It was a crazy week! The Chinese are soo un organized! It's un believable. Kind of funny when I think about it now, but when you're in the moment it's frusterating as ever. Today was the first day of the new semester. My homeroom class is the oldest. I have Josh, Paul, Aiden, Belinda, Angel, Bella, and Alice. I love them. I really do. They behave very well for me. Again, I taught gym class this week, my last week doing so and I am soooo excited to teach something new. Gym is just the rough end of the stick because you're up and moving around so the kids are outrageous. They're crazy! and a little less well behaved than in the other classes. But it's been fun teaching gym :) Kitchen is next, ha. I'm looking forward to it. Teaching as a whole went a little better this week. The kids are starting to speak, not as well as we'd like, but it'll come. There were a couple of rough days with one of my classes. My third class, with William and Leo in it. OH Leo. Leo is a trouble maker but he is the sweetest thing at the same time. I love him. It's so funny. He'll be getting into mischief and misbehaving and I'll get stern with him and say, "Leo. Keep your hands to yourself." and he just looks at me, with the cutest serious face and says, "okay, okay, okay." Three times in a row. haha.... he's adorbale. He leaves no room to get upset with him. We're trying to be extra strict with the kids this week so that we can set a tone for the semester and let them know who's boss and how things will be. It seems to be working for the most part. There are always the kids that are just going to do whatever whenever no matter what you do. Leo, William and Ichino fall in that category. Those three boys make me want to rip my hair out. puh! We had our first cooking class this week, and that was so great. Michael taught us how to make bread. Who knows if it'll turn out the same when we try to make it back home, but I guess we'll find out.
New ILP teachers came this week. They arrived Saturday. It was fun to spend some of Sunday with them and talk with them, give them tips, heads up, and get to know them. It'll be fun.
WHOA! I was sitting chatting with Mom today, and she called me. SHE CALLED ME! on my apartment phone, and then she 3 wayed Tarah on. It made my day. Made me so happy.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Such A Grateful Heart.
It is a very long story, our travels home from Xi'an so I won't put it all down, although I wish I weren't too lazy to. But I will just exlain the situation we were in. Because of Spring Festival and the New Year, this time of year is just a rough time to travel to begin with because everyone is booking and traveling home and it's sooo hard to get tickets, especially if you're foreignors because you need to show your passport so you have to do it in person if you are foreign. We had tickets booked from Beijing to Xi'an but we had to get tickets from Xi'an back to Guangzhou then home once we came in to Xi'an. Plans didn't work out as predicted and we didn't get the tickets all the way. We got tickets half way home, to Wuhan and once we got to Wuhan they told us it would be impossible to get tickets for at least a couple of days which was a problem because we had to be back to teach by Monday, and it was Sunday morning that we were in Wuhan.
We were definitley in a bind and we didn't know what exactly we were going to do. I have never prayed so hard in my entire life. I was so scared. I tried to be very composed and act like I knew what I was doing just so we didn't have a bunch of emotional wrecks on our hands, but I really was so worried. We were in a very foreign place, where we didn't speak the language, didn't know our way around the train station. It was dirty, there were so many people and we just had no idea what to do. I was constantly whispering a pleading prayer to my Father in Heaven to help us but mainly to help me to feel some peace. I didn't know what was going to happen, I didn't know if it was going to be alright, but I felt like it would be. And through the incredible love of our Heavenly Father... and with the help of the handful of angels placed in our paths that day... we made it home. We made it home in great timing and safely.
"The tender mercies of the Lord are real. They do not occur randomly or by coincidence."
-Elder David A. Bednar
A friend shared that quote with me. And I love it, especially after our experience coming home from Xi'an.
We were definitley in a bind and we didn't know what exactly we were going to do. I have never prayed so hard in my entire life. I was so scared. I tried to be very composed and act like I knew what I was doing just so we didn't have a bunch of emotional wrecks on our hands, but I really was so worried. We were in a very foreign place, where we didn't speak the language, didn't know our way around the train station. It was dirty, there were so many people and we just had no idea what to do. I was constantly whispering a pleading prayer to my Father in Heaven to help us but mainly to help me to feel some peace. I didn't know what was going to happen, I didn't know if it was going to be alright, but I felt like it would be. And through the incredible love of our Heavenly Father... and with the help of the handful of angels placed in our paths that day... we made it home. We made it home in great timing and safely.
"The tender mercies of the Lord are real. They do not occur randomly or by coincidence."
-Elder David A. Bednar
A friend shared that quote with me. And I love it, especially after our experience coming home from Xi'an.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Oh Xi'an!...
Terracotta Army
At the Muslim Mosque
The Chicken Man, on the streets of Xi'an. Loved him. Got a great smile out of him after this picture :)
The Bell Tower
Muslim Quarter Street.
This is the sugar balloon man. He was unreal.
Xi'an was an adventure from the beginning, from the train ride there, to the train ride out. We booked sleeper tickets on the way there and rode through the night, which was actually very nice. But it was an experience. Ooooophf! I will tell you that. Jaimie and I were in one room in a car with 6 bunks in it. It is VERY small. Three bunks on each side, with little space in between each one and the top bunks really didn't even give the option to sit up... and Jaimie and I both had the top bunks! :) It was so uncomfortable but was really so fun. There were 4 random Chinese people sharing the room with us. Two sweet ladies on the bottom and two very smelly, unkempt, loud, dirty men in the middle. But we LOVED IT! We tried to make conversation with all of them, I don't know why... we don't speak Chinese ha... but it was just fun to try. I just felt so dirty the entire time. We were in such a small, tight, cramped space, and the Chinese men were hacking all night and in China it's not uncommon to just cough up and spit out whatever...whevever! Literally. Even indoors, in a public place, or on a train. That was one thing, I had to just laugh out loud at every time to just stay sane. The sleeper train was an experience, a great one :)!
I really loved Xi'an. I did. I'm a bit disappointed we only got to spend 2 days there. It is a rather small city, but FULL of people. There are so many people in China. It's unreal. The population of Xi'an is 6 million. SIX MILLION! Yeah. Xi'an is surrounded by a city wall. Which I think is just fun, and neat. It makes it so cozy and special. Directly in the middle of the city is a Bell Tower, which they ring every morning, and just beside it a few blocks down is a Drum Tower which they beat every night. [I just wrote a real long paragraph full of witty tales and exciting stories from our time in Xian. It erased. All of it, spontaneously and I haven't the slightest idea how to retrace it] I suppose the purpose of that insert was to just make me feel better about writing a really lazy next paragraph. It's amazing how time consuming this journal blogging thing can be. SOOO. Prior to arriving in Xi'an we had heard that the Muslim Quarters and the Great Muslim Mosque is a must go see while we were there, so the day we arrived, we walked down to the quarters which is just behind the Drum Tower. The plan was to walk down grab some lunch at the quarters, go see the Mosque then we could go explore the city a bit after that. But we had no idea just how wild, and crazy, and FUN the Muslim quarters were going to be. First of all, it was so packed, for us to get a quick bite to eat and get out would not have been probable because of how many people there were. There were little side vendors for food, and shopping everywhere, just lined up on the sides of the streets creating a pathway. The food all looked so interesting we wanted to just try everything. And when it's all 2 or 3 yuan for each thing, that makes it hard not to because it is just so cheap. There was a man that was taking sugar and making animal shapes out of it and sticking them on sticks, so it was like a sugar balloon on a stick in an animal shape. It was super interesting to watch him do it. The other vendors sold silk, pearls, jade, other jewelries, just all sorts of stuff. There was a little old lady on the side of the road in a corner weaving shoes and bags out of this cool rope material and I bought a pair of shoes from her. They are way rad, and appear to be very sturdy. I don't know. My favorite part was the lady, although the shoes are indeed very great. She made them right in front of me, and I love that! So, our quick trip to the Muslim quarters turned into an all day excursion of shopping and bartering (which we all know how much I love doing that) but all along we were sort of half looking for the Mosque as well because it was supposed to be right there mixed with all the action. We looked everywhere, and we even found another mosque that wasn't the great mosque we were looking for but it was still a really great building. The architecture of these buildings are so great. The way they are constructed is so interesting and it's amazing how much the construction has to do with what is done within it's walls. Once we finally found the Great Mosque, only Jaimie and I went in. There was no tour guide or anything, it was very casual. It was evening and there weren't a lot of other tourists or people in there except for us and the residents which we loved because all day was spent fighting our way through the crowd and it was so nice to just go into the mosque and look around quietly. It was beautiful and there was something so peaceful about being there. The little Muslim men that we ran into walking through gave us million dollar smiles every time they saw us. They were so adorable. I think they appreciated our curiosity and our interest to learn more about them.
Day 2 in Xi'an was spent at the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors. A phenominal thing INDEED. It's wild. And the craziest thing for me is thinking that they were discovered in 1974. That was not long ago at all. I can't even fathom being the farmer that made the discovery. Apparently he was digging near a well on his land and it went right into some of the warriors. Can you imagine discovering that? Whoa! At the end of the tour, he was sitting at a table signing autographs. ha. Funniest old man. He was just this sweet, wrinkly old man, puffing on his pipe like he had the best life ever. I probably would too if I discovered 6 million + hand made terracotta warriors under my farm land :) No one was allowed to speak to him or take photographs, only get signatures so it was a bit awkward but it was fun being able to see the farmer who discovered it! The Museum was neat though, it was an actual archeological site, with tables, and tape and everything. Each one of the warriors had a different face expression. Not one was the same. So phenomenal. I can't imagine hand making all of those. Wow.
