Podcasts!

I have recently found podcasts! Most of you have already been using them, right?

Since being here in China, I have missed listening to sermons, NPR, and so much more on the radio... but now I have podcasts! I have downloaded the following and a lot more:

• Church Planting Movements: Dr. David Garrison answers some commonly asked questions about church planting movements.
• CPM Training Resources
• Richland Hills Church of Christ
• CSLPOD - Chinese as a Second Language
• Classic Sinai Podcast
• 12 Byzantine Rulers: The History of the Byzantine Empire
• NPR: Car Talk; Intelligence Squared; Technology (and a few others)
• Big Ideas
• Answers in Genesis Ministries
• Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Seminar

I am half way through the first installment of CPM Training Resources - it is called Your Prayer Network. I learned that the people making the greatest impact on their communities are the ones praying the most. Is this a surprise? Not really, but how much do you think they are praying each day? A few minutes? An hour? Try 4 hours! That is a lot of praying!

If you really want God to work in your life, what should you do? Pray.
If you really want God to work through you and get the lives of those around you, what should you do? Pray!

This has caused me to rethink how I spend my time (or should I say His gift of time).

Beijing 2008

Originally posted on October 18 as "News, Plans, and Randomness."

We hope you are doing well and enjoying the beginning of fall. We are doing some fall cleaning. Jaime is giving away clothes she doesn't wear to the students... they love them! I have yet to, don't know if they will enjoy swimming in my clothes and I haven't gone through them just yet.

We are into fall weather here in Shiyan. The nights are cool to cold and there have been a few brisk days. The cool weather here is enjoyable. Jaime loves the rainy days, I get bored with them after 3 in a row, but she seems to like as many as we get.

There have been 4 new sisters this semester! Jaime and I are really ramping up our studies with students here, there has been a sudden interest. And we are making plans to have a big "English Corner" for all of our classes - this will be an opportunity for all of them to hear the Message through cultural teachings on family relationships, friendships, dating, marriage, school studies, self improvement, and so on. We are really excited about this, but we haven't had it approved yet (shouldn't be a problem).

One of the Chinese English Teachers gave a great homework assignment - she asked all the students to report on S*lv*tion! Then the students asked me in class to help them with their homework. This is seed sowing at its finest; and the teacher will be coming to our home to talk about the Story. This is wonderful!

Our city's original teachers, Dave & Mary Broaddus, are visiting for a while! They are 70+ and were here when they were in their 60's, February 1997 to June 2001. They are very encouraging and brought along wonderful DVD's to share with folks here.

We also have two visitors from Hong Kong. They cooked tonight! One is a friend we met traveling last year - Gabe - and she brought her friend Veronica. They are a lot of fun and easy going, but tonight Gabe got sick – maybe something like the flu.

Jaime and I need to raise support for our life in Beijing - we are planning to live there for 5 years starting next fall. We think we might need about $35,000 a year... we will prepare a budget to send home soon. We are hoping to study Chinese full time for the first 6 months to a year, then continue studying the language part time while sharing the Message full time. I am seriously considering beginning a Masters in Chinese Language & Culture for my ongoing Chinese studies. This would hopefully give me good footing for teaching in the States (when/if we return) at Harding University, Ohio Valley University, or another of our schools. I think it would be great to help prepare the students for working in China!

We aren't sure yet, but would like to come home for about 3 months in the summer. This will give us enough time to visit with as many of you as possible. We also hope to spend time with family: Andrew's brother James will return from 16 months in Iraq; Phil (Andrew's oldest brother) just got engaged and we'll miss the wedding, maybe we hope to spend some time with them soon.

I grew a beard, Jaime took a picture, and I just shaved it yesterday. Those things are itchy!

To see photos related to this post go to this link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17574&l=9a6e5&id=601795676

Thanks and love you all!
Andrew & Jaime

Does God Make Mistakes?

When viewing the Old Testament people often look at the way God "changes" or how God must have messed something up, however I believe we need to look instead to one simple fact.

Humanity chose to eat the forbidden fruit.

Adam and Eve were made without flaw, with complete knowledge of the world around them. We have been in error since eating the fruit; and we all choose to eat the "fruit" and reject God.

What we see throughout the Bible is God's ongoing revelation of himself to man. Man rejects God and pushes God away again and again. Yet God is patient, loving, and kind, continuing to reveal His will for man. When we think God has changed, we should ask instead, "How have I changed?" or "How has humanity changed?"

As Adam & Eve's descendants followed in their footsteps, they became increasingly less aware of God's love and wisdom. So God continues to teach us through ongoing revelation - He isn't changing, we are. Instead of humanity becoming increasingly spiritually (and generically) intelligent we are actually becoming increasingly detached from true love and wisdom. Jesus is the answer!

When Jesus lives within our hearts we can know God!

What do I mean by continuous revelation? Simply that we are always learning more about God, but we need to have more relationship with God. In relationship we continue to learn about our friend, we never say, "I know you completely!" (1 Corinthians 13:12) God can say he knows us, but we can't say we know anyone, not even ourselves.

Six Worldviews ... Let's Say Seven Worldviews

Worldview matters. Clarifying worldviews is not an academic exercise, intellectual theory, or a philosophical concept. A worldview is an integral part of our lives. It determines our relationships. It determines your successes and failures. It determines our goals and motivations. If someone wants to change their life, they’ll have to change how they look at the world first.

Here are some worldviews and the Biblical response.

1. The one with the most toys wins.
This is the worldview of materialism – and it can be summed up with one world, more. Materialism says that the only thing that really matters in life is acquiring things. Those who subscribe to this worldview live mostly to collect things.

The Bible’s answer: Jesus said this in Luke 12, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (NIV). He tells us not to judge our lives by how much we’ve got. The greatest things in life aren’t things.

2. I’ve got to think of me first.
We live in a “me first,” serve-yourself world that says it’s all about you. Commercial slogans cater to this viewpoint. Slogans like, “have it your way,” “we do it all for you,” “obey your thirst,” “you’ve got to think of what’s best for yourself,” and “You deserve it.”

For the last 40 years, the Baby Boomer generation has been called the “Me Generation.” This “me first” idea has infected entire communities. It has torn up marriages (“I don’t care how divorce impacts my spouse or children; it’s all about me”), destroyed workplaces (“I don’t care how my laziness impacts my co-workers; it’s all about me”) and even ruined churches (“Serve my needs first, forget about the lost”).

It’s a self-centered, individualistic way of life that says we should ignore the community and other people.

The Bible’s answer: Jesus says, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Matt. 16:25 NLT). Jesus says you only begin to live when you give your life away. Significance in life does not come from serving yourself; it comes from serving God and others.

