Pick up Zekey and Ysa from kindergarten at 5:00. See Shirley, acting English department chair, discuss how to fundraise the last of the money for the Hongguang Guidebook from my last year's students. Heh heh, scheming with a fellow teacher. Meander away from the school with Ysa yelling something at some grannies picking up their wards, but I wasn't paying attention because I was walking with Wang Yuen's mother, Yu Jun Xin. Typical me, I recognized her face, but couldn't place how I knew her or what conversation we'd had. Even more typical and embarrassing was that Yu Jun Xin remembered lots and lots about our last encounter, during which I'd gotten her phone number, we'd talked about lots of commonalities, etc. We speak in both Chinese and English. She's a Mechanical Engineer teacher, but only has 2 classes, so she and I make plans to go buy the ingredients for "pixian douban" (red chili broad-bean paste) together. I literally have finely-diced hot red peppers and red chilies in a large jar with me, because I set out on this pick-up-walk intending to find someone who could help me with finishing the recipe. And, indeed, I met Yu Jun Xin who is willing and able! We stroll together, me trying not to seem like I'd forgotten so much about our last encounter, and I'm enjoying her pleasant company.
Cross the river and stop to check out what's the trash floating downstream at the moment. Zekey and Dave had yesterday seen hundreds of eggplants floating downstream, so Zekey renamed the river "eggplant river" in Chinese. Today there was just a pink plastic house-shoe, a big piece of styrofoam and a couple of other small unidentifiable pieces. But the water sure was rushing along at a quick pace!
As we turn to leave the river, I overhear the same 2 grannies from before telling their grandchildren that, "No, Ysa is not a 'yangwawa.'" This means she is not a foreign Barbie doll. We all laugh, and they know I have understood them. What's awesome is that I just learned that word a few days ago in taking notes on my latest read about China: "When a Billion Chinese Jump: How China Will Either Save Mankind or Destroy It" (I highly recommend it). But now I know what Ysa was screaming about, that she had been telling the grannies earlier that she was not a yangwawa, aahhhh, now it makes sense. What you have to put up with when you're the only foreigner blond girl around.
Part ways with Yu Jun Xin and Wang Yuen, which makes Ysa cry. Yu Jun Xin is perfectly willing to take Ysa for a few hours, but I figure I'd better take care of Ysa in these immediate after-school hours. But it's so cool there is community around that is so available to help out with that!
Round the second-to-last corner and almost run into Sarah, who works in the foreign affairs office. We have a date with her for later tonight to see a movie together at our house (No Impact Man), but the kids haven't seen her since summer. Z and Y climb all over her, they lovingly call each other names in Chinese and English.
As we enter our lane, see another girl from Ysa's class with her mother. They have a plastic bag with beautiful-looking walnuts in it, so I ask in Chinese where she got them, as I'm always on the look-out for walnuts. The Chinese belief that they are good for children's brains has infused deep in me somehow. Unfortunately, she bought hers from a guy leaving the market on his tricycle rickshaw, but she thinks he might be back sometime. Obtain walnuts from mother, who is squatting down handing the nuts to her daughter to hand to Ysa to hand to me. So generous and kind!
Encounter Xander outside sitting on the curb in front of our door with a girl pal from school, still coloring together. He thinks she's so nice. I think they're cute.
Arrival time: 5:55 Just another walk in the 5-block area between my house and the kindergarten. Gotta love it!
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