The Search for a Coffeepot

So, as the title suggests I have been on a search for a coffeepot here. Seems like a simple enough task, right? Not so much when you live in a country whose culture is all about tea. Now, don't get me wrong, I love tea (and have a current supply that will probably last a year), but for someone who has grown up drinking coffee since the age of 7, I would choose coffee any day over tea. I did purchase a 1-cup french press at Starbucks when I first arrived here, but that still lets a good majority of the grinds through and makes the coffee taste bitter. So, yesterday I headed out to Lotus (a local supermarket / store) to see if I could find a coffeepot. As I was walking around looking I was quickly approached by four people very eager to help. Knowing that coffeepots and a description of one have not been part of my vocabulary lessons yet, I was straining to think of what to say when all of a sudden a lady started asking me questions in English. In the conversation that ensued it became clear that this store did not have coffeepots, but at this point it didn't matter to me anymore because of my conversation with this lady. Her English name is Claire and while we were just talking about how long I have been in Xi'an and about her learning English, it was exciting to have the opportunity to just chat with her. So, while my initial search may have not produced the results I was looking for, I feel like I got an even better result in the end. I am hoping to visit Lotus more often and hoping to form a friendship with Claire.

Well, for a language update...the week started for me with the last chapter of book 1. That means that next week I begin book #2. To give you an overview of things I am still learning from book 1: all about the 4 tones, 450 vocabulary words, 10 different sentence patterns, and 30 Chinese characters. That may not seem too overwhelming, but let me remind you of a saying the author of our book has for vocabulary: 'If you can't remember the tone, you can't remember the word.' Oh, how true he is. For me is has been easy to remember the spelling of words, but when you begin to get the same word used in all four tones, and you are trying to remember which correct definition it goes with, it becomes a little bit of a challenge. Or even a completely different scenario of having one word with three different definitions; which can lead to some humorous moments in class when I need to translate a sentence from Chinese to English. My teacher also reminded me today that I am doing well, especially in regards to my pace of learning since all her other students are still four chapters behind me. In regards to learning the 30 Chinese characters, it means that I must know how to both read them as well as draw them in correct sequence too. I have a little more time to work with the drawing of the characters, but it is crucial from here on out that I can read the first 30 since the pinyin form of them has now disappeared in the past two chapters and will no longer be presented in future books. By time I get to book 3, which will be a ways off, ninety percent of the book will be characters with only ten percent being pinyin of new vocabulary being taught. Everyday I have more and more appreciation for the Chinese, and do believe they have one of the most difficult languages to learn.

Well, I am gearing up for winter - the temperatures dropped to the 30's tonight, and snow is predicted for tomorrow. By Thursday night it is suppose to be 16 degrees, so I may be staying in that night.

I know I don't say it enough, but thank you to all of you that support me and for thinking of me. I am truly grateful to have people like you in my life and I think of you often. I am sending my love to all of you.