Even though I’ve lived in China for 9 years, I’ve never actually been in China on THE eve of Chinese New Year.  I can hardly describe what I just experienced!

All I can say is this, China just re-did that famous scene from Crocodile Dundee where he pulls out his huge knife and says “That’s not a knife, THIS is a knife!”  China just said, “Those aren’t fireworks, THESE are fireworks!”

Everyone performed, I mean everyone!  Even the school’s staff did the opening act with some kind of swan dance or something.  And then the piano performances started.  Don’t get me wrong, these kids were amazing, some of them only 3 or 4 years old, playing really difficult songs.  The thing was, there were over 75 of them!  That is why the event took almost 4 hours!  (Sorry to our house helper who was babysitting Nate and had to stay late!)

The girls did have their part too.  We had to sit through 4 hours of other stuff to get this, you get to go right to the good stuff!  Enjoy!

Happy Mother’s Day Erica!  You are a GREAT mom and we all appreciate how hard you work every day to take care of us, your family!

We love you!  Elizabeth, Anna, Nate (and Dad)

Merry Christmas!  Tis-the-season to be Jorry Jolly!

The idea is for a bunch of people who blog to write a blog post on the same topic on the same day, thus raising awareness.  The upcoming topic is “poverty”.  Here’s a video that talks about it;

 
Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

The video says poverty is the issue of “most pressing importance.”  I disagree, but that’s the cool thing about this, I don’t have to agree to participate.  Many voices, many perspectives.

Do you have a blog?  Want to jump in with your two cents?  Go ahead, I’ll be posting too!

Anyone else this happy about the 4th?  This is Nate’s first “4th of July” in his young life, and he’s gonna be spending it in Asia with his family and a group of friends from Kansas!  I hope he grows up to love and appreciate the USA like I do.

I think there is something about living abroad that makes you appreciate America even more than you would have if you had never left.  I know it’s certainly true for me.  There are many things (a couple of REALLY BIG ONES) that I have totally come to appreciate about America now that I don’t live there anymore.

As many of you know, I am just coming off of a 10 month stay in America where one of my observations was how much everyone – particularly politicians and journalist and those who listen to politicians and journalist without thinking for themselves – would go on and on about how TERRIBLE things were in America today.  Excuse me, ‘terrible’?!  Really?  Is your perspective really that microscopic that you cannot see beyond $4 gas?  Shame on you.  Go get a passport immediately.  Travel to ANY other country.  Live there (as opposed to being a ‘tourist’ there.)  Then come back and tell me how terrible Americans have it.

OK, I’m getting off my soap-box before I get in trouble (translation = before Erica gets upset with me.)

Happy 4th of July everyone!  Go have a burger, a Dr. Pepper and some yummy ice cream… I’ll be having rice… and I will appreciate every bite.