Beijing Ag

Curtain Call

2007-06-18T14:30:00.000+08:00

Well, I am back on American soil for the first time in a year. People in Beijing had warned me of reverse culture shock after being gone for this long. First impressions? Well, ordering coffee is easier in English than it was in Chinese, but I paid almost as much for a 16 oz cup ($ 3.69) as I did for my last dress shirt at the cotton market (Y 30.0 = $3.90).

I slept the entire way from Tokyo to Detroit – I finally got lucky this time and had a window seat with an empty seat to my right, so I could stretch out a bit without having a massively overweight man’s gut rubbing up against me (happened twice, see previous blogs.) So now, on the three hour flight from Detroit to Houston, I am awake enough to do a little writing and a lot processing.

“How was Beijing?” How can I answer that question? Maybe I aught to just describe the concrete things. Beijing was great – I learned the value of hard work: 60 – 78 hours worth every week. And in my free time I learned to love Chinese food and chop sticks, to speak a little of the language, and to just smile and nod when communication completely breaks down. I became a skilled bargainer and bike-rider, and I learned to hack and spit like a local (a habit I need to break again very soon.) I hiked along a Great Wall, toured the forbidden city, jumped planes and trains all over China, and loved every moment of it. I made good friends too – and made connections (guanxi) which may last a lifetime.

But inside I know there is more to it that that. I couldn’t have lived apart from everyone and everything familiar for a year and not return a changed man; there was a growing and maturing process which I can’t really describe. This kid left home for a year, got his first full-time job, and lived among a people in a culture which doesn’t speak, eat, or even think like those he grew up with. I learned to adapt quickly and to be flexible and forgiving with people who are so different and a society that was so foreign; to the point that in my mind now Beijing is home, and home is estranged, but that should also change with time.

“What are you going to do when you get back to Texas?” is a much easier question for me to answer. It is raining in Houston right now, a good strong Texas rain – not the Beijing drizzle I grew used to. I know that when my plane touches down and the humidity hits me like a wet blanket, I will take a deep breath of air that feels fresher than any I have tasted in months. My family will be waiting for me after I claim my bags. I’ll give each a big old hug; then we will talk and laugh as we load up the car and drive down familiar highways and neighborhood streets past office buildings, churches, schools, and shipping centers I have seen a thousand times before. We will pull onto the street where my parents live, where I grew up; the maple tree we planted fifteen years ago is now taller than our house, and the leaves will be rustling in the wind and rain. My dog will bark as we pull into the driveway, and then shy away when I first step through the back gate, but she will recognize me and lick my shoes, hands, and chin as I bend down to stroke her. The back door squeaks as it opens, unless dad oiled it, and I’ll throw all of my bags into the middle of the living room. I’ll wash my hands, and then we’ll eat a home-cooked meal – only my third of the year, and for the remainder of the evening I will show off my souvenirs and tell tales of strange faces and faraway places until I collapse on the big leather sofa and fall asleep.

...

Well, That’s pretty much what happened. Life at home is more predictable – a good transition for now – but it won’t be this way for long. From this pilgrim’s perspective, living is an adventure down a long and winding road, and I haven’t a clue what might be just around the next bend.

This is the End of the Chronicles of Beijing Ag. Blogging was fun; I'll have to keep another travel log next time I leave the country - until next time!

“Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are many paths to tread.” - JRR Tolkien

Return to the Wall

2007-05-29T22:16:00.000+08:00

Great Wall, Take II:
Jinshanling, Hebei Province
Monday, May 28th, 2007

Men In Black

2007-05-29T21:29:00.001+08:00

Saturday evening was freakin' sweet! I helped out at the American Chamber of Commerce Beijing Charity Ball. For the price of being a crowd plant in the mini-show (me in costume, see right,) I got to hob-nob with the affluent of Beijing while eating complimentary food and sipping complimentary drinks. For a guy who gets a kick out of meeting new people, networking, and eating, this was the party of parties!

I was not alone, my friend John (cone-head on left) was the star of the mini-show, and three other friends are members of the feature band.

The event was fantastically organized - they really went all-out! Our theme was Men in Black, so everyone showed in black suits and tuxes.

Here's the band. That's Rich on the trumpet and Joe on the mic. Tanya also sang backup female vocalist. These guys are very talented - I was/still am very impressed.

2007-05-29T05:42:00.000+08:00

Friday night was the Regen Formal – our closing event of the year for youth group before the kids all leave for vacation this summer. Most will travel back to the states or their respective home countries for a while to visit family and friends. We had a great time!

The youth leaders (that’s me) might have enjoyed the formal even more than the kids. Most of us used this event as an excuse to get new dresses and suits tailored, (fitted dress cloths are the norm for us in China) so everyone was looking beautiful that evening. We had great food, catered by Peter’s Tex-Mex, great fellowship and even a little dancing (at a church formal!) All around, this was a great way to end the youth-group year. This uniqe group of students and leaders has defined my Beijing experience in so many ways. I am blessed to have been a part of their lives for this short season.

Urban Tribe

2007-05-20T17:53:00.000+08:00

From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_tribe

"Urban tribes are groups of people in urban areas who have some kind of close association based upon similar lifestyles or activities. Subcultures, such as urban tribes, are more common in larger cities where the enormous size and complexity of the society create a sense of alienation or isolation on the level of the individual. This, in turn, can lead to the (official or unofficial) formation of urban tribes in which people effectively unite behind a common interest to create a smaller-scale community within a larger, overall society.

Although the phrase urban tribe implies nothing about age or marriage, Ethan Watters defines urban tribes as groups of never-married's between the ages of 25 and 45 who gather in common-interest groups and enjoy the urban lifestyle."

So I've gone tribal. Cool, huh?

Saying Goodbye

2007-05-19T19:15:00.001+08:00

Two of my friends left for the USA this weekend, and there will be more and more following. I know of several guys leaving next week, even more the week after that, and then it is my turn to return to the USA! My time in Beijing is running out.

Saying goodbye to Rahman at "The Tree"Resteraunt

Billy's farewell dinner at T.G.I.Fridays

Let's go Fly a Kite

2007-05-19T18:36:00.000+08:00

Baseball is to the USA, as kite-flying in Tienanmen is to Beijing. It’s pretty much a national pastime. If you live in Beijing for a year without flying a kite is Tienanmen Square, well, you aren’t getting the full China experience. Seriously.

The weather was PERFECT. This whole week has been unusually nice, but Wednesday evening is one of the prettiest I have seen this year. Sunset over the Chinese capitol building was just right.

I will miss this city. I never thought that Beijing would become home; I have been content living here. But I know that this season of life is coming to an end and I'll be back in school soon. One day, I think I will return to Beijing.

More things I never thought I'd pick up in China...

2007-05-15T21:25:00.000+08:00

1. Snowboarding
2. Salsa
3. Guitar
4. Chinese Folk Dance
5. Chinese Cooking

Things I Never thought I'd do in China...

2007-05-15T21:04:00.000+08:00

Something I never expected to pick up in China:

Skateboarding - aren't those kneepads awesome???

But I guess that's what happens when I befriend the owner of a snow and skateboard shop. Tuan is a really cool guy - he's an avid boarder on all turfs - snow, surf, and pavement.

So on Monday I learned how to stand on a skateboard, then how to go straight, then how to turn. I picked up a couple of simple tricks as well - maybe next time I'll learn to grind...

We went out for Korean afterward - not a bad way to spend an evening, huh?

It is Well

2007-05-04T14:51:00.000+08:00

Have you ever been completely at peace? I'm not just talking about the kind of contentment that comes after eating a good meal, or relieving yourself after a long car trip, or from napping in the grass on a sunny day after finishing a stressful exam. To be completely emotionally and spiritually at peace; no anxiety, no nagging ambition, no worries. A moment of this kind of peace – to be really satisfied with what is – is a gift from above.

My time in Beijing is nearly finished - I expect to return to Texas June 16th, and I am content with the way my time has been spent. My expectations for this year were not met - they have been exceeded a thousand-fold! This has been an incredibly full year, I could never have guessed that I would do the things I have done, see the places I have seen, and met some of the most incredible people there could possibly be. Life is full of surprises - you just have to be open to guidance from the one who directs our paths, and be ready for an adventure!

Day 3: Rainy Li River Cruise

2007-05-04T14:15:00.000+08:00

And still it rains...Not at all discouraged, Rahman and I signed up for an early morning river cruise. Adrianna opted to continue sleeping until 10:00 again! The scenery is ridiculously cool, the mountains look especially magical in a misty rain, but I do wish we could have seen the countryside in full sun at least once. I’ll just have to go back sometime!

There is one thing you should know about traveling in China. Most of the Chinese tourists have never left their own country, and many have never even seen anyone who is not Chinese - so they wanted pictures with us. The blond-headed Polish and German girls we met were also very popular with Chinese tourists.

These are the two best pictures I captured from the river cruise. (Above and Below)

This village’s architecture is much different from Beijing. Many of the buildings on this street are made of wood – while in Beijing all of the older buildings are of mud bricks or concrete. Makes for great pictures!
Life in busy, glitzy, polluted Beijing can be a love-hate relationship, but I really fell for sleepy rural China.

Beautiful

2007-05-04T14:04:00.000+08:00

Yangshuo is one of the most beautiful places on earth. This is the only place I have come while in China which I really want to go back to. I love these mountains.

This place is even on their money!

Spelunking

2007-05-04T13:32:00.000+08:00

Cooking kept me occupied all morning, but the rain still wouldn’t stop! So Rahman, Adrianna, and I went cave-diving – good in all weather, yea?

Chinese Cooking Class

2007-05-04T09:03:00.000+08:00

So the three of us are in a Chinese wonderland and the weather will not cooperate. I love rain; it has a very soothing effect on me – especially in the morning when rain drops are falling against the window and among the leaved in the trees. However, we were all really hoping to some hard-core biking and hiking on day two, so what do three travelers do on a rainy day in Yangshuo? Well, Adrianna and Rahman slept in until ten-o-clock and I spent all morning learning to cook Chinese food from the chef across the street.

Cooking class was loads of fun! First, we took a trip to the local outdoor market to stock up on ingredients. Chinese markets are not for the faint of heart! In addition to fruits, veggies, and spices, they merchants sell live animals and fish, which they slaughter for their buyers on the spot. I saw a dog die, I didn’t take pictures because it turned my stomach and somehow, snapping photos of the dying animal seemed immoral at the time.

Rats on a String!

All in all – the market was fascinating. I hope I don’t gross you out too much!

Back at the hotel, I and a few other eager tourists learned to make fried dumplings, a Chinese salad, a pork stir-fry dish, and a duck dish. The food was excellent, and the company was good as well.

If we are lucky – I might have a chance to cook Chinese food for you sometime!

Sojourn in Yangshuo, Day 1

2007-05-01T21:51:00.000+08:00

Three (consecutive) days off!!! What is a man to do with so much time on his hands? A. Catch up on some much needed sleep. B. Go out to chase women and get drunk for three nights straight. C. Grab two buds and fly to southern China for the weekend. Knowing me, which am I more likely to choose? (Answer C.)

Rahman, Adrianna, and I vacationed in Yangshuo which is known for its unique, and beautifully verdant mountains. This "backpacker's paradise" is one of the most gorgeous places in all of China.

I have been itching to get outside of the city for a while now. Yangshuo is terrifically rural - rice farmers work the land between the mountains and quaint little villiages line the Li and Yulong rivers. Rural China is beautiful, and much more what we traditionally think of as "China" and "Chinese culture." No tall flashy buildings, gaudy neon signs, traffic jams, or Mongolian hookers here - Yangshuo is not preparing for the Olympics or trying to attract foriegn investment. Everything feels refreshingly genuine and muhch more relaxed.

Even the air is clean there! Breathing has never been so enjoyable - for one weekend we exchanged smoggy, dry, stench-filled Beijing atmosphere for cool, moist, southern mountain air. It was euphoric.

I found the black and white setting on my camera, so I thought I'd give it a go. Toward the evening my color pictures were coming blurry or dark because of the evening light. All of the pictures from this post are taken outside of our hotel in the mountains.

Me and a cute kid striking a typical Chinese picture pose.

Rahman demonstrating what we hoped to get from this trip: rest and relaxation!

Camp(s)

2007-04-24T20:25:00.000+08:00

During the weekend, I am usually seeking out new adventures in new places, fratenizing with friends, or just kicking back to relax and recover from a long work week. Call me crazy, but this past week I volunteered my time to be a youth camp counselor. Looking after high school and middle school kids is full of adventure, but definately not relaxing!

