personal perspective

hearts on the i's

2011-09-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Late one night in India my friends and I were going through customs at the New Delhi airport when I was pulled aside by a very tall Indian man. He held my passport picture next to my face and said with complete certainty, "This is not you." His head bobbled side to side and for a second I was distracted from the problem at-hand. He repeated himself, "This is not you." I was traveling with three friends and by this time they had already left customs and were making their way to baggage claim.

Back in 2001, I took a photo in a little store in Kerman, California and that picture has followed me around the world making a mockery of my face. "I was told not to smile. It was a bad hair day. My eyes are mid-blink! It was before digital cameras!" were the excuses I'd list off when my friends would laugh and point. The truth is, up until that point I had never taken such a horrible picture and I haven't taken one since.

But in the New Delhi customs line, that funny picture had just gotten serious and it seemed that the Indian man and I were now in a stare-down. He was studying my nose and lips for a match, and I was studying his thick beard. He called over a friend. They, too, were baffled. And for what seemed like 30 minutes, but was probably just 5, we stood there comparing my current face to the worst picture I've ever taken. To help matters, I tried to replicate a mid-blink. I laughed, but they didn't.

They spoke in Hindi for a bit and it seemed that they had reached a solution, "Sign your name", he said. So I signed my name. "Not the same", he said. "Whaaaa...Ohhh, you want me to match the passport signature? That was when I was 16..." He didn't say anything, but it head bobbled side to side again. (After 3 weeks in India, I came to know that as a nod.)

At this point I was distressed. It was late, my friends were gone, and I imagined myself getting put on the next flight back to China. I won't tell you how many attempts I made at recreating my 16 year old signature from memory, but I will say it came to a point when the man at customs was wanting to believe it was my passport. His friend walked away and he quickly flashed the signature to refresh my memory. I exclaimed, "There are hearts on the i's?! What was I thinking?" I signed again, dotted the i's with hearts and the man stamped my passport and let me go.

This afternoon I'll be taking new passport pictures. I will try my best not to blink and might even sneak in a smile.

The Eyes of a Writer

2011-05-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had coffee with a friend and former roommate at Krakatoa Coffee. We caught up on work, love, laughed through a couple memories, and generally just sipped cold drinks and chatted on the patio. Sure, a couple nearby had an awkward extended time of PDA, but it was a typical coffee date with a friend. Near the end, we talked about writing- a passion we both share. I've missed writing, but more than that, I've missed viewing the world with the eyes of a writer.
What do I mean? I mean stopping the routine of the expected and recognizing the fullness of the story- the smells, the subtle details, the unspoken understandings, and the magical thing that happens when all the right words are strung together.
Almost immediately, my mind shifted. I became more aware- aware of the setting sun and how the patio had cleared leaving just a few of us cold- with arms-crossed and poor posture, hunkered down to maximize warmth. I smelled the steak being cooked next door at the Turf Club and how it combined with the smell of mozzerella and ricotta cheese from Pizzeria Luigi to form what I quickly coined 'a sandwich in the sky'. I heard the small birds that live in the giant tree the gives shade to the patio, and I tasted a hint of lavender in the blackberry limeade I ordered.
The reality is that all these things were there before, but I think a writer takes note of them. A writer takes the time to think about their attributes and how they add to the experience. I think to some degree we put on the eyes of a writer when we travel. New places and experiences make us want to fill a journal. In the mundane everyday, we have a hard time seeing something 'blog-worthy'. But, our lives are full of rich experiences. Why were the busy streets of Beijing so much more noteworthy? Sure China felt foreign, but I think more than that I had a mindset of adventure and was more aware of the story around me.
To illustrate, months ago I was walking with my good friend Jen through downtown San Diego. We came to an overpass that crossed a major freeway. On one side was the city skyline, sun setting behind it, with the reflection turning all the buildings gold. Beyond the skyline was the Pacific Ocean, shimmering and beautiful. On the other side of the overpass, was an expanse of freeway, cars speeding in both directions, and dull in comparison. We took about 10 steps on the overpass before I commented on the beauty of the sunset. Jen looked west, gasped and said, "What have I been doing looking the other direction?!"
All that to say- I'm back. I will discipline myself to write, not because I'm in a culture that feels entirely foreign, but because life is more rich when I stop, take note, and fully experience it.

Too Close to Shore

2010-10-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity.

-Sir Francis Drake

What's your website?

2010-07-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

It seems that without a website these days, one can't be taken very seriously. In an age of the iPhone, I find myself immediately Googling companies (or people) to see if they're legit or not. No more waiting 'til I get home to check the phone book... or ask around to get my friend's opinions. We've got Yelp now! And boy, do I love and appreciate Yelp...

Just last week I was helping with a wedding in La Jolla. A groomsmen lost a button on his suit just minutes before the wedding was to begin. As I started on the jacket with needle and thread in hand he struck up a conversation. It came out that he was the VP of sales for a large (and impressive) company. You better believe that during the ceremony I Googled him... and he wasn't lying...

Which has me thinking about some areas of my life that need some web presence. The two that come to mind immediately are my swim lessons business and the project:Connect Thanksgiving dinner. This week I met a man that is a partial owner of a photo booth company in San Diego. As we got talking about his business it dawned on me that photo booth pictures would be perfect for the kids of Monarch School to take home. These kids are either living on the streets or in shelters- they don't have many pictures to document their lives or have a family portrait. The photo booth would be such an incredible addition to the event. And it was then that I wanted to give him a website to learn about the dinner. To see pictures of the kids. To hear stories from years before. To be inspired to donate a photo booth for the night!

All that to say that I'm going to start researching web designers in San Diego that might be able to help with a project:Connect website. Or I could just learn code and do it myself? Help! I need ideas and feedback!

narcolepsy documented

2010-03-16T01:15:00.001-07:00

tears keep coming...

2010-03-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

Donny is so missed. I love this video. And this article.

things

2010-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

A couple years, while living in Beijing, I had some great friends fly into southern China. I was so excited to see them, it had been a full year since we had spent time together. We had kept in touch with video Skype, but Skype just doesn't cut it with good friends. There's something about co-experiencing life, to being in China hanging out together. The timing of their trip was pretty crazy, I was leaving to head back to the States just 5 days later and had essentially packed up my life. I had my two 50 pound bags packed, sorted out give-away clothes and was living on the bare essentials.

I packed a carry-on bag for my short trip to southern China. And in that bag, I packed my very favorite things- favorite jeans, favorite shirts and sweatshirts, journal, Bible, makeup... if I really liked it, it was in that bag. And the bag itself- a graduation present, a Swiss Army rolling carry-on that could also turn into a backpack. So, I had 100 lbs of possessions to my name in China, and I put my favorite 15 lbs of those possessions into my hipster Swiss Army bag and headed for the airport.

Before jumping on the plane, I had lunch near the Israeli embassy with a friend. With some time to spare, he asked if I'd be willing to go with him to the local market to help with bartering for gifts to give his friends and family back at home. Bartering was (and I suppose still is) a source of joy for me. I love the thrill of the exchange, and at this particular market, I had decoded the vendors and the best prices for all the regular items like knock-off North Face jackets, real pearls, and even soccer jerseys. We grabbed a taxi in the embassy district and headed for the market, my friend put my bag in the trunk.

It's probably obvious by now, but I never saw the bag again. We arrived at the market, paid, refused the need for a receipt and stepped out of the cab. Seconds later, I turned to get my bag out the trunk and the taxi had merged into the sea of other Beijing taxis and drove away.

I was bummed. I'm typically a problem-solver so I jumped into “fix-it mode”. I looked into figuring out the name of the taxi company- there were 600 companies in Beijing! I left my name and phone number at the market. I waited where we'd been dropped off, hoping he'd just come back with my bag. None of those things worked out. I calculated my loss, and the biggest bummer of all was the lost journal. So many memories, prayers, ideas, that I might never remember again.

This reminded me of one of my favorite books, “The Pursuit of God”, where A.W. Tozer talks about the Blessedness of Possessing Nothing (Chapter 2...so epic). He tells the story of Abraham putting Isaac up on the altar, and how sometimes things and even people can be put on the altar of our hearts. I had to remind myself that ultimately, things are just 'things'.

I raced back to my apartment in the suburbs of Beijing to grab a few things for the trip to see my friends. I called them as I was sulking back to my apartment and they were bummed with me, but said “Alli, it doesn't matter what you wear or if you have makeup on, we're just really excited to hang out with you”. That helped.

As it turns out, the only clothes I had at the apartment were the ones I had planned to give away. And so instead of my best clothes, I had my worst clothes. The corduroys I brought were so worn that they had holes at the pockets. No make-up, no hair products, no blow-dryer.

Despite the old clothes and lack of products, we had an incredible time. We visited the Stone Forest, explored caves, went on boat down a little river, and spent all night chatting face to face.

Fast-forward to last night at the Cheesecake Factory in Denver. I was having dessert with some great friends, Mark and Carrie Tedder. They knew I was at a conference in downtown Denver and drove from Colorado Springs to hang out and catch up... I felt so blessed. After dessert I walked back to the hotel and realized that I didn't have my iPhone. I called Cheesecake Factory from the hotel, and they didn't see it. And here's the best part- I wasn't devestated. One of my first thoughts was, “It's just a phone. Yeah, it was a gift.. and an expensive one.. but in the end, it's just a phone”. And I was reminded of the bag in the back of the taxi and compared my emotions then with the my emotions now. And I was thankful for the growth that happened over the years and how I find myself less and less attached with the material things of this world.

This morning, I thought it was a long shot, but I called the Tedders to see if maybe they had grabbed my phone. In the darkness of the Cheesecake Factory, Carrie had grabbed it.

All Things New

2009-08-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

The other day my friends and I met for sushi at Ichiban in Hillcrest. As we updated each other on our summer adventures, my friend Bobby exclaimed "New house and a car? It's like I don't even know you anymore!". Of course his statement was hyperbolic, but it got me thinking how much my life has changed in just a few months.

New Job- I just started a position with Campus Crusade at SDSU. I was involved as a student in college, and now I'll be a staff member on my alma mater's campus. I'm still raising support, and excited to get on campus in just a few days! Here's a blurb if you want to hear more!

New Car- The car isn't actually new, it's 11 years old with plenty of miles, but Honda Civics are reliable right? After 4, count it, 4 years without a car, I finally have wheels! I have a very special relationship with my bike and the SD Metro system, but for now our daily hangouts have come to an end. I could write a book with all the fun and frustration of living in California without a car, but I'll just say that I'm so very grateful for my little white Honda.

New House & New Housemates- I have four new housemates- Kate, Rianne, Shawn, and Emily and together we have found an incredible Victorian craftsman home in Golden Hill. It's an older place, with wood floors throughout and loads of 'fix-it' projects but we're all equally ecstatic to move in and start the process. My room was once the formal sitting room, so I'm researching solutions for a small room without a closet. Armoires from Craigslist and IKEA are options, but I'm still looking. My favorite feature of the house is the fully equipped wood shop in the basement! I can't wait to make picture frames.

New Neighborhood- After a year in 92101 (Little Italy) and a year in 92103 (Mission Hills), I'm excited to be a 92102 resident on Golden Hill. We're close to Balboa Park and walking distance to Krakatoa Coffee Shop. The neighborhood has character galore and super friendly neighbors.

Amidst all this new-ness, some things remain unchanged. I still listen to Rod Stewart, I still eat oatmeal almost every morning, and I'm still a self-diagnosed narcoleptic. Everything else is different.

Safely Home

2009-08-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

I read an article today on CNN.com about Laura Ling and Euna Lee being released from a labor camp in North Korea, and I cried. I'm not really a crier, but this story has been one that I've made a point to follow. I wonder why this story out of the thousands has captured my attention? Perhaps it's the intrigue of North Korea- the fact that the little we know of the country comes from aerial images from Google Maps. Or maybe because I've been in a few hairy situations in Asia- ones where I wasn't sure how the law would fall, and who might be watching. I think there's a hope when you're an American traveling overseas that there'd be a diplomat on the other side of the pond that would work on your behalf, if something went wrong.

After seeing the movie Brokedown Palace (about two Americans in Thailand) in high school, I wondered what it'd be like to be in jail in a foreign country. It would take the language and cultural barriers to an all new level. I love that Bill Clinton was the diplomat and that when the two ladies flew back into the US, he had them go first to be reunited with their families. He silently followed, minutes later, and didn't say anything to the press. For all his faults, if I were in a North Korean labor camp with a 12 year sentence, I'd want Bill Clinton to be the guy chatting with Kim Jong Il for my release.

The article ends with journalist Lisa Ling discussing her sister's return to the States. From CNN.com:

"She said her sister was looking forward to eating fresh fruit and food for the first time in four months, after many meals of rice that often contained rocks.

"I can tell she has gone through a lot," Ling said.

"My sister has an amazing, amazing spirit, and she's a little bit weak right now, so I think it's going take a little time for her to gather up her wits and be able to talk about what she experienced."

No doubt that Ling will be writing a book in the next few months, among some counseling and plenty of media interviews. I'll be picking up a copy, and interested to hear about her four months in North Korea. Note to self: Don't get 'lost' in China and wander into a country that Bush labeled in his "axis of evil"... there won't be a warm reception.

Congratulations Abundant

2009-06-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've said the word congratulations more times in the last month than all the other times in my life combined. Graduations, engagements, weddings, promotions, new babies are all great reasons for celebration.

To the following incredible people/couples, I say "cheers, felicitations, hats off, and well done"!

To James and Laura, Ann and Beary, Kent and Rachael, Anya and Matt, and Jordan and Sarah on your recent engagements. Tis the month to get engaged! And from what I hear, there will be plenty of fall weddings to attend :)

To Ben and Megan, and Katie and Cody on your wedding day within the next week. Look forward to plenty of dancing at the receptions.

To Mikayla on your new job in Spokane, you're going to rock it.

To Cori, Daisy, and Katie on graduating from nursing, 5th grade, and grad school respectively.

To Denise and Dustin, Trisha and Sean, and Omar and Cynthia on the new additions to your families.

Huge congrats!!!

Almonds and Raisins for Rudolph

2009-05-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today I helped my mom sift through old photos, scan them, and then put them on a digital picture frame. I did about 25 pictures to get her started and then step-by-step led her through the process. (I resolve to NEVER teach computer science in any capacity! Especially to a 50+ class, haha). She was a great sport and in the process we found this napkin that I left next to a healthy Christmas snack for Rudolph.

Transcribed for your enjoyment...apparently I knew the power of persuasion early.. using his (Santa's) name repeatedly. I dictated the words to my mom and then signed the bottom. I'm guessing I was around 4 years old.

"Santa-
First put out the toys. Santa when you're done with the toys, Santa you better bring Rudolph down if you have him. Santa, I've been good, real good. Wake me up I'll come out and I'll see Rudolph out there. (Previous sentence is crossed out.) Here's some milk and cookies for you. Sit in this chair and some almonds and raisins for Rudolph.
xoxo Allie"

Some observations: I had no problem bossing Santa around! I like that I decided against being woken up to see Rudolph...missing snacks was enough evidence for me. And despite correcting people for years that I had no "e" on Alli... I guess at one time I did.

I'm a little hard of hearing...

2009-04-11T10:37:00.001-07:00

A cute dark haired guy kept passing the booth I sit at 8 hours every day. He'd wave or nod or smile.. or a combination of the three, but no spoken interaction for 5 solid days.

Then yesterday, he walked right up to me and said in a THICK Irish accent "What's the tame?" I smiled, "I don't know the tame, sorry. " He shook his head, "Do you have the tame?" If I don't what the tame is, how can I have it? I said "The tame...uhhh....?" He looked puzzled and said "Do you have the team?" Relieved I said, "Oh no! The team is in Centre Stage. (The band was leading worship in a building name Centre Stage). I was so happy to have figured it out. But I hadn't. He said "No, no, the taaame...." and pointed in the direction of the box under his arm. On the cardboard was written Christianity Magazine. The magazine team/tame?

Finally I said, "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about..." I spoke slowly and annunciated each and every word. In return he said "What... tame... is... it? T....I....M....E....tame"

That's right, he had to spell it. He wasn't pointing to the cardboard box, he was pointing to his wrist, the universal motion for the time.

I quickly turned around, grabbed my purse and cast my embarrassed face down to find my phone. "It's uhh, 4:11" I turned it around for him to see in case there has been any miscommunications. I think I said something lame like "Sorry, I'm a little hard of hearing..."

Love Actually...

