It is so weird to go from having lots of guests in your house for three weeks to complete silence again. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of the ladies that lived in my house while they were here, and the times that I was able to spend with the entire group at other functions too. They are a great group of young adults with passion and determination, who are going to make a great impact in the world.
Well, life for me is back to normal for a little bit before my friends and I have the opportunity to host another group of friends from the States for twelve days starting the end of May. I am looking forward to hosting another group and getting the chance to meet some more young adults with the same desire to make a change in this world.
This weekend my friend Erica and I will be traveling to Hong Kong for four days. We both are on a year long, multiple entry, tourist visa, but we have to leave the country every ninety days. And since Hong Kong is not mainland China, we can cross over the border to meet that requirement. I found an amazing deal on a round trip airline ticket in and out of Hong Kong International Airport (most people fly into Shenzhen then take a bus over the border into Hong Kong since it is cheaper - not this time) and am staying at a really great hostel that several of my foreign friends have stayed at before. I am pretty excited to go since I have never been to Hong Kong. I hear there are multiple Outback Steakhouse's throughout the city, which I will definitely check out one day. I am really excited as well as I will be there on Easter Sunday and will get the opportunity to go to a well known club (Sunday fellowship) in one of the highest buildings in Hong Kong.
I will close for now, but hope that you all are doing well. Will check in again upon my return from Hong Kong.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Busy 2 Months
This blog is long overdue, but I am excited to be blogging again more regularly after 2 months. As a side note: I did get locked out of the Internet for a little while during my hiatus (the secure server I connect through was compromised), but things have been running smoothly for a little bit now, so I hope it stays that way.
So, since I am hoping to send out an updated newsletter via email soon of the past few months, I will just update you on the latest now in this blog.
Currently there is a group of friends from the company, who are on a two month trip through China and Hong Kong here in Xi'an, and half of the girls have been staying with me at my apartment. The other girls are staying at another friend's apartment, and all the guys are at another apartment. My friends will be here a total of 3 weeks and during that time will be involved with various work projects from working at orphanages, foster homes to teaching English. It has been fun hanging out with many of them.
I have also been busy again with my Chinese language classes, teaching English once a week for an hour and a half, and getting ready to teach the Life Education course. I have also made some strides in building relationships with some of the parents whose children come to English club on Saturdays, so it has been rewarding to see some fruit from that.
Well, I am going to conclude there for now, but will be back in a week with another update.
So, since I am hoping to send out an updated newsletter via email soon of the past few months, I will just update you on the latest now in this blog.
Currently there is a group of friends from the company, who are on a two month trip through China and Hong Kong here in Xi'an, and half of the girls have been staying with me at my apartment. The other girls are staying at another friend's apartment, and all the guys are at another apartment. My friends will be here a total of 3 weeks and during that time will be involved with various work projects from working at orphanages, foster homes to teaching English. It has been fun hanging out with many of them.
I have also been busy again with my Chinese language classes, teaching English once a week for an hour and a half, and getting ready to teach the Life Education course. I have also made some strides in building relationships with some of the parents whose children come to English club on Saturdays, so it has been rewarding to see some fruit from that.
Well, I am going to conclude there for now, but will be back in a week with another update.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Year of the Rabbit & Everything Else
Happy Year of the Rabbit. Chinese New Year was officially rung in with style at midnight on February 2, with fireworks displays that really can't be explained. I did my best to take pictures and a video, though neither do justice to what is really occurring in the moment. People were shooting off fireworks everywhere, including right below my building, and one even hit my window (luckily made of double pane glass) as I was watching the display from inside my bedroom - there is still a mark on my window. Most of the festivities conclude tonight, so most of the fireworks will cease, though I am sure some will still linger for a few days. In case you are wondering by the way, why the constant shooting off of fireworks, it is because many Chinese believe that the loud sounds scare off evil and bring them good luck.
