Saturday, March 1, 2008

It is a beautiful, sunny day out, and we spent the better part of it outside.

Mark, J1 and I went to the "morning market" to buy vegetables for stew, then came back to the apt. and put it together in the crock pot so it would be ready when we got back home (it smells terrif!)

Then all 4 of us went out to an area south of town that is an old walled city, now filled with vendors, traditional (like calligraphers and wood burners) and new (like food vendors and minority group people representing their groups wares). It was really beautiful to see the mix of old and new...young children with their parents....old men playing ancient instruments for a funeral....and it was especially nice to go south for a change (away from some of the pollution, although it was still really dusty!).

Now, at home, we have no water, but we'll get through it. There seems to be so much construction going on EVERYWHERE that it's hard to tell if it's a problem or just a temporary planned thing.

Tomorrow we'll get together with some others that have just returned to the area, then go out to lunch (likely the place on campus, that's just around the corner....I told J1 I'm looking forward to the chance of having Peking style pork again....YUM....and THIS time I'll remember to take pics of all the different foods. :)

Hard to believe that tomorrow is our last full day here in HX....we'll head back to the big city on Monday, and leave the country on Tuesday....bittersweet thoughts....

Oh, and J is still sick...head/chest cold stuff...now coughing a bit too. She doesn't want to get her pic taken (can't blame her) but I'm hoping to get a few family shots tomorrow for sure.

~marina