Beijing Friends

A lot can be said of our new friends here in Beijing. We came here knowing that God was going to give us amazing ties and relationships that would blossom over time. This posting is a reflection of the past 6 months of growth in these friendships, and an opportunity for us to honour the people who have made our time here in this "foreign" city - not so foreign.

I want to start by mentioning my EF colleagues who have received a lot of 'air time' on this blog in the various pictures and events. I started with them on my second day here in China and they have become like my second family; not only teaching me everything they knew about teaching English and being a better communicator in China, but also helping me when times with my visa were so uncertain or taking me shopping when I realised I had brought all the wrong clothes with me and wouldn't survive the dramatic BJ seasons. Besides Kyle I have spent more time with them than anyone else and have loved every minute of getting to know them, their countries, their insight into China and their love for the people. Heath, Laurie and Summer especially have really invested in Kyle and I. It was Summer who did my Chinese bargaining when Kyle didn't want to go "girl" shopping and let me teach her what I knew about scrapbooking. It was Laurie who woke up with us at 2am to watch the rugby world cup even though he's more of a football fan himself. And it was Heath who fought for me to stay at EF, and then when that wasn't going to work out - made sure I got everything I deserved for my time there and more. Thanks guys.

Then, our South African friends. Firstly, Tom, the charismatic guy and seasoned China expert who first introduced Kyle to this scholarship programme back in Febuary. He was the system's first "guinea pig" and gracefully passed on very valuable information on how to survive life here. He also managed to rope Kyle into a few very energetic activities like the BJ marathon, and both he and his mom have been open to helping us settle here in China.
Our other friends Nigel and Jo were church connections miraculously engineered by the Lord. They were our first Christian friends and are not only seasoned English teachers but also have extensive experience in China after having lived here for the past 5 years. They are an inspiration in their marriage and have offered us financial help, given us helpful tips of where and where not to shop and introduced us to a Christian community. With our busy schedules we aren't always able to connect as much as we like but when we're together conversations are easy, we can talk about things African, we hear gorgeous SAcan accents and they encourage us that we are doing well in adapting here. We also always leave our time with them with our arms full of gifts! They are treasures and mentors and we are blessed to know them.

To Meryl's students: of the hundreds of people I have had the opportunity of teaching over the past 6 months, there have been a special handful who have not only taken to helping Kyle and I see different parts of Beijing and experience it's culture, but have given us the opportunity to get to know and grow to love the Chinese people. King was the very first student to bridge the gap between teacher and student - and once I was altogether convinced he wasn't hitting on me - we have experienced many special moments in Beijing with him. From tea tasting to the hutongs, he has spoilt us beyond measure. The group at Google were also a goldmine in terms of finding friendship gems. My genius engineers allowed me to call them day or night with my technical problems and gave me all sorts of tips and software for my new laptop. (Bill, Su Hua and Nelson - who I all still have on msn in case I need them). And finally there was Google Gary and his class who really took to me; to the point where lessons were tossed out of the window in favour of "free talk" as they called it, about everything from Africa to scrapbooking. They make me feel like an adventurous queen and have treated Kyle and I to snowboarding and a Korean BBQ since I stopped teaching them. My heart melted when Gary handed me the first 10 episodes of Grey's anatomy season 4 for Christmas.
We hope that in the future we are given the chance to return the favour to these very generous people and show them warm South African hospitality when they visit us in years to come.

And finally, to the many language partners and contacts that Kyle has come across during his time at the Beijing Language University, who meet up with him in the cafeteria before and after class and who exchange their 30 minutes of Chinese for his 30 minutes of English. Kyle's language ability today is a lasting testimony of the time he spends with these special people; talking about everything from the holocast to coldplay, salvaging a Chinese junk to Kenya's political situation. These people; Liu Yan, Tenny, Zheng Ben, Wang Feng and Wang Chong (cool names hey) have been Kyle's personal tutors and doorways into Chinese culture over the last 4 months. It has been wonderful for Kyle to study with other students from all over the world who are just as keen to learn Mandarin as he is. I have his class to thank for the fact that Kyle, a very serious student, spends his breaks playing with a hackey sack immitation rather than revising. He will miss them after his exams when the semester ends.

To all of you who have made this experience all the more enriching, entertaining and inspiring, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We look forward to more time with you in 2008, making more great memories.