This week we got ourselves a kitten. And let me tell you, that cat CANNOT BE ALONE!!! She will NOT eat the food we put out for her (rice), but will go next door and eat with the neighbor’s cat (rice). I ran over to get her, horrified that the neighbors would think that I don’t feed my cat, but they said knowingly, “She needs a friend. Leave her be.” She howls and howls if she is alone—to the point that a little bit ago I looked up from my bed, and there were 2 cats in our house! They had come in through the open window, searching to console the cry of a desperate fellow cat. Wow.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
"KAWAN" means companion or friend
Okay, so having a companion is a big deal in this culture. I know this, because ANY time I don’t have someone by my side, I get asked where or who my companion is? And likely I will then have the company of the inquirer, whether I want it or not. But really, it has gone to a new level now….
This week we got ourselves a kitten. And let me tell you, that cat CANNOT BE ALONE!!! She will NOT eat the food we put out for her (rice), but will go next door and eat with the neighbor’s cat (rice). I ran over to get her, horrified that the neighbors would think that I don’t feed my cat, but they said knowingly, “She needs a friend. Leave her be.” She howls and howls if she is alone—to the point that a little bit ago I looked up from my bed, and there were 2 cats in our house! They had come in through the open window, searching to console the cry of a desperate fellow cat. Wow.
This week we got ourselves a kitten. And let me tell you, that cat CANNOT BE ALONE!!! She will NOT eat the food we put out for her (rice), but will go next door and eat with the neighbor’s cat (rice). I ran over to get her, horrified that the neighbors would think that I don’t feed my cat, but they said knowingly, “She needs a friend. Leave her be.” She howls and howls if she is alone—to the point that a little bit ago I looked up from my bed, and there were 2 cats in our house! They had come in through the open window, searching to console the cry of a desperate fellow cat. Wow.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Fun with Crabs
I am into detail. I love sitting on the beach and studying the sand and shells and crabs. They make fun photo ops, too! :) I have just discovered that they like to congregate in coconut shells and husks--as long as you don't get in their way.
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An Example from King Asa
Asa must have learned from those before him...
Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, "Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you..." (2 Chronicles 14:11).
"They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.... They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them" (2 Chronicles 15:12, 14-15).
Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, "Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you..." (2 Chronicles 14:11).
"They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.... They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them" (2 Chronicles 15:12, 14-15).
A Lesson from King Abijah
"The men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their Fathers" (2 Chronicles 13:18).
A Lesson from Rehoboam
"[King Rehoboam] did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord" (2 Chronicles 12:14).
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
Look what the cat dragged in for the occasion! :) Zoom in. She is licking her lips. Butch (female--we had high hopes for her) is the camp cat. Not mine. She is a good girl.
45 mintues to go 5 miles?
Well, it oly takes 30 minutes on the motorcycle. 45 minutes is if we are in a truck.
There are a few potholes to be dodged. Can never tell quite how deep the potholes are if it has rained recently. And it usually has. :)
In the truck you MIGHT make it into 3rd gear at one point over this 8 km stretch. It is quite exciting if you do! :) But the thrill only lasts a few seconds before you have to hit the brakes and downshift again.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Death... and Life
On the 17th of June I got an email saying that a friend from my days in language school passed away the night before (American). I was shocked. He was 29, married just over 3 years and had a 2-year-old daughter. We used to go over to their home for celebrations, movies, and games all the time. A few days later, here in the village, my next-door neighbor's 5-year-old niece passed away from illness.
On the heels of that came news of life.... Friends who just went home to the U.S. to have their first child. On the same day I found out that a close friend is pregnant again after losing several pregnancies. It has been a bit of an emotional ride these last few weeks. The attitude of people here is one of, "We can't be surprised no matter how young or how healthy a person is who passes away. When it's their time, it's their time." While there is truth in that, let me cry! And yet, for my friend who passed away, I don't cry without hope.
It is odd, when lives have parted ways and moved on, then news like this suddenly comes. I feel guilty for continuing with life, guilty for laughing with my friends, because Phil is gone and what's more, Esther and Anna's lives have been turned upside-down overnight. But I feel guilty for NOT carrying on, because I feel as if I don't have a right to grieve--knowing that my grief is NOTHING compared to theirs or their family and close friends. But yet I think about it daily and still can't believe it's true and still cry at any picture, memory, or news from Esther. I do think grappling with the reality of death has made me love more fiercely as I look at the people around me.
Anyway, I don't know if I'm making any sense, just still trying to process a bit.
Here is a U-tube of a video from his memorial service:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsmisXYW06M and their family blog, which Esther has been updating regularly: http://www.eslip.blogspot.com/
On the heels of that came news of life.... Friends who just went home to the U.S. to have their first child. On the same day I found out that a close friend is pregnant again after losing several pregnancies. It has been a bit of an emotional ride these last few weeks. The attitude of people here is one of, "We can't be surprised no matter how young or how healthy a person is who passes away. When it's their time, it's their time." While there is truth in that, let me cry! And yet, for my friend who passed away, I don't cry without hope.
