Thirty Thoughts of Thankful

1) My students and our recent conversations.

2) Thankful for my students’ hugs.

3) Thankful for Irene and her poppy seed muffin.

4) Thankful for English corners.

5) Thankful for Gospel conversations and opportunities.

6) Thankful for my apartment and that the heat has been turned on.

7) Thankful for the bounty of food and money we have here.

8) Thankful for my imagination.

9) Thankful for the delights of my childhood.

10) Thankful for my opportunities to travel and live overseas.

11) Thankful for my sisters.

12) Thankful for my parents’ growth in the Lord and their influence on me.

13) Thankful for my loving family.

14) Thankful that today was professional day when my eyes are dying.

15) Thankful to be wanted at English corner.

16) Thankful for chicken soup that could be made with the well-intentioned chicken.

17) Thankful for the Internet.

18) Thankful for the knowledge of the Bible.

19) Thankful for clean water.

20) Thankful for plumbing.

21) Thankful for the rain that washes away some pollution.

22) Thankful for the excitement of the students.

23) Thankful for Shannon as my partner teacher.

24) Thankful for our oven so we can bake.

25) Thankful for the Good Friends store. (Western foods!)

26) Thankful for Jesus and His sacrifice. (Really?)

27) Thankful for examples of people who care and give and share.

28) Thankful to have a VPN for my Internet.

29) Thankful for laughter and smiles.

30) Thankful for pictures and emails.

Cultural Differences: Food Culture

My roommate and I had Thanksgiving dinner at our apartment. Some people brought duck hearts, duck tongues, and duck intestine. I tried them.

The duck heart was tasty, but the mental thoughts were too much. When I looked inside the heart (after my first bite,) and saw the blood, I put it down. The Old Testament was calling out too much, "don't eat the blood!!"

Different cities have their own specific foods. Tianjin people do not like spices so much. People in the south like their spicy food. People in the north like noodles, people in the south enjoy rice more than noodles. (Most Chinese people consider rice as a main dish, but at restaurants it is always served at the end.)

I have never before consumed so much powdered milk. (We can get milk at the grocery store, but sometimes it's not there.) I have now cooked with it quite often.

Fruit and veggies are much cheaper at the market rather than the grocery store. They are (often) of better quality. Most of the produce comes directly from nearby farms. (BUT! In one store I have seen imported Washington state apples!!!)

Food stands are nice and yummy. Various types of Chinese foods are sold. I don't think it has really made me sick yet. Some of my favorite meals are noodles boiled on a hot fire with oil, spices, noodles (you choose), spinach, cabbage, meat, mushrooms, etc. Yummy! You get to eat it with the broth. Bao zi is a dumpling-like food. A bread pastry on the outside and pig, vegetables, or seafood in the middle. I guess it comes from Tianjin. Chinese BBQ is FUN! You put your food on sticks, put it over the long, skinny, rectangular barbeque, sprinkle spices on top, spread oil over the top, turn as it cooks, pick it up, and eat it off the stick. A nice community, friendship building experience.

Vinegar is used in almost every dish. This did affect my digestion in the first weeks I was in China.

Cheese is expensive and rarely consumed. (TILLAMOOK!!) Culturally, Chinese people have not consumed much cheese. With the introduction of the pizza, more people of the younger generations (probably beginning with mine,) are eating more dairy products, but they can still be hard to find and they are usually expensive. Their yogurt is most often in liquid form, not the semi-solid kind. (Interesting mouth experience there.)

Meat can be purchased at the market (where it is sitting out, under fans, so flies don't land on them). The meat is usually of acceptable quality, but sometimes you don't know what it is. Especially the ground meat. It could be cow, could be pig, could be donkey...some have even said it could be dog. (haha)

When you think you are purchasing beef and you ask for it to be ground, left over meat from the previous customer who wanted their mutton meat to be ground could end up in your meat package. Oh yes. I have tasted this in my chili before.

Chicken is cheaper. Ground beef is more expensive. Chicken breast is hard to find in our white market. I have gone to the grocery store for it. I can't remember how much it was and/or how much it weighed. I know that for what I brought (3 food items, including the chicken) I paid around 6USD. (Now, I would say that's a great deal!)

