Wake Up

Been contemplateing lately, mind wondering over so many thing. My friend keeps telling me if I don't quit thinking I'm going to have a mental crash. I think he may be right but for some reason I can't seem to stop. I'm so tired, and I've been sick for the last 2 days and I don't even want to think about working for this school anymore. I need to do something before I leave or maybe just leave now. I know, though they may dispute it, that I have every right to cancel my contract, they would owe me 12000 yuan and a plane ticket home, after the four new teachers come. I'd love to get out of this place. A friend sent me this link last night, it's so true and I feel the message of it pulling at my heart, esspecially seeing the skyline of a Chinese city. I know some people in this town I'd love to partner with.

Mandi Mapes " We are the body"

But most days I feel this is all a big dream, I can never trust myself. Because in dreams there is no such thing as love,  there is no such thing as purpose or reason and even God is questionable. In dreams my life doesn't matter and I care about nothing because nothing matters except to wake up from the dream. 

Yes it's True

I am a 王力宏 fan!

Love this song!

Ukulele Love

So I went and did some much needed and  wanted shopping, got my new favorite best ever pair of jeans an awesome shirt (some other stuff) and tadahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! A Ukulele I've only wanted one for like forever! And now I finally got it! I love it and I can't seem to stop picking the little thing up. It's so little and happy and cute. Love the heart cut out and the happy plucky beachy mussic. Some time when I get better I'll have to make a video and post it :) Well I have classes bright and early tomorrow so I must sleep now. I'll write more soon, maybe Sunday. I'm suppose to get my hair cut another exciting event not to mention moveing in like a week. I'll be living with 4 Chinese people and I'm supper excited!

Just some Little Projects

little cargo pocket purse

Little tatted bracelet

Toilet paper role wall decoration in progress

A bit of tatting

 

Life Keeps Moving lets Make it Good

So the past few months blog post seem to be a monthly thing, soon I'll be without direct internet access but hopefully I'll end up posting more. That's all part of my update though ... so without further ado. How to start? Well this is the second Sunday morning in a row that I haven't had work and I had an amazing morning at Church, got to sit with a friend and saw some more afterwords, after the service we split a pizza and talked over coffee, later catching the over crowded 104 back home then running two blocks on ice up six flights of steps back down and another two blocks to work so I wouldn't be late, and I wasn't. Now that's what I call a pleasently successful morning, also I arrived early and went in the underground and found this amazing little store which had, tadah! Hair Wax!  Also tonight we what I like to call our "family get together" while snooping around the kitchen I got to help mak the 锅贴, made me feel more at home and rather proud of myself, felt like I fit in a little bit, it was nice. Anyhow, soon the family I'm liveing with here in China will be leaving and I finally found a place to live it's at a min base with four Chinese people, two of which I already know, I'm so excited, I think it'll be a great experience and I'm quite sure I'll learn more Chinese. Last week I hung out with some Chinese friends at one of the colleges and learned severel new words; confused, miserable, embarrassed and hungry. You can see the awesomeness of that below, also made some new friends, were gonna hang out again this week and I'm gonna get my hair cut ( byebye dead ends)! P.S. I love my Chinese friends so much!

Also I can't seem to stop listening to Chinese Pop it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside ;)

So Mixed Up, If Only Life Were a Chocolate Cake

Knowing, and wishing and wanting and learning to be content. Well I might be lacking a little in the latter, but I least I suppose I know i ought to. As always I've been terrably lax about posting anything, I started this post last week and only got to the title. At the time I wasn't sure where I was going or what I was doing with my life  in this upcomeing year, to go or to stay that was the question, the problem was I have far to many good options and no clear heading. Well that night I had a good long talk with my best (Chinese) friend and when I woke the next I knew my answer. I'm going home when my contract is up. Untill then I'll work hard, have fun and generally speaking "live well".  It's a little easier said then done at times though, I love this city but it has made my life feel unlovely, unpleasent and unpreductive, not to mention downright miserable at times, and though I'm leaving I have the strangest feeling I'll be back. I think the thing that bothers me the most however is that people who don't really know feel the need to express there opinion which of course is better then mine simply because it belongs to them. I'm weary of the city, with it's cold and its polution and the constant noise. No proper dirt, hardly any birds, a lack of grass dead or alive, the sea is far away and any water for miles and miles is frozen solid. I feel such a strong lack,  everything here feels so dead, so passive, so bland. I'm tired of sticking out like a soar thumb and never wanting to do anything. I'm ready to be going home, my prayer now is that my Father holds me up and strengthens me through these last four and a half -five months.


