Lessons learned...

I will be heading home soon and it is weird to think that it will be over 8 months since I have been in the Unites States.  At times it feels like I just left and other times it feels as if I have been gone a lifetime.

I thought I would take this time to reflect on what I have learned so far from living here in China.
In no particular order, ☺

1. I've learned that the technology of today makes it very easy to stay in touch with friends and family.  
2. I've learned that stinky tofu is probably the stinkiest thing I have ever smelled in my life!
3. I've learned that I love seeing new places and experiencing new things.  I am not afraid to get out and explore on my own, especially here in Nanjing.
4. I've learned that having pets helps make our house a home.  We almost left CoCo behind with my parents, but I am glad we brought her.  She keeps me company while Michael travels and works long hours. 
5. I've learned a little bit of Mandarin.
6. I've learned that we took for granted the fresh air of Michigan.
7. I've learned we take for granted being able to drink water out of the tap.
8. I've learned I took avocados for granted. ☺
9. I've learned that in the United States people just assumed I was Chinese and also in China, the Chinese people assume that I am Chinese. ☺Even when I tell them I am Korean, they tell me I look Chinese.  ☺
10. I've learned that me and humidity are not friends.
11. I've learned that Michael and I make a good team....his strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa.
12. I've learned that getting used to having an Ayi was much easier than I expected.  Having someone clean, cook, do laundry and anything else you can think of, makes my already easy life even easier.
13. I've learned that getting used to a driver was much harder than expected.  With Xiao Li, she works the same hours everyday and that only varies if we go out of town and she needs to stay with the pets.  But with Yi Ning he is pretty much on call 24/7.  Because he is our main mode of transportation we have to plan more about when we will go out because we will need to make sure he has time to come and get us.  If we feel like going somewhere or need to go somewhere we cannot just jump in the car and go. Most weeks we use him 7 days a week and it makes me worry sometimes that we are taking away from his time with his family.  He always has a smile on his face and we tell him whenever he needs/wants time off to let us know, but of course he has never asked for a day off.  Having a driver is very hard to get used to.
14. I've learned that using squatter toilets are not so bad, but always remember to bring tissue every time you go out takes some getting used to. 
15. I have learned that eating with chopsticks all the time gives my hand a cramp.
16. I have learned that even in a city of around 8 million people you can feel all alone.  And I've learned some days that it sucks and some days I don't mind it so much. 
17. I've learned that not knowing how to read would really bite.  When you look at a book, a sign, a menu, etc....and you have no idea what it says, it not a good feeling.  I read "In 2011, the National Institute for Literacy estimated that 47 percent of adults in Detroit, Michigan are "functionally illiterate," And living here in China makes me realize how difficult life is when you cannot read or write.
18. I am sure there are many other things that I have learned, but I will not bore you with anymore.  I think most of all I have learned that in 8 short months I have fallen in love with a place that I never in a million years would have thought I would have lived.  And it has made me realize that God knows what we need more than we do and we just have to trust Him.  Because He has given Michael and I the experience of a lifetime and we both feel like we have grown because of it.

more painting updates...

First I would like to say sorry to any of you who are sick of my painting updates. ☺

My first painting is finally completed and framed.  Today Laoshi got my name stamp with my Chinese name, Pu Ling Ling, and I was able to stamp my painting and bring it home.

Believe me, the painting is not so great in person.  The picture makes it look better.  I am not being modest, I promise you.  But I am still proud of the painting, none the less.  It is my first completed Gong Bei painting.  And I figure I can only go up hill from here. ☺

I left my magnolia painting at Laoshi's today to be cured onto the thicker paper stock.  So that should be my next finished project.

I started on a lotus today.

As you can see, I traced the painting and started on the massive leaf.  If you can believe it, that is 4 layers of paint that I did on the leaf today.  Right now I am working on simpler paintings that are easier to trace and use very few layers of color.  That is why I am getting the paintings done relatively quickly.  As you advance and the paintings get more complicated it will take much longer to complete a painting.  Like the one I bought from Laoshi has over 40 layers of paint and took him a long time to complete.

