Flood.

This past Friday was parents day. We have been preparing for it for days. We have been preparing lessons, cleaning, and lots of paperwork. The teachers have been nervous and stressed and we all couldn't wait for the day to be over. The night before I went to bed really late with plans to wake up early, shower, do my hair, and dress up nice. After parents day I was to have a meeting with the parents in which I explain our program and answer any questions they have via a translator. That morning one of my teachers woke me up at 5 o'clock in the morning. I was disoriented and couldn't quite hear what she was saying. I swung my feet around to get out of bed and found myself wading in about 4 inches of water. We had a flood. We have a fairly large apartment for China standards. We have three bedrooms, a living room, and a small sliver of a kitchen. The WHOLE place was filled with water past our ankles. 


I quickly ran to the kitchen to find the source of our newfound swimming pool. A pipe beneath our sink had burst and the water was spraying out like a hose on full blast. I held my hand over it while we woke up our chinese coordinator to figure out how to turn off the water. After some struggles... it was off. And there we are. Seven soaking wet teachers standing in water on the day we most needed our rest. I looked at katie... and then we just started laughing! Of coarse. Of all days for this to happen. That was the day. We had no electricity and no water. Showers were not an option and all of our things were wet. (Including the clothes I had laid out for the day) One of my girls had left her computer on the ground and my camera was on the ground as well. So there were some casualties. The girl that lost her computer was not laughing nearly as hard as I was. I feel so bad for her. But... there are more important things in life. At least now we know not to leave anything on the floor! It was impossible to ignore the humor in it all. I looked awful for parents day. Hopefully they were able to look past my appearance and see how much I love and care for their children. That morning after we scooped out some of the water into the sink, I got a call on my chinese phone from my friend Natalie! It was so cool to talk to someone from back home. Its been far too long since I have talked to a friend. We got to the school and it was like the stresses of the morning melted away. Those kids. I love them so much. They are learning so quickly and it never ceases to amaze me! The kids are doing great, the teachers are doing great and, (despite the flood), I am having the time of my life! Thanks for all of your support and interest in my adventures. I miss you all!

Going Back Home! (CHANGZHOU)

Finally back home in Changzhou!

     This has been, by far, the best weekend of my entire life!!! Last semester I taught at the most wonderful school on earth, Tsingying. This school is further north in Jiangsu province. (About an hour out of Shanghai) For those of you that don't know... I am currently teaching in a Kindergarten school in south China. I am in the Guangdong Province and my city name is Zhongshan-Guzhen. The point of all this useless information is to explain to you how EXTREMELY FAR AWAY I am from my old school. I miss my kids. There really are no words to describe the way I feel about these kids. I love working here in Guzhen and the kids are so precious... but I miss that special bond I had with my babies. 

   My Canadian friend Stevie at
People's Square in Shanghai!

       Anyways... we had our first vacation this past weekend. The girls decided they wanted to go to Shanghai! Which... (of coarse) I had abbbbbbsolutely NO problem with!!!!!! (Because it means that we would be only an hour away from my old school!!!!!!!!) So I called Hillary and told her I would be coming by. She said that she would keep it a surprise for the kids. There is one student, Harry, who she said had been talking about me this semester. I love my Harry. Unfortunately I only had time to stay for one day. We are given a four-day vacation. We lost two days in travel on a excruciatingly long train ride. 

Two of the MANY cup of noodles we ate on our

 train ride. The chinese think we are soo fat!

Lots happened on our train adventures, but for lack of time, I will simply state that I ate 4 cup of noodles, my feet were swollen like balloons, I cuddled with a chinese man, and we made LOTS of friends during our 26 hour long train ride. It was awesome! I only spent one day in Shanghai. It was cool to be back there again. It was nice to know my way around. I took my group to see the antique market and the bund and all the fabulous Shanghai attractions. It was weird to be back with different teachers. I would always want to mention something about coco or cream puffs but knew they wouldn't understand. That only left one measly day for me in Changzhou. But I will take what I can get! Hillary invited me to stay in her apartment and I couldn't have been more excited.

