Headin' South!

Well, here comes an update I was hoping I wouldn't have to give you...

My passport was pulled for inspection at the office in GuangZhou. This means they are holding my passport until I come for a sit-down interview.

GuangZhou is a city in the south of China, about seventy five miles from Hong Kong. Without my passport, I'm not able to board a plane to travel down there. So, tomorrow morning, I'll be leaving on a sleeper train for the twenty-hour journey south.

Because I'm not able to say much during the interview, I'm told my chances of getting a new visa are slim. So it's most likely I will just be retrieving my passport and then crossing over into Hong Kong to get my exit/entry stamp. If I do get the new visa, it's not certain whether they will be able to process it that day, or if I'll have to wait and have it mailed to me. I'm hoping that whichever outcome happens, that I will have my passport in hand so that I don't have to take the train back to Beijing, but rather FLY!

I have bottled water and toilet paper packed, and in the morning I'll make a few PB & J sandwiches to tuck in my bag. So you can be thinking of me, I'll be leaving Beijing at 11 am, and arriving in GuangZhou at 7 am on Monday. I'm especially hoping that I don't have any smokers in the cabins around me and that I don't have to fight motion sickness, and I'd be grateful if you'd keep me in your thoughts regarding those matters as well.

Here's an idea of what my train will be like. This one looks exactly like the first China-train I took back in 2004. The middle and top bunks stink because you can't sit up on them, so you have to hope the person on the bottom will share of you're lucky enough to find a vacant seat along the aisle. I'll have a middle bunk tomorrow.



In other news, two of our girls, Faith and Talithia, both had their second leg-rodding surgeries last week. They're home now but are in casts and trying to entertain themselves from their posts on the couch. Then on Monday, our little Noah had a break in his femur. He has rods, but his bones have outgrown them already. Everyone is in good spirits, but they're a funny bunch to walk in and see in bandages! Little Lydia's adoption papers are all in now, and on Monday they have a meeting at the embassy to have them all notorized. We hope it's all in order and can proceed smoothly from here.

Thanks for all your thoughts! I'll update as soon as I'm back to a computer.

Ninety Days

Tuesday marks my ninetieth day in China. If you remember back to last fall, the visa I was granted only allows me to stay in China for a duration of ninety days at a time. As a last resort, all I'd simply need to do would be to cross the border into Hong Kong. I could turn around and enter again and be good for another ninety days. About a month ago, we began seeking out what other options might be available to us. There was talk of someone being able to 'walk it across' for me, without my having to go anywhere. Then just this past weekend, we were introduced to a man with some connections to a business that could possibly help me change my visa type altogether. We had a meeting with him on Sunday afternoon in which he explained that his colleagues in QingDao could switch my tourist visa into an 'F' visa - the 'F' visa being one that has the ability to be extended for a full year with no limits. Before the meeting was over, we had booked a flight for myself to QingDao for Tuesday morning, the 10th. I was scheduled to arrive there in the morning, had an escort meeting me at the airport to take me to the visa office, and then a flight booked back to Beijing again that same evening. It all looked very hopeful and I was excited to get on a plane!

Late Monday night, as I was wrapping up all my preparations to leave, my new 'business friend' called to inform me that I would no longer be making my trek to QingDao in the morning. Apparently there had been a drug bust that afternoon, and the visa office branch that I was scheduled to work through had been involved in processing the visas involved in the bust. The office would be shut down until further notice. Time for a new plan! So instead of heading to the airport the following morning, I found myself in a Starbucks in Beijing, meeting again with my new friend. From there we walked to the Subway station and boarded a train for his office. It was quite a walk from the Subway stop to his street, where he then infomed me we'd 'just wait' on the corner until one of his business partners arrived. When New Friend Number Two showed up, they took me to a tiny Kodak store where they told me I'd need a new photo to submit with my visa application. The one I had with me was 'not good enough.' After having my photo taken, I took a seat and waited. Friend One and Friend Two sat down at a computer and began typing to someone on QQ, a popular instant messaging program in China. "Oh, great," I thought. "I have to sit here and wait while they catch up with their friends. They're probably announcing to everyone that they're spending the day with an American." By this time it was far past my lunch time and I could feel my blood sugar beginning to drop. I was rummaging around in my purse, looking for some candy, and they must have sensed that I was getting restless. They turned around to assure me that they were "just talking to some of their colleagues" back in their office about my visa.

