December 1--Day 147

First week teaching Sunday school! You know, dealing with kids is a lot harder when you can't speak their language. But, they were precious. Today's praises included: mommy's who give strawberries, air, and mopped floors. Ha! Rachel decided it would be more fun if she played peek-a-boo rather than pose for a boring ole picture. And, I discovered that I really do respond to "teacher" in Chinese. The second I hear it. If I ever need another nickname, I know what to choose...
Adam (the older boy I tutor) taught me a whole bunch of stuff today. Apparently, "The Avengers" in Chinese translates as something like, "The Alliance of Second/Returned Hatred." Yeah, that kinda works. And, our idiom "racking my brain," is also in China! But instead, they say, "Searching my gut and belly." Cause that's where you keep all your memories...
Dinner with Ray at Noodle King! Found out a dish we've eaten many times is actually pig's skin. We had a great time. Ray is the random guy we met on the bus in August, and I'm so glad we did meet him. We're actually friends, not just aquaintances, like I feel we are with so many people still. And, he can joke around like an American! It's amazing! He told us about the two times he died, once on the day he was born, the second during the Sichuan earthquake in 2008. He was buried in the rubble for two days. "What did you do for two days?" "Slept." He was dead for two days, but he didn't get to see Heaven because it takes four days by car to get there. Who knew?! Ha. The second story was completely made up (the fact that he actually did that shocked Alison and I), but the first was actually true. At Noodle King, you can watch the chefs in their big tall hats make the noodles at the front of the restaurant. I told Ray I wanted a hat. 1) They're cool. 2) If I had a hat like that, I could make anything! (It's a magic hat, you see.) So, after dinner, Ray actually offered to ask them if they'd give me a hat. Whoa! A Chinese person is willing to be embarrassed like that! Willing to do something crazy?! He asked. The chefs thought we were absolutely insane. But I got my white hat! I put it on and walked out of the restaurant like that. Great times. I now own a magic hat. Doesn't get better than that.