Riding a motorbike -- Dad

Dear Family & Friends:
Well, another day in China. Starting to cool off. Yesterday A. M. I headed off for the gym. Boy was it cold outside. I went back home and got a coat on. My unclothed legs still froze. I found out the gym was closed for some reason. It was too cold to run the stairs, so I came home and layed in the bath tub and warmed up. Later I receive a call from the counselor in the BP. He tells me we have to go to the bank to make a deposit.
"Meet me at 9:30."
I'm in the lobby at 9:30 waiting for him. We take off-- Literally on his battery powered motor cycle. I say, "is this safe?"
"No problem."
Off we go. Getting through the university was NO PROBLEM. Now we go onto the street. We go between cars and bikes. We aren't going too fast, only about 30 MPH. However, if we crash, I'm locked in. The bike will fall on me. We dodge in an out of traffic.
Finally I ask him, "did you pray before we left?"
He says, "no problem."
I've heard that line before. We turn down a street. Unfortunatley it is a one way street. We are going the wrong way.
I ask him, "is this legal?"
He says, "everything is legal."
I meant to say, "is this safe?"
We dodge traffic, 4 lanes all coming towards us. I don't understand this. I find we have lots of friends, because everyone is honking at us. I wave at them as we go by. Finally we arrive at the bank. Thank goodness. I think I would be safer walking home. We finish at the bank and he talks me into riding home with him. Another mistake. The same thing going home. I don't understand how he can find a one way street going each way. Going one way should be going the right direction back, but it's not. Well, we make it home without a crash. One guy in front of us had a close call though. Just ahead of us, some guy was pulling a cart full of card board. He decides to change lanes in front of another bicyclist. About that time, a taxi pulls up on the other side of the bicyclist. The bicyclist is boxed in. He has two choices, hit the taxi, or wipe out the old guy pulling the cart. Somehow he brings his bike to a stop, but not before he fell down. He just got up and kept going, as did the taxi and the old guy pulling the cart. He never even shook his fist at the old guy. Well anyway, the old guy couldn't have seen him anyway, he didn't have rear view mirrors on his cart.
I am finding it is getting easier to get around and find what I want. Today I went to the market. (Carefoore) It is a large market. Among other things I am looking for ingredients to make some chicken soup. I first look at the chickens. There are literally hundreds of chickens in a pile at the market. Next to the pile of whole chickens, I see some larger chickens that are cut in half. They look like they are pretty good sized chickens, but I figure they let chickens grow to full maturity here. I look at the butcher and point to the larger chicken and try to ask if the larger one is a chicken, or something else. I point to the chicken that I am buying and try to sign language that I want a bigger chicken and point to the big 1/2 thing that is next to the whole chickens. Finally, I think he is trying to tell me it is not a chicken. I think it must be a duck or something else. Anyway, I take the chicken. Now I am looking for some chicken base. I am told they have it at Carefoor. I carefully walk down each aisle. I see a round cardboard continer about the size of a Campbells soup can that has a picture of a chicken on it. I shake the can and it sounds like it is full of granuals. I figure that it must be something to do with a chicken. I buy it. Not sure yet what it is, but I am going to use it in my chicken soup. Maybe I will have chicken duck soup, I don't know. I sure wish they would open and In & Out Burger here. Life would be much easier.
Last week in my adult ed class, I noticed that most of them had blank stares, looking at me. That means I am not getting through to them. So, I ask this question. If you understand me, please raise your hand. Two hands go up. Finally a third hand goes up. I guess the third hand is not sure, but see's the other two hands go up and so she joins in. Wow! Three out of 28. Not very good odds. Well, I figure I had better change my style of teaching. I decide to write a script and teach it to them. It goes like this.
B comes to A looking for a job.
A, May I help you?
B. Yes, I am looking for a job.
A. What do you want to do here?
B. I want to cook hamburgers.
A. Have you ever cooked hamburgers before?
B. No, but I am willing to learn. Will you give me a chance?
A. Yes, but you must work very hard.
--------Well, I say it, then they say it. I say it and they say it. (about 30 times) I get two students up front and have them say it to each other. A speaks with B. Finally I think the entire class has it memorized. And they do. Every student can say it.
So, now I ask the class, "Why did B come to A?"
No one knows. They memorized it really well, but had no idea what they were saying. I might just a well have had the boys ask the girls to marry them. They wouldn't have known the difference. Boy, is this going to be a long semester. Now I know why they gave me a raise for teaching this class. I know they understand one thing--- When the bell rings, they leave, no matter what I am saying.
Well, mother and I are now going to the Friday night movie. I hope all of you have a wonderful night's sleep. It is now about 3:00 A. M. in Arizona and California. 4:00 A. M. in Utah. I love you all. Dad