A Good Day Fishing...

...still requires a lot of patience, because it doesn't go like this:

Just keep waiting...

Just keep waiting...

Just keep waiting...

Sometimes the pros take some time to trade fishing tips and advice.

Everyone can always learn something new, right?

Attitude (and a good sense of style) goes a long way.

But with the right teachers...

Finally, there's the pay-off!

Worst. Book. EVER.

Seriously, this really is. Somtimes a book is so bad a person should actually read it to see for themselves, but this...it can barely be called a book. I guess if a person can string words into coherent sentences for multiple pages then the term "book" can be applied...

I should have turned to the forward before whipping out the credit card at the airport. The author rhapsodizes about the Keira Knightley film version of Pride and Prejudicie, freely admitting she knew nothing about the story beforehand. Then, she went on to read the book and pine over the eternal (and imho irritating) question of "what happened next?" See, if a novel is GOOD, you don't have to do that. You are left with the satisfying knowledge that the characters go on in peace and happiness. In fact, Austen actually has the good sense to tell us that. I didn't realize how many people took this "what happened next" thing to such levels until the Harry Potter series ended and people were bitterly upset at the epilogue (which I thought pandered to these people anyway). Apparently there were legions who demanded to know every minute detail about every single character--who married whom, what their kids did, what jobs they had, did they get on with their in-laws, yadda yadda yadda. Sheesh.


My very favorite book Gone with the Wind suffered with the publication of the sequel Scarlett. I ran right out to buy and read it and was horrified. Then I re-read it and realized that once Scarlett left Atlanta (and the author wasn't piggy-backing onto the original) the story was actually pretty good. The key was that the characters moved into a completely new setting, which allowed them to grow beyond the people they were. They became almost different people and the break from GWTW made it work for me.


Not so this travesty. First of all, they consummate their marriage like bunnies. And while I'm sure there were many happy active bunnies back in the day, I really don't need to read about it on every. single. page. Every they see each other. Come on...once or twice a day for EVERY DAY for 4 MONTHS? In what I suppose the author imagines to be a Austen-like style descriptions are circumspect--but the result is boring. The rest of Elizabeth's transition as the Mistress of Pemberley is covered in a way I work with my 4th and 5th graders every day to avoid. "Don't tell me what happened," I say. "Show me." Someone should have told and shown and then beaten the author silly with this point. Every single event that does not take place horizontally is glossed over, I suppose so the passionate Darcys can get back to making whoopee. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are reduced to the kind of sit-com couples that say "I love you more." "No, I love you more." "No, I love you more."


Does anyone really want to hear any of the following about these two people?



"Oh, William, you're so so cute!" (heehee--maybe he's also bitchin' cool)

He sank with balletic grace onto the bearskin rug, the heat from the fire warming his loins. (Yes, there is a bearskin rug, a fireplace, and several plump pillows featured prominently in many of the scenes)

"My dearest Lizzy, allow me to nibble your most delicious neck." (I'm pretty sure Mr. Darcy would never utter the word "nibble")

In addition we learn that Lizzy is too silly for math and that she can do an admirable striptease. Mr. Darcy displays prowess in both figure skating and at the violin. He is also frequently giddy and silly, often pushing the bounds of propriety, overwhelmed as he is with his love for his new bride. There's even an opportunity for a duel after the local blackguard chases Lizzy and causes her to fall down into a ravine where she lays undiscovered for hours.

Throughout all of this, both Lizzy and Mr. Darcy repeat ad nauseum how much they love and worship and adore and can't live without each other. She can't shut up about his chest and shoulders and height. He can't get off (literally and figuratively) her figure, her hair, her skin, her eyes, the absolute wonder that he landed her. It quickly develops overtones of desperation, as if the author is worried we aren't getting it.

The worst part was at the end where I was treated to an excerpt from the next book. The author blurb says that Ms.Lathan is a homemaker and a nurse. For the sake of her patients I can only hope that her nursing skills far surpass her writing skills.


I suppose if I've piqued your interest, you'll go ahead and read it, but do get it at the library so you don't have to pay. But don't say I didn't warn you--you won't ever get that time back.


Cameron recommended another P and P followup. I think his choice would have been better. At least this guy wouldn't expect me to take it seriously. Plus, I have the suspicion that there would be less romping and more zombie-stomping and I do love me some zombies. I think when push came to shove Elizabeth would more than hold her own against a zombie horde.

Status Check

*Through a sneaky miracle of technology I am (hopefully not temporarily)able to bypass the Great Firewall of China and reach all my favorite time-wasting sites. Hooray! Although now there is a suspicious beeping noise emanating from the computer, making me think that I'm on some sort of implosion countdown. I need to keep Jack Bauer on speed-dial,just in case.

*My a/c in the living room is giving off very snarly sounds every 10 minutes or so. I could turn it off and call someone...but that might entail calling someone who comes and fixes my fridge or the bathroom door due to language issues. I could turn on the dining room a/c, but it's somehow leaking into the wall and causing all sorts of plaster damage, so I've had to shut it off until my landlady returns to China. My bedroom a/c is nominally working...and people, it's HOT here. It's not like you can LIVE without it. OK, I know theoretically one could, but still...

My new ayi is working but I sent her to a cooking class and I guess I can't find the information about exactly when she is going and when she's here working. Last night at 6:30 when I got home, my dog was missing (at the neighbors where she takes him and I didn't go get him because I'm lazy and wanted to both go to bed early and sleep in). Curiously, no laundry done, my bed not made, and the towels on the floor. Very un-ayi-like. She started working after I left for the States, so I've only seen her for a couple hours my first day back. I think/hope I'll see her today. Maybe she can solve my a/c issues--one of the nice things about Xiao (it's pronounced "show" as in the first part of "shower", but more like "shee-yow", but changing syllables very quickly. See why I can only count to 10 in Chinese?) is that she speaks a bit of English so she'll get what I'm saying.

