Missing Out?

The latest edition of the rosenBLURB was sent out yesterday! If you normally receive our newsletters but didn't get this one, it may be that we lost your contact information when Laura's hard drive crashed this May. Please send us a note and let us know! We appreciate your help updating our email list.

Also, if you've never gotten a copy of the rosenBLURB and would like to, James and I encourage you to shoot us an email to subscribe.

Keeping in touch with our friends and family is so important to us. We are deeply grateful for your comments, emails, and letters! Thank you for your encouragement, words of wisdom, prayers, and updates on what's going on in your lives. Nothing is quite so sweet as a note from home!  Much love!

-Laura & James

Aunt Laura & Uncle James

James and I recently became an aunt and uncle!  My younger sister gave birth to an adorable baby boy on April 9th.  He's so cute I can hardly stand it.  Just look at this little glow worm!

Tobin James Chleboun

This is the first grandchild on both sides of the family, so we all think Tobin is best thing since sliced bread.  My mom has been signing all her emails as "Nana" for two months now!  We're so excited for this new family of three.

Kimberly, Tobin & Jon Chleboun

Aren't they a good-looking trio!?  Love 'em.

Why do I love the village?

Oh, for so many reasons. Not the least of which is because there are so many cute, little animals running around.

If the life of a farmer didn't involve selling and slaughtering these critters, I'd say I was made for it. And if the price of moving to the village was merely killing my own chickens, I know James would be willing to help me with that, right hun?

Farmer Laura
(looks about right, yeah?)

Farmer James
(well, almost.)

refreshing

I like to play basketball. And now that it's summer, there's nothing more refreshing to cool me off after an hour's long game than a cold beverage. Thankfully I live in China where they provide all the answers. I introduce you to, corn juice.

I did buy it, and I did take a sip.Verdict: as expected.

And here's a random picture of a surprisingly cute street dog.

weddings

Recently, our Chinese teacher (and dear friend) was married. Chinese weddings are quite a bit different than American ones. There are several obvious differences. For one, wedding attire is every-day casual. No "dress-up" clothes? No problem--sandals, jeans, and a t-shirt will do just fine. Secondly, the ceremony is practically non-existent.  While nearly all American weddings have some sort of proceeding that formalizes the marriage before witnesses, a Chinese wedding just includes a reception. Finally, the duration of a Chinese wedding is often all day! Actually the only real similarity is that the bride and groom wear formal clothes and food is provided for all guests.

This is basically how a Chinese wedding goes down. Together with their families, the couple plans at least two different celebrations (sometimes 3 or 4). They hold one wedding in each hometown they grew up in, plus another for whatever city they are currently living in. You invite as many people as you can possibly host, everybody brings money as their wedding gift, and the wedding party will feeds the masses. The invitees show up, give their money in red envelopes, eat, and then leave. It's kind of like a revolving door. Usually the wedding venue will open their doors in the morning for the first batch of guests, who arrive for lunch anywhere between 9 AM and 12:30 PM. During that time the bride and groom stand at the entrance to welcome guests and present handfuls of candy, sunflower seeds, and cigarettes. Once most guests have arrived, the couple visits tables pouring tea and trading toasts. The bride and groom sit down to their own meal only after everyone else has eaten (and most guests have left).

After lunch most guests depart for the afternoon. Older friends and relatives entertain themselves playing Mahjong, while the bride, groom, their siblings and closest friends cruise the streets.  There is lots of picture-taking and throwing lit firecrackers out of moving vehicles.  The wedding party returns by 4:30 so the couple can resume their posts passing out cigarettes and candy to the second batch of guests arriving for dinner.  This goes on until 6 or 7 PM.  This time the couple visits each table exchanging toasts with some form of alcohol, guest to guest.  After all the guests have eaten, the bride and groom have their own meal. After the food, usually it's time for more drinking (if they already haven't had too much). Close friends and family will take the bride and groom out to karaoke or somewhere social to spend the rest of the night getting drunk. This is not so fun.

Funny how Americans make the car look goofy and fun. Chinese folks make it look as expensive as possible.

The day before the wedding, the bride/groom choose a "harmonious" couple
to make their bed with their brand new red sheets. (This was the first we'd heard of this tradition, and we were touched to be given such an honor!)

Bride passing out candy and sunflower seeds.

Groom passing out cigarettes.

Our teacher wanted her hair to be the same as Laura's "beautiful" hair.

After dinner, at the KTV ready to drink :(