So… I know I should have posted something like… a lot of days ago… but over the last few days I have either been ill or just plain lazy. Round Three in Hong Kong was sooo much cooler than Rounds One and Two!! Know why? Know WHY?! Cause my big brother came to see me!!! YAY!! So here’s how it went…

It was perfect and then it wasn’t and then it was! So September 29th came and I met up with Bro. Jerry Dunwoody from home! It was so nice to see someone from America who doesn’t live here. No offense. He got me Starbucks and we just talked about everything I’ve missed. So thankful to have been able to spend the time with a good Christian friend.

Then… it was time for me to get to the train station. Got there with plenty of time to spare. I got to my seat, which was sadly on the aisle… I wanted the window. I put my stuff up and started to settle in when a man came up to me and asked if I’d switch seats with him so he could sit with his wife. SCORE! He had a window seat!! I was more than happy to oblige. It was in this new seat that I met a guy from Belgium.  He got me coffee and told me about all the places he’s lived and what kind of work he does. It was cool. So that was two free coffees in one day!! It was perfect.

Then I got to the airport. And it was no longer perfect. There’s only two exits where people can come out from their flights. There’s video screens so you can watch them come out and see when your person is coming. There’s screens to tell you which flights are delayed, on time, landing, etc. It also tells you the exit from which that flight will be coming. Nick’s flight was set to come out of exit B. I stood at exit B, saw his flight land and get to the gate. And I waited… and I waited… and I waited. For two hours I waited. I tried to get onto the airport wifi and failed several times. I thought… “What if the screen is wrong and they come out of exit A…?” “Nah, I should stay put.” Wrong choice. Finally, I connect to the wifi, find out that he did, in fact, emerge from exit A, waited for me about as long as I waited for him, thought maybe something went wrong with my train, gave up and went to his hotel in the hopes that I’d get in contact with him some how. Long airport story short, we met at Central Station, hugged and I cried like a big stressed out baby.

Then tomorrow came and it was perfect! We walked and took pictures and goofed off like brothers and sisters do! It was so much fun! We went to the top of the International Commerce Center, a bar called the OZONE, and watched the view as the sun set! Btw… the the world’s highest bar… just sayin. Hong Kong is such a beautiful city! We watched the Symphony of Lights and we went to the beach and we saw a replica of Noah’s Ark and we climbed a hill to see a checkerboard. Yeah that was pretty awesome!! It was so cool to wander around and just find cool stuff to take pictures of. I especially had fun taking pictures of Nick taking pictures of buildings and parks and whatnot. Hehe

Saying goodbye to him… was not perfect. I cried again. Like a lot. I got in a taxi to head back to the hotel where I was staying with Britt and her family, and cried the whole way there. Upon arrival at the hotel, the driver turned to me and said, “Don’t be sad. You still alive!” It was so sweet!!! While still sobbing, I said, “But he’s leaving…” It was not cool…

After that came some fun times with Britt and her family which she already posted about and beautiful detail. So here’s where I shall take my leave for the night. It is midnight nineteen so I should go to bed soon…

Thanks for reading!!

PEACE

Yep. We had a party! Finally had the opportunity to invite our friends and coworkers over for a housewarming party. There was music and laughs and, oh, so much FOOD! Seriously I have the best coworkers ever. Each time we invite them over, they bring all kinds of food and drinks with them! Last night they brought two kinds of juice, fruit, and chips; and ordered two pizzas! How awesome is that?!

