Three to Get Ready?

Then why aren't I?

 

We went to meet with a factory for work today, which was a 2 1/2 hour car ride each way. The meeting went well; all of our excitement about our company was renewed and intensified. The drive, however, gave me a lot of time to think. And I realized, I'm not nearly as ready to go as I thought I was.

 

In all my excitement to go home I forgot that I would actually be leaving. It didn't hit me until today that I won't be here tomorrow. And I don't know when I'll be back again.

 

It's been so fun to be able to see China and experience some of the culture. I love seeing new things and visiting new places. But neat as it may be, it's just a place. We often say of new places "It's like a whole other world", which often times seems true. But in gazing out the car window at the passing green hills and distant mountains, I realized that it is indeed the same world. Maybe a different face, a different side, but the same world. The hills are covered in trees as opposed to dirt, and the mountains are drenched in green instead of snow; but they are still hills and they are still mountains. It's crazy; when I was home I thought of China as this distant, far-away land. Foreign and untouchable. Now that I'm here, it's China, another country with people living and learning; just like anywhere else. Wherever I go, there are people living and learning, each on their face of the world.

 

I realized that what makes leaving hard is the people I meet. I can leave a country with a wonderful experience, having seen world wonders and modern marvels. I'm not saying I don't miss the places I've been, each holds a special part of my heart. But the people... the family, Sylvie, Hannah, Grace, Jenny... They are the ones that make it difficult to leave. People become intertwined in your life in a way I feel that a place alone cannot. You come to know them and their stories; and to care about what happens in each. Once that happens, I think it eliminates the possibility of ever really being "ready" to leave.

 

To think that I'll be gone and miss the day to day trials and triumphs that shape their lives... it's a little disheartening. I'm going to miss them terribly. (By the way, that is a very strange expression). It was an amazing night to end on, though. With me and Denise talking and laughing in the kitchen like schoolgirls, having a mosquito massacre party with all of us (including Izzy and Josie) in the girls' room, finally getting some last minute pictures, and Josie and McKenna hanging out in my room until they couldn't even force themselves to stay awake. I couldn't have asked for anything more. (Except, maybe one more day).

 

I've come to love this family with my whole heart. They truly have become part of me. So I guess you could say I really did find myself in China...

And Then There Was One...

...One day to go, that is. It will go by fast though, considering we'll be visiting two factories and not sitting working in the living room. (Which is pretty much all my day consisted of today). Though, I'm not particularly looking forward to it. Simply because the factories are 3 hours away. That totals 6 hours in the car, before my 33 hours straight of travelling on Saturday. Here's a quick run-down of my itinerary:

 

Leave Ningbo at 4:30am Saturday for Shanghai. At 10am my 3 hour flight to Tokyo departs. {3 hour time change} Arrive in Tokyo at 2:15pm. Depart at 5:10pm. Ten hour flight from Tokyo to LA. {11 hour time change}. Arrive in LA Saturday at 11am. (Yes, supposedly only an hour after I left China). Meet the parentals for lunch. 5pm-ish California time flight departs for Utah. Arrive in Salt Lake at 8:25pm. {1 hour time change}. After luggage and jazz, it puts me in Provo around 10pm on Saturday.

 

What is technically twelve hours somehow magically morphs into 33. Oh the joys of international travel. I tell you what, my body is going to be screwed up something fierce. I'm gonna have one stellar case of jet-lag!

 

 

The Night Life

Got out a lot again today! It's making for a great last week here!

 

Hanna and Sylvie called and invited me to join them for some Peking Duck, a traditional Chinese must! I caught a taxi there, only to find them sitting on the stairs of a gutted restaurant. No Peking duck for us, unfortunately. We wandered around Gu Lou (I finally learned how to spell it!) waiting for Nick, Sylvie's boyfriend. For the second time today, actually, as I'd gone real quick earlier. We finally settled on a restaurant in Gu Lou they've been to before and loved.

 

On entering the restaurant we ran into two people that Sylvie knows. How these things happen, I'll never know. We'd always run into people from our group in Europe too. In London me and a friend were sitting waiting for Les Mis to start and looked down our row only to find people from our group that we hadn't talked to since leaving Paris the previous day. In all of London, to have bought tickets to the same show, on the same row. It was crazy! Anyway, I digress...

 

Dinner was quite an assortment of characters... two Australians, two Americans (Nick), a German and her Chinese husband, and later joined by another American and Chinese. Dinner was fantastic though; sweet and sour chicken in a pineapple, more of the heavenly green bean vegetable dish, dumplings, slivered potatoes, noodles, spicy salad.... mmmmm! Dinner was amazingly cheap too. More than enough food for 6 people, only 139 (roughly 20 bucks). Gotta love China! 

