Alright dearest friends and family and random strangers....
SO after completing the second HfH build on my itinerary, I have finally, after all this gallevanting.. began the long trek to the one place in the world I want to be RIGHT now....home.
After the team said their goodbyes on Saturday at various points throughout the night depending on departure times, I left for the train back to Thessoloniki, where I transferred to another train to bring me to Athens at 11 pm. The morning train was late by 2 hours, which actually ended up working out to my advantage as I arrived in perfect time to buy my next ticket, buy some juice, pee, and board the train for Athens, with no waiting around. And I even got to share a car with an old woman who accepted an orange slice from me and in return fed me LOTS of homemade cherry pound cake stuff. Apparently, the guy next to me told me that the Macedonians have a custom that if you reject anything offered from a young girl she won't get married, and so even though the woman HATED oranges, she ate it for me anyway... so we laughed and I said I was very grateful ....but truthfully I think I was more grateful for the cake, which was amazing and kept me well fed enough that I didn't have to spend money on food ;).
From the train I took a cab and then a bus straight to the airport, where I hobo-style spent the night, being woken up amoung a crowd of people by an airport worker trying to shake me awake so that I wasn't taking up the extra seat I was curled in fetal position on... waiting around for my 3pm flight out of Athens.
Here's the sched (and TRUST me, we had a team of a few of us trying to get me home and this was the best and cheapest way possible...)
Athens to Bahrain
Bahrain to Mumbai
17 hours wait in Mumbai Airport during the day (not allowed to leave :( so I'll have to get creative with ways of occupying time..)
Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur back to beloved HK
Hong Kong to TORONTO arriving at 6pm on Wednesday (but midnight here in Europe...so a full 4-day journey)
Toronto to b-dot
Brampton to Waterlooo....?? don't know when..
Needless to say your thoughts and prayers are not only welcome but BEGGED for...a lot of these flights are pretty close together, so delays or hold ups for some would wreak havoc on getting me back...which honestly...I can't wait to be home right now... let alone the fact that I'll be wanting a bed and a shower after all this... and of course, priorities: a Timmies...
The build was awesome in so many ways that I didn't expect. The team was actually the most random bunch of characters on the planet, with varying ages, personality types, ...mental states... so on one hand the two weeks were difficult for me as I struggled with connecting to people while anticipating being home finally, but on the other was incredible as I shared my story with sooo many different people, and in return received the stories from multiple walks of life that I wouldn't normally encounter back in my student life at home..at least not to the extent of spending 24/7 with such indiviuals...
Anyways, I'm lacking some serious sleep, and hope that didn't come out too much in this post...once again, I'm going to be lazy with the editing as the computer time is limited...and so is my mental capacity for forming proper sentances or spell checking.
The Best is Yet to Come....I actually can't wait for all the things that will go down this coming year as I meet all of you again (GAH like you don't even know how much I miss you guys)....and prepare for another year...
email me whenever you get the chance... I like jokes. Preferably cheesy ones and/or ones that are NOT politically correct.
love from Europe, then from Middle East, then from Asia....then from home...
c
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
To Trench, or not to Trench?
okay so p.s. I had SO many more pictures and plans for this blog but there's been a lot of issues so they are a no go...so I apologize for the lack of interesting material for this post! Pray that my camera and memory stick are alright because they are freaking out and misbehaving....
The Team, first meal together!!
The bedding Michelle and I got in our 1-star hotel (like a 5-star compared to some of the places I've been at)...the rest of the team was jealous
So here we are, now on the home stretch...7 days and counting till I trek it back to the b-dot and then the finally the k-dub. After Thessoloniki I eagerly arrived at what turned out to be the sketchiest train station to date to meet up with my first Habitat for Humanity team member. After learning that both he and the leader that met us upon arrival in Skopje hailed from Waterloo, the homesickness that I’ve been mostly able to avoid began to set in hardcore as the prospect of returning has become more and more real to me. This dream of a trip is ending, and absolutely incredible as it has been…I’m getting super pumped about what’s in the works for the remains of the summer, and the year to come. Something tells me this trip isn’t going to be the end of what’s in store for my life…and it’s pretty wicked to see it all unfolding. Home is not a sad end to this crazy venture, but a continuation of what has been produced as a result of it all.
That said….things are not yet finished here overseas. My present location is with my team on a bus to Ohrid city for the weekend after 5 days of digging and plastering and digging (details here: [LINK] they asked me to do a blog for the team!!). It’s been wicked learning from such a diverse team; everyone so different from the others, but connecting in so many ways. I’m learning from these guys in areas I hadn’t even thought about before, and at the same time beginning to grasp how I am able to contribute to them also while we share stories and dreams. It's really neat to see how a group of people who arrive from all different walks of life can learn to connect and share and grow with one another.
We’ve also learned a pretty sweet story from our leader about how each member was added at just the right time and in the right way, just when things were looking hopeless back in the planning stages. It was pretty sweet as apparently nearing the end of the process, right when things needed to be finalized, two members dropped out and one guy and one girl spot needed to be filled, and a guy Mike and I both applied fully (me with my paperwork already complete from Thailand and Mike with his stuff all sorted out in record time) the day before the two backed out – filling in the spots that would have caused the trip to be cancelled….so that’s pretty encouraging to know how things are still being pieced together. There's also some talk of me leading a team or two in the future for Hfh which is pretty sweet - nothing permenant, no worries..but for more temporary ventures (hopefully every vacation I take won't result in quitting jobs and leaving everyone behind! ...or maybe that'd be fun...?)...so I'm pretty excited about that..
