Thoughts and Facts

Dear Family,
As I was walking to class this morning, I started to think that I had not told you so many things that are significant in China. Just, little thought about facts that I take for granted now. So, tonight I will try to remember some of them.
In China, at our University there are so many little things that are different. For instance, the heat to the buildings where we live will not be turned on until November 15... Also, there is NO hot water in our bathroom shower or sink BEFORE 6:30 a.m. every morning and after 9:00 a.m. every morning. In other words, hot water in the bathroom from 6:30 - 9:00 every morning ONLY. This is to conserve the hot water - for what? I do not know.
Another interesting thing that really causes us to fret when we are out walking after dark...... the automobiles, including buses, motorcycles,etc. DO NOT turn their lights on unless they absolutely have to...I am not kidding ! ! ! They drive down the streets with NO car lights on - IN THE DARK..... We are told that this is to conserve energy...
There are NO Stop signs in the country. Only traffic lights that are to be tolerated. Even if the traffic light is red and a bus feels like running the light - he does. Every day we see drivers drive on the wrong side of the road facing the oncoming traffic and then swerve to miss the oncoming traffic at the last possible moment.
And, the horns honking!!!!! We wake up in the middle of the night to the horns honking and wake up every morning to the honks.
The Chinese people cannot drive without that horn honking.
And the beds...... I have never slept on such hard beds. When we get home, our bed will feel so wonderful. The bedding is very unusual to us also. Every sheet set includes: 1 pillowcase, 1 flat bottom sheet and 1 duvet cover. No top sheet or fitted bottom sheet...All the beds in China have, as the mattress, just box springs. If you want to try out the way we sleep, just flip your mattress on the floor and throw a top sheet on the box springs and lay down and get some "shut eye".
We all have our way of doing things and I guess that I feel that my way is the best. Don't we all? The cultural differences are so very interesting. One way is not wrong, and the other way, right. Just different. And I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world! I love it here.
Today was a fun day - showing the Chinese our Halloween customs. They never cease to amaze me! Their innocence is so refreshing. I had 2 boys dance the "jitter bug" together for me. We also did an activity where I had 7 different pages, with pictures of Halloween representations ie. a werewolf, a vampire, a witch, a ghost, a goblin, a black cat, and a jack o lantern. I divided the class into 7 groups and gave each group one of the pictures to create a play, make up a song , or a poem. I gave them 20 minutes to do this. I wish that all of you could have been here to watch them ! ! They are so creative and it is so wonderful to watch them interact and create. They made darling "props' from discarded newspaper, the cleaning lady's broom and their clothing. I had the rare chance to glance into their individual personalities and really see them. I just watched them and smiled., I could not stop smiling... Oh how I love them.
Tonight is a cool one and I am sitting here in my windbreaker, but I have never felt so needed and appreciated and loved. It is all worth the small inconveniences, and I know that I am growing spiritually because of the humbling circumstances I see and experiences daily. I am thankful for all I have and I feel so blessed to be in China. Thank you BYU, thank you family and most of all - thanks to my Heavenly Father for my many blessings and the abundant life I live in the good old USA.
You are in our thoughts and prayers.
We love you very much,
Mom