Not Blogging Blog

If you've been following my blog for any length of time and with any regularity you may have noticed a change. Namely that I have not posted anything in five weeks. Given that I usually post 2-3 times week, this is a long time with no Spangles. I have been meaning to write THIS entry for about 3 weeks, as I realized shortly after starting grad school that this would be a different kind of season of life. One where I would have to streamline and focus on a few things (namely school, church, and friends) and set aside many other activities (namely reading and writing blogs, letter writing, reading for pleasure, and little odds and ends of the like). The fact that it has taken me 3 weeks to even write this little sucker is indicative of the craze of life right now. Not bad craze, just full and focused.

Now that midterms AND my brother's wedding are behind me, I have a brief moment to write before settling into paper-writing mode for the next 6 weeks, in which I get to (notice, not "have to") write three 10-15 page research papers. Though much is going on, and there is much I would enjoy writing about (say, my brother getting married, living in Harlem, and being a grad student. Just for instance), I am learning that I don't get to do everything I would like to do in every season of life, and sometimes we have have to cut out good things to make room for the great things in a given season. So, while I may post here and there, I am setting the expectation for myself and my few die-hard readers that I will in general be taking a sabbatical from (blog) writing. I can't imagine I'll be done with blogging, but for the time being it will most definitely be a back-burner item.

If you'd like some good reads to fill the huge gap in your life that will certainly ensue, check out Yellow Dress for Love, dooce, CCC in CLT, A Song in the Dessert, or The Boomerang Kid.

Until we meet again,
Spangles

Book Review: No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe

Having read and really enjoyed Things Fall Apart, when I saw that my cousin had this book, I thought I would give it a read. I am very glad I did so! What a fascinating and challenging book! This is a novel about Obi Okonkwo, a Nigerian who goes to England for college and then returns to work in Nigeria. He is enabled to do so with funding from an organization in his tribe. When he returns, he is given a position in the civil service in Lagos. Though he has a good job, a brand new car, and is paid extremely well, he finds himself very uncomfortable with much of what goes on around him and has difficulty understanding and dealing with what is expected of him from his employer, the tribal organization, his family, and his friends. Obi has changed, gained new views, and he is not always sure how to live those out back in his homeland. This novel tells of the personal, moral, and ethical dilemmas he faces- both the obvious and subtle challenges. I don’t know if I recognized the subtle yet profound nature of many of his struggles because I know a bit about Nigerian culture, but I even felt myself wrestling with what would be RIGHT or WRONG for him to do.  And not just what is theoretically right but living that out when (and even if) everyone around you is living in a way that you understand to be wrong. It’s not always so clear. And certainly not easy.

This is an easy read, though a deep book, and I recommend it, particularly if you enjoyed Things Fall Apart or have an interest in Nigerian culture.

Book Review: Half the Sky by Kristof and WuDunn

This is a super intense book. As you might expect from a book about abuses against and desperately sad situations faced by women around the world. A friend of mine who works for International Justice Mission in the Philippines told me I HAD to read it, considering what I would like to do with my life, so I gave it a go. Wow. I don’t even quite know where to begin.

The first third of the book is particularly heavy because it looks at the modern-day slavery of sex trafficking from a variety of angles. Though I knew a bit about sex trafficking, I didn’t know a lot of what I read in this book. And I didn’t understand quite how much nuance there is even within the world of sex trafficking. As in, it’s not so black and white as one would imagine.

Other topics covered in the book include honor killings, maternal mortality, female genital mutilation, education for women, microfinance, and a discussion about whether a grassroots or “treetops” approach is better to tackle these problems. I appreciate that Kristof and WuDunn give both overarching issues and statistics but also zoom in to the individual. Each chapter starts with a broader idea or picture and ends with a “case study” of sorts of one person or one organization doing something related to the idea. They share “successes” and “failures” regarding each topic, so I didn’t feel like the book was overly optimistic or pessimistic.

I learned a lot from this book. And it spurred LOADS of thoughts, questions, ideas, and visions about my big dream of starting a maternity and children’s hospital in Africa. One of the case studies in one of the chapters about maternal mortality is called Edna’s Hospital. It is about a Somali woman who started a maternity hospital in Somaliland. It talks about why she wanted to start the hospital, the challenges she faced, and how she went about doing it. So. Fascinating. So. Inspiring.

