Updated on August 2, 2011
Welcome to the library
Around these parts the days are growing shorter and the to do lists are growing longer. We’ve now reached the point in the semester where we can count the classes remaining on one hand, and the point where teachers say, “We just need one more week.” There are Christmas gifts to be bought, cookies to be baked, parties to be held, countless papers to be graded, and looming deadlines for graduate work.
All of these put together means that my camera has sadly been gathering dust most days, and my words are expended in places other than here. However, today I thought I would let you all join me in our foreign teacher’s library. The English department has given us a room in the main teaching building where we’ve set up a collection of English books, magazines, and movies. Four afternoons a week, we open the space up to students for a couple hours. Each of us foreign teachers have a day we’re “on duty” and we have senior English majors who also assist us in the library.
Kami and I are on duty on Tuesdays. We have a solid group of about five students who make an appearance each week, and then there are often a few new faces as well. In lieu of awkward small talk conversations, Tuesday has turned into card playing day.
The favorite game of the library is Monopoly Deal, a game that turns the eternally long board game into a quick and challenging card game.
The deck of cards is rather complex, so it takes a bit for students to get the hang of the game.
Thankfully, we have the ever patient and helpful Stella as an assistant.
She has taught the game again. And again. And again.
Freeing up Kami and I to chat with students.
Have I mentioned I love Stella?
While it takes a bit to learn, the students have quickly fallen in love with the game.
And Kami and I have fallen in love with how quickly it makes the minutes fly by.
Updated on August 2, 2011
Snowfalls and identity
The snow swirled around us furiously as we walked across campus. We had just finished watching the third Lord of the Rings movie, and the combination of the lingering emotions from the film and the hushed scenery meant there were few words passing between us. There was little to interrupt the crunch of our boots in the freshly fallen snow, and we were both perfectly content with the silence. We are friends and sisters and there’s no pressure to make small talk.
“I was watching a TV show late last night.” She paused, I waited, a muted “mmmm” escaping my lips, as I anticipated some commentary on American culture.
“One character said to another, ‘What would happen if the thing that you work so hard for, that gives you your identity and purpose, was taken away from you?'” She paused again. I started prepping a mini sermon in my head, little expecting that she was about to become the teacher and I the student. Little expecting that she had words I needed to hear. I glanced over, and caught the joyous grin erupting on her face.
“I just got so excited at that moment! Because I realized that there’s no one and nothing that can take away what gives me my identity. I’ve found the one thing in this world that can’t be changed. I was so happy that I wanted to tell someone, but it was late and everyone was asleep.” The wonder and excitement in her voice was palpable. With childlike glee, she jogged a few steps ahead so that she could slide along the road on the newly fallen snow.
I followed behind. Halted in heart and mind by her beauty and wisdom. And reflecting. Where am I placing my identity? In being a good teacher? A good teammate? A good photographer? A good writer? A good daughter? Ultimately, all of these should not be what defines me. Ultimately, if any of these were to change and be taken away from me, my identity should remain strong.
I am a beloved daughter of the King. And no one and nothing can take that from me. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing. Even more beautiful than the sparkle of a freshly fallen snow under a starlit sky.
Updated on August 2, 2011
Nothing says Thanksgiving…
Nothing says Thanksgiving like pine trees decked with shiny garland and colorful pieces of paper.
Yes, I said Thanksgiving. Not Christmas. You won’t find a single tree adorned come Christmas day in these parts. But Thanksgiving?
Apparently, it’s become a tradition to deck out the trees in front of the foreign language building in celebration of the day. If you’ve lingered in these parts for a long time, you may remember the Thanksgiving trees from last year. I had completely forgotten about them until I rounded the corner on my way to class today and was greeted by a menagerie of brightly colored papers and garland.
Fortunately, on a whim I had thrown my camera in my bag on the way out the door.
It is wonderful to see the school embracing and encouraging an attitude of giving thanks. It’s become common for students to call their parents on this day to thank them and express their love–something that is very rarely, if ever, done in China. Love just isn’t directly and verbally expressed, but motivated by the spirit of foreign holidays, students are picking up the phone and awkwardly communicating words that I’m quite certain their parents love to hear.
In an effort to increase my students’ thankfulness for having me as a teacher; I decided to give a quiz this Thanksgiving. Yep, I’m that kind of teacher. Some day my students will thank me!
