Lovely Long Weekend

It's a good feeling to have a long weekend coming your way! Tomorrow we have a PD day, and Monday is a holiday. Awesome!!! Tonight the management of our school treated us to a night at the Hong Kong Golf Club. Fancy! It was poolside and they served an amazing buffet. Wow!
The highlight of the night for me was meeting the families of the teachers and staff at the school. There are a number of new babies and little cutie petuties in the bunch, and I soaked up having such cute kids in my company for even a short while. I hope I can get to know a few of them. So, here is a tribute to the CAIS buddies!

My Dreamy Day...

Today a childhood dream came true! I am finally complete. I went to Disneyland! What a happy place to wander around for a day! It's a strange thought, actually. Millions of people walk through Disney's gates every year, for an ultra dose of magical happiness. I must say, I had a blast. It's a small park compared to the big daddies in the US, but it didn't matter to me!
I was transported to Grade 3 in seconds. It was dreamy! Zipideedooda, zipididee! Goofy, Donald Duck, The Little Mermaid, and my personal favorite, Woody and Buzz Lightyear! The green plastic soldiers from Toy Story were awesome, too. I dragged my counterparts to the Princess Carousel (Merry Go Round) because it was seriously a highlight ride from Buffalo Days when I was just a young gal. They were skeptical to start, but by the time we hit the front of the line, it was a sprint to the most beautiful horses. Oh, we were pumped princesses! I did it in honor of Laurel and Karlie, actually. Frolicking merrily along on the carousel, I emerged from my dreamlike state to see my friend Lynn casually standing up on her horse!!! Ha!! And I quote, "It just seemed like a good thing to do at the time". HAAA!!! The lovely carousel ride came to a halt and over the loudspeaker we heard, "The ride has come to an unexpected stop. Please remain seated at all times". Ahhh, so funny!!! What a daring Princess!
Space Mountain was thrilling. I'm not a very brave rollercoaster rider. I couldn't help but scream my way through space- this special wheezing, hyperventilating, I want my Mom kind of scream. Phew. And as freaked out as I was, it was really quite fun!
The Lion King show was awesome, too. It was an abridged version of the Broadway show, I think. The music in the Lion King is such a treat to hear live and in color. Oh, can you feel the love tonight?!
The only disappointment was that it closed at 8pm, so I didn't get to go on the Buzz Lightyear Ride. Oh, what a pity. I also missed out on my chance at a picture with one of the Disney legends.
What a magical day.
Yesterday night was lovely too (the weekends have proven to be great in HK). Mary (another teacher friend) and I went over the Island and enjoyed a delightful Indian meal. Oh, Tandoori Chicken- you bring such delight to our tastebuds! After that we picked up some liquid heaven (frappucinos of course) and wandered into a foot massage place. Funny how you end up wandering into places like that. Oh, it was very good. I'll be back for sure. One of the neat parts was that the ladies spoke Mandarin, which I very rarely hear here. I realized how much I miss that dimension of the China experience! It was so fun to listen and attempt at interaction again. I am planning to pick up just a bit of Cantonese and continue on with the Mandarin. I'm looking forward to enrolling in a weekly class soon.
I close with a visual of our Dreamy Day at Disneyland...

Awww, she made some friends...

Media

Reading:
Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography by Katherine Spink

Re-reading:
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

Instant Gratification Courtesy of Itunes:
Soul Tsunami by Leonard Sweet
O by Damien Rice
Flaming Red by Patty Griffin

Book orders, bad internet service and a great weekend on the way

Just a friendly random title for you, to be matched by a friendly random blog entry! It has been a pretty good week here in Hong Kong. There is this very engaging story regarding my internet installation experience, but I'm going to skip that because it's wearisome and there are more fun things to talk about. For example, this week I got a baby oven, a microwave, and even a beautiful pan for banana bread! Now how FUN is that?! So I baked cookies and, of course, in honor of Miss Banana Bread herself (Shannon B.), a fruity fun loaf of banana bread. Also in the fun department, my Grandma called me on my cel phone on Sunday morning. It sounded crystal clear and it was so good to hear her voice again.
Apparently we had an earthquake yesterday. People say it shook buildings. It was only 3.5- and I never felt a thing, but it was good to be on the first floor during that time rather than the 32nd. It is raining a lot here, actually we had a "T1 warning" (typhoon warning) on Wednesday. I was soaked when I arrived at school, and I realized an umbrella is not useful during this kind of weather. Things blow sideways. It is also very polluted right now, which I don't enjoy very much. Take in a big breath of fresh air for me, put it in a bag and send it to me okay?! I could use some fresh air!
In the not so clever part of the blog, we move on to my very poor morning habits. Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. Yesterday I had an unfortunate classic moment- you know, one of those, "ooops, I meant to hit the snooze button but I hit the off button". Emphasize the OOPS. I woke up at 7:35am and staff devotions begin at 7:45. I don't remember those ten precious minutes. Everything happened at 16x the normal speed of morning routine. It was actually extremely impressive. Yes, I made it. What an adventure, what a rush (not highly recommended)!
On the teaching side of things, we are settling in to a routine in the classroom. Do you remember Scholastic book orders? I used to LOVE book orders when I was in school. The usual choice was an epic Berenstain Bears book. I love the Berenstain Bears. They taught me all about junk food, messy rooms, baseball, and even being spoiled! Yes, siblings, you have Mama and Papa Bear to thank for my very good behavior. :)
Anyway, it felt special to be the teacher doing the ordering. I'm a teacher! :) I'm pretty pumped about this (the teaching part mostly, though Scholastic is cool too). I'm really excited about learning and becoming a better teacher. There are SO MANY things to get better at! But the possibilities are exciting, and I am enjoying the process of setting out some goals for myself. My favorite part of the week was starting up my writing program. I love teaching writing, though I think it is quite challenging.
Anyway, I have one student who will always be the one to say (after sitting there for a few minutes), "Miss McMillan (in his lispy voice), I don't know what to write. I have no ideas". Hmmmm. So then we will have a brainstorming conversation and maybe we will get somewhere, or maybe not. This happens frequently...."I have nothing to write". This week they were writing "personal memoirs" (half of them wrote about trips to Disneyland). My buddy went from having "nothing to write", to the next day, bringing back four pages of writing, and he just couldn't stop talking about every little part of his trip to Disneyland....like he'd come up to my desk and tell me ALL about it. :) It was sweet though. I dig those moments as a teacher....the "LOOK! You did it! You're totally capable!" moments.
The parents of my students have been so good. This week I had three notes of encouragement- "We are praying for you". That's a pretty neat thing.
This weekend has the potential for fun. Two birthday dinners and one beach party. Sounds good, hey?
Oh, and the other fun thing this week was some exciting news from home....fun, fun, fun!!! But I'll let that person go ahead and blog it!!!
Have a good weekend, Canada!!!

