November 2008

Last week, during a lower level English class, I presented my students with a simple question, “if you had 10 million RMB, what would you buy?” One student said he would buy a hotel. One said she would travel around the world. The last student to answer the question said that he would buy a car. So of course I asked him what kind of car he would buy, expecting him to say something to the effect of Ferrari or Lamborghini.

He said he would buy a Buick. Go figure.

This is my first Thanksgiving…

…alone. And by alone, I do mean alone. Bo had to fly back to the States for visa issues and work, so I’m here in China, alone, on Thanksgiving.

…to work. Can you believe that?!? My school had the nerve to make me work on Thanksgiving day! Who cares that the holiday is ONLY celebrated in my country? I still have rights, don’t I? Okay, maybe not.

…to eat duck instead of turkey. I spent a lovely evening with my fellow teachers, eating Beijing Duck. It definitely didn’t stack up to a good ole turkey dinner, but it was the best we could come up with. It had a beak, so close enough for China.

All in all, it was just another day. Nothing special. But I think maybe this year I am more thankful than ever before. Thankful for the opportunity to live in this crazy country for awhile. Thankful for a husband who is worth it. Thankful that I am an American and can always move back. Thankful for our wonderful families who do everything they can to help and support us, even from 8000 miles away. Thankful for a job that almost didn’t happen and a place to live. Thankful for like-minded friends/neighbors who have done so much for us already and who will help me get through the next 2+ week alone. Thankful, thankful, thankful. To Him, of course. 

By the way…HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANNA!!! I am thankful for you, too! Sorry I’m a day late, but I sent good thoughts your way yesterday!

If you ever visit China, be sure to eat at least one meal at a hot pot restaurant. Sort of like Chinese fondue!

You start out with hot oil, you get to choose 2 different flavors that basically determine the level of spiciness-we ordered one plain (white) and one medium spicy (red). I was with a girlfriend, so I actually got to sample both flavors. If I had been with Bo, I wouldn’t have been able to eat the burn-your-tastebuds-off spicy oil that he would have ordered.

As the oil heats up, and slowly comes to a boil, the servers bring the meat and veggies to the table. My friend wanted me to try EVERYTHING, so the food kept coming, and coming, and coming. It was hilarious!

Once the oil starts boiling, you just start dumping stuff in. After a few minutes of cooking… bon appetit!

Note: I have always loved vegetables, and since I have been here, I have discovered a whole new world of veggies that I never knew existed. I didn’t realize that we Americans were so deprived!!

Following up on the recent random blog…

The reason I went for acupuncture is because I hurt my shoulder about 2 weeks ago (not really sure how), and I was in some pain. Any time I turned my head to one side, it was painful, and I was also having some trouble sleeping.

One of my students is a Chinese doctor and offered to give me a Chinese massage during my dinner break one night at school. Now don’t get too excited. This wasn’t relaxation with aromatherapy and soft, soothing music. No, no, no. She basically beat the tar out of me for 30 minutes. And then suggested the acupuncture.

Call me crazy, but the next day, my friend Mary and I went across town to have acupuncture and more Chinese massage, and I am here to report that I am now pain free. As a matter of fact, my pain was gone just hours after the acupuncture. I can’t say for certain that the needles did the trick, but I think it really helped.

So, here is the scoop about the actual procedure- she inserted several needles into various pressure points on my back, shoulders, and hands. The needles hurt when they went in, but once they were in, I couldn’t feel them. The pain was very minor. That part you probably already knew. But did you know that she also hooks the needles up to electric current and makes your muscles “twitch” for 20 minutes?? This was a surprise to me, too. The first few minutes were weird, but then it actually felt good. Sort of like that relaxing massage I didn’t get. 

After the acupuncture, she beat the tar out of me again. And yes, I paid money for all of this. Is there something seriously wrong with me, or what?!

Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure:

If any of you have visited the site the past few days, then you probably noticed that it has been in maintenance mode. Well, I am not the most computer savvy girl in the world, but I decided to tackle the project of updating my version of WordPress AND redesigning my theme (the way the blog looks). The task probably took me 10 times longer than it would take the average person, but I did it FINALLY! I even learned some new web design stuff (css coding-fun!), so it was worth the hassle.

Anyway, I should be able to get back on track with the blogging now that everything is fixed (which means a follow-up post to the “random” one per a couple of requests). But in the meantime… what do you think of the new look??

And one last random question… Has anyone heard Carrie Underwood’s song called “The More Boys I Meet, the More I Love My Dog“?? It is so funny!! Listening to it right now…

Our blog was tagged by Jo this week, which means that I have to tell you 7 random facts about myself. I doubt anyone cares, but…

1. Bo and I got engaged 2 and-a-half months after our first date.

2. If I ever have a daughter, her first name will be a month of the year, and her middle name will be the same as my dad’s middle name.

3. I always wanted to travel the world and maybe even live abroad. I had a pretty long list of places that I wanted to see. China wasn’t on the list.

4. This is the first time since I got married (6 years ago) that I have felt completely settled and permanent. Like we have finally reached a point where we aren’t “waiting for the next thing.” Funny that this finally happened in China… the locale that didn’t make the list.

5. When I found out I was moving here (about a year ago), I started reading a few blogs written by families who are currently serving in China. I do not know these families personally, and they live quite a long distance from Qingdao, but reading their blogs regularly really helped me prepare for life in China. And even after I got here, I continued reading the blogs because I had become so interested in their stories.

Last Sunday, I randomly came face-to-face with one of the blog families I had been stalking. I recognized the wife from the blog and blurted out “Hey! You’re Keeping Up With the Joneses!” And if you can believe it, we ended up having Sunday lunch with them! It was very random. This country has 1.4 billion people in it, and we just happened to meet during their 4 day visit to my city. Coincidence? I think not! 

6. I had acupuncture today.

7. I think my biological clock is broken.

Okay, so technically, I am supposed to tag other bloggers to continue this. Unfortunately, all of the bloggers that I follow have already been tagged or don’t read my blog. And most of the people that I know read my blog don’t have blogs. SO, if you are reading this, and you have a blog, you need to leave me a comment so I can tag you in a later post. Otherwise, I guess I just broke the chain (is that bad luck or something??).