Life in South Asia

Silas Bread

2012-01-22T16:06:00.002+05:30

Silas used to be a good eater. He loved his veggies and would eat about anything but meat. Now he has gotten really particular (which I heard is normal for his age), so in hopes of getting him to eat something with vegetables in it, I experiment in the kitchen and made up my own healthy bread recipe since I know he will eat bread.

Silas Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups grated zuchini
1/3 c pureed carrot (baby food)
1/4 c sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs fruit juice (I used prune because that is what we had)

Mix it all together you know when ingredients together, dry ingredients together, and then add dry to wet. Bake in loaf pan at 180 degrees Celcius for about 1 hour.

It actually tasted really good so I think next time I might add less sugar, but this is already 1/4th of the sugar found in banana bread and no oil or butter. Silas is a fan and so were our friends.

Beggar Children

2012-01-22T16:00:00.001+05:30

One of my conversation partners sews things like aprons, bags, pot holders, table runners...and makes cards for a living. She recently got asked to help at a rehabilitation center for beggar children, teaching them how to use their to make a living. I went with her the other day to see what she does and to meet some of the children. Since the children there are all under 18, they don't actually "work" right now, but the center gives them training. They learn English, Hindi, singing, story telling, and then they are training in block printing, stitching, jewelry making, and embroidery. They get fed at the center, have a place to shower, wash clothes... and they get paid $3 dollars a day for attending training- in hopes that they will not beg.
I guess I better describe the beggar children. Most of the children live in tents on the side of the road or near the part. Many of them do not have parents but live with older brothers or sisters. They walk the streets of the city wearing old, torn clothing, and no shoes, asking for bread, but really wanting money. Many of the children use the money to buy a chewing tobacco kind of thing or whiteout to sniff. Of course sometimes they actually ask for money but attach it with a religious blessing that you will receive in return. Some of the children also sell balloons or yarn... They can make from $5-$8 a day. They children don't like begging, but most of them are forced to by older siblings or parents.
The center keeps the kids off the streets from 9-5, but due to pressure from family I am afraid they keep begging in the evenings and on weekends. Hopefully when the kids get old enough they will have school that they will use to make money instead of resorting to begging.

These cards were made by some of the children. They block printed their own fabric, cut out the shapes, and then block printed the words on the cards.

Groceries, Shoes, and Random Things

2012-01-22T15:32:00.000+05:30

I went grocery shopping at Chocolate Corner yesterday and after paying for my items I asked for them to be delivered to my house. This may seem silly, but I don't have a car, so free delivery saves me having to pay to take an auto to me house. So walking home I thought how cool it was that I could have my groceries delivered for free, but when 3 hours later that had yet to arrive and I needed to use some of them, it no longer seemed like a good idea. JP literally ran to store for me so I could get to work making healthy bread for my picky eater (more on that later).

Yesterday I also went shoe shopping. I am trying to find a cheap, fun pair of shoes to wear to my sister's wedding rehearsal, but I am not having much luck. I have found some cheap shoes that are hideous, some cute shoes that are not cheap enough, and then some cute cheap shoes that are not my size. They have an interesting philosophy at the shoe stores here that if they don't have your size, they will make it fit or try to convince you that another color would be better. I tried on a really cute red pair in a 37 and it was a bit snug- but the salesman said "It is a perfect fit". To which I replied, no, I need a larger size. So he went away and stretched the shoe out and then came back. "It is too small," I said. To which he replied "No it fits perfectly". When I again told him it was too small and I needed a 38 he said that they didn't have another size. Then I understand why that was a "perfect fit". He again tried to convice me that it was the right size, but I can guarantee you that it was not.

As I was walking past a fresh spot of manauer the other day, trying to refrain from gagging, I thought "this is going to a fun place to be pregnant".

How do you keep your one year old from continually yelling "Kuta" (dog) in the middle of church service and barking?

Master Chef

2012-01-07T21:15:00.002+05:30

We have two stores in town that cater more to the foreigner or the upper class national. Whever I went to one of these store I kept seeing an advertizement for a cooking class taught by Radhika- the runner up on Master Chef India. I love cooking, so I thought this would be a fun language/culture experience as well as a chance to learn how to cook with what is available where I live.
I attended two classes- one was on making pies and quiche. This was helpful for me because I had never made a crust from scratch. The crust on the pie she made in class was probably the best crust I have ever had (though the apple pie filling wasn't too impressive). We also learned how to make banoffee pie, strawberry yogurt pie, and vegetable quiche- all very good.
The second class I attended was Thai stir fry. I already knew how to do that- but the food was yummy!

Christmas in India

2012-01-07T21:05:00.002+05:30

A few reflections (better late than never):
It is interesting for me to live in a country in Asia that has its own Christmas traditions (probably especially because I live in Christian colony).

Before December even began I started hearing Christmas music from the seminary next door- their choir was rehearshing for a program. It was fun listening to Halleluja Chorus... while I cooked. The program was the first week of December- very similar to an American program which was kind of sad to me. A bunch of Indians were singing traditional English songs instead of songs in their own language. But- a new song I learned and loved is called "Meekness and Majesty".

Plum cake- in America we joke about fruit cake, but few people I know actually give fruitcake at Christmas (except for my Uncle who makes really good refrigerator fruitcake which is totally different). Here everyone gives Christmas cake which is traditionally plum cake with dates, walnuts, and other dried fruits in it. Most Indians don't have an oven so they take ingredients to a baker and they make the cake for them. Other people just buy them already made from the bakery. I found them dry and fairly tasteless.

A star- This is my favorite tradition that they have. All of the Christians hang a star outside their house the week of Christmas. I don't know what the tradition means to them, but to me it says "if you are looking for Jesus, you can find him here". I just pray that all year long Jesus can truly be found at that house by anyone, regardless of caste, that comes to find Him.
Little Drummer Boy- And my least favorite- 5am Christmas morning, the morning we thought that we could sleep in, "perumpumpumperumpumpum..." outside our window. At first I thought that it was a crazy neighbor but I soon discovered that this happens every year. Some drummer guys play all day long, going house to house. I couldn't figure out exactly why, but apparently the Christians like it because it helps them get ready for all the activities of the day. We just wanted to shoot the little drummer boy (actually afew men).

Dressing Up for Christmas

2011-12-31T18:57:00.002+05:30

I love dressing up, and was excited about eventually having an opportunity to wear a saree... so when all of my national friends told me should wear a saree for Christmas, I gladly went shopping. The first place I went was a nice place having a 30% off sale, but it was still expensive- prices ranged from $20- $10,000. There were a few there that I liked for about $40, but I wanted something cheaper. Next I went to the big bazaar in town and found a store where the sarees were less expensive, but I still wasn't convinced that I wanted to pay $30 for something I kind of liked and would rarely wear, so off to another store. The 3rd store was the charm. I walked in and the first sarees the guy showed me were about $5. This did two things for me- it showed me that the guy wasn't trying to rip me off and sell me the most expensive thing in the store, and it showed me that I could get something for less. I ended up paying less that $10!

Silas' outfit actually cost more than mine did, but it was also a little less than $10 (half off). Though all of my friends had told me to wear a saree, I found that very few nationals actually wear sarees on Christmas Day. I felt a little over dressed. Oh, well. Because I don't know how to put on a saree, I had a friend help me get dressed in the morning. Since I was going to a party in the evening, I ended up wearing the saree all day long. Silk sarees are not made for getting things done. I felt useless all day and had a tight string tied around my waist. Everyday sarees I a little easier I think.

Silas is walking all over the place now, but he had a difficult time walking in his Christmas pants. They were a little long and really quite funny. I wish I had gotten a picture of the back- he looked like he had a tail.

The sleeves were a little long too!

Bittersweet

2011-12-14T20:47:00.001+05:30

Well, it is official, Silas is weaned now! If you had asked me a year ago I would have said I would be rejoicing. It was not easy in the beginning- I endured a lot of pain, bloodshed, having to pump, and of course the normal not being able to be apart from your child any longer than 2 and half or 3 hours. But then it got better- easier, Silas wasn't nursing as much, and I really enjoyed my special times with him. I looked forward to seeing him in the morning and the little smiles he would give me and the way he would look up at me and start talking between gulps... So even though I am happy for my freedom and the fact that JP and I can finally go on an overnight date!! I miss my special times with my boy. I know that we will bond in other ways, but it is just a tangible reminder that he is going to grow up.
Just a side note- although nursing was very difficult, I would do it all over again. Aside from the obvious that it saved a lot of money, was better for Silas' health and mine... It was the special bond with Silas that will make me do it again. ( But, if there are any soon to be 1st time moms reading this- you should be aware of the reality that few choose to tell you - It hurts at first, it is incovenient, very time consuming, and for the 1st few months it seems like it is all that you do).
Oh, and another up note- I can now get so much accomplished in the morning!

Our 1 Year Old

2011-11-27T14:48:00.001+05:30

I have always liked the Mary Tyler Moore theme song- "Who can turn the world on with her smile? Who can take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worth while?..." It is Silas. I just love his different smiles and he truly does brighten everyone's day.

Vital Stats at 1 year: weight 9.15 kg (20 lbs), height 74cm (30 in)

He is small for his age but he is healthy and active :).

What people say about Silas: "How did you get his hair to do that?" (Me: how can I get it not to stand up like that?) "Awesome hair man!" "Such big blue eyes" "Such a good baby" "Such a smiler" "Very talkative for a boy his age" "Too cute!" "He is so happy" "Does he ever cry?" (Me: definitely)

What I love about my little man: The way he squints his eyes and smiles as wide as possible at me, the way he snuggles with me in the auto, the way he talks all the time and the funny things he says (naganaga, dikadika, ahahah...), the way I can see his mind at work when he is trying to figure out how something works, his persistence, his knack for exploring, his sensitivity toward other kids, the way he claps at random times for no apparent reason, how much he loves me...and the list could go on and on.

Mode of Transportation: Silas walks all over the place as long as he has something to hold onto. He has taken a few steps (up to 4 at a time) but he prefers crawling between objects. He hasn't riden in a carseat since 6 months but sits on laps in taxis, autos, planes, and trains.

Diet: He is good at feeding himself with his fingers, though somethings are a little difficult to work with. He likes to eat pureed carrots, apple sauce, mango, plain yogurt, bread, crackers, paneer, tofu, mushrooms, veggie burgers, bananas, chole, rajma... and much prefers Indian food to Thai food. Silas has just started the weaning process, nursing 3 times a day and drinking some milk from a bottle. He has no known food allergies and he has tried most of the big allergens. The above picture was his first time eating cake and it will be a seldom treat in his diet.

