Reflections After Three Months

I thought I would share one of my emails that I feel tells a lot about how I'm feeling lately:
"Honestly, I don't want to go home yet. I really like it here and even though I have things I wish were different or better, nothing is unbearable. I am finally getting to know many of my students' names and I'm getting better and better at understanding Chinese. I'm just getting settled in now. I'm also starting to get nervous about going home. I know it will be a HUGE difference to go home. I WILL miss it here. It's impossible to live somewhere and not find a way to make it home or get attached to the people you meet. In Madison, I met many people and made it my home, but there I only knew maybe 200 people. Here I have met thousands in only 3 months. They all care about me and are eager to be my friend. How can I leave here and NOT miss them? So now I am feeling torn between my homes. I can't imagine what it will be like to not see Sally almost every day, or be greeted by my students, or see the smiles of the little children and their grandparents. Even the lunch ladies are special!"
So, after three months, I have made China my home and it makes me sad to think that after less than one year I will return to America and I may never see these amazingly special people again. I hope I am able to show them how much I care about them and tell them who will always love them no matter where they are.

Mountain Climbing

Today we went to climb a mountain with our principal, his son Jimmy, Cathy, and some other people I don't know. We drove quite a ways up the mountain to a little building with a restaurant. Several tables were set up outside, some had a covering above them. There were chickens and dogs running everywhere - what a sight! They ran around your feet while you ate trying to find any scraps to eat. There were also large tubs that the owners would dump leftovers into for them to eat. If the chickens didn't get there first, they had to wait until the dogs had enough!
Then we began to climb. We were given hats and umbrellas to protect from the hot sun. The air was cool though, so we were still wearing long sleeves. It was really beautiful there! We found a couple trees with pretty fall colors, but mostly still green! We also walked past many tea trees and I learned which part of the leaf is best for making tea. Turns out a tree has to be 80 years old before it gives good tea. Wow! As we got closer to the top, it got much steeper and we finally came up to the top. WOW!!! What a view! We had a good time taking pictures and relaxing for a while before heading back down.
When we got back to the restaurant area, we found a giant pile of hay to play in and take pictures. Jimmy and Brandon chased and caught the chickens, and we sat around picking stickers off our pants and shoes. It was one of my favorite days so far. We got some fantastic pictures and had a wonderful time! In December or January the trees there will be in bloom so I hope we are able to go back and see them.

The Big Wedding

Today we were invited to the Experimental School for a big wedding. Seven couples got married! I believe all 14 of them are teachers, but I don't know for sure. It is not common for Chinese people to marry in groups, but it does happen. They also have two types of weddings. One is traditional which is much more elaborate and brides wear a read dress. The other is western which is more like the American style wedding.
The wedding we went to was western. The brides wore white dresses, the couples marched down an aisle and all stood together in front of the banquet room. Then they did several things. First, each person said something about their bride or groom. Then the school presented them with a gift. They all exchanged rings, then kissed for 10 seconds (and everyone counted!). A toast was made, they threw the bouquets, and cut the cake.
Then the couples left the room and the food was served with a flourish. The food was delicious and after a long time, the couples finally returned. They brides had changed into red dresses - some were traditional and some were not. They walked around the room doing toasts at each table before sitting down to eat. Soon after, the guests began to leave and we were left sitting there. It was a very special evening. One I am so happy to have been a part of!

Thanksgiving in China

Since Sara's Mom was here for Thanksgiving we had a somewhat traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Brandon and Caroline came over and we all helped cook something. There was chicken with celery and carrots cooked in the rice cooker, Stove Top stuffing, cranberries from a can, cranberry Jello, rolls from the shop downstairs, green beans and corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie (with no crust) and apple crisp for dessert. Afterward we watched 'Casino Royale' and cleaned up.
It was quite a unique Thanksgiving. I was also able to talk to my family after their Thanksgiving dinner, so that was really special.

Some things I'm thankful for:
1. God and all He does for me every day
2. The support of my family and friends
3. The experiences I've had and will have this year in China
4. The blessings I've received in my lifetime. I have so much more than many of the people I meet here. It is really amazing to learn what they live without because they don't know any different.
5. People who know Mandarin and English! Without them I would be having a much harder time here!

