Slip sliding into Christmas

Title: Scenic view of the lake surrounded by evergreens and snow-capped mountains
Artist: Raymond Gehman

As much as I envision snow completing the Christmas season, with snow-capped mountains and crystal blue lakes reflecting the beauty around as I snuggle up by the fireplace in a cabin with rustic furnishings, or perhaps slip slidding down the slopes ... Christmas isn't about any of that at all.

Well, let me digress and tell you about my little mishap on the mountains many years ago ;-)

Slip slides happen to those out of control ...
I once tried skiing during winter holidays in Nevada. Prior to that, the sport that I really ever knew was ballet. Needless to say, I was very flexible and walked with turned out feet (some say, like a duck!) The ski instructor said I should have no problems with skiing since I already danced and was flexible. I might as well dance on the slopes as well!

Let me be the first to tell you that dancers definitely don't make good skiers. Skiers' stance is completely the opposite from dancers. They form a wedge (with turned in feet), and adjust their feet, depending on which direction and how fast they want to go down the slope.

Skiers bend their body forwards with knees bent to keep the balance. Dancers pull up their bodies and create a invisible line from head to toe. They stand straight. They walk tall.

After the initial basic lessons on skiing, I was put on the ski lift and journeyed up the mountains. It was difficult enough to muster the courage to get on the lift and now I had to get off the lift. I couldn't the first time round, and they stopped the lift because everybody gets off.

When I finally did, I had to quickly ski around a tree (like doing the U-turn except this one's to the left!). After turning around, I immediately fell right into a pile of snow. Not wanting to embarrass my instructor and friend, I quickly got up and told them to go ahead down the slope ... I will eventually get there!

I tried going down the slope. My feet were naturally turned out, and I struggled to do the wedge, but each time I pushed off with the poles, my feet would naturally move away from the wedge and I find myself going downhill fast with feet in parallel - a nice compromise between turn out and wedge!

With my un-natural extended feet and skis, and the indecisiveness of my body - whether to stay turned out naturally or forcing the wedge - it wasn't far down on the slope before I fell into a heap. Laying on the slopes facing skyward but my legs somehow behind and next to my body.

The skis were still attached to my feet. No matter how flexible, I was not able to untangle myself. Luckily, nothing was broken. Feeling incredibly awkward in a twisted sort of position.

The kids noticed my distress and came around to see how they could help. I was eventually dis-entangled by ... what must have been eight to 1o year old kids! One of them even muttered, "How in the world did she get into such a position!" I was silent, face flushed.

The boys had to take the skis off my feet and help me bring one leg at a time around the side and place my legs back in their natural position. Needless to say, it took me awhile before I was able to put on my skis again.

By then, my friend must have come up the slopes again and slowly skied down the slopes with me ... I don't even remember if I skied some and walked sideways down the slopes from there on ... but I did make it down eventually to be able to tell you this story so many years later!

And no, I have not skied since!

The Miracle of Friendships, Relationships
Much like my attempted ski experience, life has been full of adventures. Some experiences were foreign to my nature and required much courage to get off the lift and get going.

Once the journey begins, it requires self discipline and manouevring to get things moving in the right direction. There were times when the speed picks up and things seem to get out of control.

And there are times when you end up in a heap, exhausted, and in temporary paralysis. This is where I experience God's goodness somehow - that in a state of hopelessness, many whom I had not noticed or paid much attention to (but who have been there all along) would come around and rally around you.

They come as friends, sharing their stories and their lives. Whether they were conscious of it, they were in fact helping me out of my entanglements and getting me back up on my feet again. They walk alongside me and together we sojourn through life together in this season.

On Christmas Day, On the road to recovery
I re-discovered the true meaning of Christmas and why this has got to be the most important season of any and every year.

Yes, I am thankful for my family, my friends, and newfound friends
I am thankful for having all that I have, for the new adventures, for growth
But most of all, I am thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ.

And it all begins with the heart ... my heart ...



Christmas isnt Christmas til it happens in your heart
Somewhere, deep inside you, is where Christmas really starts
So, give your heart to Jesus, youll discover when you do
That it's Christmas, really Christmas for you.

Jesus brings warmth like a winter fire, a light like a candles glow
He's waiting now to come inside, like He did so long ago
Jesus brings gifts of truth and life and makes them bloom and grow
So welcome Him with a song of joy, and when He comes you'll know

That Christmas isnt Christmas til it happens in your heart
Somewhere, deep inside you, is where Christmas really starts
So, give your heart to Jesus, youll discover when you do
That it's Christmas, really Christmas

Christmas, really Christmas
Christmas, really Christmas for you!

Contrary to what I had planned, Christmas turned out to be a very eventful day of feasting and the re-kindling of friendships. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations and being part of their family. It was good. It was very good!

What of the journey ahead?
Will it be like going downhill on the the ski slopes? Will I find life going by too quickly? Or will I find myself crashing and forming a heap - a sign of the need to slow down? Or will it make up of all those experiences?

What I would rather do is learn to ski properly and get to the bottom of the slope gracefully. I would then like to go back up the slope and ski down again and again.

This should be my next adventure after I have learnt to scale the heights!

The turning point

Thanksgiving was a turning point. While still in Shanghai, we each took turns around the table to offer a prayer of thanks to God for the one or two things that we were thankful for in this past year as tradition dictates.