Favortie Activities: emptying the cabinets, emptying the drawers, emptying the bookshelve... singing songs with mommy, reading books, playing with wheels, climbing, playing while both mommy and daddy watch, being with people.

Sleeping Habits: Silas is a good sleeper. He goes to bed around 7:30 and wakes up around 6:30. After taking a bath Silas drinks milk, reads a Bible story and Good Night moon, gets in his sleep sack, says a prayer, and sings "Tis so sweet to Trust in Jesus". He generally goes down without a fuss. Up until our trip to Thailand he had to sleep with his swamp cooler making noise, but now he goes down without white noise! Silas takes 2 naps during the day but he seems to be nearing transitioning to 1 nap.

Vocabulary: He talks a lot but most of it doesn't make sense. He says "baby", "momma", "dadda", and tickle tickle.

King of the Slide

2011-11-19T13:21:00.001+05:30

We are staying at a Guest House in Thailand right now and they have playroom for the kids. Silas loves playing in there and I love watching him play in there. When older kids are in there it gets a little rough so Silas kind of stays out of the way, but when he is by himself, he is king of the slide.
This video was taken after his 1st birthday party. The kitchen staff made cake for dessert and we provided balloons for all the kids. It was just a little thing, but it was fun.

One Year

2011-11-16T09:45:00.001+05:30

Tomorrow is Silas' 1st Birthday! I have heard most parents say that they can't believe how their child is already one, or how fast the time goes, but my perspective is a little different. Silas is finally one! I can't believe it has only been a year since he was born. So much as happened in our little family since Silas entered the picture that last November seems like several years ago (though I have to say that I still remember the labour nightmare quite clearly and am not looking forward to doing that again anytime soon).
Since Silas was born we have resided in 6 different cities (7 if you count our short trips to Beaumont) in 3 different countries. The first six months Silas' life was divided into 2 month interval: 2 months in Fort Worth, 2 months in Virginia, 2 months in Carrollton waiting. At six months Silas moved half-way across the world to start again. After a brief stint in our port city, we fortunately got to stay in one place for about 5 months before having to leave to come to Thailand- where we are now. And Silas is such a flexible boy. By plane, train, auto-rickshaw, taxi, and car Silas has proven to be a good little traveller! He has adapted so well to all of his new surroundings and I am so thankful for my little man.
I wish that we were home so that I could throw him a 1st birthday party with a cute cake, decorations, family, and friends, but we will have to wait until next year.

On the Move

2011-11-05T10:58:00.000+05:30

Last night I had my first South Asian train experience and Silas rode his first train ever. As soon as the train started they served us tea with a samosa, sweet snack, and salty snack, but with Silas on my lap, it was a little difficult to partake of it. A little while later they served tomato soup and a roll, again could not eat with Silas on my lap but I didn't really want to. A little later they came by with a full meal: chickpeas in masala, chicken, rice, chapatis, yogurt, and salad. But I didn't eat because I was busy holding my squirmy child who was really tired but couldn't go to sleep (he did really well though). I want point Silas managed to crawl under the seats and go three rows ahead of us. I laughed imagining what those people thought when they felt something tickling their feet :). Silas eventually went to sleep so the sound of praise songs and we finished the train ride off with ice cream! I was reminded of different life is now with a baby, but also how wonderful it is to have a little one cuddled up on your lap, knowing that you are the only one who can calm him in any situation (though normally his father can calm him too).

Warzone

2011-10-26T19:56:00.000+05:30

I am currently sitting in my bedroom listening to the warzone of firecrackers sound around, amazed that Silas actually fell asleep and praying that he stays asleep tonight. Today is Diwali- the Hindu festival of lights- triumph of good over evil- a day of good fortune. The festivities are a cross between Christmas and the 4th of July- pretty lights hung on houses, candles, exchange of gifts and sweets, big sales, plus lots and lots of fire crackers. Some of the fire crackers are a pretty display of colored light, but most of them are just loud- and relentless.
But Diwali isn't just about lights and noise, it is about worship- honoring the goddess Laxmi and other gods. It is about spiritual and physical renewal. Most people I have met here are not really very spiritual- they go through the motions of spirituality because it is part of their culture- part of their identity, but they have no real relationship with their religion- no relationship with their god.

Engagement Party

2011-10-08T10:32:00.000+05:30

Last night we went to an engagement party for a friend of mine. The Bride (my friend) is from a somewhat poor family and they are all believers. The groom was an orphan from a Buddhist background who was taken in by some Americans living in the area when he was a boy. They raised him, along with many other orphans, and he is now a believer as well. It was really a blessing to be able to attend this ceremony and experience such a meaningful tradition that was a mix of both Indian tradition and Christian.
Once the girl and boy were seated, there was prayer and singing songs of praise. Then the American father of the groom gave a blessing and message about the meaning of the occasion and the commitment that is being made. I was really thankful that this was in English and then translated into Hindi so that I could understand. The purpose of the ceremony is to bring two families together- for the family members to celebrate the engagement and get to know one another, as two families are bing joined together. The message was a really good word on what true love is, and the father used scripture and the example of God's love for us. I know the hindu family sitting next to me has been having marital problems and I think this was certainly a good word for them, but also a good reminder for me as it is so easy to seek my own good in marriage instead of my husband's.

After this, the family of the Bride to be lined up in front of her and the family of the groom to be lined up in front of him and the father of the g2b asked the family for their daughter. Then the couple came forward and there was an exchange of rings and a word of commitment on the part of both families and the couple. Then the families exchanged gifts with one another.

The bride 2 be is in turqoise and the g2b is off to the side (people kept standing in front of me so I couldn't get a good picture)

After the family exchange of gifts, other people brought gifts up to the couple and greeted them. Then a large dinner of fried rice, fried bread, paneer, chickpeas, chicken, and mixed vegetables was served.
It would be fun to do this when our children get married!

Dusheraa

2011-10-07T14:05:00.000+05:30

This man is selling some kind of pickled vegetables.

Yesterday when I was walking around on my language route there were many families out all walking to the same place. My friend told me that everyone was going to the parade ground for the Dushera festivities and recommended that I get JP and Silas and go as well. So, we did. Dushera is a celebration of the the triumph of good over evil when Ram defeated Ravana and his sons in order to win back his wife Sita who had been kidnapped and taken to the Island of Lanka.

A woman dressed like the goddess Kali is collecting money from the crowds of people

Many vendors were taking advantage of the masses, selling trinkets for children like masks, balls, noise makers...

Replicas of Ravana and two of his sons. At 5:30 there was a reinactment of the battle and the large statues were set on fire (we didn't stay for this event).

Another vendor sells colorful bangles. These are worn everyday, but even more so for festivals.

Playing in the Bucket

2011-10-04T21:10:00.001+05:30

Silas's favorite activity it taking things out. Whether it is clothes from the laundry bucket, bowls from the drawer, tupperware from the cabinet, books from the shelf, Silas loves to take things out. He is quite and explorer and is always looking for something new and forbidden.

Some Long overdue Pictures

2011-10-04T20:53:00.000+05:30

We had spinach paneer one night for dinner and Silas had a lot of fun putting spinach specks all over his face and in his hair. Self-feeding is messy but lots of fun!

As I am normally the one behind the camera, Silas and I rarely have our pictures taken together. I thought this one turned out pretty well.

Silas loves to scrunch up his nose and put on an intimidating face- here is a side view from our trip up the mountain.

Silas now proudly sports 4 teeth, though it is difficult to get a picture where you can see all of them. Daddy had to coax Silas to smile for me.

Unfortunately Silas was looking at the other camera, but otherwise a good picture.

So, can you guess what snow capped mountain range is peaking up over the clouds? We were blessed to be there on a clear morning so that we could get a view of Himalayas.

It's the Holiday Season...

2011-09-30T14:08:00.002+05:30

The end of September doesn't normally signal the beginning of the holiday season for me, but by the Hindu calendar, things are a little different. September 28th marked the first day of Navratri. Navratri is a nine day festival that celebrates the goddess Durga and her 9 avatars. Each day of the festival honors a different avatar. Wednesday's newspaper contained a booklet on Navratri and a story about each avatar and what she represents. During Navratri people fast on varying levels depending on their devotion, but for most people it just means that they eat simply- without onion, garlic, meat... They daily offer pooja (worship) to the goddess in their homes and also go to the temple to worship.
    Because they never know when a new avatar will appear, female children are also honored and worshiped during this festival.
    At the end of the festival there is a big celebration. People buy new clothing and it ushers in the holiday season with Dushera and Diwali to soon follow.
   I hope to attend some holiday events and promise to post more pictures once we get our fast internet back next month.

Waiting for Guests

2011-09-12T14:13:00.000+05:30

Yesterday I invited my friend Ooma to come over for tea time. I didn't know exactly what time she would show up (she said after 2), so I was here ready at 1 and waited until 5. I wans't really that surprised that she didn't show up because she runs her own shop and is really busy, so I wasn't disappointed, but.... When we went on our evening walk we passed by her shop and she stopped me. She told me that she had come to my place and talked to our landlord but he had said that we didn't live there and was wondering what business she had with us. At this point we didn't know whether she was telling us this to save face, or if our landlord had really turned her away (I thought the latter, JP thought the former). When we got home I asked my landlord if a lady came by to see me. He said that two ladies came by and asked what business I had with them. When I told them that they were my friends he replied, "but they aren't Christians" and made up something about us not being home.
Yes, my friend Ooma is a hindu (gasp- how dare I have a hindu friend). I have mentioned before that the people in our neighborhood do not associate with the people on the other side of the sewer and this is an example of it. My dear brothers and sisters if we do not trust the lost, if we do not extend hospitality to them, then how with they ever be saved?

Date Nights

2011-09-11T10:01:00.001+05:30

Just a side note before I get started- the power was out for 8 hours yesterday so we went to KFC for dinner and prayed our food in the fridge didn't go bad.

