Another Year in Beijing Begins.

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Marcia Stehouwer

As my daughter posted at Sacred Stones and Pebbles, we are on the other side of a summer break and I (mom & Oma) am back in Beijing.  It was tough going back this time.  Really tough, and I almost didn’t.  Well, I would have gone back to pick up my stuff  and say good bye – but I am here

And at the beginning of this second year of the adventure, I can tell you this….Leaving was much harder and arriving much easier than last time!

Last year it was a grand adventure.  People, especially my family, were surprised that I actually followed through on my talk of teaching English overseas – and were betting that I wouldn’t.  This year they are pleasantly surprised that I am going back.

Last year, I arrived at night after a long flight with a pleasant layover at Seattle.  This year, I arrived at 4:30 pm with the sun shining.  Definitely plan to arrive in Beijing during the day!  The weather was sunny, the sky blue and I could see where I was going.  This made an incredible difference.  Just being able to see things is uplifting.

Last year I arrived to a bare empty apartment with very little in the way of foodstuffs, linens etc.  I couldn’t see the view from the window (which was and still is gloriously green!) and I was discouraged and lost.  This year, I came home! My plants were growing, the bed freshly made (before I left) pictures on the wall and some food in the fridge.  I knew where to get milk for my morning coffee – as well as water and fruit.  I could simply settle in.

Of course there were little things that needed to be done – topping up the electricity , water and phone.  Realizing that I had no internet which has now been remedied, thank goodness! But I knew where to do these things, and I knew how!  And I know where the grocery stores are.  That makes a huge difference!

So…all is well here in Beijing and as this picture from my trip to Europe several years ago reminds me, “My adventure has already begun!”

adventure

Enjoy your day.  Miss my family, my friends and my country, but it is also good to be back!

Marcia

 

 

 

Posted in Teaching In Beijing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Where did all that come from?

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Marcia Stehouwer

IMG_1208

Where did all this stuff come from, I wonder?   I live in a one room apartment so there isn’t a lot of room for stuff, but as I start sorting through things that I can leave behind and things that need to come home, I am amazed at just how much STUFF I have accumulated.  This is just one small bookshelf that stands on my coffee table.

Wherever you go, regardless of how badly you want to turn over some new leaves, you take yourself with you.  And I am a sucker for “junk drawers” or in my case containers.  Actually the bedding I bought on arrival came in a box that I could slide on the shelf on my coffee table – so two junk collectors plus a lot of containers.

So again, as year two of this journey comes to a close, I am still struggling with stuff.  I am still struggling with habits that I had hoped to set aside.  However, it only takes 21 days to build a habit and I have 36 days left.  What can I accomplish as I prepare for a 7 week visit to my home?

  • I can make the effort to get to my 10000 steps.  I’m a little shy today, but I did go for a walk and get closer.  I’m content with that.
  • I can take baby steps towards the small things that I want to accomplish.  I can do part, even if I don’t have time for the whole of it.
  • I can sit myself down and make a plan – examine what I need to get, make the list and get it done.
  • I can hold myself accountable for doing that.

So…what I need to do is simply examine the goals, make them realistic and move forward.  I did forget just how complicated it can be to get a letter sent.  First I had the wrong envelopes.  Then there was a computer form that had to be filled out.  They even needed my ID.  However, the letters did get mailed, I got some little things, and I am a little closer to being ready

Posted in Teaching In Beijing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

36 Days+ 6 and counting…

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Marcia Stehouwer

When I arrived in Beijing on August 29th, tired from a long flight and bewildered by the sounds and sights of this enormous city (and I hadn’t even seen all of it – just my own apartment complex) I had many plans and ideas of how I was going to spend my time.

For one, I was going to blog faithfully about my experiences here, recognizing them as fairly unique.  It’s not everyone that knows an older person who takes off for the Orient to teach English!  Usually they are just out of university and looking for ways to pay down debts, travel and have adventures.

But here it is, and in 5 weeks I will be getting on a plane and flying back.  Much has changed and little remains the same for my family.  One of my nieces has married – and I had to miss the family gathering.  Even with video access it was hard not to be there.   My immediate family (Emma, Eric and the grand children) have relocated to Ontario with all my books!  This means of course, that I must follow those books to their new location.

So I will arrive in Calgary, stay for 6 days saying good bye to people and then flying to London, Ontario and building a new life there.  It will be a tough 6 days, knowing that I won’t be back often – unless God brings me there some how.  I know that He has a sense of humour and He uses it often with me.  Oh how many times I have laughed with Him these past months.

