China Through Our Eyes

I Need A Break!

2012-04-07T01:10:00.000-07:00

This post is rated R so be prepared for some potty mouth! I have reached my boiling point and the lid has popped off! I am submerged in stupidity on a daily bases and I can't take no more! I have resorted to pacifying myself with spoonfuls of Betty Crocker chocolate icing, that or I will end up in a Chinese prison when I take to beating the shit out of random Chinese people.

Today while at the supermarket I was pushed almost off my feet by a lady working there. I assumed she was being chased by a group of gangsta's, in fact she was just going to unpack a box of watermelons......WTF? Followed by the guy who hocked a luggie on the floor......ya you heard me IN THE SUPERMARKET!

All I really wanted was to buy some f***ing feta cheese, that they carry one day and then not the next. I was also in the market for some lettuce to make a salad but since Chinese people don't eat salad, that can be a treat to find. Oh I found some......slimy brown wilted shit! I just want to go to the store and buy what I know and what I eat ........ I don't want cow testicles and cat assholes.......just a little cheese!

Then I ask the lady where the miso is........she says " Ting bu dong" .......f**k you and you don't understand. Let me clarify she wasn't nicely telling me she didn't understand it was rude and no eye contact.......bitch is lucky I didn't ting bu dong her right over the head with my basket!

I NEED TO GET AWAY!

Out & About Eh!

2011-08-30T03:17:00.000-07:00

So it's been awhile since I have written.......sorry, but life gets in the way sometimes lol. We were home for 3 weeks vacation, and had a hard time adjusting when we returned......in a bit of a funk. I was talking to my Grandma and she said my Dad used to say the same thing when they would go back to Africa after being home on vacation.I have sooooo many pictures stored up for blogs, maybe when the weather gets a little colder I will catch up on some stories. But here are some pictures of some stuff I took when I was out & about one day.

What happen to Arm & HAMMER????

Glad I'm not drowning in the pool right now.....wonder if he'd wake up?

No I have not eaten these.......I'm afraid!

Getting the car washed & vac for the low low price of $1.60

Lunch

Hmmmm.......no thanks

I did try these...... they defiantly taste like lobster. Deane loves them.

Busted......This is so typical chinese, just hanging out in the store.

Ummm these are not the same Simpsons we know!

These guys work while no safety equipment.......they are not tied to anything.....YIKES

Fruity tasting potato chips......not really my thing. Isaac says there gross.

Numb & Spicy!

Hey is that the Cape Breton Tartan???? LOL

Ahhh yes the Blacket????? why not use google translate for pete sake.l

35 degrees and she is modelling winter jackets .....WHY????

Acu......TORTURE!!!!

2011-06-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

Tell me how it is, that I get myself talked into these crazy things! I guess when I heard the words "lose 3 kilos" everything went fuzzy after that......kinda like when you say "boobies" to a man! ( or beer.....or beer and boobies) Anyway........... We had spent a wonderful afternoon with our Finnish friends, lunch followed by a 2 hr foot and body massage. As we are getting ready to leave our massage we are discussing the plans that the "Fins" had to go for acupuncture, they suggest we tag along and try it out. Ok cool......again I hear.....weight loss and to a girl with some chub, I have to tell you it's pretty damn exciting!

So we head to the acupuncture place a very beautiful, warm and inviting atmosphere. We take our shoes off and sit at a table and they bring us a cup of tea. And then we go in........Our friend is having some acupuncture on his back, Deane is having some on his foot ( for pain). And then there's me, as I lie on the table with my shirt pulled up I repeatedly say in my terribly broken Chinese.....bu yao tong! (Translation) NO WANT PAIN!!!! lol.......Oh he assured me there would be no pain. Then he started applying the needles, which I have to tell ya, felt as though he was throwing darts at my stomach.....18 needles later.....Ok I know the needles are small, but shut up, you try sticking them in your belly!!!! I would so not make a good junkie!

OHHHH it gets better!!!! They hook up what looks like little jumper cables for a car battery to the needles ( which I would like to remind you are still in my flesh) and turn on the electricity. So now that I have made it past the pain of the "darts" thrown in my stomach, I now feel like a piece of fabric in a sewing machine. The needles are not moving but it feels like it.

