粽子 Zhong-Zi & Bean Milk Maker

The blocking of Google in China really distracts much of my interest in reading and posting blogs.  However I still insist in using Google blogspot to record my life here and to keep my friends updated. This post and many past posts are posted through email.

This summer we had a lot of rain in Suzhou.  Sometimes the temperature did not feel like summer. Most of the time it was hot. One cool day, I decided to make Zhong-zi.  Zhongzi was supposed to be made and eaten on Dragon Boat Festival. But this year I had not made any of them yet.  I bought some on that day and they taste good but too salty.  Here are the ones I made yesterday.  The taste was good. The ingredients were dried mushrooms, raw peanuts, meat, dried shrimps, salty egg yolk and the main ingredient, glutenous rice.

今年还没包过粽子，因为端午节太热了，刚好台妈之中有人包来卖，就买了。买来的好吃，但太咸、太油，好处是没加味精。

这二周心血来潮包了二次粽子，第一次口味太淡，第二次则是（自卖自夸）几近完美啦！

我把剩下的材料加入番茄和白菜下去电锅煮，又成了一道配饭、面的佳肴。

 

 

Zhongzi Nude

The leftover ingredients cooked with tomato and veggies.

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Play with my new Bean milk maker (Soybean Milk Maker)

I bought one Bean soup maker this week and had enjoyed the fresh healthy bean milk every morning. 

 I soak the beans ( whatever beans are fine) overnight, and next morning I turn on the machine to make soup. After 20 mins the bean milk is ready.

九阳豆浆机是大陆制的，但是品质感觉很好，也很便利，买了后，，每天都做混合的豆奶喝，我买的是最基本款的，很够用。算一算我们只要连续喝35天的自制豆奶，就能捞回成本，败家的借口太容易找了。

Cool in refig will taste better

 Next week I will be back to my home country for two weeks. Enjoy your summer!

Kid's Story: Sharing the Bone

Summer break already began. We go to the pool every afternoon.  Winston does not sign up for any private skill training classes as most Chinese kids do in the summer, because I think he may not have enough free time to do things.

To make his summer not so boring, I planned some writing and painting hours for him at home. After building his blog in Window Live, his writing improved a lot, but still not good.  I let him practice writing in English and Chinese in turn in his blog. I found some tool books about kid's writing at the on-line bookstore. They are still on the way. Before then, I thought I may give Winston the practice on "Look and Write". 

Wisnton is not good at coloring.  Richy said maybe we should let him attend a painting class.  I am still hesitating.  Do kids have to gain all kinds of skills? Winston has talents and interest in Music but none( or very little) in painting . He draws but does not draw very well. I think, to him, the painting lesson at school is enough for entertaining and training.  I would let him take painting class only when he likes to.  For now, we just "play" writing and paiting at home. Here is his "colorful" dog story. He gave the title "Sharing the Bone" to it. Enjoy~

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Pictures Drawn by: June

Pictures Colored by: Wisnton

Story Written by: Winston

Sharing the Bone

       One day a dog saw a bone. He liked it so he ran to the bone. The bone looked delicious. The dog wanted to eat it so he walked closer and closer. Suddenly a lady dog came by. She looked hungry. Then the dog let her take the bone.

       The dog had nothing to eat and became hungry.  Few days later, the lady dog came back with two bones to share with the dog.

才藝觀摩 Kids Talent Show

Parents and kids loved our last week's bakery workshop so much, so this week we planned a talent show for the kids.  Every kids show her/his  talent by telling stories, presenting paintings, or playing music. Kids enjoyed the show so much.  After they finished, everyone volunteered for an encore performance. So Winston played on violin song and told 3 riddles, then he played one piano song as an encore. After the talent show, kids played in the house and parents chatted and drank tea in the dining room.  I enjoyed the opportunity to know other parents, exchange views, and learn from others.

