by Amy
As you know, I LOVE mint! I found this recipe online (thanks to Jessica B!) and after tweaking it a bit, it's delightful so I thought I'd share.... Here's my version of Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoon cocoa
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
195 g. of milk chocolate (just over 1 cup of milk chocolate chips)
1.5 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
½ c chocolate chips
Confectioners sugar, optional
In bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. Over hot water, melt 195g. of chocolate. Stir in peppermint extract, stirring until smooth. In bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add melted chocolate and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for about 1 hour (if planning on rolling into balls and coating with sugar.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; coat with confectioners sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. (You can omit rolling through powder sugar.) Bake 10-12 minutes, until tops appear cracked. Let stand 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Cool completely. Enjoy!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Christmas Fun
By Amy
Well, this was our first Christmas in my 32 and Brad's 35 years to not celebrate with our family. Although there are some sad things that that statement implies, we did have a wonderful and blessed Christmas season. Living in a society that that has no idea why we celebrate Christmas provided some fun opportunities to share the real meaning with our friends. I actually was allowed/invited to teach about American holiday traditions in two schools -- Savannah's kindergarten and a friends' university English class. Both were really fun for me! In Savannah's school, we gave each kid a Christmas gift, The Legend of the Three Trees book in the local language. So, each of the 35+ kids in her class brought her a gift as well. And, our presentation was videoed by some local media and aired on TV a few nights ago. We also hosted a Christmas party for a couple of our college friends. They invited about 10 friends to come to our home to play games and hear the Christmas story. It was lots of fun!
Then, on Saturday, Dec. 22, we got together with our American friends here in town. We had fun singing carols and reading the Christmas story to the kids. Uncle John is by far the favorite story-teller in our world as he does tons of fun voices. Listening to him read is like listening to Adventures in Odyssey! Our kids love it! After dinner and singing, the kids watched a DVD, the guys played Settlers, while the ladies baked cookies. We baked TONS of cookies! The guys and kids went home around 10pm while the ladies kept baking... It was great! Of course we had the traditional sugar cookies that we iced and sprinkled, but on top of that we had 2 versions of a Chocolate Mint cookie, some orange chocolate chip Mexican cookies and a double batch of peanut butter stars (peanut butter cookies with a chocolate star melted in the middle.) I think we ended up heading home about 1am. It was a late night, (especially for a mom!) and I was really tired -- but it was great fun!
On Sunday, Dec. 23 we hosted the party for our college friends, and on Christmas Eve day, I went to Savannah's school. That evening we let the kids each open a present or two, read our Advent book -- all 25 days! -- and all crawled in our bed to watch a new movie together. Then, all the kids slept together in the boys' room. Brad and I sat next the the Christmas tree and enjoyed listening to Christmas music we streamed off the Internet from a Houston radio station. Christmas morning we at cinnamon rolls for breakfast! They were yummy!! Then, we opened more gifts. This year, we let our kids open a gift about twice a week during December, so as to limit the number of gifts we had on Christmas Day. But, I'm not sure it worked! They still had quite a few presents that morning! (We actually opened them next to our fallen down tree -- it crashed that morning, so all the lights and ornaments were put away before we went to bed that night! My mom would be so proud!) After letting the kids play for a while, we got bundled up and hit the street. We took all the cookies that we had made a few nights earlier and put them in little baggies to hand out to people. We had fun walking around our neighborhood giving cookies out to our friends and acquaintances. We also included a movie and little book that explained more about Christmas. Our kids loved it! Now every time we walk by the guards in our complex, the boys ask if we can give them more cookies!
When we returned home, we drank hot chocolate and ate a quick lunch. Then, the kids went down for naps while Brad and I hit the kitchen! Our special Christmas dinner was Chicken Parmesan and Green Bean Casserole followed by Jesus' birthday cake (complete with candles!) Brad made the sauce from scratch while I cooked the chicken and made the casserole -- using real French's Fried Onions, thanks to Sue! Also, while the kids were sleeping, THREE boxes arrived! So, after dinner (before cake) we opened more presents!
So, here are a few pics that capture the day for your viewing enjoyment:
Savannah's new dress from Sue! She just couldn't wait to put it on! 
A new tiger and Nemo for the boys.
Clearly Pedo didn't have much help getting dressed this day. I guess he wanted to feel festive by wearing red and green! And, how 'bout those boots -- on the wrong feet! 
About 87 people asked Savannah if she was cold since she wasn't wearing pants!
The two Thomas the Train engines sent by my parents was a favorite gift!
Jesus' birthday cake! We each got to choose our own color of icing and the topping. Brad and I chose some ROCKIN' Andies Peppermint Chips that my friend Sarah sent us. The kids chose chocolate sprinkles.
Chocolate in tummies makes for some happy kiddos!
Mmmm! Alex enjoyed his cake! After we blew out the candles, Alex, with such a concerned look on his face asked, "Why doesn't Jesus get a cake?"
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Heat
by Amy
Brad is right...soon, I will post about our Christmas fun. But, I only have a few minutes now, so I wanted to tell you about our heater. We have radiators in every room that are 'turned on' on November 5 and 'turned' off sometime in March. This is the way it is in many homes all over our city. Now, if you know Brad and me very well, you know that we fairly warm natured, so not having control over our heat did not seem appealing. So, we talked to our apt. managers and told them we don't want heat this winter. They thought we were crazy! Our house-helper thought we were crazy, and our friends that translated for us also thought we were crazy.... We just couldn't see paying for heat, then opening the windows so it could escape. When it was all said and done, the apartment manager said we would have to pay 3000 local dollars if we wanted heat and 1000 if we didn't. Yes, you read that correctly....we still have to pay, even if we don't want it! That's crazy!
Well, having never lived here in the winter, and having so many tell us how cold it would be without heat, we decided to pay the 3000 local dollars. But, before we paid, we discovered the valve -- so we have the ability to turn our heat off and on. Most people do not have access to this valve in their home (so we've been told.) So, on Nov. 5 our heat cranked on, we quickly turned it off and opened the windows as it was a beautiful fall day. Since Nov. 5 the temperatures have easily fallen below freezing, but we have not turned our heat on ONCE. Our home is SOOO warm because we have 12 floors of heat cranking below us that we often have to open our windows to let their heat out. (Brad and I regularly sleep with our window open.) Even our house-helper and other locals have commented on how warm our home is. So, all this to say, we will save ourselves 2000 local dollars next winter!
Brad is right...soon, I will post about our Christmas fun. But, I only have a few minutes now, so I wanted to tell you about our heater. We have radiators in every room that are 'turned on' on November 5 and 'turned' off sometime in March. This is the way it is in many homes all over our city. Now, if you know Brad and me very well, you know that we fairly warm natured, so not having control over our heat did not seem appealing. So, we talked to our apt. managers and told them we don't want heat this winter. They thought we were crazy! Our house-helper thought we were crazy, and our friends that translated for us also thought we were crazy.... We just couldn't see paying for heat, then opening the windows so it could escape. When it was all said and done, the apartment manager said we would have to pay 3000 local dollars if we wanted heat and 1000 if we didn't. Yes, you read that correctly....we still have to pay, even if we don't want it! That's crazy!
Well, having never lived here in the winter, and having so many tell us how cold it would be without heat, we decided to pay the 3000 local dollars. But, before we paid, we discovered the valve -- so we have the ability to turn our heat off and on. Most people do not have access to this valve in their home (so we've been told.) So, on Nov. 5 our heat cranked on, we quickly turned it off and opened the windows as it was a beautiful fall day. Since Nov. 5 the temperatures have easily fallen below freezing, but we have not turned our heat on ONCE. Our home is SOOO warm because we have 12 floors of heat cranking below us that we often have to open our windows to let their heat out. (Brad and I regularly sleep with our window open.) Even our house-helper and other locals have commented on how warm our home is. So, all this to say, we will save ourselves 2000 local dollars next winter!
My Christmas Gift to Myself (imitation Crocs)
From Brad.
Sorry for the delay, but again, this has been a very busy month. School ends for me soon and that will free up some time to catch up on things (like blogging). I'm sure Amy will soon give a detailed description of our activities over the last couple of weeks, but I thought I'd share with you my recent discovery. First of all, for the first time in my 35 years of life, my back has begun to hurt :( Not too bad, not hindering me from doing anything, but my lower back is a little sore when I sit down. So I've (like my wife) started putting little pillows behind my lower back when I sit down most everywhere. Where is this pain coming from? Hard to tell, but the main difference in my life now (compared to life in America) is I walk on hardwood floors and concrete just about everywhere. In my home, it is always with bare feet. I suspected this might be the culprit. My wife wanted to get me a $35 pair of Crocs. I was tempted to give in but just couldn't bring myself to pay so much for what probably cost them $2 to produce (somebody could get rich if they make a nice imitation Croc for about $10, one that actually looks nice). My tennis shoes are comfortable, but getting a little old. They were also a little hard to slip on and off, so I decided to switch to a new pair (which we had already bought and brought with us). Therefore, my old Reeboks became my new house slippers (after some renovation and a thorough cleaning/sanitation). They're now very easy to get on and off, and still comfortable, but I haven't noticed my back any less sore (but for the record Amy has 2 pairs of Crocs-one for inside, one for outside-and her back still constantly is sore). So...Krista...I don't want to hear any smart comments! :) For your viewing enjoyment...
Sorry for the delay, but again, this has been a very busy month. School ends for me soon and that will free up some time to catch up on things (like blogging). I'm sure Amy will soon give a detailed description of our activities over the last couple of weeks, but I thought I'd share with you my recent discovery. First of all, for the first time in my 35 years of life, my back has begun to hurt :( Not too bad, not hindering me from doing anything, but my lower back is a little sore when I sit down. So I've (like my wife) started putting little pillows behind my lower back when I sit down most everywhere. Where is this pain coming from? Hard to tell, but the main difference in my life now (compared to life in America) is I walk on hardwood floors and concrete just about everywhere. In my home, it is always with bare feet. I suspected this might be the culprit. My wife wanted to get me a $35 pair of Crocs. I was tempted to give in but just couldn't bring myself to pay so much for what probably cost them $2 to produce (somebody could get rich if they make a nice imitation Croc for about $10, one that actually looks nice). My tennis shoes are comfortable, but getting a little old. They were also a little hard to slip on and off, so I decided to switch to a new pair (which we had already bought and brought with us). Therefore, my old Reeboks became my new house slippers (after some renovation and a thorough cleaning/sanitation). They're now very easy to get on and off, and still comfortable, but I haven't noticed my back any less sore (but for the record Amy has 2 pairs of Crocs-one for inside, one for outside-and her back still constantly is sore). So...Krista...I don't want to hear any smart comments! :) For your viewing enjoyment...
I also couldn't resist posting a picture of the funny English on this bag of coffee beans. I'd love to hear your interpretation of what they are trying to say.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Fun with Neighbors
by Amy
I'm a little sad to say this, but most of our friends are English speakers.... We have a few friends that don't speak English very well, but we tend to attract (and flock to) English speakers. Since our home is very near two university campuses, we're able to find many people to befriend. But, we have a couple of neighbors, that do not speak English, that have pursued the crazy foreigners, with three munchkins, living in their building! Both have invited us to their homes, so we decided it was time to return the offer. On Thursday evening, (before our wonderful date) we went to see these two families and invite them both to eat lunch with us on Sunday afternoon....
We knocked on the first door, and the man of the home, came to the door in his long underwear. I felt a little uncomfortable, but he didn't seem to mind. He seemed thankful to get our invitation and said he'd get back to us after checking with his wife. (They later told our babysitter that they'd see us on Sunday.) Whew, one invitation down, one to go....
So, we went to the 4th floor of our building and knocked on the door. No answer...Then, beep, the elevator door opened. Some people got off and went to the door we had just knocked on...too bad they weren't our friends....good thing we didn't get there five minutes later.... So, Brad then consulted his trusty treo (palm-phone) ~ our friends actually live on the 9th floor, not the 4th. We live on the 13th. 13-9=4. That's why Brad got the 9th and 4th floors confused....He assures me it's a very logical mistake. I'm not sure I get it....
So, we find the right door on the right floor, and behind it -- we find our friend! We invite her and her family to come to our home for lunch on Sunday. She gladly accepts our invitation.
