I'm Baaaaack!!!

I find that it's a trend among us oversea workers to not blog while home.  I'm not sure the reason.  However, I'm inclined to believe it's the food.  ALL THAT WONDERFUL FOOD! 

I'm back now in Bali and here is the last 3 months in review: 

May

Philippines

Language Acquisition Training

As part of the project I'm working on, we have to go through this training.  I didn't want to go initially but BOY! I am glad I went!  We spent 2 weeks learning how to acquire a language in the fastest, most effective way……like a child.  We spent a week learning a new language (Filipino) by just listening (no memorizing, no writing, no reading).  By the end of the week, I was understanding a LOT of words.  Cool! This is going to help me learn Indonesia all the more faster!

During the 2 weeks, we also learned how we were going to do story telling to oral people.  Below is an example of helping people remember the stories……using random objects.  That's my flip-flop being used for the "saw a blind man on the road" part of the story.  Again, can't wait to start using this method to teach people the stories. 

Proof I was working in Philippines

Using my black shoe to remember a story

My crazy, funny language mentor…..oh I'm lucky :)

The public bus of Manila…..funky!  

May

In the States

It's funny how many things you don't realize you miss until you see it again.  I've taken a few pictures of things I noticed right away once arriving in the States

Ah! free clean water!!!!  Most places don't have clean water available so this was a nice thing to see again

Wait!  You mean these people are actually lining up?????  

What?!  A part of me missed this organization but then again, the other part of me missed pushing my way to the front.  Here in Indo, I am successful at this because I'm stronger and bigger (and when I say "bigger" I mean "fatter") than most :)

So many white people!  No, I'm not being racist but usually when I fly, it's a sea of brown faces and I stand out like a snowflake in dirt

HOME!

I had an amazing time at home.  I want to thank my family, small group, and other friends for making this time wonderful. I was overwhelmed by everyone's kindness.  

After working day, night, and weekends for 4 months straight all the while going through major culture shock, I didn't realize how much I needed this break. 

Of course, I had to take a picture of my first real meal.  

mmmmm!!!!!! Mexican cheese dip!!!

3 days after arriving from across the world, went to my Mom's side family reunion.  First one in 30 years.  They are CRAZY!!!!  I LOVE them!!!!

Took a trip with my sister to our nation's capital: Washington D.C.

SPY Museum!

I'm a ninja!  

In front of the FBI building 

so naturally, I hid like a spy

Can you find me?

ready to pounce!

Where am I? Where am I?

Nothing to see here!!!

Ok, I have to be honest.  A part of me was hoping someone from the inside would come out and take me in for looking suspicious.  

The White House

BOSTON

My parents took my sister and I to Boston for my sister's birthday.  WOW! What an amazing city!

A picture dictating the arrivals of the first pilgrims being welcomed by the Native Americans

Thank you Native Americans for saving our lives!

Oh yeah!  went to Boston Red Sox game at Fenway.  Sweet!!!

Loving it!

My sister and my parents

Some say baseball is boring to watch but not when you're at Fenway watching the Sox!!!

Unfortunately, they were loosing so we left once it went into overtime.  Of course as soon as we left, the Sox came back with 2 home runs………figures

When you do through your everyday life, look around, it's amazing the weird things you see.  This guy had his entire half finger in his ear and kept it there the whole time.  Whatever makes you happy man!

My mom and me

Ol' Iron Sides…….a battleship from the Revolutionary War

ON MY WAY BACK

I had quite the long trek back to Indo.  

5 flights 

5 delays 

3 days 

2 upgrades

I don't like to take selfless so I brought my travel squirrel along

As I was sitting in the lounge area, I noticed something.  

Notice the blue chairs.  They are perfect examples of how Western cultures value our individualism.  The sides are high enough to separate you from the guy beside you.  

In Asia, this would be inconceivable to isolate yourself like this. They would actually think this as rude since of course! you would want to be beside other people  in order to relate.  

I'm not saying they're better…..just different. 

When I got onto my long flight from Seattle to South Korea, I noticed that I was bumped.  

After 12 years of international travel and all my family being bumped and not me…..yay!!!! I finally got bumped!! 

That's my seat and the thing went FLAT so I could sleep…..what what???  

The flight attendants were teasing me because it was obviously my first time in first class.  I got my own travel kit!  AND they just kept bringing food…..so of course I had to eat it.  Thus the teasing increased.  By the end of the flight, I was best friends with all of them :)

BACK IN BALI

I'm finally over jet lag and diving back into work.  Unfortunately, because I don't have a team, I won't be going to the smaller place up north for a while.  So I'll stay here in Bali working on some similar projects.  

My friends took me to this pizza place.  That pizza was bigger than my thighs (and that's saying a lot)

Luckily, I live near enough to a beach so I can go running every morning.  And every morning, I see the island's volcano.  Don't worry, it's further than it looks.  If it erupts, I'm pretty far from it. 

Again, thank you to everyone for making my time home so restful!  

Thoughts

1) that I will find my new place here in Bali (I'm still trying to look at my options for work and figure out where Big Daddy wants me)

2) I just realized that I have some training trips I have to take that I did not budget for so I will need to do some extra fundraising for it. 

3) That Bali to know Him