Fabric Market and Burning Pans

             Well this past weekend I went to the fabric market over in Wuchang. Amber, Charlene and I went with Trevor and Inga to get fabric and then this super sweet single mom is making our coats. Let me tell you that coat cannot get made fast enough, the temperature dropped and it’s so cold. Moments like this I remember why I chose to go the college in Florida…I hate the cold yet the Father send me to a place that gets cold like Michigan cold. Sometimes the will of God is painful and not really something you want to do…like winter I don’t want to do winter. The only good thing is that my mom sent cozy American flannel sheets. 

Yes those are cupcakes and sock monkeys, this is me were talking about. I slept with my sock monkeys last night and it was warm and cozy and smelled like home it was wonderful. Not to mention this morning was dark and rainy…my pillow and blankets were trying to seduce me to come back but I was strong and got up—that was not easy sock monkeys can be very convincing.

       This past Monday was WELFS night so Amber, Charlene, Jon and I all got together and cooked dinner and watched a movie. Charlene and I were making the Alfredo sauce and in the process kind of set my pan on fire…there was smoke and it was a crazy adventure. We watched the Corpse Bride since its so close to Halloween, that’s the only time I ever watch this movie pretty soon it will be time for the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown…he’s coming!!! I’m loving living in my new apartment and slowly making it home. It’s crazy to think that when I finally moved out I went to China…yeah that’s me go to an extreme never play it safe just live with everything you have. In many ways that is true, I want to have nothing left when I take my final breath, no regrets go on an adventure and see where the Father takes you. I still have TIC moments but I choose to not hate and love since love is a choice and I think about my cute little kids and it helps the anger disappear faster. It’s been quite the adventure and we are only going into November…can you believe I will be back in the States in like 8 months? I just look forward to winter being over and the heat coming back…if you haven’t already got the hint I hate winter unless I am in Florida and can go to the beach for Christmas. I have to remind myself that winter here doesn’t last as long as back in Michigan (where its always winter, and never Christmas). Well for now I will say good bye and maybe post again before November comes… don’t hold me to that life here is anything but slow. 

 Trevor and Inga

 Hollie (best friend in China)

 "I finally moved in" ice cream!!!!

 This woman put on a show when she haggled with Amber it was great!

Move in Day!!

Well I am finally in my new apartment! It was crazy I moved into the apartment in the middle of the day. They cancelled all our classes because Thursday and Friday were field days (also no classes!). So I moved in at like 9:30am, but you have to understand China is filthy…no really. My apartment was a mess, so I cleaned my bathroom first as a matter of necessity. I went to our IGA across the road and picked up the basics to get me through till the weekend (well until Friday). I still had to teach English Corner from 6:30pm till 8pm so I couldn’t just focus on cleaning and settling. I went to dinner to find my favorite thing…ok not so much it was chicken feet night (this is why I normal eat dinner out or make it at home).  I was so exhausted from everything (I have been fighting a cold this week) that I just boiled some water (for the 2^nd time, 2 times boiled= safe water to drink) and put it in my pitcher in my fridge so it would be cold by morning. I did my devotions and went to bed, I have to say the morning was much brighter.

I woke up and cleaned my kitchen (full of dirt and mold, eww) and then I could actually make myself breakfast. I realized after putting the eggs in the pan I had forgot to buy a spatula so I used chopsticks and they worked pretty well.  I also found out that my pan I brought from home for making brownies is too wide, so I need to go and buy a new brownie pan. I knows this sounds crazy but that was one of the only things we found that was actually made in the USA, my flag I brought wasn’t even USA made and its our flag!! After breakfast I left for the office to skype with my mom and let my kitchen air out the cleaner was pretty strong. Then after I came back and tried out my new washing machine; I have learned that you should just use the quick wash twice and your clothes are clean. If you use the cotton setting it takes 2 hours and the spin cycle sounds like a plane taking off not to mention it almost broke the frame at the bottom of the cupboard its in…lesson learned. I also swiffered my floors in the bedroom and living room, now you can walk in your socks and they don’t turn back as coal. If they do my washer is very handy at getting them clean.

      Tonight will be a quiet night of noodles and peppermint tea and early bedtime. I have a lot of Wal-marting to do tomorrow…O the RMB that needs to be spent makes me shutter just a little. Not to mention the bus ride back however short it may be can be interesting (stuffed bus arms full of goods=TIC moments).   Then there is Saturday which will e (hopefully) spent with Inga, Amber, and maybe Charlene as we go to the fabric market to get coats made for winter! I wish I could video blog a day of living in China, like a weekend and you could get a feel for life here…except you are still breathing cleaner air then I am so I am jealous. When I come home next summer I look forward to clean air to breath even for a short time.

