Somedays, I totally feel like getting out the Dick and Dora first readers again. Only I can't find them in Chinese.

Today at school, I learned to write my name.

I totally got off the bus, ran up the stairs, through the door, promptly threw off my shoes and dumped my bag on the floor and yelled to Jason, "Guess what? Today I learned to write my name! Wanna see?".

Then I busted up laughing because 1. I felt like I was in preschool again 2. Jason wasn't home 3. I should've known Jason wasn't home cause I had to unlock the door and 4. I was ravenously hungry which just seemed to be the icing on the cake (no pun intended).

But I can write my name!

Which means, I can also read my name. Which means, I can officially read and write Chinese characters, which my friends, is no small feat. (Well, in my mind anyway -- please allow me to indulge myself a little. Trust me, the ego will be promptly deflated as soon as I get to school tomorrow and can't remember if the subject comes before the time word or not.)

扬 丽秋 -- I can write that (Yáng Lì qīu -- my name). Ok, I'll admit it -- I can't write it beautifully yet

but at least I can write it and people can read what I wrote. Which just adds to the whole

preschool/humiliating feeling but I can write my name better than Jason can write his and that

does make me feel better.

The irony of the situation is that when I was in grades one and two, I remember during

hand-writing, the teacher would walk around the class room and choose the five neatest books to

be put on display for the rest of the day. It was always my greatest ambition to be one of the top

5 and I'm proud to say that most of the time, my book made it to at least one of those prized

position and many times it was the first. Now, I'm lucky to get the stroke order at least half correct

but usually I get "That's not very beautiful." (please read that in a heavy Chinese accent with a

completely straight face). I'm told my writing is too slanted -- it should be completely straight or

people will have to stand on one leg to read it and then they will fall over (literally -- if its slightly

slanted, its completely illegible). My writing isn't beautiful enough. Often, the teacher will ask me

to write first, and then he will write the character the proper way, point to mine and say "This.

This is more ugly (ug-a-ly -- it has three syllables). This (pointing to his own) is more beautiful.

Your writing must be beautiful or no one will read it. It doesn't matter what it says -- it all matters

only how it makes the reader to feel like. This (pointing again to his) makes me feel, aah, like

everything is beautiful. This (pointing to mine) makes me feel sad." (Again, read this in a heavy

Chinese accent -- my teacher's English is decent but his choice of words and accent crack me

up.) Its a sad but true fact. If I get so much as a stroke out of order, the teacher can tell -- mostly

because the word is suddenly, completely illegible. Even if I know what I'm trying to write, he

is unsure just because I wrote the shù before the héng. And of course, my teacher has been

taking calligraphy since we was old enough to hold a brush in his right hand (ooh, Jason's so

lucky he's not in Lin Laoshi's class! This is not a left-handed society!).

During the week, I just have regular language classes but on Tuesdays, I take a shū huà

(calligraphy class). At the end of class today, my teacher held up my work (much to my dismay)

for all the students to see. I knew it was bad but then my teacher told the class that he was just

impressed that a foreigner would even take the class in the first place and so I should be

commended for even trying (at least I'm telling myself that's what he said from my limited

understanding of Chinese and his limited English -- the actual calligraphy teacher doesn't speak

much English). He took my work for grading (why bother is what I wanted to know!) and said:

"liàn xí, liàn xí, liàn xí!" I'll let you translate that one!

NB: These are photos from a random calligraphy studio we happened upon during one of our many explorations throughout the city. I'm not that bad that they put me in the kiddie class! And

my mum did manage to find me some early Chinese readers but I think they're not early enough

because I've had them for several months now and still can't read much of them...

Rachel -- 13th of October, 2009

Not only can she make bread...she can also make her very own yoghurt! Without a thermometer! And who says home-made yoghurt isn't thick and creamy? Cause mine was! Pretty good for a first try if I do say so myself. And yes I am totally patting myself on the back...

So I read an article the other day about making your own feta cheese...

