Jet lag is a jerk. Gany dropped me off at 6:30 last night and showed me how to limitedly access the Internet with her phone (which I am borrowing--she is taking her boyfriend's, who I assume is phoneless). I laid down to read a bit, and that was it. I was asleep by 7:00.
I did force myself awake around 10:00, dragging my face away from a wet patch of drool. Am I the only person who gets excited when I drool? It's a nice proof positive that I was gloriously and deeply asleep. Anyway, I took out my contacts, showered, and fell back asleep.
Which means of course I woke up at 5:30 this morning. Ugh. But after this (or maybe after tomorrow night...) I refuse! I will not succumb to jet lag like a normal person! Hopefully maybe.
..
I'm doing my paranoid agoraphobia schtick. There is an internet cafe just across the sidewalk from my apartment building, and I've been contemplating taking a stroll to use their computers (they don't have WiFi). But that would mean leaving on my own! And communicating! And maybe looking foolish!
This happens every time I travel, for the first few days, at least. New place, Same fears. Today I will wait for Gany, but my goal is to go somewhere, anywhere, by myself before we leave for the countryside on Thursday.
..
Because I ate almost nothing yesterday, I thought I was going to become thin and weak during this trip. Um, not today. I ate an apple when I got up at 5:30, since I hadn't had dinner the night before due to sleeping. Then a couple hours later I made myself cereal. At 9:00 Anya's mother got up and made me an egg, which she pointed out I should eat with bread. Not wanting to offend, I ate it, and it was good. Thirty minutes later, she brought in a bowl of rice! Like, a big bowl. I'm going to eat all my meals for the day before noon. And I can't even communicate with her to tell her to please stop.
..
In Senegal I learned that water can be delicious, even when it's been stagnant in a bottle sitting out in the sun all day. Good thing I learned that, because I think cold water will be mostly non-existent while I'm here. Anya's mom brings me a 2 liter thermos of boiled water every morning, which I then pour into my water bottle and wait for it to reach room temperature. And you know what? It tastes delicious, because Mongolia is really dry, and I am thirsty all the time.
..
This quote from F.B. Meyer describes exactly how this trip to Mongolia came about. "God's impressions within and his word without are always corroborated by his providence around, and we should quietly wait until those three focus into one point. If you do not now what you ought to do, stand still until you do. And when the time comes for action, circumstances, like glowworms, will sparkle along your path; and you will become so sure that you are right, when God's three witnesses concur, that you could not be surer though an angel beckoned you on."
Friday, July 8, 2011
First Day in Ulaanbaatar
Okay, so first, I did not expect this level of poverty. I was picturing a city more like Athens than Dakar, but maybe it's even worse. Granted, I only saw the streets at 3 in the morning, so I could be completely wrong.
I am staying with Gany's friend Anya and her mother, only Anya is out of UB until Saturday. Gany explained a few things to me last night, then set off for her own bed. I have my own room in their apartment, with a nice bed and the hodge podge of furniture I got used to in Fatick. There's running water and warm showers if you wait long enough. No flushing toilet paper, near as I can tell. And no Internet, which sucks, but which will force me into a kind of monastic focus. And that can only be good. I just hope to find an Internet cafe so I can keep up with USians on a semi-regular basis.
My huge suitcase of clothes and gadgets is making me super self-conscious.
This morning Anya's mom (I'll learn her name as soon as I see it written down) made me milk tea, which is...hot water and milk. Seems like something fairly important is missing, but whatever, it's liquid that won't give me parasites. I'm newly afraid of drinking the water here.
It's nice to have some travel experience so I know how to sort of communicate (Anya's mom speaks Mongolian as she does things, then I do the same thing or nod and make up an answer in English). I tried to get her to write her name down, but she gestured at my Bible, and when I nodded, she wrote "I love you, Lord God" in Cyrillic instead. Not what I wanted, but cool nonetheless. A bit later she came in with her own notebook (Senegalese graph style) and asked me to write down my name. We're making slow but steady progress, I think!
..
Gany came over at 1:30 and we walked to the orphanage. From what I've experienced so far, I think I'll be doing random things each day, at the orphanage or not. Good thing I didn't have any expectations!
UB is nicer by daylight, but it still reminds me of Dakar in a lot of ways. Uncompleted buildings, trash on the sidewalks. But there isn't sand, and the sky is actually blue with puffy clouds, so big plus there.
It was a twenty minute walk to the orphanage, and I hope Gany doesn't expect me to make the journey by myself anytime soon, because I got lost almost as soon as we left the apartment building. The orphanage is incredibly nice. It's right next to where her church meets, so I met a lot of her youth group (which is mostly 20- year-olds) and a lot of workers from the orphanage. There is a team of neurologists there this week, running tests on kids brought in from the countryside.