Essentially the build is going great, as much as the homesickness has not seemed to let me go for long periods of time since setting in early Sunday morning….but I’m not letting it ruin the sweet stuff that’s going on within the team and the build site, but trying to allow it to spur on a deeper desire to maximize this time before I trek it home and leave my mark behind….Please keep me in mind as I wrestle with taking these amazing opportunities in, and anticipate seeing all of your faces once again… you guys have been so incredibly supportive and I MISS you, and can’t wait until we’re no longer typing words to one another but actually hanging out face to face. Although apparently I’ve got a lot of t.v. and movie watching to catch up on….so perhaps I won’t see any of you for another month while I sort that priority out… we’ll see if I have time ;).
Check out the HfH blog, if you’re interested…we’re having a good time, and the amount of laughter going on is definitely helping the yearnings I have for all your faces…
I’ll message and do a final (or second last) blog before embarking on my massive journey home as I have 7 hours at the train/bus station before bussing it back to Athens and there's a great internet cafe there…so feel free to email still, and thanks for those of you that still haven’t forgotten me after all these weeks!! You've been more amazing than you realize.
lovelovelove,
c
Saturday, July 3, 2010
It's all Greek to me! (I couldn't resist)
Night to Day; Watermelon to Chicken; Hockey to Riverdance; China to Greece!!
Picture's after Writing this time...
p.s. I'm not editing this one...so I apologize in advance for any mistakes...I'm a horrid speller.
Soo...as my plans shifted and morphed and twisted around while in China, I had at some point decided to leave Beijing a couple of days early and take a rest in Athens as my plane landed here anyway - and who doesn't want to see Greece??
As I said goodbye to the girls, I didn't really realize how much I'd miss having company. In Hong Kong I had grasped onto the chance at being alone and independent, and jumped at the opportunity to figure stuff out, wrestle with who I am, challenge myself, and establish my character apart from much of who I was before and didn't want to be, and push myself to embrace better things and be steadfast in who I am and what I value (What a run-on sentence! Sorry, I'll let you catch your breath........). I began to anticipate again a time of refreshing independence and another time of rest and growth...but upon reaching Athens (after making a hilarious new Italian friend who was living temporarily in China and forced to go home because she could no longer use her feet - whole other story, AND experiencing the worlds worst-run airport in Moscow), I found myself bewildered and not at all at peace in the way I had been anticipating.
But I wasn't fully alone - still bummed out - but not alone. After I retreived my luggage, I went to take out some euros and literally none of my three cards were working. Not one...at any machine, bank, store. Then I tried the internet...FB and Hotmail, both wouldn't work...and here I thought Europe would be a paradise compared to China (it turned out to be so in many respects, but at the time I wasn't feeling the warmest welcome). I went to a pay phone...only credit card access - super. Bewildered and discouraged, having been brought crashing down from my high romantic hopes of Greece right from the get-go...I went to yet another bank teller - desperate. The one I landed in front of was in the midst of a conversation with an older, retired looking gentlemen who worked there but was on his day off..The two gentlemen were able to retreieve a mere 20 Euros out of one of my accounts - enough to get me to my hostel and pay for one night - yessss....oh but wait, I was assured, much to my delight, that the metro was on strike for the day (I've got some great observations about the transportation system here in Greece...)...iye, what to do, what to do?
I must have been radiating helplessness though I was trying so hard to put on a happy face, as Nikolas (the older Gentleman's name) offered to point me in the direction of my bus that he happened to be taking as well. Okay, hope was returning. As we waited for the bus, and I milked all the advice I could about sightseeing from this grandpa as possible, he bought my ticket, AND we discovered we were headed to the exact same street, only a block away from where each other was going (he was heading back to the main bank where his office was...).
...I want to intercede here to explain to all concerned that I WAS being very cautious, and constantly playing things alertly by ear - but he ended up paying for my subway too...and carrying my giant bag to my hostel, much to my opposition...and trust me...a man of 65 could NOT run away with that thing..so I wasn't worried...
Okay, so essentially I was shown directly to my hostel, having had everything paid for (I love being a charming foreigner), and even had my bag delievered much to the thankfulness of my shoulders... then..when I asked where a good restaurant to eat for cheap was - he offered dinner but no worries! That's where I gracefully declined and hung out around the guys at reception for a while.
So getting to my hostel was sweet (the money ended up being sorted out once I got ahold of a computer), but I was still pretty bummed...and realizing more and more that the Medditerannean is simply not meant for one. But of course, I wasn't about to waste away, so I went out and had some incredible food, miandered up the highest mountain in the middle of athens...and watched the sunset and made some more friends (two Geology Students from England, and an old but very peppy flight attendent from Montreal who gave me the scoop on how to sneak into the bar on the top of the Hilton Hotel to nab a view and picture of the Acropolis at night...) inbetween taking moments to just sit and enjoy everything.....as mellow as I was. The night was gorgeous, and I just chilled out, let myself try to figure out what was up with me...and just soak it in.
The next day was incredible...in the way that I had imagined it could be while on the plane...It started out with copious amounts of food (pictured), and then essentially was made up of an entire day of wandering around the Acropolis, the Agora, the temples, the Plaka market, up and around the ally ways, stopping at cafe's every so often, etc. Being on my own this time allowed me to stop several times and ponder life in the very same quite places the greats did once upon a time..
Athens and Thessoloniki (the city where I am currently - I want a day early to try to catch the train because there is NO schedule information available - there is no schedule...you just show up and hope there's a train...no working phone numbers to the stations, no internet info; nothing - AND I've discovered...Greek guys are very quick to talk to you - but are literally usless in wanting to offer any substantial help. Greece trains, buses, and subways run when they feel like it.).... have become really calm places of reflection. I've only got two weeks left overseas...I can't even believe it. I know I will miss what I've been through here immensely.... but the time sitting alone atop ancient ruins and by the sea have caused me to really solidify who I am when I get back. Of course I'm still me....but the amount I've learned and experienced and been taught would be an utter waste if I returned the same...It's pretty wonderful how traveling can change you, especially when you seek to recognize and find lessons that aren't so obvious. Sometimes we change without trying, but most of the time positve change is something we have to be first open two, and second push to continue and work on.