During these two conversations, in the local language, I decide Brad and I make a great team! Brad can speak well and be understood by the locals (ie-invite them to our house). His pronunciation and vocabulary far surpass mine! But, my listening comprehension is a little better than his since I listen to Leigh everyday. So when the long-underwear guy says he'll talk to his wife when she gets home and get back to us, I follow it, tell him that's great, and tell Brad what he said when we get in the elevator.
As the day approaches, I decided to ask Leigh to come to work on Sunday since we're having company and I don't know how to cook Asian food. We've invited people to show up at noon, so I ask Leigh to have lunch ready about 12:30 or so. Brad usually has a meeting on Sunday afternoons, but he moved it to Sunday morning since we were having company that afternoon. As he walks out the door, I ask, "Will you try to be home before noon?" "Of Course!" he responds. So, I have three kids, a clean house, and a couple of hours to kill. So, we get dressed and head to a little market. We buy some gloves for the kids, some little stools, and 6 pairs of indoor shoes that I need to have since we're having 6 people over. We return home about 11:20. Savannah enjoys lining all the new shoes by the door, Peter and Alex play on the new stools, and I head to the bathroom to put on my make-up and do my hair. It's 11:30, Brad should be home any minute.... Ding Dong, there's the doorbell. I ask on of the boys to let Daddy in, and one minute later, they come running, shouting, "They're here! They're here!" Sure enough, our neighbors (the long underwear guy and fam) have shown up 30 min. early! But, even though I don't have on my make-up yet, I feel fine because, at least I'm dressed....The wife, on the other hand, is wearing her PJs. Yes, they are white with small pink hearts on them. She's in her pajamas--at my house--at 11:30am! I don't get it! (Even my not-so-observant-husband noticed the jammies!)
I invite them in, introduce them to Leigh, and try to think of things to say...Where's my husband?!?!? He can handle the conversations, not me!! Well, thanks to my kids, the 20 mins we are hanging out without Brad go pretty smoothly. Savannah entertains them by showing off her room and saying all the colors on her new gloves in Asianese while Peter and Alex keep breaking parts off the new little truck our neighbors brought them. Brad shows up at 10 min. before noon -- as promised, and gladly takes over the conversing. At noon, our other neighbor show up. Soon there after, we sit down to a great meal. Leigh went all out! She spend almost 4 hours preparing the 7 or 8 dishes she sat before us. Our neighbors seemed to really enjoy it.
After lunch, including a cake that our second neighbor brought in honor of my birthday, we taught them how to play UNO. It's one game that's simple enough Brad can explain it in Asianese. After laughing quite a bit and playing a few hands, everyone went home.
Although we couldn't explain the true meaning of Christmas to our guests, we did read our Advent book (in English), and pray that they notice a difference in our home. Being with them was really motivating.... I want to study and learn this language well so that we can have more meaningful conversations and I don't panic when Brad's not here to ask questions and keep things going.
I'm a little sad to say this, but most of our friends are English speakers.... We have a few friends that don't speak English very well, but we tend to attract (and flock to) English speakers. Since our home is very near two university campuses, we're able to find many people to befriend. But, we have a couple of neighbors, that do not speak English, that have pursued the crazy foreigners, with three munchkins, living in their building! Both have invited us to their homes, so we decided it was time to return the offer. On Thursday evening, (before our wonderful date) we went to see these two families and invite them both to eat lunch with us on Sunday afternoon....
We knocked on the first door, and the man of the home, came to the door in his long underwear. I felt a little uncomfortable, but he didn't seem to mind. He seemed thankful to get our invitation and said he'd get back to us after checking with his wife. (They later told our babysitter that they'd see us on Sunday.) Whew, one invitation down, one to go....
So, we went to the 4th floor of our building and knocked on the door. No answer...Then, beep, the elevator door opened. Some people got off and went to the door we had just knocked on...too bad they weren't our friends....good thing we didn't get there five minutes later.... So, Brad then consulted his trusty treo (palm-phone) ~ our friends actually live on the 9th floor, not the 4th. We live on the 13th. 13-9=4. That's why Brad got the 9th and 4th floors confused....He assures me it's a very logical mistake. I'm not sure I get it....
So, we find the right door on the right floor, and behind it -- we find our friend! We invite her and her family to come to our home for lunch on Sunday. She gladly accepts our invitation.
During these two conversations, in the local language, I decide Brad and I make a great team! Brad can speak well and be understood by the locals (ie-invite them to our house). His pronunciation and vocabulary far surpass mine! But, my listening comprehension is a little better than his since I listen to Leigh everyday. So when the long-underwear guy says he'll talk to his wife when she gets home and get back to us, I follow it, tell him that's great, and tell Brad what he said when we get in the elevator.
As the day approaches, I decided to ask Leigh to come to work on Sunday since we're having company and I don't know how to cook Asian food. We've invited people to show up at noon, so I ask Leigh to have lunch ready about 12:30 or so. Brad usually has a meeting on Sunday afternoons, but he moved it to Sunday morning since we were having company that afternoon. As he walks out the door, I ask, "Will you try to be home before noon?" "Of Course!" he responds. So, I have three kids, a clean house, and a couple of hours to kill. So, we get dressed and head to a little market. We buy some gloves for the kids, some little stools, and 6 pairs of indoor shoes that I need to have since we're having 6 people over. We return home about 11:20. Savannah enjoys lining all the new shoes by the door, Peter and Alex play on the new stools, and I head to the bathroom to put on my make-up and do my hair. It's 11:30, Brad should be home any minute.... Ding Dong, there's the doorbell. I ask on of the boys to let Daddy in, and one minute later, they come running, shouting, "They're here! They're here!" Sure enough, our neighbors (the long underwear guy and fam) have shown up 30 min. early! But, even though I don't have on my make-up yet, I feel fine because, at least I'm dressed....The wife, on the other hand, is wearing her PJs. Yes, they are white with small pink hearts on them. She's in her pajamas--at my house--at 11:30am! I don't get it! (Even my not-so-observant-husband noticed the jammies!)
I invite them in, introduce them to Leigh, and try to think of things to say...Where's my husband?!?!? He can handle the conversations, not me!! Well, thanks to my kids, the 20 mins we are hanging out without Brad go pretty smoothly. Savannah entertains them by showing off her room and saying all the colors on her new gloves in Asianese while Peter and Alex keep breaking parts off the new little truck our neighbors brought them. Brad shows up at 10 min. before noon -- as promised, and gladly takes over the conversing. At noon, our other neighbor show up. Soon there after, we sit down to a great meal. Leigh went all out! She spend almost 4 hours preparing the 7 or 8 dishes she sat before us. Our neighbors seemed to really enjoy it.
After lunch, including a cake that our second neighbor brought in honor of my birthday, we taught them how to play UNO. It's one game that's simple enough Brad can explain it in Asianese. After laughing quite a bit and playing a few hands, everyone went home.
Although we couldn't explain the true meaning of Christmas to our guests, we did read our Advent book (in English), and pray that they notice a difference in our home. Being with them was really motivating.... I want to study and learn this language well so that we can have more meaningful conversations and I don't panic when Brad's not here to ask questions and keep things going.
Friday, December 14, 2007
My Wife's Birthday and My Crazy Little Girl
From Brad.
Okay, direct quote from my Savannah, "Mom, when you were a little girl, did you ever wish you could start your whole life over?" Oh my, is our home that depressing of a place to live? She's 5 1/2 and ready for a 12 step group.
My lovely wife turned a young 32 today. I can't say I had a ton of great ideas since over the last 7 months we have been busy finding and purchasing everything we need/want for our new home. So I figured the best thing I could do is give her the morning away to read her new book in a relaxing spot. She did just that and then met us for lunch where we showered her with presents. Later while the kids slept, we watched a movie, and then a babysitter came over to give us a night away at an Italian restaurant. The evening was full of deep, meaningful conversation where I shared my innermost feelings and connected with my wife. :)
Only for a brief 5 minutes did I mention the Astros latest shakeup where they gave away their minor league system for a known steriod user who is on the decline. Ah, but I digress...
It was a nice day. Pictured is my troubled little girl and 20 roses I bought for my wife today for about $6 (the vase is a good 10 lbs and a gift as well).
Okay, direct quote from my Savannah, "Mom, when you were a little girl, did you ever wish you could start your whole life over?" Oh my, is our home that depressing of a place to live? She's 5 1/2 and ready for a 12 step group.
My lovely wife turned a young 32 today. I can't say I had a ton of great ideas since over the last 7 months we have been busy finding and purchasing everything we need/want for our new home. So I figured the best thing I could do is give her the morning away to read her new book in a relaxing spot. She did just that and then met us for lunch where we showered her with presents. Later while the kids slept, we watched a movie, and then a babysitter came over to give us a night away at an Italian restaurant. The evening was full of deep, meaningful conversation where I shared my innermost feelings and connected with my wife. :)
Only for a brief 5 minutes did I mention the Astros latest shakeup where they gave away their minor league system for a known steriod user who is on the decline. Ah, but I digress...It was a nice day. Pictured is my troubled little girl and 20 roses I bought for my wife today for about $6 (the vase is a good 10 lbs and a gift as well).
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Recent Happenings
From Brad.
A good local friend of mine invited me and my family to an English Salon he was hosting the other night. In my worldview, a salon is a place where you get your hair cut, but apparently not so here. This was a get together with about 200 students at the university and a strange American family of 5. At first, two hosts sat us all down in front and began asking us questions similar to a talk show. People there were interested in hearing a native English speaker and learning about the American culture. It was a very interesting night. Amy and I were geared to be cautiously bold.
The very first question was, “Who is the authority and final decision maker in your home?” Wow, I thought. Then I asked Amy if I could answer the question first. She denied my request and articulately shared the Christian worldview of the home. :) Then I got asked, “oh, you’re Christians…have you ever gone on a trip and shared your beliefs?” Uh…well…you see…Amy, would you like to take over again??!! I shared that when you really love something/someone, you always tell others…the same is true in one's relationship with God. As a follow up, they asked who I loved more, God or my wife. Wow…I was expecting questions about George Bush and the Houston Rockets. But they were providing exciting and meaningful questions which we were delighted to answer.
Then the one that made my wife cry (tears of laughter). One young man stood up and said, “I hope this isn’t too personal.” (That is not a good start…) “I couldn’t help but notice that when you (Brad) walked in you had a beautiful, shiny, bald head. Please tell me what it is like to be bald.” I must admit, I was laughing pretty hard too. I proudly shared that God made me just the way he wanted me, I’m content with that, I’m thankful that I’m already married, and not a single one of my dollars has ever gone to the $5 billion dollar industry of hair growth for men. Then I sat down and pinched myself because “this can’t be really happening.”
In other news, we had a short business trip to Beijing that we enjoyed. I couldn’t resist putting in the goofy picture of Savannah, Alex and me on our way to the pool (that we later found out was closed for renovations). I went bowling for the first time in years and actually scored a 161…not bad!
We’ve now been here for almost 8 months and I must admit I’m a little discouraged that my language ability is not better. I do sense a lot of improvement in reading, pronunciation, a little in speaking, very little in hearing. Hearing a second language is a little like that children’s game at Chuck e Cheese where you have a big, padded hammer and the little moles (maybe groundhogs) shoot up out of their hole for a split second. The goal is to see, react, and slam the hammer down on them before they retreat. I feel like when people speak to me, each word is like a mole that jumps up for that split second. I might hit 5 or 6 in a row, but inevitably I eventually freeze, don’t react in time and find myself staring at a hole where the mole has already retreated to while others are popping up elsewhere. What causes the freeze? Sometimes a word I’ve never heard before, but more often a word I’ve heard, maybe even studied, but can’t put a finger on it because it is not familiar enough. By the time I figure it out, or decide to move on, the speaker has already completed another 10-15 words…oops. So much for listening comprehension. So, I am trusting that if I keep pressing on, using all the tools/resources at my disposal (and I do have plenty), I’ll continue to improve. But truth be known, I was hoping to be a little further along right now that I currently am.
Well, that’s enough for now, sorry for such a long blog. Hopefully I won’t wait another 2 months to do another.
