Written 3/9/11
I always knew that Mandarin was difficult to learn, but boy…
is it difficult to learn! There are sounds in the language, that my mouth is
just in protest against. I now sort of understand how so many people find the
rolling r in Spanish so difficult to do, when it just comes so naturally to me…
no more judgement on my end. =)
is it difficult to learn! There are sounds in the language, that my mouth is
just in protest against. I now sort of understand how so many people find the
rolling r in Spanish so difficult to do, when it just comes so naturally to me…
no more judgement on my end. =)
We arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday the 5th. Our
entire squad stayed at a place there for the night, and that evening my team
leader was finally able to reveal where our team would be traveling to, in
China, the next day.
entire squad stayed at a place there for the night, and that evening my team
leader was finally able to reveal where our team would be traveling to, in
China, the next day.
The way the conversation came up was that one of the girls
in Hong Kong asked us where we were heading. All of our ears pricked up, and
our anxious eyes opened wide. John proceeded the conversation with “ it is
going to be ridiculously cold.� The girl said with a painful look in her face…
“Harbin?�… and John nodded his head.
in Hong Kong asked us where we were heading. All of our ears pricked up, and
our anxious eyes opened wide. John proceeded the conversation with “ it is
going to be ridiculously cold.� The girl said with a painful look in her face…
“Harbin?�… and John nodded his head.
It was 1 degree farrenheit when John checked, with a high of
30 degrees farreneheit!
30 degrees farreneheit!
We were the team heading the furthest up north!
We were going to Siberia!
I HATE the cold. Yes, I know I live in NYC, where it gets
pretty cold. And I heard how insanely cold this past winter was for you guys,
while I was living in 70-90 degree weather… and I thought that I avoided the
storm! Seemed like the blizzard
was only beginning!
pretty cold. And I heard how insanely cold this past winter was for you guys,
while I was living in 70-90 degree weather… and I thought that I avoided the
storm! Seemed like the blizzard
was only beginning!
We headed out the following day from Ghang Zhou (which when
Cinthia said it, I though she had said Bon Jovi), on a train heading to the
last stop Harbin.
Cinthia said it, I though she had said Bon Jovi), on a train heading to the
last stop Harbin.
Did I mention that our train ride was a 37 hour excursion?
If not, well not only were we heading to the arctic tundra, but we had 37 hours
to get our bodies and mind prepared for the sub zero climate!
If not, well not only were we heading to the arctic tundra, but we had 37 hours
to get our bodies and mind prepared for the sub zero climate!
The train ride the first night was pretty much a comparison
to a place close to hell.
to a place close to hell.
Honestly… it was probably the worst night on the race for me
so far.
so far.
There were 90 SEATS in our car. But seats tickets don’t mean
much on a Chinese train, because there is always plenty of room to stand, sleep
on the floor, and stuff into the area where the cars join together as well.
much on a Chinese train, because there is always plenty of room to stand, sleep
on the floor, and stuff into the area where the cars join together as well.
No smoking signs, I thought were universal, but apparently
on trains here, it means smoke as much as you would like, and blow it in your
neighbors face.
on trains here, it means smoke as much as you would like, and blow it in your
neighbors face.
We had 5 hard seats, and two sleeper beds, that my team and
I rotated, that was what our team budget was able to afford. We had a certain
amount of hours to sleep in the sleeper bunks, while the other 5 of us tried
with all our might to find a glimmer of comfort and rest throughout the night.
I rotated, that was what our team budget was able to afford. We had a certain
amount of hours to sleep in the sleeper bunks, while the other 5 of us tried
with all our might to find a glimmer of comfort and rest throughout the night.
In a moment of weak, restless, frantic desperation, I tried
to make an attempt to upgrade from a hard seat to a sleeper bed, and use my own
personal money. We were told by a contact that the word for upgrade sounded
like this:
to make an attempt to upgrade from a hard seat to a sleeper bed, and use my own
personal money. We were told by a contact that the word for upgrade sounded
like this:
Boo pee ow ( boo like “I’m scaring you�, pee like “I have to
pee�, and ow like “you just hit me�)
pee�, and ow like “you just hit me�)
I basically ran around the train going up to every Chinese
man in a blue uniform saying desperately “Boopeeow� “Boopeeow� and they would
raise their hands , with shrugged shoulders and say something that sounded like
“Mayo�… I didn’t want mayonaisse! I wanted a stinking bed!
man in a blue uniform saying desperately “Boopeeow� “Boopeeow� and they would
raise their hands , with shrugged shoulders and say something that sounded like
“Mayo�… I didn’t want mayonaisse! I wanted a stinking bed!
Well… after I got my sanity bearings, accepted the sobering
reality that I would not be getting my sleeper bed, and that I would have to
rough it through the rest of the night, I sat down and managed to get some
interrupted sleep.
reality that I would not be getting my sleeper bed, and that I would have to
rough it through the rest of the night, I sat down and managed to get some
interrupted sleep.
I woke up vaguely from time to time, and every time I opened
my eyes, there was an odd scene before my eyes. One time I woke up and there
was an older Chinese woman sleeping on John’s shoulder. ( I don’t know how she
got there), I woke up again, and remember a delirious conversation of a man
wanting to eat his noodles on our table. The next couple of times I was awoken
by a bang to my knee or a knock on my head by a Chinese person’s luggage or
elbow…
my eyes, there was an odd scene before my eyes. One time I woke up and there
was an older Chinese woman sleeping on John’s shoulder. ( I don’t know how she
got there), I woke up again, and remember a delirious conversation of a man
wanting to eat his noodles on our table. The next couple of times I was awoken
by a bang to my knee or a knock on my head by a Chinese person’s luggage or
elbow…
But the last time, I woke up to an adorable Chinese boy
laughing so hard. I couldn’t help but smile and laugh along…
laughing so hard. I couldn’t help but smile and laugh along…
I knew we had another whole day on that train, but God used
that little boy’s laughter to cheer me up, and give me the strength I needed to
make it though the next day on that train.
that little boy’s laughter to cheer me up, and give me the strength I needed to
make it though the next day on that train.
“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes
for good health.� Prov. 15:10
for good health.� Prov. 15:10
Little did I know that the joy and warmth of that little boy
would be a foreshadowing of things to come in the ice land of Herbin, China or
“Siberia.�
would be a foreshadowing of things to come in the ice land of Herbin, China or
“Siberia.�
Where we would be living daily on a prayer, one along the
lines of…
lines of…
“ Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because
it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.
Deut. 31:6
it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.
Deut. 31:6
For Love we’ll give it a shot
Agenda:Love,
Bethsaida