Spices are "key". They are used, but many people don't know how to distinguish the taste of the spices. (Maybe it's just my generation who don't know how to cook, or maybe it's because the hot spices just overtake your tongue.) They look for the overall taste of the combination of spices, not for the individual taste of each spice. The spices can make anything taste good. The duck intestines and chicken feet included.

Food is very important in Chinese culture. I will learn more, observe more, draft more, and report back to you later.

Cultural Differences: Family Culture

Family culture is way different. This influences the living of the Christian family. (Culture influences families, yes.) I have had to process my way/view of the family. Do I structure the family with an American worldview/perspective or the biblical worldview/perspective? Or is it a mixture? How much of a mixture?

In China, it is typical for both parents to work while the only child is sent to the grandparents to be cared for and to live. This happens because people want things so they can have a better future with more opportunities. (More honor, dignity, comfort, etc will come to the family.)

Well, if people want more opportunities, then they have to go to the cities. The problem is that the cities are more expensive. More expenses means you need more income. The need for more income means you need two parents to work. Keep in mind the influences of the West and the pre-existing "no-emotion-shown in the family" tradition ...and the families ... are ... I have not yet concluded what they are.

They are a responsibility, not a delight. A Chinese saying, "Marriage is the tomb of love."

(And yet, not many Chinese couples sleep/live together before marriage. It's a growing trend in the cities, but still not looked upon favorably -- particularly in the countryside.)

Cultural Differences: School Culture

These are some thoughts I WAS going to email, but my email was SO lengthy, I had to discard these bits. (If I don't post them now...I won't post them until Christmas...so, let's get them posted.)

Compared to Grace Academy (where I taught in Marysville, WA for two years), the school culture here is MUCH different because the student population is MUCH different.

The purpose of the Korean child’s life is to study. The purpose of the mother’s life is to make sure their children get the best scores so they can get to the best universities, so they can get the best jobs, so the parents can be cared for when they are old and dying (similar to China). Koreans must study hard and this takes up their life, it also influences the way our school is run. (Academics comes first, people...somewhere after that.)

I say Grace Academy is much different not because they don't pay any attention to academics (no, no,) but because they/we emphasize loving the Lord WHILE students do academics. I think I can also say, they/we emphasize loving people more than academics. (Those of you reading from Grace, please correct me if I am wrong.) But, the culture allows us to do this. Grace can create their own culture more freely, perhaps, than what can be done at TIS.

At Grace some families have stayed from elementary to high school. They have more opportunity to serve one another, they have the opportunity to build relationships, many come from the same cultural background. (Those that don't are the minority and they know which culture they are supposed to "join".) The lines aren't so clearly defined here in Tianjin.

When people are always leaving, what kind of community can you even try to develop? Korean students feel alone and isolated culturally (they are “Third Culture Kids,” and if you join the Westerner groups, you are seen as forsaking your "Korean-ness." If you don't keep your "Korean-ness" you are shunned by other Koreans.) Stereotypically they don’t communicate much with their families because in the Korean culture you do not show emotion. Many Korean [students] seek ways to commit suicide. I heard many high schoolers speak of their struggles with these thoughts while I was at the “Vida” youth retreat.

At times, the Asian culture seems to be one of despair. They seem to be resilient people, but where is their hope? It seems to be placed more and more in wealth and humankind. (I speak mainly of Japan, China, and Korea in this blanket statement.) When you look up into the night sky and are blinded by lights and skyscrapers, what else will you think of BUT the powers of humanity?

Please pray for these students -- and the people of these countries.

Thank Him

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:1

God is good.

God is faithful.

God does not change.

I am thankful for:

His patience in growing me.

His providence in new friendships in China.

His providence in orchestrating my living situation in China (place, roommate, city, country, street, etc.)

His providence in bringing me to this particular school.

I THANK the Lord for my students and their individual personalities.

I THANK the Lord for the hugs my students give me.

I THANK the Lord for the way He has provided for me to use my “creative juices.”