 

We sat around socializing for the longest time, which was a ton of fun. Me and Sylvie are really regretting not getting together sooner though. We agreed we should have started hanging out when I first got here! I'm really glad I've gotten to know her before leaving though. Hannah too; they've both just been stellar, taking me out and all. The Internet makes our world that much smaller though. After dinner I politely decided to retire, as they were heading to a bar. I figured a 3 hour meal was enough for me, despite how appealing going to a bar sounded. (Sarcasm, anyone?) Besides, I didn't have a key, and I didn't want to be inconsiderate to the fam.

 

I finally caught a taxi after some guy snatched my first one while I was saying goodbye to Sylvie and Hannah. So rude. I was only standing right next to it! I made it home again, all on my own! Some may say I didn't really experience what China's night life may have to offer, but it was wonderful and just the right night life for me!

VICTORIOUS!

I just had to record my victory!

 

The past 2 hours I've been battling with a mosquito in my room. Each time I thought I'd smashed him, his little mosquito body was no where to be found. I snuck up on him 3 different times to no avail, he kept escaping me! Well, I finally got the better of him. (Though it was a close one... it took two attempts).

 

This may seem trivial, but we've had quite the battle against the little blood suckers this weekend. (I think I mentioned about building a fort for McKenna and having Bri sleep on my floor.) My room tends to stay free of the little buggers because it keep it so cold and always have my door closed. I saw one tonight, however, which was unacceptable. I have a zero tolerance policy. I have two bites too many already. (I'm lucky though, the girls have min of 20 each, no joke). The grossest part is when you smash them and it leaves a blood stain... most likely your very own AB+. Ew. 

 

Anyway, just had to let you know I've conquered the little beast. Yes, I can now sleep easy. Thank you for your concern! I shall leave you with with an old favored camp song...

 

Oh I wish I were a little mo-squi-to (MOSQUITO!)

Oh I wish I were a little mo-squi-to (MOSQUITO!)

Oh I'd nippy and I'd bitey

Under everybody's nitey

Oh I wish I were a little mo-squi-to (MOSQUITO!)

 

Night y'all!

One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready...

And day four I go!

 

It's the weirdest thing to think about; that I only have three days left. It just doesn't feel like I'm leaving. I've been looking forward to home, yet there's no body clock countdown... you know that internal timer that makes your heart start beating faster when you get close to "time's up!" It probably won't hit me until until I'm on the plane. I think it's because my excitement comes from being home, not from leaving here, if that makes sense.

 

Another good day to add to my last week, though! I went with Hannah (Sylvie's friend) to Tienyige this morning. That's the old library I went to with the fam a couple weeks ago. I know I'd already been, but I really wanted to get out of the house and see more of China before I leave. It was great being out and about! We grabbed a cab and made it there for 13 Yuan (about $2). We walked around the library, and I enjoyed the beautiful gardens all over again.

 

After the library, we headed off to see Moon lake. It took a little wandering, but we got there without trouble. (For those of you who don't know, my normally horrible sense of direction becomes compass-like in foreign countries. I don't know why). It was really neat actually, we found our way not by main roads, but by wandering through an almost inner-city village. I can hardly describe it. Narrow streets with tiny living quarters, no real floors, no paned windows, and roofs that looked like they were hundreds of years old. Tattered apartment like buildings with the laundry hanging out all the barred windows. Chinese characters on little store fronts on the street with random assortments of who-knows-what. Yet despite how horrible it all sounds, it wasn't. It was quaint. It's a truly humble life that these people live, and that somehow erases any unfavorable perspective. The hole in the wall (size-wise) food places that are probably too dirty to even stand in, really don't seem that dirty or unsanitary. That's just how it is. It the hardest thing to explain...

 

Moon lake was super pretty, more of a "city" feel though as it is back out in the open area out of the area we had walked through to find it. We walked the whole way around it, stopping here and there to wander through a side garden or take a picture of a beautiful view. We saw people playing Chinese chess at stone tables that have the playing boards etched in. There was an old man doing Tai Chi and plenty of people just kind of lazing around. We had plenty of people trying to talk to us; they are somehow able to carry on conversations despite the fact that we speak no Chinese. The old Chinese are the best though. I have no idea what they are saying, but you can tell they just have so much character.

 

We bought some Chinese breads and rolls for lunch, which were really good. (Not to mention super cheap... 2-5 Quai, or 30-60 cents) Can't get better than that! We decided to call it a day after 3 hours of exploring and sweating. And i was able to tell the taxi driver how to get to my house after reaching Dong Hu... Zuo gui, You gui, Zuo gui (give or take the spelling!).

 

All in all a good day! Worked in the afternoon, dinner, some time to myself, and now bed! Couldn't ask for more, really!

 

One For the Books!

My post is delayed this weekend, not because of another relaxing weekend at home, but because I've been to busy to sit down and focus! It's been wonderful!

