Saturday, November 15, 2008

I am summing up the last few months in a nutshell and adding some more information

Hello All . . .

I am sorry that I have completely but not entirely fell off the face of the Earth. So let's bring everyone up to speed on the lives of the Mr. and Mrs. Dylan Blankenship.

Well as you know I have started school in August at the QSI Shekou International School. This entire school concept is different than what I know of at good ole' Suwanee Elementary in Suwanee, Georgia.

Suwanee/ Pretty much all Gwinnett County Schools vs. International Schools
> (or at least the one I am working at)
> Report Cards GCPS vs. Outcome cards and narratives
> -yeah so this is an odd thing. Talking major old school style on this one.
> So when we complete a unit (there are 10 to complete for the entire year) we
> have to write the date of when we began the unit and when we ended it and
> the grade we gave the child. Everything is handwrittten. No typing it in.
> That is what our reception office workers do. Which sucks because they end
> up either loosing the cards that you worked your butt off in filling out or
> they enter in the wrong thing. Narratives are written on each child for five
> subject areas and a paragraph on each child. That is for 17 children. Yeah
> thats a bit different but luckily I did mine during conferences and just cut
> and pasted into the documents.
>
> Suwanee Lunch time vs where I teach
> -So we eat in the classroom. We do not have duty free lunch but we do have
> duty free recess which rocks. Our parapros take them out. Everyone gets
> their own parapro from grades K-2. Thats pretty nice. Mine is pretty cool.
> She is Chinese with broken English and it is so funny listening to the kids
> talk to her and she talks back to them. She also takes me shopping and shows
> me where to buy thing cheap near our school. That's pretty sweet! Also the
> kids have their lunches delivered to school from high end restaurants either
> they choose a Western lunch which is food that we eat in America, a Korean
> lunch from a nearby Korean restaurant or a Japanese lunch which is catered
> by a Japanese restaurant. Yeah these kids are majorily spoiled. hahaha
>
> Suwanee Specials vs where I teach
> -We get a special everyday and sometimes two in one day. The kindergarteners
> have the most jacked up schedule in the school. Some mornings first thing in
> the morning we have a special and other days we have two back to back. Yeah
> . . .not to sure about that one but at least we get some time away from the
> little cuties. We have PE twice, Computers, Library, Art, and Music. Also
> the kids go to Chinese classes on Monday Wednesday and Friday. We do after
> school activities much like SOAR but ran differently. At Suwanee you have a
> choice of whether or not you want to teach SOAR class whereas at my school,
> you choose a class and teach it for 6 weeks twice a week on Tuesdays and
> Thursdays for an hour. I am doing Cheerleading this time around and its so
> fun with 7 and 8 year olds.
>
> Suwanee Grades vs. QSI (where I teach)
> -So we call grades in the states kindergarten, first grade, second and so
> on. At QSI they call them by age levels which can be annoying at times when
> for the last seven years as a teacher I have referred to them otherwise. So
> instead of teaching kindergarten it is called the five year old class. We
> have 4 five year old classes at my school. Two women and two men. Coolest
> grade level I have ever taught with.
>
> USA laws vs QSI
> -So we are not allowed to administer meds back in the states for obvious
> reasons. Well that is acceptable at the school I work at and I have the
> hardest time doing it to this day. Also we are allowed to ask them to empty
> their pockets and check their bags if we suspect someone stole something.
>
> Suwanee/GCPS vs QSI
> -We have the most sensible writing and reading continuums I have ever seen
> in my life. I believe they make sense across the board. you guys should
> adopt them because the other ones you had last year sucked to say the least.
>
>
> Suwanee population vs QSI
> -In my classroom this year I have a broad range of cultures in my room. I
> have first of all 12 boys and 5 girls which might seem pretty messed up and
> it was in the beginning of the year but my boys are as sweet as pie and work
> well with their peers. I have two japanese girls, one American/Chinese girl,
> one brazilian boy, one french boy, one russian boy, one hungarian boy, two
> tawianese girls, one canadian/chinese boy, two korean boys, two british
> boys, one dutch boy, two tawianese boys. So yes we represent the land of
> change. The parents are not the ones I primarily deal with. It's the Ayi's
> (nannies/maids). The parents are so super busy that they have someone take
> care of their child for them and clean their house too. Dylan and I have an
> Ayi but she only cleans our house, does our laundry, irons and walks Lucy
> once a day Monday through Friday. Yeah thats a pretty sweet deal.
>

Now let's see here what else have I got myself into. Well Dylan and I found out I was pregnant in August but I miscarried after 7 weeks. I am OK about it because neither one of us were ready for such a change to occur in our lives. We just got married almost a year ago and then moved to a new country to work for new jobs. . . . really not the most appropriate time for a baby. It made us think though that we can do it here in China (actually more like in Hong Kong after seeing what the mainland Chinese hospitals look like). It makes us think more about having a family in the near future and that there really is no such thing as the perfect timing for a baby. I will say this, that I am so glad to be back to my semi normal self again. It felt like an alien took over my body and I was possessed or something.

I am currently teaching five year olds (kindergarten) and absolutely love it. I am also doing an after school cheerleading class for 7 and 8 year olds. It's so funny . . . I am unaware that my body is getting older because I thought for a mere hour that I was 17 again doing toe touches and cheers with the girls and cartwheels and round offs. I am still paying for it three days later!!!

Speaking of pain . . . so my dearest husband suggests I go for a "blind man massage." It is exactly what it is . . . a blind man massaging you more like a blind man beating you up! At times I couldn't tell if I was crying because I was laughing so hard or because I was in so much pain. It was ruthless. I had to go home and take ibuprofen to go to bed. My skin even hurt. A week later and I can still feel remnants of where he "stabbed" me with his fingers and hands. AGGHHHH!

The weather here in China is now finally starting to get cooler. Whereas before when coming down the elevator, or should I say "the lift" I had sweat trickles everywhere and could have used another shower and another application of make up. No now it is really nice weather. I have began to enjoy the new concept of hiking and have ventured out to Hong Kong on the famous hiking trail The Dragon's Back. Very cool and amazing! With the changing of the weather comes the changing of the food delicacies here in China. Yes so now we have gone from pork, fish head with eye balls inside still, bones in everything to dog!!! OH MY GOD . . Is all I can say. So I am walking basically across the street from where we live which is dominated by many expats (people not originally from China) and in a glass box on display like a trophy or something is a dog that has been shaved and gutted. It was awful!! I made Lucy cover her eyes and told her if she ever ran away she would be next!! Oh it's just awful awful awful.

As for Dylan, he is doing some of the most amazing things in technology these days. Recently his company that he had originally came to China to work for, dissolved and went their separate ways. So Dylan and one of his business colleagues from a past job linked up to form a software company that designs anything from web portals or social networks. Dylan is understanding the ins and outs of owning his own company and juggling not only this new endeavor but going to school full time and be married to me. I too am playing with the concept of changing jobs and working at another local international school here in Shekou. We are exploring many different venues and looking for the one that more conducive to our requirements and family arrangements. Will keep you posted on this situation if and when things may or may not change.

