Well, I haven’t updated in quite a while. Jon’s parents are still here. However we have not been able to do very much with them because it has been raining and raining. It has rained everyday for about 2 weeks.
Classes have started again, well we are in the 3rd week. I guess that is going pretty well. The last few days I have been sick. I started feeling bad on Sunday but by Monday I pretty much just laid around all day. I had a class on Tuesday and I went, but it was not good. I let them out early and stumbled home. I may actually be on the mend now. I am able to sit up and type. I slept all day today. I had to cancel my class today. I am hoping I can make it to class tomorrow. It is such a pain to make up a missed class. I am thankful that Jon’s mom was here today because I did not have to worry about doing as much for the kids. Please remember Jon and his parents and pray that they don’t get sick. The kids have been sick too. Pray that they will get better quickly!
Also, the school is trying to give me at least one other class (maybe more). The problem is that it is either Friday night or Sat. or Sunday. None of those days are good for me! I hope to be back to normal and on track in a few days!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Just a quick note to catch up.
Jon's parents are here. They are sleeping in the apartment next to ours, but they do hang out here a lot.
Classes started this week. Two of mine don't start until next week. My first class is today. I taught these kids last semester.
The ai yi came yesterday. She did a good job. She cleaned my floors! She also made lunch for us. She made way too much food. We all ate until we were stuffed and then we told her to quit. She was planning to cook one more dish. We had enough leftovers for supper. We had a little trouble with communication but I think it will get easier.
I have been kind of sick. I am thankful that I was so healthy last semester. This is my second round of sickness this break. I have a cold, which is tolerable. I have also had "china Belly". I finally broke down and took some medicine for that today so I could go to class. I made it through my class and then came home to take a nap. I don't have class again until Friday. I feel better than I did at lunch time. I guess I will live.
I guess vacation is over now. We are getting into the full swing of everything. Next week all of our classes will have started and English corner will start too. This semester is going to be much better than last semester.
I need to post some pictures soon. I will work on that tomorrow.
Jon's parents are here. They are sleeping in the apartment next to ours, but they do hang out here a lot.
Classes started this week. Two of mine don't start until next week. My first class is today. I taught these kids last semester.
The ai yi came yesterday. She did a good job. She cleaned my floors! She also made lunch for us. She made way too much food. We all ate until we were stuffed and then we told her to quit. She was planning to cook one more dish. We had enough leftovers for supper. We had a little trouble with communication but I think it will get easier.
I have been kind of sick. I am thankful that I was so healthy last semester. This is my second round of sickness this break. I have a cold, which is tolerable. I have also had "china Belly". I finally broke down and took some medicine for that today so I could go to class. I made it through my class and then came home to take a nap. I don't have class again until Friday. I feel better than I did at lunch time. I guess I will live.
I guess vacation is over now. We are getting into the full swing of everything. Next week all of our classes will have started and English corner will start too. This semester is going to be much better than last semester.
I need to post some pictures soon. I will work on that tomorrow.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Ai yi!
We are getting an Ai yi! What's that? Well, Ai yi means "aunt" or "auntie". Sometimes it is a term for any older lady. It is a sign of respect a little like "Miss" or "Ma'am". But sometimes it is a house keeper or nanny. That is what we are getting. We met with her today.
Yan did a lot of work on this. She found her, and arranged it all and translated for us. She even wrote up a "contract" for her. At first we thought we would be getting one for nearly everyday, but she has another job and we did not want her to quit right now, so it is only part time. She will help with the laundry and dishes and cleaning. She will cook lunch for us and will watch the kids so we can actually go out some as a couple! I am really excited about it.
I know that she wants to do a good job too, because she told Yan that she had trouble sleeping last night because she was so nervous. It should give us more time for homeschooling and other work.
Next week we will be in Shanghai most of the week, so she will start the following week--the same week that classes start.
Oh yeah, we are going to Shanghai to meet Jon's parents. They are coming for a visit. Please keep them in your thoughts as they travel.