A good local friend of mine invited me and my family to an English Salon he was hosting the other night. In my worldview, a salon is a place where you get your hair cut, but apparently not so here. This was a get together with about 200 students at the university and a strange American family of 5. At first, two hosts sat us all down in front and began asking us questions similar to a talk show. People there were interested in hearing a native English speaker and learning about the American culture. It was a very interesting night. Amy and I were geared to be cautiously bold.
The very first question was, “Who is the authority and final decision maker in your home?” Wow, I thought. Then I asked Amy if I could answer the question first. She denied my request and articulately shared the Christian worldview of the home. :) Then I got asked, “oh, you’re Christians…have you ever gone on a trip and shared your beliefs?” Uh…well…you see…Amy, would you like to take over again??!! I shared that when you really love something/someone, you always tell others…the same is true in one's relationship with God. As a follow up, they asked who I loved more, God or my wife. Wow…I was expecting questions about George Bush and the Houston Rockets. But they were providing exciting and meaningful questions which we were delighted to answer.
Then the one that made my wife cry (tears of laughter). One young man stood up and said, “I hope this isn’t too personal.” (That is not a good start…) “I couldn’t help but notice that when you (Brad) walked in you had a beautiful, shiny, bald head. Please tell me what it is like to be bald.” I must admit, I was laughing pretty hard too. I proudly shared that God made me just the way he wanted me, I’m content with that, I’m thankful that I’m already married, and not a single one of my dollars has ever gone to the $5 billion dollar industry of hair growth for men. Then I sat down and pinched myself because “this can’t be really happening.”
In other news, we had a short business trip to Beijing that we enjoyed. I couldn’t resist putting in the goofy picture of Savannah, Alex and me on our way to the pool (that we later found out was closed for renovations). I went bowling for the first time in years and actually scored a 161…not bad! We’ve now been here for almost 8 months and I must admit I’m a little discouraged that my language ability is not better. I do sense a lot of improvement in reading, pronunciation, a little in speaking, very little in hearing. Hearing a second language is a little like that children’s game at Chuck e Cheese where you have a big, padded hammer and the little moles (maybe groundhogs) shoot up out of their hole for a split second. The goal is to see, react, and slam the hammer down on them before they retreat. I feel like when people speak to me, each word is like a mole that jumps up for that split second. I might hit 5 or 6 in a row, but inevitably I eventually freeze, don’t react in time and find myself staring at a hole where the mole has already retreated to while others are popping up elsewhere. What causes the freeze? Sometimes a word I’ve never heard before, but more often a word I’ve heard, maybe even studied, but can’t put a finger on it because it is not familiar enough. By the time I figure it out, or decide to move on, the speaker has already completed another 10-15 words…oops. So much for listening comprehension. So, I am trusting that if I keep pressing on, using all the tools/resources at my disposal (and I do have plenty), I’ll continue to improve. But truth be known, I was hoping to be a little further along right now that I currently am.
Well, that’s enough for now, sorry for such a long blog. Hopefully I won’t wait another 2 months to do another.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thankful Hearts
Well, Thanksgiving is coming! And, even though we are living half way around the world, we’ll be celebrating all day tomorrow! Two other American families are coming to our home around 10am. Our plan is to eat lunch around noon, put kids down for naps (there are 7 kids in these three families), play games in the afternoon after a devo, and eat round two for dinner! And, even though we are far, far away from America, we will still be enjoying turkey and stuffing. Actually, we will be enjoying quite a feast….for starters we’ll enjoy apples with caramel dip, deviled eggs, and a veggie tray with ranch dip. Our main course will consist of turkey, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, mac’n cheese, and rolls. Then, we will complete the meal with a pecan pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate mousse pie, hot blueberry strudel, and a cheese cake ball. So, all that to say, I think we’ll pretty full by tomorrow evening!
Sue and I have been talking to the kids about what we’re thankful for the past few days, so I thought I’d share their list with you.
Peter:
Apples
Choo-choo trains
Our home
Cars
Ayi (Auntie, what they call Leigh, our househelper)
Tickling
Bananas
Kisses
Chocolate
Pedo (yes, he's thankful for himself!)
Papa & Nana
Trucks
Cake
Hugs
Sour chicken
Alex
Alex:
Movies
Airplanes
Lighten McQueen
“Little Man” (a game Daddy plays)
Aunt Rachel(s) ~ both of them
Grandma
Daddy
Superman
Our home
Ayi
Mommy
Jesus
Savannah:
School
Jesus dying on a cross
Daddy
Christmas
School
Mommy
Friends
Bible
Pie
Ice cream
Amanda (her doll)
Sunshine
Oranges
Crafts (we’ve done a few turkey crafts this week)
We enjoyed making those lists with the kiddos so I thought I’d share them with you! I’ll post Thanksgiving Day pics in a few days! Happy Thanksgiving!
Sue and I have been talking to the kids about what we’re thankful for the past few days, so I thought I’d share their list with you.
Peter:
Apples
Choo-choo trains
Our home
Cars
Ayi (Auntie, what they call Leigh, our househelper)
Tickling
Bananas
Kisses
Chocolate
Pedo (yes, he's thankful for himself!)
Papa & Nana
Trucks
Cake
Hugs
Sour chicken
Alex
Alex:
Movies
Airplanes
Lighten McQueen
“Little Man” (a game Daddy plays)
Aunt Rachel(s) ~ both of them
Grandma
Daddy
Superman
Our home
Ayi
Mommy
Jesus
Savannah:
School
Jesus dying on a cross
Daddy
Christmas
School
Mommy
Friends
Bible
Pie
Ice cream
Amanda (her doll)
Sunshine
Oranges
Crafts (we’ve done a few turkey crafts this week)
We enjoyed making those lists with the kiddos so I thought I’d share them with you! I’ll post Thanksgiving Day pics in a few days! Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 16, 2007
A Really Boring Post.....
by Amy
Here's a quick update of what's been happening in our world for the past week:
Sue was a little chilly today ~ that's because she's a Texas girl!
Here's a quick update of what's been happening in our world for the past week:
My world has been a little more crazy than normal these past few weeks.... Last weekend Sue (Brad's mom) and her two friends came to town. One slept in our house and two slept in a hotel across the street. They arrived Saturday afternoon in time to find Savannah having breathing issues, similar to what Alex had. So, thankfully, I had medicine on hand and knew how to treat her! It still made for a long evening, though. Yet, she was almost 100% on Sunday! What a blessing! That morning I took Sue and one friend to a local market to do a little more shopping. After eating lunch at Pizza Hut, we came back to our house and enjoyed a wonderful game of Mexican Train (a dominoes game) that I won! Monday morning, Brad took Sue's friends to the train station at 6am! Sue slept a good part of the day, trying to catch up after her fun, but exhausting tour. Tuesday, we took her to the "pretty park" down the street. The kids loved showing her their favorite places there. Then, on Wednesday, Alex woke up struggling to breath and Sue woke up with a stomach flu. So we all stayed in. By Thursday, Alex was doing better, but Sue was not. So Brad and I took the kids out for a few hours so Sue could have some peace and quiet. And, by today, Friday, she was feeling much better. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so we packed a picnic lunch and spent a few hours at our favorite lake park. Here are a few pics for your viewing enjoyment:
We all enjoyed eatting some Cheetos Xs & Os that Sue brought from the States for us! What a treat!
Sue was a little chilly today ~ that's because she's a Texas girl! 
Monday, November 5, 2007
A Fun Day
By Amy
Yesterday was Family Day in our world. So, after we got up we went to the "Lake Park", as my kids call it. It was a beautiful, cool, sunny day, so it was a great day to be outside! Usually when we go to this lake park, we don't ride any of the carnival rides, but this time, we decided to play on a few. So, the first thing we did was the bumper cars. Brad and I each had a boy and Savannah got to drive her own. It was tons of fun. Peter and Alex hung on for their dear lives while Brad and I crashed into tons of other cars. Savannah pretty much stayed in the middle and spun round'n round!
Then, after the bumper cars, Savannah and I rode the roller coaster. It was a real, go fast,turn up-side-down twice kind of roller coaster. It was great...well at least I thought so! Savannah was a little pale as we got out and didn't want to do it again. I loved it!
Yesterday was Family Day in our world. So, after we got up we went to the "Lake Park", as my kids call it. It was a beautiful, cool, sunny day, so it was a great day to be outside! Usually when we go to this lake park, we don't ride any of the carnival rides, but this time, we decided to play on a few. So, the first thing we did was the bumper cars. Brad and I each had a boy and Savannah got to drive her own. It was tons of fun. Peter and Alex hung on for their dear lives while Brad and I crashed into tons of other cars. Savannah pretty much stayed in the middle and spun round'n round!
Then, after the bumper cars, Savannah and I rode the roller coaster. It was a real, go fast,turn up-side-down twice kind of roller coaster. It was great...well at least I thought so! Savannah was a little pale as we got out and didn't want to do it again. I loved it!
When we left the park we ate lunch at Pizza Hut and headed home for naps. Then, after eating a dinner of fruit and popcorn, we had plans to head to a nearby college campus for a Halloween party sponsored by an English club. So, even though our kids don't have much of a concept of Halloween, we told them we were going to a special party where they got to wear some special clothes. So, Savannah wore her princess dress, and looked lovely and attracted quite a crowd!
While we were in the big city last week, we found some Superman outfits for Peter and Alex. They love Superman! We recently have shown parts of the movie Superman Returns and now they often run through the house with their arms up high claiming to be Superman. So, when we saw these outfits, we couldn't pass them up! We planned on saving them for Christmas, but when we got invited to this party, we decided to pull them out. Our boys were thrilled, to say the least! So here are a few pics:
Clearly these are not authentic Superman outfits, but Pedo and Alex loved them just the same! They also were a big hit at the party. I often looked up to see them running through the room with their arms in the air being followed by a group of college students pointing and taking pictures. It was a fun night, but we were all super tired when we returned home!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The Rest of the Story....
by Amy
After we got all of our medical details worked out, we had a blast in the big city! The most memorable thing we did was eat! Our city (several hours south of this big city) has a Pizza Hut, McDs, KFC and Baskin' Robins. So if we want to eat western food, it's homemade or one of these fine eating establishments! The big city, on the other hand, has a TON of options! These are the ones we hit: Outback, Subway, Starbucks (several times), Peter's Tex-Mex Grill (not true Tex-Mex, but not bad), TGI Fridays, Grandma's Kitchen (where we ate a fantastic breakfast -- even better than Steak 'n Shake!) and Hard Rock. Oh, it was delightful!! And, Brad and I even got to go out for a quick dinner while Sue and her friends watched our kids! I'm sure I returned home a few pounds heavier than when I left, but it was worth it!
It was so great to see Sue, Brad's mom. Our kids had a great time with her and her two friends. Each night Peter thanked God for "the three Grandmas." And, they came bearing many gifts! Sue made each of her friends pack in one suitcase so she could use the second suitcase they were allotted to bring us stuff! So, now our pantry and medicine cabinets are stocked with all kids of goodies! I'm also using a new cell phone she brought and my kids are enjoying lots of special gifts and clothes they brought to us!
On Tuesday evening (10-30), Sue and her friends started a 10 day tour of our country, that originated in the big city. Therefore, before the tour, we didn't do any of the "touristy" stuff ~ I'm sure my kids were not disappointed! So, besides eating, we shopped! There's a huge 9+story building that is full of JUNK! All the vendors are divided based on what they're selling. There are two or three floors full of people selling clothes ~ for men, women, and children. There's an entire floor devoted to selling knock' off purses; another floor where you can buy and/or design your own jewelry with pearls being the most common jewel. So, since Sue and her friends all had an empty suitcase to take back to America with them after delivering us so much stuff, they decided they needed to shop! It was so much fun! I was told that we should bargain with the people and end up paying about 20% of their original asking price. So, even though most of the vendors could speak a little English, I did most of the bargaining for them in the local language. It was so funny! First of all, they were all surprised when I didn't speak to them in English, so right there, that qualified us for a "special local's price." Then, since I had Savannah with me for part of the time-- and since she's so cute-- we got even a better price! It was so funny to hear the reasons they came up with to give us a "special price!" One chica even told Sue she could have a special price since her daughter (me!) was so cute! Ha Ha!! We had so much fun shopping there two afternoons in a row that Sue and her friends headed back for one more round the afternoon before the tour began. (We were on the train heading home!) Then, they had soooo much stuff, they had to leave some of it with the hotel concierge. Since they'll be flying out of this big city back to America in a week, they'll swing by that hotel and get their loot!