My high school kids, two weeks ago.

My middle school kids, last weekend

What youth camp would be complete without... face painting?

Girls look cuter with face-paint than guys.

Case-in-point: me, Sam, and two of my boys.

John and Joe, the BICF youth pastor, and inspiration for the famous JOreo flurry.

Keeping with the food theme, these are some kids at my workshop with un-labeled cans of food. The lesson was that you can't judge a person's value by looks, skills, or social grace (outward appearance.) These cans of various shapes and sizes contained condensed soup, tomato paste, fruit, carrots, and cat food. The kids had the option of eating whatever was in their can. : )

Dinner!

I can eat ANYTHING with chopsticks. Finger-food is no more!

Texans in Beijing

The great outdoors

This is what happens when you make a group of kids eat without their hands...

Aren't they cute?

Susan (forground) and Jay being expressive for the camera

Conner, my craziest middle schooler, being subdued by Rich, our Englishman.

Blocked!!!

2007-04-09T22:00:00.000+08:00

I complained once about being blocked from seeing my own website, and it has happened again! I have been able to post, but not to view my blog for the last month. I don't know what the problem is, but the government does still have very strong control over information and media in this country. If any pictures seem out of place, or any words misspelled, please forgive me, I can't see them

Best wishes to all!

The Iron Chef

2007-04-09T21:46:00.000+08:00

It is the little things in life. : ) On Wednesday, I arranged to cook a meal - for the first time since I left the USA - at my frend's apartment. The end product actually turned out to be a very good bowl of Northern-style Italian Spaghetti with olive oil instead of tomato sauce. I impressed even myself, and my three friends liked it well enough to allow me to cook again this coming Wednesday. The requested cuzine for the evening is... Greek! I have eaten plenty of it but never cooked in Greek before. Should be fun, and if things turn out badly, we can always order Chinese delivery!

That's me in a apron re-discovering how fun it is to wield a meat cleaver!

I and my host, my meal served four eventually, but the other two didn't show up until late.

Sunday, April 1st: Remember the Sabbath Day...

2007-04-01T23:30:00.000+08:00

My day of REST! After church and a youth leader’s meeting in preparation for the spring youth camp, I have been blogging all day at the hotel and that, my dear reader, is where you find me now. I hope you have enjoyed the pictures and stories from the past week. I’ll try to blog more regularly so I don’t have to spew out weeks worth of events all in the same afternoon. I just didn’t have a single spare hour this week! Peace and God bless, may your life be full and your friends close!

- Nathan

PS - Just for the record, I'll most probably be back in Texas this June!

Saturday, March 31st: Passover Sader

2007-04-01T22:43:00.000+08:00

Monday is Passover, but for convenience sake, the Schultz household celebrated Passover Sader yesterday, Saturday evening. Everyone was invited (really!) There were more than thirty people plus all of the food and drink we could want packed into that one apartment. Gabriel and Julie (our hosts) did a terriffic job demonstrating and teaching us the significance of the traditions of the passover meal. A picture is worth a thousand words, and I have a thousand pictures from the night (leant Simon my camera, and he went wild with it) which means I shouldn't have to write anything more about last night. Enjoy the pictures!

That's Simon and his girlfriend, Joy.

Five of us went to a local bar where our friend and co-worker DJ's on Saturday nights. His pay? Free food and drinks for him and his friends!

The artist at work.

Friday, March 30th: Of Joe and Ice Cream

2007-04-01T22:41:00.000+08:00

“Re-Generation” and Peter’s Tex Mex Again! The Youth Leaders are well known at Pete’s. I had was a J-Oreo flurry (pronounced JOE-reo and named after Joe Johnson, the church youth pastor / smoothie genius.) The J-Oreo is basically an Oreo flurry with Butterfinger and pistachios. “J-Oreo Flurry” is not on the menu, but they'll make it and every time I or my friends order one the little Chinese waitress breaks out into a big grin! Guanxi is so much fun!

Thursday, March 29th: Fast Friends

2007-04-01T22:39:00.000+08:00

Thursday night home group Bible study is great. Everyone changes so fast here. I’ve had the privilage of seeing many of our girls and guys grow by leaps and bounds. We’ve had some deaths in the family, a baby was born, several engagements, and couples growing closer to each other as they grow in faith. There have been prolongued sicknesses, career changes, business and family trauma, and Chinese language finals to pray for. We have become quite a tight-knit group and the guys especially are a huge encouragement and a terriffic example of Christian businessmen and family-men living abroad.

Wednesday, March 28th

2007-04-01T22:29:00.000+08:00

Rode my bike to the Beijing University of Chemical Technology to meet up with a friend of a friend who is studying there. I really enjoyed being on a college campus again - the atmosphere is not much different from campuses in the states, only the students are all speaking Chinese. My friend and I ate dinner on campus at the dining hall and hung out in his dorm room looking at pictures and telling stories all evening. I promised him I'd take him out for Texas food next weekend, at Tim's Texas BBQ. Should be fun!

Tuesday, March 27th: We be Jammin'

2007-04-01T22:26:00.000+08:00

I am taking guitar lessons every Tuesday and progressing quite well! A friend from church, Daniel is teaching me. He is a teriffic teacher, and quite a slave driver sometimes too. I'll be rockin' by the time I get back home!

Monday, March 26th: Get Ziggy With It!

2007-04-01T21:42:00.000+08:00

Went to an awesome concert with some of my buds from work. Ziggy Marly was in top shape preforming his and his dad’s best all night.

Wes was all punked out for the show...

And pimped out!

Sunday, March 25th: Forbidden Friends

2007-04-01T20:45:00.000+08:00

Today was the most beautiful weather of the year so far! I took full advantage by biking all the way to the Forbidden City to meet up with Sam, my new friend I had just met on Friday. I needed a Chinese guide in the Forbidden city, or I would not have appreciated it nearly as much. Once I've seen one old Chinese building, I feel like I've seen them all, but the history of the place is quite interesting. So Sam and I wandered around talking Chinese history, politics, and more reigion.

Sam's perspective is unique because he grew up in China, but worked in America for more than a decade. He has a local's insider's view of Chinese history, culture, and politics, but he has also picked up a little Western perspective and is willing to think critically about his country. Most other Chinese I've talked to are still very slow to critisize anything Chinese, wether politics, cultural nuances, or even the food. : ) Chinese are very nationalistic that way, and especially if they have never left China, seem to think in the backs of their minds that everything they have (including the political system) is, or soon will be, the best - or at least better than in the USA...

So Sunday was an awesome time, and going out with Sam's friends for Xian soup dinner was a terriffic end to the day. Enjoy the pics!

Mass Transit in Beijing

"Hey! Look at the American with a camera on his bicycle!"

Pi zi hota

Old School

Golden Years

Mao is watching You...

So is this (very bored) Chinese guard

This is one big chunk of jade

Lots of gold and pearls on these daggars

Two guys hand-washing thousands of roof tiles one by one...

Kites in Tienanmen Square

Saturday, March 24th: Birthdays!

2007-04-01T20:25:00.000+08:00

On Saturday I helped to celebrate late two of my co-workers' birthdays with Mexican food and Margharitas late into the night. Pictures coming soon, hopefully. : )

Friday, March 23rd: "Re-Generation"

2007-04-01T19:48:00.000+08:00

I’ve been helping out with my international church’s youth group, “Re-Generation,” for over a month now. This has been by far the most rewarding of my endeavors in Beijing. The kids are awesome – a hodge-podge ex-pat crowd of middle and high schoolers from all different countries. These guys are so cool because they are able to adapt to new situations and make new friends very easily. They have opened up to me quickly and made me feel needed and included as a part of the group. Though the kids may not realize it, I often feel like I am the one being ministered to instead of the other way around! This is why youth group is so rewarding.

All of the other youth leaders are way beyond cool. You have seen pictures in previous blog postings when we hung out on Chinese New Year and Valentines Day. They all have such clear values and vision for their immediate futures. My values are solid like a rock, but vision? Psshh! I couldn’t even tell you what I will eat for breakfast tomorrow, much less what continent I will be on three months from now...

Anyway, the “Re-Generation” of Friday, March 23^rd, was really cool. Joe Jackson, the youth pastor, gave a good, really deep lesson to the kids and we all had lots of fun besides playing games and hanging out, etc. I went out to eat Italian food afterward with one of Joe’s friends who had come to visit “Re-Gen” that night, and got to talk/defend “religion” with one of Joe’s friend’s friends, Sam. We actually hit it off quite well, and I ended up hanging out with Sam again all afternoon on Sunday!

Coming Soon...

2007-03-31T17:14:00.000+08:00

I realize that the last post left y'all hanging a bit, so I'll try to make up for my virtual silence over the next few days! My week has definately not been quiet - this has been THE most eventful week thus far. I will have to report on every single day... but I don't have time right now. : ) Prepare for a blogging torrent tomorrow - I am off to celebrate Passover Sader with a Messianic Jewish family this evening!

- Nathan

Coming Home?

2007-03-05T20:32:00.000+08:00

On Friday, the Employee relations guy called me into his office and gave me an ROF notice (ROF stands for Reduction of Force.) This means that my contract was being cut short – because rebar is almost done, not because I am a poor worker – and I would be returning home 45 days after recieving the notice. Now there are three dates at work here: my end of contract date (EOC), my 330 days tax exemption milestone (330), and my ROF date. My ROF was set for April 14^th, My 330 is May 10^th, and my original EOC is June 15^th. Going home before my 330 would disqualify me for the overseas tax exemption (which is bad,) but I would get to go home much earlier than originally planned, (which is good.)

So on Saturday evening I got to call the fam and tell them that I was coming home in April, exciting, huh? However, today my superintendent (my boss’ boss) told me that they ROF’d me without his knowing and he managed to get it reversed because he wanted to keep me around, so I would definately make it all the way until my EOC. I had just gotten kinda excited about going home, and now I have to stay in China again! See what I get for being such a dependable worker? So now I have to call mom tonight and tell her to scratch all of the vacation and study abroad plans we had come up with two nights ago – I’m going to stay in China! (Maybe.) Which, after all, isn’t really that bad – I do make a lot more money this way, I get to learn a new trade, and I have more time now to invest in what I wanted to accomplish before I leave here. Haven’t really learned much Chinese yet...

I’m still having fun in the Far East, and still making the most of every moment! See you... well, I don’t know when, but sometime!

It’s (Still...) Chinese New Year!

2007-03-05T20:27:00.000+08:00

Ok, so these are pictures taken of the lantern festival, which is the last stage of the Chinese New Year celebration, which is now well into its third week. Fireworks are still going off! But I think that last night was the grand finale (we’ll see tonight.) I went to the festival with Matt, from work, and my old Chinese teacher, who is his new Chinese teacher! The lantern festival, in theory, would have been a really fun time, but winds were gusting around 40 miles an hour, and it was sooo cooold!!! We did have fun, but it was a kind of hurried fun. We walked briskly through the sights, took some good pictures, and then went to Peter’s Tex-Mex for dinner and hot chocolate. Here are the results of my trip to the lantern festival. Brrrr!!!

Let it Snow!

2007-03-05T20:03:00.000+08:00

I’ve told you before that Beijing is a crazy place... December and January were freezxing cold and very dry, but February was really pretty decent weather. Then Saturday was somewhat warm and rainy all day and in the evening a freak cold front moved through and turned all of that rain into snow! The snow fell all night and through Sunday morning. I had the second, and biggest, snowball fight of my life in front of the church yesterday! I’d like to think I gave better than I got, but this Houston Texan is about as good in a snowball fight as he is at any other winter sport.

So our first real snow finally came in March. It’s still on the ground in most places, but some of it has melted away. I discovered that working in the snow is much more fun than in the rain, but working in the sun when it is 90 degrees outside is best of all!

Enjoy the pictures! Some are taken in the park across from my hotel, and some are taken of a Chinese neighborhood I rode my bike through on my way to church. The Chinese kids are my favorite – some are bundled up so tight it looks like they can barely move!

Seeing Red

2007-02-22T22:44:00.000+08:00

Let me clarify: Saturday was Chinese New Year’s Eve and Sunday was New year’s Day. Unfortunately, my employer has no respect for the local cultural holidays – we worked Saturday and Sunday. But I’ve never been one to let work get in the way of life. : )

As I said in the last entry, I stayed out all night Saturday watching fireworks and just went into work Sunday morning without sleep. I was suprisingly functional all day: after a productive morning’s work, I went to church, then to lunch, then to a New Year’s festival at Ditan Park (the temple of the moon) then back to a friend’s apartment to watch Madagascar. Since waking un on Saturday morning at 5:40 AM, I didn’t crash until 10:30 Sunday night.

