A Day at the Park....A Slideshow

So...as you can tell, we got our internet hooked up. I had been writing blogs but never had the chance to post...so that is why there are 4 new posts...even Rob joined in on the fun. Our days have been filled with painting, cleaning, and hauling large pieces of luggage up stairways. (well Rob has been doing most of the hauling) By the time we come home we will probably look like Ken and Barbie from all this excercise....who needs a gym when you walk up 6 (really 7....b/c you start on floor 0) flights of stairs 6 or 7 times a day.

Now, to the point. We took a day off yesterday...it was the sabbath and all. We met with some people in the morning, had lunch at a Korean restaurant, then headed to the park for a day off. We have a huge, HUGE, HUGE park across the street form our apartment complex. Everyone has been telling us how great it is. And they were right. We will have to go at least 1o more times to see everything. Hudson had also been so excited to go to the park becuase that meant we were finally going to get to play with his football which was recently reinflated after being deflated for the journey over....which was quite the drama in itself.....Hudson had tears, all his footballs were flat, etc.... So, finally, he was so excited, he had been waiting for this day. Now to the slideshow.....

Hudsonisms

If you know Hudson at all you know that you can never be fully prepared for what might come out of his mouth. So the other day we are up in our new apartment painting. Alicia was gone somewhere and I was in one of the bedrooms painting. Hannah and Hudson were out in another room. I heard Hannah lovingly ask… as lovingly as an annoyed big sister can ask a little brother… to please quit bothering her. I called Hudson into the room I was painting. I questioned him, “Hudson, are you bothering your sister?” Without hesitation he answered matter-of-factly, “Yep”. As part of my fatherly duty I told him to stop bothering his sister. He seemed agreeable and turned to walk out of the room. As he left he thoughtfully remarked, “I sure wish bothering was in the 10 commandments.” I guess from the perspective of a little brother “bothering” seems like a God-given duty.
– Rob

Things I like about having my own car....which I don't have anymore

1. When it is raining, you don’t get wet….only your car does.
2. When it is raining your shoes don’t get filled with nasty water….only the tires do.
3. When it is hot outside you sit in your car with the A/C running.
4. When you have to carry paint cans the car does it for you while you drive home.
5. When you are in a car it doesn’t stop every few feet to let more people on or off.
6. When your kids are buckled in a car you don’t have to tell them to watch out for cars every time you cross a street.
7. When you have your own car you just drive….not having to figure out the place you will be going, how to say it, and how to communicate it to the person driving you around, then wondering whether or not you will actually get to the place you said you wanted to go, because you don’t know if you really said it right.
8. When you go to Wal-Mart you can buy for a week or more because you just put all the things in your trunk to be taken out and carried 20 steps into the kitchen…..Now I buy for a day or two knowing I will be carrying all my sacks all the way home and up 6 flights of stairs.

Adventures?

I can’t begin to express what it feels like to move somewhere without being able to communicate. We have some wonderful friends who have helped us not be completely lost in the world around us. One of the fun things we have been doing from the beginning is to venture out on our own. We have picked up a lot of language quickly….okay, not a lot, but the necessities. We are becoming quite efficient in getting around and doing things on our own. (with only a few calls to our friends to help translate) I will share a few of my adventures with you.