I've got another couple of crazy weeks ahead, and I'm so pumped to finally be doing this other build that I've been wanting to do since the fall (sorry Megsy, you'll get yours soon!! love you!!! :)). I'm ready to get my hands dirty again, and looking forward to the final things God's gonna teach me before I return to Waterloo (and of course the Btown, for a bit ;)). I've thought long and hard about this past year, and those before...and who I really want to be at my core; the values I've got or want to have, the character I want to posess and work on and fine tune.... and the strenth I find in the one who has done, is doing, and will do all of this in me. It's going to be messy...but I'm not settling for average, I've been looking at where I've gone wrong in the past, and what I need to put myself into boot-camp for, which a lot of this trip has been... and this year is pretty exciting as I begin to make goals and look at my desires (that are hopefully not my own) for what is going to go down over the next twelve months and on and on.
Hold me accountable - call me out...and if you want, I'll reciprocate...... coffee date, anyone?
I think that's all for now... I didn't really plan this blog out too much, so I probably missed some things that should have been mentioned...but I'm going to include some pics after I write so hopefully they will inspire me to fill in the details that I've missed.
Athens and Thessoloniki DID turn out to be amazing - not in the extatic way that I anticipated, but in the calm, assuring, steadfast to wrestling to peaceul, thankful and quiet ways...which was probably needed after the whirlwind of China, and before the blitz of the coming two weeks.
Thanks all again SO INCREDIBLY MUCH for your prayers and support and friendship...keep in touch STILL...even though I'm home soon doesn't mean I don't want the life updates still, or the jokes, or words of encouragement...everything is appreciated and I'm trying to stay on top of all the emails...so be patient with me...but don't stop...I love you guys!!
Also, if you have any suggestions about movies that I've missed this summer - please make a list...I'll have some work to do.
Oh, and NO ONE tell me what's happened on The Office, Glee, Bachelorette, esp. the office... I don't want to hear anything that has come from Dwight's mouth until I've heard it myself...and then can repeat stuff back to you. Laura, that means you. ...and everyone else.
Oh and happy belated Canada Day, everyone!! I'll have to set off some fireworks when I get back too just to make up for missing it...so cheesy, but so necissary every year...
I've got quite the list of stuff to accomplish when I get back...suggestions and company welcome...including getting a job..or two..please pray for me!!
and also that my India visa will work out - every city I go to doesn't work out with timing/process so I only have one option left - here's to hoping :).
What I rambler I am!! Apologies for any of you who bothered to read past the airport stuff...or even past the pictures. I appreciate the dedication more than you realize!
opa!! (does anyone ACTUALLY know what this means?!)
see ya soon,
- gray
First Meal in Greece!! I was starving and so obviously this was amazing - Moussaka with Greek Salad (look at the size and imagine the taste of the feta - mammamia!) 
On to of L-mountain (Highest in Athens...and there's Charlie in the background)
Athens! First Night!
Sunset...yeah...I stuck around...
Breakfast! Baklavah and coffee
View at breakfast the next day...
Okay so this was breakfast on Day two...literally this was the "half-Gyro portion" ....I actually didn't have to eat ALL day until a small dinner at 8:30pm....and it was cheap too!!
22 Ezra - I bought one of these guys and shipped him home to guard our doorway...like?
Parthenon!!
Dogs EVERYwhere...and bigger than the ones in China...chillin at the Parthenon..Pepper, don't be jealous
The Chinese can't get enough!! I met this girl when she asked me to take a picture of us on the hill!! She's heading back to China in two weeks...we bonded.
...AND Shout out to K-wol and Turner gifted kids - Oedipius Rex, right here!!
Ancient Agora where Socrates chilled...and Acropolis in background...
Breakfast...
Lunch...more baklavah... peanut, pistachio and orange...I need to learn to make this stuff - I WILL learn to make this stuff....writing that down now...
Cabbage salad...taking a break from all the pastries - still amazing though!
Breakfast! Fresh apple pie - just made...and Frappe... once again...didn't have to eat till dinner :)
Thessoloniki!! "The White Tower" in the backgroun apparently used to be red from executions...so they painted and called it "white" for a better image...
Ancient Agora where Socrates chilled...and Acropolis in background...
Breakfast...
Lunch...more baklavah... peanut, pistachio and orange...I need to learn to make this stuff - I WILL learn to make this stuff....writing that down now...
Cabbage salad...taking a break from all the pastries - still amazing though!
Breakfast! Fresh apple pie - just made...and Frappe... once again...didn't have to eat till dinner :)
Thessoloniki!! "The White Tower" in the backgroun apparently used to be red from executions...so they painted and called it "white" for a better image...Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Xie Xie, China, It's Been a Slice
Some Retelling, Relating, and Reflecting (applying my grade 4 education here..)...and pictures :)...
So…here I sit, on the floor of Departures in Beijing Int. Airport, having just eaten my last Dragonfruit and said goodbye to two very awesome girls (both fruit and friends will be missed dreadfully). The last 48 hours here in China have brought much joy as we’ve reflected on what this country has unexpectedly contributed to our lives.
