Christmas Down Under

Written January 4th

Well, another year is over and another yet another vacation has come and gone, during which I forgot to blog. I spent the last two weeks in Melbourne, Australia, with Teresa and Wray. Tes was my roommate at boarding school in Kenya and Wray is a good friend from during my time at RVA as well.

There's something so wonderful about spending time with friends like these two. First of all, I've known them for more than a year, which trumps 99.9% of the people that I spend my time with these days. They also get me. They get the confusion, the geographical displacement, and the uncertainty that fills me when I think about long term plans or settling down in one place. It is so nice to be understood, to not have to worry about what they think or how they will respond to something odd that I say, and to just be able to relax. While I feel at home and comfortable in Chengdu, this vacation was a welcome reprieve from reality.

My time in Australia was filled partially with being a tourist, but more so with just relaxing and enjoying friends. I spent three days at the beach, a day on the Great Ocean Road, a day in the city of Melbourne enjoying the sights, a day visiting an animal sanctuary that only has animals native to Australia, and an evening ringing in the New Year with thousands of others in downtown Melbourne. All in all, it was pretty much the perfect vacation.

And now it's back to Chengdu with me, geared up and ready for whatever adventures this next quarter might bring.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Life Lessons at Airports

As yet another vacation begins, I'm always amazed by the little life lessons that seem to rush my way during times when I assume that my mind will be given a break.  In the spirit of ensuring that my newly gleamed knowledge is not wasted on just little old me, I'm going to share a few of the tidbits that I've picked up today…

1 - Packing for your destination is not always the way to go.  I'm sitting in the Chengdu airport, Terminal 1 (the terminal for domestic flights), freezing my fingers off as I wait for the first in my string of flights as I head to Australia for Christmas.  I was only supposed to be in the airport for an hour.  If my flight takes off at it's newly intended time, I will be here for four.  My fingers are turning a lovely shade of blueish-purple and my toes are grateful that I opted for sneakers instead of my customary travel-ware of flip flops.  My roommate did suggest that I take my coat for when I get back in January...

2 - Roommates are always right.  (See tidbit number 1.)

3 - Traveling with a roller bag and an airport full of Turkish Toilets (a.k.a. squatty-potties) is not the best combination.  Apparently women don't travel alone in China…and if they do they don't believe in roller carry-ons. (Note to self: pack lighter)

4 - Learn Chinese.  Although I've always felt semi-sympathetic to travelers in the United States who didn't speak English and just wanted to know something significant about their flight that is apparently delayed but they don't know anything more than that the number they worked hard to memorize was mentioned over the loud speaker, I've never felt as sympathetic as I do today.  I was so proud of myself for realizing that it was my flight that they were talking about, and then so irritated when I couldn't catch anything past those numbers. (The word for 4 has been tough for me…I finally recognize it!  I know, I know…it's been 4 months and I am just now comfortable with the word for 4.  So sue me.)  The gate attendant was less than helpful, at which point I told him to find someone who spoke English (in fairly good Chinese, mind you).   He then told me the same thing he was telling everyone else in Chinese…which was super helpful.  Ugh.  I am so not from around here…

5 - Lighters that are shaped like guns are frowned upon at airports.  My roommate was, once again, right.

6 - Just because you are traveling doesn't mean you should take the tea-bags out of your purse.  I brought my travel mug…just not any hot drink mixes to go with it.  Crystal Light is delicious no matter what temperature it is (thank the Lord for single serving packets), but it is just a little strange to be drinking a peach mango ice tea in hot water.  Just saying…

7 - There are may things that I will do as an American that Chinese people will not typically do.  Sitting on the floor next to the nearest outlet is definitely one of them.

Oiy vai.  Time to take another nap…or watch a Christmas movie…

Location: Somewhere between Chengdu and Guangzhou, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 3:42 a.m. (12/22/2012)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-8): 11:42 a.m. (12/21/2012)

Loss

One of the sorrows of life on the move and around the world is having a large group of friends and acquaintances, all who feel a bit more like family than many might think possible.  I have experienced great loss within that group of world-wide family over the past few years, during this time of year in particular, it seems.

