Our Chinese Kitchen

There are a few differences between our Chinese kitchen and then one we left back home. Apart from the obvious (small fridge, large water dispenser, low counters) there are few things that make it especially Chinese.

It took us a good week or so to figure out what the metal contraption in the cupboard next to the sink is for. All I knew was that it was taking up vital cupboard space. Eric took a look and discovered that it was a rice dispenser. The rice gets poured into the storage bin and then dispensed out the bottom slot in even, measured amounts. Press the blue button on top and presto! Perfectly measured out rice for dinner. We don’t use it for this, so it is really not much of a help to us, but if we start eating rice daily like the typical Chinese family, I suppose it could come in really handy.



We have found that it is the perfect place to store plastic bags

  Another feature unique to our Chinese kitchen is the wok burner on our cook top. I, again, wasn’t sure what the concave burner was supposed to be for, but it is measured perfectly for a wok. We use ours on almost a daily basis now so I love the convenience of our uniquely Chinese burner.

There is also the presence of our colorful plastic tubs. While I don’t think I have ever seen these types of tubs in the U.S., I have found them in Kenya, Thailand, India, and China. Green is for water and washing, pink is for food use. Because our water takes forever to warm up in the mornings we have a green tub under the shower head catching what normally would just go down the drain. We wash all of our dishes by hand so the water we catch from the shower goes to the kitchen to do our dishes. We also use the green tubs for hand washing some of our clothing. The pink tub is the perfect size for mixing up pizza dough, muffin batter, etc. It is hard to find large mixing bowls so we make do with the pink tub.



Using our saved water to wash up vegetables




Making pizza dough



The Arrival of Autumn, Yunnan Style

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. With the passing of the rainy season, it is sunny and clear most days, but our morning bike ride to school now requires a jacket and there have been a couple of mornings that I should have worn mittens as well. Is it horrible of me to say that I kind of miss the Seattle rain that normally marks the season for me? We are so far south, here in Yunnan, that the mild temps and sunny days don’t seem quite right. There is one lone tree outside of our window that is changing colors and dropping its leaves. As for the rest, either they are just turning brown or they will remain green throughout the winter.

Without the Western commercial push into Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, I feel like I have entered holiday no man’s land: Halloween has come and gone without much notice and Thanksgiving I fear will do the same. We have entered November and there has been little of the holiday anticipation that I love so much. In an attempt to feel as  fall-ish as possible in a country without stores full of autumn decorations, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, changing leaves, or even pumpkin spice lattes, I have managed to acquired a few things that remind me of my favorite season:

1.  Colorful leaves from the lone changing tree. I have them scattered on a side table in our living room

2.  Pumpkin/gourd type things from our vegetable market that are meant to be eaten, but instead are displayed around my house (our Bao Mu thinks we are crazy, I’m sure, for scattering food items around the living room)

3.  Fall napkins from Judi (Thanks, Judi!)

4.  Candy corn from my Mom and Dad (I practically had to wrestle the bag out of Eric’s hands- he swears they were meant only for him, despite the fact they arrived in a birthday package to me)

5.  Pumpkin Spice flavored syrup. This was a birthday gift from Kevin and Emma. Emma managed to find a bottle here in Kunming so I can make my own pumpkin spice lattes!

6.  I haven’t gathered them yet, but I hope to find some branches around the Xiao Qu to put in a vase on our table

Fall is here, I just have to embrace that it is a little different than I am used to.

My fall decorating. The roses were a birthday gift from Eric.



So pretty.



Halloween is not a Chinese holiday, but these students from the neighborhood English preschool are out celebrating!



Surprise!

My birthday was last Friday. Instead of spending the day like I planned, at work, I came down with the bug that is going around our school and spent my day at home by myself, sick. Eric had informed me that there was something going on for my birthday, but I didn’t know what or when it was happening. Friday afternoon I received a call from my friend, Michelle, one of our Secondary Principals, and she casually mentioned that she didn’t know if she was supposed to say anything or not, but we were supposed to go over to her house for dinner that night, so it was too bad that I was sick. I was so disappointed! I had ruined my own surprise birthday party! I told Eric about it Friday night and he confirmed that yes, the party was supposed to have been then and he told me about the people who were supposed to come and a bunch of the details. I asked if we could reschedule the party for next week and he said he would take care of it.

Saturday I was feeling better and we were schedule to go to Kevin and Emma’s for dinner. We had planned it earlier in the week and knew it would be a low-key evening because they were hosting two families from out of town and because there were some kids staying with them (two of them quite young) it would probably be an early evening. I felt up to it so we went. When I walked into their apartment Kevin, Emma, and their two boys Tim and Wesley were standing right by the door. As soon as I was through the doorway Kevin handed me a big, red Starbucks mug and said, “Here, we made you a pumpkin spice latte. We heard they were your favorite.” I was so thrilled to have my favorite fall drink that I didn’t comprehend that they were all wearing their pajamas and standing really close to me. I took a drink and set it down so I could hang up my coat and put down my purse and then, “SURPRISE!!” 30 people jumped out of the living room. The picture below is Eric turning me towards the raucous. I had unknowingly walked right into my surprise-pajamas and breakfast for dinner- party! It was such a spectacular party. I was surrounded by so many people we have come to know in our few months here. We told stories, played games and had a breakfast feast for dinner. It was worth the birthday sick in bed and the disappointment of a ruined party. It was a great night.