Just the Essentials...

I'm leaving later today for a little weekend retreat and I love the fact that my packing list looks like this:

*Movies
*Clothes?
****COFFEE
*Swimsuit

Nothing but the essentials, I guess.

(PS-In case you were wondering, I'm not on lockdown anymore. Life continues on as usual-whatever 'usual' looks like in this place.)

The Weather Outside...

So today is kind of like my country's version of a 'snow day' as we've been on lockdown since yesterday afternoon. Apparently there was a strong enough kidnapping threat of a foreigner in the city that the military even stepped in and warned us not to leave our homes until further notice.

Interesting.

That means that today, instead of going out to the village, I've been lounging around in my pajamas and bed head working on writing proposals and budgets while enjoying all of the creature comforts of home (which includes, of course, but is not limited to, more cups of coffee than humanly necessary).

All on this unexpected day of being forced to stay inside.

Lovely.

I apologize for my abscence from the blogging world. I've been really busy lately and this blog isn't exactly 'top priority.' I still don't have time to fill you in right now, but I decided to post a few pics to hold you over until I do....


Yesterday I got to take S & M out to SZ village with me. S, you may recognize from some of my 'photo booth' pics in earlier posts. She works in Ktown and is here visiting for the week. M, is our guest for 3 weeks, checking out our projects and considering work here in the future. They both made great company and were a hit with the villagers--especially the kids!



This next picture is one of my new favorites. You should click on it to get a better view. I love the black chadored covered woman sitting in the midst of the rugged terrain of this nation. I wonder what she was thinking about...

The Legend Returns...

Finally.
After nearly a 2 1/2 year separation...

































A celebratory reunion took place.
















The excitement was almost too much for us to handle. But it's true.
















The Crushing One, Cowboy (a.k.a. 'my blue eyed hottie), and The Strawberry Blonde were back together again in Ktown for one night (and one night only).

Lots of pictures to capture the memories, but the one below is my personal favorite.
(I'm sure you can see why.)
All I have to say is this...

Cowboy...Take me away.

Of Lessons Learned...

Yesterday my one-hour 7am flight to K-town landed promptly at 5 pm. But that’s nothing unusual. If you've read some of my previous posts, you know that flying in this country doesn't exactly agree with me. After a very long wait outside in yet another late-summer dust storm, the check-in process began. The good news was that things always move fairly quickly when that happens and before I knew it, I was 25,000 ft. above sea level. Unfortunately, even from that distance, the earth appeared as one unremitting haze of brown with the only hint of color coming from the light blue of the distant horizon.

Yet still. In spite of all its challenges and seeming frustrations, there’s just something about traveling that I love.

Take, for instance, the people.

You never know whom you are going to encounter when traveling. Depending on your mode of transportation or your geographical location; traveling could lead you to a chatty pilot, a hillbilly gas station attendant, an impatient businessman, a gentle elderly lady, a crazy sports fan, an expectant mother, etc. The possibilities are endless. Whether or not you feel like finding out each of these characters’ life story is beside the point. There's always something to be learned.

Yesterday there was the “Jolly Green Giant”--a very tall national man who, oddly enough, actually showed respect to women (me included). Then there was the lady in the wheelchair who couldn’t communicate with words, but I'm pretty sure we had a complete conversation with our eyes. And then there were the US military or security-like men who were flying back to the capital.

Perhaps it was the last of these that most piqued my curiosity.

At this point in my post I’m going to ramble (as if I haven’t already) and make some broad generalizations and assumptions that may or may not be accurate and may or may not make some of you reading this mad. The following were just my random thoughts, but I’m going to share them anyway…

Yesterday they served us a ‘hamburger’ and soda on our flight. I must say that I was quite excited to see the change because for the last 10 months or so, they’ve served nothing but a packet of cookies and this strangely interesting pulp-filled juice. (I know this is way more than we get on a domestic hour-long flight in the States, so I’m not complaining.) But I digress. I wasn’t even that hungry, but I wanted to try it out.