Zhao Qing

Sara's Mom came to visit us November 18-25 so we wanted to take her somewhere besides just XinXing. We got our Wednesday Oral English class moved to Saturday morning so we would have the whole day free to go to Zhao Qing. This is the city we went to for Mid Autumn Day in September. I was successful in purchasing the bus tickets to Zhao Qing and Sara bought the ones to return home!
When we were there we spent a lot of time stopping in shops that caught our interest. Finally we got to the big mall and had lunch at Pizza Hut. It was the first time we've had PH since we came to China. It tastes the same, but they put some different toppings on them. They have several seafood pizzas, some with octopus and shrimp... but we didn't get those...
Then we went into the mall to do some shopping. Everything was more expensive than we were expecting so we went to a different one. We hadn't gotten too far into that one when Sara noticed her camera was gone. She hadn't taken a single picture that day, so we know that someone stole it. Thankfully we have all of her pictures on her and my computers, so none of them were lost. But it put quite a damper on the day. We weren't in the mood to do any more shopping, so we went over to the lake and took some pictures for a while.
At 5 we were going to head back to the bus station when we noticed a market area. We spent an hour there looking at everything and talking with the people as much as we could with our limited Chinese. One of the men was teaching me a bunch of words, and one of the ladies kept saying "Hey! Hello!" to get our attention. It was so funny! Well, then we stopped at McD's to eat and headed back to the bus station. It was a really nice day. I wish we had more time to go there to explore more of the city. Brandon and Caroline want to go there for Christmas, so maybe we'll tag along.

Hot Springs and KTV

On Friday the 16th, Adam and Christine came to visit from Hong Kong. It was so great to show them around our town. On Friday night we went to the Hot Springs for some relaxation. Mark went off by himself and the other 6 of us were in a shallow warm pool (basically like a bath tub but much bigger). Caroline wanted to play “Duck, Duck, Goose” and started. I started calling “Jia you!” (refer to sports meet for meaning) Then she chose Adam to be the goose but he wouldn't play. Well, two older Chinese men were watching and heard me calling so they started calling something back to us. Adam says “If we can get those two guys to play with us, then I will play.” So we did! We taught them how to play and we figured out the Chinese words “ya, ya, e”. We explained how to play and played a rousing game of ya ya e! It was quite hilarious and a very unique experience for all of us! :)
On Saturday the 17th, we went to MFC. Adam and Christine got a kick out of it. If you haven't heard, MFC is the only fast food restaurant in XinXing. It is a cross between McD's and KFC and they have some obvious copy write issues... :) After that we went to KTV with some of the teachers at my school: Sally, Ale, and Belinder. We sang lots of songs, had some beers, and had a really good time! It's also very close to my school so we will have to go again.
After we were finished, we all walked Christine back to her hotel which was about the same distance as our school but the other direction. We stood outside on a busy street talking and saying goodbye when a guy on a motorcycle came flying by and crashed into a median about 20 feet from us. He was going the wrong way on the street and not wearing a helmet. Thank God he landed in the bushes. He got up, picked up everything and got right back on and drove off. I'm still not sure if he was drunk or just shaken up. Definitely in shock. So now we can say we caused an accident...

Chinese Birthday

Zhu ni shengri kuai le!
My Birthday was on Wednesday, November 14th, and some of my students decided they wanted to throw me a party! We set it for Tuesday at 6:30pm. They came over, brought all of the fixings for making dinner and cooked it themselves! They also brought a cake! It was delicious! Seven students were here to eat and while they were cleaning the kitchen – they did all the dishes too! – Brandon and Caroline showed up. We had cake, and then taught them how to play Uno. They loved it and wanted to keep playing, but it was already 10pm so we sent them home. What a memorable birthday!

Sports Meet

Jia you! (Come on!)
After our vacation, we got home in time to see some of the sports meet. I went out in the morning because I thought it would only go until noon. I barely got to watch any of it because the students wanted to take lots and lots of pictures of me and with me. It got a little tiring when I didn't know the students, but when they were my students I had a blast! I found out it would go until 4:30, so I left after an hour, and in the afternoon Sara came down with me. She didn't enjoy it as much. She got tired of getting her picture taken so much and left early. I stayed until almost the end. I loved every minute of it! It really was a lot like a typical track meet in America. The classes competed against each other in running and jumping and they got medals too! I have lots and lots of pictures posted of this too.

