Greetings from Nanchang, which is experiencing beautiful, non life-threatening weather. It is neither too scalding hot nor too freezing cold. It's just right, and I'm so thankful! We are now only affected by things like mold and clouds of dust, dirt, and smog that we can't control. Some days I'm glad that I'm leaving when I am! I'm just tired of coughing for the past 2 years.
Anyways, it's hard to believe that it's June! Exactly 2 weeks until I leave for Shanghai, and then to America the day after that. So now we just have 2 weeks of classes and final exams left.
I'm trying to soak in the cuteness/preciousness/bizarreness of my students while I can. Today, for example, there was a dying roach on the floor of the classroom. Later, I noticed that it was gone--and it was sitting on my student Vika's desk! I couldn't hide my horror very well. It was hilarious and terrible at the same time. She was happily sitting there, while a roach wiggled its legs right on her desk.
It was even crazier, because Vika had put the bug on her desk herself. She felt sorry for it. Noticing my shock, she wrapped it in a tissue and set it back on the floor. Another student jokingly told her, "respect your pet!" Later I noticed that she made a little box out of paper, placed the roach inside, and then set it on the windowsill.
I was also amazed at how calm and normal this seemed to everyone. One student said that they have so many roaches, mice, and mosquitoes in their dormitories that the insects are "like their friends." He said this only half jokingly.
I'm also getting to soak in speaking a lot of Chinese. Last blog post I mentioned how Jodi and I ate hot pot downtown with our Chinese friends who only speak Chinese. Tonight we're having those same two girls over to bake apple bread with us.
And yesterday the Father provided an awesome opportunity for Jodi and me to tag team a spiritual conversation in Chinese with one of our sweet friends Mikey, who also really only speaks Chinese. I was reading an Anne of Green Gables book in the office, of all things, and he asked me what kinds of books I like to read. I couldn't say "fiction" in Chinese, but I could say the "Word" in Chinese. Thus, Jodi, Mikey, and I discussed the Word, the Father, and the Son--all in Chinese for a long time. It was so amazing, and by far the best Chinese conversation I've ever been a part of! It only took nearly 2 years for it to happen...But I'm sure it was His perfect timing.
And despite these wonderful conversations, parts of me will also be happy to leave. I hope it's alright to admit it, but I'm excited about grad school. And I'm excited not to be stared at anymore! :) Today I was buying a watermelon on the back street. A guy was so shocked to see me that he literally stood in the middle of the street and screamed! His jaw was also just about scraping the pavement. It's hard to remind myself that nothing's wrong with me. I'm starting to wonder, though...
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wrapping up May
Life has suddenly sped up very quickly. Some days seem to drag on forever, especially the super rainy ones, but somehow it is hard to believe that I'll be leaving China in a mere 18 days. How are you supposed to wrap up the past 2 years of life in an entirely different country/planet in about 2 weeks?
Everyone and everything is growing dearer to me as the days wind down. This week I had a lot of meals and time to hang out with my friends. On Wednesday Jodi and I headed downtown to eat "hot pot" with "Lisa" and "Hannah," two sweet Chinese girls whose family owns the bustling Nanchang noodle restaurant in our neighborhood. We hung out with them for nearly 3 hours and talked the entire time in Chinese! They don't speak any English. I was so surprised at how well we all communicated. That has been my dream to carry on conversations with Chinese people, ever since I got here. That's just one of the many opportunities I've had this semester to be in situations where speaking Chinese was vital for an extended period of time. Thanks, Father, for helping me!!
I've also had a lot of other meals and conversations with some of my close Chinese friends. One of my friends and I talked about, in depth, what it's like to really be a Chinese believer in China these days. Ask me this summer, if you'd like to know more! It's certainly different than during her parents' and grandparents' generations. Her grandparents spent months in prison for their beliefs.
Thanks as always for your thoughts! I'd like to continue to spend good quality time with my friends, while preparing myself for life back in the U.S.
