Drivers Test in Asia???
We have settled down in the work here and realized the benefit having a vehicle would be for the work and our family. D recently took a trip and had to hire a driver since it was a remote area. The driver was rather impatient and really cut D’s time short visiting with that brother. It would be a LOT easier to travel as a family to these farther areas too. Often the buses only run a couple times a day, and you wouldn’t want to miss the “last bus out” if you hadn’t planned on staying the night.
So, we’ve been studying for the test and have ran into quite a few bumps along the way. . but we have officially completed all the paperwork and running around needed for us to take the test for our drivers license. Since we already have an American drivers license, we only need to take the written test. Someone is supposed to call and set up a test day and time within the next month. There will be 100 questions, and you can only miss 10. My concern is that I will have 10 questions that are either worded strangely, translated incorrectly, or with grammar mistakes that make the meaning and correct answer quite difficult to decipher. Here are some examples below from my studies 
In “this” situation. . . well, what is “this” situation anyways?
That just doesn’t make sense. “The causes can be the first to leave?”
Only after looking up “neutral slide” did I realize it means putting your car in neutral gear.
Too wordy, and it doesn’t make sense.
What does it even mean for a motor vehicles to reach end-of-life standards for driving?
Correct, it is “no” allowed :)
I think they should add a few more words and use “branch” a few more times :)
When I hear “electrical appliances” I think of a refrigerator.
Harvesting Rice
There is a famous poem here about eating every last grain of rice in your bowl because of how much work goes into planting, growing, and harvesting the rice. This last week, the 1st-4th graders were able to experience harvesting rice! What a cool experience for Colt to be able to do! They didn’t get back until 7pm that night, but Colt was all smiles and telling us all about it! Thankful for this field trip and experiencing real life!
Halloween Festivities
Halloween is not an Asian holiday. But, for the sake of embracing other cultures, they try to celebrate it. It is actually a lot of fun, because it has quite a different twist. I think it could catch on in the States
Friday is always a half day of school at our kids’ school. When the parents went to pick up the kids, we all went to a campout place along the river. The kids played, everyone brought food, and we pretty much just played and ate until it got dark at 6:30. Then the campfire was lit, everyone sang songs (that we did not know), ate some more. . . and those brave enough to bear the cold weather that came that day all camped out. It was a lot of fun. The kids dressed up and did a parade to show off their costumes and lanterns (the lanterns were made from either oranges or pomelo fruits instead of pumpkins since you can’t get a nice big orange pumpkin around here – hehe).
Biking with kids. . .
Our friends are visiting, and they also have a 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son (same ages as Kylie and Caden). We all enjoyed the fall weather and a fun bike ride through a nearby village tourist spot! We rode about 9 miles on an amazing newly built bike trail that follows the river. Of course, we stopped to play in the water and made some new friends along the way!
Camping with friends!
We invited the kids’ classmates (and their families) to come join us for camping, hiking, and swimming while they were out of school for a holiday. It was a good turnout. Building relationships. Enjoying His creation.
Climbed to the top of this mountain with beautiful views!
The full moon was already bright in the sky.
No such thing as sleeping in when you go camping (at least not in our tent)!
Loving the water!
Playing games!
More games. . .
Food!
Love all the smiles! Thankful for beautiful weather that day!
He’s a climber.
Sweet little girl loves her daddy!
He says, “I was born to climb.”
Oil tea with friends. . .
Oil tea (or you2 cha2 油茶 in Mandarin) is a local thing here. We never had it in Chengdu, but there are oil tea shops all around here in GL. It’s called a tea because it’s made from tea leaves. . . but I’d say it’s more like a soup. You add salt, chives, peanuts, and some other crisy rice crunchies to your bowl of oil tea and eat it with a spoon. It’s delicious! So, I don’t have any pictures of the oil tea, but I do have pics of the kids enjoying themselves outside! They had a blast chasing the chickens (I’m sure they shortened the lifespan of at least a few).
Cao Ping Village
David and I decided to have a date one morning while the kids were at school, and we rode about 1 hour on the motorcyle to a village called CaoPing. I has been preserved (or restored I guess) according to it’s “ancient,” or original, condition. It’s a pretty neat little place.
To the ends of the earth . . .
David and a friend were able to travel out together last week to visit a brother in the countryside. They drove their car as far as they could, then hiked up the mountain quite a ways to reach his home. . .
The rice fields are beautiful this time of year. The mountains are covered in rice terraces that are reaching their peak and turning a golden color. Look to the fields, they are ready for harvest. The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few. . .
Here is a look into the brother’s home. He’s in his 70’s and his wife is paralyzed. D said they had a fire pit dug out in the center of the room that they used to cook. As you can see, dirt floor and the walls are covered in layers suit from the smoke. D and his friend hiked back down the mountain, bought food and cooked for them to share a meal together. They were so pleased to have guests, but really had nothing to give. It was a sweet visit. Thankful for this opportunity.
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Chinese lunar calendar is pretty cool. If you haven’t checked it out you definitely should. We have this ongoing joke in our family about the Chinese lunar calendar. When I was pregnant with Colt (years before our life here in East Asia), according to the Chinese lunar calendar he would be a boy. . . and he is a HE. . . so there you go. hahaha.
Really though, recently the kids’ school celebrated mid-autumn festival, which is a holiday on the Chinese lunar calendar. Everyone eats, makes, or gives as gifts moon cakes. They don’t look like “moons,” but the moon is biggest and brightest during this holiday. There is also a story behind it about a guy whose wife heroically drank a potion and had to live on the moon, so that ties the moon into the holiday as well.
Anyways, here are some pics from the kids school festivities and making moon cakes. They were baked, so they were a bit flaky on the outside and inside was red bean paste and mixed nuts all ground together. A tad sweet, but not really. They were yummy!
Kylie has become a helper to the teachers during rest time. She will help the littler ones go to sleep. So sweet! She loves to help and be a big girl!
The moon cakes! They used a mold to make these shapes. . The kids helped make them
