A Triangle

I'm probably going to get in trouble for posting this picture of me and my parents.  But, I'm so far away I'm gonna go ahead and chance it.  We are not all three die hard Packer fans, as it would appear in the picture.  I just think this picture is really funny.  And, I'm so glad I talked my parents into taking it.

Anyway, many people have been asking me how my parents are doing with me gone.  And, it's funny because not many people ask me how I'm doing being away from them.  To answer the question though, I think we're all just doing this.  I really can't answer for my mom and dad.  But, for me, I just take one day at a time.  And, it is not always easy.  I really love and miss them.

I've told my mom and dad before that we are not like other families.  Other families are not as close as we are.  Other families don't sit down to dinner together almost every night and talk about their day.  Other people don't talk to their parents about life like I do.  And, I think I know why.  We are like a triangle.  A triangle can't be a triangle without three sides.  The three sides lean on each other or they end up being some unrecognizable object.  That's how we are.  And, although my parents and I are far away from each other, we are still connected.  The triangle is not broken or bent.  It is not in disrepair.  The triangle has just grown.  Alot.  And, even though I am missing my two sides because we are so spread apart, they are not gone.  They are very much with me.  And, I am very much with them.  Nothing can break or knock down this triangle because all three sides are leaning on each other.

13 hours ahead

I am having major problems with the internet lately.  So, I am writing this from a different computer.  I just wanted to share a few thoughts this time without pictures, although I have plenty of those too.

There's something I've been thinking about alot lately.  And, it is the 13 hour time difference between where I am and home.  I am 13 hours ahead.  That's like a whole day.  So, at night here before I go to bed, I am thinking of the many people that I love and care for.  And, as I am thinking of you, you are just starting the day I've already lived.  It's kinda crazy, huh?

So, here's what I wanted to tell you.  You may be facing something difficult today.  You may be met with trials.  There may be something or someone that will push you beyond what you think you can bear.  You may not even want to wake up to start the day.  There may be situations in your life that are bigger than you.  You may be overwhelmed and feel defeated.  You may not have the answers or know what today holds.  Today may be filled with joy or sadness.  I don't know what today will hold for you.  But, I do know this.  It all turns out ok.  Trust me.  I made it through the day you're just beginning.

Pizza Hut, Wal-Mart, and the First Day of School

Last weekend, I went out to dinner for some pizza.  We went to Pizza Hut.  But, let me tell you, it was much different than any of the ones I've ever been to.  Pizza Hut here in East Asia is like going to a five star restaurant in America.  The inside of this place was pretty fancy.  And, they served much more than pizza.  The menu had so many different sections I couldn't believe it.

On Monday, we started school.  For those who didn't know, that is what I'm doing with much of my time here.  I'm attempting be a homeschool teacher to two wonderful students.  I was very nervous and dreading it all day and night Sunday.  But, now, we can say that we successfully finished our first week of school.  And, no, it was not easy.  But, I am learning along with the girls.  I am learning more and more about myself as a teacher and a person.  I'll let you know more about that later.

After we finished school on Monday, we went to Wal-Mart to buy a few school supplies.  The Wal-Mart here is much different than the ones in America.  It has four floors and escalators.  When you get a shopping cart, you can push it onto the escalator.  The wheels are metal with groves that connect to the escalator.  You don't even have to hold onto your basket!  There are many different things to be found in this store.  And, I documented some of those things for you.

The oil aisle.  They use alot of oil in the cooking here.  Appetizing . . . right?

Oreos.  Bet you've never seen double berry creme filling or orange/lemon filling!  And, yes, those are more flavors in the background.  I had to leave that aisle quickly.  :)

Here we are riding the escalator down to the first floor on our way to catch the first bus home.

Lastly, I came down with a hacking cough, stuffy nose, and the voice of man on Monday morning.  So, I thought I would share with you what I've been taking - East Asian cough syrup, Tylenol Cold, and Golden Throat Lozenges.  They seem to be working.  So, hopefully, I'll be better soon!

Minority Park, Lunch, and Rush Hour

On Friday, I had the opportunity to go to a place the foreigners here call "Minority Park".  It is very much a tourist attraction.  And, it is safe to say I was the only American there.  It's sort of like an outdoor museum.  There you can walk around and learn about the 26 different minority groups of this region of East Asia.  There are 26 stops where you can see each group's type of house, how they lived, what they ate, the clothes they wore, and their individual beliefs and traditions.  I took lots of pictures, so I will only be able to show you a few.

This is an example of a Buddhist shrine.  An entire room of the home was dedicated to this specific purpose.

This lady was making one of minority group's traditional type of food.  I tried it with chop sticks and everything.  It is a type of cake / dough.  She was making some with brown sugar inside and some with sweet meat.

The building in the background is one of the traditional houses.  There was another lady inside making potato pancakes.

This is one example of the traditional dress for men, complete with some type of instrument.

This was the outside of the restaurant where we ate lunch.

This is what most of the place settings in restaurants here look like.  Everything comes packaged in plastic, and you have to unwrap it.

The dish on the left is potatoes with red and green bell pepper and mint.  Yes, mint.  I'm not a big fan of mint with my potatoes.  :)  On the right, this is fish with pepper and other spices.