November Vacation

Sara and I found out by accident that we had vacation time Nov. 5-9. So we took advantage of it and planned a trip north to visit our friends in Hangzhou and Wenling. Our students had mid-terms Mon-Wed, and then our school had a sports meet Thur-Sat.
It was a little scary as we headed out on our trip across China, but God was with us the whole way and took care of us. Everything worked out perfectly! Every time we had to switch from a bus to a taxi or to the airport or another bus, or whatever, it went very smoothly. We never had to wait in one place for more than 20 minutes. God had it all under control!
Sunday we left XinXing and went to Guangzhou with Cathy. She had to be there for a class that week. On Monday she got us a taxi to take us to the airport at 8:30. After many vehicle changes, we arrived in Wenling at 6pm. Nate and Becca met us there with shouts of “White people! White people!” It was quite a welcome! Then the whole group took us out to a restaurant for pizza and then just walked around looking in shops.
Tuesday, we had breakfast at a European place called Idea Bread. The pastries were wonderful! After that, Nate, Sara and I climbed a mountain/hill called the Stone Lady. If you've seen the pictures and are wondering, I don't know why it is called that. Anyway, it was quite a climb – mostly stairs – but the view was really great. And Sara is a celebrity here too. The Chinese people always want their picture taken with her because she has blond hair and fair skin. They don't care about me! After the climb, we went with Becca and Sarah to see the Kindergarten where they teach and get our bus tickets. I was a little nervous to try it alone, but I did it! SUCCESS! On the way back we walked past a huge church that is being built. It's been a work in progress for four years already and doesn't look close to being done. It's shaped like an ark, and is pretty cool looking. That evening, we all just hung out in Nate's room and played Uno and talked. It was great having a group of people to hang out with and laugh and tell jokes like old times.
Wednesday, we had breakfast and got on the bus to Hangzhou. We arrived at the school where Jackie, Eric and Laura live at 2:30 and were ready to find some food. Jackie and Laura took us down by West Lake and we walked around for a while. Finally we settled for McDonald's and DQ. Then we decided to take a boat ride on the lake. They were asking $80/person, but we said $25. They kept saying no, but finally one of them said $100/four people... uh.... OK! We had to wait until they found two other Chinese girls to come with us, but then we went out and were on the lake while the sun was setting. It was so beautiful! I love Hangzhou because you don't have to be a good photographer to get great pictures! Check them all out on Snapfish. Some of them are amazing!
After the boat ride, we met Eric and their friend, Cammie, for Mexican food!!! Burritos, nachos, and margaritas! Delicious! Then we went back to Cammie's place and watched a chick flick. That was also wonderful to hang out with a bunch of girls and watch a movie. We made fun of it most of the time and it was a blast.
Thursday, everyone had to teach, so Sara and I went shopping alone. We went to a famous souvenir street and shopped for six hours. We got so many wonderful things. Gifts for our friends and families, and also many things for ourselves. We each got a silk shirt and fans that say “God loves all people. Blessed are Angels of Peace.” Amazing! Then we found a pet store with small animals. Hamsters, turtles, bunnies, and... a squirrel! Crazy. For supper we met the girls at Subway and each got a footlong! We had to fill up on all the western food we could! Then we had to rush back for English Corner. We piled all 5 of us in a cab (very naughty) and laughed the whole way back.
Friday we got up and packed our things before we had to head out to the airport again. We got bumped up to first class! (The first picture) When we landed in Guangzhou, Cathy was there waiting for us with a driver to take us straight home. We stopped for dinner, and were home by 8. All in all, a wonderful vacation! Thanks to everyone who took care of us!

Life in China

I realized I haven't taken time to share some of my day-to-day experiences, so I will share some of the typical things that happen...

There are some things Sara and I have noticed during our time in China. Because they learn British English more often than American English, they say things differently than we do. Such as: have a sit, or have a rest. Face is a big deal in China. They are concerned about “saving face” and not “losing face”. So, instead of telling us what to do, they make suggestions until we pick the correct choice. That way, it sounds like we have a choice, and they don't make us lose face. Instead, it drives us crazy! Maybe should really be taken out of their vocabulary, because if they use maybe, they really mean you should do whatever they suggest.