I THANK the Lord for the opportunities He has provided for me to laugh.

I THANK the Lord for the opportunities He has given me to go OUT among Chinese people because I am teaching kindergarten (and not a higher grade).

I THANK the Lord for my TA at school and her on-task and focused abilities.

I THANK the Lord for my principal, the school administration in general, for the other kindergarten teacher, and for the other teachers that work at the ECC as well as in the elementary, middle school, and high school levels.

I thank the Lord for Chinese friends.

I thank the Lord for the opportunity to try Chinese food. (I can buy it, I can digest it, I am here and can eat it authentically.)

I thank the Lord for Gospel conversations.

I thank the Lord for my brain that can understand (?!) bits of theology.

I thank the Lord for theological discussions.

I thank the Lord that I can sing (vocal chords that work,) to Him and praise His name.

I thank the Lord for the intercession made for us.

I thank the Lord for His Spirit who groans for us in our weakness.

I have not been doing this enough in recent weeks. I resolve to repent.

"Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens! Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness! [...]
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!"
Psalm 150:1-6

Some Chinese Funnies

I have been a poor record-keeper in terms of the random funnies that happen along the way in China. Most of them are the "ya had to be there!" type. So, feel free. Come and visit.

Until the time of your visit, however; I will endeavor to keep better records of the funnies.

Here's a start.

I saw one of my Korean students digging deep into the sandbox. I was rather amazed at how deep he had gone. I started to call out, “Hey look! He's digging such deep holes in the sand he's digging all the way to…" then I realized what I was going to say and started laughing, "CHINA!!! BAHahahaha"

Three boys dressed up in “kingly” attire during their "imaginative play time." Without thinking I began to sing, “You three kings of Orient…” HAHAHAA!!!

Once again, I realized, "You ARE in the Orient!"

As I was passing out math assessments I was saying, “Here’s your pencil put your name and date on the paper.” I repeated it to each student as I handed them their pencil. My American student soon started to declare, “Put your name on the stinkin’ paper. Put your NAME on the stinkin' paper.”

He's a good translator. (haha)

These Asian students of mine are QUITE touchy. They like to hug and kiss and pat and pet. Most days I enjoy the hugs because I need a good round of hugs each day, but there are those days when I have been touched enough and I need some personal space. Back off, kindergarteners! (Oh so gently spoken.)

One of those days/moments came a couple weeks ago. I was trying to push them back and they kept coming forward. I finally asked, "Why do you all like to touch me so much?!"

I heard a Korean student reply, "We keep kissing and touching you because we LIKE you so much!"

Well...okay then.

Korean accent humor, "There are some letters I love to sing and bowels are their name-o!"

DO you love those bowels?

Chinese student representing his Japanese friend, "Miss Martin, do you want to marry Yugo?"

Teacher, "No, I don't want to marry Yugo."

Class, "OH!"

Bin, "Would you marry someone from China?"

Teacher, "Well, it doesn't matter what country they come from. What about you? Would you marry a girl from America?"

Bin, "Maybe."

Teacher, "Kevin, would YOU marry a girl who is not Korean?"

Kevin, "NO!"

Teacher, "Why not?"

Kevin, "Because we do not speak the same language."

Teacher, "What if the girl could speak English?"

Kevin, "No. I do not want to speak English. I want to speak Korean."

Kisses Lavishly Bestowed

Mothers of my acquaintance, you lavishly spend kisses on your children, never calculating how many you freely give each day.

I didn’t realize this until last Saturday.

A mother holds her newborn baby and gently kisses his head. This is not a planned way to help the newly arrived person to develop mentally and emotionally. She does not kiss his head because she read about it in her parenting book, (though she may have).

She does this because she has been waiting for his arrival, and now HE IS HERE! She has been loving this child for forty weeks, and now he is nestled in her arms.

The kiss is an overflow of her emotions. They reveal the precious reality.

Mothers lavishly spend kisses on their children, never calculating how many they freely give each day.