I feel that I will look back to this book and that chapter often as I walk down (hopefully) a similar road! There is much to be done, and certainly many economic, cultural, and political obstacles in the way, but bit by bit we can work to improve health, life, and education for women around the world. If only we will try. 

Living in Harlem is the Best

I know, I know, you hear "Harlem" and all kinds of words and ideas come to mind, and "really great place to live" probably isn't among them.

But.

Let me just share a little bit about why I love my apartment and my neighborhood, and perhaps it will change your ideas just a smidge.

First of all, my apartment. It's huge. For New York. AND even for any normal sane place where people have space. Not only is it huge, it's not expensive. For New York. Not for normal sane places. You could rent a house in most places for what I alone pay for my "cheap" rent in NYC. Add that to what all THREE of us pay to live in this apartment, and you can rent a mansion in North Carolina. Right. We will ignore that, because this is New York City. And for here, it's cheap.

Not only is it big and cheap, I have a normal-sized stove (not like the mini ones in many apartments), a normal fridge (again, not like the little hotel-room-size ones in many apartments), great water pressure in the shower (ahhhhhhh),  massive windows all along our living room that is about 30 feet long, and more counter space than I can shake a stick at. And I'm on the first floor. It pays to live in Harlem. Especially if you have a heart for hospitality and welcoming people into your home and enabling them to spread out rather than squish like sardines. I am truly thankful for this provision, not so that I can have a large apartment all to myself, but so I can share my space. Which happens to be in a lovely neighborhood.

On that note, here's a little bit about my neighborhood of Harlem, which is called Sugar Hill:
~Across the street from my house is a park. In which there is an Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool. There are 5 Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pools in all of Manhattan, and 4 of them are in Harlem. The other is in Washington Heights. Also in this park is a cool little bandshell where there are fun concerts. That I definitely hear in my apartment, whether or not I want to. :) There are also benches. Lots and lots of benches. Where I can sit and read all day long if I so desire.
~It's diverse. Young and old. Families and singles. Black, white, brown, and every shade in between.
~It's friendly. I've never lived in a more friendly place. Nowhere. Not my childhood town of 300 people. Not Philly. Not Brooklyn. Not Romania. People here smile and say hi, they stop and chat, they're really delightful (Incidentally, the group of people that isn't as friendly? The whiteys.).
~I'm a 2-minute walk to the subway, where I can get the A, B, C and D trains. I can be in Times Square (not that I would ever WANT to be in Times Square) in 15 minutes on the express train. It's fab.
~The food is so much fun. Jamaican food. Dominican restaurants. Puerto Rican taco stands. African markets. Caribbean markets. BBQ. Yum.
~Did I mention it's way cheaper to eat and shop up here?
~There is a Pathmark a 3 minute walk away. Now. Grocery stores in NYC are notoriously small. And notoriously overpriced. A "grocery store" may be little more than a few tiny aisles. A sad joke, really. Yes, there are a few stores around the city that are reasonably large and reasonably inexpensive. But, to live near one of those is another thing altogether. I now live near a normal suburban-sized grocery story. Oh man, it's delightful.
~There is an awesome riverside park a half mile away, with a large picnic area, ice skating rink, indoor pool ($2 to enter!), gym, and track. The track is free. All the time. Every day. I don't know if there are other outdoor tracks in the city (though I'm sure there must be one somewhere), but dang, this is a blessing.

Personally it's a great location for me, as it's 15 minutes door-to-door to school and it's about 20-25 door-to-door to church. My bank has a branch at the corner of my street. My cousin lives a 6 minute walk away. And the neighborhood is just generally a good fit for my personality.

Now, of course I know there are parts of Harlem that aren't-so-great. But. As I explore Harlem more and more, I am finding that most of it IS this great. So. The next time you think of Harlem, hopefully some of what I have said will come to mind. And perhaps if you're looking to move, you'll even come join the neighborhood.

Post coming soon with pics of my new apartment!

Travel Log: Visit to Washington D.C.

