The End is Here!

After 11 months, 338 posts, I have to STOP!

It is quite difficult to get on to blogs, and so it is with reluctance that I finish this journey just ONE MONTH before the completion date of January 7.

I'm sad.

I missed two days.

I took a lot of different kinds of pictures from Florida to Alaska to St. George to Idaho to Virginia to California to China.

I still have some that should be posted, but...

THAT's all folks...thanks for looking in on us.

Friday - Chinese Version of the Fuller Brush Man

Brooms, anyone?

Thursday - the Yo Yo Kids

They are so adorable, and they just giggle when I start talking to them in English...

"Hi," I say. "How are you?"

"I am fine," they say back. "How are you?" More giggles.

Wednesday - walking to market

No wonder they can use the squat toilets much better than I - they even practice at school!

Tuesday - Talk, Talk, Talk

60 students, 30 sets of talking partners. How do you help 60 students learn to speak better?
It's a puzzle.

Monday - Tom

Tom is in the monday 8:30 class - he is about as shy as it gets, and also about as cute as can be. He's always happy, except when I call on him to speak. He gets this startled look on his face, and then just starts to sort of giggle - in a guy way, of course. Oh, he's delightful, that Tom!

Sunday - Getting Ready for Classes This Week

Candy - no, it's not a bribe! I just love to see their faces light up, and they just giggle when I give them a little treat; it's so fun. BTW, that's not $38! That's 38 yuan, which is much less.

It's gonna be a great week...joke week...let's see if they can follow the rules and not tell dirty jokes! I hope I'm not sorry about this assignment.

Saturday - Getting Ready for Relief Society

Object Lesson for Relief Society - does anyone ever remember what the point of the object is? I doubt it, but I love the sisters in our Relief Society. Today, Polly brought us strawberries from Hong Kong. Last week, she gave us hand sanitizer...what a dear she is!

Friday - Dinner Anyone?

Looks like dried squid to me....thanks, but I'll stick to rice and noodles.

Thanksgiving GIft From Students

So thoughtful.

Wednesday - a Rose for Loni

Awarded to me at English Corner...what can I say? It's unique.

Tuesday Night Class - Colorful Shirt

I got after Phillip for talking in class. So, to soften the blow, I took a picture of his colorful shirt.

Monday - Looking Out the Window

You can always see the students reading their English books all over campus. This was taken from the 3rd floor looking out onto the lawn below. They are studious. Well, some are.

Sunday - Meet Lance and his parents

Well, okay,let's be honest here. I didn't take this picture, but I would have if I had had the camera. Lance's parents came to visit and he wanted to surprise his mother when he greeted her at the ariport. Actually, he surprised us all when he showed up at church a little late. Gotta love that Lance - we'll all miss him!

Saturday Morning - Dorm Room

It's been a long time since I slept in a dorm room.....bottom bunk was mine...just prefect for someone who gets up to use the restroom! The church provides these rooms for people who visit the temple from far away!

Friday Night in Hong Kong

Ice Skating in the mall in Hong Kong...or actually Kowloon.

Thursday - Sign in Circus Bathroom

I love the signs in China...someone tries very hard to translate them into English, and they are very entertaining! I couldn't begin to do this, so I'm not criticizing, just enjoying!

New Silk PJS

Lovely pajamas, not so lovely figure....but, what can I say? I'm grateful to be able to stand up and move about!

Tuesday Night

This is what our apartment building looks like when we arrive home each Tuesday night at 10:45 p.m. We have about a ten minute walk from the bus stop and it's always very dark. Seeing the lights of the welcoming front entrance is always a welcome sight after our six hour journey to the South campus.

Monday Morning Class at 8:00

Before class begins....in this class, there is a student from Russia, Yemen, Africa. All the other classes are all Chinese students. Our university is a magnet for students from all over the world.

Sunday - GDUFS Library

It is truly the quietest library I have ever been in, and probably one of the most unused. A student asked me to recommend some English books for her to read, so when the library was closed on Saturday, I sneaked over afer church on Sunday.....It's a nice building, large, but not lots of students studying in the stacks.

New Gadget/Toy

I'm so excited about this new gadget....it's a laser pointer, which I didn't need - I have one.

BUT, it's also an automatic clicker for power point. I don't have to stand by the computer to forward to the next slide. I've wanted one for a long time, and Dr. Sun gave me this to use! He never uses it.....but, boy, I sure will....if it works!

What this means is that I can walk to the back of the classroom while talking and using powerpoint. Oh, this is gonna be great!

Thanks, Dr. Sun (pronounced soon). I'll take good care of this for you!

The Aloe Vera Ladies

These ladies were sitting around putting aloe vera on their legs to help with dry skin...there were several older ladies just sitting around rubbing aloe vera....it was delightful to see them sitting under the tree having a gab fest while smearing on the aloe vera.

Thursday Class

I absolutely love this Thursday morning class; they all come with their English newspapers, sit down and read. Some of them bring their sticky buns to eat for breakfast before class starts.

It's a very fun fun class....wish all the students were this eager.

