The Home Stretch

So if I've learned one thing during this trip, it's that I'm not very good at all about keeping up with a blog!  The past three weeks have been quite a whirlwind and I'm not sure I'll be able to remember all the details. I'll tell you as much as I can!

I have been so blessed and overwhelmed by love and encouragement during my time here.  The people I am constantly surrounded with have been such a blessing and the love from home is overflowing as well! I've received two packages now since being here as well which is rare occurrence. Ahhhh I'm just left speechless with the love I feel :)

Let me try to think of some of the things I have done in the past several weeks...I'll try to sum up what happened last week.
I started off the week by going over to my friend Kim's house and cooking dinner with her.  I stayed at her apartment for quite a while as we just talked about life. It was wonderful to have some one-on-one time with her and hear more about how things in her life have shaped who she is now.  That's one of the things I have loved the most about being here.  Everyone is very open which helps relationships to form very quickly.  I love feeling like I have known the people I have been surrounded by for more than just a few weeks.  It was a wonderful night to learn how to cook something different and learn so much more about Kim.
On Tuesday, I went to Pizza Hut with Sarah Mc and Melissa, a secondary teacher at the school.  I hadn't talked to Melissa much at all, although I had been over to her apartment a few times, so I was excited to go out and get to know her a little bit more.  I had delicious pasta and a fruit smoothie and shared even more about life with these wonderful ladies. A lot of bonding happens over food here, but I'm definitely okay with that :) Before we left, we saw two more families from ISW at Pizza Hut and headed home for the night.
Wednesday was a day that I was able to spend with my cooperating teacher here.  She had mentioned earlier in the week that she wanted to treat me to dinner and a massage, and Wednesday after school was that time.  We went to a Chinese restaurant run by a family from Singapore for dinner where I tried rice balls with sesame seeds in them for the very first time.  I wasn't a big fan of them, but now I won't have to wonder what they are like! After dinner, we walked around the plaza a little ways and found the massage place my cooperating teacher has been to before.  We then spent the next hour getting foot massages and talking about the classroom as well as our lives outside of school.  It was nice to see Jo Anna in a different environment and get to know her a little bit better as well.
Thursday was a busy day after school with Cup Stacking club and practice for the talent show.  Within the first couple weeks I was here, I was invited to be a part of a talent show act that a few of the teachers were putting together.  We danced and sang to Joyful Joyful from Sister Act 2.  It was so fun to get to know some of the other teachers and be able to see them in such an outgoing and entertaining environment.  Practice on the stage went well and we were all excited to get on stage and perform in the talent show.
On Friday, I got to go on a field trip to the firehouse with my kids! We have been reading about firefighters in many different subjects so it seemed fitting to take a field trip :) It was so fun!  It was really interesting to see how different is was from fire stations in the states.  The students were so fun to watch as they followed the firefighters around and soaked in every little bit of their visit to the fire station.
Friday was the night of the talent show and it was so awesome!  Never before did I think I would see so many cute children dancing and singing :) A handful of my second graders participated in a Cup Stacking routine in the talent show which was quite unique too! One first grader even broke out singing a Justin Bieber song, complete with headset and super cool dance moves.  When it was the teachers' turn to take the stage, we had so much fun!  We were pretty good if I do say so myself.  I stayed late to help clean up after the talent show to make for a long 13 hours at school.  It was completely worth it!
Over the weekend I was able to go to the fabric market and the tailor downtown to order a jacket for myself. I wasn't sure that it was going to work out because I didn't know if they could make it in less than two weeks, but the tailor assured us that it would get done before I left. I chose a material that I really liked, got my measurements taken, and ordered my jacket that will be finished just two days before I leave. I'm really excited to see how it turns out!

This week at school hasn't been too eventful, but my kids have been more and more of a blessing each day. I've been very busy within the classroom as I have soloed these past several weeks.  My kids have taught me a lot both in and out of the classroom.  They can definitely be a handful and test my patience at times, but I have grown to love them  more with each day I spend with them.  With all of their quirks, unique facial expressions, frustrating behaviors, and sly smiles, I feel like they are truly my students.  I look forward to going into school every day and giving my best to them as I teach and receiving smiles, kind words, and hugs in return. One of my toughest students came up to me in the cafeteria the other day and simply said, "Miss Lovejoy, hug" as he gave me a hug and walked away like nothing had happened.  Another student made me an origami heart and had written "You are the best teacher ever!" inside of it.  The little things like this where I can feel that I am truly reaching out to my kids is why it is going to be so hard to leave in just one week. The thought of it makes me tear up because I feel like I have finally gotten to the point where I am really connecting with my students and developing deeper relationships with them. I hope I have been able to show them a glimpse of the Father's love while I've been here through my teaching, disciplining, and celebration.

Spring Break Trip

So I apologize again for being so slow at blogging! I'll try to catch things up this next week. Right now I'll tell you a little bit about the spring break trip I was able to take!

