My internet has been off lately not allowing me to post - sorry to my few readers... :)
Anywho...
Since "winter" is slowly dawning upon us here in Shantou (we really only have summer and spring with one month of winter), the season of eating hotpot has begun. "Hotpot" is basically a style of eating where you have a table with a burner in the middle where a pot is placed filled with broth. Plates of meat, veggies, and noodles are brought out and the eaters cook and eat as the like by putting the various edibles in the broth and then fish them out with ladles, spoons, and chopsticks. It usually takes several hours to eat leaving room for much laughter, drinking, and of course, eating! I am always stuffed after eating hotpot. It supposedly keeps you warm and helps you sleep - but I think that's due to overeating, not the hotpot. ;) It's a great meal to eat on a chilly evening and in the company of good people.
Last night I went to have hotpot with some employees from Lafayette. We went to a supposedly really good lamb, or as they say, mutton, restaurant. We entered a large, noisy, crowded warehouse type room, typical for many Chinese restaurants, and sat at a large table with, of course, a large burner in the middle. Our broth was brought out (it had a WHOLE tomato in it - ha, usually they take the time to at least cut it) and our plates of meat arrived.
Now I know lamb is usually gray in color, but not this gray. And I have eaten plenty of weird things in China, but this array of meat was one of the most bizarre...and frightening:
- lamb heart
- bones (some identifiable ones)
- tendons
- thick pieces of skin
- lots of lamb fat
- big chunks of veiny stomach
- lamb balls (balls of meat, not testicles)
- one item that resembled either a tail, ear, or toe
- 1 identifiable dish that even they didn't know what it was
You know it's bad if even Chinese people can't identify the food or want to eat it . . .
Yikes!
I watched as my friends slowly started to say they were full, " wo chi bao le" and didn't want to eat anymore. They started out being polite about it (you know, save face), but eventually the walls came down and we all began to laugh about the grossness of our meal. We ended up serving most of the meat into poor Gordon's bowl, the man who had suggested the restaurant in the first place. I think we all unanimously decided that we do NOT want to see lamb for quiet some time!
I am thankful for an open mind...and an open stomach, the ability to laugh, and gag reflexes that stayed quiet.
Ah, China. You never cease to give me unforgettable experiences.
*thumbs up*
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
And they grow up so fast.
This past week has marked my 14th month living in China. crazy!
And in that realization, I have been very aware of just how much my students are growing up - "like weeds" to coin the old expression. In the past year, I have watched their little minds and bodies change so much. They have grown taller, last year's uniforms now sporting their brown ankles, they have cut their hair, their English has improved. I have developed deeper relationships, friendships almost, and I have gained trust as their teacher.
Trust.I stop sometimes in awe of that little word.
Do you ever stop and think about just how many things in your day you are trust to work/happen/go? Like, will the chair hold you when you sit in it? Will your car drive you to your destination? Will the bus/metro/taxi/bike travel safely? Will your computer work and allow you to check this blog? ha. Etc. I realize my students really have no basis for English outside the walls of our little school, so everything I tell them, they take in - correct or incorrect, grammatically sound or not, correct pronunciation or not. I have made my mistakes. ha. Pressures on!
Their little faces I have come to know. I can pick out their voices in the bathroom as they chatter loudly. I know generally how they will do on writing assignments, activities, games, review. Their little faces, expressions, and mannerisms forever imprinted on my mind and heart:
---> the little girl who's whole face lights up in ecstatic contortions as she tries to formulate sentences.
---> the boy who points at himself with a huge, gaping, smiling mouth when I call on him to answer a question, as if to say, "Really, ME?!?!"
---> the girl who tries to so hard to win at EVERYTHING that she breaks into tears when she looses the game or mixes up words, making students laugh.
---> the girl who truly does know it all, and sits quietly, trying to hold herself in, so others have to answer. Or the funny fact that the whole class looks to her for direction and answers - she's 8 years old! sheesh!
---> the boy with the cutest dimples, the one who practically chokes trying to get those tough English words through his lips, the little teacher's pet who is an angel in every class, the ones who come up just to touch me and be close for a few minutes.
