On figure skating, even if it's not Olympics

I don't usually blog about figure skating unless it is about the Olympics, but I've been enjoying this season so much (thanks in large part to my friend Ann who shares her subscription with me) that I thought a blog post might enoucrage a few casual fans to tune in to the big events in 2016. I have to confess, I was skeptical of the decision to allow lyrics and no one used them in such a way last year that changed my mind. It seems though, that in the second year of lyrics skaters and coaches are bolder in their use and this year I am really enjoying them, especially in my two favorite programs. 

Two must watch programs: 

1. Short dance of Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue. These two have been climbing the ranks this year and I'm sure this program has a lot to do with that. Always emotional skaters, this mesmerizing program highlights all their strengths and draws you in like never before. 

2. Short program of Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim. Wow, this program presents a side of them that we've never seen before and actually makes me want to watch pairs skating again! The music, costumes, and choreography are a perfect fit, and like Hubbell and Donohue, I think it is part of their success this season. 

Two skaters/teams to watch:

1. Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford. They just get better and better every year, and Grand Prix Final aside, they are the ones to beat every time they step on the ice. They have rejuvenated the pairs event and are just plain wow. 

2. Satoko Miyahara. She's tiny, but she's incredible. The only woman with a real shot of topping the Russians at worlds. There are a few (like Mao Asada) who have a shot if they skate perfectly, but they've all been inconsistent this season. Miyahara is a consistent joy to watch. 

One performance to watch:

1. Yuzuru Hanyu's short program at the Grand Prix Final. If figure skating still gave out perfect scores, he would have earned one. He had to settle for a new record score. A quad, quad-triple, and triple axel, all made to look as easy as singles. He floated over the ice. Is he human? 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel: advent reflections on another mass shooting

I am a bit of a news junkie. I have two news sources/sites that I check nearly daily, and another two that I read about once a week. World news, national news, local news- I cover it all. My phone often gives me breaking news banners from several of those sites, so the headlines are often one of the first things I see in the morning. This week I felt so frustrated, discouraged, and angry when I woke up to yet another US shooting in the headlines. They're becoming so common that we can't keep track, that we are no longer shocked, and we are growing numb.

This past week was also the start of the advent season, my favorite time of year. Every morning I sing and listen to one of my all time favorite songs, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. It is a song of crying out, but also a song of hope. I won't pretend to have any idea where to start with the gun problem in the United States- and it is a problem that we cannot continue to ignore. When I look at it, it feels irreversible and overwhelming. I want to give up. I want to raise a fist in anger at the lack of mental health care or at policies that freed terrorism. But then I sing:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel! 

Rejoice. Rejoice not because all is well in the world, not because the news headlines are cheerful, not because we know that the road ahead is easy. Rejoice because Emmanuel. God with us. Rejoice because the beginning of the story is Jesus and the end of the story is Jesus. Rejoice because our God is real, he is alive, and he is with us. 

The shootings are tragic. The terrorism is tragic. The wars and ongoing conflicts are tragic. They are heartbreaking and angering and just plain sad. There is not a continent or nation, a color or people, who are not affected. The world is unjust; it spews violence and hatred. There are no words to make that go away. But in the midst of it we cling to God With Us. In the midst of it we rejoice because there is One who has come and paid our ransom while we are yet in mourning. In the midst of it we have hope because the Son of God came first as a baby, then grew and gave his life for us. In the midst of it we sing because we know he will come again. 

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear. 

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel 

shall come to thee O Israel!

A Real Overseas Thanksgiving

I have to confess, I have not always been a big fan of overseas Thanksgiving. I may have even referred to it as Fake Thanksgiving a time or too. It's not that the things I did weren't fun, they just never constituted Thanksgiving to me. Twice in Argentina and once here I was able to go to the beach for Thanksgiving, which was great, but it sure didn't feel like Thanksgiving. Sometimes I have had traditional turkey dinners, while other years I have eaten fish at the beach or simply avoided the whole thing. 

That began to change for me a little bit two years ago when I gathered with some good friends and had my first "homestyle" Thanksgiving dinner in Thailand. It wasn't the same as a Thanksgiving on Hidden Trail, but it was a pretty good substitute and I walked away feeling like I'd had an enjoyable day. Did we eat at the proper time? Have the exact right side dishes? Sit around for hours with apps and wine before dinner? Walk the golf course before pie? Was my mother's mincemeat pie there for me to make fun of? No. But for the first time I was able to get over all of that and have fun. 

Now, I know, and have always known, that Thanksgiving isn't about those details, even for a detail person such as myself. But it took time for the day to feel Real without those traditions. It may sound slightly ridiculous that it took so many years, but as my lovely sister-in-law ever so kindly pointed out recently, my family might have slight tradition overload. Hey, I got my routines and regimin from somewhere!  