After classes, Kami, Lauren, Stella and I headed out for a very traditional Thanksgiving feast at KFC. Nothing quite says Thanksgiving like fries, a Mexican chicken wrap, and lemonade.
In actuality, I found the dinner to be quite satisfying (that’s what six years in China will do to you), and the company quite excellent. This Thanksgiving, I’m most thankful for the people the Father has drawn close around me…both geographically and relationally. I hope you all are able to enjoy the day with those you love! 
Updated on August 2, 2011
Welcome to the team Madeline!
In the wee hours of Sunday morning stateside, the Wus welcomed Madeline Jane to this world.
Is she not absolutely gorgeous?
Can’t wait to meet her…and welcome the rest of the Wus back…in February!
Updated on August 2, 2011
Sunday Snapshot: Coffee Therapy
The therapeutic potential contained within a good cup of coffee is truly astounding.
At 6:30 AM yesterday, as the sun began to greet the day, the team headed off to the train station for our “chase-the-blues-away” trip to Shenyang. The good news was we were able to find seats despite our standing only tickets. The bad news was the train we thought was an hour and a half long ended up being three hours long.
Which meant that when we rolled into Shenyang at ten, and promptly rolled into the train station McDonald’s, we had already missed the breakfast menu. And so, instead of the normal breakfast fare, we all consumed McDonald’s hamburgers. At 10 AM. And they tasted good. Oh how far I’ve fallen…
After visiting Ronald, we hopped into cabs for a quick jaunt across town to the walking street. Once there, we made a beeline for one of the few places in China that looks, smells and tastes just like home.
A steaming hot toffee nut latte? Comfy chairs? Bing Crosby serenading in the background with Christmas cheer? Time to just sit and be and laugh and chat and read? Utterly blissful.
While some lingered, others went out in hunt of an English movie, and ended up scoring tickets to the new Harry Potter movie. The boys ordered more coffee and the girls headed out for a bit of shopping before the movie. And I very quickly was reminded how much I hate European sizing. For the life of me I cannot figure it out. It doesn’t help that the sizes aren’t exactly standard in the least here. With the movie time drawing near, and the desire to pick up lunch beforehand (because we hadn’t consumed enough calories already) the girls abandoned the hunt for the perfect jeans.
After a stop at Subway, we nestled into a tiny little theater for a couple hours of wizardly entertainment…and all promptly decided that Hermione is the true hero of the flick. Movie finished, the boys headed to wherever boys head to shop, and the girls returned to the jeans hunt. After trying on a ridiculous, and I mean ridiculous, amount of pairs I actually–for the first time in six years–found a pair of jeans that fit me perfectly in China.
Satisfied with our victory, the girls met up with the boys for a leisurely pizza dinner. The pizza joint just so fortunately happens to share the space with a Baskin Robbins, providing a perfect end to the meal. Bellies full, and heart full of new resolve to get back to my workout routine, we all joined hands and in an instant were magically transported back home. Oh wait, that doesn’t work in real life. Unfortunately we headed back to the train station and were greeted with the news that our train was delayed, which was just the beginning of the bad news. The ride back? Not so idyllic. Actually far from it. But the rest of the day? Good food, coffee, and company? Just what the doctor ordered.
Updated on August 2, 2011
Thanksgiving came early
We broke a lot of traditions with our thanksgiving celebration this year. There was no turkey. There wasn’t even a chicken (a whole one at least). The dishes were not planned out and coordinated (and hence it was a somewhat odd conglomeration of food). I didn’t make my grandma’s famous rolls. We ate off of transformer paper plates (left over from a birthday party) on top of a fall leaf tablecloth. We celebrated on the wrong day.
And honestly? None of those traditions mattered too much this year.
What mattered was the family…and I mean family in every sense of the word except genetics…sharing a table together for the last time. We’re a group of people brought together from all corners of the States, from various walks of life and with greatly varying personalities. But for a season the Father saw fit to bring each of us together to love and live life and serve alongside each other.
And while there are moments when we drive each other bonkers, there’s a deep love and a unity in purpose that covers those moments.
So we sat. And ate. And talked. And laughed. Laughed a lot…that’s one of the things we do best.
And several hours later, in the wee hours of the morning before the sun peeked over the horizon, table cleared and dirty dishes stacked in the kitchen, we came together again. This time to pack a large pile of luggage (imagine moving a family of five across the ocean in suitcases) and five dearly loved people in a van bound for the airport. Needless to say, there’s a bit of a gaping hole left around these parts today. A hole that we will attempt to fill (or at least ignore) with a team trip to Shenyang tomorrow. Because there’s nothing like good coffee and pizza for drowning your sorrows in.