I've been to D.C. loads of times. And I really enjoy it each time, probably because several dear friends live there and I get to hang out with them. I like visiting D.C., but I never ever feel like I would want to live there. I was particularly excited to visit this time simply to see people I hadn't seen in a long time. And what a wonderful combination of people from various chapters of my life I was able to see! 

As I didn't have a car, and the cost of a car rental PLUS gas would cost more than this grad student can fork over, I decided to take the bus from central PA to D.C. Which I was of course a bit skeptical about, because I am always skeptical about buses in America. But thankfully I'm starting to get over it, as I've had several very normal and in fact reasonably enjoyable bus trips. Yes it took 5.5 hours to get there instead of the 4 it would take to drive, but hey, I could sleep and listen to music, so it was just dandy. 

My first day I had the distinct privilege of hanging out with a Nigerian friend from our church in Romania who came to the U.S. for part of her summer break to visit a cousin who lives in Maryland near D.C. I was SO excited to see her, as it had been nearly a month since I had left Romania and I was craving ANYTHING related to my life there. As it was her first time in the U.S., we did the touristy awesomeness starting at the Natural History Museum and making our way down to the Lincoln Memorial, taking lots of pictures along the way at the various monuments. 

We had a lot of fun in the Africa section of the Natural History Museum:  

And of course enjoyed the beautiful monuments:

We ate dinner at T.G.I.Fridays, which was so fun, because it was all so new and novel to her. She was really confused why we had to leave 20% EXTRA for the waitress, so we explained the way tipping works in America. Really interesting to "see" my country through totally fresh eyes. It was GREAT to spend an entire day with her and to get to know her cousin and cousin's friend. And- let's be honest- to speak a little pidgin English and look super white in all the pictures because of how dark they are.

Then I was able to see a dear friend from college who lives and works in D.C. I hadn't seen him since before I left for Romania, so it was truly a delight! His mom was in town for the weekend, which was an extra special bonus. Because she was in town, we did a bit of the touristy thing as well, but we mostly just chillaxed and caught up.

My next stop was visiting one of my aunts who also lives in Maryland near D.C. I really enjoy spending time with her and her daughter, and as it was rainy and cloudy for my day there, we had a really relaxing time chillaxing at her house and going to a movie. I didn't actually take any pictures with her or my cousin, but I did take plenty of pictures of their adorable new dog Lilly. As she is quite literally constantly moving, I didn't get a single shot that wasn't blurry, but here is one where you can at least see her whole body...

One super exciting surprise was the Africa Fest that was taking place in the town where my aunt lives, and it happened to be right next to the movie theatre. My first thought was, "I need to look for suya!" This is a food- essentially meat kebabs, often served by street vendors- that my Nigerian friends talk about all. the. time. But one which I haven't really tried because the beef isn't great for it in Romania, and no one has a grill. Here is a link with a reasonable recipe (though americanized and fancy) and pictures to give you an idea (though I made with beef, not chicken). I was not disappointed and REALLY enjoyed my first true suya experience. I also met quite a few Africans just simply by being a white person eating suya. Apparently white people don't eat it? Or not with so much hot pepper on it? I don't really know, but it was delicious!

 My last stop was visiting the family farm of my teammate Erin, as she and the kiddos were still in the U.S. for their furlough. I have met Erin's entire family and heard SO much about the farm, so it was a treat to spend some time there. And so delightful to spend time with Erin and the darling kiddos. Oh how I have missed them! Sweet Levi is getting so big!

To top it all off, our Nigerian friend was able to come visit us at the farm for one of the days! So it was a mini Iasi-reunion in Maryland! We even managed to have a little wilderness adventure at Great Falls Park.

It's so peaceful at the farm, and this was a wonderful way to end a wonderful trip. It was so hard to say goodbye to them, knowing I may not see them for quite a long time. But I am very thankful for this time, and the memories will certainly live on in my heart.

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I hadn’t heard of this book (or the movie) and the craze about it before moving back to America. Or even really once I had moved back. Except that my cousin and aunt read it and loved it, so they told me about it and let me borrow the copy my grandma had loaned them. And then my grandma just said I could keep it because she found an extra. Sweet. So. I had the distinct pleasure of reading this well-written and engaging book.

