The last day at RnR

Today has been filled with saying lots of goodbyes to our favorite kiddos in this country (and, you know, the world). I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to work with all of the families here. They are all so great.

In case you have been dying to see some serious, Asian cuteness... Behold:

XiaoXiao being a little darling

Yu Zi- Totally presh

Making faces!

Jocelyn and her mama

Sharing is caring

Kathy! Not quite a smile...

NiuNiu and Xiao Yu: BFF's for life

TryTry!

QiuQiu: Could he BE any cuter?

Goodbyes are best with food

Proof:

Girls at our farewell/dumpling shindig

Thanks for being awesome/goodbye brownies for the staff

So long USA (approximately 7 months ago) complete with my fave US treats

So... we are saying goodbye to our friends in China in the best way we know how. With food.

And with love, of course. It's been swell China but it's time to go home! Perhaps I will celebrate my arrival to the states with a plethora of delicious dishes? I am sure it will go that way...

Mandarin lesson:
Gàobié 告别 (farewell)

More of the cuteness

These little faces are hard to resist:

Yang Yang

Zao Zao

Xiao King and his mom

Bei Bei

These are the kiddos who come every Wednesday morning for art and music class. They are so sweet. Yang Yang and Zao Zao have become the best of friends. They are always sitting with each other and calling out each other's names. It is absolutely precious. Even their moms have become real-life friends. Romp n' Roll: Bringing friends together one kid at a time.

We are down to only five more days in the big city. Tonight we are going to dinner with Bella (one of our assistants). Yesterday we had a dumpling party to say goodbye to some of the other girls from work. It is sad to say goodbye to all of these great people. I love them so much and it is kind of sucky to know I won't be seeing them again. But, I knew from the beginning that this was not a permanent job and I would eventually have to say goodbye. My heart breaks a little each time I tell my class that it is my last week with Romp n Roll. I know the parents are a little disappointed but they all seem to understand.

Here's to five more days and then COMING HOME!

Mandarin lesson:
Kě'ài de 可爱的 (adorable)

These kids warm my soul

Minnie was my very first member at RnR

LaLa is such a cutie patootie!!

Miao Miao wandered into the office yesterday

QiQi was my first Oral English member and she is the best!

AnAn just started to walk and she is t total presh!

Of course, my fave girl in the world, Scarlett!!!

As the days wind down I will be trying to get photos of all of my lovies at Romp n Roll. Here are just a few of my girls. I am so lucky to know these babies and to be able to watch them all grow and know that I had a small part in helping them get to where they are today.

I am home sick today :( Even after seven months my body is not immune to the bacteria in the food. Between trips to the bathroom I was able to talk to my niece, Scarlett. She is seriously the cutest. She said my name today (for the first time to me). In the above picture she was pointing to my cat and saying, "Merky!!!!" I showed her a few things in sign language. We are pretty sure she is either a child prodigy or someone has taught her a few signs before. She basically knew them after one try. We learned thank you, more, sorry, mom, dad, and cat. I think I'm in love.

Mandarin lesson:
Nǚ 女 (girl)

Looking back

I have been in China for almost seven months and although ordinarily I would say seven months is not very long, these days I am singing a different tune. The longest I had ever been away from home was the three weeks I spent in Florida with my grandparents when I was, like, ten. And, hello, my brother was there the whole time and even my mom and dad were there for a week. Even when I moved away for college (for only my Freshman year I should add) I still managed to never stay away from home for longer than a few weeks. I would go as far as to say that 99.8% of the people I know, I met in Roanoke. Spending seven months away from my home has proven to be quite difficult. I was lucky that my mom could visit me in September but even that seems like eons ago. I feel like I haven't been home for years. It seems I have just been living my whole life in this faraway land. And even though on many days it seems China is just a bottomless, black-pit that I am destined to spend eternity in, the country has really done a lot for me. My world view has shifted tremendously. I am not some uncultured, white girl anymore. I know how it feels to be the minority. I have lived alone in a place that I was lost in the moment I turned onto another block. Having a language barrier come between every single thing you try to do is not exactly a happiness-builder. I have struggled through being lost without someone to ask for help, blindly choosing something to eat and have it turn out to be a spicy bowl of organs, and having not one person around to befriend. At the end of the day, though, life is all about taking the good with the bad. I didn't expect to come here and just be thrilled with life all the time. I have met some really great people. I have learned a small amount of a very unique language. I have eaten some really delicious food that I never would have tried at home. I have learned how to live on my own and take care of myself without needing someone else around. I have gained confidence in front of an audience. I have learned how to truly be a leader. I am taking so much home with me to America. I was right all along, this experience has changed my life. I know that I have the courage to find people to be around who will not bring me down. The term flexibility in the workplace has come to have an entirely new definition. Learning how to survive in an office where your superior does not even speak your language has definitely proved to be a challenge but it has also taught me that I can handle difficulties beyond measure and still come-out okay. I am grateful for China and its people. I am happy that I moved here. But I am also happy that I am moving home. Yep, that's right... In just ten short days I will be moving back to Virginia, and back home. I will only be in Roanoke for about two weeks and then it's off to new adventures but I honestly cannot wait to see the mountains, blue sky, corny star, and familiar streets of Roanoke - of home. I got everything I needed by coming here. My life has truly been altered. But it is time for me to come home.

