Three Down, One to Go

Contestants on Survivor are allowed to bring one “luxury” item with them. We probably brought more than one with us on our little adventure, but four of the best were the four Pillsbury FunFetti cake mixes, complete with icing that we brought for everyone’s birthday the first year. Today, just about 1-1/2 months into this journey, we consumed the third. Today we celebrated the last of our month full of birthdays; at long last it was Alicia’s birthday.

Today there was no cooking or cleaning of the kitchen for mom. I got up and made breakfast, we went out to lunch, and had a nice dinner at a tiny French restaurant run by a guy here from Paris. (I think he came here to find his wife, but that is another story.) We both still had language school the whole morning, but from what I can tell, it was a good day for both of us. After lunch we dropped in and did a little birthday shopping for mom at our favorite store in our new city. The Western Pantry is the main source for imported food items in town. Today for mom’s birthday… 2 cases of Diet Coke (this stuff is a little hard to find in our city and you can never get that many) a box of strawberry breakfast bars (think Nutri-Grain), and a box of mix to make blueberry muffins. What more can a mom want for her birthday.

After dinner we came back to the house and had that wonderful Funfetti cake (made by me, Alicia didn’t have to make her own cake) with some great new friends of ours. Actually it’s pretty easy to get people over for your birthday when they hear you’ve got a genuine store-bought cake mix from the states instead of some crazy concoction thrown together with what can be found here. I guess we’ve got one more party that all our friends will be banging down the door to get into. For that one they’ll just have to wait a few months; for today though it’s all about an incredible wife and a great mom. Happy Birthday Alicia!

Hudson and I can NEVER go to VEGAS....

Short and simple. Hudson and I would lose a lot of money quickly if we ever took a trip to Vegas. Hannah would want to save it, Rob would be too wise, but Hudson and I love to live in the moment.

Sunday, after lunch at Pizza Hut, (and no we don't always go to pizza hut....we even made it a week and two days between visits this time) Hannah went home with a girlfriend and Rob went to help some other friends move.....so it was just me and Hudson. We decided to go spend a little time in the arcade at the mall above Pizza Hut and shoot hoops. So, we exchange about $5 into arcade coins (which got us way too many coins), and off we go. After several games of basketball, we decided to give our arms a rest and check out what else might be there. Lo and behold we found a game where you insert a coin, push a button and a ball drops from above, bounces around and whatever slot it lands in....you get that many tickets. I put a coin in and BAM I got 25 tickets, I was hooked. Hudson put a coin in and WOW he landed on 75 tickets. We were jumping up and down, screaming excitedly.....but there was still the 1oo ticket slot and the Jackpot slot. I don't really need to go on do I? We spent the rest of the coins on this game.

The sad part was when we had about 10 left, Hudson said I'll spend the last few on basketball, but let me do this a few more times. I said OK.....we got down to one coin, and I reminded him of basketball. But it was too late. Basketball needed 2 coins to play. Oh well, one more try for the jackpot......which we never won!

Hudson walked away with fake webkinz koala, and we had a good time jumping up and down and screaming in the arcade when we got close, but failed to win the jackpot. It will always be a fun memory.

And if in the future, if Hannah and Rob are ever gone, don't ever let Hudson and I decide to go to Vegas, Winstar, Riverwind, or anywhere else like that, you will have to come drag us out....flat broke.

Walking to School...

You know the old story about your parents having to walk to school up hill, both ways, in a blizzard. Well, today I had to walk to school. It is a 10 minute taxi ride or a 20 minute bus ride to get to our school. And there is a bus that goes from the gate of our apartment complex to a few feet from our school. We usually try to take the bus because it is so much cheaper than a taxi, however a taxi ride is still less than $2. So, this morning I was doing great on time, early in fact, so I knew it was going to be a bus day. (As opposed to yesterday, when I was running a little late so I made up 10 minutes by taking the taxi)

The bus I was waiting for, #33, was slow today. I had to wait about 10 minutes for it, which is very unusual. It finally arrived and I climbed . I positioned myself in the back of the bus, which is apparently the polite thing to do here, pulled out my language book to review on the bus, and began my trip. As we neared one of the major streets in the city, I noticed policemen standing about 1 foot apart from each other lining the streets, and the traffic getting extremely heavy. I had about 1o minutes before my class started, so I started to get a little concerned. My bus was supposed to make a left turn onto the major street, but instead it passed it, and I noticed the major street was completely shut down. I know my way around my area of the city, and this bus was veering off of its path and headed onto unknown streets. I quickly jumped off the bus and decided I would just have to walk for a while and catch another bus or taxi when I saw one.

