Things You Might See In China

Here are some things you might see if you are in China:

1. A Chinese auntie dance troupe in matching blue camouflage

2. Creepy manikins in an athletic store

3. An Apple store with a very unique name

4.  A donkey on the side of the road

5. Live chickens for sale

6. These vegetables and fruits, which cost only $3 total at the morning market!

Mr. and Mrs. 12th Floor

I first met Mr. Chu one day on the elevator in my building. (That's right: I have an elevator!) He was kind and introduced himself. We chatted for a bit. I found out that he is a history professor in my university. In his broken English he said, "My English is no good. My housewife English is good." I would soon meet his wife, and she is just as sweet as can be.

Over the next week, I kept running into them again and again. We would laugh and have small talk. One day, a serious-looking note was posted to my door, and I wasn't sure what to do. So, I went up to the 12th floor and asked Mr. Chu about it. Apparently, the entire city was changing from coal gas to natural gas, and we needed to buy a new stove that very day. Mr. Chu helped me to call my landlord, and then walked with me to find where the stoves were being sold on the side of the road. He inquired about all of them, helped me get a special deal, and got someone to come install it for me. What a great neighbor to have!

A few days later, on Mid-Autumn Festival, there was a knock at my door. The Chus came and brought me a box of delicious moon-cakes.

I hope that this relationship can grow and deepen over the next two years. I am so grateful to our Great Redeemer for giving me some good neighbors.

Teacher's Day

This past Wednesday was Teacher's Day in China. My classmates and I surprised our new teacher with some flowers, candles, an apple, and a note. Her reaction was priceless!

I'm very thankful to have her as a teacher. I feel that my pronunciation is improving greatly, and my foundation is solidifying. I'm so ready to see where I'll be by the end of the semester!

China Photoshop

Living as a foreigner in China, I end up needing to have a lot of passport photos on hand, whether for visas, health checks, student cards, cafeteria cards, etc. Getting these photos taken is quite the experience. In America, they take your photo, charge you an insane amount of money, and then give you four little images where (fingers-crossed) you look ok. 

In China, before you take the photos, they will make sure your hair is looking good. They position you and make you slightly move your head up, down, left or right until it is just perfect. After taking several shots, you choose which you like best. Then comes the fun part, where you sit and watch a wizard photoshop you for 10 minutes. 

Here is my photo: my hair has been given extra volume, my shoulders lowered, my skin smoothed, and all my freckles removed. 

Duck in the Box

While exploring my neighborhood yesterday, I came across a very interesting little food establishment:

Yep... Duck In The Box!

And, yes, there are actually ducks in that box. 

Cooking Outside My Comfort Zone

I learned how to cook from my Grandma... and then my Mom showed me the easier way to make all the things that my Grandma would. Since then, I've pretty much stayed cooking the same things that I was taught at home: Chicken and Dumplings, Quesadillas, Oven-Roasted Chicken, etc. This summer, I tried to branch out of that wheelhouse and make some Chinese dishes I had learned. Those turned out pretty well, and now I am branching even further.

Last night, I attempted to make a curry-ish, masala-ish dish, and boy oh boy was it yummy!

I used onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, chickpeas, cilantro, and various spices and flavorings.

The result:

Over rice:

I think this might become a staple dish in our dinner rotation.

The Diverse City

I've only been here about a week, but I can already tell that Changchun is very different from Zhengzhou. For one, it feels small. This may seem crazy, as Changchun has a population of 5-6 million. But, coming from a city of over 11 million, this city feels quaint to me. How did that happen? Changchun is also different in a very noticeable factor: foreigners. It has so many foreigners, myself included. In Zhengzhou, seeing another foreigner was a rare sight. Here, there are thousands. Changchun is known for being the best place to study pure Chinese, and so it attracts thousands of people from around the world. My university alone has over 600 foreigners on campus. This has many impacts on daily life. I'm not such a novelty here, so I don't get as many stares. Also, there are a plethora of western restaurants and shops.

This past Sunday, I was able to go to a fellowship and meet with like-minded people from around the world. The music was led by friends from Africa, and one of them also gave the message. What a cool picture of what we have to look forward to!