Delicious Dining

         Last week I had the privilege of being invited for dinner by a Chinese family at a large restaurant in Beijing that they manage.   I was allowed to tag along to this dinner because I am acquainted with someone who is close friends with them (and because of a couple of other reasons that are too laborious to explain in this blog post).  We ate in a private room of the restaurant and were served some of the most delicious food I have yet tasted.  The reputation of Chinese hosting was met in this family as the dishes just kept coming out.  Since every bite seemed to be more delightful than the last, I ate my fill. Near the end of the meal as I was slowing down, my Chinese host said something to me and asked my friend to translate.  Much to my mortification, she did as he asked, saying, “He notices that you have eaten much.”  I flushed red, feeling like a fat pig.  As we got in the car to go home after the dinner, I told my friend how embarrassed I was that I had evidently eaten too much.  I was relieved when she explained, “No, to the contrary, you honored him by eating his food and enjoying it.  You gave him face by doing that.”  So again, I will stick with my mantra that I have much to learn.  In my short time here, I have learned that China is a society that highly values the idea of saving face.  Protecting someone else’s reputation and giving them public honor is so important in this society that it can trump doing the logical thing or even the “right” thing.  As Americans, this concept is so difficult to wrap our minds around.  In our Asian Culture and Communication class we are learning so much about the fundamentally different mindsets of Eastern and Western cultures.  In Spanish, the word for foreigner is directly translated as “alien”, which I think is pretty appropriate for how I feel here.   I may be from a different world, but I am intrigued by this culture and excited to experience all of what life is here with eyes wide open.  

Peking duck - it was delicious! 

 

Just relax and listen to the calming sound of... drilling?

Long before I had arrived in China, I had been told about the inexpensive massages you can get here.  I love massages so much that I had plans to go get one before I even got on the plane.  You can imagine my enthusiasm when I found out that there was a good massage place right across the street from our hotel and that massages cost only six dollars!  Eager to experience this, I dragged my Chinese-speaking roommate across the street with me to set up the deal.  My roommate helped me with the logistics and left.  I was led into a small room with six massage beds and instructed (through actions) to lie down.   No sooner did I put my head on the pillow than began the earsplitting sound of drilling about five feet above my head.  The massage therapist continued her work unfazed, and the drilling continued for about 20 minutes.  I just had to laugh as it seems you never know what to expect in China! 

Ancient Times Meet Neon Signs

Anyone who knows even a little about China is aware that it is a civilization that has spanned thousands of years; a country and a culture with rich history and heritage.  And anyone who has been to China is immediately assaulted by thousands of neon signs lighting up the city of Beijing as bright as Las Vegas on its most illuminated evening.  In preparation for coming here I read in one of our books that everything you’ve been told about China is true, and the opposite is also true.   Though ELIC did a great job preparing us for what life would be like in China, arrival here screams that I’m only at the very beginning of understanding just how little I know, and how very much I have to learn.  One such example of this occurred on my first real day in China.  We (Americans) were divided up into small groups and sent out into the city with student guides to complete a scavenger hunt type of activity.  This was a great opportunity to see the city a bit and interact with a Chinese student right away.  Our guide’s name was Chris, and we genuinely enjoyed spending the day with him.  The time with him was something that sparked my enthusiasm to begin getting to know more Chinese students.  We were assigned a specific area of town to go to, and tasks that we were to complete.  One task was to search for the most interesting flavor of chips we could find, so we went to the supermarket.  We found several unique flavors, but I decided that the “Coca-cola and chicken” flavor was just too intriguing to leave on the shelf, so I bought it.  I got in line to pay for my chips, but because it was only my first day and I had no idea which bills were worth what, I just naively handed the cashier everything I had.  Chris was amusedly watching the whole situation, unable to suppress laughter.  I finished paying and asked him if he was laughing at me, to which he responded: “Heh heh, you have much to learn.”   I’m pretty sure that this will be my mantra for quite some time as each day this statement has proved to be more and more accurate.  Before leaving, various people asked me what I was the most excited about, and besides some of the obvious reasons for why I’m here, I responded that I knew it would be an opportunity to learn so much.  Being in a place where I’m completely out of place offers an opportunity like no other to have my perspectives blown out of the water, to struggle with the conflict that presents, and to begin to reshape my understanding of the world.