We came home and Jaimie and I did a little city walk, and found a really excellent place to eat. It is like the equivelant of our McDonalds. They were everywhere in Xi'an, we didn't see them anywhere else in China but we saw them everywhere there. There logo was a monkeys face and it was called, "BEST FOOD EVER." Or something like that. So funny. Anyways, so we figured since we saw it everywhere we'd go in and check it out. . . and it was successful. We loved it.
To top off the evening, Jaimie and I went to the supermarket real fast to get some fruit for our train ride the next day and when we got back to the hostel, Brianna told us that she made some friends with a few Turkish Islamic guys who apparently wanted to take us all out to dinner. They were talking to Brianna and it came up that we don't smoke, drink (both things that Muslim's try to avoid as well) and that all of our parents were still together. Interesting, I'm not quite sure how it came up, but it did. I know that sounds way sketchy, meet three foreign Turkish guys and then just go to dinner with them, that doesn't sound very smart. We definitley had similar thoughts; we did give it a lot of thought and talked about it and decided we felt good about it and if it wasn't something we were supposed to do, we would know. There was Serkan, Ossman, and Harry. All three of them lived there in Xi'an, spoke Chinese fluently and were trying to start their own business importing granite and marble and other flooring from Turkey. They first came to China to study but ended up staying. Serkan speaks the most english. He spoke very well. Ossman's english was also very good, and Harry didn't speak english at all. I loved them. So they took us down to the Muslim quarters to a hidden little restaurant and they bought us a traditional Muslim meal. It was very yummy, but I just enjoyed our chat. It was so great. We established that we are Christian and they talked to us about their religion and what they believe. Serkan talked mostly about how they believe in one creator. The more we talked, the more impressed I was with all three of them. Such good guys. Their beliefs are so similar to ours and they were so sweet. Serkan expressed how impressed he was with us, and told us that was why they wanted to get to know us. He told us, "I'm sure that you were hesitant to come with us, and you didn't have to but we know that you put your trust in your God to keep you safe with us tonight." ha... we laughed and told him that we did indeed talk about it and we felt like it would be okay and that God would protect us. So he was so cute, he said, "Well then, I know he is looking down on us now so we had better get you home safely." :) It was invigorating to sit down and have such an uplifting conversation with complete strangers. There are good people everywhere you go.
Last night in Xi'an, and we had a great time.
The rest of Beijing....
Our entire vacation was marvelous, it really was. It's so difficult trying to think of the things most noteworthy about it. SO... first things first. Just a couple blocks down from our hostel was a small little street shop where this old lady and her son ran a small restaurant with noodles, dumpling and won-tons, or as we know it in China, Jiaozi and Biaozi. Jiaozi is like a won-ton and the biaozi is a specialty in Beijing. SO delicious. It's a meat or filling of some kind wrapped and steamed in a bun, some kind of bread. I don't know exactly I just know it is so good! Hen hao chi! But the best part was just the little lady. Our dutch friend Rick introduced us to the place and we went there a few times while we were in Beijing because it was WAY cheap and very affordable and filling, so we really got to know them. She loved seeing us and it was actually very sad when we left and had to say goodbye to her. :) Such a sweet lady.
We were able to go to Tian an men Square and the Forbidden City on Day 4. It was a freezing day. The weather in Beijing was just frigid. The wind was a killer. And with it being Spring Festival it was CRAZY busy, so it was very crowded and not so enjoyable walking around in the chill air all day. But.... we wanted to see it and we were so glad we did. The forbidden city was amazing. It is huge! It never ends. One courtyard after another... it never ends. It's like it's own city. The Ming Dynasty was spoiled! :) The Emperor had a different building for everything. Ha! But seriously. We were reading the little signs at the entrances of them all, and they would tell us, this one was used to change the emperor's clothes. Or, this is where the emperor did his reading. It was a bit humorous.
It was surprising to me. The city was packed with tourists but 90% were Chinese tourists, which isn't all that strange because if you think about it, in America most of our country's national sights are American tourists, but I think we were just expecting to see more white people. So it was a huge deal for them to see Americans there because we were like the only ones. Everyone had camera's and it was so full of people to begin with... it wasn't unusual or uncommon that we were stopped periodically with requests for photo's. They would come up and just grab us by the arms and point to the camera, ha. We got real good at it by the end of the day. You really do start to feel like some sort of celebrity.
That night, we visited the Olympic Stadium and the park that surrounded it. It's a great building! The architecture is very unique, I loved it. We went at night, so the park was lit up and it was just beautiful. Again, not much I can say about it. Pictures will be much more effective.
Day 5, we woke up, packed our bags, and checked out of the hostel. Then made a quick visit to Silk Street which is Beijing's main tourist attraction for shopping. That's where they have name brand things for way cheap, and real silks, and pearls... all that good stuff. I made a few worth while purchases. I feel good about them. The best part is bartering. Seriously! I keep talking about it, but it's addicting! It is so much fun. It's like a game, for us and for them. We have too much fun with it, and we're getting good!
Temple of Heaven was our next stop before we left for Xi'an. It was beautiful. Another one of those outdoor parks that would be so much more enjoyable in the spring or summer time when it's warmer outside. We did walk around the park though and it is incredible. The layout and just how large it is, it was wonderful, I can't imagine how gorgeous it must be when the flowers are blooming and the colors are green and bright. The temple itself was just beautiful... you can see for yourself once I get pictures up.
We were able to go to Tian an men Square and the Forbidden City on Day 4. It was a freezing day. The weather in Beijing was just frigid. The wind was a killer. And with it being Spring Festival it was CRAZY busy, so it was very crowded and not so enjoyable walking around in the chill air all day. But.... we wanted to see it and we were so glad we did. The forbidden city was amazing. It is huge! It never ends. One courtyard after another... it never ends. It's like it's own city. The Ming Dynasty was spoiled! :) The Emperor had a different building for everything. Ha! But seriously. We were reading the little signs at the entrances of them all, and they would tell us, this one was used to change the emperor's clothes. Or, this is where the emperor did his reading. It was a bit humorous.
It was surprising to me. The city was packed with tourists but 90% were Chinese tourists, which isn't all that strange because if you think about it, in America most of our country's national sights are American tourists, but I think we were just expecting to see more white people. So it was a huge deal for them to see Americans there because we were like the only ones. Everyone had camera's and it was so full of people to begin with... it wasn't unusual or uncommon that we were stopped periodically with requests for photo's. They would come up and just grab us by the arms and point to the camera, ha. We got real good at it by the end of the day. You really do start to feel like some sort of celebrity.
That night, we visited the Olympic Stadium and the park that surrounded it. It's a great building! The architecture is very unique, I loved it. We went at night, so the park was lit up and it was just beautiful. Again, not much I can say about it. Pictures will be much more effective.
Day 5, we woke up, packed our bags, and checked out of the hostel. Then made a quick visit to Silk Street which is Beijing's main tourist attraction for shopping. That's where they have name brand things for way cheap, and real silks, and pearls... all that good stuff. I made a few worth while purchases. I feel good about them. The best part is bartering. Seriously! I keep talking about it, but it's addicting! It is so much fun. It's like a game, for us and for them. We have too much fun with it, and we're getting good!
Temple of Heaven was our next stop before we left for Xi'an. It was beautiful. Another one of those outdoor parks that would be so much more enjoyable in the spring or summer time when it's warmer outside. We did walk around the park though and it is incredible. The layout and just how large it is, it was wonderful, I can't imagine how gorgeous it must be when the flowers are blooming and the colors are green and bright. The temple itself was just beautiful... you can see for yourself once I get pictures up.
The Great Wall Of China...
Day 2:
We woke up early and went with a group of about 6 others to the wall. The Great Wall is incredible! I completely understand why the Great Wall of China is one of the wonders of the world. I don't think trying to describe in words can do justice for how magnificent it is. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. They do so much more than words could ever do in this case. After being in the city where the air is so polluted and congested, it was so great being up so high where the air was so clear and fresh and cool, above the cities and chaos, and the sky was blue! I don't think I've seen a real blue sky since I left the states. Really. The pollution is so heavy here, and foggy as well. I don't know. It was just so lovely to be there where it was beautiful and clear where we could just be. Just be content. The wall itself is so ... WOW! It stretches for miles and miles, obviously, and you can just see it go. After hiking up a very steep set of stairs for about a half mile, we got to the main wall and began our hike that lasted for nearly 4 hours. It was very difficult, not an easy hike by any means, but I enjoyed every second of it. So worth it, no matter how exhausted I was at the end :) Our tour guide Cynthia was explaining to us that the wall was known as the “long graveyard” because they say that thousands of people died building the wall which is so easy to see after hiking the little that we did. I struggled after only 4 hours and I was just walking. I can't imagine building it, carrying tools and materials, or just hiking up and down it all day every day as a soldier or something. Unbelievable. It was really neat too because we started at a section of the wall that had been restored... but by the time we had finished we had seen portions of the unrestored wall as well and it was remarkable. The experience as a whole was so very surreal. The entire time I couldn't help but think how crazy it was that I was experiencing the Great Wall of CHINA! WHOOOAAH! What an incredible opportunity to have. The Wall was definitely the main highlight of our trip to Beijing.