One year ago today, one of my dearest friends passed away.  Anne was one of those people that everyone loved; one of those wonderful souls who added a splash of pizzaz to life.  Anne and I were close during middle school in Ethiopia and then lost contact with each other as a result of distance (she moved to Central America as I was transitioning to boarding school in Kenya) and time.  Two years ago, Anne and her husband were stationed to the military base near where I lived in Auburn, and as a result we were reunited once again.  Whether it was a weekend of concerts, a quick meal in the middle, or an evening/day of our favorite movies, times with Anne were cherished moments.  She was a ray of sunshine on the cloudiest of days; the Anne to the Dianna and the Merilla to my Rachel.  You will always be missed, my dear friend!

BFFs in Northern Ethiopia - 2001

They say that time heals any wound, but with this one I am a bit skeptical...

Sorry for the downer.  On a positive note, it's 12-12-12!  Enjoy it while you can :)

Location: Chengdu, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 8:40 p.m. (12/12/12)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-8): 4:40 a.m. (12/12/12)

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

It amazes me how quickly time flies between moments where I take a breath and blog!  Sorry for yet another long delay.  Life has been…well, busy.  We’re at the point of only being a week and a half away from the end of the semester, which means my days are filled with snowflakes, Christmas carols, and oodles of grading.  The joys of being a teacher :)

Life is Chengdu has definitely gotten colder in the last month.  Coming back from Thailand was a shock to the system on multiple levels.  Maybe it was because of the temperature (which was lovely there, for sure), reuniting with friends from training this past summer, or taking my first trip out of China since arriving here in August, but my brain and body struggled for the first week or so after returning.  No matter how many transitions I go through, some aspects of them don’t get any easier.  I will always miss somewhere.  I’m okay with that reality, though, as long as I am taking the time to enjoy where I am.

I will inevitably take the time to blog when I am en route to my Christmas vacation in 10 days.  Hope you are well, wherever you are!

Location: Chengdu, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 5:11 p.m. (12/11/2012)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-7): 1:11 a.m. (12/11/2012)

Craziness!

While I LOVE the Christmas season, it is always an intensely busy time for me, especially with school Christmas programs and traditions.  Just wanted to let you know that I am alive and well.  I will hopefully post once the insanity has passed...or I simply need to escape it!  Hope you are all well!

On Trots and Traditions

Holidays.  Got to love them.  Generally they’re filled with traditions, family, and of course food.  Holidays for me have been a little different for the last few years, though.  While there are traditions mixed in here and there, for the most part the only constant in holidays for the last few years has been, well, me.  Let’s take a look at Christmases/Christmas Vacations since 2004, shall we?

2004 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2005 – Bellevue, WA, USA
2006 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2007 – Yakima, WA, USA

2008 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2009 – Hillsboro, OR, USA

2010 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2011 – Orlando, FL, USA

2012 – Melbourne, Australia

Even in the places that were repeated, it was in a different house or hotel.  And then there are Thanksgivings, which were a bit more consistent for a while there:

2005 – Bloomington, IL, USA

2006 – Peoria, IL, USA

2007 – Parkersburg, WV, USA

2008 – Parkersburg, WV, USA

2009 – Hillsboro, OR, USA

2010 – Hillsboro, OR, USA

2011 – Bellevue, WA, USA

2012 – Chiang Mai, Thailand

After the 2008 Turkey Trot

This is the life of a TCK.  Once you leave your host country, your live is generally a whirlwind of adjustment, forging new trails and creating new traditions.  If you’re someone like me, though, those new traditions consist of no traditions, at least not in the traditional sense of the word.  My traditions involve people, games, phone calls, and a hint of loneliness here and there.

Last night in Chengdu, I played spoons with some new Chinese friends, teaching them the ropes of the game and repeating phrases with them as we worked on pronunciation and meaning.  It was fantastic.  This morning I walked a Turkey Trot and enjoyed the time with some new friends.  That was also fantastic.  But now, as I reflect on the events of the day, my mind is back at a different time on a different continent.  My fellow TCK friends (well, we are more like family) from high school and I used to get together for Thanksgiving.  We would play games (usually extreme spoons which involved taking the spoons outside and putting them on something frozen) and laugh until our sides hurt, all the while enjoying a delicious cup of chai that was like a little taste of home for us on a far from home continent.  And then, inevitably, they would drag me to the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  I would protest, but secretly I loved the time with friends.

