Our China Sundays

 

Most Sundays I go to church at a government-run church called Chang Ping. When I first started going last fall, I felt like I should attend, more than I actually wanted to attend--like going to church was the right thing to do, even if I couldn't understand most of the service.  The few times we attended in Qufu, we just brought journals and the Word and did personal study because the service was impossible for us to follow.  So I consoled myself by saying that here in Changchun, I would just go every other week.  And then I went once, and I loved it! The lyrics of the songs are on the screens and the more vocabulary I learn, the more I understand.  Songs are also very repetitive which is good for a language learner.  Slowly I am understanding more and more of the sermon.  And over time, we have made some friends that I look forward to seeing every week at church.

Church friends

 

This crowd is typical for a communion Sunday when the first service runs long and people wait outside for the second service to start.   

 

This photo doesn't capture how crowded it is inside, but often we are squeezed pretty tight into the pews with little leg room and no hope of getting out if you need to use the restroom (which I wouldn't recommend anyway because of the long lines and pungent smell).

We often go out for lunch afterwards with friends from church.  Here Elizabeth, her English nameis eating fried ice cream. (Note:  I am still adjusting to the updated blogger and I can't figure how to make my vertical photos slimmer. Tips?)

   

Last Sunday we did something a little different--we went to Chip's tutor's church--further from our home and out of the hubbub of the city.  People have referred to it as a "country church" but besides it's location, most things seemed similar to me:  crowded inside, lyrics on a big screen, order of service, etc.

Chang Ping does have indoor bathrooms, but I assure you that this outdoor one smelled far better.

Me, Chip, and his tutor in the youth room where she often cooks lunch for college students after church

Chip's Chewable: In China, foot binding slowly slips into history

Chew on this: In the village of Liuyi, China, there are only about 30 women left who followed a once-common tradition that was painful but also bonded mothers and daughters.  To read more, click here.

The Hope of Easter

In small groups, we and our classmates had our tutors over to our homes to celebrate and share about the Easter holiday.

We taught our tutors how to 染鸡蛋 (dye eggs). Both of these girls are new tutors this year, so it was their first time to dye eggs.




Getting creative!










I made sugar cookies and bunny-shaped breads that they decorated with icing.



Me, my current tutor, classmate Lauren, and a former tutor of mine


We shared the true story of Easter (in Chinese) using resurrection eggs and Chinese paper-cut images of the story. The two new girls did not know the story and were anxious to know more. The other tutors, a few of which are Sisters, were helpful with explanations.



Our Easter Party Group (minus Marty, the photographer, who took these great photos)


In other Easter festivities, the foreign believers in our city got together before Easter for a traditional Seder meal led by mine and Chip's small group.


And this photo is from Easter Sunday at the Chinese church. We were given boiled eggs with scriptures on them. How fun to share the hope of Easter with people experiencing it for the first time!

Chip's Chewable: Squat toilets

Chew on this:  "Squat toilets. Most travelers in China have had to face them, and most expats have had to get used to them. Squat toilets are everywhere in China, and for most Chinese, are preferred to Western-style toilets." (Please click on the link to read the entire article.)

TQ Baby

Remember the little dragon baby shower for my Chinese tutor, TQ? Click Baby Shower to view old post. On February 29th, TQ had her sweet little boy. For one month after childbirth, Chinese mothers do not shower, brush their teeth, eat fruit, watch television, use a computer, and well, the list goes on and on, so it wasn't until last week that I got a text from TQ saying she was ready for visitors. Today, me and a couple of my classmates went to visit TQ and baby.

TQ's mom wrapped the baby in a towel and a couple of blankets--no diaper. I wondered, what happens when the baby releases waste?

Then I held the baby and found out firsthand: You get wet.
Note the wet spots on the thigh of my jeans.

He was so cute. I didn't mind.

TQ kept telling us how the baby cries all the time and never sleeps. As long as we were there, we never heard him cry. Before we left, we wanted to get a photo of TQ with the baby. . .then he started to cry. TQ happily handed him back over to his grandmother--typically the main caregiver for a baby in Chinese culture, and definitely in TQ's situation. She told us she is afraid and doesn't know how to raise a child. TQ only sees her husband a few times a month because of his work schedule. TQ will return to work herself next month. Her mother will raise her baby.