Even the cat thinks so:

Mandarin lesson:
Shēngmìng 生命 (life) Shǒuyè 首页 (home) Jiàoxun 教训 (lessons)

Meteoroligist Chelsie Pait Gale Clementine*

reporting for duty.

*I thought I would need to change my name... You know, pick out a good TV personality name. Gale Clementine- well, it just seemed right.

The past few days in Beijing have been a little hazy. The sky has been thick. The sun has been hiding. The air has been far beyond freezing frickin cold and the layers have been piling on. Much to my (gleeful) surprise, Theresa and I woke up to a beautiful, snowy day out here in the Middle Kingdom. 

The 10-day forecast shows four more days of snow in our future. Perhaps my calendar will be updated with the next snowfall.

Our first snow day in Beijing is being spent in the cozy, warm confines of our office at work. T is snuggled into her pink, rolley chair reading a war story on her Nook. I am humming carols quietly in my head (It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...). When I am not thinking about the fact that is is 23 degrees outside (and thus frigid in our heat-free apartment) I am absolutely giddy with the joy that 'tis the season!

No classes today means things may get a little jolly around here...

Mandarin lesson:
Xuě 雪 (snow) Qìxiàng xué jiā 气象学家 (meteorologist)

Look! Prehistoric tennis shoes!

Last week while Theresa played on the computer I was busy flipping through one of our many Beijing tourist books. I came across the Beijing Museum of Natural History and read that there were dinosaurs and dissected human bodies on exhibit. I knew this was the perfect place for me.

The scariest part must have been all of the unnecessary mutilation occurring right before our eyes. There were ostrich egg-stealing-monkeys, hungry lions, angry T-Rexes... It was a very graphic day, indeed.

Animals in China are portrayed a lot angrier than in America. Everywhere we looked there were animals ripping each other apart. Even though they didn't seem to be peaceful exhibits, the museum was pretty cool. It wasn't the Smithsonian but it was a good time had by all.

We made it to the bottom level for the shock of my museum-visiting life... Dead people. Dead women. Dead men. Dead babies. Brains, stomachs, intestines, hearts, genitals, lungs, and more. It was a gruesome sight. I am not going to lie- it made me feel a little ill. But, it was also super cool.

Get to the exhibit by following:

Sperm. Yes, sperm. Just follow it on through.

Cozy inside of a womb.

Preserved dead man

Brain

And because I know you have really been missing my fabulous video diaries... Here ya go:

Enjoy :)

Mandarin lesson:
Kǒnglóng 恐龙 (dinosaur)

It's Turkey Time!

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. First - my family who has supported me through this crazy adventure called life. Thank you for being here for me even when we are so far away. Second - my new friend, Theresa. This girl has for real been a life saver in this country and is the most perfect roommate. I lucked out in getting T to experience this with. Third - my best friend, Jessi, who is always here for me to talk to, complain to, cry to, laugh with, and then some. And fourth - my experience. Even though not every moment is filled with glee, I am so lucky to have been given this opportunity. China has changed my life, my outlook, my perspective. The people here are so loving and accepting. I have really been blessed this year (so of course, thanks be to God who makes this all possible).

Theresa and I celebrated Thanksgiving (yesterday since we are in the future here) by taking the day off work just to hang out. We slept in a little and watched some movies. We got in a workout and did our grocery shopping. I drank the most delicious Gingerbread Cookie Latte at Costa Coffee. After spending the day together we journeyed out to the Renaissance Hotel for a delicious evening dinner. I overate for sure and stuffed myself to the brim. My dessert plate literally overflowed and my smile was just as grande. It was so great being in a room full of Americans again. We listened in on conversations and even had a small one with the diners next to us. We took many trips to the buffet and thoroughly enjoyed our American-style Thanksgiving. Here are some pictures (mostly of food):

Turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, bread, ribs

Delicious pumpkin soup!

Creme brulee, berry cake, pumpkin pie? (not great), brownie/cupcake, berry stuff

Two very satisfied laowais!

Mandarin lesson:
Tǔ'ěrqí 土耳其 (turkey) Nánguā 南瓜 (pumpkin) Mǎlíngshǔ 马铃薯 (potato)

Christmas in Beijing

First off, no, I will not be seeing what Christmas actually looks like in Beijing. Considering I will be coming home for Christmas (in approximately 29 days, but who's counting?) I will not see the capital on actual Christmas. However, last night as Theresa and I rode the bus home from work we passed by some pretty bright lights resembling a Christmas tree just outside of our mall. Once we got closer we realized the lights were actually a snowman inside of a tree with the topper "Lucky Christmas" twirling on the head of the tree/snowman. I hope this is only the first of many signs of the season to be seen.

We have our fingers crossed that we will come across Santa somewhere in this city so we can sit on his lap and ask him for some gifts.

Speaking of holidays... Thanksgiving is only four days away. I am pretty bummed to be spending my first Thanksgiving away from home. Theresa and I have reservations at a restaurant in the Marriott. We are also taking the day off work to celebrate the holiday. I can't wait to eat lots of turkey! I am also hoping for sweet potatoes and home-made rolls. If they could be teleported here from my grandparent's kitchen that would be nice, too.

Mandarin lesson:
Gǎn'ēn jié 感恩节 (Thanksgiving Day) Shèngdàn jié 圣诞节 (Christmas Day)