Yan did a lot of work on this. She found her, and arranged it all and translated for us. She even wrote up a "contract" for her. At first we thought we would be getting one for nearly everyday, but she has another job and we did not want her to quit right now, so it is only part time. She will help with the laundry and dishes and cleaning. She will cook lunch for us and will watch the kids so we can actually go out some as a couple! I am really excited about it.
I know that she wants to do a good job too, because she told Yan that she had trouble sleeping last night because she was so nervous. It should give us more time for homeschooling and other work.
Next week we will be in Shanghai most of the week, so she will start the following week--the same week that classes start.
Oh yeah, we are going to Shanghai to meet Jon's parents. They are coming for a visit. Please keep them in your thoughts as they travel.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The letter A
Back a few weeks ago some of my other blogger friends were playing a game where someone would give them a letter and they would write about ten things that begin with that letter. I was a little late to the game and then we had the holidays (Chinese Holidays, more about that later), and then I got sick, but now I am back at the computer and ready to tackle the letter A.
1. Asia—Ok I was hoping for the letter C so I could say China, but A will work too. Of course I live in Asia now, namely China. I love it! I sometimes have bouts of homesickness, but I know that this is where I am supposed to be. Asia has had a special place in my heart for about 10 years now.
2. America—I am American, and even thought I live half way around the world I am still American. I am proud to be American too! I would love to teach a class on American culture, but I just have to add it to the oral English and Listening class when I can.
3. Airborne—That stuff is great! I swear by it. There have been times that I have felt a cold coming on and started taking it, and I have been fine. Once Jon and I got the same cold and I took airborne and he did not. I was better days earlier than he was. There is a Chinese version of Airborne here, and it even tastes a little better! I brought a couple of tubes of regular Airborne with us.
4. Air mail—There is no longer surface mail from he US to China so it is all Air mail. The bad thing is that means it is more expensive, the good thing is that a package will arrive in about 10 days as opposed to 4 months. We love getting packages! They can really brighten our day. We are blessed with family and family at CC that regularly send us packages.
5. Acupuncture Needles—Did you know that is what started all of this? Back in February of 1998 we were looking at the booths set up in Bader Gym during the FHU lectureships. We came across a booth that had Chinese stuff. They had a small case with acupuncture needles in it. Jon spied them and picked them up to look at them. Both Bennie Mullins and his wife Kitty talked to us about the opportunity to go to China to teach English and the Good News. (sound familiar?) We went for one year and then came home. We knew we wanted to go back and we finally hooked up with the team and Clear Creek about 2 years ago. And here we are! Would I ever have acupuncture? Yes, I would I think that it can help some things, but luckily I have not needed it yet!
6. Armed Forces—Did you know that I am a military brat? My dad spent 20 years in the Navy. He joined before I was born and did not retire until I was in college. I never lived anywhere for more than 4 years until I came to Henderson for college. My brother is in the Navy now. He has been in for something like 13 years. My Grandfather was also in the Army Air corps during WWII.
7. August—August is a busy month for our family. It is the month that we moved to China. We will probably almost always go back to China in August. It is also a busy month for us as far as birthdays!. My dad’s birthday is the 8th and Eryn’s is the 9th . Yes she was born the day after Poppa’s 50th birthday. Jon’s birthday is the 13th, Beverly’s (Jon’s mom) is the 21st, and Karen’s (my step mom) is the 30th! It is a busy month.
8. Adventure—I always said that one of the cool things about living in China is that everyday can be an adventure. When you live in another culture especially one where you don’t really speak the language and are illiterate (no, I can’t read Chinese) just getting around can be an adventure. We never know what we are going to see , or who we are going to meet. It is (usually) a lot of fun.
9. Alaska—This is not really about me but Jon. He wants to go to Alaska. He says when we finish with China that he would like to live in Alaska. I am not so sure about that. I keep reminding him that he does not like cold weather! He has an uncle that taught school in Alaska and then moved back to the lower 48 quite well off. I think we would like to visit Alaska, but I am not so sure about living there.