So, that about sums up the rest of our time out of town. It's been good to get back home and back on a routine again. We all are looking forward to this weekend when Sue and her friends will come to our city and visit our home.
After we got all of our medical details worked out, we had a blast in the big city! The most memorable thing we did was eat! Our city (several hours south of this big city) has a Pizza Hut, McDs, KFC and Baskin' Robins. So if we want to eat western food, it's homemade or one of these fine eating establishments! The big city, on the other hand, has a TON of options! These are the ones we hit: Outback, Subway, Starbucks (several times), Peter's Tex-Mex Grill (not true Tex-Mex, but not bad), TGI Fridays, Grandma's Kitchen (where we ate a fantastic breakfast -- even better than Steak 'n Shake!) and Hard Rock. Oh, it was delightful!! And, Brad and I even got to go out for a quick dinner while Sue and her friends watched our kids! I'm sure I returned home a few pounds heavier than when I left, but it was worth it!
It was so great to see Sue, Brad's mom. Our kids had a great time with her and her two friends. Each night Peter thanked God for "the three Grandmas." And, they came bearing many gifts! Sue made each of her friends pack in one suitcase so she could use the second suitcase they were allotted to bring us stuff! So, now our pantry and medicine cabinets are stocked with all kids of goodies! I'm also using a new cell phone she brought and my kids are enjoying lots of special gifts and clothes they brought to us!
On Tuesday evening (10-30), Sue and her friends started a 10 day tour of our country, that originated in the big city. Therefore, before the tour, we didn't do any of the "touristy" stuff ~ I'm sure my kids were not disappointed! So, besides eating, we shopped! There's a huge 9+story building that is full of JUNK! All the vendors are divided based on what they're selling. There are two or three floors full of people selling clothes ~ for men, women, and children. There's an entire floor devoted to selling knock' off purses; another floor where you can buy and/or design your own jewelry with pearls being the most common jewel. So, since Sue and her friends all had an empty suitcase to take back to America with them after delivering us so much stuff, they decided they needed to shop! It was so much fun! I was told that we should bargain with the people and end up paying about 20% of their original asking price. So, even though most of the vendors could speak a little English, I did most of the bargaining for them in the local language. It was so funny! First of all, they were all surprised when I didn't speak to them in English, so right there, that qualified us for a "special local's price." Then, since I had Savannah with me for part of the time-- and since she's so cute-- we got even a better price! It was so funny to hear the reasons they came up with to give us a "special price!" One chica even told Sue she could have a special price since her daughter (me!) was so cute! Ha Ha!! We had so much fun shopping there two afternoons in a row that Sue and her friends headed back for one more round the afternoon before the tour began. (We were on the train heading home!) Then, they had soooo much stuff, they had to leave some of it with the hotel concierge. Since they'll be flying out of this big city back to America in a week, they'll swing by that hotel and get their loot!
So, that about sums up the rest of our time out of town. It's been good to get back home and back on a routine again. We all are looking forward to this weekend when Sue and her friends will come to our city and visit our home.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
A Long Over Due Update
by Amy
Well, many of you already know that our last week didn't go exactly as planned! So, here's the whole story....
On Tuesday, Alex was coughing quite a bit. After his nap, he seemed to be wheezing a little. We gave him some allergy medicine, but that didn't really seem to help. He was still able to talk and seemed to feel OK, so we didn't think much of it. I was in a meeting that night, so I wasn't there that evening when he went down, but Brad said he was still wheezing quite a bit. When we got ready to go to sleep, we decided to move Alex to our room so we'd be able to hear if he had any problems. By this time his breathing was pretty rapid. Sure enough, he woke me up about 12:30am. I gave him some more medicine and water and put him back to bed. At 1:30 he was whimpering and straining to get a breath. I was up right away! I had no idea what to do, so I gave him more cough/allergy medicine, and had him sit on my lap while the hot shower filled the bathroom with steam. That didn't seem to help at all! So, after sitting there for about 20 minutes, I brought Alex to bed with me. I thought if I could sit up and have him sleep on me, he'd be able to breathe better, but I was wrong. So, I woke Brad. He spent the next 1.5 hours online researching and emailing an American Dr. that lives in our country. Finally, about 3:30 am we all went to sleep, with Alex tossing, coughing, and wheezing the rest of the night.
Before 6:30am our American Dr. friend called to check on Alex. He asked a few diagnostic questions then suggested we go to a local hospital to have him looked at. This was quite an interesting experience.... I had been to this local hospital to visit my back doctor. I was prepared to see people smoking and spitting, but I had never been to the children's section.... The place was really crowded and loud. Lots of kids were talking and crying. People were walking by holding an bag attached to an IV in their child's hand or head. All of the nurses/receptionist were wearing face masks hoping to avoid infection, and it was NOT clean. I saw a couple of people throw up on the floor and a few puddles.... It definitely did not have the sterile hospital feel that you find in an American hospital. After waiting for our number to be called. We made our way to the examining room. But, it was really a small room with two desks and four chairs. Two chairs were taken by two Drs. and two were open for their patients to sit in. So, when it was time for Alex to be examined, he sat on my lap while the Dr. used her stethoscope to listen to his chest. Immediately she wanted to give him an IV to treat pneumonia. My American Dr. friend told me to call him if I needed help and warned us not to get and IV. So, since he can fluently speak in our local language, I called him.
Side note: Alex is cheerful and happy. He's laughing easily and enjoying playing with the cars that I brought for him. But, he's having a hard time breathing. The place is so loud, I cannot hear his wheezing, but he could not say, "the car movie" without taking 3 breaths. I counted and he was taking 60 breaths/minute.
Back to the hospital: My Dr. friend (and I) were not convinced Alex had pneumonia, but the local Dr. didn't/couldn't take and a chest x-ray. So, after going back and forth a few times, we ended up going home with an inhaler (to treat the wheezing) and antibiotic (to treat the possible pneumonia.) After aggressively treating Alex with the inhaler, three hours later, he was still breathing 60times/minute. At that point, our American Dr. friend recommended we get to a big city with a western hospital ASAP....
So, we put all three kids down for a nap (even Savannah as she was complaining of not feeling well, too); I began packing; Brad made hotel arrangements online and headed to the train station to buy tickets. Two days before our house helper, Leigh, had just been to the train station to buy us tickets for Saturday. We were planning on going to this big city to pick up Brad's mom and play for a few days. Now, we don't need Saturday morning tickets anymore, but we need Wednesday night tickets. Believe it or not, the station let us exchange our tickets without any fee! While Brad is running all over town, and I'm trying to pack three days earlier than expected, Leigh is busy making granola and muffins for us to take with us. Needless to say, by the time we left Wednesday at 5pm, our home was completely insane!
Alex slept for almost four hours that afternoon. Finally, we woke him at the last moment, threw some grapes at him for dinner, and piled in the taxi. After being on the road for about 15 minutes, Savannah starts whimpering, says, "My tummy hurts," and pauses long enough for me to grab Peter's jacket and thrust it under her chin to catch most of her vomit.... On the train, Alex seems to be breathing easier, finally. He was taking about 45 breaths/minute instead of 60 and can say more words without a breath. Savannah napped a good part of the way and only threw up once -- all over Brad -- about 5 minutes before we arrived at the train station.
So, next I dropped Brad, Savannah and Peter off at the hotel and headed to the ER with Alex. Even though his breathing was better, our Dr. recommended we still go to the ER right away as 45 breaths/minute was still too fast. As the doors opened to the hospital, I was convinced my taxi driver had driven over the ocean to a familiar American hospital. I was greeted in English, handed forms to fill out, (and I could read every word,) and directed to couches (next to the coffee bar) to wait. I didn't have to step over any puddles or worry about what Alex touched. And, since it was almost 11pm, we were seen right away. The Dr. washed his hands in the sink before he even touched Alex! It was quite a refreshing experience! The Dr. confirmed Alex did not not have pneumonia, gave him some additional medicine, taught me how to use a spacer with his inhaler, and we were back to the hotel by midnight.
The next morning, Alex was breathing so much better! He seemed like a new kid! Savannah, on the other hand, had not slept well all night and was not eating much. So, we took Thursday pretty slowly, eating Subway twice in our hotel room, and going to an English Disney movie showing in a theater in the basement of our hotel. Friday morning, I took Alex back to the Dr. for a follow-up apt. His oxygen level was still just a hair low, so the Dr. advised me to continue the breathing treatments for 5 days. He also was able to give me some advice on how to treat this if it ever happens again. (What a blessing!) The rest of our time in the big city was wonderful, but I shall blog about that at another time!
We have received many emails from loving people expressing their concern and care for us as we travelled. We definitely felt your prayers and know they made a significant difference in the outcome. Thank you so much for loving and caring for us as you do!
Well, many of you already know that our last week didn't go exactly as planned! So, here's the whole story....
On Tuesday, Alex was coughing quite a bit. After his nap, he seemed to be wheezing a little. We gave him some allergy medicine, but that didn't really seem to help. He was still able to talk and seemed to feel OK, so we didn't think much of it. I was in a meeting that night, so I wasn't there that evening when he went down, but Brad said he was still wheezing quite a bit. When we got ready to go to sleep, we decided to move Alex to our room so we'd be able to hear if he had any problems. By this time his breathing was pretty rapid. Sure enough, he woke me up about 12:30am. I gave him some more medicine and water and put him back to bed. At 1:30 he was whimpering and straining to get a breath. I was up right away! I had no idea what to do, so I gave him more cough/allergy medicine, and had him sit on my lap while the hot shower filled the bathroom with steam. That didn't seem to help at all! So, after sitting there for about 20 minutes, I brought Alex to bed with me. I thought if I could sit up and have him sleep on me, he'd be able to breathe better, but I was wrong. So, I woke Brad. He spent the next 1.5 hours online researching and emailing an American Dr. that lives in our country. Finally, about 3:30 am we all went to sleep, with Alex tossing, coughing, and wheezing the rest of the night.
Before 6:30am our American Dr. friend called to check on Alex. He asked a few diagnostic questions then suggested we go to a local hospital to have him looked at. This was quite an interesting experience.... I had been to this local hospital to visit my back doctor. I was prepared to see people smoking and spitting, but I had never been to the children's section.... The place was really crowded and loud. Lots of kids were talking and crying. People were walking by holding an bag attached to an IV in their child's hand or head. All of the nurses/receptionist were wearing face masks hoping to avoid infection, and it was NOT clean. I saw a couple of people throw up on the floor and a few puddles.... It definitely did not have the sterile hospital feel that you find in an American hospital. After waiting for our number to be called. We made our way to the examining room. But, it was really a small room with two desks and four chairs. Two chairs were taken by two Drs. and two were open for their patients to sit in. So, when it was time for Alex to be examined, he sat on my lap while the Dr. used her stethoscope to listen to his chest. Immediately she wanted to give him an IV to treat pneumonia. My American Dr. friend told me to call him if I needed help and warned us not to get and IV. So, since he can fluently speak in our local language, I called him.
Side note: Alex is cheerful and happy. He's laughing easily and enjoying playing with the cars that I brought for him. But, he's having a hard time breathing. The place is so loud, I cannot hear his wheezing, but he could not say, "the car movie" without taking 3 breaths. I counted and he was taking 60 breaths/minute.
Back to the hospital: My Dr. friend (and I) were not convinced Alex had pneumonia, but the local Dr. didn't/couldn't take and a chest x-ray. So, after going back and forth a few times, we ended up going home with an inhaler (to treat the wheezing) and antibiotic (to treat the possible pneumonia.) After aggressively treating Alex with the inhaler, three hours later, he was still breathing 60times/minute. At that point, our American Dr. friend recommended we get to a big city with a western hospital ASAP....
So, we put all three kids down for a nap (even Savannah as she was complaining of not feeling well, too); I began packing; Brad made hotel arrangements online and headed to the train station to buy tickets. Two days before our house helper, Leigh, had just been to the train station to buy us tickets for Saturday. We were planning on going to this big city to pick up Brad's mom and play for a few days. Now, we don't need Saturday morning tickets anymore, but we need Wednesday night tickets. Believe it or not, the station let us exchange our tickets without any fee! While Brad is running all over town, and I'm trying to pack three days earlier than expected, Leigh is busy making granola and muffins for us to take with us. Needless to say, by the time we left Wednesday at 5pm, our home was completely insane!