At one point I looked across the aisle to see the 2 American guys looking over at me. Granted, I have no idea why they were looking at me. I can think of plenty of reasons. 1. Because they were probably wondering what in the world I was doing there. 2. Because they might have been thinking I was nuts for eating that food. Either way, I don’t really know. I did, however, notice that they had nothing before them. No ‘hamburger’ or even Pepsi. And for a brief second a bit of pride rushed over me as I thought about how I’ll eat almost anything. Then I thought about how they might have been told not to. “Don’t eat the food. You’re bound to get sick.” I imagined someone warning.

Then a bit of sadness came over me. I know that some of these men and women who come over here in the military are never even allowed to leave the base. I thought about their lives and how they can say that they have lived here, but did they?

And then the larger question was posed: Do I?

Living involves a lot of risks. Some will get you sick. (Even in all my pride, I am once again on medication for my recurring stomach issues.) Some might make you look stupid. And some might even take your life. (Yes, I know that if this is my definition for ‘living’ then these people can say that they have.)

But I guess, really, I share all of this because I was reminded of something yesterday on that plane. A reminder to live. To truly live. To risk. To eat the food. To make a fool of myself. To love. To give. To make the most of every day.

Maybe this is why I love to travel? Simple truths fleshed out amidst the chaos...the crowds...the movement. New perspectives in new locations.

That and the fact that I had real bacon for breakfast and spent the afternoon at the swimming pool.

Keeping Up With My "To Do's"

In case you weren't aware of this thing called a "calendar," I'd like to inform you that we are over half way through with the year 2007! In fact, some might even say we're on the downhill slide towards 2008. Can you believe it?!

Well, in light of this fact, I've been reviewing my "2007-To Do List". Let's just say that some things are coming along better than others. I don't really have the time or energy to give you a play-by-play, but here are a couple of things I've noted...

1. I haven’t been taking that many photographs lately.
(A.) Because nothing says “foreigner” like a blue eyed girl sticking her head outside the car trying to focus her camera.
And...
(B.) Because I always forget my camera.

But here’s a shot I took on my way out to the village the other day. It’s melon season right now. This load that you see in the picture doesn’t even begin to show you the crazy amounts of this fruit that are currently available. But it’s good. Very good.

If you like melons and/or pomegranates, now is the time be here!


2. While I may be failing in the photo department, I'm happy to tell you that I have been learning how to cook national food. Truth be told, I really wasn't doing a good job with this task either. That was, until we started a cooking class for the ladies in SZ village. My staff is now teaching the ladies/teenage girls a variety of dishes they can cook using the food found in their area. Being the foreigner that I am, I bring nothing to the table but pure entertainment value. At least I'm making them laugh.

On Saturday I finally learned how to make "bulAnI", one of my favorite national dishes. We not only made the fried version, but we also got to test our hands at the tandoori oven. It was great!

It's amazing what cooking and eating together will offer in the way of conversation. After a discussion regarding my modest dress and the fact that I'm actually "getting" this national cooking thing, the ladies unanimously decided that I am now suitable to marry a man from their village. Phew! And to think that I was sooo worried! When I told them I probably wouldn't "take" a husband from there, they told me a "city man" would be acceptable too. One lady even came up to me afterwards and asked if my family (meaning father or brother) was living here too. I think she may have wanted to talk to them about a possible suitor.

Maybe I should have put "Find a husband" on my 2007 List?
I must have been keeping my expectations low.

The Stars Are Aligning...

This week I'm heading to Ktown. We have a first-time guest coming in and my boss asked me to go meet her at the airport and bring her back to the Ancient City. He didn't have to twist my arm too much, as I LOVE having the opportunity to get out for a couple days plus hang out with some of my favorite people.

THEN, yesterday I get an email from the blue-eyed hottie himself, "Cowboy." He wrote to say that he will be in Ktown for one night, maybe two, and just in case 'the stars were to align' I might be there as well.

