A strange site out my window tonight....
Fire on another balcony!
I was startled when I saw a campfire-like image on the 5th balcony a few buildings down. But then I remembered - it is probably Ghost Month now. This time is the high season for traditional ancestor worship. The fires are used to burn money and other offerings to one's ancestors. Though these practices are largely defunct in post-Mao China, there are obviously a few old-timers left.
I'm gonna keep an eye out, though....those flames were a little too big for my tastes.
-alan
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
"The others"
Those of you who watch Lost can appreciate this.
In the past week, we had multiple sightings of other foreigners in Xipu. Even though our neighborhood is far from the foreign community in Chengdu, it is not unprecedented to see a white face hear or there. But those were usually one-time events.
This, however, is different. They are shopping in our stores, and eating in our restaurants. They are entering and exiting the gates of our apartment complexes. Something is up. "The others" have infiltrated our territory. We must do something!
[someone pointed out to me today that we are actually more like "the others" because we were here first...I am going to ignore that for the time being]
Actually, "the others" are a team of 5 teachers who will be working at the foreign language school down the street. They are all Americans, and I think all are new to China. So perhaps we have some new friends?
-alan
In the past week, we had multiple sightings of other foreigners in Xipu. Even though our neighborhood is far from the foreign community in Chengdu, it is not unprecedented to see a white face hear or there. But those were usually one-time events.
This, however, is different. They are shopping in our stores, and eating in our restaurants. They are entering and exiting the gates of our apartment complexes. Something is up. "The others" have infiltrated our territory. We must do something!
[someone pointed out to me today that we are actually more like "the others" because we were here first...I am going to ignore that for the time being]
Actually, "the others" are a team of 5 teachers who will be working at the foreign language school down the street. They are all Americans, and I think all are new to China. So perhaps we have some new friends?
-alan
The meaning of a horn
Back in the Midwest, the car horn is a powerful weapon. Like any precious tool, it is kept under wraps and only used in extreme circumstances. But its message is clear and well understood - "I'm pissed at what you just did."
But in China, the horn is generally used to mean simply, "Hey! Look at me!"
The most common use of the horn is the "I'm coming" toot. A short blast of the horn from behind is a signal that a car or motorcycle is passing you. It is a simple warning to the vehicle in front to not change lanes suddenly.
This use is quite sensible, because most drivers do not conform to the rigid structure of "lanes" on a road. Because it is used so often, though, it waters down the impact of the horn as any major road is filled with near-constant noise. This is particularly true of taxis, which tend to pass a lot of cars - meaning the drivers are almost constantly on their horns.
Other uses of the horn, however, make less sense to a Western driver. When in a car on a multi-lane road, a longer blast of the horn can precede a slow merge into the next lane....regardless of what may be in that lane (truck, car, small child, etc.). The horn seems to mean "Pay attention to what I'm about to do, otherwise we're both going to be sorry." This use can be adjusted depending on the circumstances that follow; the more dangerous and stupid the action, the more fierce the horn. For example, this week I was driving my scooter (which has a horn as well) in the neighborhood, when I came to an intersection. This intersection has a traffic light and a police officer stationed on the corner, but most people pay little attention to the light. So despite the green light, I approached with caution when I heard long blasts of the horn being repeated. I turn, and sure enough, here comes a car at a high rate of speed barreling through the red light just in front of me. (This is not uncommon.)
So what lesson do I take away from this? As long as you apply an appropriate amount of horn ahead of time as a warning, you can do whatever you like on the roads!
-alan
But in China, the horn is generally used to mean simply, "Hey! Look at me!"
The most common use of the horn is the "I'm coming" toot. A short blast of the horn from behind is a signal that a car or motorcycle is passing you. It is a simple warning to the vehicle in front to not change lanes suddenly.
This use is quite sensible, because most drivers do not conform to the rigid structure of "lanes" on a road. Because it is used so often, though, it waters down the impact of the horn as any major road is filled with near-constant noise. This is particularly true of taxis, which tend to pass a lot of cars - meaning the drivers are almost constantly on their horns.