JP and I have always enjoyed being creative for date night since we were on a very tight budget. Though it would be possible to do dinner and a movie here, that just doesn't excite us that much- I like adventure (my poor husband). For our first date night here I decided we needed to try what was advertized as the cities "only authentic Chinese restaurant". So, we hopped in an auto and went to the other side of town and a little bit into the jungle where we found a Cafe Cofee Day and decided to stop for drinks before dinner. I got a yummy Lichee chill. Of course at this point JP discovered that he didn't have much cash on him. Before going to dinner we tried to find an ATM but to no avail. So a new game developed- Let's see how much we can do in this city for 800 RPS. After paying our auto driver I think we had 600 left.
   At the Chinese restaurant we ordered Chinese greens (so craving those), Kung Pao chicken, Jaozi, and Rice. The food tasted more authentic than most Chinese restaurants here, but the vegetable dish had about 5 pieces of bokchoy and then a bunch of mushrooms, cauliflower, and bell pepper. The pork Jaozi was really good though. After dinner we were down to about 100 RPS. We knew that we couldn't get an auto back home for that, so we just started walking and exploring. When we got to a main road we decided to hop on a Vikram- a little blue truck with the bed turned into a cab for people- it seats 6-8 people and then you have to squat after that. We took the Vikram a ways and then decided to hop off and look and some stores around us. 10 RPS down. I then remembered that I needed to buy a sifter so that my cook could sift our flour. Another 10 RPS down.
From there we walked into a Bengali sweet shop and bought 4 little bit sized sweets. Although I didn't know what I was eating, I thought that they tasted very good and have since bought some more.  15 Rupees down. Not yet ready to go home and down to about 65 RPS, we walked a little ways and spotted a cute little bakery. The decor of the bakery looked very French Bistro esque, but it was not well kept. Regardless, we purchased a piece of mango cake and climbed the narrow spiral staircase up to the second floor to eat and catch a glimpse of the busy street down below. 35 RPS
     With about 30 RPS left in our pocket, it was time to start heading home to relieve the babysitter. We were still too far away to get an auto for 30 RPS, so we walked until we got to the 30 RPS point and then took an auto home.
   It was fun just being spontaneous, exploring the city, tasting some new things, trying new forms of transportation, walking around without a baby in tow, and spending quality time together.

No Power

2011-09-10T16:09:00.001+05:30

I finally have time to post on the blog, but we have been without power for about 5 hours so our computer is about out of juice (and our food is probably going bad in the refrigerator). I am afraid the power will go out mid-writing so I will just keep it simple.
I have been away because our hard drive mysteriously stopped working :(. Our computer is up and running but it does not have all of our old programs installed and our picture software has not been installed. This has been an annoying glitch, but we have survived. Please pray for our hard drive. ( I realize that we should have backed up our hd, but let's not talk about that.) We are still attempting to get to our data on our hard drive and all of Silas' pictures from 1 month to 9 months. I will be very sad if we lose them.
Will post more when power comes back.

Talking in the Car

2011-08-20T14:40:00.000+05:30

9 months Old

2011-08-20T14:16:00.001+05:30

My little man turned 9 months on the 17th. Some people say the time flies by, but I must say, so much has happened since then that his birth seems forever ago. He is such a precious gift from God and makes us smile and laught many times a day.
At 9 Months Silas:
crawls quickly across the floor
pulls up on everything
climbs full flights of stairs
eats carrots, chole, yogurt, potato, green beans, mango, banana, crackers, egg plant, mashed peas, roti
talks all the time in a rather loud voice (he says dadada, bababa, mamama, and makes other noises)
loves to sing in the car or in the auto rickshaw
loves not having to sit in a carseat
loves playing with other kids
smiles a lot
scrunches his nose and makes a funny noise
loves reading books
has gotten quite clingy to mommy and has started snuggling :)
puts on a pouty face and starts to cry when he doesn't get his way
has learned how to throw his pacifier out of his crib :(
is greatly loved by mommy and daddy!

Still that Pride Thing

2011-08-14T14:37:00.000+05:30

"but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:24

I may have said this before, but I am saying it again because it is still tripping me up. Pride is a big issue for me- and it seems to creep up in many areas of my life. So I have a confession to make, I am not a Hindi expert (gasp). In fact, I think the term "novice" is being generous. I daily stumble about with making sure that my verbs take the correct gender and tenses, and that my pronouns inflect correctly when followed by a postposition. Yet even though I know that I don't know Hindi, I often find myself not having a very teachable attitude. It really doesn't matter that I have a Masters degree, have studied Mandarin, and taught ESL, and the language school definitely doesn't care what my GPA was. And it should not matter that my main teacher is 19 years old and admitted to us that she used to fail Hindi class. The truth of the matter is that she has something to teach me and she is an expert and I am not. Sure I may know a better way to teach, but I should give thanks that I am learning, that someone is available to teach me. I need to get rid of the high and mighty attititude and lurks in my subconscience and realize that I am not above being taught by someone without an MA in Hindi. We truly do value degrees so much- but it is just a piece of paper (and hours of class, reading, and writing papers).
I really thinking I am doing better about this than I was in the beginning, but pray for me that even in the times when my teacher is texting during class or goes off on some tangent that fully reveals her age, that I would have an attitude of love and a righteous heart.

More Pictures from around town

2011-08-12T14:37:00.000+05:30

Here are some more pictures from near our neighborhood. Pictures paint a good picture, but can only go so far, as you cannot hear, feel, or smell (a good thing) a picture. As you look at these pictures, think muggy sewer.

A fastfood stall where they sell vegetarian momos (similar to Chinese jiaozi or dumplings). They taste pretty good, but they are not all that sanitary.

Anyone washed their clothes on a concrete slab by the sewer lately? Just wondering.

So this is how we buy chicken. We go to a chicken shop and pick out a live chicken. The chicken walla takes the chicken out, cuts her head off, lets her run around in a small enclosed space until she stops. Then he takes the feathers off, cleans it, and puts it in a bag so that I can take it home and cook it. Yes it is fresh chicken, but not the greatest quality.

Bright colored clothing is the norm around here. This shop sells fabric for Sariis, Salwar Kamiis, and men's clothing.

Evening Walk

2011-08-04T20:38:00.000+05:30

We try to take a walk every evening between dinner and Silas' bedtime so that we can meet our neighbors, stretch our legs, and get poor restless Silas out of the house. Sometimes we just walk in our neighborhood, sometimes we go get ice cream, and other times we cross to the other side of the sewer to see the real India. This is where the majority of my "friends" live. They are women I talk with, or just sit and stare at because I don't know how to say what I want to say. This is also where I go to buy vegetables, chicken, simple snacks, and to get my clothes ironed. Here are a few pictures from our walk.

Lalita lives right by the sewer. Her "house" has an open area(as in no roof) with a fire for cooking and then a few rooms to the side for sleeping. She sweeps floors for a living.

I pass these buffalo just about every day. Many people buy milk from this dairy. They take an empty tin and bring it home full of fresh milk.

This lady was recently married. She is staring down at us in her red Sarii and veil.

Many people walk around in the back streets selling vegetables from carts. I think this is an interesting looking vegetable.

This is my Press Walii's stand, the lady on the left is my pw and friend Koosoon. She loves Silas and Silas loves her. Tonight she was showing Silas her different shrines to Shiva, Sai Baba, and a collection of other gods. How important our nightly Bible stories are with Silas.

These pigs live in the sewer and eat trash whenever they are not sleeping.

Dinner Guests

2011-07-30T10:27:00.000+05:30

Last night we finally had our first Indian dinner guests. We invited our auto driver Benjamin and his family over, and we were so glad that they accepted the invitation. I decided to make Lasagna because I could prep it all before hand and then pop it in the oven an hour before they were to arrive (since they would be coming right after Silas' bed time and I knew I would be busy then). Making the Lasagna was certainly an adventure. I decided to use paneer (the local version of ricotta) that processed in the food processor with a little dahii (like yogurt)- so that I wouldn't have to spend a fortune on imported cheeses. I also made my own tomato sauce, which is getting easier every time I make it. With all of my new ingredients though, I was afraid that the Lasagna wouldn't taste good and that we wouldn't have enough food for everyone.
When the company arrived it was quite awkward seeing that we had only met the husband and seeing that I don't speak very much Hindi and don't know the appropriate way to host people for dinner in this country. JP and Benjamin talked for a while and then I served dinner. I was pleased to find that the lasagna actually tasted pretty good, but disappointed to see that my guests were not all that interested in it. I don't think the 8 year old boy even tried it, I think it just sat on his plate (though he did eat some green beans) and the parents certainly were not interested in seconds. Oh well, at least I could offer them ice cream, though for some reason the little girl didn't even like my ice cream.
I know it isn't the taste of the food that matters, it is the thought and heart of hospitality, but I should have had an Indian dish there as well.

The 1st Big Crawl

2011-07-23T10:42:00.000+05:30

At first we had to entice Silas to move forward- otherwise he would just back himself into a wall on under the bed, table...Now he has figured out how to go forward and there is no stopping him. Of course now that he can crawl he wants to walk- but I think that will take a little more time to figure out.

What has Silas been up to?

2011-07-23T10:24:00.000+05:30

In the days before Silas had figured out how to crawl, his favorite position was standing on his head with his bum sticking straight up in the air. I don't know why he liked doing this so much, but is sure was cute. The picture below is in our living room. We put a blanket on the floor with a sheet on top of it to try to give him a softer place to play than just the marble floor.

The other day we got not 1, not 2, but 3 boxes from America!! Silas was excited to find out what was inside (or maybe he was just excited to have something new to pull up on). Thank you Grammy and Gramps!

My parents have pictures of all of us playing in the cabinets (well at least of me and Kristen) so I had to get a picture of Silas playing with the plastic dishes. He got himself stuck though and could't figure out how to back himself out).

And here is what was inside the boxes!! Foam tiles for Silas to play on!! I don't know how many times Silas has fallen and hit his head on the marble floors, resulting in a sad cry (mostly wanting attention, he wasn't that hurt), a red spot, and occasionally a bruise. With Silas pulling up now, I really wanted something softer for him to fall on and the blanket on the floor just wasn't cutting it. Silas loves his tiles and has been putting them to good use!

