Best of Days and Worst of Days

(Our team, plus Jodi's family members, playing knockout recently on a beautiful day).


Howdy from Nanchang!

After three of the most beautiful days Nanchang has seen in about a million years supposedly, we are currently in a couple of the nastiest days. All of a sudden it is pretty warm for this time of year--about 75 degrees. The sun is no longer shining, because it is blocked by a consistent haze of pollution.

Yesterday I felt like I wanted to pass out, because I could not escape from the smell in the air. It was like the entire city reeked of burning trash. Even in class, that's all you could breath. Today it's slightly better, but not much. It still smells quite stale outside, and the haze is just hanging like a gray shroud over everything.

I wouldn't complain that much, but I'm battling a cold or something right now. I have a pretty bad cough, which isn't helped by the very poor air quality, and by inhaling chalk dust from class.

Anyway, despite that, my spirits are still pretty upbeat. Relationships are great, the culture is great, and classes are mostly great.

This morning I had two classes. It is strange, but the first class was the worst one I've had, probably. It is with my business English class, which is my most gigantic and craziest class. It is always my goal to keep the class just below the level of controlled chaos.

Today I wore a microphone while I was teaching, since my voice is shot. Students can hear me much better, but then I feel like I'm performing on a stage or something. We were learning about American government. I tried to explain everything as simply as possible, but people looked really confused, or they just fell asleep from boredom. Nobody ever falls asleep in that class, because they are always busting with energy. So I knew I wasn't connecting with them today very well.

Right after the ten minute break, I started coughing and then choking on chalk dust. Students were no longer sleeping, because their formerly boring teacher was now uncontrollably coughing up a lung. I tried drinking water, but I could barely stop coughing long enough. I was coughing so much that my eyes were leaking, and my nose was running. My little crazy students now looked very concerned. When I finally stopped coughing, I tried to start talking again. But talking just made me cough more.

Somehow we managed to get through the rest of the class, in between episodes of continual coughing. I was happy to run out of there when it was over, as were my students, except for one who paused long enough to tell me to take better care of myself. :)

After that mini disaster, I then taught another class, which probably turned out to be the best class yet. I only coughed a tiny bit, and I was able to engage the students better. I revised my strategy in how I communicated the basics of American government with them. They were very interested. We also talked about different political parties, practiced voting, and they gave election speeches. It was all a little foreign to them, but they loved it.

Groups formed their own political parties and gave speeches in front of the class on how to make campus better. For example: install heat in the dormitories, give the students better food in the canteen, and make class sizes smaller. They were all so articulate and passionate. I was so proud of them. And it was extremely interesting to talk about political values in a Chinese classroom.

So my lessons were redeemed today, thankfully. I will continue to make mistakes, but it's just a part of the process of becoming a better teacher, and getting students to think critically about the world around them.

I love China

Rain for two or three days. Sunshine for one day. Repeat. That's the weather here in Nanchang lately! But today is a sunny day, and it's very welcome.

Yesterday I had one two-hour class and office hours. Afterward I ate lunch with one of my students I hang out with a lot. We ate in one of the cafeterias like usual, and had good conversations, especially about how I attend fellowship and why.

At one point I looked over my shoulder, because some people were shouting at each other really loudly. My student asked, "Does all the noise scare you?" I just replied, "No, sometimes I just can't tell if people are arguing or just talking." She nodded her head in agreement and told me her theory on why people are so loud in China. She said it is because there are so many people, they have to nearly scream to be heard over everybody else. Thus, everybody sounds like they are screaming--everyone is just trying to be heard.

After lunch I hopped on the city bus to ride back to old campus, which wasn't very crowded. I immediately noticed another foreigner. Because it is rare to see a foreigner, it is like they are wearing flashing lights. I recognized her as an older Australian woman from our international fellowship. So for about 20 minutes I got to sit and talk to her about a lot of things. She is in her early 60s perhaps, and she is one of the most confident, peaceful women I've ever met. It was just really encouraging getting to talk to her.