Other uses of the horn, however, make less sense to a Western driver. When in a car on a multi-lane road, a longer blast of the horn can precede a slow merge into the next lane....regardless of what may be in that lane (truck, car, small child, etc.). The horn seems to mean "Pay attention to what I'm about to do, otherwise we're both going to be sorry." This use can be adjusted depending on the circumstances that follow; the more dangerous and stupid the action, the more fierce the horn. For example, this week I was driving my scooter (which has a horn as well) in the neighborhood, when I came to an intersection. This intersection has a traffic light and a police officer stationed on the corner, but most people pay little attention to the light. So despite the green light, I approached with caution when I heard long blasts of the horn being repeated. I turn, and sure enough, here comes a car at a high rate of speed barreling through the red light just in front of me. (This is not uncommon.)
So what lesson do I take away from this? As long as you apply an appropriate amount of horn ahead of time as a warning, you can do whatever you like on the roads!
-alan
Saturday, August 29, 2009
CDIS MUN will head to SIngapore!
Thanks to the same amazingly cheap set of tickets, our kids will be able to attend the THIMUN Singapore conference in November. I get the honor of helping them prep for this conference and chaperoning them while they are there. I just feel really happy that all the logistics are working out and we get to send 7 students!
If you have an special insights on the United Republic of Tanzania, send them my way!
-rachel
If you have an special insights on the United Republic of Tanzania, send them my way!
-rachel
Friday, August 28, 2009
The travel bug officially has us
This February, only 5 weeks after returning from the US, we are headed out again. This time, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to scoop up ridiculously cheap tickets to.....
Abu Dhabi?
Yes, you heard me right. We're going to the Middle East. We have no idea what we are getting ourselves into, but hopefully it will turn out well. If nothing else, it is a sure guarantee of sand and sunshine. We'll probably head over to Dubai for much of our time there, so if you have any suggestions, send them our way...
-alan
Abu Dhabi?
Yes, you heard me right. We're going to the Middle East. We have no idea what we are getting ourselves into, but hopefully it will turn out well. If nothing else, it is a sure guarantee of sand and sunshine. We'll probably head over to Dubai for much of our time there, so if you have any suggestions, send them our way...
-alan
Monday, August 24, 2009
Construction update
Though the long-awaited Chengdu Metro (our subway which might be complete by sometime next year) does not seem to be making progress, the light rail that is being installed in our neighborhood is looking good.
Our first clue was when we tried to drive the back way out of our apartment.
But on further inspection, we saw that a lot of progress has been made in installing the new tracks. I do not know how long it will be until this is open, but it certainly looks impressive.
Many of the roads around here are closed as the stations are being built, which is a minor inconvenience. (actually, the only reason we really need to go this way is if we want to go to the amusement park)
It looks like 1 station will be in walking distance, though construction on those is in the early stages.
In other construction news, a Chengdu machinery company is moving forward with plans to buy Hummer from GM. I can only hope they do not start retailing them here, but that may be wishful thinking - considering the current Chinese thirst for autos.
-alan
Our first clue was when we tried to drive the back way out of our apartment.
But on further inspection, we saw that a lot of progress has been made in installing the new tracks. I do not know how long it will be until this is open, but it certainly looks impressive.
Many of the roads around here are closed as the stations are being built, which is a minor inconvenience. (actually, the only reason we really need to go this way is if we want to go to the amusement park)
It looks like 1 station will be in walking distance, though construction on those is in the early stages.
In other construction news, a Chengdu machinery company is moving forward with plans to buy Hummer from GM. I can only hope they do not start retailing them here, but that may be wishful thinking - considering the current Chinese thirst for autos.
-alan
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Taming the gamer
I just finished beating Rachel in Bohnanza. I figured out her Achilles heel - sympathy for her husband.
My dominance has long been established in any 2-player game. From Catan to Speed Scrabble to cards, I generally win.
In group games, however, Rachel usually wins. By a margin that clearly beats the conventional odds.
How to explain the difference? I always suspected that Rachel is actually superior, but she knows that if we play a 2-player game and she beats me by a lot, then I will pout. So she plays dumb and lets me win.
Well, on Friday I tested this theory. We were playing Phase 10 with the Brewers. Rachel has never played this before, yet within 30 minutes she was winning. So I verbalized my theory, threatened to pout, and a few hands later the tides were turned. She was surpassed and finished a distant 2nd.
I'll have to keep this one in my pocket for the next time we play Catan!!
-alan
My dominance has long been established in any 2-player game. From Catan to Speed Scrabble to cards, I generally win.
In group games, however, Rachel usually wins. By a margin that clearly beats the conventional odds.
How to explain the difference? I always suspected that Rachel is actually superior, but she knows that if we play a 2-player game and she beats me by a lot, then I will pout. So she plays dumb and lets me win.
