There's something sweet a brewin'...Oh, that's just my Lord doin' what He's doin'

Tonight was my first time back at Bible Study in several months. Now that Cantonese class is over, I get to attend regularly :) We're focusing on Ephesians in the Bible Study, which is what Sunday's sermon was on this week, specifically 2:1-10. I just kept having flashbacks in the conversation to some of the great points that were made. Check out my Sunday blog for a refresher. Plus, they had HEAT! and a uniquely sweet Earl Grey tea that was delicious. Tea, heat, and Jesus--Oh yeah.

One key point to remember is we are not worthy BUT He gave us the greatest gift ever. When I think of how I deserve death and have been offered life. Yes---Lord, yes. :)

The day was long with lesson planning today but the sun was out and I found some really good music online, so tackling it was nothing.

This is one of those days where I know there were 24 hours, but I can't remember too much what happened during them. So I'll end with a quote and hope your 24 hours are profound:
"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Oh, and all single Christians (or anyone else that's just interested) out there should check out this video. This was shared with me today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igCj3jsbcqs.

Holimonday

Today, I learned a lot about Yum! brands in China because it's part of the discussion I'm leading next week in the business forum I've created. In case you're behind, Yum! has sold Long John Silvers and A&W, and they're profits in China (mostly from KFC) far surpass the profits they make in America.

The motion in debate tonight was "This House believes that you should do the right thing." It's a vague motion which could have been defined many ways. The Opening Gov side defined 'the right thing' as Macanese people driving on the 'right' side of the road. Macau and Hong Kong both drive on the left side of the road (perhaps because they were European colonies). Mainland China drives on the right side. The arguments ended up becoming rather silly and entertaining, but it was the first day back from a holiday--what else would you expect?

Athena gave me a miniature bunny  shaped cookie cutter for Chinese New Year. It was very sweet of her to give us all little gifts. Lauren got a pen in her little bag because she's notorious for stealing pens...or 'borrowing' them...or just losing her own. She has quite the story with pens.

The weather today was tricky--signs of hopeful sunshine in the morning and numb-feeling toes walking home from work at a quarter after 9 tonight. The good news is that subtropical weather should arrive in about 1.5 months! Until then, it's more motivation to take the stairs so that I'm warm when I get to the apartment.

Summary: uneventful, good day.

The Pete, repeat, and defeat

Where to begin? Today hasn't been a bad day, but I remember waking up this morning thinking things just weren't going in my favor. When the shower wasn't hot and the shower head wouldn't stand up, it took me back to the day I blogged months ago about similar Sunday morning issues somehow turning into a REALLY happy day. I was excited about the possibility of little irritants turning into big blessings. I guess at the end of the day, it's really all in how you deal with the hand you're dealt (an appropriate phrase for a gambling culture).

I had bought Cinnabon mini cinnamon rolls at the Manila airport for my roomies, and this morning I popped them in the toaster oven--one for each of us. The Cinnabon slogan is 'life needs frosting,' so I decided that that should be my motto for the day, and thus the day would be pretty sweet, right?

Church was amazing. Steve L. led the service. This was the first time I'd heard him speak, and he made a lot of great points. The sermon was on Ephesians 1:15-2:10.
Interesting points:
1. We ALL once lived among the sons of disobedience (it sounds like some rough gang from Chicago...we were all there). This makes it seem like we should be a little more understanding and forgiving when people 'do us wrong' or are 'heathens'...Agree?
2. Paul prays for those that have believed. A lot of time we pray that those who don't know Christ as their personal Savior would come to accept them as their Savior, but Steve pointed out Paul is praying for the believers here. Yes, the non-believers should be prayed for. Here, though, Paul is implying that believers still need their eyes opened. "Christ is not something we just 'get' like a piece of knowledge. [He is a living King, and just like we spend time getting to know each other, we should spend time discovering Him.] We believers have it (salvation), but we haven't 'got it' yet; we are still getting it [getting as in understanding]. The section from 1:15-2:10 actually starts out pretty dark. We began at death (or deserving it), and without Christ's salvation that's where we still are/would be. In order to understand the hope to which we are called, we must understand the hopelessness at which we began...death (2:1).
3. The devil said to Eve in Genesis 'surely you will not die; you become more like God.' The flip side of that same lie that satan tells us today is 'surely you are not dead, you are like God.' He tries to convince us that we are living fully apart from Christ. Such is not the case.
4. We are by nature an object of wrath. Steve used the example of a rat as an object of our wrath. They are nasty, filthy, they eat our food and make our things dirty, etc...but just like us, all that the rat does is natural. It's our nature to sin and be filthy. That's why Christ's guidance is so essential. Every headline (example murder, crime, etc.) has its source in the human heart. G.K. Chesterton once answered the question 'what's wrong with the world?' with the response, "I am." It's our dislike for admitting we are flawed that keeps us from progress. As a teacher, I can tell you it is far more difficult to teach students that think they have nothing to learn. We always have room for improvement, even as the 'righteous.' After comparing us to rats, making obvious that we deserve God's wrath, verse 4 sweeps in with that magic word: BUT. But what? But God is rich in mercy. And voila, there we have it. God is pleased to rescue us from our rat-ness, if we let Him.
5. "The church has no room for the advice of the world to 'fake it until you make it.' For so long as you fake it, you will not make it [to Heaven]."..."God is able to make a dead man's bones dance again."