So now that I am numb with fear and pain.......Dr comes in and turns up the machine!!!! Seriously!.....NOT COOL! All the while my wonderful "Fin" is happily snapping pictures of my big flabby white belly! So as a kind gesture to all of you I put all of the pictures in black and white to tone down the starkness of the belly. However I'm sorry I can do nothing about the size or the sexy stretch marks. I mean photo shop is good, but not that good! I only do all this so all of you can experience all the things China has to offer.......through my eyes!

The Machine

Foot Note: I will stop eating ice cream and hit the gym more!!!!

I'm Scared!

It hurt dammit!

2011-06-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

I would like to pay tribute to the "Die Gummistiefel" Band. I have no idea why they couldn't have picked a name we could all pronounce! This is a band Isaac and his friends have created. Maddie is the singer, Julius & Jakob are brothers and then there's Isaac.

Bring on the fire!

2011-06-09T23:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Deane has finally lost his cupping virginity. So after our foot massage we had some cupping. He was a little nervous at first, as they started to apply the cups I asked him if it hurt and he said "not at all!" I figured he was lying, cause it's no massage. Nope turns out the man I married is a Masochist! ........FREAK! He said next time he is going to tell them he wants it harder.....ummmm judging by the color of the marks I dare say he doesn't need it any harder!

I know what's coming! PAIN

I think he was a little scared! lol

Those ones on the shoulders are a wee bit sore for the next few days!

The Freak and his war wounds.... he's so proud! lol

We do this because it's good for removing toxins...... and by the looks of my husband, he's a little toxic!

A Day in The Life.....Of Me!

2011-06-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry my blog has not been updated lately. I have had a busy month with family visiting, first my Mom & Tom and then my cousin Brian and his wife Andreea. On top of it all I have been asked by a few parents to teach English to their children through the summer vacation. So I have started a Teaching English as a second language course, so I have some idea of what to do! I'm thinking it will be nice to make a little cash........( my massage money) lol. I have been spending all of my free time with my nose to the grind stone.
I wanted to share with you one of my favorite moments in the day. I throw on my headphones and off I go on my daily walk or run......and this is where I go, along the river. Just up the road from our apt. These are the moments I feel I would rather be here than anywhere else in the world. This really is China through my eyes!

2011-04-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know, there is a problem google is working on to fix the pictures on the blog......some of them can not be seen at the moment, but it should be fixed within the next couple of weeks.

Shop till ya drop!

2011-04-12T04:16:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we took a trip to Shanghai to the "fake" market......This my friends is every cheapskates dream, and I happen to be a little cheap. Here you can find almost every brand your looking for. D&G, Gucci, Coach, Prada ....you get the idea. Now I have been told that these items are seconds, however China is known for their great ability to "copy" everything! So we hopped on the high speed train that at top speed hits about 350 kms an hr. We can make it to Shanghai in 45 mins.....by car 2 hrs. And then we shop till we drop

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So we were waiting and this guy whips out his shaver and starts grooming himself!

Boarding the train

Outside the train station

Boarding

Isaac on the train

Train speed

All the stalls at the fake market

The attendent in the bathroom, she has a "shitty" job, she must be tired.

Isaac Shopping

A Day in The Life

2011-04-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

It was a Chinese holiday "Tomb Sweeping Day" This is a day the Chinese honour their ancestors , by cleaning the dirt and weeds from their tomb and lay out offerings. They believe they should keep their deceased ancestors happy, since they will watch over them and bring them good fortune. Anyway to make a long story short, we went for a hike in the mountains and down through the tea village

Incense burning at Chinese Temple

Now that is some serious incense!

Candles burning outside the temple....note the fire extinguishers!

Always one class clown!

View from the top

My Chinese pose! They all make the peace sign! :)

Isaac and Mom

John, a fellow Canadian working with Deane. And Deane

Tea pickers.....taking a ......I can't say coffee break. In China, they call the coffee table, the tea table .

Tea Village house/restaurant

I have no idea what this says, but it looks cool.

Tea

I am not sure this dog needed a coat on?