Inspiration Day

This week I'm jumping on the "gridblog" bandwagon (two days late). Sir John begged the question, "What inspires you?" I feel obliged to answer such a question given it's reflective nature. Anyone who claims to be a past or present Education student should be at complete ease in the "reflective" zone. Four years of reflecting, reflecting on our reflections and then reflecting on the process and significance of reflecting. So Leah, Tara, Dad? Let's get those reflective juices flowing!
Yesterday morning I had it all planned out and I was going to tell you that music is the inspiration of my days. Last night changed the plan, and now I'm two days late for the gridblog, but I feel more inspired than I've felt in a long time.
It's kind of weird how my ordinary evening unfolded last night. I can't even really explain it now, but by the time I went to bed, I was fired up. Kind of like a sum total of feelings and thoughts exploding like excited fireworks.
Things have been go-go-go since arriving in Hong Kong, and I was enjoying some time to just sit and think without any agenda. I started reading the autobiography of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa inspires me, completely. I've only read the preface and the first chapter, but wow- talk about a woman on a mission of love. Such drive, such passion, such compassion. One of the things that struck me was that she was so much about action. I sure like to talk. This woman brought real love to action; she lived with such purpose.
I have become content asking questions, wondering, tossing things around, but not really getting to the action part. I often say it's freeing to ask questions, but in a way it feels a bit comfy and safe because I'm still pondering. Pursuing greater understanding of God and the world he made, and mistaking that for actually serving Him and loving Him. Where's the heart change? I don't want to miss out on the point of life, and full and new life because I was consumed by everything I couldn't figure out. Mother Teresa's life was so driven for the cause of God- to giving all of herself to the Lord, to every person that she met. Even a piece of the devotion she had would transform my heart. Today the preacher spoke of the invitation to character transformation that Peter writes of (Jay, you'd like this guy!). It excites me when I start to think about the possibilities of who you and I can become. The spiritual journey is one of hope.
The first chapter in the autobiography ends by explaining the day that Mother Teresa decided to leave the convents she was teaching at in Kolkata, and go to live among the poor. Every year, dating back to 1946, the Missionaries of Charity (her organization) celebrate September 10 as "Inspiration Day". I had to smile as I looked at my watch, striking 12AM on September 10, 2006, 60 years later. I wondered if someone was nudging me towards action.
Inspiration Day- pass it on.

I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God's straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you?your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:1-11

We learn to believe by believing.
We learn to love by loving.
The practice of acting on a certain thing, even (or especially) when feeling is absent, embodies the entire "how" of growth.
-Eugenia Price

Fast weekend

I can't believe it's Sunday night already!!! Yikes! The weekend ran away on me. That's not very nice! Though it was a fast one, it was pretty fun.
On Friday night, my friend Mary and I went to a pool party at the Yacht Club, sponsored by the church I have been attending to. The best part was the view surrounding the pool- so as you were swimming, everywhere you looked you saw neon lights and skyscrapers...it was kind of like the pool was dropped in the middle of it all.
Yesterday I cleaned up my house and spent the last half of the day devoted to exploring an area called "Tsim Sha Tsui". Yeah, try and pronounce that one! Among the interesting places in this area, I was happy to find a great outlet store, a new monster Adidas store (new tennis shoes, Heather!) and a big music store. Oh, and an amazing dessert shop that has this incredible dessert called "mango sago". Anything with mango = tastebud heaven, but this stuff is just glorious. Mmmm, mango sago.
Today after church I went to the "visitors lunch". It was a good chance to meet some of the staff of the church and feel more connected. It's a much bigger group- about 1200- a much larger family than I'm used to! It's called Evangelical Community Church.
I put up just a few pics of my house and my classroom, so you can see them on my flickr page if you're interested.
Well, Sunday night is the prime time for planning, so I'd better turn my attention that direction. I hope your weekend was great! Have a really good week, friends!

I am still living!

