Tamales!! One of my favorite foods of all time!! ^.^ I learned how to make it with one of my aunts ^.^ Wow, it's such a time consuming dish to make! But a delicious one!! :D Voila the steps!! ^.^ 

   Soak corn husks for 4 hours!  

    Cook meat with garlic and pepper

   Boil tomatillos and chili peppers (salsa for meat) 

    Prepare masa and other ingredients! 

  Spread masa in corn husks and put filling in and roll up. 

      Cook in steam pot for about an hour!  

  Haha... I kinda, sorta, forgot about this blog thingy xD I'm off and on about it. When I came back to the States, I got busy right away!! Christmas preparations and such. Even got a job! :D Hooray for that!! Well....blast to the past!! Let me at least sorta finish my China blog, though, I will continue this blog just for fun :D I did start it in 2007 anyways!! I just got too busy to write and sometimes I thought...and still kinda think it's useless..it was more for my own amusement :D hehe!! OK! Last week in China. In Chengdu, I spent my last days with my Dashki and my panda sis, Queenie and . We had so much fun!! Hanging out and stuff :) I didn't cry when I left Chengdu..it just felt weird.. I did cry a little when I left China though xD After Chengdu, I was in Guangzhou for about 5 days with my friend, Ting :D I stayed in a Chinese dorm again. Squatty potty all the way!! Haha..I actually miss squatty potties..even if I absolutely hated them at first, but they were a good exercise :D No wonder little, old Chinese ladies can kick my ass xD They get a lot of work outs just going to the bathroom haha!! xD Here are some pics of my last Chengdu days...:D 

 Ma xue and I :]  

 Yum yum!

 Panda sisters!!

 Panda sis and I <3

 BBQ..I　ＬＯＶＥ　ｉｔ！！

 Dashki and our lovely cooks!!

 Uyghur pahty!!

 Dashki and I :D 

 Hot pot!! 

    In the dorm they didn't have hot water for showers, so we had to get the hot water in buckets and use the bucket system to shower. It was fun actually :D Ting still had classes when I was there. We'd usually go out in the evening or at night and drank bubble tea everyday since I loove it and can never get enough bubble tea :]  So, I mostly hung out in the dorm. One day I went out with Ting and her science class to some mountain and it was fun!! The hill was so steep and some people fell...haha!! It was so funny :D Well..on the last day, we just chilled and ate out..and had some guys help me with my suitcases xD About 3 guys helped out...see the picture below..My biggest suitcase is all the way in the back xD Poor guy is dragging it down the stairs..Aw, sweeet Chinese boys ^.^   

 谢谢 boys!! :D

Yup..and here are pics of my stay with Ting, my super cute giggly pen-pal :D haha!!

 Hot pot..Guangzhou style!! No spices :(

  Ting and I :D  

 Ok..it's sleepy time!! 晚安！！ 

Uff!! Well, spicy food and stress have caught up to me xD I'm sick..feverish. But I've been needing a chill out day since I'm so busy every day and never have time to sit down and just mellow out. Now, I had that time all day today. It felt good to just lay around, I needed it. xD Uff...I can't even remember when or what I wrote last here...so, I guess I'll just highlight the past 2 weekends :D 

Last Friday: My hommie Queenie came and we went to the Uyghur dance :D We also went to the movies with Darina to watch a German movie. It was cool :D  

Last Saturday: PANDAS!! :D :D  They were beyond cute!! I felt so bubbly when I saw them xD It was so crazy seeing them in real life and seeing how lazy they are!! :D I wanted one >.< It was great and I took a bazillion pictures of those chunky cuties :D 

Last Sunday: Work and dinner with my Uyghur pals; Jerry, Habibolla, Xayide and Umut! :D It was yummy!!

Last Thursday: I went to Jinli (tourist trap, but pretty place with Chinese things) with Darina. I bought the CUTEST butterball of a panda :> He's soo adorable!! I named him Twinkie, but Queenie said I should name him Pan pan..I don't know xD Twinkie is a cute chubby name :D

Friday: Queenie came and we cooked food :D Kung pao chicken and I made tacos :D REAL tacos. They were yummy ^.^ And we went to a minority dance competition :D It was soo cool!! Lots of cool costumes and my Uyghur buddies won first place! :D Of course!! Their dance was the best :D The music was great and they dance every Friday, so it was cool :D Queenie and I were screaming Jerry's name :D haha!! It was funny ^.^ 

Saturday: I had to work in the morning, and afterwards, Queenie and I ate some lunch and shopped around :D I think I have a new obsession....and that obsession are pandas xDD  I got a panda shirt and sweater, earphones, socks..and key chain :D Then..in the evening, we went to hot pot with my 6 year old students and their parents!! It was fun..but..oh..it's hurting me today :( So much spice and oil xD Not a good combo :S So...

Sunday (today): I've been a sick panda all day xD Going to the bathroom 2343 times and just sitting around drinking tea xD Dr.Queenie took care of me and then my  Raf, my Nigerian hommie got me some noodles :> They're sooo sweet!! So, now I miss my mommy and watched "My name is Khan", which made me cry xD Yup...great movie :D Highly recommend it! but it's sad xD So..now I'll finish up my homework..hasta la vista :) 

 Uyghur dance

 Pandas! Queenie and I :D 

 Panda :>

 My Uyghur hommies ^.^ 

 Competition 

 First place ladies ;D 

 Yay :D