Technology hates me.

So I know I promised days ago that I would get you caught up....Don't think I lied and haven't been trying!!

I have many things to tell and many things ready to post so I can show  you but the silly slow internet here in China will not allow pictures the last few days, and these stories won't be good without pictures. So I will continue to try my best...but technology hates me....and I think I hate technology back.

I miss you and I love you all! :) Thanks for checking in on us all the time...you are GREAT!!!

Bus 87

Yesterday we had the day off...Happy Mid Autumn Festival day everyone! After many discussions this is the best explanation we've been given...apparently its half way through fall here (could have fooled me with the 95 degree weather) and its a full moon, so why not celebrate?! They take the day off and eat lots of "moon cakes." Josh and I tried some...there were a few that weren't bad that had some kind of fruity filling but some of the others were pure terrible. I think one we had was filled with Taro, which is like purple potato like stuff. Gag.

So anyway, we had the day off and we had big plans. We woke up earlier than normal, cleaned up the place, and headed off to Forrest Park. Forrest Park is a huge National Park outside of Fuzhou that is filled with beautiful mountains you can hike, rivers with clean water, and a pretty waterfall...Yep, we had big plans. Our big plans included hiking that mountain, swimming in that river, playing in the waterfall, and having a picnic. Yay for days off!!!

Just as we were told, we took bus 87 to the end of the route which takes a little over an hour, unfortunately we went the wrong way on bus 87 so we visited the wrong end of the bus route which tacked on another 30 minutes to the ride... but no big deal, it was our day off...So we laughed it off and rode an hour and 15 minutes to the other end of the bus route.



 

As the bus rolled to a stop....we looked around....no Forrest Park. Wrong bus. Fail. A little more disappointed but still laughing it off, we stepped off the bus to go on a grand adventure. We walked a little ways to see what we could stumble over and ended up at a large entryway and it looked nice....if only we read Chinese...

So we ventured on a little further and found a huge map. A map of the other side of that archway...still in Chinese, but we sure can read pictures.

We accidentally found the zoo!!! What a wonderful find! Whats even better is that it cost Josh and I a total of about $9.00 USD. YEEEHAW!!!

So we started out hiking up the mountain (because the zoo was staggered up the side of the mountain it turned into a hiking trip too...perfect!)

It didn't take us long to discover that this zoo would not pass American health or safety standards. The first exhibit we saw was the kangaroos they were contained with about a 2 1/2 foot wall....ummm can't they jump?! Then we turned around to see an ostrich staring us in the face from just feet away, also a very short wall....ummmm aren't ostriches dangerous?! To top it off when we got to the hippo exhibit, the tank was leaking the hippo's nasty looking blackish green water, no joke, his container had a leak...how on earth is that safe?!?! People could pose for pictures while hugging the sea lion, they used animals' living space as trash cans, and each animal lived on a concrete slab with a hut for shade. (So much for having a "natural habitat")

We were pretty tickled at the monkey exhibit though. After ducking under construction equipment (why close it off to public when under construction?? let em' in!) We looked down into the pit to see one monkey drinking from an empty water bottle and another dragging a welding mask around with his mouth.

Although Josh and I had fun walking around and seeing the animals we decided two things: 1. That we would stay away from the lion area and 2. That when an animal hears that they are being shipped to a Chinese zoo in the zoo animal raffle they cry out in agony..."NOOOOOO....dang it!"

But seriously...you could see it in their eyes, the animals looked like they were either losing their minds or they were desperate to escape...see for yourself...

See what I mean? But at least the Chinese are graduating from eating any animal to putting them in cages and admiring them...thats improvement! I'll give credit where credit is due.

So after walking up and down the mountain and seeing just about the whole zoo we were exhausted and decided to head on back home, especially since it was over 100 degrees and humid beyond belief. However, when we got down to the road which would take you back to the beginning, we found that it was closed for construction. Sure, you close the roads for construction...When Josh and I tried to slip past the sign, the security guard yelled something in Chinese at us and pointed up the mountain. Dang. So we turned around and hiked that sucker again...When we finally arrived back at the entrance shaking, sweaty, really smelly, and tired beyond all reason...

We hopped back on bus 87 because we at least knew it would take us home.

Slacker

I thought this blog thing would would happen once a day, maybe once every other day...but it turns out I'm a serious slacker.

The slackerness doesn't even result from not having anything to write about...because each day is filled with moments where I think to myself...ooh, that would be a good thing to post on the blog...its just a combination of my patience with the slow internet, and the intimidation of posting a blog in general.

So readers, sorry I'm so slow, sorry I'm so behind...we will get caught up soon. Maybe even two-a-days...we'll see. :) However, tonight the computer is just way too slow and my patience is way too not patient. So until tomorrow....

Itchy

I will preface this entry with a statement....

I have probably taken way more Benadryl than needed today so disregard anything I say that seems benadrylllie...yes I just made up that word.