Well....the stars must be in alignment because it just so happens that I will!!

Whoot Whoot! It's been over 2 years since we said our goodbyes in Ktown. We've got a lot to make up for! :)

That, coupled with the fact that my beloved Cards are within a half a game of Cowboy's stupid CUBS, makes this one of the best days EVER!
(See Cowboy, I didn't say the Cards were going to win the World Series, even though we all know this to be true!)

(Just a note to people wondering: NO the Cowboy and I are not dating...have any plans to date...or have ever thought about dating in the past. We just like to joke about it and make people ask questions. Like I've said before, I could never be with a Cubs fan. I'm not even sure how I'm friends with one, except by His grace.)

Cowboy, can't wait to hang out this week!!

Tonight my friends M and A came over for our usual 'End of the Weekend Hang Out.' Even though this isn't my point, I'd like to make note that I just love these two. Laughter, coffee, music, and dreaming can be found in abundance when the three of us are together and for that, I'm incredibly grateful. (Thanks Friends!)

But enough of that mushy stuff...

Tonight M and A came over and...I decided to bake a cake. The 'cake' part was no big deal (except for the fact that I should have used egg 'whites' as opposed to the whole eggs...oops!), but the 'frosting' part was a different story.

The recipe I found called for NINE cups of powdered sugar. WHAT??? Clearly these people had no idea what they were talking about when they wrote this 'Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook.'

I quickly decided to make up my own measurements and went about adding and subtracting as I saw fit. In the middle of this craziness, M said I was a lot like "Rachel Rae" who never really measures anything. I think, by the end, he had changed his mind.

I really don't have any idea how much powdered sugar or cocoa or butter I ended up adding, but I will say that the final product was far from prize-winning. It tasted a bit better than it looked, as the butter congealed and the 'chunky' frosting took shape. I wish I could show you a picture, but I 'accidently' threw it in the trash. Oops.

I'm thinking that next time I should probably just stick with the actual recipe. Once again I'm reminded of the reason why my duties for Thanksgiving dinner include setting the table and fixing drinks.

My mom, sister, and all those cooking shows make this look so easy.
I, for one, don't get it.

Best Part of My Day...

Seeing that the nomadic people were back in the valley!

Reasons for this include the following:
1. This must mean the seasons are changing. :) Whoot Whoot! Summer, I want to quit you.

And...

2. They bring with them about 50 camels. So from now until whenever they decide to move on, I will be seeing this herd every time I go out to SZ village. Whoo Hoo! Who else gets to see camels on their drive to work every day? ... See, this is just one of the many perks of living where I do. :)

Camels make me happy.

Today my staff played along with me as I shared with them my dream of buying a couple and traveling the country. I'm pretty sure they were up for the journey!

Anyone else like to join us?

"Note" worthy

Just a little FYI: This week I'm going to be working my way through the comments left on my post before last. If you have other thoughts or ideas, it's not too late to submit them. :)

Today I'm going with something easy--musical recommendations--courtesy of my 'friend on the move.'

So Katie, here's what I've been listening to this week:

Blue Merle--I recommend the entire "Burning in the Sun" album, but if you were to choose just a few songs to download, I'd say "Places," "Part of Your History," and "Bittersweet Memory" are three of my favorites. In my opinion you can't go wrong when you throw a mandolin in the mix.

Ingrid Michaelson--Her song "Keep Breathing" was played on the season finale of Grey's. I looked her up in May, but she wasn't available on iTunes. Well folks, now she is. Go buy her "Girls and Boys" Album.

Matt Nathanson--I mentioned him a couple of posts ago, but I'm still enjoying his sound. This week "Heartbreak World" (suggested to me by Jane) is playing repeatedly.

Teitur--This guy is from the Faroe Islands. That, in and of itself, is cool enough for me. Most of his stuff is in English and lyrically brilliant. I'm loving it all, but one song in particular is "I Was Just Thinking"

And last, but not least....

