Tis the Season

This is going to be a rushed post--I am in the middle of getting packed for a 4/5 day Christmas trip to Beijing!!! Justin and Rachel Bronson are going to the great city of the upcoming 2008 Olympics to meet their family for the holidays and graciously invited me to join. So, in a few days time--I will be checking The Great Wall and the Forbidden City off of my "must see" list (funny thing is--I don't have a must see list--these are all just lanyap!!). In the meantime, I thought I'd share a little of life here.

Little Joys

One of the things that I am enjoying most in living here are the teeeny tiny joys that hit you by surprise throughout each day. Here's one example:

I don't tend to be much of a searcher or a fixer when it comes to stuff. I have friends here who are all about going on a scavenger hunt through the city in search of some Western item that they want and that isn't widely available here. Though I admire their drive--I'm just too lazy. I take what I can find of Western junk food and whatnot (there's a store not too far away that has olive oil (many praises were sung on behalf of my arteries when i found that), mustard, Tabasco etc...and my local supermarket has oreos (the arteries are crying again), diet coke, dove body wash and pantene shampoo). There's really nothing that I feel I really need to find--although I am excited about the possibility of a Subway restaurant AND a Taco Bell in Beijing (Hallelujah). SOOOOO--when I come across something that I've done without and find it easily available...it's like a gift! There's this JOY that rushes up and makes me want to dance and jump and sing--sometimes I do too (they all stare at me anyway--I might as well give them a lil sumpin every now and again).

This happened last week. The basic shops in China can be a little disorienting--there are basically rows after rows of open shops that all carry the same items inside--so I try to only go in a few when I'm looking for something. But last week, I was waiting for a friend outside of one shop and noticed the store next door. Going in, I found bins of chinese candy--which is basically dried fruit with sugar on it or sesame bars--so I wasn't very interested. UNTIL--low and behold--a bin of GUMMY BEARS, a bin of GUMMY WORMS, a bin of GUMMY SHARKS and....wait for it....you'll never guess......JELLY BEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the heavens opened and the angels rejoiced.

It isn't even that I necessarily want that candy very often--but now it's an option in my life again. Jelly beans are possible in Lucy's life. This is a gift.

Another wonderful surprise is the fact that Christmas DOES exist in China. Unfortunately--it is primarily in the form of consumeristic marketing driven by western-based companies--but it is Christmas nonetheless. There are Christmas trees in front of stores throughout the city. The campus radio plays Christmas carols! I have a Christmas tree set up in my apartment. The season is there--and it brings wonderful chances to share the Reasons for Joy with students and friends.

We celebrated Christmas in all of my classes this week. I made a cardboard tree and invited the students to make ornaments to decorate it (i'll post pics when I have more time). Then we watched Merry Christmas Charlie Brown (I never realized before that it is Linus's voice that I've always heard in my head as I read Luke) and I got to share some American culture with the whole class. We learned some great new vocabulary..."Jolly," "nativity," "reindeer," "savior," "carols"...and other words associated with our Christmas culture. I got to share the Story too.

Bigger Joys

I was reading my diary and realized that exactly one year ago (well 1 yr, 2 days now) was my end-of-the-year review with the pr firm I was working in. I wrote about how nervous I had been and my worries about the path that my life was on. I had a great job...a job of most people's dreams, wonderful coworkers, a great apartment with two of the best roommates EVER (Scharli and Kathryn--you'd better be reading this)--but I didn't feel like it was a very good fit for me. I wrote that I was so afraid to walk into my review and hear, "Well, at first we thought you were just a beginner at this whole pr/writing thing...but now we know that you're just plain bad at it." And though I enjoyed the work I got to do, I wondered if it wasn't true.

Of course--nothing of the sort happened. The review went well and I gained useful critiques and plenty of encouragement--but the uneasiness remained. I remember telling a coworker that I was terrified that my boss would ask where I wanted to be in 5 years--b/c I had no answer!

And now I'm here, packing for the night train to Beijing, finishing up grades for my PhD writing class. I cannot think of a better way for the last year to have happened! Of course, losing that PR job was a difficult experience, but I was soooo blessed to leave under the best of terms, with incredible options and support in every direction and with an immediate possibility of CHINA!!! I'm just thankful that my path isn't in my hands (except for those pesky times when I try to take too much control of it). I am filled with JOY for where I am now.

On another note: I taught my final lesson for my PhD Writing students this week. Next week they will only turn in their final papers and be free to go. As I finished the lesson for my first class, I told them briefly how thankful I was to know them and said a few typical goodbyes. The entire class then stood up and applauded me! Hahahaha! I felt for a moment as if I was the star of a made-for-tv "teacher tames the ghetto" or "coach inspires the world" movie! Jokes aside, it really was moving. The second class bought me a Christmas present--a 100% Chinese silk blanket that is made here in Wuhan at a place that we toured together--I actually SAW some of the raw silk that they use!

Speaking of gifts...

I can't express the excitement that I've gotten from the kindness of some of you (Amy and Laurel, Tim, etc) I've recieved 3 packages since I've been here in China and they have been invaluable--not just b/c of the gifts inside but also for how INCREDIBLY ENCOURAGING it is to me! I love you all.

AND FINALLY--I'm going to brag for a minute.

I have to share with some of you the Christmas present that boyfriend Tim got me (yes--he's my boyfriend). When I return to the US for a few months in the summer, I will be going to New Jersey for .....wait for it.....it's better than jelly beans....you'll never guess......

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

July 28--GIANTS STADIUM--THE MAGIC TOUR!!!!!!!!!!! I mean, we are talking about THE BOSS. IN JERSEY. WITH THE E STREET BAND. PLAYING ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF THE PAST 5 YEARS.

Lemme just say--Tim knows how to give Christmas presents! Bruce has been one of my all-time favorite performers for MY WHOLE LIFE. His music is one of the only things that makes me remember my dad with fondness and joyful memories. His music is one of the only things I want to hear on summer days with the windows down. His music is what I jump around to in my bedroom when I'm having a great day. His music forms the soundtrack for multiple moments in my life! Magic, his new album...IS FABULOUS!!! Plus, old or not--the man is HOT (sorry Tim)! I'm already planning on what I'm going to wear and what I would say if I met him (white t-shirt, blue jean skirt--I gotta be a "girl in my summer clothes"...probably won't meet him BUT want to come up with something that says "I've loved you my whole life but that doesn't mean that you're too old for me..." or somthing like that). ANYWAY--there will probably be an entire blog post devoted to him soon--and probably an entire blog post devoted to the guy who's bringin me there--but for now I just wanted to shout the good news from the rooftops--TIM IS TAKING ME TO SEE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!