Just to give  you an example of God’s faithful watchcare, let me share this picture and story.  First the picture and then the story, okay?

notebook

This picture is taken from a notebook that I keep on my desk at work.  Let me tell you it’s story.  Wednesday is a tough day for me.  I have three Grade 7 classes and it’s hard work for all of us to have a total English Immersion experience.  We are getting better, but it’s hard slogging.  After grabbing some lunch I went across the street to buy some notebooks to bring back as gifts. There is a tremendous variety available  here so it’s going to be a fun gift – at least I think so.  Anyways, as I’m digging through the pile, I come across this particular note book and I’m like “Hello?”  This is China – where Bibles have had to be smuggled into the country in the past, where Christ-followers are still persecuted for their faith and here, in this small little store, GOD speaks directly to me.

Since Emma is blogging at Sacred Stones and Pebbles I thought I would begin a conversation.  Her second blog post is about challenges.  My first challenge is to match her post for post!

Thanks for the visit.  I hope you were as encouraged as I was.

Marcia!

 

 

Posted in Faith, Life's Work, Teaching In Beijing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Holiday Time in Beijing! Take 1

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Marcia Stehouwer

Here in China there is one big festival – Chinese New Year – and lots of smaller festivals that may or may not rate a day off.  For school children and their teachers, there is about a month of vacation to spend.  Many have gone home to visit family and friends, while others are exploring this corner of the world.  And me?  I’m hanging around Beijing, learning Chinese, eating out a lot and spending too much time on the computer!

The first weekend of the break was COLD – very, very cold by Beijing standards with a wind chill of -28 degrees C.  I did not bring enough layers to deal with that kind of cold, so I stayed indoors.  I didn’t even venture out to the garbage cans.  Instead I knit, played games, practiced my Chinese and made a fabulous pot of Chicken Soup – a great broth with those easily obtained chicken feet, and chicken hearts (which I really, truly do like!)

If you are planning to live in Beijing, do bring along a warm jacket, especially if you wear plus-size clothing.  I do, so buying a heavier jacket is something I haven’t tackled yet!  I do layer up, and my weight loss has allowed me to still feel comfortable in the jacket I brought.  More about that another time!

Monday was fairly warm and not too windy so I took myself and my garbage out for the afternoon.  I was chasing after a frying pan, but found out too late where I should go.  I went to the Silk Market instead.  It’s pretty easy to get to on the # 1 line, but still requires me to do two transfers.  Switching trains isn’t usually a quick switch, so you have to budget time for it.  However, the station (Yonganli) exits directly into the Silk Market.  Next time I’ll take the long way and go in by the street!

The first floor is all bags, purses and luggage – and they all want you to come into their store.  I was a friend, lady, dear lady…. but everyone seemed to want me to give up my MEC back pack and get something from them.  I didn’t even look at prices really, I was so eager to get away from them.  Almost every store was like that, but the eating area was worst, I think.  People pushing their menus in my way, not letting me look at the displays and suggesting things I should eat.  I ate nothing, even though I was getting a bit hungry!

If your time in Beijing is limited, then the Silk Market can be a one-stop shop for souveniers. However,  if you have time, I would recommend spending it elsewhere.  I may go back to buy some very colourful sheets, or dresses for the girls, but fortunately I do have time on my side.  Not everyone does!  (Side note, there is a geocache a little walk from there, but go at meal times as the Bleu Marine is closed in the mid afternoon.  I took a picture of the tiling around the trees.  I don’t know what they are like in the spring, but I thought it was cool that they were included in the design!

 

Today was a quieter day.  I ventured back to Sanlitun (accessable from the #10 line) for the Tuesday afternoon gathering of the Beijing Guild (knitters, crocheters, crafters… ) a diverse group of people that take over restaurants to eat, drink and make things.  It is a lovely way to meet people and have fun.  Today I met people from Mexico, Venezuela, Germany, Taiwan and Denmark, all helping each other and encouraging.  So much fun!  Today we met at The Woodhouse, a smallish restaurant (Western style food) that is conveniently attached to the Page One book store.  For a reasonable amount I enjoyed a delicious salad, Spaghetti Carbonera and dessert.  Yum!  Gotta go back there sometime!  It’s good to know places where you can get a good salad!

I started this post because I was reflecting on the difference five months has made.  I have way more confidence about finding my way around (and getting lost)  even though I prefer doing that during the day!  The subways are still full, but my walking sticks help me get a seat when I need one.  And I don’t always need one –  I’m much better able to stand for an hour if needed!  Beijing has been kind to me and I am enjoying it much more each day!

