A Long and Eventful Day

We are still adjusting to the jet lag but it is getting better.  We took a hike, Sandy, Kathleen, and I, to find a Metro Store - which is similar to a Costco.  We were looking to get printer cartridges, spices, and a blender.  A wild trip - the bus driver drives out into oncoming traffic then edges his way back in, we get in a round-a-bout and there is a traffic jam (I thought they were supposed to prevent such things), then a few minutes later the bus breaks down and we end up getting on the next bus piled in like sardines.  The heat and humidity here are quite the adjustment for us.  We just sweat everything out, even more than when we lived in Puerto Rico. We rode one stop to many and end up at the end of the line and a ways to walk to get to the Metro. 

Along the way we found a fascinating park next to the Yangtze River with a beautiful relief mural - a frieze.  It was very interesting and we got some interesting pictures.  Out in the river was a sign announcing the "fin-less porpoise viewing area"??  I think they are just missing the dorsal fin, we didn't see any in the water, but these things always make me chuckle.

We made it to the mall where the store was and decided to stop at KFC and feed ourselves so we wouldn't have to do so with our purchases in hand on our way out.  I ordered some ice cream and it came with some balls of gel that were fruit flavored and a dash of kidney beans on the side - it wasn't very tasty, so we tossed most of it!

We found most of what we were looking for, then exited the store to the bus stop and there didn't seem to be any buses so we started hoofing it to the next stop.  On the way we saw an accident had occurred and there was a bus stopped - probably ours.  After watching the traffic flow it wasn't a surprise to see something like this. More on this later.

We finally found a bus that got us halfway home and had to hoof it again to another stop to get the rest of the way home.  It was very tiring with all the walking and carrying things.  We do miss our car but we wouldn't even want to try driving in the traffic here!

Setting up our appartment

It took us a while to get some basic supplies and food for our apartment, but besides towels and a few other things, the apartment is set up.  Here is the food that we bought!  What an adventure.  While some things are in English, they are few.  We found friends from church could help us by taking a picture of the letters then we could point to the picture and have someone take us to it.  Did you know that the symbols for milk look A LOT like yogurt?  I have about a quart of yogurt that I am trying to figure out how to use now.  We did find Gatorade, potato chips, and Oreos!

We had to stop at a bank and get money exchanged.  These are in front of most banks.  There are different styles.

 

We stopped at our 1st restaurant to eat.  The food was good but the chicken is mostly bones.  We are also experiencing the traffic here.  We have to look around us constantly. We have to be sure no cars, buses, motorcycles, scooters or bicycles are coming.  They are going in all directions and traffic signals and just a suggestion.

 
We still aren't sure when we will begin teaching and are concerned that it may be on Monday.  Will do what we can to prepare but it is driving us a little crazy.  The other three teachers here in the BYU Kennedy Center China Teachers Program (CTP) are starting next week.  They are Doran and Terri Denney and Kathleen Shelton.

Travel to Nanjing!

We had originally planned to travel to Nanjing on the 22nd, but with my fathers funeral, we pushed the date to the 26th and arrived early in the morning on the 28th.  The trip from BOI to SEA then Shanghai took us up over Alaska and down the eastern coast of Russia.  After landing in Shanghai, we had a delay before China Eastern Airlines could fly us to Nanjing.  We traveled for about 25 hours.  Nanjing is about 100 miles inland and sits squarely on the Yangtze river (they don't call the river that in the native tongue).  Our trip from the airport on the south to the apartment on the north was about 45 minutes without traffic at 1 am.  

We were so pleased when we showed up with our 9 bags (5 checked and 4 carry on) that we didn't need to carry them up to the 8th floor!  There is an elevator.

 We have a nice apartment with two bedrooms, a study, air conditioning, very small kitchen and western bathroom facilities, and some of the normal amenities in the US. 

These are pictures of the views out our different windows to the building surrounding us on campus.

My Fathers Funeral

My fathers funeral was certainly a celebration of a life well lived.  We had an opportunity to remember many wonderful stories as a family and share both laughter as well as tears.  Our beliefs give us great comfort at times like these to understand the plan that God has for us.  So we are thankful that dad has returned to his wife Realla, that there is peace in his resting, and that someday we will be reunited as a family.

 
On Monday morning, we held a funeral service at the chapel, then just after noon dad was taken to the veterans cemetery for interment.  We watched as full military honors were accorded and a flyby of A-10s occurred.  It was at that moment, the missing man formation, that I felt one of the strongest moments of emotion.  While I had seen these in the past, this drove home the symbolic nature of the formation like never before.  I am grateful for those who attended, gave tribute, and sent condolences.

Scotts father passes away

After our training in Provo, Sandy and I returned to Meridian on Friday evening.  Since I knew that my father had quit eating that week, we stopped by the Idaho Veterans Home to make a visit.  God blessed us with an opportunity to sit, contemplate, cry a bit, and share our thoughts while he was resting comfortably.  It was a merciful gesture for God to allow us this experience and we express our gratitude to him.  Those who attended him from the VA were always caring and professional and we are appreciative for the respect that they gave us and my father over the time he was there.

The following morning we were informed of his passing.  He is with his wife now, Realla (pronounced ree'-la), who preceded him some 7 years ago.  What a joyful reunion that must have been.  I can see her calling him just as she did from the back deck of the house while he was out working on the farm.  "Who-hooo, Beerrnaard - over hear", and he would respond.  I was certainly blessed by goodly parents who loved, cared, provided, nurtured, and appreciated me.  I will miss my father as I have missed my mother following her departure. This week we will focus on his funeral services and grave side memorial.

Beginnings in Provo, UT

We've just returned from our TESOL training at BYU in Provo.  Was pretty much a fire-hose process and yet the presenters were all exceptional.  The first week included a get together in Springville which ended up with rain but brought our group closer together, a beginning with survival Chinese - "ni hau", and an evening together as a group at the Provo temple.  Also had visits from others who'd taught in the China Teachers Program, a BYU and NFL football player Chad Lewis, and a person who'd been in Tiananmen Square in 1989.  I think we are prepared as best they could prepare us.