Last year, and again this year, I find myself actually really looking forward to Thanksgiving. I am excited to make the things I am bringing and even more excited to put the whole thing together with friends tomorrow. It's fun to feel like I can participate in both the meaning of Thanksgiving and give thanks and praise to God for all he has blessed me with, and also enjoy the feeling and nostalgia of the day. Happy Thanksgiving! 

New seasons

November is the month when the seasons change in Thailand, from rainy season to A Bit Less Hot season.  This week we've had several breezy days where the heat does grip in quite the same way and the AC might not be required every minute, and it's been great. I do love rainy season, with it's rolling black clouds and rush of wind as the storms blow in, but cool season is definitely my favorite. Everyone's favorite, I would imagine.

Lately, as the season shifts and the school year rolls on, I have been feeling so incredibly blessed. God has been incredibly good to me this semester, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. The abundance of his goodness and grace is often overwhelming and I find myself lost for words beyond Thank You. And believe me, I am not often at a loss for words!  

Even in the midst of abundance and blessing, life still holds great uncertainty and unknowns, but I know the One who goes before me and I trust that whichever way the road turns, I am going to be okay. After a long hiatus from running, I've finally gotten back into it a bit the past few weeks, and I love the opportunity that it gives me to think. I allows my thoughts to flop around in my brain in way that they can't when I am doing other activities. As they have done so, I have found that even in the bits of life that are unsure or sad or maddening or frustrating, I also have great peace and joy. 

So as cool season ushers in new life to Bangkok, the way the first winds of spring do in Michigan, I also feel ushered into a season of peace and contentment and trust, even in the great unknowns. 

Intertwined: joy and sorrow

I have written before about the intersection of sorrow and joy; this isn't new to me. But a picture says a thousand words, so here is my picture of sorrow in the midst of joy and joy in the midst of sorrow.

This is me, hanging out with the love of my life, my nephew Elliot James. To sit on the deck behind my Grampa's house on a perfect October afternoon and laugh and giggle with Elliot was such a joyous gift. But we gathered there that afternoon to celebrate my Grampa's life, after a long and tearful day at his funeral and burial. It was with a very heavy heart that I traveled to Michigan in early October, compelled by my love for this great man, and by his love for me. 

Even as I'd sat in the church that morning, filled with sadness and pain, there was also joy. Joy that at long last, he was back with my Gramma, that for him there is no more tears or sadness or pain. Joy that he was a man who loved God and walked faithfully with God for many years, that he fought the good fight, that he kept the faith and finished the race. And man, what a race he ran. 

I am thankful. Thankful for the chance to travel back briefly and be with my family. Thankful for the gift of an amazing grandfather, and the gift of having him in my life for nearly 35 years. Thankful for Elliot snuggling in for a nap, and for those precious extra days with him. Thankful for a family that loves and cares for one another. Thankful for many friends and coworkers in Bangkok who made my absence possible. Thankful for being there, something I have learned to never take for granted. Thankful that in the midst of sorrow there is always joy, and that the sorrow in fact teaches us what it is to feel joy. 

With Grampa on my trip to Long Lake in September 2013. 

Plants, passion, and peace in a new season

Life is Bangkok has settled back into its usual routine, which somehow has a distinctly different flavor every semester. I've never before lived in a place where the daily pattern of my life changes so much every few months, sometimes with little rhyme or reason. I might run every Saturday morning for a few months, and then stop. Or maybe I see a particular friend regularly for a year, and then we come back and never quite pick back up again. I go through streaks with which grocery store I prefer, or do I like the market better (weekend market or Ram 2?) or do I not even want to cook at all? Part of the fluctuation is just the nature of the expat life, part of it is the ebb and flow of this particular community, and part of it is just me and my come and go self. Since certain parts of my life naturally become so regimented, maybe the changes are the way I manage to survive without living in an enormous rut. Either way, my "new normal" normal life seems to have returned. 

What does that mean for this seaon? Well, as mentioned in a previous post, one thing it means is plants. Green plants, flowering plants, and edible plants. I've been working on the green plants for years, and a few of them flower on and off, but this is the first time I've tried actual flowers. So far, they are alive and well and I have plans to add a second pot of them. My veggies- tomatoes and radishes- are also doing well. My seedlings have grown into small plants. The radishes will take just a few weeks to mature, but the tomatoes are much slower. They're in small pots acclimating to the great outdoors right now. Next week I'll move them to full sun and wind, and then later to their permanent home large pots. 

Another aspect of this season has been a renewed passion for the missional side of my job. In part, that comes from teaching Bible this year. In part, it comes from having 13 little sponges, I mean four year olds, in my class. They love to learn about God, to sing praises to his name, and to pray. One of my favorite moments of the whole year (all 25 days of it so far) was at the end of the day when we were all packed up and doing a fingerplay while we waited for the bell to ring. One student raised her hand and asked if we could "do the one where we go like this (folds her hands) and talk to Jesus. Why yes, yes we can!  Another student interrupted calendar time last Friday to ask where God got all his power. Who gave it to him? Try answering that one in language that a four year old understands!  