As I continued to wait, two women came in and had their photos taken as well. It appeared that their photos were for some type of employee identification card - you know, the type you might wear laminated and pinned to your shirt - not anything fancy. The first woman wanted to approve her photo on the computer screen, and then insisted they take another one. She primped her hair and makeup in the dingy mirror and sat down for a second try. Once their photos appeared on the computer screen and they gave their 'okays', the photo technicians rolled up their sleeves and began a tedious editing process. First they enlarged their photos on the screen to ensure that everyone in the store could see each of their pores in detail. Then they whitened their teeth, smoothed their fine lines and wrinkles, and blotted out any blemishes. Next they administered a complete hair makeover. It was amazing - each lady had to have been in her fifties and sported no small amount of gray hair, but oh, now their photo showed them with shiny dark hair. They shaved off any fly-aways around the hairline and erased the unwanted skin along their jowls. I was incredulous to how they showed no embarrassment and nobody else in the store found it odd in any way. "I would never have anyone watch as each of my flaws was displayed in jumbo-vision!" I thought. At last, the two women had their brand new ID tags in hand and seemed quite pleased. Finally they would be able to print my simple passport-sized photo and we could get out of there!

But then, oh, then, it happened. Suddenly it was my face displayed for all to see - zooming, and zooming, and zooming. "No, it's fine, it's just for my passport," I insisted. "We must have nice photo," argued Friend Two. I sat back, helpless, and watched as some Chinese teenage boy edited out each part of my appearance that he didn't think was quite good enough. He even did some slicing maneuver to my neck, rotating my head to give me just the right tilt! After my digital surgery was complete, it was sent off over QQ to their 'colleagues' and we waited again for a response. Thankfully it came quickly and I was happy to hear the news, "Okay, your photo has been accepted. Much better than other photo." Should I have said thanks?

We then left Kodak and walked onward to 'the office'. I was surprised to see that the mysterious colleagues did indeed exist, and had actually been working on my visa paperwork afterall. By the time we arrived, my information had already been submited online to another branch in another province. We should have my passport back in seven to nine business days with (hopefully) an 'F' visa inside. The 'F' visa will grant me three months until I need to apply for an extension. This extension can be done locally, and will then be good for another twelve months. Please keep my pretty little passport in your thoughts - that my new visa will be granted and that it will all return to me safely and soon.

I've added a couple new activities to my weekly schedule. On Wednesday afternoons, I'm now teaching an English class at a coffee shop on a nearby University campus. We've had two classes now, and each brought about sixty students. My time in China this time around has been much different than previous trips in that I've really found myself surrounded by foreigners the majority of the time. In the past, it was always the relationship-building and outreach to the Chinese that drove my time. Having this class now gives me the opportunity to reach out from my foreign-bubble and practice what first brought me here. I have to admit, though, my heart is not one hundred percent back in it. At the end of each class, the students have all lined up to speak with me one-on-one. It's hard to formulate answers to their questions that often don't make much sense, or really just leave me baffled as to why they'd wait in line for so long to ask such a thing. They each want my phone number and e-mail address and want to know if they can come visit my house on the weekends or take me to dinner the following night. While it would be wonderful to say yes to one person, it's impossible to say yes to all sixty. I hate having to dodge their dinner invitations. I'm not an incredibly social person to begin with and I'm afraid I'm already feeling exhausted by them. I'm hoping either my newness will wear off or I'll gain some incredible wisdom in how to manage my time with them.


They put my name on their marquee out front!

My second activity is a small group with a couple friends in Beijing. On Fridays, Ting has a driver take her into the city for her youth group, so I've been riding in with her. After she gets dropped off, I then meet up with a couple girls my age - one from Wisconsin and the other from the Ukraine. We meet at one of their apartments for dinner and study the Word.

Yesterday, as I entered the bakery and bounded up the stairs to my bedroom, something on the floor caught my eye.



It's a wonder I didn't miss him. He blended in quite well. But sure enough, there he was. I guess since I have a Lester the Chicken, I need a Larry the Lizard, too. I have had an awful lot of mosquitos in my apartment, so he's welcome to stay if he's hungry. All this talk makes it sound like I must be living in a lush, tropical locale, but don't be fooled. It's still mighty cold here and I have yet to see any signs of spring.






Thanks to all of you who have been following along with me. If you were here, I'd give you my phone number, my e-mail, take you to dinner, AND invite you over on Saturday (but don't tell my Chinese students that).

