What's up?

Hey blog reading friends! A newsy update for you from the land of dumplings and slurpy noodles. It's a quiet Sunday morning, or at least we can pretend it is that way from my flat on the 32nd floor! The gentle roaring of traffic from below never lets up, so it all blends into the music of living in this city. That's when Steve Bell comes in handy!
First of all, have you heard the now one week old news about Michael?! That was officially the news of the year! I can't wait to see the little fella. I've got to find him something Jordanesque to wear!
The last two weeks have been the most slow-paced since I joined the teaching profession. That will change this week as basketball revs up again, but it has been nice to have time to watch movies, go to the gym freely, or go for a coffee at the mall. Speaking of movies, I watched one terrible and two very enjoyable ones in recent days. I wish I never would have seen Babel- my life was better before those 2 hours- and Cars I absolutely loved. And yes, the last scene moved me to tears. There were some great messages in that movie! Last night I went to The Holiday for a good fill of sweet romantic drama, by myself. Haaa! It was great.
A highlight from last weekend was going to watch one of my students play Little League. It was way too cute, and this experience also brought me to tears. My student hit the ball farther than I've ever seen a kid hit a ball. He cleared the fence by at least 50 yards! It was beautiful! And, it brought back some sweet, sweet memories of playing for the good ol' Buffaloes in Mosquito back in the day.
The highlight of this weekend (so far) was my first tennis lesson. First I watched Serena pummel Sharapova, and then I learned again how to hit a forehand. My friend Bob (Bob is the best) and I are taking the lessons together. It was a good time!
Anyway, I should get ready for church. It's not a three minute walk to get there anymore! It would be marvelous to see an email from you if you are reading this. I'm already really excited for the summer- I can't wait to see everyone again, and squish my nieces and nephews!

Thanks, One Year Later...

I just realized that I missed 25 comments because I had the moderation thing turned on. That was a year ago. A year ago I remembering, sheesh, does anyone ever read this thing?! Where is the love?! Ha ha. So thanks, one year late, for all of your comments and well wishes on my coming to HK!!

Memory Work

Every week my students take to mind, and hopefully to heart, a memory verse. Usually I correspond the memory verse to the topic of morning devotions. At the end of the week, each student comes up to my desk and recites the verse to me. This week they memorized a verse from what might be my favorite chapter in the Bible:
"Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John 15:4

The exercise is likely better for me than it is for them. Truth is spoken to me, 21 times, via the pretty cute voices of ten year olds. They are wondering if they got it all right; I'm ready to thank them for sharing such a great thought with me. The gift of scripture, 21 times over.
This whole vine thing is pretty inspiring to me. And it seems simple, but I'm a pretty stubborn branch, it seems. Hey, tree! I can handle this. Let me take care of growing the fruit- I've got this patience thing under control. Gentleness? Done! Self-control? I'll do it myself!! It seems to make sense to just try harder, and then I will become more faithful, more patient, more loving, more giving. But it doesn't really work. Perhaps for awhile, but I don't think trying hard usually ends up changing the heart.
John 15 says it pretty clearly- Jesus says the way to grow is to live in Him. He's the Way to becoming a fruit-bearer. Remain in Jesus. Stay with him.
Thanks for the reminder Grade 5...21 times over!

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

The Top of the World

I arrived in HK again last Sunday after flying first class from Kathmandu to Bangkok (that was awesome- I'll move up anytime!) and then wandering around the Bangkok airport on a 14 hour layover. The most interesting thing to do was play "Guess Where That Person is From Based On Their Shoes" and listen to the rowdies watch the Arsenal/Liverpool game.
The best part of this week was yesterday's overtime victory for my basketball team. A character builder, an intense game and a satisfying victory! I'm enjoying a slow paced Saturday and looking forward to being back at church in HK tomorrow.
I've been working on uploading pictures to Flickr, so if you feel like following the McMillan Family Amazing Race, you can check those out. I'm going to post a few of my last favorites from Nepal below. The last thing we did together before I left Nepal was take a mountain flight over the Himalayas. A nice way to finish up a fun holiday!

I'm pointing to Mt. Everest in the picture above...