Wednesday night - Studying the Scriptures

My new method of scripture study - the IPad. I really like it, big screen and all. BUT, I have tons of notes written in my little scriptures, so I'm missing out on my thoughts from previous readings of the Book of Mormon. This is my second time through the book since May...Relief Society challenges in two different wards. But, that is a good thing.

Tuesday - Volunteers

Well, maybe volunteers isn't exactly the right word. Because all junior students were REQUIRED to be a part of the Asian games....some like it, some don't. But, whatever it is, they will miss FOUR WEEKS of university studies. Big chunk of time for college students....

Monday Night - Danny's Italian Restaurant

You'd think Danny from New Joysee would know how to make good pizza; he doesn't.

Hats Off to the Great Wall of China!

Who can pass up a good bargain?

Yes, I've Taken a Picture a Day....

but, I don't always have access to blogging, so I'm going to skip a few of the pictures, and just post the last two pictures I took.

Friday night; a very unusual and fancy furniture store...this was taken through a window from the third floor looking down onto the floor of the furniture store.

Music in the Home Again

Beautiful Sight and Sound!

Tuesday Nights - Group Work

Monday - Teaching About Halloween

They liked the candy I handed out, but I'm not so sure they liked the spooky video when the eveil monster pops up and says, BOO!

Hopefully, Halloween will never catch on in China!

Should I? It's a Definite NO!

I won't dress as a witch, to tell them what Halloween is all about. But, mayve I'll hand them a candy.

Saturday - Singing Sunday Morning Sidewalk

Friday-Happy Halloween for the Students

Thursday - Semi-Finalists

But, truly winners all...Notice the boy in red; that's the Jackie Chan of Guangzhou (at least that is his English name!)

I Haven't Tried It Yet....

and, it's unlikely I will!

Tuesday - Everyone Loves Basketball

Shootin' hoops after school - a great pasttime before hittin the study books!

Monday - The Contest

Such clever students as they try to sell items pulled from a box; they tried to convince their classmates to buy: gum or chopsticks or flashlights, or a pair of glasses. They were all very clever indeed!

Family Home Afternoon at Rachelle's

Here's Steve, Cynthia, and Ruth...unfortunately, Katie wouldn't let me get her picture. And the picture of Lance, Samantha, and Chye didn't turn out.

But, thanks, Rachelle, for a lovely afternoon, even though you don't own a can opener so we could open our tuna for our sandwiches.

Lillies from Lily

So thoughtful, so beautiful...these flowers from Lily. Thank you for your kindness, Lily.

Getting Ready for the.....

maid....Allen didn't want a dity kitchen when the maid came, so he cleaned up!

A Taste of America

We brought it to give away....and we did give some away, but, okay, we cheated!

We opened this box and ate a few last night...can we still give it away...I don't think so...too bad.

Wednesday - BOO!

happy halloween!

Thanks for the decorations, Jenni, just what our apartment needed to get in the mood!

Tuesday - Project Complete!

When the heavy rains come, the dirt from this hillside washes down into our apartment complex, so for six weeks, workers have been digging away, and chopping down brush.

I was a little surprised when I awoke one morning and there were no sounds of work. It seems they are finished.

And, this is the completed look.

Monday - Tracy

Tracy (her American name, obviously) represents - to me - all the beauty and personality of the students here at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies...she is bright, happy, and so delightful.

The question is...can I really help her? Oh, I hope so.

Just Walkin' in the Rain...

Gross, eh? (This is very early Sunday morning before shower time.)
But, I had on my sandals. It started to rain. We were shopping. And, this is the result. Very dirty toes.

Something good came of our shopping venture, however...we ate at Papa John's...oh, I do love American pizza as a change from steamed lettuce!

Survival Kit 101

The scriptures,
a translator - an absolute MUST,
several Chinese language programs to learn Chinese (so far that hasn't helped us at all!),
weather reports,
music from our IPod,
the internet,
Kindle reader,
currency converter - very helpful when bargaining on prices,
google maps - not very helpful

Ah, the IPad...it's helped us out a lot...thank you, Steve Jobs!

Friday - October 8 - On the Way to the Market

There are always students outside exercising. They are on the playing field, on the roads...there are 1000 students in the school, and there is usually a class doing some time of physical activity.

I have only seen one child who was obese - so different from American students. These students eat better and get lots of exercise. Something we can learn from.

October 7 - the Day that Loni Forgot..

to take a picture...oh so sad to spoil the record.

I haven't missed a day since january 7, until today.

I'm crying.

October 6- Dumpling Banquet

"Okay, Loni," Kay said...."you've got to try it, since you've never had duck."

There had already been about 10 different varities of dumplings...they just kept bringing them out - one after another...walnut dumplings (which you can see one of in the picture), chicken and vegetables, mushroom, fried dumplings (my personal favorite), shrimp and fish dumplings, pork dumplings wrapped in pink and shaped like little pigs....and on and on.

So, I tried it. A Duck Dumpling.

Tasted fine.

Now, I can say I've eaten Duck.

October 5 - the Chinese Love Mahjongg

We are walking on the wall of the beautiful city of Xi'an; and looking over the edge, I saw groups of people playing mahjongg. How they love this game!

Oct 4- Suiting Up to Ride the Camels