I have also really been enjoying cooking lately. I've slacked off considerably this week, but was doing well until now, which means I have my freezer well stocked for these days when I'm too lazy to cook. This past weekend I baked bread and blueberry muffins, then a friend dropped off some banana bread, so I had baked goods coming out of my ears. Luckily, I found some people who were willing to take some of those muffins off my hands :) 

This has also been a season of lovely Saturday mornings spent with my friend and her kiddos. We will often meet at the school and talk while we watch the kids swim or play. Being nearly 3 years old, their new favorite activity is to go to Tee-Tee (Aunt) Clare's room and play. We are pretty okay with whatever keeps them occupied while we chat and drink our coffee. We don't make it every Saturday, but we've done it often, and it is always precious when we do. 

Oddly enough, given some situations going on around me, this has also been a time that I would describe with the word peace. Perhaps my heart is finally beginning to trust God and, I hate to even type it, let it go (cue the music...). It's no secret that I am a bit of a control freak. My brain knows that God is soveriegn, that he alone holds my life in his hands, and that he does in fact, want and know what is best for me. My heart has always been slow to believe it, leading to a great deal of worry and anxiety and stress. I don't know what the difference is, if I am just tired of fighting or if the daily ritual of watching one particular tired student fight against sleep at nap time has allowed things to click at a deeper level. Either way, I'd say this is a time that has been characterized by peace, and I am grateful. Tough days and tough decisions lie ahead, but I've been able to resist stressing about them now and just leave them in God's hands. I know; I'm a little slow on the up take. 

Wow, I finally wrote a blog post that wasn't entirely about K4! I am reclaiming my life! It's just cause we're having so much fun that I can't help but write about it. But it does in fact feel good to be working normal hours again and getting my life back! 

Blood, sweat, tears, and a few little green sprouts

Blood: we had our first dripping/gushing blood in K4C this week. Luckily it was only a bloody nose and it stopped fairly quickly. Bloody noses I can handle. Open gaping flesh wounds? Not so much. Praying we don't end up with any of those! 

Sweat: our morning recess is shady and cool, but lunch recess is like a little sauna. It doesn't help that we eat in an open air cafeteria so I'm sweating even before I get to recess duty, as even the shade at midday is somewhat miserable. My poor little kiddos are soaked after ten minutes. We don't stay out much longer than that and there's usually a gaggle of them following me around waiting for me to ring the bell for the last minute or two. They are sometimes resistant to drinking water earlier in the day, but no one resists when I make them get drinks after lunch! 

Tears: my morning drop off criers have pretty much stopped, but we still get some tears throughout the day from bumps on the playground or tired frustrating moments during wake up or things like that. No one has cried in time out yet, and I totally expected them too. My TA told me my time outs aren't scary, which they aren't supposed to be, though they seem sufficiently effective so far. Come to think of it, no one has gotten time out during recess yet, so maybe that's when the tears will come...

Sprouts: I've been getting more into gardening in the last few years and have enjoyed visiting my brother's community garden in New York and seeing what he grows at his apartment as well. So this summer I bought some seeds because hey, if he can grow tomatoes on his fire escape in New York, I should be able to grow them on my balcony in Bangkok, right? This week I planted tomato and radish seeds and they just started sprouting🌱. I'm so excited to get them into pots and watch them grow. And then of course, to eat them. I have some sugar snap peas too, but I wanted to try these first. 

Tomato sprout 

Radishes! Maybe not my favorite veggie, but they're supposed to be easier to grow than most of the others and I like them well enough, especially if they're from my own garden ❤️

The First Week

LOne week down, and so far K4 is everything I hoped it would be. My students are delightful. They range from shy and sensitive to spunky-spitfire independent, from well trained little listeners to 'what? you want me to sit down?'. Some look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them to draw a picture of themself, others have practically mastered the objectives of K4 already. They are excited, giggly, impulsive, silly, talkative, stubborn, eager, insistent, adorable, emotional, hilarious, and all the other things a 4 year old ought to be. When we went to the big auditorium for chapel yesterday, the chairs kept folding up on half of them because they aren't big enough to weigh it down. The little one next to me held her blankie. It's been awesome. 

I've been so impressed with how quickly they are catching on to the classroom routines. The one transition that we are really struggling with is entirely my fault and not theirs- we haven't yet found a "come in from recess signal" that is loud enough for them to hear during the craziness of lunch recess. They're great at lining up after morning recess, but it's much calmer and quieter then so they can hear. Well, that and some of them really don't like waking up after nap time, but hey, who does? 

