my post today is small and simple:

i heart china.

it puts a roll in my eye,

and a smile on my face.

LOVE IT.

the end.

i feel the need to write these lyrics out. so i am. enjoy.

my shepherd will supply my need,

Jehovah is His name.

in pastures fresh, He makes me feed

beside the living stream.

He brings my wandering spirit back,

when i forsake His ways,

and leads me for His mercy's sake

in paths of truth and grace.

when i walk through the shades of death,

Thy presence is my stay.

a word of Thy supporting breath

drives all my fears away.

Thy hand, in sight of all my foes,

doth still my table spread.

my cup with blessing overflows;

Thine oil anoints my head.

the sure provisions of my God,

attend me all my days.

o may Thy house be my abode,

and all my work be praise.

there would i find a settled rest,

while others go and come.

no more a stranger nor a guest,

but like a child at home.

no more a stranger nor a guest,

but like a child at home.

this is just a small sampling of the pretty christmas lights they've put up at random places across the city. it's beautiful.

so i haven't updated anything on this in too long, i know. sorry bout that! i have been thinking a lot about getting something new up here and what to do for it. i just been thinking a lot in general lately. i guess being dropped in another country across the world for 3 months will do that to ya! so in honor of china and my stay here, i decided to write up a list (since i've become quite the list-maker as of late) of things i like and things i don't so much like about this place i've called home for the past few months...

*things i like*

~how big the city is; you can drive on the freeway for an hour straight and still not be out of shanghai

~the traffic/the way the people drive here (this should prob be on my no-like list, but it just proves i've been in china for too long)

~my compound (or in english, my neighborhood)

~my house; not many people are lucky enough to have an actual house here, it's all apartments, so we're very blessed, and our house is so cute, i love it!

~how they pre-program christmas songs into phones and alarm clocks so you get them all year 'round

~the guards at our compound - they make us feel safe and they remember who i am! (the night ones, especially...apparently i come home later more often than earlier)

~the "info" line - you can call anytime and ask for directions or addresses or numbers or have them talk to your cab driver and find out anything and get anywhere! so so handy for us retarded foreigners

~the taxi drivers when they actually understand what i'm saying and where i wanna go! it rocks

~the fact that a GOOD mani/pedi costs less than $25

~trying to catch a cab at 5:30 PM when it's raining (sometimes not so fun, but usually it's quite hilarious)

~the architecture...the buildings here are beautiful & there's SO many skyscrapers

~street food

~they have IKEA & it's EXACTLY like at home

~the mix of culture and/or race here...you see a little of everything - definitely opposite of utah

~they have Subway! just like home :) yay for comfort food

~the Chinese symbols...i've really come to appreciate their way of writing; i can't read it or write it, but it's beautiful

~the Chinese people generally have a really welcoming, heart-warming way about them

~having an ayie (literally translated means 'aunt'; she's our housekeeper/maid basically who comes 3 days a week and keeps the house from falling apart; she's awesome)

*things i don't appreciate so much*

~the spitting and/or snotting....um gross??

~the milk; it's organic and ordered in from new zealand and i just cannot get used to it; hence i haven't really had milk in 2 months

~the total and complete chaos that is their society here

~the dirtiness/sanitary issues; there's no sanitary standards whatsoever

~the pens here are all crappy!

~the washer/dryer; i guess i should be thankful we even have a washer and especially a dryer since most people use the hang-dry method, but it's a washer/dryer in one and takes a year to do one load...ugh

~see the places/"homes" people live in...it's the poorest of the poor and it's so sad

~how everyone freely uses the street and/or garbage cans as bathrooms

~using cash for EVERYTHING; it's like the only method (get paid in cash, pay with cash, etc)

~squatters. one word: disgusting.

~the simple fact that they eat chicken feet & it's totally normal. seriously people!

~single-pane windoes and no insulation - it's FREEZING even inside

~no ranch dressing :( (good thing i brought my own from home!)

