TheBanyanTree: Return to China - Part 10

[Pat M]

 The children exercise to music every morning after their first class.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOHbsVEdaAo

Nov 30

I had another long night visiting the toilet, and still wasn't up to par in
the morning.  For breakfast and lunch, I ate a little plain rice; that's all
I could stomach.  But I had ideas for supper.  I wanted a potato, a couple
of carrots and some scrambled eggs.

A few days ago, I bought 10 kg of eggs for the orphanage. I had wanted to
make scrambled eggs with sauteed onions for everyone but it turned out the
kitchen was out of onions.  Peter said Chen Bing (the cook) wanted to put
the eggs I'd bought in with the rice and I agreed saying the next time I
bought eggs, I would cook them.

I had expected Chen Bing to use all of the eggs for one meal as I had
planned to do so that everyone could have a decent-sized portion, but when
the meal was served there was very little egg to be found in with the rice.
I realized it hadn't entered the cook's mind to cook so many eggs in one
go—from his perspective, that would have been sheer extravagance. Now, I was
glad he'd used them sparingly, as I was desperate for protein and I was
going to get it even if it meant eating differently from the children.

Before dinner, I found Peter and asked him to accompany me to the kitchen as
I needed an interpreter. Chen Bing doesn't know any English.  As I suspected
there were several dozen eggs still in the pantry. Peter told Chen Bing that
I wanted to cook 2 eggs and asked him the best way to do it.  My options
were a one-burner hot plate or a gigantic wok.  I tried to make scrambled
eggs in a small wok on the hot plate but the lowest setting was far too hot.
Still, I managed to cook them without burning them too badly. My evening
meal was tasty indeed: two steamed carrots, one steamed potato and 2
scrambled eggs.  I never knew eggs could taste so delicious!

While I was eating dinner I noticed that Google, our new puppy, was missing.
When I asked where he was, no one knew.  Many villagers linger outside the
compound gate. One man earns his livelihood there selling roast ducks from a
trolley stand and there are other small businesses nearby and people hanging
aroundl.  I'd noticed that no one worried when Google went outside the gate
but I thought it best not to comment. I was worried that he might get run
over. Initially, it didn't occur to me that someone might steal him for
food, but that is likely what happened. I write this several days later and
there has been no further sign of the pup.  When I asked Peter what he
thought might have happened, he said that some of the villagers are not
kind.

"Do you think someone stole him to eat him?" I asked.

He nodded. "Maybe."
Today I came to the decision that I'm going to buy a cheap microwave so I
can cook eggs, oatmeal and a variety of vegetables in my room. My experience
in the kitchen this afternoon showed me that cooking my own dinner there
wasn't going to work.  Call me what you will, but I am not prepared to live
on the same diet as the children and workers here. Even before getting sick,
I had been feeling weak from lack of protein. In order to have the energy I
require to supervise the children, I need a healthier diet.  As it is, I
will be giving up meat while at the orphanage as the largest supermarket in
Pingguo has little to offer.
Today Grandpa and Peter drove to the village to do errands.  When they
returned, Grandpa tried to give me a bag of apples. I already had a large
bowl of apples in my room so I politely declined. Later, when I was speaking
with Peter outside my room, Grandpa ducked inside and left a bag of oranges
and two preserved duck eggs for me. Before I could refuse them, he was gone.


For anyone who hasn't seen Chinese eggs, you're in for a treat. My
ex-husband used to buy them in Canada occasionally. The ones he bought were
packed in mud and straw and smelled of urine. They're made by preserving
duck <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck>,
chicken<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken>or
quail <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quail>
eggs<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_(food)>in a mixture of
clay <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay>, ash,
salt<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt>,
lime <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_oxide>, and
rice<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice>straw for several weeks to
several months, depending on the method of
processing. After the process is completed, the yolk becomes a dark green,
cream-like substance with a strong odor of sulphur and ammonia, while the
white becomes a dark brown, transparent jelly with little flavor or taste.

Under pressure from Andrew, I'd once tried a tiny piece and had vomited.  Now,
Grandpa was trying to be kind to me by giving them to me as a gift because
he'd heard I wanted to eat eggs.  These preserved eggs had the straw and mud
removed and were odorless, but I knew what was inside and I had no intention
of eating them. I set them aside to ponder the situation. With food so
scarce, disposing of them wasn't an option. I needed to talk to Peter to ask
if it was okay to return them to Grandpa.
After supper, I felt much better and played with the girls in dorm.  No one
really appreciates feeling well until they've been sick.  I felt so grateful
to be on the mend.

See link for photo of Chinese eggs -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Century_egg_sliced_open.jpeg


Pingguo China 2008 photos can be viewed at
http://picasaweb.google.com/Ms.Pat.Martin/Pingguo#