August 23， 2011

》》You know you're in China when。。。the bike lanes are big enough to fit at least one car down。
Meal-time is really awkward since the grandparents don't speak any English。Saying, “I'm full，“ in Chinese is my top priority in regards to meal-time conversation。 I love the Chinese hospitality， but I can only eat so much。 Right now, the only way I can indicate that I　ａｍ　ｆｕｌｌ　ｉｓ　ｂｙ　ｒｕｂｂｉｎｇ　ｍｙ　ｓｔｏｍａｃｈ！　Ｓｏｍｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｖｏｌｕｎｔｅｅｒｓ　ｉｎ　Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ　ｊｏｋｅｄ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈａｔ　ＡＦＳ　ａｌｓｏ　ｓｔａｎｄｓ　ｆｏｒ　＂Ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ　Ｆａｔ　Ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔ；＂　I　ａｍ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｔｒｙｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｍａｋｅ　ｓｕｒｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈａｔ　ｄｏｅｓ　ｎｏｔ　ｈａｐｐｅｎ！
Ｌｕｃｋｉｌｙ，　ｔｈｅ　ｇｒａｎｄｐａ，　ｓｏｎ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｒｏｄｅ　ｂｉｋｅｓ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ａｒｋ　ａｆｔｅｒ　ｌｕｎｃｈ－－Ｉｔ　ｇｏｔ　ｍｅ　ｏｕｔ　ｏｆ　ｆｉｎｉｓｈｉｎｇ　ｍｙ　ｆｏｏｄ，　ａｎｄ　ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｇｏｏｄ　ｅｘｃｅｒｃｉｓｅ！　Ｔｈｅ　ｐａｒｋ　ｗａｓ　ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ！　Ｔｈｅ　ｐｌａｃｅ　ｗａｓ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｌａｒｇｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｍａｎｙ　ｐａｔｈｓ　ａｎｄ　ａ　ｓｍａｌｌ　ｌａｋｅ．　Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ａｒｅ　ａｌｓｏ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｎｉｃｅ－ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ｂｕｉｌｄｉｎｇｓ　ｂｅｉｎｇ　ｂｕｉｌｔ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｐａｒｋ　ｒｉｇｈｔ　ｎｏｗ，　ｓｏ　Ｉ＇ｍ　ｈｏｐｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉwill be able to see them once they are finished.
School starts in a week. The days are going by very slow--too slow--right now, so I can't wait for school to begin. I'm quite sure if that's a good thing to be thinking or a bad one...at least Iｗｉｌｌ　ｈａｖｅ　ｌｅｓｓ　ｔｉｍｅ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｉｎｋ！　＝）　Ｉ　ｋｅｅｐ　ｔｈｉｎｋｉｎｇ　ｏｆ　ｍｙ　ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓ　ａｎｄ　ｆａｍｉｌｙ；　Ｉwish Iｃｏｕｌｄ　ｆｉｇｕｒｅ　ｏｕｔ　ｈｏｗ　ｔｏ　ｃａｌｌ　ｔｈｅｍ！

Ｗｅｄｎｅｓｄａｙ，　Ａｕｇｕｓｔ　２４，　２０１１

＞＞Ｙｏｕ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｙｏｕ＇ｒｅ　ｉｎ　Ｃｈｉｎａ　ｗｈｅｎ．．．ｂａｄｍｉｔｔｅｎ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｎａｍｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｇａｍｅ！
Ｔｏｄａｙ　Ｉ went to Yan's (my host-brother--pronounced Ian) badmitten class. We took two buses to get there and one home--all for a little less than $0.50. I'm not sure how much the buses are in the States, but I thought it was a very good price! ...Ｉ　ｐｌａｙｅｄ　ａ　ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　ｂｉｔ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｒａｃｔｉｃｅ．　Ｉdid pretty good, so I　ｈｏｐｅ　Ｙａｎ　ｗａｓｎ＇ｔ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｅａｓｙ　ｍｅ．　Ｆｏｒ　ｂｅｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｉｒｓｔ　ｔｉｍｅ，　ｍｏｒｅ　ｏｒ　ｌｅｓｓ，　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉhave played badmitten, I was fiarly proud of myself.
When we got home, a girl who Yan called his sister （I'm pretty sure he meant cousin） was there。 Lunch was just about ready， so we all ate。  A word about the food： since I'm in the south， we eat rice more than noodles。 What usually happens is you get a bowl of plain rice or what I would consider rice-oatmeal （or poridge）。 Then you take from the communal plates on the table。 You can either directly eat the food， or you can put it in the rice。The food is really good。。。which I am very happy about。 What has been the strangest thing so far is that they serve fish whole （head， tail， bones and all）！ I told them that I never had fish like that before， so they popped out a can of tuna--I didn't tell them that I never ate it like that either， though。 haha
Whenever I try to clean up the table， the grandmother stops me。 I keep trying， though， so maybe she will let me help eventually。