*Why, when I googled "maid" under images, this was the only picture I felt comfortable posting? Apparently the word "maid" is virtually inseperable from the words "sassy" and "French". Men. Sheesh.

Famous (and Elusive) Cameron Goes to Work

Cameron and I are going to be elusive this summer. Due to recent events in western China, Facebook has been added to the list of sites that are now not available. We're being strangled! So family news and pics are going to be even more awkward to send out.

Famous Cameron reported to work today -- to join the exhilarating exciting extravagant world of film stars. So what did he do? Well, he showed up promptly at 11:00 and was told that they would be working with Jaden and Will Smith and the directors to make sure that they all had the right look and fit with each other. Six hours later, he signed his contract and went home. And ... that was it. A full day of sitting. And waiting. And then waiting some more. Pretty exciting, huh?

The script changed and only one of the "featured extras" has actual lines-- unfortunately, that role didn't go to Cameron. So he'll be on screen, but at this point not speaking. There is an Australian boy, another American, and a Chinese-American boy who lives in the US but spends summers in China. There are also a good number of Chinese kids in the same age range, many of whom don't speak English around.

The big question -- yes, we saw Will Smith and his family. Yes, he met the boys and shook their hands. Yes, we saw Jackie Chan. But everyone is very busy (and there are so many people) so it was more a case of them passing by, back and forth. We decided it was like seeing our first elephants on the Serengeti, or the pyramids. It's a bit surreal to see someone or something that you have seen so many times on TV or in pictures, right in front of you. If we had passed him on the street, I don't know that we would recognize him. Dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, he looked just like any other guy at a gym. His wife was much more recognizable, I thought (am I the only one who remembers that she was on "A Different World"?) The interesting thing was watching how many people are around them. All. The. Time. Everywhere they were, there was a photographer and what I assume to be either film workers, or their own assistants. I guess I'm too introverted to not be completely over-stimmed by that! As I write this, I'm watching "TMZ" and watching all of the paparazzi guys filming celebs and asking the lamest questions. How annoying that would be, everywhere you turn.

Cameron was disappointed to lose out on the speaking part, but even with the waiting he was very keen to keep on. He starts Saturday and then filming starts Monday. We're hoping that he'll have lots of time to be in school when classes start, and minimize missing too much of his first quarter of high school. His contract is very strict about pictures or disclosing any information about the plot, so for now we'll keep it general, but check back for more information as it comes!

You MUST!

There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration. ~Andrew Carnegie

Yesterday we took a trip to the local library. I felt that sense of reverance and awe that I always feel when I enter a library--so many books, so many possibilities, so many adventures. I remembered my lifelong love with libraries. As a teen I remember settling in for a long afternoon tanning session, a giant stack of books by my lounge chair. I love to read and a good book comes before just about every other chore or obligation I have. I have no restraint for pacing. I start and read until I finish.

We have lived now for 4 years without a library. In Tanzania, there simply weren't any books really anywhere. In China, books are available at the few English-langauge stores, but they are not convenient, the selection is limited, and the prices are high. Our school has a great library for the kids, with some adult books as well.

"Mommy, are you buying these books?" asked Ava as she watched me take out a dollar.

"No, honey, just a card. You get to take as many books as you can read in 10 days for free."

"You just get to take them for free?" What if people just take a whole bunch of them and don't bring them back and then they could sell them or something!" (We would sometimes see books from our school or church library for sale on the street in Tanzania).

"Well, I guess that doesn't happen here. If you lost a book you need to pay for it, and if you don't return them, they don't let you take any more books. People love their library and so they take care of the books so they can keep coming back."

"Wow. This is great!" said Ava, skipping off to find just one more.

She's right, of course. The blessing of a public library is something that can't be ignored. NEVER take it for granted. DEMAND that public libraries are funded. SCREAM when they aren't. RIOT to get the powers that be's attention. The ability of anyone to walk into a library and come out with a book--on the honor system, for free--is something I know I took for granted until I no longer had that opportunity. Irrespective of education, race, culture, or economic status, you can get a book or a magazine, or a movie. That's incredible, really it is. There's just nothing like it in the world.

My friend Calandria has a sister, Ave, who works at a public library. She occasionally posts about the trials of working at a library in a small town. I've decided I spend too much time actually in the books--next time I visit, I'm going to pull up a chair near to the circulation/information desk and commence people watching and eavesdropping!

I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries. ~Carl Sagan

SCORE!

These are my very favorite shoes. Dansko clogs are sooo sooo sooo comfortable. I bought my first pair with money from heaven--you know, the kind that once in a very great while falls into your lap and the planets align in just such as way so you don' t have to use that gift to pay for new tires or a payment to the ortho...you can just spend it on something you would never ever normally spend that much money on. Which is how I got my first pair, and I have loved them every. single. minute. of every. single. time. I've worn them.

But like all good things, they slowly come to an end. During that time I decided that there are a very few things that every person should spend money on, for whatever reason. It may be manicures. Or a great salon. Or the extra cable package so you can watch 47 sports channels. Whatever it might be, it's something that you don't have to justify because at whatever age you are at, it becomes worth it. For me, it was these clogs.

Not that I wasn't hyperventilating when I walked into REI today. They retail at $120.00 which is a LOT, even for shoes I love that I will wear for another 7 years. So how thrilled was I to find a pair in my size and color at the "scratch and dent" sale going on right now at the Bloomington location? Quite thrilled. They were a lovely 30% off, too!

Of course, when you get a gift horse, it only seems right you should pry that guy's mouth open and take a look. And it did seem to me that there was the tiniest scuffs on the front. And wasn't that a bit of wear on the outside of one heel? Why, yes, I think it was. And so, armed with a whole load of "I now have no shame when it comes to bargaining" I marched up to the counter and sweetly proclaimed these shoes which were really practically perfect in every way were simply too worn to give only a 30% discount.