People having lunch on the terrace

Do I need to say anything?????

I think this should say Gaution, shitty floor......ha ha my spell check is picking up Gaution

A couple having their wedding photo's taken

Family together for the holiday

Finished the day with a foot massage and dinner at a Caribbean restaurant. It was a weird experience, the place was full of Chinese, and the waitresses were wearing cowboy hats. And the music playing was, Shakira and the Macarena. The whole experience felt like a bad acid trip, not that I've dropped acid, but I did watch Alice in Wonderland so I have a pretty good idea! lol

They bring around plates of different kinds of meat. I ate my first piece of cow tongue. It was ok....over all I will stick to the Chinese food, they know how to cook this best. Not to mention this place was buffet style, not what I want here. There are far to many people and kids and open plates of food!

MEAT

2011-03-29T01:20:00.000-07:00

To market to market to buy a fat pig.......except they aren't really fat! I am going to assume the are headed in the direction of slaughter? Pork seems to be the number one meat of choice here in China. If you are unsure what kind of meat it is, it is probably pork. NO it's not cat to all you comedians out there. Okay well it might be, but I doubt it. I see way too many cats wandering around for it to be cat. However ,I have been told by some Chinese that dog is still eaten in some parts of China. These dogs are not off the street or taken from some ones back yard. They are farmed for the purpose of eating, I have also heard the same of rats and pigeons. Now I will never know the the real truth to this, I don't eat alot of meat here in China.......but what I have had has been good......so if it's dog, cat or rat.....it's pretty damn tasty!

Strawberries in Winter?

2011-03-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

These are hands down the BEST strawberries I have ever eaten in my life! I saw these berries in the supermarket around Christmas, and like at home I passed them over thinking they look good but they will taste terrible. Let me tell you once I had my first one, I was hooked. We feasted on berries for days. They are the perfect size, texture, and taste! No need to sprinkle sugar on these babies, they taste like the sugar has been injected inside!
Next year when I see them come out, I will definitely be pigging out!

I only came for meatballs

2011-03-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

So Jaana....... (you are going to hear this name alot for the next few months) Tells me she will teach me how to make Finnish meatballs. The question then had to be asked.......Are Finnish meatballs better than Swedish meatballs? Ha Ha. I have no idea why she didn't find that funny!

Anyway, Jaana just lives in the building next to me. So off I went with my ground beef so we could start our very own little meatball factory. Meatballs turned into chocolate cake and Finnish bread......and 4 Rolaids before bed that night! So after we had finished making the meatballs Jaana's Ayi ( this is the Chinese word for maid, actually translated it says Auntie, pronounced I-E) starts to massage me and she does this really crazy thing with my hand and it feels like she is pulling a thread from inside my body, through the palm of my hand. Very strange sensation! Next thing you know the Ayi asks if I want a massage, well sure why not!

In the bedroom we go and she starts taking off her pants???? well she has on long johns, then she tells me to take off my pants......and yes this is starting to sound like a boom chicka wah wah movie......and I was starting to worry it was going to be. I only came for meatballs! So I say, well...... I might have a hole in my under ware....... and I know she will massage my inner thigh.....they always do, and I can't remember when the last time I weed whacked the bikini line......she will think I am some kind of animal. So she offers me a pair of lounging pants that belong to Jaana's husband. The poor man has never met me and I am wearing his clothes. The Ayi tells me to lie on my stomach, she jumps on my back, whips up my shirt and undoes my bra...... I only came for meatballs!!!!

The massage was very good, except when she massaged my inner thigh. I was a bit squeamish ( it hurts in that spot of virgin skin that doesn't normally get pinched) she told me it hurt because I was too big there! If my legs were small like hers and I was strong like her it wouldn't hurt! One day Jaana had been hiking in the mountains and came home for lunch to make herself some salad. She added some feta cheese to her salad, and the Ayi told her that is the why foreigners are fat.......because we eat cheese! lol. Ya gotta love the honesty!

So after all that ,I found out the Ayi used to massage and do cupping for a living and was also a cook. So she now has another job at my house 2 days a week, teaching me to cook, cleaning and hopefully giving me a massage! Imagine........ I ONLY WENT FOR MEATBALLS!!!!

