Sunday, June 1, 2008
what!?!? june?
and its june. how did that even happen? no way i have been in china nine and a half months already. i guess the date doesn't lie.
and...i'm back...blogging that is
hello faithful readers (mom and friends with google reader, which i highly recommend for everyone). i am back. my internet decided to stop working for 5 weeks. thanks to my incessant complaining, it is back. ridiculous. i suppose i could have attempted to blog from elsewhere, but when time elsewhere is limited, it is usually spent trying to email people back so they don't view me as a major bum. so i think i am going to go to bullet points to capture the last six weeks. in no particular order...
-there was a massive earthquake 350 miles north of my city. it has affected all of china one way or another. as for me personally, i didn't even really feel it, i was teaching on the second floor. but i guess my building swayed a bit and i ended up not having all my classes canceled for the day. my province is ok. the victims are well cared for. contacts of my fellowship here are working hard around the fringes to makes sure no one is falling through the cracks as far as aid goes. its been good to help out in that way even though it feels so minor. but please continue to be Thinking of the people there and Hoping for softened hearts and listening ears about a Love that conquers death and despair.
-my school is having an evaluation/inspection/accreditation in three weeks. this has meant massive amounts of construction and other superficial presentation type things. they had a type of practice inspection (i think they paid some kind of consultants to come in and tell them what they were doing wrong) a few weeks ago and it was crazy. there were no longer cars in the street, the buildings were squeaky clean, all of the students were in class, all of the students were wearing these little pins and such. the bathrooms didn't smell. it was crazy. and that was just practice. there were students at various posts around campus and there sole job was to...pick up cigarette butts, i know, exciting. but it was ridiculous. it was such a facade. it wasn't an accurate assessment of our campus at all. its not like our campus is in awful shape, but the show that was put on was sickening. its kind of like they just clean and fix everything on the surface so it looks good for a few weeks and then it all goes back to normal again. like now, you can't really tell that we had the practice round, but when the real inspection happens in three weeks, i can't imagine what campus will be like. i will report back about this-just funny highlights.
-oh, but because of the inspection. i am finished teaching on june 20th. my supervising professor didn't want me to have to worry about the pressure of being evaluated so she told me just to finish early. this is probably more for their benefit than mine, but i am definitely not complaining. you see, my classes aren't your typical chinese english classes. i dont think the whole having people moving all around the class talking about whatever comes to my mind really qualifies as the "task oriented" teaching they want to present at inspection time. but like i said, no complaints. and because there is a holiday next week my schedule is a little different and i had to move some speaking exams forward a week. my supervising professor decided she didn't want me to have to juggle exams and classes and all that so she decided to just make it so i only give exams in june. so the whole month of june, i work a total of 20 hours. but it does include me having conversations with 500 students, giving them an arbitrary speaking grade. oh, and after my supervising teacher cleared out my schedule she handed me 36 pages of a book she translated from chinese to english. i am going to look over it to make sure it's correct. this is very common in china. a you scratch my back, i scratch yours mentality. it even has its own special name-guanxi. its like networking and small favors on steroids. but i am happy to do it. after all, this is also the teacher that covers for me when i go on vacation.
-my good friend randi, aka doc, is coming visit me! she arrives june 25th. we are going to hang out in my city for a few days and then we are off to tour china. i am very very excited. it will be so nice to have a friend from home have a small glance at my experience here. i haven't quite worked out our travel itinerary yet because the earthquake kind of threw a wrench in my route. no worries though. it'll be sweet. but we will travel up to beijing together. she leaves the 17th of july for seattle. i leave the 18th for switzerland.
-yes, switzerland is working out. looks like i will be meeting 7(+?) amazing friends in rupperswil, switzerland in the end of july. i can't really express how amazing it will be. yeah. epic. and after a week in switzerland. and after switzerland it's off to germany with one of my best friends to see his birthplace among other things. and then a two day jaunt in dublin and back in good old michigan on august 2nd.
-i still have no idea where i will be heading after spending time at home in michigan. it looked like i might have a job opportunity in seattle, but it fell through, so i am back sitting in the dark just waiting for some guidance. i am just working on trusting and i know He is faithful, so no worries, but i am quite curious as to where i am going to be led. your Thoughts on this are beyond appreciated.
well, if you made it this far, i am very impressed. i think that is all i will focus on now. hopefully more consistent posts (hopefully with a little more flare and excitement) are in store for the days ahead. thanks for checking in.
