December Review

As I sit in the Korean owned coffee shop watching pop songs I am sitting here thinking about the past month. Is it really almost 2010?

Well, classes are done. Grading is finished.

I just gave a lecture on Christmas in the local English Corner for a friend. Tried my best to lead a few songs... not sure how that worked out.

My fellow teachers have left for Nepal. Most of the students have left campus, it must be the end.

Well it has been a fun couple weeks. Last weekend Duane, Becky Heidi and I got the opportunity to help out a school about three hours outside of the city. A lot of firsts during that trip:

First time teaching in a Tibet Middle School.




First time to a Tibetan Ngangma:



First time seeing Tibetan Men slow dancing...





and this hat...





That's all for this entry... I will give some more updates soon.

Cornerstone Books

This entry is a little shout out to my parents back home in Monmouth, Oregon.

The Grand opening was a success and it is official. Cornerstone Bookstore is open for business. This is a testimony to how the Father provides. It has been an exciting process according to my parents but one where they have had to put complete trust in Him for the resources and support. For those readers in the Polk County area it is located on 110 Monmouth Ave in Monmouth.

In other news, I have officially finished classes and just have one formal exam to do in a week and a half and to finish up my grading. Didn't I just get here last month? No? Well it sure feels like it.

I do want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. It is always a blessed time of year wherever I am being able to share the story that makes this time of year special. I hope you all have a blessed holiday season.

Palden Lhamo Festival

Yesterday was Palden Lhamo Festival. Perhaps the most feared day for Tibetan men. There is an idol of Palden Lhamo's daughter that is revealed only one day a year. My friends Duane, Becky and Heidi braved the crowds and got this pic of the unveiled goddess. Recently this has also become sort of a "Woman's day" where women can ask for money. So many of my Tibetan friends say this is a good day to stay indoors.

here is the story of this idol:
http://en.tibet.cn/news/tin/t20071126_288851.htm



I was reading Jeremiah this morning and got really sad. It really makes me wonder about the love for these carved objects. Babylon doesn't seem that far away.

Singing Competition

For the past two weeks my school has been putting on various competitions and performances for The Foreign Language Festival. Apparently this only happens every 3 years. Either way tonight I just finished Judging an English Singing Competition. The girl who sang Thriller as a tribute to MJ got third place. Meanwhile the guy who was singing Madonna got second place... go figure.

I am afraid I might have to be performing by the end of the week... I just hope I don't have to sing Country Roads or My Heart Will Go On.

Oba Mao

That's right it is Obama-Mania. Well the president is visiting Shanghai today and my freshman students couldn't wait to tell me. At first I thought there was some sort of special holiday. Oh no, just Obama making his first visit to the Middle Kingdom.

I don't know how the trip will end up, but if it is half as successful as the hype... well then I would say it is a pretty good step in China US relations.

Either way I think I want the t-shirt:
http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/shop/obamao-tshirt-658266

Time it is a flyin'

After a hard week last week where I heard some hard but good words the Father has really blessed this week with His timing. It seemed like it could of been one of those crazy weeks where I barely have time to catch my breath, yet in the end all my appointments seemed to work out. By either combining or some canceling while leaders called me at the last second... either way it was a full week that still had a time where I felt rested. It is amazing how if you really leave things in His hands he does provide.

On another note I just got my power chord for my computer today. 5 days without it... it was tough for grading and teaching but in the end it really wasn't horrible. Perhaps I should take a few days off more often.

So apparently I have less then a month of teaching left for the semester. Didn't it just start last week? Time it is a flyin'

Plugging along

I find myself drained emotionally recently. It is amazing when you find things going well something always seems to come up. Yet I have been really encouraged recently by how my readings and teachings have always seemed to directly speak to resting in Him and realizing worry can be my lack of attention to Him. As I try to figure out a game plan to fix all the world's problems I realize I am not the One in control. There is a lot of comfort in that.

Class time has been going really well as well as my building relationships with my co-teachers and other colleagues. It seems there is always an occasion to hang out. And being that their English level is a bit higher then many in the city the conversations always seem to take a turn to the more meaningful. Perspective is an interesting beast. And there always seems to be another perspective out there.