~the phone numbers are either 8 or 11 numbers long...sooo annoying

~the real, name brand or designer stuff is MORE expensive here than in the US; it's all made here, how is that even possible?

really i can't complain too much...china's pretty freakin awesome. i've really grown to love it here and love the people and their way of life. it's more having to get used to things than anything. i'm so so grateful for this opportunity i've had just placed in my lap basically to come here for these few months. although my christmas isn't white and there aren't pretty lights on the outside of all the houses, it's still christmas time and i still feel the special christmas spirit. i hope everyone enjoys this time as much as i intend to. happy holidays everyone!!

sleigh bells ring, are ya listening?...

SO I FEEL LIKE I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING ON THIS BLOG OF MINE IN FOREVER! AND THAT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE I HAVEN'T. SO I BETTER GET ON THAT...I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT I'M GOING TO WRITE ABOUT YET SO WE'LL FIND OUT TOGETHER!...

SO MANY THOUGHTS GOING THROUGH MY MIND THE LAST FEW WEEKS. ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE'VE HAD THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS IS COMING UP. WHAT A FUN TIME OF YEAR. I'M BLESSED TO HAVE A PIANO HERE AT MY HOUSE, SO I'VE STARTED SCROUNGING UP CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND PLAYING IT. IT IS MY FAVORITE MUSIC TO PLAY, I DO BELIEVE. ONE OF MY *SISTERS* MENTIONED SHE WATCHED ANNE OF GREEN GABLES ON TV THE OTHER NIGHT, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS FUNNY SHE MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE THE SISTER I'M LIVING WITH HAS A PASSION FOR THOSE BOOKS (AND MOVIES) AND I'M CURRENTLY READING THE FIRST ONE. IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THESE BOOKS, (FIRST OF ALL YOU SHOULD BE!), AND SECOND, ANNE IS KNOWN FOR HER VIVID IMAGINATION. SHE IS AN ORPHAN GIRL AND SHE'S LIVED HER LIFE THROUGH HER IMAGINATION BECAUSE SHE HAS HAD NEXT TO NOTHING HER WHOLE LIFE. BEING IN CHINA, THERE'S NO SNOW (ALTHOUGH I HEAR THERE'S NONE AT HOME YET, EITHER), THERE'S NOT A CHRISTMAS TREE AND LIGHTS IN EVERY HOUSE ALONG THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY. THERE ISN'T EVEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT CHRISTMAS AND THE MAD SHOPPING SEASON THAT IS UPON US OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW. I'VE FOUND MYSELF HAVING TO DIG UP MY SOMEWHAT BURIED IMAGINATION AND WORKING TO MAKE THINGS FEEL MORE LIKE THE HOLIDAY SEASON IN CHINA. WE DO HAVE A TREE, IT'S SMALL AND SITS ON A TABLE, BUT WE DO HAVE ONE! AND LIGHTS AROUND THE ENTRY WAY IN OUR HOUSE. BUT THERE'S NO FEELING OF THAT 'CHRISTMAS SPIRIT' WE HAVE AT HOME. I HOPE WE ALL FIND TIME THIS DECEMBER TO FEEL THAT CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. WHETHER IT'S THROUGH BEING HOME WITH FAMILY OR BUILDING A SNOW MAN (WHEN WE ACTUALLY GET ANY SNOW, OF COURSE) OR BEING IN A MALL SURROUNDED BY MILLIONS OF OTHER CRAZY DECEMBER SHOPPERS OR HUMMING A CHRISTMAS SONG. FIND IT AND ENJOY IT! IT'LL ALL BE OVER BEFORE WE KNOW IT. NOW THAT GOT MAYBE A BIT CHEESIER AND/OR PREACHY SOUNDING THAN I THOUGHT, BUT ONE THING I'VE LEARNED AND AM STILL LEARNING IS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY; WE'LL NEVER GET IT BACK! HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON TO EVERYONE :)