3. Do what feels good.
This is hedonism – the belief that the most important thing in life is how we feel. The number one goal of a hedonist is to feel good, be comfortable, and have fun.

It’s the worldview that Hugh Hefner founded Playboy magazine on. He willingly acknowledges he is a hedonist.

It’s not just playboys who are hedonists, though. In fact, someone who lives for the goal of retirement is a hedonist. If the whole goal of a person’s life is to simply do nothing, live a self centered life, and make no contribution to the world, that’s hedonism.

The Bible’s answer: “Are you addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied” (Prov 21:17 Msg). Mick Jagger’s been singing: “I can’t get no satisfaction” for 40 years. Why? The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied.

4. Whatever works for you.
This worldview says it doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. It doesn’t matter if it hurts anybody or not. If it works for you, fine. As that great theologian Sly Stone says, “Different strokes for different folks.”

In our multi-cultural, pluralistic world, this is a very popular worldview. Nobody wants to tell someone else that what they are doing is wrong. In fact that’s the only way you can be wrong in our society today – if you tell someone else they’re wrong.

The Bible’s answer: The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Prov. 14:12 NIV). Our ideas may seem right, but in the end our ideas lead to death. “Whatever works for you” leads to death. You don’t break God’s universal laws; they break you. (Another quote I like, "You can't break God's laws, you only break yourself against them.")

5. God doesn’t exist.
This worldview is naturalism or atheism. Naturalists believe that everything in life is a result of random chance. We’re all accidents of nature. There is no grand creator or grand design. God either doesn’t exist or he doesn’t matter.

If there is no God, there’s no plan or purpose for life. If there is no purpose, then your life doesn’t really matter. Your only value comes from the fact that God loves you, created you, and thought you up. For naturalists, life has no value, meaning, or purpose.

It takes more faith to be an atheist than it does to believe in God. When you look at creation and how the world is set on an axis, it proves the existence of God to me. If it were one degree one way, we’d freeze up. If it were one degree the other way, we’d burn up.

The Bible’s answer: Paul says in Romans 1:25 (NIV), “From the beginning of creation, God has shown what he is like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse. They know about God, but they don't honor him or even thank him...They claim to be wise, but they are fools.” In other words, we can look at nature and see a lot about God. We know God is creative, powerful, organized, and likes diversity. There are lots of things we know about God just by looking at nature.

6. You are your own God.
This worldview, otherwise known as humanism, is very popular in the Western world. It says we are the mastermind of our own fate, the determiner of our destiny. You’ll hear this in the new age movement as well: “You’re divine. You’re a god.”

It’s ironic. God wired us to worship something. And if we don’t worship God, we end up worshipping ourselves. The self-made man usually worships his maker.

The Bible’s answer: Paul says in Rom. 1:25 (NIV): “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped created things rather than the Creator.” You can go all around the world and find people worshipping little idols that they made – stone idols, rock idols, crystals, and wooden idols. They’re worshipping something that they created themselves or somebody else created. In America we have our own idols – they’re called cars, homes, and status symbols. The Bible is clear that God is God, and we’re not.

All of these worldviews have consequences. Every day we’re affected and influenced by them. We’re often not even aware of it. These worldviews affect our happiness and success. They matter greatly.

There’s only one worldview that is consistent with the Bible. The biblical worldview says God made us for his purposes. It says that we exist for his pleasure. It’s 180 degrees different from the other worldviews above.

Do you want to change your heart? Change your mind – and your worldview – first, then you can know the will of God (Romans 12:1-2).

(Thanks to Rick Warren! I just reworded this so it would better apply to all of us!)

Ch-ch-changes... Changes

Yunyang Medical College has a new president, head of foreign affairs, and a few other new officers... plus a very large freshman class. This means there will be a rearranging of many schedules, ideas, and probably even more positions will be juggled in the coming months. Many of the Chinese teachers have almost double their normal class loads. And the American teachers have picked up a few more classes as well. This means we have more opportunity to Share!

We are learning Chinese once a week with Violet, a Chinese English teacher. And I have many students willing to tutor me, I just need to arrange the schedules... hopefully my speaking, reading, and writing of Mandarin will improve dramatically and soon!

Language is like exercise, daily practice is best. Hitting it in spurts often causes frustration because I think I know something, but have never really mastered it, so there is even more need for review and repetition. Oh, and Jaime has begun studying more too! So we are both learning Chinese and talking about moving to Beijing next year to really study the language and work full time for Him!

Our Shiyan group has more teachers this year, but no teens... we have 12 teachers, and Brad's wife Min, she is Chinese - so this would bring us to 13. (Hopefully we can get one big group photo sometime soon!)

Jaime and I have begun having more open meetings, reflecting the CPM model. So we welcome new people and are really trying to get out into the community more. We may even move the meetings into a local restaurant. We are trying to encourage a more healthy, native, and maturing local population for our Meetings. Please keep this in your Thoughts.

My knee is improving little by little, but the recovery time is 6 months, so it is also slow going just like language learning. (It has been 6 weeks since the surgery.)

Who Am I?

09/6/07
Who Am I?
I'Ching Thomas

Many world religions today accept the man Jesus within their belief system. Muslims call him a prophet; some Buddhists consider him a bodhisattva, and New Age practitioners call him a social activist. Amidst such diverse claims of the identity of Jesus, who is the real Jesus? This reminds me of Jesus's own question to his disciples in Matthew 16--namely, "Who do people say that I am?" A brief look at the backdrop of his question would help us better grasp the significance of this passage.

First, consider the location. The incident occurred at a place some miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee in the domain of Herod Philip.(1) It was also the reputed birthplace of the god of Pan--the god of nature and fertility--and he was staunchly worshipped there. The surrounding area was also filled with temples of classical pagan religion. Towering over all of these was the new temple to the Emperor Caesar. Thus, the question of Jesus's identity was aptly and significantly posed to his disciples against a myriad of gods and idols.

Second, consider Peter's response. The answer Peter accorded to Jesus's question--"You the Christ, the Son of the living God"--was a title with implications that the original audience knew perfectly well. Peter was describing Jesus as the Promised One who would fulfill the hopes of the nation. The interesting thing, though, is that the original audience was expecting a Messiah or savior who was more of a political figure. Of course, Jesus, the disciples were discovering, was much more than this. He described himself as the divine Son of God, and the salvation he was to bring as something not just for the Jewish nation but for peoples of all nations.

Peter's insightful confession was key in the disciples' eventual recognition of Jesus and the turn of events that would follow. Though given divine insight, Peter was as unaware as the rest of the disciples that the victory of the Messiah they professed would come in the most unexpected way. Yet from here on, God's plan was further revealed, Jesus's suffering and impending death more clearly voiced. Jesus revealed that his Messiahship involved taking on the role of the suffering servant as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. His very identity would ultimately lead him to his cursed death on the Cross.

