yellow.

Say hello to the Yellow Mountains! Talk about gorgeous. Talk about unique. Talk about God's perfect artistry. This was the #1 place that I didn't want to miss out seeing before heading back to the land of red, white, and blue, so Janny and I went last minute this past weekend.

China has taught me so many things about myself- it's brought out the best, and it's brought out the worst. Just like these glorious mountains, China has chiseled the clumsy Julie Dumas of the past into a more defined, articulated girl of the present. One of the things China has shown me however is my slight fear of heights... never knew I had it, but apparently it's in full force. From an old bridge suspended over the Yandang Mountains to the 100 floor observatory in Shanghai and this cable car taking me up to the Yellow Mountains, I've had my fair share of heebie jeebies here in China.

Come everyone, and make an appointment with the views. I'll show you why China has grabbed ahold of the part of my heart where beauty resides....

So these two pictures pretty much define the past 5 months of my life. If you're not Asian, you're automatically a superstar when you come to China just because you look different. Yes, these are 2 of the fan clubs that I picked up on this trip. It's crazy how excited these people get when they see a foreigner... I don't understand it... This group on the bottom had Janny and I do a photoshoot with their company flag. Pretty funny stuff. This is just one of the dozen group pictures that we took haha. Oh Chinese people... 

It's so strange that this adventure is coming to a close here in just under 2 weeks. From the Yellow Mountains to all of my "yellow" friends, I've caught the "yellow fever" big time. I know that my arrival back in the States plus the factor of time will try to cure me of this fever, but they have no chance. I'm forever dedicated to this love. I love these people, I love everything they are about, I love their knowledge of Christ's love despite their drought of the actual teachings of Him. These people know what's up. They've definitely shown me what's up as they have taken me in and loved me over the course of my adventures here in China. 

Oh China, how I love you.

suzhou.

Suzhou is so gorgeous. Check out some of my pictures from the weekend!

                      

Haha these boys wanted pictures with us. You always feel like a superstar in China, it's great.

CHRISTMAS IN CHINA! Apparently Suzhou is not lacking in holiday cheer like my city is...

nǐ hǎo, december.

And so the last month of China begins... I'm taken aback at how fast life goes, about how sweet moments become to you, about how strange change is. I'm scared to enter the real world again, scared to return home and feel like China was a dream. Life is so surreal. With the gift giving season approaching, I plan on wrapping up my present of China that God has given me, and keeping it tucked away to unwrap slowly as the rest of my life unfolds upon my arrival back to reality. 

China, I love you. 

Hello December. 

ghetto.

Moving to China has brought on many many changes. Of course there are the language differences, the food differences, and the weather differences, but one thing I didn't think much of when setting out on my journey to the Mainland was my living situation. My apartment is G.H.E.T.T.O. With a ghetto apartment comes along a ghetto lifestyle, and to prove my point, I will let you know that as I write this post, I am consuming a peach cobbler that I made in a RICE COOKER, yes a rice cooker... and yes, I am eating it with chopsticks. A lack of kitchen appliances will do that to you.

Here is a sneak peak into my daily life in China, along with the many "ghetto" things that I have had to adapt to. I know that I'm making a joke out of all this right now, but I also very much realize how insanely blessed I am. I've seen some very very tough situations here, ones that I never would have imagined, and I am so greatful for those things that I do have that others only dream of having. I have a family at home giving me 100% support, an apartment with heat during these fall months, and a knowledge of the gospel. I am so blessed, I very much realize that. With that said, here is a typical day in China for Julie Dumas...

I arise from my bed that is litterally a board. I'm not just saying that because it's a hard bed that is difficult to catch a good night's rest on, it really is a board. No mattress, just some nice, solid wood :) Then I pick out a teaching outfit for the day! 

After I have my outfit picked out and eat my daily dose of oatmeal, I head off to teach these kiddos...

If you're not an English teacher however, you might spend your Chinese morning working out at the "gym"...

Then it's time for lunch! Chicken feet, tofu, or pig's blood anyone? And I thought American cafeteria food was interesting...

After lunch is nap time. Everyone at the school takes a nap! It's glorious, I don't know why America hasn't picked up on that vital part of education yet...

After nap time, I might do some laundry and hang it on my TV to dry...

Or I might catch a lizard in my room. (Notice the bars on my door. Um....) 

Or I might survive a typhoon.

Now it's time for dinner in my "kitchen." You'll usually find me eating some beloved dumplings and drinking banana milk because it really doesn't get much better than that! 

The kitchen...

I'm not going to lie, it's going to be way nice to return home to a normal kitchen where I can drink out of the tap and not worry about cockroaches getting into my food. Or to return home where I know that I will have a mattress to sleep on or a western toilet (ya, didn't include a picture of my squater toilet but you better believe I have one!) Oh China, what an adventure you have been! From lizards to typhoons to rice cookers and squaters, this is definitely one of those "experiences of a lifetime."