So two nights ago I slept like a rock...I don't even think I moved because when I woke up I discovered that I was in the exact position from when I fell asleep. What I also discovered was that I had also had an unexpected and unwelcome visitor in my sheets. I'm going to call it a mosquito, because that makes me feel a little better about this whole situation, but the truth is, a mosquito is not capable of the damage this little demon did to the back of my thighs.

We aren't talking swollen mosquito bites that grow to the size of a golf ball that you look at and think oohhh, ouch...we are not even in the baseball sized ball park...I have five bites on the back of my legs that literally have the circumference of a CD. Like the ones you put in a stereo to listen to music....those CD's.Not only are they big, but they are in one of the most inconvenient places possible...right below my butt cheeks (so pictures of only a few of the lower ones will be available to see).
Yes, right below my butt, that way if they begin to feel a little better, they not so kindly remind me that they are still there whenever I walk, sit, or move in any way....

With that said, I will just tell you all readers that I have never in my entire life been as miserable as I have been the past 48 hours. I am talking about an itch that I didn't think was imaginable, pain that makes my legs feel like they are swelling past how far my skin can stretch, and heat...my legs are radiating heat.

When I say miserable, I mean the only kind of miserable that can make me SPRINT to the bathroom at 3 in the morning to jump in an ice cold shower just to feel relief. I'm talking miserable to the point where I am voluntarily guzzling Benadryl to put myself into an unaware, and delirious state. Then I'm even more uncomfortable (and rather emotional) because that Benadryl makes me sleepy, and sleep is just something I can't do right now.

The only way to be somewhat comfortable is to sit on two ice blocks (the ones used in lunch boxes) with my legs coated in cortizone that's been lathered on in the same way that girls put on lotion after a shower. I figured that frostbite has to feel better than fiery itching....Can't say that for sure but right now, but I sure am willing to find out.

Now my friends, I tell you all of this not as a way to ask for your prayers for me physically, because I know that this itch and pain will go away within a few days and that all I need to do is be patient, pray, and continue to drink Benadryl straight from the bottle. However, I need attitude prayers because frankly, mine is awful. I've discovered that I'm not a graceful sufferer.

I also want to tell you this so that you can pray for Josh...I've been so bitter and so itchy, and when you combine the two, thats the attitude Josh is getting from me, and that is not fair to him. My tongue is my worst enemy and my frustration always gets directed towards him. Talk about a poopy wife.

I don't need to get mad at him when he suggests and offers to rub athletes foot cream on the back of my legs, even if I feel like its a ridiculous idea... I don't need to be upset when he tries so hard not to laugh when I am acting like a fool from the itches. Most of all, I really don't need to be awful towards him when he is trying to distract my mind by trying to make me laugh.  He has been so sweet to me, and is trying so hard...To be honest, I feel like all he really needs to do is lock me in a spare room until the symptoms go away.

Since I know that's not an option, I'm left with one choice...to suck it up and start being loving. If I don't, I think he might accidentally on purpose get lost in China, and I couldn't blame him for wanting to.

Grumpy McGrumpster

Every once in a while I'll wake up and the first thing I feel is grumpiness. Usually this feeling is followed up with an entire day spent in a "grump slump." Tuesday was a grumpy day. I woke up and I knew right away...it was going to be bad. Why? Who knows... All I knew was that I was in a bad mood and there was nothing I could do to get over it...

And I tried everything...

I ate Oreo's for breakfast, I spent the WHOLE day with Josh (poor fellow), we even met up with friends for a movie theater date and saw Inception (great movie!!!) which helped until I left craving popcorn and twizzlers something fierce, and ALL DAY I prayed for a positive and happy attitude....

But...no matter how hard I tried to put on a smile and put forth effort to laugh, deep down it just wasn't happening.

Night time came and I went and sat at Lang Bo Coffee Shop waiting for Josh to finish up with his last class. I felt defeated. I was still grumpy. Tuesday, September 7, 2010 = Fail. I was dwelling on this and getting even more angry when from across the coffee shop a prayer was answered. A familiar tune began to ring on a grown man's (who appeared to be rather professional) cell phone and I found myself genuinely smiling and then I started to laugh. Joy filled my heart and I quietly sang along...

"I was like baby baby baby oooohh, like baby baby baby nooooooo, like baby baby baby oooooohhh, thought you'd always be mine"

Naturally, I went home and the first thing I did was...

Who knows why Justin Bieber was able to do what no other person or no other thing could do that day but....Thank you God for saving my day in such a random and humerus way. Me and my self-centered, bad attitude don't deserve you and your goodness. And thank you Justin Bieber, you just keep on doing your thing.

Food.

You will never find better Chinese food than the stuff you get in China. (makes sense i guess) The food here makes Panda Express look like garbage. So healthy and so great.

 However, on that note, man (or woman in this case) cannot live on Chinese alone. Sure its great, but when you have it every lunch and EVERY dinner there comes a point when all you want to do is stand up, chuck your chopsticks in the air, and yell NO MORE RICE!!!!!

Yes I realize its only been 2 weeks since we arrived and we have committed for the long haul...but sometimes a girl needs some good ol' fashioned American food....

