Great Wall...Great Weekend

I had a Good China Weekend. 

I went to my TA’s wedding on Saturday…my first China wedding.  It was beautiful!

That night we rode our bikes to an Indian restaurant.  We took a wrong turn and a 20 minute bike ride turned into an hour-long bike tour of the city.  We saw some fun new things and got practice weaving in and out of heavier traffic, so that was good!  :)  And we were certainly hungry by the time we got to the restaurant!  The food was so delicious (hao chi!).

Yesterday, on Sunday, we went to the Huangyaguan Pass of the Great Wall.  It was a really great day!  When we got to the wall, we decided to buy trolley tickets and ride to the top, then walk down.  It sounded easy enough… 

Well, when we got to the top of the hill we realized that it wasn’t so much walking down the Wall as walking UP and down a mountain.  The first stretch was mostly uphill, so we were out of breath within 5 minutes... 

 

 A lot of this section of the wall has been restored.  There was one area that didn't have steps...just uneven rocks with a handrail on one side and caution tape and a mountainside on the other.  That part was really scary, hence me not having any pictures of it.  We walked up and down the mountain for quite a while, enjoying the scenery and taking pictures.  It's hard to believe human hands built such a massive structure... It is really amazing. 

 

Wall-climbing buddy

 

 So after about an hour or hour and a half of walking, we came to this point in the hike and realized we were going to die before we made it to the end...either by falling down a mountain or from exhaustion. 

 

 

(This isn't important information, but inside the tower at the bottom of this hill some guy had set up a creepy little souvenir shop...it was weird.) 

At the bottom of the hill we stopped to catch our breath and take a few pictures of my Toms on the Great Wall. We also got some pictures of people sleeping in random public places to add to our collection.  People in China (especially men) will sleep anywhere. 

We began the trek down the wall again, not sure how much longer until we would get to the exit point...if we made it to the exit point at all.  Then we came across a beautiful sight - horses and guides for hire.  There wasn't really a question of whether or not we would take a horse down the side of the mountain rather than continue walking.  Of course we were going to ride the horses.  There was one small problem, though... 

All of the tour guides were asleep.  Every single one.  The lady in the bottom right corner of this picture was actually snoring.  We walked up an I said "Ni hao."  No answer.  A little louder, "Ni hao!"  Only a snore in response.  My roommate Nzinga (who is walking up the middle of them in this picture), turned around in disbelief.  "NI HAO!"  Nothing.  Nzinga and I had a conversation in very loud voices and no one stirred.  So we stood there and awkwardly stared at them for what seemed like forever.  Finally I tried one more time.  "Ahem...Ni hao!"  A lady woke up and said something in Chinese.  "Blah, blah, blah, ¥100 each."  So I pointed to Nzinga and myself, "Liange ren, ¥100" (two people, ¥100.)  She and her friend laughed and she came back with ¥100 each...the original price.  Uh, no.  There was no way were were paying that much...and there was no way we were walking any further down the Wall.  I kept negotiating in Chinese (my teacher would be so proud!) until we agreed on a price.  I just learned how to say prices in Chinese class, so it was fun to use my language, limited as it may be! 

The horse ride was really fun!  We made it down the wall in a fraction of the time it would have taken us to walk. 

As fun as all of those things were, the most fun part of the trip for me was what came AFTER the wall.  When we got back to the bottom we looked around the souvenir shops, which all carry exactly the same thing (how do they all stay in business?).  We bought some dried fruit, but nothing else was worth buying.  We were looking for a place to sit in the shade and enjoy our snacks when a police officer motioned us over to the trolley where he was sitting.  He had us sit down and he proceeded to try to talk to us in Chinese for the next hour.  He didn't know any English, so we used what little Chinese we know.  He told us about the Wall (none of which I understood) and sang a song in Chinese.  He did a little war reenactment for us which was unexpected and really funny.  Soon another guy had joined us, and then another and another.  They knew about as much English as I do Chinese, so our conversation was really interesting.  We used charades and pointing and exchanged lots of confused looks. I was able to communicate a little bit, though, and we had such a great time!  I was surprised by how much Chinese I know!  (which still isn't very much, but WAY more than I knew 2 months ago.) At one point we met an English tour guide/interpreter.  Finally we had to go and the group disbanded.  It was so great to sit down with those people, try to use a language I barely know, laugh, and learn.  I loved having to think so hard and listen so carefully.  I felt so honored that they took the time to sit down and talk with us.  It was a perfect ending to a perfect weekend! 

Bicycle ramblings...

I spent a good part of the weekend on my bike.  Here are a few thoughts from my journeys.


1. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.  If all of the Romans are riding through a busy intersection when its not their turn, I'm going with them.  There's strength in numbers.

