Home visit

3-23-13 Saturday

Today was my first home visit! I got up early hoping to face time morgan , but he is very loved so it was hard to get a word in as a virtual being on a screen. But he is okay so that’s good. So I face timed my Mom because I was also super excited to tell someone about the paper that was slipped under my door after I fell asleep yesterday. When I woke up I found my very first evaluation form on the floor by my door. I got a 100% with comments “absolutely fantastic job! I couldn't do a better job myself. You kept them engaged and listening. You also modeled really well” :D well, I just had to pat myself on the back for that one ;) to make time go by faster so I could go on my home visit and forget about stuff at home. I talked to my momma and Brindy until it was time to go and enjoy my Saturday in China.

 

I went down with Mckelle, (the girl I roomed with in Korea) because we were home Visit Buddies. We met a cute family and a 1st grader named Vickie at the gate. We hopped in the car and learned that the parents thankfully  had English names! Sally and Johnny are Vicky's parents and Sally actually spoke pretty good English.

We were told the plans for the day which were to make and eat dumplings. Doesn't sound all that exciting but this is no small project and I loved it! We headed to the market to get ingredients that we needed for the rest of the day. On the way to the house, we stopped by the beach and took some pictures. I really wish it wasn't so cold. Sally and Johnny said they had other plans but because its so cold they decided on making dumplings instead but I can’t complain I loved it. We walked into the house/apartment and it was a really cute place!

Johnny pulled out flour and water and made the dough for the outside of the dumplings while Sally cut the cucumbers etc. and I was in their faces snapping pictures and trying to see what everything was and how to do this because I am going to miss real Chinese food I can promise you that! Sally got a pine apple at the market which they peel for you which is so cool, and she cut that and a mango up for us. She also got some weird fruit for us to try but that tasted like dirt so I am going to pretend that never happened ;)

well after the cucumber, onion, ginger and egg with some other spices that resulted in a delicious concoction was done, we all got together

in a circle, Sally cut and rolled out the dough circles while Johnny taught us to fill and properly close the dumplings! :) Vickie was in charge of making sure the surface of the board that the dough was on stayed covered in flour :) we made quite the army  of jiaozi, it took quiet awhile but I think I

 

got the hang of it! Johnny took the dumplings over and boiled them and then we dug it!! OH MY GOSH!! Best dumplings I have had yet! I wrote down my email for Sally so she can email the recipe so I really really hope she sends it to me! Johnny said he had been making them since he was 6 years old so really he is a master at these things and I will never dispute it!

 We ate so much food but it was so good! We talked about how I have 4 siblings since they can't do that in China they were so amazed. So I showed her a picture on my phone of me and my siblings (the one we took in December) and she looked at it, frowned and said “is that you?? you fat here...” hahah well then! Thanks I think?? haha I just had to laugh though.

I do need to confess though.. I told a little fib. It was around 2:00 when we got done and we were sitting there talking but McKelle and I were struggling. I don’t know what it was but we were so tired. Well, I did get up pretty early today and McKelle said she didn't sleep very well, so we told them we were meeting our group at 2:30 at the school so we got our stuff together and headed home. They lived 20min away and I was trying to force my eyelids open... man it was rough but we made it and Sally told us that if we ever want to come back that we are more than welcome.

We went back to our rooms and I tried to take a nap but my head was going 100 thousand miles an hour and I couldn't sleep... dang it. So I invaded Crista and Rachelle's room and we had a little vent session and it helped I think we all needed to just let things out. I have been typing my little heart out ever since. I didn't go to dinner because I wasn't hungry after the dumplings. And I’m still good even after dinner. Sam did come up after dinner though and we headed to the mini Jiajiauye market and got some ice cream and then came back and I started right where I left off. And now I am finally caught up with my journal writing! Yes! Im feeling a little down lately. I don't know if I just need my space and I am getting sick of being around people all the time. Or wait a min, maybe I just had a crazy emotional week and I am on the downward swing right now. Either way, I am ready to call it a night. I’m excited to have church tomorrow church always seems to help!