I'm trying not to think 27 is "old" because I keep getting stares from older people. But, ya know, it's getting close to 30 and....never mind. I just need to be thankful I got to live another year. :)
For breakfast, Michael left the house to get a surprise. It was McDonald's! I know many of you are gagging at that, but when you live in a land with few western options, even Mickey D's is good--some of it anyway.
For lunch, I wanted dumplings. I didn't know where to get any good ones, so I asked our driver friend to take me wherever he thought was best. He went in with me and ordered. All I told him was that I liked meat. He kept ordering...and ordering...and I looked at the prices and thought they were soo high! While waiting, through my terrible Chinese, I asked how much I had spent...thankfully it only turned out to be $7. :) haha When the server brought the to-go boxes out, there were SEVEN boxes! There were 10 dumplings in each box! Ahh! We barely even made a dent, so I gave some boxes away...had to. And there are still 2 boxes in the fridge that will probably go in the trash. Sad.
For dinner, we get together as a team on birthdays. I requested Mexican food, and they came through! Scrumptious. Then they showered me with gifts and dessert. Michael surprised me again with a kindle cover. He's good. :) So thankful to be on a team that cares about each other. I know there are some foreigners here alone--I just can't fathom it.
To end it all, I got a text from my brother at 1.20am. :) Not sure if he meant to do that or not...
Friday, December 31, 2010
Christmas!
Being away from family, friends, and traditions was tough, but we still had fun! Here's the run-down:
Christmas Eve: Christmas story, snackeroos, and white elephant game. We ended up with a giant bottle of Paul Mitchell conditioner (the giver cheated and gave something over the price limit, but I sure didn't complain! She wasn't using it anyway...) and Michael gave his gift away because it was what we brought. :)
Christmas morning: We opened gifts in record time because we were in a time crunch. We got Josiah some new toys. His new faves are the book Grammie and Papa Mueller recorded reading to him and his mini basketball goal. He now says "gooooooal!" all the time. Michael already knew it, but he got an iPhone. (used) This may change our lives in China. It has an app where he can draw a character and it will tell us the meaning. Why is this so important? Think of living in a place where you can read zero of the signs. You don't know what stores are, what road signs say, if there is a warning to not do something--NOTHING. Now we will be able to find out. :) And Michael surprised me with a kindle! I had been throwing around the idea of getting one because books are just too heavy to carry back and forth in a suitcase. Glad the kindle will solve that problem. :) AND he gave me spending money to decorate our home! I've been holding off because we were supposed to move in a month. But, that got called off, and now I want something on the walls! IKEA, here I come!!
Christmas mid-morning: Then we headed to Christmas with our team. We ate breakfast and opened presents from our secret santa. Always a blast with them!
Christmas afternoon: Then we all went home to cook up a storm. I made sweet potatoes and seared chicken legs. Both turned out just how I wanted them to. (Quite a success here...)
The next day, we skyped with both sides of the family. It was a bit overwhelming--each family had at least 10 people--but so nice to see and hear everyone.
There are just TOO many pcis to upload. Click here if you want to see them.
Christmas Eve: Christmas story, snackeroos, and white elephant game. We ended up with a giant bottle of Paul Mitchell conditioner (the giver cheated and gave something over the price limit, but I sure didn't complain! She wasn't using it anyway...) and Michael gave his gift away because it was what we brought. :)
Christmas morning: We opened gifts in record time because we were in a time crunch. We got Josiah some new toys. His new faves are the book Grammie and Papa Mueller recorded reading to him and his mini basketball goal. He now says "gooooooal!" all the time. Michael already knew it, but he got an iPhone. (used) This may change our lives in China. It has an app where he can draw a character and it will tell us the meaning. Why is this so important? Think of living in a place where you can read zero of the signs. You don't know what stores are, what road signs say, if there is a warning to not do something--NOTHING. Now we will be able to find out. :) And Michael surprised me with a kindle! I had been throwing around the idea of getting one because books are just too heavy to carry back and forth in a suitcase. Glad the kindle will solve that problem. :) AND he gave me spending money to decorate our home! I've been holding off because we were supposed to move in a month. But, that got called off, and now I want something on the walls! IKEA, here I come!!
