I never thought that weather could have such a profound impact on my life! These past few weeks have been COLD--with only the last several days getting above freezing. But the real kicker has been the "smog," as our Chinese friends call what we prefer to more accurately label "pollution!" And I really shouldn't be complaining at all; we had the first day of seeing the sunshine today--and let me tell you--it was glorious! Now in order to be able to see it, we had a strong wind that blew in, thus blowing out our usual canopy of gray that seems determined to suffocate all life beneath. But the wind won out, and we gladly donned extra layers to embrace the chill in the air in order to play outdoors longer than we usually would care to be. We kept encouraging the kids to run and breath deeply, rather than our usual jokes about holding our breath whenever we are in the open air. What is so shocking to me is how much the general atmosphere of pretty much any location is altered by having the clear sky and visible sun. My class of students, the neighbors I pass on the way to the market, even my own demeanor has a lightness to it that we haven't felt much these past 3 weeks. 
Speaking of cultural differences, we just finished having another jaw-dropping conversation with one of our closer friends here about business in China and the bribery that is so normal to encounter. He used to be a professional baseball player in town, and he was explaining how the team was never as good as it could have been because the players who got the most playing time were those who paid off the coach the most. He was very matter-of-fact about the whole thing; there was no sense of resentment or frustration in his tone. But he was telling us how he wished it could be different for the sake of wanting to see how good a team (in baseball and other sports) China could produce if those players who were truly the best were the ones allowed to play. He was also telling us about the pressure at his current workplace (he's teaching English to little kids) because his boss just hung a huge sign outside the building that the government has decided is not attractive. Because their building is so close to a large government one, they have asked the English school to take the sign down. But the cost is exorbitant! Approximately $10,000 to hire the equipment and manpower needed to remove it. So rather than just removing the sign, our friend's boss is in the process of trying to build "guan xi" (relationship) with the right people who can decide that the sign does NOT need to go. And this is done by inviting the "right" people out to eat, then paying them off under the table. The complicating factor is that you never know for sure if you're inviting the right person who has a high enough statues to truly pull the strings you need pulled. So you might pay off one person, but then have to go 2, 3, even 4 levels higher before you're really in the clear. And what's even more shocking to me is that this bribery system is really in play in pretty much every market place we've encountered--even the educational system. I have had several moms talk with me about how to handle the pay-offs that are expected to be given to their kids' preschool teachers! It starts that early; and if the teacher is NOT paid off, supposedly the chances of your child being treated fairly are pretty much slim to none. Not what most moms want to hear, especially in a society where education is really the most important thing in one's life. So how does one navigate in this culture that requires so much of what goes against every cultural idea of justice that we Americans hold so dear? Still in process on that one...
On a lighter note, we've had some fun on our weekends as of late. We even made it to a new shopping mall that has an indoor ice skating rink! Our dear friends Ying Ying and Michael went with us, and I was VERY thankful for the extra hands, as having 4 kids on the ice (3 for the very first time) was about as much as my 2 hands could handle. We miraculously made it through with no major falls and no injuries. Noah made one full lap before he decided he'd had enough (actually, he wanted to quit after about the first 20 yards, but I convinced him to remain skating with the flow to make the complete circle to the nearest exit); Eli and Karis loved it, and Hudson had fun clinging to either myself, Michael, or the wall for most of the hour. It was a fun get-away for our family, and almost made us think we were back at the Dallas Galleria for the afternoon! (Oh, we even found a Subway in the mall for lunch, completing our "back to the US" nostalgia.)
We only have 2 days left of school, then we're out for a 2-week long holiday (the Chinese New Year). We're going to make the most of our 2 weeks by doing some travel--first to Cambodia, then on to Thailand. We're truly counting down the days til we can hit the warm weather and sunshine! The bags are packed already and we've got a packed weekend trying to say goodbye to all our Chinese friends for the 2 weeks before we go (it's kind of like Christmas to them, where it's really important to spend time with your closer friends to celebrate this time of year). We have a 6-hour long party tomorrow that we're attending with the whole family (it's a party friends of Kevin's are hosting for some of the professional athletes in town), so we're hoping to turn in early so we can get rested and geared up for what is sure to be some Chinese-ee craziness!