Besides taking classes to prepare us for teaching in Asia, we have been using our free time here in Beijing to get out and see some of the sights.  I’ve been able to visit and go up one of the tallest towers in the world, explore a beautiful area that used to be the emperor’s summer home known as the Summer Palace, and visit the Great Wall.  All of these have been pretty incredible experiences and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to have some fun and get to know the country where we will be living and working.  One of the most incredible parts of being here, however, has been getting to know the other ELIC teachers.  I’ve been moved by others’ stories of how they were called here, what they left behind, and their reasons for being here.  It’s amazing how strangers from all over the country can come together and find deep solidarity, motivation, and unified vision.  Such a unity can only come from the One who is so much greater than all of us; the One who has the power to break every chain, give hope to the hopeless, and make all things new.

Love this blog post!

 http://jamesrusselllingerfelt.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/date-a-boy-who-travels/

I'm going to China!

Several years ago, my sister and brother-in-law went to China to serve with English Language Institute/China for 2 months of their summer.  Ever since then, I knew that The Father was calling me to serve with ELIC someday as well.  
 
In the summer of 2000, I went on a trip to Guatemala with a group of believers.  That trip was a seed that continued to grow and flourish in my life – the seed of love for other cultures and languages, a passion for the poor and oppressed, and most importantly, a deep desire to carry out the great commission and preach the good news to the nations. That first trip was truly the beginning of something that would change the trajectory of my life and cause me to go on more overseas trips, serve in Mexico for a summer, study abroad in Costa Rica for a semester, and teach English in Spain for a year.
 
When I came back from Spain, I felt clearly led to pursue my Master’s degree in Education. But ever since I graduated in December of 2011, I have felt a conviction that The Father was leading me to go abroad again.  Since then, it has been on my mind and I have been petitioning to Him about it on a daily basis.  During this time I have been so blessed in all aspects of my life, that walking away from it is not an easy decision.  There is a song that has been resonating so strongly in me as I accept the reality of leaving family and friends behind to pursue what The Father has called me to.  The words are from the hymn A Mighty Fortress is our God:
                    Let goods and kindred go,

                    this mortal life also;

                    the body they may kill;

                    [His] truth abideth still;

                    his kingdom is forever.

As followers of the Great Shepherd, we must understand that our lives no longer belong to us, that we have been purchased, and through that purchasing, redeemed and given fullness of joy and everlasting hope.  Leaving the life that I have is foolishness by the world’s standards, but I must step out in faith and do this now.  In July of 2013, I will begin teaching English/Spanish in China for the next two years; seeking to develop relationships with people in my community, and opportunities to share the reason for the hope that I have.  

Morocco!

Right before I left Spain, I made quick trip to Morocco with a group of people from my Spanish church. We had a great time learning about the culture, religion, and tasting the local cuisine. Here are a few pictures:

Look - "Coca-Cola" written in Arabic!

In Morocco, people don't have individual ovens, they have a community oven. Everyone brings their dough to the community oven and this guy bakes it for them!

A market in Morocco:

Inma holding a baby turtle for sale in the market:

The End

As I recall, the last page of my favorite childhood fairy-tales finished by displaying these two famous words. But I always wondered – is the story really over? Do the characters go on living? If so, what happens to them? Do they continue to be as happy as they are at the moment when the fairy tale ends? I don’t think I ever really discovered the answers to these questions, but I guess I always kind of assumed that the characters’ lives did go on, but that it would be quite unrealistic to assume that they could continue living at the climax of happiness for every moment in the future. I guess my fairy-tale really isn’t much different. This is the end, and today I was hit in the face with the reality that my time is up. My adventure is over. And it turns out that sometimes the more you love something, the harder it is to let go of. Spain will always be a part of who I am. As I thought about how hard it is to leave the place I have grown to love so much, I realized how much harder still it is to leave the people I love in this place. I can’t really begin to describe, nor will I explain all the ways, in which this experience has impacted me; but just to say that it’s been life-altering, and that I don’t come back the same person that I was. I’m discovering that life is a continual journey of learning and growing, and all I can say is that this part of my journey has been truly unforgettable. This time has been more than I ever could have expected, and I am exceedingly thankful to God for it.
What I also know is that I’m not the only one who has changed in the last 8 months. Time has a way of changing the people and places I left, too. I’m excited to discover those changes, and re-integrate into my own culture and people. I’ve missed my family and friends and I’m ready to invest more of myself into their lives.
So, the question remains – do the protagonists continue to live at the climax of happiness for all of time? I don’t think so. But I think they do know that those moments wouldn’t be nearly as exhilarating if they hadn’t fought the dragon first. They probably even know that there may well be more dragons to fight in their futures. But I don’t think for a moment that they will back down. They’ll go out and fight. Why? Because they have more confidence this time, they’ve done it before, and because they know there’s another exhilarating moment to follow.