Recognize that little dragon on the wall? Chip drew it for the shower, TQ loved it and took it home, and now it decorates the wall of her parents' place.


TQ is spunky and always makes me laugh. I told her mom (in Chinese) that TQ is a great tutor. She corrected me saying, "我是最好的家教" translated "I am the best tutor."

Conversing

 

That's right.  Conversing in Chinese.  I'm on a high right now.  Sun Yuan was a tutor of mine last semester, but I also consider her a friend.  Yesterday we got together for coffee and talked for an hour and a half.  ALL IN CHINESE!  If you are surprised, know that I am surprised, too.  I often think that my Chinese is not improving, but last night proved those lies wrong.  Not that my grammar, pronunciation, and tones were all perfect, but we really communicated smoothly (with the occasional use of the Chinese/English dictionary on my phone).  It helps that Sun Yuan is a tutor so she talks slowly, clearly, and knows approximately what words first year students know.  

Daily I still get into interactions where I can't understand somebody, but the truth is, Chip and I both have come so far from where we started last September.  We are really gonna get this language!  (At least on an elementary level, anyway).

Jade Bath House

A Chinese friend/mentor of mine from church invited me last night to one of her favorite places to relax: a bath house. It seemed like an interesting cultural experience and I always love my time with her, so I went.

I knew most women would be nude. Fine. It's cultural, but it's not for me.

Maria: You know you will draw more attention to yourself if you wear a bathing suit.
Me: That's okay. I will feel more comfortable this way.

So into the locker room we went, she stripped down (bringing our friendship to a whole new level) and I (fully prepared) already had my suit on under my clothes. But before we started bathing, I needed to use the restroom.

(Conversation all in Chinese)
Me: Do you have a toilet?
Lady: ????big????small (Yeah I really didn't catch what she said. I was expecting a "yes" or a "no" or a point in some direction.)
Me: Can you say that again?
Lady: Do you need to poo (the big one) or pee (the small one) (. . .I caught it that time).
Me: Pee (the small one).
Lady: Then you can use this toilet. (Oh? This one. The one with no walls around it in the middle of the room where all of the nude women are showering. If I say I need to poo, does that mean I get toilet with a stall around it?)

So I sat down, but the feeling of needing to pee suddenly went away. People were staring. I'm foreign and I was wearing a bathing suit. I stood out. So I pretended for a moment, then just flushed.

Then we went into the community shower with women of all ages. We stood under hot water for about 20minutes. Maria said soaking under the warm opens up our pores. All the while I see nude women on massage tables being scrubbed by other nude women. The whole body. Scrubbing parts I wouldn't want someone else to scrub on me. I told Maria I didn't want to do that. She said okay. Whew!

Our next stop was a sauna with jade stones on the floor. Before we went in, they gave us disposable underwear and pink pajamas to wear. Then we nestled down into the jade stones. It felt lava hot, but I eventually got used to it and felt very relaxed. . .and sweaty. We laid there for about an hour chatting about life.

When we got back to the locker room, one of the employees kept staring at me and saying how beautiful I was. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My face was bright red, my short hair was sweaty and sticking out in parts, and my mascara was running. She grabbed another employee from outside the locker room to come see me.

(Conversation all in Chinese)
Lady #1: Isn't she pretty?
Lady #2: Yes, so pretty.
Lady #1: Do you have siblings?
Me: Yes, I have two sisters.
Lady #1: Are they as beautiful as you?
Me: Even more beautiful. (I mean, it's true. But really, how was I supposed to respond?)
Lady #1 & #2: Wow.

Then back into the shower for 20 more minutes. I felt pretty darn clean by the end of it all. And as awkward as it was at times, I really enjoyed it. I got home feeling very relaxed and slept like a rock. And Maria already texted to ask when we can go again. Maybe next time I'll drop the suit.