I work with amazing group of people and they dynamics of the school are so wonderful to work with. I can honestly say that I am so thankful not to work with those who are consistently outdoing each other and being a fashionista or putting on a front for others to follow. We all have the same thing and accept each other for what is inside. This is something I felt was missing from my life in the states.

On a side note . . . so riding bikes here is not such a safe past time as we all remembered from our childhood. For the last three or so months I have heard at least four people who have gotten seriously injured while riding their bikes. Just this past week one of the teachers at my school fell off her bike due to uneven ground and broke her collarbone, fractured her hip and elbow. She opted not to go to the Hong Kong hospital as that would provide better care. She went to the Beijing Hospital which is about 30 minutes away from where we live. Grant it is further to go to Hong Kong but when Dylan and I went to visit the teacher the situation and care giving was not what a westerner (someone whose native language is English) is used to. For starters you have to provide your own care. Someone who will help you go to the bathroom, fluff your pillow, basically what a nurse would do in our minds. The nurses at the hospital serve as taking temperatures and coming back in a hour to check them, changing the IV drip. Providing food to the patients is also not a luxury that we get in the states. The person you bring to help you also provides meals for you or your American co-workers bring food to you. I was thinking and told Dylan that if anything happens to me Med-Evac me Hong Kong. In Hong Kong there is standards in place that resemble the ones we are used to in the states. Actually the doctors are British decent and are very good. Just like in the states. I plan on having children over there someday but not today.

Life is great these days and I would not trade it in for anything in the world. We hope you families and loved ones are doing well. Dylan and I are planning on returning to the US to visit family and friends on Dec 13 and leaving on the 30th. We will be staying at his mom's house.

Amanda and Dylan

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Our honeymoon to Thailand

Sorry to be posting this late. It's been crazy since we got back from Thailand. I was recovering from some weird stomach bug and doing new teacher orientation at my new school.

So lets begin at the beginning of our trip. We left Sunday morning and took the ferry from Shekou (the city where we live) to Hong Kong International Airport. Very cool to see the sights from the ferry. Dylan was not too excited because we were not on the nicer ferry but nonetheless it was pretty neat. We even did a pre-check-in at the ferry terminal which was nice too. We hung around the Hong Kong airport for a few hours and I must say it is by far the best airport I have been too. Stores such as Burberry and Gucci who actually sell real brand name things not fake like in Shekou. No I did not buy anything but was tempted many times.

We boarded the airplane and flew Thai Airways. Very nice and the service was wonderful. We flew directly from Hong Kong to Phuket (pronounced poo-ket not fu-ket . . . I have some people who need that little tidbit). Once we landed we had to go through customs which took a long time. If you are traveling to Phuket you do not need a visa if you are from the US and there are another 29 other countries that qualify too but not sure which 29. After going through customs we grabbed a taxi and told the guy where we were going. So we get about two minutes away from our place where we are staying and the taxi driver asks us . . ."So where is your place?" And we were like "Uh we are not from here and we thought you knew when you left the airport." Needless to say the guy pulled alongside of the road and found out where we were going.

This place where we stayed was AMAZING! It was a friend of ours who lives here in Shekou and has a house both here and in Thailand. He was so nice to allow us to use his place while we mailed my passport back to the US. On Monday the Fed Ex guy came by and we sent my passport in his hands to be mailed to Houston, Texas. I was a little nerve wracked so Dylan and I go venturing out to see what Thailand looks like during the day to get my mind off of mailing it out. We ended up renting a motor bike which was key element that made our trip extra exciting. When we get to the place to rent the bike, the lady asks for Dylan's passport and holds it until we returned the bike 7 days later. So the lady is trying to start the bike and has so many problems starting it and I kept thinking we are going to be stranded someplace because we cannot start this thing (we had to jump start that thing every time we went someplace). I asked the lady to give us a crash course on how to use it and Dylan was like "It's OK we know what we are doing." I was thinking "when in the hell did he ever ride a bike?" but I trusted him and took off with our bike. First of all they drive on the wrong side of the road (wrong side meaning the left side verses the right). I guess wrong can be right in most places. So Dylan drove and I held on for my life. He did really good and we never crashed or had a "holy blank blank" experience. I called Dylan my "Hog Stud" sorry but he was a bit sexy riding it. I can say that being married to him and all that goes along with that subject.

The beaches were so gorgeous and we rode to about three or four of them. Dylan had a suit made there too. Evidently Thailand is known for the following: Custom made suits, eyeglasses, and foot massages. We indulged in having massages on the beach which was soooooo nice with the sound of the waves in the background. We also decided to try out the Tuk Tuk which lead us to renting the bike because Tuk Tuks (which are little truck/car/van thingy majigs) cost half of what we spent on the bike one day. As for the suits, there are guys lined up and down the streets just standing outside of their stores. "Hello my friend where are you from?" We were very nice at first and said we were from the US . . . then we shook their hand . . . . thats when they have you and dragging you into their stores. So we ended up saying that we were from China and the guys were not too impressed but laid off of us so we found the remedy. Dylan did end of getting a suit made there. I must admit the suit is really nice looking and looks awesome on Dylan. We ate awesome food everyday for about the price of what gas was before George W got into office the first time . . . . around $1.50 for crab fried rice with real crab. We ate at a really nice restaurant on the beach for about $20 each which is not bad at all.

Everyday was paradise . . . wake up go out on the balcony that overlooks the ocean and check our emails. Wonderful. Our next big purchase is a house there. We figured that we can do it in the next few years and go there on short breaks to chill out and offer it to our friends and family. NOT YET . . . so no asking please. On Saturday the Fed Ex guy found us in town and gave me my passport with my Z Visa that allows me to use one time to get into to China and work there. Yeah don't ask please its a jacked up process but we have to abide by it if we want to live here. The next process is going for my interview with the police station where they ask me questions off my resume like where did you go to school how many years. We ended up pushing our plane departure date to one more day because at that time we weren't sure when we were supposed to get the package. So the new departure day was Tuesday instead of Monday. This meant our flight was leaving at 7:00 AM. However, we were not sure if we could get a cab from where we were at that time of the morning so Dylan and I decided to stay at the only hotel near the airport The Phuket International Airport Hotel. We left our friend's house Monday evening and got a taxi to take us to the new place . . . . again we told the guy where we were going and he seemed pretty sure where we were going. Until . . . . . we got to the airport. . . . . . driving through security gates with armed guards. So thankfully the armed guards are nice just as the rest of the people of Phuket and explained to our driver where to go . . . yeah still didn't have a clue. So we stopped a local shop and the driver asked and so we made it. When we arrive at this place it looked like The Bates Motel. The place was just not what either of us had in mind but it was only $30 for the night so we got exactly what we paid for. The guy shows us to our room. Too funny . . . so you entered the room through a sliding glass door . . . yeah what does that tell you. So I am laughing the whole time. You walk in the room and above the bed are Christmas lights for "mood" lighting. Again I am laughing so hard. Dylan says "Go in the bathroom" . . . I walk in and it's like I am outside next to the pool. The floor is the ground like it is near the pool and its wet for some odd reason. I am just laughing all night while Dylan is ready to kill me because he is trying to write his paper and I am just a nut the whole time.