This afternoon was spent peeling and cutting potatoes, onions and jalapenos for my spicy potato contribution to Mexican night at Kenisha and Nancy's tonight. I didn't mind that it took so long, though I began to think about how most women used to stay at home before feminism...and they must have spent the whole day busy making meals. I enjoy cooking, but one thing that makes me upset very quickly is when a dish comes out wrong. It feels like a failure--a lot of times it's not because I don't know how to cook but because I got distracted or the equipment I'm working with is shotty or I ran out of time. Who knows. Today, I had one of those frustrating moments. We have a skillet, but no lid, and I was trying to fry with a limited temperature setting device. Somehow stuff burnt onto the pan and the potatoes never actually cooked properly. The end of the story was coughing from a little smoke in my lungs, a mediocre batch of potatoes, a stinky apartment, and all of those hours of work seemingly wasted. I became pretty upset, and I guess around 6pm I felt like the shower woes of this morning were just predictors of the other irritants to come today. Where was the frosting on my life that Cinnabon had directed me with this morning? I suppose I felt like a rat in a sewer. Okay, it wasn't that bad.
I ended up, as I tend to do when I get irritated, evaluating the logic behind the irritant. The outcome: ruining my disposition. The reason: potatoes that cost me 5MOP ($.60) being wasted...it doesn't really seem worth it. I'll admit, I was irritated for a while with all the 'if only I had...,' but eventually I came around to see that it wasn't all so bad after all.

I had a chance to listen to Southeast Christian's sermon on Making Much of Little, and decided that even with the petty irritants of my day, I am still EXTREMELY blessed. So today I had moments where I showed my rat-tendencies. I'm so glad for that 'BUT' of mercy.

The holidays are over and I'm back to work tomorrow. Over and out.

Back to the simple life, no Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie involved.

Back to Macau life--and cold doing it. 90 degree weather in the Philippines is definitely being missed right now. Today Athena and I spent the day running errands, eating Mexican, and finding new grocery stores. We got way too excited over MamaCare, a store that I had been to and introduced her to today. It's located in Taipa, so I don't go there regularly. This was the first time I spent a lot of time in there because we were waiting for my photos to print at another store....and oh the treasures we found. There's quite a bit of Trader Joes stuff there. It took me about 4 grocery stores before I found jalapenos for me spicy potatoes I'm making tomorrow, but I've got 'em.

On my mind today: Matthew 16:9

Manila Lessons, Take 5

This is the fifth of 5 blogs on my trip to the Philippines. Look through all the blogs labeled "Manila Lessons" to read about my journeys.
To go back to the first blog, click on this link or copy it into your browser: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-1.html
Second blog: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-2.html
Third blog:  http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-3.html
Fourth blog: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-4.html

50 Lessons I learned (or was reminded of) in the Philippines [continued]

41.      Small acts of kindness go a long way. I worked for hours on a bulletin board that in the grand scheme of things make no difference in these children’s lives, but I hope that it will be fun for them to see their name as a star and perhaps a visitor will be impressed by the look of the place and donate. (We’re weird like that with where we give money sometimes) Here’s the bulletin board, all letters and stars cut out by hand. It was not my idea, only my labor…the names are still to be done.

42.      Green beans with a spicy kick are amazing! As were most of the somewhat simple dishes that we had this past week.

43.      Rice is a staple staple staple in the Philippines—especially where I stayed. They had rice with every meal—even breakfast. Good thing I like rice J

44.      Part of the Bourne Legacy was shot in the Philippines today, under an overpass I was on! That’s what the taxi cab driver told me as an explanation for his grunt toward them rerouting traffic. I felt like a mini-celebrity in a way. That’s by far one of my favorite action series.

45.      Philippine Airlines gives you meals on 2 hour flights!...but they also tend to not be on time. Both of my flights were delayed. I’ve heard that the Manila airport is supposed to be the worst run in the world…not sure if that’s fact or not. A whole terminal is dedicated to Philippine Airlines alone (and it is far too small of a terminal).

46.      It costs 750 Pesos to get out of the Philippines. That’s only about $17.50USD, but still…

47.      “There is no question if God can do miracles—He can; You just have to ask for them.” This is my wording of what Brit told me after explaining one of their babies coming to the orphanage. Apparently it’s not unusual for parents to love one baby more in Filipino culture, and this is to the degree one child may be neglected. There was a baby who was neglected/mistreated/ malnourished, but they couldn’t get the father to hand over custody. As I understood it, they fought for this for 3 months. One day, Ate. C. called together everyone to pray for this one baby for the whole day. The next day, the father gave up rights to her. Now she knows love. At 4 years old, she looks and to some degree is at the learning level of a 2 year old. She’s catching up quickly though now that she’s in good hands.

48.      “Ate” (pronounced like atty) means ‘older sister’ and is used as a term of respect for women in the Philippines. The children call Brit Ate. Brittany, and all week I had an Ate. before my first name as well.

49.      The Helen Keller Story by Catherine Owens Peare is a good book. I was able to read it during the evenings while Brit did homework and the babies slept. I didn’t recall that Helen Keller went to Radcliffe, the women’s equivalent of Harvard back in her day, or that she had connections with Mark Twain. He was always a big encourager and supporter of her. “Every day brings me some new joy, some fresh token of love from distant friends, until in the ‘fullness of my heart, I cry’: Love is everything! And God is Love.” –Helen Keller, 12 years old

50.  At the end of this, I hope you don’t see any of it as bragging. I love working towards a purpose, but I did nothing that was worth praise this week. It’s the year-round day-in and day-out laborers like Ate. C, Brit and Jordan that deserve such attention, though I’m sure they wouldn’t accept it themselves. I read this verse this week at the orphanage, “If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.”—Proverbs 30:32-33….at the end of it all, I am nothing and Christ is everything. If it were not for His blessings, His love, and His example, none of this would be fathomable. GH would not exist to love on babies in a Christian environment, Brit would not have had ‘divine insanity,’ and I would have never had reason to set foot in a classroom on my week away from work. We do because He did. We live because He lives in us. As I saw Brit say or type many, many times this week—TO GOD BE THE GLORY. Amen.

And on that note, the adventure is over and I'm safely in my apartment.

Answered prayers--He's still at it.

Manila Lessons, Take 4

This is the fourth of 5 blogs on my trip to the Philippines. Look through all the blogs labeled "Manila Lessons" to read about my journeys.
To go back to the first blog, click on this link or copy it into your browser: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-1.html
Second blog: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-2.html
Third blog:  http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-3.html

50 Lessons I learned (or was reminded of) in the Philippines [continued]

31.      You might see young boys or grown men digging/playing in rubble along the side of the road. I did on my taxi cab ride to meet Brit somewhere. Poverty is a big issue in Manila. The older man was digging through what looked like torn up pieces of black top with a stick. I’m not sure what he was looking for. The little boys were digging in rocks near a major road.