Loosing a little sleep was definately worth it though. These two days were some of the most fun I have has since I arrived here. Of course fireworks were awesome, but the festival at Ditan was also lots of fun – even more than I had expected. This festival was nothing extraordinary – not much different from a county fair back home, but it was a great excuse for a group of twenty-something adults to all act a little silly together (see pictures below.)

Dressing the Part

Didn't quite taste as good as it looked...

Carnival Games!

My Prize: Little Bubu!

Happy New Year!!!

2007-02-22T22:23:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year’s Eve is just about the biggest party in this hemisphere. I had a blast!!! Traditionally, Chinese will return to their hometowns to reunite with their families for a few weeks during the new year. To celebrate, besides downing lots of rice wine and eating lots of dumplings, they also shoot off loads of fireworks everywhere, even in the cities. I have never seen a display like that night, and probably never will again. Even as I write this, I can see fireworks outside of my window: Chinese New Year lasts more than a week, and constantly every night, (and day) fireworks are exploding all around.

Chinese fireworks are awesome! For one, they are real cheap by American standards – I payed 380 RMB (USD $47.50) to fill a duffel bag with sparklers, roman candles, screamers, missils, black cats, and a few middle sized rockets. These fireworks were more than worth it! I set them off with some friends from church near the hotel and then some of us bummed around the city all night just watching the incredible display. Enjoy the pictures!

I will Serenade You!

2007-02-22T22:04:00.000+08:00

I was roped into celebrating Valentines Day last week (it was actually quite fun!) I’ve got a good group of young singles friends at church, and the girls planned a girls’ night out on Wednesday. Well, long story short, the guys crashed girls’ night. We made a grand entrance – boquets of roses and random seranading were quite popular with the ladies. So Valentines Day was great! Good food and great company go a long way for me.

The Barber-shop Quintet in action!

Rich and I trying our damdest to look cute.

Yea!

"Real China"

2007-02-22T21:58:00.000+08:00

What is real and what is fake? This is a question that every visitor asks when they first come to China. Are the watches real? (no) Are the Northface jackets real? (no) Is the shoe leather real? (probably not) Is the Jade real? (probably not) The movies? (definitely bootlegged) The food? (most cooks don’t have a license.) The mixed drinks? (You ever tasted rubbing alcohol?)

Most name brand and copyrighted merchandise is ripped off here, but what about the history and culture, the people, and the national spirit – surely these are more representative of what is “real” in this country. Well, my friend’s chauffer complains that professional beggars make more money than he does (and have better cell phones.) The wealthy drive brand new (always black) Mercedes, Mazzarattis, and Beamers and the not so rich drive hand-me-down bikes which look 100 years old. Official policy levies fines against public spitting, but I still see small children crapping on the sidewalks. Official policy also bans prostitution, but scores can be found outside our hotel (and inside) on any given day. The weather is awful, except when the government shuts down its factories and regulates traffic to reduce pollution when important foreign dignitaries come to visit (best weather I have seen so far was during the big Sino-Africa economic conference here in Beijing.) Flashy, modern commercial buildings, apartments, and restaurants line the main streets of Beijing, but one has to wonder how many years these hastily constructed structures will last. Only a little way off of the beaten path, modernity gives way to much dingier streets with ancient houses crowded together, or, becoming more and more common, tall and efficient economy housing complexes.

So what is “Real” China? Is it the bustling modern city or the traditional neighborhoods? The politics, the economy, or the traditional culture? My answer is: I don’t know. Reality in China for the Chinese people cannot be defined in terms of wealth, because there are many thousands of wealthy who have very much, but countless millions who have almost nothing of material value, and these classes experience two completely different worlds. Likewise, China cannot be defined simply in terms of culture because there are so many people groups here with such radically different histories and traditional values. China does not even have a unifying language (though this is changing.) The common man in Beijing cannot communicate with the common man in Shanghai, or Hong Kong, or Xian, or Lhasa, or anyone outside of the Northeastern provinces. The political system cannot even show us what “Real” China is, because an un-representative government does not necessarily reflect the desires and needs of the majority of Chinese.

What is “Real” China? It’s funny; I found out that some of my Chinese friends are also wondering the same thing! To answer the question, I dunno, and I guess the Chinese don’t either. Only time will tell what role this still relatively newly independent nation, and even newer economic giant will play on the world stage, and also which roles its people will play and what their values will become.

Beijing itself reminds me of an impatient adolescent child. The city is growing and modernizing very quickly, but in many ways its people have not all quite caught up, and there are still quite a few rough spots: this adolescent has acne, its voice cracks sometimes, and it even smells funny. But acting as a witness to this growth is fascinating, and I am glad to be here to see Beijing’s awkward stage as it prepares for summer ’08.

Groovy

2007-02-07T21:07:00.000+08:00

I just got back from the most awesome two-day weekend ever! We had two days off for the Super Bowl, which showed at 7:00 AM Monday morning in China, but I didn't watch the game, I went snow boarding instead!

Me, Stephen, Chris, and Jason (left to right) headed for the slopes of Wan Lan, one of China's finest ski resorts, about 4 hours outside of Beijing. Wan Lan has nothing on any of the resorts in Colorado, or New Mexico, or Utah, my friends tell me, but it was still beautiful and tons of fun! The time I went boarding on Christmas day I spent more time on my arse than on my feet, but now I feel much more confident and I made most of my runs on Monday without wiping out once.

Snowboarding is counter-instinctive. Nothing was clicking when I went on Christmas day. This is what happened: When I am sliding down a mountainside on a piece of plastic I cannot control which might flip me at any second, I want to start off slow. I also want to keep from being flipped, or at least when I do, to keep it from hurting very much. Instinct told me to lean backward, so that I fall to the rear an not flat on my face, but in order to go slowly I have to be able to cut in and out by turning, and to turn a snowboard, I has to keep my weight on my front foot, but I was afraid of falling on my face, so I leaned backward, and just kept sliding faster and faster, until I either lost control and wiped out, or gave up trying to control this piece of plastic with a mind of its own, and sat down to stop of my own accord.

This weekend though, I finally started to trust my board to do what it is supposed to when I do what I am supposed to... and snowboarding is so much fun! I don't know when my next opportunity will be, either here or back in the states, but I can't wait to get out there again!

Afterward: Taking it all in

2007-01-17T21:27:00.000+08:00

I needed this trip to Israel. The country is a very exciting place, in a much different way than Beijing. Those ten days were fast paced and eventful, but in spite of the rush I left physically, mentally, and spiritually restored. I feel more alive now than I did before

Em and I enjoyed Greece at a much slower pace, the way that country ought to be seen. Those days in Greece gave me a chance to rest and reflect like I have not been able to in ages, maybe since before my college years.

Now I am re-charged and ready to make the most of the rest of my time in Beijing. I do not know what these next five months will bring, but somehow I do not think it will be more of the same. So come what may, the night is still young. Life, I'll have another round!

Speaking of which... as soon as I came back I found out that my crew will be working mandatory overtime and Sundays. This is more than 75 hours a week. (In seven days, there are only 168 total hours.) My uplifted spirit is going to be tested by an unrelenting daily grind for the foreseeable future. However, every cloud has a silver lining - I'm making pretty good money.

Five months 'til Texas. Can't wait!

Yeehaw!

Another Week Away

2007-01-16T22:08:00.000+08:00

After Israel, my parents had to return home to work, but my sister and I hopped across the Mediterranean for one more week of vacation in Greece. We were very lucky with the weather; afternoon temperatures climbed into the 70's and the lows never fell below freezing while we were there. Athens and the surrounding landscape is gorgeous. I cannot remember the last time i saw greener hills, a crystal calm sea, and such deep blue skies.

The Greeks are very proud of their country and its ancient history. The locals we ran across in restaurants and shops were also very friendly: they love to talk, they love their food, and they love to talk about food. Greek advice, on just about anything and everything, is freely given. Emily and I were advised about the pros and cons of various local cuisines, museums, date spots, politics (American and Greek) and when/where one can find an organized student protest against the government.

Emily and I visited a lot of old temples and saw the best museum in the world (so now I don't have to see any more of them!) During our last three days, we took a bus tour through the oldest, and some of the most beautiful, regions of Greece: Corinth, Mycenae, Arcadia, Olympia, and Delphi.

Delphi was my favorite, because the contemporary village is quiet, nestled among imposing olive-tree-covered mountains, and still within sight of the Ionian Sea. Em and I did not have time for an island cruise, which is what everyone who is anyone should do while in Greece - and we missed out! I guess there is always... next time?

Temple of Zeus with Acropolis in the background.

The Oracle at Delphi

Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon
"Aww," at Sounion

A Week Away

2007-01-16T20:49:00.000+08:00

Well, I'm back in Beijing! Sorry to those of you who never knew that I left! I meant to mention (before the fact) that I was taking a two week vacation. I did not go home, but met with my family in an entirely different part of the world. We traveled to Israel, and then to Greece.

How was the trip? This is a question I could spend months answering. Israel is an amazing country. Barely the size of the state of Delaware, this place has a richer history and culture, and a more beautiful and diverse people and landscape than most anywhere in the world. The weather was nice too, 40 - 75 degrees the whole time I was there, and clear skies except for a small shower as we drove trough the Jordan river valley.

What did I do for ten days in Israel? Well, I flew to Tel-Aviv, toured Roman and Crusader ruins along the Mediterranean Sea, stood on Mt. Carmel, walked through the Valley of Armageddon, sailed the Sea of Galilee, drove through the Golan Heights and the West Bank, was dunked in the Jordan River, heard a sermon on a mount, floated in the Dead Sea, drifted through the Holocaust Museum, prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, cried out at the wailing wall, photographed the Dome of the Rock, visited a hill shaped like a skull, and saw the empty tomb... I could go on.

Having been there I now have a better understanding of the stories of the Bible. All of those places are real. The history of Christianity, and the history of the world takes on a whole new light in this context. This visit also gave me a much better insight into the conflicts of our time in the Middle East. I could write on and on, but I will let these pictures speak volumes instead.For those who have never seen Roman ruins before...

GI Girls

New Year's Eve at the Wailing Wall

Local Wildlife

The Sea of Galilee

Garden of Gethsemane

Amen

Wanna-Be-Boarders

2006-12-26T13:21:00.000+08:00

I went snow-boarding on Christmas Eve and had an awesome time! Nan-shan park is not very big, and the more experienced skiers said that the runs were nothing like Colorado, California, and New Mexico, but they were definately more than I, a first timer, could handle. Like I said, I had a blast, but my body has not been this banged-up since my highschool football days... and it hurts to sit down. Here are some pictures from the trip:

Santa Clause is Coming...

2006-12-26T13:18:00.000+08:00

Here I am shaking hands with our very festive and beloved project manager, Lynn Manks. The company treated us to beer and pizza at the end of our last day of work before Christmas.

2006-12-26T12:45:00.000+08:00

I made another trip to the Temple of Heaven last weekend with Rahman, Rett, and Jason. This one was a little bit less chill than my last trip; it was as low as 25 degrees outside, half of us didn’t dress appropriately, and we all wanted to be finished before the sun went down and it got REALLY cold.

I took fewer pictures, but I like more of them, I think after three years of taking digital pictures I am finally getting over my photomania and am getting a higher percentage of good shots.

The Echo Wall was open this time; it was under construction for most of the fall. The structure itself was not as visually impressife as the Harvest Temple, but the Echo wall itself was pretty sweet. The chinese built this perfectly circular wall out of acoustic stones which can funnel a normal speaking voice from one side to the other. Two people twenty yards apart can have a normal conversation as if they are standing right beside each other. Of course, when unabashed tourists start shouting “Niii – Haaao!!!” at each other, it kinda ruins the experience for everyone.

On a lighter note, the gargoyle statue inspired a touristy-goofyness in us, the results of which are as follows:

It is not wise to feed or to tease the Chinese gargoyles; they might get angry

If you do have an angry gargoyle on your hands, don't back down.

"No Burning" is permitted within the temple grounds or...

You just might have an angry human on your hands, and he's more dangerous than the gargoyle.

: )

Still having fun over here,
-Nathan

News Boys Concert!

2006-12-26T12:39:00.000+08:00

The News Boys came through Beijing on their Asian Believers tour. “Shine” and “Breakfast in Hell” took me back to my middle school days, and there were some new songs that I really liked.

