a week in pictures

i'm embarassed by the lack of pictures i've taken this past week... probably because i didn't do much than rest in my apartment for 79% of it! but at the same time, i'm surprised that i WAS able to capture some random moments from this week of highlights, and happenings here in harbin... enjoy! (oh, by the way, thank you for your thoughts i'm feeling SIGNIFICANTLY better the past couple of days, ptl!!)

saturday: olivia's 3rd birthday with the theme of "O"- we were watching her favorite "O" Sesame st. podcast with a lot of our friends and little friends to join us!

sunday: had an last minute lunch at mcdonald's with my PA and was once again amazed by all the people just hanging out there like it was a coffee shop! hehe

sunday night: our PA (supervisor) wanted to "dare" some of us to eat chicken feet haha but to gordon and hui, it was a treat and a delicious snack! ;)

monday morning: oh hello snow!! first snow in harbin... it was a might cold day but it didn't stay around very long... for now!

tuesday afternoon: m'lynn wanted to be adventurous for girls time and wanted to make oatmeal cookies with a waffle maker... three times is a charm! i would have given up after the first batch! haha

tuesday afternoon continue: after a good game of beans i tried my first "waterfall" french braid ever! pretty cool!!

wednesday night: hui and i collaborating our lesson plans and ideas together in my messy office haha we thought it would be an appropriate picture moment to show that we really DO work ;)

thursday morning: shopping at Carrefour (similar to walmart) and spotted this special little... child. haha i can't tell if it's a boy or girl because you just can't tell those things very well in china. i've seen this kind of hat/wig before... not sure what the parents were thinking when they bought it. hehe

so sick and tired...

of being sick and tired! haha i haven't been sick like this in a while- fatty cold sore, sore throat, feverish, body aches, feeling loopy and exhausted...

it all started last friday after a full morning of classes and hasn't left (though i felt spurts of feeling almost normal again).

feeling sick always brings me back to earth of how weak and human i am... i easily forget what it's like to be sick and weak... i tend to not show a lot of compassion in my heart when other people or students are feeling sick- thus i think he reminds me in my weakness/sickness the feeling of others to rest in his strength and power.

i had so many plans this weekend: dinner with students, english corner, help a student with her speech, team dinner, first open house with students... but i had to cancel all of them. i'm thankful that things are flexible and changeable in china, thus canceling things last minute isn't such a big deal and understood. it also reminds me that sometimes i have plans but it are his plans that will prevail.

please remember my teammates and i (i'm not the only one who's sick!!) and ask for rest, healing, a quick recovery and to not pass this on to others! 谢谢 (xie xie)- thanks!

the day before i got sick the air was ESPECIALLY nasty, funky, and smokey... i wonder if there is a connection between the air and our health.. hmmm!