Friends

Had to post some more pictures I took yesterday when we were playing outside.  We ran into Katie's best friend from school!  Her name is Rose (English name, that is...I didn't catch her real name.)  I think she became Katie's friend mostly because she speaks a little English.  We met her dad too--that was especially nice since a.) he spoke English as well and b.) we hadn't met any of Katie's classmates' parents since we pick Katie up at lunchtime and the rest of her classmates stay until 4 or 5pm. 

Rose was actually a lot more interested in Katie than she looks in this picture!  (She moved at the last second and this was the longest I could get them to sit still.)  She actually spent most of the time chasing after Katie...I kept having to tell Katie to stop and actually play with Rose!  Oh, and a funny story about her name.  The day Katie came home and told us that she had made another friend (besides Nickel), I asked her what her name was.  In her best Chinese voice, Katie says, "Ross" (with a long o).  I asked her if that was her Chinese name or her English name, and Katie said it was her Chinese name (since Katie had asked her in Chinese what her name was...way to go, Katie!)  Well, that didn't really seem right to me since "Ross" (long o) is not a sound that is found in the Chinese language.  Chinese kids are incredibly difficult to understand so I just figured that Katie had done the best she could and that was good enough.  So on Saturday, when I met Rose and asked her name, sure enough what came out was "Ross" (long o).  In person it was easier to clarify that it was, in fact, the English word "Rose" but I had to give props to Katie for completely understanding and giving a perfect impersonation of "Ross" (long o)!

I had to post this picture because it totally captures our day on Saturday.  I was trying to get a better picture of Rose, who was riding off to the left, trying to catch up with Katie, whose shadow you see riding off on the right.  Meanwhile, you can see Caroline in the background (black and white coat) running off to go digging in the dirt as well as the Grandpa squatting in the background, probably judging me for letting my child play in the dirt!  It still amazes me that really old people here can even get in that position...I guess that's a benefit of a lifetime of squatty potties!

Katie playing with some more kids we met on Saturday, even another classmate (the boy with the red hood)