Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The New Me


I LOVE making baby food! It has become one of my new passions in life. My super sister- in- law recomended the book "Super Babyfood" to me and I have been inspired. It feels so good to feed Josiah his "Super Porridge" each morning packed with awesome nutrients for his little body. I have also been forming new healthy habits for Jason and I in the process. Here are new foods that we are now eating; brown rice, millet, flax seed, brewers yeast(ok- actually only Josiah eats this, yuck!), pumpkin seeds, barley, bran, kelp, split peas, lentils, and oatmeal. I just find it so fun to soak, cook, steam, grind, and freeze the food. We are also trying to substitute beans and whole grains for meat which is helping our budget.
Before you get too excited (or worried) about the new and improved me, I should confess to the fact that I am eating sour candy as I type this, mmmm (some habits may take longer to change).

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Cantonese Tones

The other night my friends Mandy and Joey (HK locals)were over for dinner. Here is our converstaion

J: Yau mo tong? (do you want soup)
C: What is tong?
J: soup
C:Isn't 'tong' also sugar?
M and J: Ha, ha Christine, you're so funny! No that's a totally different word.
C: Well, whats the word for sugar?
M: tong
C: Ai- ya!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Having a Ball





Our estate, Granville Garden, has a playroom that is just perfect for Josiah right now. Everything is carpeted, padded, and frequently sterilized- allowing me to relax a bit when I bring him down. Just about everyday we visit the playroom to crawl, walk, go down the slide and watch the "big kids" play (his favorite). Since we moved in the ball pit has been empty, but just last week they filled it up- yeah! Josiah was not quite sure what to do at first when we put him in the pit. For a while, he just sat and stared at the sea of colorful balls. After a while he picked up two and banged them together. He was very serious about the whole experience. We could not get him to smile, but I think the pictures are still pretty cute. (:

Friday, February 13, 2009

Injustice

For those of you who check our blog to see pictures of our little man (Grandma) I promise more are coming. But now I have some thoughts to get off my chest. Yesterday I visited our friend Galant, a refugee from the Congo. He has been trying so hard to follow the rules imposed upon him by the government, learn English, go to church and basically survive in the hostile environment of Hong Kong. Yesterday he was feeling discouraged and run down at how difficult life is. After escaping Congo with nothing more than his life and cousin, he has been greeted in HK with imprisonment, slow bureaucracy,discrimination, and language/ cultural barriers. Apart from the help our church gives him, Galant is given around $100 a month and is forbidden to work. Survival in this expensive city is just not possible on that.

After hanging out with Galant, I skipped off to my job where I am filling in teaching a couple classes at my friend's dance studio. It struck me on the train that in 2 hours of twirling and skipping around with three year olds I can earn what Galant is given in month. How wrong is that! The only reason I can get paid so well in this job is because I am a "native English speaker" and the only reason Galant is in his position is because he is from the Congo. The injustice truly breaks my heart. Well, I guess those are all my scrambled thoughts for now. Tell me what you think. . . .

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


I still laugh every time I pass by

Sunday, February 8, 2009

What happened to my wife?

Being a British colony for nearly 150 years the imperalists have left quite an impact on the current culture of Hong Kong. Even still there are over 100k British folk in the city still exerting some influence especially in the finance sector. Well, being an American, I sometimes find myself laughing inside at some of the odd terms the British use for things. For instance, lift means elevator and cue means a line. I am not sure why but all of the sudden my wife has started picking up multiple British terms and integrating them into her everyday language. Everytime she does this, my jaw drops and I stare at her in disbelief, thinking what happened to the All American girl I used to know? A few of her recent phrases have been.."Would you like a lolly?" or "Oh he is just an average bloke." and "I saw an adVERsment that said..."
My worry is that she is losing her roots. She says it is just part of her international lingo. I'll keep ya'll (Now, there's American for you) updated on the loosening of her roots or the deepening of her international lingo. In the meantime lets hope she doesn't take on the chin to the sky attitude and make 4:00 a mandatory tea time.

origami and humble pie


This afternoon I went to a valentine origami class offered by the management of our estate. I'm not exactly sure why, I guess I thought it would be fun to experience an Asian art form and send little origami valentines to my family.

When I walked in a room filled with 15 4th grade looking girls, I almost turned around, but since Jason had agreed to watch Josiah I decided to stick it out . . . The first few folds were simple and I got a little over confident. I decided to make two paper hearts at once (being the older one in the room- with lots of experience folding letters in high school- I thought I could handle it). Well, folds 3- 300 proved to be a little more complicated. Yes- I insist there were 300 folds! I had no idea origami was so pain staking! It took us one whole hour to fold a piece of paper to spell out the word LOVE. One hour! I tried not to think of all the other things I could be doing in one hour. The girl next to me, Coby, didn’t have a love for folding paper either, but she said it got her out of her house where her parents were making her do English dictation all Sunday afternoon. Coby ended up getting some English practice after all as she translated the origami class from Cantonese for me.

The scary part about this experience is that I was so bad at origami- I mean really bad. I just couldn't really get it. Watching me do origami was like watching my Grandma try to use a computer mouse. Well, I guess it is good to try new things, right sis (the "life long learner"). But don't be waiting by your mailbox for your valentine. (:

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Middle

The other day Josiah was teetering on his wobbly feet (his favorite position these day) trying to gain his balance to take a step. In the background the Casting Crowns song, “Somewhere In The Middle” was playing.
“Somewhere between the hot and the cold- somewhere between the new and the old- somewhere between who I am and who I used to be- somewhere in the middle, you’ll find me- somewhere between the wrong and the right- somewhere between the darkness and the light- somewhere between who I was and who you’re making me- somewhere in the middle you’ll find me- Just how close can I get Lord to my surrender without loosing all control.”
In that moment I realized like Josiah, I’m in the “in the middle.” Not where I used to be, yet far from where I want to be. Clinging with one hand to the comforts and security of this world, while reaching with another towards a life fully surrendered in faith. The middle is not my favorite spot (speaking as a middle child), I long to be in with both feet. God is gracious and patient. He is teaching me through Josiah that like walking, sanctification is a process. One day we will be made like Him- no longer in the middle! I long for that day.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Little Drummer Boy

If you click on the picture of Jason and Josiah with the drum with can get a little concert video.

Click to play
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