National Holiday

It's only taken me two weeks or so to post about NATIONAL WEEK! It is a week in October to honor the mid-autumn moon festival and National Day. I had a week off from work, so here is a photo journal of the things I did. Actually, I don't know what a photo journal is. And even if I did know I don't think this is a photo journal. Whatever, here are lots of pictures:

September 28: The Track Meet

 Sophie and I were invited to the school's track meet by a student, an opportunity for them to show off their athleticism. When our supervisor found out we wanted to go, she told us to arrive at 7 AM. Apparently we went from casual spectators to guests of honor.

 The students would do short performances and we would mark down a score from 1-3 based on formations, creativity, and togetherness.

 One class's performance involved giving fake flowers to the judges. Buying high scores with pretty roses... it worked!

 The students gave us lots of snacks to try.

 Junior I boys running

 Students were having a great time joking around. 

 Eating a mooncake for the mid-autumn festival at the post-track meet banquet

 The principal gave us each our own mooncake box. It's huge!

Mooncakes are unbelievably sweet and treacle. But delicious! 

September 30: The Moon Festival

Sophie and I had dinner with Lu Laoshi, a woman who was a Chinese tutor at Grinnell for one year. Her family was wonderful! Her daughter Emily and I played a few rounds Chinese Checkers and she recited Chinese poetry for us. Lu Laoshi's husband is a wonderful cook. After dinner, we went to a mountain to look at the moon. Supposedly, the moon is always the largest and most beautiful on the evening of the mid-autumn festival.

October 2: Gao Chun

Two of the teachers at Nanda Fu Zhong, Yao Laoshi and another teacher took us to Gao Chun, a suburb two hours outside Nanjing full of ancient ruins.

 Bonsai exhibit in Gao Chun.

 Gao Chun is famous for its market within the ancient city walls.

 The market is well-known for its selection of seafood.

 Cooking.

Me and Sophie in an ancient home. 

 A beautiful bedroom.

 Doesn't that bed look super comfy?

 At the restaurant...

 I ate THAT. It was difficult and probably not worth the effort. Those tiny greenish things are snails.

 Me and Yao Laoshi in a doorway shaped like a vase.

 Yao Laoshi explains the dragons... something about how many toes they have being significant. He is a history teacher so having him on our trip was quite informative.

 Temple

Whatever this is... 

 At the temple. Where is my other leg?

 About to ring the gong

 Incense at the temple

 Shoes for sale.














October 6: Xuanwu Lake with Zhong Laoshi

My Chinese tutor, Zhong Laoshi, invited me to Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing for a day trip. We walked around the water and bonded. She's awesome.

Afterward, we went to her house and I had lunch with her parents and her grandmother, none of whom speak English. The food was excellent! We watched "The Voice" (the Chinese version) and her grandmother taught me how to play Mahjong. I won seven out of the ten times. Apparently I am a Mahjong champion.





That was my national holiday! It was a lovely week. These are just the things of note I did: there were tons of people and things to do. China Doll is ready for her next week off!