I talked to Rita, the Kentuckian who started the orphanage. She has a very cool story. Apparently the government is not allowing orphans to be sent to private orphanages anymore, which seems awful because The Light Orphanage is really nice. They are down to only 17 kids, and one was adopted just this week, so they are all sad/happy to see her go.
I met most of the kids and tried out my awful Mongolian on them. Gany says I do well, but she's also a nice person. Mostly I feel like I'm clearing my throat around some vowels...seriously, my mouth was not made to make these sounds. The kids are really cute though. I kicked a ball around with an adorable little boy, and I reached out to hold hands with a girl in a crib who has a brain disorder. That was a mistake, because she thought I was going to lift her out. I had to pull away, and she cried, but if she's out of the crib without supervision she hits her head on the floor. There are two girls there with disorders, but the rest seemed healthy.
Gany and I are eating a late lunch at a really swanky Internet cafe. I don't know how often I'll get to come here, but I'll try to update as often as possible. We plan to get me some money, then go grocery shopping. Tomorrow we don't have plans until night, when she feeds street kids with her youth group.
I am feeling overwhelmed by meeting everyone all at once, but I think this will be a good trip. Already I'm relearning some things about materialism and flexibility and patience. And regardless, it's good to see Gany! Even though the second thing she said to me after i arrived was, "You smell like Peoria!" Um, thanks? :)
I am staying with Gany's friend Anya and her mother, only Anya is out of UB until Saturday. Gany explained a few things to me last night, then set off for her own bed. I have my own room in their apartment, with a nice bed and the hodge podge of furniture I got used to in Fatick. There's running water and warm showers if you wait long enough. No flushing toilet paper, near as I can tell. And no Internet, which sucks, but which will force me into a kind of monastic focus. And that can only be good. I just hope to find an Internet cafe so I can keep up with USians on a semi-regular basis.
My huge suitcase of clothes and gadgets is making me super self-conscious.
This morning Anya's mom (I'll learn her name as soon as I see it written down) made me milk tea, which is...hot water and milk. Seems like something fairly important is missing, but whatever, it's liquid that won't give me parasites. I'm newly afraid of drinking the water here.
It's nice to have some travel experience so I know how to sort of communicate (Anya's mom speaks Mongolian as she does things, then I do the same thing or nod and make up an answer in English). I tried to get her to write her name down, but she gestured at my Bible, and when I nodded, she wrote "I love you, Lord God" in Cyrillic instead. Not what I wanted, but cool nonetheless. A bit later she came in with her own notebook (Senegalese graph style) and asked me to write down my name. We're making slow but steady progress, I think!
..
Gany came over at 1:30 and we walked to the orphanage. From what I've experienced so far, I think I'll be doing random things each day, at the orphanage or not. Good thing I didn't have any expectations!
UB is nicer by daylight, but it still reminds me of Dakar in a lot of ways. Uncompleted buildings, trash on the sidewalks. But there isn't sand, and the sky is actually blue with puffy clouds, so big plus there.
It was a twenty minute walk to the orphanage, and I hope Gany doesn't expect me to make the journey by myself anytime soon, because I got lost almost as soon as we left the apartment building. The orphanage is incredibly nice. It's right next to where her church meets, so I met a lot of her youth group (which is mostly 20- year-olds) and a lot of workers from the orphanage. There is a team of neurologists there this week, running tests on kids brought in from the countryside.
I talked to Rita, the Kentuckian who started the orphanage. She has a very cool story. Apparently the government is not allowing orphans to be sent to private orphanages anymore, which seems awful because The Light Orphanage is really nice. They are down to only 17 kids, and one was adopted just this week, so they are all sad/happy to see her go.
I met most of the kids and tried out my awful Mongolian on them. Gany says I do well, but she's also a nice person. Mostly I feel like I'm clearing my throat around some vowels...seriously, my mouth was not made to make these sounds. The kids are really cute though. I kicked a ball around with an adorable little boy, and I reached out to hold hands with a girl in a crib who has a brain disorder. That was a mistake, because she thought I was going to lift her out. I had to pull away, and she cried, but if she's out of the crib without supervision she hits her head on the floor. There are two girls there with disorders, but the rest seemed healthy.
Gany and I are eating a late lunch at a really swanky Internet cafe. I don't know how often I'll get to come here, but I'll try to update as often as possible. We plan to get me some money, then go grocery shopping. Tomorrow we don't have plans until night, when she feeds street kids with her youth group.