2009-04-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

As I stepped out of the International Arrivals of Heathrow Airport last week, I imagined I heard Hugh Grant's voice in Love Actually smoothly saying, "Love actually is....all around". The reality is: I didn't have anyone waiting for me, arms open wide, flowers in hand. Instead, a Costa Coffee held her arms wide open offering some caffeinated alertness despite the two Dramamine that ran through my system and allowed for solid sleep throughout the entire flight.
Speaking of which, I'm convinced that I should be hired for Dramamine's marketing team. Forget motion sickness! This product insures that I sleep through the night when I'm camping in the middle of the desert. This product allows me to board an international flight, eat dinner, and wake up as the Customs Arrival cards are being passed out. A wonder drug! The only side-effects are grumpy (and jealous) co-travelers that watched as you slept through turbulence/crying babies/boring movies.
While we waiting for a van to carry all of our luggage and instruments to Penge, London we were approached by a nice Jewish man with a kind "Shalom". We responded with "Shalom" and he gave us a glossy card with the 'messiah' on the front. He looked to be about 65, with salt and pepper hair. Unfortunately, I left the card on the table.
After a day of rehearsal, we took the tube (subway) into Central London for a whirlwind walking tour. We started at Westminster Abbey, walked to Big Ben, shoved 8 people into a red telephone booth, watched street performers by the National Museum and drank coffee in Piccadilly Square. We've eaten fish and chips, I've tried a Turkish Delight, and consumed more tea and salt &vinegar crisps than I thought possible.
At dinner one night, my new friends, Sam and Rich gave me a tutorial in British slang. When it was my turn to share California slang, I defaulted to Sean's lingo with words like gnar, shred, and steezy. The other day I heard Rich say "buckets of steez!" As a team, we've even made up our own slang and have fun defining situations of use and its figures of speech. The bass guitarist, Manu, is from Germany so we've been learning random German words. I now know the German for words like plumber's crack, swallow, and sweat. Instead of saying we're hungry we'll say something like "I'm ready to schlook (swallow) some breakfast."
With fake rats in backpacks, exploding Pringles cans, and salty coffee I find that I'm on the defensive with this group of pranksters. The other day a woman approached the CD stand. She was dressed perfectly normal, but when she opened her mouth she was (as the British would put it), "absolutely mad!" She started exclaiming, "Where's the celebration?!" in a thick Irish accent that was almost unintelligible. I started laughing and looking beyond her for our electric player Joe from South Africa or Manu who have become a tag-team. I was sure she had been sent by them. Turns out this woman was indeed insane and my laughing just made her more crazed. I don't know if it was even possible for me to help her find the celebration she was looking for.

Accidental Photography

2009-02-16T13:14:00.002-08:00

Real photographers scoff when I mention that I use iPhoto. They're appalled that I've never used PhotoShop or Aperture. They roll their eyes when I ask about exposure, lenses, and shutter speed.
I used to take compliments about my pictures in stride and say "Oh, thank you." But I have this fear of being found out. I picture the complimenter and I in South America when I pull out my little 'common' camera. They would turn to me, jaw drops and they'd say "You're not a photographer!"
The truth is, I've had the opportunity to be in situations that would be a photographer's dream and I take my little Canon Elph, point it in the direction of something interesting and push down the button.
So, I appreciate your compliments lately, but I really am below amateur status. Someday, I'd love to take a course and find out what all your terms mean and how to take a picture that was more than an accident. Here are some that I have up in my house and a bit of history behind them.

I was riding on a the back of a motorcycle in Cambodia, heading to Angkor Wat. My motorcycle driver was behind this guy in traffic, we sped up and passed him. I held on with one arm and raised the other one to take a picture. I love that the speed is captured...but not on purpose.

This is what Thailand looks like. There's no enhancement needed when it's paradise. In the distance you can see Burma.

After some pad thai on a small island named Koh Phayam, my friends and I walked to the pier to see all these fisherman mending their nets. I love that the lights from their boats casts such dramatic shadows. It's rare to get a picture in Asia without someone looking at the camera. I took this before they realized 4 American girls were standing next to them on the pier.

This picture comes from a day with the Panga tribe in the mountains of Orissa, India. The Panga women tatooed their faces and wore dozens of earrings for decades. It dates back to when India was British India, and British men would come take tribal women from their families. Panga women in an effort to be less desirable to the British men tatooed their faces. It worked and they were able to stay with their families. The tradition has continued. This is the tribe leader's wife and son.

I took this picture in Xi'an, China (the home of the TerraCotta warriors). We were walking down a back alley looking for a cheap restaurant for dinner. I saw a woman reaching into a giant burlap bag and grinding peppers. When she bent down to pick something up, I reached over and snapped this. I expected it to be blurry, but my trusty Canon pulled through again.

Aliens and Santa

2009-01-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

On Sunday afternoon, I found myself in Orange County, book in hand, laying on a blanket, watching a church soccer game. Nearby a 5 year old and 8 year old were impatiently waiting for their parent's game to end so they could go home and get warm. It was overcast and I was cold as well.
After a couple minutes of attempting to read 'The Weight of Glory', I invited them over to the blanket to hang out. We played paper, rock, scissors and the hand slap game. Then we played duck, duck, goose... the game just isn't fun with 3 people. After about 10 minutes of being the goose, little Eden (the 5 year old girl) suggested that we switch games and play 100 Questions. JT (the 8 year old boy) joyfully agreed. It seems that this is an expanded form of 20 questions, minus the pressure.
Eden started the game. A person... kind of, dead... no alive, poor... no rich. I thought, "This is going to be such a long soccer game." Finally JT asked, "Is he brown?" A nod from Eden. "Jesus!". Wow, I should have known...
JT was next. About 15 questions into the game, he could see the frustration from Eden and I, so he offered, "He's imaginary.. he's not real." Without thinking I blurted out "SANTA!" I was so proud of myself, I got it! Their reactions were raised eyebrows, with their big brown eyes staring back at me. Confusion, utter confusion.
I backpedaled, I said "Just kidding", I laughed, and then said "Leprechauns?" They had never heard of them before. I filtered out the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny to avoid any further damage.
Finally, JT just shrugged his shoulders and said, "It was an alien".
As a peace offering and to get their minds off of Santa, I offered them each a piece of sugarless gum. As we chomped away at our minty gum, Eden gave me princess stickers and JT showed me his slinky crazy eyes glasses. I wonder what the conversation that night at dinner looked like?

Here's my card, call me.

2009-01-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

On a crisp Monday morning at 7am, I rode my bike to the Washington Street bus stop. I put my bike on the rack, and stepped onto a fairly empty bus. The bus driver greeted me with a "Good mornin' dah-lin!" Great first words of the day, right?

A couple minutes later, iPod in ears, a guy sat next to me. He said something but I couldn't hear him through my morning dose of Phil Wickham. I removed one small white earphone. "What's that?"

He said "Would I offend anyone if I sat here?" "Um, no." Slight smile.

"Do you mind if I talk to you?" "Uh, no." Bringing purse closer to my body.

"It's just that you're really beautiful." Oh stop. Really, stop.

"I'm a musician, I pay all kinds of music all around San Diego." Pulls out business card. It has his name, the word "Musician" and his phone and email. He tells me that the best way to get a hold of him is "just to call".

"Can I take you out for a cup of coffee?" I say, "I'm headed to work." He chuckles and says, "Well not right now..."

There's no kind way to put it. "No, thanks." He says, "It's been a pleasure, keep the card."

This is the 2nd time this has happened. The random business card pick-up... only the first time it was name, "Mattress King", phone and email. I wish I were kidding.

When will things move beyond Mattress Kings and Musicians?

Just moments after the musician moved back to his seat, an old Chinese couple boarded the bus. I offered them my seat in the front. The old woman responded with a confused face and "Wo ting bu dong." (basically "I don't understand"). I responded in Mandarin, which resulted in 5-7 minutes of excited conversation between us. I looked back at the Musician mid-way through the convo and he was wide-eyed and staring. The old Chinese man ended our conversation with "I like the look of your teeth".

All of this happened before 8am on a bus in San Diego. I'm convinced that if you want a foreign country experience, get out of your personal car and take the bus. You, too, can get great morning greetings, coffee offers and practice your Mandarin.

We've Met Before...

2008-12-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to a Christmas party with my roommate. It was hosted at a beautiful home, finger foods were abundant and eggnog was readily available. About an hour into the party, I realized that I was one or two age brackets too young for the gathering. I'm confident I was the youngest person there. Here are some pointers that lead me to that conclusion. First, my SDSU media management professor was in attendance. And when I told him so, he responded with, "So, you're what... 21?" No! I'm 24, almost 25...thank you! Second, I was introduced to a woman who immediately said "We've met before, at another party...". Nope, I'm pretty sure we haven't.

This happens often. More often than you'd think.. and I'm starting to find the two most common sources of 'connection'.

1. I have been on your friend's fridge for two years. My face with Tracy (my Chinese student), and something to the affect of "Serving in China". Every time you went to the fridge at their house, and you swung the door open, our eyes probably met. You think you know me, but you don't, we've only just silently stared.

2. I told you which shampoo was best for your oily/dry/curly/straight/uncontrollable hair. I recommended a bottle of $62 shampoo and $54 conditioner of Aveda goodness. You also got a body scrub, hand lotion and an eyeliner. I gave you a hand massage, showed you some blush and we chatted a bit. We felt like friends because I wasn't pushy...there was no commission on the line... just genuine concern for your dry hair and skin. You think you know me, and you do... but not from a party. I know you're not a natural blonde, and that's more information than you'd relinquish in small talk at any party.

Last night, it was the latter. I knew the crowd and it was full of Aveda junkies. Their radiant skin and silky hair told me so. When I said, "I worked at Aveda in college, maybe I helped you there?" She exclaimed, "YES! I love Aveda! But, I'm still mad that you discontinued Curessence!"

That was my cue, I silently slipped out and went to Cori's house down the street.

Tour de la Tundra

2008-12-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in a winter wonderland. Eight inches of snow have fallen today and more is expected overnight. Tomorrow I'm supposed to fly out of O'Hare at noon and had grand ambitions to take the El train the whole way, but those have been changed, instead Rachel will give me a ride to the airport in the morning. Apparently, it wouldn't be easy to roll my 50 lb. suitcase through a foot of snow. I recently learned that El is short for Elevated...I think someone misguided me in saying that the route was shaped like an L.

While sitting comfortably in warm California, I've heard of long delays at O'Hare, and from what my friends here tell me, tomorrow I'll become one of thousands looking at the flashing 'Delayed' and 'Cancelled' next to my United flight number. We shall see...

This trip to the MidWest has been much needed. I started in Colorado (is that technically the MidWest?) and worked for 3 days at the Tedder's dining room table. We worked, took a walk, worked, drank a latte and played ping pong, worked, ate Mexican, worked, then watched America's Funniest Home Videos. I can't help it, I love that show. Call it slap-stick, but I just can't get enough of the montages of falling people. The Tedder's view of the Rockies, their hot tub in the snow, and Mark's barista skills always make for an enjoyable time. It's honestly a pleasure to work for them and I'm excited to be a part of The Door project. http://www.marktedder.com I can't help it, I had to post the website...it's my job.

From Colorado Springs, I went to Denver and was able to spend some time with Ryan and Amanda. They're newlyweds and a great compliment to each other. To know them is to love them. Amanda took me to the airport in the morning, and from there I flew to...

Chicago! What a city. Rachel, my China roommate for a year and an aspiring writer, picked me up from the airport. I secretly hope to be in one of her books someday. She assures me that traces of my personality will be found in a character, but I'm lobbying for more. In the morning we met a group of friends at Egglectic in downtown Wheaton. I mistakenly called it Eggcelent a couple of times, which made Rachel chuckle. And it was there that I was reunited with Mikayla. I had never used the cliche of "you're like a sister to me" until I met Mikayla. We somehow turn the most mundane activities (lesson planning, waiting, performances, bus rides) into laughter and pure joy. She shares my love for accents, for the world, and for odd topics. I spent every day for a year with her and hadn't seen her for a year and half! In that time she had gotten married, and I was able to meet her husband Erik. Also at breakfast were Kathy Kastner (music professor extraordinaire and culture junkie!) and Nita Martindale (the Beijing hostess with the most). We talked about Tibet, about Twitter and updated each other as we ate our scrambles and crepes. As I walked away, I wished that we could all meet at Egglectic weekly, I have so much to learn from everyone at the table.

Next, we headed into the city. Rachel, Mikayla and I took the El into the heart of Chicago. We took pictures at the Bean, watched people ice-skate, went shopping on State Street, and had a late lunch at The Walnut Room in Macy's. The day ended with The Blue Man Group. We ushered the show to get in free, which was a genius move on Rachel's part. Mikayla and I intended on speaking in British accents, but it seemed the tables were turned on me. An interesting BMG employee would come near me and politely ask, "How's it going?" and then in a raspy voice "Hellllo preeetttty". At first I thought I was hearing things. But just a couple minutes later he came to get a booster seat for a child. He said nicely, "I'm just going to grab this..." and then in a deep grunt "Hiiiii Dolly." I signaled to Mikayla across the room that he was talking strange and gave her an awkward face, but she just waved and danced to the music playing. After cleaning up all the paper towels used in the show, we went to Giordano's. We reminisced and laughed our way through a deep dish pizza.

The next day we drove to Mikayla's house in northern Wisconsin. It was at this point that I felt as though I entered another country. I wish I could pinpoint why Wisconsin felt so foreign. Perhaps it was the large metal cows? Or more cheese signs than gas station signs? Either way, I felt the need to take pictures and document the culture.

Mikayla and Erik were gracious hosts and we were even able to see them sing in the choir of Handel's Messiah. An interesting fact, the reason that everyone stands during "Hallelujah" is because in the first performance the King of England stood. Such an educational trip this has turned out to be. Katie Wilson drove all the way from Minneapolis and we were reunited. Ah, how I've missed Katie. She drove 5 hours to spend a day with us, and I felt so loved. We all played Balderdash late into the night.

I could keep listing the fun things we did together, but I think I'll end here. The point is, I needed the MidWest. I needed the microbrews, the long talks, the cheese curds, the cross-stitching of ornaments, and the late night Balderdash. In many ways, being here with these good friends in the middle of snowy prairie land has felt more like home than California. I had no idea that the MidWest could be so...so...great. And I feel like an ignorant fool for the way I've judged it in the past. Seriously though, Wisconsin feels like another country. Trust me.

Just some of my family...

2008-12-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

When Grandma Jo turned 80, she took a picture with her grandchildren at the party. I'm related to all these kids. This isn't including aunts or uncles or those distant relatives that show up at Thanksgiving.
Please note that I'm one of two brunettes in the entire bunch. Dominant genes...

My Inbox

2008-11-29T09:56:00.001-08:00

India, I want my $395 back.

2008-11-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

Nation of India,

Last year I visited your vast land, and although I wouldn't call my time with you a 'vacation', it was most definitely an 'adventure'. I spent time with your tribes (I'm a huge fan of the Panga tribe), spent 3 weeks eating with my hands, and tipped everyone including the lady that pointed a finger to the paper towels in the bathroom. You took more of my money than I budgeted, and you made me cry in the face of complete poverty, but in the hills of Orissa you afforded me the clearest starry night I've ever seen. Thanks for that.

A rift has come between us, and we both know the root of it. I took something from you, however small, it was significant to you. Your nation's greatest treasure, had a very small portion 'under construction', and I took a tiny momento. In hindsight, it was a mistake.

That being said, I think you've overreacted. You made my co-conspirator Jev so ill that he had to spend a week in a Thai hospital and now a year later you've stolen my identity in credit fraud. That's right, I know all about it! One of your people opened a credit card in my name and spent $395.

I'm really sorry about all the things in our past, but this vengeful attitude has got to stop! I want this $395 resolved immediately and, in turn, I'll stop gossiping about you. If the opportunity arises, I'll even return your little gem to your soil.

Namaste,
Allison

Sunsets at the Embarcadero

2008-11-19T23:34:00.000-08:00

While other cities give a cold shoulder to their residents, San Diego remains warm and inviting.

The Power of 1.

2008-11-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

It might be November 11th and Veteran's Day here in the States, but today a billion people are celebrating the Chinese holiday of Single's Day.

11-11, four 1's in a row, for all the single people to have a day. Perhaps it's a Chinese protest to it's 3 month older cousin, Valentine's Day?

Today, if you're young and single (or old and single for that matter...sorry for the age discrimination)...it's your day, and you didn't even know it.

Pat yourself on the back, toast yourself for a great year, and then tuck yourself into bed tonight! It's your day!

Voting-O-Rama?