The Tunes of 2006

My "Best of 2006" Playlist (too difficult to choose a real order!):
1. Let Me Be- Caedmon's Call
2. In Need- Ross King
3. Everything- Tim Hughes
4. Fix You- Coldplay
5. Coming Around Again- Simon Webbe
6. You Have Been So Good- Paul Baloche
7. The Hardest Part- Coldplay
8. My Old Friend- Tim McGraw
9. When I Get Where I'm Going- Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton
10. None But Jesus- United Live
11. Tomorrow is a Long Time- Nickel Creek
12. Fireflies- Amanda Falk
13. Subtle Shiver- Steve Bell
14. Road Song- Fernando Ortega
15. The Heart of Life- John Mayer
16. How Can I Keep From Singing- Chris Tomlin
17. The Easy Silence- Dixie Chicks
18. You Raise Me Up- Selah
19. Cannonball- Damien Rice
20. Mary- Patty Griffin

Best New Artists (in my collection):
Patty Griffin
Simon Webbe

Best Albums:
X and Y by Coldplay
Continuum by John Mayer
See the Morning by Chris Tomlin
A Greater Song by Paul Baloche

Best Song in the Gym:
You Win Again by the Bee Gees

Look what came in the mail!

Package from Little E, Little Z, T, and T....= Happy Harm!!!! Cookies (including ginger snaps!), icing and sprinkles to decorate, candy (mmm, NIBS and Reese's Pieces!), maple cookies, and goodies from one of my favorite companies- Crayola!!! Pure goodness!! Thanks SO much- you are awesome!!

Nameste from Nepal!

That means hello! Greetings to you from the frigid valley next door to the eastern Himalayas. Brrrr. We are in the capital- Kathmandu. It is a very colorful, interesting city. Tons of action!
The journey here was The Amazing Race- McMillan Family Style. It makes me tired thinking of it! Heavy fog in this part of the world led to a ton of flight delays and cancellations. We have endured our share! One cancelled flight from Aizawl led to a 6 hour drive by night via sumo (large jeep) through the mountains (I was so happy to be alive by the end of it!), an overnight stop in an Indian city named Silchar, a delayed flight to Kolkata, a sprint from the domestic to international airport (we thought we only had half hour inbetween arrival and departure), alas another delayed flight from Kolkata to Kathmandu. We won the Race; it was thrilling!
Flying into Kathmandu was amazing. I was looking for the Himalayas out the window. I was looking down. No sign of mountains. I glanced up for a moment- wow!!! At eye level, I saw a white strip of mountains, which seemed to be suspended in air. The clouds were below the mountains. Amazing! We are really hoping to take a mountain flight that takes you to visit Mount Everest and its friends in the Himalayas. However, we woke up early this morning, and again due to fog, the flight was canceled. Tomorrow I'll have one last shot at the flight, as I leave for Bangkok- Hong Kong later in the afternoon.
Yesterday we ventured into a place flooded with vendors, pigeons (eeew) and people. It was called Durbar Square- it has many, many ancient temples. It was very very interesting to wander through. I admit I almost slapped a boy trying to sell me a necklace. Talk about action- this place is crazy. It is quite similar to India, though has a slightly different feel to it. Old alleyways, shrines, shops, rickshaws, potholes, scooters, incense, hippies, and a cold blanket covering it all.
Mom, Autumn and I spent the rest of the day shopping. It was grand. The shopping here is divine, and oh so cheap!!! It is cheaper than India!
I am not sure what we will do today, but first on the list is to drink something warm and cozy. My fingers are going to freeze up, so farewell from the Himalayas!

New Years Pandemonium (Happy New Years!)

Last night I experienced New Year's Eve- Aizawl style. Firecrackers of all designs have been going off for the last few days- a POP! here or a ZAP! there or a whizzing sound finalized with a SMACK! has become an expected piece of the soundtrack here. Last night was the mother of all firework parties. Everyone was sending rockets, firecrackers, full out fireworks into the sky. Our house was being attacked on all sides. I ran into the house numerous times because I feared a speeding, fiery orange projectile was going to smack me on the side of the head. We were rained down on by a party above us, and soon attacked from below by our neighbours!! As he watched a rocket jet into the sky, he turns to me in this sneering voice and says, "Lovely, very lovely" (with an evil giggle). Meanwhile, his 4 year old is lighting a match and setting off a firecracker. The granny is trying to get her sparkler going...

