Brrr! It's cold out here.

Today, after a long day of working with the kids, taking care of school assignments, meeting up with people, and gathering supplies for halloween activities for the kids later this week, I get home and find the following email in my inbox:

The Shanghai Government has issued a local cold weather warning in effect for Tuesday to Thursday.

 

Tomorrows weather could drop below 10 Degrees Celsius, due to a sudden cold snap that has come down from Northern China.  This sudden cold change will mean that many students will suffer from a cold by the end of the week.

 

Also please remember to bring a jacket with you tomorrow.

 Seriously, 10 degrees Celsius. What is that even supposed to mean? I admit, I had to pull up a temperature converter to figure out that it means below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I've been in worse, but apparently Shanghai cold is a whole different beast, at least that what everyone has been saying... We shall see!

Two Cups of Coffee

Gah! I have always loved this story....

In the book “First Things First” he describes a story that one of his associates experienced on a seminar. In the middle of the lecture the presenter pulled out a wide-mouth jar and placed it on the table, aside to some fist-sized rocks.

After filling the jar to the top with rocks he asked, “Is the jar full?”

People could see that no more rocks would fit, so they replied, “Yes!”

“Not so fast,” he cautioned. He then got some gravel from under the table and added it to the jar, filling the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asked, “Is the jar full?”

This time the students replied “Probably not.”

The presenter then reached a bucket of sand below the table, and dumped it on the jar, filling the spaces between the rocks and the gravel. Once again he asked “Is the jar full?”

“No!”, the students shouted.

Finally, he grabbed a two cups of coffee and filled the jar completely, asking to the public what they could learn from that illustration.

One of the participants answered, “If you work at it, you can always fit more into your life.”

“No,” said the presenter. “The point is, if you don’t put the big rocks in first. . . would you ever have gotten any of them in?”

The moral being that you need to put the first things first and once you have everything in, there is always time for a couple cups of coffee with friends!

Finding the Courage to Win: a lesson about the strenght of vision

I know that China is a very interesting and important place to be right now, but seriously --- it is everywhere! Everywhere! This is an article from Spark People, a wellness website, titled Finding the Courage to Win: a lesson about the strength of vision, by Mike Kramar:

This is the story of an unassuming electrician working hard at a city zoo. He was not known as the kind to stir up trouble, but as mounting injustice swirled around him, he couldn't help himself. He wrote and published a couple of essays expressing his beliefs - and was promptly arrested and sentenced to 15 years in a violent prison.

The man is Wei Jingsheng, communist China's most famous and revered political prisoner. His journey from layman to legendary crusader holds a valuable lesson about the strength of Vision. Wei's vision for a democratic China has granted him the courage and willpower to overcome countless unspeakable obstacles. Today he lives a free man and continues to fight for human rights.

The lesson we can learn is this: There is power and courage inside each one of us, waiting for an excuse to escape.

In 1978, Wei dared to stand apart in order to be heard. He had the nerve to sign his name and address to his posted essay. This was unheard of in a country where "many Chinese people…have even grown accustomed to being oppressed."

He spent eight months on death row and five years in solitary confinement with little light or food. He was tortured. He was beaten by other prisoners who hoped for the reward of a reduced sentence. Still he did not give up. 

Instead, he wrote and smuggled out articles and letters that fanned the flames of the growing democratic movement. He took money from international human rights awards he won while in prison and supported other political victims. 

After 14 years, Wei was released - and was arrested again after six months. The beatings continued. Almost all of his teeth fell out. He had high blood pressure, heart problems and arthritis, but was not allowed medication. He went on a hunger strike for a heater. Still he did not give up. 

Finally, in 1997, China sent Wei to the United States. However, his release was not freedom, but exile from the country he loved in return for economic concessions. Still he does not give up. To this day, Chinese activists fighting for democracy still rally around his writings, while he lectures and lobbies for their human rights. 

The man who has been called the "Chinese Mandela" did more than cope with the world that found him. He conquered it, both in fact and in spirit. When Wei posted his essay, he had no idea of the destiny that awaited him. Fortunately for the world, the strength of his vision gave him the courage and drive to rise to the challenge. 

 Interesting, huh? I agree, vision is important. Sometimes I see things clearly and sometimes I'm not so sure, but I'm figuring it out.

Home or something like it.

Here it is, THE APARTMENT TOUR. Our apartment is located at the cross streets of Yanping Road and Xinzha Road. Building 6. 9th Floor. This our side of Yanping Road...

And this is the other side of Yanping Road...

The path drive way from Yanping Road to our apartment....

The path to our apartment...

Our front door...

Welcome to our apartment! The entrance way...

When you enter the front door, the kitchen is just to your right....

But if you keep walking forward, you will end up with the dining room to your right...

And, the living room to your left...

If you continue to walk straight, you will end up in our hallway...

The first door on the right is the bathroom...

If you continue down the hallway, the first door on the left is the study/tech room aka. the third bedroom...

The second door on the left is my room...

This is the bed...

And this is the window seat...