Of course, how Jesus lived and died has implications as to how his followers are to live as well. That is, we, too, are to deny our self-importance and self-focus and be willing to lose our lives in standing up for what is true and right. The earliest Christians understood this very well as many were persecuted for their faith and betrayed by their own families. The laying down of one's life was a literal reality for those who would become martyrs.

Today, most of us live in environments where the question "Who do you say that I am?" is still asked in a world of distractions. We live in a context where we have endless options to choose from: a plethora of religions, pleasure and wealth, recognition, and so on. The question is as pressing to us as it was for those who first heard it. Who do we say Christ is? Our response is both personal and public. If we claim that Christ is supreme over all other competitors for our allegiance, how is this confession evident in our lives and in the world?

Regardless of what we may have been told, the way of Jesus is ultimately the way of the Cross. Signing up with Christ won't give you worldly benefits, but all the forms of suffering that arise from carrying one's cross. As we proclaim in our religiously pluralistic context that Christ is supreme over all other gods of this world, we need to be reminded that his supremacy and victory cannot be divorced from the heavy price that he paid.

Often, like Peter, we tend to expect a Lord who fits our preconceptions or ideas--perhaps one who is always "successful," or one who is validated by signs and wonders. Even the disciples were not spared this temptation. All of their questions about who would sit at his right hand and what one would secure from discipleship reveal that they were expecting glory as they walked with the Son. Their expectations likely did not include getting killed.

However, as they soon learned, any commitment to Christ that does not feature the Cross is merely devotion to an idol, for following Christ is costly. For some, following will mean death itself. It will mean taking up the Cross. It will mean living beyond our comfort zone. It may mean you will have to leave the country you call home. It will mean stepping out in love and conviction and perhaps undertaking a calling that many will scorn. Choosing to call Jesus the Christ may mean losing our lives, but then, this is the only way to truly live.


I'Ching Thomas is associate director of training at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Singapore.

(1)NIV Archaeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005), 1589.


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Jaime Arrives Today

Jaime arrives today, so what have I accomplished in Beijing for the past 4 weeks?

1. Connected with the local family
   Visited with Marcus & Julia, Ryan, and Gary and Danita
   
2. Made new friends
3. Knee surgery and a good bit of healing
4. Finished the last Pimsleur lesson (30+ were completed here in Beijing)
   
5. 20+ hours of 1-to-1 Mandarin classes - learned many sentence structures
6. Worked on Rosetta Stone (but not enough)
   
7. Traveled throughout many parts of Beijing - learned the bus, subway, and light rail systems
   
8. Taught a little to compen$ate for time in Beijing
9. Had soul searching experiences
   talked with God about my purpose
   His plans for me & Jaime
   explored reasons for personal decisions
10. Went to Ikea (laugh, this is supposed to be funny)

What will we do in the next few days?

1. Have dinner with Glen & Joana
2. Jaime will get reacquainted with China - time zone, culture, food, etc.
   
3. Meet with Marcus & Julia, Ryan, and maybe Gary & Danita
4. Scout out apartments, schools, and various other arrangements
5. Do a little shopping
   A store here sells Uno Attack, Scrabble, and Risk
   Ikea
   Maybe a mall
   Metro or Carrefour
   
6. Go to Shiyan 4:30pm Friday, 31 September.

What will we do next year at this time? We don't know... Please keep us in your Thoughts! We are talking about full time work here in Beijing! This is an exciting possibility.

Stupid Me, Stupid Knee

Did you see my surgery photos on Facebook?

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11746&l=39cea&id=601795676

This is why you don't spin around and run backwards in the middle of a long run. And it is probably a good example of stacking too many miles too quickly into a training schedule while running an impossible number of stairs.

So, what is the punishment for my excess?

1. I can't use my right leg to go up and down stairs for 2 months. It must not bend like that in weight bearing situations. (This also means that sitting and standing require an abnormal methodology.)
2. I must exercise said leg for many hours a day:
   Doc says 6 to 8 hours of constant motion or it will become scar tissue.
   I must do extension - 200 reps/day to build the Vastus Medialis head.
   
3. I can't ride a bike for 3 months. In 3 months when I can ride a bike, nothing intense, no hills, not fast, and the bike must allow full extension.
4. I can't run for 6 months. (This is about the time that I'll probably have the same surgery on the other knee.)

SURGERY STORY:
No eating after 2am Wednesday, 12 hours before the surgery, and no drinking 6 hours before the surgery - 8am Wednesday August 15, 2007.

I went in early for the pre-op tests, making sure I am not sick, have no heart or lung conditions, and a last round of x-rays, this was at 9am. Then they said I could go home, but I decided I would just wait there. I was thinking I would be hanging out in a waiting room or go to a local cafe if the waiting rooms are all full. However, they decided to give me a room!

I then got ready for the surgery around 1:30pm, but there was an emergency case - it took a few hours. I waited. I was getting my knee shaved and cleaned around 2:30pm and then got moved back upstairs to the room I was just in. The emergency case was a very loud drunk, they didn't want me in pre-op with him. I thought that was a good idea!

They wheel me into the operating room, have me slide onto the table, begin connecting some arm boards, and Dr. Cui says, "Let's shave the entire leg." I am thinking, no your joking, right? Nope. They start up on the inner thigh, which tickles... and then they start to shave the left leg... but just a patch for some electronic monitor. Dr. Cui was saying, "Let's just shave both of them, in fact how about everything below the belt."

At this point I was glad to be given the sedation and pain killer injections!

I woke up briefly after the surgery, speaking Chinese a lot! This was on the way to my recovery room. Don't really know what I was saying, but it was funny thinking about the possibilities later. I think I was saying I am really hungry, tired, and thirsty.

I didn't wake up again until midnight. The radio was on in my room. I didn't know if I could get out of bed. The call button was disconnected. So, I phoned the operator and asked for the nurses station. I wonder why my call button was disconnected. What was wrong with me? Was I a pain in the neck, asking too many questions? I know there was a time when I had a nurse and doctor on each side of me... I was asking a bunch of questions, but don't remember any of it now.

So, I wake up the next morning and find out I am allowed to walk! I was given a walker on getting out of bed, but soon realized it wasn't required or completely necessary. So, I packed up and went home.

This has been the story: "Stupid me! Stupid knee!" by Andrew Hill

P.S. Oh, if you ever have to get this surgery ... ask about irrigating the innards before and after!
Muy importante!

