China Trip- Be Kind to Frogs

Quick buzz across the big pond last week. Watched 6 movies on the plane. Now let's see if I can remember them all...

Elizabeth- The Age

Michael Clayton

Eastern Promises

The Things We Lost in the Fire

Gone Baby Gone

The Assisination of Jesse James by Robert Ford

Good timing. So many of these had Oscar nominated performances. Fresh in my mind for the Oscars on Sunday.

Got to experience the Lantern Festival. It's the last day of the Chinese New Year, where families have dinner together and spend the eveing together. My co-worker Lily, was kind enough to take me to dinner with her family. We went to a temple in Shanghai where massive amounts of people gathered to celebrate and wave sparklers all over. I think I only have 6 or 10 burn marks in my clothes! (just kidding.)

Lily's husband and her friend that joined us were quite impressed with my chopstick skills; even more so because I am left handed. Cheers to that! Had wonderful spicy food. Even tried beef tongue...on accident. I asked what the food was and they said beef....so as I am putting it in my mouth, they tell me beef tongue! I now know to delay my bite until I am sure of the translation and that my friends have found the right English word!

Had a very odd, never would have thought, moment with my boss. We were walking to the mall to get some dinner. There is a pretty good size frog trying to cross the sidewalk in front of us. First time I've seen a frog in Shanghai, no less in winter. It was moving slowly. Boss says that he better get going quick, someone is liable to come grab him and eat him for dinner.

Then the boss grabs a piece of paper off the street, (he is an addictive instant hand sanitizer guy so this catches my attention,) and scoops the frog up and places him in the shrubs.

"I think he's hurt Wendy." A whole new side of a person I've known for almost 10 years.