Foot-binding, Viper, Haircuts, etc.

 

Mid-Autumn Festival, two-thousand thirteen.

1. Friends from Titus' school (Ruiqi's family) invited us over for a very generous home-cooked meal to celebrate the holiday. Favorite dish: mashed potatoes with fresh chicken broth and diced up peanuts <---Ruiqi's mom Mei said she invented this dish, and it was a megahit. This was our first time to share extended conversation with this family, and we found out that they are really cool. Side note: the grandmother, born in the 1930s, has bound feet. Hers is the very last generation in this tradition.


2. Pet turtles live with us now; a mountain-hike to gather materials became imperative for a proper turtle habitat. I mean we only needed a couple stones and twigs, but Titus filled up an entire bag with rocks, very special rocks, so heavy that transport became impossible. Following a careful and painful selection we made it off that mountain with our diminished turtle-habitat booty.

Since we're talking mountain hike here, so, remember I mentioned that we crossed paths with a snake while hiking with visiting Addington family? (did I mention that?) First time for us to see a snake. First time too for the grandma on the trail who, "lived here my whole life and NEVER have I seen snake on this mountain!" It was a little less than a meter long, bright green, not seemingly aggressive... anyway, it was a Bamboo Viper (竹叶青蛇).

"Sluggish and usually stands its ground if approached ( well camouflaged in tree and plant vegetation ). Quick to bite if within striking range." (source)

"The wound usually feels extremely painful, as if it had been branded with a hot iron, and the pain does not subside until about 24 hours after being bitten. Within a few minutes of being bitten, the surrounding flesh dies and turns black, highlighting the puncture wounds. The wound site quickly swells, and the skin and muscle become black due to necrosis. The size of the necrotic area depends on the amount of venom injected and the depth of the bite." (source)

 So. I'm glad it didn't strike us.


3. Haircuts. Smoothies and beancurd jelly. Dinner with a friend and her mom visiting from northeast China. The end of our weekend Mid-Autumn national holiday.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

Michael's singing

sociology lectures online bringing clarity and increasing my interest

losing and finding a lost turtle, inside the boys' room, it was kinda exciting

every single day you have sustained our lives and the entire world

windows open and the sound of birds -- from the living room I can hear birds out the north and south windows

strengthened faith of Liao Sha and her perspective drawn from Proverbs 1