Hey blog friends. Ah, I do say with sadness that I have left you hanging for some time now. Yes, my life is just so exciting that it's like a cliffhanger- what's going to happen next? Oooooh.
You see, I've submerged into a sea of planning (yes I said it aloud), cutting, pasting, laminating, stapling, repeat process- again, and again, and again! I have never worked at such an intense and continuous pace. Seriously. Okay, maybe that's not hard to believe seeing I've only been "working" for two years (does China count?!). The week prior was spent organizing my new home in Hong Kong. There has been so much to do! But since the whole moving in deal, I haven't been home too often!
I am SO GLAD that I decided to live close to the school. It's a 5 minute walk to get home at night and it's especially wonderful for a morning lover like myself...get up and go! I will post pictures of my apartment and my building soon. I have a pretty neat view when I come home at night. Sparkling white and yellow city lights.
I am also now a computer owner for the first time. I went fruity and picked a Macbook. I haven't used it a ton yet because it takes a couple weeks to get internet installed at home, but so far it seems good. I saved quite a bit because I didn't have to pay tax and also got a teacher discount. It will be so good to be connected at home- can't wait. I feel like I haven't keep in touch well over the couple of weeks and that has left me feeling a bit disconnected from many of you. Send me an email if you get the chance?
I must tell you that the school I am teaching at is amazing. I honestly feel so blessed to be a teacher here. They treat us so well and the staff has been so warm and helpful. The adminstrative staff is fantastic and I know I will learn a lot from many people here. The staff is a mix of international flavors, ages, and backgrounds. I am impressed, and very appreciative, of the efficiency and overall focus of the school. We have tons of resources and lots of support. I have two preps everyday, and twice a week I get an extra as well. It's great to be a part of so far!
Today was our first teaching day. I have 23 students in my Grade 5 class. I have Chinese, British, Canadian and Spanish students in my class. They are a sweet group of kids (aren't they always on the first day?!). The favorite part of the day for me was when I did a little activity focusing on the uniqueness of the students. I brought one of my suitcases and put a mirror inside. Then I went on and on about how very, very amazing and special and valuable this suitcase was. It's worth millions, there's not another in the whole entire world, etc. Then I asked them if they wanted to come take a look. They were so cute! Man. So one by one they came up- very carefully as to not disturb the precious treasure. Maybe you guessed what was inside?
A mirror. Awwww. Get it? You're special too! :) I'm so cheesy.
Anyway, that was pretty fun. I am having a very good time here in Hong Kong. The city is incredible, really. In the same fashion as the school, Hong Kong amazes me with its efficiency. For one example- they have something called an Octopus card here. You put money on the card and then you can use it on the subway, bus, at 7-11, at parkades, parking meters, etc. It eliminates the need for change. The organization of the city is pretty neat- so many escalators, underground walkways, moving sidewalks, etc. It's amazing what can be done to make the best use of a small space. Come and see for yourself!
Okay, so I AM having a great time- it's all good...but I am very, very tired. The last 5 days have been goofy. I have definitely not been eating well, and it wasn't for the dear kindergarten teacher bringing me extra lunch, I'd really be in trouble. Ha! I have this thing inside of me that can't just let something go and be less than what I want or know it can be. Sometimes people who have "this thing" are called perfectionists. It's like an addiction, I think, and it comes out when you're a teacher because you could probably work at it forever and ever and ever. It's hard for me to just let things be less than what I want! Ai ya.
Well, speaking of that P word- I do need to do some planning for tomorrow. It's nice that the weekend is just around the corner. On Friday night I am going with one of the other new teachers, Mary, to the Yacht Club for a pool party put on by the church I've been attending. It should be a good way to kick back after a long week or so.
Anyway, sorry for the delay in updates- they should be more consistent now that both my classroom and my home are relatively set up. Let me know how you are doing, okay?!

Living on the 32nd Floor

Greetings! It is a smoggy morning here in Hong Kong. Sometimes it clears up quite nicely and we've got blue skies, while other times you wish hopefully that you are looking at a storm cloud. The pollution crisis is real in a tangible way here in HK.
I found a place to hang my hat! After some pondering, I have decided on a place that is just down the block from my school- less than a 3 minute walk. It seems there is not a perfect solution to finding housing here. Something has to give- you either live farther away and spend more time on getting places, or you live close and pay a bit extra for the convenience. The place I'm in is very nice and I'm sure I'll never live in such a place in Canada. It is a complex with 7 towers- each with 60 floors I think. As is the case in many apartment complexes here, it is outfitted with many amenities- my favorites include a huge swimming pool, indoor squash court and badminton/basketball court, and work out area. There a lot of teachers around this area too, so I'm glad for that as well.
I ended up finding the apartment through a pink-shirted real estate agent named Sam. Sam is on the strange side, but he's a great bargainer that guy. He negotiated the price down an extra $150 CDN per month, so I'm thankful for Sam! The flat I'm living in is nearly fully furnished, so that is a huge plus. I get the keys for the place tonight, so I'll spend the weekend trying to get things set up. I'm excited, and thankful.
Some of you will know the names "Andy" and "King". They are students from Western that I coached and taught last year. I went out for supper with Andy and his mom this week. It was so fun to meet her. She's so cute!!! Yesterday Andy and I spent most of the day hanging out and later joined King to play some Hong Kong street ball. King informed me of a few things beforehand- 1) they may take off their shirts and they'll be very slippery, 2) they may smoke inbetween games, 3) don't argue if they call a foul, that's just the way it is, and 4) no teamwork is to be expected, so be selfish because that's just the way it is. Sounds like the way we played in China- so the transition was not too difficult. I like being back in the land where I'm almost average height. It's great! The funniest part of the night happened as we were walking along the street. We turned a corner and this old, skinny man jumped in front of me and said in a huge loud voice with a huge smile, "NI HAO, HELLO!!!!!!" And then he grabbed my hands and started dancing on the sidewalk with me. I tried to dance along, but I was slightly taken aback by his enthusiasm! Funny old man!
Anyway, I'd best get moving (get it?!). Next stop, the 32nd Floor!

Harm is officially IN Hong Kong!

