Happy Thoughts

Ohio State is headed back to the National Championship! With the way this season has developed, I really should not have been too concerned after the loss to Illinois. Go figure, we're the ones with the undisputed place in the national championship game. Personally, I would have liked to battle the Rainbow Warriors, but that's only because I'd love to see my Buckeyes redeem themselves after last year's debacle. Now the main cause for concern is facing a no huddle offense--a prospect that should strike fear into most Buckeyes' fans hearts. The only no huddle hurry up offense we've really faced since Florida was Illinois, and we all know how that went. Gulp. Regardless, I think most of Buckeye nation (or at least this transplanted part of Buckeye nation) is happy that facing the daring strategies of Les Miles is not going to become a yearly tradition. C'mon Carr, are you sure you don't want to stick around? On another note, I stumbled on this blog today. The diagram descriptions of traffic patterns in China had me laughing out loud. For anyone who has been to China, you will be more than amused. Even for those of you yet to venture to the Middle Kingdom, you might get a chuckle or two. Check out description one and description two.

Coming up for air

My grading is done for all three of my classes Monday (and it's only Friday!). The house is perfectly clean (thanks to recent added help). I'm caught up on laundry. Plans for winter break are mostly complete. All urgent emails are responded to. I spent a chunk of time tonight doing grad work. And for about the first time in at least a month I actually feel on top of things, instead of being carried along by an unmanageable current. That feels wonderful...even though the feeling may be somewhat momentary!
This past Thursday I went to the orphanage with a student to donate some money to pay for the surgery of the boy with spina bifida. We were wonderfully surprised (as was the orphanage earlier in the day) with the news that an organization from Changchun had come that day to pick up that baby, the premie, and a girl with hearing problems. The organization will take care of them and cover all medical expenses. I was thrilled with this answer, especially for the premie who the orphanage just isn't equipped enough to take care of. It was also really awesome to just hang out for awhile at the orphanage. Saturdays are usually pretty crazy with many students and people crowding the place. It's wonderful for the kids to have all of that love and attention. However, it was also cool to observe them in their "normal" daily life. Their personalities definitely shined through even more.
Thursday night Sonny, Seth, and I went to the English department's talent competition. There were a lot of the same performances that we're used to. However, there was a comedy skit based on Romeo and Juliet that really made me wish my Chinese skills were better...

Turkey!

Perhaps you are unaware of this fact, but turkey is quite difficult to find in China. This being so, I have gone all three "turkey" days in China without turkey. Yes, I still have plenty of good things to eat. Yes, I keep up the Brandt family tradition of making Grandma's rolls for thanksgiving (and all other holidays per team request). But I must admit I've missed turkey. Consequently, when we went to Changchun this past weekend and found a 20 pound frozen turkey for sale at the import store, I (and the rest of the team) was quite excited. Granted it cost 300 RMB, but it sure is going to be worth it! I wasn't loving the bird so much carrying it as I raced down the platform to catch the train back to Siping...but once again, it's going to be worth it.

The light at the end of the semester tunnel is beginning to be visible. In most of my classes there are only four class periods left. 'Tis the season of much grading. And piles of graduate classwork... Yet today I set the work aside to put up Christmas decorations. I absolutely love having Christmas decorations up in my house--I wish I could leave them up all year!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I know, it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But the fierce winds and swirling snow outside my window seem to foretell that holiday. Mark down November 19th as our first snowfall of the year (other than a few random flurries before). In addition, Buckeye nation received an early Christmas gift (or a reason to be thankful) this past weekend as they defeated Michigan for the fourth time in four years. With a few more upsets, that present could grow exponentially larger if we get the chance to play for the national championship. All I can say, whether it's roses or bigger, I'm hoping we're not playing a no huddle offense...