As expected, the first week brought tears, snot, vomit, and blood, but it also brought lots of laughter and smiles. Their favorite activity is a brilliant "game" called Mokey See, Monkey Do. I say, "Monkey see, monkey do, I can ________, how about you?" and fill in the blank with all kinds of things- wiggle, jump, touch my toes, act like a dinosaur, etc.  The brilliant part is, the last line of the game is always 'line up' or 'sit quietly' or whatever else I need them to do at that time. For a movement break or a transition, it works like a charm :) 

There are things I miss about middle school for sure- the quirks of preteens and young teens, being able to send a kid to fill my water bottle for me, their independence, the five minutes between classes when I can actually use the bathroom- but plenty of my kids have been stopping by after school this week to say hi or waving vigorously at me when they see me on their way to PE, drama, or play after lunch (all of which require them to walk by the elementary building). They change so much over the summers that some of their names escape me when I first see them, especially those I haven't taught in a few years. I miss my middle school colleagues and the swagger of the 8th graders who think they rule the world, but I am comforted by a great K4 team and my new kiddos and being so busy during the day that it just flies by.  I'm glad I made the switch. 

As my days have begun to find their way back to routine, the homesickness has come too. Pictures of my family enjoying time in northern Michigan, videos of my nephew laughing hysterically, reports about how my Grampa is doing- while I want them and welcome them, they also make me miss people. It's the never ending struggle of my life and my job- my heart scattered across the globe. But as I sit with my tea and look at my balcony garden and the trees and city beyond, I know I am where I am supposed to be right now. God is faithful. 

Ready for K4!

8 months ago I sat in the elementary office talking to the principal, exploring the possibility of moving to elementary. When she mentioned that a K4 position would be open I knew it was for me.  Today we had our open house and I met most of my sweet kiddos. I can't wait for them to come tomorrow!  It's going to be such a fun year :)  

Classroom "before" pictures (what it looked like when I showed up July 23):

The classroom in progress...

Ready for Open House today!

Ready or not, here they come! And yes, I'm ready :)

Summer highlights

If I had to sum up my summer in one phrase, it would be quality time.  The last three consecutive years I've had major summer events of some sort that kept me pretty busy (Argentina, Meg's wedding, then Argentina again), making this summer feel a bit low key. Somehow though, it was still jam packed, and as always, there were things I hoped to do that didn't happen. 

The highlight for sure was the quality time that I got with so many different people.  

One definite highlight of any trip to Michigan is my time with my friends Katie and Cora and their families. If anyone wants tips on how to keep their kids connected to relatives who live far away, these ladies are great models.  It brings me so much joy to see the kids' little faces at the front window when I drive up. Despite the fact that I've lived out of the country for most or all of their short lives, their moms make sure that they know me. I am so thankful for the time I had with them this summer! 

Making and then playing our own board game with Cora and her kids. 

Another highlight was the time I got to spend with my brother Matt. Between my five days in New York and his three in Michigan, I felt like I had more time with him than I have in years.  I also loved that I got to enjoy both of my brothers' cooking this summer. I don't know many (or any!) other expats who return home looking forward to the dinner their brother is going to make for them! 

A rather unexpected highlight was that by the end of the summer, I had managed to see, at least briefly, every single one of my aunts and uncles on both sides of the family.  I think there are 20 of them, and with so many people out of town during the summer months, it was a remarkable feat.  It also meant that I got a lot of time with my family and extended family in general, and that is always awesome.  They are the roots that give me the wings to fly here.  Within the aunt and uncle highlight was the particular time I got with my aunt and uncle in San Jose.  It was really special to get that one-on-one (or two) time with them and I can't wait to go back. 

In California with Aunt Leona and Uncle Dave

A long awaited highlight was the time I got with my friend Holly in Central California.  Ever since she made the decision to leave Bangkok we've were planning this trip and it did not disappoint.  I love that we had hours and hours to talk and that I got to see a little snipet of her life in California.  

With Holly :)

My final weekend in the States brought several great highlights of food and company. My friends Katie and Amy, who I skated with many years ago and both live out of state now, we're both in Ann Arbor visiting family. We had a chance to catch up over a long dinner at Bigalora Friday night. I'm not sure the last time that all three of us were together, but I think it was in the ballpark of five years ago. Then Saturday I went out for a farewell dinner with my mom  and siblings (we missed you Matt and Andrew!) at Bacco, which was amazing. Every single course was just perfect. Then on Sunday we had a bridal shower for my cousin at Bigalora Royal Oak and I wrapped up the weekend with breakfast with Katie and Amy on Monday before a Tuesday morning departure. Whew! 

The most anticipated highlight (and it lived up to its billing) was the quality time I got with my nephew.  I got time with him at family events, time with him at his house, one-on-one time babysitting him, and time with him at Aunts and Elliot Day. It was awesome to be there to see him roll over for the first time and watch him grow and develop over the course of the six weeks.  He was definitely longer and gigglier by the time I left, and he had just learned to sit up and had started eating cereal.  He is just absolutely delightful and I miss him terribly!  In addition to the joy of meeting him, I also really liked seeing my sister and brother-in-law as parents.  They're doing a great job :)  

The day we first met. Yes, I bought him that onesie :) 

What a great mom she is! 

Too cute! 

Our last day together- sitting up like a big boy! 

