Apartment Pics!

They're finally here- pics of my apartment! Let me give you the tour.

When you first walk in, the bathroom is straight ahead...

But if you take two steps to the right, you see the living room...

(notice how shiny my floor is!)

One morning I woke up and looked outside and saw...nothing. Completely foggy. Couldn't even see the ground (granted, I'm on the 18th floor...but still). See the nice, white "backdrop" outside the living room window? If only this was caused by a blizzard...

My tree again. I really like my tree, if you couldn't tell. Do you see the bright, sparkly star NEAR the top of the tree? Yeah, it's too heavy to go on top. If I put it on top, my tree does the Charlie Brown tree slouch. Very sad. So this year, I'm settling for a NEARLY-top-of-the-tree topper.

My beautiful candles... my tree has only red and gold decorations. No gold candles, so I went with red and white. Figured it was classy.

more candles...

Christmas packages!!! Can you see the tree "skirt"? Someone gave me 3 santa hats...so I put one over each "foot" of the tree stand. :)

Opening one box, but not opening the wrapped things.

More living room Christmas decorations...

My bedroom (if you're looking at the living room, my bedroom is off the left side of the LR).

My bedroom Christmas tree...

My guest bedroom, off the right side of the living room...

Behind the yellow curtains is a big corner window with a big windowsill. I want to eventually get big puffy pillows and some throw blankets and that'll be a little reading nook. :)

And finally, the kitchen...next to the guest bedroom. I'm not sure I like the see through cabinets, so I use cool looking gift bags to store things in. And I decided that I want each of my coffee cups to be one-of-a-kind, which is lots of fun. :)

At the end of the kitchen, on the left, there's a little laundry nook. The washer is there along with some shelves for laundry soap and stuff. It's great.

To give you an idea of what my apartment is really like, I think the owner did a lot of the decor shopping at IKEA. I find IKEA labels on a lot of things, and the other day I was at IKEA and kept seeing things that are in my apartment (like the bedroom curtains). I love it! :)

One of my friends, after visiting my apartment, said "your living room is so aesthetically pleasing. I just want to come over and look at your Christmas tree!" So if you can't tell, I LOVE my new apartment. I want to go home all the time! It's crazy to think about being in a place for an entire year- it's been so long since I've been so "permanent" anywhere. Feels good to unpack though.

Guests are welcome anytime! Come on over for a movie night! Some friends moved back to Australia and gave me tons of bedding, towels, dishes, etc. So I'm all set for visitors!

The Joy of Apartment Hunting...

...or lack, thereof.

I have been on a 6+ week hunt for "the perfect place" and I'd like to take you on this journey so you can share in my joy.

From November 8-15, I was enrolled in a Master's class here in the city. Since the end of August, I've been staying with a friend waiting for prices to come back down to near-normal after the Games. But I've got so much on my plate right now that I knew it would be best if I could move into my own place before the Master's class started. So about 2 weeks before the course, I began searching. Keep in mind that this entire "hunt" was not done in my first language (that just adds to the "joy").

Step 1- decide what part of the city I want to live in (I realize I may be doing things out of order, logically). There's a park not far from where Jordan and Sonya live that I recently fell in love with. It has almost NO foreigners and has the feel of a completely different city. It also has some really great indoor markets and local foods. The location is relatively convenient for both my teaching job and my work at the River, so I decided that was the "perfect" place to look for my "perfect" apartment. Begin Step 2...

Step 2- find available apartments in the "perfect" area of the city. A few friends recommended
some websites for me to search on and offered to help me look. So I enlisted the help of a few friends and began weeding through the places online.

A typical apartment hunting day went something like this: look online for at least an hour, come up with a list of possible places that have detailed descriptions. They match my criteria for size, price, location, and furnishings. We make a few phone calls and find out that most of them have already been rented, a handful are non-working numbers or no answer. We make an appointment to see the 3 or 4 that are left on the list. However, the apartment that we're taken to has NO comparisons to the description we read online and called specifically asking about...the agent shrugs it off and says "ok, you don't like this one...I'll take you to another one." I figure this is just a formality, so I go along with it...until we get to the third or fourth and I just turn around and walk back out the door. I go home feeling defeated, wanting to give up, and feeling like the agents are only out to make a commission (oh wait...they are only out to make a commission). My friends continue to look despite my defeated-ness and encourage me to not give up.

All of my spare time is spent repeating this process (most of the time is spent online). After a LOT of bad apartments, I decide that I won't go to a place until I see pictures first. However, most agents/owners somehow don't have pictures of the apartments-probably because they know no one would rent them if they did. But this request seems to make the agents that much more aggressive in their "tactics" to win me over.

Admittedly, I saw one place that was pretty big and nice, but it felt really far away. I later realized it wasn't as far away as I'd thought and I should have taken it.

