Back to the Routine

This week has been one of transitioning back into the "regular routine" we've started to develop--plus a few fireworks to add a little action! Kevin and I started up with classes again (this semester with me adding one day--so I'm now up to three days per week of Mandarin study. Yikes!) Kevin and I both go one-on-one for two-hour stints of time; he continues to go every weekday morning. We have new teachers this semester, so we're transitioning there too as far as figuring out classroom expectations. (But we are both super thrilled with the teachers that we have!)

Kevin also is still meeting up with the baseball team two afternoons each week, and is feeling it physically as their workouts are ramping up a bit in preparation for the season. Being government run makes things there very typically "Chinese-ee", which in this case, means a lot of uncertainty! Last year the season for the baseball team began in March, but this year (please note that it is almost the end of February) they still haven't even been given a start date! The players are assuming that they will have a season, but they just have to be ready at a moment's notice to have games begin. Talk about an out of control feeling.

We've also gotten back into the homeschool routine. The kids have been troopers, but their mom is feeling pretty worn out! I don't think I realized how much we really have to be geared up just to "do" life here. Between the pace that we're trying to keep up and the challenges that we encounter just in daily cross-cultural living, Kevin and I are both feeling fatigued just trying to get back into the swing of things. We had a friend from the States who spent a large amount of his life living overseas staying with us this past week, and he wisely counseled us to make sure that we are pacing ourselves, as we are planing on staying here for the long-haul. We figure it was wise advice!

This weekend we will take the kids to our school banquet (which I hear has all the teachers excited, as they ALL love kids!) and try to make a family trip to Home Depot on Saturday. A few of our teacher friends from the International School are coming over for dinner on Saturday, and then we'll go have lunch at some other friends' house after church on Sunday. So it should be a fun weekend of social activities!

One of the kids' highlights this week has been doing fireworks each night on our balcony with Kevin. The past two weeks (from Chinese New Year until this upcoming Sunday, when they celebrate the Lantern Festival) there are firework stands on every corner. Kevin has been buying really cheap sparklers and these little snap firecrackers for he and the kids to enjoy. They are having a ball with them! It's a fun adventure every night to see what will come out of the newly purchased fireworks!

Animal Adventures in Thailand

Two of our biggest highlights from our trip were seeing some crazy Thailand animals. We hired a local fisherman to take us out to Monkey Island one morning. We waded into the waves and loaded up for the 20 minute boat ride out to the island where we spent the next 15 minutes or so feeding the wild monkeys bananas and other fruit. When we arrived, Kevin helped the older kids unload while I was holding Noah. As soon as Karis was on the sand, she got a warm welcome from a friendly monkey who decided to jump onto her! She handled the primate stealth attack well, just giving a little squeal as Kevin came to her rescue. After that, we tried to keep the monkeys at a little bit of a safe distance, but they were definitely an enthusiastic crowd!

The next day we got to go on an elephant trek. We went to an elephant camp that was about an hour away, climbed up a platform and mounted the back of the largest animal I've ever ridden! Kevin, Karis, and Hudson were behind one driver and Eli, Noah and I were on the other. About half-way in to our trek, my "driver" dismounted with my camera to take some photos. I was happy to get the photos, but also a little bit relieved when he climbed back on top of the elephant and resumed his driving duties!

Another cute story--we rode in another tuk-tuk while in town and the driver thought he would help us out by playing some music in English. He turned on a song in which the chorus was "shake your a--". After listening for a minute or two, Karis leaned over and whispered to me, "Is this song talking about Jesus?" I assured her that it wasn't, but appreciated the sweet naievety it displayed.

Thailand Tidbits

Our family has had such a fantastic week! I keep looking around and wondering, "Where am I?!" It's amazing that we are still in Asia, and yet things feel sooooo different here than they do in China. There really is a freedom--a lightness that can be felt in the air. (This is no reflection on the spiritual climate, however, as that definitely feels dark and heavy in a lot of ways. But there is a freedom nonetheless in the general air due to security differences and freedom in our schedule and from our normal routine.) There are so many people who speak English that getting around is a ton easier. It is so nice to have warm weather and get to wear flip-flops and shorts everywhere, not having to bundle up in multiple layers just to walk out the door! The food is awesome--and I'm loving having salads with every meal (except normally not breakfast!). We have been deeply challenged by the people we've spent time with who have some amazing stories--things like a doctor and his wife and 3 kids living at an elevation of 2 miles high with no heat in their home. We've had sweet time to reflect and fellowship, amking dear friends along the way and enjoying the time to dream big as we keep figuring out what life in China looks like for our family as we transition.

Anyway, we've had a great time swimming in the pool, riding a tuk-tuk, and even getting a quick game of tennis in. We have several days left to enjoy before heading back to China and hitting the books again. In spite of the fact that we've dealt with a lot of sickness, we're all going to be so sad to go. (The one child vomiting our first night here--Karis--ended up turning into a stomach bug that has now hit everyone in the family except me. Thankfully, it has been a very "minor" bug, having everyone get sick once or twice and then be out of the system. We're hoping for "mommy grace" in that I will be spared and able to enjoy fully our last few days before our return!)

