Bring your kids to work

One part of our job (working with International students) that I love the most is hosting. Even more specifically, throwing a Christmas party.

On Friday night we had almost 30 Chinese students in our home for a Christmas party. It was such a great night! The first guests to arrive were high school students. They go to the City School (same as Lilia). They are here practicing piano, hoping to get into Curtis; the best music school in the world. The doorbell rang and a car load of students showed up. More and more Drexel undergrads poured in by the car loads.
Once everyone arrived we prayed, ate pizza (they like meat-topped pizza & mushroom-topped pizza), enjoyed some fruit and homemade cookies. So many students told me how they enjoyed the homemade cookies. There are no ovens in China. People don't bake. They are also not a culture that likes a lot of sugar, but they liked chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin.

After we ate it was time for games. We started off slow with Christmas Bingo, which most never played. I went over each picture, and they learned new words like "holly," and "Santa's sleigh."
The second game was really funny. You put a plate on your head and I give you things to draw. You can't look at the plate, you just have to guess where draw the Christmas tree so it is on the floor. And you can't tell if you drew your stockings on the mantel until the instructions have stopped. I gave one girl a prize because her drawing was so good, but it was a guy named Ronald who won the most points. He's an impressionist artist.

Lilia as a snowman

The last game was the most fun. It was build a snowman. Each pair received a roll of toilet paper (from the $1 store), a scarf and a contraction paper carrot nose. The first team to build a snowman wins. Both Lilia and Alex played and loved it.

Reading the Christmas story in Luke

We moved on to singing Christmas songs, both popular ones and Christian ones. Dave had each student read along in a Chinese Bible as Herold (a Chinese Christian at Temple) read the Christmas story in Luke. Dave shared about Jesus and how history has been leading up to this moment. Christ the newborn King is born.
We then turned out the lights, and slowly passed along a flame, while Lilia led us in singing Silent night. It was a really fun and beautiful night. I loved watching my kids play games with the students, have conversations and lead when it was a beautiful moment to lead. It doesn't often work out to bring your kids to work, but when the opportunity is right - it will impact both them and those they interact with forever.

Alex the Snowman

Chicken's feet or Dumplings?

I was excited, but I wasn't ready for what Tuesday would have in store for me.

I had agreed to meet with 2 Chinese women to practice English and maybe talk about Christianity. I was excited. I have a lot of patience to take the time to talk slowly, and simply with people from another language/culture. I actually enjoy it. 

Alex, Cheryl, myself & Daniel

I met Cheryl & Daniel at 45th and Walnut and we walked over to Anna's house. Cheryl and Anna are the wives of visiting scholars. Daniel is Cheryl's 10yr old son. As we walked we conversed. I found out that Cheryl had only been in America for 3 weeks and was only staying for an additional 3 weeks. Daniel has been in America since September and he's enrolled at Penn Alexander School in 5th grade. I was able to talk more with Daniel because his English was decent.

Cheryl is a pediatric nurse back in China. Her husband is a pediatric doctor. He is doing 6 months of research and 6 months of work at CHOP. He is very busy.

So we arrived at Anna's apartment. A middle-aged, very well dressed Chinese woman came to the gate to let us in. We walked up to her high-end apartment. As I started to take my shoes off (an Asian cultural norm) she motioned for me to keep them on. We went into the living room and sat down. 

In Chinese, Anna asked if I had eaten breakfast. Daniel translated to me the question. I had eaten. Anna still put out grapes, bananas and also took a bag of potato chips from the fridge. She also brought us all a cup of water.

So far I was getting the vibe that this morning was going to be interesting. 

I learned SOME Chinese 5 years ago. Since then I had a baby (Alex) and hadn't really practiced any Chinese. Whatever was still stuck in my head came out that morning, which wasn't much. I was able to use a few words and a phrase or 2.

Anna spoke no English - oh wait - she could say "Hello," and "Thank you."

Cheryl could say some things, but couldn't communicate much of what she wanted to say in English. 

All I can say is thank goodness is was Veteran's Day and Daniel had no school! He was translator, back and forth, all morning. 

I taught them a phrase or two. They helped remind me of the bits of Chinese I had once learned.

As I told them I had to go to get Alex from school, Cheryl asked if we wanted to come over for lunch.