It is odd, when lives have parted ways and moved on, then news like this suddenly comes. I feel guilty for continuing with life, guilty for laughing with my friends, because Phil is gone and what's more, Esther and Anna's lives have been turned upside-down overnight. But I feel guilty for NOT carrying on, because I feel as if I don't have a right to grieve--knowing that my grief is NOTHING compared to theirs or their family and close friends. But yet I think about it daily and still can't believe it's true and still cry at any picture, memory, or news from Esther. I do think grappling with the reality of death has made me love more fiercely as I look at the people around me.
Anyway, I don't know if I'm making any sense, just still trying to process a bit.
Here is a U-tube of a video from his memorial service:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsmisXYW06M and their family blog, which Esther has been updating regularly: http://www.eslip.blogspot.com/
Friday, June 20, 2008
Visitors
A couple friends visited us for 2 days. Fun hiking, relaxing, cooking, eating very well with my resident gourmet chef housemate.
Homemade oatmeal honey bread and fresh tomato soup, creations of my housemate.
Lots of chatting and relaxing.
Back to England she went the day after leaving us on the island. A wonderful friend I met during language school days.
Cutting stuff up for a fruit salad--team effort.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog
Each time we go to our supply town, we try to bring back some books for the kids to enjoy and learn from. Here they are inside our house, lined up against the wall with Kid Encyclopedias, Science books, and a world atlas. :)
On the right: My next door neighbor, who has adopted us as her daughters, since her 2 daughters live far away.
On the right: My next door neighbor, who has adopted us as her daughters, since her 2 daughters live far away.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Fun with mom and dad
Mom is endeared to Butch; Dad and I sing to the mountains from a bay window; my kitchen table; Shark for supper... breakfast... and lunch; mom and dad chilling on my new porch; handing out photos to the kids--can you see me? :)
KL
I'm not much of a city girl, but I sure can enjoy it for a month after island living! :) Nice restaurants, getting dressed up, enjoying a haircut (not having to cover it up), attending a Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra concert, bottomless chips n salsa at Chilli's (Mmmm!!!!!)...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Sick Impatience / Pretties (Scott Westerfeld) / The Nanny
Finished "Pretties" today and now starting "Specials." I am finding that I am quite impatient to know story endings. Maybe against my better judgment and taste, I have become addicted to the TV show, "The Nanny." Now that I'm in a place with good internet for a few weeks, I have begun to feed that addiction through discovering its availability on sidereel.com. I have been sick over the past few days and have indulged myself in Miss Nanny Fine's life. Being the kind of person who likes to do things thoroughlly from start to finish, I found myself going against that tendency and skipping more and more episodes just to get to the end of the story.
Similarly, as I neared the end of "Pretties," I began to read faster and faster to get it over with. The only problem is, there is yet another book in the trilogy, so I still don't know how this story ends. That leaves me feeling a little annoyed as I begin the third book, "Specials." I just want to be done already! Yet at the same time, I don't like to be told the ending to a story. Don't want the surprise ruined.
Maybe it's because I'm sick, maybe I just really don't like reading, maybe I really don't like being addicted to TV shows.... Actually, I guess what it boils down to is that I can't stand to leave something incomplete, so I feel as though I'm a slave to something if I start it. That's why I don't like projects with big time commitments--long books, TV series, etc. Not that I don't enjoy them, I just don't like to do other things when something else is left hanging. And I guess I don't like being told what an ending is, because I want to do it the "right" way and experience the story as the author/creator intended. Hmmm.... might have to let go of some of these tendencies if I want to stay sane....
Musings by & insight into SJ, ones I had not considered before I started writing this. It was going to be a one-liner about the Pretties book.
Similarly, as I neared the end of "Pretties," I began to read faster and faster to get it over with. The only problem is, there is yet another book in the trilogy, so I still don't know how this story ends. That leaves me feeling a little annoyed as I begin the third book, "Specials." I just want to be done already! Yet at the same time, I don't like to be told the ending to a story. Don't want the surprise ruined.
Maybe it's because I'm sick, maybe I just really don't like reading, maybe I really don't like being addicted to TV shows.... Actually, I guess what it boils down to is that I can't stand to leave something incomplete, so I feel as though I'm a slave to something if I start it. That's why I don't like projects with big time commitments--long books, TV series, etc. Not that I don't enjoy them, I just don't like to do other things when something else is left hanging. And I guess I don't like being told what an ending is, because I want to do it the "right" way and experience the story as the author/creator intended. Hmmm.... might have to let go of some of these tendencies if I want to stay sane....
Musings by & insight into SJ, ones I had not considered before I started writing this. It was going to be a one-liner about the Pretties book.
