PRAYER REQUESTS
- Health (mental, spiritual, physical, etc.)
- The final term of the 2021 school year (October-December)
- Relationships with students and staff
- Homesickness/loneliness
- Family health and safety
An Academic calendar for the southern hemisphere begins in January and ends in December. The international school I am employed by runs on a full year schedule which puts 2-3 week holiday breaks between every new 9-10 week term. Prior to COVID, this would be when many expat families would travel. As you all know, eleven days into my moving to Suva, Fiji underwent a severe lock-in with internal borders and containment zones as the country sought to prevent the spread of COVID within this rural and developing nation. At the end of September of this year, half a year into my stay in Fiji, the country reached the 90% goal of its target population for vaccinations. The Ministry of Health and Governing officials had pledged that when that goal was reached the internal border lockdowns and containment zones between cities, villages, provinces (not between islands) would be removed. The curfew (5PM-4AM) would also be pushed back later. Many were thrilled regarding this news as these changes came right before teachers and students would go on a two week break between terms 3 and 4 in the 2021 Academic School year. Many locals celebrated their opportunity to visit outside their containment zones for the first time in months. The traffic out of Suva city that first weekend after the borders were lifted was insane. Months of online school and staying at home was getting to everybody, a feeling I know most of the world can relate. At the end of Term 3, I was feeling exhausted, disappointed, and lonely with absolutely nothing and no one to be hopeful about. It’s hard to make friends when you’ve barely met more than a handful of people for half of a year in a new country. My upstairs neighbors with my little BFF G had made plans to drive to the west coast of Viti Levu Island (about 2-3 hours) to spend the entire 2 week break at an assortment of resorts (newly reopened to welcome vaccinated locals and in-country expats). I had made no plans other than to grade and plan for Term 4 which was seeing an entire revamping of the schedule with the knowledge that we would be online for the rest of the 2021 school year. On the first or second night of my break, my landlord’s uncle was working in the yard on some outdoor projects. I decided to step outside and have a chat with him. He asked me if I was going to travel anywhere in Viti Levu now that the borders were opened. He knew the upstairs tenets were planning to be away for the entire break and wondered what plans I had made. I told him “No,” I hadn’t looked into or made any plans to leave home during the two weeks. Our conversation turned to how much of a homebody he considers himself. He told me, “I don’t like going out or going away. I love to be home and have my friends come to me.” Anil’s idea of a good time is sitting watching the sunset and talking with friends while drinking Kava (or grog as the locals call it) together. I listened, saying that I had never been that way. Being someone who doesn’t even have a house, state, or even country that feels fully like a “home”, I love travel, changes in scenery, trying new things, and having adventures. However, our conversation went on and I explained how moving to Fiji with all these expectations of how I would go out and learn the country/city and experience new things, only to end up alone in my house doing a new job completely remotely, had made me begin to feel daunted and overwhelmed by the thought of traveling and going out. Even as I said it out loud, I hated hearing it. My fearless, extroverted-self had been truly snuffed out by the trauma of this transition to Fiji. As I shared this, this 70+ year old self-professed homebody proceeded to instruct me. His talk was somewhere between an unexpected lecture and a long-overdue pep talk. The short version of his speech went like this, “You are young. You’ve just moved to this new country. You’ve barely been allowed to leave your house for almost six months. It is time for you to get out. The prices right now are very low and the resorts won’t be crowded due to the international borders still being closed. There is no doubt in my mind, you need to get out and go somewhere. You need to go try something new! Things are quiet in Fiji right now, take advantage of it while you can.” I was surprisingly moved by his speech. Even with the fact that he added he himself would never go to a resort or hotel to ‘get away’. I understood what he was saying though. Here I was with my first opportunity to step out and get away for a few days during a break and I hadn’t even considered taking it. There was a chance to see more of this country than I have since I moved here, in a safe way with friends at the other end (he was encouraging me to go to one of the resorts G’s family would be at over break). Anil promised that if I made plans to go, he would help me find transport there and make sure I was safe. The next day, I called the Fiji Marriot Resort in Momi Bay. After that I called a local express bus company and got information about their transportation routes. The representatives on the phone assured me that with special request to the driver, I could be dropped off right at the hotel. I organized meticulously and planned for every step of the journey. I wanted to be prepared. I was feeling very nervous as this would be my first time traveling solo in Fiji – not to mention just leaving my house for anything other than a grocery store trip. Anil even agreed to drop me off at the bus depot for my early morning trip. I was as ready as I could be… or so I thought. As I packed the night before my departure, Anil and my landlord Umesh stopped to check on how I was getting to the west. I explained about calling the bus company and how they confirmed that I could be dropped off at the Marriot. I was so confident about it. I saw the two men share a look before gently sharing with me that they had never heard of the bus (particularly the express track I was to ride) going out of its way to ‘drop people off on doorsteps’, so to speak. The thought stressed me out and I explained how I had called and spoken to two different associates who confirmed the same thing, it was no problem. Looking back, I realize I should have trusted Anil and Umesh (or just had them call to confirm because as would become obvious the next day, those representatives either were wrong or really didn’t understand what I had been asking). The next morning, Anil drove me to the bus depot on his way to work at around 7:30 AM (lots of extra time in order for me to make the 8:30 AM bus). He walked up to the associates working and explained with me where I needed to go and what my stop would be. The bus coordinator frowned behind his mask before saying, “No, that’s not possible. We do not go there.” It’s embarrassing to admit, but I panicked, “You do! I talked to someone on the phone and they told me to tell that driver.” “Who did you talk to?” the man asked. “I called the official number on the website!” I insisted, completely in denial… at his denial. I was so sure that I had been responsible, done my research, asked the right questions, and made all the arrangements. Looking back on how I felt in that moment, it is clear to me that COVID has really done a number on my confidence. You all know, that this girl, ME, has traveled solo to multiple countries where I did not speak the language. I have been lost in airports, got on the wrong bus, and confused train stations with no language and no backup plan before. I have never felt as fearful as I did in this moment standing in the Suva bus depot listening to a man, in very clear and understandable English tell me that the bus I wanted to ride does not and has never gone to the place I wanted it to. I didn’t know what to do. I thought about asking Anil to just take me home and forget about this whole getaway. A group of bus depot workers started to gather, explaining how I could ride the bus all the way to this other town and get another bus back 30 minutes near the resort. Another man argued there was a village stop 20 minutes before that I could get off at and just take a taxi the rest of the way. All these towns and village names—multiple buses, maybe a van, sometimes a taxi ride—I stood there listening with a giant lump in my throat, my voice breaking, feeling absolutely terrified. Finally, the bus manager explained that