Hiatus - done!

Hey, all!  My hiatus from blogging is over - three months later.

And three months from today is our final day of classes at Concordia.

Where has the time gone?

December:
*several lovely music concerts performed by our talented students and amazing staff
*glorious worship at AGIF leading up to Christmas, including a kids' choir, adult choir, some dance, and great instrumentalists
*trip to Iowa to see family, friends, and snow :)

January:
*a new semester of learning
*report cards - mastered!
*an AMAZING middle school musical called, "The Rockin' Tale of Snow White"
*sold out shows and people wanting more
*lots of hours in the theatre

February:
*I got my life back - got to continue eating out with friends and working on upcoming projects
*Chinese New Year!  Spent holiday in Greece and Italy.
*two more weeks of concert prep and planning for the coming year
*more training and practices for our South Africa youth missions trip


And now, it's already March 8th.  We had three choir concerts last week.  Just got over two days of food poisoning!  Coming up, several hours of PD in the next few weeks, final planning sessions for chapel, auditions for next year's classes, helping lead worship for the women's retreat in two weeks, arranging music for a huge church event at the end of May, writing a song for S.A., doing some vocal coaching, serving on worship team, and preparing for the end of year concerts & inspirations classes.  Spring Break takes me to some chill time in Vietnam.  Making travel plans for summer time.  And enjoying warm weather!

Ask me how I'm doing.
Pretty okay.
And, do I still enjoy living in China?
You bet.

#tochinaandback

Counting Down

What a crazy whirlwind the past several weeks.  And to think I'll be visiting Iowa in just 8 days.  WOW!  I know there are a few little girls that are excitedly anticipating my visit.  A few family members & friends may be doing the same.  It's been delightful preparing for the holidays, here in Shanghai.  There is a plethora of great decorations, lots of parties, and so much kindness in the area.  Been fun at school, including music office food and fun today.

Six concerts in ten days.
Five weeks of rehearsals for added church choirs and specials.
Four days of work this week.
Three days to relax before flying to the states.
Two suitcases to pack.
And a semester of blessing to reflect on as the hours go by.

#tochinaandback

Pop Stars Revealed

Yep, this happened today.  Ms. Hendriks accidentally modeled this "pop star" etiquette one day in rehearsal a few weeks back as what not to do.  It stuck.  And no, we are NOT performing this style on the concert.  Just a teaching strategy to bring absolute joy to their faces when we reach this part of the song!!!

And they want to eventually be featured on a talk show.....

Hope this brought a smile to your face.

#tochinaandback

Conferences

Hey, it's conference week (and lots of other fun things) at Concordia.  The middle school teachers have all day Thursday & Friday for meetings with parents/students.  But for us specialists, it's a different ballgame than in the states.

I have two entire days to sit in a location (which isn't my main classroom or office) and "wait" to see if anyone will come meet with me.  One cool thing about this - I am not having conferences during my evening time.  Thanks Concordia!!!!!  Previously, a table in the library/gym, or in my office, served as my spot to "wait" for meetings.  Over the last 15 years it has been fun to have parents/students lined up waiting to chat.  Because they enjoy chatting with their specialists.  Makes the evenings go quickly when that happens.  This has been an interesting two days.

Thursday:  conference at 9am, and conference at 2pm.

Friday:  conference at 8:45am, so far

Today's meeting - I broke into tears after the conference.  When you have a 7th grade boy who (besides being late to choir every day and using sub par effort...) has a voice that sounds like yours, blends with yours, has vibrato like yours, and then agrees to sing by himself in front of the entire select choir, that's pretty special.  It's even more special to hear that he is up, energized, and excited to come to our before-school CCA choir rehearsal each week, but won't wake up the other days.  It's even mostest :) special to see him smile and nod his head in agreement when, in front of both parents, you talk about how it's okay to enjoy singing.  How you don't have to go overboard with excitement or "nerd out" in class.  But how it's okay to enjoy every moment on the inside.  Especially when it's one of the most beautiful gifts you're given.  Tears, tears, tears.

I am so thankful for my job.

#tochinaandback

Three months and going

Three months ago on a Sunday like today, I flew into Shanghai, China, and Asia for the first time in my life.  And the purpose was simple:  I was starting a new life!!!  As many of us newbies have reflected recently, it feels as if we've been here, surviving on this soil, for years.  Yet, it has only been three short months.

