I am soooo sorry it's been so long since my last post. My friends (Mainly Becca Carpenter) were making fun of me because it's been so long. But don't worry, I am alive and well.
If you have an iphone you have to download the "instagram" app and follow me. My user name is "taytaybartlett". It's just a fun way to take pics with your phone.
Any-who, let me give you some highlights from the last few months!
Chinese class was great this semester. I learned a ton! I always want to study the language more but I just don't have the time.
Teaching has also been good. But doing both was definitely getting tiring towards the end of the semester
Thanksgiving was great. We went to a family's house with about 150 other people. We ate turkey and all the thanksgiving classics and then we played good ole' american football.
(A month later...)Christmas was busy but great. We had a performance at the school (We all sang a Chinese Song!) and then we went to Mr. Mai's to celebrate with some of our chinese friends. The next day we went over to our friends house to open gifts and hang out.
We finished school the last week of December and the school is giving us a 5-6 weeks paid vacation! I love it. I am pretty exhausted from the semester so I didn't really want to travel anywhere. I just wanted to hand out with some of my Chinese friends that I haven't seen for awhile and relax.
I just had a birthday too. We had a great time. My friends took me out to a steak dinner and then we saw the movie "The Flowers of War" Christian Bale is in the movie about the Japanese occupation in Nanking during WWII. It's great. You have to see it. I think it is in the theaters in the States. So go see it!
Also, as a little birthday gift to myself, I bought an electric guitar! haha Random, I know but I am excited!
Enjoy the pictures! There are explanations on my facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/taybartlett/photos
And the video of our Christmas performance is here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z__bF1ZB90c
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The End of September
So much has happened since my last post. I started to teach English at the High School. I have 11 different classes this year. I am really enjoying it. Since I am at one of the best High Schools in the country, most of my students English level is very high. They can, almost always, understand everything I am saying. There is about 50-60 students in every class. This year I have 3 "special classes". 2 of the 3 classes are filled with students who didn't have good enough test results to get into the school but have super-rich parents who paid a lot of money to get into the school. They will ALL study abroad. Almost all of their classes are taught in English, but some of their English levels are not that high. It takes a lot to get these kids motivated to learn because everything has been given to them their entire lives. I am slowly learning what motivates them and adapting my teaching style. There are 4 German students in these classes. They are a little older but they are enjoying China so far.
The other foreign teachers and I are participating in a Kung-Fu class at the High School. It's all in Chinese and we are learning with the Germans (we call the German exchange students "the Germans" or "Zee Germans", they think it's funny) and about 50 Chinese Students. It's really fun! So don't mess with me anymore!
I am taking one Chinese class at a local university named "HUST University". It's a top-10 University in China. I have the class for 2 hours 4 days a week. My Chinese language is really improving. I try to use it as much as possible. It's a very fun class. All the students are super motivated to learn. There are 6 older gentlemen from NORTH-Korea in my class! They all dress in business casual and they all have a pin on their shirt of their "leader/dictator" Kim-Jong-Ill. They keep to themselves most of the time but I try to make conversation with them as much as possible. I know one of them is a mechanical-engineer! They are all learning the language very quickly because they are the most motivated in the class! So Step-It-Up America!!!!
We had one holiday weekend in the middle of September and David, my old Chinese Roommate invited me to his hometown in Tang Shan (Near Beijing). He lives in a simple house in the countryside. I had a great time. Despite not being able to understand their spoken dialect, his parents loved me. In 1979 this city was destroyed by an earthquake. Hundreds-of-thousands of people died, mostly the rich who lived in high-rises. Both of David's parents were near the area. His father was a little further from the city and was not in any danger. His mother was a factory worker at the time and was very poor. She said most of the factory workers would sleep outside when the weather was good. The earthquake was in the middle of the night and she said the buildings around her came down and woke everyone up.
We went to a memorial site and museum but they didn't allow us to take any pictures.
On our way back to Beijing, we stopped at the Ming Tombs. During the Ming Dynasty the kings believed that they could do things to protect them in the afterlife. They would build turtle statues to represent a long life because turtles lived a long time. They would put treasure in and near their coffin so they would be wealthy in the afterlife. So we went to these tombs built for the emperors and their wives. Most of the tombs were underground. The temperature dropped 15 degrees because it was pretty far down. It was, overall, an interesting place.