The past two weeks have also included adventures for me such as two rounds of sickness and the heat radiator pipe bursting in the bathroom shooting water everywhere and causing a mess. The first week I found myself with a sinus infection, which was to be expected since I went from warm weather in Thailand back to cold weather of Xi'an; however, this one was worse than I normally get and required an antibiotic, yet the one problem was that pharmacies here were closed for Chinese New Year. So, finally on Saturday my friend Sarah was able to find a pharmacy that was open and get me some medicine. Oh, and that medicine is Azithromycin/Zithromax combo for only $2.50 and is over the counter. On Sunday I was out for the day, and when I returned home I discovered that the heat radiator pipe in the bathroom was shooting water everywhere and was just about to begin pouring over into the rest of the apartment (the bathroom floor is 2 inches lower than the rest of the floors). I called my friend Chris, who with 2 other friends, literally came running over to help me, which I was extremely grateful for considering I don't know what to do in these situations and I definitely do not know this area of the Chinese language. The maintenance man had to come and shut off the heat to my apartment as the heating unit in the bathroom will need to be replaced, but it cannot be done until after Chinese New Year when people get back to work. And then of course, a few days ago I got the flu, though a much milder case than most people, as it has been going around here. So, today I am on the mend and looking forward to not being sick anymore.
Other than the few minor things, everything is great and I am excited about this year. I am still teaching English for an hour and a half on Saturdays and I love it and the relationships that I have built with the kids and the ladies who run the learning club. The Life Education course will begin soon in the Universities, so I am excited to begin teaching that curriculum too. The school semester here for the spring is a little different than the States in that it runs from the first week of March until the first week of July, so for this month I have had time to do some preparations for the course before it begins.
Well, I will conclude there for now, but hope you all are doing well. For my Georgia friends, I am sure that the snow is pretty, but is getting a little old by now too. Just think - spring is right around the corner!!
The past two weeks have also included adventures for me such as two rounds of sickness and the heat radiator pipe bursting in the bathroom shooting water everywhere and causing a mess. The first week I found myself with a sinus infection, which was to be expected since I went from warm weather in Thailand back to cold weather of Xi'an; however, this one was worse than I normally get and required an antibiotic, yet the one problem was that pharmacies here were closed for Chinese New Year. So, finally on Saturday my friend Sarah was able to find a pharmacy that was open and get me some medicine. Oh, and that medicine is Azithromycin/Zithromax combo for only $2.50 and is over the counter. On Sunday I was out for the day, and when I returned home I discovered that the heat radiator pipe in the bathroom was shooting water everywhere and was just about to begin pouring over into the rest of the apartment (the bathroom floor is 2 inches lower than the rest of the floors). I called my friend Chris, who with 2 other friends, literally came running over to help me, which I was extremely grateful for considering I don't know what to do in these situations and I definitely do not know this area of the Chinese language. The maintenance man had to come and shut off the heat to my apartment as the heating unit in the bathroom will need to be replaced, but it cannot be done until after Chinese New Year when people get back to work. And then of course, a few days ago I got the flu, though a much milder case than most people, as it has been going around here. So, today I am on the mend and looking forward to not being sick anymore.
Other than the few minor things, everything is great and I am excited about this year. I am still teaching English for an hour and a half on Saturdays and I love it and the relationships that I have built with the kids and the ladies who run the learning club. The Life Education course will begin soon in the Universities, so I am excited to begin teaching that curriculum too. The school semester here for the spring is a little different than the States in that it runs from the first week of March until the first week of July, so for this month I have had time to do some preparations for the course before it begins.
Well, I will conclude there for now, but hope you all are doing well. For my Georgia friends, I am sure that the snow is pretty, but is getting a little old by now too. Just think - spring is right around the corner!!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thailand Recap
Well, I am back from Thailand where I enjoyed a great time of teaching, fellowship with others from my company, and beautiful weather of 80 degrees everyday. And to think that last night here in China it was snowing - gotta love experiencing two different seasons during two weeks.