We woke up early and went with a group of about 6 others to the wall. The Great Wall is incredible! I completely understand why the Great Wall of China is one of the wonders of the world. I don't think trying to describe in words can do justice for how magnificent it is. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. They do so much more than words could ever do in this case. After being in the city where the air is so polluted and congested, it was so great being up so high where the air was so clear and fresh and cool, above the cities and chaos, and the sky was blue! I don't think I've seen a real blue sky since I left the states. Really. The pollution is so heavy here, and foggy as well. I don't know. It was just so lovely to be there where it was beautiful and clear where we could just be. Just be content. The wall itself is so ... WOW! It stretches for miles and miles, obviously, and you can just see it go. After hiking up a very steep set of stairs for about a half mile, we got to the main wall and began our hike that lasted for nearly 4 hours. It was very difficult, not an easy hike by any means, but I enjoyed every second of it. So worth it, no matter how exhausted I was at the end :) Our tour guide Cynthia was explaining to us that the wall was known as the “long graveyard” because they say that thousands of people died building the wall which is so easy to see after hiking the little that we did. I struggled after only 4 hours and I was just walking. I can't imagine building it, carrying tools and materials, or just hiking up and down it all day every day as a soldier or something. Unbelievable. It was really neat too because we started at a section of the wall that had been restored... but by the time we had finished we had seen portions of the unrestored wall as well and it was remarkable. The experience as a whole was so very surreal. The entire time I couldn't help but think how crazy it was that I was experiencing the Great Wall of CHINA! WHOOOAAH! What an incredible opportunity to have. The Wall was definitely the main highlight of our trip to Beijing.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Vacation! Arrival, and Day 1
I am a lazy blogger. I really really don't want to play catch up writing about the last week... but for my journals sake, I will.
To start off a fabulous trip we flew into Beijing with Air China on New Years EVE. By the way, Asian Airlines rock the house by far. Both Air China and Korean Air are very professional. They treat their flightees very well, the best yet :) Flying into Beijing, I had a window seat and I sat next to Jaimie. When we got in close enough, we noticed that there were fireworks going off... everywhere! From that high up, it is so neat to look down from an aerial view and see the city light up with fireworks and celebration. It was beautiful. From there, it only got more outrageous and crazy and fun! There were fireworks EVERYWHERE! So phenomenal. It sounded, and looked like a war zone. No joke. Big blasts, smoke, everywhere. Our bus from the airport was taking us to our hostel and fireworks were going off everywhere. There were people throwing fireworks out their windows and they would go off like mid way coming down.... people were lighting fireworks on the streets just feet away from us.We'd be driving and a huge bang would go off just above us. Insane. Imagine the 4th of July's grand finale.... and then times that by 10.... that was how Beijing was.... ALLL night long and into the morning. All week long. We woke up to fireworks, and went to sleep to fireworks.
The Hostel was marvelous. They were so great, so helpful. It was cheap, and clean, and warm. We met a lot of great people. Including Rick the Dutch man, Will the crazy Britian, Aruba man, Anita from Holland, Mark the genius American who lives in China doing nothing particular, and many more. Mark was funny. He went to MIT, which is supposedly an incredible school, close to an Ivy league school, and he lives in China at a hostel studying Chinese, writing books and playing in his one man band that is actually quite decent. Ha.
The next day we woke up to fireworks, old news; and got herded into a massive crowd of probably the entire population of Beijing. We had previous plans to attend this park that is supposed to throw a fantastic party for New Years day but rather... we just jumped in with the crowd (I say that like we had a choice, but we really didn't) and we were led into the Llama Temple. Which was great, because that was a sight we had eventually wanted to see, and we saw it at the best time ever! It was really so amazing to see all of the people burning their incense giving homage to Buddha. It was neat to see and witness the people in action doing something of such importance to them.
To start off a fabulous trip we flew into Beijing with Air China on New Years EVE. By the way, Asian Airlines rock the house by far. Both Air China and Korean Air are very professional. They treat their flightees very well, the best yet :) Flying into Beijing, I had a window seat and I sat next to Jaimie. When we got in close enough, we noticed that there were fireworks going off... everywhere! From that high up, it is so neat to look down from an aerial view and see the city light up with fireworks and celebration. It was beautiful. From there, it only got more outrageous and crazy and fun! There were fireworks EVERYWHERE! So phenomenal. It sounded, and looked like a war zone. No joke. Big blasts, smoke, everywhere. Our bus from the airport was taking us to our hostel and fireworks were going off everywhere. There were people throwing fireworks out their windows and they would go off like mid way coming down.... people were lighting fireworks on the streets just feet away from us.We'd be driving and a huge bang would go off just above us. Insane. Imagine the 4th of July's grand finale.... and then times that by 10.... that was how Beijing was.... ALLL night long and into the morning. All week long. We woke up to fireworks, and went to sleep to fireworks.
The Hostel was marvelous. They were so great, so helpful. It was cheap, and clean, and warm. We met a lot of great people. Including Rick the Dutch man, Will the crazy Britian, Aruba man, Anita from Holland, Mark the genius American who lives in China doing nothing particular, and many more. Mark was funny. He went to MIT, which is supposedly an incredible school, close to an Ivy league school, and he lives in China at a hostel studying Chinese, writing books and playing in his one man band that is actually quite decent. Ha.
The next day we woke up to fireworks, old news; and got herded into a massive crowd of probably the entire population of Beijing. We had previous plans to attend this park that is supposed to throw a fantastic party for New Years day but rather... we just jumped in with the crowd (I say that like we had a choice, but we really didn't) and we were led into the Llama Temple. Which was great, because that was a sight we had eventually wanted to see, and we saw it at the best time ever! It was really so amazing to see all of the people burning their incense giving homage to Buddha. It was neat to see and witness the people in action doing something of such importance to them.
Friday, February 12, 2010
A Temporary Leave of Absense
The author of this blog is currently vacationing in Beijing celebrating the Chinese New Year. She will return Saturday February, 20th.
Xin Nian Kuai Le! &
Happy Valetines Day!
Xin Nian Kuai Le! &
Happy Valetines Day!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
It's cold... and I love it.
A CRAZY change in weather took place last night. Kind of wild. The last week or so has been so hot already, mid 70's to 80's and just so humid. And anyone who knows me knows that I would much rather bundle up than just be so stinking hot and not be able to do anything about it. Usually, it has been so hot at night, I don't use my covers at night, but this morning I woke up snuggling with my blanket and when Jilly and I went to the bank, we had to break out our jackets, gloves, & scarves! It's the real deal. Zhongshan is calling for snow next week. It's just so crazy, because the transition was so fast and the difference is hot and cold. :) I have NO IDEA where that came from, but after this last week of such warm weather... I'm way ready for a little chill.
Our Father in Heaven's tender mercies are so good. We don't deserve as many as we get, but it is so great and certainly testimony building when we do experience them. We were successful at the bank today after Shaila was very unsuccessful during her earlier attempts to withdraw RMB for our vacation. We are so blessed.
Only in China can a whole family fit on a little motor bike.
We leave for Beijing tomorrow! Whoa, that came fast. I'm excited.
Fireworks are already going off for the new year, Beijing is going to be incredible.
... I think I have food poisoning, or salmonellae. ughhh.hu.hu.hu.
Our Father in Heaven's tender mercies are so good. We don't deserve as many as we get, but it is so great and certainly testimony building when we do experience them. We were successful at the bank today after Shaila was very unsuccessful during her earlier attempts to withdraw RMB for our vacation. We are so blessed.
Only in China can a whole family fit on a little motor bike.
We leave for Beijing tomorrow! Whoa, that came fast. I'm excited.
Fireworks are already going off for the new year, Beijing is going to be incredible.
... I think I have food poisoning, or salmonellae. ughhh.hu.hu.hu.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Surprise!!!
Odd as it may be... we missed our bus stop again this morning. It wasn't our fault, the bus driver just didn't stop. Wierd. An indication of how the transportation system is here :) So, we got a nice 2 mile speed walk in again this morning.
So... the Chinese make big deals of birthdays. The school especially is so sweet. They bring in cakes and sing to us, it's very nice. When we first arrived, Shaila celebrated her birthday the very next week and then there was another birthday, Jaimie's just a couple weeks later so ILP, because they didn't want anyone to be left out, which is way wierd in my opinion, wanted those of us who won't be celebrating our real birthdays while we're here to celebrate our half birthdays. But the Chinese people don't know that it is only my half birthday. So, in China... I am currently 20 years old :) Happy Birthday... to me. No cake or songs yet, which is okay because I would feel so horrible with it anyways because it's not actually my birthday :)
We continued with our decorating at the school today. I did a jungle themed wall. It's kinda fun. I'll post some pics of it. I'm already getting way nervous for the real school semester to start. :/ Winter Semester the last couple weeks has been much more laid back and relaxed... and that will not be the case with the semester. puh! so so scared. I get so nervous just thinking about it. Which is why I try not to.
Did you know? Fun fact... Fortune Cookies are not Chinese. Nobody here has ever heard of fortune cookies. I don't know where they came from, but they are certainly not Asian.
I met new friends today in our complex. Benny and his daughter Angela. They were working out on the random Chinese workout machines. He spoke great English! He picked it up with work, and Angela was about 3 and was beginning to speak also. She was so sweet. It took her the entire time I was down there with them to work up the courage to ask me my name :) The Chinese are such nice people. I love making friends within our complex because then we see them frequently. I saw Gobee and Butterfly Princess today... and loved it.
