There's no place like home

China, the place where muffins are waffles and microwaves are “heat boxes,” (the latter as per our college student Bill) is growing on me. The days are getting longer, flowers are blooming, and for the first time since October, I put on my flip flops this last Saturday and didn’t even bother to carry a jacket. Patrons at coffee houses are opening their tables’ windows to let the fresh air in, and the inexpensive street food ‘restaurants’ with the super friendly staff are setting up their tables outside again in anticipation for customers who, like Brad and me, want nothing more than to soak up the warming spring weather. Brad is dying to introduce this Chinese university to the American college campus game of Cornhole. We need to find and buy wood somewhere. We’ll keep you posted.

But I also miss home. I miss my now 7-month-old niece whom I have yet to meet and hold and kiss. I have missed all of my nephew Noah’s soccer games and a whole school year’s growth and silly stories from my nephews Miles and Griffin. I miss my parents’ hugs and belly laughs with my favorite girls. I love you all so much.

I also miss my country. Believe it or not, I miss the radio, especially NPR and The Ride. I miss American Idol! I miss my church. I miss the NBC Today show. (What's this I hear about Matt leaving??? I'm devastated!!! Don't kick me while I'm down!) I miss the excitement that being in the US would have brought being home right NOW. I am sad to have missed the excitement when the first announcements were made that Osama Bin Laden had had his last day.. The United States had finally been successful in this decade long hunt for his whereabouts. I am sad to have missed the chance to take a day off from my social studies lesson to discuss current events in class instead. I wonder what teachers and students have been talking about….

But the show must go on, even in China, and how fortunate am I to be able to have had these same kinds of discussions, but yet with a few Chinese? In my first college class after the news shouted the death of Bin Laden, I didn’t even have to bring the subject up. Ben, our sole student with perfect attendance, did so instead. It led to a two-hour discussion on everything from Bin Laden to Korea and Japan, to political philosophies around the world, to the impact and importance of religion in China. As I realized such a great discussion was happening, I suddenly was so sad that I didn’t have a tape recorder, or even my China notebook, so I could record and later recall everything that was said. (haha. In that same moment as my thoughts regretted not having something with which to record our conversation, I also realized I had totally missed what was just spoken so I had to snap out of it, suck it up, and just enjoy the moment.)

The Chinese, as I was told, have been taught about Bin Laden via books, textbooks, etc. They said that they have been taught the facts, but no opinions. Forming opinions has been left up to them. They’ve learned that he was from a wealthy family and used a lot of his wealth fighting the Soviets. At that time he was a good man doing good things. After that, of course, things changed and he started doing things that “were not so nice.” They really believed that he did these “not so nice” things at first to protect his family and his country from outsiders trying to force his family and country to be different from whom they wanted to be. One person mentioned she was surprised that the U.S. killed him, not just captured him to “talk to him” first. They don’t think killing at all is good, but they related the U.S. scorn of him and Al-Qaida to the Chinese hatred of the Japanese (due to Japanese mistreatment of the Chinese especially during WWII).

They don’t like how outside governments try to change other countries’ governments. They think that all countries know if their government is good or not and over time all countries really would and do change. They used China as an example. They told me that in the 1900s the Chinese people knew that things were not good in their country and the people began to change it. Still today, Chinese people look at the U.S. and other Western countries and feel that our governments work better and so they hope for continued change in their own government. They just don’t want to be told to change, or hinted at all that they in fact need to change. They related this especially to Korea. (Chinese regard Korea as one country.) They think that the Korean people will eventually change Korea on their own. “Countries are a lot like people, really,” one said.

A day or two after this conversation I had a hilarious interaction with a very friendly taxi driver. (Brad and I have found taxi drivers to really like Americans. Many of them, once finding out we’re from the U.S., often shout with a grin and a thumbs up or some gesture of the sort, “OBAMA! HA HA HA OBAMA!” It’s funny.every.time.) I was on my way back home from my primary school gig. After finding out I was from the U.S. (“may - gua”) the driver called out “OBAMA HA HA HA” but then made some gesture that looked like shooting a gun. I responded to the conversation as much I could without words and then assumed it to be over, but at a stop light he continued the conversation by putting his car in park and pulling out a newspaper from the side of his driver’s seat. He showed me the front page, a huge picture of Osama, then turned a few pages showing me all the pictures that there were of both President Obama and Bin Laden. He of course added, “OBAMA, OBAMA, HA HA HA!”

I wholeheartedly miss home, but China’s a pretty cool place to be too.

Our Cooper River Bridge

While many Southeasterners were concerned with getting over the bridge last weekend, (Cooper River Bridge Run) Brad and I concerned ourselves with getting up a mountain. This wasn’t just any mountain, but the first of five sacred mountains in China, 3^rd in height. Emperors who used to be carried by caravan EVERYwhere, would be carried to Mt. Tai, but then actually get down and make the ascent with their own two feet, so we’ve been told. They would walk up the mountain to extend gratitude and prove fortitude soon after the gods had made them supreme ruler over China.