I feel like I am a very open and honest person about my life and what I am experiencing, so I thought that I would continue with that in this blog. While I knew that the teaching and training that I would receive during my time in Thailand would be very beneficial and helpful for my work here, I didn't foresee the other things that were in store for me during that time too. I sometimes have a tendency to think that I have everything under control and try to be strong, when in reality I am actually crumbling under fear and worries. And so, during my time in Thailand I had to come to the realization once again that I can never do it on my own and that when I surrender those worries I am at peace and have renewed hope. I also just had to realize that I do live in a place that is a "cloud of darkness" and so getting out from that cloud for a few weeks made a huge difference. I know that I was also free from that cloud when I was home for Christmas, but I didn't really process through those things then since I made my main focus during the month family and friends. I am just thankful for the One that never leaves me where I am at and pursues me relentlessly until I grasp hold of what is in store for me and my calling.
Well, as for other highlights of my time in Thailand, during a few of the afternoons off my friends and I got to do some excursions. One day we went to a monkey show. The monkeys are trained to do various tasks during the show such as lifting weights, shooting free throws into a basketball goal, and climbing trees to pick coconuts. There were really impressive and it is amazing what you can teach a monkey. On another day a friend and I got to play with and hold a baby tiger. There are so cute and just like a bigger kitten. And on one of the last days before a group of us had a chance to go and ride elephants. I have posted pictures of all my excursions, including the day that I met up with my friend Rebecca and her family at the zoo and Night Safari. Hope you enjoy.
I feel like I am a very open and honest person about my life and what I am experiencing, so I thought that I would continue with that in this blog. While I knew that the teaching and training that I would receive during my time in Thailand would be very beneficial and helpful for my work here, I didn't foresee the other things that were in store for me during that time too. I sometimes have a tendency to think that I have everything under control and try to be strong, when in reality I am actually crumbling under fear and worries. And so, during my time in Thailand I had to come to the realization once again that I can never do it on my own and that when I surrender those worries I am at peace and have renewed hope. I also just had to realize that I do live in a place that is a "cloud of darkness" and so getting out from that cloud for a few weeks made a huge difference. I know that I was also free from that cloud when I was home for Christmas, but I didn't really process through those things then since I made my main focus during the month family and friends. I am just thankful for the One that never leaves me where I am at and pursues me relentlessly until I grasp hold of what is in store for me and my calling.
Well, as for other highlights of my time in Thailand, during a few of the afternoons off my friends and I got to do some excursions. One day we went to a monkey show. The monkeys are trained to do various tasks during the show such as lifting weights, shooting free throws into a basketball goal, and climbing trees to pick coconuts. There were really impressive and it is amazing what you can teach a monkey. On another day a friend and I got to play with and hold a baby tiger. There are so cute and just like a bigger kitten. And on one of the last days before a group of us had a chance to go and ride elephants. I have posted pictures of all my excursions, including the day that I met up with my friend Rebecca and her family at the zoo and Night Safari. Hope you enjoy.
Friday, January 14, 2011
In Thailand
Happy New Year! I want to post a quick blog to let you know that right now I am in Chiang Mai, Thailand for two weeks for a seminar/teaching time for my company. I really feel like this time will be very beneficial and will allow for continued growth in regards to leadership.
While we do have lots of meetings during our time here, we also have some free time to explore the city here, so I plan on riding an elephant sometime next week. Last week I discovered that my friend Rebecca and her mother, from Gainesville, GA were also going to be in Chiang Mai visiting her brother and his family, so yesterday I had the opportunity to join them at the zoo and to go on a night safari too. Both activities of the day were pretty amazing and I really had a great time catching up. On the Night Safari we were allowed to hand feed deer, zebra, giraffes, and pigs that would come up to you on the tram, which was really awesome. I personally got to pet a deer, which was pretty cool. I will post pictures and include more about my time here when I get back to China.
While we do have lots of meetings during our time here, we also have some free time to explore the city here, so I plan on riding an elephant sometime next week. Last week I discovered that my friend Rebecca and her mother, from Gainesville, GA were also going to be in Chiang Mai visiting her brother and his family, so yesterday I had the opportunity to join them at the zoo and to go on a night safari too. Both activities of the day were pretty amazing and I really had a great time catching up. On the Night Safari we were allowed to hand feed deer, zebra, giraffes, and pigs that would come up to you on the tram, which was really awesome. I personally got to pet a deer, which was pretty cool. I will post pictures and include more about my time here when I get back to China.
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