Jim Rapp wrote

Hi To All!

After careful consideration of what the Americans should do for Thanksgiving, we came down to deciding on a restaurant that serves Beijing Duck or KFC. KFC is the only American fast food joint in Handan and it's fairly expensive. A 3 piece meal with FF (no mashed potatoes with gravy or beans or cole slaw!) is about 21 Yuan. I can usually buy a meal in a Chinese restaurant for 2 or 3 people for that price. If I buy dumpling soup or noodles, I can buy for 10 people!
The Chinese teachers came to our rescue and invited us all out to have lunch with them at the hot pot restaurant. I went there before with the Chinese teachers when Annie got some money from the principal of the school. She treated that day and the school treated for Thanksgiving day. I stopped at a store and bought some bottles of wine for the lunch since the restaurants usually overcharge for really crappy wine. Most of the Chinese folks I know prefer very sweet wine and China makes quite a few of those. The Great Wall winery makes some decent dry wine, so I brought enough for both tastes.
We filled up four large tables with all of the staff from the school. The hotpot consisted of a double chamber metal pan over a burner in the center of the table. One chamber is mild and the other is spicy. Plates of thinly sliced mutton and vegetables were brought to the tables and you can add them to either chamber as you please. The food cooks very quickly and more plates are brought to the table as you use up the food. Annie and Lena were nice enough to find a place that makes Turkey Legs! The kitchen staff sliced the meat from them so that everyone could have a taste of Americana.
For desert, we had Chinese pumpkin pie! It's a bit different from the stuff we get at home. They take the pumpkin and add spices and form a patty. Then they deep fry it and coat the outside with sugar. Very tasty!
The best part of the lunch was not the food, however. It was the feeling of being with people that I care about in China. The "foriegn" teachers, Tom and Alex and Lavinia and Caleb and Rick and Juma and Davis and Abu and Robert and Sean and Gina and their kids were all there. Everyone toasted a Happy Thanksgiving with the wine I had brought and cameras were flashing all over the place. The Chinese teachers made it a wonderful time for us by keeping up the spirit of being thankful for everything good in their lives and our lives. It was one of the best Thanksgiving meals I've had in a long time. Robert and Abu both kissed Jack, the principal, on the cheek. Wine does that to some people. That was probably better than kissing him on the lips, which Abu did at the school one day laast month. I thought Jack was going to die of embarrassment. Robert and I took pictures with Annie and Lena and Isabella with each of us planting a kiss on their cheeks. Maybe I'll fwd those when Robert posts them.
Later that night, I went to KK dance club. Robert is dating Annie's neice, Helen, who is a college girl and it was her first time going. Annie was home with her mom and dad and son, but I talked Judy and Mary into going for an hour. We had a pretty good time and I think Judy really liked it. She's a country girl, but she really loves the city life.
I'm glad that you all liked the photos of Annie. (Sorry, Nancy. Everyone seemed to get them, I'll re-send them to you.) She really is as pretty as that and more. That day the picture was taken at KFC we were shopping for traditional Chninese clothing. I didn't buy anything, but as soon as my daughters and son send me their measurements, I'll get something for them. Also, I will answer all of my e-mails as soon aas I get to a faster computer. These internet bar computer connections are really slow!
All in all, my first Chinese Thanksgiving was wonderful. My students gave me a nice card last night and a pretty jar full of lucky paper stars. I put it on my bookshelf as a reminder of how fortunate I am.

Love to all, Jim

Tom Bland wrote

Merry Christmas from Handan City

Hello all;

Well it is Christmas in Handan City and I'm the only westerner left on Campus. The other teachers apartments are empty and I'm here by myself just me and 8000 Chinese College students. After my class this morning, I went to KFC the people were shocked to see Father Christmas taking a break from his yearly run around the world. Then I went for a walk downtown. It is a pleasent day today, the sun is shining and it is clear. Today is the frist time in a long while (3 months) that we can see the blue sky and a yellow sun. Most days if we can see the sun it is a grey-ish orange.Yesterday on my other UNday off I visited an elementry school, that was fun but hectic.My class today was their last class and we took the final exam. I have
(had) 160 students in four classes. It is sad that it was the last class.
Good that I didn't take off for Beijing. After next week they will start a 4 week break for spring festival, I will start new 21 day classes like a day camp for those that want to learn English. I will finish 4 more classes one fri.,& sat. and two on sunday. I got a lot of small gifts and cards for Christmas, Yesterday a guy from the newspaper came by to take a photo and do a short story on me for the friday paper. Then some teachers and students came by with a cake for a supprize party for me since I'm the only one left. It was a sugar free cake.
Some of the Chinese teachers went to Church last night. My boss Judy owed me a dinner It was her turn ( I cook her dinner then she buys me one) We had a hot pot, don't even ask...Later she went to Church and I came home. Some other Chinese teachers (female) stoped by (a suprise visit) and we watched lord of the Rings...Boring! The movie lasted too long and their outside gate was aready locked so I walked them back at midnight in total darkness and help them climb their fence.
Tonight who knows, My teaching assistant Anita said she would try to stop by, but I'm not planning anything except doing the dishes. And Maybe a movie. Life is good here, slower, friendlier,happier. I wish all my friends and Family a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

More Later...Tom.