Blessed are the Meek

2011-07-20T14:13:00.000+05:30

I love living overseas!! There are many things that I like about being in the non-Western world (and of course many things that I miss) but the thing that means the most to me is how it challenges me and presses me to be more like Christ. Really, it is the frustrations, the little trials, the negative things about living in a developing nation that has a completely different culture from my own that I cherish the most.
    I was struggling with our language school and the way they do things, and struggling with some other things as well and I was getting stressed out because I wanted to be in control. (My way is the best way to do things, it is the most logical, the most just, and the most practical, so it should be done that way). I soon realized that this did not come from the Christ in me and that I was protecting my rights and asserting my own ideas instead of trusting God.
    Having been prompted by my reading of 2 John to dwell more in Jesus' teachings, I started reading Matthew 5. Yes, I know these, "Blessed are the..." v5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth". Wait a second, what does it really mean to be meek? I have heard that over and over again in this context, but who really uses that word in modern English? So I checked the ESV commentary and God really spoke straight to my heart- the meek are "the gentle, those who do not assert themselves over others in order to further their own agendas in their own strenght, but who will nonetheless inherit the earth because they trust in God to direct the outcome of events". OUCH! I am not so meek. Sure I may appear meek on the surface, but inside (and to my meek husband) I am asserting my own agenda and telling people what for right and left.
    Then I turned to Matthew 11:29 where Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." We are to learn from the meekness of Jesus. I find that much of my weariness and stress comes from trying to make things logical, just, and my way in my own strenght, when Jesus teaches us to be gentle. Jesus did not assert his own agenda, he set the example of meekness and the example of trusting the Father to work all things for good and for God's purpose. So many of the things that I take on as my burden were never intended to be my burden. Jesus is saying that I should not carry more than I was intended to carry, trust God. Philippians 4:5-6 "The Lord [the God of the universe who created all things, sustains, all things, knows all things, has all power and is righteous, just, and good] is at hand [he is very near to us]; do not be anxious about anything".
   This is such amazing truth. I am still having a difficult time applying it, but the incomrehensible peace is there when I do.

Crawling

2011-07-18T16:13:00.000+05:30

Silas is all over the place now! How quickly he went from staying in one place and being able to know where he was at all times to moving all around the house and getting into everything. More to come, but I better go pay attention to him.

Pretty View

2011-07-03T13:38:00.000+05:30

Normally it is too hazy to get a good view of the mountains from our house, but after a good rain the view is is beautiful. If you look closely you can see the city up on the hill. This is a resort town that people flock to for a break from the heat. We went up on Thursday and enjoyed the scenery, cooler weather, and some pizza from a little cafe.

Movie Star

2011-07-03T13:32:00.000+05:30

Silas loves his rubber ducky!!

Whenever we go out, Silas gets a lot of attention from the ladies. The other night we were in a little coffe shop and three different young ladies asked if they could hold him. In America I probably wouldn't let a stranger take Silas, but here it really doesn't phase me that much as long as Silas doesn't have a problem with it. He is such an extrovert that he loves being passed around from person to person.

No Car

2011-07-03T13:27:00.000+05:30

Texans don't really know how to survive without a car. Everything is very spread out and there is minimal public transportation, so getting around without a car is very difficult. I became fully aware of this with my international student friends who had no car and had to depend upon the Fort Worth bus system to get around. Not so convenient.
While it would certainly be more convenient for us if we had a car here, we are making due with our feet, auto rickshaws, and an occasional taxi (buses and little blue public taxis are also available but we have not used them yet). Typically if we want to go somewhere, we walk about 10 minutes to the mail street and then hire and auto to take us somewhere. We have recently made friends with a driver named Benjamin who will pick us up at our house to save us those extra 10 minutes.

Yesterday I decided to walk from our house to Pizza Hut to collect delivery menus from all of the restaurants in between. It took me about 45 minutes. When I got to the Pizza Hut mall I stopped and at a new ice cream parlour and got a mango smoothie (I needed change for an auto ;)). After a month of being here with all of the walking and sweating I can finally fit in my pre-pregnancy pants! Too bad I got rid of most of them :).

Trust

2011-06-27T17:05:00.000+05:30

Yesterday we went on a walk to buy a few things and just get out of the house after the nice rain. As we were walking, two rather tall girls stopped us and asked if they could ask a favor. I thought they were going to ask if they could take a picture of Silas, but instead they asked us if we could give them a ride (assuming we had a car parked nearby). They said that they asked us because they don't trust their own people, but they trust us (strange). We told them we didn't have a car and they told us they were in town for a basketball tournament (explains the tall). Then they asked to take Silas' picture.

Another girl told me that the people of her country are bad, they cheat people and you cannot trust them.
The wife of our language teacher told us, when we asked her to help us find a house helper, that she doesn't trust people, even the Christians because they are tempted by the things we have and they steal.

So sad. I am a very trusting person and it is strange for me to hear people say that they trust foreigners over their own people. So does that mean I shouldn't trust anyone? I hope I will find that I can.

Shopping

2011-06-26T13:22:00.000+05:30

There are many things we take for granted in America, and one of them is one-stop shopping. I miss the convenience of going to Walmart or Target to buy pretty much everything on my list. Now I make my shopping list for the week, and then I divide it into different lists depending on where it can be purchased. I go to one store to buy meat, one to buy vegetables, one for fruit, one for eggs, and then fortunately there is a grocery store that sells all of my grains, spices, milk, cheese... but office supplies, cleaning supplies, hardware, toys,... all have their own stores as well. I guess the closest thing we have to one stop shopping is Pultaan Bazaar- though it is a distance from our house- This is a few blocks of just stores: plastics stores, metal stores, wicker stores, clothing stores, paper stores, fabric stores, vegetable stands, fruit stands, chicken, fish, pork, eggs... these are all sold in separate stores, and the stores that sell the same thing are all grouped together.
There is however a positive to having to buy everything at a different store, and that is relationship. Though I frequently went to the same checkout lady at Walmart and saw the same house wives shopping at 10am on a Monday, I never really got to know any of them. Here, you get to know your shopkeeper, you build a relationship, a trust develops, and then maybe the vegetable lady will stop charging me twice the price she charges the locals (but I doubt it).

Cloth Diaper Woes

2011-06-22T16:06:00.000+05:30

Warning: May not be suitable for people without children
As grateful as I am that we received 15 free Bum Genius diapers and no longer have to pay for disposable diapers, I have to say that I strongly dislike them. I seriously do not understand the people who say "I love cloth diapers". They are basically saying, I love looking at my child's poop and smelling it while I try to scrape into the toilet..." Disgusting, gross, yuck, stinky, eeuuuuuuuw!!
We started cloth diapering full time about a week ago and it was working really well because Silas was constipated and, well, that is easy to clean. I worked really hard to try to get him regular (prune juice mixed into his oatmeal did the trick), but now that he is, DISGUSTING!!! Yesterday morning at 6 I changed Silas' diaper and greatly struggled to get the stupid diaper clean, only to have some of the poo fall on my toe "AAAAAH"- I screamed, JP running in to find me be overly dramatic and making up loathsome verse about cloth diapers. Yes, I will stick with cloth diapers because disposable are about twice the price here as they are in America and because the waste disposal system here is not so bueno, but I will not enjoy it, and I will never say that "I love cloth diapers.

Silas with Laylah

2011-06-18T14:17:00.001+05:30

This is before we left the US. Silas with his arm around Laylah. Aren’t they cute?

7 Months

2011-06-18T13:45:00.000+05:30

We have officially joined the ranks of cloth diaper users. Believe me, I prefer disposable and would continue using them if we were in the US, but since we are not, lots of laundry here we come!! Due to the heat, Silas spends much of time in just a diaper, so at least cloth diapers are fashionable:)

I don't know if you notice a different, but the first picture is pre-haircut, and this is post. Silas doesn't have an AC in his room and his poor little head sweats buckets. I thought if I cut his hair shorter it might help a little.

This is in Silas' orange room. For some reason Silas has stopped enjoying getting his diaper changed (yes, he used to think it was fun) so now he screams. This picture is post screaming, so his eyes are a little red.

My husband is such a good father!! Silas is blessed to have a father who cares so much and spends so much time with him. He kind of reminds me of my father.

Silas is trying really hard to be mobile, but so far this is about as far as he gets. From here he normally either sits back down, rolls over, or takes a nose dive (we try to avoid that on marble). Silas has learned how to grab the sides of his tub and stand up, making bath time quite difficult and frustrating for both Silas and mommy.

Here is my smiley boy playing on the cool marble floor.

Pressure Cooking

2011-06-18T13:02:00.000+05:30

So, I have heard great things about cooking with a pressure cooker, but was unsure of how to use one. I discovered that I wasn't having much success because my pc was broken, so we took it to the store and exchanged it for a new one. The joy of having a new pressure cooker is that it comes with an instruction booklet and a recipe book!! Now that I know how to use it, I have been using it a lot. The other day I put cauliflower, carrots, and a whole chicken in the pc with a cup of water, a dab of butter and some spices. About 15 minutes later I had a fully cooked meal- pretty tasty. Yes, the benefit of the pressure cooker is the speed. It takes about 7 minutes to cook rice, 20 minutes to cook kidney beans, 10 minutes to cook whole potatoes, 10 minutes for chicken... and the list goes on. I am very thankful for this time saver (though I still don't have it fully figured out) since prepping the vegetables takes a lot of extra time.

Dupata Play

2011-06-18T12:54:00.000+05:30

It doesn't matter how many of Silas' toys are out in front of him, he always after the item that is not a toy. One evening he was playing with my dupata, so I draped it over his head to play peek-a-boo and took some pictures.

playtime

2011-06-13T20:16:00.000+05:30

Silas spends much of his day playing on our bed in the only air conditioned room in the house. Here he is getting attacked by Roscoe the shark (yes, my husband names his stuffed animals).

Airplane Ride

2011-06-13T19:58:00.001+05:30

On the way from DFW to London, Silas got to sleep in the airplane bassinet. It was not quite what I was expecting, but he slept pretty well.

Meena

2011-06-13T09:39:00.001+05:30

Since it takes a long time to daily living activities here, and since learning a new language takes a lot of time and energy, I have a house helper, well kind of. Meena comes to our house Monday-Saturday at 8am and does the dishes from the day before, sweeps the floors, and mops. This is great, but we have communication issues. My Hindi is VERY minimal and Hindi is not her first language so it isn't all that clear. I would prefer for her to come a little later than 8, so on Saturday JP asked her if she could come at 9 and we thought she said that she would be here at 9:30. So this morning at 7:45, still in my pajamas, Meena shows up. (I am the kind of person who likes to straighten up a little before the house helper comes, so I was not quite ready for this). So before she left this morning I pulled out my text book and tried to ask her what time she would be coming tomorrow. I think she understood me, but I did not understand her answer, so I wrote down 9:00? She then said 11:30 (I understand this and then double checked). I said that was ok, but then she said something about 8:00- I gave her a very puzzled look, she laughed and then she had me check her work on the dishes. I don't know what time she is coming tomorrow, but I will try to be ready at 8.