Lastly, I thought I'd provide you with a link to an interesting article, "16 Items They Only Sell at Chinese Walmarts." I'll give you a few of my favorite items, but you can click on the article to read more about each item and see interesting pictures. :)
1.) Crocodiles
2.) Bulk Rice
3.) Turtles
4.) Rib cages
5.) Assorted Dried Reptiles
6.) Frogs
7.) A large selection of chopsticks
8.) Beef Granules
9.) Dried ducks
10.) Pig Faces
So not only will I miss my Chinese friends and the culture, but I'll also miss the crazy Walmarts!
Eating hotpot with Chinese friends.
With Jodi, Lisa, and Hannah. I'm the giant white person, in case you couldn't tell. :)
Our friends Wendy and Karen. This is how they ride their bike to class. Pretty talented, huh?
Fresh, fresh meat for sale at the local supermarket.
Everyone and everything is growing dearer to me as the days wind down. This week I had a lot of meals and time to hang out with my friends. On Wednesday Jodi and I headed downtown to eat "hot pot" with "Lisa" and "Hannah," two sweet Chinese girls whose family owns the bustling Nanchang noodle restaurant in our neighborhood. We hung out with them for nearly 3 hours and talked the entire time in Chinese! They don't speak any English. I was so surprised at how well we all communicated. That has been my dream to carry on conversations with Chinese people, ever since I got here. That's just one of the many opportunities I've had this semester to be in situations where speaking Chinese was vital for an extended period of time. Thanks, Father, for helping me!!
I've also had a lot of other meals and conversations with some of my close Chinese friends. One of my friends and I talked about, in depth, what it's like to really be a Chinese believer in China these days. Ask me this summer, if you'd like to know more! It's certainly different than during her parents' and grandparents' generations. Her grandparents spent months in prison for their beliefs.
Thanks as always for your thoughts! I'd like to continue to spend good quality time with my friends, while preparing myself for life back in the U.S.
Lastly, I thought I'd provide you with a link to an interesting article, "16 Items They Only Sell at Chinese Walmarts." I'll give you a few of my favorite items, but you can click on the article to read more about each item and see interesting pictures. :)
1.) Crocodiles
2.) Bulk Rice
3.) Turtles
4.) Rib cages
5.) Assorted Dried Reptiles
6.) Frogs
7.) A large selection of chopsticks
8.) Beef Granules
9.) Dried ducks
10.) Pig Faces
So not only will I miss my Chinese friends and the culture, but I'll also miss the crazy Walmarts!
Eating hotpot with Chinese friends.
With Jodi, Lisa, and Hannah. I'm the giant white person, in case you couldn't tell. :)
Our friends Wendy and Karen. This is how they ride their bike to class. Pretty talented, huh?
Fresh, fresh meat for sale at the local supermarket.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Marching on
Hello, America!
It's a brand new, sunshiny day in Nanchang. Things are finally drying up after torrential rains and plenty of flooding. Some of my friends who teach on the other side of Nanchang said people were wading in water past their waists! And there was a landslide just south of our city, which derailed a train and killed about 20 people...
Did you ever think that Americans were patriotic? Times that by about 25, and that's China's patriotism. Sometimes I'm amazed by how much they love their country. One of my classes sang the Chinese national anthem for me, and the words are quite...moving. Here's an English translation of their anthem, in case you were curious: So imagine lots of students singing it with a lot of fervor and passion.
Arise! All who refuse to be slaves!
Let our flesh and blood forge into our new Great Wall!
As the Chinese nation faces its greatest peril,
All forcefully expend their last cries.
Arise! Arise! Arise!
Our million hearts beat as one,
Brave the enemy's fire, March on!
Brave the enemy's fire, March on!
March on! March on! On!
And on that note, I thought I'd talk about how we are marching on in the face of an imminent departure from China. I only have 3 weeks until I fly to Shanghai and then on to America, a land which is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to me. I'm afraid I'll arrive in America and I won't remember how to speak, I'll drop food all over the table, and I'll answer every question quite indirectly in a very China-y way...
But I'm also excited! I'm anticipating a harmonious and happy future, to borrow the words of my students. Actually, I don't really know what the future holds, but I know it's all in His hands!
And we march on...