if I waited until the 9:30 AM bus arrived, then that bus could get me to a taxi junction about 15 minutes from the hotel. Anil checked with me, but told me he thought that was the best option for me. I wordlessly agreed, nodding my understanding. This meant I had to wait for about one and a half hours for the later bus. I made my way quietly over to the little makeshift bench as people hustled and bustled along their morning commutes. As I sat there, I mentally chided myself, “You’ve been so much more out of your depth than you are right now. Are you seriously about to cry over this situation? They speak English! Get it together, Manning! As I sat alone and internally battled to get my tears under control, I prayed quietly. The 8:30 bus finally left and the man who had been packing passenger’s luggage beneath the coach approached me. He introduced himself as Jesoni. He asked my name and inquired how I was feeling, having noticed by stress and crying. He told me that I didn’t need to worry and asked if it would make me feel better to call the hotel and confirm the taxi junction drop off. I agreed. We called the hotel together and Jesoni explained the situation while I held the phone on speaker. He asked the hotel receptionist if the junction would be the best place to drop me off. The receptionist hurriedly responded, “No! Don’t drop her off there. Because of COVID that taxi station is empty. No one is using it anymore. If you drop her there she’ll be standing on the edge of the road all alone.” I can only imagine how big my eyes got at this new development. Jesoni took it in stride though and asked, “Where do you suggest she go?” The receptionist gave him information about a police post down the road where they could drop me off and I could order a taxi to drive me only 15 minutes to the hotel. After hanging out Jesoni explained to me that he would arrange everything with the bus driver. He reassured me that he would even call the bus driver after we left to remind him where to let me out. He gave me his number in case I got into trouble. His final statement of comfort was telling me that he would make certain that I got there okay. I thanked him and explained how this was my first time going out in Fiji since moving here. I shared how I was finding the whole experience more frightening than I had anticipated. He nodded before turning to me very seriously. “Sarai, do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” I barked out a laugh before feeling an overwhelming rush of tears fill my eyes, “Yes, I do.” I choked out. “Well then sister, you have nothing to be afraid of. God goes with you. And He put me here to look out for you. You know you can always trust His goodness and provision.” There was no holding the tears back after that. “Yes, I know that,” I acknowledged. “I’m just finding it especially hard to hold onto and believe His truths these days.” “Believe it, sister! Believe it,” he spoke cheerily from behind his mask. For the next hour or so, Jesoni did everything he promised. He checked on me, made arrangements with team members, and made sure I got loaded up onto the 9:30 AM bus. He introduced me to the driver and made sure we both knew where I needed to go and what I needed to do. I thanked him again and he sent me away with a “God bless you, sister.” The bus journey finally began and on the whole is was mostly uneventful. We passed miles of shoreline, sugarcane fields, lush mountain jungle, and small villages with large signs posted outside them reading, NO VISITORS. COVID RESTRICTIONS. Cattle, horses, and stray dogs dotted across roadsides as I watched. I napped here and there before noting that we should be getting close to my drop-off location. Following our progress on my cellphone, I noticed as we passed through the very abandoned taxi station. A few children and teens sat on mats beside the road selling mangos. I wasn’t sure how far it was to where I would be dropped off, but the driver pulled over soon after and called out to me. I followed him off the bus as he walked over to pull my bag out from underneath the bus. My confusion rose as I stepped down and came more or less face to face with a little calf tied to a tree. No people, no buildings, just brush, gravel, and the calf. I looked expectantly at the driver as he brought me my bag. He pointed up a gravel drive where I was relieved to discover the police community post stood hidden behind the trees. I awkwardly attempted to roll my bags across the gravel stones, feeling the stares of thirty or more eyes from the entire bus watching me struggle up the path. I can only imagine how I looked, a bewildered and clueless little foreigner attempting to roll her bag up a rocky rural drive with a brown calf vocalizing behind me. The post looked dauntingly empty and deserted as I approached, tipping my bag over two times in my attempt to walk toward the building. Finally, I spotted a lone man, in a police uniform, sitting under a tent by the edge of the road. I approached him cautiously. “Hello,” I said in greeting, hoping my voice sounded more confident than it felt. “Bula!” he replied. I could tell from his facial expression he was surprised to see me. “Umm… I’m going to Momi Bay and the hotel told me that I could ask you to help me get a taxi.” My explanation came out awkward. “You need a cab?” he puzzled. “Yes.” “To the Marriot?” “Yes.” His face held a very curious expression, “Who—who will pay for the cab?” I laughed uncomfortably. “I have money.” “You will pay?” “Yes, I can pay.” I wondered if this wasn’t going to go the way I’d hoped. He looked at me for a moment before nodding and pulling out his phone. He spoke briefly in Fijian before pointing me to a bench on the front porch of the community post building. He told me to wait there until the taxi arrived. It was so quiet (except for the chatty little calf I could still hear from the road). I looked around the empty station and I couldn’t help, but imagine myself as an alternate version of little Anne of Green Gables sitting outside the Bright River station waiting for Matthew Cuthbert’s arrival. I had to laugh at the absurdity of the entire day and the funny picture I surely painted to the world around me. It wasn’t a long wait before the taxi arrived. While the two and a half hour bus ride to the police post had cost me $16 Fijian Dollars, the fifteen minute drive to the hotel added up to $13. I realized it’s going to take more time to adjust to currency and costs in Fiji. The Fiji Marriot Resort in Momi Bay has been open since 2017. The land it sits on is entirely reclaimed land. This means that the area used to be just ocean, but it has been built-up with dry ground into a manmade peninsula and lagoon that connects to the Momi Bay (a part of the South Pacific Ocean). The resort has private hotel rooms, over-water bungalows, and where I stayed, beachside bures (wood-and-straw huts similar to cabins). The bure I stayed in sat right along the blue lagoon filled with fish, stingrays, crabs and warm, blue ocean water. After arriving at the resort and meeting up with my friends, I looked back and felt relieved at the help I had received. My landlord’s uncle had called me three times during the trip to check on me. And though I didn’t speak to him, I knew Jesoni had been calling around and making sure I was where I needed to be. The trip wasn’t that complicated, but my low self-confidence definitely contributed towards the doubts and fears I felt throughout. Looking back now, I am reminded of the truth that God always knows where I am no matter where I find myself on Earth (or in space—you never know!). All in all, I spent four days at Momi Bay on the western side of Viti Levu. My upstairs neighbors and the family of one of my middle school drama students were there also. It was so nice to have some alone time during the day before enjoying dinner together in the evenings. My favorite activities during my stay were running along their walking paths and trails (with no worry of being chased by stray dogs or breaking an ankle in a pothole), eating food I didn’t have to cook for myself (such a nice feeling), and swimming in the lagoon. It was a relaxing getaway and I loved being able to take naps, swim, and spend hours in the sun. I very intentionally had not taken my laptop, so it was also a work-free zone. A break from the computer screen felt great after two terms of teaching online an another in my future. While the resort was running on limited staff, everyone was so friendly. They learned our names right away and greeted us warmly