Well, it all started off with me cooking Cincinnati Chili for a few of my Chinese friends last weekend. The chili turned out really good (thankfully), but afterwards a few of my friends wanted to out out to sing karaoke… So, being a risk-taker, I said sure. Karaoke in Asia is quite a bit different than Karaoke in the States. In Asia you rent an entire room with your friends, complete with a TV and couch, and nothing more. Luckily, they have a drink menu (you would not have caught me singing if they didn’t!).

So, yeah… We sang till 3am!

Waiting for the Bus to Karaoke (Me, Suzie, Michelle, and Myra)

This weekend we decided to get in more trouble. Off we went to a waterpark in Zhuhai. This waterpark isn’t much of a tourist attraction, and I happened to be the only foreigner in the entire place. That really doesn’t mean much, other than getting stared at a lot. Only, it gets worse… We walk up to the first waterslide, and I volunteer to go first, however the lifeguard didn’t like my typical American swim trunks… He said they were too thick. Now, I really wanted to go on this slide, and because my trunks have no netting, I tend to wear a Speedo under them… So, I walked around all day in my Speedo (I’m sure the Chinese girls loved it, and no, I don’t have any pictures for you)!

I also got told I was too tall for a few slides, kinda funny and disappointing at the same time!

Going into the waterpark

Some more funny pictures:

In order to better familiarize myself with Zhuhai, last weekend and this weekend I jumped on bus 69 (now coined by others as “Matt’s Favorite Bus”) to see some of the popular Zhuhai attractions.

A Bunch of Stairs Across from Jusco
I really have no idea what the actually name of this place is, it’s just a bunch of stairs across from the amazing Japanese supermarket, Jusco. The scenery way just mediocre, but I met some really funny Chinese people. It all started with a random after rain shower. I was just reaching the top of the mass of stairs and it really started to pour. I (not being very bright) had my expensive and big Nikon camera and no bag for it. So, like any somewhat intelligent person, I sought shelter under this small Chinese pavilion at the top of the stairs. I wasn’t the other somewhat intelligent person around, because soon enough their were about 10 of us under this one pavilion. The only problem was that I was the only waiguoren (foreigner). The first 10 minutes under the pavilion was really uneventful, I just stared at the rain while the Chinese children and their parents played around. That soon changed when one really cute Chinese girl came up to me and said hello. I said hello back and smiled at her. Now, when the tall white guy smiles, the Chinese get really excited. So, for the next 30 minutes I heard every bit of English that these people knew… ok, that only consisted of half of the ABC’s song, saying “how old are you”, and hello and goodbye (numerous times). I really learned that a smile goes a long way, regardless of what language you speak.

Jinshan Park (景山公)
I had planned to go to this park on my adventure last weekend, but I couldn’t find it (I blame the rain!).  So, this weekend Suzie, a Chinese teacher at my school, was my tour guide and helped me find it. We hiked up the mountain (in the blistering heat), then rode a some type of sled down… Suzie claimed I cried on the way down, but I wouldn’t believe her!

Gongbei Underground Shopping Mall (拱北地下广场)
We went shopping in a basic underground shopping mall. I bought 3 ties for 100 yuan (about 15 USD) – I’m not quite sure how long they will last, but it wasn’t much of an investment to experiment with. If you want 7 yuan (1 USD) DVD’s or Wii/Xbox games, this is the place to go. We have lunch here too. Suzie told me to get the soup, so I did. She also told me that I was eating duck blood and duck stomach (along with some tofu)… I really wish she didn’t tell me that.

Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai (北京师范大学珠海分校)
Lastly, Suzie and I went to her university to walk around. The campus is away from the city and the scenery is wonderful.

Check out the pictures on my Picasa Web Album gallery!

Well, I’ve been in Zhuhai for just over a week now, so I guess that means I need to update my blog. First off, a video of my apartment to give you an idea of where I live.

Today, my sister, Laura, and I went skydiving. She has wanted to go for a long time, so being a wonderful brother, I agreed to go with her. We did some research, and found Skydive Kentucky, out of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. They are a wonderful group of people and we highly recommend them!

Check out the pictures and video below!

A few months ago Yui sent me a package of something called Hashed Meat and Rice Roux (that was the only thing on the package written in English). Along with the roux she sent a recipe, which I tried to cook tonight.

The Ingredients

• .75 lbs of thinly sliced beef (I chose sirloin tip steak)
• 1 cup of sliced carrots
• 1 cup of sliced celery
• 2 medium onions (chopped)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 1 hashed meat and rice roux package
• Some vegetable oil
• 2.5 cups of water

The Directions

1. Stir-fry the chicken and onions in oil in a large pot.
2. Shortly after, add the carrots and celery.
3. Once the beef is cooked throughout, add the water and bring to a boil.
4. While the water is boiling, add the tomato. Boil for 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes, add roux package and simmer.
6. Serve it over rice!

Last week I traveled to New York City to visit my brother and spend time with some members of my home church while they did mission work in the city. I also showed a friend of mine around the city. Below is a list of the place we went along with a few pictures.

• American Museum of Natural History
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art

• The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

• The Empire State Building

• Times Square

• Grand Central Station

• The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine

So, tonight I thought I’d try to make Japanese Curry for dinner. Chris Hamby had taught me how to make Japanese Curry when I visited him in Nagoya, Japan a month ago. This is my first attempt at making it all by myself… yikes… this could be bad!

The Ingredients

First, note that everyone does curry a little differently, and these ingredients are only suggestions. Go to your local grocery and find the produce sections (it’s the section with a bunch of green stuff)! Then, grab any and all veggies that look yummy, and put them in your cart.

Ok, this is how I made my curry:

• 1.68 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast – that is what I found, but I think anywhere from 1 to 2 lbs would work (you could also use beef, lamb, or shrimp… or not use meat at all).
• 2 bricks of curry sauce mix (I found this at an Asian Market). Apparently, it is best to mix two different brands (maybe House and S&B…).
• 1 yellow onion (or 2) – chopped
• 6 good sized carrots (or more) – chopped
• 4 red potatoes (I should have added a few more) – chopped
• 6 stalks of celery – chopped
• Some mushrooms – sliced
• Some cooking oil
• Some water (maybe 6 cups – I just filled the pot up till it was full…)
• Rice (and lots of it)

The Directions

1. Cut the chicken into cubes and chop the onions.
2. Stir-fry the chicken and onions in oil in a large (5qt +) pot. You might want to add some minced garlic too (I just forgot to buy garlic). Do this till the chicken is white throughout.
3. Add any other veggies – I added chopped carrots, celery, potatoes, and mushrooms.
4. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer approximately 15 minutes.
5. While it is simmering, I suggest you put your rice in the rice cooker.
6. Add the curry sauce bricks to the pot (try to break them apart before tossing them in). Stir constantly until they are completely melted. Let it simmer for 5 more minutes.
7. That’s it… just serve it over rice.