2008-10-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Last night, my friend Cori and I were having gelato in Little Italy next to some classic old Italian men. I'm talking gold chain, chest hair, Aqua-Net hair, and thick accents. With a week until election day, politics eventually came up in their conversation. The guy with the biggest gold chain said, "Yeah, well that Bak O-Rama is going to...."
Go ahead, say it out loud in your best Italian accent. CNN is a lot more entertaining when you mentally insert some O-Ramas.

Humanifesto

2008-10-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

I want to be a grace guerilla
no longer a chameleon of karma
the time has come to stand out from the crowd.
I want to give forgiveness a fighting chance of freeing me
I want to live in love
and live it out loud.

I want to drink deep of the foolishness of wisdom
instead of swallowing the wisdom of fools
I want to find a source in the deeper mines of meaning
to search out the unsearchable
to invoke the invisible
to choose the truth the TV hypnotists aren't screening.

No camouflage
no entourage
no smoothly fitting-in
I want a faith that goes further than face value
and a beauty that goes deeper than my skin.

I want to be untouched by my possessions
instead of being possessed by what I touch
to test the taste of having nothing to call mine
to hold consumption's cravings back
to be content with luck or lack
to live on water as well as on wine.

I want to spend myself on those I think might need me
not spend all I think I need on myself
I want my heart to be willing to make house calls.
Let those whose rope is at an end find in me a faithful friend
Let me be known as one who rebuilds broken walls.

No camouflage
no entourage
no smoothly fitting-in
I want a faith that goes further than face value
and a beauty that goes deeper than my skin.

I want to be centered outside the circle
to be chiseled by a different seam
I want to be seduce by another story
and drawn into a deeper dream
I want to be anchored in an undiscovered ocean
to revolve around an unfamiliar sun
a boom box tuned to an alternate station
a bullet fired from a different gun.

No camouflage
no entourage
no smoothly fitting-in
I want a faith that goes further than face value
and a beauty that goes deeper than my skin.

-Gerard Kelly on The Door CD/DVD (released 12/1)

The Farmer's Walk

2008-10-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

I can't count how many times I mumbled under my breath, "China, you win! You always do!" over the last couple years. Today was no different, and for an entirely different reason. I'm not talking about the nation that holds 1/4 of the world's population, the land of Mao, tai-chi, or incredible eggplant dishes. I'm talking about actual dishes...porcelain plates, bowls, and cups (also known as china).

The day started off wonderfully. I further explored San Diego's mass transportation and took the Coaster train from San Diego to Oceanside, then the Sprinter light rail from Oceanside to my friend's house in Vista (about 40 miles away). On the agenda today: 8 year old girl's birthday party. And it had all the essential ingredients: stickers, scavenger hunt, and sugar. We partied hard for 4 hours and just before I left my dear friend gave me a gift, two big 12 piece sets of dishes for my new house.

I was thrilled and thankful, and then I realized that I had many mass transportation adventures ahead of me and 24 new items for the ride. The Sprinter, the Coaster, the Trolley, and then the Walk. There's no 'the Walk' mass transit system, I'm capitalizing it because I'm feeling like it deserves it. In the same way that that we capitalize the Fall (of man), the One (we'll marry), the Boss (pictured above).

We double bagged the boxes with sturdy Trader Joe's bags, and it seemed like an easy plan. I hoped that a friend would be able to pick me up from the Old Town Station so my shoulders wouldn't disconnect from their sockets.

If you think I'm being dramatic, the next time you come over and enter the kitchen, I'm going to hand you our 8 plates, 8 large bowls, and 8 mugs and encourage you to take a 12 block walk including uphill portions and stairs!

I have great friends. But they're important, busy people. They're invited to parties, weddings, or BBQ's on Saturday afternoons. They don't have time to transport my new plates to their new home.

So I did the Walk...all .6 miles uphill, no joke. (GoogleMaps says .6, but it felt like at least 2 miles). Rainclouds loomed above and I threatened heaven with a "Don't you DARE!". Can you picture it? I'm walking home, it's pouring, the brown bags get soaked, the porcelain falls through, shatters, and I collapse on someone's yard to laugh/pout.

Instead I had a moment when I felt like the world (well maybe just the weather) revolved around my little life. As I put my key into the lock, exhausted and kind of shaky in the shoulders region, I felt a raindrop hit my forehead, and just as I had both of my feet on the hardwood floors of my house, the downpour began! How I wish someone was there to witness the poetry of the timing with me...I really LOL'd by myself in an empty house. If it has been just 5 minutes later, you'd have found a mysterious and troubling scene involving a 24 year old standing in an intersection- breaking, throwing, and juggling 24 pieces of dishware on the evening news. Caption at the bottom of the screen: SoCal Residents React to Rain.

The best part: Katie just told me that there's a CrossFit workout called The Farmer's Walk, that's basically the same thing. You have to carry dumb-bells around the gym. I was thinking about signing up for CrossFit, but my life lately has been a series of interesting workouts. And it seems that no matter how far I get away from little ole Kerman, I'm still called a farmer.

Sure and Shir

2008-09-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

"Suuuure." That doubtful delivery of the word 'sure'. When your cheapskate friend says they'll pay you back you think "Suuuure". When your "Always Late But Worth the Wait" bumper sticker friend promises to be on time..."Suuuure". When the lady at Trader Joe's says that Fat Free Half and Half tastes REALLY good...

The Mandarin word for "yes" is shir. Pronounced just like "sure". Often times it's used like we would use "yeah". For example, if someone gives you instructions or tells you facts, you'd say "shir" to confirm you understand.

To find a common word that means the SAME thing in both languages is exciting, but moving back to America it has made for some funny interactions.

For example:
When a homeowner is showing their home that's up for rent. They say, "The hardwood floors are in great shape, we've taken good care of them." "Shir/Suure". They side glance, Katie gives me a look, I'm confused. Ohhh, I sound like the skeptic tenant, doubting the hardwood floor maintenance.

When I'm interviewing for a job and I observe the very 'laid back' culture of the office. During the interview the interviewer says "And we pride ourselves on the work environment, everyone gets along really well here". "Shir/Sure". He responds, "Really, no one has a problem with anyone else". I nod, and realize I sound like the pessimistic new girl.

For the record, landlord with the Victorian home, your hardwood floors do look great, I agree.
And new employer, I'm excited about the work environment, I noticed the laid-back atmosphere when you weren't wearing shoes as I came in the front door. I can't wait to kick off my shoes and work really hard for you... really. Thanks for hiring me, despite what appeared to be a doubtful attitude.

Chew on this...

2008-09-08T23:36:00.000-07:00

"Forgiveness flounders because I exclude my enemy from the community of humans and exclude myself from the community of sinners." -Miroslav Voth

Cheese.

2008-09-08T13:57:00.001-07:00

A New Kind of Celebrity

2008-09-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

In small town China, I was famous. I didn’t do anything to gain my celebrity; it was based purely on my white skin, oval eyes, and pearly whites. A day didn’t go by without someone stopping, pointing and staring. These days also included someone announcing that I was a ‘laowai!’- the reminder that I was a foreigner- that I looked different from everyone around me.

Now that I’m back in San Diego, I’m getting attention for an entirely different reason. The stares and pointing fingers have turned to waves and smiles. Why? Because I own a really cute bike. More specifically, a light yellow beach cruiser. The people of San Diego love it! Old men tell me about how they once had a bike like mine. Mechanics yell out “Nice ride!” and runners along Pacific Coast Highway wave and smile through heavy breathing.

I’ve tried to pinpoint the reason people feel the need to respond to a bicycle and I’ve concluded that it’s more than the bike. I make people feel good about living in San Diego. With high rent prices, high gas prices, and busy lives...a beach cruiser riding along the harbor with sailboats in the background makes people feel good. It doesn’t hurt that I’m smiling. I’m smiling because it’s 74 degrees, sunny, and I have the Pacific Ocean on one side and palm trees on the other. I’m smiling because the sky is a deep blue.

And I’m smiling because I met the postman of my new house and he ended our conversation with “Welcome to the ‘hood!” It’s good to be back.

irrelevant laws!

2008-08-28T02:55:00.001-07:00

this, my friends, is how we were able to be at the u.s. men's beach volleyball game the next morning. definitely the most lively event! american classic rock, dancing (and falling) olympics mascots, sunshine, and great competition.

proof.

2008-08-28T02:47:00.001-07:00

Zaijian Zhongguo.

2008-08-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

That's Mandarin for "Goodbye China". After two years of calling this country 'home', I'm jumping on an airplane and heading back to the States, more specifically San Diego. No more Chinese visas, or Chinese buses, or authentic Chinese food. Thousands of thoughts are running through my mind, but what stands out most is the people. I'm going to miss my Chinese friends tremendously. Their hospitality, their sense of humor, their kindness towards me, and their loyalty.
I don't know the next time I'll step onto Chinese soil, could be next year, could be ten years from now. But I'm thankful for these beautiful friendships and the opportunities that I had for growth because of them.

Battle for the Bronze

2008-08-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

Basically Brazil badly beat Belgium.

Reunion at the Great Wall

2008-08-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

Beijing is a city of millions, with multiple tourist sites, and hundreds of thousands of tourists...I ran into Lomong again at the Mu Tian Yu Great Wall site. This time we took a picture.
In other news, I ate a scorpion last night. It was crunchy.

4 Down, 2 To Go

2008-08-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

1. Women's Soccer- Canada vs. Argentina
Final Score: 2-1
Commentary: Canada's #15-MVP, Argentina's #6-Extremely Scrappy

2. Women's Soccer- China vs. Sweden
Final Score: 2-1
Commentary: Talk about home field advantage! 98% of the crowd was roaring for China, and 2% for Sweden. All but one of Sweden's starters had golden hair.

3. Men's Soccer- Nigeria vs. Japan
Final Score: 2-1
Commentary: The crowd was totally behind Nigeria (Japan and China don't have the best relationship). The most exciting game to watch thus far, full of action.

4. Men's Soccer- USA vs. Netherlands (Holland)
Final Score: 2-2
Commentary: Most of the action happened in the 2nd half (after we left to catch the only train back to Beijing). I learned some geography during the game, I once thought that Holland was a country- in fact, it's a province within the country of the Netherlands.

COMING UP...

Track and Field at the Bird's Nest, August 18th @ 7pm
6 Final events along with Medal Ceremonies!

Bronze Medal Soccer at Shanghai Stadium, August 22nd @ 7pm

On a scale of 1-10 in excitement, I'm about an 9.86.

An Epic Race

2008-08-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

Trash talking by the Frenchmen before the race, saying they're going to "smash the Americans".

Michael Phelps' goal of 8 gold medals in Beijing.

After three swimmers, USA is behind by about a body length as 32 year old anchor Jason Lezak jumps in the water.

The crowd is roaring, everyone's on their feet.

Lezak swims 46.06, the fastest split in history, and wins by a fingertip.

Crowd goes wild.

Jason Lezak, Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, and Cullen Jones win the Men's 4x100 Free Relay.

Gold medals.

Straight out of a movie.

Change, Change, Change...

2008-08-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

For the former Beijing laowai's out there, I have some news...there's been changes in just the last month, that might leave you feeling lost in a city you once called home.

Here are some changes that I've noticed:

1. The absence of grandma recyclers. You know, the old women that encourage you to polish off your 1/4 bottle of water so that they can crush the precious plastic and stick it into their rice bag. I miss their little frames, big grins, and even bigger love for our Earth. ;) There must be a law, because the entire city is a recycler's dream.

2. Dongzhimen Station has been transformed. The long distance buses aren't formed on the street, instead there's an indoor bus terminal. (It's the large building that many hypothesized would be a parking lot.) And it's organized with signs! In addition, the much anticipated Airport Express has been opened, it's amazing. It's just like Line 5 (with the Hong Kong inspired glass doors). Don't worry, it still has it's Beijing charm, the entire place is lacking escalators. Travelers clad with 50 pounds of luggage, on their way to/from the airport, have to lug their bags up and down dozens of stairs. Good ole China, looks alright at first sight, but poorly built. Don't be mistaken, instead of spending the money on the escalator, there's a security guard being paid to help passengers struggling up the stairs. Why pay for technology when you can the hourly wage of 2RMB ($0.33/hour)?

3. Taxi drivers wear uniforms! Every Beijing taxi driver now wears the same light yellow, short sleeve, button up shirt with a navy blue/yellow striped tie. It's endearing to see the old men wearing their uniform, yelling "Hallo", and honking their way through the crowded streets.

4. Kro's Nest pizza has closed their Bei Da (Peking University) and Worker's Stadium locations! We eventually found their new location in an area of town that I'm not familiar with. I'm not sure why the Bei Da location closed, but the Worker's Stadium location is closed until the 26th because their location was within the Stadium's security area. We talked with the owner a bit, had a dance off, and my 10 year old cousin Daisy challenged a 40 year old Olympic cameraman to a split competition. Such a great atmosphere, no matter how many times it's moved. Not to mention, great pizza.

Some things haven't changed a bit: The vendors at Silk Alley are still grabby, the toddlers still wear split-bottom pants which makes for questionable puddles, and everyone still 'cuts' in line. Old men still read their newspapers on their fold out seats on the sidewalk, and the "mei you" (don't have) are still abundant and just as frustrating. The "yu xiang qiezi" (fish-flavored eggplant) still sounds questionable, but is as delicious as you remember it. Stop salivating, I know you are.

Lomong carried the flag for the US!

2008-08-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's such an American story. A lost boy of Sudan, refugee for 10 years, adopted by a family in upstate New York and learns English. He then gets a full-ride scholarship for track and field to Northern Arizona University and goes through the process to become a US citizen. Just a year (to the day!) after becoming a US citizen, he qualifies to be on the US team for the 1500 meters. Then, through a democratic process, he is selected to be carry the US flag at the Opening Ceremonies.

Being around my ultra-patriotic grandma has rubbed off on me. I teared up last night when the US team walked around the track.

When asked about being voted to carry the flag, Lomong said, "The American flag means everything in my life -- everything that describes me, coming from another country and going through all of the stages that I have to become a U.S. citizen," Lomong said in the statement. "This is another amazing step for me in celebrating being an American. Seeing my fellow Americans coming behind me and supporting me will be a great honor -- the highest honor. It's just a happy day. I don't even have the words to describe how happy I am."

Here's the full story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/06/AR2008080600877.html

Smoggy Skies and Shaky Fists

2008-08-08T00:24:00.000-07:00

Beijing has tried so hard to have blue skies for the Olympics games. They've seeded the clouds, they've created odd/even days for driving (depending on the last digit of your license plate). They've shut down the coal factories, and all other factories surrounding the city. They've planted trees, millions of trees.

And here I sit, on 8/8/08, the day of Beijing's Opening Ceremony and it's smoggy. I can't see buildings just a block away. And I feel bad. I want the skies to be blue, I want the BOCOG to be able to keep their promise to the athletes. I want the media to be wrong, and to write articles about the clear blue skies.

On the August 6th we went to the first Olympic game of the '08 games- women's soccer in Tianjin. The temperature was 95 degrees, with 84% humidity, and smog so dense that we couldn't see the other side of the stadium clearly. Sitting still in that heat was not enjoyable. The game however was a lot of fun! Argentina vs. Canada was the first game and Canada dominated the game with a 2-1 victory. The Argentinian women were scrappy players, I've never seen soccer played like that.

The second game was China vs. Sweden. As a Stilson, I was cheering for Sweden, but the home field advantage was undeniable and China won the game 2-1. There were about 30 fans for Sweden and about 68,000 for China.

The way home was a disaster. All the bullet train tickets back to Beijing were sold out, with the next train being at 3 am. I won't get into the details but it involved a ton of frustration and 'shaky fist' moments. We eventually had to take taxis home, and didn't walk in the door until 1:30am, minus my grandma's wallet. Yeah, that's right...lost a wallet in a random Beijing taxi.

We're headed to the Lido Holiday Inn for an Opening Ceremony BBQ. That's right, celebrating in style.

Just pick the best kisser...duh.

2008-08-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

At the moment I'm sitting on the couch next to my 12 year old cousin Amellia. We've walked many kilometers today and we're resting before a Kung Fu show tonight. She's reading an insightful novel titled "Invasion of the Boy Snatchers". She's really secretive about the content, but I 'snatched' it a couple minutes ago. The only line I managed to read (before being attacked) was "Just pick the best kisser, Nina said" If I'm ever torn between two great guys, I'll just remember Nina's advice.

I've been immersed into the world of two California teens (10 and 12 year old girls) and it's been kind of refreshing. Phrases like 'IDK' (I don't know), 'perf' (perfect), 'that's haut!' (adopted from the brilliant Paris Hilton) and many others fill our conversations. Last night while falling asleep on the couch I even took part in a giggle-fest. Are we ever too old for that? I hope not.