Having given thanks for my family, friends, new classmates and new adventures, I returned to my room that evening only to be greeted by the still small voice that whispered in my heart, "Would you still thank me if you didn't have all these people or the adventures in your life?"

My heart lept.

I had slipped slided away from the One who made all the difference in my life ... unknowingly in the midst of busyness, while continuing in the fellowship of the saints, and yet drifting further and further away with each assignment.

Oh God, I pray that my heart would be fully contented with you and you alone
That the very reason I should be thankful today and everyday of my life is because of you
It is not about the gifts, nor the adventures, nor the people (although I do thank you for everyone of them!)
But it is about you, and who you are.

You've given me life that I may live
Through the valleys, where tears are shed
I learn the most I grow up fast
And my character made strong
Through the peaks, where I marvel at your creation
And easily offer thanksgiving and open worship
Where the world is my oyster

But through it all, it is because of the life I now have in you
That I am able to see, through ups and downs
Your hand working in and through my life
It's all about you and because of you
I am thankful for you.

I look forward to the Christmas holidays, where I will be able to spend time re-kindling my friendship with God.

Shanghai Express-ed!

Back from Shanghai and jaded by my experiences there, it has taken me some time to recuperate and allow my thoughts and impressions to settle. Contrary to all the wonderful pictures I captured, I was feeling worn out by the overall academic rigor and social experiences ... or was it the bad pollution, the congested traffic or just being cooped up in the conference hall from 8am to 6pm for almost two whole weeks.

In counting my blessings, the Shanghai experience was not all bad after all.

I did get a chance to see the coveted Tennis Masters Cup semi-finals on my first weekend in Shanghai. Although it took us more than an hour outside the stadium to obtain our dirt-cheap tickets, it was worth it when we sat at the Djokovich camp and rooted for the eventual champion during his semi-final match with Gail Simon.

I did eat some of the best-tasting Chinese and exotic foods in Shanghai. My favorite remains the Shanghai dumplings (xiaolongboa). There was also the seasonal hairy crabs, though messy to eat was thoroughly enjoyable when waitresses de-shelled the crabs for you!

The Szechuan food was either impossible to eat due to extreme spiciness or incredibly delicious. I particularly enjoyed the frogs, rabbit, pork ribs, as well as the python (pictured right).

The only exotics that I didn't eat were the dogs and pigeons, though one classmate did comment how there were no sightings of either animal on the road or bird in the sky while we were visiting Shanghai!

There's also the street foods such as the Shanghai pancakes (pictured right), which were my favorite breakfast foods while there.

I did meet up with my friend Lily to catch up on most things under the sun. It is always good to be able to reminisce, exchange experiences, and share with one another the ups and downs of life, our hopes and dreams while knowing full well that God's eavesdropping ;-) Yes, it was great having the chit-chats and falling asleep during the oh-so-wonderful Chinese foot massage that cost me only RMB120 for 90 minutes.

Perhaps, the experiences that truly drained me were in negotiating for good bargains with Chinese nationals and being immersed in a dishonest culture.

Negotiating with Chinese Nationals @ Fake Goods Market

As a foreigner in my ancestors' homeland, I partook of the infamous bargaining at fake goods markets and any other street corner stalls available. I would pick up something I liked and ask "How much?"

The seller would name a price.

My classmates advised that I should knock it down by 70 percent and so I did.

The seller would shake his/her head and say "No way. That is even less than my cost. How can I live on that?"

I would shake my head, at my friends' advice, and say, "No, no, I know it cost you even less than that."

If the seller does not budge, I was advised that I shouldn't either. What experienced bargainers (especially foreigners) would do at this point is walk away.

And as the story goes, the seller would run after the foreigner and say, "Don't go. Don't go. How much you want? ... OK, I give you your price! Cheap! Cheap!"

I must admit this trick does not work with all foreigners, more so for foreigners like me who look Chinese but speak broken mandarin. I think some of the sellers actually referred to me as "farang" ... *embarrassed* ...when they realized I had fully exhausted my limited vocabulary of Chinese words within the first two sentences of our conversation.

Well, I did attempt to walk away from a few stalls but shockingly, no seller came after me!

Feeling rejected (plus I really wanted that souvenir item, too!), I would humbly head back into the shop and pay them a little bit more.

There were also quite a few times when the seller would lower his/her price to match my asking price. I would purchase the goods and then be hit with the winner's curse - walking away having the feeling that I have overpaid for the products because the seller settle easily or quickly.

After several doses of the winner's curse and the deep sense of dishonesty and deception at work in Shanghai, I was ready to get out. I felt out of place and drained after interacting with Chinese nationals in Shanghai. I accept that perhaps, I am just not very good at negotiating offers down to cut-throat prices and depriving others of the opportunity to make a living.

After Thoughts ...

A classmate asked if I would live and work in Shanghai. While I was open to the possibility of living in Shanghai for a few years at the time of the question, the truthful answer at this point in time would be "no" ... unless God had a greater purpose for me to be there.

Hard as it may be to admit this, I don't think I am cut out to live in deep-rooted dishonesty. Plus, I now have a growing sense that the huge fake goods industry is a reflection of the Chinese people and their history of survival.

With further thought and the divine work-in-progress on my fragile heart, I would one day come around to openly embrace Chinese nationals and realize that as strong as the Chinese appear to be, they are in reality vulnerable people with many layers of protection against exploitation.

Will I see the day when the Chinese people will walk in God's redemptive purposes for their lives and their nation and be a blessing to all those who visit their nation.