Last weekend was the first time we have been really allowed out of the city, so we took the opportunity to do a bit of hiking and rock climbing. It was a blast but I was exhausted afterward. But an exhausted I was happy to be.

I hope He is enriching your lives and growth and wisdom, despite the pain that usually comes with the process. It is usually worth it, whether we realize it at that moment or not.

Camping

Now, space is a sacred thing in the west. We value our space. Don't get in it, keep the bubble, this is my land, this land ain't your land... I could go on. However this is not true in Tibet. When camping in the US our usual goal is to find a spot far away from everyone else. This isn't necessarily the case. I guess while our thinking is the farther away from someone the better, perhaps their thinking is "this must be a good spot, other people are here. We don't want to miss out, lets join them." The good news is all of us have been in asia before. Most of us 5+ years. So having a family picnicking right next to our camp site and starring at us doesn't even phase us anymore. I wonder if this is how famous people live? You just get used to the stares.

Anywho, the camping trip was a lot of fun. We got to know each other a lot better and hopefully prepped ourselves for another semester on the rooftop. Tomorrow, my first class with the new freshman class. Here we go on another semester... Hope those students are ready for me.

another hard week

So this week I taught a total of one class. I know, I know, I am working too hard. But somehow I will get through it. Teacher's Day is Tomorrow so we have Thursday and Friday off. However my posh schedule is about to come to a halt, come Monday the freshmen will start classes. So although today was a very uneventful (I had office hours today... no one came.) I think this week of peace and relaxation will come to an end soon. In the meantime I have been looking up some of my favorite rock albums, catching up on some reading (Currently reading China Road), running, and doing a little Chinese and Tibetan language study. Tomorrow will be a traditional Tibetan picnic with the other teachers of my school. It should be a lot of fun. And who knows this weekend might include a little camping and rock climbing if the weather stays nice.

Hope you are all doing well.

Rooftop Out.

first week down.

First week of teaching, done. Well, it isn't as much of an accomplishment... Most of my classes are freshman classes and they won't start until the 13th. So I have a little bit of a half-holiday until then.

One thing i have been grateful for is my co-teaching class. This is where I actually get to teach side by side with a local teacher. It has been such an insightful process. The student-teacher relationship is very different from the US and also different from other parts of China. So to be able to not only watch but participate with that process with a local teacher helps me in relating to all my students. I hope these teaching relationships can be a great way to share about the important things of our lives.

Coming back to this city is always different. Things still seem tense but moving along. As I walk and bike the streets life is bustling right along. Riding my bike down the main road is just as death-defying as ever if not more! But it is nice to be back amongst it all.

Back on the rooftop

Well another action packed summer is over.

I find myself at the newly opened cafe looking over two of the main streets in Lhasa. I have been back for a week now and am trying to get more organized and pumped for the new semester and year of teaching and living.

The summer seemed to fly... as usual. There were definitely some people I didn't get a chance to really spend much time with or see at all. But I am grateful for the time with the people I did see.

I am blessed to be able to be here for one more year. For all those who have given so much support in numerous ways I am thankful. I keep wondering how my life has ended up being what it is today and it seems I had little to do with it. I am just thankful His plans a bigger then my own.

I hope you all have a blessed year. If you do want to get in contact me, facebook is blocked for the time being so emails are probably your best bet.

Oregon

It is coming up on a month since I have been back in Oregon. I find myself in the airport on my way to Southern California to catch up with some old friends and help my cousin move to Seattle. So far this summer I have been re-introduced to America through a couple rodeos, a couple concerts in the park, riding the tractors and seeing old friends and family at church. It has been a good month so far and it is good to be home.



My mom did have to take an emergency trip to the hospital due to some problems with her gall bladder. Apparently it has been a problem for a while but my mom just dismissed it as stomach problems and moved on. When they finally got an ultrasound the technician said she has only seen it this bad in text books. So we went quickly to the hospital and started the process of surgery that ended up taking almost 6 days start to finish. She is back home and is moving around more and more and getting back into her garden.

I am very thankful for His timing. Some family friends were over for breakfast and Mom's was having some pain. She described the pain to our friends and Tom, who had recently had his gall bladder removed, suggested that my mom's pain sounded very similar to what he experienced. So later that day she went to see the family doctor and before we knew it she was getting a surgery the next morning. Everything worked out, but we are grateful for His timing.

