31 October 2010 ~ 100 Heart Shaped Golden Pebbles

Woohooo!! This is my 100th blog post...which means that I have been on this journey for exactly 100 days. It's hard to believe that it's been that long since the first blog post of Russell and me climbing on that plane in San Francisco. And in some ways that day seems like a lifetime ago. So much has happened since July 31 when Craig, Lois and Adam took me to the airport and I feel like a different person.

It was a beautiful day, so my friend Nancy and I decided to pack up a picnic lunch and head for Golden Pebble Beach along the Yellow Sea. As we were sitting there enjoying our lunch and watching the fishermen bring in their daily catch, I glanced down and found a heart shaped rock, then another, and another. Of course my mind went straight to Mom and knew she was right there on the beach with me on this glorious day. I then set out to find 100 heart shaped rocks to commemorate this very special day. I thought it might take a while, but it wasn't long before Nancy and I had a pile of 1oo Golden Pebble Beach heart shaped rocks. Can you believe it? It was goose bumpily amazing!!

My favorite shot of the day.

Can you believe it? 100 of them!

Mom and I had a tradition of going out to Doran Beach in Bodega Bay to remember people in our family who had passed away. We would write their name in the sand, draw hearts around it, and decorate it with rocks and shells. Right after Mom passed away, I was in Zion National Park along the Virgin River thinking of her, missing her, and facing a reality of living a life without her. A harsh reality that I was deeply struggling with. I didn't know how to do it. I thought of our tradition and there in the sand along the river, I wrote "Mom," drew a heart around it, and reached for a rock to place by her name. It took my breath away when the rock I picked up was in the perfect shape of a heart. I knew deep in my being it was a message from Mom and she was saying, "You don't have to know how to live without me because I haven't left your side. I'm right here, Honey, by your side loving you." Ever since then I've seen heart shaped rocks everywhere and have a wonderful collection in a variety of shapes and sizes, but finding this many, in one area, on one beach was quite phenomenal! I love you, too, Mom.

I love you, Mom. Thanks for being right here

by my side no matter where I go.

30 October 2010 ~ Time Warp

I needed to go into work this afternoon to catch up on a couple things and as I stepped out of the back door of the apartments, this is what I saw. I felt like I was in a time warp. All the cars were lined up along the street because Campus Village is hosting a Halloween Party tonight. And here an the end of all the cars, was a donkey and cart tied up to a tree.

A donkey and cart parked in front of a Mercedes...only in China! Two forms of transportation from two different eras, but yet it's all one era when you live in a culture as diverse as this one.

Hello little donkey.

And then as I was walking back to Campus Village from school, this woman was strolling up the street with her goat on a leash. Lovin' it!

29 October 2010 ~ Kimberly Cooking?

I know a bunch of you back home are not going to believe this, but I actually cook every weekend...and I'm really enjoying it. It started when my belly revolted each time I ate out and it became pure survival...I had to cook! So each weekend I would cook up batches of things to have during the week. Thanks to the inspiration of my friend Brandi (She sent me a huge bag of homemade apple sauce when I was sick--thank you Brandi!), I've got making applesauce down to a science! And man does my apartment smell deliciously cinnamony for days after I cook up a batch! The other day I found a bunch of asian pears at the bottom on the produce drawer in my fridge. I hadn't eaten them because I had been so sick for so long. They were pretty sad looking and if I was back home they would have gone straight into the compost bin. But no, not here...I made asian pear sauce. I know, pretty hard to believe huh? But it's true...scouts honor! Who knew it could be so simple and so fun!

28 October 2010 ~ How Embarrassing

Have you ever had an inanimate object tell you that it's embarrassed? Logged onto the internet today at school and this popped up. My teaching partner, Veronica, and I had quite a giggle over this. : )

27 October 2010 ~ Double the Love

I am so loved! Not one, but TWO packages arrived today! One from my sweet brother Greg and sister-in-law Debe and one from my dear, dear friend Christiane. When packages come to DAIS, they are delivered to the guards office at the front of the school. This is Jason, the guard who is there to say ni hao every morning and zai jian every evening. I think one of his favorite jobs is to deliver parcels, letters, and cards to all the staff. He's like Santa Claus delivering all the gifts at Christmas.

Emma, assistant to the Secondary Head of School, received a package too! We are all very happy when care packages arrive!
I brought them home and simply stared at them for a while with sweet anticipation...savoring the moment before I opened each one.
And boy, was I a happy camper when I ripped them open! I giggled and shrieked like a little kid with each and everything that came out of those boxes. Christiane had sent wonderful licorice tea that we had shared together while we were in Lake Tahoe last summer, so the first thing I did was put the kettle on and brewed myself a nice cuppa tea to enjoy (and remember Tahoe with my sweet friend) while I admired all my goodies. And look...Lipton's Chicken Noodle Soup and Norr's Chicken Broth. Yes, I know it's silly, but these things are like gold here.