It was like a foreigner special the past two days. When I was standing at the Wal-mart meat counter waiting for them to make ground beef this morning, this white guy in his 30s from Canada came up. I was really shocked to see him, and the fact that I didn't know him and had never seen him. We chatted for a few minutes, and I figured out quickly why I had never seen him at fellowship.

There seems to be two types of foreigners in more remote cities like this. They are either believers who want to influence these people, or they are lost, disillusioned adventurers who just want to go someplace "exotic" to live for a bit. And he was a big flirt who seemed to despise this country. He went on and on about how backwards and low China was. I felt really defensive by these insults. I love China. Sure, it's still developing, so what do you expect? Then don't come here. I said good-bye, not leaving him a chance to say anything else. I just felt sorry for him, because he was clearly depressed, and probably didn't have any friends.

Then I grabbed the ground beef. I felt bad for the butchers, because we had a communication misunderstanding. I said I wanted one jin of ground, which is 500 grams. They ended up grinding up about 10 jin of beef. Chinese people won't buy it, I know, but I couldn't afford 200 kuai-worth of meat.

When I was leaving Wal-mart, there was a singing contest of some sort going on. There was a small crowd, with TV cameras. When I first arrived at Wal-mart, there was a young woman singing a pop song. When I left, there was an elderly man in a ragged, but starched old red blazer standing on a little makeshift platform. The crowd had enthusiasically gathered around him, and looking straight ahead with all seriousness, the man sang an old-fashioned song with his whole heart. I hoped he wins. I almost started crying, he was so sweet.

That's why I love China. These people are unique and innocent and traditional. I hope they never change and become Westernized.

Then this afternoon, after I had my study with my student, my team and I headed over to the new campus to go skating at the gigantic room used for skating. Jodi's whole huge, wonderful family also arrived today, so they came with us.

About eight of my students met me at the skating rink. And about seven of them can't skate at all. So for most of the next hour and a half, I just skated around with them, while they desperately clutched onto my hands or arms. I think my arms and hands got crushed and squeezed and ripped off one too many times today. But it was still such a great afternoon! I get so much energy just being around my dear little students, and a whole roomful of a million other young, enthusiastic Chinese people skating and falling and chatting and laughing.

Then we all walked the long way back to the new campus front gate. My students insisted on walking with us the whole way, because it is their way of walking me "home." When we got to the front gate, a guy and about five of his crazy friends jumped out of nowhere and nearly scared me to death. One of the guys practically screamed in my face, "YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL! CAN I TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOU?!" You can tell nicer weather is here, because everyone in China gets a million times more energetic and forward.

Well, that's all to report for this busy and blessed day. I'm leaving you with a video I took at the skating rink. Wish you were here!

From pea farmer to student

Good rainy day to you!

Yes, the rain has returned! Today I felt like I taught in a mossy, drippy wet forest. We drove to school shrouded in fog and mist. And it pretty much remained that way the rest of the day.

This morning Rachael came to observe my class. She arrived at my class before I did, and she told my students I was sick and had to go to the hospital. Well, my students reacted all very differently, I heard. Some students looked genuinely distraught and wanted to know how I was. It didn't even phase other students. The class secretary, who keeps the attendance and makes me sign a piece of paper every day, quickly scratched my name off the paper. Wow, how quickly I can be replaced! :)

Well, I walked into class after this happened, and everyone was either very confused or very happy. I'd like to think that most of them were very happy. Rachael told me what she had told them and we tried to reassure them it was only a joke. But they didn't understand. Some looked relieved, and others still asked me over and over how I was. I said I was fine and never went to the hospital, but they couldn't understand that. The class secretary in the front row just looked peeved.

The rest of the day I received text messages from my other students who weren't even in that class this morning. They had heard I had supposedly been in the hospital, and wanted to know how I was.

