Random Follow-Up

I had to wrap up the last post quickly, in order to catch the bus from school.  Since my Internet access is good again today, I wanted to post a follow-up, and cover some things that I didn't have time for yesterday.

First, about the frying pan.  Most nights I have stir-fry for dinner, so something to fry in is absolutely essential.  Can't go a day without it.  I was also out of rice, which made a trip to Carrefour last evening doubly imperative.

This time, I decided to ask a colleague for the name of a good brand of cookware.  I thought I'd get a wok this time, since I like to stir-fry Chinese style.  I asked a Chinese colleague whose English is very good (she has lived in Canada), and she told me a good brand, and wrote it down in English and Chinese.  When I went to Carrefour,I found a brand whose English name seemed similar, but not identical.  Looking at the Chinese characters she had written down, however, they seemed the same.  So, I bought a 3-piece set.  Wok, saucepan (with lid), and kettle (with lid and steam whistle).  The whole set cost only 149 yuan.  And last night, my dinner cooked up easier, tasted better, and cleaned up easier than ever before.  So much better with the right equipment!  (Sorry, no pics of wok or dinner.  Maybe next time.)

While I was at Carrefour, I saw some things that I found interesting.  Particularly, the meat they apparently had on special:

Poster Advertising Raw Chicken Feet

You can apparently buy chicken feet by the half-kg at Carrefour.  I can usually read Chinese prices, but I can't read that, so I can't tell you how much they cost.  My cookware consultant tells me that they are cooked delicately and eaten as snacks, like finger food while watching TV.  Who knew?  I thought they were just boiled in water to make stock.

Near the rice area, on the other hand, I found a product that is very common in the U.S.:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Apparently, olive oil is considered so pricey that it has some kind of anti-theft device on it.  But, with the exchange rate, that price is the equivalent of less than ten bucks.  Perhaps because it's so small.  These are half-liter bottles.  Not sure how much that would sell for in the U.S.

Well, I didn't buy the olive oil, because I wasn't planning any Italian food.  My peanut oil is great for stir-fry.  Dinner was tasty, as mentioned above, and I'm looking forward to making tea in the wintertime.

Knitting
Here is the latest picture, taken last night, of my brown cardigan:

Brown Cabled Cardigan with Shawl Collar

As you can see, I have finished picking up around the front.  I have also finished the lengthening short-row portion of the shawl collar, adapted from a pattern that my mother bought called Dark & Stormy.  (If you know my mom, you can e-mail her for details.)  Now, it's just K1P1 rib for 1.5", then do buttonholes, then rib for another 1.5".  The D&S pattern has a three-stitch, two-row buttonhole that is supposed to use buttons of about 1".  I would like to experiment with that type of buttonhole, but I'm afraid the required buttons might be a bit large for a man's cardigan.  (I'm going for the professor look.)  I think I will just go with the Jacqueline Fee approach, and use a YO K2tog buttonhole.

I'm still looking for a source for knitting needles and tools, and better yarn selection.  I will probably have to make friends with a Chinese girl who speaks English, and get her to help me.

Prayer Requests
I got paid today!  Praise God for a paid job, and also for helping me make it to payday with cash to spare.

On that note, please pray that God will help me manage my money wisely.  I have many things I want to spend it on, like a bike, Internet for my apartment, a mobile phone account, and many other things.  Someone from the school will probably help me set up a bank account, and Internet access.  However, I can't just live paycheck to paycheck, because I only have two weeks' work in July, and none in August.  I need to make it to the end of September, and I also have other expenses.

Also, please pray for God to reveal his will for me in the area of love and marriage.  One of my new friends at church, a German brother, met his wife here, and they have been married for two years.  Most Chinese girls are apparently under a fair bit of pressure to get a boyfriend and get married while they are still in their prime childbearing years.  I can see myself marrying a Chinese woman, but I definitely don't want to rush this.

That's about all.  Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying.  May God bless you.