$100? Or 200 Magnum bars?

Magnum bars. I've been searching for the perfect way to describe the ice cream bars that beckon my soul each time I walk into the foster home cafeteria. But, alas, words alone can't capture the wondrous, chocolately essence that is Magnum. I don't know what it is about this country that makes me this way, but I seriously have a problem. I eat them every day, sometimes twice. And although they're cheap by American standards (especially considering how delectable they are), I have decided to make serious efforts to end my compulsion and try to be a better steward of my dinero. Although, I didn't follow through exactly as I planned, seeing as how I bought a snickers after lunch instead for the same price. Baby steps.. baby steps.

My roommates are not helpful. In fact, 3 of them are eating ice cream as I type. And when I told them about how I recently had $100 deposited into an account for me, the only thing they said was "$100? That's like 200 Magnum bars!"

This is ridiculous.

ps- I'm not feeling so hot (maybe I'm having withdrawals already?), so please keep me in mind. Most of the kiddos at my site have colds, and stupid me bragged the other day about how I hadn't been sick since I got here. I feel like it might be inevitable now. But I'm hoping for the best.

pss- I don't want to misinform the public, so I have to let it be known that this is actually NOT a picture of a Magnum bar. It is, however, me eating ice cream in my apartment. And, as you can see, my roommate Anneli seems to have a similar problem.

Hitchin' a Ride on a Rickshaw

There are many interesting ways to travel the 1 1/2 (I'm convinced it's closer to 2) miles to and from work at the foster home. Usually my roommates walk and I ride my bike. Sometimes a kindhearted coworker (or even a stranger) gives us a ride. We've hopped on the bus with our Chinese coworkers for an escape from a cold day. I got a lift once by the water man in his tricycle cart thingy alongside his water bottles. And a sympathetic nanny from my location let me hop on her scooter on a particularly cold day. Every day holds the potential for new, fun transportation experiences. I would have to say, though, that the rickshaw is hands-down the most interesting way to travel in the village. A few nights ago, my roommate and I were not excited about the half hour walk home, and found the solution stopped right in front of us, as someone got out of a little red cart with a hunter green top on it. We flagged down the driver, and I used my amazing Chinese skills to tell him that we wanted to go to our apartment. Apparently, he understood and after fifteen bumpy minutes, we arrived safely at home. This is Jess's documentation of our little adventure in the village. Hope you enjoy :)
a rickshaw ride home

Bahhh!

I am overwhelmed. 5 girls, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. 70 new students with varying levels of English speaking skills. Hundreds of Chinese words I want to learn. Zero alone time. 7 nannies and 6 orphaned children at the foster home. 3 birthday parties (including my 23rd) in 3 days. 22 foreign and Chinese people crowded into a small village bbq restaurant. 1 month to plan a trip to my 2nd foreign country after my first 90 days in China. 1 real day off. 4+ loads of laundry to wash. 6 English classes to prepare for conversation corners next week plus 5 days of English lessons to prepare for the nannies at the foster home. Only One who will help me make it through this.

Frolicking in the snow and other things

In case you're wondering (because I did), I did not misspell frolicking. It's just a naturally ridiculous-looking word, I guess. Anyways, moving on. Today I frolicked in the snow with my 9-year-old friend Catherine from the Healing Home. I think she's still deciding whether or not she likes the new girl in town (or I guess country for that matter), but something about mass amounts of fluffy, white goodness sprinkled across the ground seems to break down barriers. The only thing that matters on a day like today is taking advantage of the unusual opportunity (for both of us) to build a snow man, throw snowballs, and listen to the crunch of clear, fresh snow being dominated by our feet. For a short while, I almost forgot how dirty it is around here for the clever white disguise. That is, until I picked up a layer of snow to reveal the underlying truth..

Check out our awesome Chinese snowman of questionable sanitary quality, accompanied by the high-maintenance, though indisputably adorable, Catherine.

BB

The reason I bike faster and leave work a little later..

Huge brown eyes and the most adorable little smile have stolen my heart. I gave him his English name: Hosea. It means "strength" and "deliverance." That is my hope and prayer for this precious child with a 3 mm hole in his heart.

Anyone looking to adopt? I heard about a 2-for-1 deal that includes free babysitting.

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BB

What to say..

It's been a while and I am just now able to get on my blog. So, here I am. You know those moments when your brain is so full that you can't possibly get it all out so you don't even know how to start? Ya this is one of those times. Life here is just.. different. I don't have generalities to give because I haven't wrapped my mind around it all yet. It isn't good, bad, easy, difficult.. It just is.

Something I have realized here is that you can't escape, no matter how far you go. Escape was not and is not my purpose, but I think I did come here with the expectation that some of my unresolved issues would just push themselves under a rug because I'm doing a "good thing" here. But that's not exactly the case. Doubts, fears, insecurities, expectations- they follow you (in this case, me) wherever you (I) go. It's just one more way that I'm being shown that my heart is so much more important than my feet. If I'm not pursuing the truth, I might as well just go home.

Don't misunderstand my heart. I am so glad to be here, and there are amazing things going on all around me (and in me, as well). I can't wait to see more. I just feel like right now, I am being shown that no matter where I am, all of me comes. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

On a more random note.. I need open heart surgery, and all I ever dare to ask for is a smiley-faced bandaid. What's up with that?

I Can't Speak Chinese!

OK so the big day is less than a week away and I've had some realizations.. first of all, I can't speak Chinese. Apparently this isn't as big of a problem as I thought before because English is pretty popular, but I'm still slightly apprehensive (ok, giving myself too much credit) about it. My list of things to do has taken up almost 2 pages in my journal.. shop, pack, power of attorney, last round of shots, give PT her water bottle.. and the list goes on and on.

In case someone actually reads this thing and is wondering, YES I am very nervous. But also very excited! And overwhelmed by everything. I'm beginning to think there's a drama queen living somewhere deep inside me that likes to come out when I'm stressed. I'd like her to stay in her corner because she annoys me (and probably alot of people who have to hear her rantings).

On another note, Mom's taking me to get my toenails done tomorrow and I'm pretty excited. First, because it's like a year overdue.. second, because it's much needed me-and-mom time. She's starting to worry about everything, so it'll be good to spend the day with her helping me get prepared and do my last-minute supply shopping.