      I know some of you have been ‘thinking’ on my teaching. Thanks first of all for all of your ‘thoughts’ even when it is the middle of the night for you, it’s the middle of my day and I really appreciate it! This week has been the best week of teaching so far; the teachers have been so much more helpful and Amy (our other wiaban) helped me with how the Chinese teachers structure their classes so I know what the kids are used to. They also provided me with stories to teach the kids so between that and Amber helping me come up with some activities to re-enforce the story it has gone much better. I know I will continue to improve with time this is my first year teaching and some of the others that came this year were teachers back home so they had some experience on me. The Friend has been helping me with so many things I really don’t know how people live life without Him…I would be a mess and would have not made it to China nevertheless made it this long in China. Can you believe we are almost to November?! I will be there a few hours before you so I will let you know how the month starts since I am 12 hours ahead. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this update and the pictures of my apartment!

                                           China is terrible at interior decorating!

                                                    It comes up to my chin, yay for China funsize!

                                                               Tons of storage space

                                  This is my sholiet, so much easier to clean then back home

                      This view is very beautiful at night.

Ugh...

       Well I did not move in this weekend, they still haven't finish emptying boxes of appliances or cleaning the apartment. I am giving them a deadline that I am moving in with or without their help by Wednesday. The place is done and I would like to move in and give Amber her living room back. So frustrating but TIC (this is china, for new readers). I know most of you are thinking about this all in an American mindset and I can't really explain how the Chinese think you just have to come over here and experience it.

       In other fun news my classes went very well last week, I am hoping that every week gets steadily better. Last night was girls night so Amber, Charlene, and I went to Grace place (just what we called the place) and ate really good Chinese food. Then we went shopping for hair clips and we all bought some really cute stuff. After we went to DVD guy and got some movies. They had Peter Pan and since that is one of my favorite movies of course I bought it. I also bought some other movies to further my collection here in China and give myself some variety to choose from. We had a pretty awesome night.

      The most exciting part of my weekend was finally getting my Chinese name Sun (said soon) Jing (said gin) Ya (said exactly like it sounds just its 4th tone). Sun is my surname and Jing Ya means quiet elegant. I love my Chinese name plus we learned twinkle twinkle little star in Chinese. Yes I will sing it when I come home...maybe.  Sorry that it post is so short but I was hoping to post picture of my new apartment it will have to wait until whenever, TIC. In the meantime thanks for reading, until next time!

National Week and Sleeping In

      So I am finally to National Week, China's Independence Day. I get a whole week off!! Well I had to work this past weekend so really we don't have holiday in China except for Chinese New Year. I spent yesterday after fellowship with my friend Hollie who teaches over in Wuchang. We had a girls night since she was half spending the night (she had to leave at 3am to catch a train in a different part of Wuhan). We ate at Aloha for lunch and then again for dinner (they are closed till the coming Friday so really its justifiable) We both had the shrimp pasta that was so worth the 80 qui, it was amazing and I ate the rest of it for breakfast/lunch. Yesterday was Mid-Autumn Festival and here in China we eat moon cakes:

    They are filled with a mystery filling and the yoke of an egg. They yoke is hard and salty it offsets the immense weird sweet filling. I am not a fan so far of them I have one left to try in my apartment, its and adventure just figuring out what I am eating. So since I worked extra days this week I took some pictures of my 3rd and 4th graders enjoy:

  These are mostly my amazing 3rd graders but I have some 4th graders mixed in. I will add more pictures as I go. Right now they are working on my apartment still, maybe by Halloween I can move in. You have to understand in China everything happens slowly, if it happens at all. You really can't think with a Western mindset here you adopt a whole new way of living and thinking. I am enjoying my adventure here even the bad 'I Hate China' days because I know that growth never happens unless we go through hard times. Just taking China one day at a time and slowly it is becoming my home. I took pictures of Hanyang from my rooftop last night, Wuhan at night is my favorite it becomes a whole new city.

  This is what I see from my rooftop at night, its one of my favorite views. I have more adventures later this week with Trevor and Inga, and a possible movie day with Inga tomorrow. It's going to a low key National Week for me but I needed a break. Chinese New Year however I am planning on doing so much travel including going back to my favorite city Hong Kong!! So until next time thanks for reading!!