-there was a massive earthquake 350 miles north of my city. it has affected all of china one way or another. as for me personally, i didn't even really feel it, i was teaching on the second floor. but i guess my building swayed a bit and i ended up not having all my classes canceled for the day. my province is ok. the victims are well cared for. contacts of my fellowship here are working hard around the fringes to makes sure no one is falling through the cracks as far as aid goes. its been good to help out in that way even though it feels so minor. but please continue to be Thinking of the people there and Hoping for softened hearts and listening ears about a Love that conquers death and despair.
-my school is having an evaluation/inspection/accreditation in three weeks. this has meant massive amounts of construction and other superficial presentation type things. they had a type of practice inspection (i think they paid some kind of consultants to come in and tell them what they were doing wrong) a few weeks ago and it was crazy. there were no longer cars in the street, the buildings were squeaky clean, all of the students were in class, all of the students were wearing these little pins and such. the bathrooms didn't smell. it was crazy. and that was just practice. there were students at various posts around campus and there sole job was to...pick up cigarette butts, i know, exciting. but it was ridiculous. it was such a facade. it wasn't an accurate assessment of our campus at all. its not like our campus is in awful shape, but the show that was put on was sickening. its kind of like they just clean and fix everything on the surface so it looks good for a few weeks and then it all goes back to normal again. like now, you can't really tell that we had the practice round, but when the real inspection happens in three weeks, i can't imagine what campus will be like. i will report back about this-just funny highlights.
-oh, but because of the inspection. i am finished teaching on june 20th. my supervising professor didn't want me to have to worry about the pressure of being evaluated so she told me just to finish early. this is probably more for their benefit than mine, but i am definitely not complaining. you see, my classes aren't your typical chinese english classes. i dont think the whole having people moving all around the class talking about whatever comes to my mind really qualifies as the "task oriented" teaching they want to present at inspection time. but like i said, no complaints. and because there is a holiday next week my schedule is a little different and i had to move some speaking exams forward a week. my supervising professor decided she didn't want me to have to juggle exams and classes and all that so she decided to just make it so i only give exams in june. so the whole month of june, i work a total of 20 hours. but it does include me having conversations with 500 students, giving them an arbitrary speaking grade. oh, and after my supervising teacher cleared out my schedule she handed me 36 pages of a book she translated from chinese to english. i am going to look over it to make sure it's correct. this is very common in china. a you scratch my back, i scratch yours mentality. it even has its own special name-guanxi. its like networking and small favors on steroids. but i am happy to do it. after all, this is also the teacher that covers for me when i go on vacation.
-my good friend randi, aka doc, is coming visit me! she arrives june 25th. we are going to hang out in my city for a few days and then we are off to tour china. i am very very excited. it will be so nice to have a friend from home have a small glance at my experience here. i haven't quite worked out our travel itinerary yet because the earthquake kind of threw a wrench in my route. no worries though. it'll be sweet. but we will travel up to beijing together. she leaves the 17th of july for seattle. i leave the 18th for switzerland.
-yes, switzerland is working out. looks like i will be meeting 7(+?) amazing friends in rupperswil, switzerland in the end of july. i can't really express how amazing it will be. yeah. epic. and after a week in switzerland. and after switzerland it's off to germany with one of my best friends to see his birthplace among other things. and then a two day jaunt in dublin and back in good old michigan on august 2nd.
-i still have no idea where i will be heading after spending time at home in michigan. it looked like i might have a job opportunity in seattle, but it fell through, so i am back sitting in the dark just waiting for some guidance. i am just working on trusting and i know He is faithful, so no worries, but i am quite curious as to where i am going to be led. your Thoughts on this are beyond appreciated.
well, if you made it this far, i am very impressed. i think that is all i will focus on now. hopefully more consistent posts (hopefully with a little more flare and excitement) are in store for the days ahead. thanks for checking in.
Friday, April 18, 2008
5 years ago...
So five years ago this weekend I made my first trip to Seattle. Little did I know what an impact the city of Seattle and Seattle Pacific University would have on me. People always say college is the greatest time or your life and a great opportunity for independence and all that jazz, but I could have never imagined how much I would grow and the things I would learn, and the relationships I would build. It's just crazy to think about.
