Screened In Porch

Hi, Everybody!
We just had supper with Kuyu and his siblings Lin and Sarah, and they brought a friend named Peter. We had pizza. They played Dutch Blitz with Samuel while I cleaned the dishes. I wanted to get the dishes done and out of Ginger's way because she was doing the bathroom floor, and you remember, Bonnie, how long it stays wet and slippery and every footprint shows when it dries.
Sarah has almost completely lost her English speaking ability. This evening she couldn't remember how to say "class" when Samuel was asking everyone what their favorite subjects are. She had wanted to say "P.E. class." Samuel spoke to her brothers last Sunday about how they should maybe only speak English to her, so she won't lose it so fast. But the trouble is, it seems, she understands what's said to her, but she can't think what to answer. Being naturally quiet, she just listens and doesn't talk. So, Samuel decided tonight that maybe he should stay at church a short while after his English conversation class that meets there on Monday evening, and just interact with her with word games or something. The brothers were happy with that, and he called and talked to Joy and she approved it, too.
We had planned to have Junior High teachers over tonight, but no one could come. Two or three were actually out of the country! Mr.Jung was at a family reunion and Selena had an uncle visiting. We were going to play Apples to Apples, but other than that I didn't mourn the loss of the party because I got to socialize with Mr. Jung today and went sight-seeing with Selena earlier, and those were the two I was particularly interested in meeting on this trip.
Last night Jean, cramschool Jennifer's friend, had us over to her house for supper. (Samuel remembered to take Ebony her gift from you, Bonnie. I had forgotten it the day we taught at her school. She loves it.) Ebony took us walking down by the beach while her mom made supper. Jean served clams, alfalfa sprouts, chicken, rice with a little red grain of something else mixed in, scrambled eggs with onions, and a mixture of veggies that I think was mostly kelp or something because it was just too rubbery to be any land-type plant I've ever had or heard of. It was all delicious. She served wine after the meal, so we just stayed thirsty until we got home.
They live in a traditional Kinmen house, a C-shaped little building with a swallowtail roof over the main part of the house and ridgeback roofs over the two smaller wings of the home. At the center front there is a wall with a door in it, creating an enclosed courtyard out of the center of the "C". In the courtyard they have huge, antique storage jars just like people once kept vegetables covered with in their courtyards. She also has two driftwood and bamboo clothes-drying racks out there. Soooo authentic. The rooms are small, but adequate. There is no built-in storage, like closets-- just boxes, shelves, cabinets and armoires along the walls. That seems common though-- even the Chen's modern apartment in Taipei is like that.
Ebony's brother, Tony, takes violin from a very talented, elderly man who, himself, trained under a very famous violinist. So sorry, Anna; I didn't get the famous guy's name! She said it; I just didn't get it. Tony gets a two and a half hour lesson every week from this man for FREE because he has shown such an apptitude for the instrument. Wow!! Tony has been taking lessons for nine months now. He played "La Ciquantaine" for us; which I don't know. It has, like, little slurs or slides or something in it. I did notice he really needs to trim his nails. Bet his teacher notices that at the next lesson! We took a picture of Ginger holding the violin, pretending to play. We had to give a mini-lesson in bow hold and proper violin wrist and posture just to get her set up for the shot. Tony thought that was hilarious.
Jean's husband works for the Taiwan government. They used to live in Japan, I think. They're moving to Bangkok soon. She flies there the 22nd to look over the school the children may attend. I got her email address, so we can keep in touch, and she hopes to visit us in the summer of 2007 when she comes to America to visit Ruth Henning in Florida. Great fun!!
Sorry this is a rather boring email for the younger set, but we haven't done much 'adventuring' the last few days.
I got my seating assignment done online this morning for my trip back home. It makes me miss y'all all the more AND makes me sad to be leaving Samuel. :( It'll be great when the summer's over and he's home. Then Samuel, Bonnie, Dad and I will only miss Kinmen!! ARGGG!!
Love y'all!
Mama