I am so excited to share this interview with you all! Please enjoy getting to know my friend Chaniece and learning a little about her experience being “BLACK AND ABROAD.”

CHANIECE: I love black people rappin’ about produce, what can I say— Look what SHE is jammin to!!!!

I am excited about life! I am filled with Hope. I am overwhelmed with JOY!

I am going to do my best to live by the ‘Glad Texts’ 

(one of my favorites is–Psalms 98:4-Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music) — Did you know that there are over 800 Glad Texts in the Bible?!?! More than one for each day of the year for me to live by.

#FearlessinShanghai #Thankful #joychangeslives #KMarieTakesChina #BlackGirlMagic #KarlaGirlLivingLife #BlackGirlJoy #LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden #ChinaorBust #ChinaAintReady #BlackInShanghai #LookOutWorldHereComesKarla  #KarlaGirlJoy #BlackGirlInShanghai #eatsleeppartyrepeat #givingisgood #givingisfun #WakandaForever #ShuriAndNakiaAndOkoye #MelaninMagic #Blessed #FaithfulIsMyGod

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

April 23, 2018 – – World Book Day (WBD): https://www.worldbookday.com/

I was so excited when Althea told me that today is WBD!!! I absolutely LOVE READING. She downloaded a few free e-books and I joined in the fun! I was able to download a few books and get a deal on some other books on sale.

If you have an e-reader you might just be in luck … and check out the site above if you have time.

Happy Reading!!!!

….how it showed up in my Kindle Book Store … its a selection of books …. so you may see something interesting that you’ve never read or heard of ….

“READING IS DREAMING WITH OUR EYES OPEN” 

I am excited about life! I am filled with Hope. I am overwhelmed with JOY!

I am going to do my best to live by the ‘Glad Texts’ 

(one of my favorites is–Psalms 98:4-Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music) — Did you know that there are over 800 Glad Texts in the Bible?!?! More than one for each day of the year for me to live by.

#FearlessinShanghai #Thankful #joychangeslives #KMarieTakesChina #BlackGirlMagic #KarlaGirlLivingLife #BlackGirlJoy #LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden #ChinaorBust #ChinaAintReady #BlackInShanghai #LookOutWorldHereComesKarla  #KarlaGirlJoy #BlackGirlInShanghai #eatsleeppartyrepeat #givingisgood #givingisfun #WakandaForever #ShuriAndNakiaAndOkoye #MelaninMagic #Blessed #FaithfulIsMyGod

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

-short post-

In my January 5th post I set and shared my goals for the year. Now that we are into Q2 of 2018 lets check in and see how I’m doing … Id love to know how you’re doing with your goals too!!!

Do you all set resolutions for the new year? I set a few goals for each year. I was quite ambitious with my list last year so here is my 2018 plan:

1. Because of my work schedule it is hard to sign up athletic events like 5K/10K/Stair Climb type events I would do at home. I want to do 1 event this year. If I can work that in my schedule that would be great. – I am still hoping to be able to do this … I haven’t found one that works with my schedule but I may just map a 5K route and see if I can get some friends to do it with me on a Wednesday before it gets too hot. I hear it gets very hot here in SH! 

(oh – Christmas week I did Jingle Bell Run 5K with coworkers- it was cold – I don’t like being cold)

1. Read 2 books for pleasure- I have started one book. I am enjoying it so far. 
2. Visit 4 new countries – I have my list ready so I can’t wait to share with you all as it happens about my adventures abroad.- I have been to Bangkok Thailand, Seoul, South Korea, and Hong Kong soon …. 
3. Pay down some US Debt – lets see how that goes!- YES! I am so glad that this is happening. 
4. Play in a waterfall – I didn’t get to do this last year and I’m still mad about it!!! – so clearly some things carry over from 2017 and that’s okay- I think I may achieve this in October. We have holiday in October and I am thinking really hard about where to go! Waterfall must be included. 
5. BE!!! Just BE. Enjoy each day as it comes. Live. Love. Laugh. Smile. Live a life rooted and established in JOY! #EverdayJOY- Yep! I wouldn’t want to live any other way. Life has enough challenges we all know that for sure. May as well smile as much as you can.

I have learned to set realistic goals. Goals that are attainable and that I can actually meet. I am still working hard on these goals – these six goals/things I want to do can totally happen as long as I am focused and consistent.

Have a great week everyone! …Happy Q2 – Happy Spring ….

here are a few recent pics ……

I am going to do my best to live by the ‘Glad Texts’ 

(one of my favorites is–Psalms 98:4-Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music) — Did you know that there are over 800 Glad Texts in the Bible?!?! More than one for each day of the year for me to live by.

#FearlessinShanghai #Thankful #joychangeslives #KMarieTakesChina #BlackGirlMagic #KarlaGirlLivingLife #BlackGirlJoy #LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden #ChinaorBust #ChinaAintReady #BlackInShanghai #LookOutWorldHereComesKarla  #KarlaGirlJoy #BlackGirlInShanghai #eatsleeppartyrepeat #givingisgood #givingisfun #WakandaForever #ShuriAndNakiaAndOkoye #MelaninMagic #Blessed #FaithfulIsMyGod

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

I am so excited to share this interview with you all! Please enjoy getting to know my friend Christen and learning a little about her experience being “BLACK AND ABROAD.”

Christen is a BIG Musiq Soulchild fan! She is currently jamming to this. Enjoy.

I am so excited to share this interview with you all! Please enjoy getting to know my friend Renea and learning a little about her experience being “BLACK AND ABROAD.”

kg: Renea –– Thanks so much for joining me on my blog. More importantly, thanks for sharing with us about your experience in China.

(orange is kg and black/bold is renea)

A: Let’s do a quick introduction:

1. What’s your name, where are you from, and how long have you been in China?

My name is Renea. I’m from Mississippi, USA, and I have been in China almost 9 months now.

2. Are you single, married, have any children?

I am married, but we do not have any children yet. We just came up on our first anniversary this past February.

-congratulations on your anniversary!!! how awesome for you two-

3. What brought you to Asia- more specifically China?

To be honest, I had no plans of coming to China. It has always been my older sister’s dream but not mine. I was more interested to be in South America, but I struggled to find work. I applied and applied, and no one ever got back to me. Then China happened.

