Monday March 8, 2010

Last Monday I jumped back in at the office and then straight to Chinese class. I had a bad case of jet lag in the 2nd hour of my Chinese lesson – my German and Belgium classmates definitely cracked up laughing when I literally starting dosing off. My head bobbed, and when I was trying to write a word in my notebook I woke up to find just a long line where the pin had drug across the page. How's that for Seminar and 14 hour flight recovery ?

And yes, its still cold in Shanghai, and in my bedroom…I sleep with gloves on and a space heater pulled up to the edge of the mattress!

Around the office, thanks to Nancy, I was reading a book that has a few chapters about sheep. At work this week, I accidentally typed “spreadsheep” instead of spread sheet!

During the week I got to help my friends D & A move, and signed up for an 8k that is a week from Sunday.

This past weekend I met some inspiring women. Turns out after hearing her speak, Jan Silvious, serves on a board with my mom.

I got the opportunity to have lunch with Lisa Bentley, who is the author of the inspirational true story of “Saving Levi”. I am almost finished reading her book, and it really makes the story come alive to know the author! (Here is the link if you have some time -- long article but good to skim if you want to get the gist-- http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-levi12dec12,0,1817011,full.story?coll=la-home-center )

Love the international conversations of economics on a 40 min run, and sitting around a dinner table with people literally from all over the world - Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, all while talking about a friends recent trip to teach children in Cambodia...really? These are my friends? Love 'em!

On Sunday it was great to be back in corporate worship and hear a great message - thoroughly enjoyed the company of a friend.

Monday – Who Let the Dawgs out?? Yes, that's right, UGA MBA study abroad group was in town! They held a reception for Alumni and I was invited by my past roommate's (MB!) friend. We have a running list of some alumni in the area so I sent out an email to see who we could 'round up. Whoo hoo for connecting with alumni all the way in China. Not only did I get to meet several new friends from China who went to Georgia for their MBA (ps. they love chicken -- see pic below) as well as ones from good 'ole Athens - The coordinator, Mrs. Sally said "wait, I knew your brother from a previous trip…." She went on to tell not just one, but several stories about the time she lead the trip of Terry Juniors at Georgia to Europe. Let's just say half the stories were about the chasing of pigeons and hamsters that he would bring back to see her reaction, and the other involved a quick trip to the store to buy speedos and to jump in some lake he probably shouldn't have been swimming. After listening to her recount these memories as though it could have been just the other day, I realized that M had left quite an impression with her ... oh, everyone needs the joy of following in a siblings footsteps. It wasn't hard to convince her I am the well behaved one of the family....

(gave 3 MBA Alumni CFA BOG's)

(Mrs. Sally)

(2 current MBA's on study abroad)

Landed.

Sun Feb 28--10 pm

Landed. You know you live in another country when your round trip ends here! Temperature not too cold, but today is so overcast I cannot see the sun. Well, it is the Year of the Tiger (lao hu nian) and it is going to be a big one. I was born in the Year of the Tiger. Someone recently asked me if they were born in ‘83, what animal would they be – apparently that is the Year of the Pig :). If it is the year of the animal in which you were born, you are supposed to wear something red the whole year…I’ve only done that a few days, we will see if I keep it up.

It was so fun to bring back chicken for my friends! Per Aunt Trudy’s suggestion, I tried not to let too many people smell it as to prevent attacks by neighbors on the plane…

Yes, that is 20 Original Sandwiches, 20 biscuits, and boxes of girl scout cookies in the middle of Shanghai. We had fun sharing about where the Chinese New Year break took each of us (S returned home to Singapore, M went to visit family and friends in the Philippines, D & A took a 20 hour train ride out to where the mountains they copied for the Avatar movie was, A was in Hong Kong), and I got to show them the new Tim Hawkins patriotic CFA song from Seminar.

While in Washington D.C., I got to see: Mary-Stew, two museums, (the Natural History - where Katie & the Hope Diamond were the highlights, and the American History where Lincoln's Top hat and pocket watch are), and shout out to Mollie who came on a 3 hour bus to spend the day and listen to me prepare for my introduction of the first night speaker.

Before I came back I had a 24 hour stop in Boston and got to see some of these folks:

I met them on the plane over on my last flight. Inspiring and fun people to be around, thanks for hosting Michael.

After 24 hours in Boston, I had 24 hours in Atlanta - just enough time to meet my niece before returning "home".

Now, I am off to try to sleep with all the fireworks going on outside on this last night of the CNY.

How to make a brick wall in China:

So my friend Sandy and I are walking down the street the other day. And first we see a man painting the whole wall white.

We keep walking and the man behind him is putting tape in lines on the wall that has already been painted white.

The next guy in the assembly line has a yard stick and a pencil and is drawing vertical lines over every other horizontal line.

The next guy is laying the tape over these short pencil marks.

The next guy is painting the entire wall gray.

The next guy....well he got a little quick on the job -- didn't wait for the paint to dry before he started pulling up the tape (you can see the paint dripping)

Voila! This is how a "brick" wall is made in China!

It's a good thing the Great Wall turned out more impressive....