This mountain is also not like any other mountain in that it has 7,000 (but who's counting) beautiful stone steps. They made me think back to when my dad built a rock patio in our backyard in Connecticut. How I loved that patio! I vaguely remember it being constructed, but I do remember that it wasn’t an easy task. Can you imagine lugging stones all the way up a mountain in order to make steps for an emperor? I guess if your people can build the Great Wall, nothing else seems too much for which to ask.

These steps were not easy and as the hours passed they seemed to increase in difficulty. That wasn’t all that increased! You should have seen all of the people! I know this is China, and granted we were warned that it would be crowded (Monday and Tuesday celebrated the annual “Grave Sweeping” holiday so people had a couple days off of work), but seriously – it was nuts. It was especially nuts about 1/2 of the way up when we reached a MASSIVE group of people getting off buses to make the final trek up themselves. RUDE! Brad and I had already stopped to rest twice and now these people were coming in with excited smiles and fresh legs? Please.

The mass of people who crammed onto these steps was unreal and something I never could have expected. I really felt like I was running the Cooper River Bridge. I got mad at people who were going too slowly, Brad told me once to “get over to the side” because going up the middle was too crowded, and then later we both moaned at a group of college-aged kids who had stopped and sat down right in the middle of the stairs. Seriously, right there in the middle?! Mind you, all this was happening in the dark of night. We didn’t start our hike until close to 12:30 A.M. Not only were those people sitting in the middle of the steps, but they also couldn’t be seen until you basically stepped on them.

Ha. This makes it seem like it was terrible. It was nothing of the sort. It was cold, but the perfect weather for climbing. It was difficult, but not unable to conquer. It was crowded, yet just like on the bridge, being surrounded by so many people was intoxicating. Everyone was in it together. You felt badly for those who seemed too tired to keep going, and you felt proud of those who looked as if they should be too tired, but were still persevering.

It took us right about 4 hours to get to the top. We were up there for about 2 hours. In that time the wind picked up, our fingers neared frost bite, and our toes went numb. Also in that time, the stars gave way to the sun’s rays, the sky began to blossom with light, and more and more people successfully summitted the mountain, gathering round for our communal reason for this exertion.

He was slow coming. He took so long I began to question if maybe he never really shows himself at sunrise, maybe he just sends up his rays and calls it a morning. After all, he’s too busy cooking up Jimmy Dean sausage for his family. I saw him on TV once. His daughter is such a cutie.

We all waited… and waited. I knew something had to be coming because the Chinese people were a l l still there, gathered around on the rocks with their cameras ready. This was not their first rodeo. They had to be waiting for something more than just a lit up sky. After what seemed like forever, I heard a gasp and cheer and then lots of chatter. I looked up and there was the tip of the beautiful red sun, in all of its glory, rising upward in a picture perfect, blue sky. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

My heart smiled as I thought it was just like God to make us wait on one of his miracles. He promised it, and it would come, but was I willing to wait, frozen fingers and all? I know I’ve made mistakes in my life when I have not waited long enough. I’ve rushed down the mountain too soon, just missing God’s miracle that he had planned to give me one minute later. Thank goodness, no thank God, this morning Brad and I decided to grin, bear it, and wait. Waiting is worth it.

And then we had to get down the mountain… with 10,000 of our closest Chinese friends.

o.h. m.y.

December already???

12.1.10 – It’s already December! My great girl friends in Charlotte, Neely and Becky, threw Brad and me a goodbye party before we left for China. One thing they did was bought us a book, Living Abroad in China, and a really cool Tennessee football 2010 calendar, comprised of official game day program art from 1900-1970. They had people who came to the party sign both. I LOVED that then and still love it now. At the very end of the November page my friend Jillian wrote, “You’ve been gone 3 months, the leaves have fallen here, the nights are cool, gone are the days by the pool, you’re settling into your new home, you realize now there’s nothing to fear, time to enjoy your life’s callin.” L.O.V.E. that. God has blessed me with super friends.

Happy Birthday Adelaide!

I am the proud aunt of three nephews and a very new niece. Adelaide Elizabeth was born in the late afternoon on Oct. 12, 2010. I am so proud of my sisters. My older sister Brooke would win any medal hands-down on being the #1 mommy around. She is so amazing with her three boys. Miles, Noah, and Griffin are so cute, smart, and funny, but moreover, extremely lucky to have such a great set of parents. Addie is so lucky as well. Congratulations Lindsey and Jason. Come next summer when I come home I have FULL dips on holding the baby.

