Homemade dumplings and dinner on the boss!

Leo and Cookie live very close to my hotel, so it is easy to spend time with them. They had also graciously offered to let me do laundry in their apartment. Last Sunday, Cookie's mom was in town and was planning to make homemade dumplings for dinner, so Cookie told me to bring over my laundry for washing and then stay for dinner! The dumplings were absolutely delicious. It was so kind of Cookie and Leo to help me do laundry. The simple things! (I love the smell of clean laundry!) I carried it back to my hotel and then proceeded to get very creative and hang the wet laundry all around my room (they do not use clothes dryers here).

The dumplings ready to be steamed

Homemade dumplings...a work of art!

Dinner is served!

Today (Friday), after clinic, Dr. Lucy gave Jim (who was in clinic with us) some money to buy a very nice dinner. She treats me to dinner EVERY week (she never joins because she lives far away and wants to spend time with her husband), but always wants to treat me. (They are incredibly generous here in China and it is RARE that someone will let me pay...even when I try to "fight" them on the bill...). It was just me and Jim and she had given us WAY too much money for just the two of us, so I quickly called Cookie and Leo to see if they wanted to join. They hadn't eaten dinner yet, and they happily joined us at a nearby restaurant (Chenmapo Beancurd), which I had read online was delicious. We had so much fun, all thanks to the very generous Dr. Lucy!

"Thanks, Dr. Lucy!"

Afterwards, we took a nice long (several miles!) walk around the "wetlands" park. Apparently Chengdu is known as the "City in the Countryside" because there are so many parks, etc. It was a beautiful evening and there were many cultural activities going on in the park. Another fun evening in Chengdu!