Merry Christmas!

Hope all of your Christmases were great! From the states perspective we are winding down from the Holiday season, from China perspective we are winding up towards it. Pretty soon it will be Spring Festival, AKA The Chinese New Year. I've heard of the Chinese New Year being described as a thousand July 4ths put into one night....so it should be fun. No firework restrictions here! Part of me is sad cuz I'll miss the heavy fireworks in the city when I go to my friend's hometown, but I've heard things can get pretty crazy in the Villages too. Plus what a fun cultural experience it will be!
So back to Christmas. About two weeks ago I threw a Christmas party for my Chinese friends, they don't really celebrate it here, so I thought it would be fun to bring a little Cultural experience to them. It was a stressful few days leading up to it, what with the Landlord drama, my roommate leaving, packing, then preparing for a party. I had a couple disappointments and a lot of stress (made someone lose face-whoops!). But by the time we got the party going it ended up being a lot of fun and my friends loved it. We made snowflakes, watched youtube videos, had a talent show (my talent was acting out a story by myself and for making it up on the spot I did quite well!), and exchanged gifts (played White elephant, I got some great smelling perfume). It was a good night.
Christmas eve I worked in the morning, then after work a friend came over and she showed me how to make dumplings, that was a fun experience. That night me and some of the other Americans had a little party, main dish spaghetti and it was fun to hang out and play with the kids. For Christmas I went over to another families house, hung out all day, cut the mama's hair and pretty much played Wii.
I also am now registered for Spring Quarter classes and will start in about a week!
Tonight is my last night in my roommate's house and tomorrow I begin my nomadic lifestyle :) Wish me luck!

Ps A funny texting conversation between me and one of my bosses...Quoted word for word (spelling and grammar mistakes and all)

Me: Hi harry. If I take a taxi to class what do I say?

Harry: I will go to the hospital of hangtian. you take of the taxi at it. our school is near by hospital of hangtian. our oral english class is over. we see on februry next year

Me: No class tomorow?

Harry: The new year is coming. happy new year to you. harry

Me: thank you! happy new year to you too! Is there class tomorow?

Harry: YES. SORRY TO YOU AT NOW.

Me: Ok thx, se you tomorow!

Harry: NO. this year is not english class...we have it next year on fb. harry

Me: Oh! See you next year :)

Harry: ARE YOU SAD OR ANGERY? WHY? PLEASE TELL ME. THANK YOU.

Me: No not at all!Just confused, haha it is actually good for me that there is no class :)

Harry: I KNOW. THESE DAYS ARE DIFFICULT FOR YOU ! SEE YOU!

ME: See you!




....I don't really have anything to say, except you couldn't have gotten this bad of communication if you had tried :)

Mafan

As you probably know my roommate is leaving. Initially I had planned to continue to rent out her apartment, but after living there for a few months I decided I would prefer to move on. There are cockroaches, they are small, but I'm tired of them. The Landlord's furniture is overwhelming some of the space, but I'm not allowed to move it around. We have been battling mold because this last fall/winter has been particularly moist and now the apartment needs to be re-painted. Then there are the memories, my roommate has decorated and made it hers, but I want a place that is mine. So I decided it would be better to move on, find a place not yet furnished (or at least not a ton), that is cheaper. While my roommate returns home on the 14th, the contract goes until the 28th. So I was planning on staying until then.
Well, the Landlord came yesterday. Surprise visit! He had said he would come today. Originally my roommate emailed him and told him the deal, he agreed, but as he came in he started talking about how I needed to be out by the end of the week. You can imagine the frustration, the temporary panic, the anger and so on. Thankfully I don't speak enough Chinese to tell the Landlord my mind. My teacher/friend was there and patiently worked with him for two hours! To get through this issue. He would say yes, she can stay, then no, then yes and so on and so on. So now I am allowed to stay until Dec 28th till noon. Wow, what a fight. And you know what's funny? That's a good Landlord. Culturally it's normal to argue, it's part of business, but before you think that all Chinese are like this they are not. My friend who helped us even thought it was ridiculous and right now she's dealing with stuff with her Landlord and her Landlord's being a little more helpful.
So you are wondering what my living situation will become? Starting December 28 I will stay in a friend's room for two and a half weeks, then I will stay in another friend's house for a little less than a week, then the last part of January I'm going to my friend's hometown for Spring Festival. Hopefully by February my finances combined with another families finances we will be able to pay 6 months rent. To put some extra stress on the situation January 9th I start University! Working towards my degree in Sociology through an Online Program with Washington State University. Before you think your paying for my degree, don't worry, all finances covered through grants by the Government. I can truly say I'm proud...and blessed to be an American. So there is a Chinese word to cover the meaning of all of this and it is "Mafan". It means troublesome, annoying, a hassle and so on. It completely covers what this month of January will cover, but with the Mafaness of it all, after this hopefully something amazing will come.