Different Thoughts on Church

This is from my brother's email... it really woke me up to a different reality.

loved ones,

everyone here is doing okay.
i have been getting a little more sleep lately 5-7 hours.
but i switch from day to night so sporadically i am always tired.

it is good that andrew is recovering well.

we had our 1st church service last night.
background:
we are living in the middle of the desert on a well fortified small combat out post.
25-35 guys and one girl (chaplains assistant)
all faiths attended the same service.
in a single wide trailer with cardboard over the windows to block the light at night.
some haven't showered in 36 hours
some are wearing the same uniform for the 6th day (daily high temp 125-130)
we all have weapons and lots of ammo.
the only bible is the chaplain's
no song books.
a few handkerchiefs are spread across the table with a piece of bread, one cup of grape juice, and a small cross.

we sang amazing grace 2 times.. everyone knows the words.
the preacher read psalms about david during some trying times.
the one about his faith being a rock, the Lords rock.

he started communion.
he walked around holding the bread. we each pinched of a small piece. (some of us haven't washed our hands)
we held the bread until every one who wanted to participate had some.
then he walked around with the cup. we each dipped our bread into the cup.
(some of the guys had to get bigger pieces to dip)
we said a prayer and then all ate the dipped bread together.
the whole service took about 20 minutes.
we went out on patrol looking for bad guys doing bad things and things that go boom.


i try to read a few verses each day and we say prayer prior to going on missions.
out here there is no difference in days of the week.
i never know what day it is. (sometimes) it is hard to know what month it is.
i looked at my watch, it was a nice friday night service.
the chaplain won't be here on sunday and won't be back for few weeks.
it makes you think a little differently about church.

love,

JP

Comfort & Opinions

I feel like a man who has many tools, but has never really learned how to use them. Then why do I have them? What does He want from me? Where am I supposed to be? What am I supposed to do? What do You want from Jaime and I? Where do You see us? Where will You call us to serve You and Your people?

The people are all without a Shepherd. They are in danger of going to the worst unimaginable place. If we aren't serving them, sharing You with them, and giving our lives for them, how will they know You? How will they be rescued? How will they find Home? Is this worth my life? Really ... what if I loose it? More close to reality, are these people worth my safety and health? Even closer still, are they worth my time and comfort? Can I be disciplined enough to serve them for You? Can I give up some of my precious free time so others won't suffer forever? (This sounds ridiculous, but isn't it the truth? I never really thought about it so simply, so directly, until He broke open my heart and showed me how calloused I am.)

Is my life supposed to be about them or me? What is most important here? What others think? What I think? Or what my Father thinks?

I struggle with strange waves of emotion. I am aware of my inadequacies, I know some of my shortcomings, but when it comes down to it, I simply haven't given up on my comfort and other people's opinions. I like it when others think I am smart, successful, doing a great service for my King, and really adventuresome. But taking pictures of remote places, teaching people His Word, and even making Disciples isn't what He wants. He wants me truly to give my heart, daily, continually, opening each little corner so His Glory will fill my life - so that His Glory can shine in this world.

He doesn't fill my heart so I can feel good about myself, that is a byproduct. It isn't so that others can think, "Wow, Andrew really loves his Savior" - that is too Pharisaical, and again it is a byproduct with purpose if I am humble. Then why does the Lord of Lords fill my heart? So that His Glory can receive honor, so that His Glory is upheld, and so that I can have a relationship with Him as I serve Him as my Lord and Master forever.

From this, He is longing for my friendship. He is tugging at my heart, asking me to open it to Him, so that He can show me how to have Life, how to Love, and He really wants me to learn His ways of understanding this world, His children, and myself.

I need to experience something of this daily. I need to keep some part of this moment fresh in my heart, so that I am useful to my King.

This is for me... it doesn't matter how much I clean myself up, I still need His cleansing. Yet, I am responsible to prepare myself for service to my King. No matter how old I get, this verse is fitting. No matter how mature I think I am, this verse is useful. No matter, He calls me to strip away the old ways and prepare anew for His service!

2 Tim 2:21-22, "If any one purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work. So shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart."

You Know You've Been in China Too Long When...

1. You go to the toilet you start bringing your own toilet paper.

2. You can pick up any type of food using just your chopsticks... even peanuts.

3. The footprints on the toilet seat are your own.

4. You wear the same shirt for 3 days in a row without washing it.

5. You no longer wait in line, but go immediately to the head of the queue.

6. You stop at the top or bottom of an escalator to plan your day.

7. It becomes exciting to see if you can get on the elevator before anyone can get off.

8. You park your bicycle sideways across the sidewalk to impede any walking traffic.

9. It doesn't surprise you that the only decision made at a meeting is the time and place for the next one.

10. You like to stand and retrieve your carry on luggage while the plane is on final approach.

11. You can shake your hands almost perfectly dry before wiping them on your pants.

12. You regard traffic signals, stop signs, and copy watch peddlers with equal disdain.

13. It doesn't bother you any more that people pick their nose and examine the treasure they found before flicking it across the restaurant floor.

14. You go out in public in your pajamas.

15. You have developed an uncontrollable urge to follow people carrying small flags.

16. Taking 6 pieces of carry on luggage on an airplane is no problem.

17. You run the air conditioning in your home with the doors and windows open.

18. You blow your nose or spit on the restaurant floor (of course after making a loud horking noise).

19. You look over people's shoulder to see what they are reading.

20. You throw your trash out the window of your house, your car or bus you are on.

21. You would rather SMS someone than actually meet to talk 'face to face'.

22. You honk your horn at people because they are in your way as you drive down the sidewalk

23. You regularly fumble for five minutes to find 5 jiao despite 10 people waiting in line behind you

24. You have a pinky fingernail an inch long.

25. You forget that the other person needs to finish speaking before you can start.

26. You burp and fart in any situation and don't care.

27. You like to spend 10 minutes at the ATM just to see all the options even if there are 20 people in line.

28. You cross the road without looking or caring if the light is red or green.

29. When having conversations with your friends you start leaving unnecessary words or letters out of sentences and end up talking like an imbecile.

30. Your eating manners in restaurants are now totally shot. Elbows on tables and spitting food out onto your plate is now seen as being dead classy.

31. When you turn the volume on the television in the restaurant up so high that you cannot hear what the person across the table from you is saying.

32. Small children defecting and urinating in public doesn't bother you any more.

33. You eat your food with your mouth open and make load smacking noises.

34. You like to stare into other people's shopping carts to see what they eat.

35. You are not surprised when three men with a ladder show up to change a light bulb.

36. You can tell a good tasting watermelon from a bad one simply by tapping it with the palm of your hand.

37. You talk on your cell phone while sitting on the toilet.

38. You think all trucks should be painted blue.

39. You understand all the above listed references.

Beijing Practices for the Olympic Games!

Each breath seems fresher,
there are shadows on the ground,
distant buildings capture my imagination,
happiness is abundant,
the birds are singing clear blue sky songs,
melodies float unhampered to my ears,
Beijing is practicing for the Olympics!