Which is how I walked away with a pair of practically perfect black Dansko clogs for only...$39.97. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

And for the record...I believe the scratch and dent stuff will go to an extra 50% of the marked price tomorrow. Some barely used...some others a bit more, but if you could get that kind of deal (not to mention the loverly ballet walking flats I picked up for $19.99 instead of $75) then it's definitely worth the combing and examining.

Life is good!

Now...if Blogger believed in paragraphs today, life would be as practically perfect as my new shoes.

God Bless America...and yet...

America is an amazing place. Really, it is. Lord knows we have a lot of room for improvement, but honestly, coming back is such a revelation. There is so much of everything! How many different kinds of wheat bread does one person need? How many varieties of tomatoes, or apples, or cereal? I still have this sense of embarrassment, knowing how little most of the rest of the world has, knowing that all of this choice doesn't make us really more satisfied, but still...the abundance we have is astonishing. I was so happy to see Cub and Rainbow selling canvas grocery bags! And the prices...I bought $240 of groceries (7 bags)...in China that would have run at least $100 more for all the imported food. Things like grapes and strawberries and raspberries are far more expensive, as is any food not made in China.

Space is one of those abundant things we have and take for granted. I'm not talking about major inner cities or urban areas like New York...for the most part America is WIDE OPEN. I drove home in traffic from the Como Zoo, through construction, and it was a breeze compared to a regular drive into Beijing. Everywhere there is just room to breathe and relax. I've mentioned the number of green spaces in Beijing, but make no mistake--there are hordes of people everywhere and I find it very stressful. Even our compound has very little green space. And we're really pretty clean, too! People go out of their way to put trash in a bin. The sky is blue, the air smells fresh, the grass is green...every yard is surrounded by a green apron and bursting with flowers. Thanks to communism, China is mostly gray...streets, buildings, and all...with splashes of red. No one has a house with a yard. Life is lived mostly indoors.

Somewhere we got the reputation for being blunt and outspoken. I agree that we Americans are louder, but I still say we can't hold a candle to most Europeans when it comes to being outspoken! As for overall politeness, however, I think we must lead the pack. People let someone go ahead. They hold the door. They slow down when someone crosses the street. They queue up patiently, and address those that budge in. They drop back when someone signals a lane change. It's insanely easygoing. God forbid you are standing in front of the door on a subway or in an elevator in China--you'll be immediately crushed by the mass behind you pushing out and the crowd in front of you pushing in...at the same time! When the plane first touches down (and is still hurtling down the runway), people start unbuckling, calling, and standing up. It's crazy. I know life moves fast here--every radio ad screams out products and plans to do things more efficiently so you can do more and more, we are slackers compared to China. And I don't think that's a bad thing at all.

It's interesting to contemplate all these emotions and ideas...after all, we made a conscious decision to go overseas and to stay there when we had the opportunity to return "home". Why put up with all the angst and irritations that go along with living outside of your own culture, whether it be Africa, China, Italy, Spain, or even English-speaking England? There's a line from Under the Tuscan Sun that reads something like, "...although I'm susceptible to the known, I'm just slightly more susceptible to the pull of the unknown..." and I'm surprised to realize that that does apply to me. I've always been a person who craves routine--I loved going to Montana every summer and hiking the same trails every summer. I don't crave funky foods, or music made past 1989, and I can reread books and rewatch movies ad nauseum. In Tanzania we vacationed 3 times a year at the same beach spot. I married a guy I met when I was 16, I suppose because I didn't like change then, either. Yet, I look at the street I lived on, the schools my kids would attend, the stores where I would shop, and think, nope, I'm glad I'm over there for now. Even though I crave routine and sameness there, too, even if it means feeling slightly abashed when I admit that I haven't been to the Forbidden City (yet). I'm grateful that I feel right now I have the best of both worlds--one foot anchored in Minnesota while we explore what the other side of the world has to offer.

Lights, Camera, (Kung Fu) Action!

I know that many of you have already heard this, but I think it's gone far enough that I can blog it. There is a remake/adaptation of the 80's classic "The Karate Kid" being made. Filming starts in Beijing this summer and will star Jackie Chan and Will Smith's son Jaden (The Pursuit of Happyness and The Day the Earth Stood Still) as the the "kid." Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) will play the mom.

This spring they had open calls for 3 parts for the friends of the main character. All had to be white, and 1 is an American. Cameron went to the open call and then went back 3 more times to meet with different people and audition. Last week (the week we were leaving Beijing) he was offered a role in the movie. It's a supporting part, but at this point it does have 8-10 lines, which is quite a lot (I think!) for a newbie! Of course, that could change, but he's been guaranteed 20 days of work and will get paid a nice sum for that time. Of course he's very excited--and so are we! What a great opportunity--one that we were willing to adjust our summer plans for. He and I will probably leave around July 4th to head back to Beijing (we are still waiting to hear). He'll have a couple days of work that week, and then start up around the 23rd of July for about 4-6 weeks. He will end up missing some school that first month--we have a friend who teaches with us whose husband tutors but doesn't work (a former Montana smoke-jumper from Missoula, if you need a small-world reference!) who will be onset with him to watch him and tutor him when I'm at work. It will be a lot of work for us to make sure it goes well for him, but it's such a great opportunity to meet interesting people and get a glimpse into movie making that we are certainly willing to do that for him.

There has been quite a bit of kvetching and moaning about on the 'net about how this movie just canNOT be made, that it will violate the perfection of the original, blah, blah, blah (although now that the title was changed to "The Kung Fu Kid" and it appears to be more of an adaptation rather than a remake, people seem placated). But to those people, I have only 1 thing to say:

Because, DAMN--that movie was bad. Even if Hilary did go on to win 2 Oscars. But then, I got to thinking--even people who appear in completely sucky productions can go on to big things. Case in point:

From this:

To this:





So I figure the opportunities are endless! Get out your old pics and video of Cameron so you can say you knew him when!