After a full two years in China, I find it interesting to see the culture through another's eyes. Amellia noticed that boyfriends carry their girlfriends purses almost immediately. We tease Daisy that she's running for mayor of Beijing. Her blonde hair and blue eyes attract stares, but she turns them around into a chance to make friends. She grins, waves, and happily obliges to all photo opportunities.

The photo ops were especially abundant today as we made our way through Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. At one point, we were approached by the Phoenix NBC news crew and interviewed about our time in Beijing during what can only be called Olympics Madness. During their interview, Lori and Johnny kindly called me their 'lifeline' in China. Super kind of them. I remember my first months here and being immensely grateful for people that translated for me. After the lifeline title was given, the Action 12 news asked me a few questions about living in China/language/Olympics. So IF you live in Phoenix and IF you watch NBC, you'll find our faces on your screen. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/olympics/olyvideodex.html

I'll close with another line from "Invasion of the Boy Snatchers" that Amellia allowed limited access to after I told her I was including her in my blog.

"Nina, am I a used Band-Aid?"
"Uh, no." Nina's eyes were fixed on the soccer players.
"Then why did you just rip me off?"

I'll have to remember that line.

Plate Spinning Aspirations

2008-08-02T06:26:00.000-07:00

After a 25 kilometer/3+ hour bike tour of Beijing this afternoon, we went home for quick (much needed) showers and then to the acclaimed Chaoyang Acrobatics Show.
I sat next to my cousin Amellia. This is Amellia that asked me when I was 17 (and she was 5), "Alli Jo, were you born with those pimples?" This is Amellia that calls on Thursdays with questions galore. She's also the girl that walked up to Vince's black afro, tapped it, and said "Check, one...two..."
Tonight as the acrobats performed and we ooo-ed and ahh-ed with each jump and bend, ever-observant Amellia called me out on a common fault of mine.
It seems that I have a problem. It's gotten me in trouble on many occasions. Without realizing it, I often imitate/mock things that are new to me. Once at a restaurant, I picked up the thick Indian accent of a guy at our table. After a couple minutes, he looked across the table and politely asked "Are you mocking my accent?" I was horrified! I, indeed, was. Cynthia quickly made it better by mocking me.
The plate spinners took the stage tonight with 4 wooden sticks and 4 plates in each hand. What a skill! I pictured myself in my kitchen with 8 sticks and 8 plates, showing my dinner guests my skills. Apparently, what I pictured in my mind...translated to my actions as I sat in the dark theater.
Amellia in true form, leaned in next to me and asked a simple question, "Alli Jo, why are you shaking your hands like that?" Reality: I looked like I either had Parkinson's or was rocking out with egg-shakers.
Embarrassed and exposed. "Uhh, I guess I'm trying out being a plate-spinner..." followed by LAUGHTER, the uncontrollable kind. The kind that makes the guy in front of you turn around, not because he's annoyed, but he longs to share in your hearty laugh. In the same way, I long to spin plates someday.

Taking one for the TEAM.

2008-08-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

As I checked in at the United counter at SFO, I politely asked for an upgrade to Business class. Apparently, I'm an 'elite' member- I have no idea what this means, but it wasn't enough for a $700 upgrade. It did, however, afford me an upgrade to Economy Plus in the exit row with a full 5 feet of leg room in front of me.
When I arrived at the gate, I was surrounded my Team USA. It seems the US Olympic Committee bought the majority of the seats for my flight. Athletes competing in Track and Field, Judo, and Gymnastics were everywhere along with members of the International press. It was at that moment sitting among muscular bodies outfitted in Nike gear, that it became real.. I'm going to the Olympics.
We boarded the flight and I was stoked about my seat, 12 hours of comfort ahead! This is where empathy got the best of me. Ahead of me in the Economy section was a 6'6" Long Jumper in a seat that literally could not fit his long legs. We hadn't even taken off and he was extremely uncomfortable. He asked the stewardesses for an upgrade, but they refused.
I pictured this guy going for the gold and missing it by an inch because he had just gotten off of a 12 hour flight that killed his legs. So before I realized what I was signing up for, I offered him my seat. He was shocked and jumped (pun-intended) at the opportunity.
As I moved up to the Economy section, I found myself sitting next to more Track and Field athletes. Across the isle from me was Lopez Lomong, seated to win the gold in the 1500 meters. More impressive than that, was his life story that he proceeded to tell me over the next couple of hours. (http://lopezlomong.org/)
Born in Sudan, he was separated from his family at 6 years old. He moved to a camp in Kenya and lived there for 10 years until he was adopted by a couple from upstate New York as a Lost Boy of Sudan. So at 16 he moved to America, learned English in 6 months, and started running. His running got him a full ride scholarship to Northern Arizona University, and now he's a professional athlete for Nike. He always brought back his success to the fact that he hopes to use it as a platform to help the kids in Africa, especially Darfur.
As we exited the plane and he was ushered into the Chinese fanfare, I stood in the long line at customs and told him that I'll be cheering him on.
So it seems, like most things, when we think we're making a sacrifice, we get so much in return. I know Lopez Lomong, he told me his life story, I taught him how to barter in China, some Chinese history, some Mandarin phrases, and plenty of small talk...we go way back.

packing for peking

2008-07-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

i've been stateside for just over a month and now i'm heading back to the land of mandarin-speaking, chopstick-eating, smog-choking, beijing living.

activities include: the beijing olympics.

dates:
august 1-12: showing my uncle, aunt, 2 cousins, and 80 year old grandma (cuenta lo!)all the joys, thrills and sights of beijing.
august 12-15: r&r in the suburb of huairou.
august 15-26: hanging out with some infamous college friends- vince and james. bronze medal soccer in shanghai among other things.

my goal is to try and keep the ole blogger updated on a daily basis...yikes!

i haven't packed a thing...but i got an apartment in little italy/south mission hills. a real beaut! house warming party upon my return.

global warming is real.

2008-07-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

i taught swim lessons today in 112 degree weather.

pictures of childhood

2008-07-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

I was a cute kid, not gonna lie. But I've found a couple themes, while sorting through a large box of childhood photos. Every picture can fall into one of the following categories.

1. Forced picture with a gift for a long-distance relative: Basically, I'm holding up a new dress or other Fed-Ex'd gift, giving a reluctant smile (no teeth), and have a hand on my hip. I'm usually squinting, not because it's sunny, but because I'm trying to convey the pain of the forced action. These pictures were taken for the dozens of family members in California, that spoiled the first grandchild in the family. What an ungrateful child!

2. Military stance mixed with excitement: Long straight brown hair with straight-across bangs, ruffles/bows/flowers/ribbon dress, arms straight by my sides, and huge "I can't stand like this a second more, all I want to do is hula-hoop!" smile.

3. Swim-suit shot: I'm convinced that 88% of my childhood was spent in a bath suit. Living in 'Lauderdale by the Sea' steps from the Atlantic, with an adorable black lab named Sheena, a bright red convertible Volkswagen Bug, and an unlimited supply of bikinis.

4. Nakie with cowboy boots on: It seems post-beach, I liked to get out of the bathing suit, put on my birthday suit and my cowboy boots. Now one or two of these would be cute, but I have dozens over a span of 0-5 years old. Seriously, what's that about?

5. Young and in love: During my same cowboy boot phase I was also having a serious relationship with a young man named Alex Pacman. Our moms were friends. Pictures include sitting side by side, swimming, birthdays, and roller-skating.

6. Narcky shot: It's late in the day, I'm tired, but I want to stay where the action is. So instead of admitting defeat, I continue to 'pretend' that I'm awake, while getting some great rest (in the middle of the action). That way, if something really exciting happens, I'll wake up. These pictures look like I'm completely disinterested in the activity (even my own birthday party). The reality is that I just swam for 8 hours, or rocked out in my cowboy boots, and I'm exhausted. My mom must have found these moments particularly endearing because I'm finding dozens.

I promise to scan and post an example of each for your entertainment. Sidenote: Former roommates and other close friends, I realize that I'm still a narky.

Substitute Nanny

2008-06-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

La Jolla Recreation Club on a sunny Sunday morning, a tennis tournament nearby, and I'm running around chasing a 1 and 4 year old on the playground.

The sun is shining, the diaper bag is on my shoulder, and I'm using banana chips as currency.

The most urgent thing on my mind is helping the 1 year old go down the slide feet-first. What a contrast to just a week ago in China.

Check out that spiderman web action.

The ENFP Box

2008-06-20T01:50:00.000-07:00

I took a personality profile test. I've managed to dodge them for years, but after living in China for two years I've encountered some personalities that have boggled my mind. Someone recently explained/opened my eyes to the facts of overseas living- there are two types of people that move overseas (said somewhat in a hush, as if it were a secret). The first group- legit people, that "get it" and are living the adventure of Life. The second- weirdos (very strange people), that move to escape something, are trying to find their niche in society, and might be (usually are) highly socially awkward. I would agree that people in the long term expat community fall into one of these two groups. You can just hope that you have a higher ratio of group one around you.

With a return to the States just a week away, I thought it might be helpful to finally give in and see what personality "box" I fit into, to help with job opportunities. It turns out that I'm an Extroverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving, with the title of "The Inspirer". Nice...

So this is how I'm described:
ENFPs are initiators of change who are keenly perceptive of possibilities, and who energize and stimulate through their contagious enthusiasm. They prefer the start-up phase of a project or relationship, and are tireless in the pursuit of new-found interests. ENFPs are able to anticipate the needs of others and to offer them needed help and appreciation. They bring zest, joy, liveliness, and fun to all aspects of their lives. They are at their best in situations that are fluid and changing, and that allow them to express their creativity and use their charisma.

ENFPs are energetic and enthusiastic leaders who are likely to take charge when a new endeavor needs a visionary spokesperson. ENFPs are values-oriented people who become champions of causes and services relating to human needs and dreams. Their leadership style is one of soliciting and recognizing others' contributions and of evaluating the personal needs of their followers. ENFPs are often charismatic leaders who are able to help people see the possibilities beyond themselves and their current realities. They function as catalysts.

It says a lot more about living, learning, loving, working, and leisure. The leisure part was right on- it basically said that I love to read and travel. I fit into the box, and I don't know what to think of that.

The 5 Zi's

2008-06-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

This is success in the eyes of the Chinese:

1. Fang Zi- House
2. Che Zi- Car
3. Qi Zi- Wife
4. Er Zi- Son
5. Mao Zi- Hat (means political power)

A little cultural insight: By the year 2020, there will be a shortage of 40 million women.

Beijing Blue Crayola Crayon

2008-05-28T05:43:00.001-07:00

Dear Crayola Crayon Company,

I've been meaning to write you for quite sometime. There's a big problem in Chinese classrooms that I believe MUST be addressed. Children all over this vast country love to color and draw but their pictures are inconsistent with their surroundings. You see, when they pick out the "Sky Blue" crayon from their crisp yellow Crayola box, the color is nothing like the color they see out their window. This confuses the youth. It starts with confusion at the crayon box, and it's all downhill from there.

I suggest that you make a new crayon named "Beijing Blue". Only it won't be blue at all. Now, let me explain. It's going to take a mixture of black (for the coal in the air), with some dark gray (for the exhaust from the millions of cars). Last you'll need to add a bit of glowing yellow (for the fires, and the effect of the sun trying to get through the gray thickness).

With one in every four people in the world being Chinese, this is sure to be a 'best seller'. Kids all around China deserve to have a crayon in their box that they can use to color the skies of their pictures. Leaving "Sky Blue" as is, will only increase their longing for a distance land named 加利福尼亚 (Jialifuniya/California). Once they see the blue skies and (gasp!) sunsets, it'll be hard to get them to return. Like I said earlier, it's starts at the crayon box...

Yours Truly,
Disgruntled Californian/Beijing Resident

P.S. What's up with the pronunciation of your product? I say the one syllable "cran" like cranberry, but others say a two syllable version like "cray-on". What's your official stance on this?

Another Day at the Office

2008-05-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

I teach ESL (as you know) and with the low class today we were brainstorming food for an activity.. the categories on the board were meat, fish, veggies, and fruit.
It was boys against girls and they had to yell vocab out as I wrote their responses on the board. It sounded something like.. "cucumber! tomato! squid! beef! pineapple!"
And then just as it had become quiet down for a second- sweet, little Leona yelled out "ass meat!" very loud, kind of proud that she found one that hadn't been mentioned yet...
It took everything in me, my friends...

my empty water glass

2008-05-22T02:59:00.000-07:00

This morning my roommate and I woke up early for some Olympics festivities. The city is buzzing with Olympics excitement and with 77 days left until the Opening Ceremonies, I suppose they should be. Leading up to the actual Olympics there are Good Luck games at the venues for a fraction of the price, and a fraction of the athletic talent (let's be honest). Today, the Bird's Nest was open for Athletics events (javelin, shot put, hurdles, long jump and sprints galore).
After 3 hours of watching other people run, Diana and I took a walk to T.G.I Friday's for lunch. My favorite Western food in Beijing is a Friday's BBQ Chicken salad. (My mouth just watered and I ate one 6 hours ago!)

Some people say that one bonus of living in China is that there is no tipping for services. Tips are not expected for waitresses or taxi-drivers. Amazing, right? Well, kind of. It comes at the expense of service. If you want more water for your teapot, or napkins, or anything for that matter- do not expect a waitress to come over and "check on you". You need to belt out "fu yuan!" (waitress) in the dining facility and eventually someone will mosey over and raise their eyebrows, no smile. That's your cue to politely ask them for more water in a sweet voice...because, remember, they're doing you a favor. I don't mind this usually, especially when it's an older woman that give an extra portion of attitude. Beijing is famous for cranky old women waitresses, and I openly try to befriend them. This is confirmed the next time we visit, when they say "Hello" before taking our order.

My frustration comes when I go to a place like Friday's...a Western restaurant. The poor waiters and waitresses must weigh an additional 10 kilos due to their abundance of 'flair'. The place feels like America- guitars and STOP signs on the walls...but the service is distinctively Chinese. It's disheartening when a person wearing smiley-face buttons, suspenders, striped socks, and a Dr. Seuss hat gives you an eye-roll when you ask for more water. I understand when China Grandma gives an extra sigh, and I empathize with her...she's old and tired, and serving a lot of KungPao Chicken. I get that.

I wanted to draw in the waitress today and whisper to her, "If you manage to keep this little glass of water full for 50% of the time that I'm here, I'll tip you.. I really will. I'm American, it's what we do! And it's not just a few coins, we usually give 20 percent!" (At this point, I'd nod and raise my eyebrows, as a way of saying "Ridiculous, right? But it's true!")

I tried to respect her and do the two-finger raise as a sign that I needed some attention, but she didn't get it. Eventually Diana said "fu yuan" and a waitress came over. We gave up on the water and asked for the bill. When it came, we didn't tip. My water glass was bone dry, and plus, there's no tipping in China. No need to disrupt the system, right?

7.9 Earthquake in China

2008-05-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon my roommates and I were on video Skype with a friend in Changsha when she exclaimed, "Whoa, I'm shaking.. Do you guys feel that?" Clothes hanging in the background were swaying and the shaking lasted a full minute. Changsha is in south-central China, and Beijing is in the northeast. We assumed it was a smaller earthquake closer to her.
But, a couple minutes later my roommate Megan got a call from her boyfriend who works at an International school here in Beijing. He said they were under their desks and wondered if we were o.k. He called back to say they were evacuating, and eventually canceled classes for the day. This was before any news was available. And let's be honest, news isn't readily available here.
That evening at the gym, I watched the Beijing news. The report was that 4 people had died and 900 students were trapped in their middle school. The largest city to the epicenter is Chengdu in Sichuan province and news reporters were among evacuated hospitals, interviewing what people felt, etc. There was no sign of damage and no one was hurt. People were just fearful and concerned, as well as unwilling to go back into buildings.
The fault line of the earthquake is where the Sichuan plain meets the Tibetan mountain range. That area is far from Beijing, to the southwest. Sichuan is also the most densely populated province in all of China.
When I got home the logic just didn't make sense, an earthquake felt 900 miles away in Beijing and there's hardly any damage? I checked CNN, BBC, and ABC and they were just reporting what they were hearing from Chinese media sources.
Late Monday night I checked my foreign news sources again and found a different story- 2,000 people dead, 80% of buildings in the area destroyed.
On Tuesday morning I taught two different classes. In the first class (higher level English) I printed out an ABC news report and we looked up new vocab, discussed facts and figures and then spent time Lifting up the people of Sichuan province.
In the second class (beginner English level) I talked in simple terms about the earthquake and suggested that we Think for the those that have lost family and friends. Leona started crying, her family lives in Sichuan, in the city of Chongqing. She had tried to call, but phone lines are down as well as power in the area, so she's just waiting to hear. Leona cried throughout class, the silent tears, that just fall down your cheek. She tried to learn grammar and pronunciation, but her mind was elsewhere.
As of today, Wednesday morning, over 12,000 have perished and authorities expect that number to rise as they start to clear rubble from the epicenter.
I am completely fine in Beijing, thank you for your emails and calls of concern. The Chinese government doesn't want International relief workers, but will take money and supplies. At this point, I just plan to help Leona attempt to get in contact with her family.
Earthquake in China, cyclone in Myanmar, earthquake in Japan... what's going on in Asia?

looking forward

2008-05-13T01:32:00.000-07:00

As these two years in China come to a close, I know it's a good idea to both reflect on the past as well as look forward to the future. Here's some things I'm looking forward to...

