A Story from NOAH

"Be Flexible" is advice you often get before leaving for another country.

Prior to coming to China, this was not a lesson I thought I’d need to learn. Because of the way I live my life, I already thought I was a flexible kind of guy. But here in China, these two words take on a whole new meaning. It’s like a mantra or motto that everybody just has to live by to survive. It is leagues more important than I ever could have thought.

I live with two of the students that attend the New Day Learning Center. Living with Max and Fu is always very, very interesting. Normal life becomes an adventure. Mundane tasks become life lessons.

So a couple of weeks ago, I think it was a Wednesday, I began that morning as any other - with a walk to New Day. This walk is something I have grown to love. Every day there’s something new to see. For example, on this particular morning I noticed something I’d never seen before on the stairwell just outside my apartment door – an electric switch box midway between the sixth and fifth floors. It had a little red light and a screen reading the number 30. While examining this lighted number, I thought to myself, "Hmmm interesting. I'll have to ask someone about that."

That evening as I'm hanging out with Fu and Max I say, "Hey guys, there's some weird light number on one of the electrical boxes in the hallway. The box has our number painted on it. What’s up with that?" They explain that in China, power is prepaid, and the number indicates when we are running out of units and need to get more.

"Ooooohhhh" I say with my mouth open wide. "So what do I need to do?"

"Nothing. We will tell some one in the morning," they reply.

So the week goes on, Friday morning comes, and the light number is still there – just a smaller number by now. That evening as I ascend the stairs to the apartment, I check the electricity box and see that the light numbers are gone.

"Cool, I didn't even have to think about that one. China's GREAT!"

With a grin on my face that stretches from ear to ear, I finish the last flight of stairs and open the door to my apartment.

"Hmm it’s sure dark…Fu and Max must be out."

I use the light from my cell phone to find the switch in the living room.

"Doh, the light is burned out too!"

With my path lit by screen light from my cell phone, I make it to my room. I pull that switch, and THAT light is burned out too. Now I’m starting to think that maybe the power was out for the whole apartment complex (this happens sometimes). So I start calling around to check. After talking to a lot of people, I find out that every one had power but us.

I called the guy in charge of getting us more electricity units, and he told me that he knew we didn’t have power. He said he was told two days ago by one of my housemates that we wouldn’t need power till next week. All of a sudden, it hit me that my roommates would rather have zero electricity for a few days than inconvenience somebody else.

Instead of getting frustrated, that reminder came flashing back.

Be flexible.

The next three days actually turned out to be a lot of fun. It was kind of like camping. Soon, the power was back on, and life went back to normal. We’ve all had a good laugh about it since then too. We laugh about taking cold showers all weekend and getting to do everything by “romantic” candle light.

That weekend I really learned something I thought I always knew – in a way I’ll never forget.

Be flexible.