it's been a year :)

we just celebrated our 1 year anniversary!

a couple from our work gave us a free hotel stay in beijing,
which was just what we needed. it's been a long semester...

The bed we sleep on every night isn't what you would exactly call, soft.
This mattress was definitely an improvement.


Here's another thing that we haven't had for around 4 months.
(a bathtub or a tv by the bathtub)
It was nice to not have to squeegie afterward, too.


the view from our room...


we don't have a ginormous mirror either i guess...


a great happy anniversary card with bonus pictures!


the lobby was even decorated for christmas :)

Beijing Zoo

Last month we went with the entire school
on a field trip to the Beijing Zoo and Aquarium.
That's Daniel with his class in front of the entrance.


It was a beautiful day and the zoo was pretty nice, so there were a few love connections between some students, sitting on benches in the willow trees.

Here are a few of my students from Class 2. I ate lunch with these three girls, kind of a BYOLunch. During that time, I was offered enough food for 4 lunches. The students are so generous! I just wish I liked chicken feet...



This next picture is of my students Robert, Johnny and Jane. Robert misses a lot of my classes due to his poor health. He almost didn't come back this semester but I am so glad he did. Many of the teachers who knew Robert last semester said that he is doing amazingly well this semester with his English and improving so much. Please think of him. Johnny was one of my star students and is a wonderful support and friend to Robert in the classroom. Jane and I have emailed each other a lot during the semester. She is wonderful and will return next semester which makes me so excited!



We are so blessed with our awesome students this semester. Here are a couple more favorites from our field trip. Enjoy!


This is the best shot I could get of the many pandas.

No-Shave November

I feel like I've never had so many questions. China is a land of questions for me..

What's the Chinese word for....?
Will the glass I run over everyday pop my bike tires?
Where are my ear muffs?
Should we stay in China another year?
Why is that truck honking at me?
What is that smell?!
How do I get a VPN so I can update my blog that's blocked in China?

Well, we got the last question answered and so far our bike tires are fine. A lot has happened of course since our last update. We moved from fall into winter...our students had their midterms...The school had a Halloween costume party and talent show. We made a video for the youth group at Cornerstone (Thanks Nathan and Grace Marie for helping us to send it!) Daniel and I have been discussion the "What next" question since our boss will soon be asking for commitments for next year.

China has many challenging and uncomfortable moments and I am finding that it can bring out the best or the worst in me. Today on my bike ride to school I had a dialogue with God. He is so gentle in the way he teaches and chides me. A couple of years ago, I memorized Psalm 46 with my dear friend, Dorothy. God brought to mind the verse: "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns."

The bike rides have caused me to dread each morning because of the cold and coughing fits I usually have. In my head, I complain, and if left to myself and my own thoughts, the mornings can set a horrible tone for the rest of my day. Today was different though, because I invited Him into my struggle with the pollution, sickness and the cold and he helped me to choose joy today. He flowed into my day and made me glad. I want every morning bike ride to be filled with him because without him in it, I'm a mess.

One beautiful color we appreciated this fall was yellow
another color is red :) Happy No-Shave November!

the lunar market

good eats in beijing

Here's a little taste of Beijing...

The Lunar Market

is a market near our school where you can get great deals on farm fresh fruits of the earth, especially if you can bargain in Chinese.
When we buy fruits and veggies in our village, we buy directly from a farmer bringing their pears or peppers into town to sell. Many times they are covered in dirt or bumpy but taste so delicious!






















We buy our veggies from "our vegetable lady" in the village who has been so kind to us and the other foreigners. People like her make us motivated to learn Chinese so we can practice something new each time we see them.

So far at the Lunar Market we've bought watermelon, roasted chestnuts (smelled heavenly but we weren't fans), fresh honey, towels and a rope of garlic that we hung in our kitchen.

At this market, you can also get the latest in Chinese fashion:

The Lunar Market is not for the squeamish...

You can even go to the dentist at the market :)


To begin to experience what life is like in rural China, there's probably no better place to start than the Lunar Market.

the little things

We've been in China now for almost two months.

It's strange to write that.

I love to travel, and have had the opportunity to go all over the place, but I've lived in the South all of my life, and in Irmo since I was eight years old. Even when I've been in a different place, Home has always been a warm climate, Southern food, and a laid back schedule.

Now Home is different.

And the difference I'm finding is in the little things. Like parmesan cheese. We can get noodles (believe me) and spaghetti sauce, but it's just not spaghetti without that little green tube. Or changing the thermostat. Rather than turning a knob or pressing an up arrow, I have a remote control all in Chinese.

Now, one of the big things that I was looking forward to losing for a year was my car. No more fill ups, oil changes, or insurance payments. But I also lost the freedom to hop in the car and just go do something. Whether it's going on a trip an hour away or to the grocery store, having a car simply makes traveling easier. Now the simplest errand requires at least a 2K commitment by bike.

I miss just hearing random conversations on the street that I can understand. We've been so busy with teaching that we still haven't taken any Chinese lessons, which means that all I can understand is the numbers 1-3, the word teacher, and the phrase "don't touch me." Now before jump to conclusions, assuming I was touching someone: "don't touch me" sounds like how we say "BMW." I was talking about driving a BMW in class and one of my students said "ha, don't touch me!"

There are great things about our Chinese Home too: people are way friendly and hospitable. I got birthday presents from my students, who I had only taught for around 3 days. And we don't get ripped off buying stuff just because we're Americans. Also, the Ramen situation in China is incredible. If you can't find a Ramen flavor you like in China, then you're the one with the problem.

The best thing about Home in China is getting to spend so much time with Corrie. We have the same teaching schedule, we ride our bikes to school together, and we watch Carolina games at midnight together. It's great to spend our days with each other, and Home provides that.

And for the record, I still don't miss my cell phone at all.