Hello all. Sorry for the delay in updates, but the computer here seems to have disagreements with blogger.
I have arrived! I have been in Hong Kong for almost 4 days now. I'm staying at an older couple's home that have gone back to Canada for the summer. My apartment is on the 48th floor and has a brilliant view of Hong Kong in all of its lit up glory.
It seems there a million things to write but where to start- hmmm. The first day or so was a bit slow and stomach issues are keeping me somewhat at bay, but the last couple days have been pretty fun. I'm trying to figure out how this city works, surely not without making a lot of wrong turns. It seems easy to get mixed up, although the transit system is slick, slick, slick. Yesterday I nearly got squished between the subway doors- yes indeed, there ARE 6400 people per square kilometer. I am not far from what holds the title as the most dense place on the planet. Apparently within the square kilometer belonging to "Mong Kok", there are 160,000 human beings. Thus, we live in apartment buildings that commonly have 50 floors!
Cantonese sounds absolutely goofy. It's a pity that it doesn't share many similarities with Mandarin, although more and more Mandarin is seeping into Hong Kong.
On Saturday I went to "The Peak". As the name suggests, the best view of the city is from the Peak. It's awesome- probably my favorite part of the city. I love being on the Island.
I have spent some time getting to know two of the other new teachers at my school. One is married with a tiny baby and they are from Saskatoon, and the other is a single gal my age from Michigan. They are great!
I have seen my classroom and I'm excited to get started with the planning and such, but before that I need to find somewhere to live permanently. I don't know where that will be just yet- I guess I'm going to look at a few more places on Wednesday. It's a bit of a challenge to find something within the housing allowance close to the school, so I'm going to take a look at some other places a bit farther away. It will be good to settle in, but I still have quite a bit of time so there is no need to rush.
Well, this concludes the end of the first official post of Hong Kong Harm! Time for some dim sum!

Context

For a bit more info on the A and A situation, you can head over to my sister Heather's blog.

Pondering.

One of the books I started reading this week is "The Jesus Creed" by Scot McKnight. I've only read the first couple chapters, but one of the things the book encourages is to allow the Lord's Prayer to become the framework for our conversations with God. So today I tried it. Everything was sailing smoothly until I arrived at "Forgive us of our sins just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us". I felt like I had been clotheslined. I didn't realize the jungle of unforgiveness I had been stumbling through. Forgiveness, in light of the darkness of real pain and heartache, floods me with questions. Here's a piece of my meandering mind this afternoon- maybe you've traveled this way before:

You mean forgive even if they don't think they need forgiveness? Even if they won't change because I forgave them? Even if they are the meanest, nastiest person I know? Do you KNOW who I'm talking about, Father?! Even though they're hurting the people I love the most? Even if they'll never know how much pain they've caused, how many tears have been shed because of them? Even if I'm in China, a million miles away and I won't see them again for a long time? Does it matter? I can't do anything from here anyway. You know what's going on here, God! When you said be kind, be forgiving of others- you actually meant this situation too? You couldn't have? Even in the midst of the mess they're making??? Doesn't forgiveness come at the end not inbetween?? You mean today? Is it okay if I have to do it all over again everyday until it's full in my heart? I don't know if what I can offer today will be enough. I'll probably have to come back again tomorrow. And the next day, and the next day, and the next...is that alright, or does that mean its less genuine? I wonder what healing looks like on the other side of it all?
I am not there yet. But I'm feeling this tug that it's where I should be aiming to be. So help me Father- help me have your heart of grace. Do you have these questions when you're thinking about us? How about me? Thank you for being love in all its completeness- and help me to get there and give up the negotiating when it comes to grace. You've never negotiated anything with me.

I liked something I read in Anne Lamott's "Plan B" today. She writes well of the journey of forgiveness:
"Any willingness to let go inevitably comes from pain; and the desire to change changes you, and jiggles the spirit, gets to it somehow, to the deepest, hardest, most ruined parts. And then Spirit expands, because that is its nature, and it drags along the body, and finally, the mind."

And on a sidenote, if you're reading this and know the story of A & A, please pray for them today. If you need/want more details, send me an email.

That concludes today's pondering- a slightly altered tone in comparison to recent posts. But I didn't really think about the solidified pig's blood served for lunch (I draw the line at blood) or the psycho driving in this country today, I thought about forgiveness.

The Qingdao Adventure

Recently:

• Today we had a stellar lunch- Korean barbecue. Mmmm. And I ate the tongue of a cow. It was chewy, which makes sense (yours would be too), and it doesn't taste like much of anything. Oh, and the other night Rachel almost conned me into eating the leg of a starfish- and it wasn't a cute starfish tentacle either. She innocently told me it was "sea cucumber". I didn't fall for her trickery!
• We went to the beach today. The ocean is amazing, and I think waves are fantastically fun. I felt like I was 7 years old prancing around in the water and jumping over waves with all of China watching me, in their tight spandexy swimming gear. And no, Jeremy, just because Chinese people wear them doesn't mean you should!
• I'm enjoying time that I haven't found for a long while- time to read. And it is good.
• Rachel and I find many reasons to laugh in a day. She's a funny girl!
• Yesterday we saw all sorts of sea creatures at a park. Walruses are funny looking and fat, seals are instrumentally very capable (they played in a band), and beluga whales are plain lovable! Plus, I found Dori,Nemo, and Bruce the Shark too! Scary! That could have been the highlight right there!
• I am feeling a bit more adjusted to life back in Asia now. The first few days felt on the rough side. I am missing my family a lot. The focus is one day at a time- that's all it ever needs to be.
• It's easier to let pictures do the talking. Here's a photographical summary of the last five days in Qingdao:
  

All of my pictures have been updated on my Flickr site, which you can link to by clicking on the fun image on the sidebar (including pictures from my last week with the kids in Calgary). I will leave Qingdao on Thursday and arrive in Hong Kong, where I will move through the "settling in" process.

Cheers from Qingdao!