I was down to my last "Easy Brush," so boy was I happy to see these! They're a must for this braces wearer! Between Greg and Debe's box and Christiane's I now have five packages!!! That will certainly get me through the year. And I definitely needed one after digging into a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pure Protien Bar. Yuuummm-eeee!
It was wonderful when everything that came out of Greg and Debe's box smelled like Altoids. As Greg put it when I Skyped him later, "Man those things are curiously strong!"

To hold something in my hand with Trader Joe's written on it sure is sweet! I miss the Joe!

To see my hometown paper made me cry. My brother loves to work on the Sunday crossword puzzle in Sonoma County's Press Democrat, so he has it delivered to Southern California. (Sorry I'm not there to send them to ya Greg.) It was just so "normal" to sit on my couch and read the Press Democrat. It reminds me of when I lived in England and Papa Bill would sent parts of the Los Angeles Times to me. Sweet memories.

On my wish list I had asked for a pocket Mandarin dictionary and look what my bro and sis sent! A pocket Mandarin dictionary and Survival Chinese (This one is awesome because it shows you the English pronunciation of the pin yin, something I desperately could use!), and a Mandarin Chinese Picture Dictionary, and (my personal favorite) Dirty Chinese! This one really cracked me up. The first thing I did was look up how to tell Elbow Man off like a native! Greg and Debe also sent a fabulous tour book of China which I hear was a true scavenger hunt to find. Seems as if it was the last one in print in all of California. You two are so awesome...I just love all my new resources!!! : )
I LOVE the dragonfly pin, Debe. It's beautiful and so very special. Thank you for the heart felt gift. : )
It's hard to find maps of the area in English, so Greg and Debe also sent maps, maps, maps of the world, China, Asia, and Southeast Asia. On this one, I can check off Dalian, Dandong, Benxi, Anshan, and Shenyang as places I have traveled to so far.
I am the luckiest woman alive to have such dear family and friends. Thank you Christiane, Greg, and Debe for the double love from home. I love you guys!

26 October 2010 ~ Baby It's Cold Outside

It's getting cold out there! Sure hope my shipment with all my warm clothes arrives soon. I've heard "it will be here next week" since the end of August. Last week I was told that all the paperwork had cleared through customs and my boxes were en route from Shanghai to Dalian and it would be here this week. I received an email on Wednesday stating that the "custom's office computer in is broken and they are not able to tax the shipment and issue a receipt. We were told that it will be fixed by Friday and we will try the best to push them and pick up the shipment and send to Dalian. The delivery should be (get ready for it...) next week." I love the use of the word should. What happened to all the paperwork being complete and the shipment on its way to Dalian? I've given up getting excited when I hear news that it's on its way. I suppose I will get excited and believe what they tell me when I actually see a truck unloading my precious cargo at the steps of DAIS. Until then, I'll have the patience of a saint and layer all my summer clothes!

25 October 2010 ~ Beautiful Autumn Morning

A beautiful view of the fall colored hills around DAIS and the setting gibbous moon as I walked to school this morning.

24 October 2010 ~ Up Close at Market

I love going to the outdoor market in JinShiTan. The fruit and vegetables are a photographer's dream. When I was taking pictures of the apples and cherry tomatoes, the two women running the stand were very curious and asked to see all my pictures. They were all smiles and I loved sharing. : )

23 October 2010 ~ Jaws at the Grocery Store

This was a shocker!

I had just witnessed this woman sawing a shark's hind quarters off and plop it all on the ice. I was in such awe that I didn't even think about pulling out the camera until she was all done.

The orange is a nice touch, don't you think?

Decisions, decisions. Shark, frog, turtle, or crab for dinner tonight, Honey? (Check out the right side of the pic...one of the crabs is trying to escape. I suppose if that nasty ol' shark was staring at me,

I'd be outta there too!)

22 October 2010 ~ And Summer Turns into Fall

The view from my apartment last summer on the day I arrived.

The view today in autumn.

21 October 2010 ~ Sweet Cat

You don't see many people with pet dogs or cats here in China. Rumor has it that they get eaten before they can become a pet. When you do see a dog or a cat, they are usually pretty mangy and quite sad looking, so when I saw this adorable creature near the Qing Wei Station in Dalian, I just wanted to scoop her up and take her home.