I was encouraged not too long ago to think about life five years from now. So often people make short term, year goals, and work to accomplish them, but what about five years. So much has happened in my life in five years, but in a way, when you look at it, it doesn't seem all that intimidating. I mean, I have no idea what the next five years will look like for me, I mean, absolutely no idea. I just found out this week that I didn't get a job I was applying for in Seattle, so really there is nothing in front of me directing me. Just me looking upward for guidance. It's exciting really. But I am not sure, really the only thing I can hope for in the next five years is that I continue to look upward for guidance and find myself at peace in doing that. That would be my goal. Maybe the rest will take care of itself?
I do hope to return to Seattle though (not sure if it will be this year or when). I still remember being in awe of five years ago when I visited. And to think I really didn't even understand the city, or the NW, then and definitely didn't see my becoming as infatuated with it as I am now. Wow. Five years.
I was encouraged not too long ago to think about life five years from now. So often people make short term, year goals, and work to accomplish them, but what about five years. So much has happened in my life in five years, but in a way, when you look at it, it doesn't seem all that intimidating. I mean, I have no idea what the next five years will look like for me, I mean, absolutely no idea. I just found out this week that I didn't get a job I was applying for in Seattle, so really there is nothing in front of me directing me. Just me looking upward for guidance. It's exciting really. But I am not sure, really the only thing I can hope for in the next five years is that I continue to look upward for guidance and find myself at peace in doing that. That would be my goal. Maybe the rest will take care of itself?
I do hope to return to Seattle though (not sure if it will be this year or when). I still remember being in awe of five years ago when I visited. And to think I really didn't even understand the city, or the NW, then and definitely didn't see my becoming as infatuated with it as I am now. Wow. Five years.
Friday, April 11, 2008
new coffee with flaming toast
i ran out of coffee yesterday and thus switched to a new blend. it's not bad, but i guess i was pretty much obsessed with my old one (some seattle's best that my mom sent me). now i am drinking some tanzania blend from a american owned coffee place in town. why am i sharing this? i am not sure exactly. but i have been drinking coffee pretty consistently since a few months into living in china. not only does it taste dang good (something that i thought i never would have said, even 3 years ago), but i think its just "a little slice of home that warms the soul." (put in quotations because such a ridiculous amount of fuzzy feelings that exudes from that comment that i really hope someone else said it first). going to an ancient city today. should be good, but i need to scrounge up some breakfast first, i just let my toast catch on fire in the oven. thats my third uncharacteristic blunder in three days. is my head just too high in the clouds?
also in need of grace...
my english skills. i mean, i purposely don't bother with capitalization. but what respectable english teacher spells the word hear, h-e-r-e. and i am sure there are more mistakes, i just didn't want to read even farther (or is it further) through my post to remind me how much i am corrupting my students already lacking english. i suppose they should just be thankful i teach oral english and often the worst i can do is expose them to a little michigan accent action. i am just glad i have a job.
blundered
another work week is over. i don't understand this. how can it go so fast? what did i do the last five days. i mean i worked, but what else? did i really fit five days of activities in? looking back, i guess i did, but it just seems a little crazy in a way. i took part in my other extracurricular activities (interesting how that term still applies even as i have stopped being a student) and they were quality as always. especially some time spent with the guys today. two random, more humbling things that happened this week...i had told some friends here that i would come and teach a science lesson to their sons (ages 13,10,8?) this thursday. i had done this once already last term and was looking forward to doing it again. but obviously, not looking forward enough as i completely forgot to plan wednesday night and didn't even here my phone ring on six separate occasions thursday morning to remind me that i forgot. i felt so bad. they forgave me (well i am sure facing the boys on sunday will bring some well deserved blows), but still, for someone who focuses so much on responsibility, it was rather humbling and it really effected the rest of the day. the second humbling experience happened today. i got completely and utterly lost in my city. my city is not a big city. but i managed to somehow get just under a kilometer of course before i realized i wasn't even close to where i thought i was. i knew i didn't know where i was going, but i figured i was going in the right direction and i would come out somewhere obvious. no, not the case at all. i somehow managed to misdirect myself 90 degrees while going under a road (a common mistake by some, but something i typically pride myself in not succumbing to), cross under the biggest street in town without realizing i was going under it which would have led to my awareness of the previous turn, convince myself i was heading in the right direction and continue to proceed of track all the while thinking that the map just wasn't specific enough. wow. i really need to get over myself. when i first had a general idea of where i was i said to myself, no it can't be, i must be misreading the chinese. then sure enough another 200 meters later when i finally pinpointed my location i said, wow. what just happened? and had to take the next 5 minutes convincing myself that i could have made such a blunder, and even then i just wanted to blame it one me just enjoying the beats flowing from my iPod. most times i appreciate my sense of self confidence because it helps me out and typically things end up well. today, it screwed me over. at least i had my music to listen to while wandered.
not needless to say, i am humbled and thankful for grace which is abundantly bestowed upon me.
not needless to say, i am humbled and thankful for grace which is abundantly bestowed upon me.