On Wednesday we signed the contract for our new apartment. YEA!! So, on Tuesday my friend took me to the paint store to buy paint so we could paint the whole place before we move in. We took a bus from where we are living, which is also the place our new apartment is located, and ended up at a great home improvement department store (no other way to describe it….kinda like Home Depot and Dillard’s all rolled in one) On the bottom floor were about 5 different paint stores to choose from. We found the one we were looking for and bought paint….they have free delivery which is good when living on the 6th floor. Wednesday we signed our contract and 2 hours later the paint was delivered. We got to work and started cleaning walls. Rob decided we needed to see about getting our internet service ASAP, so he sent me out to go to the phone company which is also where I would get DSL. I got in the taxi and told the driver to take me to the closest phone company office. (they are little shops all over town where you pay your bill and change your service….think AT&T stores) After driving what seemed like a long way, we end up at the corporate headquarters….big skyscraper…..of the phone company. (not where you go to get a phone number and DSL) I slowly walked into the lobby area and told the security guard there I wanted a new phone number and DSL….keep in mind this is all I know how to say. He says something to me and I repeat that I want a new phone number and DSL and then ask if this is the place. IT wasn’t. Finally a nice man who speaks less English than I speak this language, steps in to try and help. He tells me to come with him, and takes me around the block to the actual place to get phone numbers…YEA…..we go in and he tells the lady at the front to see if there is anyone who speaks English. Once again, no one really does. So….I tell the lady I want a new phone number and DSL….show her my new apartment contract and the old phone number…..more drama. Apparently our landlord’s phone number is a “special number” so we can’t add DSL to it, but we can get our own number and have DSL. (Great…I think that is what wanted in the first place.) We were having such a communication barrier; I called my friend and handed the phone to the lady helping me and apparently the biggest concern was if I was going to call America, it would really be a hassle to set that up. I assured them there would be no calling America, just set up the phone. Then comes….which DSL did I want. I told them, but they didn’t think I knew what I wanted….so they called my friend back…..and sure enough I wanted what I said I wanted in the first place. Crazy how that works. By this time I have been there for about 2 hours. It is after 6 pm, the place is closing and finally she starts drawing up my paper work. This took another half hour, but…..after much ado, and a nice man who left somewhere in all that process…..we had set up a new phone number and DSL which will hopefully be installed tomorrow!! Thankfully, I knew where I was in the city, there was a McD’s across the street, so I brought home dinner!

On Thursday, we decided we needed one more can of paint. So, Rob sent me out on another errand…once again, I have better language at this point, so off I went. I was headed back to the Home Depot Dillard’s. Feeling brave, I thought I would attempt the bus. I thought I knew which bus to get on, so I jumped on. 30 minutes later I realized I had chosen poorly. When finally I saw part of town I recognized, so I jumped off the bus at the next stop and called a friend to get the local name of the place I was going. Another 15 minute taxi ride and finally I arrived. I got more paint, no problem. Feeling brave again, and realizing the correct bus number I should’ve taken, I carried my larger than a gallon paint can and hopped on the bus. Two stops later…..the bus driver says “Everyone off”. We were at the end of the route. So me and my paint can hopped back off the bus. I walked down the street awhile looking for a taxi, and finally found one who took me quickly back home. It only took about 2 ½ hours.
Every day is an adventure. But….this is how you learn. Tonight, just the 4 of us ventured out to try a new restaurant. We were able to tell a taxi where we wanted to go, order food, pay, walk down the street and buy ice cream, go to Wal-Mart, and get home…..all by ourselves!!

House Hunting, Noodles, and a little Drama

We have been gone a week. A week has never drug on so long as the one I have just completed. We have been in our city for 3 days now. It is amazing how utterly helpless you can feel not being able to communicate fluently. We can say a few things, but within about 2 phrases we are finished. We have had some wonderful people around us helping us, taking care of us and making sure we are OK!!

Today was day 2 of “house hunting”. Yesterday, day 1, began with an apartment we really love. It is open, spacious, good size kitchen, bathrooms, and storage….all unheard of here. So, it has been downhill from there. Today we looked at a nice place that is currently an office building, with a little imagination, it was doable; except, that it was on the ninth floor overlooking a busy street with a balcony whose railing wasn’t high enough. Rob and I both had visions of Hudson and Hannah playing and someone tumbling right over that railing. So, that one was a negative. We looked and sweated most of the day, up and down stairs searching for the place we are supposed to live. We think we are going to begin talking to the landlord of the first place we looked!

For lunch today we went to Pizza Hut! Hooray! We were enjoying the people we were eating with and having good conversation, our pizza had just arrived when all of the sudden tears started rolling down Hudson’s face and Hannah had a strange look on her face. Then Hudson starts screaming. He had put his arm through the railing beside us and his arm was stuck. I tried to pull it out, but he screamed louder, Rob got up and went to the other side of the railing and started pushing while I pulled…..more screaming. High drama at pizza hut. The waitresses asked our friend if they should call the police. No need. I am quite certain at this point the people in this restaurant had never heard wailing like this before and they really didn’t know what to do. Finally, after what seemed like an hour…it was really only 2 minutes at the most, I slid the fatty part of Hudson’s arm around a little, and Rob pushed…and he was free. No bruises, not cuts, only a lesson learned. Don’t stick your hands through things…..or your head…..and whatever goes in can usually come out, just stay calm. So, after a little drama, we finished our stuffed crust meat supreme pizza. Arms intact.