And, the door at the end of the hallway is Sherry's room...

Yeah, so that is our apartment! And here are a few pictures of the view from our windows (1) from my bedroom during the day (2) from my bedroom at night (3) from my bedroom during the day and  (4) from the study room during the day...

On a foundtional note...

Have you listened to Chris Tomlin's "God of This City", Tim Hughes "Everything", David Crowder "How He Loves", Matthew West "More", or Matthew West "The Center" recently. If not, you're probably way to busy to pull them up, but they're the songs that have been getting me through these last couple weeks. Because when I listen to them, they refocus me and remind me that God has purpose and presence wherever I am and wherever the people I love are and that I want to want to be apart of His will for wherever I am. And when, wherever I am or whatever I am doing is really getting to me, they remind me that I am loved so completely by the Almighty God and He loves me perfectly and that I'm not just "here" going through "all of this" because He wants to be mean to me and because he can, but because He is making me into the amazing person that He created me to be. And, it hurts sometimes, but it's like Vince Lombardi said, it's about "doing what you don't want to do, in order to achieve what you've always wanted to achieve." I want to be the person God created me to be, and it might suck sometimes getting there -- but, it's totally worth it.

Little bunny foo-foo hoppin' through the forest... did I say bunny? Ha. Sorry, I meant chicken.

We escaped. But, then it was off to training at Daqian Eco-Resort located at No.1 Xiyangdian Village, Zhujiajiao Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai 201713, China. Check it out:

Daqian Eco-Resort (Polly, Claudia, Annie, Kirsti, Bernessa, and Leila) 08.25.2010 We walk, we walk, we walk. Walking to our six-person villas in the woods.

Conference Room (Annie, Leila, and Samantha) 08.26.2010 

The training schedule was pretty rigorous. 

7am wake-up if you planned on eating breakfast

9am-12pm morning training modules

12pm-1pm lunch in the dining hall

1pm-5pm afternoon training modules

5pm-6pm dinner in the dining hall

6pm-9pm evening training modules

 

Just before leaving Daqian, we found out something that we did not know about Annie. We knew she liked dogs, but we did know about the.....

....Yeah. The CHICKENS!

Whistle while you work!

Watch the video! 

Okay, so one day my VPN would not for the life of me connect and I had to resort to browsing the Chinese internet. While browsing, I remembered that you can download music for free from google.com.cn and decided to check it out and I stumbled across Wang Lee Hom's "Sun Washed by the Spring Rain". Gah! I love the sound of the song, even though the lyrics do not really apply to me. Here are the lyrics:

王力宏 - 春雨里洗过的太阳
Wang Lee Hom - Chun Yu Li Xi Guo De Tai Yang

分开之后另一年的春天
fen kai zhi hou ling yi nian de chun tian
记忆也像下雪一样溶解
ji yi ye xiang xia xue yi xiang rong jie
那些有你在身边的影片
na xie you ni zai shen bian de ying pian
呼的一声飞的老远老远
hu de yi sheng fei de lao yuan lao yuan
-
In the spring of the year following our break-up
Memories have melted away with the melting snow
Those films with you beside me
Have flown far far away with a whoosh

爱在夏天过完之后锁在秋天
ai zai xia tian guo wan zhi hou suo zai qiu tian
捱过冬天之后的我好了一些
ai guo dong tian zhi hou de wo hao le yi xie
雨后的天上 彩虹出现 衬出一片蓝天
yu hou de tian shang / cai hong chu xian / chen chu yi pian lan tian
-
After the summer, love became locked inside autumn
After winter passes I became a little better
A rainbow appears in the sky after its rained - bringing out the blue of the sky

我在淋过一场大雨之后的晴朗
wo zai lin guo yi chang da yu zhi hou de qing lang
那是春雨里洗过的太阳
na shi chun yu li xi guo de tai yang
每个冬季带来失落 伤得多深
mei ge dong ji dai lai shi luo / shang de duo shen
然后忽然看懂云的形状
ran hou hu ran kan dong yun de xing zhuang
-
I'm standing under the clear sky after a heavy rain has passed
It's a sun that's been washed in the spring rain
That winter brought about loss, how deeply it hurt
Then suddenly I saw the meaning of the cloud's shapes

If you listen to the rhythm of the pouring rain
If you listen to the rhythm of the pouring rain
那是春雨里洗过的太阳
na shi chun yu li xi guo de tai yang
每个冬季带来失落 伤得多深
mei ge dong ji dai lai shi luo / shang de duo shen
每个呼吸都是新的芬芳
me ge hu xi dou shi xin de fen fang
-
If you listen to the rhythm of the pouring rain
It's a sun that's been washed in the spring rain
Every winter brought about loss, how deeply they hurt
As each breath brings a new fragrance

流下的眼泪 留下了智慧
liu xia de yan lei / liu xia le zhi hui
爱情会天亮 也一定会黑
ai qing hui tian liang / ye yi ding hui hei
世界会等我 它问我冬天过去了没
shi jie hui deng wo / ta wen wo dong tian guo qu le mei
-
The tears that poured down, left behind wisdom
Love's dawn will break, but darkness must fall also
The world will wait for me, it asks me, 'Has winter passed yet?'

