Yesterday we went to Beijing to see the Summer Palace of Qin dynasty
emperors.  It was very beautiful.  We were lucky because the weather was
cool.  It was very moist, so I still sweated like a pig.  The moisture and
the smog combined to make visibility very limited.  The Summer Palace is on
a small island in the middle of a lake.  We took several boat rides to
different islands and hiked a lot.  It was a great place to visit, and we
were exhausted by the end of the day.  I got bit by a mosquito in a rest
stop bathroom in Beijing.  It has swollen up very badly (on my leg), just
like the bites I get at home.  I've been lucky that I have not been having
this kind of bad reaction to the mosquitos here in Tianjin.  I was just
given some Chinese medicine to put on it.

This afternoon we're watching the video, "Jumanji."  Marlene read the book
to the students this morning in her classes.  The students are also working
together in groups to design a board game.  The movie should be fun for them
to see.

I forgot to tell you about our dance last week, after our luncheon feast. We
(along with the students)  did the line dance I had taught them, "Achy
Breaky Heart."  Marlene and I did the tango to a Chinese karaoke song, and
then we taught the students the "cha cha" to a Chinese song.  Later, the
students began performing the country western line dance to chinese music.
It was amusing.  There are very few men in our classes, so I've been dancing
with many Chinese women, learning the Chinese three-step and four-step.  It
is a lot of fun.

Friday evening, Marlene and I went to a street market just around the
corner, to buy a pair of traditional Chinese shoes to go with a traditional
Chinese silk dress that I bought.  It didn't take long before a crowd
gathered to watch me try on the shoes.  I felt like Cinderella trying on the
glass slipper, with everyone looking on.  The vendors were very friendly and
helpful and I finally found a pair.

The same thing happened on Saturday.  We had all gone across the city to
"Culture Street" to go shopping.  A man was demonstrating a Chinese toy (a
sort of yo-yo) and trying to teach us how to do it (without much luck).  A
large crowd soon assembled to spectate.  We both ended up buying the toys.
I've practiced, and am just starting to get it.  It's fun and will be great
to show my students in the classroom.

Welp, I better go get ready for the afternoon.

How's Nikki?  How's her sneezing???  Give her a treat for me!!

Love,  Sally