Hang in there

Sorry I haven't updated in a while it has been a busy last few weeks. Honestly parties happen often here and the only time I have to type these things for real is at night the parties usually go late. I should update this next on Friday night your time Saturday morning for me. I hope you are all doing well. I pray for you often.

How to start a bus with 7 guys and a small incline.

This morning I had a very interesting Chinese experience. I woke up had breakfast and got on the bus to go to school (the buses are owned by the school so there are only teachers on it) and the bus wouldn't start. So the bus driver asked all the men to get out and push the bus over the top of the small incline we were on so he could try and jump start the bus like they do with the VW bus in Little miss sunshine.

It worked.

Qingdao, a clear day with clearly awesome people

Today I went looking for a coat. 4 of my friends here took me out to look for a Coat. If you know me I like to pack lite whenever I go anywhere, and in an effort to save room I did not bring a coat with me to China (thinking I would be able to buy one here). So we went to find a coat. Little did I know that I was in for a day of absolute fun and beauty.

First off in china days where the air is clean and the sky is clear come few and far between. When I woke up this morning I found the sky perfectly clear. I my excitement I left the apartment early to go see my favorite ocean view on a clear day. It just so happened to be right next to the place where I was meeting my friends to go coat shopping.

As you can see it was a beautiful day for an adventure (Click it to see a bigger picture)

After meeting with my group of friends we left for the major shopping area in Qingdao (the Chinese name is evading me for the moment). We went there so that one of our group could pick up a shirt that she had tailored. In going there I was informed that I could get a custom made suit for about 200-300 kwai or about 50-60 dollars. In this group of shops there was literally any fabric you could possibly imagine. From the absolutely ornate to the dastardly ugly and everything in between. Lest it go unsaid I will be going back there. Soon after this we left for another shopping place. This one a little less formal and more barterish in search of a cheep knockoff coat (also reffered to as a northfake). Once we got there I tried on about 10 different coats before I found one that was comfortable and didn't look like it was made by a 10 year old. Once the coat was found the negotiations began.

It was a very good thing my friends are good at haggling in Chinese because the bidding started at 450 kwai or about 70 dollars. As one girl haggled with the stern saleswomen my friend Karen would let me know what price they were at. In the end I bought my Northfake for 350 Kwai or 50 dollars.

The rest of the day included walking around the city and enjoying the day. I also witnessed my friend Justin get an awesome tattoo of the lion of zion.

Here are some pictures:
This guy and his friend really wanted a picture with us. I thought it would be a good idea to get a picture of him with us.

This a small part of the Qingdao skyline.
This a a kind of awkward picture of me on the peer where the rest of the pictures were taken.
This is the awesome group of people I spent most of the day with.

Video

For those of you who can't get the video to work here is the Youtube address:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xieujAfsUQ

It should work there.

Qingdao

Today I got to go on a tour of Qingdao with the new teachers at QMIS (the school I'm at). The whole thing started with a really fun adventure I wasn't expecting to have. My roommate Jason went into the school today to work on some tests he had to make for his students and in the process locked me IN the apartment. I didn't even know that was possible till today. Anyway once I figured out that I was locked in while on the way to the bus to leave for the tour I said a little prayer that I might be able to get out of this darn apartment and God provided and here's how it happened. Literally right after I prayed the phone rang. I answered it and it was the people living upstairs (they are fellow teachers) and they were wondering if I was going to the party tonight. I politely answered their question and then followed up with my problem. They said they would call this other lady who has keys and lives two stories above me. She soon calls my apt and informed me that she doesn't have my keys but that she will be down and I can through them out of the window to her. This all works out well and I can now get out of my apt.

Problem 1 solved

Problem 2: I missed the bus
Debbie the lady with the keys found out where they were and tells me the phrase in Chinese that I need to say to a taxi driver to get there. Mind you if you don't say it exactly right (with the same inflection and tone) Lord only knows what you are really saying. So I walked till I found a taxi, the whole time muttering to myself the phrase. I get in a taxi and say the phrase...he looks at me and says OK and we are off to the unknown destination. 30 minutes and 20 Kwi later I arrive at a church on the other side of the city and find my group.

Problem 2 solved...praise the Lord

The rest is mildly entertaining at best (save one chicken my my crotch, but that's not a different story for a different day) but I got to see the city and it is beautiful and awesome here are some pictures in video form, Sorry it's so blurry it doesn't look like this on my computer. Enjoy!

Beyond Tired

Well I made it. After 23 hours of traveling I am here in Qingdao and I am all set up and ready to go. The set up here is pretty sweet. I live in an apartment with another teacher named James whose wife is in the states with a broken foot. She is there because having a broken foot here basically means you can’t do anything easily. There are about a hundred stairs involved in getting anywhere so she is in the states living with her parents until she gets better. All of that to say I have a roommate and a place to live for a while till she gets back. After that I believe I will be moving to a host home, but I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Qingdao seems to be a pretty awesome city from what I can tell. A little bit of history: Qingdao is a very young city. It was founded as a German colony so things still look kind of European-esk (but don’t be fooled it doesn’t look anything like Germany). The Yellow sea is about a 5-7 minute walk from my apartment and is very beautiful. I can’t wait to see a sunrise on it. I’m sure it will be beautiful and I will take lots of pictures for all of you.

I am working at a school called QMIS. It is an International Christian school with about 300 students. I will be working with the elementary K-5. I got to sit in on a class yesterday and they are literally the cutest children on the face of the earth. Honestly if you are an elementary teacher and you think you kids are cute they pale in comparison to the kids here. I will hopefully post a video or at least some audio here shortly that will make you smile.

My first day here was pretty intense. Once I arrived I was picked up at the airport and taken directly to the school for a tour. I ended up staying there all day and observing 2 classes. Needless to say I was beyond tired. I was stupidly tired after spending 23 hours traveling then going to school for another 6 hours and finally ended my school day sitting in on 2 meetings with they guy I was living with so I could go home with him and once I got home I unpacked and then went to dinner with some people that invited us over for another 2 hours. In the end I slept very well and I am hoping I will get over this jet lag soon.

I thank you all for your prayers and I pray for you as often as I think of you.

Gate 29

China. Let's start at the beginning. While on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic I felt the distinct call to go to China. I had no idea why, when or how I would get there. All I knew was that I was going. Little did I know that 6 years later I would be sitting outside gate B29 waiting to begin the long awaited journey to China.

For those of you who don't know I will be finishing my student teaching in Qingdao China at QMIS International school. I will be working with kids grades 1st-5th, and I will be there 8 weeks.

A lot of people ask me if I am excited. I think I am more overwhelmed than anything. I have been waiting to got China for so long I can hardly believe that I am going. God is so good.

I love you all so much and I will be praying for each of you.