China Chat

Jiajia finishes his liver story, talks about fishing under a full moon, Chris warns him to watch out  for werewolves, and Jiajia does experiments at home. 

Jiajia is on a mission. He bought two different devices to keep mosquitoes from chewing on poor Chris’ face. Chris is tired of her noodles and rice diet and Jiajia has no sympathy. Jiajia asks Chris a riddle and starts telling his Liver Story.

Chris and Jiajia get in a standoff over who is who, talk about a new pizza and coffee place named Donglu Post Station near the Guanyin temple park and Jiajia thinks Chris’ outfit makes her look like a cult leader. 

Jiajia and Chris talk about waving hands, explain different expletives, talk about the fountain at the Guanyin temple, ice cream and delicious noodles.

Chris and Jiajia call each other bossy, Jiajia says Chris is paranoid, they debate what zombies eat and lament over the unwelcome mosquitoes entering their house.

Chris learns the difference between tapenade and relish, explores the history of both and threatens to slap Jiajia if he yawns or falls asleep. 

Chris gets schooled in melons, Jiajia gives a recipe for diced salted cabbage tapenade, and Chris gives Jiajia a pop-quiz.

Tommy freaks out about the thunder, Jiajia turns into Dr. Doolittle and talks with Charlie, and Jiajia waxes poetic about duck butts and noodles.

Chris has a definite dislike and paranoia about mosquitoes even though they find Jiajia much more delicious.

Mean people sap the fun out of life. Jiajia has a little gray cloud over his head after running into a group of fishermen who don’t play well with others. 

Jiajia and Chris talk about staying cool in the heat, how to eat rapeseed greens and Chris is mildly unnerved to find out she’s been eating a lot of fava beans.

Chris solves her missing hair elastic mystery, Jiajia gets an ultimatum, and Jiajia and Chris talk about China’s “three furnaces”.

Yes. Jiajia waxes poetic again about his love of fishing. The mahjong ladies are here, swapping stories and slamming down tiles.

There are lots of fun antique oil pressing workshops in the area.  Jiajia gets to have another exciting day harvesting rapeseed! Chris will stay home in the dark. Lao Zhan gives Jiajia and Chris tons of T-shirts and the mahjong gang shows up to play.

Lao Zhan asks Jiajia and Chris to help her harvest the rapeseed crop. Chris is useless and gets overheated. Jiajia tells a duck joke.

Chris rhapsodizes over her love of pop up tents, Jiajia gives his take on the pop up tent versus standard tent debate and laments being ignored by the lake fish.

Chris gets a refresher course on swimming in cold water, Jiajia loses two fishing lures and one of Chris’  swimming buddies gives her some excellent advice.

Jiajia and Chris discuss the benefits of aloe vera, how to apply it properly and renegade raccoons.

Seriously. We looked it up and it’s called, “No Name Reservoir”. No wonder we couldn’t remember it. More adventures and misadventures from the banks of our favorite summer spot.

The lake actually has a name, but Jiajia and Chris can’t remember what it is. It’s swim season and Chris is raring to head back into the water and search for the Jasmine Waterfall. 

To clean or not to clean; that is the question. Jiajia and Chris decide it’s not about the clean, it’s about having peace of mind. 

Jiajia and Chris have different ideas about what constitutes neat. Can they reach a compromise? Let’s find out.

Is time travel possible? It’s all in the definition and direction. Jiajia and Chris explore the possibilities.

Jiajia wants Chris to explain gravity to him. They both decide they need to read a kid’s book on it. Jiajia believes in time travel and Chris wants to know if we would just observe the past or be able to change it.

Jiajia is binge fishing and Chris want him to answer his phone. Yes, Jiajia is in big trouble!