I don't have any wit or wisdom to share for this posting.  My weekend was filled with shopping, naps, rehearsals, eating with colleagues, chaperoning the Autumn Bash, having some much-needed conversations with close friends, sleeping in, sending a multitude of emails, a Hawkeye football victory, and trying to stay warm.  Right now, I'm ready to hop in bed at 8:30pm.....  So like I said, not much wisdom to be had.  My laundry machine is roaring on the final cycle.  I'm enjoying my Nutella treat.  My feet and legs are basking in the glory of their post foot massage joy.  There is no Daylight Savings Time, so I don't get that extra hour of sleep I lost in the spring.  And tomorrow is musical auditions.

Soli Deo Gloria.  To God alone be the glory.  There are so many things that I've been blessed with and shown during my short stay.  And I have a LONG list of work to be done.  But because it's God's work, that makes it even more glorious.  :)

#tochinaandback

I am the minority

Expat life in Shanghai is filled with excitement!  Lots of exploration, fun, new experiences, yummy food, a different vibe, and plenty of great people.  And one thing this Iowa girl understands is.....that I am a small minority in this great city.  It's not just my pinkish, fair skin.  Not my loud laughter.  It's also not my overly boisterous Midwestern twist on the Mandarin language.  I'm just a minority.

I am so intrigued as I observe how others act around me and towards me in this Chinese metropolis.  You can create daily documentaries of the way you are, or are not, treated throughout your journey.  There are very few around Shanghai who will hold open a door for me or give up their seat on the subway.  Most of our housing guards are polite and helpful, but several are not.  I hear passers-by mentioning Meiguoren (American) as I walk on the sidewalk or in a store.  At the jazz festival, a few folks took pictures of me in my I <3 NY t-shirt, and they weren't shy about it.  Pointed the camera right at me and shot a few photos.  Waiters or cashiers will say things in Mandarin that they assume I don't understand.  So far, nothing has been overly frustrating.

There are definitely kind, compassionate people in the majority, and they bring smiles from the heart.  One of the street vendors around the corner told me last month that "they" (him and others) call me the "nice American woman".  This past weekend, one of the guards made a scooter move out of my way so I could walk into our complex.  Probably those who treat me like a queen would include our guards & ayis at school and my wonderful Starbucks baristas.  They are so much fun to interact with.  One of the ayis tries to speak English and teach me Mandarin - every time she is cleaning the bathroom and I happen to walk in!  Ha!!!  And one of my favorite people in JinQiao would be Nancy, my favorite waitress at Pistolera's.  She shows me nothing but love.  And I try to do the same in return.

God blessed me with eyes that see the person, not the specifics.  And it's amazing to see my new life through the same set of eyes.  My individual self, in the country of 1.5 billion strong.....

#tochinaandback

Walking

When we are babies, taking our first steps is celebrated to all levels of excitement!  Moving those legs, balancing, being mobile like other grown up humans.....walking is a huge accomplishment.  Walking, for me, is also a huge accomplishment.  Walking in many ways.....

In Shanghai, and other Chinese cities, walking is difficult!  I've been picked on a bit because I like to walk.  But if you look at my history, I haven't been able to walk this much since college.  Backpack hoisted, warm shoes tied, sunglasses and water bottle in hand - and here we go!  So far, I've chosen to not purchase a bike or scooter for quick travel.  Instead, I invested in a wireless FitBit monitor.  It easily tracks all that I do.  I can input weight loss, hydration, sleep patterns, calorie intake, etc.  Otherwise it tracks all the moves I make each day.  Technology is cool!

I commuted by car from Nevada to Maxwell, as well as from Muscatine to Davenport.  I lived on the opposite side of town from MHS, so I had to drive to school.  I worked two buildings last year, so I drove back and forth each day.  That is a lot of time logging miles in a car.

Now I get to walk everywhere.  To work and home, to eat dinner, to attend a concert, to get groceries, to go shopping, to consume Starbucks, to attend church, and to go anywhere.  Yes, I ride the metro (subway), bus, or taxi.  But walking is glorious.  I give thanks that my feet, leg muscles, back, or anything else don't hurt on a daily basis.  At times I average 20,000 steps each day.

The difficulty with walking is simple:  walkers never have the right of way.  Yes, the green pedestrian light signals when it is your "turn" to cross an intersection.  Yes, there are crosswalks.  Yes, there are law officers who help control traffic at busy times or in construction.  But.....that does not make you safe.  Buses, taxis, cars, scooters, bicycles, etc., all feel the need to turn in front of pedestrians.  And almost run you over!  Yield - you guessed it, the pedestrians have to yield or be flattened.
 
Everywhere I go.

Thankfully, I haven't seen any tire tread in the face, yet.
Darcy - 1, Shanghai - 0

#tochinaandback