In case you haven’t heard about this book, the general idea is that it’s a novel about white middle and upper-class women in Jackson, Mississippi and their black maids/nannies/’help’. In the 1960s. It is written from three viewpoints, alternating between the voices of two of the black women and one of the white women. It’s a great and interesting story, one that keeps your attention and keeps you wanting to know what comes next. The characters are written so well, you almost feel like you “know” them. Though there is one overarching story (which I won’t give away), there are so many characters and situations that you just get a huge spectrum of ideas and character types. Stockett’s writing is fantastic, and even though the book is 522 pages it clips right along.

I’m not sure about how accurately it represents situations between black and white women during that period (and I know there has been a fair amount of criticism as well as acclaim surrounding the book and movie. Alas, anything dealing with race relations in our country is SO messy), but at the very least it’s a great story and read. It’s funny, sad, scary, sincere, ridiculous, angering, and hope-inducing. I have yet to meet someone who hasn’t enjoyed reading it, and I too give it a strong and recommendation. Let me know what you think about it! 

Book Review: Re-Entry by Peter Jordan

Rather than write a review of this book, which is written for missionaries returning to their home country after short or long-term trips, I will just share some of the quotes/lessons that impacted me the most and I have found the most helpful in readjusting. Or rereading and repeating to myself as I struggle with something and I just force myself to say, "This is NORMAL. You are NOT crazy. It will be ok. Just be patient." When I first got back I felt ok (though physically I was really confused and my body was reacting in all kinds of crazy ways), but then over time I have had a few days where I have felt completely overwhelmed, frustrated, out of place in my own country, and like I'm reacting in strange ways. So, again, I keep going back to these notes and reminding myself that eventually it will all be ok.


The whole book is reasonably good (though some of the references are outdated and/or a bit cheesy), but these were some of the highlights for me:

~   Prepare for reverse culture shock- Some of the difficulties experienced by returning missionaries during re-entry is a result of their success on the mission field. Unfortunately that success must be reversed when they return home. And what is their success? Cross-cultural adaptation. They have adapted so well to the culture in which they have been serving that they must undergo a reverse cultural adaptation back to their home culture (p77). Never presume that no changes have occurred, even if you have only been away on a one-month outreach. Nothing stays the same, neither you nor the people you left at home. Humans exist in a state of constant change in which they are seeing and learning new things and adjusting to them (p42).

~  Social changes- One change you will probably notice is a much greater understanding and acceptance of people from other races and ethnic groups. You have become less “ethnocentric.” This means that the dogmas and practices of your culture are not as central or absolute to you as they used to be; now you can easily embrace other culture perspectives and ways of doing things (p45). This may cause conflict with others, so watch out for it. Or you could be ridiculed for your openness and acceptance, but it's important to respond with grace and kindness.

~   Emotional changes- Your emotional attachments will have changed, and so will those of the people with whom you were once close. You may be close to them still, but maybe not. This is perfectly normal, but many people aren’t prepared for these changes when returning home. As a result, misunderstandings and hurts can occur. People may think you are snubbing or ignoring them. It may take some time for them to realize that both of you have changed and to adjust into a new routine and relationship, so be patient (p46).

 ~  Many returning missionaries fail to make a clear distinction between the function of the mission organization and the function of the local church.  The mission org takes a small number of committed Christians and trains them to focus on a specific goal of sharing the Gospel. In contrast, the local church is a broad, diverse, multifaceted entity, with many tasks it is called to undertake. There are weak and mature Christians in churches, and the church must respond to all kinds of needs, etc. So don’t get upset that the church isn’t focusing “enough” on missions or evangelism or something YOU think it needs to be (though the church certainly should be missional).

 ~   Don’t be critical- Come home humble, not haughty. Resist the urge to compare and criticize, especially when you feel people don’t understand you or what you have been through. Mature people are patient with immature people. If your experience on the mission field has matured you, it should work itself out in your life through more patience and less criticism. If that is not the case, as yourself if you are as mature as you think you are (p87).

~   On understanding apathy- People's perceived apathy can be a result of information overload, or compassion burnout. If you don’t get asked a lot of questions about what it was like serving on the mission field, it can also be because many people already think they know; they’ve seen it on TV. It can also be from difficulty relating to missionaries- few Christians, must less non-Christians, really understand what motivates missionaries or how to relate to them. So don't be offended, just work to share how and when appropriate.     