Finally, as if one day couldn’t contain enough excitement, we struck out on our own for dinner. Not knowing where to go, or what we would be eating, we were armed with the name of the place we are staying and our trusty phrasebook. We had pretty much decided we just wanted some noodles for dinner. I know the words for fried noodles with meat, so I thought I might get us close. We found some places with restaurants, and I asked if they served the dish we wanted. They all pointed me to a place around the corner. So, we found it and went in. The waitress said yes, they did have fried noodles. When they brought our food out, it was noodle soup with some meat and veggies. Not exactly what I thought I was getting, but tasty all the same. We thanked her and began eating. Shortly the chef came out with his dinner (did I mention we were the only ones there) and began to talk to us and tried to put some spicy sauces on our noodles. We told him, no thank you, it was good like it was. After a while they came back, telling us to use our spoons for the soup not the utensils we were using. We nodded and they kept talking. We finished our noodle soup and paid. The chef and the waitress came back talking and talking to us, but I’m sorry I have no idea what they said, only that they abruptly went into the kitchen and fired up the cooker. We were about to leave, but I told Rob….I think they are making us something else. We decided to wait to see if it was for us or for someone else. (there was no one else in the place, and their dinner was still sitting on their table) Sure enough….out comes the noodles I originally thought I was ordering. He mixed in some spices and told us to eat. It was delicious. We ate, they smiled and watched. We were really full, but felt the need to eat what they had just brought. We finished about half of the plate and asked for a doggy bag. They were pleased for us to take the rest home. As we left, they wouldn’t accept any money for the extra dish they made us, only asked us to return and eat there again. We said we definitely would. We think we may frequent there often and hopefully they will become friends.

Whew! Time for bed….it has been quite a day. It is amazing how much work it can be just to go out, eat, find your way around, and try to communicate in another language. We are learning though!! Every day is a new adventure. I am sure there will be more tomorrow.

Whirlwind 2 days

I think we left OK just a few days ago....right?? Sunday? Today is Wednesday and in that time we have traveled 8000 miles, been to the Doctor, scheduled surgery, had surgery, vomitted in the taxi after being discharged (no worries mom had a bag..taxi driver had tissues), recovered from surgery, and it isn't even 5pm on Wednesday! (I think we even lost 12 hours in there somewhere thanks to jet lag....which we won't discuss)

Thankfully we have a Father who has guided us gracefully through each step of the way. In spite of being tired, not knowing which course of action to take, He has been so faithful to encourage and lead us through these last few days. Now we plan to arrive at our final desination tomorrow...only 2 days late. YEA!! More to come....

Leaving....kinda like snow skiing

Have you ever been snow skiing? I have, but am not very good, nor do I enjoy it. (Rob says I need to let him teach me....though he has tried) I heard someone use this analogy about leaving home and thought I would steal it because I really identified with it....especially yesterday.

When you take a ski lift to the top of a mountian in order to ski a double black diamond run, you have all you need to do it....skis, experience (or you'd stay on the bunny slopes with me) the right clothing, bindings, and other ski accessories. However, when you get to the top of the mountain and get off the lift, and look down.... you can't see the bottom or the obstacles that will present themselves as you ski down. You know it will be quite a ride and well worth it, but there is still something in the pit of your stomach that says "What in the world was I thinking getting off that lift?" While you are prepared there is still the choice to "go for it." All the training, experience and preparations mean nothing if the ski patrol has to ski you down because you changed your mind at the top. (Flashback to Misty Milam Thompson being carried down by ski patrol after Rob WWF's her off the ski lift)

So, yesterday, as our year long preparations and trainings came to a conclusion and we stood at the airport actually saying goodbye that feeling in the pit of your stomach that says "What in the world was I thinking?" was rearing its ugly head. But as we checked our 560 lbs of luggage plus 8 more carry on bags I remember all those who have taken off from the top of the mountain before us and even though I am sure they have questioned themselves at times, they didn't turn back. We have officially left the ski lift area and are heading down, how long or what obstacles are coming, I have no idea, but I know it will be the ride of our lives.

Now that the cheesy analogy is done, we did make it safely to our first destination. We enjoyed the sights today and took Hudson to his doctor appointment. Hudson is having a tube put back in his ear tomorrow morning. I guess we are getting "surgery in another country" out of the way of our lists of things to do while we are here. Hopefully we will be "home" by Saturday.