Rachel -- 9th of October, 2009

Sorry, had to take a moment to brag: I managed to make a loaf of bread from scratch! With Wheat that I even ground myself in a coffee grinder! And now I have yoghurt in the incubator so we'll see how that turns out...

Rachel -- 8th of October, 2009

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! This is a particularly long post so get on your jammies and snuggle up with a good cup of tea and a moon-cake while I tell you the legend behind the holiday...(as told to me by my language teacher, so bear with me as I'm literally translating his Chinglish version into English.)

One year in ancient times, there appeared in the sky ten suns which were so scorching that smoke kept rising from the earth and all the seas dried up making living circumstances unbearable.

A hero named Hou Yi who was very worried by this, ascended to the top of the Kunlun mountain. (Enter stage right: Hou Yi dramatically ripping open shirt to reveal superman S) Directing his superhuman strength to the full extent, he drew his extraordinary bow and shot down the nine superfluous suns one after another.

Hou Yi was respected and loved by the people for the unparalleled meritorious service he rendered. Lots of people came to him to lean the martial arts. All this while, Peng Meng, a cunning and treachrous disciple of Hou Yi, (who entertained dark schemes in his head) lurked in the shadows. (Peng Meng stealthily enter stage left; suspenseful music increases)

Before long, Hou Yi took a wife -- a beautiful and kindhearted woman named Chang E. (Enter Chang E. with gown covered with as many sequins and spangles and she needs more glittery make up, damn it. I thought I told you -- go heavy on the glitter! Where are the ruby red slippers?) So now, besides hunting and martial arts, Hou Yi was with his wife much of the day long. People all admired the affectionate couple of a perfect match. (For pete's sake, this is China not Bollywood! You can kiss the girl on the mouth you know!)

One day, on his way to the Kunlun Mountain to call on friends and seek for virtue, he ran upon the empress of heaven, Wang Mu who was passing by. (Enter Wang Mu stage left, gracefully...ok...stop. What is this? People. Where are my sparkles? This dress is only mostly covered with sequins not entirely covered with sequins. Fix it! Somebody's going to loose their head tonight...) So he asked of Wang Mu a bottle of elixir, by taking which, it was said that one would ascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial being (cue heavenly music).

Hou Yi however, hated to part with his wife. So he gave the elixir to Chang E to treasure for the time being. Chang E was hiding the bottle in the treasure box of her dressing table when (cue suspenseful music) unexpectedly, it was seen by Peng Meng (cue Peng Meng's sinister laugh -- Baw Ha Haaaw).

Three days later, when Hou Yi led his disciples out hunting, Peng Meng who harboured dark intentions and resentment toward his master, remained under the false pretense of illness. Soon after Hou Yi left with his other disciples, Peng Meng, sword in hand, rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to hand over the elixir. (suspenseful music reaches climax and struggle to ensue. Chang E blood curdling scream...what was that? For goodness sakes, woman, you are Chinese. I know you can scream better than that.)

Aware that she was unable to defeat Peng Meng, Chang E made a prompt decision at that critical moment. She opened her treasure box, took the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. (silence music) (cue heavenly music)

As soon as Chang E swallowed the elixir her body floated off the ground, out of the window and toward heaven. All the while she worried about her husband, so she was able to descend and be turned into a celestial being on the moon which was the nearest she could be to the earth from among the stars.

When Hou Yi returned home at dark, the maidservants told him tearfully what had happened (cue sad music and fake, dramatic sobbing complete with tears). Shocked and angry, Hou Yi took out his sword and went to kill Peng Meng only to find Peng Meng had already fled hours ago. Hou Yi was so distraught that he beat his breast and stamped his feet and kept crying out in bitterness.

Hou Yi, overcome with grief, was looking up into the night sky and calling out to his beloved wife by name when, to his surprise (cue surprised music) he found the moon was especially bright and on it there was (not a man, or a rabbit or a chicken) a swaying shadow that was exactly like his wife!

