Train Museum

Him being head quarters, talking with Thomas, Gordon, Rosie - ya know!

Thomas and Gordon are talking! Seriously, love him!

Priceless!

Ms. Meghan let's go look at ........

I have SO many blurry pictures b/c when you are that excited standing still is overrated!

Eli and I went to the train museum while school was out due to all the "drama". I'm tellin ya best two hours I've spent with him, so elated and happy. So cute and adorable, perceptive - you name it Eli knows it and notices about trains! Just makes me so happy to have been blessed, that his parents blessed us with a field trip. Wish I could download the videos of him chugging like a train down all the aisles! I know, I wish you were there too- making a difference in the life of an amazing child-priceless!

Just wanted to write and say hello, thanks for reading my blog and send my love. I can't express in words how refreshing it is to be in a place where I know I am "home". Just grateful that all over, I have family and friends with whom I am really known. It's not an everyday thing I'm coming to learn that people actually have one another's backs in life. So thanks, certainly not sure where I'd be without your support, love, care and willingness to share with me in my life. The season of winter does this to me, reflection time- in a cozy warm place, with tea, a book and warm blanket. Maybe it's because Dad's been busy performing miracles with my heart everyday. Thanks for sharing and being part of His miracles!

Fall!

I LOVE fall, it is by far one of my favorite times of year. Here are some pictures of fall here, Eli and I got to chill after the train museum(photos coming soon). 

giggles!

Future Senior Picture

TONS of leaves, and yes I'm being buried in leaves!

There are some blessed days with clear skies and clouds!

Moments

E and I were walking to the "park" area in the neighborhood. There was no time limit  we were just going to pick up leaves, berries,whatever we could find and investigate(an excellence of Eli's).Well, about 10 minutes in when we hadn't even gone one block, I was getting impatient  and about to say, OK Eli TIME to move on- when all of a sudden he says, Ms. Meghan.....Ms. Meghan.....

I got flowers for you. So you can carry flowers and I can carry berries(see below).In that moment I was reminded again, patience, time to enjoy each moment- not going to regret that. Need a bit more patience, had I been all hurry up- his joy and precious gift would have been all thwarted cause of my needless rushing. Seriously, makes me think who is supposed to be teaching who?

So grateful to be apart of his life!

Challenges

Sometimes the pollution index is so high we have indoor recess and after-school events are cancelled. Makes me want to get some serious guanchi with someone who can change it. I didn't think healthy, breathable air was a luxury, in my ignorance I thought life-sustaining air was standard.

Smiles!

Recently, I've been impacted by the way Eli is just genuinely happy. He is often silly, or just sweet and altogether just a happy child. What strikes me most about this is his happiness has little to do with the things he has and more so with people he loves, and what he enjoys. One sure fire way to start a conversation with him, talk about trains. This is one of the many drawings he's done, now it's the sun and flowers who have smiley faces! What's the best is when he catches me in a moment of whatever and says- Ms. Meghan that's not a happy face. Seriously, bring on the amount I keep learning from him!

World Park

Recently we had our October Holiday here, lots of fun! Travelling around the world in one day, Beijing style, was lots of fun. Here's a recap of some of the places we visited. It was a day full of craziness, right before my adventure to Hong Kong. The best part was watching everyone take pictures of us while we were just having fun!

Yes, I did ride in one of these with a friend, it was totally worth it!

Hospitality

Just needed to announce that I can walk in any Starbucks here and they speak English to me, the subway signs - in English, the taxi meter - speaks in English after the Chinese- just about anywhere I go here people voluntarily speak English to me. I am so thankful that people here don't treat me like my country is known to treat them. In fact, there is no more embarrassing moment then to think-walk into a Starbucks in Indiana, try to speak Chinese, 10 -1 says someone gets all irked and comments, you live in our country speak our language. Such a wicked double standard in place. I can speak English anywhere, I know about five words and people here compliment me that I speak Chinese well- what ! Next time you encounter someone who speaks no English have a bit of compassion knowing an endless number of people here have had more than enough compassion for me/tons of other foreigners- this is my challenge to pay it forward-embrace other people, regardless of language. 

Hong Kong

Pip, Jenny and I headed to the Peak in Hong Kong. It's an amazing city, I highly recommend ! In just one hour I met people from Guatemala,  and Italy who both had ties to Cincy, pretty amazing. The view was incredible to, think Hawaii and New York in one city- Jenny desribed HK like that and I totally agree.

Light Show, and then we walked the star walk and I got my picture with Jackie Chan's hands!!

Holla ! There was a Genki sushi there- yeah  I just felt SO at home , it's the little things that make a big difference.

We affectionately called this the skinny mirror, if I ever wondered what I'd look like  with a total different body - here it is, I must say tempting for a second- but I prefer my curves for sure!

Taxi Rides

So this is what Eli and I do on our taxi rides;  we just chill, he shares I listen, we sing, or we entertain ourselves with my phone. Yeah, gotta love those smart phones, we have lots of fun ! These are my favs from the other day coming home from his AWESOME school, called Rainbow center.

Ms. Meghan, the sharks going to eat you..AHHH

What can I say, still a kid at heart!

Yeap, Love his cuteness!

Small world

When I was younger, we had an exchange college student from China, she had a friend Yan who has become part of our family. Well, her husband was here with her little baby girl, PingPing so Jenny and I went for a visit.