Things About Minnesota...

Fewer Chinese. I know, go figure, right? For some reason, no one wants to look for gung-bao chicken or a pagoda made of fried port fat. Sheesh. What's up with that? Even the idea of egg rolls won't tempt them.

Nope, nothing wrong here folks. There is the possibility that I may try to eat something here every. single. day.

Wow.

God Bless free refills on Diet Coke, wherever I can get 'em, too.

Space. Minneapolis really does have the most beautiful green areas and they are everywhere. There's just so much space! Wide open roads. Wide sidewalks. Big stores. And so so so clean. Beijing is actually very clean in that you don't see garbage and junk around very much. But I didn't see anyone spitting, peeing, or pooing, either.

TV. It's all in English. And we are committed to not watching anything that we might see in China, including the history of porn movies (hosted by a completely naked young woman with clearly loads of "experience"), even though it'll be many moons before that bit of history ends up on CCTV.

This really is Ava hugging the television.

GREAT friends. Lisa, whom I saw for 10 minutes while she was jumping in the RV for her Montana trip. Laurie, whose son and Noah pick up as if they only saw each other 9 hours ago, not 9 months. Karen and her new friend Brian, who are great in ways I can't begin to describe--well, Karen is, and since she has exquisite taste (look at her friends, after all) so I assume that Brian will be equally very cool. Lindsay, who is making me insanely jealous because she's moving to SPAIN (that's is so unfair, why can't I move to Spain?) Ann, who is the perfect Barnes and Noble/movie date. SIGH. The truth is, it takes me forever to make friends, really it does. I've known Lisa since I was 10, but the others it took me 20 freakin' years to find. Sigh. I miss them all the time!

Happy to be here!

We're Outta Here!

Saturday night 9:30 pm we touch down in Minneapolis and I can't wait. It's been a terrific(ally long) year. I remember vaguely that we had this idea of hanging out here this summer and traveling, but HA to THAT. Our home visit will be a bit shorter than we had planned (more on that later) but puh-lenty of time to catch up, kick back, and hang out!

So...after 13 hours on a plane, 4 hours in Chicago and another 90 minutes to Minneapolis, we will be BACK! And I'll need a stiff drink if anyone wants to join me.

As I signed yearbooks and said goodbye to teachers and students who won't be returning next year, I am profoundly grateful that I am--no big transitions, no movers, no ginormous life changes.

Now, here's hoping that China will let us back in. Just in case, I'm packing a quarantine kit--toilet paper, food, cigarettes to bribe the guards...you know, the essentials.

Laws of Life--From a Very Wise Young Man

Cameron won an essay contest with this "Laws of Life" essay he wrote this year. He is somone who plays his cards close to his vest. It is hard to know what he thinks or feels about life. It has always been difficult to get him to share with us what's in his heart. I'm not sure what more can be said after reading his essay, except that we are truly blessed to be able to have this young man in our family and in our lives.

Has life been good to you? It seems that, whenever people are asked that question, they always look at the bad things that have happened to them, and never the good. They look at how bad they might be doing in school or job, or how much money they have lost in the failing economy. Never do they think of the difference they’ve made, maybe in the life of a child, how well off they are compared to others, how truly happy they are. And they would, if they would think of how many times someone has smiled at them today, thanked them, or just said how happy they are to know them.

I was at my friend’s house; it was time for me to leave. When my dad left to get me, he had left a plastic cutting board on the stove, which he had left on. The board had caught on fire, and flamed up, melting a lot of our kitchen, and making our house uninhabitable for the next 8 months. It was our second house fire in less than five years. After it, all our family could think of was how terrible it was, that we had to live in a townhouse. How much it would cost to repair it, what if someone was hurt? But looking back, it was almost a blessing. Before the fire, my mom had wanted to remodel the kitchen, but she didn’t know how we could afford it. But we got the entire kitchen remodeled for free, because of our insurance. And because we had a brand-new kitchen, when we moved we were able to rent out a thirty year old house at a price of a ten year old one.

That is mainly why people think of how bad off they are. It is because, however much we want to, we can never see beyond the now. We cannot see what the outcomes of something will be, whether they are good or bad. If we could, we would be so much happier.

When my parents first told me that we were moving to Tanzania, in east Africa, I was fine. But as the weeks ticked by, and it seemed that it was inevitable, that my parents weren’t joking, I started to mope. How could they do this to me? I was happy here, I had friends, and so are they, why did they want to move? And why to Africa? But moving to Africa might have been the best thing that has happened to me. It was amazing. It really opens my mind to the world, taught me so much, and helped me to develop into the person I am today. In Minnesota, I was pretty much no one. I was homeschooled, so I didn’t get to mix really with anyone. I only had four true friends, and I wasn’t really tight with them. But in Tanzania, I was somebody. With only 20 people in a grade, you can’t afford to push somebody out, to exclude them. I still didn’t have many friends, but for a while I was happy. And then we were robbed.

The night we were robbed, I clearly remember what I was doing. I was on the computer, searching up the lyrics to my new favorite song. I went to bed, and it seemed that I had just fallen asleep when I was woken up by my dogs growling, which scared me. They never acted like that. Then I heard my parents. ‘We know that you’re out there. We have called the police, and they are coming. Leave now.’ As the robbers demanded money, my mom woke me up and told me to get my brother and hide. As I did that, the robbers had gotten into our house, at least 8 of them in our house, with probably six more outside. They had huge pangas, or machetes, and probably would killed or seriously hurt my parents. They couldn’t find their wallets, so I grabbed mine and ran out to give it to them. It probably had a hundred dollars in it. So I got my brother and we hid in my closet. I don’t really remember anything else. We were saved by our neighbors, who we had called before they had gotten into our house.

