The two best things in China you can't bring home.

Hello? Remember me? The neglected sock that is telling this story? The only action I am seeing is from the unprecedented hour M.L.I.S. wakes up every morning until the rest of China wakes up. Perhaps she will not adjust to the time change... Oh well, lots of early morning knitting for me! You'd think she'd be further along.

Reportedly the two best things you can get in China are the food and the massage.

1. The Food:

This morning the kids, M.L.I.S. and Connie (professor from Oregon), went with Melissa (Harvard PhD student doing research, mother of 2, and all around neat person) out to the street vendors to procure breakfast. They returned with rice balls, sesame balls, jianbing, dumplings, egg bread and "churros" minus the cinnamon sugar. Apparently it was delicious. So good, in fact, that they will venture out every morning to get some more. Melissa taught them how to order and the locals were very patient with their attempts. Jianbing was a definite favourite. It starts out with batter spread over a hot griddle with a piece of wood. Then an egg is broken and spread over. Then sesame paste is "painted" on with an actual paintbrush. Hashbrowns, pickled veggies, cilantro, onion, a little chili paste and a chunk of "crispy goodness" complete the ensemble. Savoury, crispy, yummy.

# 2. The Massage:

M.L.I.S. went with Connie for an appointment with a Chinese sledgehammer Chinese massage. Can you say "deep tissue massage"? How about "pressure point"? Let's try "pressure pointS - as in plural". She loved every minute of it.