Moments of Being Human

         Well this has been quite the weekend. My week went pretty well as you already know I have great little artist in my classrooms! Some of my kids gave me their art so it is not on my wall, I decided to have a wall of just my kids art and I love it!! 

        Now its time for a funny story (although at the time it wasn’t funny and I finally had my I really hate China moment and cried) So I skyped with my mom and got to see all the Christmas decorations around the house…I miss Christmas it’s not really a holiday here and I teach 4^th graders all day on Christmas…anyway after talking with my mom it was time to visit the little girls room before all the kids got out of class. I forgot to pull out my mobile out of my back pocket…yeah you can see it coming can’t you. Well because TIC we have squatty Potty’s down where the kids are this is normally not a problem until Friday when all at once I heard ‘plop’ in the water and thought ‘O crap my phone just feel down the toilet.’ (the toilets are on a slant so I had no chance of saving my phone if I had tried)

        I was soooo ready for pumpkin pie that night (I went to Aloha for Thanksgiving with Sabrina it was fun and really good. I don’t think I will go for Christmas and I doubt I will do that again next year but for my first year it was nice.) I actually have enjoyed these past few days without a phone I find we are becoming way too attached to our electronic lives. This will now be phone 2 Sim card 3 I am glad this was a cheap phone and not an iPhone then I might have thrown up as well as cried. In the midst of feeling like a complete idiot it was now lunch time (cue some well needed perspective) at least 3 or 4 of my little boys who seem to be very in love with me gave me hugs as well as 3 of my little girls. A little guy from one of my classes had a class on the 4^th floor were I live (yes there is a giant classroom next to my apartment I never really leave school) his teacher wasn’t there and he had gotten turned around so on Tuesday night he knocked on my door. I thought it was Amber or Amy instead it was him. I helped him find his classroom and all was well. Well (this would be the perspective) he came up to me and told me “Your apartment is so cool!” This is when I remembered how blessed I really am even here in China. I have heat, which back in the States seems standard but here in China my babies bundle up at night because their dorms don’t have heat. I have a kitchen and a really nice TV and DVD player, a fridge, and a washing machine. I realized in that moment that losing my phone down the toilet was a small problem compared to some of the things that people here in China deal with everyday.

When you go for a walk you will see the tents of the migrant workers looking for any kind of job, its starting to get really cold outside and I wonder how they manage to stay warm. A phone is replaceable (hopefully there are few language problems when I do it) but it is a small thing compared to what is happening all around me.

      I have always loved how the Father sends me hugs from my kids when I really need them they make my heart smile. On a random side note for the next 4 hours after it dropped down the toilet it glowed every time you flushed till it died. So this weekend I re-learned what it means to truly be grateful. I come from a society that dictates self-importance and greed. They started Black Friday on Thanksgiving the day we are suppose to be counting our blessings we only think of what more can I obtain…it makes me kinda sick. Living here for even 3 months has taught me that less is more, I live pretty simply here and I have found that my life in some ways is better. In China they do think of life as the whole, your actions not only effect you but those around you…no China doesn’t have it all right but when disaster strikes here everyone is patient and works together when things happen back in the States we demand that things happen instantly and have it our own individual way always thinking ‘me first’. There are things about my own countrymen that make me cringe. I have a feeling next summer things are going to be different for me. It’s hard to live somewhere else and not change, Adam was right when he told us that China would change us. It stretches you and pushes you sometimes to your limits, but it also strips away all the things you thought were important you find really weren’t. I don’t make that much according to Chinese or certainly not American standards and yet I find all my daily needs met more then enough. I am learning what it need and what is want, it reminds me of the verses in the Good Book were the Father talks about the wildflowers and the animals and how He takes care of them and their daily needs are met, I find I am perfectly content with my simple life. So this Thanksgiving I found myself being truly thankful instead of just thinking that I am. Ps. Thanks for the Poptarts mom they are amazing!! (It’s the little things, honestly you should see us when someone gives you cheese its like giving the Hope diamond).

Happy Thanksgiving China Style Part 2

Yes I am back but so is my awesome wall art from my kiddos!! There is also a picture of some of my precious girl from Class 6 Grade 3. Enjoy the pictures cause I certainly am.

 The one without glasses is Angel the other is Maggie

 These are all projects that they have done for class they were very proud of them so of course so am I

     It never ceases to amaze me how much they pay attention. The new thing is to talk to me with Chinglish (Chinese + English= Chinglish) Honestly I love these kids so much I was afraid this would happen :) .

Happy Thanksgiving China Style

        So this week in my classes we are talking about Thanksgiving. Their favorite part I think is when I show the pictures from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This will be the first year ever that I don't watch it...kinda sad. But fear not I am eating great food on Friday I am going to Aloha with some teachers from Jianghan University and eating very delicious food. It's not cheap but at this point I don't care I need a taste of home on the holidays. Even thought I didn't go home for most Thanksgiving's (I think I only went home for one while in college) it's still different I will celebrate it the same day as everyone back home since I am 13 hours ahead of most of you.

        I will post pictures of the amazing-ness that is Aloha Thanksgiving. In the meantime enjoy these beautiful (and some are a bit crazy) hand turkeys from Class 3 Grade 4 (I found out I have another set of twin girls that makes two sets so far how did I not see this before?!) Anyway enjoy the art!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone or as we say in China Gan en jie Kuila (愉快的感恩)!!