The Crowd

The Crew

Engaged!

2006-12-10T18:04:00.000+08:00

No not me. Our friend Stephen Potter proposed to his girlfriend/fiancee when she came to Beijing this Thanksgiving. He proposed on top of the bell tower overlooking the forbidden city right before they met up with their parents at the great wall (She said yes, kissed him, etc.) Last week we, the bachelors, celebrated by treating Steve (middle-left wearing a white shirt) to dinner at Pete's Tex -Mex. Cheers!

2006-12-09T21:30:00.000+08:00

Here are just a few more random Hong Kong pictures, but this time, I'll leave their explainations to your imagination. Enjoy!

Welcome to Paradise

2006-12-05T21:32:00.000+08:00

My third full day in Hong Kong was spent on the island of Lantau in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Lantau is maybe three times the size of Honk Kong Island with less than 1/300th the population. This island is one gorgeous collage of beautiful beaches and imposing mountains. I could have spent a month here just hiking the mountain trails and lounging on beaches.

I have spent too much time in the big city, it was really really good - physically, mentally, and spiritually - to breathe the fresh air and stretch my legs again. That, and I love the humidity! After living in Beijing, which is on the brink of the Gobi desert, this native Houstonian was happy to visit a place where I don't have to apply lotion and chapstick three times a day! God has placed us in a world with many many beautiful places. Beijing city just isn't one of these.

These first pictures are of a tiny fishing village - a quaint, beautiful place in the middle of nowhere. This place and its people are so down to earth, completely opposite of busy Hong Kong and a very hectic Beijing. No cars, no flashing city lights, no high-rise condos (unless you count those houses on stilts.) There is definitely something to be said for a simpler life.

The mountains were gorgeous, I don't have the words to describe how beautiful this island is - we rode a cab along the mountain ridge and every new cloudy peak, every new white-sand lagoon triggered shivers of excitement along my spine. This picture to the left was taken from the big Buddha statue (not shown) with Lantau peak in the background (934 meters, 364 feet tall.)

I climbed Lantau Peak in just under two hours late that evening just as the sun was setting and managed to climb back down before running completely out of daylight. I got a few good pictures with the "Wisdom Path" and the "Big Buddha" on the horizon, but my photography skills are insufficient to capture the full richness of the Hong Kong sunset playing among the mountains and reflecting off of the ocean below.

The weather at the peak was not cooperating though. I climbed into the middle of a cloud, as you can see from the pictures. The whole foggy haze/can't see anything effect was cool, but I couldn't see much past the fog from the peak and I got drenched by condensing water vapor. This was still the most rewarding mountain climb I have had to date. Lantau itself, as well as the whole of Hong Kong, is an amazing natural paradise. I would go back again in a heartbeat.

Cityscape

2006-12-05T21:09:00.000+08:00

The following are different views (on diferent evenings) of the most beautiful city skyline in the world; well, it beats Houston's anyway.

From Victoria Peak

From a Star Ferry Boat

Hong Kong Harbor from the suspension bridge

Out on the Town

2006-12-04T22:29:00.000+08:00

These pictures are from our first evening out in Hong Kong Thursday (Thanksgiving) night . We ate dinner on Victoria peak, the tallest mountain peak on hong Kong Island, a popular tourist stop which offers an incredible view of the city sky line.

Dinner was great, but the turkey, the stuffing, and the desserts (not to mention family) were absent. Our feast consisted of stuffed dove, french fries, a bottle of Australian wine, and lots of sea food.

Hong Kong is Jacki Chan's hometown, and he is a pretty big deal there. You can see me posing with a full scale model of the Kung Fu King himself. We also met up with an indian guy who os trying to bring Elvis' chops, his sideburns and 60's har back from the dead.

The Hong Kong Crew

2006-12-04T21:53:00.000+08:00

Four days off for Thanksgiving last week. I knew that I needed to escape from wintery, polluted Beijing so I, and five friends, ran south to Hong Kong for rest and relaxation in a tropical climate.

This is the motley crew in no particular order: Beau Johnson, Drew Jones, Jim Carlson, Ross Tisdale, Andrew Calwell, and myself. We are a bunch of characters! As you can tell, beards are still in at the end of No-Shave-November, and I am the only one out of style.

These pictures were taken while we were all waiting at the Beijing airport last Wednesday evening. Drew bore the brunt of much picture taking and jesting while he was asleep, but that's his problem for having a girlfriend and sacrificing valuable sleep for quality time with her before our trip. Maybe we are just all jealous

Photo-Journalism

2006-11-21T08:37:00.000+08:00

These are some pictures from my bike-ride this Sunday. Some Chinese may have been a bit perturbed by my drive-by photography, but I got some good pictures. Here's a look at some of the everyday things which are very common, but you won't see in the US of A.

Bikes!

Migrant Workers

Young communists

Chinese Pickup Truck

Cotton Market:

All

Counterfeit

Cotton Market:

Not

Counterfeit

Feels (and Tastes) Like Home

2006-11-21T07:25:00.000+08:00

This week, work has been very, very busy (tai mang.) Our supervisors have been really pushing for this section of the project to be finished so that a sub-contractor can come in and start doing their thing. Three work days out of five have been fourteen hours, I don't want to, and I don't think that there will be a justifiable reason to work over that late again for the remainder of my seven months here.

My fifth month in Beijing started on Friday; it feels like a long time, but at the same time not so long. I have almost spent a half year here, but that seems hard to believe – feels more like I just arrived here a month ago.

Just so you know, Tim Hilbert is God's culinary gift to Beijing and all of the Texans living here. He has brought the finest of fine Texas cuisine to the Far East. One of my friends who has been here for 324 days put it best when he said, "This' the first place tha's made me feels' if I's at home." Tim's Bar-B-Q is as authentic as it gets, with wood floors and paneling, a stuffed armadillo, Budweiser beer, good BBQ sauce, and even the plastic red-checkered table spreads. This place's atmosphere and its food would rank it among the great BBQ restaurants back home in College Station. I have been twice now, yesterday evening and Friday. On a side note, Tim said that if his restaurant is successful, the next step is to open up a Texas bar and dance establishment. It won't be a reality by the end of my contract, but maybe by the time I come back to Beijing... Whoop!

Yesterday was Tim's "Grand Opening" even though he has been serving food for two weeks and some of our guys have eaten there six times already. The place was packed with westerners because all of the food and beer was free. We left very full and happy, and some of us had more trouble with the stairs than others.

Change of gears now: An Aggie who graduated last Spring, stumbled upon a girlfriend here. Now lots of guys pick up girlfriends here, but this one is different. Sara is American, not of the Mongolian hooker variety, who has lived in China for a very long time. She has a very different, but good perspective on life – and I think he is head over heels crazy about her. They have been hanging out a lot for the past month, but only "officially" started dating yesterday, her birthday. Being a witness to this one "good" dating relationship is a refreshing contrast with the scores of one-night-stands that I see and hear of every week. Anything is possible with God, even in Beijing. : )

That intro segways into my last story about last night. After Tim's, I went back to the hotel and walked to "Club Nu" which I have never been to but is right around the corner from our hotel. Sara's dad organized a charity benefit for his orphanage there and invited two local artists to perform: Beijing's most renowned mandarin hip-hop artist and DJ. It was quite a party, the pictures will speak for themselves, but you can take whatever preconceptions you may have about charity events back home, and toss those out the window. This was quite a party.

Cold for a Texan

2006-11-13T21:14:00.000+08:00

Beijing is going to get very cold this winter. There have already been several days which the temperature has fallen below freezing. The wind is what can really make outside work miserable, though. When the wind here picks up, it tears right through the layers of clothing I have on and makes me feel like I am in shorts and a t-shirt. Fortunately, there have not been many days like this yet, but it is only November.

On to better news: I will be vacationing outside of China from December 26th to January 13th. I will be spending the harshest part of the winter in Israel and in Greece with my family! Only 44 more days, but who's counting? I can't wait!

Don't Eat the Fish!

2006-11-06T00:28:00.000+08:00

After Monday, I swore never again to eat seafood in this country. To make a long and painful story short, I ate some bad fish when I was in Tongzhuo and paid dearly for it. From about 10:00 PM Sunday evening until 4:00 AM Monday morning, I experienced the worse vomiting and diarrhea than I knew was possible. I checked myself into the Beijing United International Hospital at 5:00 AM where I rehydrated, recuperated, and rested for almost 12 hours. It was a humbling experience; I have never felt so physically weak and spent, and now I feel more grateful for life and good health than I have in quite a while. Don't worry Mom, I'm better now!

Tongzhou & The Lama Temple

2006-11-06T00:04:00.000+08:00

I have not posted in a while because I am having trouble logging on to blogger.com again. China may be blocking me again, or maybe my internet is just acting finicky again - a lot has happened since my last blog posting...

Took another marathon bike ride to Tongzhuo last Sunday, October 29th, to go touring with Cici, a random friend I made while getting lost last time I headed out that way. She's a lot of fun to hang out with. Like most Chinese students, she has learned a lot of English, but has little casual conversational practice with "native" English speakers. I think my Texan accent throws her off also. Some things are lost in translation, but we talked about a wide range of subjects: family, work, history, and politics, etc.

Last Sunday we spent the afternoon seeing the sights around the town, the coolest of which was the Lama temple. Some of Cici's explanation was lost in translation, but I gathered that a Dali-Lama died there and they built a large tower in his honor with a big stone statue inside and hundreds of thousands of bells under the eaves of the roof. The structure was interesting, and observing the superstitious rituals associated with it was even more fascinating.

Most Chinese I have run across profess to be atheist, but they are still very, very superstitious. There are lucky days, lucky names, lucky foods, lucky numbers, lucky stars (though probably fewer in smoggy Beijing than in other parts of China) and lucky rituals. One of these rituals revolves around the Lama tower. A pious pilgrim may have all of his (or her) wishes granted if they circle the tower and bow eight times (kinda wish getting that new Beemer was really that easy.) It seems strange to me that everyone does it, but so few claim to believe in a God.

Religion was one subject which Cici did not have an ounce of vocabulary for. She did not even understand the English words "religion," "Christian," "Bible," or "Jesus."

On the whole, we had a fabulous time! Cici treated me to dinner at a we went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. The food was good, but this 20 Quai all-you-can-eat seafood meal turned into a 120 US$ nightmare the following morning...

Spooky Americans

2006-11-05T23:34:00.000+08:00

Yes, the Chinese do celebrate Halloween - I saw Chinese children running around with little paper bags all night, but no one does costumes like Americans. These are a few photos of the best costumes at the Zachry party – mammogram man was my favorite! I'll let the rest speak for themselves.

The Weekend: Part Two

2006-10-25T19:25:00.000+08:00

Last time on Nathan’s blog, we left our hero snoozing peacefully in his hotel bedroom...

I think I could have slept well into Sunday afternoon, but the sunlight through my window woke me up at about 9:00. My first reaction was to roll over and get back to sleep, but then after a few more minutes it hit me... BRIGHT SUNLIGHT WAS COMING THROUGH MY WINDOW!

Now for you, dear reader, you may be fortunate to live in a place where the blessed sun comes up every morning, but for me, having seen in the four months I have been here only about as many sunny days as I have toes on my feet, sunlight filtering through the shades is big news. As tired as I was, I wasn’t about to waste good, wholesome daylight and fresh air sleeping inside my room, so I bounced out of bed, threw on some church clothes, packed a backpack for the day, and took off on my bike.

Church was great, but church is always great (Reference my previous post about the international church.) The message on Sunday was given by a Cantonese pastor in Mandarin and translated into English. His message was about the power of words, from the book of Proverbs. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Prov. 18:21) This was a message aptly timed, I needed to be reminded to be careful of words which can discourage and destroy – death – but I should also use the tongue’s power for encouragement – life – more often.

The weather was perfect for a long bike ride. I had not yet been to the University district on the opposite side of Beijing, about a 1.5 hour bike ride, so I took off in that direction. Lunch consisted of food-cart-fare: a crape-type thing with egg, onions, bread, and a hot-dog all folded together (3 Quai) which I ate on the road.

The university district looks and feels completely different from the rest of the city. The streets are clean, the buildings are modern and very nice, and the students are young, bright-eyed, and idealistic.

I rode through two campuses, pausing often to take in the scenery, poke my head into buildings, and talk to people. These pictures are of the International Language and Culture University, and of the famous Peking University, China’s Harvard and Yale. These two campuses are beautiful, and the feel riding around the place made me think of Texas A&M.