Thanks for sharing the journey and enjoy exploring the place you call home – there aere always surprises to find and share with your friends!

Marcia

 

 

 

Posted in Life's Work, Teaching In Beijing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Faith mixed with Porridge

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Marcia Stehouwer

Over at my other blog, https://oneyearoneweekonepound.wordpress.com/ I wrote about visiting the Lama Temple here in Beijing.  It was the La Ba Festival and the monks were busy making and dishing a special porridge to all who came and waited in the bright, chilly sunshine to be served.

The porridge was delicious, and I will be modifying my recipe over the coming weeks to add more local fruits (Goji berries, jujube dates and beans) to what I currently enjoy.

Attending this festival was high on my priority list ever since I read about the porridge back in September, so I was delighted when it fell on a day that I was free to attend.  On Saturday I had attended a retreat at BICF (Beijing International Christian Fellowship) and I needed to process all that had happened.  This I am still doing, so I will share more about that later.

Waiting in line, I realized that I was the only foreigner in the crowd.  With my very limited Chinese, communication was difficult.  I did mime with a fellow knitter who was showing her friend her mitts and she let me take a picture.  I told the fellows behind me that I was 56 and we became friendly.  They held my spot so I could take a picture of the “kitchen” area.  There was also a brief chat with a young lady who wanted to practice her English.  All of this before the porridge.  Once I had my porridge people wanted to take my picture eating the porridge (which I sipped from the cup I’d brought with me!).  Then someone wanted to give me some of their porridge and I let him  – and suddenly we were surrounded by cameras – a little disconcerting for me, but fun none the less.

All of this is to describe a bit of my experiences on Sunday.  I didn’t take a lot of pictures because it was a special day and many Buddhists were worshipping.  I felt that it would be disrespectful to be a tourist on that day.  I can always go back when it is warmer.

Coming away from this day I realized two things.  The first came to me when I saw a man prostrate himself on the ground in front of one of the statues.  I find this attitude of prayer difficult – even in private, but I want to be free to do so.  This takes effort.  It means I need to get uncomfortable.  I need to forget myself and focus on my faith.

The second realization was that God does not require all these things from us – the incense, the flowers, the fruit, the prostrations, the ritual.  He loves us freely and we live out our faith in that freedom.  Nothing I do can make Him love me more, or love me less.  I am His beloved and He has written my name on the palm of His hand.  His banner over me is indeed LOVE.

There is a third realization.  While the Buddha statue is indeed smiling, the other four statues are not.  They are rather frightful and angry.  I know that there are things that anger God, but I am not afraid of Him.  I worship not from fear, but from LOVE.  I know I need to learn more about these statues, but for now, I am grateful to be reminded of God’s great love for me, a sinner saved by His grace.

Marcia

 

Posted in Faith, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coming to China?

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Marcia Stehouwer

2015-08-30 07.15.12This is a post for people who are thinking of coming to China for a while.   I will most likely be here for a few years, with the luxury of going home again for the summers!  However, as I have now been here for 4 months, I will give you a list of the things I am missing.  I also had the blessing of a friend who travelled to the US and will be brining some of those things back for me!

First thing – get all the various shots you need.  I neglected to do this, so I’m not heading to more tropical climes this year.  It is better to be safe than sorry, but next year I hope to do some WWOOFing during the various breaks that we have.  Those immunizations would be helpful.

Second thing:  Pay for the third suitcase.  I so regret being tight-fisted on this.  Firstly, all of my suitcases would have been lighter (I think) but I could have brought some things that I ended up buying quickly ($$$$) because I really did need them.

Bedding:  2 king size flat sheets.  I arrived late at night, and there was NO bedding.  Fortunately I did bring an afghan and I was too excited to sleep much, but I was still uncomfortable.  I say king-size because you don’t know what size the bed is going to be, and you can buy fitted sheets later (There are two IKEAs in Beijing!).   If you are arriving in the summer a light blanket will suffice and you can stuff a pillowcase with clothes for a makeshift pillow.  Also pack some food for a pre-shopping meal.

Warm Indoor Clothing:  In Beijing the heat does not get turned on until around November 15th.  In cities like Shanghai or Hangzhou there is no heat.  My school is always cold and it is normal to wear your winter coat indoors.  I don’t but I do wear a tee-shirt, shirt and sweater or hoodie all day long.  I would definitely bring some long underwear, tank-tops for under shirts, long sleeved shirts, tops and sweaters and such.  Layering is important here, both inside and out of doors.   For at home, warm slippers, warm socks and a cozy house coat/robe would be great to have.