~   A Return on God’s Investment- For the rest of your life, you will carry with you the sights, sounds, and impressions you experienced on the mission field. While there, you will also have developed an awareness of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of other missionaries, and of the people you were seeking to reach with the Gospel. When you arrive home you become a link between two unknowns in a very real sense: the people group among whom you served and your church congregation (p126). Be an advocate, be informed, continue to take an interest in the people with whom you worked among on the mission field. Be an intercessor, be a giver, be supportive, be part of a missions board, be a recruiter, stay linked to your missions agency. Let the experiences of the mission field change the way you live now back at home in positive and God-honoring ways.

My 5 Year Anniversary

My 5 year anniversary of WHAT you may be asking? Of my blog. Five years ago today I wrote my first blog entry about moving to New York City. A very brief one, but my launch into the blogosphere nonetheless.
Today I write my 5-year anniversary blog, as I've just moved BACK to New York City. It is my 695th post. I was hoping to get to 700, but with all that has been going on throughout my transition, that hasn't been possible. Alas.

It's interesting to reread some of the posts from those first months, and even the first year of living in NYC; I see how different the Spangles is that is moving to NYC now. Certainly then I was fresh out of college and just trying to figure out how to survive as an adult in the real world, and now I'm a "seasoned" (ha!) adult person (ish) who is continuing the journey of adulthood. But. More than that, the first time I came to the city I think in a big way I was seeking to GET from the city. Build my resume, meet interesting and talented people, go to lots of Broadway shows and concerts, eat all kinds of fancy food, etc etc etc. I don't think I would have said this explicitly, but I definitely was here to GET things/connections/experiences from my time in the city. And honestly, most people are here to do that, so, in a way, it works out just fine for everyone.

But now I'm here to GIVE. Yes I'm here to "get" an education, but outside of that I want nothing more than to have people into my home for dinners, lunches, afternoon teas, Bible studies, and to simply share life together. I want to have time to help and serve my friends when they need it. I want to live simply. I want to get to know people in my neighborhood. I want to go to the same shops and restaurants so much that people know me by name. I want to babysit for people and love on their kids. I want to eat in more than I eat out (and I have an AMAZING kitchen to be able to do so... pics coming later). I want to go to shows and museums, but just to enjoy them, not to keep up with the rat race. I want to serve in the community and not avoid regular commitments because I might be "missing out" on something "better."

And I'm glad for this change, thankful for this attitude, and prayerful that I can sustain it during my time here. So, 5 years after the start of my blog, here I am starting a new chapter, back in an old familiar place. Though this time I'm living in Harlem instead of Brooklyn, and I'm a student instead of a consultant. I'm excited to explore the city through these new "lenses."  

If you'd like to read, here are a few funny/interesting posts from August 2006... Take a Bite; Just Say No; User (un)friendly.

So here we go. Again. :)

Kitchen Creations of Lizinda- Mexican and Nigerian

"Lizinda" is the name I will be giving to the cooking team of Liz and Linda, my great and fabulous godmother. Who happens to be one of the most crafty and creative people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. And she is just all-around wonderful. I've been very privileged over the years to eat many of her delicious international creations; it's always an adventure to have dinner with her and her husband Jim!

Now that I've collected a few international recipes of my own, we've started what I hope will be a continuing tradition of teaching one another recipes from different cultures. Our first adventure back at Christmas was me teaching her a Malaysian curry and her teaching me how to make bread (it's not international, but I have a HUGE mental barrier for bread-making). This time around I taught her Nigerian red sauce and she taught me a Mexican mole. Quite a crazy combination of flavors to eat at the same meal, but really fun to make together.

I hadn't the slightest clue about how moles are made, but she taught me lots of good stuff. Turns out they're pretty much a whole bunch of ingredients toasted, blended together, and fried. Not so hard, but you have to have the ingredients, which for this one included tomatoes, corn tortillas, (homemade!), toasted day-old bread (who would've thought?), garlic, dried guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, toasted sesame and cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Here are a few of the ingredients:

We toasted most of it on the comal, which is a round cast iron plate that Mexicans use for a lot of their cooking. Jim made this one, because he does cool blacksmithing stuff like that!