It's a brand new, sunshiny day in Nanchang. Things are finally drying up after torrential rains and plenty of flooding. Some of my friends who teach on the other side of Nanchang said people were wading in water past their waists! And there was a landslide just south of our city, which derailed a train and killed about 20 people...
Did you ever think that Americans were patriotic? Times that by about 25, and that's China's patriotism. Sometimes I'm amazed by how much they love their country. One of my classes sang the Chinese national anthem for me, and the words are quite...moving. Here's an English translation of their anthem, in case you were curious: So imagine lots of students singing it with a lot of fervor and passion.
Arise! All who refuse to be slaves!
Let our flesh and blood forge into our new Great Wall!
As the Chinese nation faces its greatest peril,
All forcefully expend their last cries.
Arise! Arise! Arise!
Our million hearts beat as one,
Brave the enemy's fire, March on!
Brave the enemy's fire, March on!
March on! March on! On!
And on that note, I thought I'd talk about how we are marching on in the face of an imminent departure from China. I only have 3 weeks until I fly to Shanghai and then on to America, a land which is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to me. I'm afraid I'll arrive in America and I won't remember how to speak, I'll drop food all over the table, and I'll answer every question quite indirectly in a very China-y way...
But I'm also excited! I'm anticipating a harmonious and happy future, to borrow the words of my students. Actually, I don't really know what the future holds, but I know it's all in His hands!
And we march on...
Friday, May 21, 2010
Less than a month...
I woke up this morning feeling like my days are quite numbered here in China... I only have 3 weeks of classes left, and then a few days after that I'll begin the journey home to America. How do I feel about that, especially since China has become my home? My students insist that now I'm much more Chinese than American. Sometimes my friend, Reborn, will laugh and say, "Laura, you are so Chinese when you did that!" Another student said that when he looks at me, he doesn't see me as a foreigner. Just a friend.
Every Friday I eat lunch and hang out with my friend Reborn for a long time. We are starting to become a bit weepy that we will soon be parting ways. I said that I could call her and email her. But she said that wouldn't be the same; she wouldn't be able to see my smile, touch my shoulder, hug me, or see my face when I always ask her in Chinese, "Zenme le??" (What's the matter?) I almost cried at this point, but I realized I will have time for plenty of crying later.
I'm just enjoying spending time with her. I can't believe how much she has changed. She is absolutely radiant and confident. I hope that she will continue to make the Father her own Father, even after I leave. I hope that He will hold her in the palm of His hands, even if everyone is against her or opposed to her. She is already such a light in this dark place. I don't want to forget her little crimpy, poofy black hair, her sparkling eyes, and how she can be both thoughtful and humorous at the same time.
So now I feel like I'm also trying to encourage, encourage, encourage her. I want to throw out as much wisdom as possible, but I think at this point she needs to remember this: The Son is the only thing or person that can ever fully satisfy her. He is the only One who will never leave or forsake her. I told her this today. It probably doesn't hurt for me to also mull over that truth...
And as my last lessons are winding down, I feel like I'm also trying to impart some last words of wisdom to my students. Even if they don't remember a word of English I taught them (which might be true), I want them to remember that I loved them with His love.
This week we have been talking about honesty and truth. Apparently they think Chairman Mao Zedong came up with the saying, "Honesty is the best policy." When I told them, no, he didn't invent that saying, they were a bit disappointed. I also shared with them from the Word, "The truth will set you free" and who said that. They really seemed to ponder that for a while, especially since they had never heard that.
Despite the rain and our impending departure, I'm trying to relish every moment with friends, students, and even the interesting people on the streets. Yesterday on the bus to new campus, a man started talking to me and we chatted in Chinese for a while. He was fascinating because he didn't seem Chinese at all due to these following reasons:
1.) He was wearing a blue track suit and white sneakers.
2.) He was wearing aviators even though it was raining and 7:30 in the morning.
3.) He had a nice beard.
4.) His voice was a mix between Humphrey Bogart and Sean Connery.
Hope you can also relish life and the people He has placed before you, no matter where you might be in this big, wide world!