Anyway, the rest of the day was good. I went to lunch at the school cafeteria with one my students, who is from a very rural place in neighboring Anhui province. She is a very good, but quiet and sweet-spirited student. We ordered two steaming bowls of noodles with pieces of beef thrown on top. I paid for it, and she barely protested, that's how poor she is. Usually I can rarely pay for any meal with students, because they fight me to the death on how they want to pay for it.

She is the daughter of pea farmers. Her brother couldn't go to university, so he repairs cars. The family pooled all their limited resources into paying for this girl's education. She told me how she always had to pick peas in the fields as she grew up. (She thinks America must be wonderful because there are machines to help with the farms). But she didn't seem bitter; she seemed genuinely thankful that she was able to come to school at all, and wants to make her family proud.

While we were eating I noticed that her hands were the color purple, with red splotches. She had major chilblains, and noticed that I also had chilblains, although not as severely as she did. So we (the poor Chinese farmer and the middle class English teacher) sat for a minute comparing our painful and itchy chilblains. My heart ached for her, although I did feel a bit proud that I could suffer just a tiny bit, too. It was like we were kindred spirits, since I can't even imagine what it is to live like the majority of Chinese.

The rest of the time we chatted and I watched her devour her bowl of soup. I think she's one of my new favorite students.

At 4 p.m. I got to help teach a special class for more advanced non-English majors who speak English, if that makes any sense. So there were students in there with majors like engineering and international trade and their English was pretty good. It was fun teaching a different class, although some of the students sort of acted like vultures, since 80 percent of them were male.

All in all it was a pretty rewarding day. I hope you also have a wonderfully rewarding day!

Skatin' and singin'

(With my students who fed me the horse meat).


What a beautiful couple of days it's been!! Sunshine and warmer weather here changes everyone's demeanor and outlook. People are happier, students are more enthusiastic, and people hang all their colorful quilts and clothes outside en masse. The Russian-built, but Chinese owned, MiG fighter jets also get a lot of energy during these days. They were flying so low and fast over this area all weekend. Sometimes I'm not sure what country or what era I'm in.

It's Tuesday, meaning I taught four hours of classes this morning and then got to head home at lunchtime. The temperature is at least 60, and it's as sunny as can be for this city. So this afternoon Joelle and I busted out the rollerblades and skated around the campus and back streets. It always makes me so happy, and I can't help but smile.

When we were skating back through the tiny back gate, we were going through the little door that was open. Only one person can go through at a time. We stopped and there were two guys who also had rollerblades on, trying to go through at the same time. They had nearly identical skates as we did, and we all laughed. Joelle and I were like, "Shoot, we got some competition in this 'hood!"

Anyway, the past couple of days of teaching have been pretty great. There are just some random little events that I wanted to write about.

My students were all in a singing contest on campus. All of the classes in the foreign language department had to prepare a rousing revolutionary song--all from the glory days of communism in China. Since I couldn't attend the contest, I asked if they could sing for me. They were super loud. I was afraid the other teachers would get upset. But then I thought, "No teacher is going to come in here and make them stop singing a patriotic song." (The video I've included is for your enjoyment).

Then after class, one of my students came up to me with a huge smile. She said, "Miss Laura, you are so beautiful today. We can see the sunshine through you!" It was an honor. I was thinking, can you also see the Son shine through me?

Yesterday I went to lunch with Shannon and two of my students. We went to a new cafeteria on campus, which was the shiniest, cleanest building I've been into in China. But the food isn't as great as the atmosphere. My students ordered something for me.

They handed me a big steaming bowl of big dumplings. I dug right into...nastiness! I was so hungry and just chomped down onto gigantic, squishy pieces of meat. It did not taste good. I curiously asked them, "what kind of meat is this?" One girl said, "Horse!" I immediately looked like I was going to be sick. Some days I can handle shocks better than others. That day wasn't one of them. I couldn't hide my look of disgust quickly enough. It really tasted and smelled like horse--like the ones I used to ride all the time when I was little. I pictured eating my favorite horse, "Popcorn."