A Chinese Wedding Story

On Sunday I had the privilege of getting the upclose and personal version of a traditional Chinese wedding. The groom was Rachel's cousin. It was a very memorable experience. Hopefully the images below give you a simplified overview of the wedding tradition here in China. There was also a reception, but I didn't take any pictures. It was loud, they played the Star Wars theme music when the bride and groom walked in (and it wasn't a joke), and the bride changed outfits three times during the afternoon. And there was a lot of wine flowing. I preferred the more traditionally flavoured rituals in the morning. The dragons were my favorite part! Enjoy! (Click on the image to enlarge)

An Eye A Day Keeps the Doctor Away..

The eyeball-eating progression, for your enjoyment:

Mmmm. A seaside delicacy.

The City by the Sea

Day 2 in the City by the Sea is winding down with a flavorful peach and lukewarm ice tea. I am in Qingdao (pronounced "ching-doww"), a city of 8.5 million people on the coast of Shandong. Shandong is a province to the southeast of Beijing. It is known primarily for its beer. Seriously- these people are pumped about their beer. It's one of the only English words Rachel's parents have spoken to me thus far, thus suggesting its significance.
However, I would say the best part of Qingdao is its beautiful coastline and backdrop mountain range. Gorgeous! Yesterday Rachel and I walked along the coast, west to east across the city. Qingdao is green, clean and fairly affluent in comparison to the other parts of China I have experienced. I have seen a handful of foreigners and it seems they stare less here, which is a nice plus. Because of its seaside geography, Qingdao's menu is high on the fishy flavours. Mmmm. I am admittedly fearful of most of these creatures. It has been an adventure in fine fishy cuisine thus far, and no doubt it will continue. I refused the long shelled water worms that poke their head in and out (SICK- why would you want to EAT that?), but I did test out the waters in the ones that are covered in shells of all sizes and shapes. So far I am still alive and I don't look like a mermaid, so I'll keep trying to be brave, and try not to disappoint the locals too much. I do enjoy (and I'm not just faking it) the more regular flat looking, shell-less fishies. Tasty.
Today we climbed a mountain with Rachel's dad. Her parents are a lot of fun, despite the significant language barrier. They are kind, generous and quick to laugh.
This evening Rachel and I were spoiled at the Beauty Salon. Ahhhh. Foot massage. Back massage. Hand massage. Head massage. Facial. You get the picture!!!! And now you understand why I'm back in China, right?!! Ha, ha. Come for a visit and I'll share the experience with you!
Tomorrow I'm joining in the wedding celebration for Rachel's cousin. It will be a neat experience. Rachel and I are singing a song- the beloved Chinese pop hit that translates "I Love You Like the Mouse Loves the Rice". :) I'll let you know when our first CD hits the shelves...BAH!
Well, it seems that I hit a bit of a wall come 6pm- though tonight I was able to work hard and make it through the whole beauty salon bit. Anyway, it's now 10pm and I'm ready for bed. I'm not yet feeling "just right" just yet, but I'll get there. More to come on another night.
Good night from the City by the Sea!

Talent Sharers

This is a shout out to my talented friend Cody Peterson, whom is credited with the new look to Hong Kong Harm. It's fun!!! Thanks for sharing your creative ways, Cody! And thanks to Paul Taylor, who is my HTML go-to guy. Thanks, guys!

The Amazing Chinese Race?

Hoofta- say that aloud with great emphasis okay?! I made it. It was a long trip. I've been up for about 26 hours now, so I'm not feeling so well. Very weary and the stomach is flip flopping and spinning around like those tea cups at Buffalo Days.
I made it to Beijing- though I didn't realize I was signing up for the Amazing Race when I decided to join the ratrace in that human swamp of an airport. I laughed when I later realized I was actually wearing the Amazing Race VBS t-shirt!!! It was meant to be. The three weighty suitcases were not helpful in manouevering through the gridlock. It ended up being me dashing like Don Narcisse down the concourse to Gate 31. But, I made it- and I was greeted in Qingdao by beautiful roses and more importantly, Rachel Hao and parents. It was really good to see her familiar face.
So, I'm here....and feeling overwhelmed with tiredness, and stickiness. I'm drenched. Literally soaked. Welcome to the new life of constant humidity!!! It was weird, and overwhelming too, in the plane surrounded by Chinese zipping around me and men and their newspapers and cel phones everywhere. I'm back!
Well, I must go to sleep- it's been a long time coming.

Farewell Canada

Pre-boarding for Beijing has now begun. Here we go- things have turned slightly Asian just passing through one passageway of the airport. I've joined the masses; I'm officially in the minority.
Thanks for being patient with me through the goodbyes- it was genuinely difficult, but I haven't taken a big deep breath for awhile, and I'm looking ahead to Rachel Hao and the Qingdao adventure. I love you guys so much- friends all over and oh, family- you are just so special. I'll talk to you on the other side of the sea. And Heather, please don't worry. I am not alone. :)
Gotta go!