All By Myself

9.15.10: I AM AT THE BEACH…. ALL BY MYSELF! Today is my day off. We’ve had a few super nice days in a row. Two days ago, Monday, on Brad’s day off, he wanted to come to the beach in the afternoon so I absolutely obliged. It turns out it is right by Huawen College’s campus. On Monday when we came I thought I was going to have to go back yesterday (wow, it really was yesterday. It now feels so long ago.) for work so I tried to memorize what I was doing. Brad had been told by Cheny to get off the bus after the mountains had ended so he relayed that to me. He also made a point to show me the bus sign when we got off and then also told me that one time he made a mistake and got off the bus too early. It made for an long walk but he still got to Huawen none the less. (He has to teach there on Sundays.) Since we had to wait for a while to catch the bus to return, I also noticed a number of banks across the street. This was all key information for my return solo adventure.

Okay. I CAN DO IT BY MYSELF… right?? I hung around the dorm in the AM and waited for Brad to get back from the morning college class. Poor guy, he has to double down on his classes today. Teach the college kids in the AM and the middle school in the afternoon. Yesterday he did too since I had to teach at the primary school. We went to lunch together and had a nice time with some fellow Americans from BYU. Brad went off to the middle school. It was time.

I decided to bring along Brad’s bathroom towel instead of mine since his is orange and mine is white. Mine would have a much higher risk of getting stained by the dark sand. Besides, he offered.

So I got to the beach ALL BY MYSELF! I bought water ALL BY MYSELF! I found a place to sit ALL BY MYSELF, and then I sat ALL BY MYSELF! Hmm… I didn’t want to get bored so I brought some casual reading that was left for us in our room by Madam Jiang, the riveting Common Knowledge about Chinese History. I also brought something else. I was so proud of myself for this… my new netbook with the go-go-gadget long battery life to play some favorite ENGLISH tunes! I put my (Brad’s) towel out and placed my book and water beside me. Then I opened my computer and pushed the play link on my i-tunes playlist. Two guys in jeans and white t-shirts, under an umbrella, and a good enough distance away so I was sure they couldn’t hear anything turned around and stared. I turned around too to see what they were looking at. Whatever it was I’m sure it was exciting because they were turned around for a while. I saw a guy walking this way. Maybe it was him. What?

I so enjoyed my time at the beach. It was beautiful and the music was so fun. I never got to the book. Next trip, I’m sure.

9.15.10 PM: Brad wanted to take a trip for a few things so we went out. On the way down the campus to the bus stop we realized that neither one of us had a camera. First time that has happened since being here. We joked that something H.U.G.E. was obviously going to happen.

Brad played a fantastic game of pantomime with a lady at Carrefor who was able to play it right back. It was definitely the most impressive game I’ve seen him play yet as he does do it often. Most store workers don’t understand and just giggle and shrug instead. Not this lady; she was ON IT! She helped us find a perfect hotplate (it even had some directions in English) and a tea kettle that would work with it. The Chinese government did a GREAT job with her assignment!
On the way home we traveled down a road not yet traveled (not the first time) to find something to eat. It was flashy and bright so we thought there was bound to be something somewhere soon. There were in fact many places to eat, they just happened to be all fish places. I saw the famous tanks with the live fish soon to be fish food. The places were packed; they just wouldn’t be further packed with these two brunis (sorry, wrong continent).

We walked on.. and on. We came up on a CFY – Care For You – restaurant. I actually have seen a couple of these around and have peeked in their front windows before. I’ve since wanted to try one but didn’t know we had one close to us. We went in. We were led upstairs and sat down at a table and left with a menu to check off what we wanted. We looked around. There were large shallow pots in the middle of every table. WE WERE AT A CHINESE MELTING POT!!! Awww – it made me ink! We also didn’t have a clue what to order as the menu was in Chinese and no worker spoke English. The manager stepped up to the plate to try to help us (She had a white shirt on and everyone else had on green.) but couldn’t either. They all just laughed at the confusion. Fortunately there was a large group of people celebrating at the table right next to us and they knew English very well. Brad told them they could all be Americans and they laughed. At least it was a happy atmosphere! We told them some things that we wanted and they checked the appropriate words. We still had to order fish (we chose shrimp and crab) but at least it was dead when it came to our table and we cooked it. Shout out to the Butlers on the Toogoodoo who showed me what shrimp look like when they come out of the water and taught me how to peel a shrimp with the head still on. Who knew then I would actually NEED to know that info and teach it to Brad! Well, I declare! (That was for you, Elloree.) On that “shout-out” note, we ordered crab because the people at the table behind us had it. If Emily Richardson hadn’t taught me about her famous crab pasta I wouldn’t have recognized it! Thanks, Em! Great Success!

in dana's classroom on grandma t's chair