4. How long have you been here?

I’ve been here for almost 9 months. I can’t believe it.

Now we have a little background information about you lets dig a little deeper! You actually inspired this “Black and Abroad” series for my blog. We were chatting on WeChat – because that’s #LIC (Life in China) and you said “We’re traveling and breaking barriers and crushing stereotypes” – and with all the challenges of life abroad that statement really resonated with me.

B: Breaking and Crushing:

1. In your opinion – what do you think are some of the biggest stereotypes we (generally speaking – though I know you don’t speak for everyone) face as people of color living abroad – here in China?

First off, I’m so happy little ol’ me could inspire a series for your blog! I would say that the biggest stereotype I’ve faced thus far is everyone thinking I’m from an African country because I’m a melanin queen. Then the other stereotypes follow. I can’t possibly be educated well because, ya know, we come from apes and all that… No one has ever said that to me, but I’ve gotten that vibe during an interview before.

2. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced living here? 

Renea: Perhaps, the biggest challenges have been navigating without Chinese language knowledge, transportation, and the constant change of laws (or people making stuff up when it’s convenient). I have been in some situations where knowing Chinese would have really served me well, and I became so frustrated and felt so defeated. 

I can understand that for sure. I think the only think I can say well is “ice water” and “stop” (for when I am in a taxi). 

In regards to transportation, it’s more efficient than anything we have in Mississippi. We all drive there. If you don’t have a car, you are screwed. Nonetheless, commuting is exhausting because of the all the people here. I work in Zengcheng, a very distant district on the outskirts of the city. I dislike it very much, so I travel back and forth to Foshan, which is a neighboring city to Guangzhou. The commute takes roughly 3 hours.

anything else? 

It seems like laws aren’t consistent. If you go ask someone about the legal requirements to get a Z-visa, they’ll tell you one thing while another person will tell you something totally different. What makes it worse is that the confusing answers will come from locals who are supposed to be versed in this. I needed to take a bullet train from Guangzhou to Foshan to pick up some dessert orders. My passport was being held by the PSB to process my new visa, so I used a copy to get around. I always successfully used a copy with no issues to get a train ticket. On this particular night, this wasn’t allowed. I showed them a picture of the receipt (job had original). It wasn’t accepted either although it had been accepted previously. Goodness gracious.

3. How do you think we are crushing stereotypes?

If students are familiar with black people at all, it’s through black face characters on local television networks or through a few Hollywood films. We are portrayed as dumb or criminals. As a result of us coming here and teaching, they’re learning that we’re educated, business-minded, and no one to fear. We’re teaching them how to approach diversity and different ways of thinking. We’re crushing ALL the stereotypes: one student and one interaction at a time.

4. Knowing what you know now- about life in China and being here as long as you have been here, would you still have moved here knowing what you know now. 

 I’m not sure. I’ve been struggling lately with always being reminded of my skin color in almost every interaction. Sometimes it’s disheartening, and I have to think about the ‘why’ behind it all. Why do they view me the way they do? I guess you could say that I would still come because I’ve learned that I am resilient, adaptable, and more optimistic and adventurous than I’ve ever been.

C: #LIC – Let’s talk a little about Life in China! There are definitely some positives about being here.

1. What are three things you like about living in China (if you can think of three).  A. I like the safety. There is crime, and there is violence like any other place, but it’s nothing like what occurs in the United States, and I really love that.        B. I like the food! It’s so fresh and so vibrant. They’ve introduced me to seafood here.                                                                                                                                              C. Despite the ignorance (literally ignorance, not meant in any derogatory manner), the people are usually very nice and friendly, so I love that.

2. What do you do for fun with your free time?

I love discovering new alleyways and places with lots of green.

3. Has it been hard for you to meet people and make friends here?

Not at all. I think being different makes it easier to make connections because everyone wants to know more about you.

4. What do you do for work here in China?

I am a teacher. I’m also breaking into business here. I bake on the weekends, and I am also getting into the hair business (hoping my approach will help it stand out).

*i’m looking forward to ordering some goodies from you soon*

D: Food- Food makes the world go round!

1. How has your food journey been here? Has it been a hard transition from home to here?

It’s been great (aside for a few instances of food poisoning). The Chinese food here is fresh and less fried. I especially enjoy the Muslim-owned noodle restaurants.

2. Have you tried anything here that you love that you don’t have at home?

I’ve never seen ‘tangyuan’ back home. It’s these balls made from rice flour, and they’re filled with a sweet peanut paste and served in a soup of just boiling water. They serve them during the Spring Festival. I LOVE them! They also have these gummy balls that are filled fruit puree, red bean paste, and so on. I don’t know the name of those, but I love those as well.

3. Have you tried anything here that you absolutely hate and hope to never eat again?

I HATE the black jello. It tastes like tar, and I have no idea what it’s made from.

4. How is shopping for food here for you? Do you spend a lot buying food or eating out?

Once I discovered TaoBao and foreign food stores like Sharefoods and Corner’s Deli, shopping for familiar items is so easy. I only shop for foreign food items for my baking or when I’m craving something…like Tostitos and salsa.

E: Access to travel – A lot of people move abroad because of the access to travel to other countries. Let’s talk about this!

1. China is huge!!! Have you been to any places in China? Are there any places in China you would like to visit?

So far, I’ve been to Chengdu, which was SO special, but I haven’t traveled as much as I would like. I would like to go to Sanya, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macau, Xi’an, Chongqing, and Zhuhai. I’m not so interested in Beijing simply because one of my friends is there, and she’s been getting sick a lot from the air.

2. Have you visited any nearby countries since you have been here? Where did you go?

I’m so boring when it comes to this because I’ve been working so much. I haven’t traveled outside since I’ve been here, unfortunately. People back home swear we’re just on vacation. They have no idea.

3. What cities/countries are on your list ???

I’m so glad you asked! This is a bit of my list:

Bali, Indonesia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Kyoto, Japan

Seoul, South Korea

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Aswan, Egypt

Kotor, Montenegro

Valparaiso, Chile

Zanzibar, Tanzania

These are just a few, and some are happening this summer, Lord willing. So excited!

