Back in China

Sorry for the long delay in communication. I didn't have a lot of computer access during my time in Thailand and it has taken a while to get all settled back in China. As I said in previous emails, I went to Northern Thailand for about a month for my organization's annual conference. It was a great time to be together with people serving in China, Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam and hear about what is happening all over Asia and encourage each other. It is also such a great time of relaxation and community as we sing together and listen to guest speakers and connect with friends. After conference I went with a few friends to a beach in Southern China to relax for a few days which was great to gear back up for this semester of classes starting next week!

Snorkeling near Krabi, Thailand

I have been back a little over a week and was able to take a short trip up to Harbin on Monday and Tuesday to watch some winter sports activities at the Winter Universiade (international competition for university students). Below is a little cap up of the day and how I was able to use my Chinese I have learned as well as how I feel the Father provides in the little things.

I went on Sunday afternoon to get a train ticket to Harbin in the morning and they were all sold out of seats so I had the choice: bed (expensive) or stand for the 3 hours and hope to find an empty seat. I went with stand and hoped for the best. I woke up and took a taxi Monday morning around 6am to train station, got on and found a row of 3 seats all empty and was able to sleep most of the way to Harbin. Such a blessing (I usually don't like traveling in China because it is so crowded and my legs are too long for the seats so it truly was an answer to thoughts). I arrive in Harbin, go to a coffee shop I love there and have coffee and practice writing characters and then go to "buy now" and buy ice skating tickets for that afternoon for me, Romain (french teacher I knew from last year) and Zouyan (his Chinese wife). We meet and have lunch at a cheap noodle place and then head to the event. We got some awesome seats when we were there and enjoyed watching Women's short program from 2-6 pm. I even met a girl from USA competing and got to cheer loudly for her!

Ice skating

At the Figure skating competition

At 6 I left skating to go try and find tickets to buy for the hockey game (US-Russia). I got to the ticket office near skating and they told me the tickets were sold out. I didn't give up though-I headed over to the stadium (at another location) and went to the ticket office there (after a chat with the security telling me I couldn't cross the little fence the short way but had to go all the way around the campus). Also sold out. I met a nice Chinese couple at the ticket office also looking for tickets. We split up-the woman went to the gym and the man came with me to the gate of the university campus the gym was at (this is around 6.30 pm). I call my friends meeting me there and tell them the situation-that I'm looking for tickets and hopefully I will find some and they should come on over. We waited and talked for about 45 minutes at the gate and his wife called and said she got them tickets; the man and I traded phone numbers and he said he would call me if he found tickets by the gym-I stayed and waited at the gate. Eventually I decided to head over to the gym to look for tickets. I met up with the man and we continued to look for me tickets together (he was SO helpful to stand in the cold with me and wait). Around 7.30 my friends arrive and one of them had found someone on the way in with tickets so we finally buy the tickets and head in-another answer to our thoughts!

Go USA!

The game was so fun to watch. Because there are so many Russians in Harbin the Russians definitely were the life of the audience chanting "Russia" over and over in Russian. I chanted USA and yelled too but was overpowered most of the time and my friends told me to not yell too loud because they were afraid of the large Russian crowd! :-) It was a sad game (Russia 8-0) but I stayed loyal to the end. I spent the night at my friend's house that night and took a train home the next morning back to Changchun (front aisle seat with no one sitting by me-another answer to the little things!). As I was returning I thought back over all the times I used Chinese during the day-it was good to see the improvement I have made and get excited about continuing my studies this semester.

In the penalty box!!! (after the game)