Chantal Kreviazuk--It's old school, but her version of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" has been a lovely release lately.

What are you all listening to these days? Any suggestions for me?

OH YEAH, off the subject, but "note worthy" nonetheless...Donald Miller has a girlfriend!! And it's not me!! What's up with that??

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Cheer for My Cardinals...

On a recent post, The Bearded challenged me to write a "Top 10 List" of reasons why you all should cheer for my beloved World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Of course, the first thing that came into my mind was, "Why wouldn't you?"
Really. I can't think of a reason.

But seeing as how I know some of you out there reading this have yet to "see the light," I guess I can be a pragmatist for the time being. However, it should be noted, that because I am just that confident in my Cards, I think a list of 5 (as opposed to 10) should suffice.

So here they are (in no particular order)....

5. Albert Pujols, Rick Ankiel, Chris Carpenter, David Eckstein, Yadier Molina, Jim Edmonds, and the list of amazing players (both past and present) could go on. ...In fact, this could be a Top 10 List in and of itself.

4. Everybody's doing it. --Cardinal's fans are by far the best and most knowledgeable fans in the game (according to experts). If you don't believe me, go to a game NOT wearing some Cardinal red and see if you aren't the picture of "which one of these things is not like the other."

3. I don't know, but does the 2006 World Series ring a bell??? (Oh yeah, remember that time when I was there??! Me too.) :-)

2. And speaking of the WORLD SERIES, the Cardinals have won 10 of them!! The most of any National League team, and second only to the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball, who have 26.

1. And if you think people are only in this for the money, you should probably check again. On MY team, even the players are willing to take a salary cut in order to stay with the franchise. (Most notably Rolen, Edmonds, and Pujols on the current roster.)
*That's how great it is to be a Cardinal!

So now that you are all believers, I'll be moving on to something else. I believe there was something left on my last post regarding my thoughts on K-Fed vs. Britney. Stay tuned...

I know I supposedly live this exciting life and all, but recently I feel lacking in the area of inspiration.

So this is where you come in... Any suggestions on writing? What would you like to know? Read? Please share. I'm bored.

I never thought this would happen, but I think I'm turning into my father...

It's 9:30am and I'm already hungry for lunch. 9:30AM?!

Who cares that I'm up at 5am and eating breakfast shortly thereafter? Lunch should be eaten sometime around noon. Period.

Today I'm sending myself a memo about the proper times for waking up and eating meals. We'll see if my "self" listens.

Funny Moment In My Life On This Side Of The World #758 (give or take a few)

It was a very windy day here in the Ancient City. Nothing out of the ordinary as we are known for our 120 days of this. But "windy" doesn't even begin to capture the hurricane-like gust forces that were whipping through the village. (Move over Chicago, the battle for your nickname is on!)

Anyway, there were many times throughout the morning when I would go outside our room and my head covering would fly off. No big deal. I quickly recovered and only a small portion of my dignity was lost.

But then came my shining moment.

I was walking to our outhouse carrying a heavy pail of water in both hands when, all of the sudden, a gust of wind passed through my legs and lifted my ankle-length skirt. Over My HEAD. Oh yes. You read that correctly. Without warning, mind you. And before I knew it, I was having a very "Marilyn Monroe Standing Over the Subway Grate"-like moment. (Of course, reality would prove that it was anything BUT.)

You see, for one, the possibility of me actually being able to free up my hands quickly enough to stop my skirt was non-existent. (Remember: two heavy pails of water.) There was no grace in this. No Kodak moment to be captured. Just me in all my glory.

And before your mind goes to far with this image...my one saving grace was the fact that we wear pants under our skirts. (Praise God!) Never before have I been so thankful for 15 layers of clothes in 100+ heat.

Now, luckily for me, I don't think anyone saw this in action. I quickly scurried off to the part of the wall where no one could see me, dropped the pails of water, and pulled down my skirt. I tightened my head covering while I was at it too and then moved along to my destination, as if nothing had every happened.