It was truly a community celebration. You could hear laughter, singing, and at the break of midnight, hearty HA-LE-LU-JAH's!!
Andrew was squealing with delight. If this was not his finest moment, it came a couple hours earlier when we had our own firework show. For 4 CDN bucks, I bought about 45 minutes worth of fun- rockets, spinners and sparklers. What excitement!

When we tried to go to bed at 1AM, they were starting up a program on the loudspeaker just down the hill from us- singing, preaching, on and on and on. Gongshow!

Anyway, it was a memorable New Year's Eve. Enjoy your celebration wherever you are- bring on 2007!

Snaps!

I'm not attempting Flickr while using this turtlish internet connection. Here are a few recent pictures for you!

Andrew and our Christmas present from the neighbours! Dad butchered it and Mom and Becky plucked it. A few hours later we enjoyed it for a birthday supper meal! Tasty and fresh.

The Morning Veranda View.

Poinsettias growing just down the road.

Old friends Para and Mawia. They came for Dad's birthday. They are simply wonderful people, and funny!!!

Live from India

An update from Hong Kong Harm is overdue, now situated in Aizawl, India, Mizoram.
I have been here for four days now. I traveled safely to Kolkata and was hollered at by some foreign guy in the airport. The foreign guy turned out to be my Dad, who successfully surprised me by meeting me in Kolkata. We spent the night in Kolkata and I took in a quick blast of Kolkata craziness (smells, sounds, generally an overload to the senses, however, always intriguing, intense, and in short bouts- enjoyable). All things India were brought from memory to reality again- drooling cows, staring men, garbage galore, rickshaws and Ambassador yellow taxis with all kinds of flashy gods adorning the dash. This is Kolkata!
A one hour flight to Aizawl and a 90 minute taxi ride later, I found myself on Mom and Dad’s doorstep, smack in the middle of the magnificence of Mizoram. Magnificent for one, because it holds the treasure of family, and magnificent for two because of its wonderful scenery. Waking up after the first night reassured me of the wonders of this place. Looking out the window, I gazed upon a stretch of cotton ball clouds sitting in the valley. Mizoram itself is a gift.
Christmas Day was very nice. I am amazed at how my Mom can manage to essentially make everything here that she does at home. A Christmas dinner with all the fixings, including homemade buns and pumpkin pie. Awesome!
Unfortunately I’ve been slowed down by some kind of bug since Christmas night. I’m not sure what it is but I wish that it would tire of me and move along. I am happy to feel hunger at the moment as I haven’t felt that way for a couple days. It’s not a terrible flu or anything, but I know something is not quite as it should be. Anyway, today I did go to town and enjoyed taking in the life of Aizawl. It is fascinating to observe, watching all the busyness and the milling of people around town. Culture is wonderful. I wandered in and out of the many little shops that line the road, ventured down to the market and sat outside a shop to read a book.
Around the house, I’ve spent time with Autumn and her buddies (pics coming soon), as they have been enjoying new skateboards. Andrew is a pyromaniac and spends most of his time blowing things up. Oh, that sounds a bit dramatic. Basically he thoroughly enjoys firecrackers, sparklers and these little spitballs that blast when they touch ground. Nic will enjoy this freedom and share Andrew’s passion for this pastime, I’m sure. I have enjoyed many a hug from both A and A. They are great!
Tonight we are having a birthday supper for Becky (who helps my parents) and my Dad. Tomorrow is his big day! We will have a tea and enjoy the company of many of his friends from around Aizawl. Some of you will smile at the thought of seeing Para and Mawia. I’m excited to see them again tomorrow.
We will go back to Kolkata on Tuesday, stay a night and then fly to Kathmandu, Nepal on Wednesday. I fly back to HK, via Bangkok for a night, on Saturday. The holidays are flying by!
Anyway, this is a lengthy report and I’ll say goodbye for now. Love from India!

It's Go Time!

