A Brief Rundown... Then Onwards!

Photo by jamie1701 on Flickr; used via Creative Commons license.

Okay, so I'll be the first to admit that I've been negligent in updating my poor little blog. To be honest, I've been mostly helping out in the online store, and as such was feeling that I had nothing of interest to say.

"People won't want to hear about it unless it's about babies!" I thought, since I'm not actually interacting with the children Little Flower Projects cares for, at least not that much. LFP is going through a transition period with their on-site volunteer program, and as such I'd most likely just get in the way at the moment.

A Good System

Not that I don't enjoy working in the store. It's actually really fun packing up orders to be shipped out! I like that I'm moving around (instead of hermiting myself away in my room in front of my computer), and the system that Serena and I have worked out--I pack orders, then she double-checks that I got the order correct. It works out pretty well.

On Focus

But I also haven't been focusing completely on my volunteer work. I'm doing a lot better what with managing my time and carrying out tasks now, but there's still room for improvement in that area. I was feeling like my attention was all over the place, what with volunteering, and wanting to do some of my own creative projects (writing, knitting, etc.), until I had a talk with a good friend of mine and she set me straight.

She helped me realize (whether she knows this or not) that I need to be focused and dedicated to the work that I came over here to do in the first place. Not to say that I can't have time for my own, but during the day when I'm working, I should actually be of the mind that, yes, I am doing work. Not just "helping out," but working.

Now, since making the decision to focus on my work, I'm really exited about it. Since I've decided to be more dedicated to it and to being an actual, helpful asset to my sister, I've gotten some ideas of how I could make better use of my time in that respect.

Your turn!

I'd love to hear from you; what have you been trying to focus on recently, in terms of work or your non-working life? How's that been going for you?

My Week in Review: A Birthday and Music

Photo from seriousbri on Flickr. Used via Creative Commons license.

Hi everyone, how are you? Today I thought I'd just sum up my week really quick, since it did get better after last weekend. Here's what went down:

1. I crocheted a saddle blanket and a feeding bowl/basket for my niece's toy horse as her birthday present. She liked them, and is now asking if I can make her a bridle, too. I was actually planning on making her one, but before her birthday I didn't know how to sneak her horse off to get the size down without her noticing.
2. One of the cats accidentally scratched me, and now my finger might potentially be infected... it's swelled up a bit and I had to take a pain killer because it was so sore. Fortunately, the pain killer worked, as well as putting some ice on it. Also fortuitously, the cat in question's immunizations are all current, anyway.
3. I've been playing more guitar, and I can notice that I've improved a lot. I can now switch between chords faster than I could before. I'm still stumbling and making mistakes, but not as many as I used to, which makes me happy.
4. I've drunk a lot of coffee. Yummm, coffee. Yes, that warranted mentioning.
5. My family and I went out to eat at a hot pot restaurant. If you like Asian food and you ever get the chance to eat hot pot-style, I highly recommend that you jump on the chance. It's fun cooking your food in your own little pot, and it's delicious as well!
6. I went to Mass last Saturday, where I sang in the choir and went to Reconciliation. Both were good experiences for me, emotionally and spiritually.
7. My sister and niece made some strawberry jam from the strawberries we picked on Saturday, and it is really good and sweet! We use it to spread on biscuits.

Wow,  that was a lot that happened; I guess it was a pretty eventful week. Overall, I think it was a good week, and I hope there will be many other good weeks to come during my time here.

Now, if you'll excuse me, my niece just made some strawberry smoothie. I think I hear it calling my name.

Your turn; how was your week? What did you do? Share in the comments.

Taking Back Time with the Pomodoro Technique

Photo by barbourians on Flickr. Used via Creative Commons license.

Hi everyone! You know how I've been in a slump lately? Well, part of that was not knowing how to manage my time. When I realized this, I started looking into how I could learn better time management skills.

I wanted to tell you all about a time management technique I just tried today (Monday at the time of writing this). It's called the Pomodoro Technique.

The basic goals of this technique are setting a timer for 25 minutes and doing a task for that entire amount of time. After the 25 minutes are up, you can take a 5 minute break. There's also a system for keeping track of how many "pomodoros" you've done, as well as how often you're distracted (or tempted to give in to distractions). That's the general gist of it, but you're curious to learn more, there's a free e-book available to read on the site.