How did my traditions follow me, but the people did not?  That’s okay…that’s why God created Facebook :)

Location: Chengdu, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 10:43 a.m. (11/17/2012)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-7): 6:43 p.m. (11/16/2012)

On the BBC, Brains, and Opera

It was a truly wonderful Saturday, filled with relaxation, good food, and great entertainment.  Our apartment on the 15th floor has gotten chillier in the last few weeks, so my roommate and I made the most of our coldness and watched TV for a good part of the day today.  It wasn't just any TV though, it was a BBC miniseries.  Sooooo good.  We had to put a pause in our viewing, though, to head out with a group from school for hot pot and Sichuan Opera.  I've had hot pot before, so that wasn't entirely a new experience (although I ate pig's throat tonight, which was a definitely first), but the opera was definitely new and exciting.  It wasn't so much an opera (or at least what I picture when I hear the word opera) as a variety show, but it was very well done and entertaining.

Those bits and pieces alone would have made for a great day, but it was topped off by a marvelous conversation with some of the ladies from a small group that I was a part of back in Washington.  Hearing them laugh and seeing them all together was such an incredible blessing.  I am so thankful for a family that spreads all the way around the world!

Location: Chengdu, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 1:39 a.m. (11/11/2012)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-7): 9:39 a.m. (11/10/2012)

Picture

The other day, I mentioned my house-help from Rwanda and the picture of the two of us.  My dad still has it on his desk in Ethiopia, and so I wanted to share it with you here.  Great memories of years gone by...

Location: Chengdu, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 10:06 a.m. (11/8/2012)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-7): 6:06 p.m. (11/7/2012)

Impending Insanity and Virtuosos, all in one day...

It's funny the things that can drive a person crazy, whether rational or irrational.  I always feel a bit better when I know that I'm not alone in my impending insanity, though.  Today, I sat in Starbucks for a good chunk of time while my roommate picked up a few things down the street at Ikea.  It's beginning to feel a bit more like winter in Chengdu and the wind definitely had a bite to it today, so every time someone went outside and the door stayed open behind them, my warm reading environment was harshly disrupted.  A few of us sitting near-ish to the door seemed to quickly develop a bit of a rotation pulling it shut again so we wouldn't freeze.  It was nice to know I wasn't the only one developing a nervous twitch whenever someone came in or went out and I wasn't quite sure if the door was going to swing shut or stay open.  It took me back to last winter in Auburn, grading or writing papers in Starbucks and catching the uncomfortable gusts of wind each time someone walked in or pulled up to the drive-through window.  It amazes me that something as silly as wind combined with coffee can hold such a memory.

On a totally unrelated note, I bought myself a handmade Chinese violin today.  The entire set (bow, violin, case, extra strings, shoulder rest and rosin) cost less combined than my case int eh States had, and I honestly feel a bit guilty about how little I paid.  Silley, I know.  I'm excited to plan, again, though.  Tonight, I spent more than an hour playing some of my old favorites and sight-reading through a few new ones.  There is a part of my that will always be a would-be violinist.  No use trying to suppress it anymore.

Location: Chengdu, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 8:48 p.m. (11/3/2012)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-7): 5:48 a.m. (11/3/2012)

Oh the question box...

I started the 5th grade question/comment/suggestion/whatever box this week.  Here are a few of the highlights thus far:
 - Do you have a car?
 - Can we get a class pet?
 - Can we have fun tomorrow?
 - Can we get 20 extra minutes of math?
 - Do you have a boyfriend?
 - How many languages do you speak?
 - I know it's not polite, but how old are you?
 - How tall are you?
 - When did you get your first kiss?
 - Why are zebra's black and white instead of purple and blue?
 - Why don't you marry?

Oh man, this could be an interesting year of questions...

Location: Chengdu, China

Local Time (CST -- GMT+8): 3:51 p.m. (11/2/2012)

Auburn Time (PST -- GMT-7): 12:51 a.m. (11/2/2012)