P.S. Here's an excerpt of an email from one of my dear students:
"I'll never forget you ,Mrs Luara ,my first foreign teacher .And I hope you 'll remenber us forever ! In China ,there's a little Nancy who hold you in her heart."
(Sweet friends! How can I leave them?)
Every Friday I eat lunch and hang out with my friend Reborn for a long time. We are starting to become a bit weepy that we will soon be parting ways. I said that I could call her and email her. But she said that wouldn't be the same; she wouldn't be able to see my smile, touch my shoulder, hug me, or see my face when I always ask her in Chinese, "Zenme le??" (What's the matter?) I almost cried at this point, but I realized I will have time for plenty of crying later.
I'm just enjoying spending time with her. I can't believe how much she has changed. She is absolutely radiant and confident. I hope that she will continue to make the Father her own Father, even after I leave. I hope that He will hold her in the palm of His hands, even if everyone is against her or opposed to her. She is already such a light in this dark place. I don't want to forget her little crimpy, poofy black hair, her sparkling eyes, and how she can be both thoughtful and humorous at the same time.
So now I feel like I'm also trying to encourage, encourage, encourage her. I want to throw out as much wisdom as possible, but I think at this point she needs to remember this: The Son is the only thing or person that can ever fully satisfy her. He is the only One who will never leave or forsake her. I told her this today. It probably doesn't hurt for me to also mull over that truth...
And as my last lessons are winding down, I feel like I'm also trying to impart some last words of wisdom to my students. Even if they don't remember a word of English I taught them (which might be true), I want them to remember that I loved them with His love.
This week we have been talking about honesty and truth. Apparently they think Chairman Mao Zedong came up with the saying, "Honesty is the best policy." When I told them, no, he didn't invent that saying, they were a bit disappointed. I also shared with them from the Word, "The truth will set you free" and who said that. They really seemed to ponder that for a while, especially since they had never heard that.
Despite the rain and our impending departure, I'm trying to relish every moment with friends, students, and even the interesting people on the streets. Yesterday on the bus to new campus, a man started talking to me and we chatted in Chinese for a while. He was fascinating because he didn't seem Chinese at all due to these following reasons:
1.) He was wearing a blue track suit and white sneakers.
2.) He was wearing aviators even though it was raining and 7:30 in the morning.
3.) He had a nice beard.
4.) His voice was a mix between Humphrey Bogart and Sean Connery.
Hope you can also relish life and the people He has placed before you, no matter where you might be in this big, wide world!
P.S. Here's an excerpt of an email from one of my dear students:
"I'll never forget you ,Mrs Luara ,my first foreign teacher .And I hope you 'll remenber us forever ! In China ,there's a little Nancy who hold you in her heart."
(Sweet friends! How can I leave them?)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Learning to let go
First a shout out to my wonderful mother. Happy Birthday, Mom!! I'm sorry you have to spend it on airplanes, but I'm so glad you could come!!
So where to begin? The past several days have been incredibly blessed with my family here in China with me. As I write this they are on their long journey home to America. My family got to experience daily living in Nanchang. My students absolutely loved them, and I know my family also loved them. Mom and Andrea helped me see everyone here in a new perspective, especially since I feel a little jaded after 2 years. They met my students, helped teach some classes, and got to hang out with some of our fellow Chinese brothers and sisters.
This past weekend we traveled with my Chinese friend Reborn by train/taxi/bus/foot to northern Jiangxi province where we visited a famous mountain, Lushan. I've never seen such a beautiful, natural, trash-free place in China. Apparently it is the "Switzerland" of China, minus all the white people.
The journey to Lushan was almost more exciting than the scenery. It turned out to be a lot more work to get there than I realized, even though we traveled with a Chinese person. First we had to travel to Jiujiang, a dirty little industrialized city a couple hours away from Nanchang by train. It had an earthquake five years ago that killed several people. I think pollution, however, is more likely to kill you than anything else. After leaving the train station, Reborn had to haggle with about a dozen curious taxi drivers who looked like they had never seen a foreigner in their lives. Somehow we got a taxi driver to take us the foot of Lushan, which is really a series of mountain peaks.