I decided to give it a try; after all, I didn't have much to lose and lot to gain utilizing the technique. At best, I'd tame my tendency to get distracted by every shiny thing that came my way. At worst, I'd still be distracted by... ooh, shiny!

Starting and Finishing

I used the timer option on my trusty phone as my pomodoro timer, and I typed up my to do list in a spreadsheet--nothing fancy, mind you, just what was needed. Then, at around 9am, I picked a task to focus on for 25 minutes and hit the timer's "start" button.

I ended up noting down several... okay, four or five times I got distracted during those 25 minutes. But I managed to pull through, and I gladly took that 5 minute break. Then it was back into the fray.

25 minutes later, I took another break. Rinse and repeat until 4 pomodoros were finished. I felt like patting myself on the back and tooting my own horn as I took a glorious 15 minute break!

Pretty much the rest of the day passed like this; I stopped for lunch, of course... even my desire for motivation can't get in the way of me and food. Plus, a break was in order anyway.

Before I knew it (no, that's not actually an exaggeration), it was 4pm. I'd made it through my allotted working hours like nobody's business! I had gotten things I needed to do done, and I didn't feel like crap or like I was slowly withering away from boredom. I was focused for much of the time, and I took my deserved breaks only after every 25 minutes was up.

I feel great, guys. I feel really good about myself, and I'm soooo glad I found the Pomodoro Technique. For the first day, it worked out pretty nicely! If any of you has trouble with managing time and staying focused, I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot.

Now I can go and relax without a huge stormcloud of guilt hovering over my head. Whooo!

What have you gotten done lately that you're proud of doing, or are at least glad to have gotten out of the way? Share in the comments.

One Step at a Time

In case you're wondering about how volunteer work is going for me, well... I'll admit that I've kind of gotten into a slump. It's gotten a bit better as I'm more motivated to do things of my own, and that motivation has overflown a bit into my volunteer work as well. But I'm honestly not doing the level of work that I'd like to. I don't feel like I'm contributing that much to my sister or LFP.

My strategy last time was to let the depression and guilt consume me and basically hermit myself away in my room, only coming out to eat and use the restroom, pretty much. This time, I know what I have to do to not fall into that same rut again. So far it's working, at least a little.

I'm hanging out with my family more often, even if I don't feel like it initially. Being around them does cheer me up and break me out of that "fog".

I'm doing some work every day, even if it's not as much as I'd like. As long as I get around to doing anything at all in that respect, that's what matters right now to me. Not giving in.

My niece's and nephew's birthdays are coming up soon, so I'm also preparing their birthday presents. Well, for my niece, anyway; my nephew's present is already taken care of.

I've also been playing some guitar, and I can tell that I've improved a little, which does help my self-esteem/mood.

I haven't been going out to see the babies in the baby home as often, which is another blow to my so-called volunteer work. When I do, though, I am always amazed and it warms my heart to see what Serena and Brent have worked so hard to build. The children are so loved and happy and well cared for... it's something that you really have to see to get the full effect of, I think. When I see that, when I hold a baby and know that they wouldn't get this kind of love or care were it not for people like Brent and Serena, it bolsters my resolve to help, to do something to contribute to LFP's mission.

Then I go home and fall back into my slump. Or so it seems.

For right now, I don't have the answer to what's going on with me. I don't have the knowledge of a miracle cure, and frankly I'm not sure if there is one. All I know at the moment is that continuing to move forward, putting one foot in front of the other step by step, is better than sitting there too paralyzed to move an inch.

Hobbits and Strawberries

Fun Picking Berries...

Hello, everyone! It's a very windy day here in Beijing, as in dust-storm level. We went picking strawberries today and just walking to the greenhouse from the van was a battle against nature!

Fortunately, we won.

After getting out of the wind, we had fun picking all of the juicy red berries we could find. We almost couldn't wait until we got home to eat them, but fortunately our willpower remained strong, because of the potential pesticides and such that might have been used on the berries.