Then we stuck it in a blender with some chicken broth and made it into a sauce!

Finally we fried it a bit, and then we had our mole! There are a few other steps involved- like taking the seeds out of the chiles, which I did, but then forgot about and rubbed my eyes. Oh. My. Word.- but this was the basic idea.

Since we were having chicken with the Nigerian red sauce, we ate the mole over chilacayote squash, though Linda said it's great over pork or chicken as well.

Then we were onto Nigerian red sauce, which is soooo tasty. It's essentially tomatoes, onions, and red peppers (I used bell) chopped up and fried with some Maggi (chicken bouillon powder) and Nigeria pepper (pronounced peh-peh).

I boiled some chicken, cooked some rice, and we had our red sauce!

What a delicious meal, and a fun culinary adventure!! Hopefully many more Lizinda Creations to come!

Book Review: Becoming a Woman of Beauty and Strength by Elizabeth George

This is a great little 25 lesson study/devotional through the Old Testament book of Esther. It’s very manageable to do one a day, and because I had quite a bit of time when I was reading this book, I often did two a day. It goes bit by bit through the 10 chapters of Esther, and George focuses primarily on lessons that can be drawn out of the text relating to the characteristics of a godly woman. A woman of true beauty and strength, in fact. Which is easy enough to do, as Esther was pretty much oozing with godly beauty and strength.

Even though the word "God" never appears in the book of Esther, it is an incredible story of God’s faithfulness, sovereignty, and the goodness of His plans and timing. It’s one of my favorite books in the Bible, and each time I read it I am in awe of how God works all things (even bad things) together for good for his people. There are also plenty of figures in the book with which to contrast Esther’s character, making her beauty shine all the more. I learned a lot more about this gem of an Old Testament book, and I took away many practical applications. It’s a simple yet to-the-point study that is great for a daily study. I took plenty of notes, but here are some of the top tidbits George highlighted from Esther’s character that in particular are areas in which I would like to grow:

1)    Seeking only to be recognized as a person who knows God, not for worldly accomplishments.

2)    Being patient and joyful in waiting, knowing that God has a plan and is in control.

3)    Faithfully submitting to and serving those placed in authority over me, whether or not I’m recognized for it.

4)    Choosing to give kind responses to those who try to aggravate me.

5)    Not letting emotions dictate my timing and delivery of what I say to people (in essence- be calm in all situations).

6)    Being more alert for “tiny miracles” and looking for God’s providence in my life and thanking Him for it.

Foreign Moment of the Day #2

Continuing in my little mini-series about snafus (have you ever seen that word written out?? I haven't) I'm making as I'm readjusting to life in the U.S. of A...

Me: Can we rent a movie from Blockbuster tonight?

Mom: It's not there anymore.

Me: What do you mean?

Mom: Blockbuster went out of business awhile ago...

Me: Ah yes, good to know. 

Introducing My Sister

I have one brother who is 17 months younger than me. And he's a great brother, but he's 100% guy, and 100% little brother. I also grew up with 2 guy neighbors my age, and 2 guy cousins my age. So, I'm kind of used to needing to be not-so-girly to be able to survive with them. And I really don't know what it's like to have a sister and do all the girly things that sisters do together. Alas.

Thus, I was pretty excited that my brother found a great gal to marry, not just for his sake, but for mine as well. Their dating/engagement was during my time in Romania, so I've not had much of a chance to get to know Kara in person. But I certainly liked what I knew of her from email and Skype and was excited to get to know her better. Now that I'm stateside and the wedding is fast approaching (October 22!!), I have been in touch with her more, and I was able to spend an entire weekend with her while she was here for a shower that my family threw.

Good times.

The shower was a lot of fun, with both of my grandmas, several each of aunts, cousins, and family friends in attendance. One of my aunts MADE UP HER OWN GAME. She's a first grade teacher, and does cutesy stuff like that all the time. It was Wedding Trivial Pursuit. Awesome. We also had the usual gift opening and food, plus I tried on my bridesmaid dress for everyone, and it was a fun little afternoon.