Well thanks for reading. Check out the pictures!
The other foreign teachers and I are participating in a Kung-Fu class at the High School. It's all in Chinese and we are learning with the Germans (we call the German exchange students "the Germans" or "Zee Germans", they think it's funny) and about 50 Chinese Students. It's really fun! So don't mess with me anymore!
I am taking one Chinese class at a local university named "HUST University". It's a top-10 University in China. I have the class for 2 hours 4 days a week. My Chinese language is really improving. I try to use it as much as possible. It's a very fun class. All the students are super motivated to learn. There are 6 older gentlemen from NORTH-Korea in my class! They all dress in business casual and they all have a pin on their shirt of their "leader/dictator" Kim-Jong-Ill. They keep to themselves most of the time but I try to make conversation with them as much as possible. I know one of them is a mechanical-engineer! They are all learning the language very quickly because they are the most motivated in the class! So Step-It-Up America!!!!
We had one holiday weekend in the middle of September and David, my old Chinese Roommate invited me to his hometown in Tang Shan (Near Beijing). He lives in a simple house in the countryside. I had a great time. Despite not being able to understand their spoken dialect, his parents loved me. In 1979 this city was destroyed by an earthquake. Hundreds-of-thousands of people died, mostly the rich who lived in high-rises. Both of David's parents were near the area. His father was a little further from the city and was not in any danger. His mother was a factory worker at the time and was very poor. She said most of the factory workers would sleep outside when the weather was good. The earthquake was in the middle of the night and she said the buildings around her came down and woke everyone up.
We went to a memorial site and museum but they didn't allow us to take any pictures.
On our way back to Beijing, we stopped at the Ming Tombs. During the Ming Dynasty the kings believed that they could do things to protect them in the afterlife. They would build turtle statues to represent a long life because turtles lived a long time. They would put treasure in and near their coffin so they would be wealthy in the afterlife. So we went to these tombs built for the emperors and their wives. Most of the tombs were underground. The temperature dropped 15 degrees because it was pretty far down. It was, overall, an interesting place.
Well thanks for reading. Check out the pictures!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Back in China for a Couple of Weeks
Well I have been back in China for a couple of weeks and I have already hit the ground running. My flight landed in Wuhan without any problems and I spent the first couple of days getting the apartment set up.
Then I went to meet a Chinese friend, Shane, in a city called Chang Sha before he went to study business in Arizona. Stew, an old roommate from college and one of the people who came out to China with me the first year, also met me in Chang Sha.
We stayed in Chang Sha for one day and then we went to a city called Yang Shuo for a little vacation.
We had an amazing time. The city was beautiful. There are pictures under the picture tab or on my facebook page. I have been there once before but the scenery is still breath-taking.
The first night we watched a performance by the local minority people. This show had 500 performers and was all performed on a lake surrounded by mountains. I couldn't take pictures because it was dark and I was too far away. But it was amazing. It was directed by the same guy who directed the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics. It was a really great show.
The next day we went on a boat ride down the river. It was a fun time. We had water guns and we would have water wars with the other boats on the river.
The third day we rented bikes and we rode around the surrounding villages and through the local farms. It was another great day with amazing scenery.
Stew is an avid rock climber. He is from Seattle and is a true mountain man. So he convinced me to go rock climbing with him. It was quite the adventure. The chinese guide said to me, "If you fall, I am not sure if I can hold you because your belly is not so small!" hahaha That made me feel real safe. Everything was o.k. I had a good time but it's a sport that uses a lot of physical and mental strength. So it was tough for me.
We had a great time on the trip. Then we trained back to Wuhan where we had a little time to rest. Since our time back in Wuhan we have been spending a lot of time visiting friends and places. It's been great, but very busy.
School will start around the first week of September. I will teach about 20 hours a week and I will go to a local university to learn Chinese for a few hours a week.
Well that's about all that's been happening here. Thank you for your prayers.
Check out the pictures from my trip and my time back in Wuhan.
Then I went to meet a Chinese friend, Shane, in a city called Chang Sha before he went to study business in Arizona. Stew, an old roommate from college and one of the people who came out to China with me the first year, also met me in Chang Sha.