For two weeks the city will be clearing the air of smog, because few or no factories are in operation, there are a third fewer cars on the street, and they even plan to make it rain!

The downside? I think the temperature will rise by 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit. But that is no problem... considering how beautiful everything is now!

Life in Beijing

I have been in Beijing for almost a week and am getting acclimated. It isn't too difficult. I went for a long walk, maybe two hours long. There are many good western stores here, nothing like in Shiyan. I feel like I am in a huge Chinatown in a US city.

I decided to go with private Mandarin lessons for an hour a day. I study a good bit on my own: Rosetta Stone (computer program) for an hour, Pimsleur (audio only program) one or two lessons a day - each lesson is half an hour, www.chinglish-online.com for half an hour, and then I look over my lesson books. In addition, I talk with the taxi drivers, restaurant people, and anyone else I run into that seems to be interested. Language learning hurts the brain, but it is fun! I hope to spend about an hour or two each day practicing writing the characters too!

Here is my address for the month (express mail only - or else I'll be gone before it gets here):
Andrew Hill
Unit 601, Entrance 5, House 6
Tu Er Hutong, Jiadaokou Dong Dajie
Beijing 100009
China

I am staying in a three bedroom, sixth floor apartment with some nice expats, Joe and Joana. Joe is an architect from Canada and Joana is a Fulbright Scholar who worked in the China Program a few years ago. Joe is single. Joana is dating a very wealthy Australian who offered to let me stay at his executive apartment after my surgery. He has an elevator!

I will have surgery this Friday or next Friday for a torn lateral meniscus on my right knee (http://www.leadingmd.com/patientEd/meniscus/overview.asp). Everything else should be okay. I am still not happy with the constant aching in my knees, but he doesn't seem to have a reaction for that. I'll ask him again after the MRI. I have four MRI sheets from Shiyan, but the pictures are too small. My doctor is a sports medicine doctor with Beijing United Family Hospitals - probably the best hospitals in China! His examination was quite a bit more specific and thorough in comparison to the Shiyan Hospital. From the website, it seems that the other injuries to my knees could heal without surgery, but maybe I need to get extra vitamins specific to joint tissues for quick healing. (Any ideas? -of course, I'll be asking the doctor about this.)

Lao Wai in America

I went to a Chinese restaurant with my friends Lingyin and Hui... they often eat there. The owner is Chinese... I order Vegetable Chow Mian (noodles). There are two styles of this dish - American and Chinese. The owner gives me the American kind... but because I am a foreigner! Even with Lingyin there the owner gives me the cheaper American version of the dish. Then the owner talks with Lingyin in Chinese and mentions that I am a foreigner (lao wai) so he gave me the foreigner dish! And I am listening and understanding some of this conversation... feeling kinda stupid. The owner tells me that next time I should order the Chinese Noodles.

I think this is a little funny... maybe you do too?

Yichang, 250 Feet of Ice, Understanding Fully

We just got back from Yichang. We hung out with our *friends* and saw the Three Gorges Dam. It was so nice to go to a different place, eat different food, and meet new people! I love the people of Shiyan, the city, and most other things... however, it is very refreshing to visit friends and see how they live.

When serving Him in another country, there seems to be an awkwardness about having too much fun. We are here to work, to serve, to give our lives for others, but we are also normal disciples living normal lives.

How can I explain this strange phenomenon? We can't say as much as we'd like about our favorite things. We can't talk about His work in ways which are instantly understandable. We struggle to replace the common daily communication about Him with simple and easy to recognize substitute words. All the while, wanting to yell from His mountaintops how wonderful the view is! How great the Spirit works through His followers!

And then, we take a little time for R&R... and wonder if we are having too much fun. We ask how much fun should we have? How much fun should we tell others about, especially since we struggle to speak freely about His service?

Does any of this make sense? And if it did, how could you tell me? How could you be sensitive to my needs for careful communication?


All the while, I am enjoying reading about and am continually amazed by the Creator!

How many years does it take to form 250 feet of glacial ice? Check out this article "The Lost Squadron" or go to: http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v19/i3/squadron.asp

"For now we see as if looking into a very poor mirror, but later we will see Him face to face. Now we understand only a little, later we get to understand everything, just like He completely understands me."

I am looking forward to sharing face to face how much His life has impacted lives here.

Three detained for high-tech exam cheating

Three detained for high-tech exam cheating
Fri Jun 8, 2007 1:21 PM ET
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have detained three people for running a high-tech cheating scam involving wireless microphones during the national college entrance exam, Xinhua news agency said Friday.

A record 10 million Chinese high school students sat for the exam Thursday and Friday, competing for just 5.7 million university places.

It means make or break for the students and has spawned a string of cheating scandals in recent years.

Police in Jiutai, in the northeastern province of Jilin, became suspicious when a mini-bus remained parked outside a school hosting the exam Thursday, Xinhua said.

Inside, they found three people, "two of them staring at a computer screen and talking into a walkie-talkie," Xinhua said.

A student in the examination hall used a wireless microphone to read out the questions and received the answers from the van, Xinhua quoted their confessions as saying.

The three had charged the student 12,000 yuan ($1,500) for the service, it added.

Security for the exam is tight and exam papers are considered state secrets before the tests.

Authorities in neighboring Liaoning province spent 100 million yuan fitting over 8,000 exam halls with metal detectors and cameras to prevent tech-savvy students from cheating on national university entrance tests.

Police had found some 42 pairs of so-called "cheating shoes" with transmitting and reception ability, selling for about 2,000 yuan each, in a flat in Shenyang, the provincial capital, state media said Thursday, adding that they -- along with "cheating wallets" and hats -- had proved popular this year.

Three men in the southwestern province of Sichuan received suspended jail terms of 8-12 months last year for using pinhole cameras to send out images of the entrance exam papers to be worked out by "hired guns" for 19 students.

Tired

Today I am tired. It could be the constant thought of going back to America where I have no job, no real income, possibly a borrowed car, a lot of travel, and still working on the schedule of everything. Or the idea of leaving our home in Shiyan, knowing some of our friends will leave for employment in other provinces and some returning to the States. What about the change in the weather, it is much hotter here now. Or maybe it is that I haven't been running since the Great Wall. Then again, it could be giving finals and having to grade them. Or maybe it is my digestive system that hasn't really liked the food, although I have liked it a lot. Maybe trying to plan which language school to attend in Beijing is what's doing it.

I suppose it could be all of these things added together that is making me tired...

So, if you can Remember me I'll Remember you. We all need strength and encouragement from Him. We all need Dad to refresh our spirits and give us wings like eagles.