*Sunsets! I picture a late afternoon reading a book at La Jolla Shores and then a San Diego sunset..sigh...I crave sunsets daily. Beijing smog affords one every 3 months, and it doesn't hold a candle to California.

*My mom, the Debster. Laughing a lot, crying through made-for-TV movies, playing cards/Scrabble, belting Rod Stewart lyrics, and getting pedicures. Our upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon is sure to be memorable.

*Couch time at 5111 with Cori, Jen, Mullins, Lovas, Teeny, and Ann..each in our unsaid, but assumed spots on the huge green couch.

*Reading the Fresno Bee newspaper at my grandma's diningroom table, eating Cheerios, and discussing all things Republican including some Rush Limbaugh zingers coming from the kitchen.

*Riding bikes through Gaslamp, along the embarcadero, to Hillcrest to have sushi at Ichiban with friends.

*Live music at Lulu's/Poetry slams/Flood worship with Kate and Shawn.

*Singing in the Previa with Sean, no music on because his radio is broken (insert beat-boxing, and laughter)

*A good haircut, let's be honest.

*Riding the San Diego trolley, I would say driving, but I don't have a car anymore and CNN has told me the price of gas. My friends, that's more per gallon than high quality orange juice.

*Spending an afternoon watching Kaitlyn and Emyle with Josh. Along with random marital advice from Russian grandma Boonya Frances.

*Coffee with Carly, Lo, and Lisa. People watching, catching up, being honest.

*Teaching swim lessons to adorable, yet utterly terrified kids.

*Seeing Mikayla and Rachel in their element in the great mid-west! Gosh, this could not come any sooner. These girls are pure gold.

*Thanksgiving in Malibu, surrounded by dozens of amazing family members, and a traditional fierce game of Spoons.

*Attending the 4th Annual project:connect this November. Wow, times flies.

*Cynthia- singing in the car, playing Dr. Mario, eating Mexican food, and talking about everything under the sun.

*A long walk through Balboa Park, with stops in museums along the way.

This, by no means, concludes my list. As I look at it, it's just another reminder that it's all about relationships. I truly feel blessed in that area.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

2008-05-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

I've been lying in bed for quite some time, unable to fall asleep.
My heart in undoubtedly for relief work- aiding the displaced, homeless, and needy. So many things are running through my head. I think of the classic marketing model of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The most basic needs of humans are food, water, shelter, and clothing. As I lay here, under a down comforter, in a warm apartment, with great vegetables for dinner, and a buzzing water cooler outside my door.. I can't help but think of the thousands.. maybe millions that are across a river in Burma.
I'm angered that they aren't allowed access to humanitarian aid because they're under a military junta that is fearful.
I feel guilty that I have a decent apartment in China, and next door there are so many going to bed tonight without the very basics.
I realize that this is nothing new, poverty exists, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't churn with compassion every time we are faced with it.
Whether we build houses post-tsunami, or demolition houses post-Katrina, or feed the homeless in our local cities, we have to respond.
Father, thank you that you give us these desires. Thank you for the passion you've placed in me. Help me to be a good steward- that you'd receive all the glory. Comfort those in Burma tonight as they fall asleep and open doors for aid. If it's Your will, send me.

Jump Into the Love River

2008-05-08T04:05:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting Indian-style on my bed, wearing a pink Wheaton shirt and drinking some Oregon Chai.
I didn't realized the significance of Indian-style until I was sitting on a floor in India last winter in a tribal area, eating off of woven leaves...and it hit me.. Indian style. Mindlessly we pick up language, without realizing what it means. For example- in English we say we're "falling in love". In China they say they're "jumping into the love river". I love that. I'm jumpin' in, not to be confused with a catchy Steven Curtis Chapman song. (Apologies if you're now humming the tune).
The Wheaton shirt is comical. I didn't go to Wheaton, it was sent to me in a care package by a former teammate, Mikayla Hoffman. I don't wish I went to Wheaton, I'm proud I went to SDSU...despite it's current smearing on the news. This week over 100 people were arrested as part of an extensive drug ring at my alma mater. Six fraternities have been suspended, and ties have been made to the Mexican mafia. I'm not surprised, the subculture on campus was not really covert. I'll be interesting to see what comes of all this. Now we're the Rubio's Fish tacos, drug ring university.. great.
And Oregon Chai.. what a treat! I've been holding on to this goodie for months, waiting for a cloudy afternoon and some time to savor it. I'm just going to come out and say it- care packages are better than the sum of their contents. They are a package of caring. I've watched a group of sane Americans in China, go crazy. Now, don't misinterpret this as a plea. I'm leaving China in 7 weeks, packages wouldn't reach me in time. But James and Vince are in Thailand for the next 7 months and Schwenk is in Africa. Write a letter, send a few things- you'll likely make their day. If you need tips, contact the Wielands.. they're the best package preparers.
In other news, The Weepies have a new album titled Hideaway, and it's gold.

Sunlight for the first time

2008-05-06T04:16:00.001-07:00

24 years in darkness. 24 years of fear, rape, and imprisonment. I'm referring to the developing story out of Austria- where a 73 year old man kept his daughter underground from the ages of 18-42 and had 7 children with her. What a horrible, dark existence. I've been shocked by this story and have loosely followed it with my limited online news sources. I'm reminded that we live in a fallen world, and more-so the depths of His grace. If Josef Fritzl repented and believed, he too, could experience full and complete grace. Is that hard to swallow? I've been chewing on it for awhile.
I wonder what it's like for an 18 year old who has spent his entire life underground. I've read articles on cnn.com about the two boys screaming in delight as they passed cars, experienced sunlight, and saw other humans.
I wonder, what's their concept of the world? What are their thoughts on the Creator? When all you know is captivity, what does instant freedom feel like?
The questions abound, I would be interested to hear your thoughts/questions and any updates that you've gotten on the other side of the ocean. Is this a big headline in the US?

grrrr....

2008-04-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

It's a shame that a couple minutes of intense frustration can taint a great weekend. Today, on a beautiful, 72 degrees and sunny afternoon in Beijing, China I found myself making that growling noise through clenched teeth. I even raised my fists in frustration to show this city (and the dozens of surveillance cameras around me) that I, as a Westerner, do not understand the system. Let me explain.

With the Olympics a couple months away, Beijing has begun to host a series of Good Luck games, in effect a way to test the venues and work out any 'kinks'. I am not the first to say that there are a lot of kinks. Last month at the baseball game, there was an enormous line to get into the game (it took over 30 minutes to enter the baseball stadium, funneling thousands of fans through a single entrance with 3 guards checking tickets). Lesson learned I hope. We missed Jet Li throw the first pitch..bummer.

This weekend my Minnesotan friend Katie and I, again, spent Saturday and Sunday exploring the diversity of this city. I met up with a San Diego friend Pat Hall for lunch and together we took the subway to Wudaokou (the university area of Beijing). Pat was spending the weekend with some Chinese friends and I was meeting up with Katie for an afternoon of hiking (destination unknown).

We made a quick stop for coffee, but our conversation kept us sitting much longer, drinking our iced coffees in oversized and oh-so-comfortable chairs. We then set out to explore the vast campus of Tsinghua University. Two hours later we were still walking through it's tree-lined lanes and spent sunset watching a soccer game and some determined kite-flyers despite almost non-existent wind. As we walked home, we were invited to dinner across town at Pete's Tex Mex with friends. Pete's is the quintessential American restaurant and makes some tasty ice-cream concoctions that has earned it local honors for years.

After a nice dinner, we trekked back across town. When I say across town, I mean over an hour of walking/subway/transfer/walking. A street vendor was selling books as we were walking and I bought 'Good to Great' by Jim Collins. I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time, and 15 kuai was an amazing price. Once we got back to Katie's place I discovered that some pages were copied backwards.. you get what you pay for.

Katie and I slept in 'til 8:30, probably the first time in weeks that I've slept past 6:15, it was glorious. We had breakfast al fresco at a cute little diner called 'the bridge'. Sunshine, fresh OJ, granola with yogurt, and a fun friend.. it was good stuff. The rooftop patio reminded me of The Broken Yolk in PB, but instead of the distant ocean, I saw not-so-distant construction cranes.

After fellowship, we had some tempting lunch offers from other friends but decided to head over to the National Aquatic Center to buy some tickets for the Synchronized Swimming Good Luck games this week. We walked to the subway (25 minutes), jumped on one line of the subway, transferred, and got on a second subway line. The temperature outside was pretty warm, but the inside of the subway car was exceptionally warm and everyone was sweating. In a country of no deodorant, this was extremely unpleasant for the 25 minutes we stood side by side with our fellow commuters.

Katie and I were still in good spirits as we exited the sweaty subway and made our way to the box-office to get our tickets. The internet said they would be on sale from 10am-6pm, but when we got there, the place was closed. An angry Chinese man was banging on the glass window. Finally, someone opened the window and the man expressed that he wanted tickets. The response was "Come back here tomorrow at 10am. We're not selling any tickets anymore today!" The Chinese man continued to yell "Wei shen me?!" translated "Why?!". No reason was given. Our Chinese advocate stormed off. Now it was my turn to knock on the window and represent the small crowd of foreigners that had gathered with hopes of buying tickets. Again, the same response. This time in English, "Come back to this place tomorrow, 10am, ok?" said very sweetly, and then the glass was shut and the conversation was over. I wanted to follow the example and yell "WHY?!" Instead, I grrrr'd. This is when I raised my fists. There's no reason for this disorganization. The inconsistencies are everywhere...plans change constantly. It'll be interesting to see what happens when some less patient people come this summer, and much more is on the line. Defeated, Katie and I made our way back to the subway, not really saying much, trying to be quiet rather than giving a voice to the negativity brewing in our thoughts.

The best part? We're meeting back at the National Aquatic Center tomorrow morning at 9am to get tickets. China, you win...you always do.

Resident and Tourist Part 2

2008-03-25T04:28:00.000-07:00

Xi'an Soldiers
Classes were canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week and it didn't take more than a few minutes for my roommates and I to decide to travel together. Our destination was Xi'an, the home of the famous Terracotta Warriors. With limited time, and even more limited money, we put together the cheapest and fastest trip possible. We left Beijing Monday afternoon at 5pm, on a 13 hour overnight train that put us in Xi'an at 6am. The train ride was eventful- Diana and I played rounds of Speed, we befriended a great young woman, and I spent the remainder of the evening talking to a Chinese professor who's top bunk sleeper bed was directly across from mine. Our conversation ended when an old Chinese woman reprimanded us in slurred Mandarin and told us to fall asleep. We silently laughed, but immediately obeyed her. The elders rule this country- respect!
Some local friends picked us up from the train station and took us to their home for showers, breakfast, and lots of coffee. By 9am, we were on the road- bound for the warrior's archaeological site. The area was split up into 4 different discovery sites, each with specific significance. The most impressive were the layers of soldiers protecting the Emperor's Tomb. They stood with weapons and chariots prepared to symbolically defend their leader in the afterlife.
The highlight of the 2 hours walking around looking at human and horse pottery was when I (with a great concerned face) told Diana that I accidentally dropped our giant China Lonely Planet book into the tomb and broke a clay soldier. Amazingly funny, I got a video of her reaction. Seriously though, the Warriors were interesting, but I couldn't help but think of dozens of ways to improve the museum. I think Chinese museums have more of a "look from a distance" approach. There is no interaction/experience component, no video component, just poorly translated informational posters. I've learned to visit a Chinese museum after I've studied the contents beforehand.
After the Terracotta Warriors we explored the vibrant Muslim Quarters for the reminder of the afternoon and then made our way to the train station for another 13 hours on the train back to Beijing. As I climbed onto my hard-sleeper bunk that night, I definitely didn't need a Chinese grandma to tell me to go to bed.

Resident and Tourist

2008-03-25T00:44:00.000-07:00

I live in a rich culture, one I do not claim to understand. And although I'm in my second year here, I sometimes approach my daily surroundings with a renewed sense of awe and amazement. When I see a sidewalk haircut, or an extremely crowded subway, I'm reminded that I am, indeed, a foreigner.

The last couple months have afforded me the amazing opportunity to be a tourist in this giant city. I can't really describe the sheer size of Beijing, but trust me when I say it's BIG.

Hutongs

In small clusters all around Beijing there are 'hutongs' which literally means alleyways. These alleyways thread together to created a unique tapestry of traditional Chinese homes. Four homes face inward toward a center courtyard, where meals are shared and people relax in community. My friend Katie and I spent an afternoon navigating these one of these preserved communities. Many hutongs are being replaced by more profit-making high rise buildings.

Padres Baseball

Major League Baseball made it's debut in Beijing on March 15th and my friends and I were there to witness it! Most of the game's attendees missed the first pitch- in fact most of the first inning had empty stands due to a bottleneck at the security check. We took it in stride knowing that this was just a kink that needed to be worked out pre-Olympics (when much more is on the line). The most fervent Padres fans (besides yours truly) were a group of Korean and Japanese exchange students that chanted just behind us. Parellel with the 3rd base line, planes took off and landed at Beijing Airport. The wind cut through every layer of clothing, and the blue sky glistened up above. I've said nothing of the Padres performance, which wasn't exactly exemplary. I think the real joy of the game came from the overall experience of baseball in China. Watching young Chinese boys shove a hot dog into their face, hearing baseball chants in other languages, seeing Fox News cover the event, and contemplating the use of cheerleaders in baseball were much more entertaining than the Dodgers and Padres 2nd string players. The final score was 3-3.. a tie..so collective and ultimately very appropriate, I suppose.

the The's

2008-03-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

Lately, there's been quite a bit of wedding talk in China...
The Ring, The Vows, The Reception, The Honeymoon.
I'd like to this opportunity to publicly congratulate my peers on their recent engagements! It's looking like a summer of weddings ahead!

Ryan and Amanda
Jev and Rachelle
Dan and Jenny
Peter and Shannon

A huge congratulations! I'm stoked for your lives together! Also, Emily Chernekoff and her recent engagement in California!

Padres in China!

2008-03-13T03:45:00.001-07:00

I've been excited for this game for weeks! The Dodgers and Padres will play the first professional baseball game in China, this weekend.

Today the players, staff, families and media of the Padres climbed the Great Wall at Badaling. They couldn't have picked a better day. The sky was cloudless and deep blue, air quality was excellent, and the sun was really shining. I read on a MLB.com blog that the Friar mascot confused Chinese tourists at the Great Wall. I must admit, the bald, robed, double-chined Friar is a bit strange without context.

Six of my closest China friends are making the 12 hour journey to Beijing on an overnight train to spend the weekend with me! We're going to the game together on Saturday afternoon and then the plan is to celebrate Michael's and my birthday (we're just a day apart in age).

With no real "home team", I wonder if AC/DC's "Hells Bells" will come on in the 9th when Trevor Hoffman gets on the field to close the game. And I wonder if anyone will be with me to stand and cheer?

Shiny Black Shoes and Crickets

2008-03-07T17:46:00.001-08:00

I go to a gym in China. I'm the only foreigner that goes, so I don't need to show my membership card, everyone knows who I am. I basically stick to the treadmill and elliptical because I'm also the only the girl that goes to this gym. I wonder if it's males-only and they just didn't have the heart to reject me in my broken Chinese? Or, perhaps they told me and I just nodded and smiled? I wonder this mainly because this week I saw something really funny.
On the treadmill I was rocking out, when a businessman walked in, in a full suit. He started to work out.. suit, tie, shiny black shoes and all. He was building up quite a sweat so he left for the locker room. He returned wearing only his long underwear and shiny black shoes! He continued to work out (through what I'm assuming was his lunch break). When he got on the treadmill next to me, I moved to the elliptical, I just couldn't do it. I could feel the laughter rising and knew I wouldn't be able to stop if I started.