Everlasting Arms

      Well this was quite a week (last week) it came to a crazy point when I almost passed out in front of my babies. Class 6 Grade 3…some of the sweetest kids you will ever teach. I was almost done with my power point (or here in China PPT) when my eyes began to blackout. Michelle (my fellow Chinese English teacher) took over the class and I went to the hall. She ended up having the get Amber and my poor kids were so worried about me…which broke my heart cause I didn’t want them to worry. I am feeling much better now it was a combination of tired, a pinch nerve that would not release, and stress. I was glad that even in that moment my Father held me in His everlasting arms. Three other teachers actually did pass out the same day…teaching in China is so hardcore and extreme. We don’t have unions or sick days you just teach no matter what (unless its an emergency) but even in that you make up the time you were out. Everything I went through in college is making so much more sense now it really prepared me for this destiny that I am in.

              There are so many times I question if I am making a difference at all and then some of my kids give me hugs or (they love it that I speak some Chinese) the shout ‘Ni Hao Becky’! Moments like that I realize that maybe I am not changing the world like a Roman conquest but I am leaving a make on these kids that will stream long into eternity. I love my kids…well most of them there are a few 4^th grade boys that test my patience. My little girls however its hard not to just love them, Angel and Maggie are twins in one of my classes I get great hugs from them. Little Lucy always says hello and I always remember her name, which makes her giggle (cutest giggle ever!) I do have some 4^th grade boys who flirt with me relentlessly…the sad thing is guys don’t really mature past that age…no really. Despite the moments of hardship (which we all face) I know that these are only for a moment and worth it…I love my kids and they are worth it.

Fridge Art, Aloha, and Shuài ga

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      Once again it’s been a while since my last update. I feel like I am always fighting with my VPN so posting has been nearly impossible. Well some boring stuff has happened like teaching…not that its boring but sometimes its just routine. Last weekend Amber babysat Sophia and Elise for the day on Saturday and Sophia drew me a beautiful picture, which is now on my fridge and makes me smile every time I see it.

       I think the craziest part of my weekend was dinner at Aloha well lunch actually. I was supposed to meet Hollie there since that’s the only time I get to see her. So I called and she never answered so some of the guys from Zhong let me eat with them...a few more guys from Zhong came and ate with us. As I sat there all I could think was “I am surrounded by Shuài ga (Chinese for handsome guy) this is never going to happen again you better enjoy it. I have to say though guys haven’t changed much from Junior High they still talk about the same things food, girls, and technology…sad I was hoping they had mature even a little. Anyway it was a pretty entertaining lunch mostly thanks to Kevin. I have to say I don’t know how I get myself in these situations but they fill my life with drama. If my life were a movie it would be entertaining at least here in China. This weekend I am hopefully Skyping with friends back home, meeting my German friend Sabrina at Starbucks, and Hollie is planning on coming over this weekend. Not sure when the next post will be sorry this one is so short maybe the next one will be longer who knows?

Colds, Coats, and Milk Tea

            For one thing I apologize for the space between my posts. The past two weeks my VPN has not really been very reliable. I can’t get to my blog to post without it on thanks to the Great FireWall of China. So Last week I had a terrible cold, like came down with it Friday night and by Saturday morning I have no voice whatsoever. I spent the day in my apartment drinking hot water (the cure all of China). By Sunday morning I kind of had a voice so my week was spent with a terrible dry cough. Class 5 Grade 3 was very sweet about it I had some of my students come up to me “Becky you are sick so we will speak loud for you” I love my kids they are so sweet. I normally have a little girl or two stop by my office just to peek in and say hello, honestly its moments like those that keep me going sometimes. The thing with China is that they never tell you anything to your face they tell Becca who calls me to tell me that the teachers want me to teach differently or add something to my lesson plans, this is to avoid hurt feelings something we never do in the States we don’t care who’s feelings we hurt, this is something I am not used to. In college I had professors tear my papers and projects apart to the point of tears (not kidding) so that make you get a tough skin when it comes to criticism. Mostly it just makes me frustrated when they tell me one thing and then change their mind without telling me.

            Now for the fun part of the post – Coats!! I got my coat today at lunchtime its purple plaid and pretty much perfect because we got to pick the fabric and lining and buttons ourselves. Honestly I will find a way to bring this coat home I love it that much!! Here are some beautiful pictures of my new coat as well as Amber and Charlene (whom we lovingly call Lulu, and she calls me Beckles).

Amber and her new coat with teal lining.

 My Purple plaid awesomeness!!

This was my ode to 'Singing in the Rain' (which I just bought at DVD guy)

 Char-lulu with her beautiful teal coat with gray lining.

           

            So winter is coming and practically here in Wuhan so I went to Wal-Mart and found the most amazing thing…milk tea mix all you need is hot water. This drink has become my new addiction here in China along with Fried Jiaozi (dumplings). We (the WEFLS gang) went to dinner last night and had that and lotus fries, kung pow chicken, and this caramelized banana thing that is delicious. I know I am eating so poorly here right? Actually I love the food here, but everything well almost everything is super spicy or covered in what we call Christmas trees. They are little peppercorn like beads that taste like a Christmas tree but they are really hot and make your mouth go numb/tingle. American food is really safe and bland compared to most of the food here in the Hubei province. If you need a cool down there is always Aloha you can get some of Taylor’s new flavors of ice cream. Right now he has peanut butter cup (he makes his own peanut butter cups…amazing) and cookie dough. I have a pint of volcano in my freezer and I am not really sure how long that’s going to last. It’s chocolate ice cream with chunks of gooey brownie in it, honestly the food here is soooo good!!! So my life in China has its ups and downs but for the most part I’m loving it, there are so many things I have done that I never thought I would do…so many things most people never do. Sometimes you just have to be brave and take the leap of faith knowing that there is One who will always catch you. He will never abandon us or fail us…food for thought.

Ps. 18:1&2