We had eleven of our closest friends here and it was awesome! It’s so fun to mix foreigners with locals. The outcome is always entertaining. Our Georgian friend, Reese, took it upon himself to teach people how to Tango… poor Chris was a little confused as to what was happening… 🙂

It’s been so nice for us connect with people here as much as we have. When you move so far away, one of the natural tendencies is to worry about whether you’ll be able to make friends and how long it will take (especially in a wildly different culture). Another factor in that situation is that we are somewhat introverted people. I know in my own life, it’s sometimes difficult for me to make a lot of friends and get close to people. I’m a little bit hesitant… always trying to make sure I can trust a person before I let too much of my strange personality show. But when I do find those people I can trust and relate to, I become rather connected to them. They become a very important part of my life. So I came here wondering how it would go. Would it be just Britt and me, chillin at home all the time with nothing to do? (Two teacher shut-ins who stare at the ceiling night after night and drift slowly into madness…?) Would I be able to make one close friend with whom I could stay in contact? (Frankly, that would have been a huge accomplishment for me and I would have been very proud.) What would it take to become close to people here? (I’m weird… and I know it. I can’t imagine what I must seem like to the people here, with my strange interests and sense of humor…)

And here we are with eleven people in our home and having a BLAST with each of them! What?!

We have been blessed with amazing friends, foreign and Chinese alike. And the best part is that they all get along so well even though they are from entirely different circles. My coworkers are very comfortable with our STL teacher friends. They’re so eager to ask questions and tell their own stories. I love it! It will be a monumental task, emotionally, to say goodbye to everyone. March 15th is coming and I am looking forward to it with both dread and exuberance.

PEACE

Very long sentence coming but bear with me, it has a point.

You know you’ve been somewhere like China too long when you walk into a 7-11, see a lizard, and your immediate response isn’t, “Gag! What is that doing in here?!” but rather, “Aww, he’s cute!” Yeah that just happened to me… It’s a serious problem that should probably be addressed immediately but… it really was a cute little lizard!

It’s weird, some of the things we’re starting to get used to. And when I say “used to” I don’t necessarily mean “tolerant of.” One thing being the stares. People still watch every move we make. On my way to 7-11 this evening, two gentlemen actually stopped talking to watch me walk past… and I’m wearing sweats! Nothing appealing at all. I’m just white, and they clearly are not accustomed to seeing white chicks in their building. We’re getting used to all the pushing and shoving that comes with a trip on the metro. We’re getting used to the smells of trash and sewer and sweaty people. We’re getting used to the squatters, the lack of public manners, and the smog.

On a happier note, we’re getting used to the constantly grey skies. 🙂 We’re getting used to the desire of all our Chinese friends to help us with every little thing that has gone wrong with this apartment and other such things. We’re getting used to the selection of shopping areas, the incredibly cheap price of food, and the overall idea of living here. I know that last one sounds strange, but it seemed for a while that all we wanted was to go home. To say, “Nuts to this,” pack our bags and split. But God has shown Himself to be ever present right when we need Him. Yes, the stress level is like nothing we’ve ever experienced before (and for some, I’m sure it would be relatively low). Yes, it’s been more expensive than we hoped and imagined, but YES, we’ve made it this far and we’ll be just fine to press on! A wise woman told me over and over before this all began, “You can do anything for a year!” (Thank you, mamma!) And it’s true. You can put up with a new culture, a bad job, or a job that leaves you physically depleted at the end of most weeks for one year. We are young! 😉 And we have an ageless, omnipotent God Who knows exactly what we need, exactly when we need it.

And I know He was thinking of us when he impressed upon the heart of some Chinese individual to open a two-story imported goods store just a few metro stops away from us! Dios es bueno!!!! Lemme tell ya. We got Rold Gold pretzel sticks and dipped them in Betty Crockers chocolate frosting! The angels sang to us last night. They didn’t sing at Bubba Gump, but, child, they was singin last night!! We got poptarts and BBQ sauce and Dr. Pepper! We feasted and watched Despicable Me 2 as we did. “It was GLORIOUS!”

And now imma sleepy sleepy sleepy. Gonna relax for the rest of the night and look forward to my Skype dates tomorrow!! Goodnight to all who read this at night! As for the rest of you….

bye.

PEACE!

Have you ever experienced the feeling of complete and total defeat? I have.

