You might live in China if....

So this past month in Beijing has been awesome! I want to share some stories and pictures with you and then I want to share with you something that I've been working on for a while - some things that you might experience if you live in China.

We finished up training last week, and then had to say goodbye to everyone as they headed off to their cities.. it was sad, but I know that I will see them again in Thailand in February. I made some great friends this past month - and got to spend some time with my Google+ people!! So without further ado, here are some pictures from the last week or so and from all the goodbyes...

Our "class" - we had practice teaching on our last day of class - and these beautiful kids were part of it!

Malaysia and Me

Clare and Chesney

Starbuck's with the Mongolian team!

Our team (minus Alyssa and kids and with Joy and Katie)

So glad to have been able to have Joy and Katie join us, it was an awesome month!

So much fun.

Alicia and I. Alicia was off to Nanchang.

Lindsey and I - Lindsey is in the COLD city of Harbin.

Matt and I - Matt is on the Mongolian team in UlaanButaar 

Chesney, Matt, and I

And now we added Lindsey!

JOY!

Katie!

AND NOW, what you have all been waiting for... OK, so you probably haven't been waiting, but I have... I've been planning this post for a while - and just so credit is given, this would not be possible without the rest of my team or Joy - who came up with so many of them..

... you might live in China.

(These are in no particular order, and not all of them have pictures...)

If you can't tell where your bus is going because the schedule looks like this....

 If you know what a Shoilet is...because you have one....

If you have literally followed the yellow brick road but have never been to Oz...

 If you eat potato chips with chopsticks....

Or Peanut Butter...

 If cars "parallel" parked are all facing different ways...

(This is one of the many many things I love about China)

 If parking ON the sidewalk is normal...

 Or French Fries...

(This doesn't really have a joke with it, I just really love these strollers)

 If you get touched by minimum 800 people every subway/ bus ride...

This is not even a nearly full subway...

 If you take pictures of the blue sky or the moon, because you haven't seen them in over a week...

 If rice is one of your 4 main food groups...

 (Also no joke here, I just love Lindsay in the mask)

 If you are used to seeing kids with split pants...

(If you don't see what I mean, then look closer)

If you get to decide whether to sit or squat when you go to the bathroom...

A few random ones before continuing with pictures...

If you have to stab your food because you're no longer allowed to use a fork....

If the best thing you smell all day is paint...

If your new favorite pastimes are sweating and getting stared at... (or getting your picture taken - we've started posing, because they try to sneak a picture...but we see them) 

If you are taller than (some of) the bathroom stall doors  (funny story..)

If you see 15 (HUGE) malls within 3 blocks...

If you can't tell the difference between rain clouds and smog...

If your favorite to go food is jiaozi.... (this stuff is AMAZING!) (dumplings, in case you were wondering)

If you know how to get to the Summer Palace because you know how to get to McDonald's....

If you have a Starbucks map...

If you order pizza to go...on accident... (we really wanted to eat there, and failed)

If you see at least 1 naked baby in public everyday, and it doesn't phase you....

If you have ever stood in the middle of the (main) road with cars zooming around you...

If you nearly get run over multiple times by cars ON the sidewalk...

If your bus makes an "illegal" U turn in the middle of a busy intersection (with oncoming traffic)....

If you can't tell the difference between the sidewalk, the bike path, and the road...

If you use the word "perhaps" to answer any question ever asked...

If you get called a barbarian, not for eating fish eyeballs, but for splitting up the check at the table....

If you get excited about a McDonald's cheeseburger, and you don't even really like McDonald's (or cheeseburgers in some cases)...

If Chinglish is your new favorite language...

If there are people sleeping EVERYWHERE...

I love China. But I think if you can't have fun with the differences of where you are, you may go crazy. There are a lot of very different things in China, these are only a few. If you asked me to name something I love about China - I may very well mention something on this list. I love how they don't park the same way, or how U turns in the middle of traffic are normal. I love how the sidewalk might as well be a road, or a parking lot. I love that you can get a dozen jiaozi for not even 1 US Dollar and it will fill you up all day and it is delicious. I love the food. I love the people. I am learning to love the language - it's hard. I love how kids wear split pants and use the sidewalk (or store floor, or wherever) as the restroom... OK, so maybe I don't love this - but it's crazy. I love all the dogs not on leashes. I don't really love all the smoking.. everywhere - regardless of signs. I love crossing the road, it's nerve wracking the first couple of times - then it's just fun. Like a giant game of frogger. I love the food. I love China.

I didn't come to China loving China. I came because I really didn't have an opinion on which country I went to. But in the past month, I have come to love China. The Father knew what he was doing when He sent me here (well there right now, cause I am sitting in Washington D.C. at the moment). Which leads me to, I love how crazy things are and how I and 9 others had to fly back to the States cause or Visas didn't come through as Work Visas the first time.

In the past month I have learned a lot about love. He loves us so much, and I think I always knew that - but I don't think it was until I saw how many people are in this country that I truly was able to start appreciating that Love. To think that He loves and cares for every person I see or touch or talk to or that live in this world - and He loves us all the same - it is truly incredible.