32.      There are both extremes of rich and poor in Manila, but there is a huge gap that seems to separate them. I met Brit at Robinson’s Ermita, a mall in a nicer area of town. This mall had luxury brands, Starbucks, and even Krispy Kreme!

33.      Hillsong college exists. It’s in Australia, and 2 young women came from there to see what working in the orphanage was like for a week. One woman was German, the other was raised in the Philippines and was half German, half Filipino. She was nice to have around for the kids who spoke Tagalog and no English.

34.      The Chief Justice in the Philippines is on trial for corruption. Or at least that’s what I gathered from the radio program I listened to in the taxi cab on the way to meet Brit. It was a pretty intense hearing, but it wasn’t the first time I’d heard that the government has problems with corruption.

35.      People like consistency. This is the message I gather from seeing Starbucks all around the world. Most people will admit to me that they’re not huge fans of their coffee or they they’re pricey, but people can pretty much guess what they’ll get no matter if it’s in Macau, Manila, or Massachusetts.

36.      There is a beautiful HUGE painting in the National Art Gallery that is the most valuable painting in Manila (and perhaps the Philippines). It is maybe 15x20 feet and a brutal scene of soldiers from somewhere. Having painted some myself and know the time detail can take, I was amazed by the marvelous painting and just thinking of the time invested in the results.

37.      The LRT (one of 2 above ground train systems in Manila) has a section for women only. When you’re crammed in super close to people, it’s nice to know it’s females only.

38.      When taxis ‘make you a deal,’ it’s probably not a deal if they offer first. The driver on my way to Robinson’s Ermita tried to offer me 300Pesos off meter. Fortunately Brit told me it should only cost about 200 or 250. On meter, I saved 85 Pesos—enough for a Mango Black Tea at Starbucks while I waited for Brit.

39.      Toddlers should come equipped with Velcro. When you have a room of 12 or so toddlers that need to brush their teeth and get into their tiny adorable beds, they’re worst than toaster pastries—they just keep popping up! I did minor help with putting the toddlers down one night, and it was an amazing feat (which I do not take credit for) getting them to bed. I did get kisses from 2 of the munchkins though. Too sweet. Here’s an idea of the smiles I got to work with this week (and yes, this one tried to stroke the smile every time she did something wrong too):

40. We require variety only when we know it is an option. Children can watch movies over and over and over, and especially these kids. Each night while I was there, they watched Little Mermaid before bed with the same excitement and response to the suspense as the night before.

Manila Lessons, Take 3

This is the third of 5 blogs on my trip to the Philippines. Look through all the blogs labeled "Manila Lessons" to read about my journeys. To go back to the first blog, click on this link or copy it into your browser: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-1.html
Second blog: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-2.html

50 Lessons I learned (or was reminded of) in the Philippines [continued]

21.       The kidnapping that is often heard about in the Philippines tends to be done by a radical Muslim group in the south.

22.       7a.m. is sleeping in at the orphanage. Babies have early bed times, and people are moving around as early as 4a.m. I ‘slept in’ until 7a.m. on my vacation J

23.       God has a plan…and a back-up plan. The teacher for the preschool and primary 1 classes was missing, but it just so happened that there was a teacher visiting at GH this week who teaches 1^st grade ESL and has experience with maintaining preschoolers. (Raises hand) That’s right, I was able to swoop in and cover for the sick teacher for 2 days. I’m no miracle worker, but having preschool and senor casa (primary 1) in a small room at the same time sure made me respect the workers that work there every day…and all you mom’s around the world. I’m growing extra arms now…

24.       The kids that come to this orphanage for the mistreated and neglected tend to be behind in development both physically and mentally (educationally). They may have slower speech progress and be behind in learning. Something I know I took for granted was access to public libraries, books, and parents who read to me. All of these are ingredients to grasping concepts more quickly, and something that these children probably didn’t have.

25.       Not every question can be reciprocated. For instance, “Where are your mom and dad from?” was asked to me, but it would have been far more sensitive for me to ask the children this question. Again, the things we take for granted.

26.       Fish can be eaten with bare hands. ALRIGHT! I love eating with my hands, apologies to all those that think that’s disturbing. Ethiopian style food is this way, sandwiches are this way, and so on. For dinner Tuesday, we had fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, rice, and Tilapia. It was the whole fish (head and all), and when I asked how was best to eat it (so I wouldn’t be rude), I was told, break it open with your hands. The head comes off first (unless you want to eat it), and then you open ‘er right up. It’s quite simple and delicious, but you have to be careful of the bones. When it’s cooked this way, the boys come out quite easily.

27.       Life at GH is serious. One morning on the way to take a shower, Jordan and I crossed paths with Ate. Char (the director) who said seriously, ‘J’s splitting up blood.’ J’s (whose full name I’m not using) a TB survivor who was rescued at about 35 from the ditches of the Philippines. This is a sign he’s getting worse, but at this point he’s happy (and a miracle) to be alive. Brit told me when he was 7, he went into town with a friend’s family without telling his parents, got separated, and never saw his family again. He survived on the streets until he was rescued from a squatter community when he was in his 30s. They didn’t have a room for him, but he was grateful for the mattress in the garage storage area until they made room.

28.       My limited understanding of squatter communities is that they are poor communities where people don’t actually live on the land, they live in makeshift homes, squatting there until they move somewhere else.

29.       Everything in life is sales. This is one of many points I enjoyed listening to from the Canadian brother of the orphanage owner. He does all the fundraising to keep the 50+ children and staff supported. I mentioned when we were first introduced that he must have the tough job—begging for money. He said he wouldn’t trade asking people for money for having a sick baby die in his arms any day—he explained that his sister, the director, has the far more difficult job. As far as the sales part goes, he expanded about how marriage, work, etc. are all sales—the outcome is influenced by how you make something appear/how you market it.  I was intrigued when he talked about how something as legitimate as this orphanage that also runs community training projects to help people get up on their feet and feed themselves should be able to raise the money without guilting anyone into it. Plus, he explained that guilting people into giving is only short term, and babies that are dying of malnourishment need long term commitment.

