It Took Moving to the City to Live Like a Country Girl

Okay, okay, you country folks can take all the issue you want with this entry's title, but be patient and allow me to elaborate.  I stood on my balcony today and looked out at the view: apartments, other people's living rooms, the mountain in the distance.  It was hard not to feel stifled after some of the other places I've lived that are more visually spectacular.  Urban life can make you feel suffocated sometimes, especially when the people just won't go away, it won't get quiet even at night, and it never gets dark.  Yet, in the last 5 months, I have engaged in more "wholesome country" activity than perhaps I ever have in my whole life, even when I lived on a teeny-tiny farm.  Here is my list of recent rural (or at least non-citified) activities:
-hanging my laundry; don't even have a dryer
-making my own everything: bread, non-toxic household cleaners, dressings, beverages...the list goes on (the pickles this week were excellent)
-buying fresh vegetables from the local market almost every day
-living an active lifestyle: we walk most places, and the 20 pounds I don't have anymore attests to it
-cloth diapering my baby; it is much cheaper, and without a dryer, even more economical than when I cloth diapered in the States
-getting outside: not having a car means making more short trips, which is fine when everything is a bit closer.  Thus, to get our needs met, we get outside every day.

Now, to the purist, these things don't count, I get it.  But living here has forced more resourcefulness upon me, and our family benefits.  Amidst people here who have frequent digestive complaints, we thrive; our dental health is superior, our skin looks great, and we have good energy despite having two very young children.  And I'm definitely jealous.  Someday I'll have that big garden with the chickens running around and the fresh milk flowing (oh dear, now I'm starting to salivate), but next fall I'm going to try balcony gardening and see where it takes me.  I may not have the darkness and sweet air that I miss, but being able to get fresh food and having the skills to do something with it is a good place to start.  Perhaps I'm honing my skills for the country living I crave right here in my concrete jungle, so that when we do get that place I picture in my mind, I'll be ready to hit the ground running.

P.S. Today, I'm styling the rural look, with pigtails and a bandanna.  Pigtails are for keeping the baby from grabbing my hair and pulling, bandana for holding my bangs back...

Deeper Into Yunnan

We got out of town this last week, and before I share about our trip, I have to extend this caveat: our camera's memory card got corrupted and we lost ALL the pictures!  So, I am pilfering some photos off of the Internet to give you an idea of where we were and what we did.  Unfortunately, we are just not in the photos.  Maybe we can recover them at some point, but we were understandably disappointed that we lost them!  

Getting There

The main thing we learned: traveling with kids is hard!  You may be thinking already, "Hey, you already do that!  You crazy people live in China!  However, live is the operative word.  We live in China, we had not (except the getting here part) actually traveled with them yet.  With this week off for spring break, we felt brave enough and ready enough to attempt the traveling.  Thus, with many changes of clothes, lots of diapers (potty training went out the window this week), snacks, water, toys, our umbrella stroller with the wonky left wheel, and oh yeah, our own stuff, we hauled them to the train station to take the 9-hour night train ride to a city called Lijiang.  This is a picture of Kunming Train station, or Kunming Zhan (Jahn).  It's a huge train hub, and it is a huge train station.

Kunming Zhan

We paid extra bucks to get Luxury Class, which meant a bed you can sit up in and only four people per compartment.  It was not unbearable, and both the girls slept all night.  Michael and I really did not sleep, and I found the whole experience to be a bit too claustrophobic for my tastes.  Since we were traveling at night, there was nothing to see and the compartment was, thankfully, dark.

If we had not bought Luxury Class, we would have been in Hard Class.  Thank goodness we decided not be be cheap; it would have been hell with little kids.  Hard Sleepers are six bunks to a compartment.

Lijiang

Anyway.  We arrived in Lijiang about 7:30 in the morning.  We caught a taxi and got our first taste of some of the frustrations we experienced in this city, namely, that it was expensive and that we would get ripped off a lot.  A good lesson for travelers: it's okay to haggle with your taxi driver, or at least try!

Michael's classroom assistant was kind enough to arrange our hotel in Lijiang.  We stayed in an area called Shuhe, which is supposed to be a very ancient part of the Lijiang area.  I am sure that many of the buildings are new and made to look old, but some aren't.  The stone streets are the real deal, and the era of this area is probably about 500 years old.  I thought that was neat.  Evie even got to take a horse ride through this neighborhood back to our hotel (we had made her walk all afternoon, and the horse made the whining stop for 10 whole minutes--bliss).  I think the horse was the highlight of Lijiang for us all.  I'm really bummed we don't have that picture!

Old Town Lijiang is a Unesco World Heritage Site.  Here is the entrance.

This is the famous picture that seems to show up anytime you search for Lijiang on the Internet.  Snow Mountain, in the background, is a very outlying part of the Himalayas.  We set out to get this picture ourselves and discovered that we had to pay about $20 per person to get into that part of the park.  We decided to decline, and Michael in true fashion, found a side entrance and snuck in that way.  What a surprise to find that right now there is no water in that lake in the picture!  We were glad we hadn't wasted all that money!

Another shot of the Shuhe area.

