Life in China!

Dear Family:

It has been SO long since I wrote to you, I am embarrassed and thought I had better send an update.

Life here in China is wonderful and busy! Dad's schedule stayed the same as last semester with classes 14 hours per week. He has Mondays off and teaches two, two- hour classes Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with one class on Thursdays.
My schedule is very different! I should expect that I would have an crazy schedule, as I always have... I also have Mondays off BUT now I also have Fridays off, as well !!!!!! I teach the "odd" and "even" week schedule, with four, two-hour classes one week and three two-hour classes the next week!
A lot less hours than Dad, BUT all my classes are writing classes. I have mountains of paperwork every week because I have papers to read and grade. I am learning so many things about my students and I am starting to love it. What started as something that I dreaded, I am now loving...
I still have predominately the same students I started teaching in Fall 1908, therefore I am VERY emotionally attached to each one of them.
They are all like family and I know so many of the little things about each one that endears them to me with each passing week. Such precious, kind, thoughtful, loving people. HOW WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO LEAVE THEM - knowing that I will NEVER see them again in this life????????

We are so excited that Lesa is coming to visit us the first of May. The students are so anxious to meet her and become acquainted with her. They are all hoping that she is here on the week I teach their class. I have talked so much about my family - they all know our family members by name. This will be such an opportunity for them. I only wish that the entire family could see and experience what Lesa will see and experience in the time she is here. It is a "once in a lifetime" chance.

It has been a real adjustment for us this semester, with the new hot water schedule. We have to plan our morning showers between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m.daily. And the hot water is on nightly from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Then weather is still cold here, but the heat in our building will be turned off in two weeks. I guess we shouldn't put our thermal underwear away yet!

We hear that Google is going to be discontinued in China soon, so we will have new e-mail addresses soon. The government here is doing some very strange things lately and we feel the effect.
We have not been able to update or view our Blog spot or the Facebook sites.
Now, we are not able to send any of our pictures on Picasa. . .
Even the computers are not dependable.

Three of Dad's students; Snow, Meili and Natalie came to our apartment the day after my birthday and brought a birthday cake and candles to celebrate. They are so thoughtful. Last year I made them spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, cabbage salad and apple crisp - they want the same meal again! It was amazing - those three little gals ate an entire loaf of bread and the entire batch of spaghetti. They love American food. But, they thought the apple crisp was too sweet!!! The Chinese do not like things that are too sweet. They LOVE meat.

Our days are passing so rapidly and I feel panicky, knowing that the time in China is short for us. I must enjoy every minute here with these dear people. I do not want to ever forget them - each smile, each facial expression and the looks on their sweet faces. I love to see their reaction to the crazy things I do. This week I am teaching them about Easter and the Easter bunny and everything concerning Easter - non religious. I made an Easter Bonnet and really gobbed it up with artificial flowers, a feather and brightly colored ribbon and as I sang "In your Easter Bonnet" to them, I flipped that crazy hat on, and they all smiled and cheered. They are so loving and accepting of anything I do in the classroom - I love it...

I have been very lax in reporting on the Blog, but I promise to do better.
I am looking forward to using my newly re-modelled kitchen and bathroom and "being there" and near to all of you.
Our prayers are with Keith and Mary NaDean at this time and we look forward to seeing them soon.

All Our Loves,
Dad and Mom