Sophie

I just spent my last evening with Sophie. Tomorrow, late afternoon, our friend Aaron will be taking Sophie on the long journey back to her orphanage. Since she doesn't have any identification, they can't take a quick and easy flight. Instead, they're going to have to take a three day trip across the country by train - which also means packing three days worth of food and necessities. Aaron hasn't spent much time with Sophie, so I'm sure he's feeling nervous! Please be THINKING of them - that Sophie will be a happy girl, that Aaron will have peace and patience, and that they'll have safety over all the miles.

As her and I were giggling on the floor together tonight, my thoughts were all over the place. She'll never remember the two and a half months she spent playing with me, yet I'm certain I'll never forget her. After having all the luxuries of a home and one-on-one attention, are we making it harder on her now having to return to life in an orphanage? Will she ever have that access to doctors who know how to treat her condition that we've been trying so hard to seek? Will anyone ever want to make her a part of their forever family, or will she grow up surrounded by "ayis" who cook her meals and change her diapers? Will she meet people or treatments that will help her realize her full potential and self-worth, and will she ever know the One who gives her that worth?

How do foster parents do this? - watching child after child pass through their homes? This is rough!

Snow, slippers, and soup.

We had a few days over the last couple of weeks where the temps skyrocketed into the 50s. The kids loved getting outside to ride bikes and take long walks around the compound.



Now this week it’s been snowing again. I do love the snow. It makes the hustle and bustle of China seem peaceful…until the next morning when everyone’s trying to drive on it.



The business at the bakery was booming for Valentine’s day. The US Embassy holds a monthly bazaar that we regularly take baked goods to, so that along with the extra holiday orders kept everyone busy. We had a fun night of taste-testing desserts and everyone got involved in the cookie decorating.



Now that the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year is behind us, a couple of our high-school aged girls have to return to their public schools. It’s been fun having them around the house for the last month. One of them, Mong Mong, had to return to her orphanage first, who would then take her on to her boarding school. I got to go along on the ride and was really excited for another orphanage experience. Hers is really small, with only about thirty youth. The younger kids were excited to see her return, so it was neat to know she also has a family there that cares for her when she can’t be with us.

On Valentine’s day, our restaurant served a fancy evening meal targeted toward the expat community. We wanted to buy some fresh flowers to make floral arrangements for the center of each table, so on Saturday morning, Keith, Lydia, and I ventured off for the flower market! Every single street corner we passed was occupied by people with ARMfuls of roses. When we’d stop for a red light, they would all beeline for the car with the blonde girl and tap on my window. I smiled and waved for the twenty minute drive, feeling like quite the celebrity. Arriving at the market, we encountered the biggest push and shove match I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Men of every age haggled loudly with vendors at booth after booth of fragrant flowers in every color. Most bouquets were so large you could barely wrap your arms around them. It was fun to play around and design our own arrangements. I picked out a bundle of red roses, and pink and white lilies for each centerpiece. While they were putting them all together, Lydia kept tugging on my sweater and mumbling something about fish. I tried explaining to her that we were at a flower market, and that there were no fish. I finally asked Keith why she kept talking about fish, and he explained that the exotic pet market was just on the other side of the flower market. Oh, of course! Lydia was right - there were indeed fish. So little Lydia and I ventured off to find the fish, and turtles, and frogs, and mice, and lizards. It was such a fun day!





Back at home, Keith and Cheryl took off for the restaurant and the girls and I made some special deliveries. We had spent a couple days that week making crafts for their parents and all the foster youth. We took a little construction paper and lollipops and made candy bouquets. I did the cutting and the girls decorated the pedals with everyone’s names and Valentine’s messages.



That evening, Ting surprised us with an amazing pasta dinner and a frosty-fruity treat for dessert. The girls and I played Taboo late into the evening and Sophie and I cuddled on the couch. It was the perfect Valentine’s Day!



This week has also brought some sad news. Our little Sophie will have to return to the orphanage she came from, in the far south of the country. While our foster home has a desire to focus on older kids, teens and young adults, we still hoped we could help with Sophie’s medical mysteries and eventually find another foster home to place her in. I’ve personally loved having a baby in the house to snuggle with and my arms will miss her and our evening cuddle sessions. Please think of her in the coming weeks – we’re not sure when she’ll be leaving, but it could be as early as the end of this month. It will be hard to see her go, but I’m certainly hoping we can continue to follow her case and support her, and that that will eventually lead to a sweet reunion with the little bundle of love.





I've got snow, slippers, and soup - today is a wonderful day!

What do you call a grocery clerk in Beijing?

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A Chinese Checker!

A cheesy update!