And to think that I try so hard to be culturally appropriate.

Monday, Monday...

It's a little before 1pm as I sit here in my office typing. Today is technically a "village day." And I did make it out to the village. However, an hour into our visit, one of my female staff members became very ill and I had to accompany her back to the city with one of our male drivers. We had to make a few stops along the way (I'm sure you can guess why) and every time afterwards, S would apologize for the delay. I really didn't mind. They've all had a chance at 'mothering' me, so today it was my turn.

As we drove back into the city, I was reminded of a vacation our family took the summer before my 5th grade year.

The night before we were to leave, my little sister began feeling ill. I began to worry a bit and I kept telling her that she was fine and that she shouldn't say anything or else we might not be able to go on vacation. I think she listened as long as she could, as the healthy fear of her older sister and the possibility of missing out on fun loomed over head. But the truth would show itself around 7pm and my sister would spend the rest of the night running to and from the bathroom.

My parents, of course, immediately began talking about waiting a day to leave. My dad, as perhaps all dads do, has this theory that driving for vacations should always begin promptly at 4am (or some other un-godly hour before the sun is in the sky). They were pretty sure it was going to be a long night of taking care of my sister and since it would be unheard of to leave any later, they thought it wise to wait a day.

Enter Super Sister.

Me, being the caring one, volunteered my services to stay up with L for the rest of the night so my parents could sleep and we could leave on schedule. (I promise there were no selfish motives in this at all. ;-) My parents reluctantly agreed and for the next however many hours, I laid on the floor of my sister's room, half asleep and half alert in order to attend to all her needs.

I think it was around 3:30am or so when my parents woke up, checked on my sister, and began finishing preparations for our journey to Tennessee. I, on the other hand, wasn't sure if it was because I hadn't slept or was hungry or (gasp) was getting sick....but my stomach had also began to churn.

About 5 minutes before we were supposed to leave, I ran to the bathroom and my worst fears were confirmed. I, too, now had the stomach flu.

My parents asked if I still wanted to go and I assured them I would be fine. Had I had known what I would feel like by the time we reached our destination...or how miserable it would be to share a bucket with my sister in that back seat...or how a simple drive to TN seemed as though we were driving half-way around the world...my answer probably would have been different.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

Now we look back at the family vacation with fond memories. Once we got through with the flu (oh yeah, and my parents finished battling their round of the flu in the hotel) then we all really did have a great time.

So what's my point?

I don't know that I have one. I just know that right now my stomach is feeling a little like it did at the end of the night with my sister and I'm just hoping it's all in my imagination. Especially since I have to go back out to the village in about an hour to pick up the rest of my staff.

We'll see...

Reality vs. Fantasy

I had some thoughts to share earlier today, but as I sit here now, I can't for the life of me remember what they were. We just finished a sobering 2-hour security meeting and my brain is fried. Now my mind is wondering off to how long we will even be here...how do I not get myself kidnapped...how long can I live in a place where I can't even walk outside...etc. You know, the usual.

Sigh.

But that's enough about reality, let's talk about my escape. :)

MUSIC-
I've got some new people I've been listening to--mainly in the acoustic, modern folk genre. If you like this style of music here are some people (with songs) you should check out....
*Matt Nathanson--His new album "Some Mad Hope" just came out on iTunes. Buy it.
*Brett Dennen--Darlin' Do Not Fear
*Stephen Fretwell--Run
*Doubting Paris--30 Billion Stars
*Virginia Coalition--This Is Him (Hurricane Song)

BOOKS-
I'm also in the middle of reading "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott. I know some of you reading this aren't particularly fond of her writings, but I for one am a fan. I'm sure this book isn't the same as sitting in one of her writing workshops, but one might think otherwise if you'd look at the amount of notes I've jotted down.