I am feeling overwhelmed by meeting everyone all at once, but I think this will be a good trip. Already I'm relearning some things about materialism and flexibility and patience. And regardless, it's good to see Gany! Even though the second thing she said to me after i arrived was, "You smell like Peoria!" Um, thanks? :)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Incheon Airport is Adorable
Okay, so I kind of wish I were staying in Korea. And I guess that wish came true to a lame extent, because my next flight is delayed for three hours. Thank goodness I'm in South Korea and not O'Hare! This airport is awesome! What kinds of awesome, you might ask?
1. There are random parades! Through the airport! With people wearing traditional dress and instruments and everything.
2. They have Starbucks. I meant to use the gift card my mom gave me, but duh, I should have realized they wouldn't take it. Instead I paid in dollars and got wan/yen/I don't know back. And the drink that I got? Soy green tea frappachino! Sounds disgusting, right? I thought so too (...which should have deterred me from buying it, but whatever), and we would both be wrong! It was quite tasty.
3. The airport ladies have adorable little bow things in their hair.
4. There is quite enough English for me to get around easily.
5. The Korean language is beautiful! More so than Japanese and Chinese, I think. Looks wise, anyway.
6. There are Korean culture stations where you can dress up and stuff. I passed one before I knew my flight was delayed. Now that I know I have some extra time, maybe I'll try to find it.
1. There are random parades! Through the airport! With people wearing traditional dress and instruments and everything.
2. They have Starbucks. I meant to use the gift card my mom gave me, but duh, I should have realized they wouldn't take it. Instead I paid in dollars and got wan/yen/I don't know back. And the drink that I got? Soy green tea frappachino! Sounds disgusting, right? I thought so too (...which should have deterred me from buying it, but whatever), and we would both be wrong! It was quite tasty.
3. The airport ladies have adorable little bow things in their hair.
4. There is quite enough English for me to get around easily.
5. The Korean language is beautiful! More so than Japanese and Chinese, I think. Looks wise, anyway.
6. There are Korean culture stations where you can dress up and stuff. I passed one before I knew my flight was delayed. Now that I know I have some extra time, maybe I'll try to find it.
Thoughts from 30,000 Feet Above the Pacific Ocean
I got to see the Forsythes (minus Kim and Gloria) again, after seven months, and they were still the same. Travis returned from grocery shopping after I arrived at their house, then entertained me with stories of gorillas and exploding breasts (yes, you read that right) during the ride to the airport. Nate greeted me with, "What are you doing here?" and tried, unsuccessfully, to get away with a side hug. In contrast, Mel hug-attacked me, then subtly chided her father for not offering me a seat. Ethan lovingly described root beer refills and pretended to be asleep until I poked him in the forehead to assure him I knew he existed.
I'm going to have an excellent time with them at the end of the month.
..
It's weird to feel like a minority in a Chicago airport terminal, but probably only 5% of people on my Asiana flight are Caucasion. This only furthers my belief that airports are portals to other worlds, separate from the countries in which they are built. Time stops, culture stops.
As I sit here in the Emergency Exit row (leg room! You have spoiled me forever!), surrounded by, near as I can tell, all Koreans, I wonder if I am already learning what it would be like to live in Asia. Though our skin colors are not as obviously different as in Senegal, I still feel like a toubab. I tower over men just as often as women. And there is nothing to make you feel like a beast as much as being around hundreds of petite Asian women. But I learned to deal with standing out before. I will do it again.
..
I'm not nervous about this trip. Obviously I've gotten used to traveling, and this is my second solo journey, but surey I am not so old hat? I hope it's not because I'm underprepared. I desperately want my flexibility to be an asset, not a liability.
..
Nine more hours. My word. Thank goodness for heavenly slippers and plastic packages of mouth wash in the bathrooms.
Ooo, turbulence. If Lost taught me anything, it is to scope out your fellow passengers for potential allies and/or crazy freaks. So far I have befriended my right-side seat mate, but this is far more beneficial for me than for her. She's already had to explain where the hidden Emergency Exit row trays and TVs are kept.
..
I've been reading Relevent magazine, and every article seems to be written for me.
Yes, I have abandoned the importance of evangelizing in my pusuit of social justice. When will my extremist nature learn to accept both/and instead of either/or?
I want to change the world, to bring peace and comfort and joy to the oppressed. I want to right wrongs and save people from a lifetime of poverty or slavery. But I want to do it from a love of Jesus, to bring his Kingdom to earth, to bring all people to worship him, because he really is amazing.
..
Haha, just kidding. I switched to reading Christlike (just a couple months late, sorry, Joel), and it directly contradicted me and changed my mind. Check it.
