Toby's away

Hi friends.
I was reading a sydney anglican website whilst eating my spag bol tonight and it was talking about the benefits of blogging...well, I benefit from blogs of others, hearing their thoughts, and reflections on life, and seeing what they're up to. That's part of the appeal of facebook. So, I officially declare our dormant blog re-opened!

Toby's away, and sent me an email...he's on an overseas visit to Beijing with others from our college. Something he said was fascinating...
"So far Beijing seems a nice city. Quite similar to Sydney." I think: Sydney and Beijing - diff language and culture, diff size, diff food, diff weather, diff government, diff attitude toward Christians....but maybe some of those differences aren't really differences, and the others don't really matter. The world is a small place. I remember when a Viet guy in one of my bible groups at uni said that Sydney was more like Hanoi than he expected...and he thinks it was because of American tv. I think it's more than that...
What are the similarities?
1) People are people everywhere. Despite language and culture and experiences, people are really similar...we all long to be loved and accepted. We all long to make a difference. We all long to be heard. We all long to achieve and succeed. We all long to be young forever. We all want freedom. And I can't help thinking that God, our creator meets those longings. Maybe in different ways to what we expected.
2) Food. This sounds silly but living in Ashfield, we can get most of the Chinese foods that Toby's enjoying...just down the road - and def all under $10. Come join us sometime. "I had delicious Seafood Congee for lunch at a really nice Chinese food court"
3) something I think's cool is that there are believers in Jesus everywhere...even if they're hidden from view (as many of my aussie asian friends say when they return home). But I think it's cool that there's so many in China that the goverenment doesn't stop them meeting together anymore, they can't when there's way more Christians than ppl in the communist party.

Let me know other thoughts you have about similarities, small or big, superfiicial or profound - I'm interested.

Other funny things toby said:
"had a 2 hour language class with the people who teach the 'workers' here. It was fun." ha ha - he'll be better equipped to speak with our neighbours now - so many within 100 m of our unit who don't speak english, but only mandarin. Well, at least he can say hi in a vaguely kosher way. That sounds so imperialist...we have bought a teach yourself mandarin cd, and keen to learn...and we have heaps of friends who speak it. It's a much richer language than english - and that's even after they simplified it!

I'm off to Brisbane tomorrow...that's my adventure whilst Toby's away...and it'll be nice to have company and hang out with some good friends from uni days. Caleb's getting on a plane at 4 1/2 months, I think my first trip was age 11! he scored! Should be heaps of fun.