Ha. So I got through the majority of my day avoiding the traditional birthday celebrations (only because I feel bad celebrating my half birthday with them thinking it's my real birthday... :/.... ) Otherwise, I'd be all over it. Apparently, all day Tina, our Chinese coordiator and the girls were plotting something. When we were done decorating today, it was way later than normal. We finished at 3 and I was way ready to go home. I wanted to run, do some reading, work on some homework... I just had a lot to do so I went out to where the girls were leaving and said, "hey i'm leaving with Brianna and Shaila... they're going home." But instead of the usual, "okay sounds good see you at home..." for some reason they presented an alternative plan that required me to stay longer with Jilly as she cleaned up, and my immediate response was a very unwilling "okay" but secretly I was a little irritated because I really just wanted to go home. Ha. But I stuck around, Jilly and I finished the board she was working on and we walked to the bus stop. The reason was because evidently the girls all needed to go to go to the bank so their thinking was, if I stayed and went with Jilly I would end up getting home earlier anyways. So we did ... we went home and I did some reading and other things, then I went on my run and when I got back, I turned on Tony and started him when Jilly came out of her room and said, "Hey. Umm, what are you doing?" and I told her what I was about to do and she said, "so... I have to go pick up some things from Tina, do you think you could come with me and help me bring it back?" So of course, I agreed to as soon as I was through with Tony. [So keep in mind, at this point, I had just finished a run...and an ab workout. I smelt and looked horrible!] So I slip on my tennis shoes, and I'm still in my shorts and T-shirt. I'd never been to Tina's apartment but she lives just around the corner from us, she just moved into our complex. We get there, Jilly knocks, and Tina comes to the door and it's dark inside... the lights were all off, and I was so confused. She flipped them on and we walked in, and all the girls jumped out from behind the couch singing "Happy Birthday" in Chinese! I thought it was so wierd at first. Look at it this way, it isn't my birthday, it's my half birthday which isn't something I have ever celebrated but Tina thought it was my real birthday so at first I was so lost... thinking, "who are they singing to.. what is this for?" haha... but I figured it out. The girls weren't at the bank earlier today, they actually went to the store to meet Tina and shop for dinner. So they shopped then they all went back to Tina's house and made Hot Pot! It was soooo good. Oh my goodness. It made my favorites list. It's kind of like oil fondue in the states, where nothing is cooked and you just stick whatever you want into the "hot pot" and when it's done stick it in your bowl and go to town.
It was so sweet of all of them. Kelle bought me flowers, a beautiful bouquet of Pink Lillies. I wish somehow I could stream the smell, it is sooo rich. I felt bad because she bought the flowers, and said, "All girls deserve flowers on their birthday." But it's not even my birthday and all the girls knew it, they just wanted to play it up for the Chinese girls. The thing that got me the most though, Tina invited a friend over, her name is Rachel and she is only 17. She looks and acts much older but she is a Senior in High School. Anyways, so she came over...never met me before, and first thing she did was bring me a present. She bought me a beautiful little compact mirror with a really pretty crystal on the front with a special little note that was personalized. We ate, talked, cranked music, danced, ate cake... it was so much fun! I was really touched. I don't know why, birthdays are generally a big deal anywhere but I think just knowing it wasn't my birthday for real, and that half of the girls knew that, but they all still went through the effort they did to make it really special... and then Rachel, and her sweet gift. It was just very special.
If it was actually my birthday, I would say it was the best birthday I've ever had, but it wasn't so I will say... It was the BEST, hands down, half birthday I have ever had. And it was shared with excellent company. It was wierd though, celebrating a birthday all by my self.
Again, this is my journal, so a quick random thing that I don't want to forget about... I had a really great conversation with Jilly tonight. At one point, at my little party, I went out on the patio, it was just a beautiful night and I needed some air and she followed me out a few minutes later and we ended up having a good conversation that provoked a lot of thought afterward for me. And I love those kinds of conversations, where you feel like you take something from it.
So... the Chinese make big deals of birthdays. The school especially is so sweet. They bring in cakes and sing to us, it's very nice. When we first arrived, Shaila celebrated her birthday the very next week and then there was another birthday, Jaimie's just a couple weeks later so ILP, because they didn't want anyone to be left out, which is way wierd in my opinion, wanted those of us who won't be celebrating our real birthdays while we're here to celebrate our half birthdays. But the Chinese people don't know that it is only my half birthday. So, in China... I am currently 20 years old :) Happy Birthday... to me. No cake or songs yet, which is okay because I would feel so horrible with it anyways because it's not actually my birthday :)
We continued with our decorating at the school today. I did a jungle themed wall. It's kinda fun. I'll post some pics of it. I'm already getting way nervous for the real school semester to start. :/ Winter Semester the last couple weeks has been much more laid back and relaxed... and that will not be the case with the semester. puh! so so scared. I get so nervous just thinking about it. Which is why I try not to.
Did you know? Fun fact... Fortune Cookies are not Chinese. Nobody here has ever heard of fortune cookies. I don't know where they came from, but they are certainly not Asian.
I met new friends today in our complex. Benny and his daughter Angela. They were working out on the random Chinese workout machines. He spoke great English! He picked it up with work, and Angela was about 3 and was beginning to speak also. She was so sweet. It took her the entire time I was down there with them to work up the courage to ask me my name :) The Chinese are such nice people. I love making friends within our complex because then we see them frequently. I saw Gobee and Butterfly Princess today... and loved it.
Ha. So I got through the majority of my day avoiding the traditional birthday celebrations (only because I feel bad celebrating my half birthday with them thinking it's my real birthday... :/.... ) Otherwise, I'd be all over it. Apparently, all day Tina, our Chinese coordiator and the girls were plotting something. When we were done decorating today, it was way later than normal. We finished at 3 and I was way ready to go home. I wanted to run, do some reading, work on some homework... I just had a lot to do so I went out to where the girls were leaving and said, "hey i'm leaving with Brianna and Shaila... they're going home." But instead of the usual, "okay sounds good see you at home..." for some reason they presented an alternative plan that required me to stay longer with Jilly as she cleaned up, and my immediate response was a very unwilling "okay" but secretly I was a little irritated because I really just wanted to go home. Ha. But I stuck around, Jilly and I finished the board she was working on and we walked to the bus stop. The reason was because evidently the girls all needed to go to go to the bank so their thinking was, if I stayed and went with Jilly I would end up getting home earlier anyways. So we did ... we went home and I did some reading and other things, then I went on my run and when I got back, I turned on Tony and started him when Jilly came out of her room and said, "Hey. Umm, what are you doing?" and I told her what I was about to do and she said, "so... I have to go pick up some things from Tina, do you think you could come with me and help me bring it back?" So of course, I agreed to as soon as I was through with Tony. [So keep in mind, at this point, I had just finished a run...and an ab workout. I smelt and looked horrible!] So I slip on my tennis shoes, and I'm still in my shorts and T-shirt. I'd never been to Tina's apartment but she lives just around the corner from us, she just moved into our complex. We get there, Jilly knocks, and Tina comes to the door and it's dark inside... the lights were all off, and I was so confused. She flipped them on and we walked in, and all the girls jumped out from behind the couch singing "Happy Birthday" in Chinese! I thought it was so wierd at first. Look at it this way, it isn't my birthday, it's my half birthday which isn't something I have ever celebrated but Tina thought it was my real birthday so at first I was so lost... thinking, "who are they singing to.. what is this for?" haha... but I figured it out. The girls weren't at the bank earlier today, they actually went to the store to meet Tina and shop for dinner. So they shopped then they all went back to Tina's house and made Hot Pot! It was soooo good. Oh my goodness. It made my favorites list. It's kind of like oil fondue in the states, where nothing is cooked and you just stick whatever you want into the "hot pot" and when it's done stick it in your bowl and go to town.
It was so sweet of all of them. Kelle bought me flowers, a beautiful bouquet of Pink Lillies. I wish somehow I could stream the smell, it is sooo rich. I felt bad because she bought the flowers, and said, "All girls deserve flowers on their birthday." But it's not even my birthday and all the girls knew it, they just wanted to play it up for the Chinese girls. The thing that got me the most though, Tina invited a friend over, her name is Rachel and she is only 17. She looks and acts much older but she is a Senior in High School. Anyways, so she came over...never met me before, and first thing she did was bring me a present. She bought me a beautiful little compact mirror with a really pretty crystal on the front with a special little note that was personalized. We ate, talked, cranked music, danced, ate cake... it was so much fun! I was really touched. I don't know why, birthdays are generally a big deal anywhere but I think just knowing it wasn't my birthday for real, and that half of the girls knew that, but they all still went through the effort they did to make it really special... and then Rachel, and her sweet gift. It was just very special.
If it was actually my birthday, I would say it was the best birthday I've ever had, but it wasn't so I will say... It was the BEST, hands down, half birthday I have ever had. And it was shared with excellent company. It was wierd though, celebrating a birthday all by my self.
Again, this is my journal, so a quick random thing that I don't want to forget about... I had a really great conversation with Jilly tonight. At one point, at my little party, I went out on the patio, it was just a beautiful night and I needed some air and she followed me out a few minutes later and we ended up having a good conversation that provoked a lot of thought afterward for me. And I love those kinds of conversations, where you feel like you take something from it.
For once...
I don't have a whole lot to say.
Jaimie and I were going to ride our super awesome new Chinese bikes to the school today, but a screw to my seat fell out and I wanted to get it in and tightened before we rode a half hour to school so I didn't loosen the seat more and have the other one fall out. So we went to school like usual and spent the day decorating the school for the new semester. We decorated each little section with a different American holiday. I took Easter. We had a lot of fun doing it. When we were walking to the bus stop later today my roommate Mikelle started to tell us...IN DETAIL... her plans for the rest of her life. It was very entertaining and really quite phenominal how specific she was. It made me think about my future, and I felt a mixture of feelings. Both INCREDIBLY excited, and a tad scared. Well, I think nervous or hesitant might be a better word. Either way, I just didn't want to think about it. I tend to do that. I think in advance and try to make plans and set goals and have dreams for myself... big lofty ones, sometimes ones that may be very hard to obtain. So I'm trying this new thing for the next 5 months where I just focus on the present, and I just live it, and love it. I'm doing better. It's hard not to when you have this kind of experience.
Chinese workout equipment is really funny, and awesome. They have these machines in our complex that are way rad. I use them everyday. Some of them are just stretchers and others are actual workout machines. I'll have to get some pics to stick on here...
3 days til Beijing.