Thursday， August 25， 2011

It's been a week since my adventure has started； I'm not sure if I should say, "already a week," or "only a week。” ：-/
Ever since I was able to talk with my mom， I’ve felt a lot better。 I know that I probably shouldn't call again， but I might call just to make sure they are alright--I heard that there was an earthquake in the United States。。。maybe I'll just send an e-mail.
Anyway， the adjusting is getting easier。 My host-mother wanted me to show her how to make cookies last night， so we had a really fun time。 It was amusing to see her use the mixer for the first time--the dry ingredients flew everywhere！ haha I took some pictures so you all can be amused！
I am starting to find it to be extremely hard to find things to do to pass the time。 I find myself  reading my Bible more often than I ever have。 The family has given me some books to read， but I disagree with a lot of the philosophy of the author. Solitaire has become my bestfriend, but that can get boring after a while. There are still five days till school starts...I'm beginning to pray that they go fast. It's not that I'm unhappy; I'm just bored. :-/

Friday, August 26, 2011

A LOT has happened today. First, my host-father and Iｗｅｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　Ｔｉａｎｍｉｎｇ　（ｓｐ？）　Ｔｅｍｐｌｅ，　ｔｈｅ　ｔａｌｌｅｓｔ　Ｂｕｄｄｈｉｓｔ　ｔｅｍｐｌｅ　ｉｎ　ａｔ　ｌｅａｓｔ　Ｓｏｕｔｈｅａｓｔ　Ａｓｉａ．　Ｓｅｅｉｎｇ　ｉｔ，　Ｉhad mixed emotions. On one hand, the natural beauty of the complex was breath-taking. However, it was also very sad to see how much time and money has been devoted to false gods--it made me want to cry. There was so many gold-covered statues and precious stones covering every inch of the place. My camera died halfway through, so I didn't get very many pictures. =(
After that, we walked through the adjacent park and had some tea. Once we were done, we met up with my host-mother and -brother and went to KFC for lunch。 I've already eaten there once at the train station in Beijing， so it wasn't a very worth-while experience。 Sandwiches are promoted a lot there； that's what I have gotten both times。 They taste really good， and they make me think about home。
After going into a few shops （including one that had a French horn that I played for my family）， we went to the dinosaur-themed amusement park。 They had some pretty good rides。 I wasn't so keen on trying some of them， but my host-family convinced me to--I didn't know that trying new things included thrill rides！ haha We bought some pictures of us on the rides， so maybe I'll be able to show you guys those。
What I thought was one of the more interesting things about the park is that they kept playing Harry Potter music。 You would think that if they were going to take a movie's soundtrack that they pick Jurassic Park！
Besides the language and missing people back home， I'm starting to forget that I am even in a different country； it‘s starting to feel slightly like home。。。

Sunday, August 28， 2011

There's actually been a lot going on the past few days。 We went to the lotus garden-park （liked) and then the animation festival (didn't like) yesterday. Today, Yan and I went to see Cars 2--in Chinese。 From what I saw， it seemed like a good movie！Anyway， with so much going on， I am really missing doing things with my family：
-I miss the loving embrace of my mother's arms when I am sad。
-I miss my dad coming home from work and telling us about every little thing that happened that day。
-I even miss my brothers yelling at me when I get on their nerves。
Everything seems so far away now--and I don't like it。 I don't know if I can make it here a year； I want to be with my family and friends。 I know that God， my friends and my family are all telling me that this is where I'm meant to be， but my heart keeps telling me to get on the next plane bound for home。 This is going be one very hard year。。。

An Aching Man，
Jonathan A. Miller