Good Food, Good Company

So the four BAAS(our agency) families that are here in Guangzhou went out to dinner last night.  Well, I'm gonna back up a minute.  We went to a park in the afternoon yesterday which was a nice stroll in the fresh air.  We then went to a tea house and sampled and learned about different Chinese teas.  Upon our return, April who is one of the other BAAS moms, asked all of us if we'd like to go out on a little adventure for dinner.  Sure we said.  So we all went to our hotel rooms to get a few various things and then walked over the river on a pedestrian bridge.  Once you cross the river you are officially in "local' country.  You see, the island is really catered toward westerners or I should say used to them, so when you leave the island, you leave that little comfort zone.  So on the adventure we went.  April and her husband Dave went to this little eatery previously and told us about it on the way.  It sounded fun.  It's an open to the air type of eatery which you will see in the pictures and there are only about 6 tables.  There is no one that speaks English and no menus.  So when we got there, just like when April and Dave went previously, they just have one or two of you go back in the kitchen and point to things you want.  We decided to do a community bill and just get bunches of stuff.  It turned out pretty well.  We had great dumplings and a good noodle plate and then a good soup which I was unfortunate enough to mistake a big chunk of ginger for potato........Oh mama!!!!  We also brought our own drinks because we didn't think they had any.  Turns out they had a small cooler we could have gotten something from but to be honest bringing your own was a good call.  So this place appears to be owned by an elderly Chinese woman who is sweet as can be and who is also in love with April and Dave's son Joel.  She couldn't get enough of him and when we were leaving kept trying to steal him back inside.  All in good humor of course.  It was a great experience with excellent food and even better company.  Adoption brought us all together but it is surprising how well we all get along.  These three other couples are great and we couldn't be happier to have met them.  I wish I could communicate the experience and the kindness of the Chinese woman better but my brain is failing me right now.  At the end of the meal we did a group picture with the woman and it was great.  I don't have a copy of that yet but will get one from the other couples.  You can identify the woman as the one in the purple top and green apron.  I hope those of you yet to come here can go to this place.  The bonus to all this, and certainly the least important but worth mentioning is that all 14 of us ate for about 115 yuan which is about $17.  Thats not each family, thats a total.  Patrick and Peggy sprang for the meal which was another unexpected and gracious gift.  So when we left and the woman stopped hugging Joel she had tears in her eyes.  It was a great scene.  i'll try and post a few zoo pics from today, but really it was just a normal zoo but nice to be out in the fresh air.

 

Enjoy a few pics,

Jim