30.   Broom belly syndrome is a condition where you don’t have muscles in the belly area to hold all your organs in place and in order. They end up being everywhere all over the place inside, and create a belly that fans out much like a broom. There is a miracle toddler at the orphanage with this condition who was told he would never walk or crawl. God showed up science again. Here is an idea of what he looked like sitting in my lap (eyes removed to protect his identity):

Manila Lessons, Take 2

This is the second of 5 blogs on my trip to the Philippines. Look through all the blogs labeled "Manila Lessons" to read about my journeys. To go back to the first blog, click on this link or copy it into your browser: http://www.mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-1.html.

50 Lessons I learned (or was reminded of) in the Philippines [continued]

11.       The first time I use any shower other than my own, the odds are I’ll use it wrong. The shower at the orphanage had a lower and upper nozzle. Something I did with the water heater (which I didn’t need in hot weather anyway) caused the water to not come out of the shower head. Day 1, I bathed on my knees under the lower faucet. You do what you gotta do.

12.       Mattresses at Philippine orphanages are superior to my Macau mattress…at least the one I got to sleep on was superior. Thank you for a week of good rest and back padding.

13.       When you sit down on the floor in the presence of toddlers, it translates into ‘please jump on me,’ and you thus become a playground. I had a fabulous tickle fest with about 5 children at one time.

14.       When babies are malnourished, they lose all things not essential for survival like hair and personality.  These babies don’t just need to be loved on, there are deep issues that genuinely AWESOME people work with and face to help correct each day. It’s a long process, unlike what the movies and fairy tales imply. Dealing with orphans and the abused on a daily basis takes real sacrifice, and seeing a long term goal.

15.       Fords exist in the Philippines, and certain young women get really excited when one they purchase arrives. Brit needed a vehicle for taking babies to the doctor, etc. because public transportation is hectic and dangerous with a kiddo (especially a sick one).  I got to be with Brit on the day of this big event!

16.       Spicy vinegar is used alongside of soy sauce to flavor rice in the Philippines. There are actually peppers (and maybe onions) in the bottom of the bottle, and it is delicious.

17.       “Mabaho” is ‘stinky’ or ‘bad smell’ in Tagalog (the language of the Philippines). The 2 teen girls in our room taught me some Tagalog words phrases, and for some reason this is the first one that they taught me. Haha, were they telling me something?

18.       Oatmeal covered fish is not as weird as it sounds. I had this sandwich with a yogurt cilantro sauce and buttery-cheese drizzled nacho chips when we went out to eat with Brit, her boo, his friend, and Jordan (who also works at GH).

19.       Jeepneys are the most popular form of transportation in the Philippines. They are old U.S. military vehicles that have been turned into flashy bus-like transportation. It cost us about 8 Pesos ($.20 USD) to ride in one….and you need to know what you’re doing to ride in one. They can have loud music, Catholic themes, advertisements, the owner’s name carved in the ceiling, neon colors, etc. Seen here (sorry they're a little blurry because they were driving):

20.   Hi-Top grocery store has more American food than Macau grocery stores. I was tempted to bring home more baking stuff. An interesting thing I bought and tried: Roast Beef flavored corn chips.

Manila Lessons, Take 1

This is one of 5 blogs about my trip to the Philippines this week. To check out the other blogs, flip through all the blogs titled 'Manila Lessons' (1-5)

50 Lessons I learned (or was reminded of) in the Philippines

1.       “When everything goes according to plan, you’re not pushed to learn more about a destination, or yourself.” –Robert Esrock (Mabuhay Magazine on my flight to the Philippines)

2.       Age is a mentality—from Janelle, the Russian woman I sat by on the plane. She said once she hit 50, she just started counting backwards.

3.       God knows our every step: When I arrived in Manila, I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about connecting with Brittany and all the safety issues I’d heard about in the Philippines. A Filipino in the line next to me started a conversation with me over an empty public-hand-sanitizer dispenser. He asked where I was from, and we connected that his brother used to own a place on the very street I parked in college. Nifty! When I got outside, it turns out that Brit had given me the wrong cell phone number and I was texting who knows who my whereabouts. A random stranger came up to her and asked her if she was looking for a teacher from Macau, and directed her my path. Thank you, empty hand sanitizer dispenser, random stranger, and God for helping us find each other.

4.       McDonalds in the Philippines has a seasonal Double Sundae…which I tried upon recommendation. They also have a sandwich called a McDo (as opposed to a McDon’t…)

5.       Trikes are fun. We took a trike to McDonalds. I felt very Mary Poppins-ish…or was it Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or some other Dick Van Dyke movie?? Anyways, it was a motorcycle with a little car next to it, and we took turns riding 2 to a car and one on the back. Seen here:

6.       Water bottles are essential in foreign countries, and especially ones that are 85 degrees when it’s ‘cool.’ We walked to a store called ‘Sari Sari’ (like Sorry Sorry) down the street that was not so sorry sorry, and bought water the first evening. That bottle was very valuable when chasing youngins.

7.       Cheez Whiz is popular in the Philippines.

8.       “Divine Insanity”: The phrase Brit coined to explain to me how she ended up ‘dropping out’ of college to live and work at an orphanage in the Philippines. I really dislike the term ‘dropping out’ because of its negative connotations, but she did what God led her to do, and now looking back she says she doesn’t know what she was thinking—it was just God. I love when that happens; and it does happen.

9.       Roaches are common in the Philippines (as bugs are common in most tropical places). Suck it up, and move on.

10.   At Christ’s lowest point, He prayed for His enemiesà This was something I learned from the live sermon we watched of Brit’s dad preaching from BLBC in Sheeptown, KY.