We ended up leaving the next morning at 5:45 AM. So sad. Flying from Phuket to Bangkok was not such a good idea but it was the only option. Bangkok's airport is so jacked up. Once you go through the X-rays there are no restaurants so just remember that if you decide to fly there. Plus I am walking around feeling like I am going to hurl or run to the bathroom. Yeah got really sick from something in Thailand and thought I was going to die. Stomach bugs suck sorry but they do. I am better now.

In a nutshell . .. We love Thailand and would recommend it to everyone and anyone to go and visit. Nice people, great and cheap food, relaxing environment . . . What's not to love? The flights from the US are going to be a pain but fly to China and visit us and then go to Thailand.

Hope all is well with you . . . Be on the look out for my first day of school blog entry coming this week after Thursday.

Dylan and Amanda :)

Friday, July 18, 2008

The three B's and no I don't mean Blankenships

So I hope this finds you and your families doing exceptionally well as for Dylan and I we are constantly staying busy, meeting new friends, and continuing to have the times of our lives.

I am assuming the title of this has created quite a taste of curiosity. Always remember it killed the cat. hahahaha. Just kidding. So on to the the three B's.

I have been begging Dylan to go with me to get a new bike so I can ride around and such. Well I did!! This bike is the most unique thing we had ever seen. It folds up into the size of a suitcase yet I doubt it would fit inside of one being that it is bulky and all. But it did fit inside of a trunk of a taxi with no problems at all. Dylan took some pictures of me riding around on it and a few of my friends did too so be on the look out for those pics. So I am now a free person who can ride around wherever I choose to including to work everyday. This past week my thighs have toned up considerably which is good. Last night one of the teachers and I tried to ride around like they do here with one driving it and one sitting on the little rack you tie things to. Really funny but I think my bike was missing the element of having a motor for it did not turn out well in the end and thankfully we were only going about 12 feet away from where we were to begin with. Another bike story...funny....so the day before yesterday I do my thing wake up get ready blah blah and then take my bike with me out to the elevator and ride down. Well as I get into the elevator I noticed my front wheel looks a little flat and then when I pressed it, it was and I could not ride my bike to work that morning. UGHHH! So I hit the next floor and got off and dropped it off. Later on that day I went to this man who is outside with whom I assume is either is wife, girlfriend or sister. You really can't tell especially if you cannot speak the language that well to begin with. So the man takes off the outer part of the tire and fixes the inner part which looks like an inner tube. It was fascinating to watch him fix it. The "sand" it down with this weird looking tool, put what looked like a patch on the whole and filled it back up with air again. All for 3 RMB which is about 50 cents US. I tried to offer him more but he refused and shoved it back. So I was happy again and rode around till my legs got tired.

Next B story . . . So the same day we bought my bike, I bought a bra. Yes I finally found one that did not have as much stuffing as a good year blimp. Evidently FYI women here are as flat as walls no lie. And all their bras have tons and tons of stuffing in them. I am not a fan and in my situation I believe I don't really need the extra padding. This style of bras had made it nearly impossible to find one A. in my size and B. without the padding. So we finally found one and I was too excited about it. The lady says to me "What size you are?" and I am looking at the bra sizes saying "I don't have a clue." So she proceeds to measure me (deja vu from getting measured for my dresses). Then she finds me my bra in my size which was in a drawer and not with the others. Sad huh?? The sales lady proceeds to show me the fitting room which is long and narrow. Not one I have seen before. She shuts the door behind her and I am thinking maybe she is just trying to help me by putting the bras up on the hook and such. Then she starts helping me out of my shirt and I am like "Oh so you are going to help me?" Dylan said he could hear the whole conversation and thought it was too funny. Then I am standing there topless with the sales lady feeling just a bit vulnerable and then she helps me into the bra but it didn't stop there. She reaches down into the bra and "moves me" if you get my drift to situate me so that it looks right. I was thinking this is the most bizarre thing I have ever experienced...someone watching me undress (could handle to an extent) then helps me into a bra, and then moves my stuff around to situate it. So that is the Bra story.

Onto the third and final B story . . . the Bank! Since yesterday was the last and final day of summer school we got paid. It was nice too (for China) and I was paid in US dollars. I am walking around with a big hunk of one hundred dollar bills in my pants pocket and calling Dylan to get his secretary to meet me to set up a bank account. No way was I exchanging all that money for who knows how much and storing it who knows where. So Crystal, Dylan's wonderful and sweet secretary goes with me to the bank more specifically The Bank of China. When you go inside you first fill out the forms. Thankfully they had a few without the Chinese characters on them and were in English. If not that's what Crystal was for. So we fill out the work and stand in line. Now I am not a fan to begin with standing in line but it wasn't so bad until towards the end. The bank closes at 5 PM so they had two little tellers open when we started the line and then when it was our turn the man who was one of the two tellers decides it is quitting time for him and puts up his little sign that says "Service Paused". Crystal tries to see if he will budge but he didn't as I thought and he starts counting his money. There are other bank tellers walking around the place yet none seem to want to work. So now there is this huge line behind us partly due to pay day because it was Friday and only one teller. She was forever slow. I kept thinking how funny is this....this would so not fly in the US. The manager would be using all of the tellers (all three of them) and making sure everyone got as much as they could done before quitting time. It reminded me of our Wal Marts back in the states. Not exactly sure where and what your Wal Marts are like, but the ones in Suwanee and Buford Georgia have over 30 check out lanes with tons of check yourself out lanes too. However, as many as they have they are never truly filled up in fact there are usually 5 or so that are actually open and forget going to the self check out lanes they are either broken or someone who doesn't understand how to use them with two grocery carts full of stuff to the brim. Well same situation but one teller with a huge line behind. The guard told the majority of the people to go home. Awful!!! However, I now officially have a bank account with an ATM card and it won't charge me an arm and a leg to get money out now. YEAH!!!!

By the way....Dylan and I are getting ready to leave for Thailand in about 8 days. We leave on July 27 and come back on Aug 3. The main purpose of this trip is doing what Dylan did with his passport to get his working visa. So we are mailing my passport and documents back to the states from Thailand stay there while they process the visa and mail it back to me. The other purpose is that we need a vacation. A friend of ours who is from the US lives here in China and has his own company (well I should say companies) and also has a house in Thailand as well. He usually rents it out but not in the summer time as much as in the winter when people are trying to get away from the cold. The flights are extremely cheap from Hong Kong airport so that's a plus and things we have been told are relatively cheap there too like food and trinkets and such.

