OHH, China!: A few of my favorite things

I've been back in Langfang for just a couple weeks now, but it already feels really normal, like I've been living here for two years already. Oh, wait....I have! So the apartment is clean and smells like home again, and the best news is that there were NO unwelcome animals waiting to greet me. Classes have begun and I have a full schedule right off the bat, but it's fun to be back with students. Life is good- and mostly calm, which I appreciate after a wonderful whirlwind of a summer. I was just thinking today about all of my "favorites" here in China. Some are old and some are new, but all are wonderful. My most favorite new discovery has got to be:

the Land O'Lakes "Fresh Buttery Taste Spread"! That's right, people- spreadable margarine, in China!! Notice our extreme excitement upon finding it in the grocery store. It has already revolutionized my in-house eating habits: delightful grilled cheese sandwiches, buttery sweet pancakes, and who doesn't love the combination of salty butter and sweet jelly on a warm piece of toast? Mmm mmm GOOD!!

Here's another Langfang gem:

I call it the Bumblebee. It's our team vacuum, and it's not brand new, but let's just say I remember what life was like without it, and I don't ever want to go back: tiny brooms and massive dust bunnies made cleaning a serious chore. Now it's more like a game- a game that I win every time. Hasta la vista, bunnies!!! And many, MANY thanks to Shannon and Peter for bringing the Bumblebee into my life. Your legacy lives on :)

I don't have a picture of my next favorite thing, but that's because I've eaten it already- today and many days before. What do I love? CHEAP food!! Just today I strolled down the street to a place we've dubbed "the Courtyard"- lots of street food vendors gathered in one place- and ordered up some yu xiang rou si. That's Chinese for "delicious pork, peppers and carrots in a slightly sweet spicy sauce". An individual serving made right before my eyes along with some rice cost me a whopping 75 cents. Now I try not to think in terms of dollars and cents, since I earn Chinese yuan, but sometimes it's just too fun. 75 CENTS!

My favorite experience of the year so far definitely came last night at dinner. We invited our believing brothers and sisters out to catch up on each others' summers and kick off the year with some good eating (again, so very cheap!). There were 10 of us around a table in a private room, so we were chatting freely and openly, laughing together and listening to tales of adventures in traveling and summer job searching. At one point, I looked around and realized that "this"- us hanging out with our Chinese family- just felt so natural and normal. I love all of those people, and am so glad to have them in my life. We are all so completely different, but none of those differences matter when you share what we share.
Favorite!!!

Yeah Team Langfang! (outside of our apartments)