And in that realization, I have been very aware of just how much my students are growing up - "like weeds" to coin the old expression. In the past year, I have watched their little minds and bodies change so much. They have grown taller, last year's uniforms now sporting their brown ankles, they have cut their hair, their English has improved. I have developed deeper relationships, friendships almost, and I have gained trust as their teacher.
Trust.I stop sometimes in awe of that little word.
Do you ever stop and think about just how many things in your day you are trust to work/happen/go? Like, will the chair hold you when you sit in it? Will your car drive you to your destination? Will the bus/metro/taxi/bike travel safely? Will your computer work and allow you to check this blog? ha. Etc. I realize my students really have no basis for English outside the walls of our little school, so everything I tell them, they take in - correct or incorrect, grammatically sound or not, correct pronunciation or not. I have made my mistakes. ha. Pressures on!
Their little faces I have come to know. I can pick out their voices in the bathroom as they chatter loudly. I know generally how they will do on writing assignments, activities, games, review. Their little faces, expressions, and mannerisms forever imprinted on my mind and heart:
---> the little girl who's whole face lights up in ecstatic contortions as she tries to formulate sentences.
---> the boy who points at himself with a huge, gaping, smiling mouth when I call on him to answer a question, as if to say, "Really, ME?!?!"
---> the girl who tries to so hard to win at EVERYTHING that she breaks into tears when she looses the game or mixes up words, making students laugh.
---> the girl who truly does know it all, and sits quietly, trying to hold herself in, so others have to answer. Or the funny fact that the whole class looks to her for direction and answers - she's 8 years old! sheesh!
---> the boy with the cutest dimples, the one who practically chokes trying to get those tough English words through his lips, the little teacher's pet who is an angel in every class, the ones who come up just to touch me and be close for a few minutes.
I know those faces and I have come to love them so.
And I will miss them when our roads part someday... but they will forever be in my heart.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thoughts on long distance.
I have had a somewhat furrowed brow lately when a certain subject comes up: long distance relationships.
People mean well when asking about Evan and I's relationship status, but there's a part of me that is frustrated by the question. Let me explain...
Evan and I will have been dating for 2 years next month and over half of that has been apart. Not by choice, mind you, (I mean, I did choose to move to China...) but it's just the way life and the Lord has lead each of us as we are two separate individuals. Often people ask us, "How are you guys doing?" And of course I love to answer positively, but often the question is asked with a little doubt and hesitation. Especially when other guys ask Evan how he is doing with it. Like are you two still okay, still together, still willing to do this, etc.? Are we going to survive this distance or fail? I find myself a bit frustrated at this stereotype - as true as it may be.
I know the statistics of long distance relationships are slim and many (if not most) do not work well or survive. But I think the survival is based on what the relationship is founded on:
- friendship
- love
- commitment
- loyalty
- honesty
- trust in each other
- trust in the Lord
- A LOT of determination
- surrender of a life that I do not own, both mine and his
It has to be - whether you are living in the same city or across the world. It doesn't change. You're still two different people, with different pasts, different baggage, faults, perks and quirks. It's work to be with someone, choosing to be selfless, honest, give and not always receive, take when it's sometimes difficult, to listen, to share.
But an ocean, continent, or time zone doesn't change that - or I don't think it should.
I left US soil with tears in my eyes as I looked at that tall, handsome, bearded man. But I never for an instant thought this was going to fail when I chose to go to a whole new world for 2 years while he continued living in his. And I don't see it in the future, ever.
So long distance stereotype, take that: 2 wonderful years and going strong! And here's to many more wonderful years together - whether physically present or not.
AND for all of you that do ask, I mean no disrespect. I thank you so much for lovingly asking how we are doing. And I love to tell that we are, still, amazingly well. :)
People mean well when asking about Evan and I's relationship status, but there's a part of me that is frustrated by the question. Let me explain...
Evan and I will have been dating for 2 years next month and over half of that has been apart. Not by choice, mind you, (I mean, I did choose to move to China...) but it's just the way life and the Lord has lead each of us as we are two separate individuals. Often people ask us, "How are you guys doing?" And of course I love to answer positively, but often the question is asked with a little doubt and hesitation. Especially when other guys ask Evan how he is doing with it. Like are you two still okay, still together, still willing to do this, etc.? Are we going to survive this distance or fail? I find myself a bit frustrated at this stereotype - as true as it may be.