This wasn’t the first time we had been robbed, but it was defiantly the scariest, and the worst. We had lost thousands of dollars in items. And that was the beginning of the end of our stay in Tanzania. We never lived in that house again. It just never felt safe. We stayed in a hostel for a while, and then got another house in town. But it was never the same. It was about four months after the robbery that I was told that we were going to move again, this time to China. And again, I was angry and sadder this time then the last. It was only one robbery. We could get over it, we could survive it. Please don’t make me move again. I couldn’t see past the present. I knew how happy I was, but I couldn’t see how amazing China would be, how much of a godsend it was.

And now I’m here, and I think that I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I am so much more different than that 11 year old, crying myself to sleep on the long plane ride from my old life to my new. I have more friends than ever. I think and act differently. I am, I think, a better person. And I am because, partially because of the good things that have happened to me, but mainly because of the bad. Without the bad, I would still be in America, just plain old Cameron.

So has life been good to you? I can say without a doubt, that despite all of the hardships and heartbreaks that I’ve had, that it has. And everyone can say that. Because no matter what, it has been. If nothing else, we have been blessed by God to be alive, to be His children, and to live in His grace. So when something bad happens to you, stop and think about that, and think about how you may be given opportunities that will change your life because of it. Because no matter what may happen, something will good will come of it.

Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for other believers in your speech, behavior, love, faithfulness, and purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

Chicken A-la-Carte

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

How much would this world have if those of us who do have were more intentional about their choices? I have noticed an astonishing amount of waste, particularly in food, here in China compared with Tanzania. China has a culture of excess--that to show wealth and respect is to provide far more food that anyone can possibly eat at a meal (imperial dinners could run into 100 courses) and not to worry about wasting it. HUGE buffets are very popular at hotels--where unused food is tossed.

And I'm struck and humbled by the thanks the family shows for what they have received. Would that more of us, myself included, see the blessings in our lives more easily.

Baby, We Were Born to Run

Love Comes Tumbling

Everybody's Crazy 'Bout a Sharp-Dressed Man

Sigh. He really is going to go and grow up on me.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

Some of you may have been wondering where the Hillmans have gone. Have they, like the Seavers, been sent to that special place where all good families go--the kind of place where all life's problems are solved in less than 30 minutes (OK, really big problems require 60 minutes, as in "Join us for a very. special. episode..." Then you knew Mike had been drinking, Carol had been purging, or little what's-his-name had been stealing candy from the drugstore).


Thankfully, unlike the Seavers, the Hillmans have survived their growing pains (did you see what I did there, sneaking in that joke? ha ha) but are currently constrained by the forces of government regulation. Now, in addition to YouTube, all access to Blogger is now denied at home. You can see the consequences....


I can't post pictures and blog easily. I have to transfer pictures to a usb and then bring them to school and do the work there, which takes more time and planning than I gave to giving birth.


There is some sort of expectation here that I actually work at work. So now, for instance, while I'm very busy, I'm technically not working. And I don't get that much school work done at home, so doing my computer playing and work and no work at home apparently has consequences.


I do have some pictures of Cameron's graduation dance, Noah's track meet, and Ava's gymnastics test on Facebook. Sign up and I'll make you my friend, no questions asked. I'm easy that way. And I'll try to get some of those here, too. Eventually.

Dragon Boat Festival

This weekend marks China's Dragon Boat Festival. Like some other holidays, the connection between the events and the traditions is a bit muddy, but the Chinese are nothing if not celebratory and traditional, so if you have to stretch to make a party happen, then so be it.

Together with Chinese New Year and the Autumn Festival, they are the three major Chinese celebrations--Dragon Boat is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. The celebration began as an event designed to ward off the evil spirits that brought disease and to find peace (in China's very tropical summer climate, diseases can be rampant).

The holiday is also said to commemorate the death of the poet Qu Yuan who died in 278 BC. Qu was a descendant of the Chu royal family, but when the king decided to ally himself with the increasingly powerful Qin family, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance.

During his exile Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry, for which he's now remembered. When Qin finally conquered the Chu capital 28 years later, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowing himself in the river.

The local people who admired the poet threw food into the river to feed the fish so that they would not eat Qu Yuan's body. The traditional snack zongzi is wha the people supposedly threw to the fish. The people then paddled out to in boats to retrieve Qu Yuan's body, which is the origin of dragon boat racing.

It's such a Chinese story, no? Conquering warriors, exiled poets, passionate suicides, evil spirits...and glutinous rice. I need to point out that the key word when it comes to zongi is "glutinous". The very sticky rice surrounds a filling of egg, sweet potato, meat, or bean paste. The rice is then wrapped in a bamboo leaf. There are several holiday treats that sound charming (read here about mooncakes) that sound charming, but are less so when you're trying to get it down. Kind of like lutefisk, I think.

The family vetoed traveling out of town this weekend. We are hiking the Great Wall with several other families on Thursday--I'll have to beat the other Hillmans with a stick if necessary to get out and see if we can see some boat races in town somewhere.

Eat Your Heart Out, ColdPlay--and THIS is a TEACHER.

I am one of those few who really despise the book "The Bridge to Terabithia." I also didn't care at all for the movie, but I do love the scenes with the teacher singing with the students. They all think she's crazy, standing up there with her guitar, but as the year goes on, they respond to her and to the songs that obviously resonate with them. Her relationship with them and with Jess in particular is a testament to the power of a good teacher in a child's life.

"Viva la Vida" is our family's anthem. Noah picked it up and it's played several times a day and so it's one of the few newer songs that I know all the words to.

