Home Sweet China

We have been living in China for 2 ½ weeks. And as crazy as it seems, it is already feeling like home. Our apartment, now that it is cleaned up and has some dishes and pots and pans, seems like our place. We even put up a picture of Christ and the LA temple (where we were married), along with the Family: A Proclamation and some family pictures. We also finally got a water dispenser and water to go with it today so now we don’t have to rely on running down to the community store to buy bottles of water or boiling our tap water. Yay! I still haven’t gotten my rice cooker pot completely clean from my scorched attempt at cake baking the other day (hint: don’t jab a toothpick into the rice cooker cook/warm button to keep it on cook…not a good idea…), but besides that, things are smooth and settling into normal. And we have yummy cake to eat. :)

To add to feeling more at home here, I, almost all by myself, bought fruit today at the market. The little ladies selling the fruit seemed quite amused at my attempts and kept saying ‘Ok, ok, ok’ to mock my foreignness. But they understood me! And the peach we just ate was amazing- yup, that was me who bought it.


***Here are some older entries that we weren’t able to post while Blogspot was blocked. We will add pictures as soon as we can. A friend of ours figured out how to do it so we are working on getting that info from him. So, those will be coming soon…

Washington!!
(August 17, 2009)

Eric and I just got back a couple of days ago from spending a few days in Washington with his grandparents there. We had just quit our jobs so what better thing to do than go on a road trip. So we took off. I had never been to Washington before and was amazed as we drove through Washington at how beautiful it was. Being from Southern California, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anywhere so green!

We went to see all the places on the Grandma and Grandpa Matthews tour of Seattle- Pike’s Place Market, the Locks, Deception Pass, and of course, the Flight Museum with Grandpa Matthews. It was all so much fun! When Eric asked me the first day what my favorite part was- I told him it was probably watching the salmon swim upstream. There is a place near the locks called the fish ladder where the salmon are able to go in order to pass through where the dam is so they can continue swimming upstream to wherever they are headed. There are glass windows so you can watch them. Maybe it is weird but I thought it was so amazing. Those poor fish looked so tired and seemed to hardly move. Yet they are so determined and keep going.

I got to meet a lot of Eric’s relatives who live up there. They were all so much fun. There was definitely no dull moment with them! From a game of Balderdash spiced up by Aunt Janet’s responses to crouching over the tidal pools with Grandma we had a blast.


August 21

It’s August 21, and we are sitting in the airport waiting for our plane to come. This day has only been on our calendar for the past few months, but the moment we would pack our bags and board a plane to China has been a conversation in our relationship from the very onset.
Both of us still remember the night spent together before we left for Christmas last December. Up until then, we tossed ideas back and forth of activities we would love to do during the summer, but that is where our plans stopped. Hardly anything was mentioned of life after August, when I had already committed to board a plane to China to continue my studies. For me, it was a topic I tried to avoid, fearing the time when Kiersten and I would not be together.

But that December night, as Kiersten and I sat and listened to Neil Diamond singing Christmas songs, I couldn’t hold my question any longer. “Kiersten, would you be willing to go to China?” The response was a yes, and from then on we both knew that our relationship would not end in August. I must admit, that was perhaps one of the most relieving and comforting pieces of knowledge that I’ve ever known.

The past eight months have been hectic with finishing school, getting married and preparing for China, but it has all been allayed by the knowledge that neither of us would be doing it alone.
And so, to rephrase one of the Who’s classic lyrics,

'Got a feeling ’21 is going to be a good [day],
That is, if you and me see it in together!'

And they're back!

Yes, in grand and glorious colors, the Andersons return.*

We are in China and have been for fifteen days now. As you may imagine, a whole lot has happened, and we will try and update you on things as we go along, but trying to recap the past two weeks seems too monstrous a task to tackle today. Our advice to you, as remembered by Rigoletto's unparalleled butler Hans, is..."Curiosity killed the cat."

In case you were wondering, though, WE LOVE CHINA!! Every day is an adventure. Simply said, China is not America. Whether it be buying food for your home, trying to withdraw money from the bank, or attending your first day of class, China is very different. I know that is completely void of details, but keep reading, and we hope to satiate all your desires to know about living in China in the days, weeks and months to come.

*To our current frustration and your loss, we have not figured out how to post pictures yet using our current proxy server. Using a proxy server is the only way we are able to access our blog, but the picture attaching option (and all other post addition options) seem to have vanished. If anyone has knowledge of proxy servers and how to navigate them, we welcome your input.

Time to Say Goodbye

Last night, after a long day of truck loading for them, Kiersten and I were able to spend a last night in Provo with my sister and brother-in-law Kimberly and David. We'll miss spending time with them. It has been great having family so close.

Best of luck, you two!

It was red and yellow and green and brown...

And scarlet and black and ocher and peach

And ruby and olive and violet and fawn

And lilac and gold and chocolate and mauve

And cream and crimson and silver and rose

And azure and lemon and russet and grey

And purple and white and pink and orange

And blue!

You don't have to know me long to know that I love musicals, and happily for me, Kiersten does too. Thus, at the beginning of the summer, we made the goal to be in attendance at all three of the Scera outdoor theater's summer musicals. And, equipped with a starving student card promising us two tickets for $10 each time, we were confident in our ability to make it happen. And so, as of Monday evening, we are happy to announce...

Beauty and the Beast ... ... ... ... CHECK!

West Side Story ... ... ... ... CHECK!

AND...

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ... ... ... ... CHECK!

The Scera always does an amazing job at pulling together a stellar cast (both as actors and singers) and they don't waste any time or money on providing the best set, choreography and atmosphere for their outdoor plays. That being said, it is hard to pick a favorite musical of the summer.