Jaimie and I were going to ride our super awesome new Chinese bikes to the school today, but a screw to my seat fell out and I wanted to get it in and tightened before we rode a half hour to school so I didn't loosen the seat more and have the other one fall out. So we went to school like usual and spent the day decorating the school for the new semester. We decorated each little section with a different American holiday. I took Easter. We had a lot of fun doing it. When we were walking to the bus stop later today my roommate Mikelle started to tell us...IN DETAIL... her plans for the rest of her life. It was very entertaining and really quite phenominal how specific she was. It made me think about my future, and I felt a mixture of feelings. Both INCREDIBLY excited, and a tad scared. Well, I think nervous or hesitant might be a better word. Either way, I just didn't want to think about it. I tend to do that. I think in advance and try to make plans and set goals and have dreams for myself... big lofty ones, sometimes ones that may be very hard to obtain. So I'm trying this new thing for the next 5 months where I just focus on the present, and I just live it, and love it. I'm doing better. It's hard not to when you have this kind of experience.
Chinese workout equipment is really funny, and awesome. They have these machines in our complex that are way rad. I use them everyday. Some of them are just stretchers and others are actual workout machines. I'll have to get some pics to stick on here...
3 days til Beijing.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Pictures from my Weekend with J&S
Here are just a few pics of the girls. Little Vicky and Christy
this little girl looks so much like her Daddy. She's a spitting image.
Vicky does this thing where she cocks her head and it is just the most adorbale things. The camera loves her... she always sticks up her little peace sign... so sweet.
this little girl looks so much like her Daddy. She's a spitting image.
Vicky does this thing where she cocks her head and it is just the most adorbale things. The camera loves her... she always sticks up her little peace sign... so sweet.
Monday, February 8, 2010
A Beautiful Day in Zhongshan, China.
China's weather is so perfect. If I could get into the humidity a little more, I would be in Heaven here. This morning it looked absolutely frigid outside. The wind was blowing... it looked like it could maybe rain but it was just overcast... and if it does rain, it's more of a mist. So lovely. So I grabbed a light sweater and we opened the door to outside our complex and we were met with a burst of perfect temperature air. Definitely no need for a sweater... just a T-shirt. So perfect. The last few days have all been really very nice. Hence, another beautiful day in Zhongshan. :)
In our complex, we have a number of really great neighbors... ha. One of whom is the Tai Chi master that the girls have been learning from. We passed him, as well as another elderly couple today on our way to the bus stop. Tai Chi man is so intense. He makes us want to be Tai Chi masters. I love watching him work his Tai Chi. The elderly couple...they were doing their meditating. Something that is not uncommon here... at all. Which is why I have decided to add #12 below to my list.
12)Meditate. In Nature. For a long Time. Everyday. Without moving a muscle.
The random old man with the bird cage that was mentioned earlier... is one of our neighbors and we always run into him! And everywhere he goes, he takes his bird cage with him. Which is also not uncommon apparently. We read recently in a book about Beijing that there is actually a park there dedicated to the Elderly and their birds, because a lot of the older generation have birds and they carry them with them. We saw the bird man in our complex on the bus today, with his bird :) HA. I laugh out loud every time I see him. One morning I was running and he was practicing a karate kick against this tree outside his complex and he had his bird in its birdcage hanging from a low branch right above him on the tree. HA HA HA. I absolutely love him. And his bird.
We did not miss our stop today, and we got to the school on time :) I continued to work on my sweat bands that I am making for gym class for the kids to wear, and we did some decorating for Spring Festival. When lunchtime rolled around we went down to the cafeteria. Lunch was a egg/meat/cucumber mix of some sort with rice. It was way good... but it was so weird, when I picked up my chopsticks to eat today, they felt SO comfortable. I couldn't decide if we were just getting that used to eating with them or if the chopsticks we used last night at diner were uncomfortable... I just know they felt very comfortable and not awkward like they often times did in the past. It was fun.
Running. Running is one of the very best ways to clear your head I think. It's up there with temple attendance, reading your scriptures, walks, and bike rides. It is so good.
*Just a fun fact I learned today. There are over 56,000 Chinese Characters.
In our complex, we have a number of really great neighbors... ha. One of whom is the Tai Chi master that the girls have been learning from. We passed him, as well as another elderly couple today on our way to the bus stop. Tai Chi man is so intense. He makes us want to be Tai Chi masters. I love watching him work his Tai Chi. The elderly couple...they were doing their meditating. Something that is not uncommon here... at all. Which is why I have decided to add #12 below to my list.
12)Meditate. In Nature. For a long Time. Everyday. Without moving a muscle.
The random old man with the bird cage that was mentioned earlier... is one of our neighbors and we always run into him! And everywhere he goes, he takes his bird cage with him. Which is also not uncommon apparently. We read recently in a book about Beijing that there is actually a park there dedicated to the Elderly and their birds, because a lot of the older generation have birds and they carry them with them. We saw the bird man in our complex on the bus today, with his bird :) HA. I laugh out loud every time I see him. One morning I was running and he was practicing a karate kick against this tree outside his complex and he had his bird in its birdcage hanging from a low branch right above him on the tree. HA HA HA. I absolutely love him. And his bird.
We did not miss our stop today, and we got to the school on time :) I continued to work on my sweat bands that I am making for gym class for the kids to wear, and we did some decorating for Spring Festival. When lunchtime rolled around we went down to the cafeteria. Lunch was a egg/meat/cucumber mix of some sort with rice. It was way good... but it was so weird, when I picked up my chopsticks to eat today, they felt SO comfortable. I couldn't decide if we were just getting that used to eating with them or if the chopsticks we used last night at diner were uncomfortable... I just know they felt very comfortable and not awkward like they often times did in the past. It was fun.
Running. Running is one of the very best ways to clear your head I think. It's up there with temple attendance, reading your scriptures, walks, and bike rides. It is so good.
*Just a fun fact I learned today. There are over 56,000 Chinese Characters.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
"Ummm.... was that our stop?"
"Uh... yeah. Yeah that was our stop." So this week so don't have school but we are still going to the school to do lesson plans and today we took a different bus, actually no. We took the same bus but we were supposed to get off on a later stop today...one we had not gotten off on yet. Ha. And, well... turns out we missed it. And it was actually a really big deal because the next stop was definitely across the freeway a ways, it wasn't just down the street at the next stop. So... we got off on the next stop at 9:00 which is when we were supposed to be at the school. But our trusty head teacher, Jillian... who had a skype date at 9 had an easy solution to the problem; speed walk/jog to the school. It really was great fun, and we just laughed about missing it. As soon as we passed the stop, one of the girls said, “Umm, was that our stop?” and another one responds, “Uh... yeah, Yeah that was our stop.” and then we all just kind of looked around at each other and started laughing. There were a couple of the girls that weren't doing as much of the laughing because they were the ones who said we should have gotten off. Ha, but it was way funny, a great experience and hey! We got a mean workout in, and I had a nice chat with Jillian. I was walking up with Jillian because I had a skype date as well and she was really haulin' it because she was already late for hers and it was way funny... so we're speed walking, so really fast and we look ridiculous I'm sure and this ancient little chinese man sitting on his bicycle on the street whistles at us. My response went a little like this... “. . . . . umm. . . . . . Jilly, that cute old man just whistled at us” and she says, “Shoot. We'll take what we can get right?” ha. I thought that was funny.
So, false alarm... it is NOT Monsoon season. We just got a taste of it yesterday and a little this morning... but for the most part, the rain faded, and today greeted us with sunshine and warmer weather. By the time we get back from Beijing, it should be nice and hot, and sticky, and sweaty and everything else we want it to be. Oh I just can't wait! {There was a touch of sarcasm there}
China is a playground for aspiring photographers! not that I am a photographer, I'm not... but I sure love it and I would love to develop it, and what a better way than to take pictures! Anyways... this morning we were on the bus and there was a wall. A WALL! It was totally … ummm, what's the word... tacky for lack of better term... you know! It was just faded, all the paint was gone it was … OLD!!!! yes. Old is the word I am searching so hard for. ha. That was weird. So... the point I am trying to make is... it such a great wall for a backdrop. It was old, and yellow and blue, and faded, and unique and I LOVED IT! I just loved it.
Tonight we went to dinner with ALL of the Bond teachers. We also met Jane, who is married to John, they reside in Canada... and together they own all the Bond Schools. She flew into town today for the New Year and was so sweet and she took us all to dinner to celebrate! She is very sweet, and automatically became a favorite of mine today after she presented us all with a piece of Almond Roca, which happens to be my absolute favorite thing... oh they are so yummy but they are just so expensive here so I have not spent the money. I have withheld :) Anyways, so that was a special treat. The food at restaurants is SOOOO delicious. My goodness. Every time we go out to dinner the food is so yummy. The crazy dish of the night that we all so bravely tried was... (drumroll).... pigs feet. They were literally pigs feet. And they were, again, SOOO good. We were way surprised that we loved it so much but we did. So glad we tried it. My favorite dish was the sweet and sour fish. Mmmmm.
On the bus ride home from dinner, I sat with a little Chinese lady named Vicki. Whoa! Imagine that. I sat down after she so kindly scooted over for me because I was standing in the aisle... and I said “Ni hao.” and she smiled and responded in English. She said, “oh so do you speak lots of Chinese?” I told her in Chinese that I speak very little and I asked her if she spoke lots of English and she said yes, that she learned in school and so we began chatting. She really did speak English very well. So we were talking and she asked about my family and it came up that I have a large family and she said, “Oh yes, so do I.” and I'm thinking... okay you live in China... you can't have that large of a family, ha. Ya know? So I ask her and she tells me that she has SEVEN sisters! That is a huge size for a family living in China. She was born and raised in China and her parents had Eight daughters. I loved it. I asked her if she had ever been to America or if she wanted to which of course she did, everyone here wants to go to America. So before she got off, we exchanged emails and she told me she would invite us to go to their parties and do Karaoke and I told her to email me if she ever comes to America and she can come stay with me, ha. It was so fun. I love those kinds of experiences. I just love em! There was also a little mom and her daughter on the bus as well, sitting across from us and they joined our conversation about mid way. They were Chinese but they moved to Korea after she got a job at a University teaching Chinese and so they got Korean citizenship. Her English was very good as well because she had spent a great deal of time in Britain. Her little daughter was about 6 and she was adorable. I was asking her name and she was very shy... so her mother told me that she had given herself an English name and it was Butterfly Princess. ha. Isn't that so cute? So I also gave Butterfly Princess and her mother my email address so that if they ever come to the States, they can have a contact. It's so interesting because you look at these random people that you meet and realize that they are your brothers and sisters. And I love it.
