The Greenwater Report for January 5, 2003
-32º	January 4th, 2004: Well, it’s January - what did you expect? It may be —32° but at least there’s little wind and the sun is shining. We seem to have misplaced our cold weather mittens - they likely got shipped off to Sally Ann by mistake - and my cotton work gloves aren’t quite enough, but by curling up my fingers I still manage to get in a couple of one-mile walks a day.
another friend lost	We lost another good friend and neighbour - Mabel Butler died December 28th, and a memorial service was held last Friday.  We have known Mabel and her late husband, Gordon, since we bought our cottage in 1969; they had the cottage next door. Three years ago, Mabel had a hip replacement operation and it gave her a new enjoyment of life until her final illness. A gracious lady, and a great neighbour. Our condolences to the family.
Christmas in China	We talked to our grandson, Scott, who is teaching English in China, twice on Christmas day. He phoned here first, but we were in the shower and he had to talk to our answering machine. He tried again a little later and we had a nice chat, then we phoned him about ten, (which was midnight in China) when his family got here. Christmas was pretty boring for him; he had the day off, but everyone else was at work or at school. In the evening, he took a bus with some friends and went to Kentucky Fried Chicken. The place was crowded and all the tables full, but they finally found one. Scott had chicken burgers, fries and orange juice for his Christmas dinner. He tried to explain root beer but it was no use. While Christmas is not a holiday in China, English Christmas carols were playing in the KFC.
did not sing	After supper they played some arcade games for awhile, then went to a traditional Tea Bar, where they drank tea and watched several performances on stage.
	“The emcee dedicated one of the magic acts to me because he said that I was the first foreigner in that bar. He mentioned me a few other times too because once in awhile, I noticed everyone turn in their seats to look at me. I’m not sure what he was saying about me, though. Later one of the teachers that I was with got up on stage and sang a song that she dedicated to me. During the break before the next act, the emcee came up to me and asked if I would like to sing a song. I politely refused.”
adventures in food	Scott is having a ball. He is treated with friendliness and courtesy wherever he goes. He is an adventuresome eater so enjoys trying all the different foods.
	“Some of the more interesting dishes that we had for dinner were boiled pumpkin, pig stomach, pig feet, and a giant catfish head. They were all, surprisingly, delicious.”
pretty girls	I asked Scott if all Chinese girls were pretty, or if he just sent us pictures of the pretty ones. He replied:
	”It is fairly hard to find an unattractive girl here. They all seem to be extremely happy and giggly all the time. It’s very easy to get a smile out of them. It really makes my day to walk into a classroom full of excited, happy, and eager students.”
gentler revolution	We are surprised when he talks of going to a karaoke bar, visiting little shops, traveling freely, and so on. It just doesn’t sound like our picture of a Communist country. A quiet, gentler kind of revolution?
	Doreen & Jerry Crawford Box 100, Chelan, SK S0E 0N0 (306) 278-3423 http://www.greenwaterreport.com/
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