Upon arriving back at the house, it was a race to the kitchen to wash off a few berries and finally eat them. Seriously, they smelled so good coming back, and they did not disappoint. They were really sweet, and we picked a lot so there are more where that came from!

I see many strawberry smoothies in the future. And strawberry shortcake. And strawberry jam? Strawberry everything! Good thing it's one of my favorite flavors, next to chocolate, of course.

...And Going to the Movies!

Yesterday I went to see The Hobbit with my niece and nephew. Traffic was terrible, and we got there too late to go to the showing we were intending to see, so we bought tickets for a later showing and grabbed lunch first.

We ate at a small cafe in the mall called Hercules Cafe (or something like that). I ordered sushi and a caramel latte. The sushi was actually pretty good for a non-seafood-oriented place... or maybe I was just hungry. Probably both. The caramel latte was good, too; I'm glad, because one of my favorite beverages is an iced caramel macchiato. Yummm just thinking about it is making me crave one!

My niece and nephew weren't as enthusiastic about the movie as I was; their favorite Lord of the Rings movie remains Return of the King. Nothing wrong with that, of course, and they did enjoy The Hobbit. Oh well, they liked the last two movies I recommended to them, at least (The Emperor's New Groove and Rise of the Guardians).

What's something fun that you've been up to lately? Share in the comments!

An Update! Sorry for the Wait

Fireworks! Photo taken by my sister Serena. Please don't use without permission.

Hi, everyone! To be honest, I haven't felt like writing this blog much since I got here. I've been feeling myself slipping a bit back into that depressed rut I was in last time I was here... not as bad, thank goodness, but enough for me to notice. Fortunately, I've got work to do for the nonprofit and my family to hang out with, so that's been keeping me from sinking totally into a state of, "I want to do nothing but blob about today."

I've been feeling like I haven't been doing anything particularly blog-worthy or exciting. But I have to remind myself that I'm in China doing volunteer work with an amazing nonprofit. Living with my family, who I love a lot. What's not exciting about that, really?

Sometimes I guess I take for granted what's right in front of me that I'm so fortunate to have been given.

Some things that I've been up to since I got here:

1. I went to see a short play.
2. I've eaten out at several excellent restaurants. Yum!
3. I've started living with a very sweet cat in my room. She feels safe here and it's better than keeping her in the bathroom all the time, because she hates the other cats and hides from them wherever she can.
4. I saw a spectacular fireworks show during Chinese New Year. My ears were ringing by the end of it. Seriously, some of those fireworks lit up the sky so brightly it could've been daytime.
5. I've been working in my sister's online store, and also I've been organizing photos for Little Flower Projects.
6. I've been watching movies (most recent: The Princess Bride) and playing games (namely Just Dance) with my family.

So I guess I've been up to more than I thought! Funny how I didn't really realize that until I wrote it all down.

I can't promise regular, clockwork-like updates, but I will do my best to post whenever I have something to share... and maybe even sometimes when I don't. So, I guess stay tuned!

It's been a while since I've posted, and also since I've heard from you all. What have you been up to?

First Baby Photo! (It's a Cute One!)

Me with a very cute baby! Photo taken by my sister Serena.

I went to the baby home for Little Flower Projects this Wednesday, and my sister snapped this shot of me holding a little baby boy on my lap. I had all these warm fuzzy maternal feelings the whole time I held him. What's really gratifying is that he was crying, but then he stopped and was happy when I picked him up! How awesome is that?

Hello from China!

Hi guys! I'm blogging at you from Beijing--I'm finally here! Surprisingly enough, jetlag hasn't been kicking me in the rear end like last time I came over here. In fact, I've been able to get by with only one hour-long nap a day... and yesterday, no nap at all. Yay!

A Beautiful Send-off
I was sent off in a beautiful way by the other women I met on the ACTS retreat I mentioned earlier. They snuck out to my house at night when I was asleep and stuck signs with wonderful send-off messages in my front yard for me to see when I woke up the next morning. If any of you are reading this, thank you thank you thank you! It made me smile so much and really warmed my heart.

Family Time!
I've been spending a lot of time with my family over here while getting over jetlag... even if I haven't been napping much, I've still been feeling the effects of it from time to time. I've been playing games with them (they have a Wii, guys), as well as playing guitar with my oldest niece and just having fun goofing around.

