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Two out of three nights on trains. Crowded traffic. Hectic shopping. Crowded subways. Busy shopping streets. That sure doesn't sound like a recipe for refreshment. However, there was one factor that made my quick trip to Beijing an extremely rejuvenating time--my dear friend Lana. It's not really something that can be described, but quality time with a close friend that loves and understands you so well is just about the greatest gift I could ask for. I'm so thankful for the women the Father has placed in my life to encourage me along this journey. When I think of these beautiful treasures I've been given, I just feel so incredibly blessed.
Wednesday night I took the train down to Beijing--and tossed and turned throughout the night to the chorus of loudly snoring men and newborn twins screaming. Not exactly the recipe for a restful night. I met up with Lana, we headed to the Mac for showers and then headed to one of the main attractions of Beijing. No, not Forbidden City. Not the Great Wall. Not Summer Palace. For me, one of my favorite spots in Beijing is Ikea. We did some Christmas shopping (and shopping for ourselves), then grabbed lunch at our favorite Italian place. After that we headed to the airport to pick up her brother. We dragged a very sleepy Aaron out for a perfect first meal in China--pizza. We went to a place that serves HUGE pizzas--so yummy!
Friday I went Christmas shopping while Lana and Aaron went to the Great Wall. Later on I met up with them for a much more traditional dinner, Beijing duck, before heading off to my train. This time there were no snoring men (an answer from the Father of a very specific request of mine!). However, the train was ROASTING. I would not be surprised if it was between 85-90 degrees. I peeled off all my layers, but was still sweating. One of the things I love about the Northeast is that they heat things well...but this was a little overdone! Now it's back to the grindstone of finals and grading here. Two weeks left! I picked up some kind of head cold on the train down to Beijing, so have been guzzling Wall-born in hopes of being healthy for the final push of the semester. Head cold, hot trains, and tiredness aside, the trip was well worth it!
Living in a land where I've grown accustomed to not being able to read labels on items in stores, I've learned different ways for identifying products. I know that my salt is the one with the orangeish reddish picture of the Great Wall on it. (An important thing to remember, lest I end up accidentally purchasing the more common, but similarly looking, product of MSG.) The cooking oil I like has the green label with the gold fish. The chicken strips I like are in a green bag with a cartoon yellow chicken (not to be confused with the red bag--those are too spicy). Packets of yeast have the one English word "Angel" on them. The milk I bought my first two and a half years in China was white, green, and blue with pictures of cows on them. Each box of milk (yes, milk comes in an unrefrigerated section in boxes) has two half-cows on it, so that when the boxes sit next to each other on the shelf they form whole cows. Anyways, back to my story; I apologize for the multitude of tangents. Like I was saying, I have been buying this milk my whole time in China. Consequently, when this brand of milk mysteriously disappeared from the shelves a couple weeks ago I was understandably distraught. However, I recovered from my grief and settled on the only other kind available in the large box size. These boxes were red, green and yellow with pictures of people running on front. I was a little disappointed with my new milk, but soon grew accustomed to the change. Until this milk began disappearing as well. At the grocery store near my apartment, all that was left were little bags of milk (think elementary school cafeteria) or juice-box-sized boxes of milk. I subsisted on these small packages for a couple days until I could find time to go to the larger grocery store downtown. I thought our small store had just run out of large cartons. But alas, the large store had no large boxes either. As I stood in the milk aisle staring at row upon row of tiny milk boxes, I decided to ask the worker who was stocking the aisle if there were any big milks. Who knows, perhaps they have been moved to a different location in the store, I thought. Yet the worker replied that indeed, there were no large milks. In the frustration and bewilderment of the moment I stooped down to ask the question I have learned never to ponder in China--WHY? The worker obligingly gave me an answer, but it was beyond my ability to comprehend. So I sadly tossed a few tiny boxes in my cart, and wheeled the cart away wondering where all the milk had gone.
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.
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...
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!
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...
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.
Wednesday night I took the train down to Beijing--and tossed and turned throughout the night to the chorus of loudly snoring men and newborn twins screaming. Not exactly the recipe for a restful night. I met up with Lana, we headed to the Mac for showers and then headed to one of the main attractions of Beijing. No, not Forbidden City. Not the Great Wall. Not Summer Palace. For me, one of my favorite spots in Beijing is Ikea. We did some Christmas shopping (and shopping for ourselves), then grabbed lunch at our favorite Italian place. After that we headed to the airport to pick up her brother. We dragged a very sleepy Aaron out for a perfect first meal in China--pizza. We went to a place that serves HUGE pizzas--so yummy! 
Friday I went Christmas shopping while Lana and Aaron went to the Great Wall. Later on I met up with them for a much more traditional dinner, Beijing duck, before heading off to my train. This time there were no snoring men (an answer from the Father of a very specific request of mine!). However, the train was ROASTING. I would not be surprised if it was between 85-90 degrees. I peeled off all my layers, but was still sweating. One of the things I love about the Northeast is that they heat things well...but this was a little overdone! Now it's back to the grindstone of finals and grading here. Two weeks left! I picked up some kind of head cold on the train down to Beijing, so have been guzzling Wall-born in hopes of being healthy for the final push of the semester. Head cold, hot trains, and tiredness aside, the trip was well worth it!