Well, on Friday I tested this theory. We were playing Phase 10 with the Brewers. Rachel has never played this before, yet within 30 minutes she was winning. So I verbalized my theory, threatened to pout, and a few hands later the tides were turned. She was surpassed and finished a distant 2nd.
I'll have to keep this one in my pocket for the next time we play Catan!!
-alan
Friday, August 21, 2009
A week's reflection
The back-to-school season is here. I know it is official, because Carrefour (French Wal-Mart) was decked out with a very American Back-to-School section, complete with designer backpacks, pens, pencils, notebooks, etc. It reminded me of the crazy late-August spending sprees I presided over at Target in the old days.
School is more than a week old, but I feel like the new routines are well in place. I have learned most of the new names and faces, have been grading homework, and giving detentions (those poor, unsuspecting 6th graders!). The increase in my workload, which was a big concern at the beginning of the year, has thus far been mitigated by being more efficient at work. Let's hope that continues once language lessons and the re-accreditation process resumes.
In other news, our trip to Beijing in early October is in jeopardy - more on that later.
-alan
School is more than a week old, but I feel like the new routines are well in place. I have learned most of the new names and faces, have been grading homework, and giving detentions (those poor, unsuspecting 6th graders!). The increase in my workload, which was a big concern at the beginning of the year, has thus far been mitigated by being more efficient at work. Let's hope that continues once language lessons and the re-accreditation process resumes.
In other news, our trip to Beijing in early October is in jeopardy - more on that later.
-alan
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Success, again!
Though we regained our access to the blog at home, a firewall here at school still kept us from getting onto Blogger (and other sites) here at school.
But thanks to some tips from a friend, I have successfully connected in both places. (not that I should be on the blog at work)
-alan
But thanks to some tips from a friend, I have successfully connected in both places. (not that I should be on the blog at work)
-alan
Monday, August 17, 2009
What am I doing?
Pending more rain, tomorrow is the first day of middle school boys volleyball.
The coach? Yours truly.
Whether I was asked to do it, or volunteered is a gray area. But one way or another, I am committed to two practices per week from now through much of October. The payoff is at the end, when I accompany the team to Shenyang, in northern China, for a tournament with the other schools in our company. The trips are always well-remembered by all, so I look forward to that.
In the meantime, I need to figure some things out. Thankfully, the bar for boys volleyball is pretty low, so I do not fear being a disappointment in my CDIS coaching debut.
Aside from that, it has been a productive first 3 days of classes. I have a lot fewer names to remember compared to last year (since most of the returning students I already know), so that is a big plus. AP Biology will be a tough class, but I have some bright kids so they will probably do well in spite of me.
Finally, Rachel is 1-1 in fulfilling her pledge. She went out and bought vegetables, cooking chicken with mashed potatoes, sauteed veggies, and salad. I did not say a peep - I only chopped.
-alan
The coach? Yours truly.
Whether I was asked to do it, or volunteered is a gray area. But one way or another, I am committed to two practices per week from now through much of October. The payoff is at the end, when I accompany the team to Shenyang, in northern China, for a tournament with the other schools in our company. The trips are always well-remembered by all, so I look forward to that.
In the meantime, I need to figure some things out. Thankfully, the bar for boys volleyball is pretty low, so I do not fear being a disappointment in my CDIS coaching debut.
Aside from that, it has been a productive first 3 days of classes. I have a lot fewer names to remember compared to last year (since most of the returning students I already know), so that is a big plus. AP Biology will be a tough class, but I have some bright kids so they will probably do well in spite of me.
Finally, Rachel is 1-1 in fulfilling her pledge. She went out and bought vegetables, cooking chicken with mashed potatoes, sauteed veggies, and salad. I did not say a peep - I only chopped.
-alan
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A new year and a new me....
So we officially began school on Thursday. It was nice just working for 2 days and have the weekend to recover :-) All went well in my classes and I'm really excited about the new students at our school. As previously posted, Alan's schedule is more demanding so I am planning to step it up when it comes to doing things outside of school.
Yes, we have a house helper to cook and clean for us, but I am committing this year to at least cook one meal a week. I have to start somewhere right? Last year we barely cooked at all, but I want that to change. I am transitioning from Alan's sous chef to head chef. Let me know if you have any yummy easy recipes that don't involve many exotic ingredients like cheese or Worcestershire sauce.
