A few photos

A wise man once said, "I like the blogs that have some some writing and some pictures." That was great advice dad. There's been a lot of writing recently. Enjoy a few pictures.

Man in my Dream

Last night I woke up at 2:30 and again at 4:30. I was thinking about a young man I had seen earlier that evening on the street. My team-mates and I first noticed this man about a week ago. He was sitting on a stool in the back alley for probably at least 2 hours. His head was down and he was staring off at nothing. It was a little chilly this day too, and he was holding his shoulders tightly. One of my team-mates bought him a milk tea; he drank it eagerly.

After seeing him last week, we were all wondering what had happened to this man to make him this way. On that particular day, he looked like a fairly normal student but just really out of it. My team-mate explained it clearly; he looked as though something traumatic had happened that just completely overwhelmed him and made him shut down. At that point, he seemed in the early stages of a mental disorder…his clothes were still fairly new and clean and he looked as though he had recently groomed.

Yesterday, nearly a week later, I saw him again. He was eating a bowl of noodles that someone had given him. He was also talking loudly to nobody in the street. He was still in the same clothes he had been wearing last week. By this time, he’s starting to look deeper and deeper within whatever disease is consuming him. His shoulders slump pretty far forward as does his head. I wonder what happened to this young man. I wonder if his parents and family will ever find out what has happened to their son or if they’ll go looking for him when he doesn’t come home for summer or holidays. I wonder how often things like this happen. I feel disturbed; it’s no wonder that last night when I woke up thinking about this young man, I felt convicted and hungry.

I also wonder how long it will take for this young man to become like the other homeless and mentally challenged people that live on our street. At most there are two at any given time. They are not beggars; they are not aware enough to be beggars; they are in their own world. Their clothes and hair are all one color…a sooty grey from what looks like years of not being washed. Usually they’re talking to themselves or looking through the trash that piles up on the street. I feel helpless, and I ashamedly I also feel scared of these homeless people. The men are sometimes indecently dressed and they usually have a crazy look in their eyes. And yet, why should I be afraid? Shame on me when I turn away out of discomfort and fear. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” By the society’s standards, these people are considered the “least.” May He help me follow through with what the conviction that’s slowly burning within me.

Superstitions and Chickens' Feet

This week, we were talking about superstitions and luck in our sophomore classes. For one part of the lesson, students were to brainstorm a list of superstitions in China. Here are some of the superstitions they shared:

Relating to Death:
You must not let your tears touch the clothes of the deceased person or the deceased person will become a beggar in the next life.
A pregnant woman should not go in to see a deceased person or else the deceased person may steal the soul of her child.
You must burn the deceased person clothing in order that he/she will have a lot of clothes in the next life.
When you are carrying the casket to the grave, the people should not look back over their shoulder.
Before you place the casket in a mountainside tomb, you should leave the casket sitting outside the tomb and wait until the mountain God is free before placing the casket in the tomb (about a month.)
If a crow is cawing for a long time outside your house, it means that someone in your family is going to die.
It is bad luck to write your name in red pen because it means that you will die soon.

Relating to Marriage:
Before the bride enters her new home, she must jump over a pit of fire in order to have good luck.
The bride should wear a red wedding dress (red is the color of wealth and happiness.)
The bedspread and sheets for the new couple should be red.
The friends and relatives will put some dates and peanuts in the bed before the couple’s first night together to promote fertility.
It is bad luck to get married in the year of the tiger (which happens to be this year) because it is likely that one of the persons will die young.

Relating to Spring Festival:
On the first day of the Spring Festival, you should not sweep your house or remove any trash from the house.
On the first day of the Spring Festival, you should not have a bath or wash your hair (I’m not sure why on this one…just don’t do it.)

Other:
If you comb your hair at midnight, you will see ghosts.
If you look in a mirror at midnight and peel an apple so the skin is completely in one piece, you will be able to see your future spouse in the mirror.
If a bird poops on your head, you must collect one bowl of rice from 100 neighbors in order to prevent having bad luck (talk about a busy day.)
If a dog wanders to your house, it will bring good luck and prosperity to your family.
If a cat wanders to your house, it will bring bad luck and poverty to your family.
If a pregnant woman dreams of a snake, she is going to give birth to a boy.
If a snake comes to your house, you must make one of your children cry or else your family will have bad luck.
On the first and 15th of the month, it is common to sacrifice delicious food to one’s deceased ancestors.
You should put a round mirror above the door of your house so that ghosts will see their own reflection and be scared away from entering your house.
If you eat a chicken’s foot as a child, you will have poor handwriting when you grow up.