I need to finish making plans for Beijing, let my friends know how much they mean to me, and prepare for journey to the States ... this also helps the energy flow!

Facebook Puzzle Page

Come check out my Facebook Puzzle Page - click here or go to this site:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5158&l=75d0b&id=601795676

See what you can do... and send me a few more puzzles, I'll add them to my site!

I got them from Freddy Genius Xu, he got them from the web, which got them from who?

You've got Questions, Here are some Answers

You can read this book online or purchase a copy...

The Revised & Expanded Answers Book
Is there really a God? Where did Cain find his wife? What about the gap theory? Are radioisotope dating methods reliable? How did ‘bad things’ come about?
If you have friends or relatives who are asking these questions too, email them and let them know they can get answers at www.AnswersInGenesis.org. Or purchase your own copy of The Answers Book—Revised & Expanded at our online bookstore.
Chapter 1: Does God exist?
Chapter 2: Did God really take six days?
Chapter 3: What about the ‘gap’ and ‘ruin-reconstruction’ theories?
Chapter 4: How about carbon dating?
Chapter 5: How can we see distant stars in a young universe?
Chapter 6: How did bad things come about?
Chapter 7: What about similarities and other such arguments for evolution?
Chapter 8: Cain’s wife—who was she?
Chapter 9: Were the ‘sons of God’ and/or nephilim extraterrestrials?
Chapter 10: Was the Flood global?
Chapter 11: What about continental drift?
Chapter 12: Noah's Flood—what about all that water?
Chapter 13: How did the animals fit on Noah's Ark?
Chapter 14: How did freshwater and saltwater fish survive the Flood?
Chapter 15: Where are all the human fossils?
Chapter 16: What about the Ice Age?
Chapter 17: How did animals get from the Ark to places such as Australia?
Chapter 18: How did all the different ‘races’ arise (from Noah’s family)?
Chapter 19: What happened to the dinosaurs?
Chapter 20: What can I do?

Mosquito Food

Lately, we are being eatin by mosquitos. It is kinda crazy, cause we are waking up some mornings with 5-10 new bites. This isn't much fun, but we are remembering/relearning somethings about the mosquito from here:

When mosquitos are adults, only the females search for blood because they are the only ones who need it. The reason that the female needs blood is because it helps egg production and makes them fertile before they lay them. The male searches for nectar, sugar, plant juices, and other sweet things. The sugar serves as fuel for their bodies. The females mostly go out at night to find some blood to take in. A female mosquito is usually attracted to humans because of our warm, moist bodies. They can sense hosts from up to 35 meters away. When a mosquito finds something to suck on, it will first put some saliva at the place it plans on sucking on. The saliva causes a red bump on people's skin. Once the mosquito is on you, it will take in about five millionths of a liter of blood from your body. When you hit it away and don't kill it, the mosquito will come back for more blood again.

Written by Mike P., Nathan S., Nick B. and Max K.
and compiled by the Twin Groves Virtual Wetland Preserve Team
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/wetlands/Mosquito/MosqFood.html

-----

There is a Chinese Lotion that should make the bites shrink, and not eat you.

Darwin's Real Message

This article shows Darwin was completely against God. Here is a qoute:

Harvard’s renowned Professor Stephen Jay Gould1 is a vigorous anticreationist (and Marxist), and perhaps the most knowledgeable student of the history of evolutionary thought and all things Darwinian.

It goes on to say:

Gould argues that Darwin’s theory is inherently anti-plan, anti-purpose, anti-meaning (in other words, is pure philosophical materialism). Also, that Darwin himself knew this very well and meant it to be so.

If you would like to read the entire article and see the evidence click here for this or you can go to this site:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i4/darwin.asp

Pig Photo Op!

Out on a hike, we came across this pig.
Jaime took the photo, but I have since used it everywhere!

This is the Year of the Pig...
so share this lively little porker with all your friends!

You can see who got tagged on Facebook by clicking here or cut & paste this:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=4742&l=ae907&id=601795676

States Visited...

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Visited Countries

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

Facebook...

I have invited almost everyone I have ever known to join Facebook. Why?

Well, it is a nice way to keep in touch. It is better than just blogging, because there are so many updates about my friends, their photos, changes in relationships, and a lot more - all of this is wonderful!

Facebook doesn't require as much work on my part. I don't have to read so many blogs, or should I say try to read the blogs - xanga.com, blogspot.com, and a few others are not always visible here in China. I can never read xanga.com directly, there are few tricks to get through to it, but really it isn't fun, isn't easy, and doesn't always work. Blogspot.com comes and goes... right now it has gone. However, I am able to post, edit posts, and a few other things, I just can't see the blog the way you do.

Run Easy

Facebook has a "RBK-Go Run Easy" Group ... I joined, created a running club, and created a run on www.goruneasy.com. I hope you like it! (Of course you'll need to change the map style from "Map" to "Sat" or "Hyb.")

Maybe some of you would like to know your distances and invite others to run your routes. "Go Run Easy" uses a Google Maps application to give you distances anywhere in the world (permitted they have the map at that zoom level)... as long as you can run it, you should be able to map it, and you should be able to share it with others!

I am not running again yet, waiting a little while to let everything heal. I have been doing a lot of walking. Soon, I will begin walking with purpose, adding a little more running every week. Hopefully, I'll be back up to running some long distances soon, but I am not going to push it!

Jaime and I are looking for our next marathon.

http://www.goruneasy.com/RunEasy/#section=ViewRun.aspx%3FRouteId%3D6086

Marathon Musings

The Great Wall Marathon was the greatest physical challenge I have ever undertaken. My body said no more, but I had to finish the race.

At the beginning of training, Jeremy and I ran a lot together, but mostly, I trained alone. To have so many people running together, all so positive, so encouraging, this was amazing! (Except towards the end ... there were a few guys talking about death and torture - this didn't work well for me.) Throughout the race I had so much help (encouragement) that at times I was overwhelmed, vklempt, without words, and ready to burst forth in tears and laughter from shear exhaustion mixed with the excitement of so many people. There was Drew Fralick who got me through the Wall the first time, a Mexican man who shall remain nameless (don't know his name), then along came Peter the Dane from the ING Team - he must've run and walked with me for 10k, Mr. South African and Okey Army gal stationed in South Korea, and last was Lars Hoffman - he helped me get all the way to the finish line!

From the beginning of the race I started to feel a strange sensation in my lower left achilles, my knees were sore, my buttox was too tight, and I felt imenent doom. This is not a good way to start a marathon, especially the most difficult one this world has to offer.

With a little under 2k to go the legs cramped fiercely ... Lars Hoffman to the rescue! He was such a great encouragement, very nice guy (great kids, Hailey and Noel, and wife, Jill) ... and he wouldn't let me quit (not that I wanted to, but my body did). Then at 100m from the finish I was dry heaving so loud and so strong my stomach muscles cramped. I think I finished in 7:30.