Josh and I started this trip with a goal in mind...one McDonald's trip per month....we had every intention of keeping this rule to save money and to save our selves from gaining mass amounts of weight. However there we were 13 days into the trip...had a long, hard, and China frustrated day (China frustrated is the worst kind) and the thought of rice made me want to vomit...so we cracked for the second time in one month. Dang.

I felt pretty guilty about it...until I picked that burger up with my bare hands and took the first massive bite.  It was like the guilt just melted away right along with the cheese that was sandwiched between two greasy meat patties. Heavenly delicious.

I've always liked McDonald's but folks...that was ridiculous good. It was good enough to put me into the 'food zone' where nothing else matters, everything around you goes fuzzy, and the only thing going on in your mind is the battle of deciding whether you should scarf this thing down as fast as possible or try to make it last forever. Now don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about...we've all been there. For some of us its a little more rare than for others but we all know about the 'food zone' so don't act like I'm crazy.


Anyhow, I finished the meal with a tip, a shake, and a tap of the fry box to get every last speck of fry and salt possible (we've all done that too) and I was left staring at an empty box and a wrapper with ketchup remains that I contemplated licking up...don't judge. (I didn't do it) The depressing part of all of this was that I found that no matter how long I tried to make it last, it was all too soon that we were back to the Chinese food menu. 


Something had to change. Since its not a good idea to eat McDonald's for every lunch and dinner for the next year...I decided it was time, time to brave the lack of ingredients and cooking tools and take on the kitchen. So last night, for the first time...I cooked.


It was nothing gourmet, but Josh liked it... I guess that's good enough for me.

It was a little challenging to cook over an open fire stove and I about blew my face off while turning it on, but I think I'll get the hang of it eventually.

Its hard to mash potatoes without a hand beater, but with a large spoon and a little muscle it can be done. Its a good thing I learned how to make gravy before we left, but not having exact ingredients made for an interesting new variety...but the rest was pretty simple.  Dessert was great though...we had ALL the ingredients we needed to make no bake cookie bars. They were delicious. They will probably be made often...just saying.

I know that the longer we live here the easier it will get to figure out how to cook things and where to find ingredients that are close to what we are used to... If any of you readers know any VERY simple recipes (and by simple I mean very simple ingredients and not requiring many kitchen tools) feel free to send them my way. :) Even though its a little intimidating, I won't lie, I'm pretty excited to learn how to cook everything from scratch...I'll get to be like those girls in the prairie days with the old fashioned dresses that cooked everything over a fire with raw, unprocessed, unprepared food. I used to read about those girls when I was little and had a small part of me wish that I could be like them. Now I can...just no cool dress...

Leslie the Chinese prarie girl...I like the way that sounds.

 

With those rings we did wed...

Eight months ago today I was transformed from being just a girl trying to fight all alone in this big scary world into a girl with a "better half" who will fight with me and for me. Eight months ago today I was bound forever to the man who was created just for me. Eight months ago today we swapped rings, vows, and a kiss...and then he gave me his name. Eight months ago today I became the luckiest girl alive.

From that day on, for better or for worse.... in sickness and in health....for richer or for poorer....in love and in I don't like you so much right now love... He's been my partner in crime, my encourager, the one who challenges me, and my bestest buddy ever.

Now, 8 months later, we find ourselves so far from that day. We've moved in and out of our first place together, said goodbye to our families and friends, and now live on the other side of the world thinking that we MUST be crazy, but at the same time are so excited to see where this adventure takes us.

We've learned that celebrating together doesn't require fancy dinners or flowers (even though thats always nice). Tonight we celebrated by watching a dvd of ourselves from 8 months ago over peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, coke light, and cuddling on the couch....and maybe a few smootches. :)

 

(josh romantically made dinner himself...and then tested mine for poison...so loving)

Watching our own wedding, it was so wonderful to step outside ourselves for the day and see what everyone else got to see. We had some tears shed over just the sheer beauty of God's design of marriage and there were tears that were maybe a little out of homesickness...but mainly we laughed.

We laughed at how we both were bouncing and dancing around on stage, not to mention how we both are going to have to work on correcting 'the slump'....we laughed at how Caroline was wearing her thick winter coat while singing because it was so freezing in the chapel...we laughed at how Mike and Matthew decided to chew gum...we laughed at Dunahoo's funny facial expressions...we laughed at how Robert and Robin couldn't find the candle lighter and Mom couldn't figure it out...we laughed at losing Josh's ring (thank you Abby, haha)...we laughed at how ridiculous we both look when we dance, and how awesome our family and friends are at dancing (especially grandma and grandpa)...and we laughed at how blessed we are with such wonderful family and friend support (even if it means dancing out of the chapel to satisfy us).

It was wonderful to watch and I think the wedding was great, but I gotta tell you...the marriage is even better!

Joshua, I love laughing with you, living with you, and loving you. And even though I do mean things sometimes like throwing spoons at you...I love you so much. I figure that if the rest of Buddy and Babe's Grand Adventure is going to be as great as these first 8 months...woah...look out.



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