So that's all for now. As stated before I hope your loved ones are doing well and family members I love you all!!!

Amanda and Dylan Blankenship :)

Thursday, July 3, 2008

So it's been a little over a month now and . . .

Hello all . . .

Well Dylan came back successfully from Hong Kong with his z-visa which is his working visa that allows him to come in as many times as he wants, pay Chinese taxes (only as long as we stay out of the US for 335 days we don't pay), and gets to work in China. It was kind of lonely not having him around for a week but allowed for me some down time which we all need every now and then.

A couple of weekends ago Dylan, Andy (a guy who Dylan works with), and one of Dylan's US friends and business associates Travis went to a temple here in Shenzhen. It was amazing to say the least. After I left the temple I had such a wonderful feeling inside and I was filled with peace.

The weather here has been just as unpredictable as the sights I see. Last week we had a typhoon roll through that was downgraded to a tropical storm. There was massive flooding and they canceled summer school for a day. I think that is a first for me to have school canceled because a tropical storm. As for summer school, things are actually starting to lighten up or maybe its me. In the county where I used to teach in the US they were test driven and taking the creativity out of teaching and creating robots as for teachers and students. No fun or letting you teach. Now being given the opportunity to have fun and be creative I am rediscovering my teaching roots that I was taught in my undergrad classes. I am loving teaching these days and I am seeing the students increase their academic successes within these last 3 weeks. It is something indescribable. So now my days are like this: I get up and push snooze 3 times get ready for work. Find my driver whom I have adopted. His name is Joe and speaks semi good English. We actually have a conversation on the way to work instead of sitting in silence. He has a family and a teenage son. We talk about me teaching and if I like it and my feelings about life. Then I say good bye hand him 15 RMB and walk into school. Get started in the classroom make sure everything is ready go and meet the kids in the gym at 9:00 and walk them back to class. We get started with normal morning activities such as calendar. Then break up into reading groups. Then come back together and go to specials. Come back from specials and have lunch. After lunch we go to recess in the gym in fear of the crazy old man and its just too darn hot. Then go back and grab our bags then go to the library and then go home.

This past week our theme for the week was Rainforest so we did divided into four groups (mixing low English speaking with high English speaking students) and did a really small research project on a rainforest animal. We made a clay creature and safari hats. Graphed in math and for our field trip we went to the Evergreen Park in Shenzhen where they have a pseudo rain forest and the kids loved it. The Evergreen Park reminds me of Helen GA when you first drive in and for a split second you forget you are in China until you get off the school bus and are approached by the staff "Ni Hao" (hello). The parts that remind me of Helen GA are the greenery that cross over the road as you drive in. Also it has mountain looking rooms or so I've been told.

I have been taking up a new hobby of cooking. I am trying to watch my weight for it jumped when I got here. Scary thought huh? Oh well. So I am on the Zone Diet which is very beneficial for my blood sugar levels and sugar cravings. I am making vegetarian dishes for Dylan and I for dinner. Finding the things to make these new found dishes is a bit tricky and slightly pricey but I love being in my closet of a kitchen. By the way there is no oven in the kitchen so I am getting creative in "baking" dishes. So far I have made an eggplant parm which is pretty good and a vegetarian chili that is pretty good but not as good as the eggplant. For breakfast I made an apple melt with raisins. Not too bad either.

So life is awesome here in China. Meeting new people and exchanging exciting stories with one another. It's a wonderful feeling living here in China. You feel as though you are a part of something special and that its "alive" here versus being "complacent" where I was before. Speaking of being a changing person, just found out I am going to be teaching kindergarten again next year. I am excited about going back to where I started as a teacher.

In getting back to the visa issue because many of you are so sweet and kind in asking about Dylan and I's situation so here it goes. As for Dylan he is complete with his but now as for me....the fun has just begun. In order to do the visa process you have to get a "physical" at the "local" hospital. One of the girls who works at my school took me to the hospital last week. It was a 30 minute trip. I kept thinking....If I have a life threatening problem I am better off throwing myself in the ocean and dying in peace. Scary thought but thats China for you. So we arrive at the hospital and then we walk up to the floor that does physicals only. They are open from 9:00AM-12:00PM and then reopen at 2:00 till who knows but this I think applies only to floor where you get your physical. So we fill out a form and thankfully I had the girl help me who brought me to the hospital for there were three thing that said something in English. We wait around kind of like at the DMV where you are constantly looking at the digital signs above the help desks and waiting on your number to pop up and when it does you make a mad dash to show passport and other crazy information. Then you pay first for it and then you get to go on a scavenger hunt of a life time. You have to go to these different rooms to have these different tests performed. The girl who brought me was like Speed Racer zooming into room after room with me. So the first "test" was cardiovascular where they put these zapper things on your chest and print out what your results were. Then I went and was tested for tuberculousis where they did a chest x-ray screen. They scanned my stomach looking for who knows what and did an ultrasound. I told the women I was not pregnant because the test was performed just like looking for a baby but all is well and no baby. Then there was the teeth screening to make sure you had all your teeth I guess. Then there was the "Surgery" room and I was "hell no I am not going in there and no one is going to cut me up especially here in China". And the girl was like "what??? No they just look in your ears and throat and make sure you are OK". I was like they need to come up with a different name for that room. Then we had to have my blood drawn. Dear God that was not so fun. I did find out I am o positive which is a good tidbit of information to know. Next I got to pee in a cup. Gee whiz thats a story within itself. So you get this flimsy little cup with a handle on it kind of like a measuring cup that could hold only cotton because everything else is to heavy to put in it. So you take the cup downstairs and go to the bathroom. Dear God this was interesting. They didn't have toilets like we know. They had a hole in the floor (yeah I about peed my pants laughing when I saw it) and there were these places to put your feet while you squat. So being a girl we all know its not possible to write our names in the snow with pee so there is a process to go about handling the peeing on a hole in the floor. Take off a pant leg (I now understand why Chinese girls always have skirts on) and hold it with the opposite hand. Hold the flimsy pee cup with the other free hand within pee catching distance but don't pee too much or it will overflow and then you got a new problem which is trying to pee again to fill the cup up. Then put pee cup down carefully place your leg back into the pants and grab the pee cup. You are carrying this thing like a prized possession because you don't want to go through that process again or at least for awhile. Then you walk out of the bathroom and place your pee with everyone elses on a a cart that is in between the men's and women's bathroom. I kept thinking..."someone's going to contaminate my pee with something" but everything turned out OK. Then the girl that brought me to the hospital was like "hurry hurry...we have to catch the bus". So I was running around and there was the QSI school bus (the school where I teach at sent a bus to pick the girl and I up) waiting for us and they came just to pick us up so that we didn't have to pay for another taxi ride. That was so nice I thought.