*please take me with you to Tanzania*

F: Wrapping It up 

If you could share one thing with everyone about life what would it be.

I would say that life is all about living to become your best self. That’s what we should all be striving for, so don’t allow anyone to make you feel that you should settle for anything less than greatness. Travel, read, write, discover. You’ll love yourself for it.

This was great… I am so glad we were able to do this and that you were open to sharing about your time in China. Thanks again for joining me on my blog! 

You’re so welcome. Thank you so much for choosing me! By the way, one of my favorite songs to jam to right now is Jhene Aiko-While We’re Young.

Currently Renea is jammin to- Jhene Aiko! Check it out below. 

I am excited about life! I am filled with Hope. I am overwhelmed with JOY!

I am going to do my best to live by the ‘Glad Texts’ 

(one of my favorites is–Psalms 98:4-Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music) — Did you know that there are over 800 Glad Texts in the Bible?!?! More than one for each day of the year for me to live by.

#FearlessinShanghai #Thankful #joychangeslives #KMarieTakesChina #BlackGirlMagic #KarlaGirlLivingLife #BlackGirlJoy #LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden #ChinaorBust #ChinaAintReady #BlackInShanghai #LookOutWorldHereComesKarla  #KarlaGirlJoy #BlackGirlInShanghai #eatsleeppartyrepeat #givingisgood #givingisfun #WakandaForever #ShuriAndNakiaAndOkoye #MelaninMagic #Blessed #FaithfulIsMyGod

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

*long-ish post*

WOW!!!! Closing another month in Shanghai. March 31, 2018 (so clearly I’m behind posting this) brings me to my fifth month in China and April 1 will be the first day of my sixth month! Half a year in Asia. It has definitely had its fair share of challenges. A lot of good days, a lot of laughs, smiles, and some tough days in between all of that. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything at all. I am looking forward to coming home when my contract ends.

If I didn’t take so many pictures I would probably forget much of what I have done. Here is a recap of KMG’s March and what to look forward to with me in April!

TWG – Afternoon Tea

I have always wanted to have afternoon tea! Seems super nice, relaxing, and cultural. One of my friends said, “it sounds like you’re eating a little bit of food for a lot of money” – that’s kind of true but my small portions were yummy and my cherry blossom tea was so good! I am so glad I went and had tea – and I went SOLO. Living abroad has pushed to do more things on my own and it hasn’t been so bad even though enjoying activities with friends and family will always be at the top of my list. But, if experiencing something new or traveling to a new place means doing it SOLO – I am not against it!

Celebrations- Christens birthday

Christen has been a great part of my life since my time in Shanghai. Totally my #ShanghaiBestie. Starting over can be tough- and starting over in a new country can be really tough. Meeting Christen definitely helped my starting over experience in Asia. We are coworkers, neighbors, and #passportbuddies.

We partied all night to celebrate her birthday. Salsa dancing and friends. Shanghai definitely knows how to party!

John Legend

If I am honest – I am the biggest John Legend fan but since he was here in China my friends and I went to the show. #TinyWonder as my girl Jasmine puts it – puts on a great show. His show was amazing! We really enjoyed ourselves and Shanghai showed up for J.Legend. It was nice to have this little piece of home here in China.

Black Panther Premiere

Yall know I been HYPE about BLACK PANTHER — #WakandaForever since the very first preview. One of the first things Althea said to me when I said I was moving to China was “You’re gonna miss Black Panther with us.” That made me all kinds of sad. But, I still went to China. Then I arrived here and was unsure if it would be released here. Finally! Found out that it would be released but not until almost a month after it was released everywhere else. That broke me! I wanted to see this movie opening weekend.

I went to Thailand for my birthday in February and had big plans and a tight few days there. I saw a billboard for Black Panther and everything stopped. I had to see it! I was able to see Black Panther opening weekend in Thailand and opening weekend in China. Yall know I love that I was a part of two global opening weekends for the movie. That’s pretty cool. I absolutely loved the movie – as you know from a previous post.

We had a big premiere here. A friend here- Kristen – is an event planner and she planned a full night of fun and we transformed the W. Hotel and the neighboring IMAX theater into Wakanda. There was red carpet, photos, backdrops, African dancers, everyone dressed up in their best Wakanda outfits and we bought 3 rooms in the theater and each one sold out. It was such a great night and lots of fun to see everyone come out and support the movie.

I am looking forward to seeing it again soon.

Disneyland – of course!

…because …. Why not???

SH World Financial Center (http://www.swfc-shanghai.com/)

#SHWFC is on my list of top 10 things to do in Shanghai. IT was nice. I went to visit it on my weekend. The Shanghai World Financial Center is a supertall skyscraper located in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. I bought tickets for the tour- enjoyed some history of Shanghai – watched a short film- and went to the 100^th floor to see wonderful areal views of the city. I can check this off of my list. There is another place in Shanghai where you get similar views – I feel like if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all but here is information on the other one if you’re ever in China!

Oriental Pearl Tower http://www.orientalpearltower.com/

Bowling with the homies

Would you believe there are lots of Black people in Shanghai??? Welp! There really are. It has been really nice building a community while here. A bunch of us planned a night out to go bowling. We had a blast!

Pearl Art Museum

I have been using my weekends to explore Shanghai and all that it has to offer. I checked out this new museum with some friends two weeks ago and we explored the neighborhood that we were in. We even stumbled on a small pizza shop owned by a guy who is from Southern California – he’s a USC Trojan. Crazy Small World. I’m always thankful for these moments!

Cooking with Ruby

This is Ruby! She is my Learning Partner (LP) or Co-Teacher as we would probably say at home in America. She has been simply wonderful. She is teaching me Chinese – which I need to use more and we work great together in the classroom. She came over to my place a couple weeks ago and we cooked a traditional Chinese meal. I asked Ruby if we could cook together since she told me she really loves cooking and she was super happy to cook with me.

Dumplings. Vegetables (eggplant and green beans). Ribs (those of you who knew me know I was happy about this) in Chinese sauce and spices. IT was all so good.

