TravelingBirds

Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Ava! Happy birthday to you!!! I put the videos on Promptfile again. So, you will need to click on “continue” a few times and deal with a pop-up or two. Here’s the video of the teachers singing to Ava: http://www.promptfile.com/l/153908C94F-0316A74616 I can’t believe that my little girl is 5 years old! Even though she’s quite naughty, I’m really proud of her and am amazed at how much she’s grown up in the last year. Not only is she a lot taller, but she’s also turning into quite the young lady. For Ava’s first birthday, my mom and I had a big lunch with most of our neighbors and many friends. It was a lot of work and I told myself that I wouldn’t do it ... read more

This was a rough week for me. I had to make up all my classes that I missed after Ava’s surgery plus a few that I missed due to a misunderstanding between myself and my co-teacher. I also had to teach my regular classes and fulfill all of my regular obligations. So, Sunday was my only free day this week. Ava and I woke up later than usual and took our time eating breakfast. It was sunny outside but also quite windy. I suggested that we should take our electric bicycle out for a spin and Ava agreed. We rode near the bridge into the city of Nanchang and I found an entrance to the trails along the river that I always see when we go over the bridge. I have wanted to investigate the trails ... read more

Ava and I were settling in for a lazy morning. I had just seared a nice beef roast and put it in the crockpot that I recently bought. We were chillin’ in our pajamas watching Wonder Pets when the doorbell rang. It was Jia and Lemon! Jia said they were going to eat some crab and would like us to come. I asked when they were going and the answer was, “Right now.” I begged her for 20 minutes and showered while Ava got herself dressed. 17 minutes later, we were in the car and on our way to a village that is famous for crab. Along the way, Yong and Jia told me about the different lakes, rivers, and farmland. We saw farmers leading cows on ropes along the road and chickens running about. There ... read more

Living in the apartments has its challenges. The guy who starts hacking things up at 6:00 a.m. every morning (on the dot!) is a real source of conversation. There’s also the girl who lives on the 6thfloor who wears heavy heels and pounds her way down the stairs at an early hour. It sounds like someone is knocking on the door and a lot of us fell for it the first few weeks. Of course, there are also benefits to this living situation. One of these benefits has been getting to know May. She’s a wonderful young lady who is my next-door neighbor. She is the person who picked us up from the airport, took us for our medical exam on the first day, and later took us for our foreign residency visas. She also loves ... read more

Random fireworks several times per week, playing under evening streetlights, dance lessons at school, 6 male English teachers who dote nonstop, hoards to people asking for photos in the town square, delicious street food, celebrity status, a cafeteria with 3 floors of new and exciting food, and constant activity. These are some of the things Ava loves about China. Although several of my friends were concerned about a child’s life here, I have to say it has been an excellent choice so far. She is in love with the city lights and crazy crowds. I think she even gets a kick out of the garbage piles we see when we hit up a back street. We often go shopping on a back street that connects two college campuses. Sometimes, I will stop to look at something ... read more