It’s that magical time of the year when the harshness of the cold and chill of the snow yield a warmth you can’t experience at any other time in the year. I may have mentioned this before, but this will mark my third holiday season spent in a country that doesn’t celebrate Christmas; well, actually, Africa and India have some kind of festivities, but they’re weak at best and I don’t blame them because the holiday is not indigenous. Anyway, I have a few ways to maintain the spirit while outside the euro-influenced cultures and they come down to friends, music and lights. Music can transport your spirits to anyplace in an instant, so crank up the Christmas tunes and if you happen to teach over 80 Chinese students, then teach them some Christmas songs. As for the lights, well, it’s the darnedest thing, but I’ve never actually been to a place where I couldn’t find a few Christmas light strands to throw up in my hostel, host family home, or teacher’s apartment. Evidentially, everyone around the world appreciates the colorful glow that we often associate with the trailer park (I can say that because I lived in one for two years). Friends are among the most important and you can find them in any place you travel to. Beyond the fact that Christmas is about being close to those you love and care about, when you make friends in other countries, the peace of Christmas takes on a whole new meaning and can cause one to think, “If I can make friends with them and they with me, then why couldn’t this transpire on a larger scale?” A good question to ask and a good person to strive to be, that is, willing to be friends with any and all people regardless of where they come from…reminds me of an important guy from the Message.
So, just to paint a picture, Jared and my apartment is covered in Christmas lights and I mean, covered! We have the Christmas music cranking around the clock and have been eager to share with our friends the festive nature of Christmas. More importantly, Christmas has proven to be a very special story to share with our friends and students. In fact, telling the story to people who have never heard it is almost like relearning it myself. The story really is humble, unlikely, miraculous and truly meaningful. I’m thankful to my students for giving me the opportunity to learn what it’s really about outside of the buy-all-the-junk-you-see mentality. The junk ends up in our closets anyway. The real spirit behind this holiday is remembering an event that makes every single thing I do worth doing. If that baby wasn’t born, then what would I be doing in China but seeking vain thrills and pleasure. It’s true, that humble birth is exactly what has me living the life I live today and it is more adventurous than I could have ever imagined.
***
I think it is only natural that, wherever you live or whatever you do, you adjust to your environment. How long does it take someone to adjust to his or her environment? Well, on a general scale, probably a few months and on a detailed level, perhaps a lifetime. Here in Harbin life has settled a bit. Of course, living in any foreign country (especially China) may never truly settle for those who are foreigners in that land, but you have to do the best you can, create routines, familiarize yourself with the surroundings and eventually, you have to make a big leap in your mind to accept the fact that these things in this place are now normal. Yes, it is unfortunate but true; one cannot live on adrenaline and thrills forever (though some will try).
I want to take special note of routine. I am, in a nicely phrased way, less than organized and I do not attempt to always be in a comfortable environment and I think my conditions over the past three or four years have shown that. However, I have discovered something interesting about myself that I did not know before; I am a man of routine. It is hard to plainly state it that way because clearly, the way I travel about and remain an “I wonder where in the world he is” type of person would suggest otherwise. There are some things that I have held to no matter where in the world I am and now I am beginning to write them down and accept that these are things I must do to keep myself attached to something important. They are simple things, but sometimes the simplest routines are what keep us sane, and I’ve listed them below as I usually perform each activity:
- Breakfast and exercise
- Wash my hair
- Prayer
- Walk
- Journal
And that’s it. The exact moments that each of these things occurs is subject to change based on the day’s activities, like my job, a special trip or some other unusual circumstances that could occur, but for the most part I always do these things everyday. Why not mention lunch and dinner, because if I have to for some wild reason, miss lunch or dinner, I can. It is very vital for me to get my breakfast and my breakfast must include one of the following: milk, meat, cheese or any other sustenance rich in the essential amino acids I need for the day (and the exercise).
As for my hair, I plainly cannot stand having greasy hair and if I have to go with a greasy head for some trip or event, I will simply shave my head and the problem is solved.
And prayer is an obvious one for me because it is the most focus in my thoughts that I may have the entire day, and I find my time with the Father is most effective in the morning, as are most of my thoughts and brainstorming due to the fact that the fatigue of the day has not yet caused drama and illogical thinking. Trust me on that one, people are (and I am) quite a bit more drama filled by the time 8pm rolls around and I’m sure there’s some quantifiable research out there to help back my claim. Don’t get me wrong either; sometimes the emotional edge is what you need to truly accomplish something that you would otherwise find illogical when weighing the risk and reward. I suppose that’s why most romantic scenes take place at night…in the rain (excluding the final scenes of Pride and Prejudice).
Walking is the best way for me to throw something around in my head. If I need to process the culture shock, the problem I can’t figure out or fix, the language I am trying to learn, or anything of that nature, then walking about is where you’ll find me. I have one quirk to my walks, I like them a night and sometimes I actually like them to be early morning, like between 2-4am. These days, my walks have become more commonly known to occur after dinner because I have discovered another unmentioned truth to my schedule: sleep. I require 8 hours of sleep every night and I like to have a 20 minute nap sometime in my day and that usually depends on my activity/exercise level because more sleep = better use of calories.
