"chinese barbecue"

Last night, I took the girls that I lived with over the summer out to eat. At my request, we went to eat yang rou char, or lamb meat roasted on a stick over the fire at your table. It's one of the favorite things to eat among foreigners here in Yanji. You order from the various kinds of things to roast over your fire. Usually, we order about 10 small skewers of lamb per person and then some other stuff, like cow cartilage, hot dog type meat on a stick, the meat from the ear of a lamb, which has soft bones in it that you eat as well, and other stuff. One of the best things to get is thick slices of a bread like substance that you toast over the fire. They give you honey to dip it in, too. Mmm. Last night we also ordered some raw cucumbers to dip in hot pepper paste, some pickled sesame plant leaves to wrap around the meat after it's roasted, a hot noodle dish, and some fried rice, then we all share it. After you leave, you smell like char until you wash your clothes, but it's worth it. It was good to catch up with my roommates and hear a little about their summer vacation and their semester so far since I don't get to see them much anymore.

Since my beginner classes are having a hard time with how fast we're moving because they just learned how to read English two weeks ago, I told them I would be available last night in the cafeteria for anyone who wanted help. I had three students show up, and I just helped them with pronunciation and a few little grammar points. Of course, the ones who really needed it didn't show up, but maybe if I make it a regular thing, they will. One of the guys even went to the store and bought us four sodas to drink while we studied. My students are so cute.

Today, my co-teacher and I are doing interviews of all our beginner students. So far today, we have interviewed 16. It's too many for one day, but it does help put faces and information with their names since I don't have all their names down yet. My co-teacher is Korean American, so she does most of the interviewing in Korean and I just ask a few questions that they can understand and answer in English. Only three more interviews to go!