Upon finishing, I received my Great Wall Marathon Medal and went directly for the First Aid. I got a saline IV along with some meds to make me relax. I was twiching, hyperventilating, and basically a complete wreck. I think it took me 20 to 30 minutes to come back to Earth. The rest of the day was spent hydrating, in fact I haven't really stopped. I still feel very crispy at times.

I am extremely thankful to Him for keeping my body healthy enough to finish and to not require immediate surgery... maybe one day I'll need orthoscopy on my knees, but it isn't today!

I learned a lot from my first marathon (and the toughest one I'll ever do). The list?

1. Wear shoes I have thoroughly broken-in
2. Even if I feel like throwing up, drink the nasty electrolytes and eat the energy gels
3. The Dr. (who ran a 2:20 marathon) said I need to do 3 - 30k training runs so my body knows what to do at the end of the race
4. Don't over train
5. Get the "magic" salt pills
6. Small goals for each section
7. Finishing is great! (Finishing faster is greater still!)

I might just ask my brother John to come over and run The Great Wall Marathon with me in 2008 (James in 2009)! I will train smarter and then who knows... maybe I'll pass the goats.

Running Great Wall Tomorrow!

Jaime and I are in a smokey internet cafe in PingGu, Beijing. We are 1 hour from The Great Wall, but I can't remember which gate we will go to...

I have tried to find it on Google Maps and other things, but to no avail.

I'll soon be back in Shiyan having finished this madness and will find it exactly and put it on My Google Maps!

Leaving for Beijing Tomorrow

I am needing to pack for our week long trip to Beijing. I have only partly begun - by partly I mean that I have taken out 5 things to take with me.

Our train departs at 5:30pm (arriving in Beijing at Noon:30 the next day, that is 19 hours) and the Lewis family will be sharing the same car, same immediate area - we will quickly breath each other's air. This will make the trip more interesting. We will have so many Chinese people staring at this large group of loud foreigners. The Lewis family has 3 teenage girls that like attention 90% of the time.

While on the train, I usually like to read, play Chinese Chess, study Mandarin (Chinese Language), and sleep. I don't know what will happen this go round, but I do plan to read, play chess, and study the language.

I have downloaded this book into my Pocket PC (PDA): The Revised & Expanded Answers Book ... I have already read most of it, very interesting ideas about Science supporting Biblical Creation. Oh, these guys are serious scientists! If you want some amazing ideas about the Big Bang Theory and the New Creationist Cosmology supported by "gravitational time dilation, black and white holes, event horizons and so on..." you should read Chapter 5.

Oh, I will have about 3 classes tomorrow... which means I will go to 2 of them and Brad, thank you Brad, will take care of the other one for me.

I'll try to come back to Shiyan in one piece, with my knees still moving, and blogging about the journey... maybe even putting a picture of the run on here!

Questions about Age of Earth?

Radio-Carbon Dating, is it reliable? Is the earth really billions of years old?

Maybe you have some curiousity about this and would like a perspective that sides with Creation according to Genesis. If so, try this:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dating.asp

Guns, Germs, and Steel

If you haven't read Guns, Germs, and Steal, please do. For me it is just the very beginning that is a little off. I will find some research to show what I think is more likely and then I'll write my own book.

Here is the beginning of my book: "Have you ever thought about the oldest living trees on the planet? Bristlecone Pine Trees in Great Basin National Park are known to be close to 5,000 years old... and one that is still standing but dead should give a record of the previous 5,000 years... this makes for 10,000 years of history. What is the oldest extent language? Chinese. How old is it? Nearly 5,000 years old. What might be a common historical activity for the death of one tree, the birth of another, and the birth of the Chinese language?"

Back to Guns, Germs, and Steal - which is about why and how we earthlings have developed such diverse cultures from hunter-gatherers to industrialized nations... why did one continent develop more quickly than another? How was it that one culture can overtake another? What is the origin of these empires of today?

I like the game Settlers of Catan because it shows the answers to these questions in a small way, especially the Cities and Knights of Catan.

I haven't finished reading the book, but I have some questions I hope he will address:

1. Why does one culture often set the pace for the world?
2. Technology has been such a great divide, especially the internet age... What will be the next great leap forward and how will that separate or combine cultures?
3. How can we keep ancient cultures alive, while learning and adapting to the cultures we learn?
   

Maybe I'll post more questions later.

Money is Relative

I have been thinking about the post on the Rich List... I should mention that our China Salaries are almost the same numerically in Yuan/RMB as they were in Dollars.

What am I trying to say? If you got paid 20,000USD a year in the States, then you could enjoy life at 20,000RMB. This is something funny that I have noticed here... does this have anything to do with the conversion ratio? Or is this something of a normalcy in developing countries?

Also, we have noticed that the money you can make from teaching English in a country will usually more than do for living in that society. However if you begin to travel more frequently to developed countries you will have little or no money.

Maybe I'll run The Great Wall Marathon

I am a little frustrated with my body... specifically my knees. I have been pretty healthy while here in China, but since April 26 I have had some troubles with my knees. On that day I ran about 16 miles, 5 to 6 of which where on the stairs at Tai He Hospital and the rest was running across town and back.

Maybe they (my knees) have reason to be angry with me, but now they should be happy! I am seeing the great and wonderful Doctors of Tai He Hospital, two of which are German Doctors from Hamburg. They are here for two months. Today I got my knees wrapped with some Traditional Chinese Medicines. I will have this done everyday until I leave for Beijing (Tuesday May 15). The Doctors were all so nice! They didn't make me pay for much of the help they gave and they want me to come back again.

I also so the Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine for a full health review. They are asking me to drink some bitter herbs, take some pills to make me less "regular", and then some other pills for something else... the pills are all traditional medicines so I am not concerned in the least. It is all natural and should help to heal my digestive tract, which is then supposed to allow the rest of my body to heal itself.

I was afraid I wouldn't be able to run the Great Wall Marathon, but now the doctors are saying it is possible, but there will be pain and some swelling. Let's so how quickly they will be able to heal my knees - they have ten days! Then I will destroy them on the Great Wall Marathon and they will have to heal them again... so I hope to run the race... I'll let you know what happens.

Tall Man in Short World

Did you notice all the fun new sidebar activities? ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

When I first arrived in Shiyan there were many signs that I was living in a world of short people. I happen to be 1.9 meters (6'3") tall. Ducking is required every time I enter the kitchen in our home and depending on the shoes I wear every other door in the house too!

When walking on the street I must pay attention to the trees and signage. Most trees seem to be trimmed somewhere between 5'10" and 6'. The signs all hang at roughly the same height.

