Class Reunion

While I was home for Christmas I got an email from my former Miracle Mandarin classmate Marina. She and her husband Marko (also a classmate) were back in Shanghai after a six month absence. We emailed back and forth for a while and then scheduled a brunch at my apartment for last Sunday. Attendees were Marina, Marko, Ade, Chris and me. Chris and Ade never took class at the same time but knew each other through me and both had taken classes with me, Marko and Marina.

It was a wonderful reunion, each of us with a significant life change since our initial meetings. I transferred to my new job in Shanghai, Marko and Marina got married in September, Chris will be moving to Yantai within the week and Ade is pregnant! We ate pancakes, eggs, bread (with nutella) and fruit and toasted the future with sparkling juice.

To the Chinese class which brought us together! To Shanghai! To Chen Zhuo(our old teacher)! To health! To good fortune! To being together now! To the future!

To all my readers - Happy Year of the Ox! May this year be the best year yet for all of us.

G

Proof

When we were waiting in the hospital the night that I hurt my knee Ade snapped a couple of pictures of me after the doctor had given his diagnosis. The look on my face is hilarious!

In a bit of a knee update - my knee is feeling much better. The only thing that is still difficult is stairs, but I have much better range of motion now and by the time I head to Hawaii for Chinese New Year I should be good to go!

Cheers!

老外用筷子

When I was taking Chinese lessons last spring we had to come up with an idea for a TV program. My idea was entitled “Laowai yong kuaizi” which roughly translates to “Foreigners Using Chopsticks.” It was to be a cooking show with different guests as they learned about Chinese cuisine. Maybe someday when my consulting career has ended I will invest some energy in developing this show.

I flashed back to that Chinese class one day this week while I was eating lunch. I had asked one of the interns to get me an order of Guilin rice noodles and was happily slurping them down in my office with bamboo shoots, mushrooms and little pieces of meat. Then I realized – hey, I’m doing all this using chopsticks. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even classify foods as “difficult to eat” with chopsticks – it’s just food. Something that was definitely a consideration 15 months ago no longer exists.

I crave noodles in the winter – the ultimate comfort food. There are so many kinds here – rice noodles, pulled noodles, Japanese style noodles (udon), spicy noodles… They’re good, filling and affordable - $3 is a very high price. I’ve even learned how to make beef and noodles myself at home.

So – I am a laowai yong kuaizi. :)

Question – What food or method of eating have you discovered? Eating with your hands? Using the spoon to twirl pasta? Anything that is fun or funny? Share!