Alex slept for almost four hours that afternoon. Finally, we woke him at the last moment, threw some grapes at him for dinner, and piled in the taxi. After being on the road for about 15 minutes, Savannah starts whimpering, says, "My tummy hurts," and pauses long enough for me to grab Peter's jacket and thrust it under her chin to catch most of her vomit.... On the train, Alex seems to be breathing easier, finally. He was taking about 45 breaths/minute instead of 60 and can say more words without a breath. Savannah napped a good part of the way and only threw up once -- all over Brad -- about 5 minutes before we arrived at the train station.
So, next I dropped Brad, Savannah and Peter off at the hotel and headed to the ER with Alex. Even though his breathing was better, our Dr. recommended we still go to the ER right away as 45 breaths/minute was still too fast. As the doors opened to the hospital, I was convinced my taxi driver had driven over the ocean to a familiar American hospital. I was greeted in English, handed forms to fill out, (and I could read every word,) and directed to couches (next to the coffee bar) to wait. I didn't have to step over any puddles or worry about what Alex touched. And, since it was almost 11pm, we were seen right away. The Dr. washed his hands in the sink before he even touched Alex! It was quite a refreshing experience! The Dr. confirmed Alex did not not have pneumonia, gave him some additional medicine, taught me how to use a spacer with his inhaler, and we were back to the hotel by midnight.
The next morning, Alex was breathing so much better! He seemed like a new kid! Savannah, on the other hand, had not slept well all night and was not eating much. So, we took Thursday pretty slowly, eating Subway twice in our hotel room, and going to an English Disney movie showing in a theater in the basement of our hotel. Friday morning, I took Alex back to the Dr. for a follow-up apt. His oxygen level was still just a hair low, so the Dr. advised me to continue the breathing treatments for 5 days. He also was able to give me some advice on how to treat this if it ever happens again. (What a blessing!) The rest of our time in the big city was wonderful, but I shall blog about that at another time!
We have received many emails from loving people expressing their concern and care for us as we travelled. We definitely felt your prayers and know they made a significant difference in the outcome. Thank you so much for loving and caring for us as you do!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
YIPPEE!!
by Amy
Well, the countdown has begun! In SEVEN days Grandma is coming!! Brad's mom, Sue, who lives in Houston, is bringing two friends to come tour our country and visit our home! Every morning Savannah reminds us all how many more days until we get to see Grandma! Then, throughout the day, all the kids are constantly talking about what they're going to show Grandma when she gets here; what they're going to ask Grandma to buy when she comes; and what they're going to take Grandma to see when she's in our city. Their excitement is so fun to see!
When we lived in America, Grandma always slept on Savannah's bed when she came to visit. But, Peter and Alex have decided it's time for things to change! They have a bunk bed in their room, and the top bunk is currently unused -- well, at least un-slept in -- it's a great storage place for toys that are too big to fit in the drawers under their bed! (Both boys share the bottom bunk with a pillow at each end.) So, they have decided that Grandma can sleep up there! We'll see about that.... And, every one's also excited about going on dates with Grandma. Last night Savannah said, "Alex when Grandma comes to visit she'll take you on a date and buy you whatever you want!" Alex quickly responded with, "I'm gonna ask Grandma to buy me a big yellow truck!" So, get ready Sue....they have an agenda!
For the last two months Brad and I have been shopping online and having things mailed to Sue's house. We've bought everything from a new cell phone, to books and movies, and Christmas gifts for our kiddos. So, when Sue comes, it will be just like Christmas for us all ~ not to mention the lists and lists of things I asked her to buy for us. I think she spent over $100 on medicine at Wal-mart! She's also hit Sam's, the mall, Target, and the grocery store shopping to buy everything else on our wish list. Yes, you are right! This woman is truly amazing! But I can honestly say, that if she did not deliver one thing from America, I would still be just as excited to see her! I am so thankful for Sue and cannot imagine a more generous, kind and loving mother-in-law! So, if the truth be told, I think I am just as excited as my kiddos...YIPPEE!! Grandma's coming in only seven days!!!
Well, the countdown has begun! In SEVEN days Grandma is coming!! Brad's mom, Sue, who lives in Houston, is bringing two friends to come tour our country and visit our home! Every morning Savannah reminds us all how many more days until we get to see Grandma! Then, throughout the day, all the kids are constantly talking about what they're going to show Grandma when she gets here; what they're going to ask Grandma to buy when she comes; and what they're going to take Grandma to see when she's in our city. Their excitement is so fun to see!
When we lived in America, Grandma always slept on Savannah's bed when she came to visit. But, Peter and Alex have decided it's time for things to change! They have a bunk bed in their room, and the top bunk is currently unused -- well, at least un-slept in -- it's a great storage place for toys that are too big to fit in the drawers under their bed! (Both boys share the bottom bunk with a pillow at each end.) So, they have decided that Grandma can sleep up there! We'll see about that.... And, every one's also excited about going on dates with Grandma. Last night Savannah said, "Alex when Grandma comes to visit she'll take you on a date and buy you whatever you want!" Alex quickly responded with, "I'm gonna ask Grandma to buy me a big yellow truck!" So, get ready Sue....they have an agenda!
For the last two months Brad and I have been shopping online and having things mailed to Sue's house. We've bought everything from a new cell phone, to books and movies, and Christmas gifts for our kiddos. So, when Sue comes, it will be just like Christmas for us all ~ not to mention the lists and lists of things I asked her to buy for us. I think she spent over $100 on medicine at Wal-mart! She's also hit Sam's, the mall, Target, and the grocery store shopping to buy everything else on our wish list. Yes, you are right! This woman is truly amazing! But I can honestly say, that if she did not deliver one thing from America, I would still be just as excited to see her! I am so thankful for Sue and cannot imagine a more generous, kind and loving mother-in-law! So, if the truth be told, I think I am just as excited as my kiddos...YIPPEE!! Grandma's coming in only seven days!!!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Ethnocentrism and Etc.
From Brad.
Okay, maybe its your new vocabulary word for the day. Ethnocentrism is the idea that one's own culture (or people group, tribe, etc.) is superior to others. This is a product of our sin nature and evidences pride and folly. It is not reserved for Americans alone (although in my humble opinion we are really good at it) but touches all cultures. In my current culture, I heard a creation story/myth when I first got here which evidences their ethnocentrism. As it goes the creator made man out of clay and needed to 'bake' him and her to make them human. Well...some he left in too long (black), some he took out too early (white), and some were just right (yellow...but I guess you must include brown in that group). I think the most accurate understanding is that all cultures have their pros & cons, and that probably some have been more affected by truth than others. So all are not equal, but 'ours' is not the ideal like 'we' think it might be.
I've started a list of the pros & cons of my new culture. This is my subjective analysis as I compare my first 35 years in America to my 6 months here.
Pros of my new culture:
Okay, maybe its your new vocabulary word for the day. Ethnocentrism is the idea that one's own culture (or people group, tribe, etc.) is superior to others. This is a product of our sin nature and evidences pride and folly. It is not reserved for Americans alone (although in my humble opinion we are really good at it) but touches all cultures. In my current culture, I heard a creation story/myth when I first got here which evidences their ethnocentrism. As it goes the creator made man out of clay and needed to 'bake' him and her to make them human. Well...some he left in too long (black), some he took out too early (white), and some were just right (yellow...but I guess you must include brown in that group). I think the most accurate understanding is that all cultures have their pros & cons, and that probably some have been more affected by truth than others. So all are not equal, but 'ours' is not the ideal like 'we' think it might be.
I've started a list of the pros & cons of my new culture. This is my subjective analysis as I compare my first 35 years in America to my 6 months here.
Pros of my new culture:
- We have a much easier time meeting our financial needs with a very small amount of money. In other words...things and people's time are cheap. When my Treo phone broke, a guy fixed it right away on the spot for $7 US dollars. The only place I could find in America was charging $75 after you pay for shipping both ways.
- I sense that people as a whole are kinder here and are more willing to offer their time and help. Maybe that is because I'm a foreigner, but even so, there are many countries where being a foreigner will bring more animosity, rather than a willingness to help.
- I wrote in a previous blog entry that this country is safer than America.
- There is a strong interest in us and in new ideas. It is remarkably easy to talk to people about 'weighty' things, whereas in America, people are mostly disinterested or feel that you are 'pushing' something on them.
- Although there is some immodesty, it is remarkably rare compared to what one sees in America. This is a wonderful pro.
Okay, now the cons...
- From day one, I realized this place has many more hazards which put my kids in danger (and us). Although I am not as concerned about a robbery, I do exercise caution every time I cross an intersection or street. Playgrounds have no grass, typically concrete. The playground near my house has a 2 foot wall which 'stops' one from a 15' foot drop onto concrete. Safety doesn't seem to be a major consideration when things are designed here (or maybe it costs too much money).
- Because of a much lower standard of living and the US prices for diapers over here, diapers are pretty much unheard of. This leads to young kids not wearing underwear, with split-crotch pants urinating in public places (including the aisle of wal-mart, etc.). Because its so common parents don't think it is necessary to clean it up. Store employees are never in a hurry and their mops, etc. don't often get washed. Overall, it is much, much cleaner in America. Now, I've had to repent of my snobbishness because for me to expect them to buy diapers is ridiculous. But nonetheless, given the circumstances, there are ways to improve the cleanliness.
- Kids are rarely disciplined and are rather catered to. This leads to brats who act like...well, brats.
- Due to the concept of 'face', lying is a common part of this culture. Instead of saying, I'm not really interested in coming to your meeting...thanks for the invite, they agree to come and make up bogus excuses week after week. This applies to all areas of life, honest communication doesn't happen too often. My local friend called another local and asked, 'do you have time, can I come over?' He said yes. My friend made the long trip and when he got to the door his friend said, I'm sorry, but maybe now is not the best time. Saying 'no' over the phone would have been a loss of face, according to my friend.
- Finally, work and products here are made very poorly. Maybe that's how they so cheap (see pro #1), but often when a worker comes to fix something at your house, or install something, or drop off a purchase, you must carefully inspect every detail...because they just don't really care if it isn't done right.
Well, there you have it. No culture is perfect and I attempt to remember the pros here in order to deal with the things I don't care for. This also promotes a greater love for this country and its people...something necessary in my life. I also try to often repent of the ethnocentrism that I am not immune to. America has her fair share of problems. I wonder if we made a list, what would come up as the pros and cons?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Kindergarten Comments
by Amy
Today when I picked Savannah up from school, all of the students were drawing a picture. The teacher often gives them a drawing assignment, therefore everyone is supposed to draw the same thing. When Savannah saw me she quickly showed me her picture of what looked a lot like a local temple. Then she said, "This is where people worship idols." When I asked her why she chose to draw that, she responded, "My teacher told me to!" Later, when we were telling Brad about school today she said that she started to draw our family outside the temple, but then realized that's where people worship idols and our family doesn't do that....so she drew a snowman instead. Smart thinking! Often a lesson accompanies their drawing assignment, so when we asked her about the lesson, (wondering if she was encouraged to worship idols) she said she didn't understand it. "It was all in **our local language** and my teacher didn't say one word of English." Well, that prompted Brad to ask if her teacher usually speaks English. "No," she said, "she sometimes says, 'Close your mouth!'" So, I guess Savannah is showing her true colors at school now, and being her chatty, friendly self! I just wonder what she's saying and who understands her!
Today when I picked Savannah up from school, all of the students were drawing a picture. The teacher often gives them a drawing assignment, therefore everyone is supposed to draw the same thing. When Savannah saw me she quickly showed me her picture of what looked a lot like a local temple. Then she said, "This is where people worship idols." When I asked her why she chose to draw that, she responded, "My teacher told me to!" Later, when we were telling Brad about school today she said that she started to draw our family outside the temple, but then realized that's where people worship idols and our family doesn't do that....so she drew a snowman instead. Smart thinking! Often a lesson accompanies their drawing assignment, so when we asked her about the lesson, (wondering if she was encouraged to worship idols) she said she didn't understand it. "It was all in **our local language** and my teacher didn't say one word of English." Well, that prompted Brad to ask if her teacher usually speaks English. "No," she said, "she sometimes says, 'Close your mouth!'" So, I guess Savannah is showing her true colors at school now, and being her chatty, friendly self! I just wonder what she's saying and who understands her!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Safety
From Brad.