I am really thankful for Ruby… I have heard some people talk about their experience with their LP’s and it not being so great and the fact that my experience has been TOP … I don’t take that for granted. Ruby and I plan on hanging out more so I will be sure to share about our experiences with you.

……I wanted to show with this post that Shanghai has so much to offer. Shanghai’s populations is about 24 million people and his China’s largest and most populous city. This city is full of dining (from all over the world), museums, arts, sports, nightlife, fitness, shopping, travel- almost anything you want is here. To live overseas – kinda cool!!!

Every day has not been perfect for me. TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST – March was full of some very challenging days. I signed myself up for this experience so I am doing my best to be as positive as I can and learn from everything that is presented to me.  It’s amazing to me how two people can be presented with the same exact experience and experience it differently. When I talk to some of my friends here it’s crazy to hear about their time here and I compare it to my time and it’s like night and day. My life as a Black foreigner has had its moments here. Definitely…… but….then there-is-this

“Everyday- Aint- Gone- Be- Perfect- But- That- Still- Doesn’t- Mean- Today- Doesn’t- Have- Purpose” – – I try and remember this!

We are over a week into April. My 6^th month here. The interviews are coming soon with my friends and their experiences here. I am so excited to share it with you all. Sorry its not ready yet, but I do hope that you enjoy it once posted.

I am excited about life! I am filled with Hope. I am overwhelmed with JOY!

I am going to do my best to live by the ‘Glad Texts’ 

(one of my favorites is–Psalms 98:4-Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music) — Did you know that there are over 800 Glad Texts in the Bible?!?! More than one for each day of the year for me to live by.

#FearlessinShanghai #Thankful #joychangeslives #KMarieTakesChina #BlackGirlMagic #KarlaGirlLivingLife #BlackGirlJoy #LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden #ChinaorBust #ChinaAintReady #BlackInShanghai #LookOutWorldHereComesKarla  #KarlaGirlJoy #BlackGirlInShanghai #eatsleeppartyrepeat #givingisgood #givingisfun #WakandaForever #ShuriAndNakiaAndOkoye #MelaninMagic #Blessed #FaithfulIsMyGod

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

Changing The World …. Teaching English in Shanghai ….

Adventures of an English Teacher in China

It took a whole lot of faith and bravery for me to come to China. Disney got a gem with me being here. I don’t say that boastfully. I know who I am and whose I am – and this experience is not to be taken for granted. Every single day is different here. No two days have been just alike and some days have obviously been harder than others. I believe that I am here for reason and purpose. Even if that reason and purpose is for me to be uncomfortable for +/- 14 months so that a positive example and experience of and with a brown skinned individual is given to some here in Shanghai. This is a BIG CITY! There are lot of people here. I won’t meet them all- that’s for sure. The ones that I do meet, I want them to leave having a dash of my #BlackGirlMagic and #KarlaGirlJoy – leaving t knowing – we are amazing, educated, and kind. I want to change the perspective that some (I know it’s not all) may have of Black Americans. If I can do it, with just one, it is worth it.

I realized that I haven’t talked about work in a while so here is a brief update on work.

I am teaching English in Shanghai, China for Disney. I work for The Walt Disney Company – and a branch of that is Disney English (DE). Disney English focuses on English language training for young learners ages 2-12.

My position is titled Foreign Trainer (FT) – because – clearly- I am a foreigner teaching English in China. Learners (or students) call FT’s by their first name or at times may just say “teacher”. I have eight classes. Scholars 1, Scholars 2, Scholars 3, and an Advanced Scholars 3B class. I teach a little of everything! I work weekends, Saturdays and Sundays and my off days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

*If you are interested in information about each of the classes (S1/S2/S3/ADS3B) I can send to you. Didn’t want to make this post super long*

Mondays and Fridays, we have academic team meetings that usually last about an hour. 1:30-2:30. You have time to prepare for your classes and classes begin at 4:15 depending on your class schedule. Every FT has a different schedule depending on the classes they are teaching. A work day usually ends between 8:00 and 9:00 PM depending on how many classes you have on a particular day. Weekends are a little different than weekday courses. DE can see more leaners on the weekend because they are not in school – classes run from early morning to the end of the day. You will work one ‘short’ day and one ‘long’ day. A short day is an 8- hour day at work and your long day is a 12-hour day where you have a long break in your day. Your long break will include time for your lunch and time to prep for classes. Weekends are long and exhausting. Crazy to me that I work on weekends and that my off days are during the week…. but such is life for the next 8 months or so!

Teaching a language, and teaching a language at a training center, is unlike anything I have ever done. Obviously 😊 right?!?! I have always lived in America where my students knew the same language as me. I wasn’t teaching a language so much so – as I was teaching students how to understand and comprehend the language that they have been taught to use. Work is exhausting. It takes everything out of me. Yes! Yes! Yes! I know most of our jobs are exhausting and take it out of us. When I arrive home from work I just wanna do – NADA! Ya know?!?! We use so much of ourselves to teach our lessons to make them interesting, creative, and interactive. We want our learners to enjoy their lessons while learning what can be a very difficult language. We use TPR in our lessons, which is a language method that is based on coordinating language and physical movements. Teachers will give commands to their students while using the target language with body movements and the students will respond with whole body actions. If the students are responding with whole body actions then that means their teacher is teaching them with whole body actions. It- Takes – IT – Out – Of – ME !!!!

To be honest, the kids love it. It can just be very tiring. A lot of people have asked me is it hard teaching here. I don’t think it’s hard so much as it’s different. It is unlike anything I have ever done in my life. It took a whole lot of faith, being brave, and mustering all of my #KMGBLACKGIRLMAGIC to leave everything I know and enter a foreign land. Every training center is different, every school is different, every program is different. Opportunities are here in Asia and many other countries. I figured, why not go for it!?!

If you’re thinking about it, do some research and take the leap!

Work is …. Well …. Work. My students are learning English – that’s for sure. I Hope they are enjoying their time with me!

