Sounds of September

September is noisy as heck in China.

First, you got Ghost Month, a when it is believed the the underworld opens and ghosts are free to roam and trouble the living. Every single day we hear firecrackers exploding obnoxiously, like rounds and rounds of ammo, because it is thought that this will scare away the bad spirits.

Ghost Month is also a good time to send your underworld-dwelling ancestors some comforts of home. You can buy paper cars, shirts, money, and houses to burn in a pyre, the postal method of the underworld.


On top of the explosions, every corner of our campus is occupied with university freshman in military training. Yes, freshman actually do not go to class in September, they just drill all month. If you could have watched them, you'd agree, they've really improved their marches and chants. And they're all decent, but I think the girls look more in unison than the guys. Maybe dance classes help with this sort of thing.


Well, I'm looking forward to a quiet October, free from explosions and drill sergeants.

rach

ONE-derful

Before and after the first haircut. (Caleb? How bout it?)


Birthday party guests.



Titus, our ONE-derful ONE year-old...

...sleeps from 7:30pm to 6:30am, and takes two 1-2 hour naps during the day.

...eats nearly everything we do, and especially likes peas, soybeans, rice-puff cereal and watermelon. He doesn't touch cheese and refuses to be fed from a spoon; he'd rather do it himself!

...wears a cloth diaper with plastic pants.

...stacks cups, pushes trucks, flips the pages of books, strums the guitar (kind of).

...uses sign language for "more" and "all done".

...walks fast and climbs stairs and chairs.

...is fascinated by cranks, tiny things (like the sprinkles on his birthday cake, pebbles on the ground), the toilet, the front door, cell phones, keys and flames.

...gives the sweetest hugs.

...knows not to touch the oven, trash can, stove, computers and diaper pail, usually obeys "no" (followed by some whimpers), and knows not to drop his food on the floor.

...is becoming more willful -- getting mad when we say goodbye to playmates or a favorite toy.

...plays tag and hide-and-seek with Dad.

...nurses four times per day (no plans to stop!).

...doesn't know what to do with crayons except eat them.

...knee-bobs to music with a beat, makes clicking noises with his mouth, says "Mama", "Baba", and "Dada", likes to sit in drawers and boxes.

...is good-natured and easy-going like his Dad.


- Drew & Rachel

Cake n' Cigarettes

L. Jie (pronounced "L. Jay") is our apartment building's gatekeeper/facilities woman. She's a fireball! Smokes, drinks, hollers, and LOVES Titus. She's got a daughter our age who came over to hang out with us last weekend. We met her gregarious husband once; he lives in Guangzhou in the far south.

Every weekday morning Titus and I visit L. Jie for at least a few minutes. She usually offers him some Chinese cake and a cigarette. Like I said, she's rough around the edges! But she's got gusto for life. In fact, I think she plans to live forever. At our dinner table I asked what she imagines shall become of her upon kicking the bucket...

"I'm in really good health! I almost never get sick! When I do get sick I never take medicine; I just rest."

Oh.
Uh, that didn't really answer the question.


We love L. Jie; you would love her too. You can meet her when you come to visit. You're coming to visit, right?


- D, R, T

1st Birthday!

Cake after lunch with teammates.





Hugs from Baba.


Special trip to the indoor play area.







McDonald's. (Drew's favorite part.)


A great first birthday!

We're looking forward to a birthday party planned for this Saturday afternoon.


- Drew, Rachel & Titus