I'm starting to drag...

Another wonderful week has come to a close. And I am sick again, just like I am about every six weeks. Yesterday I went to bed really early, and today I've been so tired I can barely stand. I'm pretty sure I also have a fever, because I couldn't stop shivering and it's been a balmy 65 degrees outside.

I really hope I have more energy tomorrow, because our team is going to visit an orphanage!! I can't wait to see the little children. We are also going to decorate Christmas cookies with them, because we're bringing homemade sugar cookies. Little Chinese kids are always irresistable.

Since yesterday I've also been extremely frustrated and bothered for some reason. After living in China for 3 months, I'm used to having most everything out of my control. But, yesterday I couldn't handle it very well.

Yesterday I got an email that my return ticket from our conference in Thailand was cancelled. I used my alloted 6,000 RMB from our organization for that ticket. Now, I can't get any information about what to do next. Our travel agent in Beijing has said I can buy another return ticket on Thai Air for 5,000 RMB, but I can't return until February 10th, not February 5th. The problem is that I have nowhere near 5,000 RMB in my bank account. And we have to be back to Nanchang by February 8th. I'm just really frustrated, because I don't know what to do and nobody is being helpful. Apparently there is not such thing as a refund or rebooking. I just have to count it as a loss, according to this travel agent.

Can you please think of me? For some reason, this is sort of the straw that's breaking the camel's back for me.

On another more cheerful note, I got one last batch of cute Santa letters and Christmas cards in class:

"Dear Laura: Merry Christmas!! Happy holidays! Happy smiles always wear on your face!"

"Dear Santa, I am a clever girl. Please give me a lovely dog."

"Miss Laura, Christmas is coming. I know you are good teacher in my school. But you can't go America during the Christmas holidays, because the plane check is too expensive. I wish you will have a good time in China."

"Dear Laura: You're such a good teacher, friendly, responsible and intelligent. It's a pity that you can't spend Christmas with your family. But, all of us are your friends. May you happy in China."

My students never cease to make me smile, and they usually can brighten any dreary day.

Well, my people, I hope I didn't complain too much in this blog. I'm very blessed, so I cannot complain very often. Sometimes the stresses of living in an Eastern culture begin to wear on me, no matter how adaptable or resilient I try to be. And the unexpectedness of every day here is very exciting, but it can also take a toll on you physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Thanks as always for your thoughts!

Bing Crosby's not so cool in China

Today has been a pretty okay day. I think I'm on the verge of getting sick, and I'm feeling really tired lately. Teaching and being with students has still been going well, though.

Not much of note happened today, except for the usual classes. I thought I could share a few more things that some students wrote in class today, when I had them write letters to Santa and a Christmas card to anyone they wanted. They just say the most endearing things that are cute/encouraging.

"Dear Santa, I've been a good girl this year. I'd like a more clever brain to study well..."

"Dear Laura, Merry Christmas! I'm glad that you teach me. I felt happy every class. At the beginning, I think my English was bad, because I wasn't interested in English, but not now. From this term on, I like English and like having your class. Thank you very much, my dear teacher."

"Dear Santa, I've been a good kid this year. I'd like a photo of my teacher Laura. Thanks."

"Dear Santa, I'm a little lovely child. I'm looking forward to receiving your present such as candy, toys, beautiful clothes and so on."

"Dear Laura, You are the best teacher I ever have. Merry Christmas."

"Dear Santa: I'm a very very good kid. Please give me a new computer. I'll wash my stocking clearly and put it under the chimney. Thank you and your reindeers!"

Can anybody read all those and not love their students? I don't think so.

I also played the song, "White Christmas," by Bing Crosby. The students did an activity with this wonderful classic. However, no one liked the song! I was so sad...

Dear Santa and Miss Laura

Greetings from China!

The days just keep going by faster and faster! Once and a while I find myself a little homesick, especially with Christmas coming up. It turns out that we have to keep teaching until December 24th. Everyday they tell us something different. I try not to let it bother me.

Today we had a fun class activity. I had my students write either a letter to Santa or a Christmas card to anybody they wanted, and then I collected their papers.

They were all the sweetest things ever. And I thought I'd share a few. Their letters to Santa were so cute, and many of them decided they would write a Christmas card to me. They're very encouraging:

"Dear Santa, You're the most kind-hearted and lovely man, I know. I've been a good kid and behaved well the whole year and next year I'll be, too. I'd like cookies very much. Please give me much, ok? Thanks."

"Dear Santa, I hope you make me happier now. I know Miss Laura is in China. She doesn't go on holidays in America but I wanna you make her happy with us on Christmas."