J&J head out bright and early Wed morning to the transsiberian, and I fly tonight to get my feta fix. As we reflected over the trip during our last dinner together, we attempted to discuss our favourite memories of the journey – and realized the task of narrowing down our options was impossible, as each day of our short 3-week venture was so jam packed and each event offered something extremely different compared to the others.
The lack of blogger has limited my abilities to spread out the stories of our escapades in detail, I wish you all could know more clearly some of what has gone down here in this tacky and truly unique section of the globe, but I’m sure many post-trip coffee dates will bring more clarity to just how off this culture is, and how pointless it is to try and understand the 1.4 billion peoples’ daily habits as they attempted to adapt their old, eastern traditions to the rapid onset of the western influence. The clash of the two worlds has created quite an odd and overwhelming result that I hope each of you get to experience at one point or another.
The quirkiness has been observed since the moment I stepped into the Arrivals arena in Hong Kong airport to meet the quirky and jolly stranger who was my only point of contact on this unplanned adventure – and that was just Hong Kong which is basically England when compared to mainland China. I had a lot to learn…but as we’ve discovered, there are some things we are just never going to understand. You can try – but this culture’s present day ways are so far from making sense to a westerner, you just have to stand back, smile and nod at the sight before you, all the while at least appreciating how much it’s going to open your eyes to the differences within humanity. We have come to the realization (it didn’t take us long to figure out), that the word “unnecessary” is truly what defines the Chinese culture as a general rule. When something is ridiculous and unnecessary, it makes sense here. I also want to clarify that I am facetious out of love for this country…though I don’t think I’ll ever go back…but still; all love.
Here are some examples and visual aid…though pictures don’t do the culture justice. You can literally stand on the street and point at everything in the culture and fit in under the “interesting..” umbrella. As I write I realize how judgmental I sound – but honestly, it’s so different from… us we were certainly never bored.
Okay so these stools are HILARIOUS. Everyone literally carts these mini stools around with them and whenever they enter a line, sit on them. Sounds great, in theory...except then you watch them squat all the way down to sit just to stand, drag the stool, and bend to sit again every thirty seconds, only moving about half a metre every time. Saving energy? I think not. ....whatever floats your boat?
This is one of our favourite Chinese habits, and what makes the men there SO incredibly attractive.... The boys at a very young age learn to actually walk around like this...but not JUST with their shirts up, but with guts out and the constant motion of slapping and playing with their belly buttons. so hot. Please! Canadian boys! start this..you'll win over any girl you wish...as long as you hoark and spit on them as well... That is how you get women.
oh yeah, and I might add that the man is reading a sign that discusses this stone, which actually called "Large Decorative Stone," and it is known for being the largest decorative stone in China. Necissary or unnecissary? I'll let you be the judge..
The Hoarking too…I wish I had captured this continuous occurrence on camera. The constant chorus of hoarking and car/bike honking defies reason – No man or woman produces THAT much spit naturally – every other culture manages to restrain themselves – so they unnecessarily force phlegm out of their lungs just to fling wherever it may choose to land. And the cars and bikes around you are literally just honking for fun – they must be. There are no rules for driving, you just do whatever you want..once again, China holds the highest traffic accident casualty number per capita in the world (so my completely accurate sources inform me). Another unnecessary obsession – the coughing masks. If you so much as sniffle or clear your throat they paranoid..ly.. waive a mask in front of your face, yet they’ll spit anywhere and everywhere, don’t provide toilet paper ANYwhere, don’t use soap after using the washroom (like they don’t have soap anywhere), and I don’t even want to talk about the cleaning regulations (or lack there of). And all this would be fine, if they didn’t so hypocritically obsess over the face masks. So silly. They also give me an individual plastic bag for my coffee whenever I say “to go,” and don’t understand that bagging a coffee to go is an utterly pointless and redundant thing to do. This list just never ends.
No matter where I travel to next, every culture will be held up to this incredibly unromantic, weird, annoying (if you lack a sense of humour and patience) group of individuals. Because of China’s attempt to portray themselves in a more Western light, and hide the different ways of their people, I really had no idea about the actual modern customs of the culture (we’ll also keep in mind I found out I was flying here 2 days before landing so couldn’t really look anything up beforehand). One might be able to make educated assumptions about the feeling of Italy or India for example, without ever having set foot there (though they ARE high ranking locations on the bucket list, don’t get me wrong, GOING is still better than knowing from afar), one has no idea about China until you have actually allowed all of your senses to soak it all in.
We even had a tackiness meter, which we modeled after the customer satisfaction machines scattered all over; when something was truly and amazingly tacky, it would receive “satisfactory,” downwards through “moderately satisfied,” to “dissatisfied,” as opposed to any sort of option for exceeding service expectations. The mini stools are satisfactory indeed.
Over the trip we had some wicked times, which I’ll do some highlights for ya in a bit, but at one point a discussion we had at the Summer Palace in Beijing while sitting with our feet over the stone ledge next to a stunning royal lake really hit home for us. We were reminded of the fragility of life – and not even just physical life (as depressing as that part of conversation was at certain points…we can’t stick to dwelling on that), but the fragility of our life mentally, and how easily our minds can be altered to something unhealthy or negative. Especially while we were surrounded by a society still affected by such a harsh regime, we must remember how easily even the greatest, most intelligent minds, or the strongest individual’s character’s can be manipulated, controlled, and convinced of something completely immoral or inherently evil. Although at home we are given more freedom mentally – this doesn’t mean we are not affected STRONGLY by the sources around us…we may think we are not corrupted…but our minds are fragile, and the subtle ways they are affected are dangerous and not obvious unless you begin to keep your eyes open a little wider (easy for us “wide-eyes” ;), kidding). But seriously…not only should we be doing things that live life to the fullest…but we need to be aware and discerning, and that the way we think is in check and healthy and vibrant also. Remember, we are challenged to lead a life worthy of our calling…let us find strength in the one who calls us and seek to train our minds, hearts, relationships, etc. because they can so easily be lost or corrupted. What are lives worth to you?