The tracing is the hardest part for me.  The brush is so fine and you need to have a really steady hand.  Laoshi is sweet and when I told him that I did not like the tracing part today, he said he would trace for me and I could just paint them.  He is so kind.  But I want to be able to do it on my own, so I can continue when I move back to the States.  So hopefully with practice it will get a bit better.

Me and the dog...

So anyone that knows me, probably knows I am an animal lover.  Michael and I have a cat and a dog.  And even though I don't treat them like babies, like some pet owners do, well...not all the time anyway. ☺I do love animals and the companionship I get from them, especially when Michael travels.

In China there are stray animals everywhere.  There is no animal control going on in China.  And when I see their sad, hungry, lonely faces of course I want to pet everyone. ☺  That is precisely why I got the rabies shot because I seem to have no control around puppies or kitties.

In Lijiang there seemed to be stray dogs EVERYWHERE.  And they were all cute and little and so of course I had to try and get as close as I could to everyone.

This one dog, in particular, seemed to take a liking to me.  I went over to pet it and just say Hi.

Michael is not so keen on me petting every stray dog I see, for fear of me getting my face bit off and/or attracting rabies.  Because even though we both have the rabies vaccination, if you get bit you still need to go and get 2 more shots.  I guess, from my understanding, having the vaccination just slows the process down of the rabies virus going to your brain and making you rabid, it does not prevent rabies fully.  So you can see Michael's concern.  ☺

Well, this little guy was a cutie.

You must agree, this is a cute little face.  Who can resist his cute under bite? 

When I try and pet most dogs, they either bare their teeth, start growling and get in attack mode... that is the worst case scenario.  Some cowardly let me pat their head and then go on their merry way.  Well, this little guy came right over when I called for him and let me pet his little head.  When we turned to walk away, he started to walk with us.  And he would not leave us.  Of course this made me feel terrible.  I asked Michael if we could bring him back to Nanjing with us, more than once.  I am sure you already know the answer to that question. ☺We walked around Lijiang and the dog kept following us.  We went to the bathroom and the dog just waited outside for us.  It was terrible, because I just felt so bad that this little pup was all alone and obviously wanted me to take care of him. 

The problem was, how are we going to get this dog from following us around.

 I did the only thing I could do.  I bought it some Yak meat.  Yes, yak meat.  It is everywhere in Lijiang.  It is very popular about this region of China. 

Here I am buying yak meat for the little guy.  Michael and I did not even try it.  We probably should have, seeing as it is a local delicacy, but it did not seem very appetizing.  In the shops, like this one pictured above, they sell it dried out with all different seasonings. 

Anywho, long story short, I bought the yak meat, set it on the ground and ran the other way.  We saw the dog again later.  When we saw him, I yelled at Michael, "Quick, hide behind a tree!"  Maybe that was overkill, but I did not want the little pup to have to say goodbye to that pup one more time.  Saying goodbye is hard to do.

Magnolias Updated....

So here is what my painting looks like, after my Tuesday class.

I still have a bit left to go, but I like the way it is coming along pretty good.

painting update...

Here is an update of my current painting...

This is different than the first one I posted.  I was not happy with my original rendering so I did the painting again.  That is the same thing I did with the lilies.   I did that one twice as well.  I end up using the first rendering as my learning guide and then try and do it better the second time.

These may not look like magnolias yet...but I think once I paint the white petals, it will be more recognizable.

Just a thought...

“If you reject the food, 

ignore the customs, 

fear the religion and avoid the people, 

you might better stay at home.”
– James Michener

My friend showed me this quote and I totally agree with it.  It is funny because I had said to Michael and a few other friends more than once....that I did not come to China to just surround myself with Americans and eat American food and only speak English.  So this quote totally encompasses what I want my time in China to be like.  