I cruised the University scene until about 3:30. Only about 15 minutes north of the universities is the Old Summer Palace, or Yuan Ming Yuan Park. Somehow I got lost and managed to turn a 15 minute ride into over an hour, but at that time the whole park was illuminated by the most beautiful sunset I have seen these four months in China. The ruins are European style, built hundreds of years ago by Jesuit architects for the Chinese empress. It was destroyed and never rebuilt by a British invasion of China in the late 1800’s, if my memory serves correct.

Tall American

This view alone was worth the 1.5 hour ride.

The Weekend: Part One

2006-10-25T18:42:00.000+08:00

Work on Saturday went very well. The day was very fast-paced, almost frantic because of a deadline we wanted to meet, but I like to work hard and I like to work fast. Weekends are not about work though; weekends are all about what happens after work, but a good day’s work is a good preface for a great weekend.

I had to ride my bike home in the rain, which was fun, but also cold and more challenging because I was dodging Chinese drivers and pedestrians while the roads were wet. I got to the hotel in good time, hopped in and out of the shower, ate some granola and read a book for an hour, then at 9:00, I caught a cab to Oktoberfest!

Oktoberfest is a German festival which has been around for a long time to commemorate I don’t know what, but like most German festivals it has evolved through the years to become a celebration of German culture and German beer. Lots of my co-workers were there, and we made the most of the evening.

Those of you who have tasted German house-brewed dark wheat beer should know that it is the best beer in the world. Dark beer is the only beer that I really like the taste of – others I just tolerate. In Germany, beer comes by the liter and is usually served room temperature with food. I had my liter with bratwurst, which was top grade. This is the best beer and sausage I’ve had since leaving Germany!

Anyways, the Germans at the Kipinski hotel delivered. The beer and sausage was at its finest, and there was also German folk dancing. I tore up the dance floor with one of the better looking beer maids. It’s pretty cool that speaking German comes in handy even in China!

When the Oktoberfest evening wound to a close, I and my buddies said Aufwiederzehn to Oktoberfest and the beer maids and went to Bar Blue to check out the late-night social scene (see pictures.) There, I struck up a random conversation with a Canadian pothead and his Chinese-Canadian girlfriend. You can meet all kinds in Beijing... and no, I did not partake of the narcautics My friends ditched me while I was talking with the Canadians, so I took a cab home relatively early (about 2:30 AM) and fell fast asleep. Not a bad end to a Saturday night out.

Strengths

2006-10-20T21:31:00.000+08:00

I learned a lot about myself today. I took a test today, a personality test. Fortunately the results came back positive. : )

Some of you may have heard about Gallup's Strength Quest; I took the online test once before beginning college and it was interesting to see the constant themes and changes in my strengths and tendencies since then. The Bible study I am involved in is encouraging all of its members to take this same test to discover which gifts are strongest and how they can best be used to serve the Lord. Here are my results:

The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?" This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path-your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: "What if?" Select. Strike.

Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself. And by "every day" you mean every single day-workdays, weekends, vacations. No matter how much you may feel you deserve a day of rest, if the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, you will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside you. It pushes you to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will always be with you. As an Achiever you must learn to live with this whisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. It brings you the energy you need to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count on to get you started on new tasks, new challenges. It is the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for your work group. It is the theme that keeps you moving.

You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered-this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences-yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the "getting there."

If you possess a strong Belief theme, you have certain core values that are enduring. These values vary from one person to another, but ordinarily your Belief theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and to value responsibility and high ethics-both in yourself and others. These core values affect your behavior in many ways. They give your life meaning and satisfaction; in your view, success is more than money and prestige. They provide you with direction, guiding you through the temptations and distractions of life toward a consistent set of priorities. This consistency is the foundation for all your relationships. Your friends call you dependable. "I know where you stand," they say. Your Belief makes you easy to trust. It also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. Your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. And guided by your Belief theme it will matter only if it gives you a chance to live out your values.

Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable. When assigning new responsibilities, people will look to you first because they know it will get done. When people come to you for help-and they soon will-you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should.
One theme which did not show up on my top five again was Includer: one who wants to make others feel involved and valued, and Analytical: one who searches for patterns and connections. I hope that I still possess those characteristics, even if they are not quite as strong in this season of my life. The new themes are Learner and Responsibility. Strategic, Achiever, and Belief have remained constant, and have even kept the same order.

For those of you who know me, maybe you can see how these fit. For those of you who don't, I wonder what kind of person you think I am now? These statistics help to describe why I act and think in certain ways, but they still fall far short of painting a complete picture of the person.

Hope you enjoyed this one!

Nathan

Randomized News

2006-10-18T18:31:00.000+08:00

So let me think, what’s new...

Only just this month, I abandoned the hotel’s meal plan and have begun collecting my per-deim. Because I need to find new, more creative modes of eating than walking to the downstairs resteraunt, I stepped out on a limb went shopping for groceries last week. I’ve had cerial or granola for breakfast and, if I feel like staying in during the evening, a peanut butter sandwhich or eating-out-leftovers for dinner. Yesterday, I ran out of milk and bread, so I had to get creative. Before going to bed I fixed myself a bowl of dry shredded wheat cerial topped with peanut butter and jelly. Bachelors have to eat something, you know. Gross, you say? The taste wasn’t half bad - don’t hate until you try it yourself!

I went for a long bike ride this Sunday. Left at three, got back at eight. I struck out east, rode clear out of Beijing and into Tongzuo – the next town over. Tongzuo was a really nice place, it reminded me of the suburbs back home. Everything was a little bit cleaner, and the people were dressed a little bit nicer than the average Joe in the big city. There was very very little English there. I saw no other white people the whole day, which meant I did get to practice my Chinese. I got quite a few stares too, which I am used to by now. The pace of life seemed less frantic than in Beijing, I will probably visit again soon. There is also a villiage of “starving artists” in that area who left Beijing’s reckless atmosphere to be in the countryside and do artsey things together. They sound like cool people, and I do have a penchant for paintings.

So I have decided that Chinese people are really cool. The stories that I heard about Chinese people treating foriegners with respect and genorosity are true when you get away from the areas where foriegners live. Maybe there are just too many ugly Amerians and pushy Europeans in this city with too much money, and the locals have gotten too used to exploiting us. In Tonzuo, I enjoyed being stared at and being treated otherwise as a novelty. One older woman just went crazy when I said “Nie Hao” (Hello.) “Your Chinese is SOOO good!” she gushed (in Chinese, of course.) “Yea right,” I thought to myself, but just smiled and “xie xie nie”d her, at which I got another bubbly outpour of excited exclaimations at my “perfect” Chinese, which was encouraging. There are still those Chinese on the street, though, who stare blankly when I try communicating with them. For some reason they just don’t recognize their native tongue. They must think that I am just speaking to them in very bad English or Russian or something.

What else is new... I’ve been doing a little office work recently. It’s kinda wierd having work both in the field and in the office. It’s like you never really know what is going on in either, but you do know more about both than the other guys. I like it though, I get to meet new people and do new things. Wish I didn’t have to be so vague, because I really like my work, though I would like to spend more time doing other things besides work while I am in China.

The days are getting colder and the days shorter. I am wearing long sleeves every day now, but no freezing temperatures yet. It gets dark about 5:15 now. I am still riding my bike to and from work in the cold. Some of my friends are beginning to think I am crazy - maybe I'm just stubborn!

Peace,
Nathan

Special Best Friend Price

2006-10-08T18:56:00.000+08:00

According to some report I saw somewhere, Beijing is one of the most expensive cities in the world. How can the majority of 10.9 million Chinese people afford to live here making only a hundred dollars a month? There is a huge price gap between what I have been calling “Western Prices” and “Chinese Prices.” Some people can spend $1000 US here in one week, but I’ve gone the whole day and only spent 20 RMB ($2.25 US) on food. Here is a random list of things I have bought since I have been here. Some have been rip-offs, and some have been great buys! Some good quality and some bad. I have not made any frivolous purchases though – see for yourself!

(8 RMB = 1 US$ || 1 RMB = .125 US)

Pack of Beijing post cards: 30 RMB
Chinese Children’s book (Chinese and English): 6 RMB
Legitimate Massage: 120 RMB

Fajita Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe: 140 RMB
Pizza at Frank’s: 80 RMB
Sushi Plate for Two: 40 RMB
½ Roast Duck: 38 RMB
Noodle Soup: 6 RMB
Sweet and Sour Pork at “The Crawfish Hole”: 8 RMB
Dinner from Road Carts: 2 - 4 RMB

Grape Nuts Cerial at Jenny Lou’s: 45 RMB
Milk: 15 MB
Cerial Bowl: 8 RMB
Fork, Knife, Spoon set: 10 RMB
Fancy Chopsticks Set: 80 RMB

Heiniken Beer at Frank’s sports bar: 40 RMB
Chinese Beer at Frank’s sports bar: 20 RMB
Chinese Beer at “The Crawfish Hole”: 3 RMB
Chinese Beer from the Chinese Quickie Mart: 1.5 RMB
Liquor Shots at Nanjie: 10 RMB
Great Wall Oil Painting: 500 RMB (Starting Price: 1200 RMB)
Mongolain Horse Landscape Painting: 130 RMB
Painted Glass Jar: 40 RMB

Tailor Made Suit: 1000 RMB (Starting Price: 1500)
Tailor Made Shirt: 150 RMB
Army Surplus Coat: 600 RMB (Starting Price: 1200 RMB)
Thick Winter Jacket: 200 RMB
Fake Designer Dress Shirt: 45 RMB (Starting Price: 500 RMB)
Ten Pair Dress Socks: 15 RMB (Starting Price: 1000 RMB)
COSS Watch: 80 RMB
Fake Rolex Watch: 250 RMB (Usual Starting Price: 1000 RMB)
Fake Jade Necklace: 50 RMB
DVD 9 Movie (From Different Vendors): 10 RMB, 20 RMB, 30 RMB

Through Ticket for Summer Palace: 80 RMB
Through Ticket for Temple of Heaven: 40 RMB
Cab Rides: 10 – 50 RMB
Gamma Bicycle: 350 RMB
Giant Bicycle: 780 RMB
Tire Repair / Tune Up: 10 RMB

Waking Up in Beijing Every Morning: priceless

There are a few things money can’t buy.

What's New?

2006-10-02T21:16:00.000+08:00

This question was posed to me over the phone by a friend from home, and I didn’t know quite how to answer. Life in China brings new discoveries and experiences every day. Like yesterday, I picked up my new tailor made brown suit (which I like very much) from the Cotton Market. I have a cool, spunky tailor who pursuaded me to “maybe make-a two-a suit-a,” because the quality of her work is so good. I found a new Mongolian resteraunt in Beijing that I like, but I’ve enjoyed Mongolian food before, so that’s not really new – and there is much more to life than a new suit and Mongolian food.

I am well into my third month in this country and life has finally found a routine. The vast majority of my time is still spent working, which is becoming more interesting as I learn more about my trade and my foreman trusts me with more and more responsibility. Outside of work I am still going out and making the most of my time by shopping, biking, learning Chinese, running, and going out to resteraunts and clubs. I am still slacking in trying to pick up playing my guitar. I am always meeting new people and learning new things, but still hanging out with the same guys I see every day.

So what’s new... everything and nothing. How did I used to answer this question when I was back in the States? I took such-and-such test and did well, or met so-and-so and she’s pretty cool but totally uninterested, or maybe I did this-and-that with such-and-who organization or group of friends and it was really fun. So how do I answer this question now? I can’t talk about my work; I work and hang out with the same American guys every day and a bunch of dudes hanging out really isn’t that complicated or interesting to anyone else; the only organization I am part of right now is a Bible study, which is really cool, but I don’t think I will write all of our discussions on this blog or repeat them over the telephone. They did make me a cookie cake for my birthday on Thursday though, which was cool.

But there is more to life than cookie cake. For some of it you just have to be here, in fact, I wish you were here! There is so much here that is still exciting and new, though a bit of the novelty is wearing off after three months. I still love the food, still hate the pollution, still enjoy exploring the city.

So what’s new... just life! This is a new day and I am in China. Anything could happen and that’s what is so exciting. Right now I am sitting in this internet cafe, but in another hour I could be wandering down a houtong street, bartering for jewelry, reading a new book, trying to communicate with a taxi driver in Mandarin, touring the Forbidden City, or getting my hair cut by a Chinese barber (which is always an adventure!)