Then one day, I went to see more apartments with another agent from yet another agency. We went into an apartment that was amazingly clean and decently sized, but the bathroom and kitchen were nasty. But the agent's response blew me away. He said "tell me what you don't like. Any little thing. Just say it." So I did. I expected the normal shrug-off, but instead he said "ok. No problem. Now I know what kind of place you're looking for." And I went home instead of being dragged to more places. A few days later I went back through the normal routine with another agent, and when I returned home that night, I asked my friend to call the nice agent back because if I had to deal with agents, I only wanted to deal with one who I felt would listen to me.

By the next morning, the agent had 3 places to take me to. When I walked in to each of them, I was instantly in love with them and wanted to cry (for joy). A few days later, I signed the contract for my apartment! It's not in a location I'd originally wanted to look, but it's a location that I really like a lot, so I'm happy to be there.

The owner of my new apartment had hoped that a single, foreign girl would rent her place because everything is new and she wants it taken well care of. So that explains why it hasn't been rented quickly like everything else! And she and I seem to have very similar tastes because I really like the way she has decorated the place...which makes it really easy to move in and feel at home!

Coming soon-pictures of my new, increasingly Christmas-y apartment! (battery died after two pictures and I can't seem to find the cord I need to download those two pics).

Mourning the Loss of Decorations

So the city has completed it's transformation. Actually, I'm not quite sure when it finished as it happened sort of like waking from a dream...did the Games ever really happen? Or were they just a dream? Was this city covered in banners and posters and commercials and excitement? Or did I imagine that? Whatever the case, I'm sad to see all the excitement and decorations leave this place.

To make up for my loss, I've been day dreaming...by playing the "what if" game.
~What if they'd left the decorations up until Thanksgiving? Then instead of taking them down, they could just transform them all into decorations proclaiming the birth of the One.
~What if the banners on all the electric posts were changed to banners saying things like "He is Born!" "Peace on Earth!" "Joy to the World!"
~What if the 20-story tall banners that covered entire buildings and featured athletes instead told the story of His birth?
~What if instead of a giant flame lit at the stadium, they had a giant star of David that could be seen across the city?
~And instead of the red lanterns hanging over the bridges and building entrances, what if they hung Christmas balls (you know, the colored glass ones that we hang on the trees?) or gigantic stockings?
~What if instead of little "Volunteer booths" on every corner, they had gingerbread houses and the volunteers dressed up like elves? (Ok, I know this is a little off-themed)
~What if instead of the "happy memories of the Games" playing on every bus, they had sing-a-long carols?
~What if....I could go on for days...believe me...

So it would be a little bit like Who-ville with all the Whos singing in a circle around the giant Christmas tree...but it would be awesome. It would be awesome if it was done not for commercial purposes but out of a genuine heart of wanting to proclaim His birth?

Ok, so I love Christmas season. I love the music, the decorations, the holiday cheer (even if it is "fake"). And now, instead of just mourning the loss of decorations and Game-time cheer, I can just countdown to Thanksgiving, the day when we start listening to Christmas music...

Feel free to add to my daydream!!!

Yet Another Transformation

The closing ceremony was just Wednesday night, but Thursday morning as I headed to work I saw it had already begun...the next transformation. The first transformation spanned over the last number of years as this city got ready for the Games. Over the last 6 months it sped up and moved like wildfire through the city.

The next transformation was after the main Games ended and before the ParaGames started. Some of the banners and decorations were changed to reflect the logo of the ParaGames. Even some of the huge banners that cover entire buildings were changed to show ParaGame athletes.

Yesterday morning as I rode the bus, I looked around the city. For so long, this city has lived for this moment. It's been the answer to so many questions: why did the price go up, why are schools finishing early, why have the rules changed, why are people having this problem, why are taxi drivers all wearing a shirt and tie now, why is the sky blue? "because of the Games." Now, the billboards are changing back to advertisements, the flags and banners are leaving, we can again see the skeleton of unfinished buildings, the buses are playing advertisements on their tvs instead of happy memories of the Games. It's almost like a funeral...and in some ways, it is...I think.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. The fall weather is moving in- cooler, dryer temps (dryer partly because they don't have a reason to make it rain anymore). There are still some volunteer booths up, but I suspect they'll be gone in a matter of days. Saturday the road rules stop, meaning everyone can drive everyday instead of every other day.

As this city transforms back to "normal," I wonder what will these people live for next?

More Pictures!

As promised, here are more pictures...
Volleyball and closing ceremonies!

Where's the beach?!? These are at the venues...
A volunteer sits there and yells in a mega phone.
This is the entrance to the volleyball venue.


The mascots outside greeting the spectators.
The one on the right was a little top heavy. :)


Bronze medal game... Cuba's in blue.


And the winner is....


Cheer for the home team!!! The sound was deafening...
I took video, but it just doesn't capture the true feeling there.


This is a bus stop.
I can't even tell you how many bus stops have ads like this.


See the red hats? This is security...we suspect they were asked to tone it down after they came on so strongly around the beginning...because uniforms and personnel became more "undercover"...like they were trying to blend...or...not.


The evening of Closing Ceremonies.
We went to this park to watch on a big screen.
Notice the empty souvenir stalls.
They were never opened. Too many security issues.