Monmouth, Oregon

Now I live in an amazing beautiful place all year long... but I am still how amazed the beauty of home.

As I woke up early this morning to a brisk morning temp of 53 I found myself surprisingly cold on my morning run, yet as the sun rose I found the flowers, fields and trees to be just stunning. I should be used to it, but I never am. It is always a pleasant shock. After spending my morning hanging out on the farm, checking out the new combines (John Deere this year) I grabbed a couple donuts and headed back home to walk around the old property and find what had changed in the last year.

As I walked the back yard my parents new dog Teddy followed slowly. Still not sure if he trusts me he was still willing to accompany me on the walk. After seeing the new projects around the property. A couple ponds are being built to hopefully encourage an endangered tree frog to live around here. Also the creek (stream... crick... whatever form of small flowing water you want to call it) is being modified so more local wildlife and plants won't be overtaken by some of the import beasts, such as nutria.

Its good to be home. Nothing like it in the world.

I hope things are going well this summer for everyone. I have enjoyed the first day back.

Riting Monastery

So there we were, Craig, Sarah and myself on a bus with 30 students and 3 Chinese teachers. We loaded around 2pm on a Friday. Seven short hours later we found ourselves (after two or three bus breakdowns) going up another hill (there are a few in the Tibet area :) This hill was different, it had something I haven't seen too many of in the outskirts of lhasa. Trees, and not just the 2 year old poplars planted by the government, but old cedar trees. They were beautiful. As we climbed we got closer to our destination. Riting Monastery. Sarah had been there before (because Sarah has been everywhere in Tibet!) but it was a first time for Craig the students and I.

We were all exhausted from the long trip and got ready for the night. Craig, Sarah and I set up our tents while the rest of our crew got bed inside the monastery. The next was going to be a full one so we didn't talk much before falling asleep.



Things I learned from the three day in Riting Monastery:
1. Monasteries outside of Lhasa have lots of dogs.
2. Stinging nettles are quite possibly the worst plant of all time.
3. American college students are not the only college students who can live off of instant noodles for long periods of time
4. Craig is amazing at leading games! (Helium pole, The Eliminator, Mine field, and several others...)
5. Tibetan student love, love love singing! (on the way up some of the student were singing an old farming song where the women and the men have a sing off, It kinda reminded me of a rap battle from 8 mile. But they really got into it!)
6. Students notice when you are interested in temples and Monasteries... and as the case may have been... Not interested. They are very perceptive when I didn't walk the cora (clock-wise circles around statues or temples) or really care to look at many of the idols and statues.
7. Performances are always about the group, and almost everyone has to perform something... and you better be prepared (this was the same as China, but just as true if not more true with a mix of Chinese and Tibetan students)



So... the trip was great, the students were great, hanging out with the teachers was a blast. The Monastery was okay, but the scenery around it was gorgeous. A great trip at the end of the year before heading back to the States. As I look at my last week of teaching I realize the blessing it has been to be able to live here.

After an 8 hour trip back to the university we called it a weekend and crashed hard...

Here's looking forward to my last week in Lhasa for the semester!

Home remedies from Class A 2009

Here are some of my students’ homework assignment about home and folk remedies for various ailments. Hope you enjoy:

Jill:
I have a good home remedy for a cough. I learned about it from my mother. Buy several oranges and burn one until it is black. Then (eat) have it. It’s also a good idea to drink some water. Sometimes it works. I don’t believe the remedy.

(at least she is honest)

Susan
I have a good home remedy for a cold. I learned about it from my own experience. I often have a cold. Chop up some ginger and cook it in wine. Then drink (it) them. And you better go to bed and rest. When you go out, you should put on more clothes (classic Chinese answer!) This always works.

Sheila
I have a good home remedy for a cough. I have learned about it from my grandmother. Cut a piece of ginger and add a pear. Boil them iwht some black sugar (not sure what black sugar is…) in water. Then drink the boiled water. And eat the pear. The is strange, but it is good for your cough. And this always works!

(I will try this as soon as I find that black sugar.)

Jason:
Drink a mixture of red peppers, hot water, lemon juice, milk and vinegar. It’s good for you.

(WOW! Sounds like a youth group dare to me.)