My faith got me here. I am teaching here for a reason and purpose. Do you know how big a mustard seed is? Not big at all. I remember the first time I saw one. I was young. Maybe 11 or 12 at a youth service in Sacramento, California. It was very small. The pastor who was speaking had it in the palm of his hand and I could barely see it. The size of it and these words changed my life…

And Jesus said unto them, “…if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, ‘Remove hence to yonder place,’ and it shall remove. And nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20

I really believe that my mustard seed faith can move mountains.

That I, Karla Gurley, daughter of Fred and Marilyn Gurley, sister to Shilah, LaLonnie, Natina, Shari, Alexandria, and Katherine- can change the world.

I get to change the world through education, teaching, relationships, sharing my experiences, loving others, showing kindness, giving a smile, and being ME.

…someone told me today that no one had ever shown them as much kindness as I had in that moment. It made me smile – and I can only hope that we can all show others kindness. It’s in the little moments that life happens. I didn’t think that what I did was even much – but – a mustard seed also isn’t much – and it changes everything! You never know the impact you can have on someone else. 

May you smile today  and extend kindness to someone!!!!

Stay tuned for fun things on the blog in April. I will be interviewing a few friends and sharing their experiences on my blog. I hope you enjoy.

April 2018: “Black and Abroad-Shanghai”

May 2018:   ????? Stay tuned and keep following!

I am excited about life! I am filled with Hope. I am overwhelmed with JOY!

I am going to do my best to live by the ‘Glad Texts’ 

(one of my favorites is–Psalms 98:4-Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music) — Did you know that there are over 800 Glad Texts in the Bible?!?! More than one for each day of the year for me to live by.

#FearlessinShanghai #Thankful #joychangeslives #KMarieTakesChina #BlackGirlMagic #KarlaGirlLivingLife #BlackGirlJoy #LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden #ChinaorBust #ChinaAintReady #BlackInShanghai #LookOutWorldHereComesKarla  #KarlaGirlJoy #BlackGirlInShanghai #eatsleeppartyrepeat #givingisgood #givingisfun #WakandaForever #ShuriAndNakiaAndOkoye #MelaninMagic #Blessed #FaithfulIsMyGod

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

Chinese New Year and a Shanghai Birthday!

Welcome to all my new subscribers! I decided to start this blog when I made the decision to move to Shanghai. A lot of people recommended to me that I blog about my time abroad and I was totally against it. As I prepared more for the trip I realized that this would be a great way to keep in touch with friends and family in America. I have been enjoying the blog since my first post. At times wifi and VPN life makes adding pictures difficult, but I always try and update when I can or leave links at the end of the blog to my Google Photos!

…. Read and Enjoy ….

Chinese New Year (CNY)- Year of the Dog

So I am so sad to say that I did not participate in one CNY event. No not one. When the holiday started I left Shanghai for Bangkok (for my birthday)- and had the most amazing time. My plan when I returned was to explore the city and enjoy some CNY events. I heard that they were great…..but the cold and the rain kept me indoors. I have to be honest with all of you that it was so incredibly wonderful to rest, relax, and refuel before returning to work. I slept in, did a lot of nothing and had some time to catch up with friends. It was a nice holiday, but I was really bummed that I did not participate in any events.

Birthday 2018

Yall know I love birthdays! I said that I would do #35thingsfor35 and here is how it went:

• $35.00 donation to #tbpp (one of my favorite charities – details in a previous post)
• Enjoyed amazing chocolate – because I eat chocolate every day – from Russia
• Wonderful Sangria made my sweet friend Emily and a bottle of wine from Chile – sweet gift
• Dinner with my neighbors at The Cactus
• Brunch with Jessi at “GALLERIA” with a personalized meal from chef Alex
• A Texas Girls trio birthday dinner at BORDERTOWN
• Smiles with my Texas-Shanghai birthday twin – Nikki
• Cooking Class with Miki – all my favorites on the menu for my birthday
• Dinner at TRIBE with some great folks I ONBOARDED with at Disney
• A little Black Girl Magic at a Singles Event in Shanghai
• Darts at midnight with friends to bring in my birthday
• Fun with coworkers at Perrys
• Chocolate cake from Shanghai friends – because what girl doesn’t want chocolate cake for her birthday
• Airport fun with Kyla B – were off to Thailand
• Making someone’s day- smiling with a Chinese lady in the airport
• Dinner cruise in Thailand with Christen and Kyla B
• Hella Dope bridge pictures right outside of Bangkok
• Riding elephants right outside of Bangkok
• A Thai lunch (I love Thai food) in Thailand
• Feeding baby leopards
• Black Girl Magic on elephants with my girls in Thailand
• Floating Market (Thailand)
• Met a monk (Thailand)
• Black Panther Movie!!!! Yessssss #Wakanda Forever
• Thai Chocolate/Oreos/Russian Chocolates
• High Speed Bullet Train with Meghan – off to Suzhou
• Street food in Suzhou
• Disneyland with friends
• Snow White and KMG
• Enjoying Marvel Universe at Shanghai Disneyland
• Captain America!!!!
• Disneyland – again with friends
• TRON – Disneyland Shanghai is known for this ride
• Afro Open Mic
• Receiving Girl Scout cookies from my cousin in Tennessee!

-clearly many of the events that bring me JOY revolve around food- but also with people- I love meeting new people, building relationships, AND trying new things- that’s what makes this life worth living-

I was worried that it would not happen, but I did it! #35thingsfor35 was a success.

#BGRChick – Those of you who know me from home know that a couple of years ago I really got into running. I started enjoying running so much so that I joined “Black Girls Run Dallas” and have participated in numerous organized running events. I have completed numerous 5K’s and a few 10K’s and it is on my bucket list to complete a half marathon. I would like to participate in an organized event while I am here in China, but my schedule sucks with me working on weekends. I hope to find a weekday event to participate in.

Last week I met up with Angela- my new running buddy. I was so excited to have someone to run with. We “met” in an online group here in China and decided to meet up to run. I am hoping to get a small group together to run consistently with. I said I wanted to do a 5K for the evening and we hit it! I did it in under an hour and that made me smile. Actually- I did it in under 45 minutes – and for not having run a 5K in a looooooooooooooooooooooong time that’s not so bad. The sun has been shining, the weather is getting warmer, and I hope make a running a consistent in my life again.

