Icy Dicey

Last night a winter storm made its way through Georgia. It started as rain turned to freezing rain and then became sleet. The sleet covers the ground an inch thick in places and looks like snow at first glance. The weatherman says we are in store for some more this afternoon.

I ordered a map of China from National Geographic and tacked it to the wall. The map is very detailed and helps one to understand the enormity of the country's population. Each province is represented and everytime I find out where the referrals are from for the week or month I go to the map to see where these little ones where born. Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Guangxi etc. have all become familiar to me geographically. Six months ago I had no idea where Beijing was, except that I knew it was the capital of China.

I now ask my Chinese acquaintances where they are from and I actually know where places like Shanghai and Dongshan are on the map. I didn't even know where Taiwan was located.

I never in my life thought about going to China until we decided to bring Hannah home. Now I am starting to feel a connection with it's culture, customs, language , and especially it's children. Before, I never read a news article about China. Now, I read everything, no matter how mundane or small.

I recently finished a Book called "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck (Thanks Effie). It is a fictional story about pre-cultural revolution China. This book mentioned much of the culture and customs that are still prevalent in much of China today. The simplicity of the language and narrative intertwined with the cultural history make the story very compelling.