10. Airen—ok,I am stretching things here. I was hoping that I would get a letter that I could write about some cool Chinese word. There are not too many Chinese words that begin with A, or at least not ones that I know. This word basically has two parts Ai which means love and ren which means person so it means love person or husband/wife. My Airen is Jon and we have been married for 13 ½ years. He has been my best friend for about 15 years. He is an amazing husband! Just an example, he just finished washing the dishes (by hand). He has washed laundry and hung it up today and he cooked lunch for us. I tell you he is AMAZING!
1. Asia—Ok I was hoping for the letter C so I could say China, but A will work too. Of course I live in Asia now, namely China. I love it! I sometimes have bouts of homesickness, but I know that this is where I am supposed to be. Asia has had a special place in my heart for about 10 years now.
2. America—I am American, and even thought I live half way around the world I am still American. I am proud to be American too! I would love to teach a class on American culture, but I just have to add it to the oral English and Listening class when I can.
3. Airborne—That stuff is great! I swear by it. There have been times that I have felt a cold coming on and started taking it, and I have been fine. Once Jon and I got the same cold and I took airborne and he did not. I was better days earlier than he was. There is a Chinese version of Airborne here, and it even tastes a little better! I brought a couple of tubes of regular Airborne with us.
4. Air mail—There is no longer surface mail from he US to China so it is all Air mail. The bad thing is that means it is more expensive, the good thing is that a package will arrive in about 10 days as opposed to 4 months. We love getting packages! They can really brighten our day. We are blessed with family and family at CC that regularly send us packages.
5. Acupuncture Needles—Did you know that is what started all of this? Back in February of 1998 we were looking at the booths set up in Bader Gym during the FHU lectureships. We came across a booth that had Chinese stuff. They had a small case with acupuncture needles in it. Jon spied them and picked them up to look at them. Both Bennie Mullins and his wife Kitty talked to us about the opportunity to go to China to teach English and the Good News. (sound familiar?) We went for one year and then came home. We knew we wanted to go back and we finally hooked up with the team and Clear Creek about 2 years ago. And here we are! Would I ever have acupuncture? Yes, I would I think that it can help some things, but luckily I have not needed it yet!
6. Armed Forces—Did you know that I am a military brat? My dad spent 20 years in the Navy. He joined before I was born and did not retire until I was in college. I never lived anywhere for more than 4 years until I came to Henderson for college. My brother is in the Navy now. He has been in for something like 13 years. My Grandfather was also in the Army Air corps during WWII.
7. August—August is a busy month for our family. It is the month that we moved to China. We will probably almost always go back to China in August. It is also a busy month for us as far as birthdays!. My dad’s birthday is the 8th and Eryn’s is the 9th . Yes she was born the day after Poppa’s 50th birthday. Jon’s birthday is the 13th, Beverly’s (Jon’s mom) is the 21st, and Karen’s (my step mom) is the 30th! It is a busy month.
8. Adventure—I always said that one of the cool things about living in China is that everyday can be an adventure. When you live in another culture especially one where you don’t really speak the language and are illiterate (no, I can’t read Chinese) just getting around can be an adventure. We never know what we are going to see , or who we are going to meet. It is (usually) a lot of fun.
9. Alaska—This is not really about me but Jon. He wants to go to Alaska. He says when we finish with China that he would like to live in Alaska. I am not so sure about that. I keep reminding him that he does not like cold weather! He has an uncle that taught school in Alaska and then moved back to the lower 48 quite well off. I think we would like to visit Alaska, but I am not so sure about living there.
10. Airen—ok,I am stretching things here. I was hoping that I would get a letter that I could write about some cool Chinese word. There are not too many Chinese words that begin with A, or at least not ones that I know. This word basically has two parts Ai which means love and ren which means person so it means love person or husband/wife. My Airen is Jon and we have been married for 13 ½ years. He has been my best friend for about 15 years. He is an amazing husband! Just an example, he just finished washing the dishes (by hand). He has washed laundry and hung it up today and he cooked lunch for us. I tell you he is AMAZING!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Phew!