2. One short warning beep is sufficient.  No need to wear out your horn to let me know you're behind me.  I'm foreign, not deaf.

3. There's a bike lane.  People drive their cars in the bike lane to get around the other traffic, only to then have to merge back over or avoid killing a bicyclist.  People park their cars in the bike lane which means bicyclists have to drive in the car lane, and people honk at them for being in the car lane, and then honk at them for being in their way in the bike lane while they are trying to park their cars there.  Also, sidewalks are acceptable parking places for cars.

4. Buses won't necessarily stop or even yield just because they have a red light...

5. The old guy on the bike in front of you that keeps swerving and preventing you from passing may be an inconvenience, but just be thankful he's not behind the wheel of a car.

6. Always check over your left shoulder.

7. The bike guy under the bridge is much less sketchy than he sounds.

...to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly...

My brain really can't put into words what my heart experienced today.

This post is mostly for my own processing, but please feel free to read about my experience. It's all part of the journey.

Today I went to the orphanage for the first time. As I was mentally preparing myself early this morning, I was keenly aware that this was going to change me. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was what I imagined in some ways, yet nothing like I imagined.

We signed in with the guards at the gate and the lady who works with volunteers took us into the big orange building.  The first floor is a medical ward, so volunteers aren't typically permitted there.  After seeing some of the building, we went to the second floor where the babies are.  The older kids have recently been moved to another larger facility, so all of the children in this particular orphanage are under the age of 3 or 4.  We peeked into a room where babies were sleeping.  Then we visited the toddler room, and my heart immediately broke for the sweet faces I saw there.  There was one little boy walking around, a volunteer was holding a baby with a feeding tube, and the rest were in their beds.  Some were sitting up and some with more severe disabilities aren't able to sit up.  One little boy completely stole my heart... He is missing half of one arm.  He was so curious and kept looking at me and touching my hands.  He showed me his little shoes and gave me a half-smile. A lady told me that people were interested in adopting him but they gave up so now he doesn't have a family waiting for him.  He is so worth fighting for!  I hope I get to see him again next week.

 We peeked into a few other rooms on our way to the infant rooms.  When we got there, the Ayis swept into the hallway with babies and bottles, and before I knew what was happening, each of us was handed a baby to feed.  My baby, ChiChi (My best guess at the Chinese spelling...) wasn't hungry, so I just held her, rocked her, talked to her, and lifted her up to the Father-that someone will see her as an incredible blessing and give her a home.  She was so, so sweet.  Apparently she was brought in as a premie and now she's about 4 or 5 months old.  Next I held another little guy who is only 1 month old.  He held my gaze the whole time I was talking to him.  I snuggled him up on my chest and tried to understand how someone could abandon such a precious baby...a precious life.  I kissed his tiny head and put him back into his bed... He cried as I walked away, so I went back and rubbed his belly and talked to him for another minute, and he stopped crying.  When I walked away he started wimpering again but I had to go.  It killed me to leave him there, but I was so thankful for the women who spend their days caring for him and the other children.  They have such a tough, thankless job.

I went into another room and was greeted by a big smile from BingBing.  I tickled her belly and she giggled... The baby in the crib next to her just stared at me curiously.  I talked to them for a minute and just took it all in...still trying to understand...praying for someone to love them...praying for a home and a future for them...thanking Him that His love for me allows me to love them.

Next we saw the activity room where volunteers and Ayis can take babies to play.  There were lots of toys on the shelves and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to use them with the babies.  We saw one more room on our way out - a room lined with at least 15 cribs, each with a little one in it.  It was time for their nap, so the Ayis were getting them settled in.  When we walked in, one baby started crying, which caused another baby to cry, and so on.  It was so overwhelming...

When we left, I asked the lady if I can come back next week and she said I can.  I'm excited for the opportunity to be involved - not because it's fun, but because holding a baby that may otherwise spend most of its day in a crib is worth it... because being consistent and loving is such a simple way to show them that someone loves them and that their Creator loves them... because He adopted me.

Here are a few verse that have been ringing in my heart all day... 
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
 "...to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly..."

I wish I could post photos of these little ones but I'm not allowed to take pictures.  Just know that they are precious.

Key (Cat)astrophe

This is the face of a cat whose days are numbered.

.

.

.

Not really, because it's not my cat.

I was having a great day.... I rode my bike to the park and then to Emart (sort of like The Greene for my Dayton friends).  I had a delicious cup of coffee and a refreshing bike ride back home.  With my roommates gone for the rest of the week, I was so excited for a warm shower and an early night.  I got home around 9pm and was greeted by my two furry houseguests.  After I walked in I remembered that I needed to swipe our electric card out in the hallway to put units (or however it's measured) of electricity back on our account.  As I stepped out into the hallway to swipe the card...mind you, something that should have taken 3 seconds...the cats tried to escape from the apartment, per usual.  Without thinking, I pushed the door closed to keep them inside.  Normally that wouldn't be a problem, except that our door locks automatically.  So there I stood, electric card in hand, house keys and cell phone inside the apartment.  