We stayed in Chang Sha for one day and then we went to a city called Yang Shuo for a little vacation.
We had an amazing time. The city was beautiful. There are pictures under the picture tab or on my facebook page. I have been there once before but the scenery is still breath-taking.
The first night we watched a performance by the local minority people. This show had 500 performers and was all performed on a lake surrounded by mountains. I couldn't take pictures because it was dark and I was too far away. But it was amazing. It was directed by the same guy who directed the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics. It was a really great show.
The next day we went on a boat ride down the river. It was a fun time. We had water guns and we would have water wars with the other boats on the river.
The third day we rented bikes and we rode around the surrounding villages and through the local farms. It was another great day with amazing scenery.
Stew is an avid rock climber. He is from Seattle and is a true mountain man. So he convinced me to go rock climbing with him. It was quite the adventure. The chinese guide said to me, "If you fall, I am not sure if I can hold you because your belly is not so small!" hahaha That made me feel real safe. Everything was o.k. I had a good time but it's a sport that uses a lot of physical and mental strength. So it was tough for me.
We had a great time on the trip. Then we trained back to Wuhan where we had a little time to rest. Since our time back in Wuhan we have been spending a lot of time visiting friends and places. It's been great, but very busy.
School will start around the first week of September. I will teach about 20 hours a week and I will go to a local university to learn Chinese for a few hours a week.
Well that's about all that's been happening here. Thank you for your prayers.
Check out the pictures from my trip and my time back in Wuhan.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Almost Ready to Leave
Well I am almost all packed and ready to go. I leave tomorrow night out of LAX. I had a wonderful last week with the students at the Church. We all went to camp at Green Valley. Middle School the first 4 days and High School the next 4 days. I am tiered but I had a great time hanging out. I will miss them all very much. The chrch also prayed for me during all three services. It was a special time for me knowing that so many people are interested in my life.
It has been hard saying goodbye the past few days but I know that wonderful things will be in-store for me as soon as I arrive late Tuesday afternoon.
Thank you all so much for your support. It means a lot.
If you wanted to be added to the email updates send me your email address and I will be sure to add you. taybartlett@gmail.com
I love you all!
It has been hard saying goodbye the past few days but I know that wonderful things will be in-store for me as soon as I arrive late Tuesday afternoon.
Thank you all so much for your support. It means a lot.
If you wanted to be added to the email updates send me your email address and I will be sure to add you. taybartlett@gmail.com
I love you all!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
August 8th 2011
Well it's been a couple of years since my last post and a lot has happened.
From September 2009-May 2010 I worked with the Coffee House, Mr. Mai's, where I frequently volunteered the previous 2 years. I also studied Chinese at a local University. I would call myself conversational. I can speak to people around town, buy a train ticket, ask questions and of course joke around! I am also able to read and write about 1,000 Chinese Characters! Crazy, I know. I never thought I would be capable of something that seems impossible to most people. But I enjoy learning the language and putting it to use.
In January 2010 I came home to the states for a visit, and during that time made an alarming discovery that I had skin cancer. I had small surgery and have since been cancer free. I returned to China to finish my contract and school but then decided to come back home to rest and think about my next step in life.
It was rough at first. I was unemployed for 6 months. During this time I was really missing China. I had a lot of time to think about what my future holds. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to continue learning Mandarin so that I can use that to find a job. I am not too sure what I want to do, but I want Chinese to be apart of it. So the only logical decision was to return to China.
I will go back to the school I was at during the first two years in China. They treat me very good. They are always concerned with my health and safety. Back to the same school in the same city with many of the same friends. They pay is really good for China, and pretty good compared with the U.S. Economy right now to tell the truth!
I leave on August 8th from LAX. Stew Bowerman, an old college roommate who went with me the first year, will meet me there and we will travel around China for a few weeks before school starts around the first of September.
I am very excited for what lies ahead. I am also sad to go. Since December 2010 I started working at my home church, The Bridge Calvary Chapel, leading worship and helping in the youth any way I can. I have become very close to many students and people at the Bridge. It will be sad to leave them, but I am confident where the Lord is leading me.
Thanks for reading! I will keep on top of the blog this year! Check out some of my pictures from my last year in China. Comment, tell your friends.