Holiday Stuff:  I didn’t bring holiday shirts, earrings, hats and kind of missed them.  I think the students would have enjoyed them so I will be looking for things when I am back in Canada again.  I did bring some ornaments and stuff and they really did help me enjoy the Christmas season.

Kitchen Stuff:  Bring a  hand held can-opener!  I am in Yizhuang, (southeastern Beijing) and haven’t been able to find one.  Also cutlery.  Saves having to buy it and eventually you will want at least one set.  Bring the spices you really love (I’m regretting not buying the big bag of organic turmeric I saw before leaving).  Peanut butter is not cheap and neither is Nutella, but it is available.  My friend is bringing me Liptons Chicken Noodle soup, Stash Earl Grey tea (I’ve lost my taste for Twinings!) and maybe some turmeric if she can find it!  Coconut oil is also hard to find here, even on Taobao.

Odds and Sods:  Brand name Q-tips.  You can buy these all over the place and they are cheap.  But the cotton came off one of them, (which has never happened to me in Canada) and I have no idea how to get it out if it gets stuck.  So I’m hoping there will be some in my order!

School Supplies:  Another thing I’m missing is the spiral ringed notebooks.  I didn’t bring any, but the notebooks here come apart easily and they are also smaller than I’m used to.  We make do, but I will bring some in the fall.  Index cards are also difficult to find, and my friend Craig has not been able to find file folders.  Here they use large envelopes for many things and I’ve adapted for some things.  If you like a particular pen, bring enough.  But school supplies are easy to find everywhere I go.

I think this is long enough for one post, so I will pause. I’m sure there will be a part two to this, but I have some cooking to do!

Have a great day!

Marcia (PS the picture was taken the evening I arrived!)

 

 

Posted in Life's Work, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Happy New Year from Beijing!

Posted on January 2, 2016 by Marcia Stehouwer

It’s kind of fun to post some pictures from Christmas  here in Beijing.  Life is so different in so many ways, that even four months into the journey, I am still processing the changes in my life.

I was quite surprised by Chinese Christmas.  There were no discussions about “Happy Holidays” versus “Merry Christmas” – it was Merry Christmas everywhere.  For most schools it was business as usual, although those with roots outside of China did have the day off.  I chose to teach and wish everyone a Merry Christmas in Chinese!   My celebration really began with the Skype call to my daughter, drinking coffee with Bailey’s (a tradition I picked up at their house) and watching them open presents.

Trees are available in Beijing.  Some were imported from America, but they were sold out.  There were still some available in pots, but I can’t imagine bringing one home on the subway!  I was able to get a nice arrangement of cedar branches in floral foam that lasted quite nicely  until I took it apart yesterday afternoon.  The cedar still  has it’s garoma, so I have a jar by the computer to revitalize me every once in a while, and some in my closet to surprise me when I grab my coat!

The boxes in the top picture each contain an apple – and I had several.  Christmas Eve is called Ping’an Ye (平安夜) – a Peaceful Night.  The word is similar to ping guo (苹果) or apple.   So on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day many students brought apples for their teachers.  I saved some boxes to bring home so that my family can also enjoy this tradition!

In the midst of Ping’an Ye, there was also danger, as a terrorist alert was posted.  I chose to attend church anyways, but it was a disconcerting experience.  As we entered all our bags went through a scanner and we were wanded to make sure all was good.  I also had to drink my water, so that they would know it really was water!  I’m grateful for the safely measures, but it was a reminder that God’s Shalom and world peace are not the same thing.

Happy New Year!

Marcia

 

Posted in Faith, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A New Normal!

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Marcia Stehouwer

Having gone through an “air-copalypse” that wasn’t as bad as the conditions earlier in the month – I thought I would re-start my blogging about my experiences here in Beijing with a discussion of the air and our contribution to it.

I’ve been here since August 29th and we’ve had 12 “bad air” days with six of them occurring in the last two weeks.  Last week it was so bad that I could see the smog in the halls.

Today at 9 am  on day 3 of the alert, the sun is shining gloriously.  Earlier, at 3 am(ish) the particle count was over 400.  Amazing what a bit of wind can do.  (According to my app, we are now at 100 and lightly polluted!) However, just because it isn’t over Beijing any more, doesn’t mean it’s gone.  We just won’t hear about it and the world will find other things to editorialize about.

Tuesday Morning, Yizhuang, Beijing
Wednesday afternoon, Yizhuang, Beijing
Thursday Morning, Yizhuang, Beijing

As I endure the bad air, I thought about my own contribution to that air.  Many of the things I bought back home in Canada were made or grown in China.  Not that I’m a huge shopper, but each purchase of anything contributes to the state of our planet.  As I live here and breathe this air, I am becoming more aware of the small decisions I make on a daily basis that impact life here for others.