There were so many other quality time moments sprinkled throughout my summer that made it a lot of fun to be back.  It's never easy to leave everyone and the adjustment back can be a bit rough, but somehow the working crazy hours has made it a bit easier in that at least I don't feel the quiet quite so much.  I'm thankful for all the quality time that God blessed me with on my trip!  

Jet lag brain

I would like to write about my time in Michigan this summer, but that would require processing that is wel beyond my emotional or physical energy right now so instead I will put my feet up, eat a Thin Mint (or two or four) and tell you about my jet lag brain. 

Jet lag brain is defined as doing stupid things all day due to a lack of sleep.  I'm an 8-9 hours a night girl and my first years in Bangkok were blessedly free of jetlag, but lately I have not been so fortunate.  It's Friday night and I haven't slept more than 5 hours a night since Sunday night. That must be a lifetime record for me.  As I result I have done laughably stupid things all day, despite feeling much better than I really should. 

1. I spelled wonderful as "wonerful". On a bullentin board. Redo. 

2. A short time later I hung a line of numbers 1-100 on my classroom wall (for counting the first 100 days of school).  Well, that I was the idea anyway. Somehow I missed 76-80 and skipped right fromm 75 to 81. I was just glad that I only had to redo the last 3/4! 

3. I chose background paper for my jungle animals bullentin board and picked yellow.  Two of the animals are the same exact yellow. So I added some green grass to the bottom so they could be against a green background. But then the animals in the yellow looked like they were floating in midair. A quick text message consult with a friend decided that the floating was just going to be okay. Then I needed to add a sun because the giraffe's neck was too long for the grass resulting in yellow on yellow again. I have lightly tacked everything up now to make sure I like it before finalizing.  I've already adjusted the elephant around 100 times.  Quick project rapidly became a long project.  

The elephant is less angled now, but this is essentially the final product. No, I did not make the animals (credit there goes to my friend Karly), but yes, I did make that grass and I am pretty impressed with myself for that! 

4. Perhaps the mostly costly oops of all- I started a load of laundry without turning the water on (you need to turn it on and off every time you do a load). I discovered my mistake 20-30 min later when the machine was beeping like crazy and flashing all kinds of lights. I got the water on, but it wasn't coming out much and couldn't restart the machine/cycle. I unplugged the washer and plugged it back in because that fixes everything, right? Now it won't even turn on. Sigh. 

Luckily there are new coin operated machines on the ground floor of my building that I can use tomorrow night. Here's to hoping that I'll actually sleep tonight!  

California Dreamin

This past week I had the privilege to spend some time with family and friends in Central and Northern California. I had a few days with my friend Holly and then a few days with my Aunt Leona and Uncle Dave. Holly and I taught together at ICS before she moved to Central California a year ago. We started our trip in San Jose, traveling down the coast through Monterey, Carmel, and the Big Sur area, before catching the sunset in Cambria and finishing our drive at her home in Paso Robles. The drive was absolutely stunning, as was the company. We had a great breakfast with Holly's family the next morning and then we spent Friday in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo and had oceanside apps and cocktails at Avila Beach before another beautiful sunset. It was so good to spend time with Holly after just talking via Skype for the last year!

On Saturday, Dave and Leona joined us for wine tasting in the Paso Robles region. With most of my wine tasting experience coming in deep Argentine reds and Malbecs, it was a lot of fun to taste a variety of wines from small vineyards in the area. At the end of the day, We ended the day at my uncle's favorite brewery, and then I head back to San Jose with them

After a lazy Sunday morning, Dave, Leona, and I went for a beach walk and tide pool exploration in Carmel. The sunny weather was perfect and it was a refreshing change to be on a gorgeous beach that wasn't 95 degrees and humid! We explored the charming town of Carmel a bit before heading to the Monterey Aquarium for their summer live music evening. The aquarium itself was amazing, and that much more fun for the evening atmosphere (and lack of hoards of children). For my last day we drove north to Napa for a couple of tours and tastings, fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine to visit Napa Valley. It lived up to everything I imagined, and more. We had a special dinner at home that night before I flew out the next morning. 

It was a wonderful week that left me asking, can I do this every year? 

New York!

This past weekend I got to go to New York to visit my brother.  I love NYC, but I've been several times in the last few years so we decided to spend some time outside the city and rented an Airbnb in the Catskills for two nights.  I got some time in lower Manhattan on Friday before while Matt worked and then we drove north with his girlfriend, his dog, and his roommate's dog.  It was a crowded car, but it worked.  Like any good up north trip, our activities primarily consisted of hiking and discussing, planning, preparing, and eating great meals.  Our cabin was next to a pond near the small town of Walden, NY.  Almost like being at Walden Pond, almost.  The cabin had a screened in porch overlooking the pond that we found was the perfect breakfast spot. And appetizer spot. And dinner spot. 