whenever we interacted. This is the Fijian friendliness I think everyone talks about, though it’s part of their job, it feels genuine. Another really fun thing was that the resort during our weekday stay was filled to less than 20% capacity, so the entire time I was there I almost felt like I was vacationing with the entire resort to myself (on my own in a good way, not the stuck at home in isolation kind of alone). The resort aspect was fancy and fun, but I learned it’s not really my “thing” or “style” of a holiday getaway. I’m very thankful I did it and experienced Fiji’s resort life, but to be honest, parts of it felt overrated. Infinity pools and golf cart valets to and from the resort restaurant are not the kind of adventure I look for in travel. Every day the things I most looked forward to included, walking off the paved trails to find hidden coves and patches of untouched coastline. I reveled in seeing how far out into the lagoon I could swim, keeping an eye out for any fish, sea urchins, or other creatures living in the water. At night, I loved sitting back and looking at the bright and colorful starry sky or walking along the beach with a flashlight spotting stingrays hunting for crabs in the shallows. How small my struggles are when reflected against the grandness of God’s creation. The exploration and connection with the natural beauty surrounding helps me feel closest to the Lord. In conclusion, I heartily enjoyed my resort stay in Momi Bay. I’m thankful for the time there, but I don’t feel like I have do it again. Resorts aren’t the real Fiji. I write that knowing that the “real Fiji”, like any country, is a lot more challenging to take on as an expat. I have a feeling that getting to know the real Fiji will also be more fulfilling and meaningful. With the internal borders opening up, I feel a bit more positive that I will perhaps have the opportunity to get out of the house, explore, reflect, and engage with the places, people, and experiences God has intended for me. PRAYER REQUESTS
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This blog was originally drafted in March 2020 If you read my most recent blog, you know that my roommate, friend, and I were on an 11 day holiday in Thailand for Lunar New Year when (what felt like overnight) the whole world turned on its head. We received word from our company informing us that all schools in China would not be allowing any student or staff on campus temporarily for the next two weeks due to the threat of the virus. Instead, every school in China would be taking up an online initiative known as HBL or Home Based Learning during the ‘short’ hiatus. Those two weeks slowly turned into four weeks, which was forced to extend into six weeks and now, as I’m writing this, we have just received news that it is unlikely we will return to school until probably eight weeks from our initially scheduled return date (though at this point many people suspect it will be even longer). So, this is a blog reflecting on the past month of online school and my displacement in Thailand. First, I have to list all the things I’m thankful for in this crazy situation… I am thankful for a place to stayMy roommate’s family welcomed us for a short 11 day holiday and continued to welcome us when our little holiday turned into a full time almost 55 day residency (for me). I have a roof over my head, a warm bed, a nice bucket of water I can sometimes fill up for a shower, and access to a hot water kettle for all the tea and coffee needed to survive teaching online. I absolutely recognize I could have ended up in some hotel or trapped inside my own home in China. I am grateful every day for the hospitality and generosity of my roommate’s family. I am thankful for delicious foodGrace’s mom’s cooking. There is nothing like working knowing that you don’t have to worry about meals. Plus, she’s feeding us some of the most delicious brain food ever. I don’t think we’ve eaten the same meal twice. Grace’s mom might be an angel. I am thankful for the internetI am the queen of love/hate relationship with the internet, mostly because I realize how addicting technology can be. That being said, though the home we are staying in does not have WiFi (something I have actually come to love deeply because I NEED to unplug at night), it’s only a short trip to the office in order to get unblocked, free internet access (absolutely vital to running classes online). I am thankful for Grace and GloriaGoing through this situation, running classes online (when you were totally unprepared to do so), would be stressful for anyone. You know what would have made it more stressful? Doing it alone. I am so grateful to have Gloria and Grace beside me to bounce ideas off, to ask questions, brainstorm together, oh, and if we’re honest, whine and complain to someone who understands how challenging and impossible what we’re doing is sometimes. I am thankful for Thailand's weatherIt’s 90 degrees every day and there is not a cloud in the sky. I’m running every day and I’ve got a sandal tan lines to die for. I will never complain about being ‘trapped’ in such a sunny, warm, beautiful place. I am thankful for my healthI have been working out more in the past six weeks than I have in my entire life. Running over 5K, completing a 30 day yoga challenge, push-ups, ab workouts, you name it, I’ve been doing it in the name of getting out from behind the screen and finding some routine. It’s also a control thing. I can’t control anything in my life right now, except my body’s effort and the growth I see in my endurance and strength. Also, I may have totally called home to tell my family that for the first time I can see arm muscles that I never even knew I had. I am thankful to be growing fit and healthy during this time that seems full of nothing, but question marks. My Current State of MindIt’s hard to explain what this situation has been like. At first, it was kind of fun and exciting. Wow! We get to stay in Thailand for another two weeks, it’s going to be so chill! Online school? How hard can it be? NEWS FLASH: It’s not chill and it’s really hard! First, there was the homesickness. Homesickness is something I’ve boasted that I’ve never really felt. Instead, I find myself wide awake at night thinking about how much I miss my house and bed left behind in China. I worry about my plants with no one to take care of them. Then, there’s the nightmares. Nightmares of returning to China and running out of water. Nightmares of food shortages or graphic, horrible dreams of my family members dying terrible deaths and I wake up crying in bed. After that, comes the neck pain and backaches from sitting over a screen just typing and video chatting with students and planning and grading and making a video for tomorrow’s class which gets interrupted when you have to troubleshoot a students’ technology issue, all the while thinking to myself “When’s the last time I took a break or had a drink of water?” I try and connect with every kid through email and video chats, but I still feel totally alone and disconnected from my entire world. Meanwhile, this little hiatus keeps getting longer and longer with casualties and impacts and threats seem to be growing larger and larger. By the way, can people please stop telling my mother all the horrible things they read about or saw on the news? Because my mom is going to worry enough without you telling her the newest conspiracy theory that we end up talking about every time I call home. On top of all this… have I mentioned that I’m job hunting? Nothing to add more pressure and uncertainty than applying and interviewing for international positions amidst a global pandemic. This is a topic for another blog all together. As the days went on, the isolation grew. I’m alone in a foreign country where I can’t speak the language. I’m staying with the most wonderful family… with whom I also can’t speak. The adventurous little experience is growing into an unending, unresolvable struggle. It’s week seven of not being in my own bed. It is week seven of only having two people who I can actually have a conversation with face to face. Things aren’t getting easier and the “end” remains unknown. Meanwhile I’m only two weeks from having to renew my Thai tourist visa for the second time (I had 30 days and was able to extend for another 30 days)…Thailand may be closing it’s borders soon and we’ve heard the rumor that officials have been rejecting second visa extensions. I know that I don’t stand alone during this time of chaotic uncertainty, while I recognize that I have a lot to be thankful for, I feel overwhelmed by my lack of control and the uncertainty of my coming days. I would like to be able to return to China, finish the year well, get the closure goodbyes I need to leave China well, and then head onto wherever the Lord would have me go next with confidence and thankfulness in my heart. At this time I ask for continued safety, healthy, and energy and motivation to continue to be an encouragement and role model to my students. Blog completed/posted in July 2020