Carrying all 3 bags so we could get to Tsingying on time!!!

I had been looking forward to this for weeks! Due to some troubles getting our train tickets... my time in Changzhou was growing shorter and shorter. The earliest train from Shanghai to Changzhou would get us there at 9:30 in the morning and we had to leave for Guzhen at 5:30 that evening. With travel time to get to the school I was left with very little time. But I was determined to go. And when I say determined... I mean... My teachers were walking slow so I carried all their bags and practically RAN to the bus stop. Stepping off that train into Changzhou was like a breath of fresh air. I just felt... home. We hurried to the DVD store were we saw Eric our old buddy and Stevie and Roxann bought some DVD's. We found out that Jackie moved cities!!! SO sad. He was my favorite. 

But we got a quick dua bing and hopped on the 302 to Tsingying. When I arrived at the gate and waved at leo (the security guard) he seemed very confused. He doesn't really speak English but just made his eyes real big, pointed at me and said, "Woooooooaahhh." Hahaha. It was so funny. I talked with him for a minute and then started to walk in. I was only on campus for about three seconds when I hear someone scream..."MY BABY!!!!!" There was Jude... running towards me. It was like a movie scene or something we ran and hugged each other. Oh how I miss my favorite Chinese friend. (He taught me and a friend chinese music lessons last semester) 

My Baby Jude and I!

(Best Hulusi Teacher in the world!!!)

The teachers had planned to take me and the two other girls out for a big dinner and then go to KTV but since my train left so early... we had to cancel. It made me wish that I had more time. It would have been soooooo fun to spend the night and go out to dinner with all these people I love. But that wasn't the objective. The objective was the kids. 

To be honest. I was scared. It has been almost a full three months now since I have seen these kids. I thought... they might not even remember me! They have new teacher now and new names to learn. So I was nervous. I start walking up the stairs and at the exact same time I reached the top. Blake walked by. (One of my older Elementary students) His mouth dropped to the floor. I wish sooooooooo badly that I had it on tape. His face. Oh my goodness his face was precious. He screamed, "TEACHA ASHurLEY!," and tackled me. The rest of the classes were right behind them and came running. They MOBBED me. I honestly couldn't think of a happier moment in my life. THEY REMEMBER ME!

  

MY FAVORITE BOY HARRY!!!

Anyways. There were far too many experiences like this to write them all. But there is one last one that I can not go without writing about. I had not yet seen any of my younger kids. They were still in Chinese class. So Hillary took me down to pick them up. When I walked around that corner... Luis and Harry sprinted from their class (without permission) and ran to give me a hug. Harry would NOT let go. He made me lean down and in his sweet little raspy Harry voice said, "I knew you'd come back." These kids. I LOVE these kids. I was on the verge of tears the whole day. GAHHHHH! They were just SOOOOO amazed that I was back. It was almost as if they thought America was some black hole that teachers never come back from. I feel so bad that these kids fall in love with their teachers and every four months... they leave. It most definitely made me recommit myself to the goals I have in life. I want to DO things like this! I want to be a part of something bigger!

Okay so after seeing all the kids I walked them up to their ILP classes where the teachers allowed me to sit in on their openings. The kids were so distracted and couldn't pay attention to the teachers so I felt a little bad. When it came time to pick a song the kids started shouting..."THE BUTTERFLY SONG!" Hahahahahaha. Oh my goodness I about died. The butterfly song was my corny rendition of Miley Cyrus', "Party in the USA." The kids only loved it last semester because I would dance all goofy in front of the class. Anyways... the new teachers definitely didn't know what the "Butterfly Song" was so I went to the front of the class to sing it with the kids. I guess I just... I'm happy to know that even just for a short while... they remembered me. Because I know without a doubt... I will never forget them.

