MarkLuvsShuPing

Luk 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luk 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. Luk 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luk 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luk 2:12 And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luk 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. Luk 2:2 ([And] this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) Luk 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. Luk 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) Luk 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. Luk 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. Luk 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Yes!!!!! I just read the e-mail about an hour ago. I had to research a little about what to do, I didn't expect this. I know there's still some time involved here, but this could be better than an expedited K-3. So, what do you guys think? I just go forward with both and see which one comes through first or will GZ cancel the K-3 and go with the CR-1? My thought is to let it ride and see which comes through first. I know this happened to someone else not long ago, I couldn't find the post though. Does anyone have suggestions, advice? Thanks!

There seems to be a very negative tone on CFL lately. A lot of it seems to be coming from some very negative newbies. They seem to attack either CFL or 001, American men or Chinese women. And if the stories about 001 are true and there is a push to make it implode, then it seems to me that a similar attack is underway on CFL. We have name calling, gender and racial bashing, lies and misleading posts, and attacks on our cross-cultural relationships. And a lot of it seems to be started by these newbies. I hope everyone can ignore this BS because I really like being here and I don't want outsiders to ruin it. So let's just get along. Mark

Any outdoor activity in Dec is going to be cool, but well worth it. We went to the Great Wall, and like Mark said, it was cold and breezy, but you can't let that stop you. Same goes for the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City, you won't find many heaters but if you bundle up, you'll be fine and happy you went.

Ahh, yes, grasshopper. Give yourself one prayer bead for your insight.

Ahh grasshopper, long and hard is the road to many blue thingies, but with every turn of the wheel, the goal is closer yet. Strive not always for perfection in your postings, but strive for postings.

Give it up, you're too busy to keep up with me.

I just read this thread, so I'll throw my 2 cents in. I agree with everything that's been said here. I'm on my 4th marriage, so I know how to fail at a marriage. You start off being idealistic, then reality hits and the illusion of love - which is really lust for sex or romance - fades. If there is nothing more substantial, then the marriage is bound to die. There has to be more than just perserverance, though that is a requirement for success. There really has to be communication and flexibility. If you can't adjust together to the changing circumstances of your relationship and life, then you grow apart and no matter how long you hang in there, you'll be left with a shell of what you once had. You also need to understand that love changes. What starts out as a passionate need for each other, eventually changes. It can become an ice cold resentment or a warm, comfortable affection. Which is not to say that passion necessarily has to go away, but you have to work at keeping it. I married ShuPing out of faith and it's a very personal faith in my God that led me to find her and to marry her. I came from a different angle. I wasn't looking to get married and didn't realize I was ready until I'd decided to do it. When I say ready to get married, I don't mean ready in the sense of finally realizing it's time to settle down, I mean I was spiritually ready. I knew I was spiritually ready because I had dropped all my attachments to the need to be married, in other words, I was prepared to be single the rest of my life. A further aspect of my beliefs is like the saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will come". I was ready and ShuPing appeared. Once I realized that the stars in my life had aligned and I was being directed down the path, I ran to meet my destiny, ShuPing. If you've read my story, you know how everything just fell into place and provided me a crystal clear path. So I have had doubts, but never fears that I was doing the wrong thing. I was skeptical, about going to China to marry the woman that God placed in my path, but I never hesitated. Each day that I chat with her or read her e-mail, I feel re-assured that I did the right thing, but, really, I had no choice, I was compelled to follow the path that led to my angel. As for the future, I could be wrong and this is a match made in hell, but I don't believe so. We may have our problems, but if it all falls apart and I become the latest CFL tragedy, I'll have no regrets and no condemnation. Life will go on, so why worry about it? I trust her and she trusts me and it's enough to build on.

Gotcha!

Ignore the last 2 comments, I didn't mean to post them here.

but I promise, most of my posts are quality and too long.

I needed 70

Amber, I am hoping to be in a similar situation very soon. I have a BA in Psychology and I've been working in a residential treatment facility that has a school. I applied for one of the teaching positions and there's a good chance I'll get it. In order to get it, I have to go back to school and work on getting a degree in Special Ed. while I work as a teacher. I was going to disagree with you about the ESL, but, you're right, you need to be certified and speak Spanish or possibly Viet Namese to get a job. There just isn't any demand for other languages. Since you have your BA, you can go on and get an MA in education. You could probably pursue certification along with your MA. Once you have enough credits for certification, you could start working, but continue on with your MA. Hopefully, the credits you earned to get your certification will apply to your MA. Another possibility is emergency certification or a "Teacher in Residence" program that will allow you to teach while you go to school. You'd find programs like this in areas where teachers are in high demand, either location-wise (Inner city) or specialty-wise (i.e. Special Ed). Good luck.