Working Woman
My sister Serena and I sat down yesterday and started working on some things related to Little Flower Projects and Assunta Store together. It felt really good to be able to help out. Even if I haven't quite been here a week, I was beginning to go a little stir-crazy, wondering when the jetlag was going to leave so I could start working.

I actually plan to start on a project for the store after I finish this blog post. Well, first I'm going to call home, and then I'll start the project.

I'm so happy to finally be here and starting to do some work. This is just a quick update from me--I'm signing off for now, but I'll most likely have something else to blog about soon!

Could you share a recent happy moment of yours, as well? I'd love to hear about it.

Thursday is Launch Day!

Hi guys! Just thought I'd pop on here real quick and let you all know some super-exciting news:

I'm leaving for China on Thursday!

I actually went on an ACTS retreat this past weekend (if you ever have the chance to go on one, you should, I had such an amazing experience). When I got home and my parents picked me up, they pretty much went, "Welcome back! Guess what, you're leaving on Thursday!"

I still can't quite believe it. It was so sudden. But I'm really looking forward to this experience. Well, maybe not going through airport security and running from gate to gate. After that, though... that's the part I'm looking forward to.

So, keep your eyes peeled for more updates from me, but this time from CHINA! Yay! You might have to give me some time to get over jetlag first, though. 

What's something that's cheered you up lately, or that you're looking forward to? Share in the comments!

Packing for China: Luggage and Carry-on

Suitcase by Lasse C on Flickr, via Creative Commons

Hi, guys! So after a bit of e-mailing back and forth between myself, my sister, and the visa processing center, my visa is finally on its way to being approved and my passport should be back in my hands by Thursday. Yay! After that, I'll try to get a ticket to China as soon as possible. I'm so excited... and going a little stir crazy, to be honest. I'm impatient to be there and volunteering already!

I thought that for today's post I could go over a bit of what packing for China entails, at least for me.

The Luggage

I'll be bringing one large duffle bag for my clothes and such, and most likely another duffle full of things for my sister that she can't easily get in China. Last time I went there, I ended up packing more clothes than I really needed... filling up two duffles instead of just one. So for this trip, I'm making sure to pack only what I'm sure I'm going to wear regularly.

Since I'm headed there during the winter, when the temperature in Beijing is hitting single digits, important things I'll be packing (besides my staple t-shirts and jeans, underwear and socks, and a few nicer outfits) will be:

1. Winter coat.
2. 2 pairs thermal underwear.
3. Sweatshirts and sweaters.

I get cold easily, so I'll definitely be piling on the layers, methinks! I'll also be stocking up on waterproof earplugs, since my ears get infected nearly 99% of the time if they get water in them. I use the earplugs in the shower, since I'm not a big swimmer. 

The Carry-on

My carry-on will be a backpack. I will be packing all of my important things that I do NOT want to lose in there, mainly electronics and my wallet, since it's a bad idea to pack valuables in your main luggage. It's also a bad idea to pack things that are going to make your carry-on heavier than you can manage running to and fro from gate to gate as they change your flight around (which they might, and most likely will. Ask me how I know this). 

Since it's a 13 hour flight from here to Beijing, I'll also want some entertainment that will help cut down the hours.

Into the carry-on will go:

1. Laptop and charger, which will make up most of the weight.
2. A couple of books.
3. My Nintendo DS (fully charged) and a couple of games.
4. My wallet.
5. My medication.

Also, the seats in economy cabins are REALLY unergonomic. That means if you need special support for your back or hips, invest in a special cushion. Really. You will thank me for this advice once you take it and spend 13 hours on a plane in those seats. You CAN get up and stand in the back of the plane for a bit (in fact it's encouraged you do so to help your circulation and such), but a cushion will really help.

Special Packing Tip

If you're not sure you can get it in China, buy it before you go! You do not want to get there and find out that you can't get something you need or use regularly. For me, it's my waterproof earplugs. I'm sure they must make them in China... but if I end up being wrong, that would be bad. SO. I'm stocking up just in case.

