Our First Chinese New Year

We arrived in China just in time to experience an authentic Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is a lunar holiday, so that date changes each year. This year it fell on February 3. What I didn't know until now is that while New Year's Day is on February 3, the celebration spans a two-week period called Chun Jie (Spring Festival).

Beijing Opera performer applying makeup
on a student.

For the holiday, the kids were out of school for two weeks. The week prior to their break was similar to the week before Christmas break in the U.S. They had "China Week", and on each day there was a different special activity. They saw the local Beijing Opera perform, made Chinese paper crafts, prepared jiao zi (dumplings), and presented a performance to the parents.

Morgan's Chinese class performed a song called "Praise the Lord" entirely in Mandarin. It filled me for two reasons. First, as I listened to these children sing praises to our Lord and Savior, I was reminded that He is indeed here in China. Second, I saw sparkle in my baby girl's eyes. One of her biggest concerns with moving here was that she would have to give up the performing that she loves so much. She looked so at home on that little stage in China. I beamed.

  

Christian's class presented the finale performance, "Happy New Year" (in Mandarin, of course). He doesn't live for the stage like his sister, but he doesn't fear it either. He fit right in.

Traditional gifts during Chinese New Year:
Red envelope with money and gold wrapped
chocolate coins.

I spent that week preparing for our third move in 4 weeks (our apartment was ready) and trying to get up to speed on local customs and etiquette during Chun Jie. I wanted to be sure we used appropriate greetings, gave appropriate gifts, and took full advantage of any opportunities to experience local celebrations. Farell's associates at work helped us with the greetings. Internet research helped us with the gifts.

However, I didn't get quite what I expected in local celebrations department. When I asked Chinese associates, "What do you do for Chinese New Year?", without hesitation they each answered, "EAT!" Here in China, the New Year is all about food and family. The country shuts down. There is little traffic, few stores (if any) are open, and manufacturing, distribution, and shipping are non-existent. So, if there was a huge festival with one of those long colorful dragons carried by six men in Shenyang, no one told us about it. We stayed in with our family, following the expressed tradition.

What we did experience, however, were fireworks. For 350 days of the year, fireworks are illegal in Shenyang. During the 15 days of Chun Jie, they make up for lost time. The explosions begin no later than 7:00 am and end...well, if they end, it's some time after I finally fall asleep. Personal fireworks here are equivalent to what one would expect to see at a professional fireworks display elsewhere. We had spectacular shows coming from literally just under our apartment windows.  For several hours, every boom jolted us on our feet and to the nearest window. Imagine four kids (two little, two big) running from window to window trying to catch the best view. We even prepared to go out onto Morgan's balcony for the "perfect" video footage. An inconveniently timed blast just below us was a little too close for comfort. We hurried...okay, screamed and ran back inside. The view from inside the window suddenly became sufficient.

After hours of non-stop explosions, our excitement waned. We closed the curtains and tried focus on normal activities - baths, a little reading, then settle into bed. It was difficult to tune out the noise, but we did our best. Christian actually fell asleep, but it was not for long. It takes him to best explain the atmosphere here at midnight. To use Christian's words, it felt like we should all "duck for cover". No description truly seems sufficient to capture the experience. The view was breathtaking; the noise, nerve-racking. We think we finally got to sleep around 2 a.m.

I can't share this story without mentioning the unfortunate aftermath we discovered the next day. The five-star Dynasty Wanxin hotel which is within view from our apartment had burned down. The cause was fireworks. It was reportedly the tallest building in Shenyang. Thankfully, there were no fatalities.

 We are still in the midst of Chun Jie, and we still see and hear fireworks periodically each day. What we've experienced living in the midst of it all is something we'll never forget. I think everyone should experience it at least once. For us, once is enough. Next year, we'll join all of the other experienced expats and take a trip to another exotic land.