Searching for a place to rest our heads...

The apartment search, thanks to our cohort-mates Samantha and Leila, was a fairly smooth process. Our first day in Shanghai, we went apartment hunting in the Jing-An District in the evening.

Sherry and I looked at three apartments:

the first one we liked the price and the look (2BR + 1B), the second we were okay with the price and liked the layout more (3BR + 2B), and the third was totally out of our budget and so nice, except we would have had to buy a lot to complete the apartment (2.5BR + 2B  + balcony).

At the end of the day, we decided to sleep on it and decide in the morning.

We decided on the SECOND apartment! And, we were able to negotiate the price down 500 yuan per month.Signed the paperwork on Day 2 in Shanghai...

... And this is our apartment! Located at Yanping Lu and Xinzha Lu. Building 6. 9th Floor. Apt. 905. Suite E.

A tour of our apartment is COMING SOON!!!

You make me cry!

This morning I woke up just in time to hear my phone die. Amazing, right? Because, I was able to get up and plug it in to charge so that I would not be without a phone and more immediately, that I could be sure that my alarm would go off so I won't be late for work.

Anyways, I was so awake when I got back into bed that I just decided to start getting ready. Did morning routine, threw in some bible study, and as I was collecting my required teaching supplies for the day, my eyes ran across:

And you know what, I READ IT!

Worst/Best idea ever! It totally made me cry. And, I don't cry pretty. I cry ugly. But, if even just one of you is praying for me, I am so very thankful! I love you and I miss you. And, I want all the best for you even when I'm not there to share in it with you right now.

Ethan, from Shanghai!

Just got home from work... and the cutest thing happened today!

Before my last class started, my student Ethan came up to me as I sat in the front of the classroom and kissed me on the cheek! Aww, so cute!

Then he said to me in Shanghainese, "Do you speak Shanghainese?"

To which I responded by turning to my TA and saying, "What did he say, Betty?!?"

I told him that I did not and he went to sit down.

A couple seconds later, he spoke to Betty saying in Shanghainese, "I wish she [me] spoke Shanghainese, because I don't like foreign languages. [Pause] I wish you [Betty] spoke French and she [me] spoke Shanghainese!"

Shanghai Qingyi Kindergarten aka QY, Qibao (09.18.2010) This was taken the second time we did bookwork in the Grade 2 classes. Ethan is the one at the top, center.

If you are what you say you are...

So it doesn't matter if you've done your medical check or not before you leave the States, they make you do a pretty darn comprehensive medical check when you get into China. That said, one of our welfare officers that is no longer with Shane took us here:

International Travel Medical Center - Shanghai (09.24.2010) It's kind of a pretty place.

 

International Travel Medical Center - Shanghai (Sherry, John, Samantha, and Kirsti) 08.24.2010 In the waiting room before the most comprehensive doctors visit of our lives.

International Travel Medical Center (Rob, Annie, John, Kirsti, Samantha, Leila, and Sherry) 08.24.2010 Thank goodness we were all healthy like we said we were AND that we escaped. Oh wait, or did we?

Good morning, (for the first time) Shanghai!

So much has happened in the last 44 days, 
here are some highlights from the first couple days in Shanghai:

 Green Tree Hotel, Minghan District (08.23.2010) First day in Shanghai, the view from our hotel room.

Wuzhong Lu (aka Wuzhong Road), Minghan District (08.23.2010) First street crossing in Shanghai. This probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but taking into account that I am not practiced in the ways of walking around cities and adding onto that the fact that this is China (and let's face it they just drive different over here, still on the right side of the road, but drivers have an entirely different mentality) and that there was a scooter accident that had just occurred where we intended to cross the street (and they were yelling at each other and hitting each other while the police observed), I think that I am well within my rights to consider the entire experience a bit of an ordeal.

Shane English School, Jin Hui Branch, Minghan District (08.23.2010) First visit to our Shane Home Office, Shane - Jin Hui is located in Lotus Business Plaza, just across Wuzhong Lu from the Green Tree Hotel - Minghan, the cross streets are Wuzhong Lu and Hongzhong Lu.

The rest of the day was pretty busy, we went out to lunch with some of our managers and our welfare officer. The food was good and the meal was interesting because many of us were still refining our skills in wielding chopsticks. Haha. Also, I tried thousand year old eggs! They were different, but good.

What else, hmm. We followed that up with beginning our apartment search...

How much is that little birdie in the window?

Apparently, it's worth at least 10.50 yuan. Let me explain, a little birdie flew through our kitchen window and into our apartment this morning while Sherry was still sleeping. So if you were here, you would have seen me quietly sneaking around the apartment opening windows until the little birdie flew out one of them. I spent the better part of 5 minutes opening windows until it finally flew out of the bathroom window. Poor thing! At least Lucy (the dog) was not here to "play" with it before its escape.