Where will happiness strike next?

In the US we put a "special" Coca-Cola vending machine at a college campus and captured student reactions when they got more than they expected. Watch these real students in New York City whose day was made a little brighter thanks to the unusual Coca-Cola vending machine.

Indoor Snowboarding

Yesterday some friends and I took the subway to the last stop then took a short taxi ride to an indoor skiing facility. Luckily, we brought plastic trash bags to wrap around our feet before we put them in the funky smelling boots. Once we were with equipment and out to "the slope", we stood in line for the "pole lift".

Well, Alan was first, and juggling a water bottle he slipped up a little, but managed to hang on to his pole and slowly get up the slope. Then it was my turn. I had watched the guy in front of Alan leave his feet out of the bindings and stand on the narrow part of the board with both feet, and it looked easy enough. Boy was I wrong! The board quickly started 'getting off course' causing me to wobble and fall off the pole. So much snow went down my pants! So, Krystle is laughing it up and misses the next pole, which turned out good for me, because I had a second attempt to get resituated, and try again. Attempt two went no better than the first one, and it was the third pole before I got up the mountain. At the top, my calves were already aching! We all had to take a rest at the top just from getting up!

Down the slope went by too quickly and it was back to the pole lift. By the third time we went up, the pole lift began to get better and we all enjoyed our indoor boarding experience. Just remember to bring trash bags for your feet and wash your hands after tying your smelly boot strings!

100 Day Countdown...

100 day countdown...

There is a countdown sign in almost every subway station, there is a countdown in the middle of a city center, there is a countdown at the door when you walk in the office, there is a countdown on my work computers desktop screen.

Today the countdown says: 100

100 days and counting until the start of the 2010 World Expo to be held in Shanghai.

The Walk

The walk 步行者（bu xing zhe）

You know you live in China when your conversations with your friends go like this:

“Man it takes forever for my water to heat up – I start running the water then go do some things around the house and come back when it is starting to get warm.” –M.B.

“Yea I stand there brushing my teeth at the sink and hold my foot in the shower until it starts to feel warm.” –Rachel

“Well, our hot water has been shut off for two days, I’m starting to get used to it, but my wife hasn’t showered…” –The Gongs

“Hey Rachel, I have dinner plans tonight and my apartment doesn’t have running water right now, instead of going for a run, can we go for a walk today?” –Anna

On the walk we found a great street with some shops and restaurants we had not discovered before. Amongst the dark haired mountain and sea of people (人山人海) all walking along the sidewalks and selling cds, dvds, and sweet potatoes, we noticed a blond elderly couple looking at a map, more than a little perplexed. Offering to help, they were Canadian tourists who had passed the street they meant to turn on several blocks before. Deciding not to turn back, they instead asked if we could point them in the right direction of a “non-Chinesey (for a change)” place to eat. We walked alongside them, Anna discussing with the Mr. about past skiing and hiking trips as they were quite the adventurers, and I with the Mrs. talking about, well, talking about what I am planning for my post-expo adventures…Once we arrived, the Mr. looked us in the eye and said. “You have two extreme times in your life: one is where you are at now – young and adventurous and free, and the other is when you are where we are – retired and free to travel with the money you’ve earned. Enjoy every moment of this magnificent city.”

I’m glad the circumstances caused us to walk today, or else we might have run right past this inspiring couple.

今天我的朋友告诉我，小笼包是点心。 Jin tian wo de pengyou gaosu wo, xiao long bao shi dian xin.

Shalom

Shalom & Xiao Long Bao (小笼包)

Shalom is a Hebrew word meaning peace, completeness, and welfare and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye

Shalom 是意味着和平，完全，福利的一个希伯来人词和惯用地可以被使用意味着两个都喂和再见

Xiǎolóngbāo (小笼包), also known as soup dumpling, is a type of baozi from eastern China, including Shanghai and Wuxi. It is traditionally steamed in small bamboo baskets, hence the name (xiaolong is literally "small steaming basket"). It is said to taste best when eaten in the company of loved ones.

I’ll start with “Shalom” since it is the biggest word in my journal right now. When I see or hear this word, many things come to mind: sand of the Holy Land in my sandals just two years ago, Harm and Dagmar’s home inside the walls of Jerusalem, the two girls I sponsor in Africa, what I yearned for just last Saturday at lunch, what I desire the homeless people who I have met recently to have. What Jesus died on the cross for.

Tonight the word Shalom came to mind as I looked into the crying eyes of a recent university graduate - a Chinese friend who has heard the truth, but is struggling to believe. She feels lost in a hard job in this big city and is wondering her purpose and asked me why bad luck seems to be all around her lately. This week she’s lost something precious to her – a photo with the man who raised her, her grandfather who passed away two years ago. In a life of chaos we all need peace. Shalom.

I came upon a brief bout of Shalom in this city of 22 million just last Sunday. After service, catching up with my friends in my new life, and getting to eat good food in a fun atmosphere with my family members in town. Chopsticks and a little Xiao Long Bao (soup dumpling -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiao_long_bao) go a long way when your sitting at a round table in a foreign country with the people who you love the most.