A Carol

This December I accepted a temporary teaching position at the international school here. As the school finds themselves short-staffed, I've stepped in to help with the three-year-olds' preschool class for a few weeks. 

It's been a welcome diversion for me this winter. The kids are so darn cute, and it's been fun to teach them a bit about the Christmas holiday. English is a second language for all but one of my students, and it's been a fun challenge to work with toddlers in a bi-lingual setting.

Here some of my preschoolers sing a carol for the camera at the request of my teaching assistant. (They do better with the lyrics when facing me, but I still think this is pretty precious.)

Earthquake

Earthquakes are common where we live, and there have been several since we moved. Yesterday a strong one wreaked havoc southeast of us. We did not feel it here and are all safe and sound. Please think of those who have been less fortunate.

Getting back in the swing

We've been back in China for exactly one week now. It was a bit of a bumpy ride, emotionally speaking. Typhoon Rammasu was making landfall in southern China just as we were scheduled to leave Hong Kong for the mainland. We were in the air as news broke on the Malaysian airlines flight incident. And, some overweight baggage issues had us frantically re-arranging all our stuff. (Just for the record, we packed our checked bags perfectly. The airline we flew weighed our carry-on luggage. Who does that?!) We had a few delays here and there, but no canceled flights. We're thankful for a safe trip. The total amount of travel time was about 31 hours, which isn't too bad considering. : )

A typhoon bearing down on China five hours before our flight.

Laura and I have been making the transition into Chinese culture slower than we expected. It's a weird feeling to make such dramatic changes in such a quick amount of time. In a blink of an eye, we found ourselves back in another world. English is no longer the main language, food and transportation are completely different, and most of all, we have five months of separation to make up for with friends here. We tried to emotionally prepare ourselves for the transition back, but you can only do so much. Almost immediately upon touchdown, we found ourselves in a state of mourning - mourning the separation between our American family and friends, American food and comfort, American entertainment and the pace of life. It was so nice to be in a place where we understood everything, where we could connect with most anybody we wanted, where everything was familiar. The truth is, there's no easy way around it. We just have to process these transitions as best we can and draw close to Him.

There are of course good things about returning China too. Though the food isn't quite as amazing as Smitty's BBQ in Texas (see Laura's post below), there are definitely meals we love. One of those are Uyghur lamb kebabs. Though this meal isn't native to our area, the Uyghur people have spread throughout China to sell their delicious food. We also went straight away to ate a soupy dish called 'mixed pot dish' or 杂锅菜. It's a common meal throughout China but every region throws in their own flair. In our city, they season some broth and add potatoes, bean sprouts, mushrooms, fish-smelly-herb (haha, if you look it up, it's called lizard's tail in English), pork, glass noodles, tomato, tofu, tofu skin, and carrot. And to top it off, they provide a delicious dipping mixture of MSG, salt, green onion, cilantro, hot spice, and broth. So good!

Uyghur man serving up some lamb kebabs 

Mixed pot dish

But better than anything else China has to offer, it has been great catching up with friends. Though five months is a long time to be away and we feel like we're way behind on everybody's life still, it's great to be re-united with friends we love.

For all those reading this whom we were able to see us while back in the States, thanks for a great time! We truly loved every second. We felt so cared for and encouraged during our time back. Now it's your turn to visit us!

Bonus picture: a lady on the bus with a bunch of pig fat.

Fooooood

After spending five months back in the States, James and I are on our way back to Asia! We drove the length of the country twice this spring while visiting friends and family. During our travels we got to try some tasty new (to us) restaurants that will be making our mouths water for a long time to come. (We're heading back a few pounds heavier, and I'm not talking about our luggage.) We feel compelled to share our top three most delicious stops:

Third Runner Up: DOCK STREET OYSTER BAR in Wilmington, North Carolina

Though we had lots of amazing seafood while home (I just can't get enough of it), Dock Street was all-around delish and affordable. Their oysters were so good we ordered a second round! The steamed "Sesame Ginger Calamari" was wonderfully perfect too--a real refreshing take on a normally fried appetizer.

Second Runner Up: SMITTY'S MARKET in Lockhart, Texas

James and I had never put much stock in all the talk about barbecue in Texas, but this hole-in-the-wall made believers of us. This is a no-fuss place. Incredibly flavorful pork is taken directly from the smoker, chopped next to a soot-covered register, and is handed to you wrapped in brown butcher paper. No plates, forks, or knives, but you might get a plastic spoon for your sides of beans and slaw if you ask nicely. Our package full of brisket, ribs, and sausage was the most delicious BBQ we've ever tasted.

