new year highlights

The winter continues here, some days bright and sunny, some overcast and foggy, but always dry.  there's been no precipitation for months--no rain, no snow.  

here are some highlights from 2009 thus far: 

--we have a month off from work for the Chinese New Year--(we're leaving the rat behind and ringing in the year of the ox)--and both becca smith and susan golland are traveling here to see us! all over the city chinese decorations are being sold in preparation.  according to something becca read, the chinese new year results in the greatest movement of humans on the planet each year, which isn't so surprising when you think how big the population is, and that everyone returns home this one time each year to be with family. 

--in his efforts to avoid the easy route and go to a mcdonalds before a tutoring session in an area with limited food options, aaron took a side street, found a little hole in the wall restaurant and ate a mystery sandwich that turned out to be a donkey burger.

--we have spent a few cold nights and days in the apartment when we first ran out of gas and then later electricity, both which are needed for heat....

we yet again opted against the furry meat pastry.

night time snack shop.  the sticks are kabobs of fruit glazed in suger. they're sold all over the city, either along the street in a case as above, or stuck out from a big piece of styrofoam and carried on the back of the seller's bike.  

some kind of meat, rotating in a window

meat kabobs: like the fruit kabobs they're on sharp wooden sticks and sold all over the city.  occasionally i wonder how many injuries occur each year as a result of crowds of people walking around with long, sharp sticks at face level, not to mention children running around with them.....

taking photos through a kaleidoscope 

we buy our produce and eggs at a semi outdoor market not far from us. a lot of the people there come in from the country side to sell their produce.  i like going there; everyone is always really friendly to us.  it is unbelievably cheap;  all of this was about 18 kuai, or $2.50.