In Which My Husband Takes One for The Team (Also: Don't Read While Eating)

This is us. The one showing lots of shoulder (in her Chengdu, China Marine Ball ball gown!) is the EFM who writes this blog. The one wearing a tux (James) is the employee who moves her (and their two sons) around all over the world. The red link, below, is how you can get in touch with me...

The time in Chengdu, China

Chengdu: city of fabulous food and beautiful Buddhist monasteries!

In Our Same Boat (with State)

Beyond the Cornfields
Brand-new State Department family in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Love their two little girls (she just recently had a baby while being posted in Dhaka), horticulture, traveling and adventure!
Email From The Embassy
State Department family formerly in Beijing, China, and recently posted to Amman, Jordan. A trailing spouse, she's also a writer, and frequently publishes articles with major news sources. A very experienced State family, this new post is something like overseas post number six or seven for them.
Just US
A beautiful family of seven - they have arrived at their new post: Jerusalem! They just finished off an unaccompanied tour to Iraq and are very much looking forward to sightseeing around the middle east.
Our Life
State Department family on their second post...Tijuana, Mexico. It's their first overseas assignment and they have two little boys. They love Tijuana so far and post pictures frequently! They also get to enjoy the best of both worlds for they can sneak over the border into San Diego when they want to!
The Dinoia Family
State Department family formerly in California, now in DC for a DC tour. Next, the husband will do a one year unaccompanied tour. A very experienced State family (formerly in Iceland and Caracas) with a blog that has been around quite a while and has great archives. Jen has a sweet heart and a lot to give!
The Perlman Update
State Department family formerly in Chennai, India, who then did a year-long unaccompanied tour in Iraq. They are now on a DC tour and after that will do another unaccompanied tour (Afghanistan). She totally tells it like it is and doesn't sugar-coat what life is really like. Witty, snarky, funny and down-to-earth. Look elsewhere if you want fake. Read if you want REAL.
Where in the World Am I?
State Department family formerly in Bujumbura, Burundi and now in Hyderabad, India. They just had their first baby this summer - a beautiful little girl- (there's a separate blog about this) and she also eats gluten-free (with a separate blog, also).

One of the most intriguing things about Chengdu is that it is a seamless blend of ancient and modern... all together, side by side.

Can't Live Without (non-State)

Crass-Pollination: An ER blog
The best ER nurse blog EVER!
Doctor Grumpy in the House
The best doctor blog EVER!
In Which...
My IRL friend, a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mama of seven. Her darling daughters are, goshdarnit, probably too young to be hoped for as my future daughters-in-law.
The Crib Chick
My IRL friend, a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mama of five. Hopefully two (Any two! I'm not picky!) of which are my future daughters-in-law.
the underwear drawer
An anesthesiologist who is possibly the most talented & entertaining writer ever. I've read her blog ever since she started medical school. No, don't know her in real life. Wish I did.
The Bloggess
This blog is both hysterically funny and hilariously irreverent. I actually let my 17 year old son read it (who loves it as much as I do!), but wouldn't even CONSIDER letting my 12 year old son read it. Which is about all the description it needs!

The grounds of Chengdu monasteries can be very, very peaceful...even though they are smack dab in the heart of a city of millions of people.

Specifics

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11/18/2012

In Which My Husband Takes One for The Team (Also: Don't Read While Eating)

So it's, I don't know, about an hour after lunchtime here in Chengdu, and my home phone just rang.

It was my husband.

He was calling from the site of an all-day-long business meeting. He and a couple of coworkers are there today for some reason or another, and in the process of today's events, there was a working official luncheon.

And our phone conversation went like this:

~ ~ ~

ME: So, how was the food at the luncheon?

JAMES: It was a little spicier than what we're used to. And there were some... things... that I didn't recognize and hadn't... heard of before.

ME (thinking this sounded ominous, since we're in China and all): Oh. Wow.

JAMES (less than enthused): Yeah.

ME: Things you didn't recognize? Like... what?

JAMES (hesitantly): Well, some sort of... of... worms.

ME: Worms. As in WORMS worms? As in from the GROUND worms?

JAMES: Well, I don't think they came from the ground.

ME: You don't think they came from the ground. Where the hell did they come from, then?

JAMES: Um, they were actually Bamboo Worms.

ME (horrified): Bamboo Worms?!? You actually ATE something called "Bamboo Worms?" Are you serious?

JAMES (miserably): Well, they were deep fried. And I only ate one. Because I felt like I had to be polite.

ME: Wait, my laptop is right here. I have to Google this and see if there really is something called Bamboo Worms...

~ ~ ~

And I did.

And there is.

And get this.

Bamboo Worms? Yeah, they're not really worms. THEY'RE **WORSE** THAN WORMS, YOU GUYS.

Turns out, my husband actually ate MOTH LARVAE. As in, a mommy moth lays her eggs in a bamboo stalk. Then the eggs hatch into wiggling larvae. And the Chinese know exactly when this will happen during the year (of COURSE they do!). And they hack apart the bamboo in order to pull out the wiggling larvae, which they call "Bamboo Worms." THEN THEY COOK AND EAT THEM:

OH MY LORD, only in China.

Ah, the super glam life of the U.S. Diplomat.

Dude, y'all. Hope no one ever tries to feed ME worms. That ain't happening, let me just say. My reaction would be a cross between:

and...

So I explained to James, who was still on the phone, what he had just eaten at the luncheon. He was super duper thrilled.

A dinner has also been planned for this evening.

Who wants to bet that James will be eating worms again tonight?

YUM.

Posted on 11/18/2012 at 10:54 PM in Chengdu, China, China in General, Complaining, Food in China, James - State Department, Kill Me Now, People Are Insane, Travel in China | Permalink

Comments

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Oh my. Maybe if they were spicy enough you could get past the idea of what they really are.... maybe.

Posted by: Nomads By Nature | 11/18/2012 at 11:18 PM

Just. No.

Posted by: Becca | 11/18/2012 at 11:31 PM

oh god. i am so nervous about what awaits me.

Posted by: bfiles | 11/19/2012 at 04:50 AM

Wow. That actually made me nauseous. On another note - your blog is so hilarious and entertaining! Love the stories. You make me simultaneously hope and dread the chance of my husband and I getting posted to China in the future.

Posted by: Lisa | 11/20/2012 at 07:00 AM

OMG! I'm with you girl. EEEWWWWWW! Just EEEEWWWWW! On the other hand my kids assure me that termites taste like peanut butter. GAGGING! I can't eat PB&J anymore thanks to that little gem. Hopefully the evening meal was worm free.

Posted by: shannon | 11/29/2012 at 02:25 PM

The comments to this entry are closed.

James loves me. And our sons. And his job. But not having his picture taken. In 2011 he finished up over a year and half of training, and in the fall of 2011 we got to our first overseas post - Chengdu, China!