Mobile Disco: The ocean that separates the apple and the tree

I haven't updated in a week - sorry, sorry! I don't know where this week went; it's been such a blur. But I absolutely must get rid of my weekend backlog, because tomorrow I'm attending the Shaanxi province university dance competition to cheer on Xiao Ke and on Sunday one of the English teachers is getting married. My first wedding, exciting. :o

I went home to Da Li for the long weekend and for Dragonboat Festival. Things haven't changed at all, except for maybe that they finally paved one of the old dirt roads, so now I can bike from my dad's house to my mom's house in less than 3 minutes. I got to see my favorite cousin, Wong Dan, who is 15 and still adorable. She uses a ton of Shaanxi slang when she talks, which gives me a 5 second response lag while I try to translate her words into standard Mandarin and decipher her meaning. Oh, the Shaanxi dialect, how it still continues to elude me.

Fields and houses

Rooftop view of my grandparents' neighborhood

Grandparents' house and court yard

A typical street - we're lucky it didn't rain last weekend

My cousin Xiao Bing and the road I took to bicycle into town last summer
Alarmingly, I'm pretty sure I've gained weight in China. Everyone keeps trying to feed me and here it's considered rude not to accept. I'm usually pretty good with portion control, though, so I'm trying to figure out where the new weight is coming from. China's love for oil and a hot pan? The stir-fried vegetables? The luxury value of pork and beef? Too much grain and starch? Or maybe it's because I've been eating green bean cake after green bean cake after green bean cake after green bean cake after green bean cake. But if that's the case, I regret nothing; my love is pure.

Eating breakfast with the family on Dragonboat Festival

Zhong zi: candied beans & fruit in sweetened sticky rice; eaten during Dragonboat Festival

You tiao & you gao: the Chinese donut, often eaten in the morning
I spent two nights with my grandparents in the country and then one night at my uncle's apartment in the town. Coincidentally, my uncle sells fireworks and recently made a sale to a funeral that held the fireworks that night. Funerals are pretty rowdy over here. Imagine lots of food, inflated balloons, flowers, and live music. I almost thought we crashed an engagement party or wedding.