First Pick: SNAKE BITE in Idaho Falls, Idaho

The atmosphere at this small, unassuming steakhouse was more along the lines of an independent cafe and coffee house. Nevertheless, the food was shockingly delicious. In fact, James loved his meal so much that the "Blue Snake River" burger has now replaced his long-standing favorite from The Duke's in Chiang Mai, Thailand as the best burger in the world.

We recommend everything on the menu, but especially the "Blue Snake River" and "Grand Teton" burgers.

We're now looking forward to a couple bowls of noodles and some hot pot, but we can't say we haven't enjoyed America's foodie culture while being home! Yum.

Ohio happenings

We have been in Ohio for almost three weeks now. I must say, it has been a terrific stay. Aside from the weather being absolutely gorgeous, we have lots of opportunities to catch up with friends and family that we haven't seen in years.

Fortunately, the weather has been nice enough to fire up Andy's (Laura's Dad) charcoal grill. We have eaten steaks, tenderloins, and ribs. Mhhmmmm! Unfortunately for us, it looks like we might be heading back to China with a few extra
pounds, and that's not in our luggage :)

Below are a few snapshots of some activities we've been up to these past weeks.

Mark "helping" Susan with pound cake preperations

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Andy, conquering the lawn.

Susan cuddling with Mina.

Laura showcasing her wedge shots.

Bocce ball in the backyard (Laura and I are still undefeated)

Outside an Amish bulk foods store.

I was able to take this beautiful '69 Camaro for a spin.

USA

Laura and I are back in America. Actually we've been back in America for over 3 months now. Ashamedly, we haven't gotten around to the blog because we've too busy enjoying ourselves in this beautiful country!

We had a nice 3 leg, 30 hour total return flight back from China on Valentines Day. Actually, we had a 7 hour layover in Hong Kong where we enjoyed a nice Valentines Day meal to break up our long journey.

Our first stop was California with the Rosenberg rents. Overall, we stayed with them for 6 weeks. It was such a sweet time of reconnecting and rejuvenation. My parents spoiled us with tasty food and a family trip to Monterey. I, James, am definitely an out-of-sight-out-of-mind kinda guy, so being able to spend 6 weeks with my family was truly a refreshing time.

Next, we started our month long road trip across the country. As the map above shows, we started off hitting Southern California then so on and so forth. We were a bit hesitant to spend 4 weeks traveling across the country, especially on a 12 year old car, but we thought it would be worth it to connect with all of our friends and family scattered throughout the country. While we were in AZ, we visited the Grand Canyon where we hiked over 12 miles out into the beautiful canyon. In Lockhart, Texas we ate some of the best brisket in the entire world. In FL, we stopped at Panama City Beach and enjoyed a much needed day of r&r. Not to mention all the family and friends we were able to see along the way. Truly a blessing.

Now, we have just arrived in Ohio to spend the next 6 weeks with Laura's parents. They welcomed us with open arms and slobbery kisses (that was mina, their boxer dog), and we can't wait to reconnect and create new memories with them. Last night, we went out to the baseball fields and watched Laura's alma mater beat Zanesville 5-1. Go Tornadoes!

On a side note, America has been treating us really well. Many people warned us of reverse culture shock, but to be honest we have experienced minimal stress entering back into America. The most noticeable shock so far has been the price of food and other items. Whew, is America expensive! But Laura said it right, America only feels halfway like home, the other half is still in China. It's like half of our life is going on without us, but being back in the States feels so familiar. Well, this is the life we live and we put our trust in Him who holds our ultimate resting place.

Fire Destroys Old Town

A devastating fire that has received international media attention has hit close to our home away from home. Only a few months earlier we ate at a restaurant, slept at a guest house, and browsed shops on our way to visit friends in this area. In tens hours this past Saturday (January 11, 2014), these spots burned completely to the ground. Please keep our friends, as well as all of those affected by the fire, in your thoughts! They face the loss of not only property and livelihoods, but also a piece of history. The freezing temperatures that hindered the efforts of firefighters and volunteers will also displace many people, and the rebuilding process is likely to be long and arduous. Our hope is that through all of these struggles, our friends will be a light and help.