Brittany and I, as previously stated, have lived through a bit of a nightmare trying to find an apartment. I’ll not rehash the details obviously, but it was quite a process. Well, as you know, we did find a place. Furnished, two bedrooms, close to the Metro, close to our friends… had to haggle to get the washing machine included and felt pretty accomplished about succeeding, not gonna lie. It is everything we asked for. 

Wait, did I say “furnished”? Yes, yes I did… Did the landlady say “furnished”? Yes, yes she did… By “furnished” did she mean “furnished”? No… no she didn’t. To this lady, “furnished” means, “You get a couch and a mattress. I don’t provide the stove, the refrigerator, the dining table or the coffee table that I showed you. I guess [yes… I ‘guess’] that was the previous tenant’s. Buuuuuut…. I’m not going to tell you this until after you’ve signed a contract, and you come to get your keys. Oh and btw, there’s not hot water in the kitchen. Thanks for your money! I’m gonna go now.”

Defeat. What do we do now? The contract is signed. The deposit, first month’s rent and agency commission has been paid. Thankfully, we have a friend who knows where we can get a refrigerator and stove and such fairly cheap. However, this will still cost us about 2,000 RMB, which is money we just don’t have. Like I said: Defeat. It doesn’t feel good.

When I received the news from Brittany, I was at dinner with my coworkers. Do you know what a physically and emotionally exhausted female does when she gets news like that? She cries. Doesn’t matter that there’s eight people sitting around a table watching her in awkward silence. She still cries. However, I have the best coworkers in the whole wide world!! When I told them what happened, they were furious. Janice, the head teacher, came around the table to give me a hug and assure me that they would do everything in their power to help me. I was informed that Cookie, another instructor, is great at complaints and negotiating! 🙂 When Julie told me this, Cookie looked at me with a devious smile, nodded and said, “Trust me.”

So now, let’s focus on the positives. 1) This apartment is awesome! Two bedrooms, cute tile work in the bathroom and kitchen, very modern set-up and decor, new washing machine, a rather spacious living room, and decent view of the beautiful Sofitel Hotel and some other buildings! We will have plenty of room for a table and chairs and having company over!! 2) Location, location, location! We walk a mere three minutes to the Metro station! That Metro station is three stops from Britt’s office, two stops from my office, and one stop from our friends!!

…………………………………………….

Ok, I’m finishing this post a few days late and thankfully so. A lot has happened since I started this one. So our real estate agent felt so bad about hiding all of this from us that he bought a refrigerator for is!! At no charge to us! He is going to keep it or sell it or whatever after we leave. Most costly crisis: averted. Next comes the stove….. we’ve seen them around in the stores for 1200 rmb…. not cool. Good thing I know people who know how to find deals online! 400 rmb later… we will have a stove by Tuesday! Table is still up in the air. Our friend might have one for us but we might have to buy one… not sure yet. 

We have a beautiful apartment! It’s been so fun and exhausting to get it all set up like we want and cleaned like we want. They said they cleaned it…. HA. That’s cute that you think this is “clean.” But we’ve purchased a pot and a pan, some kitchen utensils and some water and Vanilla Coke. 🙂 It’s starting to look and feel like a home! We both have mattresses now and have been able to sleep comfortably. 😀 

What an AMAZING turn of events!!!! Did you know that prayer works??? If I didn’t fully believe that before, I certainly do now!! Thank you, Lord!

PEACE!

That’s what was happening in my mind on Saturday morning…

This particular bit of information has not yet been released on this blog…. so here it is: Chinese drivers, whether of public transportation or privately owned cars, are crazy. The laws surrounding driving in this country are “more what you call guidelines than actual rules.” The bus drivers are definitely included in this… they can be seen passing cars left and right on a regular basis. I thought busses were supposed to be slower than the flow of traffic…. not so.