Yays & Yucks of China

I've been here in Shenyang for nearly a month now. That's not a terribly long time, but certainly long enough to discover things that I like and things that I can do without. I'm sure my list will evolve over time. In fact, I'll try to make it a point to revisit this list and revise it periodically throughout my stay here. Keep in mind, these thoughts are purely from my point of view and are limited to my exposure to the city of Shenyang. Okay, here we go...

Yays

1. The people are extremely nice! The "golden rule" is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. I love it!
2. Shoes! There are department stores with entire floors dedicated to women's shoes all over the city. I'm not in the market for shoes at the moment, so I can't speak to the quality; however, a floor full of shoes can't be a bad thing. :-)
3. It can be very inexpensive to live here. The caveat is that you must live like a native. Those items geared toward us westerners are going to cost you a pretty penny.
4. Keeping Yay #3 in mind, you can find many familiar brands in food, clothing, and electronics here.

Yucks

1. Smog. Shenyang is a model city in China for environmental awareness, but it is far from standards in the states. The morning air is always thick. Fortunately, we live in a more suburban area, so the air quality around our home is fairly good.
2. Potable water is a precious commodity. We live in a beautiful apartment with modern appliances and electronics, but we cannot drink, cook with, or even brush our teeth with water from our sink. The good news is that we have a ready supply of bottled water and a water cooler.
3. Crowds. It is ALWAYS crowded. I have never been one to handle being shoulder-to-shoulder in public spaces, so this is especially tough for me. I literally have to sit in silence for a few moments to regroup when I get home.
4. Pushing and shoving. It may seem contradictory to say that the people are nice and they also push and shove, but it's true. There is no concept of personal space in Chinese culture. The mentality is, "We're all in this together." They don't find it rude to push you out of the way as they move forward. I’ve learned not to take it personally and to just go with the crowd.
5. I’m illiterate! I cannot read, write, or speak the standard language here. The discerning consumer I once was has been whittled down to a three-year-old, jumping for joy when she recognizes the "Oreos" logo. I must note that I have graduated to a few two-word sentences. However, I've found that not everyone is comfortable with my accent. What Xing, our driver, perfectly understands evokes a wrinkled brow on the cashier at Wal-Mart.

There are days when those yucks really get under my skin, and other days when I find the experience fascinating. All in all, I'm continuing to accept each moment as it comes and remembering to appreciate the journey.  

Mr. Xing

At first glance driving in Shenyang seems to be quite similar to driving in the U.S. However, it only takes a moment before one realizes that the unspoken rules of the road make driving in Shenyang a much different experience. For drivers here, yellow lines don't exactly mean do not cross (even if a city bus is coming in the opposite direction!) It's also quite obvious that there is no such thing as "right-of-way", only "you'd-better-get-out-of-the-way". Cars, trucks, bikes, and pedestrians simply share the road (and the sidewalk) in a way that is foreign to us. That being said, it should come as no surprise that we do not drive here. We, like many expatriates in Shenyang, have a driver. His name is Xing.

Mr. Xing, as the kids call him, takes us wherever we need to go. At about 5'10" tall, he stands much taller than the stereotypical Chinese man. He has a warm smile and a gentle disposition. He speaks no English; we speak no Chinese. While this has made for many interesting exchanges over the past couple of weeks, we've managed to get where we need to go and share a few laughs along the way.

Fortunately, we have established somewhat of a routine in the past week which makes the communication much simpler. He picks us up at 7:15 each morning to take us to work and school. The car is full of our chatter. "Christian, do you have your lunchbox?" "Mama, can you go over my science vocabulary with me?" "Where's my water bottle?!" Mr. Xing is quiet.

After we get the kids off to school, Mr. Xing and I take the 30-minute drive back to the hotel. It's the most quiet car ride I've ever taken. As I take in all of the sights around us, I want so desperately to make some sort of small talk. "What are they building there? Is that a park? It sure is foggy this morning." For weeks I wondered, "Is he married? Does he have children?" Farell asked around and got the answers from for me a few days ago. Mr. Xing is married with a 17-month-old son.