Hou Yi hurriedly arranged an incense table in the garden that Chang E loved. He put on the table the sweatmeats and fresh fruits that Chang E enjoyed the most and held a memorial service for Chang E who was sentimentally attached to him by the presence of the moon.

The End.

Now funnily enough, moon cakes have nothing to do with any of that. The story goes that during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1280 - 1368), China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty (AD 960 - 1280) were unhappy at submitting to the foreign rule. They managed to coordinate a rebellion without being discovered by making special 'Moon Cakes' for the upcoming Moon/Mid-Autumn Festival. They baked special messages with the outline of the proposed attack into each cake so on the night of the Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend.

Every year in Nanning the Guangxi TV station has party to celebrate the moon festival and obviously they try to out do themselves every time. Zhōng Qiū Jíe falls on the Autumnal Eqinox so the moon is perfectly full. Because the full moon is round, it therefore symbolises reunion. All family members try to get together for this holiday and things are done "in the round" for example this party, was held in a circle with the stage being the middle. Which lends itself to perfect 'rave' atmosphere when all the festivities are over!

Chinese love glow sticks and cheap junk -- you would think this is almost a holiday to celebrate the conception of the first dollar store or something.

Our next door neighbours from Vietnam -- also big fans of the moon festival although I'm sure they have their own ideas of how it started.

As do the Japanese...

Oh my gosh there are Indians in Nanning! I tried to get a chance to ask them if they have lentils and will they sell me some but they were constantly surrounded by the girls who forgot their pants (yes they really danced in those hoochy mamma shorts -- God have mercy on us!)

I believe they were acting out the Moon Festival story. If we had a China's Got Talent, they'd win hands down.

I swear I never knew we had this many foreigners in Nanning! And he was rapping in French.

And I don't know if this is exactly true but supposedly, this guy is the original Charlie Brown singing voice, Larry Love? Can anyone back me up on this cause the internet's not helping me out...

And of course High School Musical is alive and well here. Perhaps China is the only country in the world where the average age of a HSM fan is 18 +

Our nex-next door neighbour, the lovely Thai people.

And my lovely friend who actually got to be a host on the tv programme...

Everyone say hi to your friendly PSB officer! He wouldn't miss this for the world.

The after party!

And while we're at it, this is the lovely new bridge out the back of our place that people were setting illegal wishing lanterns off all night, keeping the police very busy.

I'm not even going to bother trying to catch up on National Day as that was already almost a week ago and I have to go back to school in 2 days so we'll just keep going from here and the next festival is the Nanning Food festival with the Folk Festival arriving shortly on its heels so that should keep us busy for a while!

Rachel -- 7th of Oct, 2009

If there's one thing I'm discovering over the years, its that the most interesting things to do while traveling -- and I mean the grown-up, actually worth doing things -- cost way.too.much.money.

I love guidebooks. I'm partial to Lonely Planet seeing as they're Australian and the books read just as well as they inform. I love their Shoestring Guides. BUT I think someone should (maybe me?!) write a book titled something along the lines of How to See the World And Not Pay a Cent.

So perhaps I shouldn't boast about it but I found a way into the Museum of Natural History in New York City without paying. When we went to Shanghai, we wanted to make it to the viewing platform of the tallest building. It isn't the tallest building in the world but it has the tallest observation deck in the world. The Shanghai World Financial Centre is 492 m (1,610ft) tall. Its the tallest building in China and is in the top ten tallest buildings in the world, and it looks like a giant zipper in my opinion. Or maybe a bottle opener. But a Samurai sword? Supposedly it looks like the end of the blade of a Japanese Samurai sword before they put the handle on it. Not the sharp, pointy end, the other end that has the handle attached to it. Anyway its a pretty amazing view from the top -- if you can afford to pay the 100Y a person to get there. Or if you go into the Park Hyatt behind...well lets just say, we got five people up there for the price of one by buying sundried tomatoes, olives, and mushrooms. You could techically stand up there for free until they kick you out but if you want to hang out for awhile...well the food was just as delicious as the view!

Rachel -- 2nd of October, 2009