Saturday morning was no exception. Our driver was fast but not too crazy. We had no problem dozing off to the sound of our iPods. Once we got into the city however, something very unfortunate happened… and we never even figured out the cause of all of this. Our bus driver actually SLAMMED on the brakes. This has happened before. It has startled us. We’ve exchanged concerned looks that ask each other, “What in the world are we doing here?!” Today was different. You see, today we had the unfortunate pleasure of sitting in the very back row of the bus. Rather than two sets of chairs divided by an aisle, the back row extends across the width of the bus. Britt was in the middle seat and I was to her left. Have you heard the principle that goes: “an object in motion stays in motion”? Well we discovered the inherent truth of this principle. When our driver hit the brakes and the bus came to a screeching halt…. Brittany did not come to a screeching halt. Brittany flew. Off her seat and down the stairs. 

I could not wrap my mind around what was happening. I’m shocked, obviously, due to the sudden stop, like I have been in times past. Then on top of that, my friend is no longer in her seat by my side. She’s sliding. All I can see is her head bouncing as she falls down the stairs. One-by-one… lower and further away from me. (I kid you not, I cannot breathe right now as I write this. And poor Brittany knows I’m laughing at her expense too. Sowwy Britt!) I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t stopping. She slid long after the bus came to a full and complete stop. 

Other concerned passengers thrust their arms out to help her stop. The poor thing looked back at me like a very confused and wounded child. We both had the question in our eyes as we stared at each other: “What just happened?!” I can’t tell you how happy I am that she was unharmed… makes it easier for me to laugh about it without too much guilt. I’m sure she would be doing the same had the tables been turned in my direction. LOL! 

It’s safe to say that was not the safest ride we’ve ever taken on the bus… but it was certainly the funniest.

That is all.

PEACE!

Hong Kong is such a huge, beautiful city! Britt and i were able to visit this thriving metropolis for a second time. This trip, however, was not spent at Disneyland. This trip was guided by our new Georgian friend Reese, who knows more about HK than some of my coworkers even do. One of his informative tid bits was the fact that Hong Kong transportation is more expensive than that of Guangzhou.
And so we walked…. and walked…. and just for a little change of pace, we walked some more.
We walked to breakfast: a place called The Flying Pan….. Child. That was good American food! It’s been too long since i last had French toast, eggs and bacon for breakfast! It was just what the doctor ordered: a taste of home. We get those as often as we physically and financially can!
Then we walked to the Mo Man temple: a place to worship the gods of war and education. It was interesting to see all the incense burning and altars set up everywhere. And to see the people dressed in their casual everyday attire to come and worship. People came to burn incense at every altar. After taking some pictures…
We walked some more…
This is where it got hard. There’s a peak in HK, called Victoria Peak. There is a tram that goes all the way to the top, but did we take the tram? Oh no. No no no. We walked… hiked… crawled to the top. Every few minutes we would stop to rest, take pictures, drink some water. I sat down at one point, bent to rest my forearms on my thighs… and slipped. Literally. I have never been so sweaty in my life!! I drank my weight in water and had no need to relieve myself because i was sweating that much! Sorry to be so graphic but it’s the honest truth! But… it was not for nought. Oh, we were greatly rewarded, indeed, for at the top of the Peak was the Marriage Supper of the Lamb…. Bubba Gump Shrimping Co. Friends…. to an American girl (especially one from SoCal), seeing a restaurant such as this when you’re so far from home is almost enough to bring you to tears. We feasted like queens… and one king. 🙂 It was glorious! There were no angels singing, no bright light shining from the heavens above. Just a smiling face. Just. Plain. Happiness. Totally worth the walking.
While we were up there we also took several pictures of the most amazing view! We shopped at a place called Happy Land which was full of candy!! Truly a happy land. We also bought some cool headphones and just walked around for a bit.
Well, thankfully we took the tram down the mountain to give our aching joints and full tummies a rest. We then walked to the Apple store where i was able to buy an iPod nano: my #1 goal for this trip. I was so excited i was doin a little dance and singin a little song!
We then took the Star Ferry from Hong Kong Island back across to Kowloon, where our hostel was located. The view at night is much better than in the morning. The buildings actually lit up the clouds above them! The lights danced with moving pictures of rabbits and birds. The water captured and reflected the beauty like a rippling mirror! I’ve never seen anything like it before! The night was so clear and perfect!
Back on Kowloon, we hit the night markets. Not much to tell… we shopped, we bartered and we bought a few things. It was a nice night but i was ready to sleeeeeep. Armed with snacks and drinks, we then returned to our hostel. Let me paint a picture for you…
The street is lined with old but maintained buildings. If u pay attention you’ll see a long, thin sign that reads “Lee Garden Guest House – 8/F.”  You enter the building, walk down a narrow passageway and come to a wooden door. On the wall just left of this… door is a row of buttons. Yes this is the elevator. Push the button and wait. The elector arrives, a metal elevator door opens and you open the wooden door to enter the elevator. The buttons are old and raised. This must have been built in the 60s or 70s. After a jostling, bumping, thumping ride, you arrive on the 8th floor. You use one of the four keys you were given to unlock the door to the hallway that leads to your room. Walk down the hallway, use another key to open the door to your…. closet. That is, essentially what it is: a closet with a bed to share, a window and a mirror. The bathroom is down the hall, shared with everyone else on the floor. This was our room for two nights. Fun fun fun. We got snugly.
All-in-all, it was a great trip! We saw amazing sights and ate wonderful food! I can’t wait to go back and take my brother to all the cool places we saw!
Thanks for reading….whoever you are. 🙂
PEACE

