Feelin' Fresh

About a week after we five arrived, the team took a weekend retreat in a mountain village about an hour's bus ride south of the city. Our lodging, called a "农家乐" (nóng jīa lè, or "Happy Peasant Home") was plenty more primitive than anyplace I'd ever stayed in the States--no heat and no running water (but we had electricity)! But its simplicity was met with warm comfort and deep satisfaction. The chilled mountain air was crisp and fresh, the sky was brighter and bluer than I've ever seen it in the city, and there was a profound peace about meeting with the Creator right in the midst of His magnificent creation.

 Cheerful countenances capture the joy of belonging to this close-knit community.

 Traditional-style red paper lanterns, along with corncobs and persimmons hung out to dry, adorn this rustic countryside home.

Crimson-colored wildflowers emerge from a stone wall along the mountain trail.

Roomies! 

(L-R: me, Amber, Margaret)

Chocolate cupcakes were a sweet birthday treat for Andrew (seated), whose 22nd birthday we celebrated during our marvelous mountain retreat!

Splendidly scenic view of the mountain village from halfway up the hiking trail.

Behold, what brilliant blue!

Long Time No See...

Holy smokes, it's been ten months since my last blog post! Not that my blog has a long list of super-devoted subscribers, but for those of you (few) who are interested in the day-to-day of my life here in XA, I hope to get my blog back up and running here in the next week or two. (And I hope posting this blurb will give me some sense of accountability...) Ttfn!

Whirlwind

Our first week in Xi'an was a whirlwind of getting oriented, running a number of errands, settling into our new homes, and simultaneously trying to survive jet lag. But amid the busyness, we took the time to taste a tidbit of Chinese culture! 

 One of several brilliantly lit water fountains in the park near Da Yan Ta (Big Goose Pagoda).

An elderly man was practicing his calligraphy with water on the tile in a courtyard at the park. 

Margaret and I rode home from the supermarket in a three-wheeled motor-cart, a common mode of transportation in XA!

We rented bicycles and rode them around the perimeter of the city wall. Margaret and I were feeling adventurous and attempted a tandem! 

 Young acrobats performing on the city wall. Those little ladies were unbelievably flexible!

A traditional pagoda was perched on every corner of the city wall. We took a break from bike-riding for this photo op!

Further Preparation

This is my super-awesome team (L-R: Brendan, Daniel, Andrew, me, Margaret)! This is a picture from the final banquet at our first round of training in May. We're definitely a fun bunch.  :)

Last month my team and I reconvened in Colorado for two weeks of Program In Language Acquisition Techniques (PILAT) training. The program focused on teaching us to train our mouths and ears to form and differentiate between speech sounds outside of English phonetics. We also learned a unique and especially effective methodology for learning a new language, and had the opportunity to put it into practice. The program brought in native speakers of various languages, and they worked with us in small groups to practice the new methodology that we'd been introduced to. (Basically, the methodology includes series of learner-guided "projects," in which the learner chooses what he or she'd like to learn and takes full responsibility for learning it, with the help of a teacher or tutor.) I was in a group with a native Russian speaker, and I'd previously had zero experience with the Russian language. Although I only studied Russian for a few hours each day for three days, I'm proud to say that I could still tell you in Russian that "I took a boat to the hospital," "there's a pencil on my head," and "the girls are dancing in the bathroom." Very practical, of course. After PILAT, I'd say that I'm even more prepared for and excited about language study, and I feel much more confident that I'll [eventually] be able to successfully communicate with nationals!

Moving Forward

I've been back home for about a week now from my first round of orientation/training for my upcoming move to East Asia (I keep wanting to call it a "trip," but I have to remind myself that it's not a short-lived vacation--I'm going to live there for two years)! I drove out to Colorado Springs for what would be the most exciting, encouraging, yet overwhelming phase of this journey so far. I met five of my wonderful teammates, who will essentially grow to be my family for the next two years of my life. It was incredibly encouraging to meet people who share my passion and vision for the people of East Asia, as well as my struggles and challenges that I'm facing in preparing to go. Despite the difficulties that may arise, I can rest assured that I am deeply cared for and amply provided for, and I will continue to be throughout this process!

I recently read a book that a friend of mine gave me, entitled, "Dreaming in [insert East Asian language here]." It opened my eyes to the realities and complexities that my team and I will face when we attempt to assimilate ourselves into the completely opposite, upside-down language and culture that we're about to be immersed in! As much as I expect that learning the language will kick my butt, I can't help but be totally enthusiastic and eager to be challenged by it. Furthermore, learning the language will help me begin to understand the rich history of the culture and people. Speaking of people, the aspect that I'm most excited about is putting into practice the new language that I learn to meet and engage with young college women, and build relationships that will endure!

Coming to Fruition

After waiting for about a year and a half, since I first began the process of deciding to make the two-year commitment to East Asia, I finally, officially have four teammates who will join me this fall on my upcoming adventure abroad! When I received the email with the names of real people who will accompany me, it became even more real to me, and reaffirmed my decision to go. I was truly overwhelmed with joy! I've also recently received more direction in preparing for the months ahead leading up to my departure. Looks like I'm really moving forward with all of this--I'm excited!