What does one do when conflict arises to devour one's life? Do you just let it crop up and take over? Do you fight it with everything you have to maintain your sense of normalcy? or Do you trust in God to resolve conflict? To me, I believe that God puts conflicts in our way to test us or allow us to grow. He does not, however, remove them for us. We have to trust that He has given us the knowledge and the tools to deal with the conflict that has arisen. That is the way that I feel about things.
Now, the conflicts that arise can go one or two ways. Either they change a relationship or they do not. If they do change the relationship, it can happen either negatively or positively. It is your job to decide which one it will be. You are almost guaranteed for the relationship to change, in my experience.
I presently struggle with positive or negative. Will I fight or will I let conflict take it's course? Do I care enough to go through the potential headache that could come with that fight? When is it okay to just call the match and go home? I've got a lot of hypotheticals here. Some of them are just questions on my mind, some of them actually mean something. Unless you are in my head or have been in every situation that I have been in for the past 6 months, you may not understand.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a hard time really caring about things or people. But, when I do care about it, I give my whole heart until I feel that it is more advantageous for me to move on or that my caring has become detrimental to myself or the thing that I care about. When this happens, I honestly have no problems letting go and moving on. *Except for one person (other than my mother) who has impacted my life, so permanently that I could not let go. If you have to ask, then you are not that person. Take solace in the fact that many many before you have not been that person either and many many after you will fall to the same dilemma.
I digress. Above is a passage that, while saying absolutely nothing, tells you everything that you need to know and answers all of the questions that you had.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Summer Palace
On Saturday, a small group of us decided to venture out and visit the summer palace. At first we had a bit of trepidation due to the large quantities of ran that were coming down in spurts the whole day. Obviously we just decided to screw the pooch and go for it and it turned out to be one of the best things that we could have done. Since it was raining still, there were very few people actually at the palace and we got to have full reign over the place. Yes, our clothes and things were a bit soggy afterwards, but it was definitely worth the trip. We didn’t really learn too much about the history, except that they made some pretty cool looking building and bunches of “secret” and not so secret tunnels on the grounds. We stayed there for about 4.5 hours and were still not able to see even a third of the palace. Makes you wonder about the time and effort that was put into the construction of these kinds of places just so that kings and queens (in this case, emperors and company.) could enjoy their weekends.
I’m becoming more and more frustrated with the actual structure, or lack-thereof, of the job. Even though flexibility is a mantra, disorganization does not have to be. It is possible to be the former without engaging in the latter.
The students, however, do make up for the shortcomings. They are terribly funny and very interesting. I’m glad that I have the chance to help them learn and teach English. I think that this will be a fantastic and significant experience for me.
I’m becoming more and more frustrated with the actual structure, or lack-thereof, of the job. Even though flexibility is a mantra, disorganization does not have to be. It is possible to be the former without engaging in the latter.
The students, however, do make up for the shortcomings. They are terribly funny and very interesting. I’m glad that I have the chance to help them learn and teach English. I think that this will be a fantastic and significant experience for me.
Tired
1 week and a half here has felt like a solid 3 weeks with no breaks. Every day, for us, lasts the length of two. I’ve been having to take more and more time to myself just to stay sane and not be a mean person. It is terribly difficult in such close quarters.
I have had no time to go out into the city of Beijing and explore, to find a gym or rock wall, to find some cool places to hang. Because of all of the extemporaneous sessions, we are tired a lot and tired leads to low productivity and a tense workplace. Since our workplace is also our living place, it makes it that much more complex.
A bunch of us are planning a big trip to the Yunan Province very soon. We are going to go see a bunch of the Chinese countryside. We have been told that that is one of the “must visit” places in China. So, we are going to go!
I have had no time to go out into the city of Beijing and explore, to find a gym or rock wall, to find some cool places to hang. Because of all of the extemporaneous sessions, we are tired a lot and tired leads to low productivity and a tense workplace. Since our workplace is also our living place, it makes it that much more complex.
A bunch of us are planning a big trip to the Yunan Province very soon. We are going to go see a bunch of the Chinese countryside. We have been told that that is one of the “must visit” places in China. So, we are going to go!
Teaching and Blackberry Worries
Today was a good day. It was the first real start of work. Everything else up to this has been boring and fairly unnecessary. Today we got to “live life as a student” We went to all of their classes to get kind of a sense of what would be going on. We got to experience the questions that they ask and the electricity of an all English environment. Tomorrow, I am to teach my first class. Keep in mind that I still have no formal or even informal training on how to teach or what to tech. So, this should be fun. I am literally jumping head first into the ocean without knowing how to swim...or even float...even the concept of water is a little foggy.
