Lee's birthday began with music in our courtyard, when a band set up and began playing. Later in the morning, a car decorated with flowers drove up and parked in the courtyard. By this time we had figured that we were watching the prelude to a wedding. The party ended for us when the groom (or so we supposed the man with the flowers to be) came out and rode away in the car. We have been told that in China the groom picks the bride up before noon and they go together to the wedding. The most important part of the celebration is a big lunch with family and friends.

Here is Lee opening his birthday card. Inside were two Finding Nemo bookmarks with quotations that seemed appropriate to our current situation. The first said "I wish I could speak whale!" and the second said, "Just keep swimming." His presents are wrapped in home-made wrapping paper, because that is something you do not find in Chinese stores.

The birthday party always ends with eating cake and ice cream. Lee had real ice cream, but his cake was a giant banana muffin, which you can see in the middle of the table We had a jelly roll for Deanna's cake the following week. Notice Lee's Pepsi bottle, with the picture of Yao Ming, the basketball player, on it. You can also see his new tea bottle on the table. It is two layers of plastic, so his tea stays hot, and a strainer inside keeps the tea leaves out of the way. As an added bonus, the lid glows in the dark.

Lee is now the happy owner of a world map created from an Asian point of view. The Pacific Ocean is the center of the map, not the Atlantic Ocean. We are quite impressed with Chinese tape, which has held both our maps securely to the study walls.

A week later, we celebrated Deanna's birthday. Some students went with Lee to help him shop. They also knew where to get a gift wrapped, so Deanna's present came in a hand-made gift bag. Those same students were interested in the pictures in the Arizona Highways calender you see in the background. Their attention was especially attracted by the weathered sandstone formations, and the various plants from wildflowers to maple trees to ocotillo to different kinds of cactus.

Deanna thinks that Lee picked out a lovely Chinese coat for her birthday. There is embroidery on the back of the coat too, similar in design to that on the front. She is wearing her watch again, because Lee got her a new battery for it for her birthday, and a nifty Mickey Mouse eraser as well.

Copyright 2004, Dr. Lee Williams

Last Modified: 9 April 2004

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