Kara and my brother stayed for the weekend, and she and I spent most of Sunday together out shopping and running various errands. We had a lovely time and chatted away the whole time. She also happens to have a great eye for clothing that looks great on ME, which was fun. Here are some pics from the weekend:

Kara and I, out to dinner with the fam 

 The happy couple!

With the kid brother 

Introducing Kara to Carvel ice cream!

 I am really excited to have a sister, and really excited that Kara is that sister.

Foreign Moment of the Day #1

Now that I'm back and settling into life in the U.S. of A once again, I'm having some funny "foreign" moments. As in, I've been away long enough that there are just things I don't know about, or my frame of reference has changed in such a way that I make silly mistakes, as if I were a foreigner. Rather than get upset or frustrated, I have decided to LAUGH at these little mishaps. We'll see how long that lasts.

I now present you with my foreign moment of the day...

While looking at a Google map of the neighborhood where I'll be living in NYC...
Me: This is so awesome! They have a Jesus (pronounced Gee-zuhs) Tacos right in my neighborhood!
Friend: Um Liz, I think it's probably Jesus (pronounced Hay-soos) Tacos.
Me: Ah yea, you're probably right.

Apparently this is what happens when you haven't seen anything written in Spanish in years.

Times They Are A-Changin'

As it turns out, when you don't live in your country for 2.5 years, things change quite a bit. Small and big. In my first few weeks home I have taken note of various additions, deletions, and changes to life and culture in the U.S. Some of these I've known about and seen as I've come home and visited over the years, but just for perspective about how much can change in 2.5 years, I'll put them all together.

Things that did not exist or were just barely around before I left:
~iPad
~Groupon
~BluRay
~President Barack Obama
~The Tea Party
~Verizon as an option on the iPhone
~NetFlix on demand (you could watch a few movies online, but not many)
~Lady Gaga (her first album had just come out)
~American Pickers
~Coconut and pretzel M&Ms
~Commercials included in "previews" before movies at the theatre
~Glee
~Redbox (it existed but wasn't nearly as popular or widespread as it is now)
~Bruno Mars

Things that did exist but no longer do:
~Blockbuster
~Circuit City
~Borders (going out of business at time of writing)
~24 and Lost

Things that have changed:
~The branding and look of Bath and Body works products
~The packaging of Powerade and Gatorade
~Gap going from plastic to wooden hangers and definitely changing their target market
~Jamba Juice going from pretty much having just smoothies to oatmeal and other offerings
~The size of ice cream containers has shrunk
~Gluten free products everywhere (seriously, how did our entire country get Celiac's Disease in the past 2.5 years??)
~Nearly everyone in NYC has an iPhone or Blackberry, and "smart phones" are ubiquitous in the country

These are just some that I've noticed in my first two week home, but surely there are others. Plenty of new food products and technologies, that's for sure. Anyone have some additions/deletions/changes in the US that you have thought of as you were reading? Please leave a comment!
It's strange to come home to my home culture and see so much change that I wasn't here for, and it therefore in a way feels "foreign" to me. I sometimes feel overwhelmed at the amount of new information I need to take in and assimilate, but surely over time I will adjust and then be back "in the loop" in my own country.

Until then I'll just be really entertained by coconut M&Ms and American Pickers.

Big 10 of the First 10

My first 10 days back in America were restful and relaxing, and I was able to see many dear friends whom I hadn't seen since before I left for Romania. I ate loads of yummy food, slept a lot, and generally just tried to adjust to the idea that I'm not just back here for 2 weeks on vacation but am going to LIVE in the U.S. again.

Here are my Top 10 moments from my First 10 days back... and yes, most of them are food.

Fish tacos with my second family in Seattle:

Date with Jordan and Anca that included treats from The French Bakery and sitting by Lake Washington:

Panera panini and frozen strawberry lemonade:

Homemade strawberry shortcake:

The beautiful hills of the Yakima valley:

Date with Kristin for a latte (with Stumptown coffee!) and cake at Northtown:

Fajitas (yes I was soaking up the Mexican food while in Washington!) at El Porton:

BBQ with many of my beloved Great Commandments Ministry family:

Adventures with Asher and Eden:

My first Philly Cheesesteak in 4 years, at Genos:

I am thankful for so much wonderful rest and relaxation. Food and friends. Love and laughter. Good sweet times.