Changes

If you are confused, so am I, so don't worry. I'm going to help a medical home called Morning Star now. It could change again, who knows. Stay tuned... :)

Goodbyes

I really dislike saying goodbye to people. Perhaps it's the word. It just sounds so final. That's why the Chinese word for goodbye is so much better because it actually means “again see." 再见.

This weekend, I said goodbye to a lot of people. It leaves me exhausted and I crash in my bed and fall asleep like I'm suffering from jet lag.

Yesterday, I spent the day with my Chinese friend 艺泉 (Yi4 quan2), and two awesome guys from my Chinese class, Chance and Thomas. We went "shopping" at the mall (kind of like teenagers) and bought 艺泉 her first pretzel in America. Following that, we went to the dominating local Walmart and bought Valentine's Day treats since I will be travelling and miss Valentine's Day completely. When we went back to 艺泉's apartment we didn't do much of anything but eat and talk. Sometimes, I think that's the best time spent even though when people ask you what you did, it sounds totally lame. I'll be seeing 艺泉 in Shanghai before I fly home in June and I can't wait to see her in her own element.

Then I went to a bar.

Matt and Jayson came home from school this weekend. Jayson called me and told me to bring a coat and my wallet, but refused to tell me where we were going. We drove on the treacherous freeway to Salt Lake City and I saw 3 cars flipped over and at least ten other cars off the road because of the slick ice. We got to City Creek Mall and Jayson and I showed Matt our favorite store. It's our favorite store because when we were looking at clothes, Jayson found an article of clothing and asked me, "Why does this skirt have butt pads." I died laughing because it was a tube-top with a built-in bra. When Matt finished eating his Chick-fil-a chicken, we walked the snow covered streets of SLC to a bar. Jayson has been talking about this bar for a long time. It's called Keys on Main and apparently sometimes it's a karaoke bar. It wasn't karaoke night. It was Mardi Gras. It was really fun to watch the musicians play request after request of popular and not so popular music. They were so talented and probably make a lot of money off tips. I can't say I was completely comfortable being there surrounded by alcohol, but it was the best people watching I've ever had.

That is how we say goodbye. In just 4 days, I will be off to CHINA! The next blog post will for sure be all about China. Until then, 再见.

Beijing

When you go to China, you learn to become a last minute person, change plans at the drop of a dime. True to it's nature, China threw a curve ball at the last minute. Instead of Xi'an and the Starfish Foster Home, I'm off to Beijing and China Little Flower. A woman somehow related to the home offered to let Kendra and me board at her home while there which is beyond amazing of her. There is hope in humanity! ;)

I am completely determined to approach this new experience with an open mind and make Beijing my home. I want to make friends with the locals, and as always, live like the Chinese as much as possible. The best way to keep culture shock and homesickness at bay is to immerse yourself in the culture. It's amazing to embrace (as much as possible) another culture and really experience it. It opens you up to a whole new world you didn't ever know existed. It's the most beautiful experience, and I wish I had the words to truly help you see it the way I do. Better yet, go try it for yourself!

Things You Can and Can't Buy in China

大家好！

One of the biggest struggles I found while trying to pack for China my first time was that I didn't know what I could buy there and what I couldn't. Here is a pretty basic list of necessities that you can buy in China (Please note that this is a general list. You may be able to find some things in one city that you can't in another):

• Toothbrushes and toothpaste like Crest and also lots of really gross tasting ones. I'd just stick to Crest.
• Socks (not thick ones)
• Razors (though they are not as high quality and usually more expensive since they are uncommon)
• Makeup (Also can be expensive depending on how picky you are about brands, etc.)
• Hair dye (Only natural colors in blond and dark brown)
• Q-tips
• Nail clippers
• Office supplies like paper, scissors, colored pencils, markers, notebooks (often with poor English on the covers), etc. 
• Hair gel and spray (in larger cities mostly)
• Clothes (If you are of a small build) and shoes (if you are about a size 7 in women's or 10 in men's)
• Some decent brands of body wash, lotion, and shampoo and conditioner. While in China, I used the L'Oreal curly hair products, but they were a little pricey at 30 yuan a piece which is around $5. They do carry Olay products, but note that all things are in smaller quantities for higher prices because they are imported. If you can, just bring your own.
• Hair dyers and straighteners. There are little shops everywhere that sell random things, so it's not hard to find one for really cheap.
• Chapstick
• Laundry detergent though I do prefer to bring my own because I think the detergent in China is really hard on clothes. (Be careful when buying this if you do. Try to buy ones with colored clothing pictured on the package to be safe)

