Clearing and Cleaning

So, the process begins to pack up to leave... but this time for a whole six months!

I just opened a bag full of my birthday cards and pictures drawn by my kids. I am thankful for each one.

• The pink envelope that says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YUO" and had Superman stickers holding it closed in the back.
• The ones cut out in the shape of a heart with kisses and "I love you" written all over.
• The ones that play music (very badly out of tune and with a high pitch) when you open them.
• The good wishes, including the most popular "I hope all your wishes come true!"
• The ones with lots and lots of glitter.
  

All have bad spelling, worse grammar... and yet... I'm having trouble throwing them away. I'm going to miss my kids.

Yearbook Awkwardness

We finished the yearbook. Have you ever known 2 people to take on a project like that? It was ridiculous. I'll never do it again. Katie should never do it again. I saw the other side of midnight several times.

Now we laugh hysterically over nonsense. We're all sleep deprived. Kirsten is throwing popcorn at Molly. And we discuss European culture and breaking the awkward social barriers.

Going to the Movies

So I found out today that I really was on the news the other night. My roommate and I, having come to see the opening of Prince of Persia, hadn't counted on the camera crews. We enjoyed the movie... but we're not sure about whether or not we like being celebrities just for being foreigners.

How I sound...

Has anyone ever told you that you sound like your doing well? An e-mail or short phone call... and somehow they think you must be in excellent spirits. Why do people say stuff like that? If they are wrong are you supposed to say, "No actually... life is rough right now, I'm just smiling to keep from making everyone else's lives just as bad." Not that my life is bad right now... I'm just curious about the comment, especially when it is applied to an e-mail. I guess I am sounding good right now... hmm... what is it that spurs people on to make that comment at some times and not others. What specific words or phrases make that come to mind. It is only a question.

Being Thankful

1. That I am not afraid of being stranded on the side of the road in Iraq. (Which is where I was on Saturday.)
2. That I found a bright yellow duplo in my purse that somehow got there from children's church.
3. That the house is quiet right now.
4. That while life is hard, and I'm sick all the time, there is no where else I'd rather be.
5. That our power switches over automatically and I don't have to flip any switches when it does.
6. That friends are coming into town this week and we need the outer society.

Don't begin by assuming you don't understand.

When I'm speaking another language I usually assume that if it doesn't make sense I must not be understanding correctly. So, when a taxi driver turned back and asked me how long my husband had been dead I got a bit confused.

"No, no... I don't have a husband," I protested. Unfortunately that didn't really help explain things.

"Where did he die? Here? America?" the taxi driver persisted.

"No, nothing. No husband; dead or alive..." I struggled to try to say something like this but I made him only more confused. Then he pointed to a ring on the ring finger of my right hand.

Oh. I laughed. "No, this is just to be pretty." He then told me that that wasn't a pretty place for a ring. I guess here if you wear a gold colored ring on that finger then it means you were widowed. Oops.

Another cultural lesson.