I know I am not going to love every food I taste.  I don't agree with all the religious views, but I have already learned so much and feel like my mind and heart are more open.  

I think that this quote applies not only to living overseas, but people can apply this to wherever they live.  I think that no matter where in the world we live we tend to surround ourselves with people who are just like us and do not step out of our comfort zones.  And who knows what we might be missing  out on.  

So maybe take a leap and try a new restaurant or go to a community close to you that you may have avoided in the past. You never know, you might like it! ☺

 

Saddle up...

One of our favorite things we did in Lijiang was to go horse back riding.  I have been a few times and I quite enjoy it.  Michael had never been, so I was excited for him to go.  Riding horses is a popular tourist attraction in Lijiang.  It is a nice way to see the country side.

You can go the leisurely route and go through the country side, checking out Naxi villages and stay on nice flat ground or you can go straight up a mountain side.  I of course, not knowing what I was getting myself into, wanted to do the most adventurous ride we could.  I love being high up on the mountains, so I figured the higher up, the better the view.

Lijiang is already at around 7,000 feet.  On most days we were above 9,000 feet.

Here is Michael getting settled into his horse

It might be hard to tell, but the horses are much smaller than the horses we are used to in the United States.  Michael was worried about them being able to trek our larger American booties ☺ up a mountain side, but they did it.  Our guide said they are bread to be very strong and to be able to handle the steep mountain sides.

Me feeding my horse.  Isn't he/she cute?  Part way up the mountain you could stop and buy some corn for your horse.  I splurged and bought my horse 2 bowls of corn.  ☺ 

Here is a pic of the trail along the mountain side.  You can kind of see how narrow and bumpy the trail is.  You can not really tell but on the right side of the trail, it was seriously a drop straight down. 

Michael being asked to take a picture.  It happens every so often, more so when we are of the city because there are people in the country side who have never seen a white person before and they fascinated and really love to get pics with them.  I also think it is funny how our guide has Michael's big ol' SLR off to the right, trying to take a pic.  Cute!

Michael and I both had moments when we thought we might die.  The drop was straight down at many points in the ride  and our horses hooves were right on the edge.  I was riding behind Michael and saw his horse's hooves slip now and again and almost had a heart attack.  All I could see was him rolling down the mountain on his horse.

It was scary but it was also fun.  Michael and I both agree it was one of our favorite things we did.  It was really amazing how the horses were able to climb the steep mountain side with us on their backs.  And the views were amazing.  We had a guided who walked with us the whole way.  It was a about a 2 hour ride up and down the mountain, so he was a real trooper as well.

here is a pic of our guide...on the right side of the pic

Lijiang continued...

The bed and breakfast that we stayed at in Lijiang was really nice.  It had beautiful rooftop views and you actually entered the hotel from the top and worked your way down.

Here is a pano of the rooftop view...all you see are other rooftops, the mountains and the sky!

Here are some pics of our room.  I just loved the decor and wanted to take it all with me! ☺

Drinking tea on the rooftop, as we did everyday

the sink in our bathroom...I want it ☺

incense burner

no surprise...I want this lamp as well ☺♥

Lessons learned from a tiny bicycle...

Our Driver gave us this the other day....

It is a tiny bicycle, made out of wire.  I think he gave it to us because he knows Michael and I love to ride our bikes. 

I love things are symbolic and/or have meaning behind them.

Whenever I see this tiny bike sculpture, I will think of Yi and our time in China.  I will think of how selflessly and tirelessly he and Xiao Li take care of Michael and I.  They work HARD.  And what the get for it in return is not enough.  They show me what hard work is.  They show me what being selfless really is.  They do it with smiles on their face.  They have families to support.  And they care for Michael and I like we are their own.

When I see this bike I will forever remember my time in China, but most of all I will remember Xiao Li and Yi and the example they have set for us.  I am FOREVER changed.