Farewell Regina..in Random Style

Deep sigh.
Tired.
Relieved?
Packing is finished.
I forgot something for sure.
3 suitcases is 1 too many.
It's Hong Kong. They have everything in the world in Hong Kong.
Is it really July 28?
I love my friends.
Have you tried the new Caramilk McFlurry?
What did I forget?
I'll miss the sky.
I'll miss skim milk from Canadian cows. Oh, how I love skim milk.
Hong Kong seems far.
2 years will go fast...right?
I feel a lot of things all at once. All swirled into one tired feeling.
I forgot to say goodbye to Wilf. Goodbye Wilf. I'll miss your tennis expertise.
I can't remember what else I forgot.
My grandparents make me smile.
Tomorrow I get to squish Mareesa. She's so awesome.
Good thing I had help with the packing. Thanks Deb, thanks Sdawg!
I'm sorry that I didn't weed the garden, Mom.
I wonder what my classroom will be like.
I wonder who my students are.
I wonder if it will be harder to listen in Hong Kong. It seems loud and busy.
I mean really listen- to the spirit inside of me, to the people around me.
Goodbye Tim Horton's. I will miss you, Oh Blueberry Bran Muffin.
Goodbye wretched gas stations and wicked gas prices. I'll take the subway, thanks.
I wish girls played football in Hong Kong.
It's easy to worry.
I am excited.
But more tired than excited.
As good things are behind me, good things are ahead of me. So are good people.
I'll be back in Regina someday. This place is home.
Farewell.

Victory!

It was a fun weeekend- softball provincials in good ol' Moose Jaw. The heat was ferocious and I'm ready for a good night's rest after six games over the weekend. The ball was decent- though not quite like it has been in past years, it was still so great to be out there at the twobag. I love softball in a very serious way. It's all the heat and rain and dirt and yelling and chatter and sliding and cheers and rituals and pick off plays and double plays and squeeze plays and diving catches and oh, it's just all SO GOOD. It's clearly so much better than soccer. :)
The downers were that I pulled my quad so I didn't bat for the first two days, and nobody felt like hitting to second base this weekend, so I felt a shade unloved. A pity to get only two grounders in six games. Sheesh, what a rip-off!
It has been an unexpected gift to play ball this year, and a treat to meet and make new friends.
I have four days left in Regina. F-o-u-r. Four. Zoinks! Last football game tomorrow, last softball game on Tuesday, trip to Grandma's on Wednesday, farewells to friends, and goodbye to the Queen City on Thursday or Friday.
A few pics...

Provincial Champs!

Daina, Mandy, Me
The Original Three. We've been playing together since oh, 1995 or something. Lifers!

Retro

(1987)

I wouldn't mess with my big brothers if I were you.

The Density Factor

Need personal space?
According to Wikipedia, Hong Kong places 3rd in the world when it comes to population density. Try 6,407 people per square kilometer. HUH???!!! I must be reading these stats incorrectly...
And then there's Canada, which waddles along in 219th place, with 3 people per square kilometer. 3!
I hope my square kilometer has less people than the average. Like maybe 10. Ha ha!

The Power of the Paper Clip

Have you heard about the one red paper clip??? Ha!!! This guy from Montreal has made a number of trades, starting with a red paper clip and ending up with a house in Kipling, Saskatchewan!!! The Kipling Legend! Check out his blog- it's pretty humorous! Funny fella!
Hmmm- what could I get for my pink fly swatter?

Heather is Here

My sister came for the weekend. It's strange to have her come visit Regina, and I'm the only one here! We've had a great time. Yesterday we spent most of the day in Kennedy visiting Grandma and Grandpa, plus Natasha and Aaden (bonus- see the cute kid in the pic!). Grandma and Grandpa were in fine trim and we had a fun time together- Grandpa cracking jokes and Grandma chatting and telling stories. That's the best. Then on the way back we stopped to see Aunty Lois. She was feeling a bit glum, so we did our best to cheer her spirits by running the 100m wheelchair dash down Central Ave. in Kipling, with one of us pushing and the other sitting on her lap. We laughed and laughed and laughed. I thought it could be some kind of event at the home- every person in the home gets a pusher and a rider, and then we have a relay race around the block. How fun does that sound?!

This week I must get back into "P" mode. You know what that means. But it's okay, this time around I'm planning all sorts of fun things- like poetry units, studies on plants and oceans or Canada, or multiplying fractions. I'll give you the commenter of the year award if you can explain exactly what it really means to multiply a fraction.
16 days left in the land of space and sky...

The Sadbyes

Yesterday I returned to the patchwork prairies after a great week in Yellowknife. I said more goodbyes. I can't find much 'good' in the whole goodbye event. So I said some sadbyes. Sadbyes, sad Harmony. I had the leaving woes when I left two years ago for China, and I thought it might be easier this time. It is not. But I have decided that feeling sad is a blessed thing. If my heart felt flat and cold, it sure wouldn't say much about all of you folk, or myself. It is an amazing gift to feel a heavy burden of heartache because your life is running to overflow with people you love so much, and love you back. So I am thankfully sad, and so grateful that so many of you make leaving a very difficult thing to do.
Yesterday as I tearfully left Tim and Tara's house, Andrew smiled sweetly and said, "Aunty, look! There is a rainbow just for you!" I couldn't actually see a rainbow, but I saw more beauty in his caring heart than any rainbow could boast. Rainbows remind me of good promises- how thankful I am for the promises of God's love. There are no sadbyes when it comes to God and his people.
Perhaps the picture below summarizes the feelings of the heart today. To love and to be loved!

Roger is the man.

Roger Federer is the definition of cool. I have been up since 7am watching Wimbledon at the Ashby's. 7am is too early, but that's okay, because Roger really is something. He may even be worth the sacrificed sleep. You know what else is really nifty? The fact that Nic is going to make me some bacon and eggs right as we speak. Well, probably not, but here's a picture of Nic anyway. Yellowknife has had a strange effect on him.