The trip for us isn’t done – though the three of us have gone our two separate ways (I should be posting pics for the girls, fyi, if you’re looking out for what they’re doing – maybe, we’ll see!)…but this country – this massive blank map that has been filled in over the last 2 months – this land that I literally had not found out I would be spending any significant amount of time in ever until right before the trip and even while on the trip when making the hard decision to quit my job for the place…has become the craziest, most awesome, beautiful, jam-packed journey. As I fly away to the next continent on the itinerary, I am reminded, thinking back on all that has happened (oh the THOUSANDS of things that have happened mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually…), I am reminded that I am not fully on vaycay, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
While on the metro heading towards the airport I smiled as a song I was obsessed with in grade seven came up on shuffle and reminded me how long I had dreamed for big things…I’m not even ashamed to say it’s Avril Lavigne’s song “Anything but Ordinary” (I know all you boys have her CD memorized)…I’ll let you youtube/google the lyrics yourself…but it’s cool to know that our prayers may take a while to be answered and certainly (in the sense of 2 months spent in China) they are not always how we picture things…yet they are better than we could have ever thought possible. Keep dreaming guys, big things are not just meant for some people – but are promised to all.
So…get off your butt, or at least be patient.
I suppose you think this is easy for me to say being all over the globe right now…but trust me; the journey here was by no stretch easy. All you have to do is be willing to follow…all the time…and remember…
“Don’t let any one think less of you because you are young, be an example to all…” 1 Tim 4:12
… Here’s some random fav’s of ours if you’re interested, in no particular order...
climbing the sickest fence in the world..
napping on the great wall, nbd
Jess! I see the light..
Summer Palace...couldn't get enough!
Another great thing in China....the random solomn group dancing.
Summer Palace...stunning!
Tianamen Square...
little India - fav pavillion....amazing dancing...and we got samosas....home...*sigh*
I got my Thai fix, after all!!
The Irish pavillion had pictures of a bunch of different people who are irish....this "red head" was amoung U2 and Oscar Wilde. This is what Ireland has contributed to the world...
At the expo...Haiti pavillion had paper all over for people to sign with words of encouragement and such..
!out watch
Jess and Ashley and Mr. Yak
great moment - walking down the street from the metro and stopping to watch Mr. Bean with the locals as it blared out onto the sidewalk....amazing...amazing...made me miss home a bit.
he put the sunglasses on especially for the pic. so BA
When Jess got her belly button done it actually felt like I was coaching a birth. I'm going to be a pro. She did great, especially because this was her second one.
Oh yeah, Hey and p.s. Mom and Dad - I got my rook pierced!! And my second whole on the left ear.. just so ya know!! It was safe and very clean mom - not as sketch as it looked!
The guy actually pierced my ear without me knowing until it was through as I was facing away and bartering the prices we'd pay on the phone with his english speaking daughter...not as sketchy as it sounds....?
we got the "standing" train tickets for our 13 hour trip to Beijing....we were lucky enough to camp out in the smoking room...it looks more spacious in the pictures...and was actually SO much fun...people were playing cards all on the floor, jess and I both had a new boy that night sharing our bags, my foot fell asleep once so much that when I awoke in a panic with my body probably thinking my foot had lost all blood and died, I collapsed because I literally had no sensation in my feet anymore from how cramped we were. amazing night...like actually, no complaints!!
Here's a couple of guys sitting on the sink as their seat next to the washrooms...and this was before all the people were filled in!
We've actually had some wicked transportation adventures - maybe not everyone's style...but such awesome times. The boat to Shanghai from Osaka ended up being so chill and amazing, and we even got so much free food...which the calling of some of this free food as something edible is questionable...but any time we heard those two 'f' words together we became sort of animalistic.... literally one morning we were asleep in our Jap-style room, Julia and I facing each other, and Jess across from us, and in our dream-like state at 6am we all heard the thick accent over the intercome saying "free breakfast" and literally as soon as those words were spoken, Julia and I opened our eyes at the same time, repeated to each other "free food?" then sat up in unison to face Jess who said "I heard it too" as she sat up to face us. All this happened in a couple of split seconds, and we literally - no lie, were out of bed a second later and hurrying up bed-heads and all to the dining room even though we technically had time to sleep in a bit.
Our overnight to Japan which consisted of flying from Lhasa to Chengdu, transferring to Beijing, and then transferring to Tokyo was a cool story too. First, Ashley offered to take the hour long bus ride to the airport to say goodbye which turned out to be an insane blessing because she had our permits which we wouldn't have thought we'd need anymore - but they wouldn't have let us fly without them and we would have missed our flight by the time we'd get Ashley to the airport if she hadn't come to send us off. Then in Chengdu, our flight was delayed (along with ALL other flights to Beijing/area), and so while scrambling in the airport for some cheap options for food (we weren't even hungry), and Julia runs into the only store on our level where Jess and I were scouting out Ice cream and says "they have free food!!" (Julia actually instinctually was going to head for the food without us at first)...and we ran...for no reason, we ran and pushed to get this free food that was absolutely kind of disgusting - but not at all...because it was free. Then we took way more water bottles than we needed...and later on when there were free crackers we were like scavengers, and I had to nab a couple at a time because Julia, who was holding the package was ravenously devouring them all within minutes. That night in Chengdu we also spied a white tourist group eating tuna sandwhiches, which the girls had been craving for weeks, and so upon hearing that they got them for free from the airline, our instinct kicked in to scout them out too..which landed us with free bowls of dried noodles. Served us right...but they were amazing anyway. The story actually got cooler because as we were waiting and waiting, we were informed that our flight was going to be delayed until the next morning, which would mean our Tokyo flight would be missed, and this was the one flight the girls didn't have insurance for... we all prayed, and literally, as Jess was talking to one guy about the group that had decided to leave and go to a hotel overnight, and Julia was still holding the crackers, I went to change my contacts, came back, and Julia said "we're going." And I was like..."what?!?" Just like that, after waiting for hours and being told we'd have to wait another 7 hours to take off, we were flying to Beijing...just our plane and none of the other planes that were in line before us or after us to go to Beijing were leaving, but we were flying, and we made our Tokyo transfer just in time. Wonderful.