上次的烘培體驗營反應特好， 我們趁大家的暑期活動還沒展開之前，辦了一次非常輕鬆的才藝交流觀摩會，地點是在LuQi同學家。孩子們本來有點緊張 ，到後來(為了得到棒棒糖)每個都要求要加演一場， 所以平均一個孩子表演了三個節目。節目之後，孩子在不同房間裡玩 ，我們大人則是在餐廳喝茶、吃點心、交流閑聊。Winston同学的妈妈们都很重视教育，也很用心在分享 、學習親子教育經驗。來蘇州二年，我這個台媽很高興開始認識大陸媽媽。

LuQi妈妈很好客， 準備了很多東西 ，吃不完還讓我們帶回家 ，言談舉止中， 覺得她是個有涵養的成熟女性 ，我們的家庭、成長背景不同，但頗談得來。 

 

 

三種人 People and Respect

蘇州有三種人:老外 、台客、 老中

多數的老外是有禮貌的Gentlemen, 但我在五星級泳池看到一些自認不可一世、嬌慢無理的老外。有人動不動就對著服務人員大罵， 要服務人員卑躬屈膝賠不是， 找來Manager, 取得下一次的免費泳券; 有人下泳池不按規定戴泳帽,有人怕別人碰到她，把泳池當私家泳池，仰泳不閃躲，還抱怨泳客會濺水。

多數的台客是文明的，他們也這麼自認著，但我曾看到數十位台客聚餐，沒有包下整個場地，卻聒噪如雷。很慚愧地，我當時也身在其中 ，當時我想，應該不會有助紂為虐的下一次了。

印象中，多數的老中在與前二者比較時，是比較不守規則、自私的，我也覺得如此。但我遇到、聽到的老中，除了開車習慣和那些貪官、奸商之外，很多是良善的。我們說他們愛高調，那是他們的問題，也是經濟發展中的過渡現象而已；想一想，我們台灣，很多老人家還不是愛很高調地炫耀房子、車子、孩子、孫子、和有錢有勢的朋友們。

沒有任何一個國家的人是絕對的，去除偏見，理解、包容、原諒那些不合理的， 尊重那些應該被尊重的人。

If I put the people in Su-zhuou into three catergories, there would be Westerners, Taiwanese, and Chinese (local residents). This kind of classification is not proper, but it easier for me to talk about the issue. 

Most westerners in Suzhou are gentlemen, but I saw few ugly cases in the 5-star swimming pool.  One guy shouted to the service desk and accused the staff not doing as he requested. He called for the manager and got some free coupons for more visits. And he did that not for just once.

These recent months, I did not see him. I guess he must be back to his country for good. I also saw one lady, who treated the pool as her private own pool. She got nervous whenever someone swam close to her.  She could change her direction a bit to avoid close contact in the pool, but she did not. She kept complaining to the working staff like a fragile baby, and finally she was directed to a quiet lane where no one will disturb her comfy back-stroke. As one of the swimer in the pool, I felt bad about someone pointing to pool and complained about us swimers who all behaved. There was another lady who never put on her swimming cap and let her long hair floating in the pool. She shouted to the staff when the shower supply was a bit out of function but was soon fixed (in 3 mins).  

Most Taiwanese consider themselves better civilized than local Chinese. Last month, I happened to attend a Taiwanese reunion lunch in a restuarant.  There were more than 40 people in reunion, but we did not reserve the whole space, the meeting room was not separated from other guests. I felt ashamed about the noises we created. We often critized about Chinese talking loud in the public area, but we were even louder in that meeting.  I said to myself it would be my first and last time to attend this kind of party.  I did not want to make other or myself suffer in that situation again.

Most Chinese are considered not civilized enough and selfish (compared with the above two). Based on my observation in these 2 years, yes, especially for their driving patterns.  I know many known hidden rules. And I read many news about corruptions and poison food  made by ugly business man. Except for the mentioned, most Chinese people I know are nice and kind. Many  Chinese like to brag about their wealth by driving named cars, buying houses, etc..  To me that is their business. Many elder Taiwanese also like to brag about their houses, cars, rich friends, sons, and grandsons.  I consider many phenomenon as the culture and the pocess of the economy development, which Taiwan had experienced in its earlier years and some still exist today.

My point is that there is no one people can be strictly put into one category. We are all human in different colors or backgrounds. Family and education matter a lot. More understanding will help us forget and forgive those seemed unreasonable behaviors. We need to respect people wherever they are from. It takes turns for countries to be rich and people to be in charge.