Updated on August 2, 2011
Fall, winter and changes underfoot
Life seems to be changing around here faster than the leaves fell from the trees. Which, in case you couldn’t guess, is quite a rapid pace. In fact we haven’t seen fall leaves around here for more than a week…they’ve been chased and smothered by several substantial snows that have changed the scenery around here from fall to winter.
In addition to battling with an inch thick layer of ice on the sidewalks (no wipeouts yet, thank you very much), I’ve been battling a nasty infection brought on either by the change in weather and my failure to wear enough clothes (my students’ explanation) or the massive amount of germs I encounter daily in my work as a teacher (my explanation). Thankfully, a persistent cough is about all that lingers from that illness, but it did knock me off my feet for a few days.
Any day now, our team is eagerly expecting the news that we’ve grown by one. The Wus, who are in the States this semester, will be welcoming (hopefully this week) a new daughter to the world. We will be excited to welcome the little bundle, and the rest of the Wu clan, back to these parts next semester.
Currently my house is crammed with the smell of cooking apples on their way to becoming applesauce. Tomorrow night the team will be celebrating Thanksgiving a week early, because early Friday morning we must say farewell to the Clements who are heading back to the States. It will be a bittersweet Thanksgiving as we celebrate the ways in which the Father has been very present during a very challenging semester, and try to say goodbye to a family that is very near and very dear to our hearts.
In the midst of all the emotions and changes of this semester, I’m daily thankful for the solid foundation on which my feet stand. I’m praising and thanking the one who in His timing transforms mourning to singing, and weeping to dancing.
Sing praises to the Father, you his faithful people, praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning…You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. My Father, I will praise you forever. {Psalm 30}
Updated on August 2, 2011
Food for thought: the Great Stories
Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they are. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding on to Sam?
Sam: That’s there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.
{Taken from The Two Towers…I’ve recently introduced my dear friend Stella to the Lord of the Rings, and have had the pleasure of falling in love with the story all over again through her eyes.}
Updated on August 2, 2011
A tangled web of thread
Oftentimes, our view of the Father’s work is like looking at the underside of an insanely complicated piece of needlework. All we see is a seemingly random and jumbled mess of colored strands weaving this way and that way. Reason, order and purpose is hopelessly skewed from sight. But then there are those few brief moments, where in His mercy, the Father gives us one tiny glimpse of things from the other side. And that tiny glance at the great Masterpiece, at the way in which each of those threads are intricately placed, is nothing short of Awesome. I’m not talking about the teenager’s flippant use of that term; I’m talking about a view that inspires great, trembling Awe.
Watching the story of one little girl unfold has given me the opportunity to see the purpose in how seemingly random threads have been brought together. And the only possible response I can have is worship.
You may remember the little boy and girl who were able to travel down south for clubfoot treatment. You may remember the strings of so to speak coincidences that led to that treatment being possible. You may remember the hundreds of students who donated money to make that trip possible. You may remember me talking about the difference a year at An Orphan’s Wish made in the lives of these kids. And how they found a special place in Beijing for this little girl.
But it turns out the Father was preparing an even more special place for her. Turns out there’s a family that’s fallen head over heels in love with her and are now working on getting her home. And thanks to this crazy thing called the internet, I’m actually able to share with them (and you!) the amazing journey this little girl has been on. Anybody else got a hallelujah on their lips out there?
Updated on August 2, 2011
Trick or Treat (a little late)
While our student Halloween party happened a little early, the traditional kid’s trick-or-treating happened a bit late. That’s what happens when you live overseas and have to wait on the not-so-dependable mail service for your costumes. Halloween came and went without their arrival, so trick-or-treating happened in our neck of the woods last Friday night. The Clements clan featured a beautiful Snow White, a scary Grim Reaper, and a quite muscular Iron man.
Iron man was ready to sweep in and rescue the princess from the Grim Reaper.
Lucy was quite tickled with her princess outfit.
And Will? Well, he’s just a wee bit strange. Don’t ask me why he thinks a hairbrush is an appropriate tool for Iron man. I giggle every time I see him in this costume…which is pretty much daily since trick-or-treating. Thankfully he left his Iron man muscles behind yesterday when he, Jennifer and I headed to Beijing. Now that would have drawn some stares.
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