Long Time No Write

Yes I know it has been a long time since I've written. I don't even dare to count how many weeks. But of course as usual I have a fabulous excuse. Around the time when I should have been posting I got sick. And as you probably know wen your sick everything is horrible. So it was one of the hardest times I've had since coming. I "hit my wall" as some may have said. The holidays right around the corner and I didn't have money for medicine and I was too sick to leave the house and on and on and on. All the troubles seemed to be piling up. But out of that I pushed through,and realized that I can't be living in negativity over lack of whatever. Since then I am happy to say that I've had confidence in the future and what it holds and I feel that I have lived every day with true joy. It has been so freeing.
Since being sick I had to go to HK for my my visa (I have to leave the country every 90 days), as well as my graduation. It was really good to go to HK, see all my friends, and it helped me get perspective. I had been feeling a little down and that I wasn't doing much. But taking myself out of the situation and looking at it, made me realize that our Father has done so much. I wish I could share every detail with you, but obviously that's not possible. Some of you got my newsletter which hopefully gives you an idea of what Ive been doing with my time.
If I haven't said so before, I will share now. Awhile ago I started having some of my Chinese friends over for Western Dinner about once a week and it has been so fulfilling, fun and I think powerful. We usually do some study stuff and talk about our lives and what is happening between us and Big Daddy-O. The girls have opened up to me and to each other which is huge and I've developed such a strong friendship with each one. This last time I made tacos and instead of studying, we watched a movie. It's a pretty challenging movie and so good. All the girls really felt "deeply moved" as they put it.
This month brings a lot of change. Good, sad and neutral. In about a week my roommate goes back to the States for good, eventually moving onto another place. Having her here has been so good for me and I will miss her deeply. It also means I have to move, which will bring on a lot of stress of packing up and so far I have not found the next place, but I trust everything will fall where it's supposed to fall. Christmas is coming up and I decided to throw a Christmas party for my friends because Christmas is mostly just a Western holiday, so I thought it would be fun to share that with them. Plus since I don't really have anyone else to celebrate with it will be good for me too! Although being away for Christmas this year is making it so much more precious to me, which I think is a good thing.
So for awhile now I have been thinking about College and how I would like to work towards my degree because I think it will be beneficial to me in the long run. So up to now it obviously has not worked out, but a couple months ago I applied to the WSU Online programs. I just got accepted! I'm really excited about it, but please be thinking abut all the funding and all of that for me! Again I trust in what the future holds and if it doesn't work out now I still have time for the future. I will keep you updated to that situation.
I hope you all are well, that you have a fabulous Christmas season and please continue to keep me in your thoughts as I will for you!

China Life

What are the things that make up a life? Home, friends, work and food are pretty standard. So these are things I want to write about today.
Home. A couple weeks ago me and my roommate were babysitting for two families, which equaled 6 kids in total, ranging in ages 6 months to 6 years. It was a fun night, but you can imagine a little crazy. Well I was in the kitchen (of one of the families homes) making some popcorn for the kids on the stove and my roommate was in the living room. All of a sudden we hear this loud noise that at first instinct sounded like an explosion. My roommate comes running to the kitchen and we are both in the kitchen, trying to figure out what is happening. Well, as you might know when something crazy is happening it takes a second for your brain to catch up with your eyes. I was cooking on a gas stove, so my first instinct is "Gas explosion! Take kids and RUN!" But I was smart enough to look around before I acted because as my brain eventually caught up to my eyes I realized that two of the cabinets had fallen off the wall. Now it might not seem like too big of a deal, except there was no forewarning, only BOOM! And usually there are kids in the kitchen, but they had been watching a movie, so if one of the cabinets had hit them, I don't even want to think of what could have happened. Cuz if i had been standing just a foot or two closer to the sink I could have been seriously injured. But thank all above, no one was hurt and it wasn't too bad a mess to clean up. But it sure got everyone's adrenaline rushing.
Friends. This is one of the reasons I love China, friends. Friends are probably one of the biggest differences between America and China. In America you know someone for a year and then maybe they invite you over for dinner, or vise versa (obviously it depends on the situation). China is so different, I meet someone once and they are inviting me to their hometown for a week. Yes this is true, it has now happened to me twice. haha. So the other night I was waiting at the bus stop and a girl starts talking to me. She lived in the states for a year and half and so we exchanged numbers. She calls me and invites me over for dinner and to spend the night. Did I go? Of course.
Work. This is probably the area where I'm experiencing the most culture shock. In the States we expect to have around two weeks notice for work, sometimes more, sometimes less. But two weeks seems to be average. In China, one day notice is not a problem. Which has created some issues between my culture and theirs. Thankfully we have seemed to reach a pretty happy medium of about three days. Which is still a bit short, but at least its giving me time to prepare, and maybe for them its a bit of a hassle to decide "so early", but its our middle ground. Interviews are also very different. In China its all about relationship. So when I interview, they don't ask me about my experience, or what I would do while teaching English or really anything relevant. They ask me about my life. How do I like China, what do I like to eat, am I learning Chinese, etc. Then if they like me I'm pretty much hired. Twice I've gone in for an interview and after they talk to me they say "Ok how about you teach this class now" And that's where they decide if they like my teaching style. Seems to be the norm. First they decide if they like you, then they decide if you are actually able to teach.
Food. I've tried to include different foods that I've tried in China that we don't have in the states and now I would like to share about Hot Pot. Nicole mentioned it, she didn't seem to care for it, but I love it. It's prolly 50/50 you like or you don't among foreigners. Hot Pot is considered a nicer meal, so it's a little bit more expensive for Chinese food. I've gone to it twice now. What happens is they sit you at a table and bring you a pot of water, soup stuff. The pot is usually split in two, half spicy, half non spicy. Then they turn on the heat and the water begins to boil. As the water boils you put in different things like vegetables, meat, noodles, tofu, etc. Then as the items become cooked you can pull it out with your chopsticks and eat it. Unfortunately I don't have pictures, but when I get some I will be sure to post them.