-rachel
Yes, we have a house helper to cook and clean for us, but I am committing this year to at least cook one meal a week. I have to start somewhere right? Last year we barely cooked at all, but I want that to change. I am transitioning from Alan's sous chef to head chef. Let me know if you have any yummy easy recipes that don't involve many exotic ingredients like cheese or Worcestershire sauce.
-rachel
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Are we more or less "green" in China?
Introduction: Since I was an environmental science teacher and very interested in the subject, I thought I should evaluate the quality of our "green" lifestyle - or lack thereof - since coming to China.
PRO: De-centralized heating and cooling. It takes a lot of needless energy to heat and cool all the rooms of a house at once - especially when Rachel and I rarely are in different places. Here, each room has a separate unit. When we want A/C in the summer or heat in the winter, we simply use a remote to turn that individual unit on. When we go to a different room or leave, it is turned off. Also, we tend to avoid using them until it is absolutely necessary - as opposed to setting a thermostat and leaving it on all the time.
CON: No insulation. All the construction here, other than the absolute fanciest, follows the same pattern: reinforced concrete buildings with plaster walls. No insulation, no dry wall. That is a big reason why central air would be useless - so much air would leak. Add to that single-paned windows without any weather-stripping, and you have a leaky house.
PRO: Continuous flow hot water heater. We do not have a tank. Our water heater has a gas-powered flame that heats water in a metal pipe, which then travels to the faucet. It only turns on when we turn the faucet on. That means that we do not waste energy keeping a tank of water hot all day, and we never run out of hot water.
CON: Coal-fired electricity. Despite some grand plans to expand renewable energy in western China, the vast, vast majority of electricity is from nasty coal. (a sizeable portion here is from hydroelectric, though that has other issues) In Chicago, we were getting a good amount of electricity from nuclear, which I would say is comparatively better.
This lone windmill stands outside a large (but empty) building near our home. It does not actually turn - and there is very little wind in Chengdu - making me wonder why it is there.
PRO: No plastic bags. Well, less plastic bags. Across the country, no grocery/convenience/big chain store can give out plastic bags for free when you check out. You can buy them for a nominal fee, but the fee provides enough motivation to buy a few canvas bags and reuse them. We did this in Chicago, too...but we are more consistent here and I like the extrinsic motivation that this law gives to other people.
CON: No composting. I do not think vermicomposting is quite as popular here. However, we eat out at restaurants a lot more here, and they do keep table scraps. All the food waste gets shoveled into buckets, which I am assuming is collected at the end of the day, to be used. For what, I can only guess....
PRO: Electric scooters. Gone is our car, which faithfully brought us around Chicago. Now we have non-polluting electric scooters and car pool to more distant locations. We are not as mobile, but it works.
CON: Pollution everywhere. There is a lot of air pollution - nasty black smoke can be seen coming from something more often than I would care to admit. It is probably taking years off my life.
This open sewer flows into a ditch across from our school. Not a good smell on the way home from work!
PRO: More trees. Yes, we live in a city in China, but we happen to live in a city that puts a premium on greenery. Compared to the south side of Chicago, we live in a tropical paradise! In addition, many of the trees and grasses keep their leaves year-round, so we get lots of green.
CON: Eating more meat. Believe it or not, we eat more meat now in China than we did in the US. There, meat (and food in general) is more expensive and we cooked more for ourselves. So, our diet was decidedly more carb-laden. Meat is far more taxing on resources and the environment, so...
PRO: Local fruits and vegetables. All of our produce is local - no flying in strawberries in January from Chile. I would guess that most everything comes from within the province, which has the arable land of 2-3 Midwestern states. This has taught me the value of seasonality. When I go to the fruit or veggie market, I look for whatever I see a lot of - that means it is in season, and it is probably good.
PRO/CON?: Unlike America, there is no market for "green" products. So we cannot buy off our guilty conscience at the store by choosing the product with the environmentally-friendly label.
CONCLUSION: As far as the lives of Chinese go, it is plain to see that the average Chinese person lives a far more environmentally sustainable life than that of an average American. No contest. When you compare the life of an affluent Chinese person to an average American, it probably equals out. (That's why it is frightening to an environmental science teacher to think of half a billion middle class Chinese living the American lifestyle one day soon, which is a realistic possibility)
Unfortunately, we live lives closer to that of rich Chinese, so it is hard to judge which of our lifestyles is better in this regard. If I had to choose, I would give the nod to our Chinese life because of the lack of a car and less overall energy use. But it's close.