You cannot buy

• Deodorant
• Contacts and contact solution (I've heard that if you can find a Watson's you can find this there.)
• Dental floss
• Mouthwash
• Western medications such as ibuprofen, cold meds, Peptobismo, etc.
• Tampons
• Good sunscreen
• Shoes if your feet are over size 7 in women's or 10 in men's. I brought two pairs of shoes. Heels and some tennis shoes. My tennis shoes got holes and I had to buy new ones (at a foreign store that luckily carried my size) and I wished the whole time I was there that I had a pair of flats to wear to school instead of heels.

Here are a few things I brought that I found very useful:

• Pack of playing cards
• Sewing kit (packing is limited and China is hard on clothes. Your clothes are bound to get a little worn out with all the extra walking and travel so it's good to be able to do minor repairs)
• Granola bars and fruit snacks to eat while getting used to different food.
• A backpack or a big purse to carry lots of things with so you don't have to take your huge suitcase on shorter trips.
• A USB for printing things, sharing lessons, or anything else for that matter They are pretty expensive to buy in China sometimes, so I'd bring one just to be safe.
• An iPod with games and music
• A couple books to read though you can use the hostel book exchange if you find any good books there.
• A Mandarin-English dictionary. 
• A passport case to protect it from ware and tear. You can't take trains or planes  or stay in a hotel or hostel without it, so you use it a lot.
• A lint roller
• A basic light jacket you can wear inside or when you go outside to work out.
• A watch
• Warm socks (I spent more than half the time with frozen toes my first time even though)
• Boots (Like thick ones. I just bought cheap Ugg look a-likes and they kept my feet warm both the 2nd and 3rd time I went to China.)
• Gloves and scarves
• Adapters (the ones we bought at Walmart all broke so find one elsewhere)
• A laptop. Some schools will be willing to provide you with one to use, while others won't. Some schools will give you an office computer while others won't. A laptop is a great resource when you are teaching since you can make power points and get online ideas and help.

The China Horizons packing page has some good suggestions as well. To look at that, click here.

Good websites I frequented that will help you get around or get information:

• Ctrip is great for getting times and prices on trains and planes as well as finding hotels.
• Hostel World for booking hostels (a cheaper form of a hotel)
• The Great Firewall of China lets you test websites to see if they will work or not in Mainland (though not entirely reliable since it says Gmail doesn't work even though it does.)
• The Travel China Guide is great at giving you ideas of places to see in the cities you travel to.
• Sogou is where I get all my Chinese music from. You can get basically any other kind of music on there, too, but remember that it's illegal so I can't technicallly encourage it... ;)
• Youku is the Chinese YouTube. You can watch tons of TV shows and movies if you are in Mainland China (otherwise it doesn't work). It's great!
• Baidu is the Chinese google. I use the map on Baidu paired with Google Translate to find things in our city.
• (Note that blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and many other websites won't work unless you have a VPN or proxy server. It's suggested you get one before you leave because once in China, it's much harder to get one. I've used Express VPN and Switch VPN. Of the two, I'd recommend Express, but Switch was cheaper.  As far as free goes, I haven't found any that work super great, but I have set up a proxy on my Google Chrome browser. You can do this by following the instructions on this website: http://mrjetlee.com/facebook-from-china/ )

For anyone who reads this, I really hope it helps you pack and prepare for your trip to China! 

It's COMING!

