Winter Holiday Adventures

I'm going to go ahead and apologize for the mess of pictures, I can't get them to do what I want.

I know a lot of you "followed" me VIA facebook posts on my vacation around southeast Asia, but if you didn't - don't feel left out - I'm gonna catch you up on all I've been up to for the past month.

First, Lindsay and I headed out on a train to Beijing. We were able to stay in the Mac (a headquarters type building for my organization) with Joy and Katie and her friend Michelle (who was also visiting). We spent the week with these friends going ice chairing (a very dangerous activity), eating gigantic pizzas, amazing Italian food, watching movies, chatting, and spending time together. It was nice to live in Beijingica (that's America in Beijing - what we call the Mac) for a week. The Mac is very nice - they have heat so hot you have to turn the A/C on, bathtubs, overs, stoves, and dryers!! This is quite different from the China I live in.

After a week of fun in Beijing, we flew to Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia. Warm weather and humidity!! I had missed it so much. One of the first things I noticed in Malaysia was that there were lots of different kind s of people and most of them spoke English.

For dinner that night we found a KFC where, for the first time since August, I was able to order my food in English! They even had actual mashed potatoes and gravy!!

Malaysian food is fantastic, the weather is perfect, and the people are so kind. While we were in KL we took a hop on, hop off bus tour of the city, went to a bird park (which was amazing!), went up to the top of the Petronas towers, got henna on our hands, and did a lot of shopping. Our time in KL was a lot of fun, but the next leg of our adventure promised to be just as fun.

We were headed to Phuket (poo-ket), Thailand. Our hostel was wonderful - the people that ran it were so nice and helpful. We were about 7 min. walk from the beach and the temperature was never under 90 degrees. Perfect!

In Phuket we went to the beach (a lot), snorkeled, pet tigers, celebrated Lindsay's birthday, and made some new friends along the way. 

One of my favorite things that Joy and I did almost every day, was get up early and go walking on the beach. We talked, saw some neat sea creatures, and collected seashells.

After the craziness (and interesting beachgoers) in Phuketm we headed north to Chiang Mai - a beautiful city in the mountains of Thailand. Our last stop. We arrived in town a few days before conference began - in those few days we got to eat some incredible Mexican food (probably mostly cause we hadn't had any in so long), spend the day riding elephants, and do laundry! Our day with the elephants is definitely one I will never forget - I won't go into detail here, but ask me about it some time, I'd love to tell you about it.

Then conference began. The reason we came all that way in the first place. The theme for the week was "He is worth it" and He so is! It was good and refreshing to be with people, so many people, who all love Him and do His work. ATC is also something I'd love to tell you about sometime.

Over the month I learned a lot about myself and a lot about Him. I saw things He created that were so small and yet so beautiful that made me realize how much he must love and care for me. I also saw things he created that were so big and magnificent I couldn't help but be in awe of Him.

He is SO worth it!!

If you want to see more pictures, check out my facebook albums...(it won't let me post the links here)

Joy and I on our elephant

We love Malaysia, in our I love Malaysia shirts.

Malaysia, Joy, Me, and Lindsay on the beach in Phuket.

Happy New Years!!

This past year has been full of so many blessings. And yet, it definitely didn’t feel like it started out that way.

One year ago, New Year’s Eve – I was at my Small Group leader’s house for a new years party. We had broken into groups to lift up the coming year and to just read and talk about life and the future. I had lost my job in August, I had just been “fired” from my holiday job that day, and I was trying to get a job that I ultimately didn’t get – I wasn’t happy – life was hard, and only seemed to be getting harder. I remember though, we were sitting there and my friend Jess said something along the lines, “Hailey, I can’t wait to see what this next year will bring to you – because I know it is going to be big and special.” I have thought of her words many times recently, and it has just shown me that I can’t plan anything – I can’t ever assume anything about what life will be – He is in charge, and I just have to let go and let Him handle it all.

I could never in a million years have ever guessed what this past year would hold. It wasn’t but 3 weeks later that I found out I didn’t get that job, and that was the day that I learned about China with my organization.

China. Who would have ever thought? I know I didn’t. It’s crazy – sometimes I think to myself, I live in CHINA! I feel like I have found a place, or at least a path to a place that I am supposed to be on. I don’t know what the future holds, and if years keep being like this – I don’t think I can ever even try to guess what will happen next.

So, just remember that He has bigger plans than any we can ever make, and He can see farther into the future than we ever can, and he knows what is coming. 

So my resolution this year - is to follow His leading. I hope that I can always do that - do what He wants me to do, GO where He wants me to go, and work however He wants me to work. 

Happy New Years!!!

Jing Jing

There are moments, and then there are MOMENTS. 

The second is the kind that not only makes your day, but that you have to tell everyone about. I had one of these moments last week.

