Xinjiang Food: NAN BREAD

A five minute walk from our apartment will bring you to this tiny hole-in-the-wall Uyghur Bread Stand. It’s almost impossible to walk a city block without spotting a Bread Stand…or smelling its lovely aroma! The bread sold here is called “Nan” or “Nang” depending on who you talk to. Nan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. You can find all types of Nan bread across Central Asia – baked differently according to local recipes. The Uyghur people have various types of Nan – but most are similar to a medium sized pizza crust, topped with sesame seeds or onions. They are crisp & toasted on the outside, and soft on the inside. The flat ones are perfect for homemade pizza! We have also found harder bagel-sized breads, or small buns filled with mutton & onions. I have heard there are over 50 kinds of Nan!

Our local Bread Stand consists of a small, dark room with a large wooden counter and a stone/clay oven. One guy prepares the dough, while another bakes the flatbread in the Tandoor. A Tandoor is a large stomach-shaped clay oven, with a small mouth opening at the top, heated below by coal. The men place the Nan into the small opening and slap them against the side of the clay oven to bake in the heat. Nan is best when served fresh from the oven, basted with chopped onions or sesame seeds. Each piece of bread only costs 1-2 kuai (14-28 cents), and they travel well. We pack them for picnics outside the city, make PBJ with them, pizza crusts, or dip them in soups or curry: the possibilities are endless.

Operating a Bread Stand is a family affair. Often each stand is run by many different family members with special recipes known only to them. For many – this is their livelihood, a skill that is passed on to each generation. The family that runs our local stand has three generations that we know of helping to sell their delicious breads! This family is so precious. The father’s eyes are so kind and he always tells me what time to come for fresh bread. His 2 sons work long hours over the hot oven – but always smile when we come. Their two younger granddaughters always play close by, and love to greet our girls as we visit. We are huge fans of them as well.

Nan Bread Etiquette: Bread = Life. It is bad etiquette to eat Nan bread while walking along the road. You never want to waste it or drop crumbs along the street. When serving Nan in your home, you must first break/tear it in half to share. You always break off smaller pieces from the larger whole.

Enjoy these pictures of this beautiful family and their yummy bread-stand!

spolied by the clan.

How amazing to be a mommy! I had a great time reflecting today on motherhood, and the gift it is to ME - not just to my kids. I have grown so much by having these three beautiful souls in my life. They bring so much joy!

My day was amazing. Daddy let me sleep in - and I got up to breakfast being made! We took the girls downtown to look for some last minute party supplies (E turns 4 this week). We ate lunch at a Caribbean Cafe (called "The Vine") and on the way home - I got dropped off for a massage! Massages cost about $5 for 90 minutes! We definitely take advantage of this on special occasions! When I finally made it home in the afternoon - I was greeted with homemade cards, artwork, a beaded necklace (from Asia) and a video that dad+girls created! It was hilarious to watch.

Later, I joined another mommy-friend for dinner at another cafe in town. I didn't cook at all today, which might be a first. It was great to have some mommy-conversation, and be with my sweet friend.

I am so honored to be the mommy of these three gals. They have literally changed my life forever, and have given me more than I could ever have dreamed. I am convinced that I get the best end of the deal! They are such treasures!

Happy Labor Day 2009!

May 1st is a holiday in most countries around the world! ...celebrating the 8-hour work day, and taking a HOLIDAY! We decided to brave the masses and get outside as a family.

We went out to Singaporean food for lunch (yum) and the girls each got a bubble tea (45 cents each). They absolutely love the tapioca balls at the bottom, which provides some entertainment as well.

Then we walked the crowded sidewalks, holding hands tight - and enjoying the sights and smells all around us. People were EVERYWHERE! - Swarms navigating their way without any real flow of traffic. It makes me laugh, because my mom always taught me to "stay to the right" when you walk down a sidewalk, or down a path. I grew up with a deep sense of predictable etiquette. Here, that does not exist. You just head in the direction you want to be, and push your way to get there. That's why we have to hold hands.

Later we hopped on a bus to get home - which is always a highlight for the girls!

Happy Labor Day everyone!!

flower girl

Asia was asked to be in a wedding! This is her first debut in any wedding in her 5+ short years of life, and she is VERY excited. She gets to wear a white dress, and stand near our friend (the bride) while tossing flower petals from a basket. She's quite giddy over the idea.

One afternoon, Asia & I joined the bride in search of her wedding gown. It was a fun outing!! Asia loved all the sequined dresses and lacy tresses. She tried on a cute white dress, and gloves & tiara's while the Chinese ladies gasped and giggled over her. She even managed to smile for a quick cell phone picture from one of the ladies in the shop (this is a big deal!!).

This opportunity has given her a chance to grow thru some cultural challenges too. Our girls receive large amounts of attention when we go outside (and that is being modest). Most of the attention is challenging to deal with on a daily basis, and some of their responses are quite merited (rude faces, yanking away from pokes & or people grabbing their arms/skin/hair, and sometimes screaming). The girls have gotten so much better in the past year, but this is part of life in a foreign country. Anyhow, I began prepping her for the BIG wedding day, knowing that she will receive even MORE attention than usual - since she will be wearing a beautiful white dress!