~What I wouldn't give to weigh a hundred and fifteen, running about in the warm sunshine somewhere distant and familiar, the only sounds to meet my ears are the birds and my own laughter. Oh that's what I long for. Late nights with friends, and long walks on the beach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uKZc3kgm3c&feature=related

Feel the Cold Nothing

I'm in one of those slumps where I have soooo many things I want to do and it seems I'm never doing any of them. I can't get far past the idea stage on anything, not just crafts but everything cleaning my room, reading books, sewing, cooking, baking ... anything. Well I'm sitting next to my window which I had open for a few minutes, yes it feels like -8 outside but sometimes you just need the fresh air inside. Not that Harbin air is particularly fresh but at least my room doesn't feel so stuffy now. Cody is up stares practicing his clarinet and I must get ready to go to my friends house for the evening. I feel I look a little thinner but I haven't lost any weight. I'm growing tired of this big cold place so unlike the sand and waves, the dirt and the trees, the birds and clouds that fill the sky, I miss my home. It's transitioned into a different kind of missing though, I'm no longer home sick, and I find living here easy enough but I feel such a strong lack, like a caged bird or a wiled horse that finds itself fenced in, eventually you get use to it and it obviously won't kill you but deep down inside that longing for freedom will not be denied. I need to taste the cool sea breezes on my face and feel the earth beneath my bare feet, to hear the crash of the waves and the cry of the gulls. I'm ready to be going home.

More Music, Skirt Desiging and Researching Dragons

Yes I'm posting another Chinese song, well two actually! The first my mom found by accident and I absolutaly love it! The second is by the same guy but I actually first saw it while riding the 83 to Sophia one day back in December. So I'm just comeing off of a two week break with no work (I know two weeks with no work and no blog poast, shake your heads in shame) anyhow today is the first day back to work and I'm actually a little bit kinda sorta excited about it. I didn't get nearly as much done durring break as I should have but I  did eat far to much food (For those of you who don't know, Chinese New year/ Spring Festival is filled with food and fireworks, it's also pretty cold up her in Harbin). I also got some shopping done and worked on some projects. I'll tell you more bout that next time.  In the meantime I've run into a small dilema where I'm lacking in pants and I can't really find any chinese pants that fit. So I'm going to design and make several skirts that will solve that problem. I've also been reserching Chinese Dragons, it's quite a fasinateing and complex topic. There are specifif reasons for my research but I won't go into all those detailes now, now, I will get ready for work. I'm excited to see if my package came in ( my dear sweet parents sent me a box but I didn't get  it before the new year celebrations began and when they start everything goes on hold).

Where Does Time Go

Well it's February now and far too late to do anything about last months horrendous lack of posting. I've turned into a terrible blogger, this month I promise to try and make up for that. Time to start here are some videoes of acoustic covers I found on YouTube. They really make me wanna be a better musician. I know I always say it, and that's cuz I always mean it, it just never seems to work out. Well here they are enjoy, hopefully I'll post something more amazing tomorrow.

These two are probably my favorites!

Another Song

Here's another Chinese song I've fallen in love with! I can play along, now all I need to do is learn how to sing it :) I really love his voice, he's a couple of other great songs you should defanitly check out. 

It's been much colder the past few days, felt like -24 as I waited for the bus yesterday. I kept rubbing my eyes to keep them warm, certain things you don't really think much about like the liquid in your eyes and nose freezing, I'll tell you right now it's the strangest feeling. Well I have to out for dinner with a friend tonight and I'm praying for several reasons that all goes well with that. I'll be busy for the next week but I must say I'm really looking forward to our 15 day break, my Chinese New Year would be so much better if everyone wasn't going home on break, but I know I would if I could and I would never want to deprive them of that. As is I'll just have to be more creative with my time. Hope you enjoy the song!

