And the name of the game is:

Name That Veggie: a game that I could not successfully play tonight. Seen below is dinner, or part of it, and I still have no idea what I ate. It's some cousin of spinach, I believe, and I'm pretty sure it's one of the 4 dishes I've been eating at the orphanage. I cooked it up with some garlic, and voila, I'm feeling stronger and healthier already. This made up (partially) for the chicken frank I had with it--yay for fake hot dogs...which are fake already!

While the chicken frank was cooking, the doorbell rang unexpectedly. I went to the door to find Chinese Jehovah's Witnesses greeting me. They were sweet, and introduced the conversation by asking me if I thought honesty was important. From conversations I have had with both Vietnamese and Chinese people, honesty seems less important in these cultures---a huge statement to say, I know, but I'm speaking for what I've been told. I was concerned about my cooking in the other room, but I always try to be polite because I know the courage it takes to come to someones door--and who knows, maybe they even climbed all those stairs! They thanked me for being polite, and I thanked them for peaceably holding different views than me...okay, I didn't thank them, but I figure it's reciprocal kindness to share one's ideas and then let each decide their way. Hey, I like my religious freedom.

And last, cultural customs and climate have been something I've thought about more recently (3 c's are good enough for me). In the U.S., at least where I'm from, it's polite to offer to take someones coat when they come in. In Macau, you wouldn't think of it. This idea came to mind the other day when I was at the orphanage. I briefly took off my scarf before lunch, and one of the children asked me, 'aren't you cold.' The orphanage is no special example, they just don't have indoor heating here, so everyone wears their coats inside. An interesting spin again on what polite really means :)