If this is what the physical turned out like I can't wait to go for my interview at the police station. Should be just as interesting if not more. Probably they will put me in Chinese prison over night to see if I will crack up or something. Too late I already did.

Well I hope this finds you finding my life a smidge bit funny and I hope you and your families are doing well. I wish for cool gentle breezes and a big nice tree to sit under to relax and reflect.

Amanda and Dylan!

Monday, June 16, 2008

First day on the job . . . . OMG

Hey everyone . . . .

Hope you are all doing well as usual. We are doing well. I started my summer school job today. Thank God I get out of the house and work...maybe. Let's just say things are same and things are different between our school and the school I am at. For starters, my class has 21+ students. Yeah I got a big class for summer school. About 65 percent I would say are Korean. Same as Suwanee right?? I have another teacher who pulls the lowest English speaking students for about an hour during the day which is nice. That leaves me around 13-15 students which is manageable.

So this is how a typical day for summer school goes. School starts at 9:00 so you get to work at 8:30ish or whenever you can grab a coffee and a cab. So you go to the gym hold up a sign that says "7 Yr Old". Talk to a few parents (broken English is a given even with the Caucasian parents). Then you lead the students to the classroom around the corner. Seat them and start the day. We have Language Arts for an hour. Actually we do whole group with all the kids 21+ for 30 minutes (yeah thats like . . . ."uuhhhhh time"). OK so then we break up and then I have my group and the other teacher takes hers. Then we do small Literacy groups for 30 minutes, Math for 30 minutes, go to either Art or Music, then lunch time, then recess, and then library time. Then its dismissal. Yeah thats my day for you.

Not too bad huh? The kids though most are sweet and then you have some who are unruly and spoiled to the bone. It was shocking how they back talked to me and thought it was acceptable and then when they were around their parents they were equally awful if not worse. So thankfully I have a light load as far as teaching but I make up for it in the many children who are nuts. Of course this is first day jitters so hopefully when we split the kids up things might settle down a bit.

Dylan is getting ready to leave for Hong Kong for visa purposes. Fingers crossed and prayers asked he can process it there and not have to go back to the US. If it works for him I am going next to do it. Hopefully all will work out and we can get them processed finally. Its crazy how tight and stingy they are getting here about Chinese work visas. Now you have to be born before 1983 to be considered an expert in a field. Thankfully we both are old farts and can be considered experts.

Best to you all.....
Amanda and Dylan

Friday, June 13, 2008

Patience is better than being efficient

So I am learning about the Chinese culture daily. For example, Dylan and I went to Papa John's for lunch. Yeah they actually have a restaurant and take out for Papa John's. Weird yes but go with the flow. So I ordered a garden salad and Dylan ordered a 6 inch pepperoni pizza. Well my salad came out as normal but we continued to wait on Dylan's pizza. Then about 15 minutes later, the guy comes out and says "Uh sorry we do not have pepperoni do you want a Hawaiian pizza instead?" Dylan was fuming mad and goes "It is 20 minutes what have you been doing?" and the guy goes "Yes it will take about 12 minutes to make". Actually it was kind of humorous to watch the whole thing. Dylan getting ticked at a guy who doesn't understand what he is saying. Finally he got over it.

Another example of not being the brightest crayon in the box . . . So I get in a taxi from Dylan's work to go back home and I told the guy where I wanted to go. Then we proceed to go a way I wasn't familiar with. We ended up passing the Wal-Mart and I was "Oh no this is wrong we are heading in the wrong direction way out of the way too." So I called Dylan and said put your boss on and tell him where I live. So the guy was not so smart and I ended up having to pay extra for stupid taxi driver's mistakes. I was like "GRRRRR".

Last night Dylan and I went to a social function for my new school. It was fun . . . had a couple of drinks ate some food talked with a few staff members I had already met. Then decided it was time to leave. A guy comes in and says "No man you don't want to leave right now its raining really hard out there and the rain is going sideways." So we stayed a little bit longer. Then Dylan noticed it was lightening up so we decided to go then. As we are walking out there is a guy at the end of the little walkway with his pants rolled up and starts motioning us to do the same and Dylan was like "Oh no we are not going that way" so we decided to go another way. It was flooding everywhere. I have never in my life seen weather so awful and flood waters so high having to trudge through. Needless to say we had another monsoon last night and all day yesterday. All we could say was "Oh my God" and a few words I shouldn't repeat. We ended up laughing the entire way home and I almost wet my pants in the process. The water level at times was up to our knees and moving water at that too. As I was wading through it, I kept remembering what I was told about flood water areas in Georgia and that is to stay away from moving waters that you can get pulled away. Oh well right??

Being a teacher here is interesting too so far. Grant I have not started my job but listening to the teachers who are different grade levels and probably don't know each other well all have many things in common to say about the school. It is going to be a learning experience thats for sure. For example, at the school I taught at in the states if you are sending a student to summer school you have to fill out a profile for the summer school teacher to have an idea where the student is academically and language ability. So they do not do those here. Funny huh?? I am also discovering that the administration is not what it is like in the US or at least in Gwinnett County Public Schools. For instance, their main purpose is what they were hired for so the school I am at right now had problems with enrollment and so they needed a principal who could increase enrollment so that is his main purpose. Not organization. It's interesting but a learning experience at the same time. I still love the fact that I only have to give the ITBS which is not so bad and at least their progress does not inflict me as a teacher which is good too. I don't know about that though but I pretty much have free reign to do what I want as a teacher which is nice. Lots of Koreans go to the school . . .not much different from Suwanee Elem. And there is not as much parent involvement in the classroom. I get a parapro but they might speak good English and they might not. So they will either make copies for you all the time or they can help out in the classroom and make copies. Oh and the kids eat lunch in the room but you don't, your parapro eats with them. That can lead to disaster as so I have been told. Crazy things happen when the teacher is not in the room. So I might be eating very close to the classroom and stepping in when need be.

So I have to go in tomorrow (Sunday) to get ready for Summer School which starts on Monday. Yeah pretty amazing huh?? Also I was told about the playground situation....evidently there is a neighbor nearby a very old Chinese man who does not appreciate children at all. This man has gone so far as to yell at the kids in Chinese, go on the playground and take the kids play equipment, throw bottles at them, video tape them right in their face and be a complete jerk. So we are only allowed on the playground during his nap time which I need to find out soon it sounds like. They can't do much about it either. Now in the US they could but not here so thats a difference.

Well gotta jet now. Hope all is well with you guys. Remember to take each day at a time and to enjoy each experience even if you are stuck in traffic. Never wish any part of life to go faster. Use that time to reflect. This is coming from someone who absolutely hates waiting in lines so I take that time and reflect on the things around me and thank God for the time I have to be alive and serve his purpose whatever that might be.

Sunshine and flowers to you all . . .
Amanda and Dylan :)

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Oh the places we have been . . .