Lake Itso

24 hours later and I am still exhausted. But really... it was a great trip. I could slant it a couple different ways.

The pessimistic view:
Rain, snow, wind, 5100 meters, ridiculously small lake, two students were injured one which we had to carry down. Not many of the students brought enough clothes so many were too cold, no one knew where they were going and the bus drivers kept trying to rip us off.

The optimistic view:
We got to see Lake Itso!! This was the one spot where Sarah P. had not been to, and wanted to. We climbed over 5,100 meters! almost 5200 meters, (that about 17,000 feet!!) The weather although temperamental never got too cold or hot. We were also blessed to have a nomad show us the way to the lake. Very appreciated since none of us have actually been there before. Although it was hard everyone made all the way up and all the way down. In the end we were able to see everything and get home in one piece. All in all a very successful trip.



So the next day I am here blogging and glad for the day off from doing much else but getting emails answered. Did I mention the trip was gorgeous?

Test Test Blog Test

Parents' Trip Wrap Up pt.1

After the first couple days of shopping and old town site seeing, Ma and Pa (you know... cause that's what Oregonians call their parents) made a guest appearance in 3 of my classes. The first couple went by without too much ado, but then came my last class on friday. Now this class is perhaps my most energetic class I have ever had. Yet they are also so excited to learn just about anything! It is amazing. Needless to say when we arrive my parents were attacked by a flurry of white scarfs. The white scarfs are called Katas and are used for almost every occasion. However they seem to be most common when someone comes to Tibet for the first time. I think they are suppose to give the people wearing them good luck or blessings. Not sure the exact meaning.

So now my Parents look like snowmen trying to juggle the massive amounts of white silk strewn around their necks. The class really enjoyed the whole event. Even if there were times where maybe they couldn't understand exactly what was being said they asked good questions and even sang 3 different songs. Two solos and a roaring sing-a-long the whole class whole-heartily sang together a classic well known Tibetan song. And of course, they asked my mom to sing. (I may have tipped them off that she used to study music.) So she ended the class with a verse of Amazing Grace. It was a good start to the day.



Later in the day we went to visit my buddy who is a monk at Sera monastery. We arrived around 3:30 and were able to look around a bit before the debates started. The debates are kind of interesting to watch but it might be a lot more enjoyable if I spoke the classic Tibetan that they are arguing in. But some of the young guys were getting pretty intense. They were even throwing each other around and pushing each other's heads down with a bit more force then usual.

Parents' Trip Wrap Up pt.2

The next day was devoted to Namsto Lake. A beautiful lake with a beautiful drive... usually. However we had a lovely stop at a checkpoint because the security guard at the check point had bad blood with our driver. So we had a nice little 2 hour wait at a gas station until the guard's boss came and yelled at him and finally let us through. We however had no idea what was going on the entire time, so there we were... waiting. So we did a little walk around the stores and played with my new travel guitar and everyone else bought some bubble tea. We did make it the Lake eventually and it was beautiful. However it will not be too soon before I have to take a trip like that again.


My Parents walking towards Lake Namsto


Our Detour beverages

The next day was mother's day so we celebrated by getting together with the team for some singing and teachings. Later the day was devoted to Mom's shopping needs.

The final full day involved a tour of the Potala Palace and of course a bit more shopping.


The next day they loaded the bus for airport and headed off to see their friends in Northeast China. A short trip but it was nice to have them in Lhasa. It was just a blessing for them to be able to see my new teaching home and spend time with them in the beautiful place. I do want to thank those who made this trip possible. Your generosity is humbling.

oh yea.. my mom also got to ride in a bicycle cab. I think that might of been one of her highlights.

Tragedy strikes

In recent news... blogger just got blocked in China. Good times. But thanks to the magic of proxies I can still update.

First update, tragedy strikes. After 4 1/2 years of loyal service my grinder finally called it quits. But it went out with a BANG! I mean a huge bang with ridiculously huge sparks. I mean these are the biggest sparks I have ever seen, and I have been shocked more then a couple times in my time overseas.

I am pretty sure I won't be able to replace it in Lhasa, but luckily the coffee shop down town will let me grind my beans in their industrial grinder.
So RIP grinder, you had a good run.

