Slacker Blogger

Yes, I am a blogging slacker. I got busy. It happens. Suddenly four weeks of my life have disappeared and I have no record of what has happened. So, for those of you still reading, here’s the highlights:

1. Cross-stitch is alive and well: I went shopping recently at a GZ institution, Haizhu Square. It is a warren of little shops and stands. I went in search of cheap Christmas decorations and I was not disappointed. Apparently 90% of the world’s fake Christmas trees are manufactured in Guangdong. Who knew? I found green trees, flocked trees, trees that looked like toilet brushes, purple trees, Santa, Rudolph and Frosty. Any kind of Christmas decoration you may ever have imagined is available at Haizhu Square. I came home with three mini-trees and 30 disco ball ornaments. Who couldn’t use a few tiny, glittery disco balls on their tree? Exactly. As I wandered back into the bowels of Haizhu, I was surprised to discover no less than 30 stores dedicated to cross-stitch kits. It was mind blowing. And, in the middle of all of this, I saw the face of Chairman Mao staring back at me from some 14 count cross-stitch cloth. It was pretty amazing. I didn’t buy it, sad to say, but I have a feeling I’ll go back for that one. Everyone needs a Chairman Mao cross-stitch.

2. Turkey in Chinese: Did you know that the literal translation of Turkey in Mandarin is “fire chicken?” how awesome is that? Additionally, to buy a turkey in Guangzhou, you can expect to pay $7 per pound. It’s not a cheap bird. We all know turkeys can’t fly by themselves, so they have to come in on planes from North America, and thus the high price tag. But, Thanksgiving was celebrated and turkey was consumed. I also made a caramel apple cheesecake pie, which was divine. I’ll be sure to have Thanksgiving again despite the sticker shock on the turkey.

3. Crochet class – each teacher at my school has to offer an exploratory class. I chose to teach 11-14 year olds how to crochet. I was a little nervous at first. There was a lot of yarn and frustrated looks. Plus, I crochet backwards, as if I were left-handed. However, thanks to the internet (crochet how-to videos) and a few determined souls, I now have 12 avid crochet practitioners. My heart swells with a little pride every time they whip out their crochet hooks. I was worried we would just have tangled balls of yarn and tears. Not so!

Ummm…that’s all I can think of at the moment. I know a lot of other stuff happened in the last 4 weeks, but it’s all kind of a blur. Funny how that happens…