Learning to Cook

2011-06-12T19:25:00.001+05:30

I have quickly been reminded just how much time it takes to do everything in Asia. Shopping, cooking, cleaning… are not as convenient as they are in America. I do not have a car, a dishwasher, and oven…and I feel like I am learning how to cook all over again with new appliances. In my little kitchen I have a three burner gas stove, a skillet, a few pots, and two pressure-cookers. Pressure-cookers really are great things, but first I must learn how to use them properly. In a pressure cooker you can make rice in 5 minutes, beans in about 18, cook chicken, carrots, and potatoes in 10- all with just a little bit of water and saving gas in your gas tank. The only problem I have with the pc is that it is difficult to get the lid on and off and it scares Silas when it blows steam.

There is very little meat here, so I am having to try out new recipes and figure out how to be creative and make chicken taste like something else. There are meat markets here that sell Chicken and Mutton in many different cuts and forms (they have boneless, skinless chicken breast, but it isn't the greatest quality). Chicken Kheema (ground Chicken) is a wonderful and convenient alternative to ground beef which can be bought at Kumar's Grocery store in a frozen roll or from the meat market. I plan to attempt cooking with mutton at some point, but I am a little scared of the taste. While exploring in the Bazaar I did happen upon one pork vender, but I have been warned that it may not be very good quality.

So last night I cooked a pretty good dinner made completely of foods that I found here.

1lb Chicken kheema

2 cups frozen peas

One red onion chopped

Spaghetti noodles

Knorr's Cream of Mushroom soup mix (cut liquid in half)

Plain yogurt

Garlic salt

Paprika

Olive oil

Mixed all together made a slightly Asian flavored Chicken Spaghetti.

Holding onto Pride

2011-06-10T20:36:00.001+05:30

There is a pride I must let go of if I want to thrive in my new country, if I want to find joy in my role as mommy. I pride myself if in my ability to succeed at school, to be at the top of the class, to know my way around, to be on top of things. I pride myself if my ability to learn language and adapt to new cultures quickly… and that has made me somewhat of a perfectionist. It has made me set too high of expectations for myself. I am not a single, carefree 22 year-old anymore.

I cried today during my Hindi lesson and my sweet little teacher gave me much wisdom. She said that I should not expect to learn so many words and things so quickly- just get a few things and you should be pleased with your progress. It is ok to not know it all yet. She said that God knows my heart's desire to learn the language and He will help me, but my first responsibility is to my precious child. Silas' soul is the one that I am to nurture first.

Yes I knew these things, but it is still so easy for me to put pressure on myself to perform. But God doesn't want me to put pride in myself and my abilities, even if he did give me those abilities. God wants me to find my strength in Him, to depend on Him, to cast all of my anxieties on Him. I am having a difficult time finding a balance here in my new life, but I must take it one day at a time, or maybe one hour at a time and God will provide the strength and the time to do what needs to be done.

Arrived!

2011-05-31T09:55:00.001+05:30

A few days ago we landed on the other side of the world! It is hard to believe that we are actually here, and thanks to jet lag (made much worse when you have a baby unable to sleep in the middle of the night) "here" is simply a physical term and not necessarily mental.

Our first two days here were planned for us, but not too busy. We went to lunch, the grocery store (impressed by all the American items you can find), to get Birthday ice cream... and I went to buy some new South Asian clothing. That was fun. So many fun, vibrant choices in fabric. This morning I wore my new outfit to a little local church. We left our shoes outside the door, covered our heads, and divided into male/female sides of the room as we sat on the floor under blowing fans. Afterward we went to the new fancy mall where I found a wonderful thing that America could truly learn from - they had a mother's nursing room: comfy couch, cool A/C, changing table... it was nothing fancy but such a convenient touch.

Other than not sleeping through the night, Silas has done wonderfully!! He does not mind walking around, riding in auto rickshaws, sitting in restaurants, being passed around by unfamiliar South Asian and white people. What a blessing he is! I do pray for him as he adjusts to the heat here- it is a challenge for all us.

(pictures to come)

Playing Drums and Sitting Up

2011-05-01T02:31:00.000+05:30

The beginning of this week Silas started being able to sit up on his own for quite a while. It is still necessary to stay close by because he does unintentionally fall every few minutes our of excitement or reaching too far for something, but this is a step in a wonderful direction! It is so much fun to sit!

I LOVE Silas!

2011-04-30T22:59:00.000+05:30

I did not want to wait. I wanted to get to Asia asap so that we could get settled, have normalcy, start learning the language, finally get to the place we have been longing to go... but God wanted us to wait. Sure God may have many different purposes for our delay, but one in my attitude toward Silas. It is hard for me to confess this, but I have had trouble really loving and appreciating my son. Sure, I love him to death because he is my son and he makes me smile, but whenever anyone said "isn't being a mother great!" (or something to that effect) all I could really do was shrug or say "I love Silas". I found that in the busyness of our life, of packing, moving, reading, writing papers, going to class, applying for visas, traveling, trying to say goodbye and make new relationships... I viewed Silas as more of a burden or responsibility than as a blessing and a joy. For two months I was separated from Silas from 9-3 while I was in class, and until he went to bed 8 it seems that I always had something that needed to get done that would have been so much easier without Silas. Don't get me wrong, I loved him and I was thankful for him, but I looked forward to easier times and thought about all the things I was missing.

Had we gone straight to Asia, it would have been the same thing there. I would be in language school and Silas would be with a sitter and I would be so busy doing other things that I would miss out on just enjoying my son.

But God had other plans- for the past month, other than packing, Silas has pretty much been my only responsibility. There have been no deadlines, no classes to attend, no dinner to cook, very little cleaning...and I have been able to play with Silas. I have observed him, learned what he really likes, how to make him laugh... He is such a blessing!

I know that I am biased, but I think I have the most precious baby in the world. Silas has a smile that lights up the room and could turn any frown upside down. If Silas smiled any wider it would not fit on his little round face. I love going into his room in the morning or after a nap and seeing his huge smile and big blue eyes looking up at me. It is amazing to see how his face lights up when I walk in the room (especially when he is hungry) and hear him coo and sing. Silas is so energetic, so happy, so expressive, I enjoy and cherish him so much. he is a treasure and I thank God for him.

Moving on Up!

2011-04-20T23:50:00.000+05:30

I was planning to wait until we got to South Asia to start Silas on solid food, but he showed all of the signs of wanting to start, so we gave rice cereal a try a few days before his 5 month birthday. I was amazed how easily he took it. He charged after the spoon and kept wanting more and more. The first time was a little messy because the cereal was really runny, but after that he has been a pretty neat eater. Of course he is also easily distracted when other people are around.

We have started a regular evening routine where Silas eats his rice cereal, Mommy and Daddy eat, and then we all go for a walk around the neighborhood. It is a lot of fun and a good way to wind down after a long and exciting day. When we get home it is bath time, milk time, then bed time. Silas is great at going to bed at night. We just swaddle him and put him in the crip and he doesn't make another peep.

Silas likes to Swing

2011-04-20T23:42:00.000+05:30

Since we are still going to be at my parents' house for a while, my mom went out a bought a tree swing for Silas. He loves being outside (as I think most babies do) and really enjoys swinging. I cant' believe how big Silas is getting. He is so expressive, active, and loud. He certainly likes to use his voice and I look forward to when he can form words. Silas is a very social baby and loves to talk with me while he is nursing. It can be quite funny, but also a little frustrating if we are in a hurry. He is such a blessing and a joy though.

Silas Before Haircut (sorry out of order)

2011-04-11T03:00:00.001+05:30

Posing with Mommy

He went to the playground for the first time- slid down the slide with Daddy and rode in the swing.

After his four month shot Silas started making a funny face of discomfort.

Playing with Gramps

Silas loves reading books with Daddy!!

Learning in Limbo

2011-04-11T02:34:00.001+05:30

Well, we were "supposed" to leave for South Asia on April 6^th, but we are still in America and still without our visas. This is certainly a testing in patience. I am beginning to see a pattern in my life. I had to wait for Silas, and now for visas, and in both cases you just have to be ready whenever the day comes. I feel very blessed to have wonderful parents who let us stay with them and give us date nights (much appreciated) but it is difficult to be in this time of limbo where we don't really know what our purpose is. I just have to hold to the knowledge that God's timing is perfect and he has a reason for our delay.

One difficult thing about our delay is that the longer we are here, the more nervous about leaving I become. It is amazing how perspective changes after having a child. I think back to my time in Asia as a single and look at the uncertainty, long bus rides, mountain hikes, staying with strangers, traveling from place to place… as a great adventure, but now that I have the responsibility of caring for a 5 month old, it is stress. Fortunately, the God who took care of me and amazed me in my previous adventures, is the same God who will be with me and will provide for Silas's needs on our new adventure. I am so thankful that I am in the hands of a faithful God who has the power to keep his promises!

1st Real Haircut

2011-04-10T04:29:00.000+05:30

Since Silas's hair was sticking 3 inches straight up, we decided to get it cut before we leave the states. So here is the beginning of the haircut. He did such a good job!! He sat up like a big boy and didn't make a peep. The result of the haircut is little short for my liking and it still sticks up, but that is his personality!

Spring

2011-03-20T22:32:00.000+05:30

It is almost Spring and I have to say that I am super excited. I have wonderful childhood memories of this time of year, when the weather turns warmer and the things that appeared dead come to life again. It is beautiful in Virginia right now. Many of the trees are covered with blossoms, white, red, and pink, and new green grass is peeking out through the dead brown grass. I love being able to walk outside without a coat and linger long enough to appreciate the beauty of creation.
We took Silas to the playground yesterday. He went down the slide with daddy a few times and then we put him in the swing and he was actually able to sit up enough so that we could push him. I have to say that he was kind of chilled out and didn't have much response, but it was fun for us. And speaking of Silas, he has really been making me laugh lately with the noises he makes. He has quite a fun personality!

2011-03-16T01:51:00.000+05:30

What's going on? Chillin' at the computer with daddy.

Our first real family picture! Silas is 3 1/2 mos or so.

2011-03-16T01:34:00.000+05:30

Here is Silas with Nana and Papa (JP's parents). Here are four generations: my grandfather Charles (where Silas got his middle name), my father, me, and Silas. (Mark snuck into the background)

Silas with Aunt Hannah a few days after Christmas.