I finally got all the pictures and posts up! Unfortunately they are not in the order I want them, but I can't figure how to change them. I am officially caught up...and just in time...tomorrow is the beginning of Spring festival. I hope to have a bunch of pictures from that. We are thinking of you!
Bamboo Path
On January 14 we were invited to a dinner with a bunch of the teachers at our University. The dinner was at a resort area in HZ. While some of the teachers had to attend a meeting we went on a walk. At first we thought we were going to hike up a mountain but that is not exactly how it went.
We walked for about 15 minutes next to a fairly busy highway and came to a famous bamboo lined path.
It was really pretty peaceful. There were lots and lots of bamboo...
Some very old and large trees...
more bamboo
Some interesting buildings...
This was a meditation pool fed by a spring.
This would be a great spot to sip some tea...
A Steele with some famous calligraphy
some guys in camo with guns!!! Ok, they were just playing laser tag. They had on vests and hats with binkers and stuff.
This guy let Liam shoot his gun while he was in between games.
Cambridge ( one of the guys that really helps us a lot) said that they rented the equipment from a company. He said that perhaps next time we could do that! We all thought it would be a lot of fun.
You never know what you are going to see in China.
We walked for about 15 minutes next to a fairly busy highway and came to a famous bamboo lined path.
It was really pretty peaceful. There were lots and lots of bamboo...
Some very old and large trees...
more bamboo
Some interesting buildings...
This was a meditation pool fed by a spring.
This would be a great spot to sip some tea...
A Steele with some famous calligraphy
some guys in camo with guns!!! Ok, they were just playing laser tag. They had on vests and hats with binkers and stuff.
This guy let Liam shoot his gun while he was in between games.Cambridge ( one of the guys that really helps us a lot) said that they rented the equipment from a company. He said that perhaps next time we could do that! We all thought it would be a lot of fun.
You never know what you are going to see in China.
Christmas in China
Christmas in China is very different than in the U.S. You can keep some of the same traditions but you should probably add some new ones too.
Christmas eve after I got out of class we began our family celebrations. I had made dinner in the crock pot. Jon even baked some bread to go with it. It was all delicious! It was not what we would traditionally have for Christmas dinner, but it was still good. (we had roast and potatoes).
After dinner we opened presets! We set up Skype so that my folks could watch the kids open their presents. (They got up VERY early to watch!)
We had a bunch of presents. I was going to be very good and keep track and write lots of thank you notes, but I got very crazy very quickly! Thank you for all the love and gifts you showered us with!
After that we cleaned up the living room, put out milk and cookies for Santa and went to bed.
The next day the kids got up around 7. They opened their stockings and played with their toys. We chatted with Jon’s family on the Internet. Then we got dressed and went out for the kids to enjoy their new scooters! (actually Eryn did not make it, and went in to take a nap) .
Hallie left her bear out to watch for Santa. This is what she found the next morning. Santa had eaten the cookies and drank the milk, but Alex (the bear) did not see anything!
Then we went into town for a nice family dinner. This is us walking through a market to get to the restaurant.
We ate at a steak place. It was late for lunch so the place was quiet. They also had a salad bar.
This is the first salad I have eaten in about 5 months! Not your traditional American Christmas celebration, but we may make a tradition of going out to a nice restaurant on Christmas day.
This is a picture of the kids on their scooters. They love to ride them! It is good for them to get out and exercise some.
Christmas eve after I got out of class we began our family celebrations. I had made dinner in the crock pot. Jon even baked some bread to go with it. It was all delicious! It was not what we would traditionally have for Christmas dinner, but it was still good. (we had roast and potatoes).
After dinner we opened presets! We set up Skype so that my folks could watch the kids open their presents. (They got up VERY early to watch!)