So two weeks ago, I got in a cab to get to the train station to Shanghai, to then get on a subway that would take myself and the other 5 women I traveled with to the airport.  We left for Guilin in southern China to eventually get to Yangshuo for a week of relaxing and taking in the beautiful creation the Father so wonderfully displayed there.  After a very late arrival to Guilin (around midnight), we went to our first hostel for the night to rest up.  We woke up and ate breakfast at the hostel, went to a grocery store to get food, and hopped on a bus to travel to Yangshuo, the city we planned to visit for most of the week.  Following a 2 hour bus ride, we finally arrived in Yangshuo.  I could tell when we arrived without even being told because all of a sudden the road was surrounded by mountains and breathtaking scenery.  I was really looking forward to being able to enjoy His creation and take a break from the busy city life for a short time.  Once we got into Yangshuo, our wonderful Chinese friend found which bus we needed to transfer to in order to get to XingPing, a nearby village, where we would find our hostel for the week.  I wasn't aware that we wouldn't be staying in the city we came to see everyday, but I was blessed by a beautiful 40 minute bus ride to XingPing that night that I got to experience everyday as we went to Yangshuo.  We finally found our hostel after walking through the old streets of XingPing, got dinner at a little restaurant, and went to sleep.

Tuesday was our first full day of vacation where we weren't travelling more than 40 minutes at a time!  We woke up early and got on the bus to take us from XingPing to Yangshuo.  It was during this bus ride where I truly got to see a more rural side of China as I was paying attention more to the cultural of this new city than I had the night before.  We passed a lot of rice fields with men plowing the fields complete with water buffalo :) It was such a cool sight! Some of the housing situations and people I saw truly broke my heart, but they were still smiling despite their circumstances.  It made me grateful for what I have but also made me aware of the living conditions in rural areas of China.  I was filled with so many questions as I wondered if the people there were alright with their living conditions, if they would like to live differently, if they chose to be farmers...the list goes on and on.  I'm very glad I got to see a different part of the country as I am typically in a city where people are wearing name brand clothing and driving scooters everywhere.  Anyway, back to what I did on Tuesday!

When we got into Yangshuo, Kylie, our Chinese friend and fellow teacher, found a travel company and started to see what we could do for our first day in Yangshuo.  We really wanted to go on bamboo rafts down the river, but the rafts were closed for the day because it was raining off and on and the water was too high.  Instead, we got tickets to go to an old city that had many tourist attractions as well as tickets to a large cave.
We first went to the old city and were greeted once again by people who wanted to take pictures with us.  After taking pictures, we got on a larger boat and went down the river to see many dancers, instrumentalists, and different types of housing all along the river.  It was rather neat to see everything that was from such unfamiliar cultures! We then left the old city and went to the cave which I was really excited to see.  It was amazing to see how enormous the cave was in the side of the mountain.  We were in the cave for about an hour walking around because it took us that long to walk through the entire thing!  It was amazing to be reminded of how big and majestic the Father is :)  It was probably one of my favorite places of the day because I was just so in awe of His creation.







We then returned to the main city of Yangshuo and found a place to eat and shop for a short time before going to the light show.  I really wasn't sure what to expect in going to the light show, but it was truly amazing.  It was almost like a musical or play but with the best stage I have ever seen.  The stands looked out onto a lake with mountains behind and on all sides.  So beautiful.  Many actors sang and danced on a platform in the lake as men on bamboo rafts did an incredible act with long strips of material that spanned across the lake.  There were of course lots of lights as well throughout the show. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen--truly a Chinese experience!  The man from the travel company then took us all the way back to XingPing for the night because it was too late to get a bus to end our first full day in Yangshuo.

Wednesday was probably my favorite day of the entire trip.  Kylie got a call from the man at the travel company before 8:00 and told us that the bamboo rafts were open for the day! The weather forecast had said it was supposed to rain all day, but the Father surely provided for us!  We got down to the travel company, bought our tickets for the bamboo rafts, rented bikes to ride down to the docks, and began to make our way to the docks.  It was the most beautiful bike ride I've ever taken! So many mountains, and we even bought flower wreaths from ladies on the street on our way to the docks. It was absolutely gorgeous :)

When we finally got to the docks with the bamboo rafts, we paired off and started heading down the river.  Our driver was a bit of a jokester as he started splashing a few of the other girls by smacking his bamboo pole on top of the water.  We also got wet in the process, but it was such a relaxing and peaceful time just floating down the river surrounded by the Father's creation of mountains displaying his awesome majesty.  Ahhh so amazing :)

Two hours later, we got off of the river and found our bikes.  We then began to ride our bikes down the road to our next destination, Moon Hill.  Another lovely bike ride in the sun and 70 degree weather (instead of the rain that was forecasted) and we found Moon Hill.  We ate a quick lunch and then began climbing.  Sarah #1 and I lead the journey to the top of the hill as we counted every step.  810 steps later, we finally reached the top of Moon Hill.  The view from the top of Moon Hill made every single step worth it.  Once again, trying to put what I saw into words is nearly impossible.  Seeing part of the city below from the top was absolutely breathtaking.  We stayed at the top for a while to take many pictures and just take it all in.  Then we ventured back down the very slippery steps to the bottom.  We all made it down safely and biked back to the travel company to return our bikes.  After walking around in Yangshuo for a little bit, we returned  back to XingPing for dinner as we ate pizza on the roof of our hostel.  Stories of how the Father has worked in and through our lives were shared, and I began to feel even closer to these people I had known than less for a week.  It's so neat how we can all be connected through our faith!