Shopping and Jokhanging

Day 2 of my parents' trip included going into the Jokhang and shopping around the Barkhor.

The downtown area of Lhasa is called the Barkhor. The Barkhor is actually the downtown part of Lhasa. A student friend of mine was telling me that in the past this Barkhor area usued to be Lhasa in it's entirety. But now it is simply a small part of the bigger city. Craig, Heidi, Bethany and our new friend Kelly joined us for the tour of the the Jokhang Temple.


The roof was my favorite. As we took pictures of all the surrounding buildings and mountain tops we could see all the tourists and locals walking the cora. The people here really are beautiful. If only they desired more...



And of course another very positive aspect of the Barkhor area is the shopping. My mom really enjoyed looking through all the jewelry, rugs, clothing and other local treats. My dad even seemed to enjoy looking at some of the older knives and relics. After a couple stops at our favorite coffee spots we headed home and called it a day.

The Adventures of Parents... Lhasa pt. 1

They did it. They came and conquered!

Well at least they came and didn't feel out of breath the entire time. My Parents came to China last weekend and came to Lhasa last tuesday. They just left this afternoon and are on their way to Dalian in Northeast China to see some friends who went to school in Monmouth.

The first day was rather uneventful. I had to teach all day tuesday, so my parents, by themselves, got off the plane and took the bus to downtown Lhasa. (the airport is about 50 minutes outside of town) I met them at the bus station and went directly to a Tibetan teahouse and had some sweet tea and noodles. They handled it all like champs.



After that we made our way back to my aparment and got ready for our next day which included the Johkang and shopping at the Barkhor.

DONG BEI 东北

One more highlight: when I visited the orphanage I was able to talk with one of the workers. The worker asked, why do you keep coming here? It's because your beliefs isn't it?

东北... going back to Siping.

After a not so fun beginning to my trip that included not landing in Shenyang at all but rather getting shipped to Harbin, and rushing to catch the last train to Siping and finally getting in at 4 am, I had a wonderful time going back to my old city of Siping. I was greeted by my old friend Syen and new friend Matt (both were waiting for me in Shenyang before the weather problems moved my final destination)

After a couple hours of sleep I went down to the Wu's house and met up with the rest of the team and we all had breakfast together. It felt like I still lived there, I say my old boss and a lot of the old workers that were there when I still lived there. We were both happy to see each other and in my limited Chinese I express my excitement to see them.


After breakfast most of us headed off to Nanhu 南胡 (southlake) Park. Being that it was May Holiday the park was packed with kids and parents going on all the rides. We made quite a spectacle, our parade of foreigners. We also felt obliged to try out a couple of the rides, the inflatable water tube was my personal favorite.


Five of us headed to the orphanage after that. And Wow! The new orphanage is sooo nice! And it is much closer, very convenient. It was awesome to see the kids. Quite a few new kids, but a lot of the kids I knew from before. They all are growing up into little people. Amazing, so much has changed in the last 5 years... The workers seemed glad to see me. They told us how much the kids look forward to us visiting and asked why we came to visit. And we were able to tell them :) He provides.


After the orphanage I was able to visit some old teacher friends and have dinner with them. After dinner we were able to get together for fellowship with each other. I was able to play guitar with Rach while she played piano. So much fun, and encouraging.

After staying up talking a few of us retired to Sonny's room to play a little guitar hero. I was a little rusty but it was still a blast. The next morning we left for Shenyang and my trip to siping was over. Short but oh so sweet.

Anzac and new and old friends.

This week has started out well. Starting with a fun remembrance of Anzac day on Saturday. A few of us got together at Heidi's and ate New Zealand snacks (thanks to her wonderful parents) and watched a couple New Zealand movies including Whale Rider. (not to be confused with the shoplifting movie star Winona Rider....) Whale Rider is an excellent introduction to New Zealand and Maori culture. After watching this movie i felt I could understand Heidi that much better.

I did my best to fit in by making a make-shift All Blacks Rugby Jersey. Not sure i pulled it off... but it's the thought that counts right?



Sunday was a beautiful day where a group of us teachers met a former teacher and were able to spend some time with her. Despite recent health problems she was still able to join us on the rooftop and meet with former friends and coworkers. Such a blessing for all who is around. Our Father is good to us.

