We had all gotten up from our naps after a big Sunday dinner with Jiajing, her parents and some friends. It was time to prepare for supper and they wanted me to have a part in it. In the living room, on a low table was placed a bowl of prepared filling, stacks of round flat slices of something like thin pie crust, a bowl of water, a drawer taken from the frig, and of course, chopsticks.
The object was to make dumplings for supper. You start by taking one of the flat slices and lay it in your hand with the flour side down. Take your chopsticks and get enough filling and place it in the center of the thing in your hand. Lay your chopsticks down, take your finger and dip it in the water and run it around the outside edge of the piece in your hand. This makes it a bit sticky, like licking an envelope. You then fold it in half and press the top in one or two places to stick it together. You push up the end to make it pucker and take one pucker side and turn it to the inside and stick it. The other side of the pucker you pinch. Do the same to the other end. The two puckers you turn in make the dumpling curve some.
After we make them they are placed in water to boil. The water is not wasted, but is served as soup after the meal. Jiajing’s mom has taken a liking to my camera and takes pictures at will with it. She wanted one of us at the table eating the dumplings we had made.
It was a nice meal of dumplings with egg plant, tomatoes, cucumbers, and processed meat. At the end of the meal we had a big bowl of flavored water left over from boiling the dumplings. Jiajing’s mom insisted I drink the soup from the bowl, Chinese style, so she could get a picture. I figured I had better post it.
After supper we went out for a walk to enjoy time together, the culture, and a beautiful evening. I cannot put into words the emotions I felt as I walked with them among so many other Chinese in the park. There was music for exercise and dancing. It was people enjoying time together in a relaxed way. My camera was back at the apartment and I told Jiajing that I wish I had it to take some video. She said, “Don’t worry, we will do this again.”
This entry should be posted on 6/20 and if it is there are only five more days until the visa interview and the verdict.
The object was to make dumplings for supper. You start by taking one of the flat slices and lay it in your hand with the flour side down. Take your chopsticks and get enough filling and place it in the center of the thing in your hand. Lay your chopsticks down, take your finger and dip it in the water and run it around the outside edge of the piece in your hand. This makes it a bit sticky, like licking an envelope. You then fold it in half and press the top in one or two places to stick it together. You push up the end to make it pucker and take one pucker side and turn it to the inside and stick it. The other side of the pucker you pinch. Do the same to the other end. The two puckers you turn in make the dumpling curve some.
After we make them they are placed in water to boil. The water is not wasted, but is served as soup after the meal. Jiajing’s mom has taken a liking to my camera and takes pictures at will with it. She wanted one of us at the table eating the dumplings we had made.
It was a nice meal of dumplings with egg plant, tomatoes, cucumbers, and processed meat. At the end of the meal we had a big bowl of flavored water left over from boiling the dumplings. Jiajing’s mom insisted I drink the soup from the bowl, Chinese style, so she could get a picture. I figured I had better post it.
After supper we went out for a walk to enjoy time together, the culture, and a beautiful evening. I cannot put into words the emotions I felt as I walked with them among so many other Chinese in the park. There was music for exercise and dancing. It was people enjoying time together in a relaxed way. My camera was back at the apartment and I told Jiajing that I wish I had it to take some video. She said, “Don’t worry, we will do this again.”
This entry should be posted on 6/20 and if it is there are only five more days until the visa interview and the verdict.