Christmas mid-morning: Then we headed to Christmas with our team. We ate breakfast and opened presents from our secret santa. Always a blast with them!
Christmas afternoon: Then we all went home to cook up a storm. I made sweet potatoes and seared chicken legs. Both turned out just how I wanted them to. (Quite a success here...)
The next day, we skyped with both sides of the family. It was a bit overwhelming--each family had at least 10 people--but so nice to see and hear everyone.
There are just TOO many pcis to upload. Click here if you want to see them.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
daily life
I shared some things we experience in our daily lives a few months ago. Oh, but there are so many more...
1. We have to buy all the water we use/consume. Toilet water, sink water, drinking water. Everything. Granted, it's VERY cheap..but still. And none of it is even clean except the drinking water! Buying dirty water is cool. :)
2. Speaking of drinking water, this is how we buy the 5-gallon jugs. (Think of those jugs/dispensers you see in an office with the little paper cups. Yep, that's what we have!) We call the water store in our apt. complex. Usually within 15 mins, someone hauls the heavy jug up 8 flights of stairs. Sometimes it's a g'pa and we feel so badly for him! But, he does it! We hand them a pre-paid card and they take our empty jug. Our dispenser is electric and should be able to give cold and hot (boiling) water. The cold side is broken--which is fine. I'm now used to room-temp water. The hot water is what I like the most! (not by itself, like all of China drinks it..but to make tea, cocoa, etc. I have consumed 1 cup of hot water this winter. I consider that an accomplishment.)
3. In the produce section at the store, there are at least 6 weighing stations. When you pick out your produce, you have to take it to the station closest to that food. You cannot take it to another one--even if one has a huge line and another has no one. I suppose they only have specific buttons programmed. I often get scolded when I take my carrots to the wrong lady. But then they look up at to see it's a foreigner and they become a bit more kind. :)
4. China is still on a mostly cash system. Credit cards are starting to move in. Debit cards can be used at the grocery store. Restaurants and shops are all cash.
5. Now that we're into winter, everyone wears several layers of clothes. (I'll work on getting a pic--especially of the babies.) Last week, we had a few days in the 50s and took Josiah out to play. I knew I'd run into some g'mas that would scold me if I didn't have him in layers. So I conceded. He wore pj pants, jeans, long-sleeve shirt, coat, and hat. I would never put him in so many clothes in the States! We were playing and I felt a tug on my jeans. I thought it was a dog. Oh no, it was GRANDMA! She then began scolding me for not having layers on. I was already sweating with what I had on. I then proceeded to show her that Josiah had more layers on, but his pj pants had ridden up a bit so his ankles showed. I got scolded again. I'll never win.....
6. We only have black taxis here. No one is legit. No one has a meter. They set their own price. It's mostly a rip-off. To get 1 mile into town, they charge 15rmb ($2. Sure, not much in dollars...but we're thinking in Chinese money here) We have a friend driver that gives us a discount--10rmb. Woo! We call him all the time. But, he also has his way of making more money. Example: our teammates flew back to the States last week. He charged 300rmb one-way. On their way home, they took a legit Beijing taxi and the meter only went up to 200rmb. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..... I choose the bus or bike as often as I can. :)
7. We are lucky enough to have cable. Our landlord pays for it. No one else on the team has it. We have 59 channels. 1 is in English (news), the other 58 are mostly soap operas/dramas.
8. If I want to wash dishes in hot water, I have to fill a bucket from the hot water heater in the bathroom. I'm usually too lazy to do this. Thus far, we haven't gotten sick. (Stop freaking out, Mom.)
9. Being stared at (like, in-your-face staring, not discreet staring) and having pictures taken of me/us is completely normal now.
10. If I have Josiah with me and we decide to take the bus, I'm guaranteed a seat. There is even a sign posted to allow the elderly, disabled, pregnant, and those with little ones to have a seat. I walk on the bus, and immediately someone gives up their seat. Pretty amazing...and soooo not like America. :)
Can't wait for Christmas! The next 3 days are jam-packed with parties, shopping, and baking!