I walked back to the major street and realized it was lined on both sides by policemen and soldiers. At this point I had to decide to whether or not to actually cross the police tape and go into whatever was going on. I decided to go ahead, after all this was the way to school. As I walked I noticed formations of people up ahead standing at attention and a big charter bus being escorted down the street. It was coming toward me and I was going to get a great view of whatever was going on.

As I got to where the action was taking place I realized what this was. You see, in about 2 weeks the highly publicized "TORCH" for the "BIG GAMES" that are being held in this country is coming through my city. We are extremely excited about this, because we LOVE the "BIG GAMES". Today was the practice, a walk-through if you will. The main road to the whole city was completely shut down at 8:30 this morning in order for the practice to take place....so much for rush hour. Because we have been anticipating the "TORCH's" arrival, we have been wondering where it would pass because we want to see it when it comes by, and now I know.



To conclude my story, I ended up having to walk an hour to school, because the roads were closed all the way to my school. The good news is, my tutor was also stuck in traffic. Someday I will be able to speak this language and can just ask someone what is happening.... I took a picture of the practice, because I am a foreigner and that is what foreigners do.

Eight Years Ago

It’s amazing all that can happen in eight years time. The world is a different place than it was May 18, 2000. In those days no one had even heard of Afghanistan or a guy named Osama something. Myspace and Facebook hadn’t even been dreamed up yet, and MP3 sounded like something from a Star Wars movie. We were just happy that civilization was still going on after something called Y2K while drinking our year’s supply of bottled water. Our family’s life has changed dramatically too. Waistlines and hairlines have constantly been moving. The waistline seems to come and go; the hairline seems to just go. We have been in three homes, three jobs, countless vehicles (thanks RCM), and now live half-a-world away from all we ever knew. But for us the world changed forever eight years ago because of a little guy we decided to name Hudson. And he has changed sooooo much in those eight years.


When you talk about eight years it seems like a really long time. Yet it seems like only a moment ago when I held him in my arms for the first time and he fit between my bent elbow and the end of my hand. While walking through our complex today, with Hudson running ahead, Alicia and I both commented in amazement that our little boy is eight. If you know anything about Hudson, you know that he is completely passionate about whatever he happens to be into. In eight years he has gone from Blues Clues to Veggie Tales to Super Heroes to Star Wars to Basketball, Ps2, and all things OU (as it should be). Less than a year ago he gave his heart to Jesus and really began to change. Since we left home in January he has begun to love to pray, read the scripture, and be used by God. He prays daily for his friends and family and for the people he sees around him every day in our new world. He really wants to follow Jesus. He’s come so far in eight years. He makes me so immeasurably happy and proud, but this father can only wonder at all that his Father has planned for the rest of his years.


Yesterday he had his first birthday party in this hemisphere. It was a big hit and he had a great time. Hudson has been desperate to get a basketball game going. We don’t have a hoop at our complex, but he had spied one out just down the street in the parking lot of a maternity hospital of all things; this place never ceases to amaze me. So we got several of his new friends together and went down to play ball for Hudson’s birthday. We had a great game and Hudson hit the big shot at the end of the game. (We’re not sure who won, but he still hit the big shot.) We then let Hudson choose where we would eat and invited everyone along. He chose his new favorite place; Shao Kao. Shao Kao can’t really be explained, it just has to be experienced. Rest assured all who come to visit us will join in the fun. We ended the night with singing and birthday cake at the “restaurant” surrounded by Asianese onlookers who were delighted and puzzled all at the same time. Hudson loved every minute of it and I honestly don’t think he would have enjoyed his birthday more if it had been anywhere else in the world.

ROB

The One-Trip Salad Bar

Have you ever pinched a penny? Are you a miser....trying to squeeze the most out of everything you have. Remember lunch at Mazzios in high school when you would buy one buffet....for the whole table? Allow me to introduce you to the CUCUMBER WALL!!!

In this country everyone makes a cucumber wall while at the salad bar. Why? because if you build your wall high enough you can fit double, triple, or quadruple what the normal small salad bowl holds, take it back to your table and have enough salad for the whole family, possibly for the week. Keep in mind....this cucumber wall takes a long time to make. In fact, the other night, there was a man at the salad bar when we arrived and sat down to finally eat his salad about the time we got up to leave. (that is a long time) A picture is worth a thousand words, so I will leave you with a few.

This is the man from our visit the other night while he was constructing his wall it was twice this size when he finished. Please note the tiny bowl at the bottom of the cucumber wall, then all of the veggies inside the wall!! Also check out the lady next to him...even she is making a cucumber wall! That special night there was even a Buddhist monk constructing his own cucumber creation.

