New Colour for a New Life!

I just got an e-mail from one of my Chinese students and the subject was "Oh, you gonna start your new life?!" I thought it was fitting to bring that into the subject on here. I guess I am starting a "new life" or at least a new phase or chapter in the one I've been given. I looked at my blog today and realized that it was time for a change. Unfortunately, none of the "templates" stood out to me today so I went to the default black. I can imagine some of you saying "surprise, surprise, she chose black!" It'll change again soon enough... but when I have more energy to do so!

The past week and a half has been nuts! My mom and I drove across the country in my wee little Jetta (which thankfully has a big trunk) and moved me into my new apartment in Wheaton. I met a few more of the people I'm working with this fall and they are A-Mazing. I feel like I've known them forever... and I keep forgetting that there is so much that they don't know about me yet and that I don't know about them. I guess it's kind of fitting because I'm sure I'll know them well in no time at all. Dan, Sarah, Michael & Terese are pretty great people. My new favourite thing about them are all the nicknames! Even Terese's computer has a name... I think it was Bertha!

I'm at home for this weekend to do the big walk and spend a few last meals & afternoons with friends and family and Monday morning I head back to Wheaton!

In need of a new alternator...

Today I had an appointment to take my car to the VW Dealership to get an oil changed and a funky "surging" checked out. I thought it would be nothing... I should know that it is NEVER nothing! :-)

First, I go to get my Jetta (it's been parked in my apartment's parkade all week because it has a big box attached to the top for my move this week), and it doesn't start. So I go to Canadian Tire to get some jumper cables (thankfully I still have the Saturn!) and got it started. I got to the dealer just in time for the appointment thinking that it just needs a new battery. Again... it's never JUST a new battery, is it?? I got the call I was dreading... I need a new alternator. The good news is the battery is just fine! The bad news is more money and the car won't be ready until noon on Monday.

It puts a little glitch into my plans, but that is yet another reminder that my plans are not His plans and that I need to let go! So, instead of leaving at 6am on Monday, we'll pick my car up, take it to my apartment and pack it up and then head out on the road. Really, this just means that we'll be driving later at night on Monday and have less time in the twin cities on Tuesday. If all goes well, I'll still be moving into my Wheaton apartment on Wednesday! I'm crossing my fingers because my mom and I have tickets to go see WICKED in Chicago on Thursday night!

Transition? Homesick for China?

I have a number of thoughts at the moment - so I will try and get the good ones out! :-)

I think I underestimated this whole moving and transitional period ahead of me! I think I have become so caught up in the excitement of moving to Wheaton and preparing for what is ahead that I have forgotten that this really is a time of transition. Maybe transition has become such a frequent part of my life that I just dive in head first. Only moments ago did I really realize that I am venturing into the unknown! I don't really know anyone in the Chicago area - except for Angie (from my team in China) who probably doesn't realize that I may just stop by her house! I have only spent a day at Wheaton for my interview and it is a total blur. At the same time as realizing that there is a chance that I will be lonely at Wheaton - I am so confident that this is my path! I absolutely ADORED my one day there. I had a ton of fun with the students I met and I am looking forward to working with some pretty amazing people - and learning a lot from them as well! I think I leave in 9 days or something crazy like that! Oh dear do I ever have a lot of packing to do!

I miss China. This week has been FULL of memories of China and longing to be there again. I spent two days this week teaching English to students from Taiwan. They were age 7-12 and are in Calgary for a summer camp this month.

They were pretty fun kids but it was yet another reminder that I LOVE teaching adults - especially College/University students! I miss my students and friends in Changchun. I am thrilled to know that the work I was blessed to be a part of has continued and I am so excited to meet friends in a week or so that share my love of China and experienced it with me. My homesickness for China really comes in waves. Some weeks I miss it more than others - I think this week it has been a tsunami.

This is more for me - but below are a few of my favourites from China!! If you want to check out more go to: My China Photos

This is my all-time favourite photo from the year. This is most of my students and I LOVE that they are all laughing!

I stole this from Stacey's blog. Some of the songs that came up were pretty funny (even just the titles)... and some I didn't know I even had them on my computer! Try it too!


Opening Credits: A Litle Bluer Than That, Alan Jackson
Waking Up: A Bitter Song, Butterfly Boucher
First Day of School: This Woman's Work, Kate Bush (From the Felicity Soundtrack)
Falling in Love: After the Dance, from Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Fight Song: Wake Me Up, Norah Jones
Breaking Up: Where You Are, Rascal Flatts
Prom: How Can I Tell, Sara Groves
Life: Snow White Queen, Evanescence
Mental Breakdown: Majesty (Here I Am), Delirious?
Driving: Desert Roses, Sting (I didn't know I had Sting on my computer!)
Flashback: Johnny Can't Decide, tick tick BOOM soundtrack
Getting Back Together: Teenage Dirtbag, Wheatus (didn't know I had this either)
Wedding: Always Beautiful, Worship Circle
Birth of a Child: Over the Moon, RENT soundtrack
Final Battle: More Love, Dixie Chicks
Death Scene: Crashing Down, Mat Kearney
Funeral Song: I'm Not Waiting, Julia Murney
End Credits: Everything, Ten Shekel Shirt


So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...