Hello all!!! (Be prepared that this one is long . . . so much to tell)

Hope this finds you all doing well back in the US. Dylan and I are still perusing China. It has been so wild of an adventure so far. I decided to join a yoga studio and take yoga classes. SO COOL. My first class was really neat. We used a fit ball (one of those big fitness balls). It was a lot of fun. My second class was called the nature yoga class. It was supposed to be outside but it was a monsoon here for like two days straight. So I have a story about the second class....so I go to the studio a half an hour like I was told because we were all supposed to "walk" over to the place. It is raining like cats and dogs at this point. So they are trying their best to explain to me where the other studio is in their best English but no dice. So I call up Dylan's boss and he proceeds to tell me that they are taking me there and I am OK. So we are walking in the biggest puddles ever to get to this place and it took forever to get there. I would have much rather have taken a taxi but thats beside the point. So we finally get there . . . I got on my new yoga clothes that I got for like $45 three shirts, two pairs of pants and a bag. Good deals trust me. So when we finally get to who knows where I proceed to go and take yoga with the instructor who speaks English thank God and just another student. We finished . . . very cool by the way. Then I thought that we could shower there and so I get there and no towels. ughh!! So I call Dylan and told him I was coming back to his office to meet him for dinner. The yoga girl asks me to walk back with her and after trudging through the pools of water I thought I would wait for a taxi instead. I wait...wait... and wait some more and no dice. So I decide to walk back. I am calling Dylan in the middle of the monsoon rain, puddles up to my knees, lost and trying my best to get back and in the worst of moods. He's asking me where I am at and what I see around me and all I see are buildings with Chinese characters and nothing that looks remotely normal to me. Thankfully I have a good memory and got my way back to him soaked and wet and all. I was sooooooo upset not so much worried about being misplaced just upset that I couldn't find a taxi to save my life. So I get to his office and talk with Dylan's secretary Crystal who is sooooo awesome. Trust me you would love her too. She told me she would have found me no matter what.

So Crystal and I start talking and we decided to go and get a hair cut. This is a new story for you. So we go in and show them the hair cut I want. Then you have to get your hair washed. Actually what you are getting is a head massage. You lay on this table with your head on a pillow like surface which is in the sink. The person washes your hair, massages your scalp, and washes your face and your ears. It creeped me out with them pouring water in my ears and cleaning them out with a q-tip but I managed. Then I decided to get my hair dyed too. All for $45 too. So my hair is shorter....cute but not what I had in mind and a dark brown. It looks hot trust me.

So we are now celebrating Dragon Boat Festival which allows most business people to have Monday off. The significance of the festival is to honor the poet who sacrificed himself and committed suicide. Yeah I know I don't know about that one but Dylan has the day off so good for us. So we went to a huge mall yesterday with an ice skating rink in it. It reminded me of Phipps Plaza or Lenox mall and similar prices too. Didn't buy much but we ate at a neat restaurant that over looked the ice skating rink. Then today we went to the auto show at the civic center area. Amazing!! It makes the GA World Congress Center look like a mini mall. There were girls advertising the cars. Most had Chinese girls all made up with ballroom gowns on and tiaras and then there were some with Caucasian girls that were beaten with the ugly stick way too many times. Then there was me . . . the Chinese men looked at me like I was a super model or something. They kept taking my picture without me knowing it and I when I caught them they shied away. Dylan tried to get one guy to come back and pose with me. Then one girl was posing with me and I didn't even realize it. It was so funny to watch. Many people stare at Dylan and I because we look so much different then them. Kind of funny and getting used to it too.

So after we went to the auto show we went to Lou hou which is like driving downtown Atlanta from Lawrenceville. We took a taxi of course. In Lou hou there is a huge mall with little stores all over the place that sell knock off stuff from purses to shoes and trashy lingerie of course there are other things too but that is what you saw the most of. I was looking forever for a purse and that was a hassle. I also got three dresses made for me for $70. Tailored just for me and if you know my body type that is pretty impressive to say the least. I got a pretty white dress, plaid dress and a white skirt made for me and lined too. I pick them up on Thursday. Dylan got three shirts made too and a friend of ours got a few pants made too. This is going to be interesting to say the least but the things that the guy made were awesome and my grandfather who used to be a tailor would be quite impressed. For dinner we ate at this place that was impossible to find and had the most amazing food. Actually you really can't go wrong with the food here. Anything is good. Just watch out for things that have bones in it and you are good to go. Had some strange ice cream with red beans in it but its pretty good.

Dylan and I are dealing with visa issues right now. We are not in the olympic spirit to say the least. Had it not been for the nutsos who are protesting we would not be dealing with this crazy visa business. Both Dylan and I might have to come back to the US for a couple of weeks to process our work visas. UGHH. Hopefully we can do this in Hong Kong which might not cost us as much. So keep us in your thoughts and prayers that this works out to our best in this situation. We truly love it here and we really don't want to make the long trip back just for a short and complicated process.

Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words. We love and miss you all very much. Hope all is well with you and your loved ones.

Best,
Dylan and Amanda

Monday, June 2, 2008

When in Rome . . .

So today was just as interesting as any other days. Yesterday, Dylan and I ordered curtains made for our room because the sunlight is awful at 6AM. So we go to the little shop to look at swatches and finally decided on a nice off-white more grayish looking color. So then I hold the fabric up to the sun and told Dylan we need something to block it out or we are not doing any good. So we had to explain . . . what a trip that was . . . what we were wanting to have him do for us and using lots of gestures kind of like the game of charades only it depends on life needs. So we are saying words like no sun and finally the guy goes "Oh SUN!!" So then he takes us back in his shop that is hot as hell and shows us the fabric to put behind it. Dylan tells the guy how much he wants to spend and the guy shows us how much per meter. So we ended taking the guy home with us to measure the windows in the bedroom and he does his math and finally he tells us it costs us 334 RMB which costs us $48 USD total even for the room darkening fabric included. Here's the amazing part....so after he tells us how much he then says..."I be her tomorrow at 3:30PM". I was blown away with that remark. So thats the story about our drapes/curtains. Cheap and fast.

I went to lunch today with Dylan...actually I met him for lunch today near his office. Him and I went out with a client of his who is working with Amiga gaming software. So before I left the maid came to clean the house and do Dylan's laundry. I think Dylan needs to tell her that I live here now and to add my dirties to the mix too but I am cool for doing it for now. Except the ironing part. Not a fan of ironing and hate it with a passion. So I got to venture out on my own today to see Dylan. Dylan gave me a paper with Chinese characters on it that said our apartment and his office. So Dylan called me and said "Ready for lunch?" And I was like "Heck yeah man!" So I said good bye to the maid and made my way down the elevator, down to the road and grabbed me a taxi. Pretty impressive I must say so myself. Then I showed the driver my paper and the characters for Dylan's office and BOOM there we were. Called Dylan and he came down to see me. Then we walked to a pretty good restaurant to eat with the Amiga guy they talked shop and I listened not having a clue about it. The guy is American but I understand about as much techno talk as I do Chinese right now so I showed politely that I was interested and went on trying to attack my food with chopsticks. Hahahahahaha! Then Dylan put me in a cab and I was back at the apartment in no time. Walk in and the maid is still cleaning...pretty good I might say so. I found out she just came from the Amiga guy's apartment so she is here now.