I'm not ready to laugh about the events that followed...but maybe some day. 

I have visited about 5 different apartments in our complex since I've been here.  Two people live fairly close to me, so I went to their houses first to see if they 1) had a spare key or 2) knew where to find a spare key.  I went across the street to an apartment where I had dinner this past weekend, so its location was still fresh in my mind.  I knocked about 5 times and didn't get an answer, so I went on to the next apartment.  I knocked several times and again, no answer.  By this point I was feeling a little discouraged, but I thought, "Hey!  I have this card...and China is still a little old-fashioned in many ways...I saw my dad use a credit card to break into things when I was younger...It's worth a shot!"  So I came back to my apartment and tried swiping my electric card in the door.  After that failed miserably, I remembered that our apartment has 2 more doors upstairs, so I went upstairs to try those.  Of course the door at the top of the stairs was locked, so I went out onto the roof.  I was just sitting out on the patio there earlier today, so I thought maybe that door was still unlocked.  I then proceeded to climb OVER the patio railing, which is almost as tall as me, in a maxi dress.  With a sprained wrist, dirty hands, and rusty-metal scrapes, I made it onto the patio.  Of course I was responsible and had secured the door earlier in the day, and all of the windows upstairs have bars on them so I couldn't even climb through them.  Looking around, I realized I was now trapped on the patio and, after several painful attempts, struggled back over the railing onto the roof.  Back down the stairs...back down the elevator...back to square 1. 

Next I made my way across the lake to some girlfriends' apartment.  I knocked for several minutes and didn't even hear a stir inside.  At this point I was convinced that the rapture had happened and I was the only one left in China.  Beginning to panic, I made my way back to the main area of the complex and reassessed.  There were three other people I had visited in our complex, but I had only been to each place once and I wasn't entirely sure where any of them lived.  The tricky thing about our complex is that most buildings have 9ish entrances (gates), so even though I knew one family lived in building 5, I still had no clue where to go.  So I did what any panicked foreigner would do.  I started at the top floor and made my way down, stopping at ever floor.  I went to three gates before I found the right apartment...so that's approximately 30 floors I stopped on looking for help.  By that point I had almost given up hope and decided to sleep in my hallway and wear the same clothes until my roommates come back on Friday.  After knocking again for several minutes with no answer, I was done with the whole situation and I was ready to murder the cats...

I went to the last familiar building where I knew two families live.  Again, I started at the top floor and made my way down.  THANKFULLY there are signs on most of the staff's doors, so after 10 floors I found a door I recognized and knocked several times again before someone answered. SOMEONE ANSWERED! I have never been so relieved.  I felt terrible to bother them (by this point it was at least 10:15), but they were incredibly gracious.  They called around until they found someone with spare keys.  The lady with the keys met us outside and walked back to my apartment with me to let me in.  

I wish the story stopped there.

When we got back to the apartment, I put the key in the hole and tried to turn it.  Nothing happened.  My heart sank.  I looked at her...she looked at me...we both looked at the door.  Somehow I felt like the cats were responsible for this too.  We tried again...still nothing.  I figured that the key must be for the 11th floor, so we went up the stairs to try the other door.  They key went in and turned, but the door wouldn't open.  Apparently if the deadbolt is locked from the inside the door won't even open with a key.  Why is that a good idea?  I have no idea.  We tried and tried but the door obviously wasn't going to open.  So again I went over the railing (good thing I got a tetanus shot before I came) and again the patio door didn't open.  If someone hadn't been with me I would have slept in the patio chair.  I climbed back over the railing and accepted the fact that I would be sleeping in a stranger's apartment and going to school in the same black dress I wore yesterday.  

Back at the kind lady's apartment (which just happens to be on the complete opposite side of our enormous apartment complex), we decided to look through the keys one more time.  And there it was...my apartment key.  

Another 10 minute walk later... 

I prayed the whole way up the elevator.  When we got to the top, I took a deep breath and tried the first key.  Nothing.  I tried the second key and, miracle of miracles, it opened.  I said goodbye to the lady (and her dog who had joined us for the second voyage) and opened the door to find two innocent-looking cats waiting for me.  

So the moral of the story is:
1) Mom, my apartment is VERY secure.
2) I'm NEVER getting a pet cat.

A Few September Thoughts

Well, August came and went...it was over before I knew it!  My journey thus far has been filled with ups, downs, and lots of learning.  The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know or understand.  But then again, the more I learn about other people, other cultures, myself, and my Father, the more I want to know!