My roommate Grace, friend Gloria and I made plans late in the Fall of 2018 to spend Lunar New Year 2020 with Grace’s family in Thailand. It’s been an unticked checkmark on my travel to do list since arriving in China. It seemed that the Lord knew I needed to meet and become close friends with Grace (whose parents have been missionaries in Thailand for close to 30 years) for Thailand to finally happen. I truly had no idea what would be in store for us on this trip, and you all know I’m not just saying that because Grace did all the trip planning, haha. Still, this particular blog is going to focus on the wonderful vacation the three of us had, before things really took a turn for the unplanned. This blog is about our 11 day Lunar New Year holiday in THAILAND. Departure from China, Arrival in Thailand We flew from Qingdao Airport to Incheon Airport in South Korea and our first order of business was to hit up the fast food restaurant I find myself missing the most living abroad—Taco Bell. You might be surprised (or not) to find out that China doesn’t have a lot of Mexican style restaurants, much to my disappointment. We traveled first from South Korea to Bangkok, Thailand, where we stayed overnight with Grace’s ‘aunt’ (the missionary kind). The next day, we had breakfast in Thailand before flying up north to the city of Chiangmai. Here, Grace’s mom picked us up and welcomed us with fresh handmade Thai jasmine leis. The rest of our trip can be split up into about five big categories: Thai Markets, Thai Food, Thai Culture, and Thai Village Life. THAI MARKETS During our time in Chiangmai, we were enjoyed visiting a variety of Thai markets. These markets included Warorot Market, Meecho Plaza Temporary Markets, Sunday Walking Street, the Chiangmai Night Bazaar, and Baan Kang Wat Arts and Crafts Market. The Thai markets each have their own feeling and charm. Sunday Walking Street and the Night Bazaar are two of the most well-known and popular, staying open late into the night. Vendors sell souvenirs, collectables, handmade [insert anything you can think of], clothing, bags, keep-sakes and more. The street food is delicious and fun to try. Two things that surprised me about the markets, was how many streets would be closed off on the weekends or for one evening simply to host hundreds of sellers and tradesmen. Another thing that surprised me was when we were at the Sunday Night Walking Street. An announcement was made and Grace told Gloria and me to freeze. I was taken aback with the busy street full of shuffling shoppers and loud, motivated sellers suddenly became still and quiet. Everyone turned to face one direction along the street as music suddenly blared across speakers set on every street corner. The vibrant market was frozen as the music played. When the song was over, the voices began to echo again and the shifting movement of crowds slithered down the streets again. Grace explained that they had played the national anthem. There is great pride in not simply for Thailand, but also reverent respect for the Thai Royal Family. Grace explained that even before watching a movie in theatres all the movie patrons are asked to stand as the King’s Song is played before every film. I discovered once again that I’m a poor barterer (especially when I cannot speak the language), but walking amidst the music, colors, smells, and feeling traditional roots of these many markets was not only fun, but a real cultural experience. THAI FOOD Thai Hot Pot (MK), Mama Pad, Kuey Teow, Kuey Teow Tom Yum, Khao Man Gai, Khao Soi, Pad Thai, Bahmi Giew Moo Daeng, Niu Kao, and Rotti. These are just a few of the different food dishes I tried while in Thailand. Grace’s family is definitely a foodie family, so she were determined for us to try every traditional dish there was to offer in Thailand. I don’t know that I’ve ever eaten so well in my life. Then there were the variety of fruits we tried, guava, mango, pineapple, watermelon, rose apple, strawberries, coconut, and papaya. It was hard not to be obsessed with the fresh fruit. Grace is obsessed with Thai Bubble Tea, served cold and sometimes with whipped cream on top, it is very different from the bubble tea I have become accustomed to in China. THAI CULTURE Thai Massages and Thai Hot SpringsGrace’s mom insisted that most Thai thing you can do in Thailand is get a Thai Massage and visit a Hot Springs bath. I wasn’t sure what to expect for either experience. The massage parlor was a little room above a shopping complex. We changed into loose fitting, almost pajama like capri pants and a button-up top. Then, for two hours these little old ladies find every sore muscle, tight knot, and aching ligament. It was very relaxing at most points, when they weren’t working in a spot where you’re thinking “OW!”. I’ve had more than my fair share of Chinese massages and I have to say that the Thai massage was far more relaxing and pleasant than the, you’re going to be sore for weeks because of how hard I’m going to work this trouble area attitude of Chinese massages. I must be a bit of a pain lover though because I keep going back. Later, when we went to the hot spring I really had no idea what it was going to be like. Many, many Asian countries enjoy public bathing houses/parlors that Grace and Gloria have been going to since they were children. Public bathing… not really a Western thing. In fact, when we arrived at the front of the mineral springs bath house, Grace told me the receptionist said to her co-worker with shock, “A foreigner!” upon seeing me in line to go into the bath. Mineral hot springs have been identified in many cultures and countries as having great health benefits. That being said, my only context for ‘hot springs bath’ was visiting the ancient Roman Baths in Bath, England in 2015. You know, where there’s a giant pool with hundreds of people walking around naked? I know, I know, not the mental picture you wanted. It wasn’t the mental picture I wanted either, so I was a little nervous. Thankfully, this was not that. Instead, within the bath house there were many little rooms with a single bath inside. The mineral water is scalding, so you have two faucets one for the mineral water and one for cold water… basically to keep your flesh from burning off. You then can spend as long as you like in your little room with your bath. Do people walk around with no clothes on, you want to know? I mean yes, but not if you don’t leave your little room, haha. The minerals are said to be really helpful for all sorts of skin irritations and inflammations. I don’t think this will be on most people’s Thailand “Must Do” List, but Grace’s family has come to these baths for years. She assured me it was a, “very Thai experience.” Mind you, prior to going to the hot springs I’d been struggling with some severe itchy, dry skin (probably brought on by the dry Qingdao winter), but after the hot springs, the itchiness stopped. Could it be due to the Thai climate or a result of the bath in the mineral hot springs? Anyone’s guess, I suppose. Buddhist TemplesI was unaware of the sheer number of shrines and temples I would find decorating every street and shop when coming to China. Every little store, no matter how small, has some sort of family shrine on display. Usually the little shrines are kept with small gifts of food or drink placed on or beside them. Even as we drove through the most remote mountain regions of Chiangmai province, if you squinted for a closer look into the surrounding mountains you would find giant statues of Buddha on display. The more gold in the temple, the more money people give, and the more likely your wishes and prayers are to be received. Doi SuhthepThe most famous Buddhist temple in Chaingmai is known as Doi Suhthep. After being in Thailand for a only a few days and passing hundreds, I am not exaggerating, hundreds, of temples along the busy streets and narrow mountain roads, I asked if it was possible for us to visit one. I had never visited a proper Buddhist temple before and I wanted to see it, but also have the opportunity to lift up the lost people of the world, whose hope is in good words and gold statues to bring them peace, hope, and salvation. We traveled up the mountain in the back of a Song Teuw, packed in tight with eight or nine other people. Not for the faint of heart-or motion-sick prone (me). I would like to say it was an enjoyable experience, but I’ll leave it as an experience. Song Teuws are the most used type of public transportation in Thailand. There are buses and taxis, but Song Teuws can get you there quicker and cheaper. Doi Suthep Quick FactsDoi Suthep Info "A Thai saying goes, 'If you haven't tasted Khao Soi or seen the view from Doi Suthep, you haven't been to Chiang Mai.' The main reason many visitors come to Doi Suthep National Park is to visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a venerable and venerated temple that is one of the most holy Buddhist sites in Thailand. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is a major pilgrimage destination, especially during the Buddhist holidays of Makha Bucha and Visakha Bucha (February 13 and May 11, respectively). This awe-inspiring temple is crowned by an elaborate Chedi (Monument), 24 meters (79 feet) tall and gold plated from top to bottom." [Travel Source] We climbed up over three hundred steps to get to the main temple. Women were asked to wear a skirt to cover their legs and everyone had to take their shoes off. It felt eerily to me. Statues of every size and shape covered in gems or gold. Incense being burned constantly. Money poured out over little golden money boxes. The larger statues were placed in rooms, surrounded by expensive décor, framed by large ivory tusks. The unexpected element was the temple dogs, who lay down and slept amidst the crowds of worshippers and tourists who came and went. Worshipers bring money, food, and flowers to bow before these statues and give out their requests. Some monks reclined in corners of the temple, observing and praying. "In Thai culture, the status of kings have been rated by the number of white elephants that were in their possession and they have been historically considered a symbol of the King’s majesty. Hence, the late King Bhumibol owned the greatest number of white elephants. He had 21 white elephants and this can be regarded as an unprecedented achievement. Eleven of these elephants are still alive but only five of them have royal titles." [Phuket News Source] Thanathon Tangerine OrchardsIn the town of Fang, close to where Grace's parents work is Thanathon Orchards. This orchard is famous for being the location where oranges were farmed for the first time. The orchards now boast more than 10 orange hybrids. The grounds were really lovely and we had an amazing time walking around and seeing the many different fruit trees spread across acres and acres of green land. Chiang Mai Umbrella Making CenterWe spent a short afternoon at Bor Sang Village in Chiangmai visiting the umbrella making center. This is where thousands of paper umbrellas are handmade and designed. These umbrellas are an icon of Chiangmai. Visiting the center you can walk through and see each step of the umbrella making process, from the creation of the fine paper to the wooden frames that are designed one by one. Finally, the master painters created elaborate designs on the umbrellas that ensure each and every umbrella is 100% unique. The center boasts not only full size "hand-painted umbrellas," but also "tiny cocktail umbrellas, large parasols for gardens or patios and other handmade products – all made from sa paper (produced from the bark of the mulberry tree) and, a more recent development, cotton. The design has also evolved, from the original floral patterns to depictions of Chiang Mai’s rural scenery and even abstract patterns" [Travel Source] THAI VILLAGE LIFE After a number of days spent in Chiangmai city, Grace’s mom drove us three hours north, toward the Myanmar/Burmese border to a little town called Mae Ai. Mae Ai is the town where Grace’s parents have worked as Korean missionaries for almost thirty years. Thirty years. In two years I’ll have been alive for thirty years, so I really have no context to understand what thirty years of mission work in one place looks like. From my observations on this trip, staying with Grace’s family, thirty years of ministry looks like shopkeepers who know your order before you arrive. It looks like restaurant owners asking where your dad is every time you come to visit. For Grace, it looks like being away from Thailand for two years, but when you return the old men and women of the village get so excited over seeing how pretty you’ve become. Grace’s mother took us to visit a small village outside of Chiangrai (a neighboring province), you could only get to this village by walking across a narrow bridge over a huge river and as we’re crossing a girl on her motorbike almost jumps out of her seat because she recognized her. They hadn’t seen each other in a few years, but they knew each other. I love that my family has served as missionaries in so many different locations: France, Cameroon, Senegal, Lancaster Country, PA to Waxhaw, North Carolina. It means we have people we know all over their world who we love to reconnect with, but it’s fascinating for me to see and interact with people’s whose whole world are built around one tiny little town. Grace’s family has been working with a Thai minority group called the La-Hu. A really cool connection between Grace and my missionary families is that the La-Hu Bible was translated in the early 2000s by Wycliffe Bible Translators. Grace’s father took Gloria, Grace and I to visit the Wycliffe branch in Thailand, called Wycliffe Thai Foundation. Grace’s parents run dorm facility for La-Hu students who want to get an education. Currently, their complex is home to over 40 middle and high school students from the surrounding villages. Village life is just as slow and laidback as you would imagine it to be and I LOVED it (little did I know I would get to spend far more than four days living it, but that’s another blog). Who knew how much I would love bucket showers after morning runs along rice patty fields, below mango trees and around hillsides of pineapple plants (Did you know pineapples grow in the ground?! Why am I the only one that didn’t know this?). Plus, every home has at least two or three dogs (most of them friendly) and the people here smile all the time (Did you know one of Thailand’s slogans is ‘Land of Smiles’? They’ve earned it). Grace’s mom cooked some of the most delicious Korean meals I’ve ever eaten with, get this, no oven, no microwave, no stove, and a sometimes empty well. This is village life. It’s sort of sad that I long to be a part of some grand theatre ministry, but am absolutely in love with life in quiet, rural agricultural villages. Just a reminder, I guess you can’t have it all. This getaway, this quiet, peaceful rest found along the mountainous border of Burma and Thailand, living and watching Grace’s parents service with Thai and La-Hu people was really rejuvenating. I certainly didn’t want to leave when it came time to go from the little village, but I was able to be pulled away with that knowledge that I had the world’s largest mammal to meet! ELEPHANT JUNGLE SANCTUATY Our trip was almost finished, but before we left I had one request, “Grace, I don’t have any requirements for what we do in Thailand. You can plan whatever you want. I just REALLY want to meet an elephant.” This was my one wish and I had repeated it over and over again to my roommate even two years before when we planned the trip in 2018. So, on Monday, January 27th we headed to spend the day with three families of Asian elephants at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chaingmai! This is an adventure I will save for another blog (which I will link here when it is finished). THE UNEXPECTED DELAY Throughout the time we were on this trip, there were murmurs, whispers, and many a message from my mom with information about the spread of the CoronaVirus in China. On January 29th, the day we were scheduled to fly to Bangkok in order to return to China, Grace, Gloria, and I received an email from our company/school that the government was mandating that no school in mainland China was permitted to open their doors while the threat of the virus was rising. The plan was to resume with school after two weeks of an online initiative we were calling HBL or Home Based Learning. We decided to extend our stay for about 12 days longer… and more on this unexpected turn of events will be another