Well-Fed and Entertained

Keats School has done a pretty good job of keeping us fed and entertained. My first night here, the school treated the students to a delicious dinner featuring local dishes. Then about two weeks ago, Xue Feng, who runs the school, made us dumplings. At first, there were only five of us sitting at the table, and I didn't think anyone else was coming. Xue started bringing out plate after plate of hot, scrumptious vegetable dumplings. My mother raised me to be a polite guest, and polite guests do what they can not just to finish what's put on their plate, but to eat as much as they can of whatever their gracious host has prepared. I proceeded to eat about 30 dumplings, just to be polite. Of course, after twenty minutes, half a dozen other people showed up. There was still enough for everyone, which is good because that means I'll still be invited to school dinners.

Last week, we all went to a crazy restaurant down the street from here, that serves a variety show with dinner. Everything was in Chinese, but you don't need a translation for flamboyant costumes, exuberant dances or performers putting flaming torches down their pants, against a fake "pastoral Yunnan" background. Good times were had by all, and again, I misjudged how much food would be coming out and ate entirely too much of the first course.