Some of the photos are of the neighborhood around us where we are staying. The closest thing I can compare it to that I've experienced before is Costa Rica. There are small huts right along the water where I'm assuming the fishermen live with their families? The fishing boats are anchored just off the water, waiting for a trip out to sea for fishing or sighseeing. The people here are so friendly and curious, although much more used to Caucasian faces than we are accustomed to. One of the photos is of something I saw while out walking this moprning. A cow swimming in the water with a man! They were quite a distance offshore, much deeper than I think the cow could reach, and I have no idea why they were out there! I'm determined to find out from someone if there is a story there. Will inform as I research the phenomenon. . . :)
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"And all these things shall be added. . ."

I have always loved the passage in Mt. 6 that promises that when we seek first his kingdom, the rest of the little details (like food and clothes!) just fall into place. He knows what we need-and what's more, He longs to bless us with things that bring us joy. He's proven this so many times in my life, and He's taking it to a whole new level this week. I have my dream pottery dinnerware! Ever since my wedding, I've wished that I had registered for rustic, pottery-style dishes to eat off of. While we did ship some stuff over to China from the States, we got rid of most of our earthly belongings, including almost all of my kitchenware. As you can imagine, this was really difficult for me! As much as I don't want to be attached to "earthly things", there was definitely a lot of "stuff I'd accumulated over the years that was hard to part with.

So when we were shopping to stock our new home in China with the necessities, one of the things I was really hoping to find were pottery dishes. No luck. I had a couple of friends offer leads, but to no avail. But then in November, a friend told me about a pottery factory here in Thailand that seemed to make exactly what I was hoping for. I took off with my friend Audrey during our lunch break, and my dream was fulfilled! We got to tour the factory where they actually make the pottery (as seen in the photo of my friend Audrey standing inside the factory) and then go to the showroom and pick out our favorites. We had so much fun, and I got really cool blue rustic looking dishes that are packed to travel back to China with me to be used in our home there! It sure isn't that I have seeking Him first all figured out, but I do feel deeply blessed to be able to enjoy some dream decor as my heart feebly attempts to make pursuing Him my top goal in life!

In addition to being able to get such fun pottery, we also had the night off to go into town. We got to ride in a tuk-tuk (like a motorcycle with bench seats on back as seen in photo), which was a highlight for the kiddos. We also were able to eat Mexican food with some friends and the kids each picked out a toy at the night market (stuffed snakes for the boys and a dinosaur for Karis). On our way home, I picked up our laundry and had one of my somewhat regular "Where AM I?" moments that I've had since living in Asia. One of the ladies in our group had arranged for a local woman to come and pick up clothes to be washed for us. We then retrieved the clothes from her place of business. You can see me standing in the entryway in the picture, but we had to walk down this dark alley and go back into this random nook in the neighborhood to pick it up. What can I say, never a dull moment in cross-cultural living--even in the mundane tasks like getting laundry done!

"It's So Green!"

. . . These are Karis' awestruck words our first day here in Thailand. We have been so enjoying wearing shorts and flip flops the last three days we've been out of the cold here in Chiang Mai. We arrived with just a few challenges to overcome--including a full 24 hours of travel to finally arrive at our destination, only 6 hours of sleep our first night in a hotel (which was interrupted by one child vomiting, one child awakening and crying for unknown reasons, and the baby trying to go to sleep finally at 1 am without being in a baby bed)! Oh, and did I mention that the pillows in the hotel were so thick that we were finally able to use them as a blockade to keep Noah in his makeshift bed? How do you know your pillows are truly overstuffed? When your extremely agile and crawling 8 month old can't even get over them!
Anyway, we finally made it to Chiang Mai and have been having a great last 3 days. We've had meetings and teaching time, and we've had such sweet time connecting with others and getting refreshed in many ways. The kids have already made dear friends here, and they are especially loving that there is a pool right out our front door! When I asked Karis before we left home if she was excited to get to meet some new kids during this time, her wide-eyed question to me was, "Mom, do you think there will be some kids there who speak English?!" I assured her there would be, so she had been greatly anticipating this week! Her two closest new friends this far are the two youngest in a family with 10 kids! (Harriet and Audrey) We love it because it makes our family look a little less crazy with only 4!
Kevin and I have had some good time reflecting over our last 5 months in China in the evenings once the kids are down for bed. I've been compiling a list of things I've learned (or in some cases, just had reinforced) during our time of transition to this new place. Here are just a few!