Cupping

2011-03-03T04:06:00.000-08:00

Ok so I have been reading alot about cupping and decided it was something I wanted to try. But push came to shove and I chickened out when asked if I wanted to do it...... I needed time to syke myself up.
So yesterday afternoon my new side kick Jaana (who is from Finland) Fins are better than Swedes by the way! Kinda like the Canadians are better than Americans.....Ha Ha......no really we think that! Ok not to piss off every American friend I have, SOME Americans.......never mind I just dug myself a hole I can't get out of!

Jaana called me yesterday and said lets go for a massage. After my first massage that left me unable to sleep on my back for 2 days, I was a bit nervous. But as Jaana would say "stop being a wussy". So off we went. They gave us a small dark room with 2 beds and a pair of damp ugly insane asylum P.J's. As you can see in the photo they are super sexy. Last massage we had 2 girls.....and they were powerful little things that left me feeling like a beaten dog. So imagine how I felt seeing 2 guys come in, and not "hot" guys either. I wish I could describe the smell that was radiating off these boys......wait I will do my best. Garlic, cigarettes , rotten breath, clammy hands and well that smell of ....I don't know dirty bum? Anyway when I had to roll on to my stomach it was no better, my face was in the little hole and he was sitting by head, so all I could smell was feet.....dirty I have been wearing my socks for 8months smell. I was closing my eyes trying to visualize Ricky Marten ........ I mean Deane, massaging me. I would prefer the girl on girl action! ( calm down boys) when I am being massaged in my inner thigh I would prefer the girl being that close to my "cookie" not the stinky dirty boy.......not relaxing for me!

So after the 90 min fairly rough massage, I mean I like it a little rough but this was a little hardcore for me, One of the stinky boys brings in a tray of cups.......and the cupping begins! So instead of doing me first I had the pleasure to watch him do Jaana first.........this story is starting to sound like a boom chicka wah wah movie. I can assure you it was not! Watching him with the flame and the cups and the way her skin looked red and sucked up in the cup , I was secretly freaking out. Ok it was no secret, the only thing that kept me strong were the wonderful supportive words my dear friend Jaana kept saying to me "Stop being a wussy" Those were the words she kept saying as my back felt as though someone was tearing off my skin!

In all seriousness now he (stinky boy) flamed the mouth of the cup and applied it quickly to my back and then pulled it off and re applied it to a different spot. He did this a few times before he fixed it in one spot. Finally he applies the first one, the best way to describe the feeling is like an Indian rubber burn. It is a feeling of terrible discomfort, but not pain. After 3 or 4 minutes you go numb, after having the cups on for about 15mins stinky boy starts to remove them one by one. It feels like band aids being ripped off.....like the ones that were around when we where kids.....the ones that stuck to you like duct tape. Do they even still sells those anymore?

After removing the cups, stinky rubs your back really hard with oil. It doesn't feel real pleasant but I guess it's necessary. And in the end you are left with these beautiful "hickey's". I apologize for the white pastie, flabby love handles. I would not normally post pictures of myself like that, but hey it was in the name of research!

P.S. cupping is said to be good for pulling toxins the surface so you can get rid of them easier. It is good for back pain, blood circulation, colds and congestion. You can google cupping and see what it says. In China the cost is 8$ a session!

The Grandma's

2011-03-01T00:09:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhh The Grandma's.......this is one of our favorite restaurants. This is a chain, all over Hangzhou

This is a cabbage dish. If you could taste this, the flavour would shock you and you would probably eat cabbage every day!

This is the same as the cabbage......bursting with flavours! It makes loving vegetables easy!

   Green veggies, a bit crunchy, great broth and tofu.....yep I said it!
   TOFU. Turn your nose up if you like, but the Chinese know how
   to cook with tofu. We in the western world have no idea. All we
   know is how to make it taste like shit! Speaking of shit.....and
   food in the same sentence, yum! There is a Tofu here that we
   refer to as "shit tofu" because if you are in a restaurant and smell
   it ...ummmm WOW....smells like, you drank to much the night
   before shit! No joke, I thought my son was going to barf at the
   dinner table. I have a fairly strong stomach, but this smell makes
   it almost impossible to eat!(not the tofu, but any food)
   In fact restaurants are talking about banning it. On one menu it's
   English translation said poo tofu.
   Need I say more? It is fermented tofu. Why the heck would you eat something that smells like someone just hung a big dump on your plate?.............Oh China! :)

And the fish...pan fried perch. Yes the head is still on it! Get over it ......we don't eat the head.
However the Chinese believe the cheek is the best meat and they leave it for their guests. The women believe it is good for the complexion.