Trip to Weinan

This last week was the National Day for China, it's basically the equivalent of our 4th of July, so most of the university student and many other people got the week off. One of my friends invited me to her hometown to visit for the holiday and I decided to go.
It was an interesting experience, it really reminded me of the culture differences between America and China. My friend would not let me pay for anything because she was my host and it was her hometown (this is very cultural, if you invite a friend to go do something you are expected to foot the bill). Another was my friend constantly wanted to hook arms. In China it is very cultural to hook arms or even hold hands between the same sex (sometimes even the guys do it, although this is mostly among the older generation). While I don't mind hooking arms, the constancy of it did get a little irritating for me (considering touch is not my love language, but it was most def hers). One other thing I realized while I was there was how every Chinese city seems to have some "Claim to fame". And Weinan was no different, I felt every other second was a mention of what Weinan was famous for. While in the US we have "Claims to fame" I feel like Chinese cities take it to a whole other extreme.
My friend took me to try something called "Yogou" which is essentially deep fried bread with sugar in the middle. Absolutely delicious with no nutritional value. There are two kinds, one is oval and the other is round like a ball. The round one is a little different (has some beans and other stuff mixed in). So the first day we went we ate the oval ones and I loved them, so my friend said we should bring some back with us. When we went back they had the round ones out as well. So my friend had me try one. And while it wasn't that bad, I preferred the oval ones a lot more and I told me friend so. And she said, "Oh well the round one is more popular." So I responded, "That's interesting because I like the oval one A LOT more"(hint hint, wink, wink.) Well the hints and winks didn't work cuz guess which one she bought me? Yup, your right the more "popular" one.
I had a really good time in Weinan seeing another side to china (the town aspect). We got to hike the small Hua mountain, and by the end of it my legs were killing me. Her family was really nice even though we couldn't communicate. Her dad tried to talk to me the first night, but when he realized I just didn't know enough he became satisfied with me just repeating after him.
On the day we were going hiking I put on some ripped jeans (knowing they are falling apart and I would rather get them dirty and stained). Well my friend saw that and took me to a shopping area and bought me some pants. It was interesting on multiple levels. One because most ppl assume I am a rich American and this friend of mine, must of assumed I couldn't afford new pants! (Which happens to be true, but most Chinese cant believe that because I am American and all Americans are rich, right?). It took awhile for us to find pants because not only am I bigger then most Chinese, but my body shape is very different. So we did end up finding some pants that fit, but it looks like my butt and thighs are going to bust through the seams. haha
Overall it was a fun experience and I'm happy I went, I tried a lot of new foods, some of which I enjoyed, others I didn't.

Nicole's Post

My Time With Natasha

The first 24 hours of my “China experience” was spent in the Beijing airport. I was rather concerned when Natasha first informed me I would have to sleep on a bench with my luggage. “Oh, Don’t worry, I’ve done it a million times. Just try to get as much shut eye as you can.”

It wasn’t as bad as I would have thought, but the thought of sleeping on benches, “a million times” sounds terrible. The toughness that Natasha and others whom travel as much as her impresses me.

When I finally saw Natasha’s smiling face and waiving hand I couldn’t help the joy in my heart from appearing on my face. My sister, gone for months, was now in front of me.