Saturday was cold and a bit wet so our hike got cut a bit short and we had a nice big lunch in town before heading back and going for a long walk in the woods behind the cabin.  On Sunday afternoon we hiked in Harriman State Park on our way back to the city.  It was a beautiful day, gorgeous hike in the hills, and perfect ending to the trip.  On Monday I got my city fix with a visit to the Tenement Museum, Central Park, the MET, and a cafe while Matt worked and then a great evening with dinner and drinks in the Lower East Side.  Tuesday I got time in Matt's neighborhood, Ridgewood, which I really enjoy, before flying back to Detroit.  I can't wait to go back next year!  

Saturday hike to the waterfall in Minnewaska State Park 

Wildflowers and woods behind the cabin. 

Start of the Sunday hike in Harriman State Park 

Lunch in Central Park 

Ten Years Ago

Ten years ago this week I went on a "once in a lifetime" trip to Argentina to visit my brother at the end of his study abroad semester.  Over the course of the two weeks I was there I fell in love with the country and rekindled the love of travel that I had discovered on my own study abroad semester a few years earlier in Aberdeen, Scotland. Those two weeks I spent in Argentina drastically changed the last decade of my life, leading me to move to Buenos Aires myself two years later, and then on to Bangkok a few years after that.  I never could have imagined this international teacher life- that someone would pay me to teach in a Christian school in a foreign country where the perks include introducing students to Christ and traveling on weekends.  I never imagined as I struggled with caring about high school and college German classes because "when would I ever use a foreign language?!" that years later I would speak Spanish and even a little bit of Thai (and spend a week in Austria during college really wishing I'd paid attention in German class!).  

My life in Bangkok comes with a great many sacrifices, but it also comes with much joy, great adventure, and a daily life that feel amazingly normal to me now.  The more I travel and live, the more I leave pieces of my heart scattered around the globe.  The more people and cutlures that I encounter the more beauty and suffering I see in the rainbow of faces around me.  I love being a part of this global community, love living as an ambassador for Jesus in a land where his name is barely known.  I hate the unknowns, the how longs, the what nexts.  But I love the present, the todays.  I love summers in Michigan and around the US, connecting with friends and family around the world.  

In the ten years since I stepped off that flight at Ezeiza airport (to a baggage handlers strike and a swarm of angry Argentines, I might add) I have changed in ways I never could have predicted, shaped into something new by both the beauty of it all and the pain that accompanies.  So the next ten years? I don't think I can even begin to imagine.  

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...

I've spent most of my teaching career in a middle school classroom, despite my dual certification in elementary and middle.  From Lincoln to BAICA to Derby to ICS, I've found a home within the strange structure and nuances of the middle grades.  So it not without sadness that I pack up my boxes and move them to K4.  But even as I say good-bye to my 120+ students this week, I still know it's the right choice.  I'll miss my older students. I'll miss their ability to do things on their own. I'll miss their humor.  I'll miss solving equations with them. I'll miss that they instantly know what The Look means and why they are receiving it. But, I am ready.   

I spent my morning sorting and organizing in my new classroom and beginning to envision more concretely what my coming year will look like.  It's fun and exciting to think about the joy and delight in four year olds as they discover and experience the world around them.  Even when that joy gives way to fatigue and tears, I love the honesty of kids that age. They are who they are, even when you might not want them to be :)  I love watching them learn, seeing them master new skills, and the sense of accomplishment they feel when they do that.  I love the small class, and really getting to know each student and family. I love that I get to exercise a muscle I haven't used in a number of years and put to use the full range of training I got at Hope and The Discovery Center.  

I am thankful that ICS has given me this opportunity. I'm thankful that I could change teaching positions and do something new without changing jobs.  In a field that has very few opportunities for professional growth (though the personal growth is unending), making lateral moves keeps things fresh and interesting.  And I am thankful that I have six weeks in the States to see people (and buy classroom stuff!) before the transition is official.  Two and a half more days middle school!  

A hole in my door: Not your usual Friday night

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.  Or at least crazier.  Especially in Thailand. 

It started like an ordinary Friday evening. I finished work and walked home, looking forward to a relaxing night, thinking I would put the baseball game on while I folded and put away clean laundry.  My helper comes on Fridays, so I would come home to a clean house and a drying rack full of clothes.  And then I went to put my key in the door. 

I should back up.  My front door has always annoyed me greatly.  Most doors in my apartment complex have a door lock and dead bolt.  Mine doesn't have a deadbolt, but instead it has a metal gate/screen door that has the potential to be padlocked shut.  My landlord thinks it keeps me safer.  I think it's ugly, and it gets in the way.  I call it The Stupid Door. One of the worst things about The Stupid Door, and it's a bit hard to understand this without seeing it in action, is that if you leave your key in the lock and push the door and Stupid Door open simultaneously, The Stupid Door will move across the lock in a such a way that it bends your key or worst case scenario, break it off in the lock.  You have to remove your key from the lock before pushing them open, or just reach through The Stupid Door to push the big door open before opening The Stupid Door.  