But look at the park just a few hours later...it was PACKED!!!


Fireworks went off all over the city. It was amazing, as usual.
Never underestimate fireworks shows here.
Yes, those are fireworks hearts.


The end of the Games... oh wait...
Round 2 just started with the ParaGames. Want to see more?

Handball Pics!

The Stadium where handball was

(the Water Cube behind it)

The Fencing Hall
(next to where we were)

The Bird's Nest
(in front of the Water Cube)

The "flame" building and the Water Cube

The "flame" building and the Water Cube again
(different colors...and without the spotlights)

The Bird's Nest close up

The Media Tower...changing colors. I want my office here!

This was Game 1, Norway vs. S Korea
The Fans... Norway defending their goal...

...and the winner is...Norway!!!
They'll go on to play for the gold against winner of Game 2...

We went for McDonald's in between matches.
This is the wall leading down to the entrance of McD'sGame 2, Russia vs. Hungary

This is me holding the torch... well, sort of. ;)
Leaving for home...feeling like I was in a herd of cattle.
...volleyball to come later...

The end of the Games Buzz

I know. I've completely neglected my blog for the last few weeks. But I have a good excuse- for seventeen days I was being held hostage by…my TV. Yup, addicted. To the Games. I remember as a kid being upset that I still had to go to school during them. I'd think- that’s 8 hours of Games that I’m going to MISS! So now that I’m a full grown adult, I’ve allowed myself to sit at home eating junk food and watching people who work out for HOURS each day competing against each other in pointless competitions…like shooting…and weight lifting. I did manage to see some good stuff- like gymnastics (my favorite), trampoline (whoever made that an event is a genius) and diving (which scares me almost as much as trampoline to watch). I missed the good stuff that you guys probably see a million replays of- like Michael P’s 8 medals, or the weight lifting guy who dislocated his elbow or the other guy who put his medal on the floor and walked off…but I did see the heart breaking moment when my local hurdler guy walked away from his competition and the crowd looked on in shock and disbelief. I missed the tv announcers crying as they announced he’d withdrawn (had I known it was such a historical moment I wouldn’t have changed the channel), but I did see the press conference later where his coach balled his eyes out. But I still feel like I saw nothing because I wasn’t able to watch any of it in my own language. However, I managed to learn a few (not that I’ll ever need to use them) words- like dismount and some sort of flip on the balance beam that sounded cool.

As you may or may not know, I was able to attend two Games. I went to double header handball matches, the winners of which would play for the gold. The handball matches were at the national indoor stadium, which is in the same "compound" as the aquatics stadium, the national stadium, and all the most impressive buildings that have been constructed for these Games. The other Game I went to was the women's volleyball bronze medal match.

The first handball match was between Norway and S Korea. Norway had a huge section of fans, all wearing red and singing & cheering. I could totally picture my grandpa up there with them, leading the cheers and songs. :) So I mustered up all my Norwegian pride and cheered for them, and they won (although I doubt it was because of my cheering). Game 2 was between Hungary and Russia. I decided to cheer for Russia for two reasons: 1- so many people here think I'm Russian, might as well embrace it for a couple hours, and 2- the Hungarians booed every time Russia got the ball. Hungary had taken over Norways section in the stands and had some great cheers and songs, but I wasn't a fan of their booing. Russia won (again...not because of my cheering...or was it?). Handball itself is a pretty interesting sport. It's not what I thought (racquetball without the racquet...which is what I always knew as handball). It's basically soccer with your hands (think about it- in other countries, they call "soccer" "football." So it makes sense that handball and soccer/football would be similar).

After handball, my friend and I walked around the compound and took tons of pictures. The organizing committee didn't overlook even the smallest details in the main compound. Every inch of the place is amazing. The textures, the colors, the shapes. There's a cool tower that you may or may not have seen and I've wondered forever what it was...and also wondered how so many news casts have the same live background behind them. Well, that night I discovered that the mysterious but amazingly lit up tower is none other than the media tower. Each level has a few news cast desks, all facing the infamous background you always see.

The volleyball game I went to was absolutely unbelievable. I'd hoped that it would be either the local team or the local team vs the US. Really, I just wanted to be part of the local team's crowd...to experience it. Well, it was the local team vs Cuba. The entire stadium was going crazy the entire time cheering for the local team (except for whoever was holding the one Cuban flag way over in the opposite corner). When Cuba had the ball, the local fans still went crazy cheering for their own team. They did "the wave" and made it around the entire stadium 3 times in a row! The sound was absolutely deafening. I took pictures and video, but there's nothing that can capture those moments. Cuba didn't stand a chance against the home team and the fans..."my" team won again!

I had the privilege of watching the closing ceremonies with a sea of people on a big screen out in one of the parks. We were relieved that the screens weren't "broken" again. At the end of the ceremonies, fireworks went off all over the city. One of the places was at the park we were at, so we got to see them live.

The Games are over, yet not quite. Round 2 starts this weekend with the Paralympics. The city is again undergoing a transformation, but on a smaller scale. Many of the signs and decorations are being changed to reflect the Paralympic logo. We're hoping to get tickets to go to more events in the next few weeks, to be in the venues cheering on anyone we can.