Here are some things she is working on:
1. Smiling at people wherever she goes.
2. Responding to people when they speak to her, with a kind 'hello' or 'thank you' - we don't require her to speak in Chinese, but that is encouraged.
3. Using respectful responses if she is not comfortable with a situation, or asking for our help.

Being in a wedding here is a BIG choice for her, because it puts her in the center of attention (even more) in a sea of dark hair and dark eyes. Having blonde hair and blue eyes kinda sticks out!! ....She's a beauty, that's for sure!! I am constantly amazed at her maturity and ability to handle hard situations. She is such a gracious little girl, with a heart of gold.

water problems..............................

We have been living in our "new apartment" for just over a year now! It's an old building - but we love this place. Its amazing in so many ways. We've had visitors from 4 countries, and its a wonderful place to entertain. My only complaint (which I never do, HA!) is the lovely water issues.

Depending on the day, there is not enough water pressure to pump UP to our floor. This means that dishes, washing fruit/veggies, laundry, baths for the kids, etc - are all on hold until the water pressure builds up again. Weekends and evenings are the worst times! The wait can be hours long, and even DAYS. Everyone underneath us has water, but we are left high and DRY. This causes a few rational responses:

1. Go out to eat for every meal so that dishes never pile up.
2. Eat finger foods all day long, which saves on dirty dishes too.
3. Wear the same clothes as long as possible.
4. Heat drinking water on the stove for baths in a storage bin. The kids LOVE this! (too bad we don't fit)
5. Good excuse to stop shaving for a week, and work on my Uyghur beard.
6. Get angry at the Maintenance Office for not fixing the problem (c'mon - it's been a year!). Call them multiple times a day to share my frustrations.
7. Laugh at the funny ways we cope with our silly problems, realizing there are far worse things to be annoyed over. Laughter is the best medicine!

helmets are COOL

I remember when I was little that I didn't like to wear my helmet when I rode my bike. A first it just didn't feel quite right, and when I was older - suddenly they didn't look very trendy (somewhere during those years I grew self-conscious). It was embarrassing to wear those bulky things when everyone could see me. But I am glad my mom insisted. I do the same thing as a momma. My kids heads are just too precious. I am so glad the girls like wearing their helmets (for now) so much that they wanted to wear them indoors during breakfast. Maybe we've convinced them of the importance, or we brainwash really well.

p.s. I learned to make bagels!

early birthday gifts

Asia & Eden both have birthday's in the next 6 weeks! We knew that we wanted to get Asia a new bike, and Eden a scooter...so we decided to get them early, so we could enjoy them during the entire Spring and Summer weather....before winter hits! Also, we would love to see if Asia can learn to ride a bike without training wheels this year. Eden might try it too? There aren't a ton of opportunities to learn these skill here, as much of the "open space" is congested with moving vehicles (which isn't so safe). We have a cemented area outside our apartment, which will be our testing ground!

Anyhow, all that to say: They LOVE their gifts! We also got butterfly helmets that they LOVE as well. Eden asks us multiple times a day if we can go outside to "ride bikes." If we can't go outside right away, she will wear her helmet inside instead.

Here is Eden on her blue scooter. She loves that she can carry it downstairs by herself, and she is getting quite coordinated as she pushes herself along. She is such a beautiful and amazing almost-4-year-old!

Asia picked out this blue bike! The height adjusts, so she can use it for awhile. It has a nifty basket on the front, and sturdy training wheels too. It even folds up, if you can imagine. She is getting much more coordinated with steering and using the hand-breaks, so we are working up to the training wheel removal....slowly! I can't believe she is almost 6!

the orphanage.

Hmm, I have hesitated to share much about my first few visits to the orphanage – because I wasn’t sure how they would go, but after the first 2 weeks – I am in love. I only go once per week, for 2 hours to teach English. The kids are about 3-6 years in age, and the first week we had a 2 year old (who reminded me of Sydney so much!). Many of them have physical & mental disabilities, but some are very hard to distinguish. All are precious, beautiful and have stolen my heart. The orphanage is immaculate for Chinese standards, and the staff does a great job giving the children attention and loving-care. The kids are always clean and smiling huge. This particular place has a great physical therapy area, a “spa” area for showers & massage (I think) and wonderful employees at every turn. I haven’t met many of the children, since they are all in class when I come. I have been told there are about 400 kids in this place, who live on the 2^nd floor. Their classes are above on the 3^rd floor.

It’s been fun preparing each week, deciding what & how to teach them English. I have been starting out slow with the ABC’s, some familiar greetings, and colors. We try to incorporate games and songs throughout the visit, and using art to keep them attentive, while helping to connect the words with their meanings. It is very challenging to know the best way to teach (and love) these children, but I think that just being there with them, holding their hands and praising their efforts is a huge encouragement. I am still getting to know each child’s personalities, dispositions and trying to keep them engaged for 2 hours. They are all so funny and want to be my shadow when I come. I wish I could share pictures, but I don’t think that would be good. Either way – they are beautiful faces, with dark brown eyes that sparkle and arms that reach out to be held and loved without fear. I hope my heart continues to be strong each week, as I would bring them all home with me if I could.