A Quick Trip to MH

Earlier this week, Logan and I took a trip out to MH, a town about an hour's bus ride away from us.  We planned on meeting w/ a guy Logan had met here in our city, who is now doing a practicum/internship outside of MH.  His college major.....horticulture, right up Logan's alley.  We enjoyed shaokao (see previous post for explanation on what it is) w/ him and another guy who lives in the area where he is working now.  But before that we did some general walking around and exploring.  Naturally, the camera died before we went to eat dinner....enjoy these from around MH.

This is a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of the city.  This temple was rather odd in that it was somewhat difficult to get to...located basically in a field w/ only a dirt road leading in and out.  Maybe they got tired of nosy tourists......

MH also boasts a small mosque.  We didn't know it was there until we walked right up to it.  Most everything is either concrete or concrete (not a typo there), so the building wasn't that magnificent....but they did have some color painted at the top.

Speaking of holiness...this is a company that washes and sterilizes dishes for restaurants.  A set of one ceramic bowl, small plate, spoon, cup, and sometimes a glass are washed, sterilized, and then wrapped w/ something thicker than Saran wrap before being delivered to the restaurants.  It might sound silly to you, but it really does help w/ germ and bacteria control.

Here's Logan on the same dirt road where we took the picture of the Buddhist temple.  The main part of MH is behind him in the picture.  On the right you can see mainly fields of cabbage/lettuce/spinach....and there are a lot more varieties here than in America!

Before meeting up w/ our friend, we stumbled upon this group of men (there was one woman) playing some kind of top game.  A large, wooden top was connected to a stick w/ a length of string which you swung into the middle of the arena....maybe trying to hit (and crack?) the top that was spinning in the middle.  We really weren't too clear on the rules, the objective, and whether there would be a clear winner.  Trying to take pictures of it did remind me of trying to take pictures of the discus event at a track meet...you almost always get the person throwing w/ their back to the camera or their arm in their face.  The men were nice though, and so that was a plus.  Maybe Logan has found a new hobby...haha.

--da

Fail...maybe....

About a month ago, Logan joined a gym here in JH that is quite close to our house.  It is small, but clean, and offers exactly what he wants...a treadmill.  He signed up and has been faithfully going 3 to 4 times a week and running.  

Maybe 2 weeks ago, we were walking home from the bookstore that is right next door to his gym.  One of the guys (SL) who works there was just getting off work (around 9 pm) and invited us to go eat 烧烤 (shaokao), which is just grilled vegetables, grilled meat on a stick, grilled fish, etc.  It is really usually quite good.  Anyways, we were headed home, so we asked if we could join him another time.  

Two days ago, Logan was running at the gym, and he said to SL that he still wanted to join him for shaokao one night.  SL replied, "Okay, tomorrow night at 9:30 wait for me and we'll go."  

So yesterday evening, Logan and I went out at 930 (almost my bedtime!) to meet SL at the gym.  His co-workers told us that he had left around 900, so we waited a few minutes and then called him...I thought he had probably forgotten..no big deal.  However, when Logan called, he told us to meet him at the supermarket, that he was already out eating, but we could come too.  He found us...took us to where he was w/ some other people....helped Logan order some food....sat w/ us and chatted for about 10 minutes while our food was being cooked....and then rejoined the people he had been sitting with.  He never came back over to our table.  Which was fine..but strange.  When we had finished, we got up to leave and he said that next time he would invite us (i.e. pay for our meal...and maybe sit w/ us??).  

Anyways, just a normal relational experience in China.  

--da

Al Mohler's Library

I want a library like this!
--da


Al Mohler - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

the sweetest burden

His cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bare; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or sails to a ship, to carry me forward to my harbour.

Samuel Rutherford in The Loveliness of Christ

On the eve of my 24th birthday.....

I found a gray hair! I guess it is all downhill from here.

--da

Bluegrass + China = Redgrass

The New Year

To all our faithful readers out there we wish you a happy new year and remind you that just as the Lord's mercies are new every morning so are they with the coming of each year. We look forward to seeing what the Lord does with not only our lives the next year, but also yours. Please keep us in the know.

Daryl-Ann and I are in the process of rethinking how best to use this blog. Much of new newness of living in China has worn off and it is becoming more and more difficult to think of cultural things to write about. The same can be said about taking pictures. Whereas before we wanted to capture every distinct thing we saw, now, many of the distinct things that we found interesting we are now accustomed to. Again, making it difficult to think of things to post about. So if there is anything you would like to see happen on our blog, let us know.

email: logan.heinrich@pobox.com

birthday shout out

This post is dedicated to our friend Nick.  Happy Birthday!  Glad you finally got those White Power Ranger gloves....We love you and are thankful for your friendship.

--da

Fail...

KM Trip

After Thanksgiving, Logan and I, along w/ another friend, took a few days vacation to relax in KM.  We took a sleeper bus (which despite the bad rap it has gotten before, we thought it was the way to travel if you have to go by bus), and arrived around 8 am Sunday morning.  We spent Sunday eating Papa John's, exploring, and enjoying Charlie Brown Cafe--which provided free wireless and a strong americano.  Monday we enjoyed a trip to a fake IKEA...literally, it is like they robbed an IKEA truck and stocked their store.  Or maybe it is IKEA rejects, or maybe they just took a camera into an IKEA and took pictures and then copied it all.  I don't know.  Regardless, Logan did buy our bedspread from an IKEA, and we saw the same bedspread pattern at the fake IKEA.  It was an enjoyable experience, and we bought some fun stuff.  Don't you love this red couch, Mom?  (Unfortunately, we didn't buy it.)

That afternoon we met up w/ our friend Greg Lavo, who was making a trip through our part of the world and was able to swing a few days to hang out w/ us.  He and one of his friends traveling w/ him spent about a day and a half w/ us.  We drug them around to western food restaurants, the bookstores, and this park where you can feed the seagulls...did I mention we are pretty landlocked here?  I guess they imported seagulls.  We fed the birds and then later that day had some great Indian food.  Here's a picture of me and Greg at the park.

We headed back home to our city Wednesday evening, of course, not after about a 30 minute delay.  Which is actually not that bad.  It was good to hang out in a different city for a few days, buy a few things we can't get here, and see our friend.  One more picture of the four of us together...at 7 AM, not such a pretty sight.

--da