 

I would have written Friday night, but I there were three little girls asleep on my bed. I had been working out when Aubrey decided she wanted to join me. McKenna then came in, but opted to watch from the bed. (Smart girl). Soon enough Brianna was in here, and we were just kickin it watching the pictures on my screensaver. I finally decided to go clean up, and returned from my shower to find all three asleep, curled up on my bed. I finished getting myself ready for bed, then moved them one by one to their own rooms. By the time I was done, I crashed. Come to think of it, there wasn't much else exciting Friday anyway.

 

Yesterday, though, was a full day! I got a chance to get out into China in the afternoon! After getting the girls off to their acting workshop (Denise and Troy are gone to Hong Kong for a mission reunion) I spent the morning playing with Haley and reading. Then Sylvie and her friend Hannah picked me up and we headed off to the Buddha markets to do some shopping! It was so nice to be able to be out! The area we went was very "China!"; roofs with the pointed corners, crazy traffic, and bikes and pedestrians everywhere.

 

The market we went to was huge! Four levels of mazes of tiny little shops. It was hot and crowded, but fun! (Part of the experience, I say) We even saw a fight. From what I guess, the girl had attempted to steal the shirt the lady was whacking her over the head with. The bargaining wasn't quite as good as in Shanghai, several stores were no bargaining at all. (Hannah apparently offended one lady who went a little sour after she offered a lower price). I found several treasures though, nonetheless, all still super cheap! I'm almost done with my shopping in fact! One more trip to GouLo with Denise to get a set of Bowls should cover it!

 

I had a blast being out with Sylvie! She's just the funnest, warmest person to be around! We started joking around immediately; she's just one of those people who you makes you feel like you've been great friends for ages. (Though, I'm secretly jealous of her awesome Australian accent!) I've decided that you meet the neatest people while travelling. Each is traveling for their own reasons, one normally more fascinating than the next. It was proven time and time again as we stayed in hostiles in Europe. Sylvie and Hannah are leaving here in two weeks to go film a TV pilot in Cambodia, with Sylvie and her boyfriend Nick playing the leading roles. I told them they'll be my claim to fame when I see them on HBO or BBC! Oh, and Australia is my next place to travel to, as now I have personal tour guides and an offer of a place to stay! 

 

It's kind of funny though, as I realize I'm one of those "interesting" travellers as well. I relating my travel plans to Sylvie and Hannah, about how I'm flying to LA, then on to Provo. They couldn't get over the novelty of me flying back to the states and "meeting my parents for lunch in LA" before flying to Salt Lake. We live there, so no big deal, but I guess it's like someone saying "I'm just meeting with my parents for lunch in Paris before heading to Rome". It was one of those "Hey, my life is pretty cool!" moments! 

 

Today was a simple Sunday, a short lesson for the girls followed by a "liken the scriptures" movie. If you've ever seen those... the Nephi one... the "Sons of Lehi" rap. Haha! If you haven't... it's just one of those things you have to see to get.

 

I'm looking forward to this week though. My last week here... still haven't convinced myself of that one. Denise and I are finishing up our "China list" and I have some dinner plans with Sylvie and Hannah. This week is going to fly by, guaranteed!

The Weekend Is Well On It's Way!

Productive day today! Good thing too, or else I'd be exhausted for nothing! The magnetic pull of my bed is getting stronger and stronger.

 

We got a lot done with the company today; got our official logo, are making business cards, and I'm getting a handle on all the legal mumbo jumbo we have to have straightened out. Oh the joys...

 

I've spent this week here at home, save a few bike rides with the girls. I'll be getting out this weekend though. I'm going with Sylvie (our Australian friend) to the Buddha markets to get in the last minute shopping. You know, gotta have tons of stuff so I don't forget China, right!? That's my excuse, at least!

 

You can blame no post last night on the girls. Everyone was tucked in bed, or so I thought, so I took advantage of the empty bathroom to shower. I came out to a creaking door at the end of the hallway. I stopped, and the creaking stopped. I paused for a second, then continued into my room, only to hear creaking again. Sure this time I was being watched, I popped my head out the door to see two faint shadows frozen in the dark! Turns out McKenna and Brianna couldn't sleep, and were apparently spying on the hall.

 

I tried for a half-second to let my adult take over, but to no avail. I ushered both the girls into my room where we had our own little late night party. Hey, I needed help eating the heaping pile of snacks I still have. No way I'd get through them all in one week! After freaking ourselves out about the "mom" coming down, (and a dash or two hiding behind my bed) we decided to move the party to their room. (Snacks included). We amused ourselves for an hour, attempting to stifle everything from giggles to full out laughter. Once I could tell they would probably be able to sleep, I left, and sure enough, they'd both fallen asleep within 15 minutes.

 

Would Denise disapprove? Nah. It may not have been her first choice at the moment, but in 15 years the only thing that would remain would be the memory of the giddy giggles of two little (and one not so little)...