After shocks from Blue Monday, Terra Cotta Warriors and More!!!

"This subterranean life-size army of thousands has silently stood guard over the soul of China's first unifier for over two millennia." -- Lonely Planet: China 11th ed. May 2009, p. 423

That's an interesting theological statement, don't you think? The Lonely Planet author continues:

Panoramic view of the warriors from above. Thousands and thousands of them,
each face is unique.

"Either Qin Shi Huang was terrified of the vanquished spirits awaiting him in the afterlife, or, as most archaeologists believe, he expected his rule to continue in death as it had in life..."

Big Goose Pagoda in Xian, China January 2013

I find myself in a January slump [aftershocks from Blue Monday the most depressing day of the year?] Here's what's on my mind:

-- I'm having more trouble with the Hong Kong Immigration authorities as I try and get renewed visas for our current wonderful, dedicated Mekong area theology students, who sacrifice so much to be here.
-- I'm very unclear where all the scholarships are going to come from for the next batch of Mekong and other international students.
-- I'm not sure the material, academic, financial, and spiritual commitment to LTS Hong Kong is as strong as it needs to be if this seminary is going to build and expand upon its current unique strengths to serve the inter-cultural mission of Lutheran and evangelical churches around the world.
-- Some of my other work responsibilities seem  unfocused and diffuse as I do things like spend hours updating international mailing lists. Is this worthwhile in the interests of networking, or is this time misspent?  Hard telling.
-- I miss my family back in the USA!

Our first time in winter weather in 4 years.... on top of the
Xian city wall

So, let me attack the January blues by sharing amazing photos with you from our recent trip to Xian (huge thanks to youngest son Eric Z. Nieminen, official event photographer, who was our only kid able to visit us at Christmas this year)

Side view of the same wall... we rented bikes and rode around
the top of the whole 14 kilometers of the wall.

Did I mention it was cold??!
Also, 14 km of bumpy bricks does
a number to one's hinie.

Tomb of Emperor Jingdi

Jenny, one of our LTS alumni, accompanied us through
the tomb --- it was definitely low tourist season in China! We
practically had this amazing world-class  museum to ourselves.

Jing Di's tomb features terra cotta women and eunuchs along
with the male figures, this is one of the female cavalry.

Before we went to see the Terra Cotta Warriars, we went to a lesser known Tomb of Emperor Jingdi where fifty thousand small terracotta figures were buried, including sheep, dogs, pigs, and people. The figures had originally been clothed in real silk clothing, but the years have rotted away the coverings, exposing them as females, males, and eunuchs.


And then we went to see the actual, utterly astounding Terra Cotta Warriors, which has made Xian a destination for travelers from all over the world.

Yes these are the fake terra cotta warriors, in a little side room to the
real warriors - photographs could be taken for a small fee,
which we were happy
to pay :)

Real terra cotta warriors... over 2,000 years old.
The real ones are all tagged... and not touchable!

Xian street scene 1

Xian street scene 2

Xian street scene 3
our back up photographer (Wayne)
trying to get the perfect shot of the
Goose Pagoda

And then a true highlight of the trip, a delicious Chinese dinner with
Jenny, in her home.

The chance to spend time with Jenny, one of Wayne's students from Mainland China, was amazing. She actually waited two hours to pick us up from the airport bus at our arrival, accompanied us on several of our excursions, and topped off our Xian visit with a home cooked meal.

Seeing students/ alumni and hearing about their good memories and appreciation of their studies at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong helps make us feel it is all worth it, our work in Hong Kong. Living, breathing, loving, relationships, bonded in Christ... something that will last (we believe) much longer than even those amazing terra cotta figures.


⁴ A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by...
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—    yes, establish the work of our hands.  --Psalm 90

A glorious trip to China's Fairy Lake Garden, followed by an inglorious fall...

Shenzen blossoms

I have not posted for a while and this is why:

Twelve days ago (March 20th to be exact) Wayne and I celebrated our thirtieth wedding anniversary by using our newly acquired multiple-entry visas to China (yes, we need a visa to enter the mainland of China from Hong Kong).  We took the metro, and 45 minutes and two checkpoints later, we were in the great shopping land of Shenzen, where you can buy a cheap imitation of anything.  Anything.

We, however, did not linger in the shopping areas but splurged and took a ten minute taxi to a place I had read about called the Shenzen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden.  There we:

posed by trees planted by Deng Xiaoping in 1992

took turns posing...

on the Fairy Lake bridge.

Admired the Fairy Land landscape.

and lilypads...

lots and lots

of

lilypads

cacti gardens

and things besides cacti to look at!

Each cactus blooms in its own way...

At last, the petrified forest! I've always wanted to see a petrified forest.

Up close.

and even closer... petrified wood is like marble.

The 30th wedding anniversary meal in Shenzen was cheap, and the photography was free!!!

So why have I not posted in such a long time?  Because, alas, was it the wine? Was it the slightly loose sandals I was wearing? Was it the fact that I was tired and hurried too much to get an empty seat on the train back to Hong Kong?  The sad story is, I did not "mind the gap", I fell into the side of the tracks, got a gash on my shin, which got infected, which landed me in the hospital, which may be the subject of my next post... and then I'll try and get back on track with some of the great international student stories I have to tell...

So stay tuned!  Blessed Holy Week!

Getting Ready for the New Year of the Dragon, Part I

Flower market in Mongkok

Bright blossoms of all kinds - New Year means springtime in China!

Youngest son adores getting schlepped to the Flower Market each year.

The busiest shopping night of the year.

Spring in Beijing: Part III The Forbidden City and More

Tienanmen Square.  And yes, I made my husband go and look at Mao's embalmed/frozen/plasticized body with me.  It was a long, long, line, but quite efficient. The guard said twenty minutes and I think it took us twenty two.   He looked just like all his pictures, only, dead. (Mao, that is, not the guard)

Ready to enter the forbidden city, with our electronic, automated guides which were supposed to know exactly where we were standing and give us info about that place.  Didn't quite work that way.

To our Christmas card recipients - a preview of our 2011 Christmas card. One of the best $5 we've spent.

Fire extinguisher, any one?

We had an amazing experience at a local Christian "fellowship" (not a church) 30-40 mostly young people gather seven nights a week, different folks every night... 7:30 to 9:30 after work... wanting to learn God's word from the Bible.  Wayne was able to offer a "greeting" and they peppered us with questions afterwards, but we had to leave quickly because the building closed at ten p.m., no lingering allowed.  This is all legal, as long as it isn't a church and as long as no politics are discussed.

 I couldn't end this mini-series on our first trip to China without a couple of photos of signs in "Chinglish".

The first one (no spitting) makes sense even though it doesn't seem to have much effect since there are big globs of spit everywhere on the sidewalks.  But we aren't quite sure about the exact purpose of this second sign.

We loved our first trip to China and hope we will have many more!!!

Spring in Beijing: Part 2 The Great Wall: Mutianyu

With Middle son, who is currently studying in Beijing

Springtime at the Great Wall!

Seriously scenic views, and some serious climbing up all of those steps!

steps & more steps... not a problem for those of us who are in shape...

Husband and son at the mercy of the guards... 

Two lizards on the wall reminded me of ...

a Chinese knot which represents good luck...

good luck, which we had that evening

content with a restaurant meal of eggplant, bamboo shoots and sauteed fungi

good luck, that we did NOT try any of the famous Beijing-style scorpions and starfish on a skewer (youngest son had tried a seahorse and reported the tough, chewy, fishy taste was not one he would care to repeat.)


A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate --
King Solomon  (Proverbs 15:17)