One of the biggest victories for me this month has been surviving.  No, seriously...it's only by Grace that I'm still alive!  I was sure by now I would have died from one of my ten thousand mosquito bites or hunger.  Between the three people in my house, we have accumulated negative points for cooking.  I mean, we did okay for the first few weeks when we weren't working and had time to scavenge and cook.  Since school started, though, there is really only time for cooking OR shopping, not both.  The people at school were quick to set us up with an Ayi (Chinese for "Auntie"), so we haven't starved and hopefully she'll stick around and help us get through the next few years.  She is an AMAZING cook!  Today she made jaozi, which is like a Chinese dumpling.  They were SO YUMMY and my roommates are out of town on a camping trip, so guess who ate most of the jaozi!  :)

I sort of started September with a cloud hanging over my head, and I'm not just talking about the super thick, suffocatingly hazy, way-too-humid Tianjin skies.  I woke up one day feeling like a total grump and I just couldn't shake it.  I was sad to be missing the start my favorite season in Ohio - changing weather, falling leaves, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, football season, sweaters, scarves, bonfires, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, shopping for new hats, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, etc, etc, etc.  Did I mention I am really sad to be missing Pumpkin Spice Lattes?  I was also struggling a little (or a lot) to align the expectations I brought with me to China with the reality of my situation here.

Anyway, I decided that I needed a day of rest and Quiet Time with my Father who knows my heart and is the only one who can give me Peace.  This past Sunday was a gloomy, rainy day, so it was a perfect day to spend the morning in the Word, lifting up my attitude and my asking for peace.  I asked to see things that I can love about autumn in China.  I also asked for clarity - how does He want me to serve others here, and how can I have a life outside of work/work friends? I made a commitment to capture things I love about China and I'm continuing to look for ways to connect with people outside of school.  I'm hopeful that eventually I'll find balance and meet more Chinese people. I also started learning Mandarin, so I can't wait to start communicating with people in our community! Here is the beginning of my "things I love about China" photo collection.  :)  Collecting photos has been a huge encouragement to me this week!  I'll organize them into categories, because I'm OCD like that.

Places

"Trash Mountain"

Our beautiful school

Momo's Cafe

 Technology

Little moments with precious students

Quaint, simple China life

Roommates and fellow adventurers 

Problem solving

Three bikes in an elevator...

...and three people.

Blue sky gets its own category...

After the rain on Sunday, the grey skies lifted and we've had beautiful days since then!  The humidity has let up so much that it feels like I'm living in a totally different place.  I'm SO THANKFUL for the sunshine and cooler temps.  PTL! My heart is certainly more at peace this week. I read something today that really helped a lot with my expectations vs. reality battle as well.  I'll leave you with this thought. 

"Everything we do has eternal significance."

Clothes, clothes, and more clothes

When I packed to move to China, I only packed what I could carry with me on the plane - 2 suitcases, a duffel bag, a storage tub, a carry-on, and a backpack.  So needless to say much of my wardrobe didn't make it to China.  I was DELIGHTED to be invited along on some clothes-hunting adventures this weekend! 

On Friday we went to another staff member's apartment to meet her tailor.  We bought (way too much) fabric at the Fabric Market a few weekends ago and have been collecting ideas for things to make out of it.  After looking at my mountain of fabric, the tailor suggested that we start with just a few items and then go from there.  haha... I showed the her pictures of what I want, she measured me, made a few notes, and then did some brainstorming and sketching for my roommate.  Hopefully I will have a custom-made dress and skirt in a few weeks!  I'm so excited!  I have plenty more fabric to keep her busy for most of the coming decade, so we'll see what all I end up with!  :)

Saturday was a busy day of shopping.  We went to a market called Shu Guang Li.  It's a huge outdoor/indoor market, sort of like a flea market.  They had everything!  Some places were a little disorganized and we had to dig through piles, and other places were more like actual stores.  All of it was super cheap and just a fun experience altogether.  I got several cardigans, shirts, rainboots, a skirt, a dress, a really nice leather purse, and a clock for our apartment!  The clock has a really funny Engrish phrase on it... Something like, "I wish you happy hour, happy day, every year happy, health forever."  It's awesome. My friends got a kitten on the way out...I'm so glad we didn't cave and get one!  I'll probably go back to Shu Guang Li in a few weeks when they put out their fall/winter clothes and boots!  :)

In other news, I've  decided that I love when Chinese people try to talk to me in Chinese.  They always say it once, when I look confused they say it again slower, and then if that doesn't work they write the CHINESE characters on their hands to help me understand.  Because clearly I can read Chinese characters.  That's my favorite thing...it makes me laugh every time! :)

Piles of super cheap cardigans

Food vendor at Shu Guang Li