Monday, June 30, 2008

rickety bridge



well, in the midst of rejoicing over being issued visas, we received some unfortunate news. . . the chinese government has decided that it doesn't want us to conduct the 2nd annual HP cultural exchange.

grrr. it's not like we had spent hours preparing stuff for the two weeks we would be there, but we did have some pretty cool plans. cool english lessons. fun games and teambuilding activities. a dance party with booty shakin', boot-scootin' good music. fun crafts. cardgames. hanging out. dinners in students' homes. the couch restaurant (only the best chinese food in the country!!). 168 stairs every nite to get home. . .

hold on loosely. be flexible. this is what i've told my team repeatedly.

but when i have to put that into practice, i realize how firmly i've been holding on to what we were going to do. i had already hugged our students from last year. i had already sung wo ai ni to the students in a talent show like i promised them i would do last year. i had already walked up and down the streets of HP and imagined how we would "ni hao" everyone on our way to school each morning. right after we would stop for a little bing shway (sorry, it's a phoenetical spelling, not the real deal) and sugar-filled bun for breakfast.

so our plans are changing. but we're still going. and we're still doing what he has called us to go there to do. so really our plans aren't really all that different. we're still going to show what it's like to have his skin. . . and to love in his name. 

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