I am: up way past my bedtime
I think: I’ll regret that tomorrow
I know: all the words to the Rent Soundtrack
I hate: my alarm clock
I don’t: any clue why I ate so much chocolate tonight
I can’t: believe I’ve been here 8 months already
I can: almost stand on my hands (just a few more yoga classes….)
I will: be traveling to 5 countries in 8 months
I won’t: forget my camera (ha! David! ha!)
I miss: clean air
I fear: not being able to express myself
I feel: the presence of God more now than ever
I hear: more languages on a daily basis than I have in my entire life
I smell: fish the moment I step out of my flat
I crave: open space
I wonder: when I’ll get around to doing the dishes?
I regret: little
I love: playing card games
I dream: of seeing my boyfriend soon
I care: so much that sometimes it hurts
I always: check my email right before bed
I am not: easily labeled
I believe: in God’s Grace
I sing: loud when I’m alone, and not at all when others are around
I smile: when I think about my dogs
I laugh: at my own mistakes
I collect: friends and magnets
I play: like I’m strong
I write: things I know I am never going to share
I await: the hope of Easter
I cook: haha, no really, I don’t don’t
I trust: more than I used to
I intend: to sleep more than I do
I search: for my keys in the bottom of my purse
I look: at myself in the mirror less than i used to
I shout: instead of Tide or All
I whisper: prayers over people I work with everyday
I conquer: fears of insecurity and lonliness
I listen: mostly to chick music, but occassionaly to heavy metal
I live: by Grace
Signs that you are getting old…
Let me set the scene. I’m sitting on the couch with my hubby, watching The Voice. Its only 9 o’clock, but I’m already in my PJs. Kris is on the other end of the couch, Googling hairband songs. Some band comes on as the special music for The Voice, Gym Class Heros? Raise your hand if you’ve heard of them…….*crickets* Yeah, me either.
“Who in the world are these people? I’ve never even heard of them.” ~me
“How am I supposed to know?” ~Kris
“And WHAT in the world is she wearing? Seriously,. that can’t be comfortable!” ~me
A commercial comes on and I mute the TV, cause that’s how we do ’round here. Kris starts playing clips from Hair: The Greatest Hits.
“How do I not have this album?” ~Kris
“WHAT ABOUT LOVE!?” ~both of us in unison.
Yeah, we may be old, but we are still awesome.
Tagged!
I was tagged by the oh so fabulous Heather and since I haven’t done one in awhile, I thought, “Hey, why not!?” 
I’m not tagging anyone else, but if you want to play, leave me a comment and I’ll send you 7 questions.
1. What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
“Prioritize.” ~My Dad. He taught me the importance of prioritizing things in my life: money, time, tasks. I specifically remember one day in my room, complaining to him about how I just didn’t have enough time to get it all done. (ha! Oh to be 14 again!) I was having to choose between two different trips that were happening at the same time and I desperately wanted to be a part of both of them. My dad talked about how learning to prioritize at that point in my life would help me so much in the future. Learning to really look at what I valued and choosing wisely where to place my time, money, efforts, would make a difference. So, thanks dad!
2. What did you think you would be doing when you reached the age you are now?
Oh Lord! I guess it depends on at what point you would have asked me? When I was a pre-teen I thought I’d be married with a gaggle of children. Late teens/college – I thought I would be living overseas, working with children. Guess I’m nottoo far off that mark.
3. What would you do tomorrow if you could do anything?
Sleep in! Ha! Just kidding (well, not really) If I had the power to do something tomorrow that I can’t do now? I would work myself out of a job. I would rather not have to have the job I do. I would make more housing and sustainable employment available to families.
4. If your favorite author asked you to name their next main character, what would you name them?
If Barbara Kingsolver asked me to name her next main character I might fall out! That is a hard one. I don’t know about a name, but I’d love to read a story written by her set in Pacific Northwest. I love how connected her characters are to their location – how it weaves its way into her stories. And I just love the culture of the PacNW. A match made in heaven!
5. What is your bedtime routine?
As soon as the 11 o’clock news comes on I know its time to start my bedtime routine. Brush my teeth, wash my face, decide what I am going to wear tomorrow (though I rarely set it out) – this includes deciding which earrings I am going to wear – that is not a gametime decision! Then I usually check email/Facebook one last time. Closing my laptop and turning off the TV are the sounds of bedtime that send the dogs bounding up the stairs to their beds. I get in bed, give my back a good pop, kiss my sweet husband good night and curl up on my side. Detailed enough?
6. What counts as comfort food at your house?
Mac n’ Cheese and ice cream. Lately, I’ve been exploring family recipes as well – so my Papa’s bread, which is taking some time to craft. And my great Aunt Doll’s Cheese Crispies – a Christmas Eve tradition!
7. If you inherited a billion dollars, would you still want a career?
Yes. My passion is working with people, and I don’t think that would go away with money. I would just probably have a career as a full-time volunteer somewhere.
8. What is the last kind thing you did for another person?
I helped a friend pick up and move some furniture yesterday. She just got her own place after living in a community home for 3 years. She is so proud to have a home of her own, and getting to help her move in was an honor for me. It was neat to be part of something she has waited for for so long.
9. What is the last rude thing you have done?
Oh goodness. Probably cut someone off in traffic. There is a commercial here that makes fun of passive-aggressive Pacific Northwest drivers. I’m the gal that blows past those people, too annoyed to wait for them to figure out what is going on.