1. We have to buy all the water we use/consume. Toilet water, sink water, drinking water. Everything. Granted, it's VERY cheap..but still. And none of it is even clean except the drinking water! Buying dirty water is cool. :)
2. Speaking of drinking water, this is how we buy the 5-gallon jugs. (Think of those jugs/dispensers you see in an office with the little paper cups. Yep, that's what we have!) We call the water store in our apt. complex. Usually within 15 mins, someone hauls the heavy jug up 8 flights of stairs. Sometimes it's a g'pa and we feel so badly for him! But, he does it! We hand them a pre-paid card and they take our empty jug. Our dispenser is electric and should be able to give cold and hot (boiling) water. The cold side is broken--which is fine. I'm now used to room-temp water. The hot water is what I like the most! (not by itself, like all of China drinks it..but to make tea, cocoa, etc. I have consumed 1 cup of hot water this winter. I consider that an accomplishment.)
3. In the produce section at the store, there are at least 6 weighing stations. When you pick out your produce, you have to take it to the station closest to that food. You cannot take it to another one--even if one has a huge line and another has no one. I suppose they only have specific buttons programmed. I often get scolded when I take my carrots to the wrong lady. But then they look up at to see it's a foreigner and they become a bit more kind. :)
4. China is still on a mostly cash system. Credit cards are starting to move in. Debit cards can be used at the grocery store. Restaurants and shops are all cash.
5. Now that we're into winter, everyone wears several layers of clothes. (I'll work on getting a pic--especially of the babies.) Last week, we had a few days in the 50s and took Josiah out to play. I knew I'd run into some g'mas that would scold me if I didn't have him in layers. So I conceded. He wore pj pants, jeans, long-sleeve shirt, coat, and hat. I would never put him in so many clothes in the States! We were playing and I felt a tug on my jeans. I thought it was a dog. Oh no, it was GRANDMA! She then began scolding me for not having layers on. I was already sweating with what I had on. I then proceeded to show her that Josiah had more layers on, but his pj pants had ridden up a bit so his ankles showed. I got scolded again. I'll never win.....
6. We only have black taxis here. No one is legit. No one has a meter. They set their own price. It's mostly a rip-off. To get 1 mile into town, they charge 15rmb ($2. Sure, not much in dollars...but we're thinking in Chinese money here) We have a friend driver that gives us a discount--10rmb. Woo! We call him all the time. But, he also has his way of making more money. Example: our teammates flew back to the States last week. He charged 300rmb one-way. On their way home, they took a legit Beijing taxi and the meter only went up to 200rmb. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..... I choose the bus or bike as often as I can. :)
7. We are lucky enough to have cable. Our landlord pays for it. No one else on the team has it. We have 59 channels. 1 is in English (news), the other 58 are mostly soap operas/dramas.
8. If I want to wash dishes in hot water, I have to fill a bucket from the hot water heater in the bathroom. I'm usually too lazy to do this. Thus far, we haven't gotten sick. (Stop freaking out, Mom.)
9. Being stared at (like, in-your-face staring, not discreet staring) and having pictures taken of me/us is completely normal now.
10. If I have Josiah with me and we decide to take the bus, I'm guaranteed a seat. There is even a sign posted to allow the elderly, disabled, pregnant, and those with little ones to have a seat. I walk on the bus, and immediately someone gives up their seat. Pretty amazing...and soooo not like America. :)
Can't wait for Christmas! The next 3 days are jam-packed with parties, shopping, and baking!
Monday, December 20, 2010
early Christmas x 4
Yesterday, we got to experience a little bit o' Christmas 4 times.
1. A student I just met on Friday came over to discuss Christmas. She is doing a presentation in a class on the holiday and wanted to know more. Of course, I told her the real story. I also shared other traditions. But I definitely made clear that the meaning of Christmas is being lost in the West. I hope that resonated with her; many Chinese treasure their history. All I know is that a seed was planted and she may have just planted many more into her classmates--without even knowing it! :)
I also picked up the mail.
2. A package from mom and pops filled with wrapped presents. It didn't matter that the items were listed on the customs form. We'll all still have fun opening the gifts on Saturday!
3. A package from friend Holly. A book, Starburst, and my long-lost love, CHAI tea packets. I had one immediately. So glad to be reunited!