While we sat in silence waiting for the kids after school yesterday, I used hand motions to ask him about his family. He put on a huge grin, then showed me their pictures on his cell phone. When I noticed Christian coming out of the school alone, I started to get out to meet him. Instead, Mr. Xing motioned for me to stay in the warm car. He met Christian at the gate, placed his arm around his shoulders, and lovingly walked him to the car. My thoughts at that moment..."We're in good hands."

What I wish most right now is that I had a better grasp of the language. In my long rides with Mr. Xing, I often think, "How arrogant of me to come live in his country without knowing his language." He doesn't seem to mind, though. I'm grateful for his patience and for his sincere care for our family. As I learn more Mandarin, I'll ask his permission to post his picture here. I'll then be sure to share with you our new family friend, Xing.

When in China...Do As the Chinese

During our transition period here in Shenyang, we're staying in a hotel. The rooms are nice, but not the most practical for a month long stay. We have no kitchen, so eating-out is the only option for most meals. Needless to say, we have done more than our share of eating out this week. As you can imagine, we were thrilled to see familiar names like KFC, Dunkin' Donuts, and Pizza Hut when we arrived. Perfect! We could play it safe for the first few days and ease our stomachs into Chinese cuisine. I, myself, wasn't so sure the local delicacy of dumplings would ever appeal to me. Chinese dumplings, or jiao zi, are thin dough pockets filled with many varieties of meats and vegetables. The jiao zi are then boiled, steamed, or fried. The presentation can appear somewhat bland - nothing compared to a crispy two piece and a biscuit. :-) Well, unfortunately, you will find lots of choices at any one of the dozens of KFC's in Shenyang, but a two piece snack is not one of them. So, on our first visit, I settled for popcorn chicken and fries. As I popped one in my mouth, I immediately realized that all popcorn chicken is not created equal. Apparently, this city likes their chicken spicy...and their ketchup...and their dipping sauces. So much for the Colonel's original recipe! I was disappointed to say the least.

A day or two later, we had our official tour of the city. Our tour guide helped me to get a new cell phone, walked us through banking and shopping transactions, and showed us key locations throughout the city. For lunch, she escorted us into a beautiful two-story restaurant specializing in...yes, you guessed it...dumplings. Chinese culture dictates that the host order for the entire party, so as we settled into our chairs, our host held a brief exchange with the waitress who then hurried off to fill our order. YIKES! (I'll have to save my apprehension with table etiquette for another post. The focus of this post is the food.) The waitress filled the enormous lazy susan with every type of dumpling we could imagine. Our host quickly explained the filling in each, and then offered a lively, "Eat, eat!" We did. We tried everything on the table...and loved it! Since then I have eaten several "Western" meals, but nothing so far compares to the delicious dumplings we devoured.

My tiny take away from this experience is that in many cases the modified adage applies: When in China...do as the Chinese. For now, I'll leave the fried chicken to my fellow Americans in the States.

Appreciating the Journey

Well, we're here! Worlds away from home in more ways than one. I'm a small-town, southern girl accustomed to a familiar "Hey, y'all!" every now and then, an occasional 70 degree day in winter, and ice in my tea. Now, here we are in big-city, northeast China where greetings are warm, but absent the drawl. The snow mounds are 3 feet high and apparently not planning to melt by morning. Tea is abundant, but there's no ice and it's certainly not sweet. To top it off, we're staying right in heart of this city of 8 million people. The street below our hotel window is bustling with honking cars and hustling pedestrians. The view of the night skyline is breathtaking for a small-town girl like me. I would think we were in an American city were it not for the brightly lit Chinese characters at the top of the buildings. It's like a work of art.

It truly seems like yesterday when Farell asked me what I thought about making an international move. That was last spring. By September, it was a done deal, and these last four months have been a whirlwind. One thing, however, that has remained a constant theme throughout our journey is God's perfect timing. He has known what we've needed much better than we have. I'm learning to release control and acknowledge His sovereignty. There will be many new experiences for us over the next few years, but after a wonderful conversation with our creator and right-on-time sermon by our pastor this Sunday, I pledge to greet them without anxiety and simply appreciate the journey.