Girl Talk- Part 2

2011-02-27T04:32:00.000-08:00

Ok Please explain to me when my posts involve any sort of potty humor......my ratings go through the roof? Your all sick do you know that!

So through further investigation of my Sasquatch pantie protectors I was looking at the package and noticed the picture of an ass............soooo maybe this is an Ass Napkin??? I am so confused and would love answers to my questions. Who do I ask, and how? I will find out the mystery behind these !!!!..........Stay tuned for "Real Truth" behind the giant Asian maxi pads!

Girl Talk.....If your a man proceed with CAUTION!

2011-02-21T04:17:00.000-08:00

Ok so I had to pick up some feminine napkins, and seeing as I don't speak Chinese I pick the pretty packages and hope for the best! WHAT THE SAM HELL DID I BUY????? Ummm these are maxi pads for amazon women!

No joke, I wore one in desperation, they go from ass crack to belly button! Why, Why ,Why would these tiny little women need something that size? I'm so confused.....I guess it wouldn't be the first time. So my dear sweet husband in his lame attempt to be funny says......."well at least if you shit yourself you'll be covered".......AWWW Deane..... he's a keeper! lol.

In case you are unsure of the length in the picture, it goes from my elbow to the tip of my finger! The smaller one is REGULAR size!

End to the Chinese New Year

2011-02-20T00:28:00.000-08:00

This was the end of the Chinese New Year Celebrations. The video was taken in front of our apartment complex, followed by more fireworks....are you surprised! I used to love fireworks....but they are gettin old! lol. This morning (Sunday) 5:00am they were going off, so much for sleeping in!

Crazy Fruit

2011-02-07T02:26:00.000-08:00

For Britain's struggling fruit farmers, things could be about to go even more pear-shaped...

A Chinese farmer has invented baby-shaped pears - and he is planning to export his novel idea over here.

Plucky farmer Gao Xianzhang has created 10,000 of the mini marvels this season and he plans to take the fruits of his labour to the UK and Europe.

Britain could soon see the arrival of the pears, which are shaped like mini buddhas.

If the idea catches on, sales of the mini pears could hit the profits of British farmers who are already struggling to fend off sales of cheaper foreign produce in recession-hit Britain.

Gao spent six years perfecting the intricate baby-shaped pears, carefully crafting each one which grows inside an individual mould.

Despite their hefty cost of £5 each, locals in his home village of Hexia, in Hebia, northern China, have reportedly been snapping them up.

'People seem to think they are cute or lucky and will buy them as soon as they're off the tree,' Gao explained.

Luckily for Gao, he should have few problems getting his quirky shaped fruits past EU officials.

In July, wonky shaped fruit and vegetables such as curvy cucumbers and knobbly carrots returned to supermarket shelves after EU rules restricting the size and shape of 36 types of fruit and vegetables

Happy New Year!

2011-02-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

The pops and bangs started early that morning and continued on for the day. When the clock struck 12 am there was a frenzy of fireworks, we stood in complete amazement on the roof top of our apartment building. They continued on all through out the night. Now I was told it would go on for days, but today has been pretty quiet with a few going off here and there. Nothing at all like yesterday though. Amazing!!!!! I'm so excited to share this with you! The video is not the greatest quality.....but you get the idea.

Holiday Spirit

2011-02-03T04:41:00.000-08:00

The Lanterns were hung by the lampost with care, in hopes in the Lunar New Year soon would be here. Yes I know, I'm a geek or at least that's what my 14 yr old tells me. I thought I was pretty clever though! lol. What a pretty sight to see, lanterns hanging from light posts and trees, door ways and shops.
Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also the tradition that every family thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red colour paper cut outs with popular themes of "happiness", "wealth", and "longevity". On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies. The family will end the night with firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.

