A Day in the Life

Some people have mentioned that they haven't heard much about Mr. and Mrs Z lateley, so since not much of note went on today I thought I would catch you up. Actually, there is not much to tell here. Things have fallen into a routine. Mrs. Z is out the door by a little after six a.m. for her morning walk. I usually manage to struggle outside by 6:20 or so for a thirty to forty minute run, and if I don't go to the track but run around the campus I usually cross paths with her. There are actually quite a number of folks out walking at that time, some of whom are doing a slow shuffle (actually just a bit slower than I go these days) while there are actually one or two going at a pretty decent clip. Anyway, I get back in time to take a shower before breakfast. Breakfast has been a challenge. I think I may have mentioned this earlier. It originally started as a bowl of boiled milk, a hard boiled egg and some white bread. I managed to get the milk replaced by soymilk and then started searching for a cereal. I found some corn-flake like stuff, but then found something a little more substantial in the form of a type of instant oatmeal. I had hoped to eliminate the egg but have not found a way to do that succesfully. I think they would feel they weren't feeding me if I didn't eat that egg. It would be like I was not getting a complete breakfast. So I eat my egg every morning but vow never to eat another egg again as soon as I complete the homestay. So to get back to my schedule, I eat breakfast and then have to brush my teeth in the kitchen sink in front of everyone (During one room cleaning Mrs. Z saw my toothbrush and immediatley put in in the kitchen where of course a toothbrush belongs) and head out for the day.

I don't see Mr and Mrs Z again until I get home around 5:30. We were eating at around six but the time seems to have switched until right around 5:30 when I have time to undress and lie down for a few minutes before Mr Z calls me to dinner with "chu fan" (eat meal). Dinner is nothing fancy but is generally pretty healthy consisting in a lot of vegetable dishes. I have learned to be careful with what I eat because if I express an interest in anything I am bound to see it or some version of it again, and again, and again. This has generally worked out pretty well as they see that I like tofu and a lot of vegetables and that is what the meals have sort of evolved into. The only strategic mistake I have made in this regard is expressing an interest in "nan gua" (pumpkin), which is great for Halloween but I wouldn't recommend for dinner

After dinner we take a nightly walk of about an hour. The problem is I never know when the walk is going to begin. At some point after dinner and before it gets dark Mrs Z says, "we are going," and literally within 15 seconds they are out the door. So I must be on constant alert after dinner awaiting this signal. Afterwards I do some work or sometime head out for the evening if something is going on. But during the week I am generally pretty wiped by the time the walk is over.

And that is pretty much it here in Zhung Guo.