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.

203..202..201..200...

Today marks the 200 day countdown until the 2010 Shanghai World Expo Begins. This event will be the largest World's Fair. There are 70 million expected visitors during the 6 month period that the Expo will last. Close to 200 countries will participate and have a pavilion that showcases the business, economy, and culture of their country. I feel honored and humbled to be a part of this World Event in such a strategic country. Great things are happening and will happen in this country.
Official Expo site: http://en.expo2010.cn/

a lesson in kung fu

Have you ever see the movie Shao Lin temple with Jet Li? I haven't seen it, but I'd like to because that is where the Expo Project Group went for team building. We got to meet the Abbot (the head monk of the temple), and have many interesting 'behind the scenes’ experiences such as: eating vegetarian food with the monks - we couldn't talk and we had to finish everything they put in the two bowls that were in front of us. We rose at 4:30 am one morning to listen to the monks chant. One night around 8pm it was dark and soo quiet on the temple grounds. We got to have a kung fu lesson from a head monk. It was interesting being there at night and thinking about how old the place is.
We climbed one of the 4 main mountains in China and saw some ancient carvings on stone along a river. Then one day we got blindfolded before getting on the bus. Each person had someone guiding them as we got off the bus, still blindfolded. Then I began to hear clapping. We were being led towards the many clapping hands, it began to get louder and faster and I could hear clapping completely surrounding me. Finally we were led to a small platform and then told to take off our blind folds. In front of us were many perfectly straight lines of boys of all ages going all the way back to a fence at the other end of the courtyard. The youngest and smallest were in front. We realized we were in the middle of a keng fu school - with the dormitories and classroom buildings around us. All of the sudden a voice came over a speaker and called out some orders, then the kids moved in unison yelling "huh" and striking different kung fu poses. It was really quite incredible to see their intense faces and strict discipline as well as the sheer number of them.
It was a very interesting trip but a bit trying being surrounded by emptiness in the temples and in the boys faces. Overall, a very culturally rich trip with highs and lows that will be remembered.

Pepperdine SH style

The building here in SH that they got for the program a few years ago was originally built in 1937 when the school was founded in the US. I said 'hey' to your peeps Mark. 

while it lasts

so I figured out I could get on wordpress today. Hope you don't mind the switching around, but I am going to use wordpress while it lasts: www.iamthird.wordpress.com