The child doesn’t think about the gift that has been bestowed on his head. As he gets older, squirms away from kisses, shuns kisses, and eventually refuses his mother’s kisses, he doesn’t cherish the thought of the kisses he has been given. That’s his mom. That’s what she’s supposed to do. (And, at eight, he’s too old and mature for that sort of thing.)

Mothers lavishly spend kisses on their children, never calculating how many they freely give each day.

Two Saturdays ago was a “horrible” time while leaving the orphanage. I put a baby (18 months old,) back in his crib and he began screaming bloody murder, grasping out his hands, wanting someone to stay with him and love him.

I left behind me a whole room of wailing children.

This last Saturday I went to the rehabilitation room. (This is the room where the nannies got mad at me for playing with the children’s socks and showing the babies how to throw their socks across the room. haha Oops.)

Last time I visited this room, a boy with cerebral palsy only cried and moaned when I held his hand. This Saturday he seemed to be feeling better. I began to hold his hand. I got closer to him and touched his face. He relaxed. I continued. Soon he smiled. Then, I got really crazed and hugged him and kissed him. He started laughing and smiling.

I did it with some of the other girls in the room as well. (Most of these children may have a form of cerebral palsy. All their arms are tied to the cribs in which they live. Most of them are between 12-14 years old. You wouldn’t know it unless you looked at their teeth.)

Mothers of my acquaintance, you lavishly spend kisses on your children, never calculating how many you freely give each day.

One girl who has never before shown facial expressions started smiling when I bent down and kissed her forehead.

Never have I said, “How thankful I am for my mother's kisses! They helped me develop emotionally and physically. Mother, I thank you!”

But, I should be thankful.

The babies at the orphanage just want kisses. They want their faces to be touched and “tickled”. They want someone’s voice to soothe them when they cry. They want to be comforted in their tears, not commanded to be quiet.

One little baby started crying. The nanny shouted at her to stop crying.

When the nanny left, I started “singing” with her sorrow. Her crying stopped. I walked over to her crib and just tickled her face. Her eyes stared up at me, surprised and bewildered, not sure if she would actually keep her silence.

After awhile, she began to fall asleep.

I kissed her face too.

Oh LORD! Bring security and safety to these precious babies who have none.

Now that I know, what will I do?

(Will you also contemplate this question?)

It’s all for the toilet?!

Early this morning I sat musing on my bed. Pondering life. My mind turned to the “Raising Healthy Children” psychological survey I take every year so they can see the affects parents have on their children. (I have participated in this University of Washington funded survey since I was in the second grade. I receive a nice compensation for my time.)

I began to compare my responses from last year to this year. I was excited to realize that this year I will be able to declare that my parents are not funding me in the least. It's all my own efforts.

I continued to process, “If my dad hadn’t asked me to come back and live with them I would have been paying for all my expenses long before this. Long ago I would have been able to show that I am a successful young person.”

Did you read that response?!

SHOCK!

Bleh.

Yick.

How does my inner being, apparently, define success?

It seems to be defined based on my independent ability to provide for myself – and impress others.

And what would I have expected myself to be providing in order to fulfill the “successful young person” category?

--a furnished and somewhat well-decorated (enough to give that “welcome home” feel) apartment

--enough food and furniture to invite others to join me, and be comfortable

--nice, well-fitting “young teacher” clothes

--fun and stylish outside of work clothes

And where is any eternal perspective in this list?

No where.

My inner core, my inner, cultural context has no eternal perspective.

Stumbling upon my own inner being begins to confirm my thoughts/theories that one of the main reasons [western] “Christian” young people aged 18-32 (we’ll paint in broad strokes,) are participating less and less in the church is that they don’t see its value.

The value of the Church is not in their/our inner, core culture. We don’t know why the church exists EXCEPT, perhaps, as an organization that’s supposed to keep you thinking about Jesus every week, or whenever you can find time to attend.

That’s a scary future for the culture of those people’s children, their eternity, as well as the culture of the nation.

And so, my age group will continue to plan life around their careers, seeking nothing more than multitudes of toilets they don’t actually need, in order to live.

We cannot stand without a foundation.

We cannot build a foundation when we don’t know its materials.