One of the positive things about my new culture is the higher degree of safety we have here. I've heard this from many people (foreigners like me living here and the locals) that we live in a very safe place. Robberies and muggings are just not very common (although I don't have any 'hard facts' to provide you with). It probably is a result of strict gun laws (I don't think the common people have the right to bear arms...not that I'm making a political statement here) and harsh penalties for convicted criminals. Again, I'm not sure of all the details, but I know this country has more executions each year than any other country. Amy and I have felt very, very safe as we walk the streets, even sometimes late at night.
The most obvious difference between this country and America is the vast majority of stores do not have bars on the windows or high tech surveillance cameras. Also, except for the big 'wal-mart' type stores, almost every store puts its money in a simple money drawer/box (ie - no high tech cash register). So when I go to pay, they simply open a 'cigar box' or unlocked drawer and dig through the wad of cash to give me change. I think the majority of people here still use cash as credit cards are very rare (debit cards are more and more popular though). This means that sometimes the cash I see is a pretty good chunk of change. I have often thought how easy it would be to just grab the stash and disappear into the masses on the sidewalk. Well...maybe for some. I don't suppose a white guy like myself, usually lugging 3 kids around could disappear very easily. :) Yeah, I think I'll stick to acquiring my money the old fashioned way.
One of the positive things about my new culture is the higher degree of safety we have here. I've heard this from many people (foreigners like me living here and the locals) that we live in a very safe place. Robberies and muggings are just not very common (although I don't have any 'hard facts' to provide you with). It probably is a result of strict gun laws (I don't think the common people have the right to bear arms...not that I'm making a political statement here) and harsh penalties for convicted criminals. Again, I'm not sure of all the details, but I know this country has more executions each year than any other country. Amy and I have felt very, very safe as we walk the streets, even sometimes late at night.
The most obvious difference between this country and America is the vast majority of stores do not have bars on the windows or high tech surveillance cameras. Also, except for the big 'wal-mart' type stores, almost every store puts its money in a simple money drawer/box (ie - no high tech cash register). So when I go to pay, they simply open a 'cigar box' or unlocked drawer and dig through the wad of cash to give me change. I think the majority of people here still use cash as credit cards are very rare (debit cards are more and more popular though). This means that sometimes the cash I see is a pretty good chunk of change. I have often thought how easy it would be to just grab the stash and disappear into the masses on the sidewalk. Well...maybe for some. I don't suppose a white guy like myself, usually lugging 3 kids around could disappear very easily. :) Yeah, I think I'll stick to acquiring my money the old fashioned way.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Dancing Machine!
by Amy
One of the things I most appreciate about Alex is how easily he laughs. All I have to do is tilt my head and look at him funny, and he bust out laughing! His quick smile and laughter always brighten my day! Lately, it seems to be he is equally able to make those around him laugh.... That boy cannot be still when he hears music -- he must dance! (Dance is defined by "shaking this hips and moving his head.) This has made Savannah happy as she's often looking for a dancing partner. But, Alex does not only restrict his dancing to our home with Savannah.... He often will caught drawing a crowd in the store as he dances to the music played over the intercom. And, sometimes, even when there's no music around -- like when we're waiting to catch a bus -- Alex will start singing the ABCs and shaking that bom-bom! He just can't handle being still when he hears music!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
The Holidays
From Brad.
Well, this week is officially the equivalent of a fall break here. Most everyone gets at least 3 days off and quite a few get the whole week off. There have been two very noticeable changes in our surroundings as a result of this holiday week. First, fireworks are exploding all the time. I often enjoy fireworks, and so do my kids, however when they start at 6am sometimes (yes, a nice little alarm clock for our kids), they're not so enjoyable. Also, as you might imagine, they can continue until well after 10pm. Another change in our city is people have been staying inside a lot more and it makes for relatively peaceful streets.
It does seem a bit strange that my school has only been in session for about two weeks and I get a whole week off. I haven't written anything about school so I thought I'd share a few thoughts. First of all, I have 3 classes which demand about 22 hours/week in the classroom. Unlike in America, the classes are taught completely in this country's language, with just the occasional English word thrown in. I think it is quite similar to the 'Wawwaa, whawaaa....' that Charlie Brown always heard. Come to think of it, in this way it also reminds me of my time spent in Louisville at Sem...although I think they were mostly speaking English. :) I typically make good eye contact with the teacher and smile until she is asking for volunteers to do something. At that point I bury my head in my book acting like I'm trying to figure something out. Actually, when I'm diligent to prepare for class and I've read the 'dialogue' a few times (and listened to the MP3s on my Treo), I feel okay about my listening comprehension. But it doesn't take a lot for me to get completely lost and give the teacher an answer which is completely unrelated to her question. At that point, I am thankful to be a Westerner who could care less what the other students think about his/her abilities/progress. Whereas, many of the Asians are deathly afraid of giving an incorrect answer in front of the class because it would cause them to 'lose face'.
Speaking of the other foreign language students, many come from Korea, some from Japan, Australia, Europe, Ukraine, India, and Canada. Very, very few Americans. It is really difficult to hear and understand my new language when the locals speak it, however, when the foreigners who have thick accents from back home try to speak to me, I don't have a prayer. All in all the other students seem pretty nice, but I am dismayed every time I walk into a classroom and another student (not the teacher) takes the initiative to turn off the A/C by them self 'because they're cold'. The other day, we had a cold front come through, so obviously the A/C was off and I thought it was a bit hot/stuffy inside the room. So I sat right next to the window and cracked it open. I'm not sure how it made the others feel, but I had on a T-Shirt and shorts...there's not much more I can do. :)
A couple of other notes. My books are almost exclusively characters, so I am now forced to spend more time on character recognition. In order to accelerate my speaking and listening, these last few months I have neglected characters. However, I can't really do that any longer and a good chunk of my study time is now being poured into reading/recognizing characters. My teachers are dismayed that I cannot (and don't desire to) write characters from memory. The time commitment involved in that is something I cannot even think about right now, and may never invest in. With the advent of computers, I can type the sound of the character in and it will convert it to the character for me which is extremely convenient. So sorry teach, but a guy has got to prioritize...be thankful I'm at least trying to learn how to read this impossible language! :)
Well, this week is officially the equivalent of a fall break here. Most everyone gets at least 3 days off and quite a few get the whole week off. There have been two very noticeable changes in our surroundings as a result of this holiday week. First, fireworks are exploding all the time. I often enjoy fireworks, and so do my kids, however when they start at 6am sometimes (yes, a nice little alarm clock for our kids), they're not so enjoyable. Also, as you might imagine, they can continue until well after 10pm. Another change in our city is people have been staying inside a lot more and it makes for relatively peaceful streets.
It does seem a bit strange that my school has only been in session for about two weeks and I get a whole week off. I haven't written anything about school so I thought I'd share a few thoughts. First of all, I have 3 classes which demand about 22 hours/week in the classroom. Unlike in America, the classes are taught completely in this country's language, with just the occasional English word thrown in. I think it is quite similar to the 'Wawwaa, whawaaa....' that Charlie Brown always heard. Come to think of it, in this way it also reminds me of my time spent in Louisville at Sem...although I think they were mostly speaking English. :) I typically make good eye contact with the teacher and smile until she is asking for volunteers to do something. At that point I bury my head in my book acting like I'm trying to figure something out. Actually, when I'm diligent to prepare for class and I've read the 'dialogue' a few times (and listened to the MP3s on my Treo), I feel okay about my listening comprehension. But it doesn't take a lot for me to get completely lost and give the teacher an answer which is completely unrelated to her question. At that point, I am thankful to be a Westerner who could care less what the other students think about his/her abilities/progress. Whereas, many of the Asians are deathly afraid of giving an incorrect answer in front of the class because it would cause them to 'lose face'.
Speaking of the other foreign language students, many come from Korea, some from Japan, Australia, Europe, Ukraine, India, and Canada. Very, very few Americans. It is really difficult to hear and understand my new language when the locals speak it, however, when the foreigners who have thick accents from back home try to speak to me, I don't have a prayer. All in all the other students seem pretty nice, but I am dismayed every time I walk into a classroom and another student (not the teacher) takes the initiative to turn off the A/C by them self 'because they're cold'. The other day, we had a cold front come through, so obviously the A/C was off and I thought it was a bit hot/stuffy inside the room. So I sat right next to the window and cracked it open. I'm not sure how it made the others feel, but I had on a T-Shirt and shorts...there's not much more I can do. :)
A couple of other notes. My books are almost exclusively characters, so I am now forced to spend more time on character recognition. In order to accelerate my speaking and listening, these last few months I have neglected characters. However, I can't really do that any longer and a good chunk of my study time is now being poured into reading/recognizing characters. My teachers are dismayed that I cannot (and don't desire to) write characters from memory. The time commitment involved in that is something I cannot even think about right now, and may never invest in. With the advent of computers, I can type the sound of the character in and it will convert it to the character for me which is extremely convenient. So sorry teach, but a guy has got to prioritize...be thankful I'm at least trying to learn how to read this impossible language! :)
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Savannah's Smile
by Amy (again!)
I know, it's shocking for me to post twice in one day (especially as I've been a slacker blogger lately) but this couldn't wait!
About two weeks ago, Savannah came to us reporting that one of her teeth was moving. After confirming this, my heart sank.... This is just one more evidence that my little girl has moved out of the "little" phase. She's growing up! But, as is clear from previous posts, I'm proud of the young girl she's becoming. Her sweet smile and thoughtfulness continually bless me....
So, today is the day that the tooth finally fell out. Savannah has been struggling with eating for the past several meals, complaining that chewing hurts her tooth. And, for the last several days, there has hardly been a moment when her fingers were not in her mouth wiggling that tooth! I could hardly handle watching it move in her mouth ~ it gave me the heebee-jeebees. I kept telling her to pull it out, but she was afraid of it hurting. Well, after her continual wiggling, it finally just fell out, and look at that cute smile I have to greet me each day!
I know, it's shocking for me to post twice in one day (especially as I've been a slacker blogger lately) but this couldn't wait!
About two weeks ago, Savannah came to us reporting that one of her teeth was moving. After confirming this, my heart sank.... This is just one more evidence that my little girl has moved out of the "little" phase. She's growing up! But, as is clear from previous posts, I'm proud of the young girl she's becoming. Her sweet smile and thoughtfulness continually bless me....
So, today is the day that the tooth finally fell out. Savannah has been struggling with eating for the past several meals, complaining that chewing hurts her tooth. And, for the last several days, there has hardly been a moment when her fingers were not in her mouth wiggling that tooth! I could hardly handle watching it move in her mouth ~ it gave me the heebee-jeebees. I kept telling her to pull it out, but she was afraid of it hurting. Well, after her continual wiggling, it finally just fell out, and look at that cute smile I have to greet me each day!
Green What!??!
by Amy
In America have you ever noticed what the color green indicates when it comes to food? Most often it could imply one of two things: First of all -- low fat (healthy choice started this I think). You know, you can buy "normal Ritz" or the ones with the a green stripe somewhere on the label showing that these are the low fat variety. The same is true with other crackers, ice cream or cookies (not that I can handle low fat oreos!) Secondly, green could also indicate mint flavor. -- Think Andies Chocolates, think mint-oreos, think mint chocolate chip ice cream.....Clearly this second implication is my favorite! :) I love mint. Those of you who know me well, (and probably even those of you who don't) know that mint, particularly a mint-chocolate combo, is one of my all-time-forever-favorite flavors!