It was dark by this point, and there actually weren't any hotels at the foot of the mountain. So after haggling with the driver some more, and in between bouts of Reborn getting car sick on the side of the road every so often, we winded our way up the mountain in the pitch black. It took an hour and 400 curves in the road to get there. We were so thankful to arrive in one piece. Our taxi driver, who ended up being quite nice and helpful, dropped us off at a Chinese hotel, which was only $10 a night.
At first the lady at the hotel wouldn't let us stay, because no foreigners had ever even tried to book rooms there before. Apparently the limited amount of foreign tourists prefer to stay at the posh resorts. Finally she relented, and we got to sleep. I was too excited, however, and slept only about an hour.
In the morning we hiked and trekked around Lushan, taking in some amazing scenery. We were above the clouds, and the mountains were encased in fog. We saw thousand-year old trees, visited spots where Chairman Mao apparently had been photographed, and enjoyed a lot of lakes and waterfalls.
On the way back from Lushan we took a rickety old bus down the mountain, and then boarded a train that was even more interesting than the last one. Most of the passengers looked like migrant workers, and were very poor, but sweet. They sat and stared the entire time. There was one elderly man in particular who stared. He was precious. He had a shock of gray hair that stood straight up. He never moved his smiling eyes from us, unless it was to rub his feet, which were in very hole-y old socks. He had the thread-barest suit on ever.
So we managed to have plenty of adventures with Mom and Andrea even up until their last hours here in Nanchang. I called a bread van driver to take us to the airport so they could catch a plane back to Beijing and then America. I wasn't sure we were going to survive, just like usual in China. It was pouring down rain, and we were on extremely muddy, unpaved roads in a tiny little vehicle. We were following behind huge construction trucks which threatened to careen off the road at any moment. I practically hit my head on the ceiling every other minute, and watched as I saw other vehicles get marooned in seemingly bottomless pits of mud.
Thankfully we arrived there safely, but their flight to Beijing was delayed for a long time, causing them to miss their flight to America. They ended up having to buy brand new tickets back to the U.S. I was so upset yesterday when I discovered this. I kept thinking of "I should have..." and "If only I had..." But I realize that as long as they're safe and well, that's all I can ask. It's a reminder that life isn't in my control, and I just have to trust Him.
Please think of my family as they are finally on the way back to the U.S. and had to unnecessarily pay a lot of money to do so... And if you ever see my Mom, make sure you say "happy birthday!" :)
(Taking sticky pics with my family and good friends).
(Andrea, Reborn, and Nicl and their new t-shirts).
(One of the mountains at Lushan).
(Beautiful Lushan).
(We were above the clouds!)
(Misty lake).
(Train from Jiujiang).
So where to begin? The past several days have been incredibly blessed with my family here in China with me. As I write this they are on their long journey home to America. My family got to experience daily living in Nanchang. My students absolutely loved them, and I know my family also loved them. Mom and Andrea helped me see everyone here in a new perspective, especially since I feel a little jaded after 2 years. They met my students, helped teach some classes, and got to hang out with some of our fellow Chinese brothers and sisters.
This past weekend we traveled with my Chinese friend Reborn by train/taxi/bus/foot to northern Jiangxi province where we visited a famous mountain, Lushan. I've never seen such a beautiful, natural, trash-free place in China. Apparently it is the "Switzerland" of China, minus all the white people.
The journey to Lushan was almost more exciting than the scenery. It turned out to be a lot more work to get there than I realized, even though we traveled with a Chinese person. First we had to travel to Jiujiang, a dirty little industrialized city a couple hours away from Nanchang by train. It had an earthquake five years ago that killed several people. I think pollution, however, is more likely to kill you than anything else. After leaving the train station, Reborn had to haggle with about a dozen curious taxi drivers who looked like they had never seen a foreigner in their lives. Somehow we got a taxi driver to take us the foot of Lushan, which is really a series of mountain peaks.