This week I rode the bus to Beijing to meet up with my new (awesome) friend Katie. On the bus I sat in the very back row with two old couples. I wish I had a picture of us. 5 of us crammed into the back, me in the middle, with a couple on each side. Every time my iPod lit up (changing a song, turning up the volume) they'd lean in to see my gadget. When my phone rang they unashamedly stared as I spoke English. When I hung up the nearly toothless woman on my right nodded and said "hen hao, hen hao" (translated very good, very good). The only annoying thing about the ride was there was this consistent sound coming from the left side of the bus. Every time we hit a bump it would stop and it'd only start again when the bus slowed down or got stuck in traffic. I couldn't place the sound and even looked around to find it's source. The mystery was solved when the old man on my left fell asleep and his jacket popped open. Inside was the source of the noise..his pet cricket in a small wicker cage. The sound is apparently soothing to the ear and a source of good luck and entertainment for the older generation in China.

I love China. Today I'm exploring the hutongs of Beijing with above-mentioned Katie. We're collaborating on a Beijing Bucket list, there's so much to see in this city.

Mighty to Save

2008-03-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

I love Hillsong's "Mighty to Save". It's my jam! Download it from iTunes, it's worth all 99 pennies.

brothers

2008-02-26T00:48:00.000-08:00

The biggest appliance company in China is Haier. They make everything from washing machines to TV's to phones. I can't go a day without seeing a Haier product, specifically their logo- the Haier brothers. They wear Speedos, eat ice-cream, and give a big "thumbs up" to the 1.4 Billion Chinese citizens.

I think the Haier brothers look a lot like my friends Vince and Sean. Gnar-shredding, steezy brothers in their own right.

Do you see the resemblance?

the kids

2008-02-23T06:22:00.000-08:00

i taught kids classes today for the first time ever. this is not a new job, i was just covering for a friend that's out of town. elementary substitute teacher, if you will. this is a brief summary.

the morning class: a group of seven, ranging in age from 6-10. our topic was 'sea creatures' which was less than thrilling. the lone 6-year-old gave himself the name Bush (like the American guy). this kid is the classic Chinese "little emperor". and he was a flirt! this little guy even knew how to wink. we sang a song about fish, we colored fish, we pronounced different fish names. basically it was all about fish for an hour and a half. the fish song was the biggest hit of the morning, Bush was all about the song.

the afternoon class: a group of four, middle-school aged kids. this group was definitely there against their will. it was visible all over their faces. i think every teacher hopes to be the one that "makes learning fun", the inspired teacher that turns the bored into the engaged. with this group of four miserable middle schoolers i just hoped to entertain.
the first kid to come into the classroom was Jack. He was a tiny guy, with huge eyes and an adorable smile. he entered with a yellow racecar in his hand- the kind that clicks when you reverse it, and self propels once released. Jack was using the walls of the classroom as his racetrack, zipping around the perimeter of the room as fast as his little legs could take him.
about 10 minutes into our lesson, i asked Jack a question while the others were attempting a worksheet. his eyes rolled up, he sat completely still and became completely non-responsive. i thought, "kids are funny and they do strange things to express boredom". i said, "Jack, come on, answer my question." I touched his arm. Jack wasn't faking it. he wasn't with us. i had learned about seizures while taking a WSI course through the Red Cross and i knew that i shouldn't interfere, but just to make sure he didn't hurt himself. probably 30-60 seconds later (but seemed like 5 minutes) Jack just snapped back into things and it was as if nothing had happened. i said "Welcome Back Jack". that's the only thing that came to mind.

Here's what I found on Google:
An absence seizure causes a loss of consciousness that is usually very brief — 30 seconds or less — and barely noticeable, if at all. The person simply stops moving or speaking, stares straight ahead blankly, and does not respond to questions. The seizure is so short and hard to even notice that a person can have 50 or 100 absence seizures a day, without them being detected. When the seizure ends, the person goes back to his or her normal activities without realizing that anything has happened; he or she also does not have any memory of the seizure.

i think i'll stick to kids swim lessons for now. it's way more interesting to teach them to swim "like a fish", than to pronounce different fish names.

Randomly Meeting Matt's in Asia

2008-01-27T03:56:00.000-08:00

Meeting Number 1:
I was horribly jet-lagged from two weeks in America and found myself wide awake at 4AM in Hong Kong. I threw on a hoodie and some shoes and went for a sunrise walk through Kowloon and HK Island. One of my favorite spots in HK is the Pacific Coffee near the Central Station, exit J2 in the Financial district. I walked there and along the way saw the paper delivery routes of hundreds of workers. It was pretty amazing to see hundreds of thousands of newspapers being distributed. (That was a sidenote, and regretfully I was too embarrassed to be a picture-taking tourist. I felt like pretending to be a local.) Pacific Coffee offers free internet, so after checking my email in an empty coffee shop I decided to browse some of my favorite blogs, one of them being that of my friend, Matt Slack. He's one of the most honest/hilarious writers I know. His blog talked about being in Hong Kong for just one night, among other funny things. I emailed him and we met up. So random that we were both on a HK stop-over. I took him to Victoria Peak and he met my China friends. When we were there, I ran into another friend, Michael, that I didn't plan on seeing! Jaw-dropping, I know.

Meeting Number 2:
Early yesterday morning my friends and I took at tuk-tuk to Angkor Wat (in Cambodia) for what they call "Sunrise at the Wat". When I got there I realized that the battery on my camera was dead! Huge bummer when you're at a 'world wonder'. So I ran to the motorbike guys and asked one of them to drive me to our hotel so I could get my back-up battery. Needless to say, I was bumming that I couldn't capture the Wat Sunrise with my trusty little Canon. My friends explored for an hour while I was zipping through Cambodian early morning traffic with the most impressive motorbike driver I've ever met.
When I got back, we walked through the Wat, sat and journaled, and took in the vast ruins. (I'll post pictures soon.) As we were leaving through one of the many exits, I happened to look over to my left and there was an old friend, Matt. Matt and I were both a part of a CCC Tsunami Relief trip in 2005. There were only 8 total Californians on the trip (there's a pattern of Californians sticking together) and they put us in charge of digging and constructing latrines (that's a fancy word for toilets.) Anyway, in the dead center of Cambodia in the middle of January, there was Matt with his wife! We chatted for a little while and they're actually coming through China this summer, spending 6 months touring around Asia! I look forward to hearing about 6 months of Asian adventures.

Anyway, this probably isn't very exciting for you unless you know them.. and I guess the only person that knows both people is Vince Garvey. So there it is, Vince. Pretty cool, huh?

Just makes me think that jet-lag and a forgotten battery aren't really set-backs afterall.

America and Back Again

2008-01-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Day I was sick. Annoyingly sick, the same sickness that has dragged on for 5 months. So, I went to SOS International in Beijing and eventually was recommended to see a specialist. In what seemed like a whirlwind, I was put on a plane and sent to California on New Years Day. I celebrated New Years Day twice, once with my roommates in China and the other with the people next to me on the plane.
So, for two weeks I had doctors appointments, 'procedures', a biopsy, lab results, follow-up appointments, etc. And then, when it was determined that I have giardia, I was put on 2 months of antibiotics. Two months on strong antibiotics should do the trick. I'm glad it's over.
Once I knew that everything was ok, I was able to spend 3 solid days in San Diego. We went rock-climbing in Santee and I got a rock named after me (actually it's already named Carousel, but a side is named after me). Sean named it "Take THAT parasite!" because I was pretty weak and wasn't really feeling the rock-climbing. I also went on a yacht from Seaport Village to Shelter Island and back...it's a long funny story...ask Lucy.
I saw Rudy Francisco feature at PoeticBrew, had a Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Kate at Java Jones, walked from First Pres. to Ichiban with Sean, hung out at LAX baggage claim with Mullins, had couch time with Cori, drove around town with Ariel, watched Lotus perform card tricks at Boba, had lunch with Becky at the Cheese Shop and sat around the dining room table with Drew, Kyle, Wendy, Misty, Reid, and baby Emma.
Not to mention that during my time in Clovis with family I was able to see plenty of aunts, uncles and cousins that put a huge smile on my face. I look forward to the day that I can hang-out with my family for longer than a couple hours every 6 months.
Cynthia came down and we pretended that we were best friends that actually lived in the same country. She's a fun one. She tells me about married life and I pretend like I get it.
Reflecting on my time in America, I spent a whole lotta time with married friends and family. I was able to visit the Collins' and Starr's in their new homes and hear about lives as newlyweds. I observed with wide eyes as I spent an afternoon with my aunt and uncle as they raise 4 kids ranging from 11 to 3 years old. I helped the Wielands take down their Christmas tree and watched old episodes of The Amazing Race. In all, America was great.
The next time I'll be back will be sometime in September. I felt that reality as I said goodbye to my mom at the San Francisco airport. I was teary as I got to security screening and I appreciated the sympathy as the guard asked, "Are you alright honey?" I nodded and wiped away a tear. Then he told me to take off my shoes and belt and pull my laptop out of my carry-on. We both laughed.
Today at 3 o'clock I'm saying goodbye to the high-level students as they leave to go change the world. Nothing I can say will do justice to how much I love/respect/admire these students. I need to go write good-bye letters.

She was really tired...

2007-12-26T05:32:00.000-08:00

Sheng Dan Kuai Le

2007-12-26T00:32:00.000-08:00

That's "Merry Christmas" in Chinese. It literally means "Happy Holy Birth", I like that.

Holidays overseas are always interesting- a patchwork of your teammates traditions until you have a celebration that is unique while still resembling something familiar. It's beautiful to live in an international community- like hearing the Christmas story in 5 different languages at your Christmas service.

Granted, there's moments of difficulty and Christmas is the hardest. I called a friend today and he was playing Dominos with his family and I found myself being jealous. I wanted to be with my family playing Spoons or football on the lawn.

Last night though, we had a Christmas program with our students- 4 hours of thought-provoking skits, dances, and songs. With no budget for props I really enjoyed their creativity. At one point the lights went out for the three wise men to follow a star. And then I watched as an arm with an Indiglo watch was raised into the air. I thought "Oh no, that's distracting." But that watch started to move, and the wise men followed. And then it registered, and I just had to grin. What did the planning look like for that? "Wait, what will we do for a star?" "Don't worry, I have a watch that stays lit for a full 5 seconds. I can just hold my wrist up really high".

So, whether you're playing Dominos in America with your family, or making new traditions in other parts of the world, Happy Holy Birth, friends.

Massages in Asia

2007-12-18T00:20:00.000-08:00

Asia is famous for having goods and services at a low price. You might think of food first- yes, I can go out for dinner and my bill will be less than 50 cents. But, I think the real bargain is in massages. I used to get discounted or free massages through Aveda, but you just can't beat an hour massage for the consistent price of 40 yuan (5 dollars).
As a group, the 3 of us roommates splurge on massages about once a month. It blows my mind to think that I used to spend 5 dollars on parking or on a cup of coffee.
Today Diana and I decided on our walk home from work that we 'deserved' a massage. So we stopped at the blind man massage parlor near our house. At one time in Chinese history, blind men were trained in the trade of massages. I've heard that nowadays, some sighted guys fake being blind. Why? Apparently, it goes with the territory- if you're a massage guy, you're also blind. A little cultural note for you.
Our massages began by being greeted by clearly sighted massage guys. I almost wanted them to fake it for us, maybe stub their toe or reach their hands out in front of them. But alas, they made eye-contact and pointed to which table we'd spend the next hour. Now, I'm used to tough massages, when they use their elbow in your lower back or plunge their thumb into the space between your spine and shoulder blade. But this guy, I'll call him Steve, was of a different caliber.
You know those times when you begin to laugh and you just can't stop? You try with every ounce of self control..you mentally scold yourself...but nothing helps? And then the tears flow and you gain a second of composure.. only to burst again with laughter?
I think the only thing better is when a friend is in the exact same predicament. You spur each other on towards laughter and embarrassment.
For a full hour this happened- face down on a massage table, tears flowing, screaming in pain with a bony elbow in our backs.
And let me tell you that laughter doesn't need to be translated. Our massage guys started laughing too. The words "Ouch!" and "Ow!" don't need to be translated either, but it didn't seem to stop them.
As we walked away Diana exclaimed, "Now I need a massage to recover from my massage." So true.

The guy in the blue.

2007-12-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

Conversation this morning on the way to work...

Diana: I think the guy at the vegetable market, the one that wears the blue coat, tries to flirt with me.

Me: (Slight pause, with a voice of total concern) You know he's mentally handicapped, right?

Diana began convulsing with laughter and I had no idea why. Turns out there's two blue coat guys at the same market. Likely story, Diana. On a team of 3 girls in the middle of nowhere it seems that the vegetable vendor is newsworthy.

(Sidenote: My grandma taught Special Ed for 30(ish) years and I was always taught to say 'mentally handicapped'.)

Wild, Draw 4!

2007-12-17T23:14:00.001-08:00

This morning I wanted to reward the students and play a game of UNO for awhile to give them a break from the textbook. The only rule was if I heard any Chinese, the game would be immediately over- I'm trying to crack down on Mandarin in class. One of the students named Charity is a giggler. If she feels uncomfortable, she giggles. If she doesn't know the answer to a question, she giggles. If she is corrected in pronunciation, she giggles. It was discovered 20 minutes into UNO that Charity had no idea what she was doing. Even if the current card was a blue 4 for example, and Charity had plenty of blues and even a red 4, she'd still put down a Wild card. Once she even put down a Wild Draw 4 and then another regular Wild on top of it! No one could understand the careless use of the precious Wilds. We corrected Charity and tried to explain the value of the Wild cards. She just giggled. This continued again and again. I was starting to wonder if Charity understood what we were saying in English.
This is the kicker...Charity constantly had at least two Wild cards in her hand at all times! She had no idea that they were rare. And the victim of all the Wild Draw 4's was Amy, ever competitive Amy. I'd watch her grit her teeth with each round. At one point I asked Amy, "How do you feel?" She said in a low voice "I want to hit Charity!" I laughed and Charity giggled, Amy's eyes just remained on her 15+ cards. The next round Charity put down a green skip on a blue 5- totally random. People were about to throw their cards in the air. I interjected with "No Charity! Wu or lan... that's all." (Translated: No Charity! 5 or blue...that's all." Ruth, the constant rule-keeper exclaimed, "Miss Allison you just broke your rule!" What's more Charity just giggled, picked up her card and put down another Wild Draw 4 for Amy. Poor Amy.

6 Months of Sweat and Tears

2007-11-29T16:05:00.000-08:00

Cutting and pasting, one picture at a time...

I kid, it's a program for Mac's that did it for me. Amazing, isn't it?

Famous Fish Tacos

2007-11-26T05:39:00.000-08:00

One day last week Nick,my roommate's brother came over for lunch. He's studying Chinese at Peking University on a study abroad program as a political science major at Harvard. We were talking about candidates in next year's presidential race. Nick mentioned that Steve Colbert (a Bush and O'Reilly basher) entered himself in the race. He also told us about a funny incident at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government where Steve Colbert took down a portrait of JFK and replaced it with one of O'Reilly (his political commentary adversary).

Me: So, Harvard, Nick? I mean that sounds impressive alone, but then you have the "John F. Kennedy School of Government". Was Harvard JFK's alma mater?

Nick: Yeah, it was.

Me: Hmm, I wonder how many US Presidents graduated from Harvard....Megan, you had some famous graduates from Wheaton, right?

Megan: Billy Graham would probably be the most famous. What about from San Diego State?

Me: (Long pause) Uh, Ralph Rubio from Rubio's- the restaurant with the famous fish tacos? You don't have Rubio's on the East Coast? Ah, it's good stuff. (Feeling pretty dumb.) And maybe a couple astronauts, maybe? Sometimes if we win a basketball or football game you can get a free taco with your ticket stub. (Laughing at the comparison and hoping the topic of conversation would change.)

Nick: Wow, free food when you win a game?! We never get that from our alumni...

Me: Yeah, uh, they're pretty good tacos. (Insert some genius and seamless change of topic.)

For the record, I Googled it. There were 7 US Presidents including Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and even our current President George Bush. Other graduates include T.S. Eliot, Al Gore, Tommy Lee Jones, and John Updike. But these guys don't give out free tacos after a victory, do they?

Did I mention that our school library is named The Love Library? And that a common past-time on campus is to sub-bathe on the grass by the pond? Who wants to join politics when you have the Love Library and California sunshine? You'd much rather have a fish taco at the beach, wouldn't you?