Bring in Spring, festival or not, I'm ready!

Today started with sleeping in. Good.
Lauren and Kenisha took me to lunch at Mexicana; Kenisha bought mine :) I had chicken quesadilla with jalapenos, salad, and sweetened iced tea.  Hallelujah was it good!
I went to CuppaCoffee and had more iced tea (once you pop, you just can't stop) while taking care of some things online.
I packed! Philippines here I come! See y'all in a week!

After packing, Lauren and I ventured out to take pictures of lights and to Tap Seac to a Spring Festival celebration. Here are some pictures of the festival:

Lauren buying a dragon hat at a souvenir booth

 Dragon decorations with flowers for this flower festival

'silk' light dragons...it's not real silk

This unique snack was cracker (saltines) on a stick with honey or something thick and similar to it holding it all together. It was sweet and pretty tasty for 5 MOP. I also bought a gelatin thing that was in an Easter egg. They had the eggs sitting in this vat of liquid...it was neat to try but not tasty enough to consume entirely. I wonder where they came up with that idea? I guess they don't use many plastic eggs around Easter, so might as well put them to use now...?

Off to the Philippines! Stories to come :)

If the Pod is in a Cast, what did it break?

Today involved: -Narrowly dodging a cigarette dropping on my head from an apartment above. Just where was that smoker's logic? I had the Dixie Chicks going in my ears though, so said person was lucky I was in a good mood.
-Walking behind a father and a young man who may have had Down Syndrome who was singing so happily..and as a result, spread cheer. Sometimes the people referred to as 'disabled' are so able to just get the things right that some of us 'able' people are challenged with--like lots of joy :)
-Listening to podcasts about coffee, tea, business, body language, etc. (part of it was for stuff at work, part of it was free time). Lauren has gotten me hooked on these--both good and bad. It's good because I'm learning lots of interesting tid bits for free, bad because it's got me thinking about how much I want to own my own business--which is not happening right now, and perhaps not for a long while. I'll be smarter if/when it happens though.
-Being a Subway delivery girl for both Lauren and myself (And yes, the sandwich artist recognized me.) Yesterday was Turkey; Today: ham. MMMMmmmm.
-Working on my midterm report (yeehaw)
-Walking off my path to and from work for the extra exercise and taking the many flights of stairs to the apartment. This is all part of a challenge I've recently started with a friend. We both have a goal of losing at least 10 pounds in 6 weeks. All of you are more than welcome to join with me/us. It's a combination of less Cheetos, poptarts, and ice cream, more water, more strategic eating habits and exercise. ...and a healthier, more energized me at the end hopefully. March 1 is the end of competition.

That's all for today. Just a heads up that tomorrow's blog will be the last for a week as I will be venturing to other lands. I'm sure there will be great stories when I return. Please remember to send up prayers for safe travels and adventuring. Thanks!

Directly indirect

I've gotten into a pattern of working from home in the mornings that is quite refreshing. Something about clocking in in the sunshine of my room and then clocking out for lunch and a walk to work makes me far more productive as a whole for the day. Add to that the fact that I am not in a cubicle for hours on end, and voila--a secret for success (that's maybe not so secret after all). I definitely am taking lessons from my dislikes associated with work (one particular coworker, cubicles, and bureaucracy) and putting them in my knowledge bank of things to do/not to do if/when I own my own company. I've experienced a lot of difficulty with a recent venture I've pursued at work (which I won't specify for obvious reasons), and looking at it as an opportunity to learn has definitely helped me not get overexcited about the difficulty of progress in an institution that is supposed to enable and encourage such things. I suppose this situation is true of many institutions.

My Asian culture fun fact for the day today came from preparing to teach on the differences between eastern and western business culture. Western cultures are more likely to promote independence and to use contracts as the way to do business. Eastern culture has more emphasis on the group as a whole, confronts issues less directly, and bases business deals on relationships as opposed to contracts. To negotiate the specifics of a deal before agreed upon would be inconsiderate in eastern society, whereas in the west it would likely be unheard of to enter into a legal contract without knowing anything more than the businessman behind it.

I presented about my IEBF to business students, had language exchange with Poppy and Cora, started planning my primary school classes for the week I get back, and ate Subway today (for the first time in Macau). It was quite delicious, but I was also quite hungry.

I accidentally made 2 cups of coffee tonight when I tapped the container too hard and ended up with loads of instant coffee in my mug. Even after that though, I am still tired. I suppose that means it's time to turn in. After a 36 hour celebration of you know what (2 time zones), I'm ready to eat normal and get some z's again.

Dragon Babies

My father is secretly an artist--except when he draws it's not so secret. When I was little and messed up on a work of art, I would sometimes get upset. He would always remind me that an artist doesn't make a mistake, they just make it into something else. Today, I had the opportunity to sketch some and that just kept going through my mind. I like to make analogies and comparisons, and I'd like to think that's how Christ sees our life when we ask forgiveness. Although we humans are very mistake prone, so long as we learn from those mistakes, I feel that we have just made a tweak to the picture of our life rather than destroying the picture like guilt tries to make us believe. Our stories that bring us to where we are are beautiful. Though there may be some dark spots--perhaps some rips and tears--they become part of the creation: you. When we allow our mistakes (in life or art) to hinder our progress and make us feel like failures, it keeps the final product from reaching its potential. Here's the sketch elicited these thoughts:

The photo was taken at a slightly different angle than what I actually sketched, but it gives you an idea.

While I was sitting on this ledge sketching, I heard a little boy talking only to look over and see him pulling his pants down....hello, Junior! His mother was right there, and he was in fact peeing on the wall in a very open area right near the Macau Cultural Center. And the mother didn't stop or scold the kid. Kids peeing in the streets is more common in mainland China than it is here--of course, I can only speak for what I've seen. This was the first time I'd seen it in Macau. All I kept thinking was, "I sure hope no kid has peed where I'm sitting."