I have completed month 4 in China.

November. Check. December. Check. January. Check. February. Check.

*….Yes I know I arrived in October, but that was with 6 days left in the month….*

I will put it like this – China – point blank – clearly is not America. I will make another post soon about my pros and cons for living in China so far. It’s not all bad – but – it’s not all amazing either. I am here. I have been given a great opportunity to live in Shanghai and work for Disney whether I love the job or not, and I will not take it for granted. Somewhere around January I fully accepted that I live in Shanghai and it just won’t be home. I will have to learn to adapt and adjust to my new life in China. Sites are blocked, no Amazon Prime (sigh), I really need to learn some basic Chinese, I need to keep toilet paper with me everywhere I go – so many things are different about being here, but it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.

In the short time that I have been here I have met some of the most amazing people from around the world and if nothing else I have been challenged to never be anything other that KMG – because being me is pretty darn amazing!

 Link with month 4 photos coming soon!!!!

I am excited about life! I am filled with Hope. I am overwhelmed with JOY!

I am going to do my best to live by the ‘Glad Texts’ 

(one of my favorites is–Psalms 98:4-Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music) — Did you know that there are over 800 Glad Texts in the Bible?!?! More than one for each day of the year for me to live by.

#FearlessinShanghai #Thankful #joychangeslives #KMarieTakesChina #BlackGirlMagic #KarlaGirlLivingLife #BlackGirlJoy #LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden #ChinaorBust #ChinaAintReady #BlackInShanghai #LookOutWorldHereComesKarla  #KarlaGirlJoy #BlackGirlInShanghai #eatsleeppartyrepeat #givingisgood #givingisfun #WakandaForever #ShuriAndNakiaAndOkoye #MelaninMagic #Blessed #FaithfulIsMyGod

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

Expat

noun  ex·pat  \ ˈeks-ˌpat \

: an expatriate person : expatriate

: An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than their native country.

Someone asked about the word expat so hopefully this information (*taken from GOOGLE*) may be helpful for you.

An expat or expatriate is simply defined as a person who lives outside their native country. Similarly, an immigrant is a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country. Only one distinction is made here – immigrants intend to stay in their new country indefinitely.

Sometimes …. I’m like … whoa …. I’m an expat! I live in China. How Amazing 😊

Yo!!! Starbucks was amazing…. at least this Starbucks Reserve Roastery experience was.

Today in #AdventuresWithKMarie I went to visit the largest Starbucks in the World.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery/Metro West Nanjing Road/789 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu/Open Daily 7AM-11PM/ www.starbucksreserve.com/roasteries/shanghai

Starbucks Reserve Roastery (SRR) officially opened on December 6, 2017 in Shanghai, China. It is an absolute experience. I was greeted at the door with an ‘exploration guide’ so you can navigate your way through the building. Honestly I did’t really know where to begin. So I took out my camera, took a few pictures and walked around. There was something to see everywhere you went.

What is crazy – but, just like Starbucks, and China, there is a Starbucks across the street from SRR in both directions form where it is sitting.

There is a main bar, a pairing bar (for coffee and food), a coffee library, tasting rooms, retail clothing area, and so much more. It was definitely amazing to visit – and I am glad that I waited until the craze died down to visit. When it first opened the lines were wrapped around the building outside! It was a breeze walking in today and enjoying this new roastery.

I walked around the first floor and encountered bread, pastries, cupcakes, chocolates, coffee, and snacks everywhere. It was amazing and overwhelming. Coffee beans were being grounded behind me on one side and people were everywhere. I am sure nothing like when it first opened, but still packed!

Upstairs – lots of tea, coffee, and wine. Plenty of snacks and appetizer foods to order. I ordered my favorite- a wonderful server greets you in line and takes your order — you pay while in line – and your order is ready by the time you reach the food counter- I ordered a chocolate croissant and enjoyed SRR more than I thought I would.

Today is my weekend! Well the day is almost over now, but today and tomorrow. When I left home today for my adventure to Starbucks I decided to walk there. My watch was fully charged and at zero steps so I was ready to make this my workout for the day – Apple Maps told me it was a 2.8KM walk so I knew I could handle this, but I walked 4.63KM so something went totally wrong. “You have arrived” – NOPE! I TOTALLY HAVE NOT. So I plugged the address in again and I was close – not sure where I missed the mark – but I was at it again … and 1.72 KM later I made it to Starbucks! …. Decided on the Metro home … after walking to Starbucks and enjoying my time inside the roastery- – I was over 10,000 steps! Amazing!!!

Nepali Kitchen

After an eventful day walking to Starbucks – the best idea is to walk to dinner, right? Nepali was a 2.2 KM walk from home and I did it in exactly 2.2KM – I didn’t get lost or miss a turn or anything.

Nepali Kitchen: a long time expat favorite. Nepli standards like: curries, kormas, samosas, fresh baked naans, and parathas. The food was amazing and the décor was wonderful. We had a wonderful time here tonight – and it was a great – new fresh choice for some of my friends.

Nepali Kitchen/819 Julu Lu, near Fumin Lu/Metro Changshu Road/ www.nepalikitchenshanghai.com/nepali-kitchen

The #AdventuresWithKMarie will continue … it is so exciting to visit and try new places in Shanghai.

Via: https://www.chinahighlights.com/shanghai/top-things-to-do.htm

The Top 10 Things To Do In Shanghai Are:

1. Take a ride on the Maglev — the world’s fastest train – done

2. Cruise along Huangpu River on your way to The Bund

3. Enjoy exhibits at Shanghai Museum

4. Enjoy green spaces at Yuyuan Garden – done

5. Bird’s-eye view the city from the World Financial Center

6. Have Fun at Disneyland Park- done

7. Sit inside a revolving restaurant at The Oriental Pearl TV Tower

8. Watch performances at Shanghai Circus World

9. Stroll around in a Watertown — Zhujiajiao

10. Walk and Shop along Nanjing Road- done

Four out of 10 done in 4 months – not so bad … I’m gonna get to work on the other 6!!!