Hope you have a good day; mine rocks!

The Grill

2006-10-02T21:01:00.000+08:00

Isn't that a sweet gold mouthpiece? His nickname is Primo because, well, he's Primo.

Happy Birthday to ___!

2006-10-02T20:38:00.000+08:00

Jim C and I have back-to-back birthdays, so here we are celebrating at a Malaysian resteraunt with our mutual friends on the evening of his birthday, and on the eve of mine. Food was great, the cake was better, and friends, best. Thanks to everyone who has remembered my birthday! I have so much enjoyed the presents, e-mails, facebook messages and wall postings. All is well in Chinatown!

Ping Pong & Rock

2006-09-25T21:25:00.000+08:00

Drew Jones and got completely schooled in ping pong; we also rocked out at the European pop concert a couple of Sundays back. Here are some pictures:

Just for Kicks

2006-09-25T21:16:00.000+08:00

Look what I found parked on the side of the road... the smallest motorcycle I have ever seen! Somehow, I can't picture myself cruising down University Ave. on this thing.

error fixed

2006-09-21T18:47:00.000+08:00

I am able to post pictures again! I added some to the past three blog entries. Enjoy!

Dinner with Germers

2006-09-21T18:27:00.000+08:00

Germer: noun, Chinese Origin (slang) (1) an informal word for greeting or addressing a good friend; roughly equivalent to the American slang term, “home boy.” (2) an informal term which Zachry employees have been using to describe persons of Chinese origin.

So two Thursdays ago, I had a dinner date with two germers...

Stephen, Nick and I were invited to eat “real Chinese food” by our hotel’s door man, Leo Sun, or more commonly known to the Zachry crew by his English name, “Styles-Pimpin.”

Let me elaborate on the type of guy who chooses such a unique name for himself. “Styles” is the guy in the red uniform who opens the door for us every time we come back from work and greets us with “Nee-hao, goo-evening, How-sit-goin, what-sup,” and, the phrase I taught him, my personal favorite, “howdy-yaw.” He got his English nickname from two different employees (probably inebriated) at the same time. One called him styles and the other called him pimpin’, and Leo Sun liked both so he took on Styles as his English first name and Pimpin as his last.

Styles is a favorite with the Zachry guys because he speaks decent English; his language skills have much improved during our stay here because every Zachry employee who goes in or out of the hotel will often exchange a few words with him. As you can tell by his chosen name, he especially loves to learn American slang.

I loaned Leo Sun my camera a while back to take a picture with a Chinese TV star who stayed in our hotel overnight, and in return he offered dinner. Now I am not one to refuse an invitation to free food, even when it threatens to be “real Chinese.” Styles brought another germer and Stephen and Nick were the only of my friends who were brave enough to come along.

The food was awesome! We ate lamb leg drumsticks, lamb-kebobs, peanuts and green beans, noodle soup (our hosts said that the noodles were each over a meter long; there might have only been enough room for ten noodles in that big bowl.) and several ping pijio. Styles knows just enough English, and I just enough Chinese that we and our friends could talk and joke together for more than an hour and not run out of things to say.

This is a very unique kind of friendship. Styles and I communicate every day in a blending of English and Chinese which takes a lot of patience and verbal creativity, but is really good practice for both of us. Still, in a friendship like this one, the language barrier still prevents us from talking about deeper, more complicated and abstract subjects like religion, and women.

Last Sunday Stephen, Nick, and I returned the favor and took Styles and his friend to Grandma’s Kitchen for an American feast of steak, fajitas, pepperoni pizza, hamburger, chicken fried steak, chicken cordon-bleu, onion rings, cheese fries, and mashed potatoes. They had never eaten at an American restaurant before, and were quite impressed with the food. Leo Sun’s friend even said that he liked it better than Chinese food (of the veracity of his statement, I am skeptical.)

These are the first two bonafide Chinese friends I have made in this country, and they are a lot of fun to hang out with. I hope that before I leave here, my communication skills develop enough so that I can transcend surface conversation and talk about the more abstract.

Peace y’all.

Hohut vs Beijing

2006-09-09T20:10:00.000+08:00

I like Hohut better than Beijing. Hohut is smaller (a mere 4 million) and the city is not nearly as flashy and impressive as Beijing. There are few tall buildings, few neon lights, and very little night life. The tourist sights are not as big, as rich, or as ancient. The city is very down to earth; not as full of itself as Beijing is – and there is less in Hohut that is fake.

The people of Hohut are very different. They are much more laid back, not used to seeing foriegners, and they were not all trying to sell me something. They also speak very little English there. I think that in Hohut more people were genuinely interested in where I came from and what brought me here, whereas in Beijing I have become used to Chinese people talking to me on the street only if they want my money. In Hohut, I was on the recieving end of several excited waves and “hello-s!” from fascinated locals. The “hello-s” I get in Beijing all come from beggars, roadside salesmen, resteraunt employees, and hookers.

If I had the choice of living in Hohut or Beijing, I’d take Hohut. The cityscape has not been moulded to impress outsiders and attract foriegn investment. The air is also clearer, and I enjoyed the mountains. The pace of life suits me better there; Beijing is a 20 million man rat race.

Here are a few pictures of some extreme Mongolian hiking:

Long Day

2006-09-09T20:07:00.000+08:00

Wow, that's an ugly picture...

My blog may give you the false impression that all is fun and games here in China. I am working ten to twelve hours a day, six or seven days a week. There are evenings when I get in at 7:30 PM and only have enough energy to shower, eat in at the hotel, and sleep. Repeat this cycle of working, eating, and sleeping about three or four days out of the week, and you can see that there are extended periods of time where I lead a very uneventful life. This is why I try to make the most of my days off.

After three months on the job, I will never again take another which makes me come in on Sundays. One Sunday a month is still too many; God knew what he was doing when he told the Hebrews to rest one day a week – and I would really like to have two. So in this time of sifting I have found that one of the those things which I value most in life is the weekend. It keeps me sane.

That said, I still love my job; when I wake up in the morning I never dread coming to work because I like my crew and my boss, and every day brings new challenges. Every moment I have spent in China has been precious, invaluable; I still would not trade places with anyone in the world right now.

Even on Sunday.

Wish me luck at work tomorrow!

Lonely Mountain

2006-09-04T17:13:00.000+08:00

This is my favorite picture from our hike through the mountains (that's Jay standing on top of the peak). More coming soon, but right now the weather is too nice to spend all day inside this internet cafe. Later!

Destination: Inner Mongolia

2006-09-04T16:19:00.000+08:00

I traveled to Hohut with Jay during a rare three day weekend to visit his friend Kelly who graduated from Texas A&M. Hohut is the capital of Inner Mongolia Province, which is part of China. The Chinese call Mongolia the country (not part of China) Outer Mongolia, the capital of which is Ulaan Batur. (This is an example of Chinese percieving things in their relationship to China, the center country) Inner Mongolia is one of the four "autonomous regions" of China, which means there are minorities which historically, have not enjoyed being part of China. Consequently, there is more military presence and the local populous is watched more closely than in other regions without minorities. To me this seems opposite of being autonomous, but whatever. Kelly showed us some great Mongolian food and introduced us to some of her Mongolian friends in the music scene.

Kelly (above, seated next to Jay) is actually quite popular in the province because she has studied and preformed Mongolian folk music for the last two years; she is probably the only white person in the world who does so. Kelly has made several tv spots and participated in a few big music festevals - her neighbors enjoy living near someone so famous!

Here are some photos from the Hui (sp?) Muslim section of town. Walking through the streets here felt more like Qatar than China, except that the people wearing robes and headresses were Chinese!

There is also a substantial Buddhist population in Hohut. We saw some beautiful Buddhist temples and met a group of young Buddhist pupils studying in a monastary at the foot of the mountains north of the city. No pictures allowed inside, so all I can show you is the gate, and a monument outside the monastary called an "Ov-vo." Mongolian tradition says that if one carries a stone to a holy place, or a high place that God will remember their struggles on earth after they die. Ov-vo is a pile of stones which Mongolians have carried to these pilgrimage hotspots.

Brave Soul, Tough Stomach

2006-09-04T15:19:00.000+08:00

This is the one picture I have of myself and friends eating American food! Every meal here has been an adventure, but I have enjoyed all of it... without getting sick! God has blessed me with unusual cullinary courage, and a stomach of steel!

Here are some things which I have enjoyed these past few months, some of which I never would have ordered in the USA.

Of course y'all remember the scorpions, I think I got more comments from that post than any of my others! Crunchy and salty like potato chips.

The Colonel is in Beijing! Yes, Kentucky fried tastes just as greasy in China. Mmm good!

This is a shredded pork dish called "jing jiang rou si" I didn't know quite what to do with the noodles, though I finally ended up rolling them with pork; Chinese pig in a blanket!

A spicy fish soup which was very good. Any time you order fish in China, watch out for bones! Almost every fish dish is served with meat still on the bones.

Sushi in Tokyo, one of my favorites!

My friend Jay demonstrating how to properly eat a bowl of noodles. (Spoons are sacrelige.)
Beijing Duck: very good! It is a rare privilage to stare down one's food before eating it.

A bowl of Mongolian milk tea; a mixture of tea, milk, flour, butter, and whatever else you choose to put in it! In this bowl I also added goat cheese, bread sticks, and a spoonful of unidentifiable, but tastey sweet paste which was very good.

Just kidding!!! This kid is playing in a mongolian crockpot, but he's far too cute to eat!

Heaven on Earth

2006-08-29T22:26:00.000+08:00

Beau and I rode out to the Temple of Heaven last Sunday. This was by far the best tourist attraction I have seen yet. We met Rahman there and hung out for the afternoon.

After the temple, we took a detour to Tienanmen Square to look around and take pictures with Mao (unfortunately, even Tienanmen Gate is being rennovated.)

On the way back home, we stumbled across an old Catholic church which was built in 1901. The grounds-keeper let us in through the side door and we spent the better half of an hour exploring the neo-gothic style church and taking pictures. We even met the priest!

Late Night Chinese Dance Party

2006-08-26T19:24:00.000+08:00

I got lost yesterday... twice.

Beau and I were out riding around town last night when we heard drums and cymbols. We followed our ears to a large crowd of Chinese dancing in an old courtyard. I couldn’t tell you where we were; we had been trying to find Ho-hai lake, the largest lake in Beijing, but somehow we managed to pass it – twice.

So anyway, we were who knows where watching a crowd of Chinese workers and their wives/girlfriends dance up a storm. These people probably didn’t see too many white guys before, because every one of those Chinese who saw us just stopped what they were doing and stared. Beau completely gave us away when he took a flash picture; heads turned and suddenly we had at least a hundred Chinese faces staring at us. The first thing through my mind was that none of the men were over 5’4” 120 lbs so I could probably take about ten of them if they rushed us.

Then, a friendly little woman rushed up to us and asked us to dance. Beau needed little encouragement; he threw himself into the thick of the dancing/moshing Chinese almost before she finished her sentence (which was in Chinese, only every other word of which I understood.) I hung back to take a few more pictures (and to make sure we were safe) before diving into the local culture head-first.

All eyes were still on us, though many other people were also dancing. This time though, there was scattered laughter as we taught them our moves and they taught us theirs. It was a really fun time for us! So the moral of the story is: when in China, get lost sometime! We had far more fun last night than we could have planned for!

We never did find that lake... Maybe next time!

Change of Scenery

2006-08-23T22:40:00.000+08:00

This is the view from my hotel window:

This is how the weather (aka pollution) looked for most of June, July, and August when it wasn't raining. However...

This week has seen four of the most beautiful days yet strung together. I hope the trend continues. (Above) The first time I ever saw the mountains from my window.

This sunset was even better in person.

Morning Exercise

2006-08-13T14:49:00.000+08:00

The most interesting cross-cultural phenomenon I have yet witnessed is the older generation’s morning exercise regimen. In each park in our area from about 5:30 – 8:00 every morning, elderly Chinese men and women come out to practice tai chi, different types of dance and yoga, and what I will call sword dancing – for lack of a better word. They fill the parks, and one has to really watch where he is going to keep from being stabbed by an errant fist, or a sword. What I cannot capture on camera is the slow, deliberate movements which all of these people are making. It is as if they are in a trance; the exercise is very spiritual, in a sense.

These morning rituals are very strange for me to watch, because I know that the Chinese state is officially atheist, and that most Chinese profess atheism, when asked. But the sword dancing, tai chi, and yoga are all very meditative, and seems quite out of place in an atheistic society. Philosophy aside, it’s pretty sweet to watch.

