A Friend from the US

My friend Patrice came from the US last week -- and plunged into the Chinese experience. It was wonderful to see it all again through her eyes!

We started out easy...brunch on Sunday -- with caviar and champagne. Patrice loved the homemade Chinese noodles -- as the chef made them like a rodeo lasso right before her eyes.

Patrice sat in on my Mandarin class on Monday morning...and by the end, was saying "Ni Hao" and "xie xie" like a native! We had our first meal at a Hot Pot restaurant...and I shared my love of Chinese beer.

We took a Chinese Cooking class...back at the Hutong where I went to "Hook and Cook". We started with a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. Went to the local Chinese farmers' market to buy the ingredients (they killed the fish right in front of us!) and cooked on a flaming wok.

Patrice helped me organize the apartment for an entire day -- bless her heart! We stayed in and watched the old movie, Lost Horizon...part of our "understanding the mystic of the orient" movie series.

Patrice met my friend Lily and we headed to the Great Wall at Badaling and had lunch at the swanky Commune restaurant. It was the final night of Spring Festival -- and once again, we watched thousands of fireworks burst around the city.

Lily is a Certified tour guide --she took us to the Temple of Heaven. It was lovely...but what really amazed us was the glimpse of Chinese culture.

Here's what people were doing in park:

• Tai Chi
• Singing revolutionary songs together
• Painting Chinese calligraphy in water
• Flying kites
• Exercise classes (with over 200 people!)
• Rhythmic gymnastics with colorful banners
• Ballroom dancing
• Playing cards

We also did a little shopping. When John got home, Patrice and I made supper from fresh ingredients at the farmers' market. Patrice is an incredible cook and grows most of her own produce and herbs. I learned more from her than class!

Patrice sees the world in a refreshing way...and was captivated looking out our front window watching the workers build a new subway terminal across the street. There is even temporary housing like on a mine site. She was amazed by how much they got done in a single day...and begged me to send photos of the progress!

Finally, we bundled Patrice back on the plane to Peoria.

If this week sounds fun, why not plan your trip to China? We'll sing a few songs at the Temple of Heaven... and Chinese beer is waiting...

Eliza Doolittle... My Fair Ning

Do you remember the movie, My Fair Lady? Professor Henry Higgins takes a low class woman from the streets of London and teaches her to speak elegantly.

While he ’s teaching her, she fantasizes about killing him “Just you wait, Henry Higgins…”) And then the joy of finally getting it -- “The Rain in Spain falls mainly on the Plains…!” (When I ordered a glass of wine by myself...or asked where to get tickets.... understood how much something cost...)

Right now, I am a Mandarin Eliza Doolittle…and my Berlitz professors and Yan Shifu are all standing in for Henry Higgins!

They don't want to marry me...but they're a little surprised that I'm working so hard! They don't understand that I worked all my life -- learning Mandarin is now standing in for going to a corporate office everyday. I even wear high heels and hose! My friend Patrice is here from the US and sat in on class. Her Ni Hau sounds pretty good!

In Chinese, the song would look more like, “Zhou, xie, yuey…” words I swear my midwestern mouth will never get right!