4. A package from our company. What a nice surprise! It had hot cider packs, mini candy canes (I'll actually enjoy these this year since I'm not being inundated with them!), an ornament with J's pic in it, and a chocolate chip cookie mix. Tragically, a varmint (or so we think from the tiny teeth marks) found its way to the goodness. It ate a huge corner off the bag. Why not just eat what's inside?! Anyway, we are SO thankful for an organization that truly cares about us on "the other side."
More fun coming this week:
*our university is taking us to some sort of event/concert/thing that is put on for all the foreign teachers in Beijinng! It might even be a dressy event..fun!
*Christmas Eve white elephant/Jesus story/yummy food party with the LX fam (aka team)
*Christmas Day: open presents at home, open presents and eat breakfast with the team, then later have a dinner.
*sometime: skype with the whole fam--hopefully both sides!
1. A student I just met on Friday came over to discuss Christmas. She is doing a presentation in a class on the holiday and wanted to know more. Of course, I told her the real story. I also shared other traditions. But I definitely made clear that the meaning of Christmas is being lost in the West. I hope that resonated with her; many Chinese treasure their history. All I know is that a seed was planted and she may have just planted many more into her classmates--without even knowing it! :)
I also picked up the mail.
2. A package from mom and pops filled with wrapped presents. It didn't matter that the items were listed on the customs form. We'll all still have fun opening the gifts on Saturday!
3. A package from friend Holly. A book, Starburst, and my long-lost love, CHAI tea packets. I had one immediately. So glad to be reunited!
4. A package from our company. What a nice surprise! It had hot cider packs, mini candy canes (I'll actually enjoy these this year since I'm not being inundated with them!), an ornament with J's pic in it, and a chocolate chip cookie mix. Tragically, a varmint (or so we think from the tiny teeth marks) found its way to the goodness. It ate a huge corner off the bag. Why not just eat what's inside?! Anyway, we are SO thankful for an organization that truly cares about us on "the other side."
More fun coming this week:
*our university is taking us to some sort of event/concert/thing that is put on for all the foreign teachers in Beijinng! It might even be a dressy event..fun!
*Christmas Eve white elephant/Jesus story/yummy food party with the LX fam (aka team)
*Christmas Day: open presents at home, open presents and eat breakfast with the team, then later have a dinner.
*sometime: skype with the whole fam--hopefully both sides!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
line? what line??
On Saturday, a teammate and I ventured to Beijing. It's always an adventure to leave, and this time didn't let us down.
We decided to take the campus bus into town since it was quick and cheap. (We live in the "suburbs" of Beijing..about an hour out. There are 2 campuses of our university--here and the main one in Beijing. They have a free shuttle for students and teachers several times a day between the two. Freshmen and sophs have classes here, the rest in Beijing. Some have classes on both campuses. Got it?!) The bus was to leave at 9am. We arrived at 8.30 am, knowing there would be a long line of students waiting to get out of boring Liangxiang and have a fun day in the big town.
We were right. Quick count of 40 people in front of us. The bus holds about 50. Yikes. It was gonna be close.
As we stood in the cold, we noticed students cutting in line with their friends. This happens in the States, yes. But people will usually speak up about it, right? Not the Chinese. They don't even see the injustice. My friend and I started to get a little irritated, knowing we were on the edge of actually getting on.
The bus finally arrived and the bus driver stood at the door taking the 5Y (.75) payment for the weekend bus. (weekdays are free) Then, to our astonishment, annoyance, bewilderment, we saw students running from afar cutting in front of everyone!!!! We couldn't believe it! At least 5 kids did this--just ran right up to the bus driver, paid, and got on. REALLY!? The driver didn't even flinch.
By now, my friend and I were starting to boil..and voice a little. Really, just grunting and saying "what?!"
The bus was getting full. But we were next. Would we make the cut? Nope....no more seats. We were beyond frustrated. 10-15 students cut in front of us. We would've made it if they understood the purpose of a line.