If you take prescription medication, like I do, you might want to stock up on that too. Warning, though, it will cost a LOT more to get your meds prescribed for a year's time instead of just a month or so.

What I'll be doing, since I'm still covered by my parents' insurance, will be to (hopefully) get my medication from a hospital in Beijing that the insurance is accepted in. If this works, it will drastically cut down on the cost.

The End (?)

That's pretty much all I have to say on the subject of packing for the nonce. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me and I'll do my best to answer.

Do you have any packing advice, or an interesting/fun travel story? Share in the comments!

Visa Update & Current Favorite Songs

Visa Update

Hi, guys! I'm just letting you know how things are going. My visa application got to the processing place fine (according to the tracking system on the USPS site), so I will hopefully be hearing from them about how long I can stay in China soon. Sooo it's been pretty quiet around here.

I did get some packing done, and sorted through my boxes of stuff that were in the attic. I ended up taking most of it to the thrift store, where hopefully it will be reincarnated to a better life (or something).

Current Favorite Songs

I also thought that, for fun, I'd share with you a few of my favorite songs of the moment!

First up: Ellie Goulding's "Anything Could Happen." I first heard of her through her song "Lights," liked the style, and looked up some of her other music. So far I haven't heard anything beyond those two songs and "Only You," but I have to say I like what I hear. Here are two videos: the music video for "Anything Could Happen" and also a cool freerunning video set to "Lights."

Next is a beautiful song from an anime that I recently finished watching called Hakuouki. The song is "A True Love Tale," from the ending of a special episode made for the series. It's in Japanese, but even if you don't know the meaning behind the words, it gets across to you anyway. I love that about music.

And last but not least, Lindsey Stirling. She's an amazing violinist... it's apparent that she truly enjoys playing music, and I admire that. I particularly love this video and song put together of hers of a time that she spent in Kenya.

Your turn! What is a favorite song of yours, and why? Share in the comments.

A Depressed Volunteer Abroad: My Story

Okay, so today is a day to be honest: my last time volunteering in China wasn't all bouncing babies on my knee while laughing amongst rainbows and flowers. I got hit with depression big time, which I strongly suspect was connected to my having gone on birth control to help regulate my hormones (obviously if that's true, that didn't work).

I was able to learn the basics of what I needed to help out somewhat in my volunteer duties...  but the last 3-4 months of the entire year were the hardest, and I basically just holed myself away in my room, only coming out to eat and use the bathroom. I was miserable, sometimes crying, not understanding why I felt this way and why I was so anxious about doing any kind of work or interaction with others.

I got home and quit the birth control around the same time (I stayed on my medication that I already took for depression, though, which I've been diagnosed with since I was a teenager). My mood/motivation improved gradually over the following months. I noticed, my parents (whom I live with) noticed. My sister and brother-in-law, meanwhile, really needed help with the nonprofit, and for some reason they asked my parents how I was doing, and the response was positive.

So they asked me to come back and help them. I was so excited, and also just really happy... I had been feeling like a complete and utter failure up until then. I still do, in a way; an experience and mindset like that doesn't go away overnight.

I won't lie, I'm nervous about the possibility of that happening again once I go back. But on the other hand, I feel like this time will be different. I feel like I've learned from what happened before, and come back stronger and better prepared about what to do should that happen again.

I'm sharing this because I feel it needs to be shared. My hope is for others who may have experienced something similar to read it and know that they are not alone.

What has been a learning experience for you? It can be as big or small as you're comfortable sharing.

How to Apply for a Chinese Tourist Visa

blmurch on Flickr, used via Creative Commons license

Hi, everyone, I just sent off my visa application today! Whooo! I should be hearing back from the visa center within 3-4 days on how long/often I get to stay in Beijing, if all goes well. I thought you all might find it interesting/relevant to get a quick run-down on how to apply for a tourist visa for China these days. Note that this is from the perspective of someone who lives in the USA.

What is a Visa?
According to a Google search, one definition of a visa is:

An endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country.

To my knowledge, you can apply for a 30, 60, or 90-day visa. This means that you can stay in a country for that set amount of time.