"Dear Laura, Merry Christmas! I love you very much!"

"To Laura: Merry Christmas! I am very happy that you are teacher. I hope you happy every day live blessedness."

"Dear Miss Laura, The Christmas is around the corner. I'm glad to become your student the first year in the university. I like you very much. This year I learnt a lot of knowledge from you about learn English. Sometimes I was so shy that I couldn't raise my hands. But in your oral English lesson, you give me courage raise my hands. Thank you!"

"To Laura: Marry Christmas! I am very happy that I can make friends with you in the university. You look so beautiful and very mild. I hope smile with forever. I love you my teacher and best wish to you!"

"Dear Laura, Marry Christmas! I love you so much because you are so kind-hearted and you are my first oral English teacher and I can't say any bad words about you! May you a happy year!"

"Dear Laura, I am very glad you can be our teacher. I think you are a excellent woman because we learn very much from you. If you don't believe me, you can ask my classmates after class. I hope on Christmas you will have a good time in China. You know, Santa Claus will remind you wherever you be."

"Dear Miss Laura, I'm very glad that you are our oral English teacher. We are all happy in your class. Thanks for your devotion. The Christmas Day is on the corner, it likes our Spring Festival. Our family should get together for a meal, but you are in China, not America. But I hope you will have a different and wonderful holiday in China, too. Say 'Merry Christmas' ahead!"

And on and on they went. I think that I will indeed have a different and wonderful holiday in China. I guess it will be a great time to make new memories and traditions.

Anyway, I love all my students, and I'm thankful that He has helped me earn their love and respect. It is great to know that maybe I'm really having an impact on their lives.

Have a merry Wednesday!

Christmas in the Chinese classroom

Happy early Merry Christmas!

This week we've been talking about Christmas in class! And I think so far that this week has been the best yet of my teaching experience. I really put a lot of thought and effort into the two separate lessons about Christmas that I'm teaching, which I think helped make the lessons more successful so far. And above all, I know that there are a lot of people thinking about us in the classroom this week.

Christmas is a great opportunity for us to share truth a bit more openly than we can otherwise do here in China. I just am so thankful that my team and I get to be a part of it!

In my classes of freshmen, we have been talking about the true meaning of the holiday, and doing neat activities to learn about it. It amazes me that nearly all 190 of my students have never heard the story of Christmas. When I've shared about it, they see it through new, open eyes. We get to talk about the Son, Bethlehem, the star shining in the East, etc., and they are so excited. I think it has already opened some doors to be able to talk about Him, and more doors may open later because of this week.

Some other fun things happened in my classes during this lesson. I brought a miniature Christmas tree with lights that Mom had mailed me last week. They were fascinated by it and took pictures of it. I even passed it around so they could look at it more closely. I also passed around pictures of our decorated Christmas tree from home, which my sister happened to be standing by. They were much more interested in looking at Andrea than the tree. They thought she was so amazing. :)

My teammate Shannon has also come in a few times to play "Silent Night" on her guitar, because none of them have heard Christmas carols before. I was so excited because of their excitement. They were taking picture forever, and it looked like their eyes were going to fall out of their heads. You can tell I'm maybe a more confident person in China, because I was singing right alongside Shannon. I wrote the words on the board and they later sang with us, too. I don't think it's very often that "Silent Night" is sung in classrooms in communist China. My heart was so glad.

In other news, Jodi, Rachael, and I finally ventured to the China Post bank to get some money out. We brought our bank books, as well as Joelle's and Jonathan's, so we could withdraw money for them since they were busy. I think it's sort of funny that we can just go in and get out money from other people's accounts if we have their bank book. The only "security" feature is that we have to hand our bank books through the window, while remembering the last six numbers of the account. Rachael slid Joelle's bank book under the window, but couldn't remember Joelle's account number, so the lady wouldn't give her any money. Rachael just took the bank book back, and tried again about three minutes later after the rest of us had gone. This time she was successful in getting Joelle's money out for her.

Jodi rode her bike to the bank, so I rode the tiny bike back to our apartment, with Jodi on the back. We actually didn't crash into the side of a building and onto the pavement like last time! The bike is so rickety and old, and it's really difficult to ride with someone side-saddle on the back. It was hard not to scream, because we couldn't stop and we were zig-zagging all across campus. People were in shock as they saw the giant foreigner girl furiously peddling a bicycle twelve sizes too small for her.

Anyway, it's been a great week so far. I hope you're having a great week, also, and remembering the true reason for the season!

(About the pictures: Thanksgiving Day with my team; girl's night on Friday; at English corner with some of my students.)