Hungry like the Wulf.: February 2012

Well, I have been in China for almost a month now and while I admittedly hated it when I first got here, I have grown to really love this place. While, I don't think I will ever get used to some things that are culturally "acceptable," everyday is a new adventure and I love that! One thing that I have learned in China, the Chinese basically do whatever they want. This was actually made very clear to me right at this very moment. As I sit in my living room blogging away, a Chinese man stops at the door and proceeds to just let himself in. He does not speak a lick of english and just comes in and looks at our TV and starts doing some electrical work. Yeah, the Chinese are interesting! Another observation, the Chinese drive to kill. Especially cab drivers. If you are walking in their path they don't stop. They just give you a quite unfriendly honk that states, "Run, or I will run you over". So if anyone ever comes to China, don't play chicken with the drivers. You will die. And for that matter, watch out on the sidewalks too. Chinese on vespas are just as deadly. And sometimes the cars are sick of the roads so they choose the sidewalk, which makes perfect sense. Too much traffic? Nah! There's a perfectly good sidewalk right there! I guess no one in China has an excuse for being late to work. Obersvation three: Lining up in China is a contact sport. Expect to be body checked, cut in front of, basically anything less than being thrown on the ground. Observation four: The Chinese have impeccable squatting capabilities. I am certain only the Chinese and maybe gymnasts posses this quality. The Chinese do not sit on the floor. They squat. They squat to do just about everything. Observation five: It was not the smartest idea to leave the states without packing an umbrella. It has rained pretty much every single day here in Ningbo and I have just braved the rain, however that is all done now because I received the most incredible package from home with a handy umbrella in it! Thanks mom! Observation six: I now know what it feels like to be a B-list celebrity. Everywhere we go people stare, wave, smile, ask to take pictures of us and with us, and just say hello (or just come up to you and blatantly look you up and down then shake your hand and leave). While I am certain more China observations are to come, this is what I have come to realize to this point. China is such a wonderfully strange place and I am loving every minute of it! Everyday brings new laughs and adventures! While I really didn't enjoy China when I got here I relied on the strength of the Lord and the strength of my family to get me through. It was hard when I got here and some days are still hard but everyday gets a little easier and a lot more fun!