To end this part of the lesson, students discussed the differences between superstition and belief. Most classes came to the conclusion that superstition is based out of fear and is not true while belief is something that you trust in to be true. Many students confessed that they don’t believe in superstitions but they follow the traditions in order to honor their grandparents. One guy student spoke up and said that he felt the superstitions limit their ability to have freedom in their life. It’s interesting to see what will happen in the future to the Chinese traditions that are steeped in superstition.

A Second Thought

Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, is often used in frying Chinese food.Usually, I don't usually notice it or have any problem digesting it. But every once in awhile, it seems the cook throws in an extra spoonful or so and in the middle of the night, I wake up to swollen ankles, wrists, and fingers. The other night, I woke up and couldn't even get my rings off my fingers because they were swollen so bad. What is MSG anyways, this secret little ingredient that seems to be so crucial to the food.

A thought

Sometimes a person just has to accept that drivers in Hengyang consume large amounts of alcohol and then drive their cars in a city where traffic rules only exist in theory.

Chinese Culture Observation

I’ve always heard that in China, death is not openly talked about because it’s thought to be a bad omen to talk openly discuss it. I realized this on a personal note when I happened to mention to several friends that I had gone home to take part in my Grandpa’s funeral. All my friends, quickly said, “I’m so sorry to hear that” then they quickly changed the subject. Because I was able to be home with my family and properly mourn my grandfather’s passing, I feel pretty ready and comfortable to share more with my Chinese friends, but there seems to be a wall that quickly goes up in their eyes as soon as I tell them the news.
I’m trying to think how we might respond to hearing that our friend has lost a loved one in Western culture. Usually I think we ask more questions about the situation: “How did he die? How old was he? What was the funeral like? How are you doing with everything?” These kinds of questions, but these questions have for the most part not been discussed. One friend, did very sheepishly ask how old my grandfather was when he . . . died (she hesitated before she said the word.)
On a similar note, in Chinese culture, white lanterns are a symbol of death. This past summer, I bought a big white lantern ball to hang in my apartment. I thought it added nice dimension to the room, but after one of my Chinese friends pointed to it and gasped, I thought it might be best to move it out of my living room. It now hangs in my bedroom, and I close my door when guests come over so I don’t scare them.

Observations from America

I was just home for about 8 days, spending time with immediate and extended family. After being away from America for awhile, I noticed some things that I had not noticed before; here are four of them.

1. Tendency one: diet Soda
I think diet soda is one of the main contributing factors that is making Americans fat. I see so many overweight people drinking diet soda, and I’ve also read articles about how the fake sugar (aspartame) in diet sodas often makes people hungrier a few hours later. Here’s my thought: for every two cans of diet soda you drink, replace it with one can of regular cherry coke. Why cherry coke you might ask? It’s simple: Cherry coke is delicious and will undoubtedly solve many cravings that might surface later on in the day. Plus, cherry coke will help you to feel full so you’re less likely to eat more later.

2. Tendency two: coiffured hair
I only saw a few “natural” hairstyles…one of them being my own. Most women have hair that is dyed, straightened, layered, sprayed, and tucked just so. I’m not criticizing, I’m coveting. If I were not such a lazy girl, and if I had regular access to Western style beauty salons, I would also have coiffured hair. But alas, the wild beast is untamed while slowly becoming a crown of glory.

3. Tendency three: Wide open spaces
The land in South Dakota and Nebraska is largely uninhabited. Even where it is habited, large grass plots cushion the area between houses. People don’t live on top of each other like they do in other countries. Instead, Americans tend to create distance in the form of yards, fences, and landscape.

4. Tendency four: huge grocery stores
I visited a Super Saver a couple times in Lincoln, Nebraska and was in absolute shock by the lack of people in the aisles. I was also in shock by the enormity of the store. It felt more like a warehouse than a supermarket. If I were looking for a part time job in the States, I would apply at Super Saver, and I would ask to be the person who restocks the cheese aisle. A happy employee you would find.

Grandpa Friesen

My Grandpa Friesen passed away this past Wednesday. This grandpa has always had a special place in my heart. I'm sad to say good-bye, and yet I'm thankful that we can know with confidence he has finally entered Heaven and lives uninterrupted with His Heavenly Father. As the pastor said, it was a sad day, but it wasn't a sad event. My Grandpa was ready to go and looked forward to His Heavenly home.

Now, as with any death comes a lot of questions for the living. How does it feel to die? What would you do differently if you could do it again? How can we properly mourn while continuing to move forward? What do we need to change in our lives? Why is the concept of death still scary?

Death

Death, a permanent silence.