I've bent a few keys in it in my day, and two years ago when people were staying here over the summer, one broke off in the lock.  But at that point, the door is open, since it happens as you walk in. They called a locksmith, the door knob was replaced, no big deal.  

Which brings me back to today when I arrive home and go to put my key in the lock and discover it has a broken off key in it.  

I knock because I assume that even though my helper's shoes aren't outside the door, she must still be there if the key is broken, right?  Wrong.  I frantically start calling her, my landlord, and my friend- just in case I need a place to sleep tonight.  No one answers, though I do hear back from my friend quickly so I know at least they are home.  I eventually get through to my helper, who speaks rapid fire Thai at me, of which I understand roughly 10%.  She arrives back 5 minutes later and tells me that she didn't realize what had happened until I called and told her.  I want to give her the benefit of the doubt because I know she's not the most observant person in the world, as evidenced by some clean-but-not-so-clean issues I've had with her lately, but I'm really not sure how you can break a key in a lock and not notice.  

At any rate, I'm in a bind, and she feels bad.  I post a picture of my door knob pickle to a community Facebook page in hopes that someone will know something about picking locks, or breaking into Parkland apartments, or at least the number for a good locksmith.  Meanwhile, my next door neighbor has a couple chaangs (maintenance guys, workers, technicians, etc) working at her place and my helper asks one of them to help.  He comes over to take a look, poor sap.  

For the next 45 minutes he tries to pick the lock, break the knob, drill holes in the knob and chisel/pry the knob out of the door.  None of it is successful, in part because, you guessed it, The Stupid Door is in the way and they can't get to the door knob well.  The entire time, I'm standing there quickly melting into a puddle of sweat in my work clothes while my helper frets about.  The building guard comes up to see what's going on since he can see what we're doing on the security camera.  He hasn't got any brilliant ideas either, at least as far as I can tell, since I haven't studied a word of Thai in 18 months and don't understand anything anyone is saying.  

After about a hour, the chaangs (another guy from next door has now joined us, and the neighbor comes out from time to time to try and help) and the guard communicate to me via charades that they think our best bet is to drill a large hole in the door and reach in and unlock it that way.  But they want to be really sure that I know what they are doing and give the okay before they do it.  Truth be told, I had no idea if that was the best plan and had no one to bounce the idea off. My landlord was still not answering her phone and no one around me spoke English. I know nothing about locks and nothing about what to do  in such a situation. So I took deep breath, nodded, and gave the okay to drill. 

At this point, though very frustrated, I'm also slightly glad that it's this hard to break into my apartment. Maybe I don't need that deadbolt after all. 

Ten minutes, a drill, and a hammer later, we make it through the door. The chaang reaches through the door but the inner part of the knob is no longer intact so it won't unlock.  

I reach through and try- no luck.  After much hammering and banging we eventually get it done and the door swings open.  

End of story?  Nope.  

We make it in the door and straight away my helper starts cleaning up the pieces of lock and door and piles of saw dust. I go next door and pay the guy for his help.  When I get back, my helper closes the door to sweep behind it.  And then she realizes.  A piece of the lock is still in the door, and now it's locked shut. With no door knob. And no way out.  

She starts panicking.  Oddly enough, I'm not overly worried. If there is one thing I have learned from being caught in bad/strange/whatever situations, it is that they always end somehow.  I grab my IKEA toolbox and start trying to pry the bit of lock out, hoping my helper doesn't have a meltdown. She calls her family and tells them she's locked in on the 6th floor and can't get out.  

A bit earlier, I received a phone call from a kind friend/neighbor who had seen my post on the Facebook page and wanted to make sure I had found help and was getting in.  At the time we were nearly in, but I was still grateful for his kindness in checking. Now though I called him back and told him the situation. Within minutes he was outside my door with better tools than I what I had, talking with me through the hole in the door, and working to get the bit of lock out.  Which he did.  We were free.  

After he left my helper apologized profusely, while sobbing and hugging me. I really think she thought she'd be here all night.  

And now, a piece of paper covers the holes while all the inside bolts are done, and The Stupid Door is latched shut.  I feel plenty secure for tonight, and tomorrow I will get a padlock and finally make use of the padlock option on The Stupid Door. 

A different chaang came just now with my landlord, declared the large Hulk-like hole completely unnecessary and will get a new door this weekend and install in on Monday morning. While I had no trouble holding it completely together (and even say a few mai bpen rai's) through the entire ordeal, I definitely lost it after my landlord and the new chaang left. These are the moments when I just want to live in a country where I understand people, where I know how the system works, where my parents or brothers or uncles are just a phone call away.  But instead I'm here, in the middle of a circus, sometimes flourishing and sometimes floundering. 

Fluttering on Fences: missing places

How hard it is to escape from places. However carefully one goes they hold you- you leave little bits of yourself fluttering on the fences- like rags and shreds of your very life. - Katherine Mansfield 

Some places just stick with you, even if your tenure there was brief. They come to you in your dreams, or spring up when you least expect it, give you pause, take you back, and leave you longing to walk their streets or hills one more time.  Lately, Argentina and Scotland have been doing that to me.  Even though Michigan is my home and is more deeply rooted, it doesn't cling to the corners quite so much because I am able to visit so often.  