So if you're in China on a 90-day visa (which is what I hope to get), you are legally allowed to stay in the country for 90 days. At the end of 90 days, if you want to continue staying in the country, you must leave the country, get your passport stamped saying that you've left, and then re-enter the country and get your passport stamped upon re-entry.

The last time I stayed in Beijing, I was on a 90-day visa. A common method of leaving and reentering China, which is the one I took, was taking a train to Hong Kong and back. The total length of time to get to Hong Kong and back to Beijing was around 24 hours, give or take.

90-day visas are ideal since that means if you're staying in a country for a year, like I plan to, you'll only have to leave and re-enter 3-4 times, as opposed to more often. And trains aren't that comfortable, especially if you're stuck in a compartment with a family whose young daughter is singing along, very loudly, to "I Just Can't Wait to be King" over... and over... and over... Ask me how I know this.

How Do You Apply?

A few things have changed about the visa process from the last time I applied (which was a little over a year ago). This time around, my sister and brother-in-law had to write up an invitation letter basically inviting me into China. If you don't have someone inviting you into a country, you must provide a copy of your round-trip airline ticket and hotel reservation.

Then you fill out the visa application and the order form for the visa. You can choose to get the application processed at the regular speed, which is 3-4 days, or pay extra to get it processed faster. You also need a small passport-style color photo of whoever the visa is for; I got mine taken at a CVS drugstore. 2 of these passport photos cost around $5.

Since I had already filled out the visa paperwork last time I went to China, my sister just re-did it for me and sent it to me to look over. I then signed the visa application, took the invitation letter and the visa order form (which my sister sent to me) and mailed those, along with my passport, to the visa application center.

Oh, and an important thing to remember is to send it all through Certified Mail. Basically with Certified Mail you can check on the US Postal Service site and track the mail you sent... it's an added form of security. Certified Mail ships at the rate of whatever shipping service you choose; I chose to send it Priority.

Now it's Waiting Time...

That was just a brief, informal explanation of the visa application process. In my experience, it's been pretty smooth and uneventful, which is a good thing! Hopefully this time around it will be the same way. I'm estimating it will take a  little over a week for everything to get done and my passport to be sent back; but if it's more, I won't be surprised.

I hope you all found that informative! If you have any questions about this that I didn't address, please feel free to ask me.

Did I omit something important? Do you have a question about this, or something to add from a different perspective? Share in the comments!

If this doesn't apply to you, well then; I told you about the singing kid on the train. Do you have any travel stories that are only funny in hindsight, or to people who weren't there with you?

Beijing Bound! Pre-Volunteering

Hi, everyone! This is my first post for this blog that will be dedicated to my year doing volunteer work in Beijing, China. I'll be volunteering with the nonprofit Little Flower Projects; they do wonderful work with babies and children, so please check them out.

Really Quick Background:

My sister Serena co-runs the charity with my brother-in-law (aka her husband). I've actually gone to volunteer with them once before, from August '11-May '12 (I'll go into more detail about how that went in a future post). They asked me to come back to help out just this Christmas... no really, literally on Christmas Day, I opened my e-mail to see a message from them. I won't lie, I kind of jumped out of my chair with excitement!

A Week (and a few days) Later...

They've now sent me all the paperwork I need to send in to apply for a visa. I'll be busy today working on sorting out things to pack and other things to get rid of so they're not clogging up my parents' house while I'm away. I might not be able to get to the post office today, so sending that stuff out might have to wait until Monday. Fun fact about me? I hate waiting.

Goals for the Year

Hey, it's the New Year, so I should be setting goals anyway, right? So, here are a couple of goals I'll be setting for myself during my time volunteering.

1. Learn Chinese! I want to be able to carry out a conversation and be able to make it on my own around the city.
2. Visit more places around Beijing. Like restaurants, and events such as plays. Mmm, food and entertainment. I can dig that.

This list may or may not change in the future, who knows?

Stay Tuned...

This was just meant to be a quick introductory post of sorts. I'll be making more posts later on about my previous volunteer experience, preparations for the flight over there, and of course be documenting my time there in general, volunteering and otherwise. I'll be putting up a page soon about what you can expect to see on this blog on a regular basis once I get over there. 

Have you ever volunteered, abroad or otherwise? Where did you volunteer and what was it like? Share in the comments!