Tonight, I also tried to unlock my blackberry bold 9000. Now, if you know anything about me, you know that I love my blackberry to death! I brought it with me as a safety blanket. Well one of the people here told me that all I had to do is call America and tell them the story, “that I was in China and not coming back for a while and since they didn’t have service here, they should allow me to get it somehow.” Well, they tried to pick up what I was putting down. But apparently it just wasn’t in the stars. I talked to one lady, very nice, who told me that there was nothing that she could do because of the system, but she would transfer me to RIM and they would handle it. Well, I was transferred to RIM. Sadly, they did not handle it. They told me that they didn’t have the codes and couldn’t give them to me, if they did, without the permission of att. They then proceeded to transfer me back to att who finally told me that there was nothing that they could do. They said this because apparently my phone was made “exclusively” for att and as such, has no unlock code. (this is after asking the manager). So I asked what would happen if I put my international sim card into my American world phone and was told that it would, “ask for an unlock code.” At this point I ::facepalmed:: so hard that I swear that the woman could hear it. After doing all of this over skype with no result, I was terribly frustrated and just want to go to sleep.
Tonight, I also tried to unlock my blackberry bold 9000. Now, if you know anything about me, you know that I love my blackberry to death! I brought it with me as a safety blanket. Well one of the people here told me that all I had to do is call America and tell them the story, “that I was in China and not coming back for a while and since they didn’t have service here, they should allow me to get it somehow.” Well, they tried to pick up what I was putting down. But apparently it just wasn’t in the stars. I talked to one lady, very nice, who told me that there was nothing that she could do because of the system, but she would transfer me to RIM and they would handle it. Well, I was transferred to RIM. Sadly, they did not handle it. They told me that they didn’t have the codes and couldn’t give them to me, if they did, without the permission of att. They then proceeded to transfer me back to att who finally told me that there was nothing that they could do. They said this because apparently my phone was made “exclusively” for att and as such, has no unlock code. (this is after asking the manager). So I asked what would happen if I put my international sim card into my American world phone and was told that it would, “ask for an unlock code.” At this point I ::facepalmed:: so hard that I swear that the woman could hear it. After doing all of this over skype with no result, I was terribly frustrated and just want to go to sleep.
No Translator, Bad Idea.
Last night was a great bad idea. After we got done with our training and managed to swing the night off, a bunch of us decided to try and go get some food. The only obstacle was that the people that been traditionally taking us out and speaking for us were going to be busy. But we Mercer kids, with our adventurous spirits and what-not, decided to take on the task anyway. We used our limited and broken Chinese to navigate the three separate taxis that we had to take to make it downtown, make seating reservations at Pizza Hut, order food, order drinks, chat a little with people, order beers and play pool at local bar. All of this to say that we are not as incompetent as we are being treated by some of the program staff.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Miscellaneous Thoughts
It’s 6:30 AM here. You might find yourself asking, “why is he awake at 6:30, even though he’s not even working yet?” Well, apparently, the program that we have entered decided sometime along the flight that we were on that we would need to go get a brand new physical/blood work/x-rays. So, we have all had to wake up super early in order to hop on a bus and go to this international hospital where they will tell us that all of our paperwork is useless and we must get new work-ups of everything. for 650 RMB. In case you’re not familiar with the transfer, that’s somewhere in the ballpark of $99. For a bunch of people that came here unprepared to shell out another $100, this is quite steep. A bunch of use heard this and began to freak out most adamantly.
With all of our job training, it’s been hard to go out and experience any of the sites. We’ve mostly been on the campus learning how to “trust each other” ::sigh:: We all decided to jump ship and go out to a pub last night and I must say that we had a very interesting time. Most notable of the times was a bunch of us getting our butts kicked in table soccer by a drunk couple. Now, when I imply that we got demolished at this game, I mean it. We were righteously embarrassed. :) Good times were had.
So, soon we will be off to the International Hospital where they will proceed to poke and prod us for the foreseeable future. Basically, a great start to the beginning of the day. Then we will proceed through sit through another 10 hours of job training and “how to survive in a foreign country”.
My friends and I are slowly adjusting to Beijing life. It is a little different than that which we are accustomed in America. Things don’t happen exactly when you want them to. There has to be an ere of faith that everything will just work itself out. As you know, that’s not really how I operate. I usually need a solid schedule in order to function at maximum efficiency. But, I’m working on it.
With all of our job training, it’s been hard to go out and experience any of the sites. We’ve mostly been on the campus learning how to “trust each other” ::sigh:: We all decided to jump ship and go out to a pub last night and I must say that we had a very interesting time. Most notable of the times was a bunch of us getting our butts kicked in table soccer by a drunk couple. Now, when I imply that we got demolished at this game, I mean it. We were righteously embarrassed. :) Good times were had.
So, soon we will be off to the International Hospital where they will proceed to poke and prod us for the foreseeable future. Basically, a great start to the beginning of the day. Then we will proceed through sit through another 10 hours of job training and “how to survive in a foreign country”.
My friends and I are slowly adjusting to Beijing life. It is a little different than that which we are accustomed in America. Things don’t happen exactly when you want them to. There has to be an ere of faith that everything will just work itself out. As you know, that’s not really how I operate. I usually need a solid schedule in order to function at maximum efficiency. But, I’m working on it.
Phew
8.11.10
Well, here we are in China. it’s kind of intense.
It turns out that we had to wake up this morning and begin training. Crazy, right? We had only been here for 6 hours and we had to go straight to to training. Sadly, it’s not even that fun. But how fun can training be? I hope to be able to update often on this site. :)
www.akilmthomas.com
Well, here we are in China. it’s kind of intense.
It turns out that we had to wake up this morning and begin training. Crazy, right? We had only been here for 6 hours and we had to go straight to to training. Sadly, it’s not even that fun. But how fun can training be? I hope to be able to update often on this site. :)
www.akilmthomas.com
Landed
8.10.10
We have landed in Beijing China.
I don’t know what to say, that was a big step for me. As we descended into the city from the air I saw what looked like a giant raincloud situated over the city. I have since come to understand that it is just the massive amount of smog and pollution that blankets the city. We are told that running outside for 30 minutes is the equivalent of smoking an entire pack of cigarettes in America. With that said, I haven’t figured out how I will work out yet. If there is anything that I do not care for about China so far, it is this. The sun cannot even penetrate the thick cover that is the fog.
My first transaction in China was the purchase of a grande Iced Coffee from Starbucks and I think that it went very well. The language is not too difficult if one just sits down and takes the opportunity to learn it. People stare at and are intrigued by me (because I’m black). It doesn’t bother me that much, though. I feel like that’s just one of those things that happens and you just deal.
Surprisingly, their cars are a lot like the ones in America. They are not like the super compact ones that travelers find in Europe and places like that. BMW, Audi, Porsche, and other “high end” cars inhabit the streets in surprising frequency. Although, Chinese greed is about the same as ours and I am told that status is everything.
We have landed in Beijing China.
I don’t know what to say, that was a big step for me. As we descended into the city from the air I saw what looked like a giant raincloud situated over the city. I have since come to understand that it is just the massive amount of smog and pollution that blankets the city. We are told that running outside for 30 minutes is the equivalent of smoking an entire pack of cigarettes in America. With that said, I haven’t figured out how I will work out yet. If there is anything that I do not care for about China so far, it is this. The sun cannot even penetrate the thick cover that is the fog.
My first transaction in China was the purchase of a grande Iced Coffee from Starbucks and I think that it went very well. The language is not too difficult if one just sits down and takes the opportunity to learn it. People stare at and are intrigued by me (because I’m black). It doesn’t bother me that much, though. I feel like that’s just one of those things that happens and you just deal.
Surprisingly, their cars are a lot like the ones in America. They are not like the super compact ones that travelers find in Europe and places like that. BMW, Audi, Porsche, and other “high end” cars inhabit the streets in surprising frequency. Although, Chinese greed is about the same as ours and I am told that status is everything.
The First Day of the Rest of My Life
Here I am on one of the most intensely frightening things that I have ever done. I am trying to wrap my head around just what it is that has got me worked up like this. I think that it has something to do with the immensity of this project on which I am embarking.
In case you are wondering, or have not heard the news, I have accepted a position teaching English in Beijing, China. As you may know, I love to travel the world and yes, China is on my list of places to visit.Even with all of those things considered, one can not be prepared for the path that your mind takes when you realize that you will be away from home for an entire year. Not only will your home environment have changed, but you, as a person will have become completely self sufficient whether you want to or not. It is possible that the relationships that you started and nurtured will disappear or fade into nothingness. It is possible that the girl that you like will have grown in an entirely different direction. Friends may have become enemies and enemies may have become your greatest allies. This is what I think about. This is what scares me.
Here I sit, in seat 24A, a small shoulder length space next to a window that dare not be opened for fear of flooding the entire cabin with light. I eat my beef stir fry with chop sticks to try to grasp, evermore, at the culture that has, henceforth, been a mystery. Just over half of the plane ride is gone and I still see no end in sight.
The language, for me, is a cumbersome one that I am not very familiar with. The only comfort, I think to myself, is that Spanish was once the same way and I conquered it. My challenge, however, is to do what took me 6 years, in 1. Needless to say this will prove a daunting task.
In case you are wondering, or have not heard the news, I have accepted a position teaching English in Beijing, China. As you may know, I love to travel the world and yes, China is on my list of places to visit.Even with all of those things considered, one can not be prepared for the path that your mind takes when you realize that you will be away from home for an entire year. Not only will your home environment have changed, but you, as a person will have become completely self sufficient whether you want to or not. It is possible that the relationships that you started and nurtured will disappear or fade into nothingness. It is possible that the girl that you like will have grown in an entirely different direction. Friends may have become enemies and enemies may have become your greatest allies. This is what I think about. This is what scares me.
Here I sit, in seat 24A, a small shoulder length space next to a window that dare not be opened for fear of flooding the entire cabin with light. I eat my beef stir fry with chop sticks to try to grasp, evermore, at the culture that has, henceforth, been a mystery. Just over half of the plane ride is gone and I still see no end in sight.
The language, for me, is a cumbersome one that I am not very familiar with. The only comfort, I think to myself, is that Spanish was once the same way and I conquered it. My challenge, however, is to do what took me 6 years, in 1. Needless to say this will prove a daunting task.
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