marx, lenin, mao - ...
an official expo hat
holla
cutting Jule's bangs!! Newbie hairdresser and newbie bangs!
Geisha
We thought this was pretty wicked...in Japan, the men wear hats so much it made it on the walking sign.
SUMOOO
Another highlight of the trip - the Japanese shower when we were laughed at and then stared at by old Japanese women will stick with us for a long, long time (partially because it was slightly scarring...?) amazing.
in the himalaya's, p.s.
Ashley's apartment and husband, David...it's not just how fun the whole night was - but the humbling and blessed realization of just how little we need to be truly happy. The point was driven home even further when we attempted to brain storm ideas for a thank-you gift and realized how A&D didn't need nor want anything other than what they had (except a car and a baby, but our resources were limited)...The memory of that single evening will stick out in our minds for good - so here's to hoping the observation of back to basics will also be carried with us as we press forward in life.
Running through a fountain in Tibet!
Ashley and David!!!
"Mr. Yak"
Our first hostel together!
t-shirts!! We actually couldn't get enough of them...young and old, male and female would wear any ridiculous t...
The Matching shirts!! Okay so couples in China wear matching shirts pretty often. And we can't help wondering what drama goes down with something like this....at what point is a relationship solid enough to merit buying a matching shirt? Does the guy buy a set, or does the girl? Or is it a mutual decision? Do fights occur based on who wants to wear what shirt on what day? Or what if the guy doesn't want to match that day - does that mean things are ending?? I love it. I am so doing this when I'm no longer single. Ba! something tells me this just wouldn't fly with Canadian boys...
these "playgrounds" are set up everywhere and are used by the elderly like no tomorrow - I think they're actually really smart...they're like gyms but outside, I'd be way more into this method of working out..
At the Panda Reserve..
So…here I sit, on the floor of Departures in Beijing Int. Airport, having just eaten my last Dragonfruit and said goodbye to two very awesome girls (both fruit and friends will be missed dreadfully). The last 48 hours here in China have brought much joy as we’ve reflected on what this country has unexpectedly contributed to our lives.
J&J head out bright and early Wed morning to the transsiberian, and I fly tonight to get my feta fix. As we reflected over the trip during our last dinner together, we attempted to discuss our favourite memories of the journey – and realized the task of narrowing down our options was impossible, as each day of our short 3-week venture was so jam packed and each event offered something extremely different compared to the others.
The lack of blogger has limited my abilities to spread out the stories of our escapades in detail, I wish you all could know more clearly some of what has gone down here in this tacky and truly unique section of the globe, but I’m sure many post-trip coffee dates will bring more clarity to just how off this culture is, and how pointless it is to try and understand the 1.4 billion peoples’ daily habits as they attempted to adapt their old, eastern traditions to the rapid onset of the western influence. The clash of the two worlds has created quite an odd and overwhelming result that I hope each of you get to experience at one point or another.
The quirkiness has been observed since the moment I stepped into the Arrivals arena in Hong Kong airport to meet the quirky and jolly stranger who was my only point of contact on this unplanned adventure – and that was just Hong Kong which is basically England when compared to mainland China. I had a lot to learn…but as we’ve discovered, there are some things we are just never going to understand. You can try – but this culture’s present day ways are so far from making sense to a westerner, you just have to stand back, smile and nod at the sight before you, all the while at least appreciating how much it’s going to open your eyes to the differences within humanity. We have come to the realization (it didn’t take us long to figure out), that the word “unnecessary” is truly what defines the Chinese culture as a general rule. When something is ridiculous and unnecessary, it makes sense here. I also want to clarify that I am facetious out of love for this country…though I don’t think I’ll ever go back…but still; all love.
Here are some examples and visual aid…though pictures don’t do the culture justice. You can literally stand on the street and point at everything in the culture and fit in under the “interesting..” umbrella. As I write I realize how judgmental I sound – but honestly, it’s so different from… us we were certainly never bored.
Okay so these stools are HILARIOUS. Everyone literally carts these mini stools around with them and whenever they enter a line, sit on them. Sounds great, in theory...except then you watch them squat all the way down to sit just to stand, drag the stool, and bend to sit again every thirty seconds, only moving about half a metre every time. Saving energy? I think not. ....whatever floats your boat?This is one of our favourite Chinese habits, and what makes the men there SO incredibly attractive.... The boys at a very young age learn to actually walk around like this...but not JUST with their shirts up, but with guts out and the constant motion of slapping and playing with their belly buttons. so hot. Please! Canadian boys! start this..you'll win over any girl you wish...as long as you hoark and spit on them as well... That is how you get women.
oh yeah, and I might add that the man is reading a sign that discusses this stone, which actually called "Large Decorative Stone," and it is known for being the largest decorative stone in China. Necissary or unnecissary? I'll let you be the judge..