The other girl piped up, "Oh, no, I think it is not horse. It must be horse... hair!" I looked even sicker; I couldn't help it. They quickly replied, "Oh, do you want something else?" I tried to recover myself, and just said, "No, thank you. It's just really different and I don't eat horse all the time." So I stuffed down the rest of that horse or donkey or whatever it was, feeling a bit queasy the rest of the day.

After our faculty meeting at 5 p.m. yesterday, Jonathan and I decided to go running. It was fun to run around the track, where there was a rip-roaring soccer game going on in the center. People in China don't actually sit on bleachers or seats to watch, it seems. The spectators stood all strung out along the sidelines. It was fun to see who attracted more attention: the soccer game, or the two tall, gangly foreigners jogging around the outside in short-sleeve shirts (they all had sweaters and jackets on, even though it was at least 65 degrees). It was a hard call.

I ended up running 1.5 miles, and I think Jonathan probably ran at least 3 miles. After I dropped out after the 1.5 mile mark, I saw a cameramen with a professional camera leap out in front of Jonathan as he jogged, snapping pictures. It doesn't even surprise me anymore. I just was thinking of a creative title for this newspaper headline: "Foreigners stretch their legs." "The white people go for a jog." Speaking of "white people," the beloved China Daily refers to them as "the White people," or "the White children." Not just regular white, but "white" with a capital "W."

There's probably more I could ramble on about, but that's all for today, folks. Enjoy your Tuesday!

Always learning

(The watermelon lady's daughter selling pineapple).
(Taking a walk with my student).
(Little kiddos playing outside)


Xia Wu Hao! (Good afternoon!)

It has been a slow, but good Sunday so far. I got to spend a lot of time reflecting and reading the word. For the past week or so, I've also been much more diligent studying my Chinese. It is so difficult, and seem so overwhelming, if not impossible, to learn. But I know I must persevere!

So slowly, slowly, slowly, my Chinese is improving in minuscule increments, but its improvement, nevertheless. Whenever I try to speak it, it is also a challenge not to get really depressed. Tones and nearly perfect pronunciation are a must, unlike in English or any other language I've studied. And when people talk back to you, they don't slow down at all to help you. They either repeat it over and over, or they just shake their head and refuse to talk to you.

Today I was walking around on the streets, when a man came up to me trying to talk to me. I could understand a lot of what he was saying: like "what do you do? how old are you? how long have you been teaching?" Then I went to buy some fruit on the street. I only said something insanely simple like, "Hello! I want five bananas." Perhaps my pronunciation has improved slightly, because this time the lady responded, "Your Chinese is great!" So that was a little encouragement, because nobody ever says that to me. They are usually just frustrated or amused at me.

Nothing else very much has been happening. The only other thing I did today was that Rachael and I went rollerblading, since it was a nice 50 degrees. But then it started raining again and we had to head for shelter.

Everything's good in this 'hood.

My Warrior

I'm not really sure what to say in this blog post, because not much has happened since yesterday. It actually did not rain at all today!! Can you believe it? And it is still cloudy, but the cold isn't as numbing. When we got to school today, several of us stood outside staring at the sky in awe. You couldn't see the actual sun, but there were signs that it was there somewhere. There were faint yellow patches intermingled with the gray. Other Chinese people saw us staring up at the sky, so they also had to look up to see what the foreigners were looking at with such fascination.

Our eyes were literally focused heavenward. That reminded me of the reasons why we were in China--to help others stop and look up. We want them to know that there's an amazing Being who not only inhabits the heavens, but is also present for everyone if they'll just call on His name.

And that's what I found myself doing last night. The past several days or so--I'm not sure how long--I've felt like I'm being strangled. Maybe that's a scary thought, but I really think I was being attacked by the enemy, spiritually, mentally, etc. The enemy knows great things for the King are happening here on the "front-lines" in dark places, and the enemy's not happy about that. The enemy will try anything to thwart the Father's plans for His people and His world. But thankfully the enemy will never quite succeed, especially if we call for help.

