Fatty Women's Briefs

Yep...that was the name of the brand of underwear that I saw today in the store: "Fatty Women's Briefs." The brand name was accompanied by a picture of a sumo-sized Chinese woman sitting indian style and grinning over her shoulder at me.

This place is an American lawyer's feeding ground!

Just Like IKEA

Went to the market today and was reminded that you just can't get chicken prepared here like you do in the states....since you get ALL the chicken...literally. The bird in just through in some grease I guess.

I guess they're just being economica and cutting down operation costs :)
Just like IKEA. There you get reduced stuuf but you have to assemble it.
Here, you get a reduced price but you have to DISassemble it.

the FIRST day of school

I declare that today I truly understood what a 'leap of faith' meant:

We dropped our not yet 3 year old daughter, Selah, off at a kindergarten here on campus. We walked in and got whisked away to fill out some registration forms. After bantering back and forth in charades -like fashion with the assistant director, we figured out that she needed US to fill it out. So we took a look at the sheet, realizing that we didn't recognize even one pen stroke on the page. And Selah had been given a Chinese name that we knew neither how to pronounce it nor how to write. We just looked at her and muttered a commom phrase that we foreigners know "ting bu dong." It means "I hear you but haven't a clue what you're saying." We've gotten very proficient at using that phrase.

She filled out most of the form herself. We proceeded in the morning by taking Selah up to the third floor to her classroom. The drop-off was surprising easy until we realized while walking out the door of the building that the shreeking and wailing was coming from OUR daughter on the 3rd floor.

At outside time, she struggled with staying with the class but wanted to play on the playground. We watched, amused, as the teacher just followed her around and tried to get her to stay in line. Lunch time ended in the director's office because she wouldn't eat lunch.

All in all is was a good day. A Faithful day. Tomorrow is yet another.

Selah starts school tomorrow

Well...Selah starts her pre-school tomorrow morning. We went today to have a meeting with the director and she said that we could start in the morning. "Great!" We exclaimed through tenative grins. Not only will she be starting school for the first time, but it's in Chinese. There are squatty potties, foreign foods, structured classes and NO English. So if you think of us today, we're diverting all requests to Selah today. She's gonna need a lot of interceding on her behalf. I think that this might be a harder day for mom and dad than for her. But we'll pretend for the time being that she's the one having a hard time with this. All the other kids are going 8-5 all week. Selah will be going from 7:30-noon. And then home to the more familiar.

We'll let you know how it went after tomorrow.

I've Never Seen This Before

We have mountains immediately outside our windows, at eye level.
I never saw them for about 2 weeks

We have soft serve ice cream venders everywhere you look. I had no idea until about 3 days ago that they existed in China at all.

Similarly, I've been a part of a tradition and historical and global familiy that has stressed loving people. I read and heard about it more than I could ever recount. Yet, just recently, it "appeared" to me just how central loving people is.

It's the (not "a") central means given to us for joy--both ours and others. Strangely, this whole idea of loving people (as I'm now beginning to see it) is so novel. Have other people seen this before? Do other people know this thing is important? Honestly, I had no idea. I might as well have been talking about Plato's Republic or the Walls Street Journal. Love was an idea, a concept, a precept, a word, an objective, a theme, pick your comparison....

What do I do now?

Is loving like riding a bike? There's a lot of fear in learning to ride a bike. I will fall. I will hurt myself. I will crash and hit things...they will hit me!

A year and a half ago, I was healed of some anger I held for a umber of years. I thought that meant that I now loved people. No. I just didn't hate people. Not doing something does not really mean positively that I'm doing the opposite. I know feel the hope, expectation, anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty that comes when you learn you have a great journy ahead of you. The finish line is further than expected. "I'm not almost there."

Yet, in a way, to love is be perfect. That is, to attain the purpose and goal of our life. In that way, we can be perfect as He is perfect. Think of me and us and we learn to love well, all people, positively, in joy, and in freedom, and, most inportantly, in natural response to our being love with such a great, eternal, mysterious, unexpected, and undeserved love.

I'm not there yet, but your thoughts will help.

