Thailand Wrap-Up n'at

First of all:
Now THIS is something that I'd never thought I'd see:

a picture of me, standing next to a giant picture of me and my teammates from my first year, inside of a giant flower, on display at the city park. The picture was from the Hot Air Balloon festival we attended that year, and the flower is a part of their Spring Festival decorations this year. Ohhh, China- you make me smile!

Anyway, the Spring Festival celebrations are now officially over, which means a few things:

1. I will not be woken up by firecrackers and cannon blast fireworks anymore!
2. Spring is on its way, and it looks like it will be on time this year!
3. Students are coming back to campus and classes start on Monday- eeek!

I'm actually excited about all of these things, even getting back into the classroom. Since I've returned from my travels, it's been a fairly quiet (figuratively, NOT literally) couple of weeks here in Langfang with no students around. I've realized that I really like being with them, in the classroom and out of it. And while my teaching schedule is extremely light due to some curriculum changes, I'm looking forward to the many lunch dates, game nights, training runs, cooking classes, movie nights, Book study times, and whatever other crazy activities we come up with. Bring it on, Spring 2011!

Now I know that I promised a more complete update on exactly what I did on my crazy 3-week trip around Thailand and South China. The thing is, I realized that there is no way I can ever type it all out- you'd be sitting here for quite a long time! But, I'd love to share some of the things that stand out the most.

Basically, as I think more and more about it, I just can't believe that I got to go to Thailand! Before the trip, it seems that I had gotten used to China and Chinese culture as my "default foreign culture", and since this is my third year, it's not really all that foreign anymore. But Thai culture woke me back up in a sense, and it was a really great adventure, being in a new land and discovering a different foreign culture. While it's also clearly Asian, the pace of life is different there (more relaxed and vibrant in a way), the architecture is different there (pointy edges and lots of gold), and even the rice is different there (longer grains and drier)! As tourists, we definitely did not get to immerse ourselves in the culture, but we did get to see a lot of it.

We spent the first two days in Bangkok, where the highlights were visiting the Grand Palace, the Flower Market, and eating some authentic Pad Thai. Then we ventured off in a double-decker VIP overnight bus down to the island of Phuket (pronounced poo-ket). It's very touristy, but for a good reason: it's beautiful!! If you know me, you know that I love the beach, love the water, and love the sunshine. Phuket had all of those things in abundance. We spent four very fast days there, going on two tours. The first was a boat/island/snorkeling adventure. Our boat took us about 20 miles off the coast to Phi Phi Island, where we swam and snorkeled. We got to see various parts of the island, including an area that was completely wiped out by the tsunami in 2004. Thankfully they have been able to rebuild and move on with life. All in all, it was so beautiful! The water was crystal clear, blue and green, warm and really salty. We saw rainbow fish, sea urchins, and even some tiny squids. We got to play on a tiny private island, collecting shells, jumping off of big rocks into the water, and soaking up the goodness of the creation around us. It's a day that I will probably never forget!
This is our group, all 12 of us, with our tour guide Alex. We are ready to snorkel!!

And our second tour was just as unforgettable, but for different reasons. It was basically a whirlwind land tour: we hiked up to a jungle waterfall, visited a gibbon rehabilitation center (they are commonly abused and mistreated at many clubs/restaurants/attractions in Phuket), got to take a short elephant ride, play with a baby elephant, and then take a boat ride to feed some candy bars to wild monkeys! This tour ended with a private, home-cooked Thai lunch served in the shade by the water. Chicken with cashews, shrimp and vegetables, and Thai curry- soooo good! I will definitely be eating more Thai food in the future!
Carly and I riding our elephant. We discovered the "captain's hats" at our conference in China, and decided that we needed them for our upcoming elephant ride. Turns out the guy in front was more like the captain- oh well!