Since I get to go back to China in less than two months, I've started to get SO nostalgic and I think about China 80% of my day. I see myself walking around Nanjing, going to my apartment, in the classroom with my students, or riding on a sleeper train on my way to some exciting destination.

I must walk around in a state of trance because I'm not completely focused on everything else around me except the upcoming departure. I love China so much and I just can't wait to go back. I have started collecting items I'll need to take with me when I go and packing is going to be so much easier this time because I know what to bring and what I can buy there. I'm counting the days until I hop on a plane back to heaven.

On top of that, China Horizons asked me to help with the teacher training after the Hong Kong tour. Not only am I honored that they would ask me, but also that I can take part in this program and help prepare others for the time of their lives. I can't wait to share with them what I gained from teaching and what I learned about China and adjusting to a new culture. 

China, here I come! Are you ready?

Peace, Love, China

It's official! I'm going BACK to China! I was given a fantastic scholarship from China Horizons (check them out by clicking here). I applied for the scholarship on a whim without thinking I'd actually get it. Then, the email came with congratulations. I have the opportunity to live in a "foster home" in China for three months working with the staff and children there. The children are all between 0-4 years old and have special health needs. They receive health care and love until they are adopted by families all over the world. I can't tell you the feeling of joy that swells inside me to know that I once again get to live in China. I never dreamed it possible that I would get to go back so soon. The Lord works in mysterious ways, but let's just say, I'm not complaining!

When I went through all the pages on the Starfish Foster Home webpage, I bawled like a baby. Maybe you will too. I love the people in China and I can't believe I get to go and serve them more. They have given me so much and I can't wait to repay their kindness. I can't wait to hold these babies and love them with all my heart.

My tentative departure date is Valentine's day, but so much can change and since this is the first time CH is doing the scholarship, it will be a process, but I am honored that I was chosen to pioneer this adventure. Here's to yet another adventure! China, here I come!

P.S. I waited until I wasn't freaking out to write this so it wouldn't be so crazy all over the place. You're welcome! ;)

I LOVE China!

Hello family, friends, and random people who read this!

I wish there were words either in English or Chinese that could explain how I feel about China. China is such an incredible place! There is a feeling here that I have never felt in America. China has so much history and it's people are so rooted to that history. You can feel the history here. I don't know how to explain it so you'll understand, but it's almost like I can feel the people who have lived here in the past. It's almost like they are present on the streets, but not in a creepy way.

Teaching is going SO well. I love my kids so much and I can't help but smile when I am with them. They are hilarious and do the craziest things to get my attention. The best words I hear are, "Miss Sarah, high-five!" I get mobbed by kids all wanting to give me a high-five or maybe a million high-fives.

One day in class, my students were so full of energy and just going crazy. I knew that we wouldn't get through the lesson at all if I didn't find a way to expend their energy first. So we did the Macarena. I will post the video on Facebook. They learned the Macarena but decided to do their own dance. It was SO hilarious!

I have to tell you about Pizza Hut in China. It's a really fancy sit-down restaurant. It's not really normal for people to order just a pizza. They have appetizers, desserts, etc. Kimee and I decided that we would go for dinner one day. We sat down and they gave us one menu. Kimee went to scoot her chair closer to me so we could look at it together, but she bumped into the table next to us. The girls gave her this way dirty look. (really embarrassing, by the way! ;) Love, Kimee) The waitress came to take our order but she didn't speak any English so she went to get someone who did. He didn't really speak it either, but he tried. We pointed to what we wanted and he wrote it down. When he came back with our drinks, they were wrong. It was some sort of milk tea so we grabbed the menu and showed them what we wanted again. They came back with iced tea instead. So we just went without a drink. The appetizer came, and it was wrong. We just ate it, and it was good! The pizza came and it was actually right! It was so good, too! Even by American standards I think. Kimee was trying to dish up her pizza and it fell off the serving spatula and knocked her fork onto the ground. Oops! (So embarrassing, by the way! Again! Haha that was not my day. Love, Kimee) When we finished our pizza, we waited for our dessert to come, but it didn't. We didn't know how to ask about it, but Kimee got the idea to pull out her Chinese phrase book. She looked up "ice cream," but they didn't have it. She just showed them "ice" and "cream." They came back with a glass of ice and a little coffee creamer cup. We died laughing! (HAHA! Love, Kimee) I cried, I was laughing so hard. Then I saw a picture of ice cream on the table, so I showed that and we got it, but we had to pay extra for it. By the end of the night, I was completely resigned. We probably won't go back unless we take a Chinese friend with us.

