I finally made it to Taiwan after many random misunderstandings and cultural shock in Shanghai. I took some glam shots in Shanghai that I thought I would share with you. My adventure seems to just have started. Whenever I arrive in Taiwan, I feel that a part of me comes alive and a part of me has reached home. Even though I know my home is neither really Taiwan nor LA, my home is in Christ and in my relationships with family and friends. In a way, home is everywhere I go.
More updates soon!
Hi everyone!
WordPress finally loaded! Today was the last day of teaching class in Hunan Shin Shin school. Yeppie!
Several Funny & interesting Moments:
In 2 days I’ll be on the train back to Beijing for 25 WHOLE hours! I’m going to sleep all day, the whole 25 hours, besides eating of course.
It’s hard to be thankful when 1. you are hot and sweaty 2. your heat rash is itching like pricks and you cant sleep 3. youre coughing 4. your 30 bug bites (5 on your butt) itches like a madwoman 5. its 104 degrees 6. your throat hurts 7. you teach in classrooms without fans….. 8. you have asthma and cant breathe Anyawys, thats what i wrote partially in my journal. But honestly, I gotta praise the Father because my cough has decreased, I feel I am no longer sick, and I can sleep better, and the naps are helping. Otherwise, teaching the kids have been okay. Just really hot in the room. A lot of the kids dont wear shoes and get splinters. One of our kids is really naughty! She yells and doesnt listen to me, fights with the other kids.
So I’m sitting here in the computer lab, talking to my teammates and colleagues. One of the Tsinghua guys tells me “I bet in China, you can find a lot of guys here”. I said, “why?”
“Because you have a very outgoing and lively personality”- person
“oh! really?”- me
ahahaha…=.——–
The first day I got to Hunan, after the 23 hour train ride, I got sick. The next day I got a fever, and then I was stuck in bed. But those few hours in bed was quite precious. I did a lot of reflecting. I think I really needed the rest. Aw, my nose hurts from wiping it! 😦
By the way, all my teammates in Hunan have picked up my sayings “ahhh Chincha”, which in Korean is an exclamation “ohh really!” Also my teammate Sabrina said this hilarious thing..
to a mosquito- “I hit you once, I hit you twice, I KILLL YOU!” In a really hilarious accent. LOL.
So for all of yall that don’t know what I’m doing in rural China. I’m teaching music to migrant kids who are not that well off. Some of them don’t wear shoes. Today and yesterday, my voice was gone so teaching music was really difficult. Good thing my partner did all the speaking. He’s korean, but he knows Chinese quite well.
Sigh, we are sitting in a classroom, getting trained to teach at Hunan. I totally thought we would be able to take a nap, but my hopes have fallen to ashes and dumps.
So since I have the time, here are some 798 art district pictures.
From my thoughts this morning:
Being in a relationship unlike what people say actually intensifies your insecurities…and everything that you’ve lacked in love- that you desire from your love, but you know that people can’t fulfill you 100%, only our Creator can, and when you realize this, G should be the one to fuel the love in the relationship.
Otherwise the desire to control the other person, guilt-trip them, or to control situations by not responding or being silent becomes human driven and in the end, a worthless effort to keep and get “False security & love”.
I need to go sleep soon.
This is the happy family at KTV. There was obviously more people.
I got that floral jumper from China btw. Cute.
Lost so much calories dancing! It was crazy. Tuesday is our presentation, I have a few things to present about. But I haven’t started my slide show at all! 😦 Tomorrow we have a full day of classes and field trip to the Olympic park. Everything is a whirl of energy, sounds. and BABY BABY BABY OHHHH (justin bieber stoopid song is stuck in my head).
CAUGHT BIG BIG FISH.
This is a little boy of my friend’s friend’s brother’s son. He is adorable! And very smart…He refused to open his eyes…-.- lol.
The back is the beautiful first Beijing retirement home/condos in renovation. They are extremely beautiful but expensive.
Fish caught!!! This one was one of the smaller ones.
The crew fishing~ I fished for like 10 minutes but got bored.
Anyways, because wordpress is so slow, I’m just going to type here. It was pretty amazing visiting the Beijing National Movie Museum. I got to see some of the ways the Chinese made movies. I asked my friend why Chinese movies are all depressing, she responded “we are a nation of suffering”. It is sad. She said, “there’s nothing to show about our happiness”. Something along the lines of that. But eating with them at this retirement villa, I was amazed by everyones’ friendliness. They were definitely true Chinese, lots of chatting, talking and “face” time. This time, in a good way.
Big fish, big dinner. They seriously (the cook) cooked it in like 15 minutes. We went to the bathroom after fishing, and walked in. Like 13 dishes sprawled out on the table waiting for my hungry stomach.
Mosquitoes. I think that’s how you spell it. I can’t believe I’m staying up to fight mosquitoes. As I was about to doze off to zZzz land- I hear mosquitoes buzzing in my ear. I tried to swat it, but when I turned on the light, I noticed my wrist was swollen from a bite. You little MOSQUITO! MUST DIE!! Plz TAKE IT AWAY, leave my room. I’m prying it will miraculously like die and fall to the floor. It’s so tiny, I can’t find it. Must buy bug spray soon…good nite.
Today we went to 798 galleries, probably the best outing in Beijing.
More pictures to come. I’m having a hard time breathing, my lungs are not too well in this kind of pollution. ;( Help!
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened”- Luke 11:9
Beijing days are flashing by me. Soon to be leaving and heading to Shanghai, then to Taiwan. I will be returning to LA to a different home, where is home? Where is home but love. Where is home this little migrant woman…I can’t count how many times I’ve moved. Truly, home is not here. I will keep my memories, my friends and family, the ones I love, and the material things simply disappear. Where is home?
There are many migrants in China that collect bottles and other things to make money. Today, there was a man sleeping on a cart in the subway. I was riding the subway and noticed he had fallen asleep. I meant to give him my bottle but thought “maybe he doesn’t want my bottle, maybe he doesn’t collect trash”. However, when he woke up and saw the empty bottle lingering in my hand, he eagerly asked me for it. As I was about to get off, I thought of the new bottle of water in my bag. “He would be so happy, maybe he’s so thirsty plus he could get cash for the bottle”. Part of me fought against my “good side” because I thought of how people would think of me. I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t care if I was associated with the outcasts. I gave him the bottle in the crowded subway, not really caring if everyone was staring.
His face lit up the brightest I’ve ever seen. That smile was seriously the highlight of my day. I said a small p-yer for him. He kept saying thank you. We walk through each day, not hearing the spirit. But when we hear and obey, it’s the best thing on earth.
This is me eating with my new Minzu writer friend. Meaning she is one of the 103,000 Minzu out of her specific Minzu tribe in China. I was excited to eat hot pot, but…after got a little stomache 😦 Oh well, it was worth the taste and experience! She said that she used to herd sheep with her dog. Dogs are her friends, I thought that was so poetic and sweet. I read a few of her writing in the book she wrote, simply amazing!
Um yah, sorry about the mess. I realize how horrid I am with eating….I need to take an etiquette class for sure. Plus, the shameful thing is that I suck at using the chopstick..:( I think it’s the spicy-ness that led to bathroom time later on. LOL
I am finally skyping with my family tonight, woot woot. I still miss LA for the sun.
Rebekka Lien 