So thats my day so far....not too interested in venturing out. Lucy and I might go for a walk here in a bit and look for me a nail place. As of now they do not do pink and white nails (UGHH) and the price is a bit high for cut down and regular fill so who knows right now. I might just have to say no to nails for now....UGHHH haven't said no in a long time so it's weird not having nails for me. But I love the mornings...Lucy and I walk with Dylan to a coffee shop in the morning have a small breakfast kiss good bye then he is off to work and Lucy and I walk home. Its really nice. Not sure what we will do when it is time for me to start working because I work earlier than he does but I am sure we will figure it out. I can't wait to get started. This staying at home business is for the birds.

I cannot view this blog except to post so just to let you know in case I start repeating myself or what have you. I can still get emails and would love to hear how everyone is doing so send me a message or two. If you have gmail we can talk that way too. So far no problems with jet lag amazing enough.

Best,
Amanda :)

Saturday, May 31, 2008

I'm home!!!

Hello all . . . Just wanted to give you an update . . . So I arrived safe and sound in Hong Kong last night. I had an interesting trip to get to China but I made it. I flew from Atlanta to San Francisco and waited what I thought would have been 3 hours turned out to be 5 hours!! UGHH!! Yeah a 5 hour lay over really stinks but OH WELL. Then I get to Hong Kong after flying for 14 hours another UGHH but it's all good. Got to watch TV on my own television which was kind of cool. On the back of each head rest is a personal television that you can also play games on too.

So I get to Hong Kong as I said before and my flight was supposed to land at 6:40 PM but due to the long lay over we did not land until an hour later. Then you go through customs much like in the states. Then you go through them again....not sure about the doubling up process but its cool. Then you have to get your bags. Well normally that is not such a problem but it took FOREVER. So I got all three heavy suitcases, my carry-on and my purse/bag and went out to greet/find my husband. He was in the process of having me paged it took that long. So because the long delay and arrival we had to hoof it to a taxi because China borders were closing soon. So Dylan has his friend Paul with us and Paul is Chinese but only speaks Mandarin (I think or Cantonese) either way it wasn't what the driver spoke. So Dylan had to call his boss to translate where we needed to go. By the way the drivers in Hong Kong only drive on the wrong side of the car and road too. Kind of weird but again COOL. So we finally make it to Shenzhen's border which is China. Go through their customs too. Had to tell the customs agent that I was a visitor visiting some friends of mine. And I was admitted entrance to China.

We then all found another taxi and this one took us to our apartment. Dylan had to pull up the directions on his phone to show the taxi driver. Then the driver got lost . . . eeek. But again Dylan's boss Rick saved the day and explained to the driver where to go. Paul helped us lug all of my luggage upstairs to the 31st floor. Can I say and AMEN to elevators and escalators. After we walked in the apartment I saw Lucy for the first time. She must have really bonded with Dylan because she didn't remember me for the longest time and is still acting funny. So Dylan calls his boss again to see if he wants to hang out including Dylan's other friend who lives here and recently married a Chinese girl who is super sweet. His name is Marshall and used to live in GA but moved to China for business and got married. We went to eat (at 10PM which is not uncommon) at a place that is above the KFC but is not KFC. I know weird. We had some good stuff then we decided to go and have a massage. Yeah a massage!! I think it was 11 PM when we decided to go. I had a my feet soaking in a barrel with milk and rose petals. Neat. Then I got the best massage which was soooo needed after lugging the luggage around like some crazy person.

Today Dylan and I went to a neat restaurant and I had Chow MeFun which is rice noodles with pork. They serve hot tea like how they serve water in the states. When you sit down out comes the boiling hot tea. It comes out hot because of the bad water but the bad things are killed when it is boiled so its all good. Then we took a taxi to the Wal-Mart. I was so mad I forgot the camera. It was a sight to say the least. You walk in and you are on the bottom floor which mainly consists of food. Then you grab a buggy and take it on this weird escalator. We were looking for me some towels because Dylan only had one for him and one for the dog. We also found a small wastebasket, a deodorizer for the bathroom (don't ask) and some other necessities for the place. Dylan was supposed to go out when we got back to work on a project while I stayed home and unpacked but he told me it was going to be shorter and he wanted to show me his office so we took Lucy this time (our dog) all over the place and to his office. Its so weird being able to take the dog in stores and in a large corporate building and no one saying anything about it. On the way back from his office we ran into my new boss who was riding his bike around the local area. He's pretty tall and white so you can't miss him. Which by the way on a different note is funny because people stare at Dylan and I all the time. There aren't a lot of white people here in China so we stick out. It's funny. So my boss invited me to a Brazilian restaurant on Friday for the staff at the school including the cleaning staff which totals to 190 members at the school I am teaching at. Beat that at your school. Not the number of staff but the idea of going to a nice restaurant and being paid for by the school. UNHEARD OF!!

So I finally unpacked EVERYTHING and it all fits. We are going to IKEA tomorrow to look for some small furniture to put in the guest room, a basket for my dirty clothes, and maybe something to put my shoes in. As for now Dylan is asleep at 7:30 PM on the couch in the dark with the dog on the other side and I am in the bedroom blogging. We are going out tonight (possibly) for drinks with Marshall and his wife Hongsha (I know I botched it up but it is exactly how it sounds). Oh and the weather here is really muggy so it is best advised to shower at least twice a day if not three times. I might be asking you to mail me some more Burt's Beeswax body soap. However, the shower will have to wait due to us washing the towels and "line drying" them. Yeah no dryer but nature's dryer. MMMM smells good huh??

Hope this finds your thoroughly entertained. Best to you all . . .
Amanda and Dylan

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

And so the final hours remain . . .

Oh dear . . . such bittersweet endings upon us all. As I make my last few calls, eat my last few meals, and share some last minutes of advice from loved ones and awesome friends, I am reminded of how sad this truly is.

My suitcases (that would be three) are packed and my carry-on is stuffed. I wanted to take this time to try and absorb what all is going on in my head.

Good news is that I sold the car. YEAH!!! I think I did it right too but I guess we will find out sooner or later. Hopefully for the good.

So back to the thoughts . . . I am so blessed to have so many friends who care so much about me and a wonderful mother-in-law who has supported me fully and let me stay with her these past few months. She is so much more than a mother in law but a second mother, best friend and wonderful advice giver. She has shown me the word happiness and being joyful at the smallest miracles such as a flower that is one of God's many gifts. I am so blessed to have worked with so many awesome colleagues even though their first impression was definitely not the last one they have of me. As quoted by one of my students this year "I love her because she is CRAZY" and that I am and I am proud to be. Life is too short to sit around and wait for it to bite you on the butt you got to go after it. Never let someone tell you, you can't. If you want it bad enough you'll get it if it means that much to you. If not well then its not worth your time nor energy. I believe that about this trip to China.