Well, I've been in China for almost five months now, and I've been teaching for four months in Hong Kong. It's time for a break! Ahhh, it's nice to take a rest from the go-go-go taste of life and trade it in for something fresh, fun, and family- filled! India fits that description, so here I go!
The bags are packed, the house is clean, my head is going to pop due to a bad headcold, and I'm very ready for bed. Tomorrow I fly to Kolkata via a stopover in Bangkok. I will stay the night in Kolkata (always interesting!) and take the one hour flight to beautiful Aizawl on Christmas Eve.
So, the next time I stop by the blog, I'll be in Mom and Dad's house in Aizawl, hanging out in the hills with Autumn and Andrew. How's that for a Christmas gift?!
Til India...

LUCKY WINNER!!!!

Oh yes, today I was the big winner at our staff party!!! Not only that, I looked....well, you can decide on your own what you think about that. People were amazed that what they saw was actually my real hair! For such a stylish display, my disco-grooving friend and I were given a consolation prize of...Dove soap. Maybe that's implying something. Hmmm. And then the most umm, interesting, and practical? gift I think I have ever received. Eight lucky teachers, myself being the last of them, had their names drawn to receive a complete physical examination from the insurance company. How did they know?! I was definitely asking Santa for a physical! Ha! Maybe that's implying something, too. Hmmm.

The Hong Kong Ballers

Here's a pic of my guy's basketball team. They are a great group to coach. We had a pizza party this week to celebrate the prophesy of the end of our losing streak. :) It was fun. Later we played a mini 3 on 3 tournament. Basketball is golden!

Smooth As Ever- Christmas Style

Sarah McLachlan's new festive release is wonderful. Check out Wintersong for a smooth and soothing brand of old and new Christmas favorites. You can listen to samples by following the Amazon link above. Her voice just makes me go "ahhhhhhh".....so good.

Me the Babysitter

Last night, I babysat my little buddy Hunter. Poor kid. You can see it all over his face- you're leaving me with HER?!
Actually, it worked out quite well. He slept for almost two hours, and when he woke up and got over the fact that he was stuck with the freaky babysitter, he was lovely and cheerful. In fact, we went downstairs to the Jingle Jungle playroom, which has a mini-Ruckers that Hunter very much enjoyed. He beat me at the Tennis arcade game. I'll get him next time!

Cold Weather Warning

I heard this on the news last night:
"The Hong Kong Observatory has put out its first cold weather warning, as the mercury dropped to 15 degrees for the first time this winter."
Brrrrr! Time to bring out the winter parka!

This makes me smile!

I've been loving this picture ever since Steve posted it on his site, along with other AWESOME pics taken by Bec. I couldn't resist adding a caption! Hope it makes you smile, too! I miss you, Aiden!

"A Speedo and a Moustache- A Great Combination"

These are the kind of ridiculous statements that come from Jeremy Olson. Even more outrageous is the fact that he wholeheartedly believes this statement to be true. And that's a pink speedo we're talking about, folks. Well maybe Jeremy is right, maybe I'm the only one who isn't a fan of the speedo...
"It is true, Harm. Just wait and see. Tomorrow".
They are looking forward to the attention from the European ladies in Macau on Saturday.
However, the other day they bought me a french press coffee maker, and Jonathan is presently baking monster cookies for my class...so I'm keeping them around for awhile yet.
This week has been good. Great, in fact. It will be odd to have an empty flat again in a few days. Lonely odd, I'm sure! They've been exploring Hong Kong on their own during the days and then in the evenings we've enjoyed various cultural cuisines. Monday we went for Thai, Tuesday was Turkish, Wednesday was Egyptian and today was Indian and Mexican. A kaleidoscope of flavors! I must say that Egyptian food is emerging as one of my favorite taste sensations.
In other news, my basketball gang played and did not win the other day. It was frustrating. However, they are a great group of guys and they have some good, but raw, athletic talent. They are a lot of fun and they have a lot of potential. I'm very much enjoying my time with them.
Tomorrow we are having a MONSTER SMARTIE PARTIE in my classroom. That's why Jon is making some high quality cookies. They are going to stop by for a visit. The kids are looking forward to it!
I think tomorrow night will call for good food and a good foot massage- a Friday night tradition.
So long from the 32nd floor!