I know the statistics of long distance relationships are slim and many (if not most) do not work well or survive. But I think the survival is based on what the relationship is founded on:
- friendship
- love
- commitment
- loyalty
- honesty
- trust in each other
- trust in the Lord
- A LOT of determination
- surrender of a life that I do not own, both mine and his
It has to be - whether you are living in the same city or across the world. It doesn't change. You're still two different people, with different pasts, different baggage, faults, perks and quirks. It's work to be with someone, choosing to be selfless, honest, give and not always receive, take when it's sometimes difficult, to listen, to share.
But an ocean, continent, or time zone doesn't change that - or I don't think it should.
I left US soil with tears in my eyes as I looked at that tall, handsome, bearded man. But I never for an instant thought this was going to fail when I chose to go to a whole new world for 2 years while he continued living in his. And I don't see it in the future, ever.
So long distance stereotype, take that: 2 wonderful years and going strong! And here's to many more wonderful years together - whether physically present or not.
AND for all of you that do ask, I mean no disrespect. I thank you so much for lovingly asking how we are doing. And I love to tell that we are, still, amazingly well. :)
Friday, October 23, 2009
The most beautiful candy in the world
Or it has to be close.
I was given a little box of candies for my birthday by a dear friend in Hong Kong. I opened it to discover these magnificent little works of sugar.
Check out these little beauties:
a penguin
a monkey complete with scarf and leaf
a duck complete with basket and decorated egg
and a yellow tiger holding a small bunny
Amazing. I almost hate to eat them they're so fantastic.
But alas, they are slowly disappearing...
I was given a little box of candies for my birthday by a dear friend in Hong Kong. I opened it to discover these magnificent little works of sugar.
Check out these little beauties:
They are made of 2 gum drops and decorated with hard sugar frosting -
you have to lick quite hard to remove their features and accessories.
you have to lick quite hard to remove their features and accessories.
A blue penguin holding a basket with bread and an apple inside.
How cute is that?!?
How cute is that?!?
a penguina monkey complete with scarf and leaf
a duck complete with basket and decorated egg
and a yellow tiger holding a small bunny
Amazing. I almost hate to eat them they're so fantastic.
But alas, they are slowly disappearing...
Sunday, October 18, 2009
It still happens...
Today was a beautiful breezy Sunday in Shantou. After finding out this past week that our new 2nd grade teacher is a fellow believer (um so rad!!!), AND that she goes to church weekly at the church behind my house, I asked if I could join her for service today. Though I only understand about 5% of it, I still went and I still try. ha.
I crossed the street to "Love Church" meeting my new friend and her cheerful face. We climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor of the building where the main sanctuary is located, and sat down in one of the long, yellow, wooden pews. An elderly lady eagerly sat down next to me asking if I spoke Chinese and looking in awe at my thick English Bible. She patted my arms enthusiastically telling me I was beautiful.
A few minutes later, a woman came in and sat a few pews before us. She was holding a very small baby. Several women crowded around her and a hushed conversation and questioning began to ensue. My friend went over to ask what was going on. I was amazed, shocked, and horrified to hear her report:
The baby, a little girl, maybe a few months old, was found on the side of the road with a bag of clothes and, I think, a note scribbled on some scrap paper that the ladies were passing around. The one woman had heard her crying and found her. Apparently, the little baby is sick. She was "thrown away" my friend told me in broken English. The women all gathered around, passing her little body from one pair of brown weathered arms to the next, the baby's little head flailing about, her little black eyes staring up blankly. They rocked and hushed her, trying to feed her from a bottle that was found in the bag. They sifted through the rest of the bag finding a small pile of clothes, some canned milk, and shook their heads. She was so small. Abandoned. "Thrown away."
My heart just broke.
Was it because she was sick? A girl? No money to take her to the doctor? Or no money to feed yet another mouth in family? All probable reasons that happen everyday here. I have students whose siblings have been sold for money. I will never know the answer.
I talked to my friend Gen in Cambodia tonight and after I told her the story she asked dumbfounded, "Now what will happen to her?"
I don't know...
Somewhere in this city tonight is a woman without her baby. Does she cry? Does she care?
It still happens, everyday.