"I've decided to stop trying to change the world on my own. I've even stopped trying to change the church. I have decided to focus on changing me...I just want people to be attracted to Christ because of who I am, what I have to say, and how I say it."
..
When I first saw those u-shaped traveling pillows, I thought they were for tools. Soon after, when my wanderlust became official, I realized they were the coolest things ever, marking their wearers as travelers too awesome to remove them from around their necks while speed-walking to their next airport destination.
I got one of those pillows for my birthday this year, and my opinion has changed once again. I now know that they are, in fact, for people who have no control over their neck muscles, similar in function to special needs helmets or pillows on the butt when it's icy outside. I know this because my own head lolling while asleep has been significantly reduced during this 13 hour flight to South Korea.
No matter your opinion of these traveling pillows, I will wear mine with pride as the Special Ed, hipster cool, douchebag tourist that I am.
I'm going to have an excellent time with them at the end of the month.
..
It's weird to feel like a minority in a Chicago airport terminal, but probably only 5% of people on my Asiana flight are Caucasion. This only furthers my belief that airports are portals to other worlds, separate from the countries in which they are built. Time stops, culture stops.
As I sit here in the Emergency Exit row (leg room! You have spoiled me forever!), surrounded by, near as I can tell, all Koreans, I wonder if I am already learning what it would be like to live in Asia. Though our skin colors are not as obviously different as in Senegal, I still feel like a toubab. I tower over men just as often as women. And there is nothing to make you feel like a beast as much as being around hundreds of petite Asian women. But I learned to deal with standing out before. I will do it again.
..
I'm not nervous about this trip. Obviously I've gotten used to traveling, and this is my second solo journey, but surey I am not so old hat? I hope it's not because I'm underprepared. I desperately want my flexibility to be an asset, not a liability.
..
Nine more hours. My word. Thank goodness for heavenly slippers and plastic packages of mouth wash in the bathrooms.
Ooo, turbulence. If Lost taught me anything, it is to scope out your fellow passengers for potential allies and/or crazy freaks. So far I have befriended my right-side seat mate, but this is far more beneficial for me than for her. She's already had to explain where the hidden Emergency Exit row trays and TVs are kept.
..
I've been reading Relevent magazine, and every article seems to be written for me.
Yes, I have abandoned the importance of evangelizing in my pusuit of social justice. When will my extremist nature learn to accept both/and instead of either/or?
I want to change the world, to bring peace and comfort and joy to the oppressed. I want to right wrongs and save people from a lifetime of poverty or slavery. But I want to do it from a love of Jesus, to bring his Kingdom to earth, to bring all people to worship him, because he really is amazing.
..
Haha, just kidding. I switched to reading Christlike (just a couple months late, sorry, Joel), and it directly contradicted me and changed my mind. Check it.
"I've decided to stop trying to change the world on my own. I've even stopped trying to change the church. I have decided to focus on changing me...I just want people to be attracted to Christ because of who I am, what I have to say, and how I say it."
..
When I first saw those u-shaped traveling pillows, I thought they were for tools. Soon after, when my wanderlust became official, I realized they were the coolest things ever, marking their wearers as travelers too awesome to remove them from around their necks while speed-walking to their next airport destination.
I got one of those pillows for my birthday this year, and my opinion has changed once again. I now know that they are, in fact, for people who have no control over their neck muscles, similar in function to special needs helmets or pillows on the butt when it's icy outside. I know this because my own head lolling while asleep has been significantly reduced during this 13 hour flight to South Korea.
No matter your opinion of these traveling pillows, I will wear mine with pride as the Special Ed, hipster cool, douchebag tourist that I am.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Further Up and Further In
When I returned from Senegal, I knew I wanted to serve God overseas. Some doors were shut, but one Children's Librarian door practically pulled me through. I wondered if this job training me to plan events and deal with children might be part of God growing me...so last year, I decided I wanted to look into orphanage work.
A couple months later, I met Gany from Mongolia. We became friends, and I asked if I could visit her and volunteer in an orphanage run by some people she knows. She said yes, and long story cut to the end, tomorrow I leave to cross the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
Here are my goals:
1. I want to determine whether or not orphanage work is something I should continue to pursue.
2. I want to determine whether or not Asia is somewhere I want to live.
3. I really, really want my stories to inspire someone (or someones!) to adopt. That would make my heart explode with happiness.