On our last day there, we got an insider's look at life in Thailand when we visited an organization called S.H.E. It stands for Self-Help and Empowerment, and is run by believers who are dedicated to rescuing girls from the trap of prostitution, which is unfortunately very prominent in Phuket. They do this by building relationships with the girls, and as they get to know them, invite them to their place, where they can train them and pay them for other jobs. Currently they make jewelry and candy, but are also soon expanding into training the girls to work in hotels, instead of bars and nightclubs. We did get to see the dark side of this business when we would go out at night, so it's awesome to know that there are people fighting against it, who want these girls to know their worth, and to know the One who loves them perfectly. Check out their website if you're interested in knowing more: SheThailand.org


One last thing about Thailand: there are 7-Eleven's EVERYwhere! Seriously, you can find one about every 300 yards or so, on most major streets. Slurpees are a necessity in the Thai heat!!

So, there you have it- Thailand in a nutshell. And if any of you would ever like to go there, count me in! I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Pinch Me

Just got back from my whirlwind 3-week tour of Thailand and South China. I saw and did so many amazing things- sometimes it's hard to believe that this is actually my life! I'll try to get my thoughts together for a full blog sometime soon, but until then enjoy these highlight pictures That's really what you're here for anyway, isn't it? :)

The back of a tuk-tuk.
That's Thai for a 3-wheeled, open air taxi cab


Three of the temples at the Grand Palace in Bangkok


The street food in Bangkok seriously rocked!
Here I had some banana pancakes.


The sharp mountains and the color of the water in Phuket made for a stunning combination.
I could seriously look at this forever!


We rode elephants one day and then got to play with this little guy
(I'm wearing a captain's hat, backwards-more on that later)


Then we took a boat ride and got to throw candy bars to these monkeys. Who knew they loved chocolate too?


Guilin (China) was not as warm, but the jagged mountains there are just as amazing


Elephant Hill in Guilin


Yinz will be happy to know that Steeler Nation has made its way to Sanya, China! HERE WE GO!!!!!


Life is good, so I gotta jump!!

Heeeey Youuuu Guuuuys!!

It's true, I'm alive! And no, I did not remove you from my subscription list! Thanks for hanging in there with me. If you're reading this, it means that your persistence (or your subscription) has paid off. I feel like I say this almost every time, but I'm sorry for the lack of blogs. I gotta tell you, blogging is hard for me. I don't really know why, but I think it has something to do with the pressure I put on myself to create this amazingly awesome and witty blog. Deep down, I know that it doesn't matter, and that you guys just want to know what's going on over here.

So, what is going on over here? Lots of stuff!

The fall semester is officially over, and it was another good one! Classes were a challenge at times (what the heck do I know about Business English??), but lots of good times with good student friends means lots of good memories. Skye, Doria, Lindy, Morgan, Angie, Blanca, and Lucia all contributed to the good times. Most of the fun seems to revolve around food- me sharing American goodies and the girls teaching me about Chinese cooking. Fine with me!

Morgan loves cookies so much that we've dubbed her "Cookie Monster". So it only seemed right that she learn how to make chocolate chip cookies!

Lucia came over and taught me how to make Coca-Cola Chicken wings. Don't knock them 'til you try them- soooo yummy!!

Skye represented the English department in the girls' soccer tournament, and helped the team take 2nd place- a new record for our girls!


Besides time with girls, I've also had a really great time with my teammates this year- in Langfang and on the greater IECS team. We had our 3rd annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving, and a miracle occurred:
Steelers and Ravens fan put aside differences to play on the same team (victorious team, I might add), and even smiled for pictures together afterwards! That's Jake, Theresa, and me.

Christmas was also memorable, since this year we all decided to stage our very own Nativity play. We all chose roles out of a hat, and prepared costumes accordingly. Teammate Andy wrote a simple script, and on Christmas day we performed it- for no one! Only in China!
Can you guess who/what I was??


Yay Team Langfang!

Heather and I modeling our new Christmas aprons (hers came with protective sleeves as well- very handy!)

And here we are, almost mid-January. Classes don't resume until February 21st, so we're taking full advantage of the time off and we are outta here! We're all heading to Sanya (the southernmost city in China) for our annual winter staff conference, and then 12 of us are checking out Thailand! I'm super excited to see some beautiful beaches, eat some authentic Thai food, and ride on an elephant! After Thailand, Carly and I are stopping in Guilin- famous in China for its river and some really big mountains- which are technically called karsts, I think. Rocky and pointy. I think. I know more soon enough. Tell you all about it upon my return!