If you are interested in Teaching English in China or know someone who is, check out the company I went with. zrchina.org
From September 2009-May 2010 I worked with the Coffee House, Mr. Mai's, where I frequently volunteered the previous 2 years. I also studied Chinese at a local University. I would call myself conversational. I can speak to people around town, buy a train ticket, ask questions and of course joke around! I am also able to read and write about 1,000 Chinese Characters! Crazy, I know. I never thought I would be capable of something that seems impossible to most people. But I enjoy learning the language and putting it to use.
In January 2010 I came home to the states for a visit, and during that time made an alarming discovery that I had skin cancer. I had small surgery and have since been cancer free. I returned to China to finish my contract and school but then decided to come back home to rest and think about my next step in life.
It was rough at first. I was unemployed for 6 months. During this time I was really missing China. I had a lot of time to think about what my future holds. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to continue learning Mandarin so that I can use that to find a job. I am not too sure what I want to do, but I want Chinese to be apart of it. So the only logical decision was to return to China.
I will go back to the school I was at during the first two years in China. They treat me very good. They are always concerned with my health and safety. Back to the same school in the same city with many of the same friends. They pay is really good for China, and pretty good compared with the U.S. Economy right now to tell the truth!
I leave on August 8th from LAX. Stew Bowerman, an old college roommate who went with me the first year, will meet me there and we will travel around China for a few weeks before school starts around the first of September.
I am very excited for what lies ahead. I am also sad to go. Since December 2010 I started working at my home church, The Bridge Calvary Chapel, leading worship and helping in the youth any way I can. I have become very close to many students and people at the Bridge. It will be sad to leave them, but I am confident where the Lord is leading me.
Thanks for reading! I will keep on top of the blog this year! Check out some of my pictures from my last year in China. Comment, tell your friends.
If you are interested in Teaching English in China or know someone who is, check out the company I went with. zrchina.org
Monday, April 27, 2009
2 More Months of School
Well the sun is shinning and there are only 7 more weeks left in the semester. It is always a long winter but we got through it.
If you haven't already heard I am staying another year in China. I will no longer be teaching at the school. I am sad to go but also excited for this change in my life. I am going to be working at Mr. Mai's (the coffee shop I go to) and I will also enroll in a nearby university to study Chinese! I am really excited. It's going to keep me busy but I know I can handle it. At Mr. Mai's I will be helping with expansion of the company. We have already had a couple of meetings with people who want to work with us.
So because of this I will not be coming home in the summer :( BUT I am going to be back for 6 weeks in December and January! I am excited because I get to go home for Christmas!
Last week Our students had mid-terms so we went to two cities Called Zhang Jia Jie and Phoenix Town.
Here are some pics from the trip.
Getting Ready for our long Hike!
If you are tired...you can pay these guys to carry you up the mountain!
The Guys
And the Girls
Beautiful View! We met that lady in the Blue Jacket on the Hike and it turns out she is also a Sister. She is also the director of the most famous TV game show in China! I told her I wanted my own TV Show....she laughed.
Phoenix Town at night.
Traditional Chinese Fishermen wear these hats.
We dressed up like the Miao minority people!
The city was on the River...it was really cool.
There are more pictures of my trip on my facebook...here is the link!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080893&id=56900981
Thank you all for reading and your continual support
Taylor
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
2nd Semester
Well the 5 week paid vacation is finally over and it's back to the real world of teaching Chinese High School! haha
I went to Russia to see my mom and to travel around. It was a great time. Cold but great. We traveled in Moscow, Volgograd and St. Petersburg. It was quite a shock sometimes coming from China where people would stare at me just because I was a foreigner to a place where I was unnoticed and sometimes thought a local person.
It's good to be back. Some of my Chinese College friends are still on Winter break and will come back at the beginning of March.
Check out my photos on facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=32378989&id=56900981
I went to Russia to see my mom and to travel around. It was a great time. Cold but great. We traveled in Moscow, Volgograd and St. Petersburg. It was quite a shock sometimes coming from China where people would stare at me just because I was a foreigner to a place where I was unnoticed and sometimes thought a local person.
It's good to be back. Some of my Chinese College friends are still on Winter break and will come back at the beginning of March.
Check out my photos on facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=32378989&id=56900981
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New 牛(Niu) Year!