Here in Shanghai we are looking forward to the release of BLACK PANTHER. Less than two weeks to go. We have a wondrous WAKANDA EXPERIENCE planned! I am looking forward to sharing this with you – along with my #35funthingsfor35 post – and my CNY 2018 Year of the Dog experience!

I am excited about life! I am filled with Hope. I am overwhelmed with JOY!

I am going to do my best to live by the ‘Glad Texts’ 

(one of my favorites is–Psalms 98:4-Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music) — Did you know that there are over 800 Glad Texts in the Bible?!?! More than one for each day of the year for me to live by.

#FearlessinShanghai #Thankful #joychangeslives #KMarieTakesChina #BlackGirlMagic #KarlaGirlLivingLife #BlackGirlJoy #LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden #ChinaorBust #ChinaAintReady #BlackInShanghai #LookOutWorldHereComesKarla  #KarlaGirlJoy #BlackGirlInShanghai #eatsleeppartyrepeat #givingisgood #givingisfun #WakandaForever #ShuriAndNakiaAndOkoye #MelaninMagic #Blessed #FaithfulIsMyGod

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

From Oakland to Zamunda to Wakanda ….

I am here for it all!

…. yes im gonna move to Wakanda because ash doesn’t exist there

…. yes im gonna move to Wakanda because all the pillowcases are silk and your head scraf never falls off at night

…. yes im gonna move to Wakanda because you never have to ask who made the potato salad (and boy do i love potato salad)

…. yes im gonna move to Wakanda because no matter what time you get to the cookout there is still food left

….yes im gonna move to Wakanda because why not move to uncolonized Black Utopian ????

YO! these were not me … check out the #InWakanda tweets on twitter if you haven’t seen them already (https://blavity.com/19-of-the-best-tweets-that-imagine-what-life-would-be-like-as-an-uncolonized-black-utopia-inwakanda)

The world has embraced BLACK PANTHER and is so beautiful. Really beautiful. I could give a list of adjectives – but – welp- yall already know. Folks are showing up and showing out for the movie. I mean – I saw it in Bangkok, Thailand in a packed room – and I have friends from Shanghai who made it a point to see the movie while enjoying their CNY Vacation in neighboring countries. The move will not be showing in Shanghai until March 9, 2018 so we weren’t playing around. I was so happy to see the movie opening weekend- and because I am a MARVEL fan yes I knew to stay to the end…. The end … THE – VERY- END!

If you are not a MARVEL fan, if you have not been interested in seeing the movie, I encourage to see it. I appreciate this film because I do not know the last time a movie – a movie folks- has had such an impact on people or all ages, colors, backgrounds, from countries all over. Go!

BLACK PANTHER 2018

(Terri Davis-Merchant posted this and I am sharing it)

Sharing Terri Davis-Merchant’s post below:
Day 15 of 28 Days of Black History

Happy Wakanda Day!

I feel like this is the highpoint on Black History Month for 2018. If you haven’t noticed, there is this little movie called “Black Panther” coming out today. I have some thoughts about why this movie is culturally and socially important right now, and maybe I’ll share them. I’m not a comic book fan per se, but I do love a nice non-gratuitously violent action movie. The Marvel movies usually fit the bill, and this so far is one of the best reviewed yet.

I saw this little background run-down posted in a Facebook group I’m in, and I wanted to post it here with attribution to a Mr. Kamasi Hill. I’m not the first to post this, but for some, this might be educational.

1) The Black Panther character was introduced in The Arrival. in Fantastic Four (1961) #52. T’ Challa’s first appearance!
The Fantastic Four head to Wakanda, the African nation where Black Panther is king.

The Black Panther Party for Self Defense was founded in October 1966.

2) The title of #BlackPanther is a ceremonial one. It’s hereditary. All monarchs of Wakanda are known as the Black Panther. King T’Challa is the current Black Panther.

3) Black Panther is the first black super hero in “mainstream” comics.

4) T’Challa has a PhD in Physics from Oxford University. His nemesis in the film Erik Killmonger (M. B. Jordan) has his PhD in Engineering from MIT.

5) T’Challa was married to Storm (marriage was annulled after 6 years). In an alternate timeline they had a son named Azari.

6) Due to a meteorite crash in Wakanda, the country has a rare mineral resource called vibranium (Captain America’s shield is a mix of vibranium and steel).

7) Wakanda is the most technologically advanced country on earth and it has never been colonized by any European nation.

😎 The Dora Milaje are the elite warrior women who protect Black Panther. They are also known as the Adored Ones/Midnight Angels.

9) Black Panther is faster than Wolverine and Captain America, he can run up to 50 MPH.

10) Black Panther is immune from all diseases, he is the richest man in the Marvel universe, his suit is bulletproof, and his superpowers include hearing, sight, smell, and strength.

#WakandaForever

________________________________________________

There are so many more things we can say about this movie. I refuse to engage in the conversations that are negative, find fault, or put down this movie. It is amazingly refreshing to see African/Black individuals being portrayed this way. What the world is use to is – poverty, uneducated, slaves, ghetto, drug addicts, confrontational, violent, prisoners, or even extremely negative. It is rare – that a movie that shows something otherwise, is given the attention that this one is receiving.

Why is my heart smiling? Why does this movie mean so much to me (and so many others)? Why am I patiently waiting for the movie to come to Shanghai to see it again?

Because- Wakanda is Real. Because– Melanin Magic. Because– Representation Matters.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with imagining. It is what we teach students to do. Parents teach their kids to be creative and to think outside the box. We want people to think critically and beyond what they see. So, Black Panther did exactly that. How amazing to imagine what life in Africa would have been like it wasn’t overtaken by – well you know- colonizers and welp – slavery- and you know the Middle Passage- and – eh – yall know the history of it all. I love the story of what could have been.

Really – – What Should Have Been!

