July 3, 2009

Here is a note received from Jewel - more will follow, as you will learn, some time next week. Sounds like things are going very well for them!

We will be sending out another update by the end of next week (that's our plan anyway!)
There will be no one at the Inn beside 3 interns and an artist and her 2 kids so we will have more free time to work on an update.
Things are going very well here. There will be more we can do all the time. We love on the kids alot and go to English classes with them (the interns are teaching) and also go to english classes with some of the staff. Just came back from WalMart and buying black out fabric for the windows in the bedroom as it is very bright by 5am, then the flies wake up and start buzzing around our heads also! (at least one each morning is assigned to bug us!) Monday we will begin working with the head nanny on her English. She doesn't say her words very well but understands some things very well. We aren't working on learning Chinese very much yet. Learning phrases, enough to get by. We can ask the waitress for the bill and order from a picture menu (sometimes the have the translation, but not for everything, the more common things they just have in chinese characters) We now have a menu from the 2 most favorite places that are translated and laminated. This will ease the burden from Shelby, the office staff who usually goes with the guests for dinner and touring.
We will also be training Stacey and Wendy to take over the Inn Store. There are snacks and drinks and souveniers for the guests and staff to purchase. We will work on their English skills in the process.
Better get, have to go play with some babies!
love to you all,
C & J