Friday, May 9, 2008
A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini
GREAT piece of literature. Check it out!!! I loved his writing style, the story line, and the way he organized the book. The best read I've had in a long time (ok, ok, I know I'm not an avid reader, don't knock me for that).
Khaled Hosseini is an American novelist and physician originally from Afghanistan. My dad lent me the book and told me I had to read it. We watched "The Kite Runner" together, based on his first book. I would highly recommend that as well.
Khaled Hosseini is an American novelist and physician originally from Afghanistan. My dad lent me the book and told me I had to read it. We watched "The Kite Runner" together, based on his first book. I would highly recommend that as well.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Working Hard... or Hardly Working?
The ladies taking a break, hauling sand to the community well that is right in front of our house. The village is upgrading it. Women are responsible for getting the sand from the beach (see the pile of sand on the right by the clothesline, and note the gorgeous blue ocean in the background); men will do the masonry work. Me & kids playing hand games while we catch our breath; other kids playing jumprope (rope made from rubber bands chained together), gradually raising the standard to beat. What a jump!
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Sunday, March 23, 2008
Palm Sunday
We took a day-trip to a nearby island, about 90 minutes away by boat. Yes, I know, I live on an island already. Even my little island is surrounded by itty-bitty islands.
Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld
Fun read. Came from Colleen's brother (he had to read it for school I think, so he sent it to her when he was done). Interesting ideas on the direction of our society. Takes place in the future and people all receive an operation on their 16th birthday that makes them "pretty" (like, supermodel beautiful). Thus, called the "Pretties," and before that they live in a seperate town and are known as "Uglies." I'd like to read the others in the trilogy (Pretties, Specials). Although I noticed that a 4th book just came out: Extras. Why call it a trilogy? Just stop. Although, incidentally, that last one made number one on NYTimes bestseller. The others all made the list, too, but not as high.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Life
Language learning next door and lice inspection in our kitchen. :)
Occasional "coffee breaks," right in front of our house with great snorkling. Wow.
Pursuit of God, by A. W. Tozer
Over the past few months I read this with a long-time family friend. Thought I'd post some quotes from some of the chapters....
"It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored.... This intercourse between God and the soul is known to us in conscious, personal awareness. It is personal: that is, it does not come through the body of believers, as such, but is known to the individual, and, to the body through the individuals which compose it. And it is conscious: that is, it does not stay below the threshold of consciousness and work there unknown to the soul,… but comes within the field of awareness where the man can "know" it as he knows any other fact of experience" (1).
"To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love" (1).
"God wills that we should push on into His Presence and live our whole life there....
God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful that He can, without anything other than Himself, meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is" (3).
"Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice.... Self is the opaque veil that hides the Face of God from us. It can be removed only in spiritual experience, never by mere instruction" (3).
"…we have in our hearts organs by means of which we can know God as certainly as we know material things through our familiar five senses.... More and more, as our faculties grow sharper and more sure, God will become to us the great All, and His Presence the glory and wonder of our lives" (4).
"He promised much, but promised no more than He intends to fulfill" (5).
"[God] is by His nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice.... The why of natural law is the living Voice of God immanent in His creation.... [it] is the only force in nature.... The tragedy is that our eternal welfare depends upon our hearing, and we have trained our ears not to hear (6).
"The second Person of the Holy Trinity is called the Word" (6).
"Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding. Unbelief has put self where God should be, and is perilously close to the sin of Lucifer who said, 'I will set my throne above the throne of God.' Faith looks out instead of in and the whole life falls into line" (7).
"It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored.... This intercourse between God and the soul is known to us in conscious, personal awareness. It is personal: that is, it does not come through the body of believers, as such, but is known to the individual, and, to the body through the individuals which compose it. And it is conscious: that is, it does not stay below the threshold of consciousness and work there unknown to the soul,… but comes within the field of awareness where the man can "know" it as he knows any other fact of experience" (1).
"To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love" (1).
"God wills that we should push on into His Presence and live our whole life there....
God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful that He can, without anything other than Himself, meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is" (3).
"Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice.... Self is the opaque veil that hides the Face of God from us. It can be removed only in spiritual experience, never by mere instruction" (3).
"…we have in our hearts organs by means of which we can know God as certainly as we know material things through our familiar five senses.... More and more, as our faculties grow sharper and more sure, God will become to us the great All, and His Presence the glory and wonder of our lives" (4).
"He promised much, but promised no more than He intends to fulfill" (5).
"[God] is by His nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice.... The why of natural law is the living Voice of God immanent in His creation.... [it] is the only force in nature.... The tragedy is that our eternal welfare depends upon our hearing, and we have trained our ears not to hear (6).
"The second Person of the Holy Trinity is called the Word" (6).
"Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding. Unbelief has put self where God should be, and is perilously close to the sin of Lucifer who said, 'I will set my throne above the throne of God.' Faith looks out instead of in and the whole life falls into line" (7).
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