A student of my friend's came up to us and started chatting. (Not about the lines--it made no difference to her.) Thankfully she did, because she helped us calm down. :) So we got on a city bus that took a bit longer and our adventure started. (And it was an adventure. A 12-hour day with at least 6 of those hours traveling or trying to find the right bus, subway, direction.)
They are trying. Lines are a new phenomenon in this country. Michael said 4 years ago when he was here, lines didn't exist. Anywhere. You pushed and shoved your way to the front. But your Father-likeness in you gets to ya...do you really want to elbow a grandma just to get in front?
A student text me later asking if we had made it onto the bus. I said no, semi-blaming the cutters. She wrote back saying teachers have privileges and we should get on first, AND it's free for us. We knew this was true for the weekdays, but were told the weekends was a free-for-all. Now we know.
We decided to take the campus bus into town since it was quick and cheap. (We live in the "suburbs" of Beijing..about an hour out. There are 2 campuses of our university--here and the main one in Beijing. They have a free shuttle for students and teachers several times a day between the two. Freshmen and sophs have classes here, the rest in Beijing. Some have classes on both campuses. Got it?!) The bus was to leave at 9am. We arrived at 8.30 am, knowing there would be a long line of students waiting to get out of boring Liangxiang and have a fun day in the big town.
We were right. Quick count of 40 people in front of us. The bus holds about 50. Yikes. It was gonna be close.
As we stood in the cold, we noticed students cutting in line with their friends. This happens in the States, yes. But people will usually speak up about it, right? Not the Chinese. They don't even see the injustice. My friend and I started to get a little irritated, knowing we were on the edge of actually getting on.
The bus finally arrived and the bus driver stood at the door taking the 5Y (.75) payment for the weekend bus. (weekdays are free) Then, to our astonishment, annoyance, bewilderment, we saw students running from afar cutting in front of everyone!!!! We couldn't believe it! At least 5 kids did this--just ran right up to the bus driver, paid, and got on. REALLY!? The driver didn't even flinch.
By now, my friend and I were starting to boil..and voice a little. Really, just grunting and saying "what?!"
The bus was getting full. But we were next. Would we make the cut? Nope....no more seats. We were beyond frustrated. 10-15 students cut in front of us. We would've made it if they understood the purpose of a line.
A student of my friend's came up to us and started chatting. (Not about the lines--it made no difference to her.) Thankfully she did, because she helped us calm down. :) So we got on a city bus that took a bit longer and our adventure started. (And it was an adventure. A 12-hour day with at least 6 of those hours traveling or trying to find the right bus, subway, direction.)
They are trying. Lines are a new phenomenon in this country. Michael said 4 years ago when he was here, lines didn't exist. Anywhere. You pushed and shoved your way to the front. But your Father-likeness in you gets to ya...do you really want to elbow a grandma just to get in front?
A student text me later asking if we had made it onto the bus. I said no, semi-blaming the cutters. She wrote back saying teachers have privileges and we should get on first, AND it's free for us. We knew this was true for the weekdays, but were told the weekends was a free-for-all. Now we know.
Monday, December 13, 2010
50 cent request
I've been mulling over this request for a few weeks now. I'm going to be bold and ask for it...........
As you are mailing your Christmas/cards and pics, could you spend the extra 50 cents to mail one to us? I always loved getting cards...reading updates and seeing a new picture. We really love getting mail here because we know it took extra effort on the sender's end to get it to us. In years past, I kept the pic cards on our fridge. I'll definitely be doing that so we can be reminded of our friends and fam often.
If you need our address, send me an email and I can get it to you. ashley.felder@elic.org
Please remember to be a little sensitive about what you send. Christmas-y things are fine.
The end.
As you are mailing your Christmas/cards and pics, could you spend the extra 50 cents to mail one to us? I always loved getting cards...reading updates and seeing a new picture. We really love getting mail here because we know it took extra effort on the sender's end to get it to us. In years past, I kept the pic cards on our fridge. I'll definitely be doing that so we can be reminded of our friends and fam often.
If you need our address, send me an email and I can get it to you. ashley.felder@elic.org
Please remember to be a little sensitive about what you send. Christmas-y things are fine.
The end.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
a quick errand
Quick errands don't exist here. Well, if I only need to grab some veggies or fruits at the market in our complex, it can be quick. But as soon as I step outside the gates, it seems an hour is automatically added to my trip. Things just take longer. A fine example...
