Yum Yum...

One of the things here that I love are the Asian pears.  My language instructor told me here they are called apple pears.  And that is exactly what it is, a cross between an apple and a pear.  They are super yummy and super inexpensive, so I eat them pretty much every day.  I like them because the have a pear like taste, but they are crunchy.  That is why I never really liked pears because of that weird grainy texture.  In the U.S. I would buy green D'Anjou pears, which are kind of similar but I don't think I ever saw Asian Pears or maybe I did not know about them, so I never looked.  Anywho, just wanted to share!!!

so it is definitely apple in shape and it is a pale yellow color

breakfast time!

Grocery store...

gotta love the hanging carcasses in the grocery store

a special surprise...

I have made many great friends here in Nanjing.  It is really cool because I have friends from Australia, England, Italy, Mexico, China, South Africa, Korea and America.  It feels really great to have such a diverse group of friends.

One of my friends is a GREAT quilter....she does FABULOUS stuff and she surprised me with my own little quiltlette or maybe lap throw is a better word.  I don't think quiltlette is even a word.☺ It would be great to hang on the wall as well because it is so BEAUTIFUL.  It is just GORGEOUS....thanks Carol!!!

It is one of the most thoughtful gifts I have gotten.  I have to say that even though I am a girl that likes to shop, I love nothing better than handmade gifts.  I am lucky to received a whole bedroom set from my dad...armoire, bed side table and bed frame for my college graduation.  And then a vanity for my wedding, all made from solid oak.  My oldest brother who also works with wood made me a jewelry box and I think he called it a telephone table for 2 different Christmases.  And my GREAT friend Krista has made me WONDERFUL handmade gifts....reusable shopping bag, handbag, coffee cup holder, etc....

I wish I was crafty like this, but I am not.  So I will keep buying the gifts I give ☺ and keep loving the handmade gifts my friends and family give me! ☺

Here are some pics of the quilt....I love it so much I think I will have to commission her before we leave China to sew me a big quilt for my bed!  ☺

I love  the hearts and flowers...totally me! and I love the colors so warm, yet still bright!

not sure if you can tell, but the hearts are puffed! I ♥ that!

Carol personalizes them on the back...mine says Lilies for Ling Ling!

little reminders....

In this "new" world I live in, I feel like it would be easy for me to get an inflated sense of self or to take things for granted.  Fortunately God is always putting little reminders in my life, to remind me to be grateful and thankful for all that I have and to remember that you never know what life has in store for you. 

When we were in Hong Kong there was a man on the street selling roses that he made by hand.  Even though his hands are not like my hands and probably not like your hands.

He had no fingers....just one thumb.  He was making roses and other little figurines out of modeling clay.  He brought tears to my eyes, (as many things do...just ask Michael) so no surprise there. ☺  But it was because it reminds me of my selfishness and how fortunate I am to have all of my fingers and I am sure I take that for granted because I have never had to live without them and  I am probably not always using them the way God would want me to.  I could be helping others and serving others more than I do.  In life, we take so many things for granted and I am thankful that God is always placing things in my life to remind me to be thankful.

Nothing irks me more than people who complain when they have so much.  And I know I am guilty of that as well.  But I make a very conscious effort to try and not do that and I think God puts people in my life like  Yi and Xiao Li and brings me across people like this man in Hong Kong to remind me to be thankful for what I have and to keep my complaints to a minimum! ☺  I bought one of the man's yellow roses to bring back to Nanjing with me so I can be reminded everyday. 

A little batty...

I forgot to post these pics from our trip to Boracay.  We went to a "zoo" and they had a pet bat.  The zoo keeper and our guide insisted that we hold on to the bat's wings.  I was really not down for it...but when in Boracay.....and besides Michael and I both have had our rabies vaccination, so if the bat freaked out and bit our faces we would be ok! ☺

Just a thought...

I am on my way to play badminton and I had a thought.  I feel like I am living my life in reverse right now.  When I watch T.V. on the slingbox I am watching the Today Show in evening and watching prime time T.V. in the morning.  I am young but I feel like I am retired...very interesting.

What it's all about...

We have been here for just over 4 months now and I think we are settling in great.  With the grace of God I think we have avoided many of the stresses that people warned us about and not that there will be no struggles, but so far so good...nothing major.  And we both realize that it is God's loving hand watching over us and protecting us and the prayers of our friends and family back home that make this possible.