A few of my favorite things

I've been back in Langfang for just a couple weeks now, but it already feels really normal, like I've been living here for two years already. Oh, wait....I have! So the apartment is clean and smells like home again, and the best news is that there were NO unwelcome animals waiting to greet me. Classes have begun and I have a full schedule right off the bat, but it's fun to be back with students. Life is good- and mostly calm, which I appreciate after a wonderful whirlwind of a summer. I was just thinking today about all of my "favorites" here in China. Some are old and some are new, but all are wonderful. My most favorite new discovery has got to be:

the Land O'Lakes "Fresh Buttery Taste Spread"! That's right, people- spreadable margarine, in China!! Notice our extreme excitement upon finding it in the grocery store. It has already revolutionized my in-house eating habits: delightful grilled cheese sandwiches, buttery sweet pancakes, and who doesn't love the combination of salty butter and sweet jelly on a warm piece of toast? Mmm mmm GOOD!!

Here's another Langfang gem:

I call it the Bumblebee. It's our team vacuum, and it's not brand new, but let's just say I remember what life was like without it, and I don't ever want to go back: tiny brooms and massive dust bunnies made cleaning a serious chore. Now it's more like a game- a game that I win every time. Hasta la vista, bunnies!!! And many, MANY thanks to Shannon and Peter for bringing the Bumblebee into my life. Your legacy lives on :)

I don't have a picture of my next favorite thing, but that's because I've eaten it already- today and many days before. What do I love? CHEAP food!! Just today I strolled down the street to a place we've dubbed "the Courtyard"- lots of street food vendors gathered in one place- and ordered up some yu xiang rou si. That's Chinese for "delicious pork, peppers and carrots in a slightly sweet spicy sauce". An individual serving made right before my eyes along with some rice cost me a whopping 75 cents. Now I try not to think in terms of dollars and cents, since I earn Chinese yuan, but sometimes it's just too fun. 75 CENTS!

My favorite experience of the year so far definitely came last night at dinner. We invited our believing brothers and sisters out to catch up on each others' summers and kick off the year with some good eating (again, so very cheap!). There were 10 of us around a table in a private room, so we were chatting freely and openly, laughing together and listening to tales of adventures in traveling and summer job searching. At one point, I looked around and realized that "this"- us hanging out with our Chinese family- just felt so natural and normal. I love all of those people, and am so glad to have them in my life. We are all so completely different, but none of those differences matter when you share what we share.
Favorite!!!

Yeah Team Langfang! (outside of our apartments)

Andy, Heather, Jess and Carly!

To Three or Not To Three??

Wow, really long time since my last post! But don't I always say that? As I type this, I'm relaxing in Raleigh with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. This semester FLEW by in a flash- lots of great stuff, topped off by a visit from my parents. Those of you who know Bev and Dwight know that this was no small feat. I had a great time showing them my China life and watching them interact with this foreign culture that's become so familiar to me. They did wonderfully, and were using chopsticks like professionals by the time they left. A couple snapshots:

With one of my classes, who all got hugs from Mom & Dad

Working out in the park on the Chinese version of the Gazelle

But the real reason that I'm back on the blog is that it occurred to me that many of you might not have any idea what I'll be doing once summer is over. Will I be returning for year #3 in Langfang, or moving on to a new adventure? To three or not to three, that is the question. What do you think, do you have a guess?
Well you have a 50/50 chance of getting it right, and those of you who guessed "three" are correct. Yes, I am going back to Langfang! It did take a little longer to come to this conclusion this past year, but I am no less confident in my decision. I've only been back in the States for 10 days, and I'm already missing my home and looking forward to getting back there. I shouldn't be surprised; I've spent the majority of the past 2 years over there, so why wouldn't it feel like home? Either way, no matter what, I'm excited and ready to see what #3 has in store for me- definitely feel like the Big Man's not done with me yet. Thanks to all of you who are taking the ride with me- the adventure continues!

