My old friend George sent me a letter (see below) asking me if I am safe during the global economic crisis. He was concerned about my status saying " Is your daily schedule still about the same?  Are you being affected much with a less than previous prosperous Chinese economy?  "

Yun-kun,
 
I haven't heard from you for quite a while.   I trust that you are fine, as well as your family.  Marge and I and our children are all healthy and are doing fine.  Our children all still have their jobs in our sluggish and recessive economy.  But, financially, we are all feeling the effects in one way or in another.  We are having another cold and harsh winter.  A lot of Arctic cold air is moving in our way far too often.  We also have a lot of snow, which complicates traveling on snowy and icy roads.  I will be giving a presentation of China next week at the Monticello Senior Center.  I still entertain at many nursing homes and senior housing places with my accordions.  Is your daily schedule still about the same?  Are  you being affected much with a less than previous prosperous Chinese economy?  I hope I will be hearing from you soon. 
 
George

In China we have a proverb, i.e., in summer keep exercising during the hottest days; in winter do the same thing during the coldest weather. Today the weather is the coldest day, I think, in sanjiu( three nines) one of the 24 solar terms in Chinese lunar calendar. My room temperature is 20 C, outside is -6 C.  As my daily schedule I went bowling for one hour for 5 games and the average score was 119. At noon I ate at the restaurant I frequented and I considered the restaurant provides  delicious meals. I ordered a shrimp porridge. Seeing the oil Mexican paintings I feel warm that cheered me up. The cost, I think George won't believe, was 14.4 yuan (2.1 US dollars).