Pizza Night and Other Delights of Yellowknife

Here I am in summery Yellowknife, where the sun never goes down. I want to play tennis right now just because I can (it's almost midnight), but everyone else has headed for bed so I'll just have to wait. It is so awesome to be on holidays. Sometimes when I stop and actually think about the fact that I don't have to plan or mark or do whatever, it just makes me squeal inside.
Elijah is a major Yellowknife delight. He is well worth any 24 hour drive. He likes to yell and scream a lot (especially when he eats). I like to yell back at him, then he yells louder and waves his arms like a crazy man. I love it. I am very impressed with his athletic notions. Such as: he's got a wicked left arm, so we're thinking he will probably be the next Big Unit. He's also quite adept with the long broomstick which could be compared to a bat, so he could be a hitting pitcher. Not to mention his stickhandling skills with the mini hockey sticks. We haven't worked on the basketball situation yet- I need to go and find him a basketball net so he can get started- his left hand will be a great benefit there as well. What's that? He hasn't even turned one yet??
Today we went to Cameron Falls and enjoyed a nice hike. It is a great spot in nature. Up here they've got this whole scraggly tree look going on, which if there were only one tree it would be pretty ugly, but altogether, it gives off a fine rugged appeal. Sparkly lakes, icy blue skies, and bugs galore.
Last night was Brianne's wedding shower. It was a great time and I was glad to be there as I'll miss the big party in September. :( Tonight was Pizza Night at the Ashby's, which features delicious pizza and friendly folks in abundance. There are many good friends here in Yellowknife, and I treasure the time to just hang out with my family. It is less than a month until I leave for China. I am very excited about it. But...when time in the homeland is ticking away, I start battling the sad waves. It is a challenging reality to live abroad and leave your family and your friends. My goodbyes for the year have already begun. Ah, it is hard on the heart. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming (Nemo if you're clued out)...but sometimes I am not a very good swimmer!
Anyway, I am very much enjoying the blessings of today this summer- being with friends and family. It is good. And I will post pictures soon!

Big Questions

I had some of my students give speeches in response to "If you could ask God one question, what would it be?" I found this one pretty interesting:
"I will ask God why I was born in this world; sometimes I am really confused about what the point of living in this world is. After I die, I will lose everything- family, friends, money and belongings. People always say that after death you will go to heaven. Then I have a question, why don't we just go to heaven without coming to this world? The reason I think is that God is fooling around with us. This is a show, the world is a huge stage, and God is hiding somewhere and watching us everyday. Why does God want to help people and save people when they are in trouble? It is because if someone who is not supposed to die yet dies, then the show will be messed up. Why did God send Jesus to save us? I think Jesus is just a sacrifice to make us believe that God is actually good for us so the show can go on. And why will we go to heaven after we die? It is probably a gift that God gives us for our hard work in the show throughout our entire life."
Big questions. Interesting paradigm!

Cowboys are soooo cool

My weekend was fantastic!
I went to the Ladies Trail Ride down in southern SK- the Elford homeland (where my great-grandparents had their homestead). There were about 70 ladies there- a wonderful mix of the old, the very young and everything in between, and a variety of faith backgrounds, too. It was great to hang out with some of my mentors, great to meet a lot of new people, and great to have time with two of my favorite gals- Kathy and Sarina Bell.
The scenery left me gawking on numerous occasions. On Saturday night I thought I might faint due to amazement- talk about a serious revelation in MAJESTY. The sky was a massive bowl of the clearest, most magnificent stars. There are no words, really. Mystery and magnificence...am I EVER going to miss our "land of living skies" when I move to Hong Kong. :(
I slept in a tent for what may have been the second time in my life. And I rode a real horse, not a merry-go-round horse...and I did not get bucked off, and I was not afraid after the first five minutes. It was probably because I had such great chaps and boots, thanks to Grandpa.
So pretty much I galloped through the rolling grassland hills into the golden sunset, my long hair flowing behind me, and the theme song from "The Man from Snowy River" drifting through the soundwaves around me. And I forgot to mention, my cowboy looking so tough and rugged, riding alongside me on his stallion. Haaaaaa haaaaa!!!!
In all seriousness though, I think cowboys, and cowgirls are thoroughly "cool". I was joyfully immersed in the cowboy culture. I didn't sleep very much, and I was really sticky and smelly by the time I got home, and my butt really hurt (riding a horse, while I did feel so genuinely rugged, does not feel very "natural"...yikes), but it was no doubt worth it.

The Three Wranglers- Kathy, Me and Sarina. I just want to be Terri Clark...

A picture from the archives- maybe this was the last time I really rode a horse.
1987, with Grandma McMillan.

Feeling confident for sure. Meet my Appaloosa? horse. His name is Feathers. I like brown horses better, but Feathers was a nice guy.

Ropin'...or something.

The Day We Smashed the Living Daylights Out of Sponge Bob

That's right, we attacked poor Sponge Bob Square Pants. He's always kind of annoyed me, anyway. Today, to celebrate the end of Math for the year, I set up a pinata for my Grade 9's and we heartily enjoyed smashing it to pieces. We're not as violent as I make us sound, but it was an all around great way to celebrate the last day of school! DID YOU HEAR THAT?!!!! The last day of school!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippeeee!!! Now just for final exams, marking and then tying up the odds and ends. I even packed a suitcase for Hong Kong tonight. It will beat me there by a little over a month, as one of my students here is taking it back with them in a few days.
June 21, 2006. A great day to pound a pinata! Here's the before, inbetween and after shots:

Coping

Thank you Lord for giving me friends to pass on strength when I need it most, for ushering peace into my heart in simple moments among the stress, for your voice spoken to me through your very good Book, and for football.

Gator Tough

Big game for the Gators tonight! Victory!