Church was the one thing that was still lacking in our daily routine but we have found one that we like.  We did not want to come to China to only surround ourselves with the familiar, which surprisingly enough is not hard to do.  Even in a town like Nanjing that has far few expats than a city like Shanghai.  But if we wanted we could just stay in our compound and eat and shop at only places that are similar to back home, but we don't.  We want to try really learn about China and part of getting to know China, a big part, is getting to know it's people.  So we really did not desire to go to an expat church.

And thankfully God led us to a church that is attended mostly by Chinese.  They have an English service, that is at times hard to understand, but we love it.  And I hope in time we are able to get to know the members and make some new friends.  We just started going there so I will keep you posted.

I grew up on "old school" hymns, so I have a soft spot for them in my heart.  We sang one today in church and I just wanted to share the lyrics because they really spoke to me and I hope I can live them out in my life.

Living for Jesus a life that is true, 

Striving to please him in all that I do;

Yielding allegiance glad hearted and free,

This is the pathway of blessing for me.

Living for Jesus who died in my place, 

Bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace;

Such love constrains me to answer His call, 

Follow His leading and give Him my all

Living for Jesus wherever I am, 

Doing each duty in His holy name;

Willing to suffer affliction and loss 

Deeming each trial a part of my cross

Chorus

O Jesus Lord and Savior I give myself to Thee;

For thou, in Thy atonement, Didst give Thyself for me; 

I own no other Master, My heart shall be Thy throne;

My life I give hence forth to live, O Christ for Thee alone

Thomas O. Chisholm (1917)

We're back...

Hello Everyone!  We are back from our first Chinese New Year Vacation.  It was a great time.  We traveled to Boracay, which is an island in the Philippines.  It was really gorgeous and great to get away, especially for Michael who works so much here.  I was glad he could relax for a bit.

Most ex-pats travel over the Chinese New Year because for pretty much the whole week they set fireworks off morning, noon and night.  Chinese love to set off fireworks.  And they are not sparklers or some little fireworks that crack and pop and whirl around on the ground.  They use professional fireworks.  One like you would see at your city's 4th of July celebration, that are up in the air and burst into a rainbow of color.  I actually want to get some and set them off myself because I do like me some fire! ☺  Chinese New Year is to the Chinese what Christmas is to us.  Everyone goes home to see their family, but also everything pretty much shuts down..stores, restaurants, all government offices.  And not just for a day or two, for the whole week.  So that is why most of us go on vaca during that time.

Michael does not get schedule vacation time off during Christmas like he did in the US, but he does get the week off for Chinese New Year.  So we chose a destination and headed out.  I thought I would share a few pics.  Hope you enjoy!

how we got around in Boracay...motor bike with a side car

White Beach, the most popular beach in Boracay

heading out on ATVs to tour the island

view from a look out point...in our ATV gear...we don't wear knee pads and elbow pads all the time ☺

me getting my first "fish pedicure" I liked it!

This is the day we went sailing.  They have many "sales people" on the beach selling boat rides, jet ski rides, tubing rides, etc...we chose a guy and the day we chose was a windy overcast day.  The sail boats they use are pretty much homemade.  The captain steered with ropes...there  was not a motor and you sat on the sides in a little net, like I am in the above pic.  It was super fun because I just love water and we could see the shore at all times and we had a life jacket on...so I figured if we tipped we could just swim to shore.  Well, we did almost tip twice, if not 3 times.  The deck hand asked me if I was scared a couple times...I said no.  Later he told Michael I was brave!  We were supposed to go around the whole island, but never made it because of the weather conditions.  But it was a blast and we were seriously debating on doing it again the next day..it was so fun!

many stray cats on the island and they would come and try and get food while eating on the beach and of course I could not resist feeding and trying to pet everyone of them...good thing I have my rabies shot!

the sand was soft and white and the water was crystal clear....

also many stray dogs on island...who I also tried to pet, but it usually did not go well

our plane to Boracay from Manila....I got a bit of motion sickness, I took Dramamine on the way back!

cool rock formation in the ocean

it had a statue of Mary on it...very cool, I love stuff like that!

me in the water with my floaty tube...I LOVE the water ...I spent hours in the water...hence my peeling skin now!

Beach sunsets...the best!

me in the water at Sunset...what a blessing

Puka Beach...much bigger waves and rougher sand than white beach and less popular

bigger waves

more big waves at Puka beach

we ate on the beach almost every night...it was such a treat and a blessing

Bulabog Beach...on the other side of the Island...opposite White beach...it is the windy side so there are tons of kite surfers...it was really cool to see all the kites in the sky

this guy went really high

last but not least...I took this pic in Manila on our way to Boracay...a guy had rigged up a hammock under his truck to catch some ZZZZs....I thought it was very clever.