The dying cat has migrated to another neighborhood thank goodness, but with the warmer weather new sounds have arrived. We lay in bed at night listening to what we think are (well we haven't seen them but the way they sound they must be quite big) huge toads croaking in very quick, low beats. It is really something else... and will be hard to get used to. But I'm sure in no time, it will be like a lullaby... almost like waking up to the serenading of the birds :)
*A couple things to add on to my list...
10) Squat. Whenever you are waiting, do not stand or sit, squat on your hind legs...butt nearly touching the ground. I can't quite do it yet with me knee, but the girls have tried it, and evidently it is really quite comfortable.
11) Push your way to the front of the line; any line. Whether it be getting on the bus, ordering food, just get to the front. If you wait in line, you will either be there forever, or you will be last :)
Oh yes. One more thing noteworthy about my day. . . I a.l.m.o.s.t. d.i.e.d. Yes. That is all I will say, just know that the driving in China is outrageous.
Wan an.
So, false alarm... it is NOT Monsoon season. We just got a taste of it yesterday and a little this morning... but for the most part, the rain faded, and today greeted us with sunshine and warmer weather. By the time we get back from Beijing, it should be nice and hot, and sticky, and sweaty and everything else we want it to be. Oh I just can't wait! {There was a touch of sarcasm there}
China is a playground for aspiring photographers! not that I am a photographer, I'm not... but I sure love it and I would love to develop it, and what a better way than to take pictures! Anyways... this morning we were on the bus and there was a wall. A WALL! It was totally … ummm, what's the word... tacky for lack of better term... you know! It was just faded, all the paint was gone it was … OLD!!!! yes. Old is the word I am searching so hard for. ha. That was weird. So... the point I am trying to make is... it such a great wall for a backdrop. It was old, and yellow and blue, and faded, and unique and I LOVED IT! I just loved it.
Tonight we went to dinner with ALL of the Bond teachers. We also met Jane, who is married to John, they reside in Canada... and together they own all the Bond Schools. She flew into town today for the New Year and was so sweet and she took us all to dinner to celebrate! She is very sweet, and automatically became a favorite of mine today after she presented us all with a piece of Almond Roca, which happens to be my absolute favorite thing... oh they are so yummy but they are just so expensive here so I have not spent the money. I have withheld :) Anyways, so that was a special treat. The food at restaurants is SOOOO delicious. My goodness. Every time we go out to dinner the food is so yummy. The crazy dish of the night that we all so bravely tried was... (drumroll).... pigs feet. They were literally pigs feet. And they were, again, SOOO good. We were way surprised that we loved it so much but we did. So glad we tried it. My favorite dish was the sweet and sour fish. Mmmmm.
On the bus ride home from dinner, I sat with a little Chinese lady named Vicki. Whoa! Imagine that. I sat down after she so kindly scooted over for me because I was standing in the aisle... and I said “Ni hao.” and she smiled and responded in English. She said, “oh so do you speak lots of Chinese?” I told her in Chinese that I speak very little and I asked her if she spoke lots of English and she said yes, that she learned in school and so we began chatting. She really did speak English very well. So we were talking and she asked about my family and it came up that I have a large family and she said, “Oh yes, so do I.” and I'm thinking... okay you live in China... you can't have that large of a family, ha. Ya know? So I ask her and she tells me that she has SEVEN sisters! That is a huge size for a family living in China. She was born and raised in China and her parents had Eight daughters. I loved it. I asked her if she had ever been to America or if she wanted to which of course she did, everyone here wants to go to America. So before she got off, we exchanged emails and she told me she would invite us to go to their parties and do Karaoke and I told her to email me if she ever comes to America and she can come stay with me, ha. It was so fun. I love those kinds of experiences. I just love em! There was also a little mom and her daughter on the bus as well, sitting across from us and they joined our conversation about mid way. They were Chinese but they moved to Korea after she got a job at a University teaching Chinese and so they got Korean citizenship. Her English was very good as well because she had spent a great deal of time in Britain. Her little daughter was about 6 and she was adorable. I was asking her name and she was very shy... so her mother told me that she had given herself an English name and it was Butterfly Princess. ha. Isn't that so cute? So I also gave Butterfly Princess and her mother my email address so that if they ever come to the States, they can have a contact. It's so interesting because you look at these random people that you meet and realize that they are your brothers and sisters. And I love it.
The dying cat has migrated to another neighborhood thank goodness, but with the warmer weather new sounds have arrived. We lay in bed at night listening to what we think are (well we haven't seen them but the way they sound they must be quite big) huge toads croaking in very quick, low beats. It is really something else... and will be hard to get used to. But I'm sure in no time, it will be like a lullaby... almost like waking up to the serenading of the birds :)
*A couple things to add on to my list...
10) Squat. Whenever you are waiting, do not stand or sit, squat on your hind legs...butt nearly touching the ground. I can't quite do it yet with me knee, but the girls have tried it, and evidently it is really quite comfortable.
11) Push your way to the front of the line; any line. Whether it be getting on the bus, ordering food, just get to the front. If you wait in line, you will either be there forever, or you will be last :)
Oh yes. One more thing noteworthy about my day. . . I a.l.m.o.s.t. d.i.e.d. Yes. That is all I will say, just know that the driving in China is outrageous.
Wan an.
Well hellooo Monsoon Season.
This morning we enjoyed a beautiful thunder and rain storm during our church meeting. Thunderstorms just went on my favorites list, which if you don't have one... I recommend it. They're quite fun. Abby read hers to us when we first arrived and she encouraged us all to create one. It's a great way to get to know someone :) I believe today is the beginning of the Monsoon season here in Zhongshan. There will be a plethora of thunderstorms in the near future.
Our meeting today was phenominal. Every week we rotate who prepares the lessons and chooses our talks and this week was my turn. So I chose a conference talk given a few sessions ago given by Elder L. Tom Perry titled, "Blessings Resulting from Reading the Book of Mormon". It was a great talk when it was given and it was a great talk this morning. Something that really impressed me from the talk is the fact that those Prophets writing the Book of Mormon understood that the words that they were writing were for us in present day. It is meant for us. A neat thought.
The lesson was #4 in the Gospel Principles manual and it was on Agency today. A great lesson. I really love having such a small group with just the seven of us. It's far more personal and makes it simpler to share and open up which is so great because when everyone else does share and express themselves openly, I feel like it is easier for me to learn and grow in the gospel.
A quick testimony meeting followed our lesson, and that was really special. These girls have such sweet spirits. I know that they are my sisters and that there was a purpose for us all coming here together.
I love Sundays. It is a great day to read, and to think, and to write... and if I'm lucky, on a really good day... I can skype my family. Today was a reallly good day! I got very lucky and skyped both Rebekah and Tarah :)
*A quick addition to my Becoming Chinese List:
#9) Be blaintantly honest. About everything. There is no holding back here...
Our meeting today was phenominal. Every week we rotate who prepares the lessons and chooses our talks and this week was my turn. So I chose a conference talk given a few sessions ago given by Elder L. Tom Perry titled, "Blessings Resulting from Reading the Book of Mormon". It was a great talk when it was given and it was a great talk this morning. Something that really impressed me from the talk is the fact that those Prophets writing the Book of Mormon understood that the words that they were writing were for us in present day. It is meant for us. A neat thought.
The lesson was #4 in the Gospel Principles manual and it was on Agency today. A great lesson. I really love having such a small group with just the seven of us. It's far more personal and makes it simpler to share and open up which is so great because when everyone else does share and express themselves openly, I feel like it is easier for me to learn and grow in the gospel.
A quick testimony meeting followed our lesson, and that was really special. These girls have such sweet spirits. I know that they are my sisters and that there was a purpose for us all coming here together.
I love Sundays. It is a great day to read, and to think, and to write... and if I'm lucky, on a really good day... I can skype my family. Today was a reallly good day! I got very lucky and skyped both Rebekah and Tarah :)
*A quick addition to my Becoming Chinese List:
#9) Be blaintantly honest. About everything. There is no holding back here...
Friday, February 5, 2010
BIKES...
This moring was so nice. I woke up to the birds chirping and it was such a calm, peaceful thing. It is so beautiful. The weather is getting warmer, so we've started to leave the windows open at night and this morning the birds had an especially cheery song to sing. I did kind of get attacked by bugs last night, I don't know if it was because the windows were open or if it's just starting to be that time of year.
It was just a beautiful morning, it made for a very satisfying run. It was the type of morning that you just don't want your run to end. The weather was perfect. Cool breeze, balmy... just lovely. About 70 degrees. Mmmm. Love it.