Heartshapers

This weekend was our church retreat out at Dallas Valley Ranch Camp. Dallas Valley is an amazing camp- soooo nice. Unfortunately it was rainy and windy this weekend, so we didn't get to enjoy the outdoors as much as we would have liked, but it was still really fun.
Highlights of the weekend:
-really good group discussions on the power and activity of God in our lives and in our church- awesome!
-good visits with friends
-being classically silly in a cabin full of girls- love you Tiff, Alicia, TK, Hao, Jilly, Melissa!
-the hot tub
-lots of laughter
-making new little friends, namely Ty Harvey- see pic, and loving the time with some ultra cute long time favorite kids- see pics!
-singing
-dancing (that's right, dancing) to Ellis' waltz tunes with Amy
-massage parties, my favorite...thanks Jilly!
-time spent with mentors, just "being" with people I love

Oh, Marcee!

Jaleesa and Ty!

Mattias!

Birthdays for Brothers

Today it is my brother Billy's birthday!! Happy Birthday Billy!
On Tuesday, it will be my brother Steve's birthday!!! Happy Birthday Steve!
Big brothers are big blessings! :)

June 10, 2003

The day they stole my hamstring and used it to hold my knee together.
I'm glad I'm not on that couch anymore.

Paintball Paradise

This afternoon we transformed into warriors. Marvelously muddy, drenched, dirty paintball freaks. It was so much fun- my first time playing paintball. I do have a couple trophy welts to show for my heroic efforts, but since I am such an elusive cat out there, I didn't take too many hits. Ha ha. We played through rain all afternoon. I say it added to the warlike effect. Epic.
And just for added entertainment, I sorta drove the 15 passenger van half into the ditch on the way home (free of charge). Yikes- muddy dirt roads can be troublesome!

Coldplay kick

I can't get enough of Coldplay these days...so good!!!

Andrew's new (old) favorite game.

Goal or no goal?! We're going upstairs, folks!

Big winner!!! First in 60m dash, 100m dash, and high jump. Third in "ball throw" and long jump. She's our next Jackie Joyner Kersey...:)

Andrew is crazy about hockey these days! (his new PJ's..he's hiding the "Female Hockey" part)

Back in action...

The sun has set...

I'm a proud Phoenix fan...even though we're finished for the year. That was a pretty impressive run for an undersized and fatigued unit of guys. If Phoenix isn't going to win it all, I hope Dallas does...

What a woman!

One of the most influential people in my life so far has been my softball coach. She's quite the woman! Today her ability to influence people was laid out perfectly for me again- this time from another perspective. Our team played the group of younger girls she's coaching this year. I don't think I've actually ever played against her before. And because she knows me, and most of the girls on our team, things don't work quite the same- the left fielder moves way in when I hit (ready for the bloopers!!!) and our pick-offs never work at first because she's standing right there.
Anyway, we still beat the little whipper snappers (I feel old at the ball diamond these days!), but it would have been a faster game if it hadn't been for Darlene's late appearance. The minute she showed up, they were a different team. It was like they finally saw possibility. The woman's energy, passion and pure belief in people impacts in such a powerful way. She's exploding with excitement when it comes to softball. If you see her in the coaches box, she's usually jumping up and down waving her arms and whooping it up for some reason or the other. Yeah, she is a lot of fun- life flows out of her pretty naturally it seems.
Her example of a coach and teacher is such an important one for me. When she coached me, I knew she absolutely believed in me, and that made all the difference. Why, if she believed in me, I could surely believe in myself! I would like to be that kind of believer in people, too.
Anyway- her impact on my life was realized again today. I had to smile as I walked by to overhear her post-game comments on "learning experiences and the value of the process rather than the product"- things I heard so many times as a player myself.
Tomorrow is another day of ball- we're 3-0 so far and we'll be in at least the semi-final. Should be fun!

Mosaic

Phillipino breakdancers Scottish bagpipes dreams of Greece if only I could go someday I will incredible Aboriginal hoopdancer world champion you know butter chicken beautiful Indian people especially the little ones did I mention butter chicken Chinese pastry and oh those bonsai trees just like Shiyan German bratwurst on a bun squishable little German girls just so cute selling pretzels on a stick.
I feel well traveled!

Recently

It has been awhile since my last post. It's a smokin' day on the prairies- I think we're at 30 degrees. I love it! Particulary in comparison to last weekend's frigid feel. I played ball all weekend in Moose Jaw. And as fun as softball is, it's not really all that enjoyable in the rain and cold. Sopping wet cleats and socks make you cold all over! A rough bout with a nasty cold didn't help the situation. But hey, we won the tournament and the big money, too!
This weekend will be the other extreme, and I don't mind too much. At least not yet. It's better for my squeaky knees when it's piping hot. We're at home in Regina playing in a tournament. It should be a good time- I'm really having fun with the new team I am on (the Regina Royals). It's a mix of a few girls I've been playing with all my life, a few I've been playing against all my life, and then a few new faces that have been fun to get to know.
I'm still playing football but the weather hasn't been very agreeable on our game days. Plus, football seems to have an adverse effect on my knee. It will get over it, but I must be really old because my knees aren't liking this three-sport spring/summer idea. I thought it was a good idea!
Now that I've updated the sports department...
I love having my family home. It feels really good to come home and see the kiddos playing outside with their friends, Dad working in the yard, Mom watching Dr. Phil. Then Mom makes supper; I like that part too. :)
It looks like June and July are going to dissolve quickly. Tournaments, retreats, and family vacation time. Before I know it, I'll be boarding my August 2 flight for China. Actually, that would be precisely 2 months from today. Yikes!!! I am excited, though it feels there is a lot of preparing (yes, it is my favorite word EVER) to do before I leave. But, I do like dreaming and planning for my Grade 5 classroom. Now we are down to 13 classroom days plus finals here at Western (not that I'm counting!).
Well, I conclude by happily proclaiming that it is FRIDAY AFTERNOON and it's hometime! Time for a frap, perhaps? Then a ball game, and a chance to drop in on a few of the pavillions at Mosaic. Sounds good to me! Happy weekend to you!