That Early Morning Stretch

2007-11-20T06:20:00.000-08:00

Jenny is my Chinese teacher. She's also the administrative assistant of our school. Her English is quite good, and I took it upon myself to help expand her vocabulary and to introduce some slang. I started with the very feminine, eloquent word...'sucks'. That's right folks I chose to take Jenny's almost British accent/vocabulary and defile it with the word 'sucks'.
She giggled in delight when I started to tell her how to use it. I explained in a hushed tone, "You can say, 'This weather really sucks' or 'You feel sick today? That sucks!" I even taught her how to draw out the 'u' and use a valley-like intonation- suuuuuucks. I told her to immediately practice it with Megan and Diana. As I stood in the hallway one cold November morning I heard Jenny exclaim, "This cold weather really suuucks." Diana agreed, completely unaware of the usage. I'm not gonna lie, I was proud of Jenny. My mind reeled with future words I could teach her.
The best usage came a couple days later during our bi-weekly Chinese class. We got on the topic of the Beijing dialect and how some of the endings of words sound similar to the 'argh' a pirate would make. Jenny excitedly told me that she could teach me a few words from her dialect. I know that she considered this an equivalent to my slang lesson. She started with the word for tomorrow "ming tian". In her dialect it sounds something like "me-er-tean"-similar to the noise you make when you awake in the morning and slowly stretch your arms over head and grunt an incoherent sound from the depths. I tried once to repeat her, but I got a shake of the head and a repeated groan. On my second try Jenny just chuckled, shook her head again, patted me on the back and exclaimed, "You sucks!".
How perfect is that? My Chinese teacher just told me that "I sucks" at Chinese using an insult word that I taught her.

Let me tell you what doesn't suck...free espresso at Mars Chocolate every Thursday...it's "the bomb". (Can't wait to hear Jenny put 'the bomb' to use!)

Your slang feedback is always welcome. If you could teach an eager 23 year-old Chinese woman some American slang- what would it be?

YMCA, Invisible Children, and Frogger

2007-10-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

Explaining your own culture can be hard. Unit 9 of our book had me trying to explain fads. We usually can’t explain fads even when we find ourselves in the midst of them! The 1950's Hula-Hoop went well; they got the idea through a picture and my ever-so-graceful example from the front of the room. Next were the Beatles. I burned a CD and played some of the classics. This was rather disappointing- I don't think my students were that impressed. They kept thinking it was country music, and I had to explain that they were rock ‘n’ roll… one of the first to start the pop category. C’mon, they were a boy band, a teen sensation- Beatlesmania, with some of the most recognizable songs ever! I got polite smiles in return; it was time to move on.
The next fad was Disco and I was ready with a sure Chinese crowd pleaser. I don’t claim to have a formula for the Chinese people’s taste, but this I know- take simple English lyrics, pair it with cheesy movements, and add a splash of femininity…you’ve got a winner. And so, I chose to teach my students the YMCA. After 3 minutes, I knew we had a hit. My students gleefully made letters with their arms, and clapped until it was time to throw their arms into a ‘Y’ again. Walking away during our 5-minute break I couldn't help but think, “Why do we think it’s such a great song? People play this at their wedding receptions?!”
Explaining a Rubik’s Cube without one on-hand was daunting. The little thumbnail picture in the book didn’t help much, either. Finally, one of the girls piped-up with a Chinese equivalent and I heard lots of “Ah, yes, I see…very difficult toy”
The last fad the book mentioned was Madonna. I don’t know about you, but I wondered- should I put an end date to Madonna? Isn’t part of her legacy that she is never really done? Doesn’t she always come out with something new, sending record sales soaring decade after decade? I played “Material Girl” and silently sang along. I couldn’t stop her arrow on our timeline, I just kept it pointing into the future. Does that mark that I’m a child of the 80’s? Probably.
So the fads lesson was yesterday, but we moved on. (Pun intended.) Today we talked about social movements and I used this as an opportunity to show the Invisible Children DVD. This movie rocked my students this year, much more than last year. There was sobbing all around the room- it’s a compassionate and empathetic group. When the video ended, we sat in silence for a while. I asked if anyone would like to Think for the children in Africa. Quickly, Anna stood to her feet. Fervently and through tears, she talked to the Father. I don’t know everything she said in Mandarin, but I knew that she wanted the children to be safe and for America to help stop the war. We ended the class in agreement.
In final news, I was almost killed today on my bike ride home. This is nothing new. I live in a city of 17 million people. Many of them truly don’t know how to drive. Riding my little one-speed pink bike in Beijing is like playing the old video game Frogger, circa the Pac-Man era. The sole goal of it all is to just cross the street without the cars/motorcycles/wood logs hitting you. And it’s always the last second dodge that saves your life. I’m alive today, but I could never get a very good score on Frogger.

A Case of the Mondays

2007-10-29T04:14:00.000-07:00

Monday. Most people hear 'Monday' and react the same way they would to the word 'vomit'. They cringe at the thought of another day of work or school or anything else that kicks off a week of unpleasant exertion. I used to be that way. But this year's different.

On Monday nights I teach at an aluminum can manufacturer to about 19 business professionals. It's seriously hilarious every time! Last week I was teaching how to ask follow-up questions. One of the students Everest asked, "Allison, I hear in America many people have credit cards. Do you have one?" I answered, "Yes, I have a credit card that just pulls money from my checking account." (Time for the follow-up question) Everest smirked and with his pen to his notebook said, "Hmm, ok, and what is the code?" Nice try, right?

Tonight's lesson was on interpersonal communication in the office, with a portion devoted to office gossip. I thought for an activity it might be a good idea to play the childhood favorite game of Telephone. For a refresher to those that might have forgotten this classic, a message is whispered from one person to the next in a line of people. Simple enough. Wrong! This game is FAR MORE entertaining with ESL students. Take poor pronunciation, mediocre listening skills, and you've got a whole different level of enjoyment. I was crying laughing and so were the 19 other people in the room. The girls were having to fan their false eyelashes because if they cried laughing, their eyelashes would literally fall off. Quite the dilemma...

The best part of this enthusiastic crowd is that they clap at the end of the lesson and say "Sank you!" (Thank you!) We've worked on the 'th' sound, to no avail. The clapping throws me off every week, as if I've performed. We did grammar and played Telephone- I didn't dance the Nutcracker. And this is yet another reason why I love my job...and Mondays.

Wait, it's not cold yet?

2007-10-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

I'm a cold weather wimp. What was I thinking as a Californian moving to Beijing, China? Currently, I'm sitting in bed below a down comforter, electric blanket underneath, and enough layers on my body to make you think I was living in the Arctic. The government-controlled heat comes on November 15, until then we just need to wear our outdoor clothes, indoors. The other day I stooped rather low and wore my knee-high Ugg boots to class. My student Lucy gently asked, "Allison, if you are wearing those boots now.. what will you wear when it gets cold in the winter?" Wait, it's not cold yet? This isn't winter?! I just scratched my forehead and cracked an embarrassed smile.

In the classroom last week I taught my students the popular song "You Said" by Shane Barnard. It was one of the greatest moments I've had in China- they all were belting it out. "Distant shores and the islands will see your Light as it rises on earth"...amazing.

I had the chance to teach at a dog and cat manufacturer last week- Pedigree and Whiskas. It was so interesting! They had dogs lounging all around the office, near the copy machine, next to employee's laptops, in the break area. And a rarity in China- they had a grass lawn for the dogs and cats to run around. I stared out at the lawn throughout the entire lesson. For a brief moment I wanted to be a dog in China, but then I quickly changed my mind when I considered the typical 'menu'.

This is the time of year that people typically get a little homesick- with the holidays around the corner. I'm so thankful that Cori and Christine will be visiting in just a week! I'll be picking them up in Hong Kong and bringing them to Beijing for my workweek and then we'll take a train to Nanchang for a weekend. I seriously can't wait.

October Fires

2007-10-22T23:31:00.000-07:00

Four years ago I was a Sophomore at San Diego State when fires struck San Diego County. The sky became dark with ashes and thousands were forced to evacuate. As I caught up on World News yesterday at abcnews.com, I couldn't help but be reminded of the 2003 San Diego October Fires.

I remember waking up and looking out on our patio to a glowing sky. The sun was attempting to peak through thick gray smoke.. the result was a glowing orange sky. At the time I lived directly across the street from Qualcomm Stadium, so that first night my roommate Carly and I went to offer a hand to all the evacuees that filled the Qualcomm Stadium parking lots. What we found was pretty alarming. No one was in charge. Red Cross hadn't shown up yet and were instead focusing their efforts at a shelter in Balboa Park. Carly and I happened to be wearing matching t-shirts and a man put us behind a long table and said to do what we could to help. I remember that look of pure inadequacy that we exchanged. "Help people? How? We're supposed to organize this?"

Resources started to come together.. donated water from Costco, coffee from Starbucks, dog food from Petco, blankets from families and local businesses. Before too long, there was a system in place. I remember the hours passing quickly as cars continued to fill the parking lot. After about 5 hours a Red Cross representative came to take over and we were grateful.

Carly and I still shake our head when we talk about that night at Qualcomm. How did that happen? Were the matching t-shirts enough to give some sense of organization and order?

From what I've read, the fires in San Diego right now are much worse than 4 years ago. I called my friend Sean Lynch to get an update and he was.. of all places.. at Qualcomm Stadium offering a hand.

This morning in class we Lifted up the San Diego and Malibu area. We asked for safety for the residents and firemen. Email me if there's specific things we can Petition for. Please also Lift up my family in Malibu.. they're about 5 miles north on PCH.

just read a book

2007-10-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

In the evenings I teach at nearby businesses- one of which bottles beverages. There's a huge factory on-site with rolls of aluminum to make soda and beer cans. So, twice a week we sit in the company conference room after they get off of work and speak English. It's really pretty fun.

Tonight we talked about the different ways that can learn new things. I would say, "I want to learn how to speak Mandarin. What should I do?" And they would give me advice like, "The best way to learn Mandarin is to spend time with a native speaker." The book we use had a list of recommendations which made the exercise easier.

It came time for Everest to give me advice. Everest is one of the most honest Chinese people I've met, but quite the revolutionary. He works for sales, which explains a lot to me. If I want to know the truth about culture, I can ask Everest. Tonight I said to him, "Everest, I want to learn how to fly a plane. What should I do?" I saw as he glanced down at the first line of advice in the book. With a straight face he replied, "Just read a book about it. Then, give it a try." I told him I'll get a book from the library and then borrow his plane next week.

putting flesh on the bones of my dreams

2007-09-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

As the bell must strike the hour
as the west must stab the sun
so our hearts
must heed the flow
of deeper tides that run
far beyond the bare indifference
that prosperity esteems
where the spirit
raves and dances
through our very veins

At winters edge you found me
by the fields of wild gold
my hands still filled with ashes
from fires long cold
you pulled me from the wreckage
of bitterness and blame
flung open the page
and put some flesh on
the bones of my dreams

On the streets
the blossom snowing
and the drum is beating slow
and I hear you speak so clear
well I’m slicing through the fear
setting all the beacons
blazing, baby oh!
it's staring out plainer than ever
brighter than all the fools
gold that gleams
it's simply now or never
putting flesh on the bones
of my dreams

Putting flesh on the bones
of my dreams
putting flesh on the bones
of my dreams

And they can plunder
the cave of sorrows
they can strip the gallery bare
try to build a fence
around the visions
in our heads, choke every spark
in a cloak of despair
but we got something
they can't stifle
with their price tags
and picture frames
got a flower for every rifle
putting flesh on the bones of my dreams

-Lyrics of David Gray's "Flesh"

Luck

2007-09-28T02:47:00.000-07:00

Even when I was young, I didn't like the concept of luck. When people wished me "Good Luck" I felt like it cheapened things. Did people really believe that they won a game of cards because of luck? Or that 'the forces of the universe' worked in their favor because they performed a good luck ritual? I always was intentional about pointing out how my Friday the 13th was an especially good day.
Isn't it ironic that I now live in a culture obsessed with luck? Hotels and highrises completely eliminate the 4th and 14th floors of their buildings because it's bad luck. Cell phones numbers with the numbers 4 and 14 are significantly cheaper. The number 8 however is extremely lucky. It's not surprising that the Olympic games will be 08-08-08 in Beijing. Bring on the luck!
The other day I was helping a friend barter for a purse she really wanted. I don't want to brag, but I've become well known for my bargaining skills. Anyway, she had gotten the storekeeper down to 80 yuan ($10) for a knock-off purse. His sales tactic was "It's good luck!" Nice try. I told him, "I'll risk the bad luck and pay 40". Everyone got a good laugh and we ended somewhere in the low 50's.
Today, when I got home I started to think about my life. I thought about the joy I have in my job this year and how undeserving I am. Shaking my head I thought, "I'm just so... so.. lucky.. ugh.. fortunate..ugh" The truth is, no word fit into that sentence. I don't deserve this, and that's the point. I haven't made any 'universe' happy. I haven't become the recipient of good karma. I'm a child of a great Dad, and he gives me gifts that I don't deserve. And that is the point.

A Year in Pictures

2007-09-26T00:36:00.000-07:00

I'm definitely not a photographer, but I've enjoyed documenting this past year in Asia. The link to the Flickr photoset is below. Your comments are welcome.

Click here

stream of consciousness

2007-09-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

i need to lesson plan for tomorrow, still haven't even looked at unit two yet. windsor pilates, my core is sore. need to water this ikea plant, i wonder if it'll make it all year. this is a great song, i never get sick of third day. hmmm. can't believe i still haven't seen them in concert. are they even still a band? will i ever get the chance? i heard they put on a good show. i need to get a new visa, so that i can apply for olympics tickets. priority? opening ceremony and swimming finals. the swimming facility looks like a big ice cube, that'll be interesting to see in person. i hope cori's having an amazing time right now in india. shoot, i need to find a stellar hong kong hostel for us. showing her and teeny around china will be so much fun. i need to figure out the subway system before then too. i have a lot to do, and it starts with the lesson plan. now.

and it hit me...

2007-09-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

there are moments, brief moments, that i forget i live here. when i forget that my closest family member is a 12 hour plane ride away, that my dinner options are noodles or rice, or that i live in a country that i have a 3 year-old's proficiency in the language. those moments are usually snapped back to reality pretty quickly.

my grandfather loved the outdoors. my memories of him are in his suspenders, tending his prized garden, sweating, and telling me stories that i'd heard before. summers in kerman could reach the upper 110's and that made for a sweaty and therefore smelly guy. i learned last year that when it comes to our memory, smell is more powerful than all the other senses combined. the point of this is coming soon.

the other day i got onto a crowded bus headed to beijing. i put my ipod in and settled in for the 80 minute bus ride. with "meet virginia" in my ears-i closed my eyes. i had tuned out sight and sound, but i couldn't stop the smell that filled my nasal cavity. it was what grandpa smelled like before he jumped in the pool to cool off. frankly, it was the smell of body odor. chinese people don't wear deodorant, but they also don't have b.o. i couldn't help it, i had to open my eyes and figure out the source. i looked around and in the very back of the bus spotted 3 hippie americans. how did i know they were americans? all i had to do was pause my song for a couple seconds and their loud voices filled the bus. they had just climbed "mu tian yu"- the famous great wall site right by my house. ten rows up i heard all about it. how is it that i smelled an american before i saw him? that's amazing. it hit me, i live here, i'm not a tourist.

the other moment was today. i was headed to work- left the apartment on time, went down the stairwell, and as soon as i stepped outside realized that the rain had really picked up. i usually ride my bike the two miles to work. the dilemma did not lie in- should i take a taxi or not? that part was clear. i should- i was in a skirt, our dirt road had turned to mud with small lakes. the question was- could i pull it off? could i successfully communicate to a taxi driver where i wanted to go? and to be honest, i froze. i stood in the rain without an umbrella for a good minute running through the scenario... and the vocabulary. and it hit me, i live here, i really need to learn the language.

the more i write this out the more examples i can think of. last one.. because it's funny. yesterday i went for a business meeting at dove chocolate. when i got inside i saw the factory. everyone was in white jumpsuits and it was all very white and organized. chocolate bars rolled down the conveyor belt... i started playing 'umpa lumpa' in my head. you would too, trust me. anyway, after our meeting was over i made a reference to "Willy Wonka and the Choc...olate....Fac... tory." Blank stares from 7 identically dressed white jump-suited, middle-aged, chinese guys. the comedy of it all was too much to take. i started to laugh and no one laughed with me. and it hit me, i live here, and sometimes my jokes hit cultural walls. those jokes are never worth explaining, it's better to just laugh alone.

and just when i thought my candle-lit blog gave me some escapism, the man who lives on the other side of this wall just hawked a big loogie...the same ones that fall at my feet almost daily in the city. another reminder that i definitely live here. and i've learned to like it. hmmm, goodnight.

unforced rhythms of grace

2007-09-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

"Are you tired? Worn out? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
-The Message (Matt. 11)

Noodles of the World

2007-09-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

On the plane I sat next to a Mexican dentist named Cristina. She's visiting China for the first time. She said she loved Europe and I told her I'd never been. On the plane they served us instant noodles and she leaned over and almost secretly told me that in Italy they put noodles with tomatoes and call it 'spah-hetti'. With raised eyebrows and nodding of the head she said, "itz bedi goud". I didn't have the heart to tell her that I knew. I just looked down at my chow mein and said, "Huh, with tomatoes..."