I received a package from The States with two boxes of Mac 'N Cheese!





Hallelujah! I am loved and I am thankful!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Keith and Cheryl did indeed return from the airport with Burger King! The whole house rejoiced! They brought home a ton of fun foods to try from Thailand. Even a box of Dunkin Donuts from the Bangkok airport! My favorite was sticky rice and sweet coconut wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf! Mmm, we ate good after their return!

January 25th marked the eve of the Chinese New Year. Our volunteer, Melissa, was spending her final day with us. We began our day with another trek into Beijing for church. Afterwards, it was Pete’s Tex Mex! Yes, my favorite Sunday lunch stop! I was craving CHEESE! Cheese is very expensive and hard to come by in China. I decided to stray from my regular taquitos and try the cheese quesadilla. Although the cheese tasted delicious, it only left me wanting more. My serving was simply one small tortilla folded in half, with cheese in the middle. And it cost more than my normal taquitos, which is a huge serving that more than fills me! I guess you live and learn. My search continues for a satisfying cheesy meal.



That evening, we had been invited to the home of a former Ayi for a special New Year’s Eve dinner. She lives in a hutong on the edge of town. Do you remember what a hutong is? We had such a fun time laughing with one another!









Of course, we had to pause every ten minutes for a fireworks demonstration out in the courtyard.





On my first trip to China, I remember all of January and February being filled with fireworks. This time is no different. Of course the official New Year’s eve and day were the height of it, but the Spring Festival is a month-long celebration that extends beyond that. Even at six this very morning I could hear explosions in the distance. It seems to be a competition and any time of day is fair game.

After dinner, we returned to the foster home and loaded everyone up. We had been invited to attend a party at the orthopedic hospital that we had taken Geno and Sophie to a couple weeks before. I was told to expect lots of sweet treats and party food. As we arrived and unloaded everyone’s wheelchairs, I began thinking it certainly didn’t look like any party I had expected to see. There were about ten men in either business suits or white lab coats, and about five young female nurses that began lining up all the wheelchairs in a neat row, facing the street in front of the hospital. As soon as we were all arranged, an ambulance came racing down the street and pulled up right in front of us. I was thinking we should probably scoot some of the wheelchairs out of the front doorway to make way, but the nurses just stood there like nothing was wrong. The men in suits and lab coats ran to the back of the ambulance and flung open the doors…and began unloading box after box of fireworks? Strange but true.









Suddenly, all the uniformly dressed employees of the restaurant across the street came out and lined up on their front stairway. Competition time!



Don’t worry, we quickly caught up. I was soon having an asthma attack from all the smoke inhalation, had ash in my eye every time I’d look up to admire the display, and had to duck repeatedly as one after the other misfired in my direction. I’m still waiting for full use of my eardrums to return.









Notice the men smoking away on their cigarettes while they handle the explosives. Oh, and look, they're shooting them right up into the powerlines! Also notice that my movie maker program is still not working for me - so, sadly you have to watch all these short clips instead of one nice pieced-together presentation.

The party food I had been told to expect never did appear. If we wouldn’t have showed up that night, there wouldn’t have even been anyone there to watch their show. I have a feeling those doctors would have been out there shooting off fireworks anyways – it was more for their pleasure than for ours. Oh, memories!



Later that week, we celebrated the twins’ eleventh birthday. I had made party hats for them to wear and had them waiting on their desks when they arrived for class. They didn’t think they were as cute as I did.



I think they secretly loved them. They kept them on all day. :)





They ended the week with a sleepover with four of their friends. More cake for me!





This week began with a stop at Bite-a-Pitta after church. My second favorite lunch stop! I had a chicken breast and mozzarella pitta. They have an amazing seasoning on their French fries!



Keith has been busy building an addition onto the chicken coop. Did you know I have chickens in my backyard? It’s true. I do! One is named Lester and I eat his eggs at breakfast each morning.





The Smallville restaurant that we run in Beijing is busy preparing their Valentine’s Day specials. I’ve been fortunate this week to enjoy a few of their test runs. Prime rib, baked potatos – mmmmm. We bought some heart-shaped cake pans the other day, so hopefully that means I’ll have even more new items to taste-test in the coming days.

It’s been a quiet couple of weeks without any foreign volunteers around. Normally I love winter, but I’m beginning to feel restless from being indoors so much. We still have snow on the ground from the snowfall we had way back before Christmas. I’ll want it back when it’s mid-July and humid, I know.

Eat some cheese in my honor this week!