Well, the first week we were here, our American friends took us to a 4 start hotel to enjoy their western lunch buffet! As I scoped out the options, my heart was warmed with the sight of light green ice cream.... Later I discovered that it was not mint flavor, but GREEN TEA flavor. Little did I know that would be a foretaste of things to come. Not long after that, I bought some tooth paste, Crest toothpaste, mind you. When I got home, I was dismayed to discover the picture on the box did not match the picture on the tube inside the box....I'm sure that's OK....I mean, who's ever heard of adult tooth paste any flavor other than mint? (wintermint, spearmint, peppermint, but all mint) Well, we were shocked to discover locals here find GREEN TEA toothpaste refreshing! YUCK! We tried to deal with it for a few days, but just couldn't handle it! Then, a few weeks ago Brad bought some Wrigley's Gum, once again in the light green package. So, on our way home from the store, the kids were excited to chew some new gum! So, Brad whipped out the pack, passed it around and within three chomps, I knew this was not Wrigley's spearmint as I was anticipating. Again, it was green tea flavor. The kids, and even Brad, didn't seem too disturbed by the green tea gum, but I just couldn't handle it.
Well, for the last 8-10 days, we've all been fighting something.... our throats have been raw, noses running and even a touch of a fever here and there. Well, one of the results of this 'bout with illness was that we ran out of Kleenex. No problem, my sweet house helper was heading to the store, so I asked her to buy 6 boxes for us. (Winter is coming and I know we'll go through the Kleenex!) So, since I don't know the word for Kleenex in my new language, I had saved one box so I could show her what I wanted. But, I was sure to tell her any brand would be OK -- it did not have to be exactly what I had previously bought. (BIG MISTAKE!) What did she come home with? 6 mint green colored boxes with GREEN TEA scented tissues! You've got to be kidding me!
As as side note, I am happy to report that even though mint is not a common flavor, we just reciently discovered a Baskin' Robins down the street ~ And, yes, they do carry mint chocolate chip! What a great discovery! I also had a sweet friend mail me some extract, so I've been able to make some delightful mint chocolate brownies when I get the craving!
In America have you ever noticed what the color green indicates when it comes to food? Most often it could imply one of two things: First of all -- low fat (healthy choice started this I think). You know, you can buy "normal Ritz" or the ones with the a green stripe somewhere on the label showing that these are the low fat variety. The same is true with other crackers, ice cream or cookies (not that I can handle low fat oreos!) Secondly, green could also indicate mint flavor. -- Think Andies Chocolates, think mint-oreos, think mint chocolate chip ice cream.....Clearly this second implication is my favorite! :) I love mint. Those of you who know me well, (and probably even those of you who don't) know that mint, particularly a mint-chocolate combo, is one of my all-time-forever-favorite flavors!
Well, the first week we were here, our American friends took us to a 4 start hotel to enjoy their western lunch buffet! As I scoped out the options, my heart was warmed with the sight of light green ice cream.... Later I discovered that it was not mint flavor, but GREEN TEA flavor. Little did I know that would be a foretaste of things to come. Not long after that, I bought some tooth paste, Crest toothpaste, mind you. When I got home, I was dismayed to discover the picture on the box did not match the picture on the tube inside the box....I'm sure that's OK....I mean, who's ever heard of adult tooth paste any flavor other than mint? (wintermint, spearmint, peppermint, but all mint) Well, we were shocked to discover locals here find GREEN TEA toothpaste refreshing! YUCK! We tried to deal with it for a few days, but just couldn't handle it! Then, a few weeks ago Brad bought some Wrigley's Gum, once again in the light green package. So, on our way home from the store, the kids were excited to chew some new gum! So, Brad whipped out the pack, passed it around and within three chomps, I knew this was not Wrigley's spearmint as I was anticipating. Again, it was green tea flavor. The kids, and even Brad, didn't seem too disturbed by the green tea gum, but I just couldn't handle it.
Well, for the last 8-10 days, we've all been fighting something.... our throats have been raw, noses running and even a touch of a fever here and there. Well, one of the results of this 'bout with illness was that we ran out of Kleenex. No problem, my sweet house helper was heading to the store, so I asked her to buy 6 boxes for us. (Winter is coming and I know we'll go through the Kleenex!) So, since I don't know the word for Kleenex in my new language, I had saved one box so I could show her what I wanted. But, I was sure to tell her any brand would be OK -- it did not have to be exactly what I had previously bought. (BIG MISTAKE!) What did she come home with? 6 mint green colored boxes with GREEN TEA scented tissues! You've got to be kidding me!
As as side note, I am happy to report that even though mint is not a common flavor, we just reciently discovered a Baskin' Robins down the street ~ And, yes, they do carry mint chocolate chip! What a great discovery! I also had a sweet friend mail me some extract, so I've been able to make some delightful mint chocolate brownies when I get the craving!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The New Uniform
by Amy
Savannah's kindergarten has uniforms that the kids should wear every Monday. When I asked why only on Monday, I was told that, "Mondays are very special days in our country.... That's the day the flag is raised." "Ooohhhh," I exclaimed in an understanding sort of way. Well last Friday when I went to go pick Savannah up from school, her teacher told me that her uniform would be in that afternoon and she could change into it on Monday morning before class began. Then she informed me that Savannah was selected to be one of the all-important "flag-raisers" and needed to practice saying a particular phrase loudly. She had Savannah say it for me, then we headed home. Well, by the time we got to the gate of the school, we had both forgotten her special sentence, so there was no practicing over the weekend....
On Monday morning we arrived at the school 20 min. earlier than normal so we'd have plenty of time to get her dressed and practice her special line. (FYI~ That means I walked -pushing the stroller with all three kids in it - 20 minutes to arrive at her school by 8:10 AM ~ shocking, I know!) After getting Savannah dressed and settled, the boys and I waited for the special ceremony, camera in hand.
When we got outside, Savannah and her friend (she has two girls that she often talks about at home. This was one of those two) were given special sashes. It reminded me a little bit of a beauty pageant. :) Then, they stood on either side of the flag pole and waited for all the kids to come outside. They must have posed for a trillion pictures for her teacher.
I'm continually thankful for how well Savannah is adapting to our new country. She's enjoying school, making a few friends and beginning to pick up the language. On Monday afternoon, after the flag raising, my house helper cooked mac'n cheese for lunch ~ a favorite in our home! When Savannah came to the table, knowing it was my helper's first time to make this dish, said, in our new language, "Great job, Auntie, We love you!" I had never said that particular phrase for "good job" so I was impressed and my helper was delighted!
Savannah's kindergarten has uniforms that the kids should wear every Monday. When I asked why only on Monday, I was told that, "Mondays are very special days in our country.... That's the day the flag is raised." "Ooohhhh," I exclaimed in an understanding sort of way. Well last Friday when I went to go pick Savannah up from school, her teacher told me that her uniform would be in that afternoon and she could change into it on Monday morning before class began. Then she informed me that Savannah was selected to be one of the all-important "flag-raisers" and needed to practice saying a particular phrase loudly. She had Savannah say it for me, then we headed home. Well, by the time we got to the gate of the school, we had both forgotten her special sentence, so there was no practicing over the weekend....
On Monday morning we arrived at the school 20 min. earlier than normal so we'd have plenty of time to get her dressed and practice her special line. (FYI~ That means I walked -pushing the stroller with all three kids in it - 20 minutes to arrive at her school by 8:10 AM ~ shocking, I know!) After getting Savannah dressed and settled, the boys and I waited for the special ceremony, camera in hand.When we got outside, Savannah and her friend (she has two girls that she often talks about at home. This was one of those two) were given special sashes. It reminded me a little bit of a beauty pageant. :) Then, they stood on either side of the flag pole and waited for all the kids to come outside. They must have posed for a trillion pictures for her teacher.
Then, finally the time came for Savannah to say her special sentence, loudly, into the microphone. I still don't know what she was supposed to say, but I assume what she said was OK -- it was loud, about as long as what the other little girl said, and no one laughed when she finished -- all good signs, I thought.
Then, Savannah's job was the all important flag-thrower.... They played some special music, and at the climax of the music she was supposed to throw the flag while the other girl pulled the rope to send it soaring in the air.... Well, Savannah threw the flag at the right time, but it landed on the ground and gasping was heard all around. The teacher quickly pulled the rope to get the flag off the floor as a few brave kids let their chuckes out. Soon, the flag was flying high overhead! Then, a few of Savannah's classmates marched out in front and did a song/chant with hand-motions. It was cute.
I'm continually thankful for how well Savannah is adapting to our new country. She's enjoying school, making a few friends and beginning to pick up the language. On Monday afternoon, after the flag raising, my house helper cooked mac'n cheese for lunch ~ a favorite in our home! When Savannah came to the table, knowing it was my helper's first time to make this dish, said, in our new language, "Great job, Auntie, We love you!" I had never said that particular phrase for "good job" so I was impressed and my helper was delighted!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
What's in a Name?
From Brad.
Well, almost 4 months into our new life here and we finally decided on new names. Why you ask? Why not just have them call us Brad, Amy, etc. Well, for the same reason that foreigners studying in America often use English names. It is a bit hard for Americans to say names like byun-kim jung and usually leads to people terribly mispronouncing them or just avoiding using their name. Guidelines for choosing our name were as follows
1) The name needs to be somewhat familiar to the culture. I have met friends here who study english who have english names like 'Early', 'Potter' and my favorite 'James Bond'...yes, a tad bit strange.
2) The character associated with name needs to be somewhat easy to write as we'll be asked to write it often.
3) The meaning needs to be appropriate, not offensive.
4) Somewhat easy to pronounce as some sounds in this language are just terribly difficult for us.
As a quick aside, some names here are becoming so common (close to 1 million people in our country have the same exact name) that the police strongly encourage you to pick an uncommon name when you register your new baby with the govt. That's a little different, heh?
As a result we arrived at some names with some local friends not long ago. We were satisfied with the names until we learned something. Before I get to that something, I need to explain a little about our language. Our language has tons and tons of homophones. Words that have the same sound, but different meanings (maybe even different spellings). For example, in English, Bear and bare are homophones (can you sing..."Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities..."). In conversation, if a homophone is used and it is unclear which meaning is intended, one might say "bear as in grizzly bear". In English this rarely happens. However, this is not uncommon in our language (which makes language learning all the more exciting...Ha!). So much so that when you explain your name, you typically need to clarify which word/character you name is. So an introduction might go like this. My name is Jin Fu (translated...Gold Happy) ... Jin Yin de Jin (Gold Silver's Gold...not today, or weight which is also translated Jin), XingFu de Fu (happiness's Fu, not husband, man or skin).
So when we learned how to explain one's name, we asked...how do we explain our name. Our last name here is Mu (not too far from the first syllable in our English last name). We were told (after choosing this name weeks ago), Mu-si-lim de Mu is what we should say. Ohhh, we said that's interesting, what could be that meaning? Yep, after consulting the dictionary, sure enough it means Muslim. :) Can't you see some Japanese kid coming to American and wanting an English name to 'fit in' and calling himself "Muhammad".
Well, we've been told that this name is common among a minority group here who are predominately Muslim, but that tons of other non-Muslims here have that name. So I'm not sure, but I think we'll change it since its not too late.
Well, almost 4 months into our new life here and we finally decided on new names. Why you ask? Why not just have them call us Brad, Amy, etc. Well, for the same reason that foreigners studying in America often use English names. It is a bit hard for Americans to say names like byun-kim jung and usually leads to people terribly mispronouncing them or just avoiding using their name. Guidelines for choosing our name were as follows
1) The name needs to be somewhat familiar to the culture. I have met friends here who study english who have english names like 'Early', 'Potter' and my favorite 'James Bond'...yes, a tad bit strange.
2) The character associated with name needs to be somewhat easy to write as we'll be asked to write it often.
3) The meaning needs to be appropriate, not offensive.
4) Somewhat easy to pronounce as some sounds in this language are just terribly difficult for us.
As a quick aside, some names here are becoming so common (close to 1 million people in our country have the same exact name) that the police strongly encourage you to pick an uncommon name when you register your new baby with the govt. That's a little different, heh?
As a result we arrived at some names with some local friends not long ago. We were satisfied with the names until we learned something. Before I get to that something, I need to explain a little about our language. Our language has tons and tons of homophones. Words that have the same sound, but different meanings (maybe even different spellings). For example, in English, Bear and bare are homophones (can you sing..."Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities..."). In conversation, if a homophone is used and it is unclear which meaning is intended, one might say "bear as in grizzly bear". In English this rarely happens. However, this is not uncommon in our language (which makes language learning all the more exciting...Ha!). So much so that when you explain your name, you typically need to clarify which word/character you name is. So an introduction might go like this. My name is Jin Fu (translated...Gold Happy) ... Jin Yin de Jin (Gold Silver's Gold...not today, or weight which is also translated Jin), XingFu de Fu (happiness's Fu, not husband, man or skin).
