Life in China So Far

It's interesting when you go to a new country how you instinctively try to hang on to everything that is familiar. Like what? Let's say English - we have found a wonderful English couple here about our same age that is teaching at the same school here and we love to hang out speaking English. The first phrase that we learned in Chinese, as a matter of fact, was the simple, but very effective "你会英语?" (sounds like 'nee way shwa yeng yoo') which means "Do you speak English?". Or food. Of they myriad of different and fun restaurants that are here in Karamay, I doubt there is one American who visits this city and can't tell you exactly where the KFC is located (yes, that's right...there's no McDonalds or Pizza Hut, just a KFC). Maybe it's TV. We get over 40 channels on our TV in the apartment and the hotel, and yet the only one we watch is the one that shows news of America (of course, it's the only one in English that we understand). Even cell phone rings here are similar to America, and when I hear the one that used to be mine on my phone, I still jump.

Unfortunately, focusing on what is familiar makes that which is foreign that much more different and scary. The trick is to get over what is familiar and embrace that new culture. Starting this weekend we will be taking Chinese lessons from one of the teachers here at the school we teach at. We are quickly learning our numbers (for bartering) and locations (to tell a taxi where to go). Both of us love Chinese food, which as you may have guessed is not at all similar to Chinese food we have in America. Rice is eaten with almost every meal and if you try to order anything without the hot spices they look at you like you're crazy (I mean, of course, who doesn't love their mouth to be on fire?). Thankfully there are many dishes which both of us can handle and actually love. Chicken and pork seem to be favorite meats (hence the popularity of KFC) although the minority Muslim population here obviously won't eat pork. Every meal is also served with hot, green tea. No exception. There is no sensation like a burning mouth and nothing but hot tea to make things worse. That's why we usually bring a bottle of water or a coke into any restaurant we dine. They don't mind - we're crazy foreigners anyway!

The culture here has many more good stories to offer, but to write it all out now would take too much time. We want all of you to know, though, that we are loving being here, especially being here together. I've heard many travelers say that the best way to travel is alone, but we completely disagree. We love being able to have at least one person here to share what we might consider odd, funny, or downright freaky. It is obvious that our path has been paved here already by One who cares for these people here just as much as the ones in Dallas, Arkadelphia, or elsewhere. Please continue to think of these people and us here during your day. Have a blessed day!


Here we are at a friend's house (the teacher who will teach us Chinese) making a very popular dish called Dumplings. Hiedi, the teacher, is in the blue shirt, and Kyle, an American friend from Louisiana is in the orange shirt. The other woman and child are friends of Heidi's.

Dumplings are made by placing a mixture of pork, onions, and other stuff we're no sure of in a breading. You then seal it off, boil the dumplings and eat them. Mmmm! I think this day we made over 80 dumplings and between eight people ate most all of them!