In the land from which we hail, the wait staff would certainly frown on such activity, but not here in this strange new land....the wait staff will actually help you build your wall and if necessary help you ever so carefully back to the table with your leaning tower of greens. The one thing they will not do is give you another bowl or another trip to the salad bar.

We had to ask the waiter to take a picture and email it to us since we didn't have a camera. He kindly obliged and also sent us a pic of the best cucumber wall EVER made!! Can you imagine if you did this at FURRS or the GOLDEN CORRAL?? Next time I go to Pizza Hut.....I am getting the one-trip salad bar and credit toward a structural engineering degree!!

Thoughts on learning a second language

Rob and I have now completed 3 days of language learning. Our brains are officially fried. When you are a baby and are learning to speak you sleep something like 15 hours of the day right? I now know why. These words swirling around you really make you tired. And they never go away. These sounds and words are everywhere....the TV, the sounds your neighbors above, below, and beside you make, when you go out of your house, go to a restaurant, Wal-Mart....EVERYWHERE. There is no pass/fail test at the end of the semester. Either you understand and contribute or you don't. Honestly, our mouths are very sore. There are certain sounds we don't make in English that must be learned here. We practice these and practice these. Whew!

At this point in our learning, Rob and I are studying together because we are just going through pronunciation lessons. Sometimes we just get tickled at the funny faces we are making when we speak and the sounds coming out of our mouths. The best is when one of us is struggling with a sound and our teacher keeps having us say it over and over.....but we can't tell if it is right or wrong. YIKES!! We have a great teacher and we really like her. Her husband will begin teaching Rob when we split up....hopefully next week. She said men and women are so different in their learning styles and speed. (women are faster and want to know as many words as possible while men use what they have) She said she and her husband teach differently as well.

I have to say a big THANK YOU!!! to my parents for all the musical training they gave me, to the music department at OBU for the sight singing and ear training class, the voice class, the diction class, and the countless hours of Dr. Clark's vocal training becase without all of this I would be totatlly lost learning this language! If I heard "place the sound at the front of your face" once I heard it a thousand times in college.....and now I am hearing it again, daily. I know what to do.....my husband....well, he was a telecom major. If he could make a video and edit it about this language......it would be awesome.

The positive is when you all come to visit us you will be amazed....shock and awed hopefully.....at our language abilities. Already, one month in we have learned and are using so much. The really funny part is that Hannah and Hudson are probably going to learn it as fast or faster than Rob and I who are in class every day. You see, while we are in class they are with our helper, who doesn't speak any English. They know as much as we do. We came home the other day and they had a board game out playing it with her. Amazing. Anything we say....they say.

By the way...pics of the new place are coming soon. Our couch is being recovered, and it should be finished in a day or so....then we will do the grand tour!

Happy Mother's Day

I just wanted to wish all the mothers.....and especially my mother, a Happy Mother's Day!! I have already had mine, and it was so fun. My family brought me a huge boquet of flowers last night, and we have enjoyed them all day.



I think I offended my mother when I didn't include her on the list of good cooks I know. So, let me clarify....my mom is a very good cook. In fact, she makes some of my favorite meals!! And, she can do so much more than cook. Tonight Rob was talking with the kids about what they liked most about me as a mom, and what they might learn from me that they could use when they are parents. I couldn't help but think of all the things I am today becasue of the example of my mom. So, thank you mom for investing in my life and in turn, hopefully I can invest the same things in my kids lives! I love you....Happy Mother's Day

By the way....I have the best Mother-in-Law there ever was as well. I am truly blessed! I love you too Donna!

Top 10

Everyone keeps asking us, "Are you SETTLED yet?" I have been wondering what "settled" really means and how do you know when you are. So today as I was thinking about this, I came up with a top 10 list of ways the O Fam is feeling "settled" this week.

10. We finally have real plates to eat on. My very own....not paper, not paper towels, not the tin bowls we had to use to eat pancakes out of....but real plates......10 plates, 8 cereal bowls, and 8 small plates.

9. We knew enough of the city and the bus system to take the city bus all day, paying a total of $1 for all 4 of us......compared to the $10 we would have paid in taxis.

8. We finally begin a routine next week....language study every day. YEA!!

7. Hannah had a tea party at our house with 2 friends today ....fun times.

6. The 2 karaoke systems that were hooked up in the living room and bedroom of our house have been stored, not displayed. The karaoke has been replaced with a PS2 in one room and slingbox hookups in the other room. We are waiting for our friends to come visit so we can pull out the wireless karaoke microphone.

5. We knew we were settled when we ran out of hot water this morning....meaning the gas was out. (We have a very large gas tank that hooks up in the kitchen providing gas for the range as well as hot water for the whole house) Of course we had just finished washing breakfast dishes and were about to get showers...so we took a quick cold one. I knew I was getting settled when I called the gas company and 1 hour later the gas man delivered a new bottle, hooked it up, and now we have gas again. (I was able to do all of this in another language!!)