• This movie is important because people are telling Lebron James to “shut up and dribble” – when he speaking and giving his opinion on issues that matter.
• This movie is important because young black girls and boys deserve to have positive images of individuals who look like them to look up to.
• This movie is important because women are in positions of leadership and their voice matters and counts. #BlackGirlsRock #BlackGirlMagic #MelaninMagic #WakandaForever #WomenWarriors
• This movie is important because the community is rallying together and encouraging people to vote and to register vote #yourvotecounts #registertovote #everyelectionmatters
• This movie is important because even the costumes pay tribute to Africa – everything was deliberate in this film
• This movie is important because representation matters!
• This movie is important because nothing like it exists. Yes, there have been movies with Black Superheroes – and yes, they were good – but nothing on this level. Nothing! Marvel does movies well – and this was AFROTASTICALLY FANTABULOUS!
• This movie is important because there are people who are upset that – well – issa movie. And I am okay with people being upset and feeling a bit uncomfortable. The story has been changed and the narrative has been changed. I actually read – “what if I made a movie with a white superhero” …. really??? really??? I couldn’t even finish it – it got bad yall. They Mad! It’s Okay.
• This movie is important because, for a moment, and hopefully the moment last and last and last, families were smiling, communities were buying out theater rooms, organizations were coming together, and support was going out for something positive about – you know- US! I love all the photos of people dressing up for the film. I will continue to like them all and share them all. It makes me think of how people dress up for STAR WARS, HARRY POTTER, and other DC/Marvel movies. When I went to see Wonder Woman – people dressed up. They took pictures. They smiled and they enjoyed themselves… ‘make it last forever and ever’. Let’s do this!
• This film is important because of the amazing and tremendous impact it is having on- the world! The world I tell you. Not just Black people, not just people of color, not just America, but the world.
• This movie matters because Dark Skinned Women are important in this film – Black women and girls can see themselves on the screen. The movie celebrates and elevates black women.
• This film is important because it speaks of BLACK BEAUTY (and you know I am here for that). From the first time there was a trailer people were amped about the films release. Do know that people refer to those close to them as ‘King’ and ‘Queen’ now and I love it. This Black Beauty says – curly, nappy, bantu knots, locs, braids, weave, straight, afro, wig – do you and rock it! I have been excited about this movie since Captain America: Civil War. One of the the first things Althea said to me when I decided to move to Shanghai was, “You’re gonna miss Black Panther” – Its serious yall!
• This movie is important because: LUPITA NYONG’O (NAKIA)
• This movie is important because: DANAI GURIRA (OKOYE)
• This movie is important because: LETITIA WRIGHT (SHURI)

I don’t know how to stop reading about the film. I just don’t. I don’t know how to stop making my wifi and blockers work so that I can catch interviews and snippets with the cast. Living as a foreigner in another country makes me love and bask in my Black Beauty even more. I have always loved my dark skin. ALWAYS! I have made it a point to encourage young girls, students, others I come in contact with to love their skin too. I remember one student I had who struggled with being DARK – and smiled when – Ms. Gurley was her teacher. So …. she called herself my twin! I fell in love with her. It’s kinda cool her initials are KG, right?!?!? I love that girl. My friend Christen says I have a shirt for everything. I do! I have a lot of cool t-shirts. I like to make a statement – and the statement will forever be – BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL- BLACK IS AMAZING- and our history is one of strength, beauty, courage, and wisdom!

We must be for those in our REAL circles what this movie is doing for the world. Those we see, when we do “LIFE ON LIFE” – we must be intentional about the words we use, the way we dress, and the interactions we have with the generation to come.

May they all know that they are:

“Princes and Princesses”

who are

‘Kings and Queens’ in the making.

There are articles on articles on articles on articles about this movie. Some for it and some against it. There are interviews on interviews. Blog on blogs on blogs. FB posts. Twitter Posts. IG Posts. It continues and will continue and it makes me smile. Smile really big! If you haven’t seen it I encourage you to see it. Enjoy the movement!

At the same time: I encourage you – to vote in all elections. To support your community. To volunteer when/if you have time. Become a Big Brother/Big Sister. Start a scholarship fund. Buy someone’s schools books (you know if you can- or one book). Spend time with your family. Forgive (Life is short). Eat some vegetables and drink more water. Smile. Do Something.

Do! Be! Motivate! Encourage! Change! Mentor!

Build Bridges Not Walls

Smile

Laugh

Live a Life of Joy

In 2018 Black America the film is having a tremendous and defining impact on the country and the world. Black America is hurting. But, that is not new. Black America is experiencing pain (and this is not to say that others in America are not hurting or experiencing pain – I am up to date with American news – and my heart breaks for what’s happening at home). While my heart breaks for the families who lost loved ones – I am filled with immense JOY for how the movie is changing minds. It is my hope that young girls and boys, that adults, – everyone – sees all that they can become all that they are- and celebrate it daily.

Can I move to Wakanda now???? Please???? I’ve been looking for it in Google Trips and can’t seem to find it -sigh-

____________________________________________________________________

….and don’t you worry the really cool February/ 4th month in Shanghai- birthday post is coming #thisisthirty5 #35funthingsformy35thbirthday #thirtyfiveforthirtyfive #thirtyfiveshenanigans ….

I just felt the Black Panther was worthy of a great post!

____________________________________________________________________

I am excited about life! I am filled with Hope. I am overwhelmed with JOY!

I am going to do my best to live by the ‘Glad Texts’ (one of my favorites is–Psalms 98:4) — Did you know that there are over 800 Glad Texts in the Bible?!?! More than one for each day of the year for me to live by.

#FearlessinShanghai #joychangeslives #KMarieTakesChina #BlackGirlMagic #KarlaGirlLivingLife #BlackGirlJoy #LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden #ChinaorBust #ChinaAintReady #BlackInShanghai #LookOutWorldHereComesKarla  #KarlaGirlJoy #BlackGirlInShanghai #eatsleeppartyrepeat #givingisgood #givingisfun #WakandaForever #ShuriAndNakiaAndOkoye #MelaninMagic 

“life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”  – Hellen Keller

*I choose ADVENTURE*

As Always I am so thankful for the support of you all. Financially. Prayers. Following this blog. Share the blog. I am encouraged by your responses/messages and many people have been intrigued by the thought of living overseas. Hope you are well 😊

Enjoy the track!