He were trying to take a fun family photo, but it turned out kind of funny I think.

From the 1st Month

2011-03-16T01:22:00.000+05:30

These are some of my favorite pictures from the first month of Silas's life. This first one is probably my absolute favorite. We were getting ready to go for a walk. Looking at these pictures I can't believe how small he was. Here is another favorite. His hair was so short. For those who have not seen him lately, you may not think that his hair was short (he was only 11 days old), but you should see it now.

Our first bath.

Coming home from the hospital.

Fun With Silas

2011-03-11T22:02:00.000+05:30

This is my first attempt to post a video. This is from about a month ago. At night before Silas' last feeding I like to prop Silas up on my knees and sing songs. We like "Lord's Army", "My God is So Big", "I've Got the Joy..." and some others. Singing and doing body motions makes Silas happy.

Early Silas Pictures

2011-03-11T21:52:00.000+05:30

Here are some of Silas' first pictures. With all of the confusion in room, for some reason there is not a picture of me holding my son in the hospital. In fact I have very few pictures of me holding Silas in general because I am usually the photographer. If anyone has a picture of me holding Silas in the hospital, please let me know. Silas was 7lbs 8oz, 21 1/2 inches at birth. He came out alert, noisy, and ready to meet the world. Everyone comments on how alert he is and that is the way he has been from the beginning. I can't wait until he can start talking so that we can find out what he knows.

Sorry for the long Break

2011-03-11T20:59:00.001+05:30

After a long break- I have returned to the blogging world. It is crazy how little time I had for blogging after Silas was born- or perhaps I just didn't feel like doing it. I am in Virginia doing it and I really don't have time now, but I thought I would at least get things started. I was going to post pictures, and I may do that, but I am still trying to figure things out with our new computer. This post really says nothing, other than, things will be coming soon.

Peanuts

2010-11-04T06:57:00.000+05:30

I strongly dislike Halloween and am so glad that we are moving to a place that does not celebrate it! That being said, I do love a reason to dress up in a costume, So our SS class had a "Hallelujah" Party (jokingly called this) on Sunday evening.

I went to Goodwill, found some old clothes, and adapted them to make our costumes. Can you guess who I am?

Peanuts should give a clue that I am Lucy- and JP was Charlie Brown. Not wanting to spend $15 on a wig I would rarely wear, I made a wig out of black yarn. I have really been enjoying making things lately! I detached the sailor tie collar from the dress, added a panel to raise the neckline, and made a little white collar. JP's costume was easy- I only had to paint the black stripe.

We had fun playing "minute to win it" games, eating fun fall foods, and giving out candy and tracts to neighborhood children.

Our Temporary Nursery

2010-10-23T05:33:00.000+05:30

We will be moving about 2 months after Silas is born, so we had to make a portable nursery. Instead of a crib, Silas will be sleeping in a co-sleeper/bassinet/pack'n play. I sewed a little skirt to go around the bottom of the sleeper so that it would match the quilt I made.

I painted thin wood letters to put on the wall. I stuck them on with velcro so that we can easily move them from place to place.
I made a 40in x 28in jungle animal quilt.
And here is the back
And then we set up a changing pad on the dresser, a light weight and compact diaper caddy, a lion hanging thing I got at a consignment sale to put sleepers, onesies... in. My mom and I painted animal faces on canvas and put them in embroidery hoops for light weight art work. I also covered a cardboard box with extra zebra fabric left over from the quilt.

It was hard for me not to be able to paint a a wall and really set up a nursery, but we will just have to wait a year and a half or so until we finally get someplace we will be staying for a while.

My Little Pumpkin

2010-10-11T01:44:00.000+05:30

October 9th was Silas's second baby shower- hosted by my Sunday school class in Fort Worth. They did a fall pumpkin theme and it was adorable.Here are some of the guests at the shower. Along with my Sunday school class, college friends, TCU friends, and family were also in attendance.

Inside of the delicious Apple Spice Cake made by Adrian.

Picture of me at 35 weeks. Everybody comments on how small I am and how they can't believe that I only have a month to go. Hopefully that means that Silas will be on the small side.

A cute pumpkin cake was the feature dessert. This cake was made by Adrian @ pureblissconfections.blogspot.com.

They also made these really cute finger desserts that look like acorns. They are made out of donut holes, chocolate icing, toffee bits, and pretzyl twig.

I am so thankful for the ladies at both showers who put in so much time, love, and creativity to give us such fun and memorable showers. We are also thankful for the gifts we received to help us welcome Silas home. He will one well-dressed little boy. I will have to take a pictures of him in all of his outfits.

Monkey Around

2010-10-11T01:37:00.000+05:30

September 19th- Silas had is first baby shower with the Prairie Creek and Plano crowd. A fun thing about this shower is that a lot of the people there knew me as a baby and possibly came to my baby shower. It is amazing to think that I am at the motherhood stage now.

Monkeys were the theme of the shower. It was quite cute and jungley, going along nicely with the jungle quilt I am making. I was 32 weeks in this picture with my mom and two sisters.

The Name

2010-09-28T23:06:00.000+05:30

Before we find out the gender of our new arrival, we already had both of our names picked out. I had liked the name Silas for a long time because of his role in the NT(before a husband was in the picture) and was thankful that JP was open to the idea. We threw around some other names though because I wasn't fully convinced by the meaning of Silas. I really like names with strong meanings, and Silas means "man of the forest". This isn't a bad meaning but it seemed kind of silly. One morning while I was praying for our baby and thinking about names, Jeremiah 17:7-8 came to my mind.

"Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord, for he will be like a tree planted by the waters that extends its roots by the stream, and he will not fear when the heat comes but its leaves will be green and it will not grow anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit."

That sealed it for me. This verse reminded me of the forest, and this would be my prayer for my child. Thus we were set on Silas.

The middle name was a little more difficult for us to settle on. We made a list of Bible names with strong meanings and also some family names (none of which had strong meanings). I was leaning toward Charles because I wanted to honor my grandfather, JP was leaning more toward a Bible name. I decide to leave the decision up to JP- and the wonderful husband I have decided to honor my grandfather and go with Charles.

Charles means- "manly" or "free man". The verse we chose to go along with his middle name is Galatians 5:1- "It is for freedom that Christ has set you free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery."

So- Silas Charles it is!! I can't wait 'til he gets here.

The beginning of baby

2010-09-28T22:46:00.000+05:30

I found out that I was pregnant on March 5th or 6th. I had been suspecting this was the case for about a week, but I didn't want to waste a pregnancy test, so I waited to take it. After attending our women's conference at church, I went home, snuck into the bathroom without JP seeing me, and took the test. It didn't take long for the two lines to appear and confirm my suspicions. I would not say that it was a surprise, but at the same time, I wasn't really expecting it or planning on it quite yet, so I honestly wasn't sure what to think I didn't know what JP would think.

I composed myself and got JP to go on a walk with me. We walked to where he proposed to me. I then told him sweet things and gave him a button that read "Future Father". His face lit up and he said "Really!!"- He thought it was great and I started crying. I must say that it took us a while to get used to the idea, but now we love it!

We waited a few weeks before we told anyone, partly because I wanted to tell family in person before anyone else knew, but mostly because I had a lot of fears about early miscarriage because we found out at 4 1/2 weeks. But God has taught me a lot about that. At every stage of pregnancy there is the possibility that something could go wrong. There is this baby growing inside of you (and aside from basic health choice) and yet you have no control over the situation and you cannot see what is going on. God teaches us from the very beginning that we have to trust God with out children- it isn't going to change when I can see him, his growth and development (physically and spiritually) is up to God, no matter how much control I may think I have. I must give Silas to God from the very beginning.

Belly Shots

2010-09-26T02:52:00.001+05:30

I confess that I have kind of forgotten how to post pictures correctly on Blogspot, but here are a few pictures of my growing belly- though not too recent. I will try to get better at this. This is in July sometime- I don't remember how many weeks.
This was the middle of May- a little over 3 mos along.
This was at 18wks- at our gender party where we revealed that we are having a boy.
Obviously, this is the pregnancy test.

I'm Back

2010-09-26T02:34:00.000+05:30

My last post was featured a picture of my newborn nephew who is now 3 years old. It has been a long time and a lot has changed in my life. I was really planning to just start a new blog, but I couldn't decide on a name, so this one stays for now.

Since my last post I have gotten married

Earned a Master's Degree

And we are now expecting a baby boy- Silas Charles. I will put a new post about that one.

My life seems to be constantly changing. I am trying to learn however that I need to cherish the moment I am in and not keep looking ahead to what is coming next.

So, I am going to try to be faithful to keep this blog updated- mostly regarding Silas and our life once we move overseas again.

My Favorite Things about America

2007-09-16T03:20:00.001+05:30

This is not a long list, and in fact it is best said through pictures. The pictures aren't that wonderful, but they will do. My nephews! (I love the rest of family too, but I already knew them). My second nephew was born September 10, 2007. His name is Cole Lloyd Wright. Unlike with Mark, I got to visit Cole in the hospital and help my sister out. Being there for births is something you can take for granted, but I fully cherished this special event.

2007-08-07T09:03:00.000+05:30

We also visited lookout mountain in Tennessee/Georgia, where you can see into 7 states. See if you can identify them by the flags.

Tour of the Deep South

2007-08-07T08:50:00.000+05:30

Though I have lived only one state over from Southern life most of my life, I have never visited the true South. There are some who may try to say that Texas is Southern, but the part I live in definitely is not. So, two weeks ago I went with my parents on a quick tour of 6 states: Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana! I took the Greyhound from the downtown Dallas station (bad station to start from) and met my parents in Little Rock, Arkansas. From there we drove to Memphis where we ate really tasty barbecue ribs and then walked down Beale street to get apple dumplings at a place that takes pride in serving grease. - The next day we headed to Nashville and stopped into some Civil War famous cites along the way. In Nashville we visited a smokeless bar downtown that advertised no cover charge and open mike Bluegrass. We didn't really know what to expect, but we were not disappointed! Then we headed to Knoxville so that I could visit a friend and hike in the Smoky mountains (I have really missed the mountains). In Alabama and Georgia we visited things that had to do with my ancestors. Above I am beside the grave site of my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. It was neat to see the history of my family and to see where they all lived and went to school. It really is beautiful country.