Ever wanted to post something that wasn't appropriate for the CFL message boards? Wanted to tell a dirty joke or funny story about something not related to China? Ever wanted to get political, but got comments discouraging you from doing it here? There is a place to go where you can do all of the above and more. There was a time when CFL members got to know each other on a far deeper level than is possible here in the more serious and (dare I say, conservative) CFL, but it got out of hand and had to be removed and relocated. Now we call it the Rumpus Room 2. Same great concept, just not officially related to CFL anymore. Kind of a bastard child that's been shunned. Unfortunately, the RR2 is suffering from neglect and anonymity. Where once great friendships grew and laughter rocked the walls of computers around the world, only the emptiness of silence can be heard. Where once heated debates and silly, meaningless drivel brought CFL members a much needed distraction, now only whispers of mirth echo through the modems. But you can help. For only minutes a day, you can contribute to the existance of this much needed retreat from life. You can feel the joy and release that comes from giving. Simply click here and you could change a life. Won't you do it today? To vote on improvements for the Unofficial RR2, vote here. No one can take away the satisfaction of your contricution. Thank you and God bless.

ed and ying, I think Tony was complaining about his dogs, but he really didn't mean them any harm. He was just complaining and making fun of the situation, people do this sometimes and don't really mean anything about it. Tony is sad because now that something happened, he feels bad about it, like it may be his fault. If I'm wrong about this, please correct me Tony.

Hey Carl, Tell your wife to go in speaking Russian and when the VO asks her to speak Chinese or English, have her tilt her nose in the air and ask, "How are you supposed to judge my ability to communicate?"

Folgers/Cheetos, each to his own I guess.

I think the F bomb is a good start. Throw that around several times during the interview and I'm sure she'd get a white slip. Start the interview with "Whaddup Mother f***er!" and I'm sure there will be no more questions, just a white slip handed through the window. Of course a Shakespearean greeting might produce the same effect. Try one or more of these: If the VO is female: "Why my dear Lady Disdain, are you yet living?" "Ceremony was but devised at first to set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes, recanting goodness, sorry ere 'Tis shown; but where there is true friendship, there needs none." "Doubt that the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love." "He that filches from me my good name robs me of that which enriches him and makes me poor indeed." "I will name you the degrees. The first, the Retort Courteous; the second, the Quip Modest; the third, the Reply Churlish; the fourth, the Reproof Valiant; the fifth, the Countercheck Quarrelsome; the sixth, the Lie with Circumstance; the seventh, the Lie Direct." "If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then unto me." "If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?" Any one of these will surely impress the VO and get your girl a white slip. Oh, and don't forget to perfect that English accent required to recite Shakespeare.

Hmmm.... so is my wife supposed to speak Basque or Sanskrit? Ebonics would've been my guess since we're going with stereotypes. Moon you do have your girl well versed in 'hood smack' right? (I have this absurd image of her interview starting with 'Whaddup!') Damn, this means I've got to teach ShuPing German, Gaelic and Cherokee. Not sure which one the VO will ask her for.

http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/refhome/jls/sinclair/crowd.jpg You know why I keep sticking my nose in here even though I don't live in OR and I'm not going to Papa Carl's Love Fest? Because I'm freekin' jealous as hell. I hope you guys have a wonderful time and post the pictures, us loners out here have to live vicariously through you guys.

Tony, Geez, I've seen your thread for the last few days and didn't bother to read it until now. I'm sorry about the dog and your situation. I agree with Amber, you need to call the Animal Control and shelters, that sounds like the most logical step. Even if you left her there, you need the peace of mind of knowing you didn't curse your dog. In either event, you can't blame yourself, people say things all the time and nothing happens, this is just a coincidence, not your fault.

Kim! Was that you in the picture? (See my Papa Carl's Love Fest post in this thread.) Funny, those gals don't look Chinese.

This was my first Thanksgiving since getting married to ShuPing, of course she wasn't here, but I was still very thankful to have her in my life. Instead I went to dinner at my ex's - my son's mom - we gather her family and my family together. The only reason to do it is for my son, so he doesn't have to split the day between us. It's still nice, I like my ex-in-laws. Still, all I could think of was my wife and trying to imagine how nice it will be next year when she and our baby will be there.

CHINESE DEMAND: MAKE LAUNDRY AN OLYMPIC SPORT Will dry cleaning and laundry washing become an official Olympic sport? By D.G. Bulger The Chinese government has reportedly made a formal request to the International Olympic Committee to allow dry cleaning and laundry washing to become official Olympic sports. Unfortunately, their request was made too late to be considered for this summer's games in Athens. However, it is widely believed that the IOC will approve the measure in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Beijing, China. "Most host countries are allowed to introduce a few demonstration sports that often reflect the interests or activities of that particular country," explains an IOC spokesperson. "For example, snowboarding was an experimental sport at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games. It only seems right that we offer the same courtesy to the Chinese." To read the rest go here and find "You Heard It Here First" Lord, I apologize for all the people I'm about to offend.