Pu Pu Platter

Many of you claim to envy our access to Chinese food. Mmmmm boy! If you only knew. . . .We wish to enlighten you. The following menu items are from a REAL restaurant here:

Wood flower picks sea cucumber hoof
Slippery meat in king’s vegetables pillar
Szechwan fragrant celery type fries cow silk
Benumbed hot huang fries belly silk
Fresh bulb lily celery west fruit in eyes
Fragrant spring onion sauce explodescow son
Fragrant bone in garlic in strange flavor
Big bowl flavor vegetables pig livings bowel
Salty egg vegetable sponge liver pig soup
Chicken ear an ear jade liquid geng
Strange Flavour of inside Freasure

And for a “dilicious snack”: Cowboy leg beautiful pole

You know I didn't make these up, because the extent of my creativity with a Chinese food item is "pu pu platter." I have to admit we've never had the preasure of dining on freasure, but we've seen the menu and know it exists! Now the goal is to find out what in the world it is.

Yesterday we tried to visit several different Chinese restaurants in the hopes of ringing in the New Year with an authentic Chinese feast (or atleast as authentic as dumplings.) We were thwarted at every turn--everything was closed so people could spend time at home with family members. Everything, that is, but the good ol' standby: MY-DON-LAUS! What better way to celebrate than by feasting on a cheesa-hambaw and flies! Dericious food, plus a cheap plastic toy (which frustrates the heck out of us because we can't understand the drawn instructions on how to play with it) fully satisfied the kids. It left the adults in the family lacking (Lori), but somehow, someway I WILL ring in the Chinese New Year with that yummy--or atleast as yummy as I can hope for-- Chinese feast.

It's been pouring rain for the past week which means we've been stuck at home. We are all going a little stir-crazy, especially because Shaun has the whole week off and we should be playing! Sophie and I have devised a new game called "Torture Daddy!" and Shaun has resigned himself to "Smackdown" and "Pac-man" on PS2. It better stop raining soon.

Sophie's preschool had a Chinese New Year family day and we had a lot of fun listening to stories about the zodiac rat, making dumplings, and watching the kids do a dragon dance. That may be our excitement for the holiday, but stay tuned and I'll post any new developments! Maybe we'll go to a temple and watch the locals bow before their idols for money and good luck in the new year. Gong xi fa cai! May prosperity be yours this new year.