It’s a May Day to celebrate!

I can’t believe this little cutie is 6! This year, Jubilee got TWO cakes because we thought we would be traveling on her birthday.  Turned out we didn’t but she got two anyway! Her birthday presents this year included stuffed animals, Doc Mcstuffins, and coloring tools. Happy Birthday Jubilee!

Our good local friends had a baby boy! He is number 2 for them as their first was a girl who is now almost 3.  It is amazing to be able to welcome a new little one!

Hosanna has learned to skateboard AND make popcorn on the stove these last few months! Yay!

This winter, during the New Year holiday, we took a little trip to an old town on the old tea horse road.  Visited some old friends, saw some old places, and were refreshed.

You may be wondering what it is people do when they return home. Well, one 20-year-old we know said she spends the 2 weeks watching movies and being bored as she doesn’t have any good friends to hang out with when she goes home. 

But this year, we were anything but bored as we had the honor of visiting with our local neighbors in our village.  This visiting period takes place on New Year’s Day and the following few days after.

Upon arrival, you deliver the goods you have brought.  This year we did a bottle of our homemade wine, flower tea, walnuts, honey, and long johns for the grandpa and grandma of the house.  Next, you would prostrate (bow down to the floor on your hands and knees) before the oldest male in the house.  You do the same before the family alter.  We did not do this and were not expected to.  But you can imagine the conflict for our local Brothers and Sisters.  Below are examples of family alters we saw today.  You will notice similarities. 

Next, you sit by the fire….

…and eat snacks and drink yak butter tea.

Then, you chat…

…and enjoy the fire…

….while the ladies of the house prepare a meal.  Today we had a variety of noodles and steamed buns. 

There is also a separate seating area around a TV.  Again, notice the similarities between these 2 seating areas below.

Then finally, after a respectable time has passed (anywhere between 10 minutes to an hour to all day, depending on your relationship with the host), you can take your leave and move on to the next house.  The host will often offer a parting gift.  Today we got 2 large pieces of home-raised pork, fruit, breads, and homemade cooking oil.  And, if you are a kid, you look forward to a red envelope that has the equivalent of $6-$15 in it.  With 4 kids, our family could put a strain on another family we are visiting.  Because each kid gets one, we are careful with who we visit and tried to split up.  We also try to counter balance this red envelope gift with the gifts we bring.  Jubilee came with us and the older 3 went to visit at their 2 friends’ homes on their own. Jubilee made out like a bandit.

And of course, no holiday would be complete without fireworks!

While we Americans celebrated the new year on the 31st of December, millions of people on this side of the world are celebrating the new year on February 15th.  This is because people around here follow the lunar calendar and this year, the day after Valentine’s Day is the day. 

Like most major holidays, this one is spent with family and you must be prepared! People go all out for this one and have to bring gifts and money for family. This time of year is one of the world’s largest annual human migration as everyone is traveling back to their family home. 

This is what the street looked like where our market is located.  It may not look like much but around here, this may as well be the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Chicago for all the extra people there are out and about.

One must stock up on the basics and specialty items that are available for the new year. 

These below are sweet, crispy rice balls.   Candy and fruit are also popular gifts to give or offer to visitors . And whatever you do, do NOT forget the nuts and seeds!

One must always look correct so, this lady is selling new head adornments that you can buy for yourself or a loved one.  She also happens to be modeling how to wear these head pieces. 

Paying respect to your ancestors is also a part of this holiday so one must bring things to offer at their home alters. If one is Buddhist, however, then you offer these things to Buddha.  Below are prayer flags, flowers, candles, statues, vases, and pictures that are placed in a family’s home alter.  They are also placed at a holy spot located outside; typically at the mouth of a spring, a mountain top, or any other place in nature that holds special meaning by the people that live around it.

These are juniper branches that are to be burned as they are very smokey and fragrant.  The thought is that the strong smoke and sent will travel up better into the heavens as a good offering. 

Needless to say, we do not celebrate New Year’s in this way. These days, we can barely muster the energy to stay up past midnight on December 31st! This year, however, we invited everyone we knew that would not be returning home this year to eat with us in our home.  One family and one older single guy were able to come. We ate together and played games and had a great time. 

One special memory was hearing from my friend on how she celebrates the new year in her home town.  She told me that they don’t return because the financial burden is too high.  They are expected to bring about $1,600 cash with them (in local currency) along with gifts.  It is more shameful to go home and not have the money and gifts than to just not go home at all.  She also told me of how her family misses them and that it has been 3 years since she was able to go home.   Her father cried when they were on a Skype call and wasn’t able to talk to her for the tears; he missed her so much.  I could relate. 

Hot pot is a popular meal around here and it’s not hard to understand why. You get to sit around a boiling pot of soup and cook your own fresh vegetables and meat. The bonus is a nice warm up and a good meal on a cold day.  Here’s the run down.

Pick your place. We’ve been liking this place lately because it is a chain restaurant.  We like that it is always clean, they always have the same items on the menu, the service is pretty consistent, AND there is a bathroom WITH soap in the restaurant. 

Select your vegetables and meat from this nice, multiple choice menu.

Mix your own dipping sauce from the sauce bar.  There is an assortment of pickeled vegetables, spices, and oils including minced garlic, green onion, peanuts, red pepper, sesame, fermented bean paste. Ok, you get the idea. 

Put your meat and vegetables, a plate or two at a time, in the boiling soup. 

Pick a piece from the pot when it is done cooking and dip in your sauce. Don’t forget to add a little stock from the soup to your sauce as well.  Gives it a nice consistency.  This below is a strip of tofu.

Eat! Best meal ever. Oh, and we’ve not been able to enjoy hot pot until recently.  You eat this at a slower pace so combine this laid back affair with the fact that there is a boiling pot (some times with red hot coals under) in the middle of a table and you don’t get a meal that is great with babies and toddlers!  Here’s to growing up!

We decided to ring in the new year at our town’s carnival. After months of begging, the children were quite suprised when we told them we were taking them there for a mini-celebration.  Only pictures can really give you the full experience. 

We gave the children about $5 each and told them to go wild. They could choose any 3 of the following rides:

This one down here we actually told them was NOT an option…..I’m sure they will forgive us later….

There was also a refreshment stand….

….and arcade.

Dont forget the animals!

Ephrem and Jada picked the go carts….which needed a little push start.

Hosanna and Jubilee picked the merry-go-round. TWICE!

We all decided to do the bumper cars…..which was a highlight. The girls are wearing helmets because we went skating at a public park right after and they didn’t want to carry them or leave them in the car. 

In the end, an epic time was had by all.  Just goes to show you, fun and happiness really is a state of mind.