A Saturday to Remember

This past Saturday our new friend, Mai, took us to the Temple of Literature.  She took Abigail and one of her cousins on her motorbike.  Her mom with two more cousins followed on her motorbike, and David was the chauffeur caboose with AA and myself.  It was a first for us to venture downtown on the motorbike, and it definitely was a first trying to follow not only 1 but 2 other motorbikes!  I have to say it was a BLAST!  I rode on the back of David's bike and filmed quite a bit of video.  I even saw the first stop light here!!!  I don't think anyone actually observed it though : )When I figure out how to upload the video, I will.  Well, I'm typing this so we made it there and back alive!  The Temple of Literature is the oldest university in the country dating back to 1076.

 Not a great picture but there are 86 of these stone pillars with chinese writing on them.  They are on top of stone turtles.  You're suppose to rub the turtle's head for good luck.  I'll give you two guesses who wanted to sit on them and was reprimanded! (Hint:  the only male in the group)...and if you actually need the hint you don't know my family very well!

Entire travel group in front of Temple of Literature minus one cousin

Guess who hit the drum????

They love the asian fingers!

You're all bull, baby, but I love you!

And...guess who rang the bell?!?!  I bet that felt good in their ears : )

We listened to a mini concert with some interesting instruments.

This dude was just super cool!!!!  He wrote calligraphy and is placing his signature (the red "chop") on the final product.

My generous husband purchased a scroll for our new friend.  She did NOT want to accept, but we insisted and told her friends do nice things for friends.  She was just over the top estatic!

Of course, everyone is so intrigued with AA.  When he found out she was born in China he began to take even more of an interest in us.  He spoke to her in chinese, but she, of course, wouldn't talk to him.

 Hey there, buddy, that's my bike!!!  For some reason you look way more masculine on the motorbike...vroom vroom!

In Sickness and in Health...

Oh, I'm soooo ready to feel back on top of my game, folks!  10 days of this is 10 more days than I would have preferred.  I've just about switched my days and nights again (and not on purpose!) due to getting in a coughing fit each time I go to bed.

If you know me you know that January and February are THE hardest months of the year for me.  I'm a sunshine girl, and when I'm in dreary, cold and haze it is difficult for me to function- truly.  So when I'm sick (and throw in new surroundings without the ability to drive to a pharmacy and purchase meds that you know what they are) plus no sunshine, I'm a tad over the top.  I know David is 'bout sick of me begging to take me to sunshine.  He has tried though...I have to give him credit for that.   So....enough of my "blahs".

At the same time of my week long blahs I've been anxiously anticipating my church family back home getting to meet our prospective Minister of Music who spent the week there.  I've been secretly jealous of what they were going to see, hear and experience and knowing that I wouldn't be there in person to rejoice with them. Our #1 priority on the list for finding a "music man" was that he have a HEART for God and a passion for leading others to the Throne.  He not only has that, but he and his wife have a passion for reaching their community.  We were directed to that man.  THAT was amazing experience. Scott and Melody, if David and I were still living there, we'd sooooo be having you over for homemade salsa....WELCOME!!!!

It's simply thrilling for me to know that many years of praying for people's hearts back home is coming to fruition.  Please don't misinterpret...this new man is not the answer.  He is part of the answer.  His family is part of the answer.  A high school gal who has been very ill with a chronic condition who was bathed in prayer two weeks ago is part of the answer.  My family moving away so that leadership in our own SS class is forced to step up is part of the answer.  Years of praying individually and as a class is part of the answer.   All these pieces of the puzzle put together = perfect timing.  People seeking him, loving Him and obeying Him is the answer.  God is the answer.  If you are reading this and a part of that family, I strongly encourage you to not miss out.  YOU are part of this answer.  How cool that YOU can be a part of HIS working and leading.  What a blessing! You are part of a unique community.  It's so funny to think about how David and I have been placed 1/2 way across the world with so many different nationalities and it is embraced by us and by all in which we come into contact yet at home there's a strong resistance by some to accept that, unfortunately.  That's one things we loved about our class back home- DIVERSITY.  That's a glimmer of what heaven will be like- red, yellow, black and white.  We're not all alike and that a good thing...that's a really good thing.

