The Man Behind The Curtain

Don't look now, but its November 1st already. Time really does fly when you are having fun, and what a month October has been. It started with a trip to Xi'an, followed by a 2 week visit from the Hendrix & Ray families, and concluded with Halloween week.

October 16th was a date that we had been looking forward to for some time. Our friends, mentors, and a big reason we are in China, Jake & Shelly Hendrix arrived. It's funny how something as simple as seeing someone you haven't seen in a while, can recharge your batteries, and make you miss home just a little less. It was also nice to receive some goodies that our friends back home had sent with them. We enjoyed spending some time with them, and hanging out with their old students. We also enjoyed being able to share our new experiences with them.

It just so happened that the week of Halloween fell on the same week as mid-terms for our University. Thinking that the students had enough on their plate, we decided to make our mid-term as fun as possible. Something to keep in mind...Halloween is not celebrated in China. So the only thing they know about Halloween is something they may have read in a book, or seen in the movies. Their assignment was to create/purchase a Halloween costume, wear it to class, and give a 5 minute speech about the costume, what it means, and so on. After the speeches we said we would have a Halloween Party in class. Callie and I decided we would also participate, and chose a pirate & witch as our costumes. Going into class, we really didn't have any idea what to expect since they had never celebrated this holiday before. We must say that we were pleasantly surprised with their level of creativity, and enthusiasm. One student made the comment that being able to participate in this holiday has been the highlight of her college experience.

Costumes ranged from famous Chinese cartoons to Popeye & cowboys. We shared the story of Halloween, and how it is celebrated in America. We taught them Trick or Treat, and passed out candy during class. The night before Halloween, we invited our students to a Halloween Party, and opting to party over going to study, a few of them joined us. Everyone dressed up, and ate popcorn & candy and played games, and had a blast. We were told many times, how much they enjoyed this holiday, and that it was the first American holiday party they had ever been to.

In another piece of exciting news, Shannon, the lady Callie has been studying with, gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Saturday the 24th. We are going to visit them in the next few days, pictures and news to follow. Looking forward to November & December as we wrap up our first semester, and enter OUR holiday season.

Thanks for the continued thoughts and support!