blog… detailing how our 11 day Thailand vacation turned into (currently) seven weeks displaced and working in Thailand. Co-written by Kelly Manning KELLY COMES TO CHINASarah here! Many of you are aware that Christmas 2019 was the first Christmas I didn’t travel to the USA to be with my family for the holidays. I made this decision for three reasons. The first reason was that financially, after being in the USA for a few weeks this summer, it was going to be very difficult for me to travel back to the USA. The second reason is that my last two Christmas’ have not been very restful, lots of travel to see friends and family over the course of a short, jet-lagged 11 or 12 days. Lastly, I needed to make a decision in regards to whether or not I would sign another contract teaching in China… and I knew if I went back to the USA, I would certainly choose to leave. I wanted my decision to be based on prayer and supplication alone (not on how much I miss my dog – I mean, my family *wink wink*). Though my family was disappointed with my decision to be away from them this Christmas, I was excited because the timing worked out that my sister Kelly was able to come visit for a little under two weeks. Not only did she make plans to visit China, but she’s here to help me blog about our time together! Kelly? Want to chime in? KELLY: Okay, so I am pretty nervous about contributing to this blog. Mostly because I am in no way, shape, or form a comparable writer to my sister! But, I am here to contribute my thoughts and experiences about a trip that was an absolute blast! SARAH: Oh wow, do go on… haha. But don’t feel nervous, Kel. After all, I was an English major… I would hope that would give me an advantage in the writing department. Shall we start? KELLY: Sure! SARAH: So, Kelly arrived in the middle of our last week of school before Christmas holiday. This means everything from farewell parties (to students and staff who won’t be returning after Christmas break), to large group movie viewing (ISQ Middle School watched “The Santa Clause” - many students seeing it for the first time! Does that make me old?), and of course ISQ’s Annual 12 Days of Christmas Sing-a-long! KELLY: It was really cool getting to visit Sarah’s school and see her in action with her students. S: I didn’t really tell you much about the 12 Days of Christmas, did I? K: No, you didn’t. S: I wanted it to be a surprise! K: You should tell everybody else what it is. S: Right! Well, it’s an annual House Competition. Our school has four houses that all staff and students are assigned to. The Houses include Morrison, Taylor, Goforth, and Liddell (can you spot the theme?). The 12 Days of Christmas is one of our only ALL SCHOOL events. The houses sing through the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” together and compete for House Points. House Points can be awarded for “Best Singing”, “Loudest House”, and “Overall House Spirit”. It’s super fun… and this year I got to be MC for the event! I tried to convince Kelly to lead with me, but she would have none of it. K: Sar, you did a great job on your own. I’m not one for public embarrassment exactly... S: Public embarrassment! What are you talking about? K: You all should see the video. She’s insane. Let’s move on. S: Great idea. So, school ended and you and I took a 3 hour train bullet train to Beijing. K: We did. I had told Sarah early on in our planning that it wasn’t absolutely necessary for us to go to Beijing. I really did intend for this trip to be an opportunity to see Qingdao and spend the holidays with my sister. S: But my thought was, how can you come all the way to China and not see The Great Wall? So, we ended up traveling to Beijing and meeting up with my friend Abi and her sister who was also visiting from the USA. (Some of you will remember Abi from our trip to New Zealand in 2018. Read my Blog Series about New Zealand HERE.) K: I am really glad we went to Beijing! It was extremely fun to be with not only Sarah, but also Abi and Hannah. I can’t imagine missing out on The Great Wall. I knew it was going to be spectacular, but I underestimated the pure beauty of being in the snowy mountains of China! S: Yeah, that was really special for me, too. I didn’t expect there to be snow on our visit to the Great Wall. It was SO COLD, though. I could’ve lived without that, haha. K: The snow made it worth it. S: While in Beijing we also traveled to The Summer Palace (this was my second time [Read HERE], but it looks different in winter), The Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, and some really awesome shopping streets and markets! Any thoughts on those places, Kel? K: We really got to see and do so much! I couldn’t get over the pure enormity of the palaces and temples! I also really enjoyed our AirBnB and being able to take the subway everywhere. S: I can see it in your face… you want to talk about the food. K: I really do! S: Go for it. It’s one of my favorite things about living in China. K: The FOOD. I’ve read and heard a lot from Sarah about the amazing food in China. S: Read a previous blog I wrote about the food HERE. K: It was a whole other experience to have the privilege of actually eating some of the awesome dishes China has to offer. Sarah did a great job of having me try a variety of things. Some of my personal favorites were jiaozi 饺子 (any and all forms of dumplings), Korean kimbap, REAL Bubble Tea (we literally drank so much), and Korean rice cake and dumpling soup. Since being back in the States, the Asian grocery store and I have become much better friends, haha! S: Dude, I’m so glad you liked all the food. How was it being away from mom and dad for the holidays for the first time? K: It was definitely different not getting to be all together. But, I think you and I have a very unique relationship. I think a lot of that has to do with our five year age gap and the reality that we haven’t lived in the same place for over ten years. S: Is this you telling me I’m old? K: Well, you are. Just kidding. No, I’m saying that I was really glad to have made this trip to spend time with you. I think we both expected to be very sad about being away from Mom, Dad, and the boys during Christmas. S: And BENJI. K: Of course! Everyone loves Benji the most. While it was difficult not being able to be all together, it was actually okay. I can’t imagine what it would have been like if I had been without Sarah. Everything about it was different, but we had such a wonderful time and I can’t say that enough. S: Plus, we got to spend Christmas day with my favorite China family! The Peeks! They fed us SO well and we played lots of great games. I mean the two girls, two boys thing had us feeling right at home! K: Yeah, it was really fun. S: And we kept our family tradition of watching Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” on Christmas Eve! Plus, we called our parents and extended family multiple times to stay connected. It sure it nice to live in this day and age. Technology makes it really convenient (most of the time). S: When we returned to Qingdao, we got to do some more fun stuff. We walked to the Olympic Sailing Center, visited the May Fourth Square Statue, toured the Tsingdao Beer Museum, and discovered the ShiLaoRen Beach and Sculpture Park. Tell the readers what you thought about those places! K: Qingdao is such a neat place! You look in one direction and you have numerous skyscrapers. However, in the other direction are jagged mountains and an endless ocean. I love that it’s all right there! I also really enjoyed experiencing May Fourth Square at night because the statue and buildings were all lit up. Sarah knew so much about every place we went to, which made me feel like more than just a tourist. S: You’re doing great, Kelly! Now’s the tricky part… how to end the blog. It’s the part that I always find myself spending the longest time thinking about. Today, I’m assigning the closing thoughts to you! What are your final thoughts or reflections on your trip here? K: China has always felt forever away. Let me tell you guys… getting to SEE and BE a part of Sarah’s life in Qingdao made it feel closer than ever. I got to play UNO with her students. I watched her lead a school wide event with all the goofiness and fun only she could bring. I ate dinner with her coworkers and spent Christmas with her friends. I stayed in her apartment and took the bus that she rides to school every single day. I went to the movies with her and watched the new “Star Wars” movie with Chinese subtitles while drinking bubble tea. S: That IS a sign of