There's way more than singing and directing to be a worship pastor and there's way more to worship than music. It starts with your own heart.  I've observed throughout many years that people's "likes" seem to surpass what may be the right answer.  Usually, if things continue like they've always been, there's no growth, there's stagnant complacency.  Consider that loud vs. soft, peppy vs. mellow, plugged vs. unplugged are all pretty self focused.  God is way bigger than that!  All of those types minister to somebody.  All those types don't minister to me every single time, but nonetheless they meet a need somewhere, somehow. The more I see and experience other people's worship, the more I realize that it's not about our preferences.  HE's created all types of worshipers so why would we not expect all types of worship?  My prayer for those back home is to continue with your excitement, accept some change, be open to God's leading, don't get caught up in "what has always been", accept a new person into your congregation and seek to understand different cultures in your own community, and rejoice that you get to be apart of it! 

Okay, so off of my soap box.  I'm rejoicing with those who rejoice today!!!   I woke up today not feeling well, but when I  read messages from friends back home about Sunday I just smiled.   I'm talking ready to jump out of my skin excited!  I still need sunshine, but my heart is happier now  : )

Red doors, RED nose

I mean seriously...how many boxes of tissues can one human go through in one weekend????? I think I've broken the record and my raw nose is proof. I'd give anything right now to have soft, “lotiony” kleenex right now. I messaged a friend that I'd be in good shape if google translate could scan the tissue boxes for me I'm sure I could find that item. Well, on second thought, I doubt they have soft “lotiony” tissues here.

So...it's now 6:30 AM (yes, AM, and I'm blogging. What is wrong with this picture????) I've effectively been up ½ the night. I can't sleep. I can't watch tv ('cause awesome hubby has been booted to the sofa). I did a little reading- which was actually quite good at 3:30 this morning! I've surfed. I've emailed. I can't lay (or is it lie- always get those confused) down because the dry hacking cough won't allow it. I've counted my blessings- even named them one by one. I know I'm “home”, but if I were “home home” I'd probably start cleaning or something, but there's not too much to clean here since the cleaning ladies (LOL!!) came today and we don't have a lot of worldly possessions TO clean here anyway.

Hubby goes into work later today so I'll have to send him for our daily bread run before he goes and flies the friendly skies so sick momma won't have to hop on her bicycle (yes, I have wheels now!) and go forge for food with a snotty nose. Oh, how I love him!!!

Hmmm....here's to a great day ahead. School should just be delightful today : )

I can do ALL things...

Off to sleep- maybe. Nite nite. Or is it morning morning??

Here are a few pics from one of the many pagodas we've seen and photographed.  I think I see a theme here...2 red threads, red doors, and a red nose!  Here's to completing the theme of red (I know everyone wants to see pictures anyway instead of hearing my random thoughts!)...

I

Faces...Take 1

I've decided to do many posts on the different faces of this country.  I absolutely love to people watch.  I really like to study people's faces.  It's so intriguing to me.  Each face represents a unique story.  Every wrinkle, every smile, every tear...all a unique story.  A story of the One who created them- red, yellow, black and white.  Each face represents joy, sadness, survival, trial, sorrow, triumph, peace, simplicity, frustration, and such a host of other adjectives. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to "study" faces in a different part of the world for such a time as this...

Fruit Basket Turnover

The past two days we have completely flipped all of our rooms and closets!  This is our last attempt to overcome the loud techno music at night or I think we're going to have to move.  So instead of sending the girls to sleep with me each night so daddy can go sleep in their room (a little bit more protected from the music) and anticipate his 4 am wake up call, we've been SO generous (or maybe really selfish!) to give the girls the master bedroom.  THEY can hear the loud techno music at night.  Isn't that just extremely nice of us!!!  We've also switched our living area up into the loft (that's where I wanted it the first place).  We've had a little bit of a cool snap and the loft has a heater and wood floors whereas the original "living area" is granite floors, no heat and 20 feet closer to the techno music.

So here are the "after" pics...I'm dying without my gallery of photos on the walls and some pretty painted walls!  Even though the walls are not painted nor decorated to my liking, I have to admit that it's pretty nice to not be in a constant renovation like back at home!  I've already told David he could ask if he could paint some walls.  He looked at me with that, "Ummmm, you go right ahead m'am.  I'm enjoying my time off from doing "honey do's".  HA!!  It's also nice to pick up the phone to a landlord to come fix what is needed instead of us having to fix it.  We're very grateful to have such a nice roof over our heads and begin to think of this as home.  It's also hard to look at next door (literally) of those who have sheets as walls...wow.