4. Every night there are about 10-15 elderly women who walk together around our complex. I have seen them several times, but tonight when I said hello to them they all stopped and began chatting at me for quite a while....I have no idea what they were saying, but at least they no longer just stare as I walk by. Well.....they do stare, but now they are staring and talking!

3. I knew we were getting settled when we went out to our favorite drink stop last night and walked all the way home enjoying our neighborhood and saying hello to all who passed by.

2. This one is big....When we sold our bed in OKC., I was very sad. Rob and I loved that bed, it was sooooooo comfortable, and we knew how hard the beds were here. But now we know we are getting settled because our bed has become very comfortable to us and we sleep all through the night without our appendages falling asleep. *hooray for the egg crate purchased from Wal-Mart.

1. And the number one reason we know we are settled.........today we purchased all 7 seasons of The West Wing.....now we have everything we need to live here.

Happy Birthday ROB!!!

May 8th....the day Rob came into this world 34 years ago. I just want to take a second and say how thankful I am for my husband. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful partner in this life. He is such an example to me in so many things, mostly in his compassion and love for others, but in so many ways he helps me to be a better person. He is such a great father and husband I am overwhelmed at times. I wouldn't want to do all of this without him.

It has been a good day all day....and the cool thing, it is just now May 8th in the western world so it is a long birthday celebration, however we are going to bed now. Yesterday, both Rob and Hudson got haircuts which could have been disaster. However they both got a great haircut. YEA!! We started off the birthday with pancakes and syrup. And tonight we had friends over for tacos and cake. I think Rob feels celebrated....hopefully.

Let me now give a report of our new "electrifying" oven. If you wear rubber shoes in the kitchen, you don't get shocked. Also, we have discovered that other things in our kitchen, when plugged in, will also buzz you....especially if your hands are wet. Note: wear rubber shoes. The oven works well, it has successfully helped me to create a birthday cake, cinnamon toast, hot ham and cheese sandwiches, and apple crisp. Here is an aside....I am not a great cook, I am the one who always brings the paper plates or Wal-Mart cookies to a gathering. There are those I hold in high esteem in this area....Rachel, who I think can cook anything, anywhere, anytime and it is delicious....Autumn, who has her own cookbook......and Heather, who knows more about cooking than I could ever dream of......however, I am being forced into the cooking world, surprising my family to no end. Everything is cooked from scratch...no that is not scratch open the box, it is start with flour and water and see what you come up with. For the last week.....I have been successful, not Rachel Ray, but edible and tasty....we'll see what happens over the next months.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROB

Random thoughts on the day

I have nothing major to share, but I will list for you a few highlights of the last few days.

1. There is no Sonic here, but I have found 2 places I love to stop in for an afternoon cool down drink. You can get a fresh fruit smoothie or my personal favorite, coffee milk tea. YUM!! There really is nothing like rewarding yourself with a trip to one of the 20 stores (it is a chain) anywhere in this city.

2. We bought an oven!! Now I am thinking of all of the endless foods I can cook my family. It is a fairly good-sized oven, nowhere near what I am used to, but it will do. We got it home, plugged it in and Rob screamed. Apparently when it is plugged in and you touch the side of it, which is metal, it sends 220 volts of electricity through your body. So....we leave it unplugged unless we are cooking and had a very long talk with the kids. (don't worry, it will only take touching it once to learn never to do it again....however Rob did it twice tonight). So, for dinner I made nachos in my brand new oven!! And tomorrow for breakfast homemade biscuits.

3. Camera Moment. Yesterday, as Hannah and I rode in a taxi, we got stuck in traffic. I looked out of my window and next to me was a guy on a motorbike....with a slaughtered pig hanging across the back of his bike. It was sliced right in half and both halves were tied up behind the guy dangling almost to the ground. The picture would have been priceless....it really brings a whole new meaning to "hog mama".

4. We have finished painting our apartment, except for our room...which we will do in a few days. And we have unpacked all 12 suitcases and are now putting all of our things away. So now we have moved to the stage of refurnishing kitchen supplies, plates, cups, etc.... This brings me to our trip to Wal-Mart today. I think I have mentioned that whatever you buy....you carry home. For the first time in my life I didn't measure my Wal-Mart purchases by how much money I had to spend or how much I needed to buy....but how much could 4 people carry home....the oven was included in that purchase. Thankfully, we gauged it correctly and made it all the way home.....now Rob has gone back out for the other things we needed to buy.

Not much more to report....soon we will give a tour of our new home.