Orphanage reflection

With weekly trips to the orphanage, it's easy to become numb to the emotional shock and burden of a building full of children without the love of a parent. For some reason, that numbness wore off a bit today, as I found tears pooling in my eyes. There were joyful moments in the day. There were numerous students from the Chinese department at our school who crowded the place with love and attention for the children. There was the smiling face of a cheerful toddler who will begin a new future when she meets her parents this Tuesday. Her world is about to be turned upside down as she trades all of the familiar sights, sounds, and faces for a family that has been eagerly waiting to meet her. Knowing the love that is awaiting her just warms my heart. But at the same time, sorrow and grief washes over my heart. There's the premature baby found in a plastic bag fighting for life in an incubator who looks scarily worse than the previous week. There are babies who have been fighting colds for weeks. There's the tiny little girl who just doesn't seem to be putting on weight. Then there's the little boy who has captured and stolen my heart. We believe he has spina bifida, and the sight of the sores on his back make me cringe with grief. Holding and caressing him I felt utterly incapable of relieving his suffering. It sounds rather cliche, but really, at the end of the day one of the only things left to do is to release these tiny lives into the Father's hand. On a more practical note, we're discussing getting students involved in doing another fund raiser for the orphanage. The money raised would go toward surgeries and medical care for babies like the boy suffering from spina bifida. It is wonderful to see students who are becoming passionate about the orphanage. In the end, we would love to see our role diminish and theirs increase. For if a day comes when we're no longer here, they are the ones who will carry on in loving these kids.

Many hats

Blogspot has been working the past couple days in China. Ever since it came back online, I've been thinking, "I need to post..." However, I keep putting it off. Yet I know the longer I wait, the more I push my luck. So here goes an entry composed by a very tired mind...

Do you ever feel like you're trying to wear too many hats? Lately I've been feeling that a lot. I sometimes find it hard to juggle the many hats of teammate, teacher, Chinese student, friend, mentor, coworker, guest lecturer, seed sower, sister, daughter, and long-distance friend. Soon, I'll likely be adding the additional hat of graduate student. I feel as if I'm excelling in one of these roles, it means I'm sacrificing another role. The most important hat I wear is daughter and student of the Father. Lately, I've been asking the Father for wisdom on where to spend my time and energy. As the pace of things pick up here I know this is an area I need a lot of discernment in.

This past week was a frenzy of activity in addition to the normal schedule that included our PA visit (observations & evaluations), a lecture on the Oregon trail, movie night with students, additional lesson planning, a visit to the local primary school, and a trip to Changchun.

Friday morning several other teachers and I were guests at a local primary school's Foreign Language Week. I was expecting that we would have to give some sort of a performance and likely have to sing songs. However, I was not prepared to be split off from the rest of the foreign teachers and sent to entertain a Grade 1 classroom full of seven year olds who barely spoke English. I spent an hour of thinking on my feet to meet the requests of the teachers. I told a story, sang a song (This little light of mine--slightly adapted, it was the only one I could think of), taught them the ABC song, and taught the game "Duck, duck, goose". The kids were adorable and it was fun to go out on the playground and play the game with them.

This weekend I headed over to Changchun to hang out with the Norries. It was wonderful to spend some time with them. I have such a deep love for that family and those kids, and always feel like a part of the family when I visit. It was fun to read stories and cuddle with Sarah and Josiah.

Finally...GO BUCKS! I just had to mention the #1 team in the nation...

Oh how the mighty have fallen...and cold feet

Just a quick note here to express my glee over this weekend's football games. See ya later USC--how does it feel to be under that Sports Illustrated curse now? The Buckeyes surprisingly continue to dominate...and seem to be creeping up on a possibility of a National Championship game. Hmmm, is it just me or does this sound a lot like a certain season a couple years ago? All I know is we seem to perform better with low expectations. Would have liked to have seen LSU tumble from number one, but watching Florida lose is a nice consolation. Indeed, it's good to be an Ohio State fan these days.

On another note, fall has definitely arrived in the Dongbei--and as usual, well before the heat is scheduled to come on. It's now the season of layers of blankets and hot chocolate.