The girls "new" room and new bed.  Funny that I just ASSUMED when they said they were ordering me another single bed for the girls that it would match...oh well.  Don't those windows just look so inviting for techno music???

The new Polly Pocket Dream Home fully designed with legos.  The pink purse is the elevator and the white tables are from the many pizza boxes that were delivered the past few weeks.  You know...the little thingies that are placed in the center of the pizza so the box top won't ruin the toppings????  Now, I think THAT is brilliant!  They see everything as a possible toy or something to use as a craft....I love it!  You have to improvise when you moved here with minimal toys!!!!

The girls old room and our new room.  Yep, I'm not hiding any square footage either.  The end of the night stand is the wall.  Behind the curtain is a huge air shaft...the girls like to play peek-a-boo to the next window which adjoins to the master bathroom.  It's a rather cozy little room with my animal print sheets from back home.

 Kinda feels like home...dark hardwood floors and even red and tan chairs and sofa! (I could do without the "apartments for rent sign" hanging outside the window, but that will be another call to the landlord for another day.)

No need for closet space for your shoes...everyone has a shoe rack in their home.  You take off your shoes and leave 'em at the front door!

Another view from our loft living room...it looks down into our kitchen with the washer and dryer (AND new rice cooker and microwave.  Those are new since we moved in....sweet!).

Beautiful view of the lake from dining table.  The chairs by the window is now the girl's school room (our former living room).

 Now, I'm trying to get used having the girl's closets and David's closet in the same room and my closet in another room.  The girls and I share the master bath and David's bathroom is the 2nd bath.  There ya have it...FRUIT BASKET TURNOVER!  You do watcha gotta do!!!! 

BTW...NO techno music the past two days either.  Woo Hoo!!!!!

The girls and I just returned from a playgroup.  Pretty cool that I just hung out with other expat women from Vietnam, USA, France, Japan, Egypt, and Algeria!

Language Lessons

Okay, so my girls are just waaaaay too perky in the mornings.  They're dressed (matching, of course- by their choice) and asking me to start school.  Really???  I'm still not on the clock, right?!?!  I'm still trying to pry my eyes open.  Well, I've decided that I better get myself in high gear, take that "happy morning pill" and get some lesson plans down on paper (well, on paper would be nice-  but I can't seem to find where to purchase that here either).  They've been doing school off and on for 3 weeks.  I don't know what my deal is with teaching school, but it's a real struggle and always has been.  You'd think I'd love it since I'm a total organizational freakazoid.  I think I had such a difficult experience when I taught in the public school system that I just got a bad taste in my mouth.  I do look back on my experiences and think that maybe I'm not TOO crazy about feeling the burn out though.  After all, I was placed in the emergency room five times, dealt with really high maintenance parents, tried to make an entire staff happy with "those" students, and didn't have enough personnel to handle all the challenges my particular position required.  Funny how He has called me to teach on more than one occasion.  Hmmmm...

Well, it looks like I'm not going to have two students but three!  Remember the young gal from another post?  She came this morning with her mom.  The girls and I had just begun the school day when they arrived.  We began to talk and one conversation led to another, and she asked me if I could teach her english.  I said, "Sure!"  I asked her if she'd teach us her language, too.  So.... here are our first lessons.

She taught Abigail some new words.

Abigail and I taught her some new words and the alphabet.  We ended up going through some of Audrey An's school stuff together and Mai would ask how to spell certain words of the pictures we were showing her.  We giggled with her and said AA is learning to read so you can just tag along!


Okay, don't get me wrong.  I treasure training and teaching my daughters in the way they should go.  Motherhood is my pleasure and the highest calling!  I'm so thankful that my husband and I recognize that gift and role.    I need to not compartmentalize THIS kind of training and "school" training.  I know that sounds probably weird, but for me being full time "teacher" has been different that being full time "mommy".  I'm working on it! I think I must have A.D.D. because I just get really distracted at "school".


As you might have gathered...one of my many "requests" is to find JOY, PATIENCE and embrace the fact that I am getting to educate and have total control of my children's learning experiences.  We should anyway.   I must say, they've had quite an education these past 3 weeks- things that books and typical schools could never provide!  That is one of the many things I DO LOVE about home school.  So, maybe I'm already beginning to embrace it???  Oh, I'm in for a wild ride this year...in more ways than one!  I can't wait to look back in a year and see where we've all come.

Off to do lesson plans for these sweet li'l girls on my phone (no paper needed!)...for now!