Chicken Feet

I just finished a really great lunch (chicken and veggies with a sweet flat bread thingy) . . . but it was slightly ruined by the sight of my friends eating a different chicken option – one that included everything (literally) but the head. And in an effort to be considerate of my obvious disgust (i think my facial expression gave it away) they politely did not eat the neck or feet and instead placed them on the table ( they take things they don't want to eat like hot peppers and lay them on the table). In spite of my relief that I would not be watching them eat fried chicken feet – claws and all – my eyes were drawn to the feet the entire time. I had visions of my chicken family friends who were running around us the other night in the village, now feetless – in my meal. . . .

Last night we had an English corner for the students. All the students are forbidden to speak Chinese from 830 to 8pm (they extended it this year from 830-430!). So for English corner they broke up into groups of 8 with all English levels mixed together and then us foreigners talked with them for two hours. Because there are so many of us this week we had two foreigners to a group. The discussion was on “Love and Marriage”. It was a very entertaining discussion as we were discussion such things as living together before marriage and the wife's/husband's roles. . . It proved to be challenging to try to justify our beliefs without saying exactly why we believe everything we do. There was no “cause I am a . . . “ or “thats what my Heavenly Father says.” And apparently, at night, QuinYinDian smells even worse than during the day. I have no idea why – but that was the worst walk home yet . . . The only way I can try to describe it is by saying it sorta smells like walking through a cow farm – except there are no animal farms around here – just corn and watermelon. . . . So who knows where the smell comes from . . .

Well, I gotta go pick up my laundry – we have a wash machine in our apartment but no dryer so we take our clothes to new day because they have a few for free. My roommates tried to air-dry their clothes the first time they washed their clothes and they dried all right, but with a horrible smell. (Actually I bet all our clothes smell now, we just don't realize it.) So they ended up rewashing their clothes.

Love,
Kelli Lynn