Be thinking about...

For Carrie: reset and refreshment as she learns to tend a household in a foreign country

Brad: for freedom from some fear that have been exposed in his life that he has realized has controlled much of his life

Selah: to continue to adjust to the culture, find friends, and come to love our national neighbors

Malachi. Continue health and good development at this stage; for our wisdom in giving him the attn. he needs despite his having a sister who requires a lot of attn herself.

The Plan For Our Life

I am learning that our perpetual quest to discover the will of providence is often more a lustof curiousity than a hungry passion to be obedient.

(This reflection follows the thought of my previous entry about our Western demand for information, any information, in contrast to the Eastern mindset.)

Language Learning

Just in case I ever thought my lanuage lerning skills were good, I have this story to humble me--

I was talking to a Chinese woman (in chinese) and she said back to me with a frown on her face, "Talk to me in English. I understand you better."

Things You Can Learn From a Kid

If you don't normally do it already, try to find a kid and just gleam wisdom from them. They really seem to have insights that we adults forget or just miss out on...

2 things from Selah--

1) Selah has had a hard time adjusting to the attention she gets from the Chinese ladies. They touch her a lot, saying she's so pretty. Selah kinda wigs out when they do that. Well, the other night when we were putting her to bed, we were about to pray with her. Carrie asked her what she wanted to pray about and Selah said, "Pray that I would be mean." "Mean? Carrie replied." Selah answered, "Ya, pray thhat I wouldn't be mean to the Chinese ladies." I wish we would be so quick to think about loving people who make us uncomfortable.

2) Selah sat down with Carrie the other day and said, 'Mom, tell me about your day." Carrie gave a brief answer, insteading turning the conversation to Selah saying, "How was your day Selah?" .... "No mommy, I want to hear about your day. Tell me about your day." I suppose Selah is right: we all could learn to ask more about other people's life and day.

Customs inspection

Some things you just can't get used to when you're in another culture.

Most evenings we try too go to a little park area where a lot of mom, grandmas, and kids gather to visit and play. They're always intrigued with the foreigners (that's us). They especially are fascinated by a doulble stroller!! It may be the only one they see in their life.

Anyway, they see little Malachi and start asking questions of Carrie, including whether or not Carrie is nursing him. But that's not all...

They then will INSPECT Carrie to see if she is equipped to feed him!!!!

Oivey!

How wicked is the flesh

I've been chewing on something recently. It's so repuslive that I can barely stand to reflect on it, but I just can't escape it.

How wicked is this flesh I wear? I get very comfortable in it and simply give it token recognition, "It's bad,"--then I see what's been in me this past week or so.

Every time I communicate with someone from back home over the computer, undoubtedly the thought comes again that we are 12-13 hours ahead of our friends and family. Everytime I remember this, I sense a cold pride swell up within me as if to say "I've already gone through this day and they're behind us." I have this voice talking in my head saying, "Hey guys, I've done this day...It's pretty good. You'll see."

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT!!?!?

Whenever I may take lightly the depravity within this flesh I bear, such an inner monologue makes clear that things are naturally flawed in the human condition. Even in the most plainly obvious and foolish ways possible, the flesh wells up in pride, in all it's glorious stupidity, and makes sure I know how aweful and grotesque it really is.

first day of class

I just got back from my first class---junior writing.

It was a little scary as usual for any first day. I'm really trying to prepare well my lesson plans so that I can do a great job teaching. Today was a little more free and loose because it was a lot of introductions. The students' English is awesome. I was speaking a near native english speaker speed.

Be thinking about my teaching, for I am called to do that with excellence.
I teach each class for about 18 weeks, each class being 2 hours long. Thanks!!

a new ice cream

We just found out that milk flavored ice cream exists. Hmm.

No coffee maker?

We took on the town today, venturing out to find a coffee maker. We guessed what bus to take and we guessed right. Anyway, the four of us walked the downtown area (yes, Selah walked for 3 hours straight, no stroller--go her!) but were not successful. We found coffee pots, but nothing to make the actual coffee. Finally, we spoke with a girl who knew English pretty well. She told us that we would not be able to find a coffee maker in Qinhuangdao, b/c "maybe it [the city] is too small". Too small?