Yesterday, we were "notified" (aka our teammate told us..not the actual workers, like they're supposed to!) us that we had a package in the campus post office. That's right, we don't get mail at our home..we have to go to the campus office to pick it up. :) Anyhoo, after lunch, I told Michael I'd go grab it. He had to be at class early, so that meant I had to take Josiah with me. We all know kids add time to errands--no matter your location! But I was ok with it...still ready to go and come back..easy peasy.
The campus is a 15 min walk, 5 min bike ride, or I could take the bus. The bus sounds lazy, but remember it's cold outside. To save our skin, I opted for the bus. I put Josiah in the stroller and walked to the bus stop. Thankfully, bus #1 came right away! We hopped on. So far, so good....until the bus turned at the stop light. (the only light between us and campus) Michael had seen bus #1 turn at the light before, but thought it looped back around. I actually took it straight to campus the other night--no turning. So I was confused. But, I trusted that it would loop around.
After 2 more stops, there was only 1 other girl on the bus. At the next stop, the worker told us to get off. Well, I assume that's what she said since I understood nothing. I'm sure my face looked terrified. I told her in Chinese where I needed to go. She said that bus doesn't go there..and to get off. So we did.
I saw another bus stop across the street. The only person there was a little grandma who tried to talk to me...of course, I understood nothing. I had NO idea where we were. There were some buildings of what looked like a college, but NO people. Everywhere else was desert. I started to get a little scared of how I was going to get out of there. I frantically called Michael. He assured me I could call our friend Wang to come and pick us up.....except I couldn't because I had no idea where we were!
So we waited. Across the street was a line of five #1 buses--break time, maybe? Surely one of them would take me where I needed to go. One of them finally pulled up. I said the name of the campus--they said no. Great. I think they motioned to wait for another #1 bus. Really? What's the difference?! Probably something in Chinese characters...oh yeah, can't read those. So we waited longer...staring at the bleak desert in front of us. Not a soul around besides grandma.
Finally another #1 bus finished its break. I asked again about my campus. They laughed and said yes. How much you wanna bet they were staring at me the entire time, watching me freak out? We hopped on--all was well. We made it.
The campus PO has 2 offices. One to hold packages only for a few days. If you get there within those few days, you have fewer hoops to jump through to get it. Of course, mine had been moved to the main office already. (Yeah, I don't get it either...) So after lots of charades and a dear student who knew a little English, I got the package. After they asked for my teacher card and passport--neither of which I had. So they copied down my Kansas driver's license number. To finalize things, she had me sign Michael's name randomly on the back of a slip. Classic. :)
I took a taxi home because I just couldn't hold the box, stroller, and Josiah. I had to fight with them for the price because since I'm a foreigner, they think I'm rich. Somehow, I made it up 8 flights of stairs carrying it all. Probably won't try that again.
Nothing can be done quickly here...no matter how hard you try.
Yesterday, we were "notified" (aka our teammate told us..not the actual workers, like they're supposed to!) us that we had a package in the campus post office. That's right, we don't get mail at our home..we have to go to the campus office to pick it up. :) Anyhoo, after lunch, I told Michael I'd go grab it. He had to be at class early, so that meant I had to take Josiah with me. We all know kids add time to errands--no matter your location! But I was ok with it...still ready to go and come back..easy peasy.
The campus is a 15 min walk, 5 min bike ride, or I could take the bus. The bus sounds lazy, but remember it's cold outside. To save our skin, I opted for the bus. I put Josiah in the stroller and walked to the bus stop. Thankfully, bus #1 came right away! We hopped on. So far, so good....until the bus turned at the stop light. (the only light between us and campus) Michael had seen bus #1 turn at the light before, but thought it looped back around. I actually took it straight to campus the other night--no turning. So I was confused. But, I trusted that it would loop around.
After 2 more stops, there was only 1 other girl on the bus. At the next stop, the worker told us to get off. Well, I assume that's what she said since I understood nothing. I'm sure my face looked terrified. I told her in Chinese where I needed to go. She said that bus doesn't go there..and to get off. So we did.