Along with my colleagues I have made many friends along the way...Debby Coughlin my very first parapro during my student teaching who saved my butt more than I can count on, Nancy Ragan who showed me the true importance of being organized and a true friend who could laugh with you when a child brings in Viagra your first year of teaching, Lori for all the laughs we had together and who showed me that God comes when we need him the most, Nancy Harris (Hammond or Samples) who gave me a chance to prove the kind of teacher I knew I could be and wanted to be and for believing in me, Joyce Fico for being an wonderful and dear friend to me and accepting my nutso side with open arms and giving me encouragement to reach my dreams, Lindsey Lancaster for making me laugh, smile, and realize I have a crappy memory (love ya girl), Olivia Harbin and husband for many laughs along the way and for encouraging my green side to come out a smidge bit more, Christi for listening to my issues with life and for being a wonderful caring person who also helps me with my chocolate issues, My awesome grade levels in both kindergarten and second grade for helping me learn the ropes and to show me with open arms how to be a success when working with Suwanee's finest, Helen Cain for being my mentor who always lends a helping hand and shows how it is done and has a great positive disposition about herself despite what she will say, The office staff for saving my hiney many times or giving me a heads up every now and then when I needed it. If I have not said your name do not get ticked or girly on me. You know what you did and if you want to email me and I will make an add on.

My family is becoming a family again too. As I look back on how I got to the place where I am now I look back at my foundation. My mom and dad are the greatest despite our ups and downs. There is no doubt in my mind they will love me till the day I die. By showing me their love and right from wrong I am giving them credit to the person I am today...An American CRAZY teacher who is following her dream to China.

Along with adding credits to who I am, I am giving most of my credit to my wonderful and dear husband who has supported me in all I take on and believes that God is in control of this miracle as much as I do and wants to do miraculous things with us in China or wherever he may move us. We owe so much to our church family especially The Chen's, The Dukes, Pastor Duke and his wife Ellen, The Roman's, and the various others who have supported us since the day we stepped in and said "Hi".

So see this is not an easy step to take. But it is important to do and to grow and learn as an individual in this game called LIFE. Taking risks never hurts but the wonderment of "What if" will always haunt you. The world is a big place and being complacent in life is not what God had intended. So we are out to seek the world and find out what all there is to offer here. This is not our permanent home here on Earth but I would feel naive if I had not experienced as much as I could in the time I was given here.

I challenge you all to "move" in your life. Not so much the physical move but do something that is outside of the box for you at least once a week or month. Discovering new things is discovering you.

Always,
Amanda Blankenship
(I see Dylan in less than 3 days and I am ecstatic) wish me well and keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Only 11 Days and Counting . . .

Gosh with all of this VISA junk, I am so glad I got mine sooner than later. So only 11 days to go. There are so many mixed emotions going through my head these days. I am trying to end the school year this upcoming week with my kids and I have been catching myself crying periodically in the past few weeks. Also my colleagues are amazing and I cannot believe I have to leave my "Suwanee Elementary" family behind. It's kind of like when I went off to college and leaving one chapter and starting a new (well sort of).

As for now Dylan is moving mountains over in China these days and is finding creative and innovative ways to do so. He is so cute in talking techno talk to me. Being a teacher it is not so easy at times to follow along but I know it is good. Lucy the dog is still loving China as so I have been told.

I am trying to sell a car, tie off loose ends such as going through the storage unit looking for my diplomas (dear God that one was an adventure). My wonderful mother in law went with me and we laughed said a few words and then heaved and hoed a few more boxes around. We finally found them as she kept saying in a drawer. If only I had listened to her the first time.

I am getting more excited as the days draw nearer. Not looking forward to the long plane ride but I am sure it will be an adventure to say the least. Been downsizing the clothes again getting rid of a few things. Just found out they make clothes that are tailored to you and your body type. It only cost Dylan $15 USD for him to get a pair of pants made for him. I can't wait. I am going to try and see if I can get my wedding dress made over there. (Yes I am married but we are having a ceremony later on which does require the need for a wedding dress). Hey if I can get it to fit me that's half the battle there.

Well blessings and wishes to you all,
Amanda :)

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Lucy made it!!

After a long trip . . Dylan picked up Lucy at the airport. YEAH!!! He said she was a little scared at first and panting a lot but all in all she is catching up on her snoozing.

Only 30 more days till I go!!! WHOO HOO!!!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

First Dylan leaves now Lucy too.

Oh how sad the night before Lucy is hopefully flying out to meet Dylan in China. Yes what a pain it was to get her there and I am still crossing my fingers in hopes all goes through tomorrow and she is out.

Dylan and I first decided to make the move to China last fall of 2007. He accepted a position with a small start up company who does outsourcing for other companies globally. So we got engaged on November 18 in a hot air balloon looking over Griffin, GA. It was amazing!!! After Dylan accepted his position we started looking for me a teaching job. They do not start hiring until mid January early February. Well finally we got a hit and a big one at that. As I was talking with the job recruiter on Dec 30th, 2007, he made it very clear to me that in China there is a standard to uphold and co-habitation is not allowed. I explained that we were going to get married this upcoming summer and that didn't work either. So I told him I had to explain this to Dylan and get back with the job recruiter. So we did the next best thing . . . We went to the courthouse the following day "New Year's Eve" and got hitched. Oh my gosh that was the funniest thing in the world and if Dylan's mom had not taken pictures I probably would not have believed it happened. So I was hired as a first grade teacher at QSI Shekou school in China. Which is awesome because Dylan and I are within 5 minutes of each other. I have taught kindergarten and second grade but never first. SO this is a challenge within itself.

Now since February 21, 2008, my husband Dylan has been in China becoming accustomed to the culture and way of life. We talk as much as possible but with him being 12 hours ahead of me we have some difficulties in communicating to one another with the exception of email.

I have been in the process here in the US trying to get our Wheaten Terrier Poodle mix dog named Lucy to China. All I can say is "OH MY GOD". It has been a whirlwind. The process was never fully explained in detail to me so I learned through trial and error. It costs a pretty penny too so make sure you are staying for awhile wherever you go. So we are shooting for tomorrow on a pasture flight which is a cargo flight (yes it is pressurized and yes it is a comfy 60 F). Basically it is "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" plane with cows, horses, pigs, sheep, and other animals who are going to China. Luckily even though Lucy is USDA approved she will not be winding up like her fellow passengers as "ground chuck."

Well thats all for now. Keep fingers crossed for Lucy to have a safe flight and arrive on Saturday AM.

Amanda (for now and later I'll add the MR. when I get to China which is on May 29th)