I paused and thought of our schedule for the day; clear. I said sure!

Cheryl then laid out the plan, "Daniel and I will come with you to get Alex. Then we will all drive back to my house for lunch."

"Ok." I replied. What choice did I have.

We arrived at their tiny apartment. We walked into the kitchen and she began to heat water for dumplings (mine and Alex's favorite.)

She then pulled something out of the fridge I had seen before, but had never eaten.

Chicken's feet.

Served cold.

And in some weird jelly-like substance.

She then asked me in Chinese, "Ni xihuan ma?"

I remembered what that meant instantly.

Do you like this?

Thankfully in Chinese culture you can be honest.

"Bu xihuan."  I don't like, I replied.

I proceeded to tell her in Chinese, "Americans don't like this dish."

Dumplings or Jiaozi

Cheryl went over to the stove and added homemade dumplings to the salted, boiling water.  Minutes later she served Alex and I a steaming bowl of our favorite Chinese food. I added some hot Chinese sauce to mine, but I just a tad. I knew to be cautious. These were hands down the best dumplings I've ever had. 

We enjoyed lunch and their generosity. They offered us ice cream, candy, peanuts, and Chinese snacks to take home.

Even though it was an awkward morning of listening, but not understanding a lot of Chinese, and only communicating a little of what both parties wanted to say. I was rewarded with a fantastic lunch, some new friends and even leftover dumplings (3 bags!!!) for another day!

"Ni xihuan ma?"

Happy Halloween

 This year Lilia was a colonial girl, and Alex was Captain Rex from Star Wars. He got the costume for his birthday from Aunt Julie.
Dave's mom made Lilia's costume for Julie (Dave's sister) when she was in elementary school.

Lilia chose to not smile and wanted her picture in black and white to fit her perception of the time period.

 We went trick-or-treating with good friends in the neighborhood. Jonah and Luke are 10 & 8. Alex adores them. The four of them have a lot of fun together. We were out for an hour and came home with loads of candy!

Lilia's Quote of the Day

"Dad can we bike back from school." - Lilia
"Why?" - Dave
"Because we rode past a dead squirrel and I wanted to get a better look at it. I only got a couple glimpses." - Lilia

Alex's Quote of the Day

"I'm gonna bring my Legos to heaven."  -age 5

Like a kid again

Thursday mornings are my favorite. I really look forward to them.
It's Thursday mornings when I get to go to the Wissahickon. If Dave's with me I get to hike; otherwise I walk along forbidden drive where there are more people and its safer.
This past Thursday morning was absolutely the best. The weather was brisk, and sunny. The trees were displaying their best fall colors. I was happy as a lark.
As I walked along the path a leaf floated down in front of me quite quickly. I tried to catch it, but failed. In this attempt I realized that trying to catch the leaf was more fun that the trill of catching it.
As I kept moving I tried again and again to catch falling leaves. Each time giggling more and more.
I kicked a large stone. Then it occurred to me it would be more fun to throw it in the river, so I did. It was a terrible throw and I never hit the water. As I kept going my mission was now to find another stone to this time get into the water. Mission accomplished.
I also stopped at this beautiful spot. I sat on the rocks and soaked in the sun. I'm convinced I need exuberant amounts of vitamin D.
Then I got distracted by the shape of a leaf. So I went on a search to collect different shapes, colors, and sizes of leaves. Hence, leaf art.

leaf art

It was a perfect morning of exercise (fast walking), nature, and having fun the way a kid would - catching leaves and throwing rocks in the water. Which goes back to a previous post about why I never want to become a runner. As a runner you are so focused on "RUNNING" that you can't run after a leaf falling and try to catch it, meanwhile cracking yourself up!

Lego Mania Birthday Party

THE BIRTHDAY BOY (and sister)

LEGO BINGO

PHOTO BOOTH

LEGO BRICK PINATA

 What I didn't think about was how strong and sturdy a box is, especially when taped up. My mom had to jump in there (well she wanted to; she's a kid at heart). Finally Dave had to cut slits in the box so we could get to the goodies inside!

"Happy Birthday to you..."

THE GANG

A big thanks so everyone who everyone who came! Alex felt so loved and celebrated!!! To quote my mom, "That was the best party you ever threw! I had the best time!" (Thanks mom)