October is almost over! Yikes!

Well, it has been a few days since my last blog. Sorry-- the month has proven to be a busy one. I have made new friends here at church and also through the expat association. I am so very grateful for each of these opportunities! One of my new friends is from Indonesia! She and her husband, who is from Finland, live just about 10 minutes from our apartment (by bike). She and I both attend a weekly Bible Study together with other ladies from the church. She has been so gracious to take me to new markets where I can find wonderful fresh vegetables! The amazing part of shopping with her is that due to her ethnic background, she is given a much better price on items than myself. I am frustrated to know that when I am shopping alone, my price will always be higher.

We also visited a local flea market area and I was given a quick education on bargain shopping and price negotiation methods! We found so many items and I want to return and shop for gifts for the family/ friends back home. The items ranged from household textiles to shopping bags, jade bracelets, silk scarves, clothing, etc . I will need Jim with me when I return. We will have a fun day of it! He is an expert at the price bantering here.

We continue to be amazed at the people God brings into our lives. Last weekend, we happened to meet a couple here in Suzhou, He is Japanese/Chinese and she is Chinese. Of course, language is always interesting during our conversations, but we somehow make it through. The couple was so kind and took us around on Saturday to experience shopping, lunch, massages, and dinner! I was exhausted at the close of our day Saturday - but I would not trade it for anything. I need to get a thank you note together and somehow deliver it to them. The dinner on Saturday evening was an event I will not soon forget. We had snails, jelly fish, vegetables -- looked like cooked grass but tasty; potatoes, fish soup, and hairy crabs! Yep, it is Hairy Crab season here. I didn't have my camera with me Saturday -but I will do my best to get some photos of this local cuisine before the season ends. We also learned that the beverage of choice with Hairy Crab is "warm" yellow wine. This tasted like hot cough syrup! I tried to stick with the water. To conclude the meal we enjoyed ginger tea and it was very good. We were told that the tea helps to remove the poison from the body since the crabs are poisonous. Oh joy! Now that we have savored a poisonous dinner let me have two glasses of the ginger tea ....please! We were also told that the tea would cleanse our bodies-- yep -- it does exactly that! I have been experiencing the "cleansing" part of the tea all week long! Perhaps it is the tea along with the jelly fish and snails that has me running! Jim's stomach growled this afternoon and I was fearful that an alien was going to suddenly appear from his belly!

On another note, I enjoyed getting the news that our shipment will arrive tomorrow! I will stay here and open the boxes like it is Christmas morning. First order is to get the coffee pot out and plug it in! Let's all pray that it will work with the power converter attached! I am also looking forward to having our pillows and duvet. I know it sounds petty - but some comforts from home will really help.