I went in to work early today and worked for an hour. My 4 classes were cancelled because of examinations and Chinese New Year. Most of the college students are already gone for the New Year celebrations as well. This holiday celebration is as big to them as Christmas is to us, remember. I went in to present for my business activity and then was off to celebrate a certain Dragon Year baby's birth. Indeed, if a person born in a year of the dragon wears little red things throughout the year of the dragon, it is supposed to bring them good luck. I learned this yesterday from Cora. Also, traditional Chinese consider themselves a year older than traditional westerners. In addition to what we count, they include the 'year' in the womb, so they are +1. Most of the students I have met here do not follow that tradition; I'm not sure how widespread it is in China.

And yes, it's nice my hours are very flexible this week. I'll be working the same number of hours as normal, just making them up tomorrow and Friday with longer days. I walked a lot A LOT today, and that was in part due to my poor diet. I splurged EVERY meal today, and paid for it with a bit of a tummy ache in the middle of that day. I know, it's bad, but I only have an excuse to eat so bad once in a blue moon. So I had a chocolate poptart for breakfast, cheetos and my homemade from scratch blueberry apple crumble pie for lunch, and then Italian gnochii with meat sauce for dinner...and then Frozen yogurt with mango pieces...and THEN I took the 21 flights of stairs after walking a lot of the way home. I probably burned off half of that first cheeto! haha.

I am so grateful for wonderful people to live and celebrate with. Lauren sang to me and had a brownie from Coloanne at midnight, Athena got me a shampoo/conditioner travel kit for my trip, and we all did a photo shoot with the help of our Couch Surfer from Hong Kong at midnight. We were laughing so hard at some points, I seriously thought Ray might pee himself. I was rolling around on the floor laughing.

So, thanks, God, for this detail in my life that may seem small in the big picture of everything in the world. I know you've chosen my Macau family, and I wouldn't have it any different. I'm really happy being where I am--and today, that's in a stinky dorm with people from Hong Kong, Taiwan, CO and NY.

Eat t'ose Cheetos

Tonight we had the opportunity/privilege/duty (insert whichever word you prefer here) to host a group of American students from Michigan. I took 2 U.S. students and 3 MPI students to the vegetarian restaurant to facilitate cultural exchange. The group seemed similar to the study trip that I did in China in 2010. For my trip, we studied Chinese politics, business, and culture. For this group we hosted today, my understanding is that they were hoping to grasp culture merely by attending tourist sites. Unfortunately, they seemed to come to dinner with some pretty huge stereotypes about China from their limited experience in the southern region. I have explored several Chinese cities, learned alongside Chinese students, and now lived in an S.A.R. of China for close to 6  months, and I barely have a glimpse of this huge thing we sum up as China. To give you a small glimpse of the magnitude of China, there are more English learners in China than people in the U.S. We sum up this massive land area, mostly because of what we hear through the media, as if it were just one part of a city. In my American hometown alone, there is a difference between east end, highlands, and west end lifestyles. Compare that to New Haven, Chicago, Corpus Christi, Miami, or San Diego, and you will come up with some consistencies but I believe more variety. A lot of what we know about China is from the big cities, the capital, and the drama. We find out something dramatic has happened in 'China' and automatically sum this one part as what happens in the whole of the country. If people were to say my tiny hometown was as violent as Chicago, they would be badly mistaken. I hope you understand my point. I'm not trying to be critical, but to bring to light our misunderstandings and limited knowledge related to this mega power that the U.S. deals so closely with. Don't get me wrong, China has room for improvement, and I don't agree with the government on multiple issues---but I wouldn't insult the country or culture at a dinner table and speak as if I were some expert. Thankfully, the MPI students have us ETAs to redeem Americans as more respectful and understanding. I found myself catching the Michiganders multiple times throughout the evening for making statements with little to no foundation. I'm sure I was the same way when I first came to China on a scholarship program adventure--and thus, my intention is not to belittle these students or to insult them, but hopefully to provide an example of the mistakes we can make across cultural differences. So be cautious before forming opinions about something--especially something that is so vast as China.
The greatest wisdom is discovered by taking all things that you hear and weighing them one against the other to validate the truthfulness they claim to possess...and always understanding you have something to learn (no matter how long you've lived). I respect authority, power and experience, but just because someone with a doctorate or a title claims something does not make it fact. Weigh all things, and then move forward.

...haha, and on a lighter note--I found Cheetos at the grocery tonight! They were like $2.50USD (bargain!). They weren't nearly as good as I remembered, but they exist! :)

Through another's eyes, perhaps

Someday I hope to show as complete and selfless love as Christ did. I find myself often struggling in situations merely because I have put my own desires first. It's an honest battle and balance to see long term into the future as opposed to short term results that seem to influence me more directly.

Today I wrapped up some more details on my International English Business Forum, graded, presented about music and censorship in debate, and ate a late dinner. Not too much excitement, but certainly still enough. I am content and at peace with what is and what the future holds. For me, that's a pretty good day.

Where's the sun in my sunday?

This morning started catching up with Angie on the bus to church. She's been sick for a week, as seem to be quite a few people here. I think it has rained every day this week, and between the wet and the cold many are left with colds. I'm grateful for my health, as teaching with a sore throat just makes it that much more difficult to get better.

This morning I taught 1 Samuel 16 as part of the Sunday School lesson to a group of about 10 kids ranging from ages 3 to 12. The majority of them were probably 7 to 10, so it wasn't too much of a challenge. Two of the kids were half Chinese, half Syrian. They are part of the refugees that are here from Syria. These kids speak Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, and now a bit of English. Wow. They had difficulty following the lesson more than the other kids, but I tried to help extra with the activities when possible. We talked about how Samuel went out to find a new king. I asked, "What do you think he might find in a king?--What does a king look like?" One boy said, "Probably kind of fat and just sits in a chair and doesn't move very much." haha...well, okay so he's probably wealthy so he eats a lot. Also, maybe big as in big and strong. He was referencing what he'd seen in movies. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" I asked the kids, "what do you think God sees in your heart?" The response from one boy, "blood." Then we got on the discussion of why the heart was used to symbolize emotion, love, thoughts, etc. when it actually does not contain such things. I compared it to the first symbolic thing that came to mind, a flag. I explained that a flag isn't actually anything more than a piece of cloth, but because we give it the symbol of a country, place, organization, etc., it represents that and has meaning. I hope that made sense...

