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Thanksgiving and Deb's birthday dinner.
DJ and May and Deb.
One of our friends from the thursday social meeting we attend was kind enough to come with us to a restaurant to help us order and celebrate Deb's birthday and Thanksgiving.
May also got Deb a scarf for her birthday.
George and Connie and Roxanne.
Chloe and Adam and May and Suzanne.
Carl, May, Deb, Suzanne, DJ, Chloe, Adam, Connie, George, Roxanne, Debbie, Archie.
Saying goodbye to Nicole.
Nicole has been a friend almost since we first arrived and has always been willing to try and help us in anything we needed done.
She is moving to the provincial capital, Harbin, where her husband has been working. I know she will miss her family and friends here, but I also know she will enjoy being with her husband again.
Several of her friends gathered to say goodbye.
On the left is Sharon. She had just returned from a vacation back in the states. She has been a long time friend of Nicole's and hosted this going away party.
Nicole was very moved by the love shown by her friends.
Sitting on the right is Harold, Nicole's son. I know that he is looking forward to seeing his father more regular, even though he will miss his friends.
We had a short Bible lesson.
The man on the right is Leroy, Sharon's husband. He works at one of the local factories over-seeing an American companies interest. Leroy and Sharon have lived here for around five years.
Some friends of Nicole's.
Getting ready for Easter.
We did not celebrate Easter last year just after moving to China. It never even crossed our minds that we missed it since China is one of the few countries that doesn't recognize Easter even in a pagan form. I have been teaching my kids at the public school this week about the history of Easter. Most of them knew of Easter when I talked about easter eggs and the easter bunny. They showed interest when I showed them pictures of how different countries celebrate the pagan side of Easter. Some of the Chinese English teachers stay in the class while I am teaching and even translate for me so the kids have a better understanding of what I am talking about. I find it interesting they are translating when I am telling them about the secular part of Easter and the son of God, Jesus, dying on the cross and three days later rising from the grave. It just doesn't get any better than that. Here are some pics of a dinner we had with George, Connie and Joanna. They came over to eat and Joanna even decorated an egg for Easter.
Lantern Festival
Mei treated the Alexander family, Connie and I to dinner tonight. This is the 15th day of the first lunar month which means it is Lantern Festival and the last day of the Chinese New Year two week long celebrations. We had a very nice dinner of mostly different fish and vegetables because David is vegetarian. We went next door to TCBY for ice cream after dinner. It is still −16 ̊ C (3 ̊ F) outside but the TCBY was busier than I have seen them during the summer because of the festival. The restaurant and TCBY are next to the river and more than half the two million population of the city was at the river. Mei’s husband purchased a paper balloon for Tigh to send up. There was probably over 50 balloons in the sky that you could count before they went too high or too far and went out of sight. Normally there is room down by the river for kids to roller blade but there were so many people that you could hardly walk without just shuffling your feet. I didn’t take my ear muffs with me and my ears felt like they were on fire because they were so cold. I new we were close to where I lived so I said my goodbyes and started my way home. The road along the river was basically closed because of so many people. There must have been around 10% of the people that were coming or going at any given time. I walked past a restaurant that Deb and I had been too once and they were setting off a huge display of fireworks. I stopped just in front to take a short video and then proceeded home. I was reaching the end of my trip and warmth for my ears when I walked past the end of our building just as someone on the fifth or sixth floor decided to set off some firecrackers hanging from their window showering me with sparks and debris. The Chinese really do love their fireworks. I am headed out tomorrow to buy us a new laptop since this one is more than two years old and nearing the end of its life. I will save it and try to get it refurbished so Susan can have a laptop for college.