Oh! I was so sad. So I've been a little sick this week. It's just a nasty cold, achey, tempature type stuff. So last night after skyping with Mom it was pretty late so I didn't get the greatest nights sleep, and we had planned to wake up early and go for a run and do Tai Chi with this Tai Chi master that teaches in our apartment complex, but this morning the girls didn't wake me up because they are so sweet and thought I needed the sleep, which is probably true but I am SOOO sad I missed Tai Chi! blah! But it is alright. I have a hunch there will be many Tai Chi Saturdays ahead of us :)
I got to skype Tarah and the Halls today... SO FUN! First time we've skyped with connection for both of us. We had a Chinese lesson. Ummm, I think it went quite well. She could use some pronunciation help, ha... but overall a successful lesson.
We kind of just played today by ear, very spontaneous. Jaimie, Shaila, Brianna and I took the bus to the Fruit stand and walked to the Park n' Shop Mall which is a big shopping area here in Zhongshan. IT IS ENORMOUS... and we just walked around and shopped some. But THE BEST PART! Oh my goodness I am so excited. When we were finished at the mall, we walked back and we saw a street vendor selling street bikes. We had defnitely talked about buying bikes while we're here because they are way cheap and totally worth it, and would be so fun to have for 6 months. But once we got here and experienced first hand the way they drive, it kind of became a fun idea that we HAD but just got pushed to the back of our minds. So today we passed this shop and we decided to stop and get the prices and check them out a little. They were selling for just over 150 yuan which is about $20 dollars and they were just too great. I was thinking to myself how much I just really wanted one but it wouldn't work because I couldn't have one by myself because we cannot ever be alone. Ha. But then Jaimie came out and said how much she really wanted one and I got SOOO excited and told her I would ABSOLUTELY buy one with her, so we did! WE BOUGHT ONE! WE BOUGHT BIKES! They are so Chinese too. When I say that, I mean they are practically falling apart already... which is awesome! We'll use them for 6 months, run them down and leave them to some bum on the street who could really use it after we leave :) We are going to become excellent riders... because if we can get around on a bike here, we will be champs anywhere else we ride bikes.
For dinner tonight, we shared four very large dishes for $7. It came out to be about $1.50 for each of us, and it was very satisfying. Not one of us were even a little bit hungry afterward. Eating out is going to be so different when I come home. I'm going to expect so much for so cheap. I'm probably going to try to barter everything and never buy anything because everything will seem far too expensive. :) Which will probably be a great thing. Hmmmmmm.
Wan an.
It was just a beautiful morning, it made for a very satisfying run. It was the type of morning that you just don't want your run to end. The weather was perfect. Cool breeze, balmy... just lovely. About 70 degrees. Mmmm. Love it.
Oh! I was so sad. So I've been a little sick this week. It's just a nasty cold, achey, tempature type stuff. So last night after skyping with Mom it was pretty late so I didn't get the greatest nights sleep, and we had planned to wake up early and go for a run and do Tai Chi with this Tai Chi master that teaches in our apartment complex, but this morning the girls didn't wake me up because they are so sweet and thought I needed the sleep, which is probably true but I am SOOO sad I missed Tai Chi! blah! But it is alright. I have a hunch there will be many Tai Chi Saturdays ahead of us :)
I got to skype Tarah and the Halls today... SO FUN! First time we've skyped with connection for both of us. We had a Chinese lesson. Ummm, I think it went quite well. She could use some pronunciation help, ha... but overall a successful lesson.
We kind of just played today by ear, very spontaneous. Jaimie, Shaila, Brianna and I took the bus to the Fruit stand and walked to the Park n' Shop Mall which is a big shopping area here in Zhongshan. IT IS ENORMOUS... and we just walked around and shopped some. But THE BEST PART! Oh my goodness I am so excited. When we were finished at the mall, we walked back and we saw a street vendor selling street bikes. We had defnitely talked about buying bikes while we're here because they are way cheap and totally worth it, and would be so fun to have for 6 months. But once we got here and experienced first hand the way they drive, it kind of became a fun idea that we HAD but just got pushed to the back of our minds. So today we passed this shop and we decided to stop and get the prices and check them out a little. They were selling for just over 150 yuan which is about $20 dollars and they were just too great. I was thinking to myself how much I just really wanted one but it wouldn't work because I couldn't have one by myself because we cannot ever be alone. Ha. But then Jaimie came out and said how much she really wanted one and I got SOOO excited and told her I would ABSOLUTELY buy one with her, so we did! WE BOUGHT ONE! WE BOUGHT BIKES! They are so Chinese too. When I say that, I mean they are practically falling apart already... which is awesome! We'll use them for 6 months, run them down and leave them to some bum on the street who could really use it after we leave :) We are going to become excellent riders... because if we can get around on a bike here, we will be champs anywhere else we ride bikes.
For dinner tonight, we shared four very large dishes for $7. It came out to be about $1.50 for each of us, and it was very satisfying. Not one of us were even a little bit hungry afterward. Eating out is going to be so different when I come home. I'm going to expect so much for so cheap. I'm probably going to try to barter everything and never buy anything because everything will seem far too expensive. :) Which will probably be a great thing. Hmmmmmm.
Wan an.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness
On our way to school we always pass this construction site, (well there are construction sites all over the place but this particular area has tons of buildings going up) and I realized that all of the buildings were being constructed with bamboo! We saw this a lot in Hong Kong but I had just let it slip to the back of my mind because it is so common here, and we see it a lot. Our tour guide in Hong Kong told us that the Bamboo is so incredibly strong that it is not uncommon to use it in the construction of new buildings. I think that is so phenominal! And it looks so neat too... just a great thing I didn't want to forget.
Today was the last day of winter camp at the school. My first class was absolutely wild. It was the oldest class and they had me goin' :) Two of my kids, Aiden and Justin have this infatuation with slapping all of the teachers butts and for some reason, I know they are only 5 but it just drives me crazy when Aiden and Justin do it. They are definitely two of the biggest boys in the class... Aiden is so solid. He is about Kaleb's size and he is 5. Ummm, yes. Anyways, he and Justin are so clingy and ..... agablugaboo! :) I must just say though, how sad I am because I got so attached to some of those kids and because most of them are not ILP kids, we most likely won't be seeing them again. So sad. But it is kind of fun knowing that we have a week off and we are one week closer to going to BEIJING! I am so excited. We've kind of been planning our agenda day to day for when we will be there and every time we talk about it I kind of do one of those, you're so excited you want to scream so you scream inside type of things, and then I just get more excited. :)
Cleanliness is next to Godliness; the namesake for this blog. Oh... how true this is. Yesterday we finally got the other bed into the other apartment so Shaila was able to move out of our living room and into that apartment. Since she has been here, it's just been kind of crazy with stuff everywhere and very cluttered, so we haven't really been able to officially get organized and moved in until today. So we came home... and had a cleaning party. We plugged in Abby's ipod dock, CRANKED IT, and went to town! We spent the afternoon with that, and then enjoyed the rest of our day in a clean, organized little apartment and it feels so good. Ah.
Today was the last day of winter camp at the school. My first class was absolutely wild. It was the oldest class and they had me goin' :) Two of my kids, Aiden and Justin have this infatuation with slapping all of the teachers butts and for some reason, I know they are only 5 but it just drives me crazy when Aiden and Justin do it. They are definitely two of the biggest boys in the class... Aiden is so solid. He is about Kaleb's size and he is 5. Ummm, yes. Anyways, he and Justin are so clingy and ..... agablugaboo! :) I must just say though, how sad I am because I got so attached to some of those kids and because most of them are not ILP kids, we most likely won't be seeing them again. So sad. But it is kind of fun knowing that we have a week off and we are one week closer to going to BEIJING! I am so excited. We've kind of been planning our agenda day to day for when we will be there and every time we talk about it I kind of do one of those, you're so excited you want to scream so you scream inside type of things, and then I just get more excited. :)
Cleanliness is next to Godliness; the namesake for this blog. Oh... how true this is. Yesterday we finally got the other bed into the other apartment so Shaila was able to move out of our living room and into that apartment. Since she has been here, it's just been kind of crazy with stuff everywhere and very cluttered, so we haven't really been able to officially get organized and moved in until today. So we came home... and had a cleaning party. We plugged in Abby's ipod dock, CRANKED IT, and went to town! We spent the afternoon with that, and then enjoyed the rest of our day in a clean, organized little apartment and it feels so good. Ah.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Rain Rain!
We woke up to a wet, rainy morning today. It's quite nice, until you get further into the day and the humidity starts to take its toll and your hair ends up twice as big as it was, and your clothes start sticking to you... :) But that is humidity for ya, and we live with it, and LOVE it! The rain is a beautiful thing.
We had fried won tons for breakfast this morning. We love won tons, it's one of our favorite things to eat over here but that was the first time we've tried them fried, and they were WAY good. There not supposed to be that good... ha, and probably terrible for you as well. Oh well, that's where our dates at the track come in right? :)
I have a story to tell...
There was once a girl and her friend. They were with a bigger group of other girls one afternoon and the girls decided they wanted to go do some shopping. But this girl, we'll call her Fei Fei decided her and her friend, we'll call her Pe-Pe decided they were trying to be frugal and the best way to avoid spending money on useless things was to not go. SO! They began their trek to the bus stop. They were engulfed in a very engaging conversation when Pe-Pe looked up and said, "Oh my goodness! Is that our bus!?...." Fei Fei looked up, got a good look, seeing how it was a good distance away and replied, "uh..... yeah, ah hu. Yeah that's our bus." Without even a second thought, they made one final look of agreement at eachother and began hauling pahookie down the street! Every asian eye on that street was glued to the two white girls struggling with their armful of belongings. THEY MADE IT! Yeah, they made it. And they felt really good about it too. It did not EVEN phase them that they were indeed the center of attention... they just knew that they made their bus that they SOOO should have missed, and they were quite pleased.
good story.
Oh! A quick plug for my list of things to do/have/master before becoming "Chinese"
8) Don't worry about preparation of any sort, planning anything in advance or any type of organization. An hours notice is plenty of time.