Happy New Year! 新年快乐

Well it's 2012 and my New Years weekend was a blast.  I actually had Sunday off (a big thank you to the Peoples Republic of China for convincing my boss to give me a day off). At any rate, I had Sunday off and was able to go to an actual Church service for the first time in almost 5 months, yes believe it or not I have been here for almost 5 months now. Later we had a Birthday Party and then our Sunday night "Family Meetings". So basically I got to spend time with my friends and basically just have fun all day long! I must admit that though gowing up I imagined a number of things, I never really imagined I'd be a English teacher in northern China when the year 2012 rolled in. Well this year has been good to me so far, I feel happier and prettier on a pretty consistent basis, other then this morning when I was still exhausted from my long weekend and really didn't wanna get up, but that's another story. I also really wanna focus on being healthy this year, Spirtitually, Physically, Emotionally and Mentally. Makeing sure I read my Bible, pray, and do some worship everyday. Eating healthier, focusing on the good and keeping my mind focused.  I so look forward to learning Chinese next year, and though I almost can't wait I'm also learning to be good and focused where I'm at. Here's a project I wanna try.

Here's the pattern on etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78846028/the-beekeepers-quilt

And a video about it.

http://vimeo.com/26832987

I love her stuff!

Big dirty love of mine

Cold, dirty, God forsaken city. I use to subconcusly think that about this city. I couldn't wait to leave and I felt so purposless here. Simply surviving a week at a time untill that special day when I could say farewell to the smells, sights, and sounds of Harbin. I wondered why any person of their own free will would ever choose to stay in a place like this. But now I find each day that passes I love this big, cold, dirty, noisy city of 10 million more, and more. I don't know that I've reached the point of  wanting to "live and die here". That being the question my friend is always throwing around. But I know that my origonal plans of leaving in August of 2012 and never comeing back are certainly changing. I don't want to be a teacher though, I'm considering language school. I dream of being able to speak Chinese,  and to actually be able to live here and talk to the taxi drivers and sweet little children and the shop keepers, to ask the fruit venders how they're doing and just be myself. I'm also trying to think of a Chinese name I like, I was thinking firefly or bright or hope or something like that. What do you think?

Cold adventures!

 Yes! It is quite possible every post till spring will involve the word cold. Last weekend I got to spend my Saterday hanging out with a friend, exploring central street. We got Coffee from Harbins first ever starbucks, wherein I may have found Christmas present ideas. Later we played on the frozen river it was a beautiful day!

 

Cold Days of Joy

Doesn't this picture just look cold? It was! At any rate, it's true it has been cold and I haven't liked it much, and by cold I do mean cold, for example it is 5:30 pm and it feels like -6F outside. I'm seriously considering getting one of those down quilted cotes that goes down to my ancles. Well enough of weather reports and on to more important things. I got to skype my parent and my one brother and sister in law were there. (he has been in Egypt) It was lovely to see there faces and laugh with them again. Also we had our first thursday night worship meeting at the local YWAM base. It was amazing and so refreshing, unfortunatly it got cut off short by a neighbor who didn't like the noise. We prayed and sang over the city and it felt so much like, this is what I'm suppose to be doing. And the building itself was just so peacful, I feel I could go there every day to pray and worship and ya it just felt right there. Well on another topic, this wednesday I went again to my friends house for arts and crafts night, this week we made paper snowflakes for their window. I must say theirs is the prettiest window at night you can see their Christmas tree and the snowflakes, and a solar system the boys made and wax paper cross suncatchers. I have no work tomorrow and so a chinese friend has planned a day out doing fun stuff. In the mean time I've been working on my Chinese and also on Christmas presents for my adopted little neices and nephews. I'll show you those later, here's the song I'm learning now.

Wǒ néng gěi Ní shénme?

                 D

wǒ néng gěi Ní shénme ?

              D/B

Ní shì héděng pèi dé 

                   G

wǒ néng shuō shénme huà 

  D/F#-A/C#

gòu gǎnxiè Ní ?

                 D  

wǒ néng gěi Ní shénme ?

