Marley's Ghost

"Now it is a fact that there was nothing at all particular about the knocker on the door, except that it was very large...Let it also be borne in mind that Scrooge had not bestowed one thought on Marley, since his last mention of his seven-years-dead partner that afternoon. And then let any man explain to me, if he can, how it happened that Scrooge, having his key in the lock of the door, saw in the knocker, without its undergoing any intermediate process of change--not a knocker, but Marley's face." Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol.

This is a picture of a traditional Tibetan door knocker. They can be seen on many houses in our neighborhood. Since I have been reading the kids "A Christmas Carol," they all seem to me to be Marley's face.

We have settled into a routine: Char is very busy with her work here every day; the kids get to watch Chinese cartoons each morning and then they have their morning chores. We usually have oatmeal for breakfast and then they get down to homework. Around noon, Nyang Mo Taer comes and works with them on their Chinese. I do laundry or dishes while they work with her. A few times a week, I go shopping in the market. It is an open air market with stands of vegetables and fruit, meat and noodles, spices and seeds, clothing and kitchen items, live fish and sheep pelts, and lately, lots and lots of fireworks. This week I bought some potatos, pears, tomatos, carrots, sprouts, cauliflower, some sort of root vegetable (kind of like a very long turnip or radish,) a loaf of bread and some celery (I am making a pot of chicken soup.) Chicken, Pork, Beef, Mutton, Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Mushrooms, and spinach are also available. Unfortunately, the season for Broccoli and green beans seems to be over.

The weather has been colder lately and so we haven't gotten out to exercise as much as I would like. I know that Noah is missing his soccer practice and that all of the kids miss their classmates and friends!

Anyway, that's all for now. The kids will be posting again very soon.

Noah, Anna and Rosa's dad

Rosa's New Year's Post

hi this is rosa.this is my toys , and my sistir's too. there naem's are sanchi and pijkachu. me and my sistir love them vrey much.do you think that thay are cute,do you? pijkachu has lightir hair then sanchi does.do you see the marking's on sanchi's ears,do you? do you know what flipper (my dolphin) ses? flip flip flip,that means i miss you,and gess what, im already reeding the frst junie b.jones chapdr book.

now, this is anuthr pikshr of me playing socr. see the man. his name's chris.he's an english teacher. does the soccer field look like an American soccer field? No, it doesn't. It has brown ground instead of green grass with white lines of chalk. I am running very fast. Chris can't catch me! When my throat was dry, my mother gave me my water bottle. Sometimes she gave me crackers. I had fun! I mostly got goals. My brother gave me a high five!

I miss you!
Love, Rosa

Noah's post #6

Evan, I really wanted to play volleyball. I was looking forward to it too! AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!! But of course I'm in China. Evan, I have a series I think you will enjoy- please give it a try- Percy Jackson and the Olympians:

• book one The Lightning Thief
  
• book two The Sea of Monsters
• book three (just out only in hard cover) The Titans Curse
  

I highly recommend this series, it is very exciting and fast paced. We really enjoyed it (me and dad.) Evan please tell me the scores of the volleyball tournament and did your horse really nearly buck you off?

Mia, it has snowed once but it wasn't enough to play in. So you guys are lucky! Merry Xmas to you too!

Sarah, your grandma just died? I'm so sorry.

A couple of days ago was Xmas. We didn't get much, but dad says the big presents will come on Chinese new year. I can't wait for them to come! What did you get for Xmas? Please tell me.


This is my teacher Nyang Mo Tar she helps me with Chinese. I usually bring her my homework
and she asks me what they mean. I really enjoy working with her. She comes every day (almost)
usually comes at eleven or six.


bye, now!