So when we learned how to explain one's name, we asked...how do we explain our name. Our last name here is Mu (not too far from the first syllable in our English last name). We were told (after choosing this name weeks ago), Mu-si-lim de Mu is what we should say. Ohhh, we said that's interesting, what could be that meaning? Yep, after consulting the dictionary, sure enough it means Muslim. :) Can't you see some Japanese kid coming to American and wanting an English name to 'fit in' and calling himself "Muhammad".
Well, we've been told that this name is common among a minority group here who are predominately Muslim, but that tons of other non-Muslims here have that name. So I'm not sure, but I think we'll change it since its not too late.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
New Neighbors
by Amy
A couple of weeks ago we finished dinner about 6:00 and decided to head to the lake in the middle of our town to play for a while before bedtime. So, we walked to the street in front of our home and waited for a taxi. We waited and waited and waited. (The taxi drivers go off shift between 6:00 and 7:00ish so none of the drivers want to pick someone up and drive somewhere if it will make them work longer.) There was also another woman with her son trying to flag a taxi as well. Eventually, she asked us where we were heading, and funny thing....they were also heading to the same lake to meet her husband for dinner. So, she tells us to wait and soon returns driving her car. We rig Savannah's bike in her trunk and pile in. (She was trying to take a taxi because her husband was already there with his car.) Once we arrived at the lake, we went our separate ways, promising to see each other again.
Well less than a week later, we were at the local grocery super-store to buy a ball (since Brad had kicked our ball over a brick wall and couldn't get it back). We get in line to check-out behind our friendly neighbor. She insists on buying our ball since she had a gift card for the store and offers to drive us home. Then, she invites us in her home and our kids have fun playing with her 9 year old son. We tentatively make plans to get together again on Sunday for a meal. We left her home feeling unsure if we'd really see them on Sunday and not positive if we were talking about eating lunch or dinner. So we just decide to leave Sunday pretty open and see what happens.....
Well, at 8:30am her son rings our door bell. (I hide in my bedroom because I'm still in my PJs.) He asks us to be ready at 11am, then he heads to his Sunday AM English class. As it turns out, his class was let out earlier than expected; they find us playing on the playground downstairs about 1o am and ask if we're ready to go. After washing up we hopped in their car, still unsure what exactly we're doing or where we're going. But, we decided to sit back and enjoy the ride (as much as you can with three people in the front and five in the back seat ~ Brad and I each had a boy on our lap.)
After driving about 45 min. we come to a river. We ooh and ahh as we see the mini waterfalls (dams) and wooden plank foot bridges as well as many little boats and fun water activities. We soon park the car and head to the river. (I have to confess I was kicking myself for not bringing the camera. So the only pics we have were taken with Brad's cell phone.) As soon as we cross the bridge, our host rents a little duck shaped boat powered by using bicycle pedals. So, Brad and the kids hop in! I sit on the side trying to make conversation with our sweet neighbor while her husband took care of some other business.
After playing on the boat for a while, and after our host bought my three kids water guns, we crossed the bridge again and headed to a "restaurant" where we would eat lunch.... Brad was promptly handed a fishing pole and asked to catch our lunch. So, he and Savannah sat next to a stock-pond and fished! I sat at a mini-table with the wife eating some fruit while Peter and Alex used their water guns to torment the chickens and anything else they could find. The husband had fun playing with them while we chatted. After Brad and Savannah caught 3 or 4 fish, we headed to screened in area with a large table covered with food. They had probably bought three times as much food as we could have ever eaten! And, in the middle, was a plate of locust. Yes, they were fried and put on a plate for our eating enjoyment. At least they weren't alive!
And, I am glad to report that we were not pressured to eat any of them! I hope we did not offend our host by not partaking, but neither one of us could bring ourselves to do it..... When Peter saw them, he said, "Oh look, stinky bugs, Mom!" At that moment I was thankful our hosts couldn't understand English!
A couple of weeks ago we finished dinner about 6:00 and decided to head to the lake in the middle of our town to play for a while before bedtime. So, we walked to the street in front of our home and waited for a taxi. We waited and waited and waited. (The taxi drivers go off shift between 6:00 and 7:00ish so none of the drivers want to pick someone up and drive somewhere if it will make them work longer.) There was also another woman with her son trying to flag a taxi as well. Eventually, she asked us where we were heading, and funny thing....they were also heading to the same lake to meet her husband for dinner. So, she tells us to wait and soon returns driving her car. We rig Savannah's bike in her trunk and pile in. (She was trying to take a taxi because her husband was already there with his car.) Once we arrived at the lake, we went our separate ways, promising to see each other again.
Well less than a week later, we were at the local grocery super-store to buy a ball (since Brad had kicked our ball over a brick wall and couldn't get it back). We get in line to check-out behind our friendly neighbor. She insists on buying our ball since she had a gift card for the store and offers to drive us home. Then, she invites us in her home and our kids have fun playing with her 9 year old son. We tentatively make plans to get together again on Sunday for a meal. We left her home feeling unsure if we'd really see them on Sunday and not positive if we were talking about eating lunch or dinner. So we just decide to leave Sunday pretty open and see what happens.....
Well, at 8:30am her son rings our door bell. (I hide in my bedroom because I'm still in my PJs.) He asks us to be ready at 11am, then he heads to his Sunday AM English class. As it turns out, his class was let out earlier than expected; they find us playing on the playground downstairs about 1o am and ask if we're ready to go. After washing up we hopped in their car, still unsure what exactly we're doing or where we're going. But, we decided to sit back and enjoy the ride (as much as you can with three people in the front and five in the back seat ~ Brad and I each had a boy on our lap.)
After driving about 45 min. we come to a river. We ooh and ahh as we see the mini waterfalls (dams) and wooden plank foot bridges as well as many little boats and fun water activities. We soon park the car and head to the river. (I have to confess I was kicking myself for not bringing the camera. So the only pics we have were taken with Brad's cell phone.) As soon as we cross the bridge, our host rents a little duck shaped boat powered by using bicycle pedals. So, Brad and the kids hop in! I sit on the side trying to make conversation with our sweet neighbor while her husband took care of some other business.
After playing on the boat for a while, and after our host bought my three kids water guns, we crossed the bridge again and headed to a "restaurant" where we would eat lunch.... Brad was promptly handed a fishing pole and asked to catch our lunch. So, he and Savannah sat next to a stock-pond and fished! I sat at a mini-table with the wife eating some fruit while Peter and Alex used their water guns to torment the chickens and anything else they could find. The husband had fun playing with them while we chatted. After Brad and Savannah caught 3 or 4 fish, we headed to screened in area with a large table covered with food. They had probably bought three times as much food as we could have ever eaten! And, in the middle, was a plate of locust. Yes, they were fried and put on a plate for our eating enjoyment. At least they weren't alive!
And, I am glad to report that we were not pressured to eat any of them! I hope we did not offend our host by not partaking, but neither one of us could bring ourselves to do it..... When Peter saw them, he said, "Oh look, stinky bugs, Mom!" At that moment I was thankful our hosts couldn't understand English!After lunch the wife and I took the kids back to the river to walk around and play while Brad and the husband did a little more fishing. Peter and Alex shot everyone and everything we walked by with their water guns and had a blast! We ended up getting back home around 4:00, totally exhausted, but so thankful for our new friends! What a great day we had!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Baseball Anyone?
From Brad.Although we have a long ways to go as parents, we do labor to establish in the hearts of our children some absolutes. One absolute in life that has not received adequate attention (in my humble opinion) is that most anything in life can be used as a pretend baseball bat.
Just because there may not be batting cages to visit or time to visit them even (if they are available), does not mean one cannot practice and perfect his/her swing. My children are catching on to this wonderful truth (absolute) and I have included a small sampling below of how they live it out in their everyday life.We caught Alex the other day using his straw to smack that imaginary baseball.
Peter will occasionally use sundry kitchen utensils to visualize crushing a home-run to the opposite field...much to his Mother's chagrin.
Even Vanna gets into the act occasionally, showing her promise as a slugging softballer. Pink is of course the color of choice.
Almost all of the drinks you buy here come in a bottle. My boys are especially delighted when the last drop is consumed so they can exclaim, "A Baseball Bat, A Baseball Bat!" Where did they gain such a passionate love for baseball?!!
The bigger 2 liter bottles are much for suitable for actually striking a hollow plastic ball that will do little to no damage upon impact. It will really send them flying also.
These bottles, additionally, double as bowling pins. With a simple tennis ball and 6-10 of these bottles, you have an evening full of cheap entertainment.
You did hear me say that "most anything" qualifies. Even I don't place this fluorescent tube in the 'most anything' category. But alas, the youngsters have their own opinions.
It was fun to watch David Letterman (years ago) throw these things off the top of a building pretending to be Zeus. :)
Oh my, its a good thing Mom isn't home to see this.
I did find an interesting article on MSNBC where a local guy has organized some little league baseball teams here in my city. It would be amazing if it works out in a couple of years that my boys could play. This was one of those things I thought they would miss by growing up overseas...but maybe not!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Trip to the Beach!
From Brad.
Well as school was approaching, I thought it might be nice to get away for a few days, take a break from language study (although, impossible to take a complete break...and undesirable to some degree), and travel to a nearby beach. Our kids love the sand, beach, water and the weather is just about right...not too hot, but warm enough to still swim. So we hopped on a choo-choo train (basically an amusement ride as far as our boys are concerned) and within a couple of hours, our vacation had begun. Here’s a slideshow of about 40 picts which I’ll comment on below
A few interesting facts about the beach here…
· Very crowded, tons of people
· Many children up to about 8 years old…no bathing suit
· Thankfully the adults had them on, but I did notice a few men who would swim out to the deeper water and take theirs off for some reason. Floating on the water right next to them.
· The sand apparently had some clay in it and was terribly difficult to mold and shape.
· The people here love to cover themselves in sand. We saw a number of people who simply buried themselves up to their head and just laid there.
Other highlights of our trip included several western (mostly European) restaurants that were frequented by us. This included a Mexican restaurant. Not nearly as good as the worst Mexican place in the states, but still in the Mexican category and thus enjoyable to us. You’ll also notice some pictures of an aquarium we visited. It was really nice and well worth the $30 we paid for admission (not cheap in these parts). They love Christmas decorations here and some do it year round ‘because they are so beautiful’…thus the pictures. Its also been funny shopping occasionally in July and hearing 'Jingle Bells' of all things. Finally, there’s a really funky looking monument built close to the beach which we captured a couple of times.
Well as school was approaching, I thought it might be nice to get away for a few days, take a break from language study (although, impossible to take a complete break...and undesirable to some degree), and travel to a nearby beach. Our kids love the sand, beach, water and the weather is just about right...not too hot, but warm enough to still swim. So we hopped on a choo-choo train (basically an amusement ride as far as our boys are concerned) and within a couple of hours, our vacation had begun. Here’s a slideshow of about 40 picts which I’ll comment on below
A few interesting facts about the beach here…
· Very crowded, tons of people
· Many children up to about 8 years old…no bathing suit
· Thankfully the adults had them on, but I did notice a few men who would swim out to the deeper water and take theirs off for some reason. Floating on the water right next to them.
· The sand apparently had some clay in it and was terribly difficult to mold and shape.
· The people here love to cover themselves in sand. We saw a number of people who simply buried themselves up to their head and just laid there.
Other highlights of our trip included several western (mostly European) restaurants that were frequented by us. This included a Mexican restaurant. Not nearly as good as the worst Mexican place in the states, but still in the Mexican category and thus enjoyable to us. You’ll also notice some pictures of an aquarium we visited. It was really nice and well worth the $30 we paid for admission (not cheap in these parts). They love Christmas decorations here and some do it year round ‘because they are so beautiful’…thus the pictures. Its also been funny shopping occasionally in July and hearing 'Jingle Bells' of all things. Finally, there’s a really funky looking monument built close to the beach which we captured a couple of times.
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