We had a bunch of presents. I was going to be very good and keep track and write lots of thank you notes, but I got very crazy very quickly! Thank you for all the love and gifts you showered us with!
After that we cleaned up the living room, put out milk and cookies for Santa and went to bed.The next day the kids got up around 7. They opened their stockings and played with their toys. We chatted with Jon’s family on the Internet. Then we got dressed and went out for the kids to enjoy their new scooters! (actually Eryn did not make it, and went in to take a nap) .
Hallie left her bear out to watch for Santa. This is what she found the next morning. Santa had eaten the cookies and drank the milk, but Alex (the bear) did not see anything!
Then we went into town for a nice family dinner. This is us walking through a market to get to the restaurant.We ate at a steak place. It was late for lunch so the place was quiet. They also had a salad bar.
This is the first salad I have eaten in about 5 months! Not your traditional American Christmas celebration, but we may make a tradition of going out to a nice restaurant on Christmas day.
This is a picture of the kids on their scooters. They love to ride them! It is good for them to get out and exercise some.Christmas Eve
We were invited to go to a primary (elementary) school on Christmas eve. We did not have any classes that morning so it was a good time. We were met at the school by a 6th grade boy that spoke excellent English. He lived in the U.S. for a year. We were also greeted by this large red banner.
Even Santa was there!
We were asked a bunch of questions in English. Our favorite question was when one of the students asked Jon what his favorite book was. Hmmm....What is your favorite book? Ours is a (or The) Good Book.
Do you notice that all of these girls have a red scarf on? Most Chinese students wear these. They are " Young Pioneers". I am not exactly sure what all that means but it is basically the student version of the communist party. Well, not exactly. It is more like a communist version of the "model citizen club". The purpose is to teach them communist ideals. We were all given a red scarf to wear that day too. It was pretty cool.
After the party upstairs we went downstairs. Hallie visited several classrooms along the way.
What is a party without making Jaozi (Chinese dumplings)?
The girl in the red coat became Hallie's friend. What is really cool is that a few days later we ran into this girl and her mother at a McDonald's in another part of town. We talked with her a little and smiled and waved at her mom. We wished we could have communicated more with them, but we do know that we can run into people all over town. Even though we never thought we would see any those kids again, we did. Who knows what could come from opportunities like this?
We went upstairs to a large room and were met by three classes of 6th graders. We were the guests of honor for a Christmas party.
We were greeted at the front of the room. One of the teachers asked each of us our name and then the students greeted us. She had trouble pronouncing Hallie's name.
Teacher: What is your name?
Hallie: Hallie
Teacher: OK Harry. This is Harry, lets all say hello to Harry.
All students: Hello Harry!
This did not sit well with Liam, but Hallie just laughed.
We were treated to a couple of performances by some students. One boy played the piano--he was amazing! and one girl played a traditional Chinese instrument. Then the kids showered us with gifts for Christmas. We ended up with a large shopping bag with many cards and small trinkets. The school even gave us a very large scroll with Chinese calligraphy on it.
Even Santa was there!
We were asked a bunch of questions in English. Our favorite question was when one of the students asked Jon what his favorite book was. Hmmm....What is your favorite book? Ours is a (or The) Good Book.
Do you notice that all of these girls have a red scarf on? Most Chinese students wear these. They are " Young Pioneers". I am not exactly sure what all that means but it is basically the student version of the communist party. Well, not exactly. It is more like a communist version of the "model citizen club". The purpose is to teach them communist ideals. We were all given a red scarf to wear that day too. It was pretty cool.
After the party upstairs we went downstairs. Hallie visited several classrooms along the way.
What is a party without making Jaozi (Chinese dumplings)?