There's been a lot of bad press surrounding these Games and I can't even say how disappointed I've been at the reports that I've seen. Reporters who should have come to cover the Games and to help spread the excitement seem to have come with the intention of exposing every single mistake and looking for every bad quality and searching out those who are here to fight for their own ideas rather than to participate in the Games. Now, I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong. But this country has come a long way and they have every reason to be proud. They are absolutely not perfect and have made bunches of mistakes and they will continue to do so. But I keep being reminded of "let he who has no sin cast the first stone." It's given me a stronger burden to pray for those who are in every area of leadership here as well as in other countries and also for the press... that they would be motivated by truth and not corruption and that they'd act out of people's best interest rather than personal gain. I also am reading the news less because I realize that those stories probably have just as much "truth" as the ones I read about here. There are better things I can be reading.

This post is too long already. Pictures will come soon...

Some Pictures from 08.08.08

Me and Yao holding the torch. TV makes him look so much bigger! ;)

The countdown clock with only 2 hours to go!

This was just before 8:00...looking at the stadium lights.
About 10 minutes later, everyone went home since our TV was "broken."

Let me know if you're able to view the video. It's loaded, but I'm not able to view it, but I'm sometimes not able to see videos on others' blogs either...

A Truly Cultural Experience

Friday 08.08.08 was declared a national holiday. People were given the day off and I heard rumors that they were encouraged to stay home...to make less traffic? To create a more peaceful atmosphere? Not sure. But in any case, we were going OUT!!! But everywhere we went it was strangely quiet and rather empty.

Anyway, 08.08.08 I woke up early and headed over to Jordan and Sonya's apartment. We started the day by going to one of the two "Coca-Cola Zones." We got there at 11 and they said "no more tickets. Please come back at 1:00." But, as with everything here, we knew that could be negotiated. My friends have a baby and so they said "can you ask if we (4 plus 1 baby) can come in? We have a baby- can't come back later bc she needs to have a nap." So they asked and sure enough, there was room for us. Oh, and this "zone" was at a place where the largest TV screen in the world is. :)

We entered through this huge archway and into a tunnel that looked like an igloo. As we passed through, we were handed free bottles of coke. The tunnel opens up into this huge open area. To our left are kiosks to buy your own pins. To the right, a pin trading area. Straight ahead is a huge stage where the crowd is participating in all the typical things- sing-a-longs, dances, group games. Everywhere you look, all the "volunteers" are in Coke colors and there are Coke and Game themed decorations everywhere. We walk through a walkway around the stage and into another open area. To the right you can buy a coke and choose your own plastic cover and go around behind the counter and wrap it yourself (put the sleeve on the bottle and stick it into a machine that shrinks the plastic to fit the bottle). There's also an area where you can get your picture taken with a life-sized cut out of Yao Ming holding one of the actual torches...you get to hold the torch (well, you get to touch it) with Yao. There are also huge, colorful terracotta soldiers that you can take pictures of...I guess just for something cultural? The cool thing was that the entrance "tickets" were free, you got a free bottle of coke, could trade pins (free), and if you chose to wrap your own bottle, it was only slightly higher than the normal price. So any person could afford to go and enjoy it.

We went back to Jordan and Sonya's for naptime (we all napped). Then stopped at the countdown clock to get a picture (there were LOTS of people there taking pics). I got a picture at 2 hrs to go! There were no taxis, so we had to all (our group had 6 plus a baby now) get on a bus. Of course, lots of people were going to the same area as us. The bus evidently had an altered route for the night and wouldn't be driving near the stadium. So our walk was longer than we'd hoped. We stepped off the bus into a sea of people. Fortunately, we knew a shortcut that took us to less crowded streets and then back into the sea of people. Four friends met us at an intersection where people looked down the street for about 8 blocks to where the building that looks like a flame is (it's next to the stadium).

The park where we'd watch was packed with people. We squeezed through to an area where we had a clear view of the giant TV (one of many that was built for this purpose) and a clear view of the sky above the stadium, where fireworks would be. We could see the beams of huge spotlights coming out of the stadium. But our TV screen was black. People started yelling "turn on the TV! turn on the TV!" I texted a friend in another city and he said the only thing happening was important leaders arriving. At 8, we saw the fireworks...but our screen was still black. People filed out towards home, or someplace else. As we left, we spoke with a group of men in uniform who told us that our TV was, in fact, broken. So we asked about the giant TV that's near my friend's house. "That one's broken too." Turns out many of the giant TV screens were "broken" that night...including the one that's on the "flame building" which is right next to the stadium. Mysterious...the screens all were miraculously fixed by the next morning, of course.

So we went with the status quo and decided to be good citizens and go home. So we left the fireworks and the masses and tried to find a taxi...there were none...or a bus...there were none. We finally found a taxi and got home an hour later (the drive is about 15 minutes). Watched it all from the safety and comfort of my friend's living room. We missed the first hour, but got up Saturday morning and watched the re-broadcast ...which was, of course, at 8 am...if you haven't figured out, 8 is a lucky number...there are even 8 rainstorms "predicted" (or should we say scheduled?) during the Games!

