Mid Autumn Festival Festivities

---

I am sitting in my wonderful temperature controlled apartment, set to 24 degrees celsius and am drinking an ICE cold coke zero. Ahhhhhhh. Today, was a very good day. For one, I had the best meal ever, since I've arrived. Dawna and Joyce and I went to a Thai restaurant for our mid day main meal. We had sweet and sour pork, curried chicken, beef satays, mixed veggies, spring rolls and the bestest, BESTEST most thirst quenching lemony tea. Mmmmmmmmm. We ate like queens, and it was an "expensive" meal here, about 180 yuan or about $10/each Canadian. OMG, can you believe that? It's definately cheaper to eat out here. The restaurant was so clean, it had soap and handtowels for wiping up your hands after and yes the awful squat toilets, but hey, the other great part about today was that I didn't even pee on myself once! Things are looking up and my aim is improving! LMAO. If you're squeemish, just ignore that part. HA!
They've even fixed the air conditioning that wasn't working in Diane's classroom where I'm teaching, so it's all good. I have most of my prep done for my classes next week, and am looking forward to getting a membership at the fitness centre with Dawna, and doing some yoga and weights and other dance-type classes. AND, I think I must check out the library. I am rushing Joyce through her book, "The Help" so I can read it! LOL, nice roomie I am, eh? Dawna gave me a James Patterson one to read, so I'll likely blow through that today and tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Monday, everyone has a day off to spend with family as part of the festivities. Tonight, I would love to watch some tv or a movie. I am not a big tv watcher but would enjoy just a bit of that and also I am feeling an intense withdrawl from any sort of popular music--I miss my satellite radio! I am going to have to see what I can find on the internet! Anybody have any tips for me there?
I have just put in a load of laundry and we have each received our second set of sheets for our beds from the school, and so we have washed one of the three sets, and it's dry, so it's time for the second set to be washed and dried. Tomorrow, we'll wash the third and final set. There are no dryers here in China. Yes, you read that correctly. None. Everybody, without exception, hangs their laundry outside. It is evident on many balconies and the Chinese hang most of their garments on hangers, not lines. I am not sure why this is, but I think it's because of space. Our little washing machine works very well with 2 scoops of Chinese Tide and of course, you know I am using bleach, too! LOL It seems that all the laundry is washed in luke warm water, too. They are big into energy saving here and I guess with a population of 1.3 billion people, that is a wise strategy, though, as far as germs go, you know I am not so keen on all washing done in warm, cuz I believe some things need good hot water but if it's not available, then baby, I am gonna add a dollop of bleach to the water to make sure the germs is dead! LOL! I am still washing dishes with bleach and also using it to clean with. I brought a mop home on the bus, and we will likely clean the apartment tomorrow and mop the floors and yes, we will bleach them. 😊 Bleach is my friend in China. It's keeping me well. Joyce was a fearless warrior yesterday cuz she squashed a cockroach she saw on the kitchen wall with her shoe! I was recoiling wimpily but she was charging ahead, her battle cry of, "Noooooooo!" Next thing I knew that wretched insect was one with the bottom of her shoe and she promptly disposed of him into the garbage! Whoo-Hoo--way to go Joyce! LMAO. I am so glad she did that cuz I was so NOT gonna! I just wanted to run AWAY. I don't like big bugs. Big dirty bugs. That move fast. And that might chase me. Shudder.
Today, while I was waiting for Dawna and Joyce to finish up their teaching, I ducked into Walmart next door thinking it would be quiet and cool....OMG! It was Sunday, everyone's days off, and it was NOT cool, it was not quiet and it was far from deserted, ay yi yi. But, there were some amazing deals to be had due to the holiday. I was eyeing up some new luggage, and I may go and purchase it, but I had to leave the store after a few minutes. I just couldn't take the sheer numbers of people, and the heat, and I wanted to be "home" and clean and cool. LOL I escaped back to school and we all rode home and shut ourselves up, showered, and just were happy to be in our own spaces.
It's now Monday morning, and I have risen late. I have pressed my coffee and eaten a bowl of cereal. We are thinking of exploring the beach boardwalk, if we can find it and then perhaps going with Diane and Rich for massages this evening. Ahhhhh, that sounds heavenly. My feet could use a bit of pampering as well, and a pedicure would be divine! I think I have found the page in Magic Xiamen which talks about the library but I will likely have to wait to explore it as it will be closed today for the holiday. I would like to vacuum my room today and dust and clean the bathroom and the floors.
I have included a video of our apartment for you to see today. I just thought it would be easier this way! One very unique aspect of this apartment is that there are windows on both sides of it, so it feels very airy and I am quite fond of this space, I must say. It definately feels like a safe space to escape to at day's end. Also, it is quiet. Last night Joyce and I heard someone playing a violin, but mostly, we hear nothing. There is, however, a very eerie loop of "Fur Elise" that plays whenever one rides the elevator. It is creepy! OH, so creepy! I used to like that song....not so much anymore....LMAO! I will try to include that in the video for you........so you have the whole experience......

---