Finally, there’s journaling. I end almost every single day in my journal. The journal is also a form of prayer and it is the best way for me to release all of my thoughts in a physical way so I don’t take them to bed with me where they will resound in my mind like the background clatter of an Irish pub. No one sleeps in an Irish pub, not naturally.
Why have I listed all of these things? I thought it might be helpful to readers out there. Figure out what things are essential to your day and it can really make a difference in how you function. I know these things are important to me and so I make them a priority like anything else in my life. It is also to point out that, really, when you can deduce function down to the essentials, we do not require that much to perform at our best from day to day so if you’re thinking about doing something “crazy” like moving to China, just do it, you’ll be fine and the simplicity of existing is a reward that does, and always will, outweigh any risk.
~Johnny Young
So, just to paint a picture, Jared and my apartment is covered in Christmas lights and I mean, covered! We have the Christmas music cranking around the clock and have been eager to share with our friends the festive nature of Christmas. More importantly, Christmas has proven to be a very special story to share with our friends and students. In fact, telling the story to people who have never heard it is almost like relearning it myself. The story really is humble, unlikely, miraculous and truly meaningful. I’m thankful to my students for giving me the opportunity to learn what it’s really about outside of the buy-all-the-junk-you-see mentality. The junk ends up in our closets anyway. The real spirit behind this holiday is remembering an event that makes every single thing I do worth doing. If that baby wasn’t born, then what would I be doing in China but seeking vain thrills and pleasure. It’s true, that humble birth is exactly what has me living the life I live today and it is more adventurous than I could have ever imagined.
***
I think it is only natural that, wherever you live or whatever you do, you adjust to your environment. How long does it take someone to adjust to his or her environment? Well, on a general scale, probably a few months and on a detailed level, perhaps a lifetime. Here in Harbin life has settled a bit. Of course, living in any foreign country (especially China) may never truly settle for those who are foreigners in that land, but you have to do the best you can, create routines, familiarize yourself with the surroundings and eventually, you have to make a big leap in your mind to accept the fact that these things in this place are now normal. Yes, it is unfortunate but true; one cannot live on adrenaline and thrills forever (though some will try).
I want to take special note of routine. I am, in a nicely phrased way, less than organized and I do not attempt to always be in a comfortable environment and I think my conditions over the past three or four years have shown that. However, I have discovered something interesting about myself that I did not know before; I am a man of routine. It is hard to plainly state it that way because clearly, the way I travel about and remain an “I wonder where in the world he is” type of person would suggest otherwise. There are some things that I have held to no matter where in the world I am and now I am beginning to write them down and accept that these are things I must do to keep myself attached to something important. They are simple things, but sometimes the simplest routines are what keep us sane, and I’ve listed them below as I usually perform each activity:
- Breakfast and exercise
- Wash my hair
- Prayer
- Walk
- Journal
And that’s it. The exact moments that each of these things occurs is subject to change based on the day’s activities, like my job, a special trip or some other unusual circumstances that could occur, but for the most part I always do these things everyday. Why not mention lunch and dinner, because if I have to for some wild reason, miss lunch or dinner, I can. It is very vital for me to get my breakfast and my breakfast must include one of the following: milk, meat, cheese or any other sustenance rich in the essential amino acids I need for the day (and the exercise).
As for my hair, I plainly cannot stand having greasy hair and if I have to go with a greasy head for some trip or event, I will simply shave my head and the problem is solved.
And prayer is an obvious one for me because it is the most focus in my thoughts that I may have the entire day, and I find my time with the Father is most effective in the morning, as are most of my thoughts and brainstorming due to the fact that the fatigue of the day has not yet caused drama and illogical thinking. Trust me on that one, people are (and I am) quite a bit more drama filled by the time 8pm rolls around and I’m sure there’s some quantifiable research out there to help back my claim. Don’t get me wrong either; sometimes the emotional edge is what you need to truly accomplish something that you would otherwise find illogical when weighing the risk and reward. I suppose that’s why most romantic scenes take place at night…in the rain (excluding the final scenes of Pride and Prejudice).
Walking is the best way for me to throw something around in my head. If I need to process the culture shock, the problem I can’t figure out or fix, the language I am trying to learn, or anything of that nature, then walking about is where you’ll find me. I have one quirk to my walks, I like them a night and sometimes I actually like them to be early morning, like between 2-4am. These days, my walks have become more commonly known to occur after dinner because I have discovered another unmentioned truth to my schedule: sleep. I require 8 hours of sleep every night and I like to have a 20 minute nap sometime in my day and that usually depends on my activity/exercise level because more sleep = better use of calories.
Finally, there’s journaling. I end almost every single day in my journal. The journal is also a form of prayer and it is the best way for me to release all of my thoughts in a physical way so I don’t take them to bed with me where they will resound in my mind like the background clatter of an Irish pub. No one sleeps in an Irish pub, not naturally.
Why have I listed all of these things? I thought it might be helpful to readers out there. Figure out what things are essential to your day and it can really make a difference in how you function. I know these things are important to me and so I make them a priority like anything else in my life. It is also to point out that, really, when you can deduce function down to the essentials, we do not require that much to perform at our best from day to day so if you’re thinking about doing something “crazy” like moving to China, just do it, you’ll be fine and the simplicity of existing is a reward that does, and always will, outweigh any risk.
~Johnny Young