The ceremony itself was amazing. I've watched parts of it over probably 5 times...every time I find a channel re-capping it, I find myself captivated again. Wow. I'm not even sure I can pick one thing I liked the most.

Anyway, now when I'm free, I channel surf to see what events are on TV. There's no tv guide, so there's no way of "planning" to watch anything. But of course, most of what I do come across is the local teams...and none of the channels have English commentaries (including opening ceremonies), so I'm learning some new words! On the 21st I'll be going to handball with a friend!!!! What's handball, you ask? No idea...but WHO CARES!!! I'm GOING to the Games!!! And yesterday someone said they had one ticket to a volleyball final and they can't go. So I might be going to that too!!! Woo-hoo!!!

I love summer!

I went to the market on my way home today, wanted to get some fruit. Saw the usual- peaches, watermelon, gigantic grapes (called "ping pong grapes")...a few different varieties of mangos. After looking around for a while and buying some veggies, I decide to get a mango and a dragonfruit. I haven't actually had dragonfruit yet, but I love tropical fruit, so I'm sure I'll like it.

As I was walking out, I spotted a fruit that looked vaguely familiar- from pictures I'd seen. And then another fruit that looked vaguely familiar from pictures...and then one that I had no idea what it was...thought it was a nut of some sort or something.

I started my walk home (the market is literally around the corner from my gate) and was wracking my brain to figure out what the mystery fruits were. Sometimes I forget fruit names because I don't see or hear them in English. But as I approached the gate, I remembered the two "familiar" fruits- guava and pomegranate. And tonight I happened to come across a website (thanks Trish) that revealed the identity of the third, unknown, fruit- mangosteen. It seems to be a very healthy (as in really healthy) and delicious fruit.

So tomorrow, I'll be going back to stock up on my tropical fruit before it all goes out of season. Man, I love summer!

Phenomenon # 2, 3, 4 AND 5... And T minus 7!

Today was truly an amazing day. Seriously amazing.

Yes...four phenomenons...phenomenon? phenomena?... four in one day. Now, it may not be as amazing as, oh, say, a safari, but it's still pretty amazing. You know what? No... I'm sure it was more than four. It was an absolutely, unbelievably amazing day. Really really amazing.

First, as if to review what the first phenomenon was, I saw people standing in line for the bus again. About 40 people. I now have physical evidence...a picture.

Number Two came shortly after I woke up. I realized that it was really windy outside. I opened the window (always have to be careful doing that...sometimes you open it only to receive a face full of dust/dirt from a wind storm). I saw a powerful wind coming in from the west (I know I'm directionally challenged, but I'm getting better...and this one I really figured out. It was definitely the west).

Now, for those of you who don't know, the Man upstairs is not the only one who can change the weather. Oh no. There happens to be a weather changing committee here. That's right. The rain? Well, I'm sure some of it is natural but this year we've had an unusual amount of rain... of course, to clear up the air. I recently read that over 170 chem. sticks have been shot into the sky, inducing rain (but I read that last week. I'm sure we're close to 180 now). We had rain yesterday, and to those of us that lived here, it turned out to be a remarkably beautiful day. But that's not good enough.

So this morning, the wind came. It was very unusual and my first thought was "is this natural or man made?" I literally watched the clouds get blown away. It was almost freaky. No, not almost. It was.

The next phenomenon came after my class. I went with my friend, Ryan, to run some errands. He had to go to one of the local shopping markets to buy a new suitcase. This is one of the markets I hate going to because of all the "hallo lady...you want buy purses? come here have look." But evidently, they've been taught some western manners. I walked in and had 5 minutes of peaceful browsing. As we wandered deeper into the interior of the market, some of the normal dialogue came back, but on a much smaller scale than usual. Also, I only had my path blocked once by shopkeepers, and only about 75% blocked (as opposed to the 100% blocked in every direction and they're grabbing you). And no one grabbed me or even touched me today. Amazing. Never thought it possible. What on earth has happened to my city?

Next, I saw Ryan off to the train station. He almost missed his train because he had so many last minute things to do. So we took a taxi from my place to the train station. It was very possibly the most expensive taxi ride ever, but man it was the most amazing. The sky was blue, there were fluffy, friendly clouds in the sky, the sun was out. It had rained yesterday and so everything always looks more colorful and clean and new after the rain. And in the distance, on the horizon, you could see the unbelievable mountains. So cool. It was breathtaking.

After Ryan got on the train (barely made it), I went outside to wait for the solar eclipse that my student had just reminded me of. I stepped outside and it got super bright...like middle of the day bright, but it was dinner time. I took a bunch of pictures, but I had no special "filter" so it just looks like I was taking pictures of the sun. But also, I had some place to go and after waiting for 30 minutes for the eclipse to come (couldn't remember if you could see it w/o the special filters or not), I decided to leave. According to stories I read and captions on pictures taken, the eclipse was about 7 minutes after I got on the bus. But in the grand scheme of things, the next part of my day was more important. One of my students works for a group that just opened a coffeeshop. Today was their grand opening and he invited me to come. Tonight was the only time I was available, so I went for dinner and had a great visit with my student. I was the last customer.

