Yeah, I'm still here!

Hello Everyone! It's been a long time since my last update- sorry about that. I am still alive and I am still here in China. Here is some of the latest!

The Grooters Update

The Good News: It official- Sarah and Tracy have saved enough money to send Sappy back to the United States! Thank you all for your support in this effort. Sarah and Tracy are very excited to have been able to help save this dog from Thailand.

The Bad News: Sarah was in a moped accident while her and Tracy were volunteering at the Gibbons Rehabilitation Center in Phuket Thailand. The sisters spent a stressful, sleepless weekend in a Thai hospital where Sarah had to have surgery on her jaw. A couple days later, their father flew out to meet them. Sarah is much better now but her jaw has been wired shut. Also, the sisters flew home last week and are now back in California.

It was an unfortunate end to their trip and they wished they could have stayed a little longer but they both and a great time traveling Southeast Asia. Check out their website for the last updates.

My life?!

Recently, Ty, Cari and I have been spending a lot of time with our friends we've met here in China. They are all so much fun and we've really enjoyed getting to know them. Some of our latest adventures have included visiting the most prestigious university here in Xi'an (and one of the top 20 in all of China) to see the beautiful signs of springs. There were cherry blossoms everywhere- It was beautiful! Our friends also treated Ty, Cari and I to hot pot and this weekend played some games in one of the many loud arcades here in Xi'an.



2 weeks ago, I was invited to attend lunch with one of my students and their parents. I went with my principal, his wife and one of the other teachers. It was wonderful! My student's family is Korean so we enjoyed a delicious lunch with all the Kimbap and Kimchi you could eat- yummy! After the meal, we had the opportunity to watch this incredibly talented family perform for us! Jenny, my student, played the cello. Her brother played the violin while her mother played the piano and her father sang. It was a very unique and fun experience. One of those perks of being a teacher in China!

Another "big" update; me, Ty and some of the other teachers have recently been obsessed with a game named Ticket To Ride. Its an incredible board game where you try to connect train routes across Europe. I would strongly suggest this game to anyone who enjoys a good board game or is a fan of the game Settlers of Catan (Monica, Andrew and Doug- I'm talking to you. If one of you don't own it by the time I get home, I'm buying a copy!). Apparently there is an American version too, but I am yet to play it.

I had my first half-day at school this week since my vacation to Thailand. 45 uninterrupted school days... and it seemed only like a couple weeks! I can't believe how fast everything is coming to an end! Parent-Teacher conferences next week and after that, wow- its almost over!

HAPPY EASTER!

Definitely a holiday not observed here in China. Maybe less visible than Thanksgiving! I hope all my friends and family are having/had a great Easter back home. Although I didn't get to be a part of an Easter Egg hunt this year, I helped hide eggs for the small kids on our team- I felt so grown up! I had a great Easter with my close friends here in China!

Well, that's about it; here's the countdown again!

Last Day of Class: 60 Days
Trevor's Arrival: 68 Days
Mom and Dad's Arrival: 86 Days
Departure for the United States: 105 Days!?! Ahhh!!

Thanks for Reading!