Auld lang syne

I’ve always wondered what the words to the song “Auld Lang Syne” meant—that popular New Year’s Eve tune. An internet search revealed that “auld lang syne” is the rough equivalent of the old Scottish phrase, “old long ago.” And so the question begs itself:

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne!
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet for auld lang syne."

And I'll take one, too. Speaking of not all that long ago, at the end of last week the Kindergarten put on a play of the Christmas story. Unfortunately my role as Santa Claus kept me from getting a front-row seat, but here's a shot of Wendy (as Mary) delivering a monologue to the onlooking crowd.



To celebrate the new year, tonight we're making jaozi with some of our teachers. Dumplings (joazi) are traditionally made on the eve of Spring Festival (the Chinese New Year) but we're doing it early. We also have Monday and Tuesday off to celebrate the arrival of 2006. I'll be sure to post some more pictures of tonight's festivities.

By the way, thanks to everyone who sent on their Christmas wishes (by card or word of mouth) over the past couple weeks. I've appreciated so much the thoughts and encouragement from home. Happy holidays!

Thoughts on Christmas

The holiday season over here has been a lot different than I expected. It’s actually been pretty normal so far, besides the fact that I’m on the other side of the globe. For example, last Saturday I saw a children’s Christmas pageant. It just happened to be completely in Chinese. I’ll say more about this later. Sunday morning I sang in the choir at fellowship (that was in English, thankfully).

And then just last night we had a party for our teachers with cookie decorating, caroling, card-making and sharing the Christmas story. This week in class I’m telling the same thing. My kids know Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the shepherds and the wise men. They know Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. In short, I tell them a lot more than I could tell a classroom in the States.

In some ways this season for me has been a lot more Christ-focused than many I’ve had at home. Actually, in a lot of ways. One of the big joys I’ve had in recent weeks is having a few of my Kindergarten teachers interested in studying the Word. They’ve hooked up with a great lady on campus named Debbie who’s starting a Study with them and some other women on campus curious in seeing what the Book has to say. The point of Debbie’s study is to show the women how to study on their own. They’ve especially been interested in hearing about the birth of one certain baby.

To each of my classes I’ve been able to share at least something of the Story, despite their limited English. They want to know if it’s real and I tell them it is. Many of the teachers are listening just as intently as the kiddos.

Last Saturday’s event (the Chinese children’s Christmas program) was really interesting for a couple reasons. First, the kids were just darn cute dressed as little shepherds and angels complete with traditional Chinese make-up. But, the law here is that you can’t preach to children under 18 in any capacity. There isn’t supposed to be any sort of Sunday School like we know it in America. But, the program I saw was put on by just that, the Sunday School of the Chinese fellowship I’ve been to a couple of times now—one registered with the government. So often it seems here it’s about what rules are enforced and not what’s written down.

Recently, I guess, I’ve thought a lot about the words of the Christmas carol “Away In A Manger” (one we sang with our teachers and the kids sang on Saturday): “Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.”

I’ve been asking Him to bless the kids I see every day and thanking Him for making any of us fit for heaven, only through the gift of His Son. Thanks for joining me in that prayer this Christmas season.

Some pictures:





First, this is me and one of the Kindergarten teachers, Angela, at our party last night. Angela helped me write my Chinese name (those are the characters--in pinyin "Jiu Kuai"), pronounced "Joe Qu-eye," a name I chose for myself that's a ridiculous Chinese name and means basically "nine bucks," on a couple of Christmas cookies. I love it. Every time I tell someone my Chinese name they laugh and tell me it's not a real name.

Secondly, this is me and from L to R: Vivian, Angela, Paula and Anna. Paula is my fellow foreign teacher in the Kindergarten, and the girls all work there. The tree is next door in the beautiful Mac Center, my adopted living room for the holiday season.

And finally, that's me with a sweet fu man chu mustache. I shaved it after a few hours but you bet I'm growing it back for Thailand.

Chinese fire drill

Last week, I strolled into a 3 o'clock class ready to teach about something or other. Before class the Chinese English teacher pulls me aside and says, "At half past three, there will be an emergency." OK, I say. What do you mean? "The leader will come and say there is an emergency, and the students will not know, and we must leave." Ohhh, a fire drill, I say. OK sounds good.

So I teach. The students are none the wiser and I'm glad they gave me the heads up. 3:30 rolls around and nothing happens. No bell, no announcement--just the Chinese teachers gathering by the door nervously. I keep teaching, though I'd shortened my lesson (normally 40 minutes) to be done in half an hour. The teachers still stand and I'm still up in the front, beginning to wonder if they're waiting for me to stop. I throw a glance at Michelle--the teacher who pulled me aside earlier. Should I keep teaching, I ask? "Yes," she says. So I do.

A minute or two later I saw where the name "Chinese fire drill" comes from. Exactly what Michelle described happened, the leader ran into the room yelling something in Chinese... the teachers bolt and the students run for the door. No one stayed behind to grab the stragglers. There was no checking of the bathroom or making sure everyone was out (that I saw anyway). It was--no joke--a mad dash for the door. I was shocked. Actually, I think they thought it was strange that I was pushing along the last ones to get everyone out. Sure it was just a drill, but that's the whole point of a fire drill, right?

A few weeks earlier in a taxi the topic of a Chinese fire drill (the one where you run around a car at a red light and switch places) had come up, and I asked if there's any reason why that's the name. I found out there definitely is. When there's a fire in China it's the same mad dash I saw from my teachers and students, supposedly. People are trapped and crushed because there's no idea of forming a line, no organization. Just confusion.

Just, well--a Chinese fire drill.

Follow it to Rousseau!

Fans of the show "Lost" oughtta know what I'm talking about. (You know you're hooked when you see a rope on the beach and that's seriously the very first thing you think of.) For reference of where I'm at, last night I watched episode 4 of season 2, "Everybody Hates Hugo." I love where the second season is going, and what, I'm a couple episodes behind America? (I have a kind DVD supplier keeping me relatively up to date.)

As my good friend Matt Stewart was apt to point out, I'd be remiss to not mention that great holiday-time tradition known to all as The Winter Beard. It's almost two years since I first published the original article, and here's a link:

http://thecabinet.collegepublisher.com/media/paper589/news/2003/12/09/Forum/Winter.Beard.Worn.By.Few.Respected.By.Many-575548.shtml

I hope all your scruff is coming along nicely. And please, if you too are a fan of Lost, no spoilers. Merry December, all!