No Barfing on the Bus

We're saying, "Adios" to Vietnam in roughly 13 mintues and 52 seconds.

I'll give a Vietnam description with pictures when I get home (its crazy that Beijing, China feels like home. China is my comfort zone. Who would've thunk?). But after being here 4 days Vietnam reminds me of a young young China that loves motor bikes, coffee with sweetened condenced milk, and Ho Chi Minh.

We are about to board a bus that will take us Vientian, Laos. It is a 28 hour journey of bumps and spectacular scenery. Also, I'm making a prophecy that I will barf on the bus (despite the unwritten rule, "No barfing on the bus."). My stomach feels a wee bit like there is a coup de colon going on in my stomach. The intestines (small and large have united in this struggle) are fighting bravely but the outcome looks bile.

It is so amazing to me that even though scenery, geography, people, languages, currencies, and customs change - our Abba's love does not. There is no east or west with the Ancient of Days.

- m -

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!

I can't wait blink awake and shout, "GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!"

We are free for one entire month thanks to the Spring Festival holiday (kind of the Chinese version of Christmas break). So Matt and I are flying to Hanoi, Vietnam tomorrow and spend a week-ish in Vietnam screaming, "GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!" in ever possible scenario. Then we're going to bus through Laos and into Thailand for a week on the beach. (Hopefully my pale corpse can get a little sun because I need sunglasses to just glance at my thighs.) Then we'll scoot to Hong Kong for our FOC retreat then wind our way north to Beijing.

That is the plan for our holiday. Hopefully it is one rather epic adventure.

- m -

P.S. - GO PACK GO!!!

Temple of Heaven

Silhouetted against a rare blue sky was the Temple of Heaven. The place where the Emperor would atone of the sins of the people via animal sacrifice. Sound familiar?

I think I found my new favorite place in the Big B.

Standing in awe of this stunningly precise, ancient, and beautiful architecture I'm thinking to myself, "Humans will do just about anything to tap into the spiritual realm, to find some semblance of comfort from something larger than themselves. Our species have killed their pets, offspring, and themselves, tattooed, pierced, and snipped parts of our anatomy, built the most breathtaking structures, and have been known to not eat bacon, drink coffee, or marry to please the Author of Life. I'm glad that all a Christian has to do is trust - fall back into the powerful and loving arms of our Abba."

If you ever come to the Big B, the Temple of Heaven is a must see.

- m -

P.S. - More pictures are posted on my web album, simply click on the orange link to the right: Micah's Online Albums.

Human Train

It was a beautiful thing this Human Train.

We were ice skating at Peking University Pond / Tiny Lake on a blustery January day when we had a revelation: let’s make a human train. So we began our train with 4 people in a line with two Clydesdales (people who had girthy hamstrings and have skated for more than 18 minutes in their lives) at the front doing to pulling. As we awkwardly snaked around the pond I couldn’t help but see people start beaming and latching on the end.

I was a Clydesdale.

Pretty soon our train of 6 grew to 30ish humans, laughing and chanting, “Let’s go baby!” There was no nationalistic fervor, no language gap, no political opinions, no grudges, no frowns – just humans savoring life for a few short minutes as they latched on to each other in the mutual pursuit of fun (and to avoid falling and shattering a coccyx).

After a few laps the human train encountered some turbulence and splintered into oblivion, but it was a sweet reminder that there are some things on this lonely orb that don’t need to be translated, dissected, or defended but simply savored.

- m -

Stone Snake Revisited

It was about time I take another trip to the Great Wall.

Last time I went was in early September, when I was still in my Chinese infancy, which seems like an eternity ago. We didn't have to teach on Monday so Fiona (our driver), Amber, Tim, and I decided to venture to Jinshanling - a more remote and rugged section of the ancient Stone Snake. It was about a two hour drive and it was amazing! No people, no smog, no taxis honking, fresh air, smiling sun, no wind, true silence, a crumbling wall inviting to be explored.

It was so refreshing to escape from the fast-forward spin of the smoggy city and inhale winterfresh air and explore an ancient stone snake winding its way through the mountains.

- m -


P.S. - For more pictures, I've created an album entitled Great Wall II. You can see it if you click on the orange link to the right: Micah's Online Albums.

Silent Night, Holy Cow!

Before the Christmas season becomes a rusty memory, I have a quick story to share.

On December 29th I was teaching my Junior Ones about the birth of JC. We read Luke 2 in class, discussed the greatest gift ever given - Immanuel. I played guitar as we sang Silent Night in English and Mandarin. As we were singing extremely pubecently, someone sitting near the window exclaimed, "Silent Night, Holy Cow!" It was snowing.

- m -

P.S. - The magically timed snow fall only lasted 3 minutes and 48 seconds.

P.P.S. - Turns out the snow wasn't even real snow, my unromantic friend Larry informed me that the snow was man made snow for a ski hill that the wind blew into Beijing.

P.P.P.S. - But that wind was well-timed...

Berry and the Boys

I have a student named Berry.

In late Octoberish he asked me if I could play guitar while he sings "Country Roads" for the talent show on New Years Eve. I agreed.

We practiced at lunch for a few weeks, thinking we were the Chinese version of Simon and Garfunkle. Well, when it came time for our audition, reality reared up and introduced itself. The domineering woman in charge told us we needed to was add two more songs and a few more fellas.

So a few lunches later we had a ragamuffin group: Sarah - singing Eidleweiss for the appetizer, then Berry, Obama, Leonardo, and James offer the audience a humorous main course of Country Roads and Rhythm of the Rain. We added motions the day before and hoped for the best.

Well, the audience loved it ... but Johnny Denver probably dry-heaved in his grave.

- m -

F.D.R.

FDR is one of my favorite students. He is sort of like the personification of a grape skittle – nothing but pure and good. FDR is tight with Mr. Matt and Mr. Micah (teaching aliases).

The other day Matt and I are walking to our bikes after another day of teaching when I see FDR sneaking up behind Matt and I whisper, “Matt, FDR is on the prowl.” Well Matt jumps around and tries to scare the little FDR with a manly bellow, “Boo!” Well FDR’s response was priceless. He jumped back and with eyes the size of softballs flashed the peace sign. This may not sound like a humorous tale, but I couldn’t stop laughing.

Little FDR’s first response was not fight, nor flight, but was the peace sign. He didn’t even have time to think, it was a reflex. It makes me wonder if the paparazzi heckle him often. The peace sign is China’s “cheese.” I think it actually stands for victory, but you are not Asian if you aren’t flashing the deuces when the cameras flash … or if your ugly foreign English teacher startles you.

- m -