After dinner, my student walked me to the subway station. I looked up and saw a handful of stars. For those of you who don't know, I've always loved stars. I forget how much I love them until I see them again. They're just really special- a reminder of His faithfulness. Sometimes I laugh when I think about Him telling Abe that his descendents would be as numerous as the stars. I think "well, I hope he didn't live here because he'd have no kids. Maybe 1 or 2, on a good night."

I like where it says, "He placed the stars in the sky. Not one of them is missing." Even when we can't see them, they're there. Even when the sky is covered with clouds, or pollution, or city lights...the stars are still there...every single one of them. Even when we're crazy busy or the world is "falling apart" or we feel completely cut off from everything and everyone familiar and "normal" in this world, He is still there. Even when we can't see Him, He's still there. Just like the stars.

Tonight I saw a handful of stars. I don't know when the last time was that I saw even one star. But as I face the countdown clock (T minus 7 days) and unpredictable days and weeks ahead, I'm glad for the reminder that He's here and He'll be here.


stars

Unnatural Phenomenon

Pheomenon: an exceptional, unusual, or abnormal person, thing, or occurrence. It's a word that people like to use here, although we don't actually use it much in english. But now I finally have a reason to use it.

Yesterday I went out to the bus stop on my way to teach. Before the bus stop was even in view, I saw a line of people. Anyone who's been here or has taken the time to talk to someone who's been here knows how "abnormal" that is...it never happens.

I've heard rumors of the "education" that's going on for the general public. There used to be entire walls covered in posters outlining "The Ten Do's and Don't's." Those posters have recently disappeared, the walls painted a nice, polite, white. There have been classes to teach people appropriate, acceptable ways to cheer for their own team and for other teams, when the appropriate time to cheer is, etc. I recently heard that there was some sort of "education" to teach others how to stand in line. I thought "there's no way..." but now I know, it must have happened. Besides, I see the signs encouraging us to be good citizens by standing in line (benefit of knowing the language).

When I first moved here, I thought people couldn't stay in line if their lives depended on it. Even on the roads, the cars float in and out of lanes. In the stores, people just walk up to the register and throw their stuff down, then drop a wad of crumpled up money on the counter and wait for the cashier to drop change on the counter for them. To get on or off the bus, you'd think that there was an emergency the way people mad rush the door from the inside and the outside all at the same time.

There's no etiquette (as we know it in the west) for this- doesn't matter if you're a woman, step aside because rarely does a man even consider letting you go first. You're almost always pushed out of the way. The times that a man does pause to let me go first, I'm usually so in shock by it that it takes me about 15 seconds to recover enough to move. I'm not old-fashioned, but in the west, many guys tend to be generally more considerate of women... and esp. BCOM guys. Charlie, P. Tim, my other Chicago friends- don't worry, I haven't forgotten what you've tried to teach me... but this may be why I'm such a slow learner. ;) And to top it all off, there's no "personal space" here, so you're always crammed like a sardine against about five other people.

So, you can imagine what it was like to see a nice, neat single file line formed at the bus stop. Not just one, but one line for every bus that would stop there. The line was easily longer than the length of two buses. When the bus stopped, people waited patiently in the line and filed onto the bus in a very organized fashion. And each person was spaced about one foot apart...no sardine body cramming...until everyone was on board the bus, that is.

It was so strange to me that I couldn't bring myself to stand in line. I stood off to the side, in shock. Actually, I laughed out loud. Seriously. But standing in the line just didn't feel right. Like there was some invisible force causing the people to all act in unusual ways. I decided I just couldn't do it. I rebelled against the phenomenon.

Too bad I forgot my camera yesterday, but I won't forget next time. I will document this phenomenon.

Ridiculously Happy

...exceedingly happy...overflowing excitement...take your pick. That's how I feel.

The drudgery of moving...yet again...has quickly been overshadowed by the ridiculous happiness of getting a glimpse of the new neighborhood I'm moving into.

I went over to take the first load of my stuff to the place I'll be living in for the summer. I hate moving...I mean it is seriously a pain in the butt. And I'm only ONE person! And it's dreary and rainy today and I think I'm getting sick, and I have to move...NOT a good first half of my day. But I arrived at my friend's apartment and her mother (who teaches at the same school she does) met me to give me the key and debrief me on apartment stuff.

After the apartment "tour," she oriented me a little bit to the neighborhood. We looked out the window and she told me where the shops are to buy stuff and the vegetable market she goes to...and as I looked out the window, I saw this SEA of local stuff- food stands, a HUGE market, shops, everything. So after she left, I went to take a quick peek.

The market is AMAZING. It's got everything you could want for your apartment- bedding, electric cords, dishes, clothing...plus it's got food- fruits, veggies, meat, spices, everything. And outside it was food vendors, more little shops, more stuff.