I saw another bus stop across the street. The only person there was a little grandma who tried to talk to me...of course, I understood nothing. I had NO idea where we were. There were some buildings of what looked like a college, but NO people. Everywhere else was desert. I started to get a little scared of how I was going to get out of there. I frantically called Michael. He assured me I could call our friend Wang to come and pick us up.....except I couldn't because I had no idea where we were!
So we waited. Across the street was a line of five #1 buses--break time, maybe? Surely one of them would take me where I needed to go. One of them finally pulled up. I said the name of the campus--they said no. Great. I think they motioned to wait for another #1 bus. Really? What's the difference?! Probably something in Chinese characters...oh yeah, can't read those. So we waited longer...staring at the bleak desert in front of us. Not a soul around besides grandma.
Finally another #1 bus finished its break. I asked again about my campus. They laughed and said yes. How much you wanna bet they were staring at me the entire time, watching me freak out? We hopped on--all was well. We made it.
The campus PO has 2 offices. One to hold packages only for a few days. If you get there within those few days, you have fewer hoops to jump through to get it. Of course, mine had been moved to the main office already. (Yeah, I don't get it either...) So after lots of charades and a dear student who knew a little English, I got the package. After they asked for my teacher card and passport--neither of which I had. So they copied down my Kansas driver's license number. To finalize things, she had me sign Michael's name randomly on the back of a slip. Classic. :)
I took a taxi home because I just couldn't hold the box, stroller, and Josiah. I had to fight with them for the price because since I'm a foreigner, they think I'm rich. Somehow, I made it up 8 flights of stairs carrying it all. Probably won't try that again.
Nothing can be done quickly here...no matter how hard you try.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
O Christmas Tree!
Today I bought a Christmas tree at the local supermarket. I saw 3 sizes of trees on display last week, but didn't want to mess with asking if I could buy them. This week, I wanted to know--I was tired of a tree-less home!
They actually had price tags on them, so I found a worker to ask if I could buy the middle-sized one. (about 6ft) She said something I couldn't understand and waved me off. I wasn't havin' it--I needed a tree! So I tried to call a student who speaks good English to translate for me. Of course, she didn't pick up.
Just then, a young college couple walked up. I asked if they knew English--they said a little. Good enough! She explained to the worker I wanted to buy the tree. The worker asked if I wanted all the ornaments on it. I asked if they cost anything--of course they did! So I said no. The worker proceeded to strip the tree of all the ornaments. Ha! I was dying. Apparently they had no others. Apparently they weren't actually planning to sell these trees, but put a price tag on them just in case a crazy foreigner wanted to buy one. Thankfully, it came apart in 3 pieces so I could fit it into my Chinese-sized cart (about 2/3 the size of US) and proceed to shop. I bumped into several people...and just about everyone really stared (remember, staring at the strange foreigner is normal to them--but this was extra) at my cart as I walked past confidently. :)
I'm curious to see if the tree is replaced by the time I go next week.
I put it up and put a few ornaments and lights on it. It's definitely skinny and a little Charlie Brown-ish, but I don't care. I'm happy to have it!
They actually had price tags on them, so I found a worker to ask if I could buy the middle-sized one. (about 6ft) She said something I couldn't understand and waved me off. I wasn't havin' it--I needed a tree! So I tried to call a student who speaks good English to translate for me. Of course, she didn't pick up.
Just then, a young college couple walked up. I asked if they knew English--they said a little. Good enough! She explained to the worker I wanted to buy the tree. The worker asked if I wanted all the ornaments on it. I asked if they cost anything--of course they did! So I said no. The worker proceeded to strip the tree of all the ornaments. Ha! I was dying. Apparently they had no others. Apparently they weren't actually planning to sell these trees, but put a price tag on them just in case a crazy foreigner wanted to buy one. Thankfully, it came apart in 3 pieces so I could fit it into my Chinese-sized cart (about 2/3 the size of US) and proceed to shop. I bumped into several people...and just about everyone really stared (remember, staring at the strange foreigner is normal to them--but this was extra) at my cart as I walked past confidently. :)
I'm curious to see if the tree is replaced by the time I go next week.