I love this video. Aside from the little American Idol wannabes (which slay me) what gets me is the passion and joy on EVERY.SINGLE.KID'S.FACE. As the video goes on, though, I noticed something. Watch the kids' eyes as they follow their teacher's every move. They are completely connected to him. He's never on camera, but he's put a bunch of kids in an auditorium and done nothing except sing. Except he's done so much more. He's TEACHING.

Research proves repeatedly that the most important factor in a child's education is the quality of the teacher. Studies have taken children from a classroom and evaluated them for 2 years--one group with teachers chronically ranked as unsatisfactory and one with teachers ranked very good. At the end of 3rd grade, the average ranking of the students was at the 50th percentile. After two years, the students who got the good teachers were at the 85th percentile. Those who got the unsatisfactory teachers were at the 39th percentile. The division and class assignments were random, everyone in the same school, the same district, the same curriculum.

Snarky, Whiny, Ungrateful, and Possibly a Bit Un-PC...all in One Package!

It's May...and anyone who is a teacher knows that nothing but work can be accomplished in May. May is a neverending push of paperwork, meetings, and events, set amongst itchy, scratchy children who only want to play outside. It's always a slog, so maybe that's what's causing my current pettiness.

But first, a bit of backstory...before we moved to Tanzania, I read Memoirs of a Geisha. Aside from being very surprised and duly impressed that a man had captured the emotions and conflicts of the female characters so well, I had...issues. I strongly proclaimed my feelings to my friend Ann and said, to wit: "I hated this book. I just didn't get it. I didn't get the shame and the honor bit. And the whole geisha thing--what is up with that? All the time I was reading the book, I realize I really only like Asian food. I'm not very interested in the music I've heard or the art I've seen and I just realized now that I've read this book I realized that I'm so less than interested in learning anything more."

I may have proclaimed this at a book club, in which case my fellow readers are probably still suffering post-traumatic distress over my candor. I don't usually speak in so many italics.

...and yes...aside from the almost unforgiveable offense of uttering aloud a preference (or lack thereof) for a specific aspect of a culture, I realize that I have indeed lumped everyone from Japan to China to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Singapore under the category of "Asian." And that that I probably left off someone from that list, so now I'm continuing to offend...

What can I say? Somewhere in us I think we have a predilection for some things over others. Blondes over brunettes. Classical over rock. Long before I ever dreamed I'd ever go to Africa, the images evoked feelings in me that say, Russia, didn't. Another friend is so passionate about things Arabic, but is lukewarm about the Spanish influence. Somewhere along the line I realized that any place in Asia would not make my top 10 list of places I wanted to see. There was no specific reason and whenever I've examined my thoughts and feelings, I can't point to any specific event or moment that makes me feel more interested in one type of culture or region of the world than another.

The irony is not lost on my, by the way. When we were looking for jobs, we knew we were likely to end up in Asia--and now that I'm here, there's a slowly growing realization that what I really liked was Chinese-American food. And Thai food. Did you know that rice is always served at the end of the meal here? It's to fill you up in case you didn't get enough, so ordering rice if someone else is paying or asking for it at a home can be considered very rude, a comment on how you weren't fed well enough by your hosts. All I'm saying is that it's hard to eat a massive bowl of gung-bao chicken without it, that's all. That's not the rule in Thailand, where you get your rice with your other stuff. Thai food really is the best in the world.

And I am profoundly grateful to have this opportunity to live in this part of the world. It's fascinating to see politics and economics and environmentalism be splashed over the news day after day and live in China, which plays such a crucial (and often overlooked) role in the world.

All of this brings me to my whinge...we have a 4 day weekend coming up--and I really don't want to go anywhere. Any place, even somewhere close--it's too expensive, too complicated, too iffy. What's there to see--more temples and pagodas? sigh Calandria just got back from Spain. I want to go to Spain. Karen just got back from Cancun and is going to Peru later this year. Why can't I go there? Our head of school just accepted a job in Belgium...I've never been to Europe.

Poor me, I know. Am I really so ungrateful? Is it that those other places have always been on my list of places I'd like to visit, and so I'd pine over them regardless of where I was? Did I suddenly become less adventurous on this side of the world--or was my adventursome-ness in Tanzania an aberration? Am I just wickedly lazy and ethnocentric? Or am I just in a funk?

P.S. You also don't get eggrolls or fortune cookies here. Then, again, you don't get donkey penis or blood soup with bullfrog at Leeann Chin's in Bloomington.

I'm Just Sayin'

You know swine flu's comin' to China. Here's to washing your hands A LOT! And keep your sniffling snorting hacking self at home, please!

Because I do NOT want to wear those silly face masks.

Things Overheard at School...

...once I had to fly coach all the way to the States. It was awful...

...my missing homework? Didn't you get it? I had my driver drop it off outside the classroom...

...don't you hate having to sit in the VIP boxes at stuff like the Olympics and the Hong Kong Sevens?

...can I use the phone? I remembered I don't like the school lunch today and I want to have my ayi cook me something else and deliver it to me...

...my missing homework? In my bag? I dunno...my ayi/grandmother/mother packs my bag. I guess she forgot it...I don't really know about that...

...how come when I google your dad, he's the 6th or 7th one on the list? My dad's number two...

...I think I'm going to Europe this summer. We went to Brazil, Thailand, and Switzerland already...

...ooooh, I love that hotel. The last time we were there we had our own butler guy!...

PS. I work at an elementary school.

To be fair, there are a few of those comments that do grate on me...it drives me nuts when kids have no idea where anything is because an ayi or grandmother is doing everything for the kids. In fact, in an expat magazine a month or so ago, a teacher bemoaned the fact that one of her students was having trouble with the whole toilet routine and the mother wanted to know what time she should send the ayi in to take care of that for the little tyke. Seriously. We do have ayis that will sit the entire lunch hour Every. Single. Day watching a 3rd or 4th grader eating and then playing. They bring his/her lunch, then collect it at the end so they don't have to carry a lunch box. I mean, honestly. That is completely ridiculous.