This last performance of Joseph, however, had some special meaning for Kiersten and I. For those of you who remember, our first date eleven months ago was also to a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. We both admit this week's performance was the better of the two (no hesitation there), and it even added a fun twist of Las Vegas to the plot, but somehow those high school students from last September attempting French accents as they sang "Those Canaan Days" forever won a place in our hearts.

And now, as we prepare to leave Provo a week from today, we with them sing,

Eh bien, raise your berets, to those [Provo] days.

1 Month Anniversary!

Eric and I have passed our one month- do we count as an old married couple yet?

Eric suprised me with an amazing anniversary. I didn't expect anything much- its just the one month and I work so late... He picked me up from work at 8:30 and all I thought I was getting was a quick dinner before going to bed. But he opens the door for me and there is this beautiful bouquet of roses and our wedding cake sitting on the table. He had decorated the cake and then also cooked me an amazing dinner. We then danced in our living room to our wedding cd. Eric (this may suprise some of you) is actually turning into quite the dancer!

A Week's Review

Sorry this might be a long and not detailed post, but we'll have to get better at posting if you want anything better. That aside, this has been an AMAZING week, but especially an AMAZING weekend.

First, however, we'll start with Monday. Kiersten and I went to the Scera theater in Orem to enjoy a wonderful evening of West Side Story. We've always been impressed by the casts that the Scera pulls together, and we were not disappointed this time either.

We also enjoyed our first visitors as a married couple. Last Sunday Kiersten's parents and siblings Edward and Lilly spent the night on their way up to Idaho. Unfortunately, their way back home later in the week was less than smooth with car problems, so we only had Edward and Lilly as guests Thursday night. All told, though, I think we could get used to having guests every now and then.

Despite the excitement of having family over and the enchantment of going to muscial theater, Friday night was perhaps the best of the nights. We were opportuned to travel to Salt Lake to attend the Tabernacle Choir's Pioneer Day Commemoration. Our seats close to the front made for an enjoyable show of the choir, orchestra and more than spectacular soloist, but to our great joy, our seats also put us in position for a charming encounter with the prophet as he exited the Conference Center. Upon seeing a child along the rope separating the audience from him, President Monson apparently couldn't help but rush over to the child and ask if he wanted to see him wiggle his ears. And, we've all seen it on TV, but President Monson can really wiggle those ears. He then proceeded to shake hands of the crowd that had gathered, and he had just shaken my sister Kimberly's hand when he turned and said, "I better get back to my wife." It was a blessing to be so close (a few feet) to the prophet, and it made what might be our last trip to Salt Lake City one to remember.

Being the last Saturday that we'll have together in Provo, due to my position as weekened coordinator for a Chinese summer camp, yesterday Kiersten and I decided to hike to Stewart Falls. All we can say is that we will miss Provo when we leave. There is truly beauty all around here in Provo, Utah.

Lastly, our week would not be complete without mentioning the amazing enchiladas Kiersten made for our dinner tonight with my sister and brother-in-law and friends Rich and Leslie. They were amazing, and here is a picture of the work in progress to convince you. We also had some delightful rhubarb cake that we might have to post on here later for you to enjoy. It was delightful.

Two Weeks!

Two weeks on our way to eternity! Yes, for those of you who missed it, Kiersten and I were married two weeks ago from today. Please forgive our long absence from blogging, but I imagine you'll understand that we've been a little busy. We are back, though, and excited to share with you our amazing past month. Here's a quick picture recap.

Our trip started with a drive to Kiersten's home of Fontana, California. But who couldn't make a stop at Cove Fort on the way? This is not only an enchanting pioneer fort, but it also home to a rich trove of Hinckley history.

Taking a break from wedding preparations, Kiersten and I headed off for a day of excitement at Disneyland with the Anderson family.

We regret to say that we didn't get any pictures of the "rehearsal" dinner the night before the wedding, but we both readily agree that it was perhaps the best sampling of hamburgers and sides that we could have imagined. And, what would a formal rehearsal dinner be without a good Texas pinata.

Not many words are needed to say that this (June 27) was undoubtedly the happiest day of both our lives. We are still waiting for the official pictures to be ready, but much thanks to our sister Brittany for snapping these charming pictures. I wish I could write more, but I think our smiles say it all.

The Fontana reception in Kiersten's backyard couldn't have gone more perfect. Cutting into that amazingly beautiful cake was the hardest part of the whole day.

Much thanks to Kimberly and Brittany for the expected but still exciting artwork on the getaway car.

Our first stop for the honeymoon was in the Sacramento Mountains of Cloudcroft, New Mexico. We stayed in a beautiful cabin complete with everything we could have wanted, but our days there were mostly spent outdoors hiking the breathtaking trails surrounding the town.

Our next stop was in Carlsbad to visit the caverns, including a wonderful hike to reach our ranger-guided tour at the Slaughter Canyon Cave. We might also add that our bed and breakfast that we stayed at that night was beyond expectations.

Our last stop was San Antonio, where we had a wonderful open house filled with family and friends. Our time there also included a stop at the San Antonio Temple and the Japanese Tea Gardens. A heartfelt thanks is owed to the Owen's, who let us stay in their beautiful home while they were away on vacation.

And last of all, our drive home included a brief but fun roadside stop at Wilson's Arch.

Hopefully that wasn't too many pictures to stomach in one sitting (more pictures can be seen by clicking on our photo links on the right), but I suppose that's why people blog more frequently than once every month. Kiersten and I have been back in Provo since Monday night, and we are loving life together. Life has calmed down for sure, but now we have new exciting challenges to face, foremost of which is unpacking and repacking to prepare for our 9-month trip to China in just over a month.

Thank you to all our family and friends for all your help and support. This month has been so amazing largely in part to you. Happy two weeks Kiersten! I love you!