Early in the Fall Semester on our Yunyang Medical College's campus, I hit my head on some signs and suggested to President Zhang jokingly, but with a serious tone, that all the signs, doorways, and trees should be no lower than 2 meters! The next day I noticed the signs that I walk past the most were moved up to that height!

They haven't changed the height of the doorways yet. I'm not holding out for it either.

Another interesting thing, most shops here have metal roll down doors, like the ones you see in rough neighborhoods to protect the entire shop from vandals. Of course, this is not a rough neighborhood, but they really like to lock things up! When they open the shop for business they roll up the door to a typical Chinese height of 5'8" to 5'10", which means I often need to duck going into many businesses! I feel like Yao Ming or Shaq.

When we go out into the countryside, all the doorways are sure to be low. But if you really want to talk about a low ceiling, just visit the outhouse. Almost all of the ceilings are under 5'6"! Then there is the wonderful odor of the fertilizer-to-be, open cesspool visible through the floor's "toilet" - a large hole in the floor!

Did you notice all the fun new sidebar activities? ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

How rich are you?

This is a cool site! http://www.globalrichlist.com/

It shows just where you are in terms of the world's richest and poorest people. Where do you think you are? Are you in the top 25% or the top 5%?

Even with just my income in China (about $5,000 per year), I am the 863,571,764 richest person in the world! I am in the TOP 14.39% richest people in the world! Now isn't that just crazy!

IF you are an average American, you make more than $35,000 per year and are richer than the 277,391,305 richest person in the world! You are somewhere above 4.62% richest people in the world!

IF you are above average and you make $50,000 per year, then you are the 59,029,289 richest person in the world! You're in the TOP 0.98% richest people in the world!

Isn't that just amazing! And often we think we are just poor, helpless, struggling souls doing our best to get by in this world.

www.answers.com is my friend!

I met a man on a sleeper bus going from Haikou to Nanning. He is from Switzerland, if memory serves me right. He is a middle aged business man who speaks German, English, and now Chinese (and maybe another language?). He is studying Chinese in Chengdu. Anyway, he noticed me working on Chinese flashcards and mentioned his website and a learning theory. His website is www.chinglish-online.com.

I have begun to get serious about learning Chinese and remembered his website. I went to his site and poked around, finding the learning theory by Sebastian Leitner and wanting to learn more I went to answers.com. This is what I found:
***
Sebastian Leitner (1919-1989) was a German commentator and science popularizer.

As a student in Vienna, he was briefly kept in custody by the Nazis in 1938 because of his opposition against the annexation of Austria into Greater Germany. Later he moved to Frankfurt to study law, but he was recruited by the Wehrmacht in 1942. After spending several years in a Soviet prison, he returned to Germany in 1949 and started a career as a commentator.

At first, he focused on legal and sociological topics, but later he took medical and psychology-related subjects as his theme. His book So lernt man lernen (How to learn to learn), a practical manual on the psychology of learning, became a bestseller. In this often-cited book he described his Leitner System (see flashcard) for learning by spaced repetition.

***
I am curious. I follow the links: flashcard and spaced repetition. Spaced repetition leads me to Pimsleur language courses and I am then asking, "What is a constructed language and how good is Pimsleur*?" So I follow the constructed language link and find the following in the entry, which you should really read in full, because it is funny:

"Thus, a "better" language should allow the speaker to reach some elevated level of intelligence, or to encompass more diverse points of view. A constructed language could also by this hypothesis be used to restrict thought, as in George Orwell's Newspeak."

Then, I follow the "Newspeak" entry, because I like George Orwell and remember this is something important. People like to use this term a lot in political circles.

Then I came across this: Two plus two make five - some nice quotes:

• "I admit that two times two makes four is an excellent thing, but if we are to give everything its due, two times two makes five is sometimes a very charming thing too."
• ThinkGeek produces a popular t-shirt that says "2+2=5 for extremely large values of 2" as a parody on the concept of mathematical approximation.
• "2 + 2 = 5, for sufficiently large values of 2" is a reminder about the way estimation errors compound in numerical calculations. One example is when rounding is directly involved: 2.4 is rounded down to 2 ("a large value of 2"), while 2.4 + 2.4 (which is equal to 4.8) is rounded up to 5.
  

Which led to this: Buzzword and Machiavelli and then to comic strip at the top of this entry: The original Dilbert cartoon showing "Buzzword Bingo" Feb 22, 1994!

"One documented buzzword bingo occurred when Al Gore, then the Vice President of the United States known for his liberal use of buzzwords hyping technology, spoke at MIT's 1996 graduation. Hackers had distributed bingo cards containing buzzwords to the graduating class." Click here to see the bingo card and instructions.

*How many words do you need to read Shakespeare's Macbeth? http://www.cateeslanguageworld.com/pimsleur/100words.php

Nationwide activity to build up the health

The title for this post is the news article's title, not mine. The Government decided the students should get more exercise a few days ago, so here are the students getting more exercise! Read the two articles below and check out their dates!

Nationwide activity to build up the health

Updated: 2007-04-29 15:19

Pupils play during a nationwide activity aimed at building up the health of youths in Hefei, east China's Anhui province April 29, 2007. The education ministry had urged schools nationwide to pay more attention to sports and lighten children's burden by reducing homework and increasing exercise.

Children getting taller, less healthy

(Agencies)Updated: 2007-04-26 08:59

Chinese children have grown taller and heavier in recent years but their health is getting worse, a senior education official said on Wednesday, criticising pressure from parents and teachers to study.

"The inappropriate educational concepts, which put study ahead of anything else and impose great burden on pupils, have seriously affected their healthy growth," said Liao Wenke, an official in charge of youth development. "The endurance, strength and lung capacity of the children continue to fall - and rapidly, especially in the last 10 years," Liao told a news conference.

The average height of children aged seven to 18 had increased by up to 1 cm in 2005 from 2000, and the average weight had also risen - but the performance in sports had declined. "Obese schoolchildren are increasing in numbers swiftly, and the percentage of myopia remains high," he said.

China now has the world's second highest myopia rate among schoolchildren, blamed in part on too much study, and obesity among the young has become a major health concern. Chinese parents and teachers pressure children to succeed at an early age, with holidays and leisure time often sacrificed for homework to ensure success in college entrance exams.

The education ministry had urged schools nationwide to pay more attention to sports and lighten children's burden by reducing homework and increasing exercise, Liao said. President Hu Jintao also emphasised the importance of sports for children this week, urging local governments to use "healthy competition" to shape Chinese youth.

Links for these articles and more pictures:

Nationwide activity to build up the health - http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2007-04/29/content_863745.htm

Children getting taller, less healthy - http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-04/26/content_860412.htm