This is Marcy.  She invited me along for the day.  She is a Brazilian friend, who studies language and was interested in learning more about the different dialects of some of the  minority groups.  She had just opened a piece of bamboo.  Inside, you can see the rice we were eating.  It was sticky rice with peanuts.

This was a show we were able to catch toward the end of the day.  There is a lady dressed to represent each of the 26 groups.  

By the end of the day, we were very tired.  Unfortunately, we chose to leave around 5:30 in the evening.  We didn't realize we would hit rush hour traffic.  After a long bus ride and two taxis, we finally made it.  The first taxi driver said he knew where to go, but he took us to the wrong complex.  Once we got to the right complex, we got turned around and it took a while to find the right building.  After two hours, we finally arrived.

The Market

On Tuesday, I was able to go to an open market across the street from where I am staying.  I was interested to see if it would be like others in different places I have visited.  And, it was.  It was not as crazy and crowded as I expected it to be.  It may have had something to do with the time of day.  I'm not sure.

Here are some pictures of what I saw there.  I think this lady is packaging individual portions of tofu to sell.

This lady if cutting up chicken like it did something to her.  Maybe this is their version of anger management.  Notice, you can buy a whole chicken if you like (bottom left-hand corner).

And, you can buy almost every vegetable imaginable here.  The big, oversized, watermelon-looking thing is some type of squash.  Really big squash.

You can also buy bread and pastries here.  We bought some of these little cakes.  They are flaky, sweet, and taste like honey.  Maybe sometime, I will take you to Wal-Mart or downtown to go shopping.  :)

Sky diving

Well, I just want to start by saying this is the first time I have been able to access my blog.  The internet here is finicky.  And, everything on this page is in characters, except what I am typing.  So, I may not be able to update as often as I would like to.

I'm finally here, as I am sure you may have guessed.  My long journey here was not without complications.  But, it could have been much worse.  I flew from Memphis to Chicago.  From Chicago, I was supposed to have a thirteen hour flight.  But, instead, we started it off by sitting in the plane for two hours due to complications with some of the passengers.  Because of this delay, I missed my next flight.  I had to navigate an airport I had never been in and figure out how to catch the next flight out.  But, finally, I made it to East Asia.

As far as adjusting, I adjusted quickly in the physical sense.  The thirteen hour time difference between here and home is a little complicated, but my body is used to it now.  Emotionally and mentally, however, I  am not as adjusted.

Before I left, I told some of my close friends that I feel like I'm sky diving.  I just jumped.  I have no idea what I'm doing or if it's right.  Every other moment, I question whether or not I can do this.  I wonder if I am supposed to be here.  I wonder if this isn't some terrible mistake.  Maybe there has been a mix-up and I shouldn't be here.  And, although everyone else is convinced this adventure is right for me, I am still waiting to land.

Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying.  I know I am privileged to be doing what I'm doing.  I know this is an incredible opportunity.  So, right now, I am trusting that this is where I am supposed to be.  I am trusting that this may not be easy or fun.  It may difficult and painful.  The chipping away and molding that needs to be done in me will hurt.  It already does.  But, I'm trusting that I will not come back the same girl who left Memphis early one hot August morning.

As for new experiences and things I have seen, I promise many of those are coming.  And, pictures will follow as well.  Here's a quick one just for now.  I was riding on a bus today and felt something wet hit my foot.  It was a baby peeing on the bus.  Nice.  Right?  How's that for potty training?

Loved

What a day! It was way more intense than I expected it to be - in a good way.  And, just for a random fact, I can cry better, faster, and longer than anyone I know.  I mean just when I think there are no more tears; more start to flow.  When I cry as much as I have been lately, it means that something much greater is taking place in me.  It means that I have no words to fully express how I feel and that I know what I'm doing is right.  It means that someone else is running my life.  It means that I have finally stopped trying to do this thing on my own and chosen to follow much greater plans than I could have imagined.  So, really, the tears aren't bad.  They are an outward expression of something happening on the inside.

Even though I really don't have the words to express how I feel,  I will try anyway.  I felt loved today.  I felt loved through hands on my shoulders and other people's tears.  I felt loved through words of affirmation that I'm not alone and many other people are with me in all of this.  I felt loved in cheek kisses and big, like-you-mean-it hugs.  I felt loved in perfect strangers letting me know they're for me and not against me.  I felt loved in people spending time, effort, and sweat on me.  I felt loved through paper sacks, lit with candles, lining a walkway.  I felt loved through paper lanterns, streamers, and a banner.  I felt loved through bursts of yellow and red.  I felt loved through people lying to me and keeping secrets (believe it or not). I felt loved through hot July hugs and pictures.  Lots of pictures.  I felt loved through letters and gifts.  And, I felt loved with a love that I don't deserve.  

That's what I kept thinking ALL day and night on this day.  I don't deserve any of it.  There are so many times when I let down the very people that I love.  I disappoint and discourage the people I love.  I make promises I don't keep.  I hurt people with my words and actions.  Sometimes, I tear people down instead of build them up.  And, it is usually the people I love most that I hurt the worst.  I don't deserve that kind of love.  

But, that's the thing I'm learning about love.  And, it is a good lesson to learn.  Love, real love, is unconditional.  It is extravagant.  It knows no bounds.  It keeps no record of wrong.  And, it is undeserved.  So, for those of you who loved me today and will in the days to come, thank you.  I couldn't do this without you.  And, it means more than you know.