This Year is Year of the Bull in China. The Chinese pronunciation of bull sounds like "new". So Happy Bull Year.
We had a great Christmas last week, and we were extremely busy. We got together and ate breakfast and opened presents. Then we went to Aloha for an amazing Christmas meal. After that we went to Mr. Mai's for a Christmas performance. The party at Mai's was Christmas eve and Christmas day. The parties totaled about 250 people who heard the story of Christmas. It was great to tell others about the good news.
We just finished our last day of teaching on the 31st. It's been a long semester and we are ready for our long break. We are planning a short trip to the Chinese city of Guilin next week, and I am going to see my mom in Russia (burr) at the end of January. The rest of the time I have no major plans. I might take a couple small trips to see some friends around China.
We recently went to a Chinese performance with some great Kung Fu and Acrobatics! Here are some pictures from that night....And PLEASE DO TRY THIS AT HOME!!! Hahahaha
Here's a video of me singing at the New year's Eve Party for my school. I am singing 2 of the Chinese favorite songs "My Love" by Westlife and a Chinese Song! Enjoy!
Monday, December 1, 2008
First Semester Almost Finished
Well It's been a long time since my last blog. I apologize. My power chord for my laptop broke, but I finally got the replacement. Much has happened since last time.
It's getting much colder here. It's been averaging 40 at night and 50 during the day.
The students have also been restless. They are all stressed about finals. We have about 4 more weeks of school left. So we will finish right before Christmas. We will have 6 weeks off from school so we are still deciding where to go for a warm get away. I am planning to visit my mom in Russia during the Chinese New Year but that will not be until the end of January. And that will be a cold get away.
Things are going well. I play music at Mr. Mai's every Tuesday night and that has been a highlight of my week. I met some other foreigners who also play music. The last couple of weeks there were about 60 people! They all want to take pictures with me and be email pals with me. It's pretty funny. I feel like I have reached a semi-celebrity status out here. I will be out in the town and someone will stop me and tell me they saw my performance. It's quite hysterical.
We had a good Thanksgiving. We got together with our fellowship and ate turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and all of that good stuff. We played games with the kids and watched a download football game. It's nothing like the states but I will not forget days like that which make up my China Experience. But I could use prayer for this season. It is lonely sometimes when you can't see family and friends during the holidays. Yet I am surrounded by great friends who share the same feelings and experiences. It's easier when there are more people during those time.
I did not bring my camera for thanksgiving(of course I forget it during important times) but here are some pictures of a trip we took to a tourist farm.
An irrigation system in the ancient days. We would pedal like a bike and it brings up the water from the lake below! Pretty cool!
I don't know why they had these stilts here but it was fun.
My Boss Kai and another teacher Jessie at the farm. Haha
"Don't pick the plants" This sign was right in front of the next picture!
I don't think anyone wants to pick these plants!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Vacation in Beijing
Much has happened since my last post. We have started school and have been teaching for about a month. Teaching is going very well. It is much easier the second year for the simple fact that I know what is going on in my students minds! I know how to make the lessons interesting, how to get them involved and how to help them learn.
I have been volunteering a lot more at Mr. Mai's coffee shop. The manger has given me more responsibility with planning events and helping out with other little things. Between school and Mr. Mai's I have been staying pretty busy!
The Chinese national holiday was on October 1st and we decided to take a trip to Beijing. It was lots of fun. It was very very crowded, but fun nonetheless. It was kinda like going to Washington D.C. for the 4th of July.
Since I have been to Beijing before I did not do too many 'tourist' things. The first day we got there Cory and I went to meet our Chinese friend Shane and we all went the the Beijing Open. It was a small tennis tournament with a few big name players. The finals was played between Andy Roddick and some No. 94th ranked player from Israel. It was a good match. Andy Roddick won the match in 3 sets.
I also went to the Beijing Olympic sites. We did not go inside because tickets were too expensive but we were able to get right up next to them. We then went to the Summer Palace where we hike around and marveled at the Qing Dynasty Buildings. It was beautiful. Tiananmen Square was always buzzing with excitement. We tried to see the morning flag raising ceremony but we arrived too late.
That's all that is going on with me right now. Things are going very well. I miss you all and thank you so much for your pryer support.
Ernesto, Will and Myself at the 5th anniversary of Mr. Mai's Coffee House
The Beijing Open
Shane and I watching some good tennis!
The Birds Nest
Me and the Cube. Chinese people love Michael Phelps!
A bridge at the Summer Palace
More of the Summer Palace
Amazing. The emperor's summer get away!
Chairman Mao and Thousands of People! Tiananmen was buzzing with excitement.
I have been volunteering a lot more at Mr. Mai's coffee shop. The manger has given me more responsibility with planning events and helping out with other little things. Between school and Mr. Mai's I have been staying pretty busy!
The Chinese national holiday was on October 1st and we decided to take a trip to Beijing. It was lots of fun. It was very very crowded, but fun nonetheless. It was kinda like going to Washington D.C. for the 4th of July.
Since I have been to Beijing before I did not do too many 'tourist' things. The first day we got there Cory and I went to meet our Chinese friend Shane and we all went the the Beijing Open. It was a small tennis tournament with a few big name players. The finals was played between Andy Roddick and some No. 94th ranked player from Israel. It was a good match. Andy Roddick won the match in 3 sets.
I also went to the Beijing Olympic sites. We did not go inside because tickets were too expensive but we were able to get right up next to them. We then went to the Summer Palace where we hike around and marveled at the Qing Dynasty Buildings. It was beautiful. Tiananmen Square was always buzzing with excitement. We tried to see the morning flag raising ceremony but we arrived too late.
That's all that is going on with me right now. Things are going very well. I miss you all and thank you so much for your pryer support.
Ernesto, Will and Myself at the 5th anniversary of Mr. Mai's Coffee House
The Beijing Open
Shane and I watching some good tennis!
The Birds Nest
Me and the Cube. Chinese people love Michael Phelps!
A bridge at the Summer Palace
More of the Summer Palace
Amazing. The emperor's summer get away!
Chairman Mao and Thousands of People! Tiananmen was buzzing with excitement.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Safe Arrival
I had a great time back home this summer. Thanks to all my friends and family for taking time to see me. I had a wonderful time thanks to you.
Well we finally made it back to Wuhan on Monday morning. The flight didn't seem as long this year. Probably because the element of the unknown wasn't there anymore, and because the two Tylenol PM knocked me out like a little baby. The past couple of days we have been seeing old friends and showing the new people around the school. This year there are 5 foreigners teaching at my school and 4 other foreign friends teaching in a city called Huang Shi. We are very excited to have more people this year.
Anyways, I don't have much to say but I just wanted to tell you all thank you for reading, prying, and being interested in what is going on with my life right now.
Taylor
Well we finally made it back to Wuhan on Monday morning. The flight didn't seem as long this year. Probably because the element of the unknown wasn't there anymore, and because the two Tylenol PM knocked me out like a little baby. The past couple of days we have been seeing old friends and showing the new people around the school. This year there are 5 foreigners teaching at my school and 4 other foreign friends teaching in a city called Huang Shi. We are very excited to have more people this year.
Anyways, I don't have much to say but I just wanted to tell you all thank you for reading, prying, and being interested in what is going on with my life right now.
Taylor
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Final Stretch!
Firstly I want to thank you all for thinking of me during this past year. I could not have done it with our your 'help'.
Secondly I want to tell you all that after much consideration I have decided to stay in China for a second year! I am really excited for my future plans and the plans for this wonderful country.
I am coming home this summer. I will be home in early July and I will leave again in late August. Don't worry, we will have plenty of time to catch up when you take me out for lunch at Chipotle or In-N-Out. OR...if you are feeling really generous you can take me out for a steak dinner! hahaha
My last trip was in Chendu (Panda Capitol of the World). Here are some pics of the cuddly creatures!
Nap time!
3 Amigos
Ha ha ha...This one is great!
So Cute!
Chinese Guys stop for a cucumber break!
Chinese Opera!
Don't try this at home!
Thank you for reading and looking and I thank you all so much for 'thinking' of me during this final stretch!
See Ya Soon!!!
Secondly I want to tell you all that after much consideration I have decided to stay in China for a second year! I am really excited for my future plans and the plans for this wonderful country.
I am coming home this summer. I will be home in early July and I will leave again in late August. Don't worry, we will have plenty of time to catch up when you take me out for lunch at Chipotle or In-N-Out. OR...if you are feeling really generous you can take me out for a steak dinner! hahaha
My last trip was in Chendu (Panda Capitol of the World). Here are some pics of the cuddly creatures!
Nap time!
3 Amigos
Ha ha ha...This one is great!
So Cute!
Chinese Guys stop for a cucumber break!
Chinese Opera!
Don't try this at home!
Thank you for reading and looking and I thank you all so much for 'thinking' of me during this final stretch!
See Ya Soon!!!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Spring Time!
They say Wuhan only has two seasons, Summer and Winter. I have found that to be true when fall lasted about 2 weeks. It's 'spring' time now but it might last only another week or so. I am enjoying it while it lasts.
I can't believe it's already April. The time went by so fast. In about two months I will be boarding a plane and arriving in LAX. I am still not sure the exact date I will be coming home but it will be sometime in mid-June or early July.
I want to thank you all for taking the time to read my blog, respond with comments and above all thank you for prying for me. I could NOT have done it without your support. Thank you.
Most of you know that I have been considering coming back for a second year. After much thought and much pryer, and much reading the word I have decided to come back for a second year!
This is a big commitment but I am very excited for this next year and what will come of it. Don't worry...I am coming home for the summer. So you will have plenty of time to see me and take me out to Chipotle or a steak dinner! Hahaha
I love you all. Again, thank you for your support.
Here are some pictures from "Tree Planting Day" hahahaha
One of our bosses(Kai) and Stew working Hard
Stasi and Glendyr planting trees! We were all in Chinese Newspaper and TV for this!
I planted the most trees! hahah But Stew doesn't think so!
Kai and his tree!
I can't believe it's already April. The time went by so fast. In about two months I will be boarding a plane and arriving in LAX. I am still not sure the exact date I will be coming home but it will be sometime in mid-June or early July.
I want to thank you all for taking the time to read my blog, respond with comments and above all thank you for prying for me. I could NOT have done it without your support. Thank you.
Most of you know that I have been considering coming back for a second year. After much thought and much pryer, and much reading the word I have decided to come back for a second year!
This is a big commitment but I am very excited for this next year and what will come of it. Don't worry...I am coming home for the summer. So you will have plenty of time to see me and take me out to Chipotle or a steak dinner! Hahaha
I love you all. Again, thank you for your support.
Here are some pictures from "Tree Planting Day" hahahaha
One of our bosses(Kai) and Stew working Hard
Stasi and Glendyr planting trees! We were all in Chinese Newspaper and TV for this!
I planted the most trees! hahah But Stew doesn't think so!
Kai and his tree!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Back to School
Well my gigantic six week break has come to an end. After Thailand I stayed in Wuhan for a couple of weeks and then I met my parents in Beijing. I had such a wonderful time seeing them and showing them around China. After Beijing we went to Xi'an for a couple of days and then brought them to Wuhan (They even helped me teach some of my classes)! The students loved it!
So I have four more months left here in China. It almost seems like no time at all. Now the big question is what am I going to do next year. I need pryer for this because I am torn between a few decisions. I am thinking about coming back and getting a job, grad school, and I am also thinking about staying another year! aaahhhh It is a huge decision that can't be made overnight but it does require a lot of thought and pryer. Thank you.
Here are some pics of the trip to Beijing and Xi'an.
Mom on the Great Wall!
Richard Nixon said it best, "It sure is a Great Wall."
Terracotta Warriors.
When the emperor died the Chinese stopped making the warriors. That is why these ones don't have heads!
Little Chinese Kid at the Forbidden City
Rebuilding the Warriors.
So I have four more months left here in China. It almost seems like no time at all. Now the big question is what am I going to do next year. I need pryer for this because I am torn between a few decisions. I am thinking about coming back and getting a job, grad school, and I am also thinking about staying another year! aaahhhh It is a huge decision that can't be made overnight but it does require a lot of thought and pryer. Thank you.
Here are some pics of the trip to Beijing and Xi'an.
Mom on the Great Wall!
Richard Nixon said it best, "It sure is a Great Wall."
Terracotta Warriors.
When the emperor died the Chinese stopped making the warriors. That is why these ones don't have heads!
Little Chinese Kid at the Forbidden City
Rebuilding the Warriors.
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