Spotlights

It was Rich's idea that we would each use this blog to tell you about five special people in our lives.

This is our beautiful friend, Serena, posing by a peach tree in blossom. She will graduate this year and receive a degree in Landscape Design, a perfect major for this lovely place. Then she will go to Nanjing Seminary, where her sister is already a student. She tried to go directly into the graduate school, but the exam was too difficult and instead, she will be admitted as a junior undergraduate. We have shared many precious moments, especially talking about our Best Friend. She often translates for us at the Protestant Church.

Here is David, one of my tutors. You saw his picture in the last blog preparing jiao zi. He is a man of many talents, especially cooking. It is a saying here that Chongqing men cook, and many do it very well. It is interesting that often students say that their mothers and grandmothers usually do the cooking, but on special occasions or for special company, the fathers and grandfathers cook. David is a big fan of American movies and American music. He can warble "Country Road," and recently watched Mamma Mia four times straight. From that movie he likes to sing "Money, Money," but we both like "Slipping Through My Fingers." Although he is only a freshman, he takes his tutoring very seriously and is always prepared with a variety of challenges and activities for me each week.

This is Sally. She is one of the young mom's that we have become acquainted with during the time we have lived here. She and her husband, Ji Quan Peng, have invited us right into their lives. We have an open invitation to drop in whenever we can, and we have learned so much about child rearing Chinese style by observing the care of their new little one, Ji Dian Shuai.
We call him Shuai Ge, which means handsome. Sally teaches Landscape Design and is back to work after having leave last term. Here "day care" is provided by grandparents. Even if they live far away, the grandmas at least come for many months and provide priceless service. Our friendship with Sally and her family has been made much easier because she is fairly fluent in English. How lucky we are.

Another young woman whose English is quite good is Becky. I'm sorry that we do not have a better picture of her. She is standing next to me in this photo, taken on a foggy, foggy day on Tea Mountain. Becky and her parents own a DVD/CD shop in Yongchuan. Becky has not had the educational opportunities that many people her age have enjoyed, but she has benefited from several years of Peace Corps tutors. I have joined those ranks, but I don't really have to teach her much. We are reading Tuesdays with Morrie together. She is a good friend too and a tremendous resource for all the foreign teachers. She often translates for us at the Catholic church.

The girl with the big smile in this picture is Hua Hua. Because of her, I know a few things about Chinese hospitals. When Hua Hua broke her leg last fall and had to spend almost a month in the hospital, I visited her several times. She is a very friendly girl, as you can see, and by the end of her stay, she was on good terms with all the patients and nurses and doctors on the ward. Breaking her leg was a devastating blow to Hua Hua who loves to dance and run and play a variety of sports. She has been very brave and has taught me a lot about perseverance.

Each one of these people, and so many more, bless our lives every day. They encourage us and we try to do the same for them as they face many of the stresses and strains that are common to people everywhere. Sometimes we marvel at their coping strategies. We are learning many things about our own American attitudes about life. In fact, I feel I am getting a better perspective on American culture by living in China. Rich and I both are realizing that we have little patience, and are constantly trying to "move mountains" with grit and determination when we might better try a little "wu wei," doing by not doing. Recently, I have been thinking about the Serenity Prayer -- Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can change; and the wisdom to know the difference." Amen

And speaking of mountains, there is mountain building in progress near our apartment. This "mountain" often spilled rock onto the athletic field when we had a heavy rain. The solution has been rather ingenious. After removing all trees and all loose soil, the workers used wire to reinforce then blew concrete over all. There are many small round holes in the concrete, about 4 inches in diameter. We think it will be for drainage, but some say "maybe they will make a waterfall." It also looks like an invitation for a mural or a perfect rock climbing wall. We're just happy to have it finished and to have our most direct path to everywhere open again.

And one more interesting thing. Have you seen a leaf like this? It appears to have worms crawling on it, but they are not worms at all. Instead, they are a configuration of the leaf. Do you think it is some sort of protective adaptation?