It is raining here in Chengdu. The rain imparts a quiet that I believe is rare in this city. People are less likely to be moving about in the rain, and more likely to just sit and watch it fall. It is lovely; the first real rain I've experienced since leaving MN and a very welcome respite from the heat and humidity.

Today, Saturday, was quite full. I started the day early, at 6. What with jet lag and the strange schedule we've been keeping as Trainees, I have no trouble getting up early. My group of Trainees had a half day of training today, a briefing on safety and security in China. It was interesting. I then came home for lunch and studied some vocabulary. My room at my homestay is now peppered with yellow mini Post-it notes, naming all items in the room in Chinese.

At 3 pm, my host father announced that his friend's son was coming over and we were all going to Carrefour. Carrefour is a French chain of grocery stores, and their Chinese incarnation is very impressive. It is a supermarket in the truest sense of the word--they seemed to have everything. Being a Saturday, the store was bustling. As we walked through the produce section, store workers were shouting out sale prices, which added to the general sense of chaos. The "meat" section was not for the faint of heart--all parts of every animal were on display, both fresh and dried. Carrefour even has samples on Saturday, which made me smile. I sampled some tea and some Tang, which I have developed a taste for (...this reminds of TaiAnna, our freshman year of college). I only realized later the purpose for our excursion to the store. Over breakfast this morning, I had mentioned that I wanted to buy some new clothes. The weather here is truly challenging my wardrobe; I only have so many light clothes. So Chen Laoshi (translation: Teacher Chen, a term of respect [he's a doctor]) decided we'd go clothes shopping. I don't believe I've ever been shopping with a grown man and a boy before. Both Chen Laoshi and Jack (the friend's son) seemd rather bewildered by the women's clothing department, but they were determined that I find something to my liking. I ended up buying a shirt, size XL.

After we escaped Carrefour, we drove to Jack's parents' house. They are both called Li Laoshi (this is pronounced roughly Lao-sure) and are engineers. We conversed a bit, with Jack translating. He is in middle school and has studied English for 5 years, so he is pretty good. I then got a lesson on making dumplings, which was great. We had another large dinner, where I was first offered a fork, but then impressed the crowd with my chopstick skills. It is good to have some skills, at least...my Chinese is still severely lacking. But with lots of gestures, smiles and some helpful translation by Jack, we had a fabulous time at dinner. Li Laoshi and Li Laoshi both told me that their home was also my home, and that they'd like me to visit every day. We'll see if I can fit it in. It was really very pleasant, so I am tempted.

An update on the blog situation: I am going to have a States-side proxy, so please resume commenting on posts. I will receive them via email, I think. Of course, email me with any burning questions, or just to say hi. I love news of home and your lives.

Back to studying. Until next time.