After church, we went out to eat with a group of people because a friend of ours is leaving Macau. He is from Singapore originally, came here to do research, and is on his way to Australia next. We went to Old Taipa Tavern, which was very English. They were supposed to have these outrageously delicious fish and chips and the best burger in Macau (or so the menu claimed). Ray and I decided to split the burger and fish so that we could try each. I suppose that eating Chinese family style most of the time also has us used to eating family style and sharing. I'm really glad that we decided to split the meats because the fish was just so-so, and the burger was awesome but also awesomely huge.

After a long lunch and goodbyes, I went to the grocery and was on my way home. While on the bus in the rain, I was randomly getting dripped on by water because some of the windows at the top of the bus were open. It wasn't raining hard enough to bug me too much, but it confirmed something I had been told recently. Chinese people tend to be big fans of air circulation. Even when the classrooms are cold and unheated, you see the windows open. When the bus is freezing or it's raining, you see the windows open. While I understand that air circulation can be good at keeping the level of germs in the air down, sometimes you just need to keep the wind and rain out. I ended up moving from my seat to prepare for my stop when a lady next to me asked me in the pointing/Chinese grumble language if I would shut the window for her as she was getting dripped on. After a bit of a struggle with the difficult window, I successfully closed it. I then realized that an elderly man at the front of the bus was trying to close the window for his wife and was unsuccessful. They were difficult to close, and he was clearly fragile. I then leaned over them and was able to shut it a bit for them. There's something extremely satisfying about helping someone out when they may not be able to help themselves. Consider yourself dry, Chinese elder.

The girls went to Zhuhai early this morning, so I had the apartment to myself this afternoon. This meant a blissful 3 hour nap. Mmm mmm mmm. I'd forgotten what a wonderful routine that was. It was a great way to start a fantastic week...and cleaning when I awoke :)

What happens in Macau...

...apparently doesn't stay there because I'm about to tell you about it.

This morning I went to the orphanage to help Annie and Lily with their English. They had plenty of energy, and eventually we got to some funny conversations. These two girls are 19 and 14, and so they are thinking about what most teen girls seem to think about--appearance. Today's conversation included,  "Do you think Chinese people are small? You are so tall, it makes your head look small. American girls have very small eyebrows. Why do foreigners have double eyelids?" haha. I should have never told them that I wasn't easily offended. Actually, I wasn't offended, we girls had fun chatting honest girl talk (and them still learning English through it) today.

On my way home, I passed through Senado Square to see quite the interesting displays. Chinese New Year is coming up soon, and because of that the Senado Square area is decorated in bright lights and etc. etc. as seen here:

These decorations are expected and even normal, but the other things I stumbled across were funny and made me wonder if this was something the government funded... Also seen in Senado today: 3 clowns walking around, a girl doing some punch routine to the sound of 2 boys in colorful outfits hitting drums, and finally (most interesting) 2 young women in fancy traditional dresses kneeling on the ground yelling something in Chinese while pretending to smash their iPhones that were on the ground with high heel in hand. Needless to say, there was a circle that formed around them. I didn't get a picture of the action, but here's them in their dresses walking away (they were laughing). After that, they proceeded to take pictures with tourists as if nothing had happened.

I made dinner again at home tonight. The girls have started joking and calling me the hermit. I suppose in some ways I have been inside a lot--a combination of saving up for/planning for this trip coming up, applying for jobs (6 months early, I know...), and consistently rainy weather all week have kept me indoors. But adventure is to come super soon--hopefully a safe one!

G'night y'all

'Fix You'--Coldplay

This morning I taught 2nd year nursing students and was reminded of why I signed up to teach at a university....to teach university students. Little ones are certainly a blessing to the world, but at this point in my life I prefer them in smaller doses. I have been blessed with this position, and I will make the most of it, but teaching college students is the highlight of my work. The title of this blog comes from my lesson with them today. Though today was focusing on Listening and Grammar, I try to theme all the activities in Nursing themes...so, they dictated this song as part of the 'wake up, warm up' listening exercise.

I finished early today with plans of grandeur, but it ended up far less grand since the rain would not stay away. That meant I stayed away from going and doing much of anything. I was working on my long list of to-dos that are non work related, when our internet messed up. The router is in Ray's apt, so we went without it for the next 4 or 5 hours. This was good, I think, though it means I missed the last spot to register for the only Saturday GMAT in Hong Kong. I'm trying to figure out what this means...

Dinner was a green vegetable that is some cousin of bok choy (white Chinese cabbage), chicken broth, and pasta. It's kind of like chicken noodle soup, cheap-apartment life-China-style. I also had a nice moment where I decided to make our guests and my roomies the Pumpkin Spice cookies from a mix that I brought back from the U.S. They seemed to love them--I think everyone ate 3 or 4. New Years resolutions are going down the drain if I have a say in it ;)

I sketched some and sent out some emails...other than that, I have no idea where the day has gone. Here's a giant heart shaped pumpkin cookie that was one of many pans I made....it's a long process cooking that many in a tiny toaster oven.

So is blinking morse code?

I love reading people's eyes. No one is ever 100% sure what the other person is thinking or saying, but something about the mystery of that intrigues me, especially here in Macau. When people see me or hear me speak, they are more likely to form an opinion: white. American?...opinionated, conceded, etc. Perhaps this is a thought process that follows. The wonderful media and somewhat limited interaction that people here may have with Americans causes people to jump to conclusions about me or any American abroad.
I was thinking about this today as I was helping Cora with language exchange. A 20-something year old guy entered the bookstore cafe. He looked something between middle eastern and Portuguese. I have no idea where he was from, and it doesn't necessarily matter. He seemed to be picking up on our conversation. Because it was in English? Because he found us/ our conversation intriguing?  Who knows. These are the stories I love to try to figure out. 'Sir, are you staring at me because I'm attractive, because I'm one of the first white people you've ever seen, or because I have chocolate smeared on my forehead?' haha. Call me Sherlock, and save me, Watson.