Dali

We only stayed a day in Lijiang, which really, was enough.  Getting around was expensive and somewhat difficult, and the food was a bit more challenging that we felt like dealing with.  The real attraction that brings people to that area is the hiking, and we were not about to attempt such an ordeal this time.  Thus we hopped (or in actuality, hauled ourselves) on a bus that looked a lot like the one above and spent three hours riding south to a town called Dali.  Michael had been there in the fall without us and really enjoyed it.

Our bus driver was a very flexible fellow, and once we were in Dali, he began letting people off in the places that were convenient to them at their request.  We picked up on this, and when Michael recognized that the bus was passing by an area close to our hotel, he asked the driver to stop and let us off, which he did.  This was great, because the bus station was quite far away, and that would have been yet another taxi ride.  This way, we were able to stretch our legs and walk about 15 minutes to our  hotel.  This was part of our walk.

Dali is quite friendly to Western tastes, and we stopped for lunch, coffee, and refreshment at Bakery 88 before checking in to our hotel.  It was lovely to sit in a clean place where no one was smoking and enjoy a prosciutto sandwich and a latte.

Then on to our home away from home for two nights: the Sleepyfish Hotel.  Lovely!  It had a great, fenced-in courtyard in which to meander, sip my coffee, and watch Evie.  Our room was clean, bright, and comfortable.  I was really able to relax here.  I would come back again--maybe not in a heartbeat, since the traveling there was somewhat arduous, but I certainly look forward to my next visit there.

Our room basically looked like this.

One of the things for which Dali is famous are these three pagodas, which Michael was able to go see with the bike he rented.  He told me he was standing right next to that golden eagle.  Me, I think I was napping back at the hotel...

The Bai people are a predominant minority group in this area.  Their clothing is just stunning, and they actually wear these outfits out and about; it is not just a tourism gimmick.  These outfits are fairly dressy, but we saw them pretty frequently.  Evie calls them princesses.

We headed home on Friday, tired but happy.  We got on another bus and were treated to three loud and violent Chinese movies.  I gazed at the rural countryside while the sound of screeching tires, gunshots, and screams echoed in my ears (those sounds were from the movies that were played).  People still farm by hand and use horse-drawn carts to haul things to and from the fields.  They work hard.  Anyway, it was a bit hard to enjoy the pastoral scene with the violent movies in the background, not to mention trying to keep my toddler from watching them.  Not only that, but Chinese bus drivers lean on their horns very heavily.  The driver seemed to need to use the horns when: he was passing another car, when he wanted to pass a car, if there is an oncoming "bus comrade," so to speak, or whenever the paroxysms of his hands forced the horn to blast.  So peaceful... Then, with about two hours left of our 5-hour bus ride, Evie threw up all over Michael four separate times.  All the clean clothes were beneath us in the bus, so we wiped everything up with the Moby wrap and gagged and apologized a lot.

As is always the case, trips are fun, but they make home even sweeter.  Evie and Emma were so happy to return home, to the things that have become familiar to them.  And we learned what we already knew: traveling with kids is hard!  We learned to accept our limitations (not as much hiking as we would have liked, more barf and whining than we would have liked), but we had fun anyway and are glad for the adventures this new chapter in life brings to us.

An Extra Measure of Grace

The mother of Evie's new friend has said this several times now: life in Kunming seems to be afforded an extra measure of grace.  These types of platitudes tend to rub me the wrong way, except that this time, this platitude fits our lives here.

I was particularly proud of myself the other day.  I went out for a bike ride the other day and accomplished a few benchmarks that had been intimidating me: going out by myself (simultaneously wonderful and frightening), going someplace and returning without too much grief, and negotiating a few intersections.  It's amazing how basic the challenges of life can become, isn't it?  While I pedaled away, I followed my new friend's advice: pray for safety on the way out and thank God for a safe return upon journey's completion.  As I made my way through a 2-lane (or three lanes, or four, or whatever people feel like, as the case often is in China) roundabout,  I found myself asking the Holy Spirit for guidance.  And I felt Him nudging me.  I watched a bus approaching my street as I was about to cross; the bus was on the inside lane which, in the Western world would signal that he is not exiting the roundabout, but he in fact did exit the roundabout, cutting off the car behind him.  I had elected not to cross the street a moment before and was glad for that decision.  But more than that, I had felt God's presence nudging me to pause.  Thankfully I listened, right?

It got me thinking.  Why haven't I learned to live like this earlier?  Depending on God to get me through my day, that is.  Was it because I just felt so self-reliant that I never even thought about asking for help through things like roundabouts?  Probably.  I think that is part of the reason I like living in foreign countries; the experience just lays naked my, our, utter helplessness.  It is so nice to feel competent and independent, as we are so accustomed to feeling when on our home turf.  Who has to think about going to the store to buy toilet paper or pick up a few groceries?  Who wants to?  But as I am double-locking my bike at the shopping center (and I know that double-locking is really not good enough--perhaps a force field might do the trick), I really do believe the best theft prevention is to pray for that pile of metal and rubber as I leave it.  Lord, please let this thing be here when I get back.  The truth is, the reality of our lives is that we are in dire need of God's daily nudging and protection.  We are not competent or independent.  We are utterly reliant on God's provision and presence.