10. What is the first book you recall owning?
I don’t know, but I do remember the first collection of books I remember actively seeking out and then treasuring: the Anne of Green Gables series. Oh how I was in love with those books! I coveted the kind of relationship Anne and Diana had.
11. How many books do you read at one time?
Usually two. There is almost always a book that takes me like a year to read. I just read it in between other books. I have a problem not finishing a book, so even if I start something and don’t like it, I can’t not finish it!
So there is this thing…
I am sure that you all have a thing. An object. A something or other. That if you had, would make your home/office/car/life more easy/happy/complete. You know that this thing exists. Maybe you have seen one before. Maybe you know someone who possesses such a thing. But you don’t. You search high and low for this thing, but you just can’t find one. Know the feeling that I am talking about?
My thing? There is one thing that I crave that is so simple, yet so incredibly frustrating to find. And you will probably laugh at me, but seriously – I cannot, for the life of me, find a clear, glass butter dish with a handle. Can. Not. I have been to every kitchen store within a 20 mile radius to no avail. It has become a goal, a competition almost, between my husband and I: Who can find a clear, glass butter dish with a handle first. We find every combination of the object but the one I want.
It is totally silly, I know. But in a way, it is a relief to be able to put my efforts into searching for something tangible. In my line of work, there are a lot of things that I yearn for daily. There are things that I desire so deeply for the women I work with. There are things that I wish I could give them, teach them, take from them, fix for them. But I can’t. And I know this. But it doesn’t take the desire away. I am always searching for the best way to give them what they need most. And I know that one of the deepest desires of the women I serve is not for any one particular thing, but for acceptance. Something so intangible. Yet so simple. I can give them my acceptance, but it isn’t enough. I want to give them the acceptance of our community, our city, our country. But as hard as I search, as hard as I try, that is just something I cannot do alone.
So I think that is one reason why I have become obsessive over finding this butter dish, as silly as it may seem. It is something tangible that I know exists. It is something I can eventually find. Unlike the goal of finding full acceptance, something that I know I can strive for every day, with my full heart and efforts, and yet still not fully achieve.
I don’t know what I’ll do when I one day find that clear, glass butter dish with a handle. I think that there will be a moment of joy, a sense of mission-completed. But I know that there will also probably be a sense of sorrow, knowing that my mission will never really be complete.
So tell me, silly or serious, what is your thing?
If you give a mouse a cookie…
So, I think there’s a mouse in my house.
Boo.
It has started off small, a nibble in something here. The sound of a scurry there. I could never catch him, but he never stayed more than a day at a time.
Kris calls him my house pet. Can I take him to the pound?
Then this morning, about 6am, I heard my little friend loud and clear. Upon investigation, I found that he had eaten an ENTIRE roll of Lifesavers – wrapper and all!
And, being the polite little rodent he is, kindly moved my package of thank-you notes from the living room, into the middle of the kitchen. And yes, he left his toothy signature.
Methinks this Lifesaver and thank-you note eating critter is not little mouse after all…
A tearful confession
Something has happened to me in the last, oh I don’t know, year? Maybe two? Something in me has shifted. Somehow I have become this person who cries. All the time. At completely and utterly ridiculous times.
Yes, there are the meaningful times. Every time one of the ladies from Mary’s Place tells her story of overcoming trails and tragedy, I cry. Every time one of our ladies gets good news, I tear up. That is good crying. Happy crying. And I cry every time I’m in an airport saying goodbye to my fiance (which is a lot!). I cry when I miss him, or don’t get to talk to him enough. That is justified crying. It’s sad-I-miss-you crying.
Sometimes I cry when I read an especially moving post, or see pictures of my godson growing up knowing I’m missing it (have I mentioned that I have the world’s CUTEST godson??). And while there is an undercurrent to be understood at missing out on that precious boy’s life, crying at pictures of him blowing kisses is a bit much. And it doesn’t stop there. Because somehow, I’ve become the girl that cries while watching T.V. I have NEVER been that girl. I despise romance novels and movies. I was the girl that didn’t cry watching Titanic. Now though? I cry at everything! I mean, seriously y’all, everything.
I started noticing it when the most recent string of commercials came on promoting the 3 Day Race for the Cure. (4th video down, when she says, “This is my do-more. It absolutely is.” I swear, it gets me every time!) What I noticed was that I cried every time I saw that commercial. Which was a lot. Because there was a month that the stations ran it about 40 times a day.
Then there were the clips for this season’s Biggest Loser, where Abby talks about losing her family in a car accident. And it is horrifically sad, and I cry with her every time she’s on that T.V. screen.
But tonight, ohhhhh, tonight took the cake. An AT&T commercial did me in. You know the one where the little girl is putting up posters looking for her lost dog. And the college kid takes a picture of the poster on his cell phone and sends it around campus via text. Then the little girl comes home and there’s the college kid, releasing her puppy back to the little girl. “Sarah! You’re home!” Little girl and puppy go running toward each other! Wait, you aren’t crying!? Heartless I tell you, heartless dry-eyed souls you are!
What is wrong with me? How do I fix this? How do I go back to the girl that only cries when it is appropriate? If I can’t figure it out, I may have to get rid of my T.V.
