Hey Everyone!! Wow, sorry it's been over a month since I updated.... I have done so much, I don't know if I can recall all of it, but I'll do my best.....

Here's some highlights...

Most recent highlight was spending time with three students over the weekend. On Saturday Morning I took a long walk with one of the first year girls and a friend of hers from ZZ (the vocational school next to our training center). We talked for about an hour and a half on the top of the hill/ridge behind our school and apartments (see picture of The Ridge). There are a bunch of farms up there with corn fields and all kind of vegetable gardens. The road we were walking on kept going a long way pretty flat and then started going up a little more, but that's were we decided to turn around, so I'm not sure how far it goes. It was a good walk though and nice time to talk. Her friend doesn't speak much English, so she had to translate back and forth what she wanted both of us to understand. She is probably one of the highest level in the first year class.  

 On Sunday after our team 'meeting'/sharing time, I had lunch with two other girls. They cooked 4 delicious dishes and we ate together in the one's small room that she rents in a Hutong house. (Hutongs are the traditional courtyard houses along narrow alley way streets.) These girls are not too talkative, but very sweet. They are, I think, the two oldest girls in the grade one class. I hope to get to know these three girls and others better over the year that I'm here and build close friendships with them.

Sometimes it feels that it is going to be very difficult to build close relationships with anyone here, because of their strict school schedule. Even for those who are not in school right now, many of them are very dedicated to studding for self study tests. So, I hope to still find ways to reach out to them and show them that I don't just want to be their teacher, but I want to be a friend.

Another highlight this weekend was being able to hike up the mountain on the other side of the city, across from the school. Ever since I got here and saw the mountains that surround the city, I thought, I've got to find a way to get to them and go hiking. So, on Sunday, one of the guys, who's also here from the states, told me he had been walking the day before and ended up hiking up the mountain. I was so excited, so he showed me how to get there and we hiked about half way to the top. Next time we go, we'll bring water and try to find a way to get all the way up to the top. It was pretty easy to get to where we went, though pretty steep in some spots. Beyond were we went though, I don't think there is any trails, so we'll have to make our own way. Even though it was overcast when we were hiking, the view was still beautiful and I just love being as close to nature as possible.

1) This is The Ridge behind our apartments where I like to go to sit and read or think. 2)This is the mountain across from the school where I hiked on Sunday.

And that's just the beginning, but I got to go to bed for now, so, i'll try to do more soon. I promise!