2007-08-07T08:45:00.000+05:30

Fourth of July 2007 (it takes me a while to get things posted). This was my first American holiday back in the states and it was small but enjoyable. With all the rain Texas had been getting, we did not have to worry about fire work bans! The weather cleared and there was a beautiful sky for all kinds of shows. We spent the 4th at the lake and put on our own Fire work display and watched the displays of our neighbors. It was fun, but I must admit that it was nothing compared to China. The Chinese really know how to put on a show!

Pray

2007-07-10T22:28:00.000+05:30

Last Sunday we had a guest preacher do our morning service. During his introduction he mentioned our need to pray for our troops in Iraq and he mentioned that he has a family member serving over there. His family member is actually embedded in an Iraqi squad working with them and training them. When he said this it struck me as to what an amazing opportunity this is for the gospel to reach the Iraqi people. Now I realize that there are probably language barriers and rules of war that would limit these guys from overtly proselytizing, but still, what amazing close and everyday contact Christians get to have with Iraqi soldiers. Of course not all American soldiers in these roles are Christians. Anyway, my main thought was that we need to be praying for the soldiers in these situations that they would live as Christ would live and proclaim the name of Jesus with their attitudes, actions, and words when possible. I pray that the Christian soldiers would realize the opportunities they have and make the most of them.

Missing China

2007-06-27T03:12:00.000+05:30

On Friday I will have been back in America for 3 months. Things have been going pretty well. I have been busy and have had many opportunities to make friends with Chinese speakers and speak Chinese with them. Last week I attended debriefing and it was a great time to hear what has been going on around the world and to spend time with people like me. But now I am home. Just a few minutes ago I was standing in the kitchen cutting a nectarine and I suddenly got an image of the streets of China in my mind (strange considering they have no nectarines). It was at that point that I realized that I am not going back (at least not for a few years) and tears started to flow. I loved China, not just a few things, but pretty much everything about it. I loved the city, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the food, the activity, the people. I loved walking down the street and buying fruit and vegetables from roadside vendors. I loved talking to a dozen strangers everyday, learning something new about them and getting to share a little bit of Christ. I am in America now, and that is strange. I have not so much experienced culture shock, but perhaps I am a little homesick.

I look Like My Momma

2007-06-02T06:40:00.000+05:30

This is an old picture, but it demonstrates my point.

Although I am shorter, paler, blonder, and my hair is curlier, I look like my mother and there is nothing I can do about. It isn't that I mind looking like my mother- I have always considered her to be a beautiful woman, but after living at college and then in China where no one knows my mother, it has been interesting coming back. I can walk into a place I have never been before and a complete stranger will come up to me and say "You must be Patti Cable's daughter!" At which I respond, "Yes I am. And who are you?" Actually it is a great thing. It reminds me of what it is supposed to be like as a child of God. I may not have His eyes and His smile, but I should be able to go places and have total strangers say, "Hey, you're God's daughter!" I was just thinking about that as I enter back into American culture and materialistic Plano. I pray that I am being a reflection of Him in everything that I do and say, and praise Him that He disciplines me and gives me another chance when I am not.

2007-05-07T01:59:00.000+05:30

I attended Asia Fest 2007 in Downtown Plano today and was very impressed by the multicultural turnout. In the Mayors speech she said that approximately 19% of Plano's population is now Asian. In the above picture some Indian American boys perform a Punjab dance. I quite enjoyed the Indian music.

This is just a view of some of the diversity and the green park. It was a beautiful day and the recent rain has made things gorgeous!

I was standing watching some kids do Indian block painting when a two Chinese Lions and a parade of drums came walking past me. I didn't have time to get a front view, but here is the back view. While at the huodong, I also found out about a DFW area Chinese corner type thing for people who want to practice speaking Chinese. I think I may check it out.

A Big Big God

2007-05-05T07:42:00.000+05:30

Wednesday night I was sitting in my parents' home all alone, when a storm started blowing in. I must insert here that I love storms. One thing that I missed in China was good spring/summer thunderstorms. Watching the the blue-gray clouds roll in from the West, feeling the wind whipping through my hair... and then God shows off. Lightning dances across the sky to the accompaniment of falling rain and crashing thunder, all under the direction of the master conductor. Oh they are such a wonderful reminder of God's awesome power and majesty.
But, back to Wednesday night. The thunder had been crashing for a few minutes when the power went out (and stayed out until 3 am). Having no connection to the outside world (the phones were out too), I had no idea what was going on in the rest of the area and just enjoyed the symphony of the storm alone with God in the dark of my house. When my parents got home 2 hours later, I found out that most of the city was without power, trees were down and littering the streets, and a house nearby was ablaze after a power line and pole crashed down upon it. In the morning we found out that power was still out all over the Metroplex (35,000 homes are still without it), much damage had been done, but through all the 100mph winds, fallen fences, downed trees, overturned vehicles, and burned houses, there were no injuries or fatalities. And, the house that burned down was vacant, as the owners had moved out two weeks earlier (Praise the Lord).
So what this says to me is that God is big!! I think He often does things to show is power. This spring has been full of powerful storms, and every storm has shown God's power and control. I just think about the way storms work and all the components of it, and I am amazed! I was thinking about this and the the absence of powerful thunderstorms in Southern China, and I see how God shows His power in different ways in different places. Just for example, the mountains I lived near in China were majestic displays of God's creation. Texas is rather lacking in anything but flat land, but the big blue skies, sunsets, and storms glorify God just as much as the jade rivers and karst mountains of Guangxi.
How is God big where you live?

Quick Stress Update

2007-05-05T07:39:00.000+05:30

Well, the Mavericks have sadly ended my stress by majorly losing in game 6 of the playoffs. It is sad. Perhaps they can pull it together and do it next year. (sigh)

Stress

2007-05-03T01:45:00.000+05:30

I know what you are probably thinking by my title, I am going through readjustment stress or something like that, but in actuality that is not the case. In fact, my adjustment is still going smoothly. It has taken me a month, but I finally have a routine (at least somewhat) and my tutoring jobs are keeping me busy!
So why am I stressed? Have you been watching the Mavericks' play-off games? Some of those games have been just plain sickening and last night was just stressful. Sitting there watching them give up a 21 point lead to have a 9 point deficit made my heart beat quickly and feel stressed! I do not know why I am stressing out over this series (it is just basketball), but when a team that is supposed to win it all stinks up the court, it is stressful. I was relieved as they hung on to win the game last night, but part of me fears another night of stress.

Less to Write about from this side of the ocean

2007-04-20T07:08:00.000+05:30

I have been back in America for almost three weeks now and I find that I really don't know what to blog about. It is definitely weird to be back, but I don't necessarily feel like I am experiencing "culture shock". Things about American culture do not bother me now any more than they did three years ago. So what I am going through now is more like life-style shock and transition frustration (just like what I went through the two summers I spent at home during college). I have been a free spirit, traveling and doing things on my own, for 3 years (if you don't count college), and now I am back living with my parents. I also really miss city life. I miss walking downstairs (or taking the elevator) and being surrounded by people, riding the bus and meeting new people, buying fruit and vegetables from streetside vendors, and walking a lot.
Before I came back, I knew that Plano has a high Asian population, but wow! Plano has a high Asian population. I know of four Asian markets within a twenty minute drive from my house, and they are mostly Chinese! There are also a lot of new Thai, Indian, and Vietnamese places. I am still working on how to build relationships with some of these Chinese speakers.
One last thing. Though I may not be working with Chinese right now, I am tutoring four Korean kids. It is a pretty good job before starting back to school.

2007-04-04T08:00:00.000+05:30

The back of my shirt says "Foreigner Goes". I thought it was an appropriate shirt for the occasion. My Chinese friends thought it was really funny!

2007-04-04T07:58:00.000+05:30

A few friends came with me to the airport to send me off. It is the Chinese way. I rented a van so that they could all come with me. Several of my closest friends could not come because of school conflict. The two pictured above work in my building and we frequently ate dinner together.

2007-04-04T07:55:00.000+05:30

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go..."- I thought about that song a lot this week. It was crazy getting everything I needed packed into three suitcases (60kg in all) and then getting rid of everything else, while at the same time saying goodbye to all of my friends and giving final lessons. It was such a blessed week though and so full of joy. This is in my apartment right before I left.

La Mian

2007-03-23T19:23:00.000+05:30

This morning at 7 I went to the Muslim noodle place down the street to learn how to make pulled-noodles. The night before I had asked them how to make it, and after they figured out that I wasn't trying to become competition for them, they sold me the special ingredient and then invited me for a special private lesson (I am going to miss being foreign and special). So first the guy poured out a pile of flour on the table and added a little bit of salt. 2nd, make a crater in the flour and pour water in the middle. 3rd, get mix the flour around with the water for a long time, fluffing it, patting it, massaging it... 4th spread the doughy flour out across the table and sprinkle water over the top. 5th, knead some more, and keep kneading and adding water until it is mostly ok. 6th mix together water and the special ingredient (I haven't figured out what this special ingredient is yet, but the word is Peng Hui, directly meaning "fluffy ash". The purpose of this ingredient is to make the dough elasticky. 7th sprinkle fluffy ash (just a little) over the dough, then sprinkle the water+ fluffy ash mixture over the top and knead until it is the proper consistency. I realize that perhaps this is a little boring, it was actually kind of a monotonous process, but then came the fun part, pulling the noodles. And guess what, he asked me if I wanted to do it! They make it look so easy. In fact, one book I read said that it is an art. The guy told me it took him ten days to learn how to do it, but he is sure I can get it in 5. This was truly MAWL in action (for those of you who do not know what that means, Model, Assist, Watch, and Leave). He was such a patient and encouraging trainer. This will be one of my first cooking projects when I get back to America. If successful, I will have a La Mian party and invite my friends over. Sorry no picture, perhaps I will take one before I leave.

Last Trip

2007-03-18T17:37:00.000+05:30

I just returned from my last trip to the Asian countryside (at least this go around). It didn't really hit me until I was on the common bus driving up the mountain. It was cold and rainy outside as we wound through the mountains and along the jade river. Reddish-orange flowered trees sporadically lined the river and it made me cry. Wow! It is so beautiful. I never lost that awe and wonder at seeing the God's magnificent creation. What a breath-taking place I have been privileged to travel in for the past two and a half years. I am so going to miss those lush emerald mountains and all that goes with them: fresh air, star-lit skies, hospitable villagers, corn porridge, little old women smoking pipes, pantsless children, telling stories, the reactions of those who hear the stories, rickety bus rides....I am sure that I will think of more things as I am cramped in the city in America. I suppose I will have to let myself escape to the countryside every once in a while.

