Greetings all,
It's already October 2011...before we know it it will be 2012...it's amazing how time goes by so quickly. The weather is turning cooler here in Shenyang...just a taste of things to come in the winter. Fall (all 4 days of it) is really nice here...clear sunny skies and nice temperatures...just wish it lasted a little longer!
As some of you know, yesterday was my birthday and I celebrated in high style at the insistence of my driver. He and several of his friends threw us a traditional Chinese birthday party. I didn't know exactly what I was getting into...which of course made it that much more fun! He took Rod and I to the restaurant and surprised us with the crowd of friends. When we walked in, there was a big table with a cake surrounded by 51 candles...that I had to blow out of course! They gave me 2 nice chinese painted vases and a wonderful dinner and to make sure Rod didn't get left out, they gave him a tie! It's hard to describe the generosity. Here are a few pictures...they don't do it justice, but you get the idea. The beer and cigarettes were flowing freely...eat a little, smoke a little, drink alot. Mr Sun, our driver, Rod and I were the only ones drinking sprite and not smoking..but needless to say, we all got smoked up. Despite all of that, the atmosphere was very festive and we all really enjoyed it and were overwhelmed by their generosity for us.
 |
| 51 candles await...what a way to start my 51st year! |
 |
| "wish Sarah the birthday is happy" |
 |
| Sarah & Rod Miller at Sarah's 51st Chinese birthday bash |
 |
| Our driver is the man in the orange shirt...surrounding him are his friends and some classmates he's known since he was 4 years old. All these people helped me celebrate my 51st birthday here in Shenyang |
 |
| Sarah and Mr. Sun...my Mandarin has gotten to the point where I can actually have a basic conversation now! |
 |
| A tradition is for the birthday person to eat long noodles and eggs...symbols for long life and health. |
 |
| All the gang after the Chinese birthday party | | |
We have had a nice easy day today...got packed up getting ready to go to South Korea tomorrow as we have the next week off for the Chinese National Day (3 day holiday + 2 days of vacation). Rod played the Chinese National Anthem today in front of the Chinese flag (actually between the US and China flags) in front of the hotel. Here's a video of his performance.
For as nationalistic as the Chinese are, it's a little strange that they don't pay alot of respect for their National Anthem...but I guess there are those in the US that don't pay alot of respect for ours either.
 |
| Rod Miller playing the Chinese National Anthem on 1 October 2011 in Shenyang, China |
That's about it for now...more to come after our trip to Korea...another first for us together!
Hope everyone has a great week!
Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment