Little Pizzas for Seventh

Today we're here with Titus for an interview regarding his 7th birthday party!

Titus, can you tell us about the activities at your birthday party?

The activities were to play and to make little pizzas. Small ones, not big ones. The kids thought the pizzas were great. It was everyone's first time to make pizzas. We used our last piñata for getting candy. We went outside to do the piñata. 

Who came to your birthday party?

Um. I don't know... my brother, Lei Yuting, Wang Mo, Tao Sicheng, Zhou Yun, Olivia and her brother, his name is Jack, Xiao Xue, Tan Enhao, Meng Ziruo, Li Qin... and some of their moms and dads.

What was your favorite part of the party?

Eating the pizzas, of course! Of course, course course course!

And making the pizzas. Getting the candy. Playing in my room, ro--oo-oo-oooo-m. It was a great parTY!

What toppings did you put on your pizza?

I put cheese, I put some sauce, let's see...ham, mushrooms, no spinach on ANY of them that I made. I did put on some olives on one of them. And pineapple on one. That's it.

What were you thinking and feeling when we lit the candles on your cake?

I was just thinking about my birthday cake. And feeling happy!

counting the graces

thank you Father for

a happy child

Ms. Feng doing a wonderful job, greatly improving our Sunday school quality and depth

Gui Fang made my home cleaner than it's ever been, hallelujah

on time to school even in a rainstorm

do not let your hearts be troubled, you have everything you need and you have Me

Titus fell asleep at noon time rest for the first time and he looked so sweet

listening to Anthony Bradley while hanging laundry

Drew's list of 8 for 8 years of marriage

as a family, talking and thinking about Reuben

improved relationship and communication with teachers

one day at a time

Ethan will be here soon

Entering the discussion on race, class, whiteness and otherness

I've been thinking, reading, talking with those who are willing to engage. 

At this point in the discussion my goal is to listen well. 

I want this blog to reflect what occupies my mental space, values, activities, work, conversations. 

I don't know how to begin smoothly. So here we go, clumsily and without context, jumping in with this brilliance -- Dr. Anthony Bradley is my new favorite thinker:

"Because we have our preferred Other groups, we often miss the systemic oppression of groups that we don’t prefer. And so this conversation on race and class must extend beyond what we see on the surface...We have to be as culturally subversive as Christ was; Christ transcended race and class. What happened in the church in Galatians? Transcended race and class. We can’t be satisfied with simply cosmetically having something that looks a certain way when in fact it’s a variation on the same theme of curating a new type of Other, a new type of Us vs Them. So if we care about the poor, if we care about justice, if we care about mercy, if we care about the application of the Gospel to all of these things, then we have to care about the applications of those to every person and people group, every tribe, tongue, and nation all over the world that is suffering from oppression, no matter why, whether we prefer them or not."

Which groups are your preferred Other?

Who are the people different than you, but you favor them?

I'll tell you mine: Chinese, particularly Chinese women, and all Asians really, Chinese adult orphans, Chinese little orphans, Chinese prostitutes, nice Chinese beggars, ethnic minorities like the Hui, Dong, Uighur.

I feel for these people. I try to understand them. I want them to be well and I work toward that end.



Which groups are your unfavored Other?

Who are the people different than you, and you somewhat despise or at least ignore them?

Mine: Wealthy elite Chinese, particularly those who corrupt their power and money, foreigners in China having little respect for Chinese culture and Chinese people, particularly white males, aggressive Chinese beggars and peddlers, Chinese pimps especially if they are male, the occasional North American, African, European, Middle-Eastern person I might pass on the sidewalk, North Americans having a narrow, self-absorbed worldview.

I don't feel for these people, really. I don't try to understand them. I don't really concern myself with or work toward their welfare. I even harbor contempt for some of them. Honest, and not proud of myself for discriminating such and withholding grace when God would have it applied to all. But honest. That's necessary if we're really going to talk about this.

"...if we care about the poor, if we care about justice, if we care about mercy, if we care about the application of the Gospel to all of these things, then we have to care about the applications of those to every person and people group, every tribe, tongue, and nation all over the world that is suffering from oppression, no matter why, whether we prefer them or not."

counting the graces

thank you Father for

Thunder

neighbors

strength and health to carry out each day's tasks

Leslie took the boys and made apple pie together

Titus likes going to school, and I'm being humbled and adapting

Mr. Chen offered to take Mike on the preschool parent activity when Drew and I both could not

emails from people who care, and are cool

breathable air, no masks, little anxiety

Stacy's new song she wrote, Achor

 Wang Zhao's company and help

making plans to hike Tiger Leaping Gorge with Ethan, Ethan is almost here!

One morning I took my boy to the Provincial Children's Hospital

My little Mike has been having trouble with encopresis (bowel incontinence) for months now. I took him in to the doctor, hoping for assessment and a treatment plan.

No appointments, walk-ins only. We are at the Provincial Children's Hospital, the best pediatric hospital in Hunan province.

Try to arrive early. We were in the doors before 8am. 

Stand in this line to register and pay a tiny fee.

Registered.

Push through to submit registration at a different desk.

Wait in this area for your number to be called. Or camp out in the stairwell.

On your right, people line up for blood draws at the window.

On your left, others drop off their urine samples.

It's loud in here. Mike can barely hear the iPad over the crowd and the fuzzy microphone announcements. Sitting on the floor is inappropriate, but I can't expect him to keep standing.

Two-and-a-half hours later, we are still waiting.

Restroom break. There are only a couple toilets. For children who cannot wait in the long line, there are shared basins to pee in by the door.

Still waiting.

Our number was called!

We went down the corridor to see the doctor, who has the equivalent of a master's degree.

Of course, several other patients huddled in the exam room with us, pressing in. When it was our turn the doctor spoke with us for three minutes. He didn't actually take a look at Mike, though I expressed that I expected him to according to what I had learned about encopresis in five year-old boys. He advised, "You just need to train him. Drink more water. Eat more fruits and vegetables."

I hope this post isn't coming across negatively, or as a criticism. It is neither. I am merely sharing the neutral reality of what it is like for us to visit a doctor, our norm. 

That we can see a doctor at all is grace.

That we are rarely have need for a doctor is grace.

P.S. Drew was in Hong Kong earlier this week for a meeting, and now is in Bahrain closing up a sale. Auntie Wang unfortunately fractured her arm -- she's healing well -- so she is also not able to lend a hand at our home for awhile. Despite these very needed people being away, the kids and I have had a smooth week.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

a good week even without Drew or Auntie Wang

Qiufen back in the area, a life-giving friend, a great listener

rainstorm tonight

Titus likes school

fun with free weights, pop music and bluetooth earphones that worked well

yoga to soothe and recover sore muscles

kids making their own smoothie creation in the kitchen, and doing their own clean-up

surprise call with Stephen and all his good news

saying no to the demands of a beggar grandma and knowing it was the right thing

leafy greens

watching my babies grow, every stage is a wonder

looking forward to a productive weekend

praying for Reuben with Titus and Michael, saving a Kangaroo for him

New Sphere: Primary School

GUYS. Hey. 

Pictured Above: Our annual Back to School Feast, made merrier by the presence of Uncle Jared.

School has begun where you are too -- how's that going for you? 

I haven't made it to this blog in several days due to Titus starting first grade! On bicycle, I take Titus and Mike to separate schools. Mike is at preschool 8am-noon; Titus is at primary school 7:50-11:40am, must go home for lunch, and return in the afternoon 2:20-3:30 (4:30 on Mondays). We're biking, biking, biking, climbing stairs, refueling, doing homework and decoding notifications all the day long.

Entering into a new sphere introduces a new set of cultural conflicts; it's culture shock and conscious adjustment all over again. Guys, this is not easy. I don't know the rules of the game. I don't understand the system, what is assumed and expected. It can be emotional and requires much time and effort; I am a learner in this new sphere just like Titus.

Titus is the first-ever, non ethnically Chinese student in this school. Administrators and parents have been kind. Titus is very comfortable and so far has been successful. I am proud of who Titus is as a young person -- adaptable, cooperative, teachable, empathetic, creative, friendly, engaging -- traits that have served him well. 

48 students in one class.

1 teacher.

Just visualize that.

Ms. Yang is the main teacher.

The classroom has no air-conditioning or heating.

(WHAT is that going to be like in winter!? It gets below freezing!)

The walls are plain white and moldy.

When it rains water trickles in from cracks where the wall and floor meet, pooling under desks.

There are no janitors; parents and students are responsible for cleaning the classroom.

Student workbooks, a chalkboard and a projector are the only educational resources;

no toys, books, games or other activities.

Classes:

Language, Math, P.E., Art, Music, Reading, Social Studies (literally "Morality & Life")

Bathroom Sinks.

I did not photograph the toilets, which are just a long, connected gutter.

There is no playground, but there is broken-down adult exercise equipment.

Titus' class is on the sports field.

There is no P.E. equipment and children are required to bring their own jump rope.

This primary school is public, affiliated to the university where we live. It is first open to higher-ranking university employees. Outsiders, like us, must apply for admission. Every student pays a one-time enrollment fee, and outsiders pay double, $3,100 (USD). That's nearly one month's salary for us. What could we do? We just had to bite the bullet.

There are other outsiders in Titus' class from families of very modest income: a husband and wife who vend meat pastries at the market; an older father who sells of various kinds of tofu. How did they afford the prohibitive fee?

Please pray for us as we try to figure out how to do primary school.

We do not understand many things but we aim to cooperate and honor all.

Thank you.

counting the graces today

thank you Father for

help from Qingzi and Wang Zhao while Drew is traveling

good meetings in HK for Drew, steps toward relocating to rural Tongdao

neighbor boy coming up to play again

popcorn made in popper from Crosslake

neighbor Grandma sharing a jar of her delicious kimchi-like pickled vegetables

feeling good running some sprints by the riverside

lessons learned communicating with Ms. Yang

reading a book to Titus' class went fine, despite feeling uncertain of expectations

Mike and I recovering from a cold and sctratchy throats

being able to finally publish a blog post