gift pendant

The first picture is of the pendant the orphanage gave to us at Cara's adoption signing.  It's beautiful and so very sweet of them. The second picture is from the going away party the orphanage threw for Cara - look at all that yummy seafood!!  I totally realize that western food is gross - as a matter of fact people from other countries have remarked that American's have a smell to them because of all the beef we eat.  I know this to be true, but I'm used to that smell.  China has a smell to it and part of it is because of all the seafood they eat.  It's a much, much, much healthier diet than our western diet, but it's all in what you are used to.  I can not eat most of the chinese diet - it's the texture, the smell and the knowledge of what it is.  Why is that different?  When I eat beef or chicken I know where it's from, too.  But that doesn't seem as mentally difficult to handle as eating a squid, for example.  And, I guess it doesn't help that they don't disguise what they are eating.  For example, at breakfast they always serve fried fungus; it's black, gelitous and slimy.  Cara wolfed it down, I couldn't look at it.  At lunch yesterday they served squid legs.  Easily identified.  When we eat a hamburger there is nothing to suggest it's a cow, no hoof sticking out, no sideways eyeball still present.  I can distant my pysche and pretend it never took a breath.  Yesterday they served fish - all scales, eyeballs and tail still attached.  I like fish, I eat it at home.  I couldn't look at this one or take a bite - it could have been Dory or Nemo - who knows?

It is rare that you see an overweight chinese person - two reasons I think.  The diet and then they are constantly getting exercise.  Most folks don't own a car and don't take a taxi.  They walk, take a bus, the train, walk some more. There are stairs everywhere; mostly to allow a person to cross the street.  You go down under the street and come up the other side.  The first few days in China my thighs were sore from walking so many stairs (of course the Great Wall is mostly responsible for that.  If you climb the Great Wall just a few times a week you will be in great shape!!) 

It might surprise you to learn that I think I've gained weight in China.  First, because we've had to hang around the room so much and it was raining ALL THE TIME.  Typhoon Juan came and dumped on us.  So, time in the room means boredom, and I brought snacks.  Secondly, I'm afraid to leave the buffet.  It serves unidentifable western food, so I stock up.  Every morning two eggs, two pieces of toast (with jam), cereal, watermelon (my nod to healthy), tea, bacon and sometimes french toast and pancakes.  And then we discovered Pizza Hut - oh thank goodness!  Pan pizza, thick crust tasting just like it does at home.  I go local for dinner - meaning fried rice for me, Jenna shares it with me and Cara does seafood ball soup.  I don't know what the balls are that float in the soup.  Thankfully, she doesn't speak English and can't tell me yet.

We leave for Guangzhou tomorrow morning.  My main goal is to scope out the Pizza Hut.  Just so you know, I have tried restuarants in Vietnam that boasted Western food - ah, not so much.  I have tried Mcdonalds in Hong Kong - the chicken was, um, different.  So, since I have found Pizza Hut that tastes just like our Pizza Hut, I'm sticking to it.  I haven't asked Cara what she thinks of going to the same restuarant every day.  It does serve Chinese food, too, so I'm not a bad parent.  Just homesick and as we all know, food is comfort.