The Hoarking too…I wish I had captured this continuous occurrence on camera. The constant chorus of hoarking and car/bike honking defies reason – No man or woman produces THAT much spit naturally – every other culture manages to restrain themselves – so they unnecessarily force phlegm out of their lungs just to fling wherever it may choose to land. And the cars and bikes around you are literally just honking for fun – they must be. There are no rules for driving, you just do whatever you want..once again, China holds the highest traffic accident casualty number per capita in the world (so my completely accurate sources inform me). Another unnecessary obsession – the coughing masks. If you so much as sniffle or clear your throat they paranoid..ly.. waive a mask in front of your face, yet they’ll spit anywhere and everywhere, don’t provide toilet paper ANYwhere, don’t use soap after using the washroom (like they don’t have soap anywhere), and I don’t even want to talk about the cleaning regulations (or lack there of). And all this would be fine, if they didn’t so hypocritically obsess over the face masks. So silly. They also give me an individual plastic bag for my coffee whenever I say “to go,” and don’t understand that bagging a coffee to go is an utterly pointless and redundant thing to do. This list just never ends.
No matter where I travel to next, every culture will be held up to this incredibly unromantic, weird, annoying (if you lack a sense of humour and patience) group of individuals. Because of China’s attempt to portray themselves in a more Western light, and hide the different ways of their people, I really had no idea about the actual modern customs of the culture (we’ll also keep in mind I found out I was flying here 2 days before landing so couldn’t really look anything up beforehand). One might be able to make educated assumptions about the feeling of Italy or India for example, without ever having set foot there (though they ARE high ranking locations on the bucket list, don’t get me wrong, GOING is still better than knowing from afar), one has no idea about China until you have actually allowed all of your senses to soak it all in.
We even had a tackiness meter, which we modeled after the customer satisfaction machines scattered all over; when something was truly and amazingly tacky, it would receive “satisfactory,” downwards through “moderately satisfied,” to “dissatisfied,” as opposed to any sort of option for exceeding service expectations. The mini stools are satisfactory indeed.
Over the trip we had some wicked times, which I’ll do some highlights for ya in a bit, but at one point a discussion we had at the Summer Palace in Beijing while sitting with our feet over the stone ledge next to a stunning royal lake really hit home for us. We were reminded of the fragility of life – and not even just physical life (as depressing as that part of conversation was at certain points…we can’t stick to dwelling on that), but the fragility of our life mentally, and how easily our minds can be altered to something unhealthy or negative. Especially while we were surrounded by a society still affected by such a harsh regime, we must remember how easily even the greatest, most intelligent minds, or the strongest individual’s character’s can be manipulated, controlled, and convinced of something completely immoral or inherently evil. Although at home we are given more freedom mentally – this doesn’t mean we are not affected STRONGLY by the sources around us…we may think we are not corrupted…but our minds are fragile, and the subtle ways they are affected are dangerous and not obvious unless you begin to keep your eyes open a little wider (easy for us “wide-eyes” ;), kidding). But seriously…not only should we be doing things that live life to the fullest…but we need to be aware and discerning, and that the way we think is in check and healthy and vibrant also. Remember, we are challenged to lead a life worthy of our calling…let us find strength in the one who calls us and seek to train our minds, hearts, relationships, etc. because they can so easily be lost or corrupted. What are lives worth to you?
The trip for us isn’t done – though the three of us have gone our two separate ways (I should be posting pics for the girls, fyi, if you’re looking out for what they’re doing – maybe, we’ll see!)…but this country – this massive blank map that has been filled in over the last 2 months – this land that I literally had not found out I would be spending any significant amount of time in ever until right before the trip and even while on the trip when making the hard decision to quit my job for the place…has become the craziest, most awesome, beautiful, jam-packed journey. As I fly away to the next continent on the itinerary, I am reminded, thinking back on all that has happened (oh the THOUSANDS of things that have happened mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually…), I am reminded that I am not fully on vaycay, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
While on the metro heading towards the airport I smiled as a song I was obsessed with in grade seven came up on shuffle and reminded me how long I had dreamed for big things…I’m not even ashamed to say it’s Avril Lavigne’s song “Anything but Ordinary” (I know all you boys have her CD memorized)…I’ll let you youtube/google the lyrics yourself…but it’s cool to know that our prayers may take a while to be answered and certainly (in the sense of 2 months spent in China) they are not always how we picture things…yet they are better than we could have ever thought possible. Keep dreaming guys, big things are not just meant for some people – but are promised to all.
So…get off your butt, or at least be patient.
I suppose you think this is easy for me to say being all over the globe right now…but trust me; the journey here was by no stretch easy. All you have to do is be willing to follow…all the time…and remember…
“Don’t let any one think less of you because you are young, be an example to all…” 1 Tim 4:12
… Here’s some random fav’s of ours if you’re interested, in no particular order...
climbing the sickest fence in the world..
napping on the great wall, nbd 
Jess! I see the light..
Summer Palace...couldn't get enough!
Another great thing in China....the random solomn group dancing. 
Summer Palace...stunning!
Tianamen Square...
little India - fav pavillion....amazing dancing...and we got samosas....home...*sigh* 
I got my Thai fix, after all!!
The Irish pavillion had pictures of a bunch of different people who are irish....this "red head" was amoung U2 and Oscar Wilde. This is what Ireland has contributed to the world...
At the expo...Haiti pavillion had paper all over for people to sign with words of encouragement and such..
!out watch
Jess and Ashley and Mr. Yak
great moment - walking down the street from the metro and stopping to watch Mr. Bean with the locals as it blared out onto the sidewalk....amazing...amazing...made me miss home a bit. 
he put the sunglasses on especially for the pic. so BA
When Jess got her belly button done it actually felt like I was coaching a birth. I'm going to be a pro. She did great, especially because this was her second one. 