There is this precious little girl in one of my classes, her name (the only one in Chinese that I know) is Jing Jing, and she has my heart. Almost every class she has a note or a picture that she has drawn for me. I have quite the collection of artwork on my wall from her. Today she said (in English) "I love you, Ms. Hailey" - it melts me. I hate to say I have a favorite, but I definitely do.

This past week as I was finishing up telling the Christmas story, I asked the class what they liked most about the story. I got many answers, things like "When the kings visited" "when the Baby was born" "When the angel came" etc. Then Jing Jing raised her hand, so I called on her - and she told me that she had a book with the same pictures in it. I immediately wanted to ask her so many questions, I wanted to see that book.

A few minutes later as I was passing out stickers to the winning row she pulled her book out of her desk. I definitely hadn't expected her to have it with her! She handed it to me, and as the bell went off I got to quickly flip through it. I saw that it was not just any book, it was the Book. A children's picture version, completely in Chinese. I can't tell you how excited I was. Of all my students (and I do love them all), for it to be HER to have that book - it just makes my heart so happy.

I asked her today if I could see her book, and she and I went to look for it. We didn't have time to find it. But I just needed to tell you all about that special little girl and the hope that I have for her.

I left the class SO excited. I wish so much that I could talk to her, or that we could just understand each other more. I only hope that one day we will have that chance.

This is Jing Jing and I after class one day.

Thankfulness

November – a month of thanks. I see a lot of people doing daily thankful for posts – so I thought I would just make a thankful list. There are so many things to be thankful for, even though sometimes I feel like there is nothing to be thankful for at all.

I have made a list of many of the things I am thankful for, and just thought I would share it with you.

I am thankful that He has allowed me to be a part of this really awesome adventure – that I finally found the path that He had waiting for me; because I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now. I am also thankful for….

My team – that He has put me on. We have been so lucky and blessed to be able to click so well. We work great together and, even with our differences, we are able to get along and support each other.

Students – all 280 (ish) of them. I just melt when they all start yelling my name as I pass them in the hall or somewhere on campus. They have so much excitement every time they see me, and I love each and every one of them. Even though we can’t communicate and I don’t know any of their names (not that it would matter, they never learned their English names anyway).

Co-teachers. I don’t know what I would do without them, other than not be able to ever teach anything. They have helped me become a better teacher over the past 2 months, and I hope that I can be an encouragement to them as we spend this semester together. I had a rough start with one of them, but as time has gone on it has been amazing to see the change in her and how well we get along now.

My apartment -- As interesting and “special” as it is, it is home this year – and I love it. They are redoing our walls this week, and we are especially thankful for that.

Our FAO -- and all that he does for us. He is an amazing man who works so hard to make sure that the foreign teachers have all they need, and he does it with such a servant’s heart.

Blue sky – it is rare, and when we get to see it, it is very special

Fellowship – it’s a biweekly thing, but it is always so good to get to spend time with brothers and sisters.

Felicity – our language tutor, such a joy to get to spend time with learning Chinese.

The Zhongbei team – our hosts this week and friends in this city. It is so nice to know other people here. It is a strange thing coming to a place and being able to count the people you know on one hand. Also, who we will be spending our Thanksgiving day/ weekend with.

My washing machine – it isn’t an American one. But it sure beats washing clothes by hand.

Heat – with the weather getting colder it is so wonderful to have (even if it is just a little) the heat on now.

Repairmen – aka our friends. They come to our apartment a lot. They come to check on the heaters, they come to fix this or that; they come and rescue us from flooding our apartment when the heater explodes.

The moon – I love being able to see the moon at night. Sometimes the sun is so covered by smog you can hardly see it at all, but it is almost without fail that you can see the moon at night.

Hot water – we went 2.5 weeks at the beginning of the semester without hot water, and now I know how much I truly appreciate such a small thing. This goes for water pressure in the shower too.

School cafeteria – even though we eat there a lot and the food is usually the same… it is free, and it is good food. It saves me from having to walk almost a mile to the grocery store.

My legs/ feet – what would I do without them in a place where all I do is walk?

Care packages!!!!! (and letters/cards)– these make my day/ week/ month. They are so wonderful, and they make me so very thankful for all the people at home that love me so much.

My family and friends at home – you guys are awesome. I miss you all, and I know you miss me too : ) But thank you for your constant support and Thoughts, and the fact that so many of you even urged me to go – not telling me that I shouldn’t, or that it was a bad idea. Thank you!

Skype – my connection with home. It is so wonderful in this day and age that we can communicate so easily (and for free!) from so far away.

There are still so many more things that I am thankful for, but I know that you are probably tired of reading this post – if you have made it this far, congratulations – so that is all I will be thankful for right now.

Life in China: A how-to guide... What to do when the heater explodes

That's right. EXPLODES. 

So, if perhaps your heater (that is run on steam and hot water) should break (maybe partly because you barely touched the screw/ pin that holds all that water in) and spray a geyser of hot water all over the place and flood your apartment... These are the things you should know.