On the other hand, it generally humorous to listen to 10 year old bemoan flying coach. I do hope their parents are instilling values such as humility and a grateful heart for those things they have in their lives that are completely not of their own doing. I don't fault them at all for lives that are so different from mine and my own. Believe me, if I could fly business or first class and stay at the kind of hotel that would net me my own butler, I don't know that you'd see me turning it down for a cold water room with a squattie at the end of the hall! Compared to how Mark and I grew up, the trips that we have taken have been luxurious--not just in the locations, but the amenities. We are definitely aware of how blessed we are--and our children are as well (despite having an eye sometimes on what their friends are doing).

On the other (third?) hand, Mark took Cameron and his friends hiking on the Great Wall for his birthday. Another friend organized relay games in the street in front of his house. We took Noah and his friends bowling, then handed out light sabers and turned 'em loose. Every child in every case said that those were the best parties they had ever been to. And we're stacking those against a party Ava's friend went to (the birthday child was in kindergarden) where the parents rented a ballroom at a hotel and had petting animals, clowns, magicians, etc. We definitely know what works best for us and our family!

(but if I ever win the Powerball, I'm kissing coach goodbye)

More New Schools

Every year ISB has a Spring Fair. It is a HUGE event put on by the PTA to raise funds for various projects at school and to provide assistance for different charity organizations.


After last year's terrible earthquake in the Sichuan region, ISB decided to partner with the Zhejiang Xinhua Compassion Education Foundation to raise funds to rebuild Zhong Xin Elementary, a school for 1300 children. Who'd've thought? Mark moved from building a school in Africa to building a school in China! Although this time his role will not be supervising the construction site; he and his communications team have been planning and coordinating the fundraising, marketing, and promotion for the project.

Thanks to the hard work of hundreds of volunteers and the generosity of the school community, the Spring Fair was a success! The elementary school alone raised almost $5,000 from children donating their pocket money. Some $11,000 was raised on raffle tickets--where approximately $130,000 in prizes was up for grabs (we won an iPod shuffle, the very first thing I've ever won in my life, thank you very much!) and the silent auction (with online bidding) was another huge money maker--$18,000!

The Spring Fair featured a 5K run, bands, food, vendors selling crafts, jewelry, and art. Each elementary class ran a games booth and children could be tickets to play. There were high school rock bands and jazz bands. Thousands of people attended and had a great time on a sunny day with blue skies.


One of the biggest contributions came through Mark's meetings with Caterpillar and their generosity. In these kinds of economic times, it's often giving that is the first to go. Thanks to Caterpillar's $100,000 gift, ISB will meet its goal and 1,300 children will have a new elementary school!

Intel China has also worked with Mark's team so that the school will have fully functioning e-classrooms and teacher training to support the students and the technology!

Living in the 'burbs of Beijing, it's easy to forget what life is like in small villages, rural areas, and pockets of large cities. This is a country of astonishing wealth, and abject poverty. The Sichuan earthquake is like so many other natural disasters--all-consuming when it happens, but then it fades from the world's memory as other tragedies take their place on the world stage. I am looking forward to visiting this new school someday and seeing the work that is being done. It was great to be a part of a project like this again!

Easter Abroad

There's nothing like living abroad to make you examine your own traditions and beliefs, is there? Here in Beijing, for example, Noah had a birthday party and Cameron had an ultimate frisbee tournament, both scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Since we could all be at church together and were spending the rest of the afternoon stuffing ourselves silly, we let them go. But the idea that anything like that was scheduled on Easter Sunday was strange.



We couldn't find egg dying kits and without all the hoopla around Easter, actually kind of forgot about egg dying anyway until the 11th hour. There were plenty of little chocolate eggs and bunnies, thanks to the large number of expats here; the Easter bunny was very resourceful in finding some colorful cereal bowls in the cupboard to use as baskets.


That was strange for me. One of the things I've always enjoyed doing was those kinds of traditions. Trust me, I am NOT the mom that does anything fancy or over the top--but I think whatever we put together is always a lot of fun. In Tanzania, everything was very haphazard--if people remembered or had something we did it; otherwise, not. People were much less tied to their own country or cultural traditions. And that was OK, because the things that are important about holidays, especially Christmas and Easter, are more prominent. But here I definitely feel a more "we're Americans/Kiwis/Aussies/Danes who happen to be living in China for awhile" and people are more focused on those cultural traditions. So now I feel like I've shortchanged the kidlets in some way--they don't get a good old American Easter tradition, AND they don't have a meaningful context around them for the "real" Easter season.


Which brings me to Easter. As Lutherans (all our lives) we have had liturgical services. I have found a great comfort in reciting the liturgy on Sundays--I suppose it's like a mantra in some ways--the familiarity of the words and the rhythm slows me down and refocuses my thoughts on their meaning. Easter was trumpets and Martin Luther hymns (at least 1). Most of all, I always remember the sense of J.O.Y flowing out. Gone was the darkness and somber mood of Lent. There was always a strong sense of things being made new again, of hope, and life. I loved Easter Sunday for that feeling.

Our non-denominational church (the one we attend for a variety of reasons) doesn't have Lent. I don't know why--someone told me it's because Lent isn't a Biblical concept and so they don't include man-made seasons, but I don't know. What I do know is that I spent the 40 days before Easter with no recognition of Easter coming, no mention of the pain and sacrifice that Christ endured, no period of sober reflection. The music was the same as every other Sunday--praise music that is orchestrated to elicit an emotional response, which seems to be the driving force of these kinds of churches. The prayers, the music, the message--all focus on praising God, on how God is good, how God endures forever. I firmly believe all of that, but sometimes I get tired of music that is strategically repeated to elicit emotions, of prayers that repeatedly iterate, "God, we love you, we praise you."