After a somewhat productive Monday I am almost ready for the week of teaching and traveling. My parents will hopefully be joining me here next weekend so I have to make sure all my loose ends are tied up.

Sports Weekend 2009

It started with a brand new stadium, hundreds of marching students, and flag salute with several miscues....

That's right my first sports weekend in Tibet University! It was quite an impressive site. I have been part of sports days in the past, but with the new beautiful stadium filled with students and teachers. The beautiful scenic background which has become a normal part of my life I was very impressed.

The first day started out with the usual marching (which included the foreign students marching in their white polos and sweet hats circa 1984) and then moved on to some traditional Tibetan dancing. There were students who danced in yak outfits, traditional clothes, with traditional tibetan guitars knows as a damnyen. It has been ridiculously hot in Lhasa the last week. I can't imagine what it was like for the dancers inside the yak suit.

I started out just showing up to the opening ceremonies. But before i knew it a teacher asked me to take his place in the 100 meters. So I got ready, biked back to my house picked up my shoes and shorts. By the time I got back to the stadium apparently things had changed. So... apparently you have to sign up before the day of the event. And being that I was literally the only white person in the thousands of people still at the stadium ... it would be obvious that I wasn't the Tibetan man who signed up for the event. So later they offered to let me participate in the shot put (yea.. you can stop laughing now) but again they first thought it was okay... but alas, in the end the foreigner couldn't compete.

Today was day two. Today they said I could participate in the 4X100 relay. I didn't want to get my hopes up too high, but I figured I would be willing to help out our department as much as possible. So after a morning of rock climbing with Craig and Sarah I headed back to the stadium. When I arrived, I sat in the teacher's tent ate some peanuts talked with the teachers and deans about some my experiences from Northeast China and American culture. Before I knew it, it was go time. And as far I knew, I was still in the race! So we walked into the stadium and sure enough, I was legit! My team of four practiced a couple hand offs with a water bottle to get the feel and then we were on the track.

All in all it was a great to hang out with the teachers. We ended up getting second in the race (the PE department smoked us!) But getting a chance to feel more a part of our department was worth all the miscues and waiting. So I think I would say sports day 2009 was a success.

April 1st... April fools day?

This may be April fools day, but it feels good in a different way. The town seems to have exhaled just a little bit knowing March is over. Craig and I went hiking this morning to some old ruins. It was a bit tricky at times but felt so good to be up there. Seeing the ruins of old monasteries are always such a pleasant site. I love the feeling of discovering something that used to have so much life and now is lifeless. It begs the question of why. Why did this get torn down? Why did it stop being used. But more so... it is a reminder of the temporal state of this world. What may seem here to stay can break down and crumble very quickly. This is why I am here, to live beyond the temporal. The crumbling strongholds of past are falling...

March

After this Saturday is over I am awaiting a big sigh of relief. It has been a quiet month. A month where everyone here is waiting to exhale. Peaceful yes, restful hardly. Although my classes seem to be going on as normal. I have actually really enjoyed my time in the classroom. My schedule differs from my former Schedule in Northeast China in that I get to see my students twice a week rather then just once. I feel I get to know them better and a lot faster. I am still working on finding ways where they feel more welcome to come to my place and hang out. In the meantime the basketball court seems to be our common place of interest where we can hang out.

In other news... I am an uncle! Chloe Katherine Halligan was born last week weighing 8 lbs. 3 oz. My brother and sister-in-law are finally back at home (hopefully getting some rest). I got to video skype with them, it is just so unreal seeing my bro with his new daughter. Can't wait to see them.

Students Day One of teaching

Some Student Quotes from intro class hand out:
Some funny, other just revealing some of their interests.

"I like suffering the internet"
(been there)
"I like green colour, doing sports and reading << harry potter >>"
(Britain strikes again)
"I like reading, playing badminton and going rollerblading"
(rollerblading... they know the word rollerblading? A+ for this student)
"I want to learn more knowledge"
(Yes...)
"I want to learn English gramme"
(how about spelling?)
"I like listing Music and soft internet and go out"
(makes sense to me)
"I want to learn how to cook coffee"
(that's a true sign of being my student... grammar's not quite correct but at least they have their priorities strait)

Second Class coming tomorrow.