Anne,
If you are reading this, I think we should be friends. :)

VIDEO-
Where ever would I be without the Gilmore Girls??

After discovering that they will be no more, I kind of felt like I should be in mourning. Like I had just lost a couple of very dear friends. These seasons have been so good to me. And like that old song says, "It's so hard...to say goodbye."

Lorelai and Rory--Call me! :) We can still hang out.

So what are your escapes these days??

Joy Can Be Found Here..

For lack of something more interesting to write about, I thought I'd post a few pics from this past week....

Dusk & Summer:
A sunset view from my rooftop
Our Little Corner of the Roof:
The place for coffee, conversations, & stars (lots & lots of them.)

Sojourners:
My friends, fellow dreamers, and future traveling companions come November

Clouds and Change...

Yesterday I woke up to cloudy skies. I don't think that's happened since May. When I asked my guard on the way out to work if it was going to rain, he said, "Don't even think it." Ha.

He was correct.

I know people are complaining of it being a dry summer in the States, but we haven't had a drop of precipitation here since as far back as March--maybe even February. It's obvious that we could use the rain but, as for me, I was just grateful for a day without sunshine.

That was until we started out towards the village.

It was then that I realized these clouds weren't going to bring anything but wind and dust. Lots and lots of dust. At times, the dust was so thick we couldn't even see the road or what was 3 feet in front of us. It was nuts!

Needless to say, we spent the rest of the day in our mud room--sweating (because we couldn't have the windows open) and still being covered in filth. It was lovely.

So I guess now would be a good time to tell you of my high for the day (how this 4 year old village boy wants to marry me) or my low (how I watched an elderly lady beating her grown (35 year old?), mentally ill daughter). But I really don't want to get into that at this juncture.

Instead, I wish to share with you how yesterday's dust storm actually brought cooler temperatures to this city. And right now, in spite of the dust that is still blowing in the air, it feels as if FALL has arrived. (Don't worry, it's still like 85 degrees outside AND I know this won't last!)
But...
FALL= Me happy!

So I'd just like to give a little shout out to Dad...
Thanks for giving me a glimpse of the good things to come. Even if I have to make it through the dust storms first. It's going to be so worth it!

If Moments Could Be Held...

It's 9am on Friday morning here in the Ancient City. It seems as though there's a quiet hush over the world (or at least this little corner of it) as today here is like a Sunday in the West and most people aren't quite out and about at this point in the day.

Just between you and me, I'm kind of wishing all days were like this.

Right now I'm sitting at the office--checking email, looking at blogs, and wasting time (if I'm really being honest). I came in early this morning as I was hoping to have a "chat date" with my friend Little J in the States.

That didn't happen (sigh) and I was/am a little bummed.

Then, a few minutes ago, the office guard came in. He knocked on my door and when I told him to come in, he was carrying a cup of tea and a bottle of Vitamin C tablets. He gave them to me, asked me how I was, and politely excused himself.

At first I was confused by the Vitamin C, as I wondered if he thought I was sick or something. But then I tasted one and it was just like a cube of sugar! My guess is that they are there to sweeten my palate as I drink the tea. I tell you, some times I am just so humbled and blessed by these people.

So all of this got me thinking...
In the midst of challenges and frustrations, God is continuously showing me glimpses of His goodness. This week those glimpses came in several forms:

*Laying out on my rooftop at night with good friends, good music, and shooting stars.
*An iTunes gift card from my mom.
*Dreams. Of travel...of the future...for this place.
*Sweet emails from friends and family around the world.
*Erwin McManus podcasts.
*The laughter of the village girls in my English class.
*A morning to make biscuits, drink coffee at my own slow pace, and enjoy His presence.
*An afternoon of creating.

And the list could go on.

So...so what if this has been a tough week? I can still taste and see that HE is good. And in the end, good always win out over evil.

To The Left, To The Left...

It's true. Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" has been playing on repeat this week. And, yes, I'm personally responsible. :) Don't judge. It's been a long 7 days.