Fire in the sky

The Chinese equation for celebration goes as follows:

Fire + (BoomBangPow*Infinity) - Sleep = PARTAY!!!

So I missed the first and second acts of the Chinese New Year celebrations, but made it back just in time for the finale- Lantern Festival. Now, I have a hard time keeping up with the many holiday traditions around here, but I think I've found my new favorite. And no, it's not the 21-gun salute of fireworks that began at 6 am. On this last day of the Spring Festival (Feb. 28th this year), the other tradition is to light a giant paper lantern and send it, along with your hopes and wishes for the new year, off floating to never-neverland. It's really neat to see a sky lit up with lots of tiny little fires, and the process of getting yours to actually fly away is pretty fun- it takes lots of lighter fluid (and a little hairspray doesn't hurt, either), many hands, and patience. Extra patience in our case, as Mother Nature graced us with another snow storm that evening.

Here you can see Carly and Peter waiting for it to heat up:

And...liftoff!

Thankfully it went around and above the trees, which is more than I can say for our first attempt from a few nights before:

After our lantern floated out of sight, Carly decided that she needed to add to the noise. She spent 10 RMB (about $1.50), and we made our own bit of magic:
Happy Year of the Tiger!

So to rewind just a bit, early February was also pretty exciting and eventful. After our annual IECS conference in Shenzhen (south China), Carly and I headed over to Hong Kong for a few days. Definitely the biggest and most diverse city I've ever been in- and it hardly felt Chinese at all, especially because they were driving on the wrong side of the road! Not surprising given HK's history, but still. We decided to skip out on HK Disney and hit the track- the horserace track, that is! It was my first time ever at the races, and it was a total blast- the weather was great, the backdrop was gorgeous, we wore our "Southern lady" hats, AND I won some moola! Who could ask for more?

Turns out these hats were gorgeous AND functional!

Here is my horse-#2- coming in third and winning me 40 RMB! (I bet 10)

Sunset behind Hong Kong Island:

"The biggest light show in the world":

And as if all that were not enough, I got to fly back to the States for two whole weeks to see my family and have some quality time with this cutie:
(my nephew Owen, 8 months old)

Life. Is. Good!

So Long, 2009!

Dear 2009,
Alas, our time together is quickly coming to a close. And, as with many of the years before you, I feel as if we have not had quite enough time together. Short as you may seem, we sure did have some pretty awesome times together. You graciously brought me many things: adventures galore, excitement, new friendships, joy, challenges, two championship trophies, the cutest nephew, countless train rides and over 30,000 frequent flyer miles. We started our journey together in Langfang, China- and that is also where we'll part ways. That fact alone is pretty amazing! Years ago, I never would have or could have dreamed that we would spend the majority of our days together (almost 10 months!) walking the streets of such a foreign land- teaching college students, bumbling through their language, cooking toaster oven feasts, rediscovering a love for long johns, and eating (enjoying) lots and lots of eggplant. Who knew that we would study the Word together with so many new sisters, learning and growing together in ways that go beyond spoken words? I never could have imagined it, but Someone far greater than you or I had this plan in His mind long before either of us came to be. It's because of Him that I can look back on everything that you and I went through with a smile on my face and a great sense of peace and purpose in my heart. I can only hope that together we brought Him more glory and honor. I'll miss you, 2009- but I won't soon forget you. I dare say that I will never forget you- the thousands of pictures bearing your mark won't let me do that. When I think of you, I will most definitely recall the many sights, faces, sounds, and smells that are yours and yours alone. And I will smile. Thanks 2009!


January: Chocolate-chip cookie party

February: Spring Festival parade

March: Hiking the Great Wall with Hannah

April: The return of all things green and alive!

May: Game break during class

June: Graduating with DanDan

July: Hanging with my China man

August: Fab Five karaoke reunion!

September: Biggest. Cricket. Ever.

October: Jam-packed English club

November: 2nd Annual IECS Turkey Bowl

December: Christmas party with my favorite class!