I'm SO excited to be in this neighborhood and I'm already sad that I'll only be in this apartment for about 2 months. But I'm already thinking that this will be the first place I'll look at for renting after my friend comes back.

Even the neighborhood I'm living in is awesome- it's big, has lots of people, kids...even a swimming pool (although no one was in it...not sure who's eligible to use it yet).

AND a couple of my students live near my neighborhood. As much as I've loved being spoiled in a super-cushy posh apartment, I can't even say how excited I am to be in a more "normal" neighborhood and so much closer to some of my students, who I love like crazy.

So...I will be doing lots of exploring of my new area in the coming days and weeks.

The Best People in the World

Sometimes, feeling like I don't fit in, I feel like I missed the mark...like I'm not really hearing right, you know? So it gets confusing. And feeling like by the world's standards, I shouldn't be here. I mean, I have enough support to live, but I'm not living some high-falutin' cushy lifestyle. I don't go to western restaurants very often. Partly because I don't have the money to, but partly because I don't want to. I don't need to.

But also, I'm not with an org or a team. I've been told by some people that they won't support me unless I am with an org. I understand the covering and everything, but...yeah. Not even going to go there. Just never felt that was where He was leading me. I turn to that sometimes, mostly when I'm feeling insecure- maybe I need an org. maybe I should go back for a few years and get with an org. But I don't feel like that's what He's calling me to do. Anyway, it's so easy to feel like I'm not doing things right, my life doesn't look like so-and-so. My pr life, my devo life doesn't look like so-and-so. My mnstry isn't like so-and-so's. I don't have vss memorized like so-and-so. I feel like I'm too simple to be on the field.

But I do feel like He's blssd me with confirmation that I am where I'm supposed to be. I've asked for local friends, and He's given them to me. He's provided for my needs-everything I needed in order to live in this city, where I felt He was leading me. And I feel that there are people that are special to me in my life-like some of the foreigners I've met since moving halfway across the world, a few close college classmates, my local friends that I've met in the cities I've lived in here. I feel like right now in my life, these people that He's given to me... I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I feel like I have the best friends anyone could ever ask for. The best people this world has to offer. I feel privileged and honored to have them in my life.

I feel humbled, especially, to know the students that I have...the more I get to know them, the more I feel like "why have You put them in my life? who am i that i could know such amazing ppl, ppl that You've gone to the ends of the earth to bring out of the pit?" And I hope that no matter where He takes me in this world, that these people will still be in my life. Then when I think about this, I feel like I'm too simple, that I'm not skilled enough or smart enough or whatever enough to be here mnstring to these people...or I feel like the biggest, richest, most hoity-toity self-centered jerk in the world. Wow, that seems harsh. But I think I mostly feel that way because of hearing a friend's story recently.

In any case, I know He's got me here for a reason. I don't really know what that reason is, but I feel like He's giving me glimpses...but only glimpses because I'm not ready for the whole picture yet. A friend put it into words perfectly: it could be that it's bigger than I'd ever imagined and if I knew it all at once...I'd go home early.

My brain is fried...

I'm editing the translation of a script. It's urgent and important as it'll be submitted as a contender for an award. No pressure or anything. So, in the midst of this important, urgent matter, what do I do? Blog, of course!

I might be making it more difficult than necessary, but come on. We've all seen movies with awkward subtitles...it's even worse when you understand some of the language. So I can't allow something that potentially LOTS of people are going to see and have the subtitles not match. It's already been translated...I'm just responsible for editing the translation. But I'm comparing all the translated parts with the original. It's creating a lot more work than they probably expected me to do, and I'm not sure how anyone feels about it. But I want to do a good job.

To top it all off, the script is all interviews with victims from the recent disaster. So it's heavy stuff. So it's hard to find the right words to express what's being said.

And just checked my inbox...have another script waiting for me...and I did two yesterday. I like doing this, but sometimes it makes my brain feel like jell-o.

Well, back to work.

Punched in the face?

Does anyone like the dentist? Do I even want to be blogging about one of the most (very possibly THE most) humiliating experiences I've ever had in my life? Well, considering there's probably only one person who reads this, it's probably ok.

So, the dentist. Yeah, I felt really confident in his skills until I was sitting in that $200,000 chair with that big ol' needle (wasn't actually old...it was clean, fresh out of the package) coming towards my mouth. But soon enough that tingly numbness came on and all was good...but I was still awake, staring at all the tools and seeing the dr. prodding at my jaw...and thinking "oh man...that's going to HURT in the morning!"

Actually, it hurt 30 minutes after the dr. finished. They told me I was supposed to sit in the waiting room for 30 minutes...glad I left right away! After 30 minutes, I was in some serious pain (ok, I'm a wimp), and if I'd waited til then to START going home, I probably would have passed out on the street. Ok, not really.

The dentist I went to is actually a very good place. The dentists have ridiculously high-tech equipment and their English is good...not just good, but you trust that they actually KNOW what they're saying- and mean it!

