Sometimes nothing happens even in China

Sorry that we haven't had any updates for all of you. Life has been a combination of busy and quiet. The days are filled, and the evenings are short. We haven't been anywhere, and we haven't really been taking any pictures. The kids are grumpy about homework, and they have entered a homesickness cycle.

Lee and I have started really applying some effort to learning Chinese. Of course, she is better at it already. We are at the taxi directions, restaurant ordering, and basic shopping level. We can't read at all, but for now we are not trying either. The kids are in Chinese classes as part of their school curriculum. Allyne seems to be learning more Japanese than Chinese, just from hanging out with school friends.

The weather has become much colder. We will need proper coats before long, and we will probably need to have them custom made. I've been telling the Canadians we have "Arizona coats... they are what you guys call shirts."

We don't have a Thanksgiving break, of course. Someone organized a catered dinner at the school on Thursday evening. We pay to go, and it sounds like most of the Americans (and several others) will go. Odds are that everything will taste slightly Chinese, but it is a nice gesture. Reminds me of years ago when I once ate a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner in France. It was served to us by a hospitable Englishwoman, and with the company of a Frenchman and an Arab.

We will have our family Thanksgiving on Sunday. I bought a small turkey at one of the western shops, and it was absurdly expensive (about $60). We have invited some of the young American teachers. I'll get photos up of all that.

We bought a little selection of Christmas decorations. I noticed just an hour ago that our corner shopkeeper has a little Christmas tree out front. We will wait until the first weekend of December to put out our tree, as is our family tradition (I chose "put out" for a reason, the tree just seems too little to be "put up"). We won't actually be home at all on Christmas Day, because we will go to Hong Kong for a week.

That is all for now.