Making a wish

Thanks to all of the well wishers, beginning with Ted and Cathy, who recently visited me in Beibei. Yes, I just celebrated my second birthday in China.

My birthday was a damp, misty day in the 40's (F), about what it's been all week. I had a full morning of Chinese classes, but Wednesday is one day I don't teach. I thought I'd catch up on listening to audio files on my computer in the afternoon at home, but I discovered that all of Ban Zhu Cun was without electricity for most of the day. So, bundled in my long down jacket, I just focused on writing characters until fellow Peace Corps volunteer Keri Ann arrived to practice talking in Chinese.

She pretended she knew nothing about my birthday, acting surprised when Olga showed up with birthday cake, wine (a very special treat), and plans to go to a nearby Uyghur restaurant I'd never been to--where the Muslim cooks served us three delicious dishes with eggplant, mushrooms, and potato and sesame.

My special friend Li Ling and her daughter had earlier brought by another cake, and "Merry" gave me shoes that she had painted herself with special sayings. One message reads "you peng zi yuanfang lai, bu yi yue hu?" It means "Will you be very happy if your friends come to visit you from far away?"  The short phrase means "it rocks," "cool," or "awesome"

These shoes are too special to wear--a good thing, for my feet are too big for just about any women's shoes made in China, including these. Thanks to Ou Yang for bundles of fruit, to Martha Mockus for a half dozen homemade brownies made with real chocolate, and, of course, to dear ones all--including sons and sibs, also Jo Ann, Marty, Jim, Aunt Grace, Jane, Ben, Inge, Kathleen, Eleanor, Crawford, Sandy and Patti among others--for good wishes and more.

My brothers Ted and Paul have birthdays on the same day, nine years apart, and my sister Mary and I have birthdays that are close enough. Here's wishing Mary the very best in just a few days! Thanks to Chris, Ana, Ben and Nick for the b-day plan.