D    A        Bm

nǐ běn wèi zhìgāo shén 

       G           D

qiān bēi jiàngshì wèile rén 

D      A       Bm

wèi wǒ zuì shòu xíngfá 

       G        D

wèi wǒ zuì dīng shízìjià 

D     A      Bm

nǐ bǎo xiě wèi wǒ liú 

      G           D

shǐ wǒ nénggòu dé zìyóu 

D               Bm

nǐ wèi wǒ shè shēngmìng 

       G           A

shǐ wǒ nénggòu dé liánmǐn 

Bm7-F#7-G        D   

yēsū yēsū wǒde jūn wáng wǒde jiùzhǔ 

Bm7-F#7-G        D   

yēsū yēsū wǒde jūn wáng wǒde jiùzhǔ

Our Hearts are Warm

The cold dry air here is bitter on my face, but do I stay inside? NO! I've been busier then ever, scampering about the city all bundled up hats, sweaters, coats, gloves and lots of layers on every part of me. It's December 2ond and most people are counting down to Christmas, a time of happiness and good cheer, a time for eggnog, cookies, decorations, lights, good music and loving hours spent with family. This will be my first year to not be home with my family, and I will be spending my Christmas at work 7:30-7:00 just like any other busy Sunday. But somehow I seem to not be too upset, you see I think it puts into better focus that though I'm not celebrating at home, I am still be celebrating the same thing, the reason why I'm not at home. I'm celebrating the birth of Christ, the comeing of hope, the dawning of a light, and the redemption that was given. It is difficult to be here sometimes, this city feels so cold and empty and dirty, everyone is always busy, but no one ever seems to be really doing anything. It'll change though. 

Advent here in Harbin

I love kids, I love Christmas, I love crafts projects, decorating and what nots. Unfortunatly I don't have my own house, I'm not married and I have no children. But untill that wonderful time comes .... I have a friend here in Harbin with 5 children and an apartment that could use decorating. So I've started and Arts and Crafts wednesday night project with her kids. This week we made an advent calender. First I cut out these little boxes and the boys wrote a number on the outside of each. Then we put a tag with a name for Jesus and a scripture reference on it, these they can read each day and then hang on the tree, we also added candy for them and then tied them all up, it took a bit to decide where to hang them but I rather like what we finally came up with. They number 1-24 from the bottom up so each day they can simply cut them off.

Iphone Questions

So I was considering getting an Iphone while I'm in China, they are expensive here, but cheaper than in the U.S. However, in China there is no Verizon network, everyone uses sim cards. From my understanding an Iphone has to be unlocked to do this, I could use AT&T in the U.S. but I have a year left on my Verizon contract and I'd really rather not use AT&T. Do any of you know if I can get the Iphone relocked in the states and put on my already existing Verizon plan? Any comments, ideas, advice or links are welcome.

Late Thanksgiving

So Thanksgiving was last week and it was fantastic. I missed my family (it's my first time not spending the holidays with them). But all the American and some of our Chinese friends got together and had  blast! We made lots of tasty food and a thanksgiving tree, then we read the story of thanksgiving in English and Chinese and sang songs of thanksgiving.  I'm truley blessed with the friends I have here, and all the wonderful people the Father has sent my way.

Not so crazy lately ....

Well! Not much going on today, work earlier, the room is almost cleen. I'm finally working on my pajama pants, I have a basket of paper hearts and a bag of granny squares. I want to get a bright blue metal frame bunk bed and I want to paint my walls yellow. I just realized it's past midnight and I'm not remotly tired yet! Oh well ... This is my Chinese notebook and my sock knitting. I really want a pair of heels and I'm really into this idea of lace up ankle boots. I may have found some that I like, you'll know if I buy them.  At any rate, a friend is comein over at lunchtime tomorrow and we're gonna mess around with my skateboard so maybe I'll take some pictures. Also throwing around the idea of doing yoga excersizes. I understand it's really good for you. Anyone ever tried it? Any comments? 

The world thinks eccentricity in great things is genius, but in small things, only crazy.' ~Edward G. Buwler-Lytton

Long Weekends, Happy Mondays, Sock Pets and Skateboarding

So it was a long but good weekend, I had an unexpected holiday on Saturday. It was lovely, I got to hang out with some of my Chinese University friends. Well yesterday as always was a long Sunday full of long classes. However, this particular Sunday night dragging myself up the 97 steps to our apartment at 7 pm, was not the end. There was a party at school for the teachers and I had to be there. Well it wasn't bad, but the walk home was rather chilly. It hasn't gotten far above freazing the past three days and I have this feeling that it won't be warm again till spring. Ah well, such is life in Harbin. At any rate I got to have lunch with my good friend Punk today and we had a lovely walk in the coooooooold outside afterwords. P.S. I got a scateboard last week and I'm very excited to learn its wonderfull ways.

Yes I was practicing in the house :)

A friend of mine who lives Glasgow makes adorable sock animals and I was feeling rather inspired. Soooooo  I went out to the night market and found some I thought would make some cute pets.  Here are some wonderful little tutorial links. Hope you enjoy!

Cute baby sock bunny!

Floppy sock kitty!

Fat little frog!

Cute little owl!