I crossed the street to "Love Church" meeting my new friend and her cheerful face. We climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor of the building where the main sanctuary is located, and sat down in one of the long, yellow, wooden pews. An elderly lady eagerly sat down next to me asking if I spoke Chinese and looking in awe at my thick English Bible. She patted my arms enthusiastically telling me I was beautiful.
A few minutes later, a woman came in and sat a few pews before us. She was holding a very small baby. Several women crowded around her and a hushed conversation and questioning began to ensue. My friend went over to ask what was going on. I was amazed, shocked, and horrified to hear her report:
The baby, a little girl, maybe a few months old, was found on the side of the road with a bag of clothes and, I think, a note scribbled on some scrap paper that the ladies were passing around. The one woman had heard her crying and found her. Apparently, the little baby is sick. She was "thrown away" my friend told me in broken English. The women all gathered around, passing her little body from one pair of brown weathered arms to the next, the baby's little head flailing about, her little black eyes staring up blankly. They rocked and hushed her, trying to feed her from a bottle that was found in the bag. They sifted through the rest of the bag finding a small pile of clothes, some canned milk, and shook their heads. She was so small. Abandoned. "Thrown away."
My heart just broke.
Was it because she was sick? A girl? No money to take her to the doctor? Or no money to feed yet another mouth in family? All probable reasons that happen everyday here. I have students whose siblings have been sold for money. I will never know the answer.
I talked to my friend Gen in Cambodia tonight and after I told her the story she asked dumbfounded, "Now what will happen to her?"
I don't know...
Somewhere in this city tonight is a woman without her baby. Does she cry? Does she care?
It still happens, everyday.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Green Oranges?
China has these wonderful green oranges, yes, green, that are just going out of season right now. I bought this one for about a yuan and a half = about 2 US cents. ha.
Side note: I've never lived in a country where fruit and vegetables actually go out of season completely (us spoiled Americans...) so I'll have to say goodbye until next fall.
In other news: I've completely fallen IN LOVE with Etsy! Check it out for all things wonderful, handmade, amazingly creative, original and craft-sy: ----> www.etsy.com
Isn't it lovely?
They have NO seeds, are juicy and sweet, and peel SO easily.
The perfect afternoon snack - or anytime!
The perfect afternoon snack - or anytime!
Side note: I've never lived in a country where fruit and vegetables actually go out of season completely (us spoiled Americans...) so I'll have to say goodbye until next fall.
In other news: I've completely fallen IN LOVE with Etsy! Check it out for all things wonderful, handmade, amazingly creative, original and craft-sy: ----> www.etsy.com
Monday, October 12, 2009
TOMS
I love TOMS shoes !!!
I have purchased 2 pairs, loved one to death (in which my big toe now peeks out), and would buy one in almost every color if I could afford it. ha.
You buy one pair ranging from about $42 - $65 and another is donated to a child without shoes in a poverty stricken country. TOMS is currently working in several countries in South America and Africa. It is a growing company, gaining more recognition and respect nationally and globally, and continues to deliver fab, comfy, original, colorfully fun slip on shoes.
Evan and I have matching ones ---> :)
They're a bit expensive considering you could go to Payless and get a pair for under $20, but there's a great feeling about spending $42 dollars knowing a beautiful child will get to enjoy them too. And you get to kick around in them which is oh so fun. People ask me about mine all the time and I love telling the story. "One for One" as TOMS says.
To read more, go check it out ----> www.tomsshoes.com
Yay for happy, feel-good shoes - literally!
I have purchased 2 pairs, loved one to death (in which my big toe now peeks out), and would buy one in almost every color if I could afford it. ha.
You buy one pair ranging from about $42 - $65 and another is donated to a child without shoes in a poverty stricken country. TOMS is currently working in several countries in South America and Africa. It is a growing company, gaining more recognition and respect nationally and globally, and continues to deliver fab, comfy, original, colorfully fun slip on shoes.
Evan and I have matching ones ---> :)
They're a bit expensive considering you could go to Payless and get a pair for under $20, but there's a great feeling about spending $42 dollars knowing a beautiful child will get to enjoy them too. And you get to kick around in them which is oh so fun. People ask me about mine all the time and I love telling the story. "One for One" as TOMS says.
To read more, go check it out ----> www.tomsshoes.com
Yay for happy, feel-good shoes - literally!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)