The sweet lady I bargained with

for about 30 minutes. We bargained

15元 for a buddha head. I gave her

a 50. She would give me back my

change 1元 at a time! (Each time

pretending to walk away like the deal

was done) Haha she was hilarious.

I LOVE China!

It was an amazing weekend and I went home refreshed and ready to teach these sweet little spirits here in Guzhen. Teaching here in China has been... by far... the most rewarding thing I have ever done. 

A girl had on the same vest as my best friend Cyd! I miss her!

ABC's Kindergarten!

Well I finally made it to the school in Guzhen! To be honest... I really had no idea what to expect. Alice (our chinese coordinator) picked us up as we got off the ferry from Hong Kong. We said our farewells to the other groups (sad) and were on our way! Alice is the most smiley and amazing person you have ever met. Getting things started off has been pretty rocky. This whole "Head Teacher" thing is rewarding... but very hard. We haven't had access to the internet and haven't had hot water or gas or anything for the past few days. (I haven't showered in three days, don't judge) We have squatters in our apartment! Sometimes... it makes a gurgling noise and then a few seconds later dirty water spews up. It gets some pretty good air. I have been the victim of its attack a few times. I wouldn't say its the most pleasant experience. All of that really wouldn't be a problem for me. I really enjoy life here and realize how blessed we are to have the things we have. But my teachers... I can't exactly say the same for them. For most, this is their first time out of the country and away from home. The fact that we didn't have access to the internet was daunting for most. They wanted to speak to their families and let them know they arrived safe. It made me realize how lucky I am that I don't have to worry about that sort of thing. I know my family loves me and cares that I'm safe... but they aren't going to panic if they haven't heard from me in 4 days. They know that I can take care of myself no matter where I am. I freaking love my family. We're awesome. It is so hard to keep these teachers positive about China. It was so easy for me to fall in love with China! I hope that my teachers will eventually love it as much as I do.

So things are fabulous. I feel like this has truly been the real chinese experience. It is SOOOOO cold here. I wasn't prepared for that at ALL. I was told it would be so hot! So all I brought was a super light jacket. Its rainy season here and so we all just huddle together as we run to the school. The kids. OH MY GOODNESS! The kids are tiny. I have never taught babies this small before. We have only been teaching 4 days and they already have completely melted my heart. I LOVE IT HERE! I don't have much time on the internet but know that things are going great and I love life here more than ever! I hope this finds you all safe and happy. Remember how blessed you are to have running water, microwaves, HEATERS!, toilets, dry clothes, clean sheets, mattresses, jackets, ovens, and normal bread. Haha.

Hong Kong!

Frontal view of our Hotel. We even have a pool!

Wow. I can't believe it. Everything seems so new to me and yet so familiar at the same time. We got out of the airport and had one of the prettiest bus rides I have ever taken in my life. The clouds were low and drifted over the water but you could still see the small islands on both sides. I LOVE BEING BY THE WATER! It is absolutely gorgeous here in Hong Kong! I don't know what exactly I expected... but i am definitely living in luxury. We are staying at the Metropark-Kowloon Hotel and it is by far the nicest place I have ever stayed at in China. As I write this.... a Chinese Catholic Priest is sitting across from me speaking very loudly with his comrade. It is sooooooo cool to see the old english influence here and how much it is different from mainland China. They even drive on the wrong side of the road!

The disease prevention staff!!! Woohoo!