2.5 million people!

P.S. Just as we were about to head home, we did find one :)

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Good days

The past three days have been wonderful for Selah. This past three weeks or so have been so tough on her, especially with all four of us living in the same room for 3 weeks. She was having tons of behaviour problems, but the past few days have seen a huge turnaround. We are so thankful that our thoughts have been answered.

We have loved getting to know our teammates this past week. It's been encouraging to see us unite together so comfortablely almost immediately. There's 11 of us adults (plus 3 kids) from various places and experiences in life so that is real healthy for the team. They really help us take care of the kids. There's nother family on our team as well. Our team leader and his wife are incredible, very organized and commited to excellence.

Brad's teaching load is finalized. He's teaching 5 classes--Jr. writing, English Postgraduates in Advanced English, Non-English postgraduates in oral english, and 2 teacher training classes (oral english). Brad will probably be afforded the opportunity to address 300-400 students and faculty a few times during the semester for culture lectures. Please be thinking of us as we meet our students. This school is in the top ranked category for China schools as well.

We have found an affection for these people and this place unlike anytime previously. We feel very priveleged to be in this city, at this school, on this team, at this season.

Speedos, Puppies and Potty

We finally arrived in Qinhuangdao on Sunday and have been setting up camp ever since. Brad spent most of the evening figuring out the internet with a guy who speaks and reads no english. Needless to say, the process was slow...but nobody here is in a hurry.

So Selah and I and a few teammates headed down to the beach. We're a port city, so along with being a beach, we are a dumping ground for indiscrimate things. We got there about sun down and accompanying the beautiful blue and gray sunset was a gray and purple hue reflecting off the speedos from the young chinese men. I guess it's better than the older, fat bald men that wear them in the states. (no offense if that's your bathing suit of choice, just a little too much to see for my eyes :) )

On the walk home, we passed some open bee hive thingys where they harvest honey...a few puppies for sale only not as pets :( and as Selah's stomach rumbled and roared, we had to stop for a potty break. Only this time it wasn't a quick potty, but a POTTY. We squatted as many chinese children do on the side of the road and left our marker appropriately (or inappropriately, I'm not sure anymore). I'm sure as my mother is reading this, she is dying of embarrassment to think of her grandaughter relieving herself in a BIG way on the side of the street. But...so goes China.

Last night upon arriving at our place (we live in an old hotel), Selah saw the sign that read: YANDA HOTEL and she said "Mommy I see an 'A'. And those words say...'we are home.'" She summed it up nicely as we now call this land home and venture into tomorrow to discover what he has in store.

Speedos, Puppies and Potty

We finally arrived in Qinhuangdao on Sunday and have been setting up camp ever since. Brad spent most of the evening figuring out the internet with a guy who speaks and reads no english. Needless to say, the process was slow...but nobody here is in a hurry.

So Selah and I and a few teammates headed down to the beach. We're a port city, so along with being a beach, we are a dumping ground for indiscrimate things. We got there about sun down and accompanying the beautiful blue and gray sunset was a gray and purple hue reflecting off the speedos from the young chinese men. I guess it's better than the older, fat bald men that wear them in the states. (no offense if that's your bathing suit of choice, just a little too much to see for my eyes :) )

On the walk home, we passed some open bee hive thingys where they harvest honey...a few puppies for sale only not as pets :( and as Selah's stomach rumbled and roared, we had to stop for a potty break. Only this time it wasn't a quick potty, but a POTTY. We squatted as many chinese children do on the side of the road and left our marker appropriately (or inappropriately, I'm not sure anymore). I'm sure as my mother is reading this, she is dying of embarrassment to think of her grandaughter relieving herself in a BIG way on the side of the street. But...so goes China.

Last night upon arriving at our place (we live in an old hotel), Selah saw the sign that read: YANDA HOTEL and she said "Mommy I see an 'A'. And those words say...'we are home.'" She summed it up nicely as we now call this land home and venture into tomorrow to discover what he has in store.