Easter Sunday was no different--many of the same songs, similar prayers, and a sermon that mentioned the Resurrection in passing. I felt none of the joy and lightness after reflecting on sin and sacrifice during Lent. A praise service that felt ordinary, rather than extraordinary. I was left limp, really.

There are some things that I do like about non-denominational churches, but there are several reasons why we would attend this type of church overseas, but probably wouldn't at home. But I so miss my church in Arusha and in Minneapolis. Dare I say it? I'm bored on Sundays often...singing praise songs for 45 minutes just makes me wonder when the "real" church is going to start. I missed the time of being reminded of the conditions that brought Christ to the cross, of my own needs and shortcomings, followed by the wonderful knowledge of salvation. I am not finding this church meets my spiritual needs in many ways.

I don't know if I need to get over myself, or become more disciplined in commiting to the transition to a new way of doing things. We have made good friends and are settled in, really. It's just missing something...and I missed that on Easter.

Don't Get Behind the Chinese in the Salad Bar Line

Don't worry. This is not about spitting, or peeing, or anything else that would put you off salad, or eating in China.

One thing the Chinese do well and pay attention to is food presentation. Everything is arranged and laid out very neatly. Even our ayi arranges our dinners to look like the ones on the left. We have "eaten" (I use that term rather loosely, because really it was inedible) food arranged to look like a pagoda (it was called barbecue pork, but it was barbecued fat), fried rice molded in the shape of a fish, and artfully stacked broccoli. Even food that I would definitely not eat (frog parts, things made with or out of blood, penises, and yes, that is NOT a typo) is cleverly arranged.

I found out today that it's not limited to things you pay for or people you pay. As I stood in the line for the salad bar (noticing my clothes slowly go out of style) I watched one of the Chinese workers assemble her salad. First of all, the plates are ridiculously small, at least by Western standards. The small plate is something I often refer to as a saucer, while the large plate is...well, less than large. At first I thought that the plate size was making her be careful--building your salad vertically, after all, does take some time. But no, she was arranging her salad. After making sure the lettuce was mounded in the center, she put individual cucumber slices around the edge, slightly overlapping. Next came slices of boiled egg, also in neat circles. Cherry tomatoes? Not a problem. Each one was placed in just the right spot to be cradled by a piece of lettuce, never daring to roll off. A small dollop of dressing. The final coup de grace was a sprinkling of sunflower seeds that magically onlylanded on the dressing, not on the lettuce or the rest of the plate.

This isn't the first time. A couple weeks ago, the sushi guy made a complete new roll because the one he tried to cut the slices from got squashed and so the bites were not perfectly circular. This is the school cafeteria, remember, not some posh Japanese bistro.

OK, I admit it. I was irritated both times. I was hungry, and salad is one of the foods I don't mind slopping all together. My food doesn't have to be symmetrical to be edible. But then I thought about her salad. Was it kind of a Zen thing, a means of slowing down to get ready to eat? A patience about doing things aesthetically? An acknowledgement that she is worthy of a meal that is nutritious and beautiful? An extension of a culture that is very patient and meticulous in so many other areas? Whatever the reason, I think I somehow missed out on something. We always exclaim at Ayi's food--last night's fajitas were very festive--slices of red and green peppers were arranged in a sunburst pattern, sprinkled with cilantro. The other vegetables and fruits were also arranged, not just piled on the plate. I admit it--it is fun to sit down to a meal that looks nice. People do notice.

Rats. Suddenly this is threatening to turn into one of those self-reflective things. It is possible that I could improve in this area, if not in my own personal salad bar forays, then in what goes on the table for my family on the nights it's not arranged by Ayi. It doesn't have to be at a fancy restaurant or a special occasion.

And who knows? Maybe a creative flair will dazzle that night's designated whiner (Are those onions? What's in this sauce? What's the smallest amount I have to take?) into more eating and less fussing!

Teaching in the World of Tomorrow, Today

Note: The very cool video that goes at the bottom of this post may not be working. It shows up on my work computer, but not on my home computer. Let me know if you can watch it.


One of the things that is hard to hear as a teacher is "When I was in school..." I think often education is something that everyone experienced for themselves and so they have an opinion or impression of how it should go, without a true understanding of the nature of teaching and education, either in practice or pedagogy. I don't think people often berate their CPAs or attorneys or doctors about how to do their jobs better in the same way I often hear people talk about teachers. I think with the other professions there is an acknowledgement of the skill needed to do that particular job well. In teaching, I still often hear how it's not that hard, how teachers get breaks all the time during the day, how we're always on vacation, how it can't be that hard to read books aloud and teach addition. And then, I exercise unusual restraint and only upbraid them verbally, rather than risk assault charges by opening up a can of you-know-what on them.

The point being (and the following video says it well) that what you or I did in school whenever we were there is pretty irrelevant now. We are in the business of preparing students for jobs and a world we cannot begin to fathom. The rate of change today is exponential and mind-numbing in its speed. The skills and knowledge that are needed to survive today, let alone in 2025 (when Ava will graduate from college) are likely not even known to us today. For a long time it was all about technology, which continues to be more and more integral to learning; but more and more, it's about the hows: how to think, how to learn, how to navigate a global community. This graph shows the skills for 21st century education. Notice that there is nothing about No Child Left Behind, mandatory testing, or actual curriculum. Nor is there any information about special services (special education, ESL) or programs for those kids who are falling through the cracks--breakfasts, afterschool care, social services...all those things that are an inherent part of education, more so in some communities than others.

I used to marvel at my grandmother, who was born before the Wright brothers flew their first plane and watched men walk on the moon--what an amazing change! Now, I realize that the change we are living with is difficult to comprehend on a global scale. It's both amazing and frightening!