Thursday was a day to simply walk around West Street in downtown Yangshuo and do some shopping.  Sarah #2 got to reminisce as she saw some of the many places that were so familiar to her when she first came to China during her high school years.  I still have not become very good at bargaining, but I'm glad I have some friends who are! It's always interesting to see even how shopping can be different.  Bargaining is expected and I'm sure glad it is! I got some wonderful deals on scarves, jewelry, and other Chinese items in addition to two beautiful paintings.  I definitely felt like more of a tourist as I walked up and down West Street, but I liked that experience as well.  We went to lunch at the same restaurant we had visited a couple days earlier and got on a bus that would take us back to Guilin.

When we got back into Guilin, we located the train station and got ready for our 9 hour ride on a sleeper train that would take us from Guilin to Changsha.  The train ride was definitely interesting as we slept on bunks 3 high with no curtains to separate the beds from the rest of the train.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was quite a unique experience!  The train got into Chansha at 5:00 am on Friday, and with our flight from Changsha not leaving until late that evening, we had a day to spend in the city.  We took a bus into the city a bit and found a restaurant to have a typical Chinese breakfast of noodles.  Not something I would normally have for breakfast, but it was quite delicious!  We then found a McDonald's and spent quite a few hours just sitting and sharing about life with one another.  It was wonderful :)  Once stores actually began to open, we found a Walmart to walk around in.  It was good to see someplace that was familiar, but then I realized that Walmart in China is not like Walmart in the US at all.  There were some similarities, but when I saw the chicken feet, octopus, and eel being sold, I realized that I was definitely still in China.  After Walmart, we went up a floor of the building and found a movie theater.  We really wanted to find something to do that would be relaxing because we were all tired after traveling so much.  We found a movie that was playing in English, The Great and Powerful Oz, bought tickets, got our popcorn and drinks that came with our tickets, and watched the movie.  More noodles, more shopping, and another bus ride later, we made it to the Changsha airport where we would finally be transported back to Wuxi.  Of course our plane was delayed over an hour, but we eventually made it home shortly after midnight.

Sorry this is such a long post! There's so much I feel that I didn't share too, but I definitely wanted to make sure I shared everything I could about my spring break trip.  It was a wonderful time of refreshment and being reminded of the Father's majesty.  I got to know the other women I went with on a deeper level and I'm so encouraged by their hearts for the Father.  It was absolutely wonderful :)

Spirit Week!

So not this past week, but the week before was Spirit Week and Mao Wars at my school.  Monday was Cosplay day (dress up like a superhero or famous character), Tuesday was Fashion Fail, Wednesday was Fake-an-Injury day, and Thursday was Spirit Day (where everyone wore their ISW apparel).  Mao Wars is a competition between the classes to see who can raise the most money for a certain cause, this year it's to take the children from the local orphanage on a field trip.  It was a really fun week full of lots of energy and interesting outfits that ended in a pep rally on Thursday afternoon!  There were ballet dancers at the rally that were very good and we got to find out that my second grade class won Mao Wars!  Not only do the kids from the orphanage now get to go on a trip to the park, but I will also have the opportunity to accompany my students as we get to go play with those children as well :)

I wish I would have posted about this week prior to now so that I could have told you everything I had experienced, but life has been rather busy here.  I know that my students have been very enjoyable, but also challenging at times.  I'm still working on perfecting my classroom management skills, and I am definitely getting the opportunity to practice those skills with my students.  My cooperating teacher was at a conference on Monday and Tuesday, so I was able to take over the class during her absence.  I became very frustrated at times, but it truly was an amazing learning experience for me. Sometimes we learn our best lessons through our most difficult situations.  I'm learning how to love my kids through disciplining them in addition to really picking out the good things they are doing to emphasize positive behaviors.

I know that I probably missed out on a lot from this week, but there's a short glimpse for you! I know I also got to experience a restaurant called Hot Pot where we cooked our own food in a pot of boiling oil in the middle of the table.  I tried quail eggs there too which were actually pretty good!  There will be a post coming soon as well about my trip to Guilin and Yangshuo that I got to go on for spring break with 5 other amazing teachers from the school.  I'll post some pictures from the trip on here, but there are already pictures on FB if you would like to check them out! Thank you once again for all of the love and support!