Yan's husband and in-laws. They were so sweet to Jenny and I, they were alot of fun to chat with!

This is Yan's sister, her little boy, and PingPing! Love her eyes! She was a bit shy at first,they took awesome care of me and just loved to talk about how great it was to see me in China. 

They took me out to an amazing dinner, and ordered pig ears. So far that is the  oddest things I've eaten,  no they  didn't taste like chicken!

Forbidden City

Jenny, Eli and I went to the Forbidden City, lots to see and we had a great time! He just lost another tooth right under the one in this picture, so cute!

Love the detail in the buildings- seriously beautiful

gotta love a red door, just speaks to me about how often we have no idea what is through the next door, we just know Dad is faithful!

Loved this, note no people! That is a rare moment indeed here in the land of plenty people.

Eli and I at the first of many buildings, yeah I know he's adorable!

The Great Wall

This weekend, while having a retreat with the women's group ,I got to climb the great wall! Seriously, it was amazing! I've seen so many pictures and had many friends go, I really enjoyed my time there. I met people from Spain and Germany. It was incredible,beautiful and a trek. One of my favorite parts was going down the slide-way- a scooter/toboggan run down to the bottom. It was ALOT of fun, definitely plan on taking any visitors to this section of the wall. Got 2 Skype calls tonight! Yeah, love being able to stay connected.

peace

Reflection and solitude have become a staple in my life. My dear friends introduced to me Henri Nouwen, and I am now completing (the 4th book I've read) "Turn My Mourning into Dancing", I really enjoy it. It's a time for me to cut all the crap and realize what's in my heart. It gets me reflecting on the core of life, and when I really tune into that I care little about the impression I give people, and am myself. Today, another teacher said, you ok? you look so tired?  This is at least like the fifth comment I've gotten this week, and so I spent lots of today in mind wondering why I look so tired, am I tired, do I act tired, is my make-up on wrong, should I color my hair,get a hair cut, is it the air here, is my posture bad,anything. The thing is in my experience when working with kids who are sensitive to their environment, they pick up on whatever emotion adults think they are hiding. So today was tough for both or us, he fell off his chair totally bit it on the floor, screamed of course cause news to everyone who stared at him- he's 5. He's not hurt, but wasn't himself, and I was worrying like crazy about how tired I looked. So today when we got home and he  had a mini melt down moment, I realized not all that frustration was his. Sure some of you may disagree,5 years of being with kids who read people straight through tells me otherwise. I need to lay down my worry, so what if I look tired, I sleep. What's more important to me is that Eli doesn't sense worry from me and internalize that himself. It's hard to see that frustration in a child, it's been a year since I've had kids who can read me regardless of the face I put on, just reminded me that I need to rest my spirit in Dad. I'm also grateful that I'm blessed with a buddy who is a daily reminder to keep my heart true. Just another encouragement for me that I need my reflection time.  Knowing his heart isn't disrupted or overloaded b/c my peace of heart is being compromised, is my priority, at least I hope tomorrow if anyone says anything I just don't care.   




Reading list:   "Let your life speak" by Parker Palmer, and "Here and Now" by Henri Nouwen as well.     Great reads if you like books like Crazy Love and Ragamuffin Gospel.

First Day!

Eli and I on his first day! Such a cutie isn't he! He was terrific, lots of transition for both of us. Every school has a different "feel" his is one of a family, very dedicated, passionate educators who all greeted him by name today-meant alot to me! His teacher is amazing,she truly is current in the field,passionate about her students and values what counts! 

Some of my overseas family

My Host family, taken last year.

Eli, my partner in crime! He is a bit bigger now, so his smile takes up all his cute little face! 

Here we are eating Chuanr, grilled lamb,eggplant,garlic etc on a stick. Eva and Enoch on the end(green) are  part of my family, the other two are our friends.

Eva, at the park across the street(not the norm).

Enoch, at an indoor play place, Fundazzle.

Arrival

Well, who knew  my transition would have been such a smooth one. It feels like home here more so than any other country I've visited. They have peanut butter in the grocery store, and items are much cheaper than in Hawaii! I'm amazed at how things are done here for such a low cost. My hosts here let me pick out my own bedding, as in went to the market, picked out the fabric myself matched it and they blessed me with pillows to match too. I was excited to get one of those round skinny ones, ya know that are way too expensive at home. I love the family I'm working with already. Their son is amazing, cheerful , sensitive and with it. I got to experience his excitement for his first day of school Monday. We went to the orientation, he meet all the teachers he will have and sat through a seriously boring meeting, that I bailed out on because it was so long. When we got home with his uniforms, he and his mom were checking if it fit and he burst into giddy laughter. So for about 15 min, I got to experience the pure joy of his heart in going to school. It occurred to me as I lifted him up to the mirror to see his whole outfit, that once ignorance would have kept him out of school. Especially here, there is still a huge stigma for "special needs" children and they are abandoned,aborted, or dropped off at orphanages. I'm just grateful my path crossed with his, after all it's been two weeks and my joy is returning to me tenfold. Perhaps it's because he has already taught me to slow down and enjoy the journey. Wish you could have heard the giggles, laughter and compliments from all of us. It was a precious, precious moment, I could sense our Father smiling, and feel His passion for justice igniting in my heart. One of His beloved, included as intended!