Bike Beijing

2006-08-13T14:31:00.000+08:00

Beijing is called the bicycle capital of the world; the city has more bicycles per capita than any other metroplex. It does take more than a little courage to brave the chaotic streets of Beijing, but these cars are accustomed to bicycles weaving in and out of traffic. If cyclists rode in the states like they do here, they’d be fender fodder in less than a week. But in two months, I have not seen a single bicycle accident. These are some pictures from my last two trips across town, to the Forbidden City last week, and last night to Grandma’s Kitchen, possibly my favorite home style restaurant anywhere in the world. I don’t know who taught Chinese chefs to cook a good country-fried steak, but it is delicious! This is also the only place we have found that can make good milk shakes.

My friend Beau “pumping” Kyle to the internet cafe on our way to the Forbidden City, Kyle was only with us for about three minutes of the fifty minute ride out.

The Forbidden City at night.

Oddly enough, there was dancing in the courtyard – this is me trying to get into the rhythm.

Comments

2006-08-12T16:55:00.000+08:00

Feel free to comment on my blog! My sister found a way to get around China's filter and I am able to read your comments now. Thanks for keeping up!

Going in Deep

2006-08-12T16:50:00.000+08:00

Maybe the biggest reason that I came to China – besides the pay check, traveling the world, eating Asian food (two months ago, I used to really love Chinese food) and learning a new language – was to escape the pressures and comforts of home; to discover which interests, character, and values would survive when I was cut off from everything and everyone familiar. Reader, be warned: the following paragraphs are deep and soul-searching.

First and foremost I can attest that Christ is sufficient even in – especially in – China. My relationship with the Redeemer is the only anchor which I still have which has carried with me overseas. Granted, I still call my parents every week and keep up with people back in Houston and in College Station through Facebook, but I cannot commune with my family and friends daily here; I can unceasingly with Christ. So it is Christ, the Rock, upon which I have built my life in China, and everything else follows.

I am growing stronger here. No, my bench and squat press have not risen in the past two months – probably the reverse because I have not been weight training regularly – but I am able to endure and have become more physically, mentally, and emotionally tough.

Don’t confuse tough with calloused. I have developed calluses on my hands and on my feet, but my emotions have not become hardened and unfeeling – quite the opposite actually. I feel joy, sorrow, gain and loss very deeply, but nothing shakes me up anymore because my foundation is still deeper. I have learned what it means to be completely content, no matter the circumstances. Whatever my lot, He has taught me to say: it is well, it is well with my soul.

I love going out and making new friends. I like to shop, eat, and explore Beijing with the people I have met here. I hate being drunk, but I do like to be loosened up by a few drinks and I always have fun hanging out late with guys and girls who can be all different shades of drunk and sober.

I have also learned what makes some friendships deeper than others. The best kind of merriment is the kind, as CS Lewis said, which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously – no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. Even the dullest and most uninteresting person, or the wildest and craziest, could one day become a being whose cloths will shine like the sun and who will walk the golden streets of heaven, basking in the glory of our God. I want to see the people around me as Jesus did when he gave himself, not for what they are able to give to me.

I have an unfocused desire and a longing which I thought might wane in China, but to date has only grown stronger. This desire has a few peripheral focuses: I desire to find a girlfriend who will someday become a wife, my help and my best friend, with whom to share the joy of living; I desire to strengthen and enrich friendships which already exist, both at home and abroad; I desire to have a home to call my own next year, so that I can decorate and entertain guests; I desire to visit exotic places and to have outrageous experiences, which I am doing in China; but I have discovered that this desire is really just an appetite for life. I desire for more than fine, more than just ok – I want life at its fullest – and I hope this desire stays with me for the rest of my days!

Life is amazing.

Love,
Nathan

A day in the life

2006-08-12T16:43:00.000+08:00

Apologies for my long absence, we had to work last Sunday, so I really didn't have a day off in the past 13; this has been a long two weeks. God knew when he was doing when he commanded us to rest on Sundays - it is for our own good!

The following post was inspired by a facebook message from one of my good Aggie friends: exactly what do you do all day anyway? Well, right now I am sitting in Subway, eating a roast beef sandwhich and using the wireless internet.

Yesterday was an interesting day, here was my schedule:

5:40 AM Wake up, fall out of bed, get half dressed, and exit the hotel room.

5:50 AM Stumble into the hotel resteraunt for a breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs, strawberry yougurt, rice, dim-sum, leeks, cantalope, watermelon, and bran cerial (to make sure the intestines run smoothly today.)

6:20 AM Return to the room and brush teeth, finish getting dressed, and exit hotel room.

6:25 AM Return to the room to retrieve my work ID and my bike keys, which I forgot, and then exit room for the last time.

6:30 AM Exit hotel, get my bike out of the hotel’s shed and ride to work, weaving through bikers, incompetant car drivers, and pedestrians along the way.

6:50 AM Arrive at workplace, get hardhat and gloves from my locker, and go through security.

7:00 AM – 5:25 PM Work: tie rebar, haul rebar, bend rebar, climb rebar all day.

12:30 PM – 1:15 PM Lunch on site. Today’s was uncharacteristically good: chicken (?) strips, ham and maynnaise sandwhiched, broccoli, salad, and jello.

5:25 PM Hop on my bike and cycle to the “Crawfish Hole” for dinner. This resteraunt has a Chinese name, but we call it by this one because of the cajun-style prawns it serves. I had sizzling beef (18 RMB) vegtibles (6 RMB) and a .5 litre bottle of Tsing Tao beer (3 RMB.) 27 RMB comes to about $3.40 US.

6:40 PM Cycle to the cleaners to pick up my cleaning, find out that I mis-communicated with the owner and that my two dress shirts would be ready tomorrow, not today (My limited Chinese language skill was at fault here.)

7:10 PM Cycle to the nearest clothing store to buy a dress shirt (80 RMB) because I am going out dancing this evening.

7:20 PM Return to the hotel, lock up my bike, take a quick shower, get dressed, and leave my room.

7:40 PM Return to my room to get my camera (which I forgot) just in case of good photo ops.

7:45 PM Meet one of the guys which I am going out with, fortunately, the other three are also late.

7:50 PM Another of my friends meets us downstairs.

8:05 PM We get tired of waiting for our fourth friend and leave without him.

8:20 PM Beijing Taxi drops us off (28 RMB) at Salsa Carribe for free beginner Salsa lessons. Unfortunately, the rythem for salsa is not much like Texas country dancing – I felt like a fish out of water. Dancing is still fun though, and there are plenty of Chinese dancers here worse than I.

10:15 PM Leave Salsa Carribe for the hotel.

10:30 PM Arrive at the hotel, put away my laundry which was done for me, change and brush teeth.

11:00 Go to sleep.

Tour-de-China

2006-07-31T14:06:00.000+08:00

Just for Fun

2006-07-31T13:54:00.000+08:00

This guy is cool.

In It...

2006-07-31T13:43:00.000+08:00

Here are some pictures from the ex-pat nightlife scene:

Not of it...

2006-07-31T12:59:00.000+08:00

A year in Beijing does strange and sometimes terrible things to the people here. We will all leave this city changed, some for better and some for worse. There is one guy here that was homeschooled nearly his entire life, postponed college for a year to come here, and he is really growing as a man: learning how to make friends with a wide range of people, sticking with his faith away from home, and becoming more assertive. I love to see a solid young man earn the respect of his peers, even though they may not share common faith and values. On the flip side of the coin, there are stories of men who began their contract totally devoted to wives, family, girlfriends; but slipped up so much over here that after a year that they despised themselves and their loved ones back home. I overheard one guy say, “My wife and kids are visiting... I can’t wait for them to leave.” These words wrench my emotions; even if the wife never finds out, the marriage is permanently damaged.

As for me, I strive to serve the Lord daily. Some days are harder than others, and there are people here whom I lose patience with – but those times have been few. I have not drunk myself under a table yet, and do not intend to. I am still having tons of fun, and still walking straight and narrow. Your prayers are always appreciated!

Peace,

Nathan

Chinese Facade: Shanties and Skyrises

2006-07-26T23:25:00.000+08:00

Beijing has undergone tremendous modernization at a breathtaking pace. In only the past few decades, and especially within the last five years, a Beijing in puberty has broken out in glitz and color and highrises. The Beijing bigwigs a the top of the decision making totem pole are trying so incredibly hard to attract investment and gain world status by creating a modern Western-style city where one has not existed before. Modern Beijing is an elaborate facade built to impress foreign visitors and businessmen. Everywhere we (foreigners) travel, the streets are lined with tall modern buildings, bright colors, and flashy signs (and people who want your money.) The Chinese culture which I have described on this blog for the past few months – persistent prostitutes, beggars, hawkers of cheap fakes, and DVD salesmen – I believe only exists in areas where the Chinese are in daily contact with Westerners and our money (which pretty much describes everywhere I have been for six weeks, save one trip to the rural Great Wall, and a vacation in Tokyo.)

I think that this new warped opportunist mindset which leeches off of the decadence and gullibility of foreigners is a new phenomenum. “Foreigner” in Chinese is “lao wai,” which translated directly means, “respected outsider.” Before this weekend I would have thought that “give me money” might have been a truer translation.

I found a part of Beijing completely void of white folk like myself, and I experienced for the first time the Chinese society which has held this people together for a thousand years, but I had to get completely lost to find it. I meant to get lost, though.

We had two more days of blue skies last week – that doubles the number of non-smoggy days I have seen here so far. Friday and Saturday were beautiful; the sunlight and semi-fresh air stirred up my exercise instinct and I started my run due west (towards the sunset) at about 6:30. One and one-half hours later, I found a Houtong neighborhood: old houses, narrow dirt roads wide enough only for bikes and pedestrians, roadside shops with polite clerks, and friendly people who never once asked me for money.

The community seemed very close; people were everywhere just sitting around talking, playing badminton or pool, eating cuisine I had never seen before, drinking 2 Kuai (25 American cents) beer, and flying kites (I clothes-lined myself on an invisible kite string, much to the amusement of its owner.) I liked the relaxed social atmosphere; I did get some stares, but when I stared back, I usually got a friendly wave or a smile. There was not a single prostitute, beggar, or fake DVD salesman to be seen.

I have heard that so many Beijingers are being moved from Houtung shanty towns to crowded skyrises and apartments and which I think is a shame. Today, most Chinese still live in the traditional manner, but Houtongs in Beijing are dwindling in number, and those that still exist are walled off and well hidden from the ‘respected outsiders.’ I wonder if the common people are really happier with this new reality, or if the Houtung life might be more natural and fufilling for these Chinese which I saw.

I paid a fruit stand guy 4 quai for bananas (about 52 cents), and he gave me 11 of them to stuff in my backpack. Moral of the story? It is possible for a white man to find an honest Chinese merchant... you just have to get lost.

Peace All - Life is amazing, just taking it all in one day at a time!

Happiness is...

2006-07-21T21:09:00.000+08:00

Written Thursday, July 20th

Today happiness is:

A bottle of red French wine.
A bar of German chocolate.
A high-quality DVD movie.

Life and I are on good terms right now. I am content.

But I wish you were here,
Nathan

Rod Buster

2006-07-21T20:47:00.000+08:00

I got a new job on Monday.

I was transferred (involuntarily, but not unwillingly) from the Warehouse crew (thought to be the easiest job on site) to a rebar crew (percieved by many to be the most difficult job on site.) The warehouse did not really have much work to do and rebar has too much - that is why they are shuffling people around.

I'm not complaining. I've really enjoyed learning about a new trade and aquiring new skills. For those of you who don't have any what I am talking about and thought until now that a rebar is something you might find on Northgate, rebar is the steel rods which concrete is poured around to make reenforced concrete. My job is to move and tie these ribbed steel bars into complex shapes using just a pair of pliers and a reel of metal wire. Sometimes I am on the ground; today I was suspended in the air for 8 hours straight. I only dropped my pliers once! I've had hand cramps since Monday, but they are getting better.

The new crew is really neat, and I enjoy staying busy. Tying rebar passes the time very quickly. These past four days have flown by!

I took this picture after work on Thursday. Look Mom, I’ve got a real hard-hat, boots, and everything! My skin’s dark tint is a healthy combination of sun exposure and rust; mostly rust.

Still having a great time in Beijing! I'm writing this from a sports bar near the hotel.