The girl in the red coat became Hallie's friend. What is really cool is that a few days later we ran into this girl and her mother at a McDonald's in another part of town. We talked with her a little and smiled and waved at her mom. We wished we could have communicated more with them, but we do know that we can run into people all over town. Even though we never thought we would see any those kids again, we did. Who knows what could come from opportunities like this?Thursday, January 22, 2009
x-mas with the team
Christmas day was pretty crazy actually that whole week was crazy since we were giving exams. So we had our team Christmas party (or actually Church Christmas celebration) Saturday after Christmas. We all met at the Clark's and ate desserts. We drew names and exchanged gifts.
I made this fruit tree. I think my kids ate most of it.
Caleb enjoyed the pumpkin bread that Cecely made.
Yan got some sunscreen lotion as a gift.
Josh got earmuffs and hot chocolate and a chocolate bar
Jason got tortilla chips and Salsa! Yum...(he didn't share)
It was a good day. We are blessed to be able to work and worship with people that we really like and enjoy fellowshipping with.
I made this fruit tree. I think my kids ate most of it.
Caleb enjoyed the pumpkin bread that Cecely made.
Yan got some sunscreen lotion as a gift.
Josh got earmuffs and hot chocolate and a chocolate bar
Jason got tortilla chips and Salsa! Yum...(he didn't share)It was a good day. We are blessed to be able to work and worship with people that we really like and enjoy fellowshipping with.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Catching up
I have been trying for about a week to upload pictures to this blog and the team blog. It is just not working! I have only managed to upload 2 pictures to a draft. I am so behind and really want to finish blogging about Christmas, but can't get the photos up. I guess I can just write and add the pictures later.
For most of you the holidays are long over and life is back to "normal". Here in China it is very different!
Chinese New Year is on January 26 this year. Chinese New Year is their biggest holiday of the year. It is also called Spring Festival. I don't really understand all of the celebrations but I know the holiday season goes for about 15 days. The biggest day is the 26 or the first day of month 1 in the lunar calender. There will be tons of fireworks!
We have booked a hotel downtown near the lake so we can watch the fireworks from our room. The kids are very excited about it! They are also very excited because there is supposed to be a bathtub in our room.
A few weeks ago we finally bought a basin that can be used as a tub. It is basically a huge baby tub. It fits in the shower but is not as big or as convenient as a real tub.
I will try to take some pictures of the fireworks and celebrations.
Since school is now out and Spring Festival is just around the corner our neighborhood looks VERY different. Shops have closed down. Even our favorite restaurant will be closed for a few days starting tomorrow. My birthday was last week and Jon had a hard time getting a cake because everyone was closing.
We usually see lots of people walking by and riding bikes, but there is hardly anyone around right now. It is really quiet too. It just seems strange. I think we might be glad when the students start coming back.
Right now, we are enjoying having a break and a little quiet. It makes shopping a little harder, but before we know it things will be back to "normal".
For most of you the holidays are long over and life is back to "normal". Here in China it is very different!
Chinese New Year is on January 26 this year. Chinese New Year is their biggest holiday of the year. It is also called Spring Festival. I don't really understand all of the celebrations but I know the holiday season goes for about 15 days. The biggest day is the 26 or the first day of month 1 in the lunar calender. There will be tons of fireworks!
We have booked a hotel downtown near the lake so we can watch the fireworks from our room. The kids are very excited about it! They are also very excited because there is supposed to be a bathtub in our room.
A few weeks ago we finally bought a basin that can be used as a tub. It is basically a huge baby tub. It fits in the shower but is not as big or as convenient as a real tub.
I will try to take some pictures of the fireworks and celebrations.
Since school is now out and Spring Festival is just around the corner our neighborhood looks VERY different. Shops have closed down. Even our favorite restaurant will be closed for a few days starting tomorrow. My birthday was last week and Jon had a hard time getting a cake because everyone was closing.
We usually see lots of people walking by and riding bikes, but there is hardly anyone around right now. It is really quiet too. It just seems strange. I think we might be glad when the students start coming back.
Right now, we are enjoying having a break and a little quiet. It makes shopping a little harder, but before we know it things will be back to "normal".
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