Step 1.

Yell for help. This "adventure" would have been so much worse if the most amazing Sarah Roberts had not been there. 

Step 2.

Try to contain it. This isn't easy. You can put your finger over the hole, but be aware that the water is hot and there is a heck of a lot of pressure behind it. So while this method will work, it won't work forever. And by the end of it all you will have circles imprinted in your fingers from pressing so hard. My advice, find the pin if possible and try to at least put it back in the hole and use something (in our case, long underwear) to hold it in with. This is a lesson that took us a while, and caused many sore fingers. I was also told, after the fact, that a chopstick has been known to solve this problem as well.

Step 3.

While trying to contain it, call for help - you need someone who can turn the water off. Gerry was awesome and got us 4 repairmen (our friends - they come up a lot to check the heaters) up here in about 15-20 min.. that was a really long 15-20 min.

Step 4.

When help FINALLY arrives, let them take over and you begin the clean up process. Towels are a good place to start - also buckets. But your best friends are the broom and the sponge mop. So make a towel barrier (after you get all the water out of the living room and near the front door cleaned up - we had water all the way out onto the landing) and start pushing all the water into the bathroom so it can go down the drain. (You could enlist more help here, Chesney came to our aid and it was much more fun.) 

Step 5.

When all the water is cleaned up and your heater is repaired, begin on the laundry. SO MUCH LAUNDRY! Towels, bed stuff, clothes - all covered in plaster water... And when all the laundry is hung up to dry (cause remember you have no dryer) you can (if your mattress was thankfully spared like mine was - which is an incredibility in itself) put a sheet on the bed, find the only dry blankets left, borrow a pillow and go to bed.

Also, just an extra tip: don't run or walk too fast on wet floors... you will fall and hurt yourself.

This event happened on a Saturday night, in the middle of a 9 day work week. We are all so tired, but it definitely broke the monotony.

Enjoy some pictures of the aftermath.

It's a good thing they are fixing the walls next week, cause I destroyed them.

Demonstrating how we had to hold the pin in place. Notice the soaked clothes... I was drenched.

Wringing water out of my pants.

Chesney and her mop.

不要

“不要。。。不要。。。不要。。。不要”

We said it over and over and over (It is said Bu yao (boo yow) for those that don't read Chinese haha) - it means "don't want".

So here is how it started, we were hungry. We had walked through 2 malls and looked for something to eat somewhere, with no luck. Places that we eat at have to have a picture menu (really rather common in China) and so we happened upon this restaurant on a side street as we were walking back towards KFC and Subway, our fallbacks. We went inside, they immediately realize we can't speak any Chinese so they just led us to a table and sat us down - next to two drunk guys who thought it was hilarious that the waitress couldn't understand us at all. We just politely smiled and ignored them, for the most part. We ordered. The food came. As we are eating I hear one of the guys asking the waitress for 3 of something (there are only 2 of them, and 3 of us), she leaves and comes back with 3 small cups. They fill them with whatever it is they are drinking, and then sit there for a while. As we are finishing up, one of the guys brings over all 3 full glasses to our table - I can smell the alcohol off of it from quite a way away. He sets them in front of us and stands there, he is wanting to toast or clink glasses - so we finally realize this and let him do that. Then he tells us to drink them, and we again go into our 不要 不要 不要, they laugh at us and keep pushing, we continue 不要 不要 不要. So they just leave us alone, we finish and pay and leave. We then realized that the first drink that any of us had ever had bought for us was this - some strong and unknown Chinese liquor, by two very drunk businessmen who only did it cause we are the 外国人 （waiguoren - waygworen) - the foreigners. It was really funny the whole time, and we were trying really hard not to laugh because that would have only gotten more attention.

Here is a picture of our drinks: (the little glass goblets)

Pictures!!!!

PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES!!!!
Mostly because I want to share them with you, also because I don't feel like writing much right now. :)
And they are not all in order....

Knife Shaved noodles - Taiyuan is known for them, and they are soo good. [Photo credit: Anna Haffner]

Anna and I made apple desserts! Pie and Crisp.

At the train station, getting ready to go to Beijing for Mid-Autumn festival break [PC: Anna]

Look! We made it to Beijing all by ourselves!! [PC:Anna]

Jumping at the bird's nest

Me at the Bird's Nest - It was so cool to get to see Olympic Park. And the sky was even blue that day!

Lunch/Dinner with Cyndie Junk - we are favorite team!

Tiananmen at night

4 ladies in the back of a cab [PC: Cyndie Junk]

The Water Cube in Olympic Park

A lake in an Amusement park here in Taiyuan - the start to our October Holiday Break

A door handle at the Twin Pagoda temple

I climbed that!! (There are 2 of them, but you can only go in 1)

Circle Door!

They wanted their picture with us

Then they took our picture for us

Seriously out of order... This was at coldstone creamery in Beijing with Joy and Katie on Mid-Autumn Break