Autumn Fun!

Some fun Chinese Traditions at this time of year... Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day were celebrated very recently. National Day is the equivalent of our Fourth of July. The children had a few days off for National Day, Daddy didn't get as many days off. But the funny thing is how they "give" "holiday days" off for school.......they "give" Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off but then the children must come to school on Saturday AND Sunday to make up for it!! (Don't even try to figure this one out!) I tried to get the school mom's to explain it to me but we all just ended up smiling politely at each other in the end...(they don't get it either). This 'going to school on the weekend' thing happens several times each school year. It's very difficult to get used to. Mid-Autumn Festival is based on the Lunar Calendar and this year it was September 22nd (which happens to be our Anniversary... we felt very honored that the entire country took that day off from work and school. And the fireworks for us were spectacular and unexpected!! ;) There must be something to that Lunar Calendar because it is SO accurate! September 21st was HOT...September 22nd was 30 degrees cooler! And it has been cooler ever since...it is as if summer was told, 'your time is up and don't come back!' Amazing! How do they know? I really wish sometimes they were not so accurate. I heard the other day that we are in for the coldest winter ever in 1000 years!! GREAT! Why can't the forecasting here be like there? Then at least I have a 50/50 shot at it being right! (I suddenly feel like we need more sweaters). At this time of year EVERYONE gives Moon Cakes. Moon Cakes are a VERY big deal. We get Moon Cakes from so many folks. Now let me explain Moon Cakes...they are the equivalent of Fruit Cake in the States. (Don't give me a hard time if you happen to be one of the few out there that like fruit cake... No one likes fruit cake.) Typically someone gives you a fruit cake and you smile, thank them politely, and immediately think, "Who can I give this to?" Be honest, we all do it. Well, that is my response with Moon Cakes.

But I will say this, they package them BEAUTIFULLY!!

They are Beautiful... The cakes are pretty and so are the little boxes they come in, and so are the big boxes full of little boxes of Moon Cakes, and so are the matching bags for the big boxes to go in. (Seems like they are 'selling' it a little bit too hard wouldn't you say?)

So they are beautiful and the packaging is beautiful, BUT THE TASTE!

They vary in flavors, not sure exactly what the flavors are, but I can tell you how we have categorized them. There is the one with and egg yolk baked in the center.... there is the one that smells 'fishy' (personally I can't get past that smell to taste it)... there is the one that kinda smells peanutty, but, not quite.... there is the one that I know is made of red beans..... and the only one I can stand a bite of, tastes sort of like cookie dough (sort of, if you really stretch your imagination) but t h e n another taste emerges soon after you put it into your mouth that is very unfamiliar and I can't describe.

We really keep trying to like them but we just can't... Daddy and I that is. The girls like them! Spice is the biggest fan! But even she has her limits on which ones she will eat. She handed me several the other day and said, "We can throw these away, I won't eat them." I hate to waste anything so I tried to resist throwing them out. I offered them to many of our friends but the response was always the same, no thank you we have plenty of those at our house too. I'm just thankful that our tradition of giving fruitcake is limited to only one not boxes and boxes and boxes of the little gems.