The rice fields are ripe, the towering corn stalks are drying, and the giant sunflowers bow their heads, heavy with seed.  

Harvesting the fields is hard work, but not with the right kind of help. 

The fileds are ripe for the harvest. 

Many students came to English Corner tonight. The National Day Camp begins tomorrow. 

Can you find Lindsey among the students? 

Look at Bettyanne! The teachers had fun dressing up in traditional clothes. 

Lindsey is the youngest teacher. I like her. 

Empress???? 

I know how he feels. Lady dresses me up sometimes. 

In the afternoon, the teachers went to a local mountain and visited replicas of ancient buildings.They were built for Chinese movies. 

My friends went with Lady to her university class this morning. Yes, she had class on a Saturday because of the coming holiday! They really enjoyed the students! 

Somebody special sent me an Angell & Phelps doggie bone!!! I wasted no time getting to it!! Thank you for thinking of me! Lady got treats, too! 

We had a special party for some very special girls tonight. What a great first day! 

I'm waiting for crumbs. Actually, Tom brought me my favorite Beggin Strip treats! I danced for him to get a treat. Then he held up a box of chocolate for Lady and told her to dance to get her treats!! Of course she did it! 

Here's Sylvia with some of the students she taught. Each class had 70 students! 

Our American volunteer teachers got some sleep until 11:30 AM after arriving at 3:30 AM this morning! They came and brunch with me. After lunch, they all went to a local high school and talked with 3 classes each (including Lady) for a total of 1,050 students!!  

Two old friends and two new friends arrived really late night. Lady got them settled in the hotel then finally got home at 3:30 AM! I had been waiting a long time for her to return and take me out! But wait I did! They're coming over to see me later today! They are going to teach English for six days.  

I'm tired from entertaining all my guests tonight. I put myself to bed. Good night! 

We had quite an international crowd tonight at EC. I got lots of attention. I don't drink the tea, but I do like the sunflower seeds when someone shells them for me.  

Lady made cookies for tonight. I am trying to get Carsten, from Denmark, to give me another one. I stole Katrina's. She wasn't very happy with me. I licked Jenny's so she had to give it to me, but first, she tried to give it to Joe!! 

Paublo looks on during the traditional tea ceremony. He's from Columbia.  

Guess what? I am no longer the only black guy at English Corner! Teddy is a new English teacher from Cameroon.I think he was glad to see me, too. We as many foreigners as Chinese tonight. Rachel is American, Maya is Danish, and Maureen is Canadian! 

Spot

Well, I still have that strange white-haired spot but it isn't any bigger or thicker. No one has written to offer any help as to what it might be. I checked my e-mail. I go back to the White Coats in October for my innoculations, so Lady will have them check me again. I don't have worms. Lady wormed me just in case. Otherwise, I am just dandy, and looking foreward to the arrival of friends from the states. I know Sylvia and Bettyanne! They love me. Lindsey and Tom will be new to me. They are volunteer teachers from the USA coming to teach a mini-English Camp over the coming National Day holiday October 1-6th. Keep checking my blog and I will keep you posted on what they are up to!
Lady's been very busy helping other volunteers in our city, but they left today. That's why I haven't been able to get on and write to you. I am not allowed to use the computer by myself.
Some of my student- friends are out of school as of today. Some will not be out until Saturday or Sunday. Lady has to teach her Wednesday class on Saturday morning! Whenever there is a holiday, some of the classes are made up over the weekends! The People's Republic of China was formed in 1949 on October 1st. This is a major holiday in China. And according to the lunar calandar, the Mid-Autumn Festival will also occur during this time. This is the traditional time to celebrate the harvest and to have a family reunion. It is on the fifteenth day of the eighth month which is October 6 this year. I have already had my first moon cake! It had ham inside. I chose it myself at the store behind our gate! Usually, friends give Lady moon cakes and I get the ones with meat inside!!! I love moon cakes! October 6th is when the moon will be at its fullest, so be sure to look!

Aren't they precious? In China, twins are considered a double blessing! And luckiest of all are boy/girl twins!! So, Jerry is one lucky man! They live in another city far away, so Lady hasn't seen them yet. 

Wow! One of Jerry's babies is swimming already! 

Here's one of Jerry's babies!