I have made the decision to be as  kind as I can – because so many people work outside all day and don’t hear kindness.  They are part of the landscape.

I try to support small businesses outside of malls – people who I can  talk to and practice my Chinese with.  I am often reminded of Mr. Rogers Neighbourhood here in Beijing.

I am more careful of the lights that are on in my house.

I don’t flush as often.  That was true at home too, but I am more aware now of how much water gets used here in this large city and the community in which I live.

I am exploring options instead of toilet paper.  TP isn’t flushed here and so you can see just how much accumulates every day.  That’s not to say that I will eliminate it entirely, but can I try something different?  Stay tuned!

Being here has changed me.  I see our world differently and I am so grateful that God has blessed me with the opportunity to live here for a season.

Thanks for checking in!

Marcia

 

 

 

 

Posted in Life's Work, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Three Weeks In…

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Marcia Stehouwer

I have spent most of today indoors, doing what I usually do when nothing propels me out.   I knit for a bit – having started the Talbot Trail Shawl at the airport in Seattle.  It was a delightful afternoon, sipping the local coffees – Starbucks and Seattle’s Best.  Seattle’s Best won out, because they made it hot as I’d asked.  Starbucks failed in that department.  Oh well, I’ll be back there in July and they can try again!  If you’re ever in the St. Thomas, Ontario area, there’s a lovely yarn shop called The Little Red Mitten  which is where I purchased both the yarn and the pattern.  The pattern is nice for travelling and I’ve enjoyed knitting on the long subway rides here in Beijing – once I get a seat that is.

TTS3

Riding the subway here is not for sissies – and I can’t list it among my favourite things to do, but I love “chatting” with strangers who are intrigued with this particular passtime.  I also did a bit of knitting in Tianan’men Square last week.  It was a glorious day, but the Square was full of people and I was a little overwhelmed by the long history this place represents and the events that  have taken place there.

20150912_112842 20150912_113045

There are so many things to share – and now that I’ve figured this all out, I will do that – but today I was reflecting on the “ordinariness” of my life here.  I get up, wash dishes, deal with laundry, go fill up my water jug, debate the 90 minute train ride to church (sore feet kept me home today) read books on my Ipad, and there is not a lot that is different.  Well – reading books on my I-pad is very new for me, having acquired it just before I left and struggling to get the Kindle app to work.  I have caught myself several times trying to flip the page on the bottom corner!

I guess the point of this post is pretty simple, although I’ve taken a while to get to it.  Leaving home as a way to “start over” doesn’t really work.  There were several things I wanted to build into a life-routine now that I have regular  hours and no distractions.  Distractions come – nicely wrapped up in our technology.  The plus side is that I can see them more clearly and deal with them.

I do hope that I can post more frequently and catch you all up on the adventure thus far.  I’m enjoying it immensely – especially the Facetime and Skype visits with my family!

Have a great day everyone!

Marcia

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making a Move!

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Marcia Stehouwer

It has been some time since I posted to this blog.  In the meantime several things have happened:

  1. I have become unemployed.  In order to be available for the next adventure, I resigned my positions with Calgary Co-op and the YMCA LINC program here in Calgary.
  2. I became a person of “no fixed address”, spending most of July in Brampton, Ontario and most of August sleeping on the couch in NW Calgary, and being awakened by grand-daughter  hugs.
  3. I have spent copious amounts of money Fed-Exing papers here, there and everywhere in order to obtain the necessary documents to teach English overseas.
  4. I have also spent too much time stressing about the time things take, and the things that might happen….
  5. I have obtained a visa that allows me to spend the next 10 months of my life teaching in Beijing.

Yes…Beijing, a place I never imagined going to.  It was never on my bucket list, even when I began exploring the overseas teaching market.  Mind you, I never planned to go to Paris either, and I had a wonderful adventure.  So I anticipate these next few years with great joy and also a little stress, but I am in fact getting on a plane on Friday morning and heading west!

Biggest life lesson:  I am not my own.  God has bought me with a price and He knows the good things that are in store for me – and my family – now and in the future!

20150809_194008

As you can see, my collection of vintage suitcases are well stacked, holding all the things I still want to have in my life.  I had hoped to limit it to that, but alas, there is some overflow.  Perhaps next year I will be able to release more of it for someone else’s enjoyment!

My next post may be from Beijing, so stay tuned!

Posted in Life's Work | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment