You Can Find Me Here For Now....

It was a great ride/adventure/opportunity.

But, now I'm back to writing about my:

life
thoughts
travels
family
church
happenings in my daily life in a corner of the world in southern utah.

You can find me here..

Come on over for a visit!

Fond Farewell

We have arrived safely at our lovely home and neighborhood in St. George.

Jenni had made us a Mexican casserole, home-made bread, filled the fridge with food for our fruit smoothies; Janessa had made a lovely welcome home banner; the neighbor kids put up a huge welcome home banner.

The kids called to welcome us home.

Jerry and Linda gave us Martinelli's and chocolate.

The friends/neighbors at church were gracious.

We're putting the boxes of things away, and throwing unnecessary things away.

We have lots to do over the ensuing weeks; doctor/dentist visits, taxes, financial situations, insurance, the important items of life.

But, I keep thinking it's time to go to class, time to prepare the lesson for my power point presentation, but those days are over.

This I do know: China changed me, and my heart will never be the same.

Tsai Jian

From My In Box

Thank you for being so responsible...We will always ready to give you the warmly welcome. Karen

You know, I just felt so nervous before sending the gift to you, even when I'm taking the listening exam. I just cann't wait to show you the gift and see what's your reaction. Ginger

Always take care and be a fit lady,haha. Miranda

I used to be a shy boy, who tends to be very taciturn in the class.Hope you can remember my " BAZINGA!!" T-shirts and my guitar and it`s a great honor to have played guitar for you.
Wish you a happy voyage! Harper

It's the Little Things....

that remind me of why I love being in this country:

Brushing my teeth straight from the tap without having to wait for the water to boil each time.

Being able to access blogs and facebook.

Leaving a phone mail message; (there is no such thing in China.)

Getting a drink of water from any tap in the home.

Living within a short distance of things, instead of taking one hour and a half by walking, bus, and metro to go buy cheese.

Air conditioning.

Driving a car (it's old, but it works!).

Shopping for food that seems pretty safe and clean.

Using a public restroom without having to take my own toilet paper, soap, and towels.

Using a sidewalk for that: walking and not as a public urinal or spittoon.

Yet, even while I say all this: I have the utmost respect and admiration for those marvelous people we met in China.

They are good and wonderful. There is so much I would not want to change.

But, for me, I am used to the American way.

What Can I Say.....

I'm excited!

Our Bags Are Packed.....

we're ready to go.

The Beauty of the Chinese Students Shines Forth in This Song

We'd said farewell; I'd dismissed them; but no one was leaving...

”Class is not over,”they said.

I looked at my watch...there were four minutes left. Imagine, four minutes and they were still sticking around.

“Okay,” I said, “Sing me a song! A song in Chinese. Issy come up here and lead them.”

So, they sang this song; it's a song of gratitude and thankfulness...and my heart was touched by their beauty, their innocence, their goodness!

You can see/hear it here:

Getting Lost in Guangzhou

Tip of the day;

you do NOT want to get lost in a city of 34 million people, most of whom do not speak English.

How I got lost:

Got off different bus stop from previous several trips to shopping area, so I was disoriented to start with
Major landmark - an over-the-road sidwalk - was entirely torn down and gone, totally confusing me as to where I was to go
Bus stop - moved a couple of blocks away from previous bus stop location

I made it home -

very late; all is well,

but Allen was concerned...how sweet...he had told me not to call unless it was an emergency...okay, so getting lost IS an emergency,

and next time I'll call.

Happy 4th of July

I've always loved America!

I've always been so proud to claim that as my home country.

But, I think I understand even more deeply what freedom means.

And, I will be forever grateful for freedom!

God Bless America!

Farewell, Chye and Ruth

The van pulled away from the front entrance late Sunday evening. I returned to the apartment, already feeling a great sense of loss.

How can I adequately express what you both did for us this year as our next-door neighbors.

Chye, you:
translated for us
bargained for us
made sure we didn't over-pay for anything
helped us order food
shared our taxi expenses every Sunday for our cab fare to church
engaged us with stories of your youth in Malaysia and your family's ties to China

Ruth, you:
taught me about patience as I observed you on a daily basis
always had a smile whatever the circumstances
were a willing partner for any adventure

You are going back to Indiana, we will leave soon for Utah...will our paths ever cross again?

Oh, how I will miss you both!

Lunch with Sammie

"I want to spend more time with you before you leave. Will you have lunch with me? And, of course, please bring your husband. Will Saturday be alright?" she asked, just as class was over.

There were throngs of students milling around, it was noisy, confusing, as the final class and good-byes concluded, etc. We agreed to meet at the Main Gate at 11:30 on Saturday.

The next day, I remembered our arrangment, but I couldn't remember who had asked to meet us!

No matter, when I arrived at the main gate and saw a familiar face, I'd know who we were eating with that afternoon.

However, early Saturday, came an email reminding me of our appointment, and of course, now I remembered...it was Sammie - dear lovely Sammie. Front row, Sammie. Sammie with the great big smile always.

And, so we ate lunch with Sammie...just the three of us.

She was so appreciative of the opportunities to speak English in class....she felt so much more confident than she had upon arriving at the university. She was so beautiful and kind.

It was a wonderful way to end our time with our freshmen students.

NOTE: two of Allen's freshmen students (Maggie and Linda) took us to the very same restaurant two nights ago. His students also were so appreciative of their opportunities to speak English with him.

First and Last...

Sunday

Be Careful What You Wish For....

...you just might get it.

"I want to live in a big city," I used to tell Shauna.

Well, now I've lived in the third largest city in China - 34 million people.

Here's what I've learned....

"I really want to live in a small city."

Living in a big city is difficult to describe. But, even the smallest of tasks - going to the bank for a small transaction - takes an hour and a half of waiting and being helped.

No matter where we go, there are HUGE hordes of people.

The busses, subways, malls, streets, restaurants are FILLED with people.

The lines at check-out counters are always long and very slow.

So, I've learned my lesson, which is, I'm really a small town girl, thank you very much.

See If You Can Tell Which One I Am!

I Often Wondered....

what it would be like to walk out of teaching building 2 at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies for the very last time.

Now, I know.