Currently:
Borrowed from Heather
Current Books: Well, I went through a slew of heavy books in the last month. They were all very good, but depressing. So I need something absolutely ridiculous. Hence, Christopher Moore’s Island of the Sequined Love Nun. Perfect. Having just finished that, I’ve moved back into not so light or funny Ron Hall’s Same Kind of Different as Me and Toni Morrison’s Sula.
Current Playlist: Ingrid Michaelson (I get to see her in concert on Tuesday!!), Sara Watkins, Missy Higgins, Derek Webb
Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: International Delight’s French Vanilla creamer. So much sugar and so not anything close to organic or local. But so tasty.
Current Color: Greens – of the subdued fall variety
Current Fetish: ??
Current Food: Homemade peanut sauce. I probably make it once a week. Yum!
Current Drink: Need I even say it? Coffee. Always coffee.
Current Favorite Favorite: Days that start out downright cold, and end up as sunny afternoons with a hint of crispness. I love Fall!
Current Wishlist: For the end of the year to be here already!!
Current Needs: New tennis/running shoes.
Current Trimph: Two days in a row riding to work on a bike!
Current Bane-of-my-Existence: Spiders in my apartment!! I must kill at least 10 a day! BLEH!!
Current Celebrity Crush: errrr….none?
Current Indulgence: Spending a full day off on the couch with Amigo (the super sweet puppy I was dog-sitting last week) and a book.
Current Mood: Excited but exhausted.
Current #1 Blessing: My boss. She is sincerely the most amazing woman that I have ever met, and she inspires me to do good in the world.
Current Slang or Saying: Well, I don’t have anything. But Kris has decided to try to pursue a type of reverse slang that he is really hoping will catch on. Whenever someone says, “What’s up dog?” he will respond, “Not much cat.” or “That’s so dope.” with “That’s so methadone.“ or “How’s it going bro?” with “Pretty good uncle.” Yeeaaaaahhh…my fiance is a dork.
Current Outfit: Blue jeans and a tshirt. Same old same old. I’m fighting against closed-toe shoes. Its almost, but not quite, too chilly for sandals, which makes me SO sad!
Current Link: Just plain silly
All week long I have wanted to sit down and write a post or two. I’ve had ideas and updates swirling in my head, beginnings of posts jotted down in bus-jumbly scrawl in my notebook. And here I sit on Sunday night, with nothing to say. Seriously, I do have things to say. But for some reason, my mind is just drawing a blank tonight.
So instead, how about a few pictures?
I feel like this picture pretty much sums up the weekend. Asher wanting to know “how does it work?”, Silas flirting with whoever isn’t holding him. Love it!
All weekend long, Silas was working hard on standing up. It would take him a good minute or two, but when he was up, he was so proud of himself! Hooray!
I just absolutely adore this family. Seriously.
What a grand pair of godmothers! I don’t know that we could ask for cuter, sweeter godsons!
a new love
I’m now completely addicted. Thank you Stephanie. Last weekend I found myself sitting in the Seattle airport waiting for my delayed flight, watching my Netflix copy of The West Wing, Season 2, episode 1. I’m now about halfway through Season 2. I have to say that so far, my favorite from this season was the episode where Prez Bartlet quotes every stringent law from Leviticus and other such Levite-law books of the Old Testament in order to put the radio host in her place. And then tells her to stand up in the presence of the President.
I love the little details of this show. Like how in The Lame Duck episode, after the president exits the office for the evening, there’s a man going around turning off all the lights. That’s gotta be someone’s job, right? Conserving energy in the White House. It is all in the details.
And my favorite character so far is Charlie. He’s just so calm all the time. But then, I also really love Donna. Because she is the exact opposite of calm.
Yes. Addicted.
Here is a funny fact about my brother. He is 18 years old and he has never seen snow. I know, right? Only, don’t tease him too much, because he is really sensitive about it. It pains him to no end that practically everyone in the whole world has seen snow, except him. (okay, that may be a bit dramactic, but well, he can be that way sometimes) The last time it snowed in Panama City was 1989, the year before Mike was born. He sees this, of course, as a great injustice.
Every time I am somewhere and it snows, I call him or send him a text. Just to make him jealous. Because that is the kind of sweet sister I am. The first year I lived in Kentucky, after the first major snow, I went out on my deck and wrote with a stick in huge letters in the snow, “Hi Michael!” I took a picture with my pre-digital camera and sent it to him through the mail. When it snowed here on Tuesday, I sent pictures through my phone, because we are now beyond the days of print film, and rubbing it in over the phone gives it that nice, instant touch.
Yes, he counts it as one of his life goals to see snow. And I’m sure that one day, he will. But today was obviously not that day. While it snowed over most of the Southeast, Panama City seemed to have missed the white bliss, and it looks as though my brother will have to keep searching and waiting.
Everyone keep your fingers crossed that one day, poor Mike will have his winter dream come true!
All my tacky secrets
Stephanie and Nick have both fessed up to their tacky loves. So I figured I’d join the fun.
~I know it is ridiculous, and is comparable to reading a tabloid magazine, but I’m addicted to the Palin-bashing blog The Mudflats. Even now that the election is over (thank goodness), I keep that blog in my Reader. I can’t help myself, that woman just begs to be made fun of.
~Oreos. I simply cannot resist them. I know they are horrible for you, and as much as I try to eat locally grown, healthy foods, oreos are my #1 weakness. And Doublestuf? Oh. my. goodness. Addicted.
~When it comes to music, I’m all about the “chick music” (as Kris calls it.) Patty Griffin. The Wailin’ Jennys. Deb Talan. But I love party music. Rap music. Especially when I’m driving. It may not make any sense, but I just can’t help myself. Not to be too clique, I like the beat.
~And as of today, a new trashy addiction that my father introduced me to. I used to watch reality TV shows, I will admit. There was a time in my life when I followed The Bachelor. It was a dark time in my life that I have repented for and moved beyond. But now I’ve been introduced to something even better. Even trashier. And funnier. “Ocean Force: Panama City Beach, Fl.” A show that highlights my hometown in its drunken Spring Break stupor. The show follows PCB cops responding to the typical Spring Break mayhem. It is beyond hilarious.
So, there you go. Let the teasing comense.
A guessing game, part II
Well, if you are Alan and you guessed I would be moving to the state of Illinois, you would be……..wrong. Sorry Alan. But, if you are Nick, and you guessed I would be moving to the state of Washington, you would be…….correct! Now let’s narrow it down a little more:
Clue #5: This is the 1st American city to put police on bicycles.
Clue #6: This is where the sports phenomenon The Wave was born.
Clue #7: More people commute to work on bicycles than any other major American city.
Clue #8: This city has the largest ferry system in the nation.
Again, no cheating!
A guessing game
I have a little game I’d like you all to play. Its a guessing game. A guessing game about….where I will be moving back in the States!! I officially accepted my new position as of yesterday, and I have to say, I am VERY excited! The more I learn about this place, the more there is to love, and I cannot wait to begin. As sad as I will be to leave here (and I will be sad), it helps to have something to be excited about.
So here is how the game will work. Each day, I’ll give a few clues about the state/city that I am moving to, and accept all educated guesses via the comments section. Try to do this without cheating (meaning, looking up the clues on google!). As the days progress, I’ll post more and more obvious clues, until someone correctly guesses. If you already know where I am going, don’t say anything! Once someone has guessed correctly, I’ll post more about the actual placement site.
Oh! And the winner will win a free week’s stay on my couch, redeemable anytime!
Clue #1: This city was the first to have a soft-serve ice cream machine.
Clue #2: This state produces 70% of the nation’s hops, which are used to brew beer.
Clue #3: This city sells more sunglasses per capita than any other major U.S. city.
Clue #4: The major inventions to come out of this state include water skis, the Slinky, Pictionary, Elmer’s glue and the electric guitar.
Good luck! And remember….no cheating!!!!!
Cause nothing else is generating comments around here….
Following Stephanie, Nick, Valerie and Heather…
What was your favorite birthday? That’s really hard to say. I told Val that I wanted to claim her half-birthday in Atlanta as my favorite, but I don’t think that’s allowed. So, it would either have to be my 23rd, when Val and Stephanie drove up to Kentucky to surprise me! Or, my 25th. It was my first birthday with a boyfriend, and he treated me like a queen all day. (That was also the birthday that I got the world’s most awesome mixer!)
What is your favorite way to spend a day off? Sleeping. Hiking. Sleeping. Watching movies. Sleeping.
What is the best song to turn all the way up and sing along to? Ohhh, I LOVE singing along with the Rent soundtrack. And when I’m cleaning house, to Maroon 5.
What television show will cause you to ignore your roommate/spouse/children/phone until the next commercial? Okay, this is actually my biggest pet peeve! If I am calling you, especially all the way from Hong Kong, you had best be turning that TV off! My mom used to tell me not to call during Desperate Housewives, and my sister won’t talk to me during Grey’s. Maybe its because I’m just so used to DVR or watching TV via the internet, but it just seems to me that actual physical time with people or phone time trumps TV any day! Okay, stepping off my soap box now.
When was the last time you cursed at the TV? Well, I don’t own a TV, so it would have been at the internet. And it was watching the Sarah Palin interview with Katie Couric, when she said, “I didn’t have life handed to me. I didn’t graduate and my parents hand me a passport. I’ve worked my whole life.” As a girl who worked countless odd jobs throughout college and put herself through seminary tending bar, and STILL managed to travel around the world, I was beyond offended at that statement. I left the country for the first time when I was only 16, and my parents didn’t hand me anything. In fact, they told me that if I wanted to go to Africa, that I would have to pay for it all myself. It was one of the greatest things they ever told me, because it made me work for something I desperately wanted, and showed me that if there was anything I wanted in life, if I worked hard enough for it, I could do it. To blame not traveling on the lack of being handed something on a silver platter is beyond ignorant, it is infuriating and insulting to the rest of us. Again, stepping off my soapbox.
If you have kids, what are you most likely to let your kids get away with when you are tired? Well, I don’t have any kids, but in Kentucky, I did live in a house with 4 dogs and 2 boys, so it was kinda like I had kids. And I was most likely to them get away with getting up on the couch (the dogs, not the boys).
Aside from major milestones, what is your best moment (to date)? Geez, this is a hard one!! Everything I think of is a milestone! Ummmm, I’d have to say it is a toss up between the night with Kirby, and the Thanksgiving in Atlanta when I had all the people that I loved most in the world (at the time) in one house, celebrating my favorite holiday.
Are you an extrovert, or an introvert? How do you know? I think I used to be an extrovert, but I’d have to say that in the last couple of years I’ve become more of an introvert. I find it harder to make friends, and if I don’t have at least a little bit of alone time each day, I become really grumpy and emotional.
What is your single biggest pet peeve that you see in other drivers (as in you are not in the car with them)? Well, my biggest pet peeve of a driver I’m in the car with (or passenger) is when they talk on their cell phone endlessly. It goes back to that whole physical presence thing – appreciate who you’re with instead of wasting time with that person while on the phone! In other drivers, honkers. I hate the car horn. World’s worst invention next to the bomb. In Hong Kong, they don’t just honk to say, “Move it buddy.” No, the lay on their horns for a good 2 minutes. I’ve been known to actually physically hit a car with my hand to tell them to shut it.
What is a fashion trend or item that you really admire on other people but would never dare try? I’d have to agree with Heather to an extent, on some women, tattoos are really beautiful. I particularly like ones that cover the shoulders or upper arms. And while I have my small, hidden one, I just don’t know that I’ll ever have the guts to get something large and showy.
If you could go to college again right now and major in anything you wanted and follow up another something, what would it be? Anthropology. I got a taste of it in seminary, and if it didn’t take 10 years to earn your doctorate, I’d probably go back and do it!!
What is the most interesting job/duty you’ve ever had? What was interesting about it? I know that I’m a rare breed here, but I don’t know that I’ve ever had a job I didn’t like. My first job was working in a Christian bookstore where I could read during slow hours and had free reign on the jellybelly wall. I babysat my way through high school and college. I worked in various churches and camps. I really loved being a bartender. I loved mixing drinks and talking with people. But so far, this is my favorite job of all. I love the balance of office work and getting out in the march. I love the travel it allows and the people I meet. I love that my job often requires me to bring my camera. And I love the people I work with. Its gonna be really hard to leave!
What are three words you use in your job/daily life that most other people probably don’t? Majikan (Indonesian for employer). Salamat (Tagalog for thank you). Um goy (Cantonese for excuse me). Oh, English words? Solidarity. Imperialism. Placement. (as in, what will my domestic placement be??)
Do you make fun of yourself? About what? Oh, a lot of things. How sensitive I am about things. How I can be slightly OCD about things. About how impatient I can be. How I can’t sing or dance (cause you know, I’m white). The list could go on….
Do you have a good relationship with your dad? The best!! My dad is one of my best friends, and I tell him practically everything. Though we differ on a LOT of things, he is still someone I know that I can always go to and express myself honestly. He knows how to push my buttons, but he also knows how to make me laugh. So not a bad combo.
~~~new questions~~~~
What is your favorite color? No, just kidding.
What scent carries the most memories for you? The smell of Bath and Body Work’s Cucumber Melon hand gel. Even the hint of a whiff sends me immediately back to Uganda, Africa. I can feel the sun beating on my neck, the dust clinging to the back of my legs, the exhaustion weighing down my arms and exhilaration lifting my soul. That smell reminds me of why I am where I am today. Where it all started.
If you could only ask one question for the rest of your life, what would it be? Given the choice, which would you rather a be pirate, or a ninja?
Guess what I got in the mail today….
I’ll admit, living overseas does have its perks. Sure, its hard to be away from home. I hate missing out on the birth of my godson, the wedding of one of my best friends, holidays with the family and anniversaries with the boy. There are times that I miss having a car. Or grocery stores where I can read all the labels. I tend to crave a good charcoal-grilled burger from time to time. And lord what I wouldn’t give to walk down the street without smelling durian and dried fish.
But. But, there are things that I do love about living overseas. For one, as anyone could guess, I love the traveling. I can travel to new countries for nearly half the price it used to cost me to fly home from seminary. The food, though sometimes odd and/or unrecognizable, can be amazing. I love trying new things. Not only does it make for a good story, but I often end up surprising myself. Who knew that my favorite Filipino dish would involve pig’s blood? (don’t judge – it really is good!! they call it “chocolate pork”) I am fascinated by the interactions of different cultures. I’m really blessed to see that a lot in our shelter – as the Filipinas and Indonesians work out life and struggles together. They learn from each other. I love watching the Indonesians dance. And the Filipinas sing. I love watching the age-old Chinese dragon dance. Their cultures are just rich with tradition. Tribal dances. Traditional dresses made with deep earthy colors. Instruments made with what is abundant in their lands – bamboo. I love the histories of another people. The stories of the years of oppression that make individuals and communities stronger are inspiring. I love telling people that I live in Hong Kong – because it just sounds cool. All my life I have wanted to live overseas, and here I am, living the dream. Its not easy. Its not always fun. But its real. I get to meet amazing people, visit incredible sites of natural beauty, and with every new stamp in my passport, I know that I am gathering more stories to tell, over and over again.
But want to know one of my favorite things about living overseas?
The fact that I get to vote before any of you! ha! (bet you didn’t see that one coming) That’s right – I got my absentee ballot in the mail today!! OH yeah!!
The benefit of being a missionary on your birthday…..
The benefit of being a missionary on your birthday, particularly a missionary with the UMC, is that your name is printed on a birthday calender. This calender is then sent out to all of the UMC Women’s Circles, and anywhere as early as 6 weeks prior to said birthday, one begins receiving birthday cards in the mail. The first birthday card I received arrived around mid-February. I didn’t know if it was late or early, until I read, “For your birthday, Sept. 12, 2008.” Well, at least the woman can never be chastised for forgetting. In the past few weeks, I have been overwhelmed with birthday greetings via email and sparkly greeting cards from women and church groups all around America. Some from states I have never even visited!! It is a little amusing, but mostly a great testament to the connectionalism of the Methodist Church (small plug – sorry, couldn’t resist!
Also, when you’re a missionary on your birthday, you get to do cool things like have fried corn for your birthday breakfast in mainland China!! hehe
Good times and noodles salad, er, rice.
So Jan and Alice came to visit last week. For 9 wonderfully exhausting days we toured Hong Kong. They both got to participate in their first protest actions – courtesy of Go-to-work-with-Liz-Day. We saw golden Buddhas, very very large Buddhas, and Mickey Mouse. In that order. We ate every food that ends with -ese. We had High Tea in ugly shoes and Vodka in a place where you have to wear a parka. I took them to the Ladies Market where they bought a Mah Jong set and a Chinese dress for Jan’s dog Bella. We didn’t see any live pandas, much to Jan’s great disappointment, but we did see Batman. We watched rugby with a bunch of Aussies and were serenaded in Macau by 3 Portuguese men. Jan celebrated her 27th birthday Hong Kong style with a multi-national pizza, complete with mustard, prawn and satay. We stayed up until 4:30 in the morning catching up, and slept away the morning heat. I got sunburned. Jan got tan. Alice stayed white. There was bamboo, a lot of walking, even more sweating, hours of laughter, deep discussions on books and even deeper discussions on boys. Jan tried her tongue at fun words like Doh Jey and Tsim Sha Tsui. But most of all, there was a sense of home. Two women whom I deeply treasure made the horrific journey around the world (word to all you travelers out there: Apparently Korean Air is the way to go. They serve wine. In coach. Enough said.) just to see me. Well, maybe to see Hong Kong and use me for a free place to stay, but I’ll take it.
I’ve reached a lull. A seemingly impassible wall of loneliness and homesickness. I know that this too will pass. That I will look back on my time in Hong Kong as a time of great growth and wonderful memories. True. But I’m still lonely sometimes. And still homesick more than I’m often willing to admit; to myself or to others. In some ways, I’m ready to move on. To see what’s next. Where my next adventure will lead. What my next placement has in store. But in other ways, I can’t imagine leaving this place. This community of activists and migrants who call this place home for now. So being able to share a little bit of this, my place for now, with people who know me so well (too well?); to have a sense of comfort and home crammed into the 300 square feet that is my apartment. Well, it helped ease a little bit of the struggle. Not the struggle for justice or peace. But the inner struggle of leaving and staying. Of not always knowing my place. To get to play tour guide for a week. Getting to introduce old friends to new friends. It helped solidify this place a little more as home. As least for now.
I have friends!
I have company this week – the fabulous Miss Jan and Miss Alice have traveled half way around the world to remind me of what great friends I have!! We are having a blast eating our way through the city, walking off everything we ate, and staying up until 4:30am playing catch up. I love having company!
So I’ll be mostly out of commission for the next week while I’m enjoying their visit. Be sure to expect some fun pictures and stories to come…
Just for fun…
I haven’t done a suvery/meme/theme (whatever you want to call them) in a long time, so I figured, now is as good a time as any! I got this from Heather, but she used my obvious 1st choice. So I’m going to use my new favorite band.
Describe yourself using ONE BAND/SINGER and only SONG TITLES from that band/singer.
Band :: The Hem
Are you male or female :: Polly’s Dress
Describe yourself :: We’ll Meet Along the Way
How do some people feel about you :: The City and The Traveler
How do you feel about yourself :: All That I’m Good For
Describe your ex girlfriend/boyfriend :: Crazy Arms
Describe your current girlfriend/boyfriend (or lackthereof) :: I’ll Dream of You Tonight (or b/c I can’t choose!) He Came to Meet Me
Describe where you want to be :: Almost Home
Describe what you want to be :: Stupid Mouth Shut
Describe how you live :: The Present
Describe how you love :: The Cuckoo
Sare a few words of wisdom :: The Golden Day is Dying
New Favorites
Still struggling with the dream world. The book I am reading isn’t helping.
Here’s my version of “The Good Life” – New Favorites. Except, this probably won’t be an ongoing thing, just a list. And, what the heck, with bullet points.
- Skype: God’s gift to international relationships. No kidding. This online phone service is free as long as you call skype to skype and has some of the cheapest international rates I’ve ever seen if you wanted to call landlines. For graduation Kris’ parents gave me a webcam, and now Kris and I can see each other a few times a week. We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas together over webcam. Very sweet. Even my, um, technologically-impaired family (I mean that with all the love in my heart dad) have signed up, and I get to see and talk to them fairly regularly as well and also spent the holidays with them via the webcam. SUCH a great idea! Now, if only I could convince certain people with babies and other certain people with a special dog to sign up, life would be good.
- Dried Fruit:I know that we have dried fruit in the States, but I had never given it a second thought until about a week ago, when I was sitting in a 7 hour meeting starving, and someone pulled out a bag of assorted dried fruits. Now I can’t get enough. Particularly dried mangos. YUMMY!
- Honey Lychee Tea: This is a drink I reward myself with at the end of a long day. It combines the perfect amount of sweet and smooth. Such a treat.
- Saturdays: For the last four years I had a job that pretty much required that I work on weekends, which I didn’t mind, because that is where the money was. Now, Saturdays are guarded carefully. Being my only day off (I’m not as special as to earn a two day weekend yet), I have to be sure to balance it well with sleeping in, but not too late, and doing something enjoyable, but not too strenuous. Its hard to cram a week’s worth of relaxing into one day!
- Skirts: I am by no means a girly-girl, I think we’d all agree. But I love skirts. Especially the flowy kind. I don’t really have to dress up for work, except for the days I’m in court, so most days jeans and a tshirt suffice. But its about to get H-O-T. This week has already been in the high 80s with no lower than 80% humidity. Ick. So sometimes, jeans are just too much clothing to be wearing. Skirts are perfect because I can still pair a tshirt with them, slip on my beloved Rainbows and I’m good to go!
- Dunaguan: I know, the word looks funny. It kinda sounds funny too. (pronounced “Dune-ah-goo-An”) It is a traditional Filipino pork dish. I am not going to bother telling what goes into it, because you honestly do not want to know, but it is my new favorite food. SO tasty. It will be something I crave when I get back to the States. One of the Filipinas spent an afternoon teaching me how to make it last week. I was very impressed, if not a little grossed out, but man it was musarap! (that’s delicious in Tagalog)
- Reading Time: Its like I’m back in 3rd grade with a reading corner and an egg timer. Only, I’m 26, the corner is really the MTR (subway) and there’s no egg timer, just a recorded voice over the loudspeaker announcing my stop. I am rarely found without a book in my purse (which of course, warrants carrying larger purses than I ever have, see next bullet point). After years and years of assigned reading, I can finally choose a book for myself. And I am just eating them up! I’m averaging about 3 books a month. I absolutly LOVE having time to read for pleasure again! So if you have any recommendations, send them my way. And for all of you who have sent books my way, you are amazing!!
- Big purses: Let me say it again, I am not a girly-girl. But there are certain things that I just love, such as funky earrings, skirts, and now, big purses. I NEVER carried a purse larger than my wallet in the States. I had no need to. As long as it could hold my money, my keys and phone, I was good to go. Now though, well, the contents of my purse are a lot more complicated. I used to catch my old roommate Nathan constantly digging through my purse – usually looking for quarters for the pool table. If he were to dig in there now though, he might get lost, and he would sure be surprised at what he would find. On any given day, inside my purse there are the following items: A book (see above), a water bottle, my phone, a calender, my wallet (usually containing at least two kinds of currency), my cell phone, a calculator, a variety of pens and probably a highlighter, a notebook, case files from work, my camera, my keys, my ipod and peppermints. Always peppermints. So, you can see why I need a larger purse, right?
Ok, that’s all. That’s a lot of favorites actually. Maybe I will continue this post later, and follow Nick’s lead with New Least-Favorites.
“I”
Because I had waaaay too much chocolate and now I can’t sleep and am instead posting a meanlingless blog, knowing this will probably get more comments than my well-thought out ones….
“I”
Don’t worry
If you haven’t read the previous post, which you probably haven’t, because most of my loyal readers were sleeping during my harrowing ordeal, please check out the post below first. Otherwise, this one won’t make a lot of sense.
________________________________________________________________________________________
After two hours of soliditary confinement, my hero(s) finally arrived! After calling everyone that I knew in Hong Kong, I realized that a) I don’t know many people here; and b) nearly everyone I DO know was on Lantau Island today – which is a good 30 minute ferry ride from here. So. I called in the Baklas. Well, the Bakla and the Bakla-wanna be. If you don’t know what a Bakla is – than that last sentence is not nearly as funny to you as it is to me. Just know that I’m laughing – cause Bakla = funny stuff.
I interuppted $20 all-you-can-eat Napelese lunch day for my Bakla friend and had him come rescue me from my prison.
<—- Bakla wanna-be friend and Bakla friend waving and laughing, because they apparently thought this was funny. Maybe was funnier from the outside….
So I learned two things today:
1. As much fun as it is to be independent, sometimes a girl needs rescuing.
2. There’s no need to be a Rapunzel when you have Bakla on reserve!
Locked in!
I am currently writing this post while imprisoned in my own home. That’s right…all 267 sq. ft of my apartment have me confined. Shut in. Stuck. Sigh.
I have someone staying with me this weekend, and when she left this morning, she locked the front gate. What she didn’t know was the the gate had an automatic lock, and by physically locking it, it slid the deadbolt over. The deadbolt, I should mention, cannot be undone from the inside. I’ll have to admit, I didn’t know that either. But I do now.
(this is the culprit gate…very secure, no?)
So, I sit my little flat, thankful for an internet connect, with the door open, the gate locked from the outside, waiting on a hero to come rescue me.
Oh if only I were Rapunzel!!
How NOT to make a Falafel
Read closely. Should you ever decide to take on the task of making your own falafels, it is not as easy at it sounds. And it really did sound easy.
This should be prefaced by saying that no one should ever let Joe and I in a kitchen alone. Especially Joe.