It was dark by this point, and there actually weren't any hotels at the foot of the mountain. So after haggling with the driver some more, and in between bouts of Reborn getting car sick on the side of the road every so often, we winded our way up the mountain in the pitch black. It took an hour and 400 curves in the road to get there. We were so thankful to arrive in one piece. Our taxi driver, who ended up being quite nice and helpful, dropped us off at a Chinese hotel, which was only $10 a night.
At first the lady at the hotel wouldn't let us stay, because no foreigners had ever even tried to book rooms there before. Apparently the limited amount of foreign tourists prefer to stay at the posh resorts. Finally she relented, and we got to sleep. I was too excited, however, and slept only about an hour.
In the morning we hiked and trekked around Lushan, taking in some amazing scenery. We were above the clouds, and the mountains were encased in fog. We saw thousand-year old trees, visited spots where Chairman Mao apparently had been photographed, and enjoyed a lot of lakes and waterfalls.
On the way back from Lushan we took a rickety old bus down the mountain, and then boarded a train that was even more interesting than the last one. Most of the passengers looked like migrant workers, and were very poor, but sweet. They sat and stared the entire time. There was one elderly man in particular who stared. He was precious. He had a shock of gray hair that stood straight up. He never moved his smiling eyes from us, unless it was to rub his feet, which were in very hole-y old socks. He had the thread-barest suit on ever.
So we managed to have plenty of adventures with Mom and Andrea even up until their last hours here in Nanchang. I called a bread van driver to take us to the airport so they could catch a plane back to Beijing and then America. I wasn't sure we were going to survive, just like usual in China. It was pouring down rain, and we were on extremely muddy, unpaved roads in a tiny little vehicle. We were following behind huge construction trucks which threatened to careen off the road at any moment. I practically hit my head on the ceiling every other minute, and watched as I saw other vehicles get marooned in seemingly bottomless pits of mud.
Thankfully we arrived there safely, but their flight to Beijing was delayed for a long time, causing them to miss their flight to America. They ended up having to buy brand new tickets back to the U.S. I was so upset yesterday when I discovered this. I kept thinking of "I should have..." and "If only I had..." But I realize that as long as they're safe and well, that's all I can ask. It's a reminder that life isn't in my control, and I just have to trust Him.
Please think of my family as they are finally on the way back to the U.S. and had to unnecessarily pay a lot of money to do so... And if you ever see my Mom, make sure you say "happy birthday!" :)
(Taking sticky pics with my family and good friends).
(Andrea, Reborn, and Nicl and their new t-shirts).
(One of the mountains at Lushan).
(Beautiful Lushan).
(We were above the clouds!)
(Misty lake).
(Train from Jiujiang).
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Beijing and the Family!
I'm sorry that my blog writing has been slacking lately. It has been a whirlwind past week as I've prepared for my family to come--cleaning, making up classes, and buying train tickets. Last Thursday night I took the overnight train to Beijing to pick up my mom and sister!! Mom and Andrea are spending ten adventuresome days with me in China...
On Friday I picked them up at the Beijing airport. We stayed at a little hotel in an old "hutong" alley with traditional Chinese housing. Then we proceeded to visit the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Tiananmen, and the Hongqiao Pearl Market--all in two days!
I have been to Beijing several times now. It always amazes me how much cleaner and more Western it becomes every time! It is so orderly and nice that I really don't feel like I'm in China. But we had a great time, especially seeing each other after nearly 9 months apart! I also got to speak an incredible amount of Chinese as I had the honor of being their fearless guide.
On Sunday night my brave family and I got on an overnight train to Nanchang, which is on the opposite end of China. We arrived on Monday morning in Nanchang--nearly the complete opposite of touristy Beijing. It is gritty, dirty, extremely chaotic, and quite off the beaten path. And my family got to experience the worst taxi ride ever, which is a difficult accomplishment, since most Nanchang taxi rides are hair raising, to say the least. They managed to see a girl lying on the street with her moped on her after getting hit; they saw the incredible amount of people/animals/children meandering on foot/bicycle/tractor through the crowded streets as we swerved around them at about 100 km/hr.
Anyways, we survived, and now we have been spending the past several days teaching and hanging out with students. Thanks for your thoughts! It's so wonderful to be able to share my China life with my family and see the culture and people in a new light.
