scooters and starbucks

Food options at Starbucks are generally pretty lame, but starbucks in China takes this to a whole new level...

I missed lunch today while driving around trying to figure out where in the world to register my scooter. There is a new rule as of January 15th that every scooter in Kunming MUST have a blue registration plate. Tired of living on the lam, Elissa and I decided it was time to get registered today. There is, however a problem with this mandatory new law. No one, and i do mean no one, can tell me where to get it done. I went to 4 different police stations including the traffic department headquarters with similar results. On Jinshe Street they told me to go to Beijing Street where they told me to go to Xuefu street where they told me to go to Longquan street where i knew it wasn't so i went to Dianchi street where they pointed to a sign and told me to call a phone number to find out where to go...

...which brings me back Starbucks. Frustrated and hungry, I decided that dodging jonny law isn't so bad after all. What is bad is the sandwich i just ate here...ham, blueberry jelly, cheese and some yet to be identified white strips on spongy bread. All i can say is that it was a better option than the red bean filled croissant.

Fireworks

We had the amazing opportunity once again to experience Chinese New Year here in Kunming. We love the transformation that happens in the city on the eve of the weeklong celebration.  Packed markets turn into ghost towns and crowded streets finally have a chance to breathe. The day is eerily quiet, devoid of the usual hustle and bustle as families gather to share a special meal. There is a peace that falls over the city...until dusk, that is. That's when the fireworks begin. Nothing compares to what transpires in the sky over a Chinese city on New Year's Eve.  I think I’ve finally figured out what sets this experience apart. In America, a few people "behind the scenes" are responsible to make sure the whole thing goes off well.  Everyone else finds the best spot to sit back and watch the show. In China, nobody sits in a crowd to watch and there are no bad spots.  Everybody is out on every corner adding to the spectacle with their own explosive offering. The outbursts thunder from every corner and back alley and flare up in every direction. The effect is a stunning display that lasts for hours. 

There's another scene that comes to mind with striking parallels. It happens every Sunday when a few people work desperately to create a spark, but the vast majority are sitting back watching the show. If your experience of church has become dull and dry it could be due to the fact that you have become a spectator when Christian community was meant to be so much more of a collective effort. Something amazing happens when everyone contributes and everyone is involved.  The excitement is palpable, the joy is sustainable, and the impact is impossible to ignore.