(All that to say- I'm back, safe, and waking up at 5am every morning.)

Welcome Home

2007-08-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

I've been in America for 5 weeks. When I first got off the plane at LAX, we went to Customs where a old man behind the counter asked me, "Where ya comin' from?" I replied, "China". There's an element of respect that happens with Customs officials, where I feel it's appropriate to respond like I've been pulled over for a speeding ticket. Keep the answers short, be polite, say 'sir', minimalize eye contact.
He asked, "How long were ya there?" Looking down at my precious passport I replied, "About a year..." He stamped me back in to the United States, handed me the little blue book and said with a nod, "Welcome home". I met his smiling eyes and teared up a little. I was home.
When you think about it, "home" is a relative term. I've really enjoyed my time in the US...I'm learning to enjoy the present and to not always project satisfaction in the future. I believe this is something we must practice.
I have enjoyed the green lawns, the inside jokes between family, driving, CNN, huge worship gatherings, blue skies, the beach, spontaneous gatherings of friends, chai tea lattes, and bookstores. Far above the material differences, I've cherished the time with family and friends the most. I am immensely blessed to have incredible people pouring into my life. People that support what I do, challenge my thoughts, and share my passions. I've been in a state of gratefulness since I've been back.
I'm sorry for the blog-neglect, I have some posts lined up...one about a late night trip to the Laundromat in Monterey. Riveting material.

question

2007-06-20T00:18:00.000-07:00

Is it wrong that I painted my toes while watching Braveheart this afternoon?

It felt like I broke some unwritten rule.

$12.50 to the support fund!

2007-06-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you supporting me next year, I have good news! Instead of needing to raise $20,000 in support, I just need $19,987.50. I won a 100 yuan bet tonight ($12.50) off of a teammate. He underestimated me.

Let me explain some of the context.

Every week our team has dinner together and almost exclusively we go to the same restaurant. One of the advantages of living in a country that you can't read the language (Wo can bu dong!) is that you can name the restaurants/streets/stores. Our favorite restaurant is one we named Babylonian Minstrel (long story).

Tonight was different than the dozens before it, I really stepped out in my language skills. Dan encouraged me to write our order in Chinese characters. I successfully wrote 4 dishes. They were (typed in pinyin here): gan bian dou jiao (green beans), jing jiang rou si (pork slivers and onions), kung pao ji ding (kung pao chicken), and rou mou qiezi (eggplant).

Chinese food in China is eaten family style, so everyone normally votes on dishes. I said, "Ok, what about "tou dou si"? (potato slivers)

At that point, Mikayla confessed she didn't like them and that they were tasteless in her opinion. (gasp!) Dan and Rachel agreed. I was shocked. We ordered them only because I suggested it this whole year?

Stephen and Adam joined us later, because they were across town when we left for dinner. When they sat down I asked them what they thought of "tou dou si". They both said they liked it. Then I told them that Mik, Rach, and Dan didn't like the potato slivers we always ordered. At that point, Dan suggested that if I really wanted some, I could ask the couple next to us for a bite. Indeed, next to us sat a super cute and young Chinese couple with "tou dou si".

It quickly turned into a dare with Stephen offering 100 yuan (one day's salary!) to me, if I got a chopstick full of potato from the couple next to us. Everyone was adding hilarious commentary. In my mind, I was stringing together sentences to explain to the couple that I needed a little bit of potatoes to gain a large sum of money.

I did it, I got some potatoes. And this is verbatim (translated) what I said. (Insert tons of hand motions and a big smile.)

I walked over to their table, chopsticks in hand. Pulled out a chair and sat down. This is what I said in Mandarin, "My name is Allison. They (pointing) are my friends. I want a little potato sliver. My friends have 100 yuan for me. I'm sorry. Is that ok?" They nodded and smiled back. My friends were knee-slapping, watery-eyed laughing. I had a potato sliver and said "Thank you!"

We left almost immediately afterward and Dan asked the couple if they understood what happened. They said they completely understood. Yeah!

Don't worry, I picked up their tab. Everyone won, and Stephen got a great laugh for just $12.50! (Insert a wink here.)

8 Random Facts

2007-06-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to Katie over at http://l-i-t.blogspot.com
She requested 8 Random Facts about me, and here they are. I tried not to self-monitor, these are the 8 that came to mind right away.

1. My Body Is Asymmetrical. After careful observation for years, I have come to a few strange observations about my body and how asymmetric it is. First I am convinced that right armpit sweats more than my left. My right arm is significantly stronger than my left and in high school when I raced in the backstroke, I would sometimes veer into the lane ropes on the right. Recently I have discovered that my left leg is shorter than my right. I won't bore with the discovery, but I can assure you, it's a little bit shorter. I remember a conversation years ago with my mom when she pointed out the asymmetry of most newscaster's faces. I haven't been the same since, I'm always looking for that droopy eye.

2. Seven Years of Ballet. When I was 4 I was enrolled in ballet lessons. The lessons didn't stop until I was 11. I danced in the Nutcracker every year. Now that I think about it, I did jazz and tap some of those years too. I also was a cheerleader for 4 years. All that to say, I have no coordination. A slight variation in the sidewalk and I'm on the ground. In our stairwell in China, I've tripped on the same stair at least 5 times. If we've spent more than 2 hours in each other's presence, you probably have a story about a time I fell. Now, I blame it on the shorter left leg.

3. Matilda- When I was in the 6th grade, my aunt got my cousins and I on as extras in the film, Matilda. It's a kiddie movie with Danny DeVito and my aunt was working Wardrobe. As a 6th grader this was huge. I was a freckled 11-year old that managed to get a shot of my face in the film. No, not just in the background, but my entire mug filling the screen. I don't usually tell people about this, but my mom sent the new Matilda DVD to me in a care package a couple weeks ago. My teammates wondered, "Why Matilda?" The truth came out and before I knew it, my faced was paused on the screen and everyone was taking pictures of their face with the same expression. My awkward 11th year is forever documented.

4. First concert was Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart Tour" in South Florida. A couple of us rebellious girls snuck in at a fair after selling Girl Scout Cookies. I was great at selling Girl Scout cookies. That stint didn't last past Brownies, but I could push the cookies. Probably the reason I ended up with a Marketing degree.

5. I'll be living in Beijing in 2008 before and during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Should be interesting.

6. To Do Lists- I make extremely long to-do lists. I empty my brain of everything that needs to be done, even the really small things. And then I triumphantly cross them off. At the end of the list I write something that I've already finished and then cross it off immediately. It's a mind game for myself, I suppose.

7. Music trivia- My musical knowledge is pretty much non-existent. I don't know album titles, or band members, or the titles of songs. I don't know what a bridge is, or scales, or the opposite of alto. But if you're humming, I can probably sing the lyrics that match it. And therein, lies the mystery of it. I like to think of myself as some sort of musical elitist in that regard- I don't know the singer or the components- I'm just in it for the music. The reality is that I don't care and no matter how much my friends act disappointed... the song title/artist category of my brain was filled in my youth by Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Elton John, and U2.

8. When I was learning to read, I memorized the Dr. Seuss book "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." Sometimes, at the strangest times, it pops into my head. The song "Get a Haircut and get a real job" by Blues Travelers (I think?), and "Jesus, lover of my soul" also fill my mind at weird times. As does Ephes. 3:14-21, I memorized it one spring break in a park in Mexicali, Mexico.

In the time it took me to write this blog, I've killed three mosquitoes whom most assuredly feasted on my skin last night. I've left and gone on a walk in the sweltering heat of Nanchang, and I've learned that Starbucks bought out Dietrich's coffee. My friends, we've lost another great coffee company.

love the questions themselves

2007-06-06T16:56:00.001-07:00

"Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."
- Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903, in "Letters to a Young Poet"

you've got mail

2007-05-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight after a long walk, I sat down for an American movie.
Some people, after spending time overseas, come back and sit in judgment of their culture. I think I'm going to come back and embrace it. Sure, I recognize America has it's faults. While watching the classic chick flick "You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, I found myself really missing America.
Ah...Tree-lined streets, coffee shops, street fairs, bookstores, Thanksgiving, Christmas, huge public libraries, people walking dogs (not eating them!), diversity, English-speaking (ha ha). Anyway, I'm looking forward to the USA.
I fly back June 26th. That night a group of us are going to the Anaheim Angels baseball game- how's that for re-emergence? Then there'll be transfer meeting at Azusa Pacific on the 27th, and finally late on the night of the 27th I'll head to San Diego.
Friends that were dating are now engaged, co-workers have gotten different jobs, roommates have graduated and gotten 'real jobs', friends have moved, businesses have closed. I don't really know the extent of change, but I'm excited to see each ounce of it. See you in 29 days, that's less than a month!

fiona

2007-05-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

i have a friend named fiona. my teammates know her as 'red shoes fiona', because she has an endless collection of little red shoes. for months she couldn't make eye contact with me because she was so very shy. we went out to dinner at the beginning of the year and she told me about her family- the girl has been through a lot. she cried, i cried, and we were served a huge fish in a sweaty outdoor restaurant. our friendship has been close since. we've celebrated birthdays together, had tea at my house, and just began to meet weekly.

i've brought up my favorite book a couple times in conversation and she's always showed interest, so i got her a copy. last week i gave her an overview and then assigned some reading. she boldly said, "i must know the Mark!".

today was our first meeting and it was a privledge to be a part of. the absolute newness of the material is shocking! i can't type her dozens of adorable questions like, "Why did John eat locusts? It tastes horrible" but i wanted to include her first Thought, i was able to write it down.

"i'm fiona. i know you from miss allison. i begin to love you so if i meet anything happy or unhappy i will tell you."

before she left she asked me at the door, "the Last Supper, did (the Son) eat locusts? because i would just eat rice."

rice at the last supper, that's contextualization.

mirror, mirror

2007-05-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

sometimes when i look in the mirror, i'm surprised by my reflection. kind of taken aback by the fact that i'm alive. that others know me, that my words affect them and that i have a unique identity. i get closer and look at myself more.. i don't check out the color of my eyes, instead i'm just trying to match my thoughts and dreams with the person i see in the mirror. i think about myself in light of eternity. and i think about all the millions of people i've walked by in the last 23 years and how we get one shot at life. we read books to make life better, we search high and low for love, we work hard so that we can retire well in 40 years. and we yearn for purpose.

our bathroom light is out and tonight as i loaded my pink toothbrush with mint toothpaste in darkness, i looked up and saw myself with just the lighting from the kitchen. i stood frozen and stared back. with so many thoughts racing through my head, i remember thinking, "hmm, this is the form i'm in." and it surprised me.

does this happen to you? my roommate rachel said it happens to her in large crowds sometimes.

Nanchang pride

2007-04-28T03:43:00.000-07:00

Lately, American media has been acknowledging our little 4 million person Chinese city, and I thought I'd take a moment to boast.

1. Nanchang is featured on msn.com in the "The Week in Pictures" for a pothole that occured last week, downtown on Shunwai Road. I love how the pictures above capture the bicycles, tile sidewalks, and large amounts of spectators.

2. A friend told me that the next season of Survivor would be filmed in Nanchang. I strongly doubted that any American TV show would/could film an entire show here. But according to CBS, they are indeed filming in China. Whether or not it is in Nanchang, we'll have to wait and see. I guarantee that someone I know will print a shirt saying something like "I Survived Nanchang" and worse yet, I'll buy one.

3. And last, and probably most impressive...Newsweek named Nanchang on it's Top 10 Most Dynamic Cities in the World. We got #6! The article notes the world's tallest ferris wheel (which I have yet to ride), the historical significance as the birthplace of Chinese communism, and most importantly the huge investments made by foreign companies, like Ford. In case you're curious, Las Vegas was chosen as #1.

When I asked our boss if he'd heard that his hometown was chosen as the 6th most dynamic in the world, he shook his head and said, "I don't see anything dynamic..."

"what's wrong?"

2007-04-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

I read the article below on abcnews.com and was at first shocked that 5,000 people would call a kid on YouTube that merely said "I care". But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are many Americans with a huge lack of community or intimacy. We are made for wanting intimacy, and people find all sorts of means to satisfy that desire. Apparently, they even call spiky haired 20 year olds.

SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. Apr 22, 2007 (AP)— Ryan Fitzgerald is unemployed, lives with his father and has a little bit of time on his hands.

So, he decided to offer his ear, to anyone who wants to call. After posting a video with his cell phone number on YouTube on Friday, the 20-year-old told The Boston Globe he has received more than 5,000 calls and text messages.

Fitzgerald said he wanted to "be there," for anyone who needed to talk. "I never met you, but I do care," a spiky-haired Fitzgerald said into the camera on his YouTube posting.

He planned to take and return as many calls he could, but on Monday at 5 a.m., his T-Mobile cell phone payment will begin charging him for his generosity when he is no longer eligible for free weekend minutes.

"I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to do about it," he said. "Come Monday, no way I'm going to just hang up on people and say, 'I don't have the minutes.'"

Fitzgerald, who said people consider him "easy to talk to," was inspired by Juan Mann. YouTube video clips of Mann offering "Free Hugs" to strangers became wildly popular on the user-controlled Internet site.

"Some people's own mothers won't take the time to sit down and talk with them and have a conversation," Fitzgerald said. "But some stranger on YouTube will. After six seconds, you're not a stranger anymore, you're a new kid I just met."

What about praying?

sacrifice, dogs, and West Coast superiority

2007-04-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

Sacrifice:
Last week in class we talked about crime and punishment. That crimes deserve a punishment... if we commit a crime, we must also accept the punishment. I gave them this scenario, "What if your best friend commited a crime and faced a horrible punishment? What if you could save your friend by giving up something that is very important to you?" We then brainstormed things we would give up to save our friend. The lists they came up with were great! They'd give time, money, status, reputation, love, family, friends, job, dreams, opportunities, and their own life. I defined those as sacrifice- that giving up things that are important to us are 'sacrifices'. That lead straight into the Easter story. It really clicked for them, that He was the sacrifice for the crimes of humanity. It was such a great week of classes!

Dogs:
During our discussion of crime and punishment, I put a list of crimes on the board and had the class judge the punishments that they deserved. I made it more personal for the class and ascribed the crimes to actual students in the class. So for outspoken Sarah, I said she "stole a mobile phone from a store". Sarah shook her head and said, "But I'm an honest girl..." Her judgment, made by Willow, was a fine and 20 hours of community service. I said that William "didn't feed his dog for a month". No one thought it was a big deal, which surprised me. I asked, "Isn't that animal cruelty?" William responded, "No! Dogs are delicious!" That ended the conversation... cultural difference #486.

West Coast:
On Tuesday nights we have our weekly faculty meetings and Team Dinner. This Tuesday Dan was out of town and we made the decision to have an extravagant night by going out to Pizza Hut for dinner. Pizza Hut is high class in China, we drop about $4 each, which is big money here. I'm not kidding, we look forward to cheese at Pizza Hut. I think one day I'll look back at our Pizza Hut joy and get a good laugh, for now it's legit excitement at Western atmosphere, forks, etc. So Tuesday night at dinner we got in a little debate.. West Coast vs. East Coast. I pulled out the old slogan "The West Coast is the best coast." Childish, I know, but I had to state my loyalty. We went back and forth for awhile. Mikayla and I on the West Coast Team. Stephen, Adam and Emily on the East Coast Team. And Rachel stayed neutral- she's from North Dakota. It was friendly banter. When we left the restaurant we split up to go in different taxis and it was just Stephen, Rachel and I. Stephen looked at me, with a pretty serious expression and said, "Alright, on the West Coast you have gangs, but on the East Coast...we have extended family". That sent the 3 of us into laughter, it's more funny if you know Stephen's North Carolina drawl, actually much more funny.

rain and jazz music really go together

2007-04-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday and I just looked outside to a sea of umbrellas, students scrurrying about on their way to Saturday classes. The rain is really coming down and I'm spending the morning listening to jazz music (got a Getz/Gilberto song off iTunes that is great!) and cleaning my room.
We watched 'Hostage' last night in Dan's apartment and my throat is sore from screaming during the 'air duct scene'. My goodness, Mikayla and I freaked out for a solid 10 minutes. Dan and Adam just laughed at us. I need some tea and honey.