, spaghetti, and breakfast foods like pancakes or bacon and eggs (when we can find bacon).

Krispy Kreme doughnuts, no explanation needed. :)

We do eat some frozen baozi (we called them dumplings in the states) occasionally too.  These are adorable little hedgehogs. :)  They are supposed to be breakfast food, but breakfast for dinner is fast and cheaper right?

During lunch Brian and I visit a noodle shop across the street nearly every day.  We sometimes eat in so we can try to talk with them, but when behind on our studies - we get it to go... Spicy, numbing yumminess.  We honestly don't eat out very often with the kids.  During the week we are just so busy trying to get it all done, there isn't enough time and we haven't found it to be terribly cheap either.  

We have found some tasty local treats that our kiddos really enjoy.

These are like popsicles, we call them 'pokey', no idea what they are really called.  There is even a cola flavored one. 

We just found these over the weekend.  I'm going to try to avoid that aisle in the future! Too too good!!  It is like nutella wrapped in a pretzel. Yummm!

We went from having no guests in our home to four meals with friends in one week. :)

He is faithful. :) 

Next task - to learn to cook Chinese food!  

I am actually ready for the challenge.... I think. :)

Although, all this cooking makes me really miss my Kitchen Aid mixer, my ninja, our knives, glass measuring cups and all my wonderful pampered chef products...  

Ahhh...but life goes on... I mean - Ma never had any of those on Little House and they did just fine right?? ;) 

Bridges

Before we came to our new land, we saw a picture of a bridge that was beautiful.

A couple weeks ago, we saw that bridge in real life.
It was So.Exciting. :)

A friend captured our first family pic here in what has become known as "my" bridge.  :)

You can't drive across this bridge, but you can walk across it.  We were thinking about eating in the restaurant on top, but it was a bit pricey.

I don't know why I'm so drawn to this bridge...
I mean, it is beautiful, but I'm usually not a fan of bridges..
haha - ok so, my roomies from college will remember this...
One night we were in Knoxville and we got to a bridge and, well, I had a serious fear of bridges.
That night - I wouldn't drive across it.
Stopped in the middle of the road and
Switched. drivers.
Yes, that was extreme and
Thankfully... I've come a LONG way since then, but
I do still struggle crossing bridges.
There is just something about this one.

Maybe the depth.
The beauty of "the old" standing so strong and bold amidst "the new."
That fascinates me here.
Symbolic of so much in life right?

Seeing it at night was a take my breath away moment...

Then seeing the man catch the fish in the less than clean water and hand it to the lady who ran inside a restaurant to cook it up, well, that took my breath away too - just in a different way. ;)

We do love it here.
All the studying and not being able to talk much with others, umm not our favorite part, but our love for this country and the people is so strong.
For this I am thankful.
He has given us a bit of His heart and eyes, as That is what drives us to learn the language.

As we walked away from the lovely bridge, we met an adorable elderly couple who patiently talked with us.  It was wonderful to have a conversation with them albeit ever so short and rudimentary.  :)  

Progress in baby steps, but progress nonetheless.

So, if you have a bridge to cross...even if it scares you so badly you want to switch drivers... 

Go ahead!  Give Him the wheel....

It likely will be beautiful....

Hard, messy, frightening, lonely at times...

but breathtakingly beautiful. :)

The playground funeral

Ahhh...the first cultural blunder that we are aware of making...
We thought it was a mahjong tournament (a very popular game played here).

There were many tables with adults surrounding them playing mahjong, what looked like celebrations, money sitting about, bright colors....

However,
It was Not a tournament.
Nor a celebration.
It was a funeral.
Yes, on the playground.

The blunder - well, we really weren't supposed to be outside laughing and playing around the area; however, we were told by a local friend that it wasn't too bad as we can play the "white card."

Yep, the "white card."
We are foreigners, so we can do stupid things that break cultural norms.
Of course, this is not what we desire to be doing.
However, it is relieving to know we still have that card in our pocket so as to not completely offend all our neighbors for these types of things.

Our local friends explained some of the beliefs behind what was happening here.
You may want to get a cup of coffee and sit for a bit as I try and reconstruct how we understand this...

My mind is swirling thinking through it all...
My heart is aching knowing the struggles that exist
My eyes are opened a bit to the difficulty the people here face to follow.
Caught between two worlds are those who want to believe...


The bright yellow "tents" are known here as "spirit houses." Yellow is considered the color for the dead, so they are always this color. Inside, on the back wall is a picture of the person who passed away. In front of that picture is a table with food on it for the deceased which is kept for 3 days (here in the city), surrounded by burning incense.  They believe it is through the aroma of the food that they are fed. Sometimes the body is kept there as well, but in this instance it was not.

The big flower rings are for each grandchild, and is a letter from them to the deceased.

Interestingly, they too hold the number seven as being highly spiritual.  There used to be traditions/beliefs that for the first 7 days you did one thing, then the next 7 days something else for 49 days after the death.  Although, city life and work has changed some of this.  We have been told that out in villages they may still hold to the old tradition of 49 days or have variations in what they believe happens afterward.   

Traditionally they were supposed to outwardly mourn the death throughout the 49 days: no smiling or showing joy.  However, now people have become busy with work and are tired of the monetary obligation that is involved in such an lengthy process, most have shortened this ritual to 3 days.  Even still, the entire 3 days someone stays in the spirit house and must stay awake.  

Whether 3 days or 49 days - they must stay awake to keep the soul company or guard it as they wait for "the black man and white man" (who represent judgment) to come with big hooks and jerk the soul out of the body for judgment.   

You may want to read that again.  It took me a few times to process this.

This explains so much of the fear that exists.  