I was helping Cora with idioms today. She is such an enjoyably curious student. I read a piece from one of her classes to her because she wants to learn intonation and emphasis. It was by Langston Hughes, who I shared was an author I read in high school. I got a little inner chuckle when I saw she was reading him here. "It's a small world after all," seems more and more true every day. "Early Autumn" was Hughes' piece about a couple that fell in love; girl breaks boy's heart; they meet later in life and are both married; he's still bitter; she realized she loved him and wanted to be in the past again; they part ways never to see each other again. I laughed and told her I felt like the girl in the story too many times--more about the breaking guys' hearts and them walking away bitter toward women than about the me coming back and realizing I loved one. ....yet. Calm down, family, I'm sure there are little tikes for you to spoil at some point in your future.

Tonight, one of our students offered to treat us to Thai dinner because she won a scholarship from debate, which we help in. The dinner ended up being pretty pricey/fancy, and we of course weren't going to burden her with the bill...hopefully she didn't take it offensively. We had papaya salad, fried fish in mango sauce (that had cuttlefish in the sauce!), pineapple fried rice, pad thai (YUM!), honey grilled pork, beef of some sort, a spicy soup involving large shrimp, garlic bread, and salty fish. It was quite the feast. Since the student didn't buy us dinner, we allowed her the honor of buying us dessert at the Shanghai restaurant we so love. We had what are called mochi (or at least that's how it sounds). They are these little balls of compacted sweet rice served in a sweet sauce. One set had peanut inside, the other had black sesame, and one was fermented rice something. Two of the dishes had this sweet sauce with little baby flowers in it--orasthmus, maybe? They were refreshing.

Now it's time for bed. I have an early (and short!!) day tomorrow teaching 2nd year nursing students Listening and Grammar. Yeehaw!

Don't go draggin' the dragon!

Today I was reminded once again just how blessed I am. We have two friends of Lauren's staying here this week for their vacation, and as is typical with vacations, they are not on the same schedule we workers. This can mean staying awake later and waking up earlier than desired. It isn't a huge deal, but it came up in conversation today, and we were talking about how normal it is for so many roommates. I'm nicely situated against the outside wall that borders Ray's apartment and cushioned by the living room from the other girls' rooms. Lauren and Athena are pretty courteous of our sleeping schedules, and when I can hear Ray's music through the wall, I just mention it on Skype and he's kind enough to turn it down. We work together well, and it's something I have taken for granted because I've had it my whole life. My family was very courteous of each other's schedules as well. It's the little things that end up being so big.

I started off the day teaching my 5th grade classes and finishing up their oral tests. During the test, they watched Magic School Bus and filled out a worksheet I made to go with it. I was so happy to find Magic School Bus videos here in Macau--I still remember watching those when I was in elementary school. Ms. Frizzle=fantastic.

Athena was off to Hong Kong today for a presentation, but the other 3 of us had English Lunch in the canteen. I have a reputation from the lunch ladies of the girl that always gets just a bowl of white rice. This is weird to them; people don't just eat plain rice. I reason that it's a lot of food, it tastes good to me, and it's an entire 3MOP. That's less than $.50! So I generally bring something else small to eat with it, but it makes for a nice treat, and it keeps me away from asking what's in the mystery slop (which today didn't look so bad).

I also taught my 1st grade class this afternoon. There is a little boy in this class who without fail every week either comes in saying, "Hello, Ms. Hall! I love you!" or leaves saying, "Goodbye, Ms. Hall! I love you!" I'm not ever sure how to respond to it, and most times I don't if I can play off that I didn't notice it. Today, when I took them to the gym to meet their parents and domestic helpers, he was jumping up and down right in front of me saying it and blowing me kisses. I just nodded and said something like, 'okay, thank you.' Every little boy has a crush on one of his teachers at some point, I think. I'm pretty sure my brother liked his kindergarten teacher, but I might have made that up.

Chinese New Year is coming up in less than 2 weeks. This is the biggest holiday in the region. I read an article in the China Daily about how regifting is the norm in China. It's considered completely acceptable, considerate, and smart. Compare that to the cultural thought process in America that regifting is somewhat taboo. They see it as taking a gift to yourself and realizing it would be better for someone else than for you. I suppose in that light, it does seem less selfish than how it's often spun in America.

Another article surrounding the new year was about a controversial postage stamp in Beijing. According to the Chinese Lunar calendar, which rotates every year between 12 animals, this year is the Year of the Dragon. Unlike the western view of the dragon, the Chinese view the dragon as a protector from evil not a source of destruction. They even considered calling it a different name once because of the negative implications of the western 'dragon'. The controversy of the postage stamp with the dragon symbolizing the new year was about the dragon looking too fearsome. The artist (who also designed the graphics for the Beijing Olympic Games) defended his work, saying that it is a gentle protector, but it must be tough enough to protect, etc. etc. Interesting, I thought.

The picture of the day today is from Guangzhou, taken a bit ago:
There are lots of little vendors in the streets in Guangzhou. Every once in a while, the police come through and tell them to move, but they go right back to it shortly after the police leave. Think of it like a miniature movable flea market on the ground. Generally it seems to be mostly ladies that lay out blankets on the sidewalk with jewelry and knick knacks. The blankets are so that the items can be easily and quickly wadded and scooped up when the cops demand. Seen here is a cart with Fresh Sugar Cane Juice. It seems really popular in this southern area of China, and I have not tried it yet. Although I'm not sure it is particularly healthy or enjoyable, trying it is on my to do list. It looks like they're charging 5RMB for a bottle of it here--that's less than a dollar.

And to start/end your day on a good note, here is the quote from Pacific Coffee Company today:
"A man's doubts and fears are his worst enemies" --William Wrigley Jr.