I put it up and put a few ornaments and lights on it. It's definitely skinny and a little Charlie Brown-ish, but I don't care. I'm happy to have it!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
melty
Last night, waiting for Daddy to get home, Josiah and I had a dance party to Christmas music. If neighbors are able to see through our cream curtains, they were probably having convulsions from laughing so hard. That did not stop us from getting crazy!
During a slow song, I picked Josiah up to slow dance. He looked up at me and gave me a kiss. (You know at this age, voluntary kisses are rare.) Of course, I melted. Love. that. boy.
During a slow song, I picked Josiah up to slow dance. He looked up at me and gave me a kiss. (You know at this age, voluntary kisses are rare.) Of course, I melted. Love. that. boy.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Thanksgiving plus
Thanksgiving was great! I did miss being with friends and family, but our new "family" here did a great job substituting.
We hosted our team plus 2 extras for a dinner on Friday. The spread was incredible. I was quite impressed what people were able to whip up with fewer resources. While stuffing ourselves, we had a (taped) football game on. Hey--we had to do something to make it more real. :) When the food coma started to set in, we decided to pep things up with a card game, kemps. Super fun. It takes Michael and I back to the days of college when we were champion partners. No, we weren't flirting. Oh wait, I'm pretty sure I was. ;) Then ended the night watching Elf. Always a winner.
Saturday, we took our pot luck dishes into Beijing to celebrate with about 50 other people. Um, wow was there a lot of food! It was great to eat again--of course--but also hang out with people we don't see too often and hear how their work is going. Also, Josiah got to play with 2 other kiddos. Always a plus when he gets some kid interaction. :) Oh, and there was TURKEY!! Have I told you how excited I was to eat some??
The next day, I was ready to decorate for Christmas. Some families who lived here before us left us a few decorations. A 1-foot tree, some garland, and a few strands of lights. Our local grocery store put up a small display of decor and I got a few more things. Our place looks pretty wimpy at the moment, so I'm excited to get more. I'm hoping to go to an all-Christmas market (surprised it exists in a country that doesn't celebrate it!) next week. I think decorating will help make our Christmas special and (hopefully) not so hard. I'm definitely accepting any homemade ideas you have. But please remember--I have zero access to a Hobby Lobby or anything even close. :)
Today, a couple from our company came to visit us. Their sole purpose is to visit new families to make sure we're making it. What a blessing they are. They were encouraging and compassionate. I'm so thankful we're with a company who cares so much about us...and goes to such great lengths to take care of us.
We hosted our team plus 2 extras for a dinner on Friday. The spread was incredible. I was quite impressed what people were able to whip up with fewer resources. While stuffing ourselves, we had a (taped) football game on. Hey--we had to do something to make it more real. :) When the food coma started to set in, we decided to pep things up with a card game, kemps. Super fun. It takes Michael and I back to the days of college when we were champion partners. No, we weren't flirting. Oh wait, I'm pretty sure I was. ;) Then ended the night watching Elf. Always a winner.
Saturday, we took our pot luck dishes into Beijing to celebrate with about 50 other people. Um, wow was there a lot of food! It was great to eat again--of course--but also hang out with people we don't see too often and hear how their work is going. Also, Josiah got to play with 2 other kiddos. Always a plus when he gets some kid interaction. :) Oh, and there was TURKEY!! Have I told you how excited I was to eat some??
The next day, I was ready to decorate for Christmas. Some families who lived here before us left us a few decorations. A 1-foot tree, some garland, and a few strands of lights. Our local grocery store put up a small display of decor and I got a few more things. Our place looks pretty wimpy at the moment, so I'm excited to get more. I'm hoping to go to an all-Christmas market (surprised it exists in a country that doesn't celebrate it!) next week. I think decorating will help make our Christmas special and (hopefully) not so hard. I'm definitely accepting any homemade ideas you have. But please remember--I have zero access to a Hobby Lobby or anything even close. :)
Today, a couple from our company came to visit us. Their sole purpose is to visit new families to make sure we're making it. What a blessing they are. They were encouraging and compassionate. I'm so thankful we're with a company who cares so much about us...and goes to such great lengths to take care of us.
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