-alan
PRO: De-centralized heating and cooling. It takes a lot of needless energy to heat and cool all the rooms of a house at once - especially when Rachel and I rarely are in different places. Here, each room has a separate unit. When we want A/C in the summer or heat in the winter, we simply use a remote to turn that individual unit on. When we go to a different room or leave, it is turned off. Also, we tend to avoid using them until it is absolutely necessary - as opposed to setting a thermostat and leaving it on all the time.
CON: No insulation. All the construction here, other than the absolute fanciest, follows the same pattern: reinforced concrete buildings with plaster walls. No insulation, no dry wall. That is a big reason why central air would be useless - so much air would leak. Add to that single-paned windows without any weather-stripping, and you have a leaky house.
PRO: Continuous flow hot water heater. We do not have a tank. Our water heater has a gas-powered flame that heats water in a metal pipe, which then travels to the faucet. It only turns on when we turn the faucet on. That means that we do not waste energy keeping a tank of water hot all day, and we never run out of hot water.
CON: Coal-fired electricity. Despite some grand plans to expand renewable energy in western China, the vast, vast majority of electricity is from nasty coal. (a sizeable portion here is from hydroelectric, though that has other issues) In Chicago, we were getting a good amount of electricity from nuclear, which I would say is comparatively better.
This lone windmill stands outside a large (but empty) building near our home. It does not actually turn - and there is very little wind in Chengdu - making me wonder why it is there.PRO: No plastic bags. Well, less plastic bags. Across the country, no grocery/convenience/big chain store can give out plastic bags for free when you check out. You can buy them for a nominal fee, but the fee provides enough motivation to buy a few canvas bags and reuse them. We did this in Chicago, too...but we are more consistent here and I like the extrinsic motivation that this law gives to other people.
CON: No composting. I do not think vermicomposting is quite as popular here. However, we eat out at restaurants a lot more here, and they do keep table scraps. All the food waste gets shoveled into buckets, which I am assuming is collected at the end of the day, to be used. For what, I can only guess....
PRO: Electric scooters. Gone is our car, which faithfully brought us around Chicago. Now we have non-polluting electric scooters and car pool to more distant locations. We are not as mobile, but it works.
CON: Pollution everywhere. There is a lot of air pollution - nasty black smoke can be seen coming from something more often than I would care to admit. It is probably taking years off my life.
This open sewer flows into a ditch across from our school. Not a good smell on the way home from work!PRO: More trees. Yes, we live in a city in China, but we happen to live in a city that puts a premium on greenery. Compared to the south side of Chicago, we live in a tropical paradise! In addition, many of the trees and grasses keep their leaves year-round, so we get lots of green.
CON: Eating more meat. Believe it or not, we eat more meat now in China than we did in the US. There, meat (and food in general) is more expensive and we cooked more for ourselves. So, our diet was decidedly more carb-laden. Meat is far more taxing on resources and the environment, so...
PRO: Local fruits and vegetables. All of our produce is local - no flying in strawberries in January from Chile. I would guess that most everything comes from within the province, which has the arable land of 2-3 Midwestern states. This has taught me the value of seasonality. When I go to the fruit or veggie market, I look for whatever I see a lot of - that means it is in season, and it is probably good.
PRO/CON?: Unlike America, there is no market for "green" products. So we cannot buy off our guilty conscience at the store by choosing the product with the environmentally-friendly label.
CONCLUSION: As far as the lives of Chinese go, it is plain to see that the average Chinese person lives a far more environmentally sustainable life than that of an average American. No contest. When you compare the life of an affluent Chinese person to an average American, it probably equals out. (That's why it is frightening to an environmental science teacher to think of half a billion middle class Chinese living the American lifestyle one day soon, which is a realistic possibility)
Unfortunately, we live lives closer to that of rich Chinese, so it is hard to judge which of our lifestyles is better in this regard. If I had to choose, I would give the nod to our Chinese life because of the lack of a car and less overall energy use. But it's close.
-alan
Monday, August 10, 2009
change in schedule
For the upcoming school year, the schedule is a bit different. We are going from 60 minute classes down to 42 minute classes; they will meet 5 days a week instead of 4. Not ideal for a science teacher, but it is the same as what I had when teaching in Chicago.
Last year, I taught 6th grade Earth Science, 7th grade Life Science, 9th grade Biology, Pre-Algebra, and middle school ESL.
This year, the ESL is gone, replaced by AP Biology. The other four classes are the same. So my teaching load is definitely tougher, though I will not be a homeroom teacher this year. That will help a little.