Monday, April 7, 2008
a call to blog
so i am back. back from tiger leaping gorge to be specific. it was...epic. there aren't really words to articulate the experience. that being the case, i'll mastercard the experience...
-Trip duration: 110 hours
-Total travel time (in trains, buses, and vans): 48 hours
-Total time hiking through TLG: 9 hours
-Total time spent in gorge: 23 hours
-Pictures taken in Gorge: 185
-Average time elapsed between pictures: ~3 minutes (540 minutes/185)
-Elevation reached: 2670 m
-Elevation of surrounding mountains: 5396 m +
-Girls met that looked and acted exactly like my sister Betsy: 1
-Hours spent on a sleeper bus practically spooning (I don't fit laying straight) with some random Chinese man and a Welsh guy I had just met: 10
-Kisses on the cheek from Mama Naxi (the hyperactive Naxi minority woman that ran the hostel in Lijiang): 2
-Crappy Kung Fu movies forced to watch while in transit: at least 5
-Birthday messages received (it overlapped with the trip): ~35 (thank you friends)
-Times almost slipping and falling off the path into oblivion: 1 (the second slip would have just been a long rolling fiasco)
-Soles of shoe demolished: 1
-Villages trekked through on high trail: 3
-Sunrises witnessed over the previously mentioned mountains: 1
-Beautiful sunsets: 2
-Close calls in missing transit links: 0 (PTL)
-Hours spent contemplating life: lots
-Hours spent with friends in Kunming: 6.5
-Length of time playing Settlers of Catan b4 I was a huge fan: 30 minutes
-Blisters on feet: 4
-Cuts on hand: just 3
-Bends in the 900 m ascent to the high trail summit: 28, maybe 30
-Other hikers seen on the trail on day one: 1
-Analogies crafted on how my hiking in amazing places fits my spiritual life: 1 composed of about 10 supporting points.
-Overall experience: Priceless
Yeah. That's my trip. It was nice. I am hoping to squeeze in some more traveling at the beginning of May too. I really did enjoy going by myself. You meet so many interesting people, have great conversations, and you have a lot of time to work on moving towards solitude anchored in the Father's love. Maybe I will loosely share my analogy soon.
Cheers.
-Trip duration: 110 hours
-Total travel time (in trains, buses, and vans): 48 hours
-Total time hiking through TLG: 9 hours
-Total time spent in gorge: 23 hours
-Pictures taken in Gorge: 185
-Average time elapsed between pictures: ~3 minutes (540 minutes/185)
-Elevation reached: 2670 m
-Elevation of surrounding mountains: 5396 m +
-Girls met that looked and acted exactly like my sister Betsy: 1
-Hours spent on a sleeper bus practically spooning (I don't fit laying straight) with some random Chinese man and a Welsh guy I had just met: 10
-Kisses on the cheek from Mama Naxi (the hyperactive Naxi minority woman that ran the hostel in Lijiang): 2
-Crappy Kung Fu movies forced to watch while in transit: at least 5
-Birthday messages received (it overlapped with the trip): ~35 (thank you friends)
-Times almost slipping and falling off the path into oblivion: 1 (the second slip would have just been a long rolling fiasco)
-Soles of shoe demolished: 1
-Villages trekked through on high trail: 3
-Sunrises witnessed over the previously mentioned mountains: 1
-Beautiful sunsets: 2
-Close calls in missing transit links: 0 (PTL)
-Hours spent contemplating life: lots
-Hours spent with friends in Kunming: 6.5
-Length of time playing Settlers of Catan b4 I was a huge fan: 30 minutes
-Blisters on feet: 4
-Cuts on hand: just 3
-Bends in the 900 m ascent to the high trail summit: 28, maybe 30
-Other hikers seen on the trail on day one: 1
-Analogies crafted on how my hiking in amazing places fits my spiritual life: 1 composed of about 10 supporting points.
-Overall experience: Priceless
Yeah. That's my trip. It was nice. I am hoping to squeeze in some more traveling at the beginning of May too. I really did enjoy going by myself. You meet so many interesting people, have great conversations, and you have a lot of time to work on moving towards solitude anchored in the Father's love. Maybe I will loosely share my analogy soon.
Cheers.
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