(With Mom and Andrea on the Great Wall--Mom's dream!)
(At Tiananmen Square)
(Welcome to Nanchang)
(One of my excited classes. Can you spot Andrea?)
(My students love my Mom and Andrea).
On Friday I picked them up at the Beijing airport. We stayed at a little hotel in an old "hutong" alley with traditional Chinese housing. Then we proceeded to visit the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Tiananmen, and the Hongqiao Pearl Market--all in two days!
I have been to Beijing several times now. It always amazes me how much cleaner and more Western it becomes every time! It is so orderly and nice that I really don't feel like I'm in China. But we had a great time, especially seeing each other after nearly 9 months apart! I also got to speak an incredible amount of Chinese as I had the honor of being their fearless guide.
On Sunday night my brave family and I got on an overnight train to Nanchang, which is on the opposite end of China. We arrived on Monday morning in Nanchang--nearly the complete opposite of touristy Beijing. It is gritty, dirty, extremely chaotic, and quite off the beaten path. And my family got to experience the worst taxi ride ever, which is a difficult accomplishment, since most Nanchang taxi rides are hair raising, to say the least. They managed to see a girl lying on the street with her moped on her after getting hit; they saw the incredible amount of people/animals/children meandering on foot/bicycle/tractor through the crowded streets as we swerved around them at about 100 km/hr.
Anyways, we survived, and now we have been spending the past several days teaching and hanging out with students. Thanks for your thoughts! It's so wonderful to be able to share my China life with my family and see the culture and people in a new light.
(With Mom and Andrea on the Great Wall--Mom's dream!)
(At Tiananmen Square)
(Welcome to Nanchang)
(One of my excited classes. Can you spot Andrea?)
(My students love my Mom and Andrea).
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Feeling Fresh
It is Tuesday and we just had a day off on Monday for May holiday. I think it was in celebration of "International Labor Day." It is just another reason for the roads to get really crowded, and for people to go home. In class today I had many students wanting to sleep because they just returned this morning on the overnight train... My students were all exhausted, but I felt quite bright-eyed and bushy tailed!
One of the things we did was walk around and take pictures on new campus, where we teach, but don't live. The flowers were blooming, it was quite steamy and warm, and it was just a nice day to enjoy the sunshine. I also got to clean a lot, hang out with some friends, and get prepared for the month of May, which is going to go by so quickly!
And now that the temperature is in the upper 80s and lower 90s, that means I'm beginning to recall the interesting smells of summer in Nanchang. Our city doesn't have air-conditioning, and nobody knows what deodorant is. Thus, my students and people around me are quite fragrant in a very sweaty-smelling way...
Oh, and I thought I would share some wonderful Chinglish words I saw this morning for advertisements on newly constructed high rise apartments:
"Living here, softly reducing gold inflation."
"Living here, a wealth of ATM."
Wow, they convinced me!
And here's a few recent pictures from this weekend. Have a great week!
(More laughter with my friends).
(Skipping with Kesley, my Kazakh twin).
(Our favorite watermelon lady and man).
One of the things we did was walk around and take pictures on new campus, where we teach, but don't live. The flowers were blooming, it was quite steamy and warm, and it was just a nice day to enjoy the sunshine. I also got to clean a lot, hang out with some friends, and get prepared for the month of May, which is going to go by so quickly!
And now that the temperature is in the upper 80s and lower 90s, that means I'm beginning to recall the interesting smells of summer in Nanchang. Our city doesn't have air-conditioning, and nobody knows what deodorant is. Thus, my students and people around me are quite fragrant in a very sweaty-smelling way...
Oh, and I thought I would share some wonderful Chinglish words I saw this morning for advertisements on newly constructed high rise apartments:
"Living here, softly reducing gold inflation."
"Living here, a wealth of ATM."
Wow, they convinced me!
And here's a few recent pictures from this weekend. Have a great week!
(More laughter with my friends).
(Skipping with Kesley, my Kazakh twin).
(Our favorite watermelon lady and man).
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