Moving on....

I finished my first Gong Bei painting.  I will share it once Laoshi gets it framed.  He is also getting me a stamp with my Chinese name, Pu Ling Ling and once I get that I will stamp the picture and it will be complete!  I am very excited!

I am starting on some Magnolias next.  It does not look like much right now because it is just the outline, which is very light and the start of the coloring process, but here is a sneak peak!

Lijiang, you stole my heart...

Michael and I just came back from a fabulous holiday in Lijiang, China.  It is like no place I have ever been.  When I stepped onto the cobblestone streets and saw the snow capped mountains surrounding the city, it was magical.  The air was cool and crisp, the freshest air I have ever breathed.  The city took my breath away instantly.  I know that there is no way I can put into words the beauty, majesty and history of Lijiang.  And there is no way the pictures can capture the feelings I felt, but I still want to share our holiday with you.  Michael and I both agree it was one of our best holidays yet.

Lijiang is a city that is south of where Michael and I live in Nanjing.  It is located in Yunnan province and it is surrounded by mountains.  It is very close to Tibet and there are a group of people living there, called the Nakhi.  They are an ethnic minority in China and many of them still live as they did thousands of years ago. 

This ethnic minority captured my interest immediately and I hope to be able to go back and stay with a Nakhi family for a more extended period of time, to really experience the Nakhi culture and to experience a life so different from mine.  We met a man, Richard, who is half Nakhi and have Bai, another ethnic minority in China.  He was our tour guide for a few days, along with his nephew Thomas.  Richard and Thomas both live in a Nakhi village and have welcomed us back, but they live rather close to the city center.  I prefer to go live in the mountains where people are a bit more primitive and Richard said he can arrange that, so I will keep you posted.

This is Richard and I

This is Thomas his nephew, who did all the driving

Richard was a bit eccentric but very informational.  The first night we got to Lijiang we were walking around the "Old Town" and Richard approached Michael and asked him if we needed a guide.  He said he could take us to places with less tourist or take us any where we wanted to go.  It is funny because if we were traveling in the United States to a new city and a stranger approached us and said he could show us the town for (x) amount of dollars, we where would never ever trust that person enough to go with them.  But here it is different. 

Lijiang's old town is certified by UNESCO as a heritage spot.  They are trying to preserve the buildings and the roads are still cobble stone.  The Old Town itself is rather touristy.  The streets are lined with shop after shop of the local artisan products to buy and a ton of other random stuff.  But if you get out of the Old Town, as we did and go up into the mountains there is a whole other world.  People that are from an ancient civilization, living just the way they did so many years ago. 

There are many, many things I could share and I will share as much as I can put into words and pictures, but I will try and break it up into a few posts, as I know that reading one super long post is not people's fave or maybe just not my fave. ☺ So I will leave you with some pics and post more about Lijiang again in a future post.

store fronts in Old Town

Old Town

Old Town

Old Town at Night

View over looking Old Town from our hotel

snow capped mountains surrounding the city

Old Town

Michael...poppin a squat in Old Town

More snow capped mountains...BREATHTAKING!

City at Night

More Majestic Mountains

What's going on...

We have been away on holiday.  We were in Lijiang.  It is located in Yunnan province, in the mountains.  It is a gorgeous town, full of history and lovely people.  I will post more about it soon, but the pictures still need to be processed by the hubs! ☺

For now I will leave you with an update of my painting.  It is almost finished. 

We paint on very, very thin paper, so the next step is for it to be attached to a thicker piece of paper, kind of like poster board.  Then I can paint the stamen.  Then Laoshi will get it framed for me.  He says the first piece is always very important, so no matter how it turns out, it should be framed.  So even though this painting is far from perfect and if you get close to it, you will see my many mistakes.  It will first and foremost remind me of my time in China, when I see it.  It will also remind me of Laoshi and his passion for painting and how hard he works.  Can't wait to show you the final result!