So yesterday I called for help. I enlisted others to call for help, also. I felt like I was slowly drowning in helplessness and negativity. I knew I couldn't continue like this, but I felt like it was the most difficult thing in the world to call for help. I couldn't make my voice move or my heart soften. All I could finally whisper was, "Father, please help!" From there I was able to get others to lift me up, and they petitioned Him on my behalf.

I didn't immediately feel different, but I fell asleep soundly, and I woke up in peace this morning. While I was teaching this morning and interacting with others, I was just filled with so much calm, and a knowledge that everything was going to be all right. It was like a quiet joy that seeped into my heart, and then radiated outward.

So I freely admit that I'm just a human. I'm a human who still makes dumb mistakes and who still has to fight for joy. But the difference as a believer is that I don't have to fight for it on my own. There's a great Warrior fighting for me in this spiritual war being waged. I just have to call for Him, and He's there to fight my battles. I might fall off the horse sometimes and get my armor all dented in places, but He's riding alongside ready to catch me and make me whole again. And the most encouraging part is that He wins in the end.

Johnny rain-cloud

Hi, y'all. It is Thursday night. I just ate a yummy dinner of tortillas and chicken--all of which I made from scratch! You should be impressed. I know I am. I'm actually starting to like cooking! Teaching doesn't seem very challenging most days, but cooking sure is!

Today it was raining again, but it was a pretty blessed day. I had office hours and taught one class and had lunch and had more office hours and helped conduct English corner. Today I had my favorite class. These students all speak in English, and they usually think at least a smidgen outside the box. I just want to hug them all. They are so talkative and interested during the whole class, which just warms my heart. My other classes are so shy, and much less talkative.

Then one of the boys with gigantic hair, who always wears cool pleather jackets asked me to go to lunch with him and his friend, another one of my cool-dressed male students. I said okay, but he had to bring a girl student too. Four other female students came as well. It was such an awesome lunch, especially because they were students who have lower English levels, but are more down to earth than a lot of other students.

I headed to lunch with six of my bubbly, and extremely eager students. On the fifteen-minute walk, they all jostled for position next to me, each of them asking me about three questions all at the same time. I tried my best to pay attention to all of them equally, while hurtling over the gigantic mud puddles.

We invaded the second-floor student cafeteria, which is always mildly controlled chaos whenever I go. It's so fun. I ended up getting tomato fried-rice which wasn't too bad, and we chatted the whole time. They invited themselves to be my best friends and invited themselves to my apartment on old campus. They have also planned my social calendar. We are to go skating, play ping-pong, play tennis, play badminton, and take trains to all of their hometowns to meet their families. Most of it is not likely to happen, of course, but it was still cute. We are going to go skating next week, though. They just made me extremely happy, because they are so enthusiastic and energetic and innocent. I want to adopt all of them. And tomorrow I get to eat with some more of my favorite students!

So for a lot of the day, I was pretty joyful and excited about life, even during English corner. If I could just hang out and talk with my students all day long, I would be totally content. I just love them all so much. But then I get all depressed when I think about teaching, or learning Chinese, or living in general. Yes, isn't that really strange? I'm just being honest, but I have never struggled so much in my life to keep thinking positively. It is difficult for me not to focus on what I do wrong, how I should be a better teacher, how people are poor, how I can never blend in here no matter how hard I try, etc.

In other news, we have started discussing culture in class. Today we talked about stereotypes people have of Americans. Here are some good ones: (And they think most of these are true!)

-All Americans are tall.
-All American women are charming.
-All Americans are very rich.
-All Americans have yellow hair and blue eyes.
-All Americans like war.
-All Americans are open-minded.
-All Americans carry guns.

In class we concluded that all of these perceptions come from American movies, because that is the only time when they are exposed to American culture. So I cheerfully dispelled most, if not all, of those stereotypes.

Well, thanks as always for your thoughts. The struggle for my mind is probably the biggest battle in my life right now.