true sisterly love. K: Actually yes, because I’m not really into "Star Wars" that much haha. But, you said you wouldn’t interrupt! S: Oops, sorry! KELLY: I ate at Sarah’s favorite places and laughed with her friends. I loved walking along the beach by her house, the one that she’s told me about numerous times. Maybe it’s silly, but these are the things that made this trip for me. Was seeing The Great Wall amazing? Of course! Was taking a bullet train across the Chinese countryside unbelievable? YES. Was experiencing the culture and being surrounded by the language a growing experience for me? ABSOLUTELY! But I would choose walking across the street to buy handmade dumplings with my sister any day. I would choose laughing with her about strangers shouting “I LOVE YOU” in broken English at us on a crowded subway. I would choose watching her barter in Chinese in the center of an authentic Chinese antique market to get me something. I would choose all the things that made me recognize she is more brave, fun, dedicated, and resilient than I ever would have imagined. The one thing I heard a lot of while I was in Qingdao was how blessed and lucky they are to have her there. I am very blessed and grateful that I was able to witness it. SARAH: Okay, now I have to talk because that was too nice to just leave be. Thanks, Kel. I know we have our differences, but I love you lots. I’m really grateful to have spent this Christmas with you. I’m thankful that whatever paths the Father leads us both on as we go from here, we have this special time in China together! In February of 2019, my roommate Grace and I spent seven days of our Lunar New Year holiday break in the beautiful, friendly, summer-y, and wild country of South Africa! It was my first time back on the African continent since my family moved away when I was a preteen, and I was beyond excited! My hope for this trip was moments of wonder, laughter, and lots of animals! After a three day safari in Kruger National Park we arrived at The Farm Inn in Pretoria, South Africa. Our first order of business in Pretoria was to get up close and personal with some of Africa's most iconic wildlife. HORSE RIDING SAFARIOn our first full day in Pretoria, I dragged Grace to do a horse riding safari with me. Mind you, this safari was in an enclosed reserve area with only herbivores making their home in the wild. After meeting with their head riding guide, who interviewed us to learn more about our riding experience, I was chosen to ride a feisty gelding called Napoleon . Napoleon, well named, was a blast to gallop up across the hills beside herds of wildebeest and zebra. Grace, ever the brave and considerate friend -- riding for only the second time in her life mind you -- was put on an easy-going and friendly bay gelding named Chad. Grace told me, “I like Chad. He’s a great one for me to learn on!” Though we spent most of the safari together as a group, we did split up at one point. Grace and one of the riding guides took a nice easy trail for trotting up the hillsides, while the other riding guide told me, “Don’t fall off!” before giving her horse some leg. Thus, allowing Napoleon and I to shoot off like a rocket behind her. To say that I felt like I was in heaven, may be an overstatement, but it’s definitely the closest I’ve ever felt to it! We felt very blessed to have the unique sighting/encounter with a week old baby giraffe named Melvin. It was fun watching the some adolescent zebra trying to check out the new addition, but continually being chased off by Melvin’s mom. There was also a very little, very white three or four day old zebra foal. So cute! I think the biggest surprise to me was how adorable wildebeest calves are. You’ve seen wildebeest, right? They’re like a jigsaw puzzle of random animals parts and pieces all smashed into one animal. UGLY. Still, their little ones, who stay in smaller groups within the herd, kind of like a nursery, are so curious and cute. LUNCHAfter the horse riding safari, we were served a delicious, handmade wood fire pizza. The meat topping choices included warthog, ostrich, wildebeest, or kudu! It was delicious. WALKING WITH LIONSAfter signing our lives away in liability forms we were ready to walk with lions. Yeah, you read that right. WALK WITH LIONS. Colin’s Horseback Africa runs a really special lion conservation project in Pretoria. Some of their main conservation efforts include:
Part of their research and conservation is funded by a special opportunity for people to come an interact with some of the big cats that researchers and caretakers work with on the Horseback Africa reserve. I wish I had the time and writing space to share with you all the things that I learned from this experience. There is so much about lions, and cats in general, that people don’t know or understand. I recall that Steve Irwin once shared in an interview that the more a person knows and learns about an animal, the more they will care about saving it. This idea runs very parallel to what I believe the conservationists are here doing for lion conservation. We walked around and were introduced to a number of mating pairs of lions and lionesses. Each lion had a unique story in regards to how they ended up at the wildlife area. Some were seized from illegal establishments, one male was a prince’s pet up until he got too big to be indoors anymore, and one large female was prized for her rare size and genetic rarity of having a fifth claw on her back foot. The second part of the lion tour is of course the “Walking with Lions” portion. Here we were able to follow keepers on a walk with five adolescent lions, a young pride made up of one male and four females. The Horseback Africa describes this part of the tour as follows: “The once-in-a-life-time walk on the wild side is a highlight of the tour. These walks are very important for adolescent lions as it encourages them to explore their surroundings and to hone their hunting skills - essential for their successful release later in life. The lions love to stop for a cuddle or splash in the water. There are no leashes or restraints - the lions are free to play naturally and they love to show off, so don't forget your camera!” There’s really no way to describe what it’s like to walk with five lions totally free. You watch their every move, totally captivated by their playfulness and curiosity. The keepers tell you, “Let us know if one looks at you funny!” The lions practice their hunting skills on each other and with the keepers as they drag a stick with a plastic bottle tied to the end They pounce on one another, climb trees, and roll in the grass… and you are RIGHT THERE. Finally, the last part of the lion tour was meeting and holding a four week old cub. This cub was one of only two in a litter born to a mating pair on the reserve. The cubs were born during a huge rain storm and sadly, his twin sister had drowned before the keepers were able to get to them. The surviving cub was being bottle-fed for the time being, but the reserve had just acquired a four month old orphaned lioness named Kiara who they hoped would become his companion when he was big enough to fend for himself. We watched the keeper bottle-feed the little guy before all getting to hold him. Did I mention this little cub’s name is Thanos? He doesn’t look like a Thanos now, but his mother is the largest lion in the reserve and the keepers are quite confident he will grow up to be a big boy. Horses and lions all in one day? Did I mention I thought I might have gone to heaven? The entire experience was beyond anything I could have dreamed or imagined. I hope that people care about lions for a long time, so that generations to come can continue to be moved and touched by these incredible hunters God created. SOUTH AFRICA Blog SeriesSOUTH AFRICA Part 1: Kruger National Park SOUTH AFRICA Part 2: The Farm Inn & Wildlife Estate SOUTH AFRICA Part 3: Walking with Lions SOUTH AFRICA Part 4: Johannesburg In February of 2019, my roommate Grace and I spent seven days of our Lunar New Year holiday break in the beautiful, friendly, summer-y, and wild country of South Africa! It was my first time back on the African continent since my family moved away when I was a preteen, and I was beyond excited! My hope for this trip was moments of wonder, laughter, and lots of animals! Our first stop was a three day safari in the wilds of Kruger National Park. We had an incredible experience with Africa Spear Tours which you can read about HERE. After closing the page on our incredible wild safari adventure, we headed toward the