Anyway, today is day one. Can't brush my teeth, can't rinse my mouth...feeling pretty nasty. For the most part, I don't notice it now, but if anything so much as touches my face...WOW. Tried to eat a PB&J sandwich...decided I should stick with ice cream and smoothies.

It's all good though. Three months will be over before I know it. I only hope that I don't get any bruises. Then everyone would think I got the crap beat out of me...

A New Post, for Linds :)

The start to my day- wake up to the sound of a new text message arriving. So glad to hear that sound for two reasons- 1) I LOVE getting a text message (except when it's the phone company) and 2) my phone speaker is AGAIN breaking and often doesn't make sound at all.

So I got up, replied to the message (it was from a friend), boiled water for coffee... hey wait a minute...I never DRANK my coffee. BRB.

Ok, drinking coffee now. So after boiling the water, I got online. Don't worry, I didn't forget about the boiled water this time. No almost-burn-down-the-apartment emergencies today! Anyway, online. Read my emails, finally got to read the text to my sister's orchestra's blog in Australia...although the pics didn't come through (thank you, Big Brother, once again for...stopping the sarcastic comment...). Then I read the blog of a girl in the orchestra who didn't go...the Orchestra Losers who aren't in Australia blog. Entries about their exciting lives back in WI.

Then I remembered that I can access my blog FINALLY again (again...thank you BB...) and looked at it, saw Lindsey's comment about "how will I ever know what's happening in your life without a new blog" comment and decided I'd tell you about my morning :)

Aren't you glad?

Real post coming soon...

Happy Leap Year!

So this morning I realized it was February 29. I was so excited that I sent "Happy Leap Year" text messages to a bunch of my friends, including some "local" friends (you've got to love those spontaneous, non-sensical messages). From the Americans, I got "Thanks! Happy Leap Year to you too!" in response. From the others I got, "Thanks...but what is it?" So it was an interesting opportunity to educate.

So naturally, I started thinking about past February 29ths. Where was I last Leap Year? It was 2004, I was a senior at Bethany. I was probably in class. Then I remembered the group of classmates who'd been meeting regularly and pr.ying together about forming a team to move to Asia. February 29 was the date we'd given as the deadline for committing to the team (giving people an "easy out" if they didn't feel like it was where He was leading them. Well, prior to that meeting, a group of 4 of us got together and talked about how He had put the same things on our hearts and we were heading in the same direction. So, on this day, 4 years ago, I committed to moving to Asia and working with those 4 people. Later that night, a team of 5 was formed to go to the same country, but in the north.

My pstr here told me this morning that maybe this is the day that I'm to commit to going to Africa with a group of people from my ch here. It wouldn't be to live, just to love on children. He said maybe February 29 is like my day to make commitments...like a new year's resolution, except it only comes every 4 years.

So, maybe today is the day...

Good to be back!

Ok, don't get me wrong. It was great to be home and to see family and friends again. I'm happy that I was able to see most of my extended family and to at least talk to a lot of my friends. Visiting Bethany again was great-being in a place where people understand what it's like to come back from being overseas for a couple years is always refreshing! But I think I'm developing that "3rd culture" that's usually talked about in reference to MKs. I'm becoming a 3rd culture kid.

I've been back for just about 30 hours. But I've already experienced a bunch of familiar things that were subtle "welcome back" points (you could also call this "you know you've been overseas too long when these things make you feel at home...").

-the not-so-refreshing smell of the polluted air.
-the trickle (if you can call it that) of water that you're expected to shower under.
-having to leave the bathroom sink running during your "shower" so that there's enough water pressure to kick the hot water heater on.
-a "hot" shower that's really only lukewarm, at best.
-the loss of my "personal bubble" of space
-squatty potties (need I say more?)
-the LANGUAGE- man, it's nice to hear it again (and speak it!)
-packed-beyond-capacity buses. And elevators. And, well, everything.
-the food!
-the poor english on signs.

I'm sure there's more. So far, these are things that have made me smile. They're not always things that make me smile, but they're things that are "welcome home" indicators...kind of like cheese and snow and christmas decorations when I went back for the holidays.

Prayer for a friend

This is a video I've had in my head for the last 6 or so weeks. I'd been trying to "think" of what to share with others here about me being overseas. When I heard this song, it summed up so much of my overseas "life."

I know the song is about lifting up a friend, but to me it says more. It's about living life (as a friend) with someone, and laying yourself, your values and your...whatever out for them to see. And there are times when they struggle, they fight, and they reject all of that and all you can do is lift them up.

All the people in the video are people I've known in the last two years. They've been in my heart one way or another- mostly as good friends. Some are people I knew more from a distance- a parent of a friend, a vendor that I'd visit regularly, classmates.

So this video was a picture I had in my head and the other day I finally put it together. I think it was a good outlet for me. Let me know what you think! Oh, just a warning, there are a lot of words at the beginning (too much according to my brothers)... but I really liked the verse, so I didn't want to shorten it...although I did have to lengthen the instrumental part at the beginning, so it's a little weird. :s