"There is a saying here," my teacher friend said to me over lunch yesterday. "Four seasons, one day." She smiled and I laughed, because that is exactly what was happening around us. An hour earlier we witnessed some snowfall with huge snowflakes for about thirty minutes, and then it turned to rain. An hour or so later the sun was shining, and the chill in the air reminded me of a Boston autumn.
I keep trying to think of ways to describe this place to my friends in America. I don't know how to say it, really. There is dirt everywhere. Everything is dusty. But the women are really fashionable. I don't understand how they can walk in high heels when I'm tripping over everything in sneakers. There is construction on the main road, so the trolleys are down, so we can only walk or take a bus to school in the morning. It's hard to walk and not look at my feet the whole time because there are so many obstacles.. electric wires, potholes, puddles, broken sidewalks, rocks. And then, there are the dogs. So many stray dogs (and stray puppies...) Most of them are harmless. They just want some food and shelter. Some are crazy aggressive, but I've been told that if you pretend to pick a rock up from the ground, the dogs will run away, because they are used to children throwing rocks at them. I've also been told that in the winter we may see some frozen puppies who couldn't survive the cold and ice. Yeah, I really hope I never see that.
Everything is more difficult here and everything takes longer. It's exhausting a lot of the time. But it's also a blessing to learn how to do life at a different pace. I also have so much to be thankful for. Our apartment is big and clean and when we have water, it's hot. We live close to a grocery store, cafe, and bus stop. There are Western style toilets here (not squatty potties like in China!) and we can find most toiletries at the grocery store. The other Western teachers are super helpful, including Pam who made us homemade chicken soup last night and showed us where/how to buy chicken. My Mongolian and Russian coworkers are the most wonderful people I have ever met. They have welcomed me with open arms and we already have many inside jokes. They constantly tell me I'm beautiful : ) There is also a fun Sunday meeting that we've been attending, and last weekend we saw a movie at the theater and went bowling.
At least once a day, I think to myself, "Am I really going to be here another nine months?" It's overwhelming. It's difficult. I want to see my family and friends.
And then, at least twice a day, I think to myself, "Wow. I love it here. These people are amazing. This is exactly where I'm supposed to be." Even my emotions are tired of going back and forth. Father hears me, though, and He reminds me that He is my light, my strength, my song. As my first month here comes to a close, I'm trying to get acclimated and continuing to trust His call on my life. Still, if I have to sum it up, "four seasons, one day" sounds about right.