It was strange for me to acclimate to the idea that Natasha didn’t know the area like the back of her hand. In my mind she had been in China for over 3 months. However the reality was that the first 3 months were spent in Hong Kong leaving her with only two weeks in China before I arrived. It was kind of cool to get to know the city with her.

I came to China fully expecting a third world country- like Uganda, which I went to last summer. While many would still say that China is underdeveloped, I don’t think it is in the cities. I felt constantly surrounded by technology, and some systems like their roadways seem even more thought out than those in America. There are things … like smells coming up through the drains and children peeing on the streets that make Chinese cities feel less developed, but still I was rather impressed. I say the cities were exceptionally developed, but the villages aren’t nearly so.

We went out of town for two days to visit an orphanage for disabled children. The disparity between the city and this rural area were astounding. It was almost surprising how similar the area was to Uganda. At first it was rather hard to play with and be with the kids, because we didn’t speak their language, and we didn’t know if there were limitations to handling them with respect to their disabilities. By the end of the first day however, the kids warmed and making funny noises was good enough communication for them.

When I think about it, we are truly blessed to speak a language that much of the world also speaks. Natasha made some Chinese friends from “English Corner” a place where people come to practice their English. We went out with these girls a couple times while I stayed with Natasha. They are so sweet and nice. Except for a few con taxi men, the benevolence of the Chinese people is refreshing. Natasha is studying Chinese but without our friends’ English we wouldn’t be able to have those relationships at all.

We went to a restaurant called Hot Pot on one occasion to eat with 4 other girls. It was an interesting meal, but I have to say I enjoyed watching our food boil in the soupy ‘hot pot’ more than eating it. I loved a lot of the Chinese food that I had, but I found some of it too foreign to my tongue. A lot of the meat was very similar to American Chinese food- I found our “Orange Chicken” from Panda Express very similar to their “Sweat and Sour Chicken.” However there was a potato dish I enjoyed that would probably undergo serious ‘Americanization’ before it was served at Panda.

I think Natasha has gotten a speedy start to making good friends and impacting their lives. While I have often been tired while traveling, Natasha has stricken up numerous conversations that became salty. I now leave China having witnessed that her life here will be anything but a waste.

Late as Usual

So I had said I would update this every two weeks and a little over one month later I am finally getting to it. Thank you for all your patience. My last month has been surprisingly eventful. A little stressful, but a lot of fun.
My first week was chill with only me and one other family here. Then the second week all the other families started coming back from the states, as well as my roommate. That week was spent adjusting and preparing because the following week my sister came for a visit, as well as a group of 14 ppl (two of which stayed in our house). During the two weeks my sister was here we did quite a lot. We helped a family move, I got a job for a couple hours on the weekend, we hit the tourist sites, hung with some of the friends I've made, went to an orphanage for two days, hit up Beijing and explored the city. For all who would like a movie update, while Nicole was here we made a short video of my life in China and you can contact her to see it (if you don't know her contact info, just ask me).
I won't go into detail on our time here cuz I had Nicole write out a little bit about her impression of China, so you can read that to get a newbies perspective.
Although I do want to share some funny moments that have happened to me personally. The first was while I was at the airport waiting for Nicole to come in (that was a whole stinking event on it's own terms), so while I was waiting a man came over and sat next to me. Most Chinese don't speak English so I wasn't expecting anything. But he started speaking to me (in English) and I found out he was a professor here in the city and travels a lot and that's why he was at the airport. One thing to know about Chinese culture is teachers are very respected. So if a professor or teacher says anything you think is wrong or disagree with its usually better not to say anything because it would be incredibly rude and disrespectful. Well as our conversation goes Professor Zhong says to me, "You are very handsome, like a boy". (He was referring to my short hair.) All I could say was "Thank you!" Then he continues to insult me, "You look so young, what are you in middle school? Maybe 11 years old." He says with a smile on my face. haha, I politely laugh and then decide to turn the conversation on him which keeps him occupied until Nicole arrived. Thank you Prof. Zhong, yes I am pretty attractive, call it handsome if you will.
The second story was while Nicole was here, we went out to eat lunch with some Chinese Friends and afterward we were walking around waiting for a taxi/bus. One thing you should know about Chinese Culture is it is not insulting to call some one fat, heavy, big, or even a pig. It is what it is. So you all probably know I am overweight, I admit it. To the Chinese though I am a very fat, extremely fat. So my friend turns to me and says, "Natasha I want to gain weight. Do you have any advice for me?" Take a moment to let that sink in. Wow. There is a first time for everything and that is the first time anyone has asked me for advice on how to gain weight. I told her eat a lot and try to move as little as possible, sense I happen to be the expert here obviously!
Hope these stories made you laugh. That is all they are intended for! I really like all the people Ive met and have been able to hang out with so far and I am really starting to feel at home here. I will try to stay on top of my updates from here on out.
Peace.