God Bless Y'all!
Nathan

Chinese

2006-07-19T23:14:00.000+08:00

I started Chinese lessons this week - with a real teacher and a book and everything! It is costing me $3.00 US an hour, four hours a week for the next five months. Our teacher is great, but Chinese itself is a bit overwhelming. But, I figure that there is no better place to study than here in Beijing! Wish me luck...

From an internet Cafe near my hotel,

Nathan

Great View from Great Wall

2006-07-19T22:52:00.000+08:00

Beautiful, isn’t it? I went hiking on Sunday near a lesser-traveled, and unrenovated section of the Great Wall. This part of the wall has remained unchanged except for weathering and warfare damage for thousands of years. The lake, mountains, and the Wall are all in the same park. Can you see the wall on the other side of the lake? The air is also clean here – it is the first day out of a month in China which I have seen a blue sky! Expect to see more hiking pictures in the coming months, I absolutely loved it!

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the scenery!

From an internet Cafe near my hotel,

Nathan

Big Man on Site

2006-07-13T20:35:00.001+08:00

We had BBQ on Wednesday!!! David Zachry (see photo), the grandson of our company’s founder, is visiting the site this week to see how things are going. We had a grill-out and extended lunch-break in his honor. He’s a nice guy, real down to earth; he acts as though he thinks he doesn’t deserve all of this attention. I’ve also included a picture from the north end of the job site. Sorry, you can’t really see the embassy from there – but the cranes are cool, and the sky is blue, which is a rarity. That building in front is the security shack where we get ID checked before work every morning.

Mmm, Crunchy!

2006-07-12T20:11:00.000+08:00

Written Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Look what I ate on Sunday! I still haven’t gotten sick here. Most people get respiratory diseases or food poisoning within the first couple of weeks, but here I am three weeks in without even a sniffle or a stomach ache! God is good, and I’ve been taking my vitamins and washing my nose (thanks for the suggestion, Mom!) In case you were wondering, scorpion has similar taste and consistency to potato chips.

I’ll try anything once!

War - Hua! What is It Good For? (absolutely nothing)

2006-07-12T19:31:00.000+08:00

Written Wednesday, July 11, 2006

I’ve got a confession to make – I skipped church on Sunday to hike a stretch of the Great Wall; except it rained and we went to the Chinese War Museum instead. So really, I skipped church to visit a Communist War Shrine. The trip was very interesting, and I got a revealing look at history through the eyes of the Chinese government. Upon entry, I was immediately confronted with a thirty foot statue of chairman Mao, to whom this museum is dedicated (see picture, my friend Seth is waving in the background.)

There is a very large section dedicated to the founding of the communist party and its consolidation of power during the War of Japanese Aggression (WW II) and through the 1950’s. There is a reference to “Chinese gaining an advantage because of changing circumstances of war” (which I think was Hiroshima and Nagasaki, minor details) but otherwise there is no mention of the USA’s role in the war. All WW II struggles are painted as Chinese vs. Japanese. To be fair, Japanese Leadership also saw the Chinese as enemy #1 and just viewed the USA as a pesky third party until the American navy sunk all of Japan’s carrier groups and began to level Tokyo with firebombs.

Anyway, according to the placards, Mao inspired the peasants to rise up and overthrow the Japanese oppressors by single-handedly winning a succession of brilliant campaigns against superior numbers and technology, etc. After driving the Japanese out of China, then Mao must suppress the leftist Nationalist rebels lead by Chiang Kai Shek and backed by the US (about time they gave us some credit!) Chiang was initially successful, but because of Mao’s brilliant leadership and victorious campaigns, etc. etc. the will of the people prevailed and the rebels were eventually driven from the mainland and, for the first time in hundreds of years, China (except Taiwan and Tibet) was united under Mao and Communism around 1950. To the victors go the writing of history.

The rest of its history spanned thousands of years of Chinese civilization back to the beginning of humanity. I'd tell you about it if I could keep my dynasties straight, but there are just so many of them and they all sound the same. Here are some terracotta warriors (below.)

There was lots of cool sculptures and paintings, too. This one was particularly terrifying (below.)
Oh, one last thing - war is kid-friendly! I saw lots and lots of students at the museum, presumably on field-trips. I would have liked to have one of those when I was younger.

Howdy Ho-hi!

2006-07-12T19:19:00.000+08:00

Written Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Some more Aggies came into town last week! These guys are studying abroad and interning for the summer, but not on the one year construction plan like I am. I have to shout out to Logan, Emily, and Matt – it was great to see you guys again here in China, on the far side of the world! I enjoyed meeting everybody else, too! I was busy during the daytime while they were touring, but we were able to meet up two nights near Ho-hi and Bar Street. One of our number with a Corps haircut (who will remain nameless) decided to be daring and bought a round of absent the second night. He only kept it down for about two minutes though. These guys are lots of fun, but going to work on only three hours of sleep is pretty brutal.

Random: People and Pollution

2006-07-11T00:41:00.000+08:00

7.7.2006

My only real complaint about this city is the weather/pollution. This picture was taken at 2:00 in the afternoon. (Where's the sun?)

Smoggy with a 10% chance of sunlight

People are crazy. Working in Beijing seems to bring out the extremes in people. Because we work so closely, gossip runs rampant. You would not believe some of the stories I have heard of immorality and just plain stupidity. My sources are not the most sound - I have to carefully weigh the veracity of everything I hear. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," the slogan for a travel commercial, could easily be used to describe the philosophy of many. EVERYTHING is easy and cheap here. There are even male prostitutes who try to solicit at our hotel.

There are also some really amazing guys here – some my age and many older. I don't know if I told you that there is a prayer meeting every morning before work, but we fill up that conference room every morning! These men are very encouraging. I was praying for one of these older gentlemen who has been a great influence on me and many others as he negotiated renewing his contract. After a long struggle today, he was offered what he hoped for and he's staying!

I haven't gotten to read as much as I would like these past two weeks, but at least I won't run out of books so quickly. Haven't worked out as much either, but work is keeping me in decent shape. Chinese is coming slowly as well, but I know there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel of grammar, vocabulary, and tones. But I did get to watch two episodes of Lost and down half a bottle of Merlot with a friend last night! I am investing a lot of time in building relationships right now – going out to hang out with the Texas A&M study abroad crew later while they are still in Beijing!

From an internet café somewhere in China,

Nathan

P.S. If you don't already know, you can enlarge photos by clicking on them.

(Written on 7.7.2006 - The computer mysteriously ate the Blogger toolbar, which led to technical difficulties and posting delays.)

Café East

2006-07-10T06:48:00.000+08:00

7.7.2006

I got rid of the Chinese wireless, and am back in the internet café! That wireless moved so frustratingly slow; many times I felt like flinging my computer across the hotel room. Now that I am back in the broadband café, my computer and I are at peace again! The coffee is pretty good, too.

Three weeks into the job, and I am finally finding my niche in the daily routine. I can find my way around the jobsite. I understand the sophisticated process of receiving our building materials - and where these materials can be found in the warehouse. When my supervisor says go do this or get that, 9/10ths of the time I know what he is talking about, and I can do it as well as the next guy. I don't drive the forklift as fast as Sonny, or cut into a container like Andy, or stack crates as swiftly as Rick, and I don't know inventory quite as well as Roxy, but I am able to do all of these things – and I can tear apart a skid and clean boards faster than anyone. I'm beginning to understand the warehouse, and it's not that complicated. (Driving the forklift is fun too!) Work is easy once I got used to it – I just have to do what other people tell me to for ten hours a day; much easier than studying for midterms!

I got a package today from a friend back home which reminds me how much people back home care – and how I'll be so glad to see everyone again next year! For you whom are reading this blog, odds are very high that I miss you and look forward to seeing you again! Thanks…

From an internet café in northeast Beijing,

Nathan

Tokyo Closure

2006-07-10T03:25:00.000+08:00

Guess what I did on July 4th – I visited an art museum!!! This was actually the coolest art museum I have seen since, well, Italy. Me Ryan and Jerry, one of his 5 roommates, made a short train ride out to the museum and bummed around in a nearby park afterward until it was time for me to head back to the airport. Thanks for a great time, Ryan (and everyone else I met in Tokyo!) Jerry takes awesome pictures, I hope you like these!
Nathan

Interactive Art in Nearby Park

Kleenex?

Traveling to Tokyo

2006-07-03T21:21:00.000+08:00

Ryan lives with three other guys in a little house on the outskirts of Tokyo. There is no furniture in this house save three fold up chairs and I am writing on a laptop sitting in the only 4 sq ft of floor space in their living/kitchen/sleeping room which isn't covered by bedsheets, bags, or cloths. They are men with few material needs.

Wow, Tokyo is completely different from Beijing. I hope I don't get jumped when I get back to China for saying this, but Tokyo is a lot cleaner, more orderly, more tourist friendly, and many more people know english than in Beijing.

Tokyo and Beijing are in many ways polar opposites:
- Japanese use crosswalks - Chinese just walk/bike in front of traffic.
- Japanese utilize stoplights and turning signals - Chinese don't. (unless there is a policeman in - the intersection)
- To enter a train, Japanese line up in two straight lines - Chinese push to get through the crowd.
- A meal that I can get in Beijing for $1 US costs $10 US in Tokyo.
- In Japan the store clerks and prostitutes don't assault you in the streets.
- All of the merchandise I saw in Tokyo was legit.
- In Japan the air is clean.
- The streets are clean.

There are a lot of politeness issues in Japan which don't exist in China. It is a social taboo to:
- Stare
- Enter a home or temple with shoes on
- Walk and eat at the same time
- Cross the street without using a crosswalk
- Put your towl in bathwater (I'll explain later)
- Do anything even borderline illiegal or rude
- etc.

I've had lots of fun these past two days. I played soccer with several American and Japanese students yesterday. After soccer, we went to the Onsen, a public bath house, which was quite a cultural experience. A bath house is a place with hot and cold tubs, green tea and aloe vera baths, and wet and dry saunas. The only catch for the unsuspecting American is that swimsuits are not allowed. Sorry, I didn't get any pictures! Guys and girls were seperate, so no worries there. The bath really was relaxing and fun (in a totally platonic way.) I had some amazing food afterward, too. I had no trouble sleeping that night!

Today Ryan took me to Sindoku (sp?) to visit the government building and a few parks and temples. Walking around the streets all day was really neat. Here are some pictures I got today:

Buddhist monks chanting at Takahatafuto

Takahatafuto Temple
Street Scene

Sweet Home...Alabama???

2006-07-02T00:31:00.000+08:00

You have not lived until you've heard a Chinese girl on guitar singing "Sweet Home Alabama." : ) This was a textbook case of culture clash; one of my favorite Southern songs was badly butchered! I was the only American who stopped to listen, and the Chinese nearby must have wondered what I thought was so funny. I wonder how "irony" translates in Chinese.

I digress. This week I was able to spend time with an old high school friend, Vina. She is here visiting two aunts who live near Beijing. The aunts showed us Chinese hospitality at its best: they took us out to eat. (Aside: I have not yet been sick from the food here; considering my adventurous eating habits, this is a miracle.) We ate "hot pot," a traditional Chinese meal in which of a variety of raw dishes and a large boiling pot of water are placed on the table. With "hot pot," you throw whatever you like into the pot to cook, then take it out and eat it. It was very good, but they ordered far too much for us. The aunts must have known that we could not have eaten everything in front of us, but still they urged me to "eat more!" and "don't leave any food on the table!" (All of this in Chinese, the aunts didn't speak a word of English.) Poor Vina was kept busy translating both ways for us as we conversed; we talked so much that Vina occasionally confused her Chinese and English.

I have three free days for the Fourth of July and am visiting another old friend in Tokyo on Sunday. I'll tell you how it goes when I come back to Beijing!

Life is still amazing, but there's no place like home.

Signing off from my hotel room,

Nathan

International Family

2006-06-26T22:33:00.000+08:00

"Consequently, you are no longer foriegners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household." - Ephesians 2:19

The Beijing International Christian Fellowship was a church experience like none other. The church is strictly made up of foriegners. Chinese nationals cannot attend - one must have a foriegn passport to enter. I was very blessed to be able to worship with brothers and sisters from all over the world who spoke different languages and expressed their love for Jesus Christ in so many different ways. I thought that the international church gives a glimpse of what the risen church will be from the discription in Revelation 7:

"I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb... and they [praised Him] in a loud voice."

On a side note, one of the most moving songs we sang was: All around the world, let the praise begin!

I go to Tokyo on Sunday, hope I get to publsh another post before then. Been real busy though. God Bless Y'all!