Helplessness also gives me a reason to ask God for more than just help.  Another wise friend of mine encouraged me to approach my time here in Kunming as an opportunity to ask God for his purpose for me.  How will you use me/what will you teach me today, Lord?  When I feel confident and competent, I do not ask God those questions because I am so convinced I already know the answers.  Being in a place in life where I need His help and I really want His purpose forces my hand to ask the questions and to be ready for the answers.  I am discovering that opening my life up to not knowing and, even more, not trying to know, God's plan probably allows Him to set His plans in motion.  We love to walk into situations and decide where we fit in and how our talents will best serve our circumstances.  But I am coming to learn that I am better used when I am not trying to be used.  Let God do the leading and be ready.  Again, it's that part about realizing that my real competence comes from giving up my competence.

I don't think the solution to this kind of pride is to move to a foreign country.  The solution is confession and repentance.  Then I think God does give an extra measure of grace; when we know we need it, we can see it when it is bestowed upon us (that must be where that whole "blessed are the poor in spirit" thing comes into play).  I think I am just grateful to be in a place in life in which the work of God is being made clear to me because that work helps me throughout my day--I need it that often.  Make our taxi driver kind, help my kid be successful on the potty today, keep us safe, make me more patient, let this person answer her phone...keep me sane! ;-)

I'm not sure if I'll get to understand why God brought us to China, but as with most grand adventures, before others get changed, the most significant change happens within.  May it be so in my life with an extra measure of grace.  As a friend of mine prays: Eyes to see, ears to hear, willingness to act.

A New Life--First Glimpses of Kunming

I have tried my best to take our camera around with me when we go out, but I tell you, the cloud of distraction that seems to follow me everywhere also applies to taking pictures.  I'd have to say that learning to do life with two small children is a learning curve that does not go away when you move to a new city in a new country.  I wouldn't say the curve has been made worse by being here, but the things I'd like to be doing (taking pictures, calling family to describe all the sights and sounds, trying out the local restaurants, etc) are just not happening at the pace I'd hope for.  Oh well.  One step at a time.
Here are some pictures of the life we have been living thus far!

 Kunming International Academy

Michael's classroom is on the third floor in the middle section.

 Here is the entrance to our neighborhood, called a xiaoqu (say it "shaow-choo").  Our building is down to the left about an eighth of a mile.

 Primary playground at the school.  I take Evie here a couple times a week.

 Our water delivery guy.  He's pretty strong; those water bottles are heavy, and he hauls them off his scooter and up into your building (we have an elevator, but still...)

 Our building--number 67, 10th floor.

 Living room

 The gang, in the kitchen

 Emma, sitting in her Bumbo "floor (please don't sue us, it's a FLOOR)" seat

 Some friends took us up to the hills on the west side of Kunming.  There is a magnolia tree park there, and we enjoyed a picnic, sunshine, and a little strolling and lolling about.

 "Spring City" doing its thing in January.

 Please appreciate the lawn.

 This is the lolling I was talking about.

 We got to enjoy some traditional dancing in honor of the New Year holiday coming up.

So this is some of our new life.  For having a young family, it's quite lovely.  Most of our needs are in walking distance, so we walk a lot; I'm counting on that baby weight just melting away... :-)  Most days, Evie and I cook together, do some art, play with friends, visit Dad at lunch time, take a walk, and have nap or "quiet time."  It's a good rhythm that I enjoy with her.  I am learning that to eat the foods we like and have a nutritious, cost-effective version of them means that I have to make it myself.  Thus we regularly make yogurt, kefir, and kombucha (for good gut health and keeping us healthy), as well as bread, tomato sauce (you can buy this, but I try to supplement with my own because tomatoes are fresh here year-round), and tortillas.  I'm enjoying this type of resourcefulness, and I think we will be healthier because of it.  Milk is not a Chinese food, and it is imported.  Note: when your milk comes in a box that does not need to be refrigerated because it has been so highly pasteurized, it is no longer milk.  It is white liquid with fat and protein that is now super difficult to digest.  We quickly made a family decision to stop drinking milk (sadness) and switch to home-made kefir and yogurt instead.  It's been a fair trade-off, and we all have excellent digestion as well!

The kids are doing very well; I hardly recognize Emma from her newborn pictures; she is getting fat and sweet.  She smiles and gurgles a lot and has recently found her fist to put in her mouth.  She is a strong baby and does not hate being put on her tummy.  It's a lot of fun to watch her and Evie develop a relationship; they like each other, and Emma smiles and squeals when Evie dances and sings for her.  I have also decided that two is one of the weirdest ages for people.  It's this morph age between baby and kid, where your kid does both baby and kid things simultaneously.  Like telling me a reasonably long and complex story with pretty big words and then lapsing into silence to take a draw on her pacifier.  Or "reading" through a book from memory and then informing me that she needs a new diaper (potty training is on the horizon...)  And even though this stage of life can be really tedious and boring, I am so thankful to be able to stay home with both girls.  Wow.  What a privilege these days.  Thanks to God for that.

I think they will be good friends.