Homeschooling at its finest

We recently befriended a family living nearby who raise shrimp. Their water supply flows down from the mountains in the west. They have one pool that is teeming with tilapia. They must have accidentally been washed down the pipes, because our friends say they didn't do anything to bring about this bountiful protein source.

Well, I'm sure they didn't know what they were getting into when they kindly welcomed us to come fish anytime. So far, the kids have gone to their house to fish two, maybe three times. They would go every day if they could.

This family is so nice! The first time we went, we had asked on a whim. They said we could come right over. We spent the next two hours fishing and talking. Good times! And the kids actually caught some fish! What a feeling!

They saved the fish for us in a net compartment, and brought them over the next evening. Joseph and Anna were beside themselves with excitement that they had a chance to do one of their favorite jobs: gut the fish.

 eeeeeew.

 I'm happy they like to gut fish; I'm happy Anna likes to eat fish eyes, I'm happy Lydia begs for the bum of the roast chicken; I'm happy that all three devour the sliced pig ear when we go to a nearby shop to eat; I'm happy they slurped up those squid legs with relish when our neighbor gave us two whole fresh creatures to cook. I'm getting carried away. All this to say, I'm free. Let them enjoy those delicacies. I'm content to watch with morbid curiosity. Let them gut all the fish they want. I'm content to wash, salt, and roast them.

...which is what we did that evening. They were delicious! And all the more so because of the work that went into it. I wish I could find a way to measure how much confidence they gained in the process.



Thank you, Men-Feng and Pei-Ting!



Oh yes, and to boot, all of this busyness happened with this as a backdrop. It never gets old.



Homeschooling at its finest!