Last week the cobbled streets of my San Isidro neighborhood sprang to life in a voice text sent to me by a dear friend there.  The sounds of Spanish, and not just any Spanish but Argentine Spanish and her voice. I wanted to see her, I wanted to be there, from a place deep within me.  A few days later I saw a picture on Facebook of an aquaintence hiking in Scotland and the damp hills and sharp breeze caught me off guard.  It's been nearly 13 years since I left, and I was only there for 6 months. You'd think I'd be over it by now!  

Some days, when the intense Bangkok sun beats down or I navigate the piecemeal sidewalk that separates my apartment complex from ICS, I am tempted to think that I just want to get out of here, I remind myself of those longings for the places I no longer call home.  I remind myself that someday I will feel that way about this place, too. Someday I will miss the dilapidated elevator in my building or the pounding of my upstairs neighbor making som tam for dinner, again.  Some day I will miss the small things that make up life here. So I take a deep breath, wipe the sweat from my face, and let a piece of me flutter on the fence as I walk by. 

A day off during a busy season

One of my favorite things about living and working abroad are all the random days off that are sprinkled throughout the year.  I'm not sure if Argentina and Thailand really have that many more of these days than the US does or if I just notice them more since I don't expect them, celebrate them, or have anything I need to do on them.  I love Memorial Day, for example, but it doesn't have the same time of freedom that a random Tuesday off does.  As much I miss the family gatherings on such secondary holidays, not having anything to do and having them fall in the middle of week makes them such delectable little treats.  

Today, in honor of Coronation Day, I slept in, had a lovely tea and quiet time, cleaned and organized my house, went out to lunch, bought groceries, made granola, and had afternoon tea with a good book. I'm even getting a change to blog, and it's still just 4:00! Like I said, delectable little treats, they are :)  

It is a welcome repreive from the May Madness that settles over international schools each year.  In the weary last month of a school year we cram in concerts, banquets, visa appointments, graduations, a clothing exchange, and any number of end of the year events in addition to farewells for those who are leaving, garage sales for us to buy what they're leaving behind, and the general wear and tear that is a part of the end of any school year.  I usually board that plane in early June completely exhausted to the core, but this year I am bound and determined to have something left in the gas tank at the end.  I'm being more proctective and selective with my time and energy than usual. We'll see how well it works...

At work I've been busy with all the usual middle school stuff, as well as doing everything I can to get things done for K4. I've scoured the garage sales for gently used toys that the room needs, in addition to some teaching and organizational supplies.  I've got some of my things ready for Open House and the first day of school.  It's been a lot of fun, and has confirmed to me that I made the right decision in the switch. 

Coming home from garage sales last Saturday. We filled my front basket with stuff, hooked the baskets on bought onto the front and bike of the bike, threw everything else into a huge Ikea bag for Karly to carry, and we were on our way!  Intending only to go a few blocks to the nearest moto taxi stand, we were having too much fun and I drove us all the way to Karly's house.  

The start of the rains has meant lots of really impressive sunsets, which I've been able to enjoy while getting down time on my nights in. 

I ordered some things, including the cute shirt he's wearing, for my nephew a while ago and had them delivered to my mom's house.  My mom and sister opened them with me via Facetime while they were there this past weekend.  Little Man is growing so fast that I thought she better open them before I get home (one month from today)! I simply adore this solemn little guy and can't wait to meet him!  

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Vacations are a funny thing, especially vacations when you live overseas. Travel is wonderful, but being a tourist is not generally relaxing. Sometimes it's nice to have a vacation where you actually come home more rested than you were when you left. For that reason, I often prefer to be when I am on vacation than to do. Often easier said than done. 

This week, however, I managed to do just that. I came to northern Thailand with friends for a few days. We stayed at a homestay near the Laos border, a little more than an hour outside the city of Chiang Rai and it has been absolutely perfect. The house has nice spacious rooms and a courtyard with a pool and a peaceful fountain. In the mornings we've taken excursions and spent the afternoons napping, reading, and swimming. On one excursion we did a short hike to a cliff at the Laos border, looking down into a Hmong village nestled in the valley below. All of our meals are included in our stay and the food has been delicious, and always accompanied by local fruit, including the melt in your mouth mangoes that are in season right now. In the evenings, after a post dinner walk and when my friends put their toddler to bed, we have been able to sit and talk over wine and chocolate before curling up in super comfortable beds. 

It's been a few days of sleep, rest, good conversation, a good book, and fun and laughter that leaves me feeling rested, renewed, and refreshed. God's blessings again, overflowing in abundance. 

Views on our evening walks. 

Waterfall walk in a national park 

Border marker, I'm in Laos! 

Hiking with a view of Laos.

View from my poolside beach chair. Gonna miss this...