MOVING

2011-01-26T05:33:00.000-08:00

Just to paint a picture of the severe cultural differences. We are in the process of moving as our landlord decided to sell our apartment. I was at our new apartment today, and the new landlord had sent some people over to take out a couple of mattresses that were in the apartment. There was also a lady there who had just cleaned and washed the floors, this asshole.... pardon my french..... has a cigarette in his mouth and before he picks up the mattress he takes the smoke out of his mouth, drops it on my bedroom floor and steps on it..............ok I'm sorry I have to use the bad language WTF???? I mean really WTF?

Who does that? Does he do that in his own house? Oh sometimes I could just scream! But at that moment I have to tell you (it doesn't happen often) I WAS SPEECHLESS !!!!!

ChinaSMACK

2011-01-26T05:32:00.000-08:00

I just happen to stumble upon this website called ChinaSMACK. This is were those of us who don't read Chinese can keep up on what's going on.

I am posting this clip, and just to let you know it's a little disturbing. A lady on a bike is hit by a truck.....the truck driver stops, but note the taxi who obviously seen what happened didn't stop. No one stopped!

I just tried the link and I was hoping you could just click on it , but you will have to copy and paste.

www.chinasmack.com/.../chinese-woman-on-tricycle-crushed-by-speeding-truck.html

"WTF"

2011-01-19T23:56:00.000-08:00

I wish I had something more intelligent to say then "WTF" for those of you not up to speed on the new teenage" texting abbreviations" .......It means WHAT THE %*CK. I have no other words for this picture.....Sorry:(

I have however found some interesting facts about eating pigs head:

In ancient times, pig head was used for ancestor worship and as a sacrifice to the heaven. On the second day of the second lunar month, every household in north China would boil pig head. That day is traditionally called the Dragon Head-raising Day. From that day on, all things start to revive, so people pray for a good beginning of the year and favorable weather on that day. As the dragon king is considered to be in charge of raining, people would sacrifice the best offering-pig head to the dragon king. Therefore, eating pig head on the second day of the second lunar month is a tradition passed down from ancient times, and is a symbol of good luck.

The Han Chinese have a lot of ways to eat pig head, such as pork tongue and ear. Snout is a specialty. It has to go through twelve major standardized procedures, such as material selection, cleaning, roasting, soaking and pickling in soy sauce, and more than ten hours before served on the desk. Snout can be eaten alone, accompanied by dressing, or rolled in a pancake. Different ways give different tastes. Snout is fat but not greasy, appetizing and delicious, and the meat and the bone are separated. It has beautifying and brain-strengthening effects.

Lost In Translation

2011-01-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

A Friend of ours sent us this joke and i thought that this blog being about China and this joke having Asian reference I would post it! However yen is Japanese not Chinese. Thanks Tommy!

I will never hear or see this word again without thinking of this joke.

Today's word is..........Fluctuations

I was at my bank today; there was a short line.

There was just one lady in front of me, an Asian lady who was trying to exchange yen for dollars.

It was obvious she was a little irritated. . .She asked the teller, "Why it change? Yesterday, I get two hunat dolla fo yen. Today I only get hunat eighty? Why it change?"

The teller shrugged his shoulders and said, "Fluctuations."

The Asian lady says, "Fluc you white people too"

Shopping

2011-01-18T03:08:00.000-08:00

Ok I need to mark the monumental moment in my life! Upon my return form Christmas break, two of the best stores for a Westerner to Shop in opened in my neighbourhood!
The first one is CENTURY MART and the second is WU MART. Both are very similar to Walmart, including a fantastic grocery section with tons of nice looking fruits and vegetables!

Wu Mart

Isaac riding the escalator at Wu Mart. There are grooves in the wheels of the shopping carts so it doesn't roll away on you!

AHHH the beloved chicken feet if you can't get them fresh you can get them packaged!

I have been in these stores before but they were at least a 40 minute drive from where I live, so going often never happened. Now Wu Mart is 2.6 k and Century Mart about 1.5 k........oh what a dream come true! lol