Teaching Tomorrow

This has been a strange week. The mood been unsure. Yet life moves on as usual. Last night around midnight I heard singing of traditional songs. That was the first time I had heard songs this holiday season. Kinda strange for a New Year.

Tonight I am lesson planning, getting my grade sheets all figured out, and putting on another layer of paint in my living room. It is getting close but painting always take longer then you expect. So my apartment is still a mess but the end is somewhat near... hopefully.

I am excited to see my students and co-teachers. We will see what this semester brings.

Snow and Fire

I made back to Lhasa yesterday after a flyby cancellation and having to spend one more day in Chengdu. The airline put us up for the night and fed us so at least I got some good sleep and full belly out of the deal. But yesterday on our second attempt we made it! I was accompanied by Heidi and the new teacher Bethany so at least we had some company for our day of useless travels. We got in around 2 p.m. and were able to make it for a sticks hot-pot birthday party for Craig. This is basically what is sounds like, the food is on the end of sticks and you put it in a hot-pot. Pretty ingenious really. We were all pretty tired so we called it a early night... until midnight. Then the fireworks started. I was in and out of sleep all night (probably from the altitude not the fireworks) but they seemed to last all night. As I woke up this morning I was pleased to find the ground covered with snow.(as fireworks continued to go off in the distance)

The just says a few things to me:
1. I am back! Vacation is officially over.
2. Losar has begun (Tibetan New Year)
3. And winter is still here... burr.
4. Tibet sure is beautiful

Hope you all are have a good end of February. I will post some of my travel adventures later. I have a Losar party with the teaching staff this morning.

Blessings

Hong Kong!

From culture shock to culture shock. Our next stop was Hong Kong. If anyone has visited this amazing city they know how is unlike any other city it is. We meet up with the Wus and went on a Gondola ride to a big Buddha. The Gondola was amazing and it was fun to meet up with those crazy kids.



We did a little exploring in the city seeing the sites and enjoying the food.


Then later we meet up with the rest of the my former team Siping.... and went to Disneyland!!

Xian

Well part 2 and 3 of trip 2008-2009 are now finished I am currently waiting in a coffee shop in Kunming with some friends who teach in Wuhan. I am drinking some Yunan coffee and just finished my apple pie... with raisins... why not? Anyways, Part 2 of the trip was to Xian. We actually stayed in the Tibetan Minority College outside of Xian in a city called Xianyang. Good news though... they had the terricotta soldiers, only they were much smaller.



Apparently they found these about 10 years before the real soldiers and are actually older. Apparently these were from the dynasty prior to the Qin and were taken over by the Qin.

We did spend a day or two in Xian checking out the Stone Forrest of Steles. The highlight was the Nestorian stone from 635 AD. Later that night we visited the Big Goose Pagoda and checked out the fountain show. A must see in Xian.



From there we were were off to Hong Kong.

The village of Zhen Jia, Qinghai Province

As we bounced around the dirt road I knew I was getting into something I had never experienced before. As we got out of the black Chinese car I got some dust all over my bag and black coat... a bit of foreshadowing of what was to come. Ganzang's town was something out of an ancient travel magazine. The walls of all the houses were made of dried dirt and reminded me of something I read in history class or my Hebrew History class in college. We were met by Ganzang's sister-in-law and escorted into our home for the next week. It was unlike anything I could have imagined...



A week of eating obscene amounts of meat, drinking obscene amounts of Amdo black tea was to follow.



Some of the highlights of the week away from reality were:
1. the amazing Amdo bread awaiting me as I woke up
2. moto crash, sounds more exciting then it actually was.
3. Riding a Yak
4. Visiting the Yak - the outdoor restroom (or hole) was behind the family's yak. So visiting the yak has a whole new meaning
5. Archery - apparently it is all the rage in Qinghai villages.
6. Amazing family - they shared so much with us and really made us feel at home.
7. a change to experience life in a whole new way. - no accessories, but so much I may never see again
8. His beauty, everywhere. The stars never looked so bright, the fields were breathtaking and the mountains powerful

As I type this in the warmth of the apartment of a fellow teaching in Xianyang, just outside Xian I am so greatful for the experience and chance to be a part of our friend's family for a week in Zhen Jia.