The 49th day is thought to be the end of the judgment days (yes, days as they have several to determine their level of hell,.... see below). At that time every deed done while alive is judged. Yet, they believe while living that good deeds cancel their bad deeds. 

This explains the difficulty in believing one has a need for forgiveness.

Another burdensome thought for me is that they believe all go to the underworld (translated literally to "shady place").  One friend here said all go to "hell."  I do believe there are two separate words (characters) for these two but it may be a similar idea.  Only, they don't see it as a bad place (as everyone goes there).  Those who believe in reincarnation believe it is like a purgatory.  Others believe the soul stays there.  There are 18 levels in the underworld.  The higher the level, the better it is.  The spirit moves back and forth on levels based on how much good they do while there and how much they can bribe the officials (done through burnt offerings by their living family members).  

Bribes from the living to the officials in the underworld?  

Yes.

They have this paper money that they burn (picture below).  Can you read the back of the "money"? It says, "Hellbanknote."  

Burning the money is believed to take it to the underworld so that the souls can either buy things or can be used as bribes for the officials to get their ancestor better treatment (or a higher level which means a better afterlife).  The family often writes notes on the money.  The notes are either to their ancestors asking how they are or to the officials - asking for better treatment for their ancestor's afterlife.  This is their form of one way communication.

They do believe there is a way for two way communication. If the family would like to get in touch with their ancestor they visit a fortune teller who becomes "possessed" by the spirit of the ancestor. Then the ancestor can interact with them.  

Yes, admittedly, my mind quickly questions, "How can people possibly believe this is real?"  

Then I am reminded how quickly their minds may be equally questioning, "How do we really believe a virgin had a baby that was the one true G who loved us enough to die for us, rise from the dead and desire a personal relationship with us so we can one day be in paradise with Him?"  

It changes my perspective on how I will approach talking about two destinations and clearly points to my need to intercede fervently for the Spirit to go before me.  

It helps me understand more about the difficulty one faces even if they are drawn nearer.  As the well being of the dead is believed to be heavily influenced by how much the living send to them - through the burning of money or other items.  

Other items?

These are paper shoes that are bought and burned so that the ancestor may have shoes.  There are also paper houses and cars so that they can have those in the underworld. We have also heard that, in the country, real tangible houses and cars and other items are burned for this same reason. 

Another difficulty - when adults believe but their parents don't.  

A Korean friend shared how this happened in her family.  That she and her husband believe but her father did not.  He told them how he hated JC because he took his son and now his daughter and no one will take care of him in the afterlife.  Although he heard truth many times, he died without believing.  Yes, there is heartache in her eyes.  Yet, she is still filled and at peace knowing that the relationship she has is fulfilling and eternal.  

Another story...

A young mother who wants to believe.

Says she is 90% there, but doesn't want to upset her mother.  It is this young mom's responsibility to take care of her mother in the afterlife by burning these things and "providing" for her mom.

The young mom desires for her son to know and believe because she doesn't really believes he needs to burn things once she is dead.  

Yet, she is emotionally torn by where she stands in her relationship with J and the need to "care" for her mother after death.  

This was heavy for me, still is.  

Typical right (at least for me)?  Trying to carry all the burden, but that isn't necessary.  

His burden is light.  

I've chosen to go to Him, and talk to plead with Him about it, in desperation.  

Asking for power, transforming power in their lives,

for workers,

for words to be given,

for the harvest,

for life everlasting.

Date Night

Sweet friends watched our kids Saturday eve so that we could have our first date night in our new land.  It has been so long since we've been without kiddos we didn't really know what to do.
Per our friends' suggestions - we went to a fancy mall in the center of the city.

There is a giant panda climbing up the outside of the mall.  Can you see it?

We weren't going there to shop, rather to eat with the big panda on the top.  While making our way up to the top we saw this store...  

Oh sweet friends and fam, we think of you so often and this made us miss you more. It looked like home.  They had sweatshirts in there that said "Manufactured in Lexington."  I touched one... it was $200 for ONE sweatshirt.  We left before breaking something. lol

We also went into a bookstore there that sold books in English.  Ummm... but not for English speakers on a budget.  A - singular "Geronimo Stilton" paperback book was about $35.  They had them wrapped in plastic so you couldn't flip through the pages.  

We finally made our way to the top (literally on the roof)- isn't he so cute??

Our selfie with the cute panda. :)

The other direction is the city tower poking its head in between those buildings.  

We ate at a restaurant called, "Let's Burger."  Maybe Let us spend a lot of money on a burger?  Let Us finally get to eat beef bigger than a sugar cube?  Not sure...

We ordered two burgers because we were both really hungry, not knowing the size of the burgers. They were HUGE!

Trying to be spiritual and all - we ate the devil.  haha
The burger on the right in the picture is called the "devil burger."  Those are chili peppers sticking out of it as the horns.  The bottom is the meat, the top layer is the heat!
Appropriately named fo'sure!
So hot it hurt!
The other burger is the caesar salad burger - was great to tame some of the heat from the devil.
The yummy sweet tea reminded me of the sweet tea we had in Guangzhou at Lucy's - adoptive mamas you remember this?  So sweet and good (even more liquid sugar available to make it as sweet as you'd like).  :)  Brian's milkshake was amazing too!  I don't even like chocolate ice cream but it was delicious.  Of course, I can't remember the last time I had a milkshake.

We enjoyed our spicy date and thankful for the opportunity to have one.  We really need to do so more often (although, not always this fancy).  Who knew eating a burger was a high dollar meal (like $15 per burger)?  I will never complain about the price of five guys burgers again! lol

It was a fantastic eve.  Thankful for our friends who watched our kiddos to make it possible. :)