Rachel will have 9th grade Geography, 10th grade AP World History, 11th grade AP Comparative Politics, and an MUN elective. MUN is new, and replaces her 8th grade Ancient Civilization class.
-alan
Last year, I taught 6th grade Earth Science, 7th grade Life Science, 9th grade Biology, Pre-Algebra, and middle school ESL.
This year, the ESL is gone, replaced by AP Biology. The other four classes are the same. So my teaching load is definitely tougher, though I will not be a homeroom teacher this year. That will help a little.
Rachel will have 9th grade Geography, 10th grade AP World History, 11th grade AP Comparative Politics, and an MUN elective. MUN is new, and replaces her 8th grade Ancient Civilization class.
-alan
Sunday, August 9, 2009
3 dinners in one night?
Not exactly, but Saturday, we had a whole-team progressive dinner (around 45 people) with 3 different stops.
We were the first stop and made appetizers. Others helped supplement our station and brought really yummy food as well. We made mini pizzas, bean queso, and served fruit. We were working right up the point all of our guests arrived, but finally got a chance to relax and enjoy some food ourselves.
Maxing out space on our apartment (office and living room)
We then pilgrimaged to another house for the main dishes. I consumed my fair share of ribs and mashed potatoes.
Finally we made the trek up 6 flights of stairs to the Brewers apartment for desserts and one more flight up to their roof garden. Below are some pictures of the finished product. There were too many people to get awesome shots, but hopefully you get the picture :-)
It was a great time had by all, and I didn't overeat too much! All the walking between stops helped make room for more!
-rachel
We were the first stop and made appetizers. Others helped supplement our station and brought really yummy food as well. We made mini pizzas, bean queso, and served fruit. We were working right up the point all of our guests arrived, but finally got a chance to relax and enjoy some food ourselves.
Maxing out space on our apartment (office and living room)
We then pilgrimaged to another house for the main dishes. I consumed my fair share of ribs and mashed potatoes.
Finally we made the trek up 6 flights of stairs to the Brewers apartment for desserts and one more flight up to their roof garden. Below are some pictures of the finished product. There were too many people to get awesome shots, but hopefully you get the picture :-)
It was a great time had by all, and I didn't overeat too much! All the walking between stops helped make room for more!
-rachel
new 'do in the 'du
Kate and I went Wednesday to get our hair permanently straightened. I was enamored with the idea as soon as I found out that I could have styled hair everyday without any daily work. We went in the night before, discussed price, and set our appointments. We were excited.
We started with hair cuts. I just got a trim, but Kate's was more dramatic. Then I was escorted to the 2nd floor loft and the straightened process began. It was a process! Thankfully they had a computer with episodes of Lost to keep me sane during the 3.5 hours of beautifying.
It started with goo, then letting the goo set in, then washing my hair and drying it, then straightening it, then more goo, then another wash, then another dry, then another straightening.
I really loved how it looked but was afraid because I wasn't allowed to get it wet for three days. Of course we picked the rainy and hot season to do it! I suffered through ok, but I looked like an angel by the end. The oils on my face gave me a real nice sheen.
Now my hair is washed and it still looks and feels great! And I'm only $30 poorer.
-rachel
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
FOOD
This week and next, we are having team meals each night. We only have a couple new people this year, but as a way to promote social unity we are hitting up a different restaurant each night.
Rachel couldn't be happier. I also like the big meals, but it definitely promotes overeating. We went on a long walk tonight after leaving the Korean restaurant. Too much meat!! Our table ate the place out of all their bulgogi (marinated beef)....
It continues tomorrow - our first official day back at work, we will have the world's best "continental breakfast." It is termed that, even though we will have bacon, eggs, fruit, toast, and fresh homemade cinnamon rolls. Yum. Then for lunch is chef's salad and pizza. Yum.
I guess it is time to get back to the gym....
-alan
Rachel couldn't be happier. I also like the big meals, but it definitely promotes overeating. We went on a long walk tonight after leaving the Korean restaurant. Too much meat!! Our table ate the place out of all their bulgogi (marinated beef)....
It continues tomorrow - our first official day back at work, we will have the world's best "continental breakfast." It is termed that, even though we will have bacon, eggs, fruit, toast, and fresh homemade cinnamon rolls. Yum. Then for lunch is chef's salad and pizza. Yum.
I guess it is time to get back to the gym....
-alan
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