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If you're familiar with the Whole30 program, you know it can be a challenge, even when you're in the comfort of your home and have your handy Trader Joe's store just down the street. When you're living in a country where "Western" food is often nowhere to be found AND all the food labels are written in Chinese, attempting the Whole30 is all the more challenging.
Well, maybe not "Death Mountain," but Mount Hua (Huashan) was once considered one of the most dangerous hikes in the world. We wanted to see what the hype was about and visit it for ourselves. After all, not many people can say they've hiked one of the Five Sacred Mountains of China.
When we landed back from Thailand in our smoggy city, reality hit: it was back to teaching 2,400 students and dealing with Chinese city life. Luckily, spring time weather and clearer air greeted us and kept us sane during the first couple weeks in Xi'an.
As family and friends back home gathered around their Christmas trees and enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa by the fire, we sure started feeling the homesickness catch up with us. We both missed our New England homes— of course, we missed the tradition of Christmas day, but even more so, we missed the whole season of warmth, light, and time with loved ones.
It’s hard to believe I’ve been teaching in China for nearly four months. By now, I’ve gotten into the groove of lesson planning and seeing 2,000 students every week... Okay, maybe the latter isn’t completely true. Either way, I’ve noticed so many fascinating differences between classes here and classes back home in the States. Here are some of my thoughts:
A couple weekends ago, Justin and I hosted a good ‘ol American Thanksgiving. Our fellow teachers made the trek to Xi’an on planes, trains, and busses— some came from the Southwestern Guizhou province, while others made the journey from cities near Xi’an. In total, we had 12 other teachers join us for the festivities. And celebrate, we did.