But our travels here were not without a few difficulties. We made all of our flights. One girl missed her Korean flight but caught a later one and we will pick her up from the airport later this evening. Everything seemed to be going well. I was just thinking..."Hey this whole... "being the head teacher" thing doesn't seem so hard after all!" But in traditional chinese fashion... things didn't go exactly as planned. (Which is why we love the chinese so much; nothing ever goes as planned!) I was constantly doing a head count of all my girls (mom mode) as we made our way through the airport when one of my teachers is stopped by the "health and disease prevention" staff. They asked for her passport and took  her temperature only to find out she had a fever! Poor thing. They have these cool thermal cameras they use to spot you if your sick. So they made her put on this super legit chinese medical mask and (with very little english) said that she must go to the sick bay before she was allowed to leave. I told the other teachers to head through customs without us and that we would meet up with them in a bit. I went with her so she wouldn't be scared and oh my lady gaga.... it was hilarious. We went all the way to the other side of the airport, down an elevator shaft to this cute little sick bay. They asked her some questions... she didn't really understand her very well so they had to call in someone who speaks English better. We waited for her... then she finished the paperwork and told us that we have to go to the hospital. Haha. I've only been in China 5 seconds and its already time to seek medical assistance! Woohooo! I love it. She only has a sniffly nose and says she doesn't feel very bad at all but if we don't get it approved by a doctor (and then he sends the report to the airport) then her visa could possibly be revoked. Isn't that awesome!!?!?! I love that the SECOND we walk off the plane something crazy already goes down. Poor girl. She's never been out of the country before and they are making her walk around with a mask. It was hilarious though. It was a perfect welcome to China for me. Its good to be back!


The rest of the day has been awesome. We just settled into our rooms and then went and got some delicious street food. Tomorrow we will go on a guided tour of Hong Kong. It will be nice to have a guide for a change. I have just been aimlessly traveling to random places around China of my own accord. Might be nice to get a little extra information this time. There is so much to learn about Hong Kong and I want to soak it all up! AHHHHHHHHH! You guys have NO idea how good it feels to be back. I'm not even mainland yet and I feel... Alive!!!!

Layover In Korea.

Well I'm almost in China! I am currently sitting in the beautiful Korean airport and I couldn't be happier! Its such a relief to finally meet the teachers I will be spending all of my time with. Even after our 17 hour flight they are still hilariously awesome. We will be spending the next 3 days vacationing in Hong Kong and then we head to Zhongshan to meet our students! I am going to go explore the airport now but I will write more the next chance I get!

So Anxious!

I fly out of Phoenix on the 9th. Thats THIS WEDNESDAY! I can't wait another moment! I am ready to be on that plane back to China! I am not entirely prepared... I'm sure I am missing a few supplies that I will be kicking myself for later. I will be in a new area so its hard to know what I will need or what I will have access to. But thats all just part of the adventure I guess. These past few days have been torture. I hate waiting. I am so impatient at times. (Which is something I should really work on changing.) I really am just so ready to get back over there and start teaching again! Hooray!

Round Two!

I just got back home this past Saturday! Everything went without a hitch. (This time) I made some good friends on the flight and got to sleep a LOT! It was an all around excellent trip.  I have to say though... its weird being home. Before I left for China... everyone told me that I would experience "culture shock" upon my arrival. I think it must have taken a raincheck because it wasn't until stepping off that plane onto American soil that I started feeling the culture shock. It really is nice being home. I missed my families ridiculous jokes. I cried tears of joy the first time I was able to put my clothes in a real washing machine. And the toilets are pretty nice... but I miss my China. I miss the life I have there and the way the people live. So... I'M GOING BACK! I was offered a position as a "Head Teacher" for this next semester. I will be gone for another five months! (Get back June 25th) I couldn't be more excited! This time around I am in charge of a group of volunteer teachers and track their progress as well as the children's. I will be going to a new city called Zhongshan. (Southern China; Near Hong Kong) I am excited for a new adventure filled with new challenges. My friends joke that I might never come home and there are times where I think they are right. I just feel so... ALIVE in China. At least for now... I know its the place I need to be. The day I got home I unpacked my suitcase only to start repacking it again. I look at it in the corner of my room and its so comforting to know that soon I will be back in China! But for now... I am enjoying seeing my friends and family and eating all the fresh vegetables I can get my hands on!