One more noteworthy thing: my kids spoke great English today :)
We had fried won tons for breakfast this morning. We love won tons, it's one of our favorite things to eat over here but that was the first time we've tried them fried, and they were WAY good. There not supposed to be that good... ha, and probably terrible for you as well. Oh well, that's where our dates at the track come in right? :)
I have a story to tell...
There was once a girl and her friend. They were with a bigger group of other girls one afternoon and the girls decided they wanted to go do some shopping. But this girl, we'll call her Fei Fei decided her and her friend, we'll call her Pe-Pe decided they were trying to be frugal and the best way to avoid spending money on useless things was to not go. SO! They began their trek to the bus stop. They were engulfed in a very engaging conversation when Pe-Pe looked up and said, "Oh my goodness! Is that our bus!?...." Fei Fei looked up, got a good look, seeing how it was a good distance away and replied, "uh..... yeah, ah hu. Yeah that's our bus." Without even a second thought, they made one final look of agreement at eachother and began hauling pahookie down the street! Every asian eye on that street was glued to the two white girls struggling with their armful of belongings. THEY MADE IT! Yeah, they made it. And they felt really good about it too. It did not EVEN phase them that they were indeed the center of attention... they just knew that they made their bus that they SOOO should have missed, and they were quite pleased.
good story.
Oh! A quick plug for my list of things to do/have/master before becoming "Chinese"
8) Don't worry about preparation of any sort, planning anything in advance or any type of organization. An hours notice is plenty of time.
One more noteworthy thing: my kids spoke great English today :)
Just a few thoughts...
I'm starting to really enjoy my morning runs with Abby. We usually have very uplifting conversations that always leave me in a very pensive state of mind. I like it.
I was thinking today about what year it is, and how absolutely incredible it is that it is already 2010... and then I realized that there are only two years left until the world is supposed to end. (or so I've heard) And I was thinking of all of the people who truly and sincerely believe that the world is really going to end December 21st, 2012. I started to think about what they are doing with their lives. Living it to the absolute fullest I'm sure, doing everything they've ever wanted to do. I don't know... just an interesting thought I had today.
Our motto here in China is, "We love China. Become Chinese!" So, the goal is to eventually be to the point where aside from physical appearances, we don't stick out like sore thumbs :) and today I decided I am going to create a list of things we need to do or master before we can be considered "Chinese".
1){This is an exception to the appearances rule} Loose weight because thus far in our journey... we have yet to see an overweight Asian. I'm sure they are out there... a few, but it's slim picking for sure.
2) We must master the art of chopsticks, which we are constantly working on...every day...at every meal. {A quick story to go along with this. The other day the cooks made us spaghetti and they gave us forks. Uh...wierd. The forks almost hindered our meal, it was far more of an inconvenience than a convenience anymore. Spaghetti is meant to be eaten with chopsticks. It just is}
3) Wear really awesome shoes, jeans and sweaters...even if nothing matches, and wear it with pride knowing you look way rad!
4) Walk fearlessly across streets with heavy traffic without hesitation...
5) Speaking through your nasal, learn and speak enough Chinese to get by in everyday activities.
6) Replace "yes" with "ok"
7) Learn and Practice Tai-chi, well enough to teach it :)
8) Don't worry about planning anything, preparation of any sort, or any type of organization. An hours notice is plenty of time.
9) Be blaitantly honest. About everything. There is no holding back.
10) Squat. Whenever you are waiting, do not stand or sit, squat on your hind legs...butt nearly touching the ground. We've tried it, and it is really quite comfortable.
11) Push your way to the front of the line; any line. Whether it be getting on the bus, ordering food, just get to the front. If you wait in line, you will either be there forever, or you will be last :)
12) Meditate. In Nature. For a long Time. Everyday. Without moving a muscle.
13) Gawk at foreignors.
I'm chatting with Tarah in 15 minutes :) I love those chats. I'm excited.
I was thinking today about what year it is, and how absolutely incredible it is that it is already 2010... and then I realized that there are only two years left until the world is supposed to end. (or so I've heard) And I was thinking of all of the people who truly and sincerely believe that the world is really going to end December 21st, 2012. I started to think about what they are doing with their lives. Living it to the absolute fullest I'm sure, doing everything they've ever wanted to do. I don't know... just an interesting thought I had today.
Our motto here in China is, "We love China. Become Chinese!" So, the goal is to eventually be to the point where aside from physical appearances, we don't stick out like sore thumbs :) and today I decided I am going to create a list of things we need to do or master before we can be considered "Chinese".
1){This is an exception to the appearances rule} Loose weight because thus far in our journey... we have yet to see an overweight Asian. I'm sure they are out there... a few, but it's slim picking for sure.
2) We must master the art of chopsticks, which we are constantly working on...every day...at every meal. {A quick story to go along with this. The other day the cooks made us spaghetti and they gave us forks. Uh...wierd. The forks almost hindered our meal, it was far more of an inconvenience than a convenience anymore. Spaghetti is meant to be eaten with chopsticks. It just is}
3) Wear really awesome shoes, jeans and sweaters...even if nothing matches, and wear it with pride knowing you look way rad!
4) Walk fearlessly across streets with heavy traffic without hesitation...
5) Speaking through your nasal, learn and speak enough Chinese to get by in everyday activities.
6) Replace "yes" with "ok"
7) Learn and Practice Tai-chi, well enough to teach it :)
8) Don't worry about planning anything, preparation of any sort, or any type of organization. An hours notice is plenty of time.
9) Be blaitantly honest. About everything. There is no holding back.
10) Squat. Whenever you are waiting, do not stand or sit, squat on your hind legs...butt nearly touching the ground. We've tried it, and it is really quite comfortable.
11) Push your way to the front of the line; any line. Whether it be getting on the bus, ordering food, just get to the front. If you wait in line, you will either be there forever, or you will be last :)
12) Meditate. In Nature. For a long Time. Everyday. Without moving a muscle.
13) Gawk at foreignors.
I'm chatting with Tarah in 15 minutes :) I love those chats. I'm excited.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
...It is Ground Hog Day...
We are so lucky to be here for the Chinese New Year! It is such a huge thing here... very much like Christmas in the States. Lights, Decoration, things hanging from street lights, in every doorway, just everywhere, it is a big deal. And that is an understatement. For Spring Festival (the New year) we get 10 days off from teaching so we have decided to spend it in Beijing, which will be crazy wild and busy and maybe even a little more expensive than usual, but this is our longest vacation and Beijing is the furthest away from us, so if we don't do it now... we probably won't get the chance. Kind of a no brainer :) We are all so excited to see Beijing. It will be cold. Almost as cold as.....brrrrrrr....I don't know. But that is alright because a snowy great wall is better than no wall, not to mention would make for some b.e.a.utiful photographs! I simply cannot wait.
Lucky us! We had a chinese lesson today. Which means, lucky you... because now YOU GET ONE! whooo hoooo! Today we are going to learn to count to ten :)
1 yī [eee]
2 èr [arr]
3 sān [saun]
4 sì [tsoo]- the "oo's" make the sound of "book". Slowly and fading as you go.
5 wǔ [wuo]
6 liù [lee-oh]
7 qi [chee]
8 ba [baw]-pronounced like awesome.
9 jiǔ [jee-oh]
10 shí [shurr]
I ended my day today with a run... and Kung Fu Panda. Ha. I think Poe is hilarious. I love his attitude. I want to live life more like Poe did. ha... funny funny movie.
Oh yes. I almost forgot. Just a couple of facts from the Guinness Book of World Records in China I came across today...
1) The most people painting eachothers faces simultaneously at one time in one location: 13,413
2) The largest bottle with cooking oil: 3,212 Leters
3) The most couples hugging all at one time simultaneously in one location: 3,009
I thought that was interesting...
Lucky us! We had a chinese lesson today. Which means, lucky you... because now YOU GET ONE! whooo hoooo! Today we are going to learn to count to ten :)
1 yī [eee]
2 èr [arr]
3 sān [saun]
4 sì [tsoo]- the "oo's" make the sound of "book". Slowly and fading as you go.
5 wǔ [wuo]
6 liù [lee-oh]
7 qi [chee]
8 ba [baw]-pronounced like awesome.
9 jiǔ [jee-oh]
10 shí [shurr]
I ended my day today with a run... and Kung Fu Panda. Ha. I think Poe is hilarious. I love his attitude. I want to live life more like Poe did. ha... funny funny movie.
Oh yes. I almost forgot. Just a couple of facts from the Guinness Book of World Records in China I came across today...
1) The most people painting eachothers faces simultaneously at one time in one location: 13,413
2) The largest bottle with cooking oil: 3,212 Leters
3) The most couples hugging all at one time simultaneously in one location: 3,009
I thought that was interesting...
Monday, February 1, 2010
JUSCO...
We went bowling today in class. With toilet paper rolls :) Look at me thinking outside the box... who'da thought?! I really had to rack my brain for that one, and it actually turned out pretty good. We got a lot of language out of it. A very good thing indeed. After school today becasue it was a short day, we went to Jusco... which is the equivalent to our Costco back home. It's not nearly as huge or .... well, no I take it back. Because it's not as big as costco but it has three levels. SO.... it could be actually. Anyways, we stopped by there for some quick shopping. A few of the girls... okay no, like all of the girls have either missionaries or boyfriends at home so they were shopping for packages they were sending. It turned out to be a much longer trip than planned because we missed our bus home to Kaiyin twice! NOT just once, but TWICE! Small misunderstanding is all, we got home eventually :)
For FHE tonight we played uno, and it was fun. I haven't played uno for what feels like forever.
For FHE tonight we played uno, and it was fun. I haven't played uno for what feels like forever.
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