Cold Showers...

…help me get clean.

I’ve been waking up every day at 5am. Thank you jet lag! In Denver, I used to wake up and spend three hours in sweat pants drinking my coffee, reading and getting ready for my day. Now I wake up in sweat (no pants) and spend three hours getting my coffee ready for the day.

Yesterday, we ‘interns’ had dinner together around 7:30pm (during which I fell asleep). We had leftovers from a team lunch which consisted of rice, spicy fried pork, orange-glazed fried chicken, and kim-bop (rice rolls—just like sushi except without wasabi, soy sauce, and any raw fish). Despite what they say, it was a lot like panda express. J

After dinner, the others played cards, but I took a taxi back to the guys apartment to sleep (again, thank you jet lag!). I wish I could relay to you all the way people drive here. Driving laws aren’t even taken as suggestions. Taxi drivers drive on either side of the yellow line, run red lights, and simply honk so people know they’re coming. People cross the street like they’re playing frogger, one lane at a time on the busiest roads and intersections as cars, motorcycles, donkey carts (actually not even joking), and bike carts fly past them at 40 mph. My driver almost hit a van that ran a red light. Yay!

This morning, I kept up my ritual cold hose shower at 5:30am, made myself some eggs and took a taxi to the office. Taxis cost around 6RMB/$.90 but save 40 minutes of walking. Average daily wage here is around $10 to help you put that into perspective.

We had more meetings with our textiles partners today and they are just preparing to leave. I snuck out to a marketplace with one of the guys to get something for lunch. You’d be surprised how much I’m beginning to appreciate junior whoppers. I bought a bowl of ramen, a can of ‘sliced pork’ (more like really thick bacon/spam), a bag of potato chips and some little surprise sausages. Yum! Oh, and a banana. The girl at the check-out counter laughed at me on the way out. Love it!

I’m already getting excited to get home and have a Michelob ultra, but for now, diet coke will do.

Pray for safety for all those involved with the business. I will have to give you the details more in person. There are many involved and lots of details. Pray for good relationships for all those involved, too. Some have been stressed, especially in the last 24 hours, to the point where things could change dramatically in the next week. Pray the devil be bound and gagged, for humble hearts and servant’s minds.