Hello all. I have finally joined the site and can now post things about our experience here from my perspective… not that it’s much different from Britt’s. 🙂

So everything she has posted to this point has been spot on. Our first week was a whirlwind of activity: training, moving, metros, curious onlookers and much much more. We got lost… just a couple times, but that would be a resounding thanks to the random and unmarked Clifford bus stops…..  Since she covered all of that so eloquently… I will begin by telling you all about my job, since at this point it’s the only thing different from Britt. 

I work at Gymboree Play & Music. Gymboree as a baby clothing store is obviously very famous back in the States, but I did  not know that it was also an early childhood development center. The programs are fantastic! I am currently only a play and art instructor but the music program is out of this world! I’ve been able to observe a few classes and loved them! If only I could sing….. 

My coworkers are awesome! They welcomed me with open arms and jellyfish! (Word to the wise…. don’t eat jellyfish.) Aside from that, they’ve all been very helpful and just overall WONDERFUL people. I consider them to be very good friends now and I’m so happy that I have been blessed with a job and coworkers that I love. It has made the experience and transition so much easier. The only hard part will be saying goodbye. 

It was hard enough leaving California… saying goodbye to my friends and family and heading straight into the unknown. Literally I had no idea what would happen here or who I would meet. I only knew one person from the recruitment agency… other than that I was heading into this kinda blindly, ya know? So I was sad and excited and scared… Leaving China will be difficult in it’s own way…. this time I’ll be leaving people I’ve come to love and going home to people that I love. It will be a different mix of emotions. Overwhelmed to see everyone I’ve been missing, but very sad to leave the ones I’ve met here. They have made my time here so fun and exciting!

They have taken me to coffee shops, hole-in-the-wall restaurants I never would have known about, the zoo, a Disney exhibit, the hospital and more. They’ve helped me buy a phone and medicine when I’m sick, and are currently helping us find a place to live. They’re so kindhearted and giving, and so willing to help whenever they can! I will definitely be staying in contact with them when this trip is over. 

We’ve seen a lot and learned a lot more… some of it we’ve learned the hard way, but we’re alive and God has certainly come through for us in the little things as well as the big!! We definitely owe it all to Him! I can’t wait to see what happens over the next seven months!  

P.S. I do have a site of my own simply called monicawilliams215 (boring, I know. get over it), but I have not posted to it yet. Will let you know when I do. 🙂

PEACE.