city of Pretoria. WHY SOUTH AFRICA?I can’t introduce you to the next leg in our trip without first explain how we ended up in South Africa in the first place. The year is 2005, and I am a 14 year old girl living back in my passport country (USA). I love horses, books, and movies. I want to work overseas and become a wildlife conservationist when I grow up. Steve Irwin is my hero and Aslan is my favorite character of all time. In my day to day, I fight with my siblings and I am always being grounded for disrespecting my parents. You have to understand that, at this point in my life, the thing I remember most is being angry at the world. I am homesick for Senegal. My public school classmates call me “Africa girl” and laugh. No one understands me and I feel completely alone in the world. One day, I watch a film called “Duma”. To tell you the truth, I can’t remember how I saw the movie. I think my mom must have bought or rented it and brought it home for a family movie night. You’ve probably never heard of this movie, but I think you should go watch it. Watch the trailer for "Duma" For those of you that won’t watch it, however, “Duma” tells the story of a Xan, a fun and outgoing young boy growing up in rural South Africa. His father works the land, his mother homeschools him, and he spends his days playing under the warm African sun alongside an orphaned cheetah cub his family rescued. Get it yet? I think there was something that felt so beautifully familiar to me about Xan’s happy life. As always happens in a great kids adventure movie, tragedy strikes and suddenly Xan finds his entire world ripped out from under him. He is forced to go to the city, give up his life of freedom and sunshine, and he finds himself enrolled in public school where the students see him as an outsider... someone to taunt and bully. 14 year old me watched this film and felt a total connection to the loss and hurt Xan was facing at this point in his life. I understood the childhood he had been robbed of and I found myself wishing I could do what he did. Xan makes a decision. He takes his cheetah Duma and they run away together. They flee the city and Xan decides to go on a quest to return Duma to the homeland he lost when he separated from his family as a cub. Even as a young girl, I wholeheartedly understood that the journey Xan undertakes is about so much more than releasing Duma back into the wild. Yes, he wants his friend to return to a life where he can live freely the way he was intended to live, but it’s more than that. Xan’s adventure is born out of a desire to make sure that Duma doesn’t lose his home, a piece of his heart. Xan longs to prevent Duma from losing the freedom and happiness that he himself feels he has lost… but saving the things you love are never easy. Duma is a story about sacrifice, bravery, friendship, and finding home in the people we love. Honestly, this film was life-changing for me. I can’t watch it, to this day, without crying… Yes, I’m a softie and animal movies get me, but still… I can’t underestimate how big of an impact this film had on my life. I think one of the most incredible aspects of the film was how the young South African actor starring in the film, Alexander Michaeltos, was so comfortable with the cheetah. No fear, no trepidation, just a bond that goes beyond a performance. After some research and “Behind the Scenes” clip viewing, I learned that Alexander was so comfortable with the cheetahs because his family owns a Bed & Breakfast that shares its grounds with their own Wildlife Estate called The Farm Inn. Alexander had grown up with all the big cats, lions, tigers, cheetahs, and leopards right in his backyard. When visiting the inn’s website there were countless photographs of the Michaeltos children swimming with tiger cubs, walking with lions, and snuggling with cheetahs as they grew up. It was shortly after making this discovery I decided one day, I would go to South Africa and I would stay at The Farm Inn & Wildlife Estate and 'pay homage' to the film (and the family) that had made such a big impact on my youth. Anyways, this is a long explanation to explain how one day in the Fall of 2018, I shared this long time dream of going to South Africa and visiting the inn with my roommate. I remember that Grace didn’t miss a beat and said, “Dude! That looks amazing! Let’s go together for Chinese New Year!” Almost then and there we made a plan. THE FARM INN COUNTRY HOTEL |
ME: Hey gals! I’m interested in going somewhere fun for October holiday. I’m thinking Japan, Singapore, Bali, Vietnam? |
LINDSEY: I want to go to all of those places! |
LYDIA: Me too! |
ANNA: I’ll have to check my schedule, but I’m definitely interested in going somewhere! |
ELEMENTARY | TWIN DAYTwo weeks ago was Middle School was celebrating "TWIN DAY"! Two of my co-workers and I decided that we would be triplets to celebrate. Here we can be seen sporting Star Wars t-shirts, jeans, and ISQ Dolphin sweatshirts. I'm thankful to have coworkers who don't mind being fun and silly with me! |
The ShenDiao Mountain Wildlife Park is named after the tall mountain at the center of the reserves’ grounds. It hosts hundreds of species from around the world along with breathtaking coastal views in Rongcheng County in Weifang. Guests can see wild animals up close and personal. The zoo is famous for its successful tiger breeding program (featuring a number of rare white Bengal tigers).
The Yangma Island is located in the middle of Yellow Sea, 5.6 miles north of Muping District and 18.6 miles east of Yantai City. Owing to its beautiful sea scenery and pleasant climate, The Yangma Island enjoys the fame of ‘Oriental Hawaii’. In 219 BC, the first Chinese Emperor, Emperor Qin Shi Huang [the same emperor who started building the Great Wall of China and the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi'an], passed by the island and was impressed by the flourishing grasses and thousands of galloping horses. Therefore, he regarded the island as a valuable land with a good geomantic omen, and ordered some persons to raise imperial horses here. That is why the island is named Yangma Island (an island for raising horses). Following the legend, a horse-race ground has been built in the island, which has held 11 national and international horse race events since its completion. When there is no formal competitive activity, the ground becomes an entertainment park, where activities such as horse riding, archery take place to entertain visitors.
Despite its name as a Yantai Mountain, this lovely historical park isn’t really a mountain, but instead features a gently rising hill which boasts picturesque views of one of China's busiest harbors, along with a number of tourist attractions. The name Yantai Mountain (煙台山) came from a beacon built in 1398 during the Ming Dynasty. It was used to signal an early warning of the pirates from Japan.
Later, the city was named Yantai City after the beacon. According to the "Tianjin Treaty" (天津條約), Yantai opened to foreign countries later in 1861, and became the earliest port opened to foreign countries in Shandong. Many well maintained villas throughout the park were formerly consulates during this time period. The area is the location of four former foreign consulates representing the UK, the US, Denmark, and Japan, as well as other ancestral temples, a war memorial, some museums and a tea house.
Penglai Pavilion or Penglai Pagoda (蓬莱阁) is a famous tower perched on top of Danya Mountain at the northernmost part of Jiaodong peninsula, Yantai. It is noted as one of the Four Great Towers of China. It is said that Penglai was the place that Emperor Qin Shi Huang looked for the elixir of life, and the place where the great Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24) paid his sacred visit. In addition, the legend of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea adds a more mysterious atmosphere to this place. The legend goes that the eight immortals crossed the sea using their special powers after they got drunk in the Penglai Pavilion. Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang were said to be the three divine mountains in the sea for immortals to live in. The dividing line between the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea is also marked and clearly visible from the area. Warlord Zhang Zongchang (1881-1932) wrote a famous poem titled "Visiting Pengai Pavillion" about the pavilion's beauty. The Penglai Pavilion has been regarded as a 'Fairyland' since ancient times.
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