The Nanjing Branch is so fantastic! It's small, but the members are like my family! One family has invited us over for dinner twice and they make really good American desserts. Kimee and I both have callings. Kimee is a Primary Worker and I am a Co-Young Single Adult Representative with Brad, one of the guys that came here through the same program. It's so wonderful to have the ability to attend church and take the Sacrament even though we are in China. I feel so blessed! On Friday, we leave to go to Shanghai for District Conference. I am giving the closing prayer at the adult meeting and Kimee, Brad, and I are doing a musical number for the YSA Fireside. One of the members in our branch found a violin in his new apartment so he let Kimee borrow it. She'll play the violin and Brad and I will sing. I'm so excited to go to Shanghai though. How many people can say they've been to Shanghai?

There is this thing that is really popular in China. It is called KTV. You know it as karaoke! We LOVE KTV!  I'll paint you a picture. You rent a room that has a couple of microphones, a TV, and a computer with tons of English songs for us to sing. We usually go with our Chinese friends and they sing depressing Chinese love songs while we sing Believe by Cher, Backstreet Boys, etc. The English selection is really big and they have tons of really good songs. All the Chinese like KTV and there are KTV places everywhere. KTV is the best! FOR REAL!

Chinese food is really good. Half the time, you don't really know what you are eating, so if it's good, you eat it. Kimee and I have had pigs ears, octopus and squid tentacles (Ewwwwwwww... Love, Kimee), and who knows what else! (We discovered a chicken head on my lunch plate. It was disguised because it was breaded and fried. I ate a chicken eyeball... Love, Kimee). Eggplant is really good, and they eat it a lot here. It's delicious! The fried rice is always good, but if you want good ice cream, stay in America. The ice cream here is good, but just not the same. Rice is great and we eat lots of it. it's not something I'm sick of either. We have a favorite restaurant that we call, "the rice place." We go there like 3 or 4 times a week and it's so good! They have really good fried rice with pineapple, or fried eggplant. They also have some types of fried bread they sell that are really good.

We live right by Xuanwu Lake, a 1500 year old man-made lake. There are a few islands in the middle of the lake with parks on them. We've gone and walked around it a couple times and it's so beautiful! When spring really gets here, it will be absolutely breath-taking! The lake is pretty big so we don't walk around the whole thing at once. We just go around a part of it and then come back.

The weather here is starting to warm up and we can't wait! There are some blossoms on the trees in pink and white and they are gorgeous. China is a beautiful place.

On Sunday, some of our Chinese friends came over and taught us how to make dumplings. It was so fun and they were delicious. Apparently it's like an art, so none of my dumplings passed the test. We also ate some duck that they brought (it's a specialty in Nanjing) and some potatoes. They eat a lot of vegetables and meat here it seems. We also made two American meals for them. We made fajitas (which we know aren't really American), and garlic mashed potatoes (Sarah is a pro, by the way. The mashed potatoes were to die for! Love, Kimee) and pork. Both were a success despite all the improvising we had to do because of lack of ingredients. We even made our own tortillas!

I'm really so sorry about taking so long to post in the blog. We are so busy! We teach and try to explore the city. We spend time with our Chinese friends and the other foreigners here. It's so much fun and I just love China!

I love how you can be walking along and see all these normal things and then all the sudden, see something COMPLETELY Chinese. Living here has become normal in some ways, so it's nice to be reminded that I'm in China, the greatest place on the planet. Time is passing too fast for me. I don't want to leave this place. There will be a huge hole in my heart when I leave. I LOVE CHINA!