2007-03-10T18:24:00.000+05:30

Traditional Photos

2007-03-10T08:20:00.000+05:30

It took me a while to get these posted, but they are finally here. After a flood, sweaty photos in a garden, changing clothes in the minority museum, a bad photographer, and lost pictures, here are the few pictures that I thought were good enough.

2007-03-05T18:04:00.000+05:30

In America I am seldom what one would consider tall. I prefer to shop in the petite section of clothing stores and I am the shortest one in my family. But, in Asia I am tall. Everyone is always so amazed when I tell them how tall the rest of my family members are. Though I am bigger than most of the villagers, they are definitely stronger than I am. This week I tried to help an eleven year old village girl about half my size to haul water from the well to the house. Using a bamboo pole, she carried two buckets of water over her shoulders. When I tried, I couldn't even stand up. I have a lot of physical training to do if I want to match up to these LiHai people!

Suzhou and Shanghai

2007-03-05T17:59:00.000+05:30

For a southerner, the weather was quite and dreary in Suzhou. It is said to be heaven on earth, but that must be in spring and summer. We road on a little boat down a little river inside a park. Actually we did that two places. One of the parks had a place where you could roll around inside a bubble on the water for ten minutes. I did not do it, but two of my friends did and it was quite amusing to watch. I think it would have been fun on a warmer day.

Traveling Fun

2007-03-05T17:50:00.000+05:30

My computer is finally fixed and I can now once again post pictures and comments from my life. So much has happened since I was last able to post, so we will just have to start from here. In Thailand I took up speed racing. I haven't driven a real car in over two and a half years, but I took to the wheel fairly quickly. I was doing fine until I got a little competitive and went too quickly around a turn while passing someone. I fish-tailed and she hit me, but no worries! It was fun, followed by a thrilling game of paintball capture the flag. Hopefully I will get a picture of that soon (from a friend).

This is a picture looking across the Bund in Shanghai. I think the globe is the exhibition center or something like that, but I could be completely mistaken. The weather in Shanghai made all of my pictures blurry, but photo editing does great things.

I AM A DORK

2006-11-19T17:56:00.000+05:30

I realize that I could just go in and erase the blog that I posted a few minutes ago, but then I would deprive my friends of getting to laugh at me and I do want everyone to know that I am a dork. I have a very small apartment and did not think that the bag of winter long johns and pajamas could hide, but they did, and I found them!!! Yeah! So now I have Paul Frank elephants and Fa la la la la and everything is good.

City Reflections

2006-11-19T17:33:00.000+05:30

I went to the park the other night with a friend because she wanted to take pictures of the buildings. It turned out to be really cool because we were able to photo the reflections in the the lake as well. There is also a bridge that has a water fall coming down off of it. The lights on the bridge change colors making the water change colors also. It looked pretty.

Pajamas

2006-11-19T17:27:00.000+05:30

I have a thing for pajamas. With some girls it is shoes, purses, belts... but for me it is pajamas. I love wearing cute pajamas! My summer pjs don't mean very much to me, but my winter ones do. It all started back when I was 7 or something and my mom unknowingly started a tradition of giving us new pajamas every Christmas Eve. This has been a true annual tradition. Even with me on the other side of the world, I have still gotten pjs for Christmas. And they are always so cute! So why am I writing about this right now? Because I discovered a very sad thing today. I was getting my winter stuff out of storage in preparation for the change of seasons and I discovered that the bag with all of my long underwear (very important here) was missing. Somehow it did not make the move from my old apartment to my new one. This discovery did not bother me too much until I realized that my winter pjs were in that bag too. Upon this realization I began to cry. It is strange the things that can make one cry. I miss my blue Paul Frank elephant pajamas from my last Christmas in the states and my green Falalala pajamas from last year. What will I ever do without my pajamas (melodromatic sigh). I realize that life will go on and I will eventually (years down the road) get over the fact that some Asian person somewhere is wearing my pajamas to the market (yes, they like to wear their pajamas in public), but for right now I am going to cry a little. My pajamas are like a security blanket to me. A little bit of home, a little bit of tradition that I was able to bring with me.
Would everyone please have moment of silence for my pajamas. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Thank you!

Pictures of my city

2006-11-05T16:51:00.000+05:30

We finally had a very low polution day in the big N so I was able to take some pretty good photos of my city. These are taken from the 19th floor courtyard of my apartment building. I live on the 20th floor, so this pretty much my view also (I just don't have panarama).

Nightmare

2006-11-05T16:28:00.000+05:30

This is a little bit of a strange topic for me to be posting for all to see, but it was just so oddly my life that I had to share. I only know of one person who can identify with this nightmare, but if anyone other than Kim has experienced this, I would be love to hear.
So in village houses sometimes there is a place to use the restroom, but a lot of times you have to go outside to do this, and sometimes you have to walk a ways and then go in someone else's home. Because of the amount of water I intake, I usually have to get up and go to the restroom in the middle of the night. Knowing that this is a very difficult thing to do when sleeping in a village, I try not to drink any water after a certain hour so that I can make it through the night without having to get up and go to the restroom. For some reason however, I seldom accomplish this. So imagine, it is five o'clock in the morning. You have been holding it since 3 (i know because my watch has a light), and you are trapped inside a house that is bolted on the inside and you are not sure how to open the door. Plus, even if you did open the door you would have to walk about 50 yards to another house that is most likely locked.
So this is the situation I was in a few nights ago (and I have been in this situation before) when I had my nightmare. I was in a village house and there was no where to go to the restroom but I really had to go (of course I really did have to go, so that part of the dream was real). The villager told me to go outside and just find a spot. When I went outside I was suddenly outside my parents' house (well kind of) in America and I was looking for a place to squat down. But no matter where I went, there was always someone who could see me. I finally just squatted down and then a bunch of people (mostly from my youth group) came out into the yard and were sitting around. This dream had suddenly turned into the going to school with no clothes on dream. I quickly woke up (it was 5:30 and the house was sound asleep) and decided that I must find a way because the real nightmare was reality and not my dream. So I got up as quietly as I could, went over to the door, and took over a minute trying to figure out in the dark how to open the stupid thing. I then found a place to end my agony. After ending my pain I looked up and saw a sky full of stars. Oh so beautiful. Then I went back in the house, rebolted the door, and went to bed.
I hope you got a good laugh out of this story. And if you have any cures for not having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night (I took my last drink at 5pm), please let me know.
Another side not. The local polite word for the restroom is "fangbian"- which means "convenient", but in the countryside it is not so fangbian.

You Know You've Been to too many villages when....

2006-10-30T17:24:00.000+05:30

Probably about a year ago I posted "You know you've been in Asia too long when," but now Asia is life and I am actually turning a little country. So, You know you've been to too many villages when (in no particular order):
1. You can distinguish the flavor differences in different kinds of corn porridge*
2. You crave corn porridge when you are in the city
3. You know whether to use corn husks, stalks, twigs and leaves, or logs for the fire depending on what is being cooked.
4. You find the village bed more comfortable than your own
5. You find taking a shower in a pig sty refreshing
6. The children are no longer afraid of you
7. You find it odd that other people find it odd that you go to villages
8. You know the countryside bus attendants by name
9. You are somehow able to understand a lady speaking a language other than the one you are studying.
10. You can keep up with the locals while climbing the mountains (they were carrying my bag).

In actuality I am very far from being accustomed to village life, but I enjoy my short escapes from the city.
* Corn Porridge: take boiling water, slowling add cornmeal, whip with a special stick. As it may sound, corn porridge has very little flavor. My time eating cp it was ok, but not what I would choose to eat. After eating it a few more times, I decided that I really could not stand the gritty flavorless glop in my mouth. But then, I don't know how, I suddenly really started enjoying it. I can actually taste the sweetness of the corn and greatly enjoy it. It leaves a gritty feeling in your mouth when you are finished, but I suppose it is good for exfoliating your teeth and gums. For an extra special treat one time though, the cooked the corn meal in fresh chicken broth (this was especially good). As another side note, corn porridge is quite an art to make. City people cannot do it, it takes the skill of a villager. mmm I am making myself hungry.

Renao

2006-10-14T17:52:00.000+05:30

For Mid-Autumn Festival, the celebration of the full moon and everything round, I decided to follow the crowds and go to the cities biggest park. Normally I try to avoid the crowds, but since I knew that this would be my last MAF for a while, I decided to be like the natives. I knew that the place was going to be packed, but I had no idea how packed. Oh My Goodness!! Can we say a lot of people! I was sitting outside the gate waiting for a friend and people just kept piling in. I have no idea how they all fit (very tightly). This is what the Asians call Renao (literaly translated hot noise), but meaning lively and noisy. To the locals, this is a very positive term. They love renao. If things are not renao, then they are not exciting. But to me, things stop being fun when there is a crowd. I am not clostrophobic or afraid of people, but when you cannot see two feet in front of you and you have to constantly watch yourself from stepping on people, then there are too many people. I would not be surprised if there were 1million people at that park. And I must tell you, I did not stick around very long.
But if you are interested, inside the park there were people selling paper lanterns, plastic torches and other light up toys, incense, round fruit,... People were set up on the lawn with displays of food, burning incense to something. My friend guided me through the lawn, but I had to leave because of the smell (as I wrote about before, I can't stand incense).
In all, the park seemed like a fun place to celebrate, if you like crowds, but since the moon is viewable from much more peaceful places, I will choose to go somewhere else next time.

2006-10-05T19:24:00.000+05:30

I just thought these little chickens were cute poking their heads out of individual head holes in the box.

2006-10-05T19:23:00.000+05:30

I recently moved into a new apartment (pictures to come) and I have to take an elevator to get to my 20th floor room. Look carefully at the picture of the buttons in the elevator. Is something wrong with this picture? There is no floor 4 or floor 14, but they are instead replaced by 5A and 15A. The reason for this is that the word for four very closely resembles the word for death. So, in superstition, four is a very unlucky number. Kind of like how some elevators in the west don't have 13, but they take it much more seriously here.

2006-09-14T17:17:00.000+05:30

Here is just a bit of fun vietnamese architecture! They really like dragons in Vietnam. They say that Vietnam is the shape of a dragon and that the dragon has provided them with much protection over the years.