Appreciation Dinner (3/28/1983)

Monday, March 28, 1983

Jong-soon and I felt so bad after asking the Chinese guys such a huge favor to take us to the Basler Morgestraich, and then we ended up saying we didn’t need the favor, that we invited them to dinner to show our appreciation. After work I met Jong-Soon at the Personalhaus/staff residence and helped her pack a huge bag on wheels with food and pots and fryers and bowls, etc. We left at 17:20 to roll this bag down into the Altstadt/old town to Klara’s apartment on Untergasse. We unpacked a few things, and then I was sent to find spinach, but there was none to be found. So Jong-Soon then sent me to the butcher’s. I went to the Pferdemetzgerei, thinking the name was the name of the butcher, Mr. Horse. But when I asked for beef, the lady said they only had horse meat! Oh! I had to go to another butcher and get 200 gm/about a 1/2# of 1/2 cm/less than 1/4 inch thick slices cut into squares, and another 200 gms of 1/2 cm thick slices. When I returned to Klara’s, I learned she would be staying for dinner. I’m not sure how we got her apartment to use for this dinner when she was going to be working, but now she wasn’t feeling well enough to work. So I made one more placemat (placemats of flags of different countries; Klara is German), and began blowing up balloons. Marsha arrived at 18:45 bringing wine, and helped decorate with the balloons and curly strands of crepe paper. The two Chinese guys arrived at 19:30, without brother-in-law who was too tired. So we were back to six people as we made introductions and sat down at the candlelit table. We sipped red wine as we waited, until Jong-Soon said we could begin. We started with a salad of rice noodles and finely sliced vegetables. There were problems with the rice cooker, but the rice came out okay. The second dish was a spicy meat and vegetable dish. Everyone thought it was too spicy, but not me! Yum! Then we had fruit (apples and pears) for dessert. Marsha tuned Klara’s guitar and sang for us before we had coffee. We started cleaning up, then Jong-Soon stayed with Klara to finish, and the Chinese guys (names unknown!) drove me and Marsha, and the big bag, up to the Personalhaus/staff residence. Home at midnight.

Tuesday, March 29, 1983

Hans Rüdi S was to pick me up “sometime”! He arrived at 20:30. We had our French-English lesson with vanilla ice cream with whipped cream and tea. Home at 23:45!

Easter "centerpiece"