What I've learned in China (thus far!):

• PF Chang's is NOT authentic Chinese food
• A dinner of mainly veggies and rice is not so bad
• there is ALWAYS room for one more on an elevator
• 32 degrees can actually feel relatively warm in the winter
• Chinese people (including men!) LOVE kids (unless it is raining and they are taxi drivers worried about getting muddy footprints on their highly valued seat covers)
• I want to spend as little time as possible in a Chinese hospital
• Chinese people are much kinder and more patient towards foreigners than Americans are (in general, of course)
• Eggs do NOT have to be refrigerated as attentively as previously thought
• Not everyone uses cheese and butter in their cooking like we do in the West
• It is possible to use a squatty potty while having an infant strapped to you in a Baby Bjorn (no, photo not included!)
• I LOVE my kids and can't believe how much fun they are to be with
• Deep bonds of friendship can develop more quickly than I imagined
• Goodbyes are gut-wrenching and heart-breaking and leave an ache long after the guest room is cleaned and the towels are washed
• A lot of the sub-culture of sports transcends those even larger cultural differences between ethnicities
• I am married to the greatest guy in the world and am so thankful that he is also my best friend
• You don't just "pick up" Mandarin without really working at it
• Much of communication is non-verbal
• He will not lead without coming with us
• It is possible to feel joy, loneliness, and peace all at the same time
• Our family is blessed with a Stateside support system that is truly rare and unique
• I need Him every hour!
  

Out of Touch!

Thank you for your patience with us! We have just returned from our trip to Thailand where we spent the last two weeks, and our internet access was NOT what we were expecting! We had a great time of meetings and some good family time together at the end of our programmed time, and have returned home safely. While we were there, our internet server was down in the area for most of our trip, and then for whatever reason we couldn't get our computer to connect to the internet once the server was up and working. All that to say, we've been out of touch and are sorry! I've still been writing updates, which I will attempt to go back and publish now, to fill you in on the adventures of the Joseph family over the last two weeks of international travel!

The three pics you see here are of where our family was our last few days in Thailand--a place called Dolphin Bay that was the most kid-friendly place we've ever seen! There was a pool that was made for little ones like ours and the beach was perfect. Hermit crabs just asking to be caught all over the sand and ocean water shallow enough that even Hudson could wade out 50 yards on his own two feet without being knocked over by the waves. We had a blast!

A Guy Thing

It's almost Chinese New Year, and the preparations around the country have gone into full swing. On every corner there are the largest displays of fireworks available for purchase that you've ever seen. Kevin took off yesterday afternoon with the three older kids and several different themed fireworks that he found--including a race car, a tank, and a monster truck! The kids loved it, and the adventure went off without any burns or other dangerous moments. I talked with my friend Sara about it yesterday, and she shared some funny moments of her husband with fireworks over the years they've been here. We decided that they are definitely a guy thing! (How I wish my brother were here to take part!)

And today we leave the country! We are headed to Thailand for the next week and a half. We'll have meetings there and a little bit of down time. We begin the journey today--traveling about 3 hours by van into Beijing to catch a 5 1/2 hour flight into Bangkok. We'll spend the night there in a hotel and then take another 1 1/2 flight the next morning into Chiang Mai. The kids know that there is a swimming pool and will be warm weather, and they are really hoping to ride an elephant. All that to say--we all can't wait! We have heard all kinds of details about being in China during their New Year's celebration, and supposedly we are making a good choice to be gone during this time. The celebrations last for several weeks, with fireworks going around the clock on the night of New Year's in particular (which happens to fall on Feb. 14th this year--following the lunar calendar). It is traditional to spend large amounts of time with family and close friends, so since we are still getting established here, it is a good year for us to be away without offending or missing good time with people.

A few fun updates from this week: Kevin has really gotten "in" with the baseball team! For the first time, he had several of the guys making fun of the way he speaks Mandarin. On Tuesday when he was talking with some of the pitchers, they kept having him say something over again and then laughing. When he asked what he was saying wrong, he discovered that he was actually saying it too "right"! The way we are taught to speak at our school is proper Chinese--and these players are more used to the slang. So Kevin's wasn't doing anything wrong at all, they just thought it was funny that he was speaking it so correctly!

After that, he decided to go and play basketball with some of the infielders from the baseball team. He hadn't met these guys before, so when they split the group up into two teams to play, Kevin was a little concerned about being able to recognize the people on his team! Sure enough, his fears were well placed. The opposing team discovered quickly his ignorance of who was on his team, and used it to their advantage. The guys on the opposing team would call out for him to pass, pretending to be his teammates, then laughing once they got the ball and dribbled down to their end of the court! All the Chinese baseball players thought it was hilarious, but my competitive husband started to get a little frustrated by the end of the game!

The photos are of a new place I discovered with the kids this week. It is an indoor play area that is truly the cleanest place we've been yet in the last 5 months! There were all sorts of fun toys and games for the kids, and they even serve lunch there. We spent about two and a half hours and the kids still didn't want to leave! It is definitely a place we will return; I only wish I had found it earlier on in the winter!

More from Thailand. . . :)