With that in mind, here are my prayer requests, if anyone in the interwebs cares to talk to God about me:
1. That God gives me wisdom.
2. That God lets me encourage Gany and bring some extra joy to the workers and children at the orphanage.
3. That God shows me his glory and allows me to show it to others.
A couple months later, I met Gany from Mongolia. We became friends, and I asked if I could visit her and volunteer in an orphanage run by some people she knows. She said yes, and long story cut to the end, tomorrow I leave to cross the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
Here are my goals:
1. I want to determine whether or not orphanage work is something I should continue to pursue.
2. I want to determine whether or not Asia is somewhere I want to live.
3. I really, really want my stories to inspire someone (or someones!) to adopt. That would make my heart explode with happiness.
With that in mind, here are my prayer requests, if anyone in the interwebs cares to talk to God about me:
1. That God gives me wisdom.
2. That God lets me encourage Gany and bring some extra joy to the workers and children at the orphanage.
3. That God shows me his glory and allows me to show it to others.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Blessings by Laura Story
I have a confession to make. I was only ever in HOPE for the wrong reason. Did I want people to worship God as a result of me waving my hands around in semi-sign language? Sure. But mostly I just wanted to hang out with my friends an extra hour every Sunday afternoon.
So when I graduated from high school, and therefore HOPE, I never really wanted to reunite and perform again. Earlier this summer, there was a HOPE-graduate weekend trip, but I didn't much want to go (and also couldn't, so).
Then Pam asked me to help with this new song, "Blessings" by Laura Story. She wanted Lindsay, Ashley, and I to do it, and I was trying to think of a polite way to say no. My plans were foiled when she had me listen to the song, which completely blew me away. Added to that were the signs she'd picked, and my word, I was sold. There's a bit near the end that says, "This is not, this is not our home." And we switch from signing "Earth" and gesturing down to making the sign for heaven. Only powerful if you know what the signs mean, but as I do....I was verklempt.
We performed this Sunday, and I hope everyone else got the awesomeness. I've been learning a lot about trials and how following God is likely to lead to more pain rather than less--but that we should rejoice in that pain, because it is through the awfulness that we rely on God and learn about Him and love Him more deeply.
"What if my greatest disappointments and the achings of this life are the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?"
So when I graduated from high school, and therefore HOPE, I never really wanted to reunite and perform again. Earlier this summer, there was a HOPE-graduate weekend trip, but I didn't much want to go (and also couldn't, so).
Then Pam asked me to help with this new song, "Blessings" by Laura Story. She wanted Lindsay, Ashley, and I to do it, and I was trying to think of a polite way to say no. My plans were foiled when she had me listen to the song, which completely blew me away. Added to that were the signs she'd picked, and my word, I was sold. There's a bit near the end that says, "This is not, this is not our home." And we switch from signing "Earth" and gesturing down to making the sign for heaven. Only powerful if you know what the signs mean, but as I do....I was verklempt.
We performed this Sunday, and I hope everyone else got the awesomeness. I've been learning a lot about trials and how following God is likely to lead to more pain rather than less--but that we should rejoice in that pain, because it is through the awfulness that we rely on God and learn about Him and love Him more deeply.
"What if my greatest disappointments and the achings of this life are the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?"
Saturday, July 2, 2011
True Friends Make Fun Of You
"Or instead of ALT, maybe she could use a Central command," Dusty said.
Jennie burst out laughing and smacked me on the leg.
"Hah hah...hah?" I laughed. "I don't...get why we're laughing."
"He said Central!" Jennie explained.
"Oh! Hahahaha! ...No, I still don't get it."
"Remember how you used to think the Control button was called Central?"
It all caught up with me then, and I laughed loudly and honestly. "Apparently I still think it's Central, because I did not see anything wrong with what he said." We all laughed at my expense.
That, along with laughing at Jennie's miserable mouse catching skills and attempting to smash my chair into Dusty as he passed corn on the cob by my ear (and failing), are some of the reasons I love hanging out with the Hughes family. It never seems like any time has passed, we can openly mock each other, and I can tell them about anything and a everything in my life (and I receive advice as well as mockery).
I love Jennie and Dusty.
Jennie burst out laughing and smacked me on the leg.
"Hah hah...hah?" I laughed. "I don't...get why we're laughing."
"He said Central!" Jennie explained.
"Oh! Hahahaha! ...No, I still don't get it."
"Remember how you used to think the Control button was called Central?"
It all caught up with me then, and I laughed loudly and honestly. "Apparently I still think it's Central, because I did not see anything wrong with what he said." We all laughed at my expense.
That, along with laughing at Jennie's miserable mouse catching skills and attempting to smash my chair into Dusty as he passed corn on the cob by my ear (and failing), are some of the reasons I love hanging out with the Hughes family. It never seems like any time has passed, we can openly mock each other, and I can tell them about anything and a everything in my life (and I receive advice as well as mockery).
I love Jennie and Dusty.
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