So $80 worth of chickpeas later (calm down, Hong Kong dollars), we had all of the ingredients laid out on the counter, ready to begin. Kate wasn’t feeling well, so Joe decided to take command. I asked him if he wanted me to print out the recipe to which he said, “Nah, I didn’t use it shopping, why should I use it cooking?” That should have been the first of many warning flags. Joe drains the chickpeas and throws them ALL into the blender, topped with garlic, a ton of parsley, salt, cumin and some mystery spice that was very yellow. Joe hits the start button and nothing. No whirl, just a stand still inside. I suggested that maybe he put too many chickpeas in at once, but there really wasn’t any convincing him he was going about this the wrong way. In the background eggplant is softening on the skillet for the baba ganoush Joe also wanted to make. Joe refused to empty out part of the blender, so the ingredients on the bottom got super mushy, while the ones on top stayed pretty much intact. The recipe called for the chick peas to be blended, but not to the point that they were smooth. Not that Joe read the recipe. (Men and directions!) After a few more failed attempts at blending, Joe scooped everything out and pressed it all in a bowl with a fork.
“Good enough.” He declared. On to the baba ganoush. Joe throws in the eggplant, olives and the juice from the cans and blends. He learned his lesson from the time before and only filled the blender half way this time. Kate came in to check on us and leaned over to taste the baba ganoush. I really wish you could have seen her face. It made me want to stay far, far away from the blender.
“What did you put in this?” she asked in disgust.
“Eggplant and olives of course,” Joe said defensively.
“No garlic? Or salt? Or even olive oil? That’s pretty much a main ingredient, olive oil.” I had to laugh. I had never had baba ganoush, so I wasn’t the one to blame here, but that didn’t really seem to get me off the hook either. Kate banished us from the kitchen while she performed some serious magic on the contents of the blender. By the time she came out with the bowl, it was edible. Still tasted like blended olives, which is okay if you like olives, but Kate assured me that she had tasted better.
Back to the falafels. Joe and I had a system: I would roll them into balls, and Joe would drop and remove them from the oil. The first one he dropped in we heard it splat to the bottom, and through the bubbles saw the messy remains of what was once a perfectly formed ball.
“Gentle Joe. Gentle.” This time, with much restraint, Joe started placing the balls of chick peas and assorted spices into the boiling oil. Once they were all in, and my hands were dyed mustard yellow, Kate suggested that maybe Joe start taking some of them out of the oil. (A smart one, that Kate.) After a desperate drawer search, Joe found the tongs and reached into the bubbling mess in the pot to pull out a browned clump, nothing like the shape or color that went in. Kate sighed and pulled out the colander.
“Here, pour everything through here, carefully, and maybe this way you won’t mess the rest of them up.” Joe started towards the sink.
“No!” Kate and I said in unison. I am no cook, there is no denying that. And I’ve had my share of kitchen mishaps, (read lemon bars on the bottom of the stove and the honey apple chicken disaster!) but even I know that hot oil DOES NOT go down the drain. I pulled over a bowl and Joe and Kate took to the task of trying to drain the oil from the falafels in hopes of saving some. The finished product?
One single falafel and a lot of oily crumbs.
Shopping in Hong Kong
So a couple of weeks ago, my friends Kate, Joe and I had the brilliant idea to have a falafel night. Falafels are a staple for me now – Ebeneezer’s is only one of two restaurants that I have been to more than once, and I go there almost once a week for their delectable falafel pita. Drizzled in creamy mint sauce, it really is the closest thing to heaven. We somehow got it in our heads that making falafels would be so much more fun that just eating them. We planned, looked up recipes and picked a night. We were going to use their kitchen since you can fit more than half a person in it (unlike mine) AND they have a blender (very important). I was to provide the wine and the chick peas. Easy, right?
I was on my way out to their house, a feat in itself as they live out in the New Territories, which requires riding the MTR, a mini-bus and a short little hike to their house. But believe me, if you could see where they live compared to where I live, you would agree that it is so worth it! It is quiet, there is space to walk without getting stepped on, and they have a fantastic view of mountains from their porch. Anyway, back to the journey. I stopped in the Wellcome store (yes, I know, two “l”s – that’s how the Chinese do it) to pick up chick peas. I looked everywhere before I flagged an employee down.
“Excuse me, where are your chick peas?” Blank look. “Chick peas, mm goi?” She led me over to the chicken.
“Chicken pieces?”
“No, chick peas. Chick. Peas.” As if repeating it slower would really help. Poor girl looked so confused.
“Can you write that down?” So I pulled out some scrap paper and wrote it down. She stared for a minute, then motioned for me to wait there. About 5 minutes later, she came back carrying frozen wasabi peas.
“No. Thank you, no. I’ll try somewhere else.” So off I went to store number two. It was a local market with three isles, I didn’t even bother asking the one employee who seemed to be running the store. Off to store number three. Again, after much searching, I flagged down someone to help. “Excuse me, do you carry chick peas?”
“Excuse me, spell please?” he answered in his broken English. So I spelled…C-H-I-C-K P-E-A-S. His face lit up and motioned for me to follow him. My hope rose, and then quickly fell as he led me to the fruit section and help up a kiwi. I shook my head.
“Chick. Peas. Please.”
“Can you write please?” So I wrote it on the side of a box. He furrowed his brow, then dashed off to the back, leaving me to wonder if I had offended him somehow. After contemplating if Joe and Kate would notice the difference between a kiwi and a can of chick peas, and how that might change the taste of the falafel, the guy came back and said, “No. No chick peas here. No.”
I sighed and trucked off to store number four, refusing to be defeated. I decided to try a western market in hopes that they might have someone who at least could understand the different between fruit and peas. The store was enormous and crowded and overwhelming, but they had chick peas, plain as day on isle 13. I snagged four cans and dashed to the counter with my treasure.
And if you’ll believe it, shopping was the easy part of making the falafels. (more to come….)