Here's a real situation:
Cathy: Dinner is ready, are you coming now?
Ann: Yes, Cathy, we just left.
Cathy: Will you come by bike or on foot?
Ann: We are walking, is that ok?
Cathy: That's ok, but the food is hot now, so maybe you should ride your bike.
Ann: We would like to walk.
Cathy: Maybe you'd better ride your bikes.
Ann: Ok, we'll ride our bikes.
Cathy: Ok, see you in a little bit.
(Note: The food was not ready when we got there.)

OR

Sally: You need to come to the office to sign an important document, is it convenient?
Ann: No, Sally, it's not convenient.
Sally: Ok, I will wait a few minutes then.
Ann: Ok, we'll be down in a little bit.

They also like to wait until the last minute to tell us about something big. Such as classes being canceled, or having to teach on the weekend. Most of the time it isn't an issue, but one time, we found out on Wed, that we wouldn't have classes Thur or Fri. We could have gone somewhere for a four day weekend. But then on Thur evening, we found out we would have Fri afternoon classes. And then about an hour before my class, I found out I would not have it. So, I still didn't have any classes, and Sara had two.

Sometimes, we get lucky and find out details ahead of time. Like about two weeks ago, I found out by accident that Sara and I will have next week off! Sally wasn't going to tell us because it wasn't here yet. But since we found out so early we had plenty of time to plan a getaway. We are going back to Hangzhou to visit three teachers there, and also to Wenling to visit six teachers there. We are so excited to see our friends and have some different people to talk to! Anyway, the reason we have off is that our students will have mid-term exams Mon-Wed, and there will be a sports meet at our school Thur-Fri. I think this means a track meet. I would like to see it, but if I have five days off, I'm going somewhere!

Teaching is going well. Sara and I are getting better at planning lessons. I made a worksheet for the students this week. I thought it would be too easy, but it seems to challenge most of them, so that is good. We are also teaching about Halloween. We put together a powerpoint with pictures and simple explanations of typical Halloween things such as costumes, Trick or Treat-ing, bobbing for apples, hayrides, haunted houses, and jack-o-lanterns. The students LOVE it! They want to know if I have done these things, and I tell them “Yes! I have done all of these things many times.” They can't believe it!

Now for a couple top ten lists (in no particular order).

Things I love
1.Everything is amazingly cheap. I bought shoes for 79 RMB which is about $10.50. In America they would probably cost $50. Also, lunch at the cafeteria typically costs between 1-3 RMB or 13-40 cents!
2.The weather is beautiful, still a cool 75-80 degrees with very little humidity. (The Chinese people are already wearing long sleeves and jackets.)
3.Pearpples. The greatest fruit ever! It looks like a yellow apple, but tastes like a pear. The texture is something in between. Delicious! They just call them pears, but I gave them a new name!
4.Dried pineapple. Guangdong Province is known for its dried fruits and pineapple is my favorite.
5.Shoes! Shoes! Shoes! They don't even have to match your clothes!
6.The music played between classes. It is a beautiful piano tune.
7.Traditional artwork such as tassels, knots, paper cutting and folding.
8.The teachers' kids when they smile because they recognize us.
9.The people who make an effort to talk to us and learn more about us.
10.Teaching! It is so fun when the students have fun with it!

Things I don't like
1.The music played at 6am. Especially the national anthem on repeat.
2.Bones in meat (the best meat is closest to the bone).
3.Trying to talk with people who don't speak English very well. It really takes a lot of energy.
4.Our “jail cell”. Just kidding! We have bars on our windows which makes it obvious where we live.
5.Teaching on the sixth floor.
6.Our bikes. They are too small and very awkward to ride.
7.Being stared at everywhere I go because I am American.
8.Cafeteria food. I usually get the same thing all the time, I'm not sure I will be able to stand it for a whole year.
9.Being so far away from home. I miss everyone so much!
10.Teaching. Some of the students just don't care and won't even try.

I told some of you that I expected to be told that I am fat. I was a bit disappointed when every time I asked someone if I am fat, they told me "No! You are very slim!" Well, yesterday I was told by two people at two different times that my face looks a little fat in some pictures. Especially when I have my hair straight. I'm not sure if that means my face looks thinner now, or if curly hair just makes it look thinner...

Thanks to all of you who check my blog regularly. Your support is much appreciated!
Happy Halloween!