Oh yeah, Hey and p.s. Mom and Dad - I got my rook pierced!! And my second whole on the left ear.. just so ya know!! It was safe and very clean mom - not as sketch as it looked!
The guy actually pierced my ear without me knowing until it was through as I was facing away and bartering the prices we'd pay on the phone with his english speaking daughter...not as sketchy as it sounds....?
we got the "standing" train tickets for our 13 hour trip to Beijing....we were lucky enough to camp out in the smoking room...it looks more spacious in the pictures...and was actually SO much fun...people were playing cards all on the floor, jess and I both had a new boy that night sharing our bags, my foot fell asleep once so much that when I awoke in a panic with my body probably thinking my foot had lost all blood and died, I collapsed because I literally had no sensation in my feet anymore from how cramped we were. amazing night...like actually, no complaints!!
Here's a couple of guys sitting on the sink as their seat next to the washrooms...and this was before all the people were filled in!We've actually had some wicked transportation adventures - maybe not everyone's style...but such awesome times. The boat to Shanghai from Osaka ended up being so chill and amazing, and we even got so much free food...which the calling of some of this free food as something edible is questionable...but any time we heard those two 'f' words together we became sort of animalistic.... literally one morning we were asleep in our Jap-style room, Julia and I facing each other, and Jess across from us, and in our dream-like state at 6am we all heard the thick accent over the intercome saying "free breakfast" and literally as soon as those words were spoken, Julia and I opened our eyes at the same time, repeated to each other "free food?" then sat up in unison to face Jess who said "I heard it too" as she sat up to face us. All this happened in a couple of split seconds, and we literally - no lie, were out of bed a second later and hurrying up bed-heads and all to the dining room even though we technically had time to sleep in a bit.
Our overnight to Japan which consisted of flying from Lhasa to Chengdu, transferring to Beijing, and then transferring to Tokyo was a cool story too. First, Ashley offered to take the hour long bus ride to the airport to say goodbye which turned out to be an insane blessing because she had our permits which we wouldn't have thought we'd need anymore - but they wouldn't have let us fly without them and we would have missed our flight by the time we'd get Ashley to the airport if she hadn't come to send us off. Then in Chengdu, our flight was delayed (along with ALL other flights to Beijing/area), and so while scrambling in the airport for some cheap options for food (we weren't even hungry), and Julia runs into the only store on our level where Jess and I were scouting out Ice cream and says "they have free food!!" (Julia actually instinctually was going to head for the food without us at first)...and we ran...for no reason, we ran and pushed to get this free food that was absolutely kind of disgusting - but not at all...because it was free. Then we took way more water bottles than we needed...and later on when there were free crackers we were like scavengers, and I had to nab a couple at a time because Julia, who was holding the package was ravenously devouring them all within minutes. That night in Chengdu we also spied a white tourist group eating tuna sandwhiches, which the girls had been craving for weeks, and so upon hearing that they got them for free from the airline, our instinct kicked in to scout them out too..which landed us with free bowls of dried noodles. Served us right...but they were amazing anyway. The story actually got cooler because as we were waiting and waiting, we were informed that our flight was going to be delayed until the next morning, which would mean our Tokyo flight would be missed, and this was the one flight the girls didn't have insurance for... we all prayed, and literally, as Jess was talking to one guy about the group that had decided to leave and go to a hotel overnight, and Julia was still holding the crackers, I went to change my contacts, came back, and Julia said "we're going." And I was like..."what?!?" Just like that, after waiting for hours and being told we'd have to wait another 7 hours to take off, we were flying to Beijing...just our plane and none of the other planes that were in line before us or after us to go to Beijing were leaving, but we were flying, and we made our Tokyo transfer just in time. Wonderful.
marx, lenin, mao - ...
an official expo hat 
holla
cutting Jule's bangs!! Newbie hairdresser and newbie bangs!
Geisha 
We thought this was pretty wicked...in Japan, the men wear hats so much it made it on the walking sign.
SUMOOO
Another highlight of the trip - the Japanese shower when we were laughed at and then stared at by old Japanese women will stick with us for a long, long time (partially because it was slightly scarring...?) amazing.
in the himalaya's, p.s.
Ashley's apartment and husband, David...it's not just how fun the whole night was - but the humbling and blessed realization of just how little we need to be truly happy. The point was driven home even further when we attempted to brain storm ideas for a thank-you gift and realized how A&D didn't need nor want anything other than what they had (except a car and a baby, but our resources were limited)...The memory of that single evening will stick out in our minds for good - so here's to hoping the observation of back to basics will also be carried with us as we press forward in life.
Running through a fountain in Tibet!
Ashley and David!!! 
"Mr. Yak"
Our first hostel together!
t-shirts!! We actually couldn't get enough of them...young and old, male and female would wear any ridiculous t...
The Matching shirts!! Okay so couples in China wear matching shirts pretty often. And we can't help wondering what drama goes down with something like this....at what point is a relationship solid enough to merit buying a matching shirt? Does the guy buy a set, or does the girl? Or is it a mutual decision? Do fights occur based on who wants to wear what shirt on what day? Or what if the guy doesn't want to match that day - does that mean things are ending?? I love it. I am so doing this when I'm no longer single. Ba! something tells me this just wouldn't fly with Canadian boys...
these "playgrounds" are set up everywhere and are used by the elderly like no tomorrow - I think they're actually really smart...they're like gyms but outside, I'd be way more into this method of working out..
At the Panda Reserve..One of the best days...first day we traveled together back in the HK days - Jess's b-day and she got her fish and chips!!
Now I'm in Athens - I'll try to post soon!!
love, love, LOVE
C
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