My Statistics

I was all sorts of excited for this post when I was on the plane! I know...because I'm a huge dork. So here are my statistics for this last trip.

Number of Countries Visited: 3
Number of Languages Spoken in These Countries: 100+
Number of People Who Asked Us About President Obama: 3


Their tag line was 'Want good food? YES WE CAN!' Oh, Philippines.

Number of new foods tried: 5
1. Longganisa (Philippine sausage)
2. Beef tapas
3. Pork tocino
4. Daing na bangus (salted and dried milkfish!)
5. Himalayan yak cheese (We went to a Nepalese restaurant)


Daing na bangus!

Number of arks built to biblical standards in the world: 1
Number of arks that I visited in Hong Kong: 1


The world's only biblically-sized ark! It is HUGE. I can totally see how Noah got all the animals in there.

Number of times I was patted down at an airport: 9

The Philippines are...some what dangerous? There were some kidnappings and...terrorist murders the week before we left. So before you could enter the airport, they patted you down. Then you went into security and they patted you down again. Then I was patted down in Vancouver before being allowed to get back on our plane to New York.

Number of movies watched on airplanes: 4
Number of TV shows watched on airplanes: 6
Number of hours it took to get to our resort in the Philippines: 12
Number of times I want to go back to Kalibo Airport: 0

Number of sea horses used in the medicine for my sister's boyfriend's father: 10+


Traditional Chinese medicine. There is a gecko on there, as well as shark's fins.

Woohoo!! Other side notes: my brother scuba dived in the path of a jellyfish and got a nasty rash all over his face, a woman we think was either mentally unstable or had Turrets (but there is reason to think that she didn't) swore at us in both English and Cantonese, I ate more food out of a toilet, we spent New Year's Eve in Macau at a Cirque de Soleil show, and realized how out of shape I'm getting.

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So how are you doing? I'm good, just tired. I've seen that everyone was posting, but I was unable to read them. I need to go back and do that.

Also, it appears that there is some MAJOR craziness going on in the life of my brother-in-law and he's taking it in stride, but he's SUPER stressed. Could you please pray for him? Also, if you could, visit Arise 2 Write, there's a prayer request there too.

欢迎光临香港

I'm A Planner...And I Could Always Use Your Help!!

It's been a good weekend! Lots of luncheons, both at church. One for the community and one for Reformation. Happy Reformation Sunday! And we also did Bread For The World Sunday, where we wrote letters to our senators and congressmen to help solve world hunger.

AND...

I'm allowed to have another luncheon to help Project O! And it's going to be on Valentine's Day!! So I'm super excited. It gives me plenty of time to plan. I know that I want to do a cupcake-cake.

Like this...



But probably not as nice. And varied colors. What do you think?! I'm all excited about it. My husband says I'm a planner. :-D

We also have our hotel room for Ethiopia!!! And I'm so excited for my trip to the Philippines/Hong Kong and then to South Africa/Ethiopia and THEN I have a friend who wants to do a trip to Kenya in 2011 so we can go here...



This is the Giraffe Manor!! I mean, we'll see if we'd be able to go, but how cool is that?!

How was your weekend? What are you up to?

Welcome Back!

Hi everyone,
Sorry I've been gone. I just got back from Hong Kong/South Korea yesterday afternoon and I haven't had time to get much done.

But it was a great trip! Met a business partner of my dad and the partner's wife. Actually SAW North Korea, though did not enter it. Crawled through a tunnel that the North Koreans built to march into South Korea. Ate TONS of Bulgogi and kimchi (even if my sister and mom hated it). Also, ever had Red Mango? The frozen yogurt? So started in South Korea! So we got that there too.

And it made me love Hong Kong even more!! I wasn't there long enough. Fortunately, we'll be in Hong Kong for about 10 days for Christmas, so I'll get to do all the favorites: Modern Toilet (the toilet diner, where you sit on toilets to eat and everything is shaped like urinals and such), Solo Mio (our favorite Italian), etc. I love HK!!!

I need to post some pictures. Hopefully I can do that tonight. How's your summer going?

Thankful Thursday

It's Thankful Thursday! I like these things. I need to do them more often.

1) I am thankful for my Toms!! Have you ever heard of Toms Shoes? For every pair you buy, they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. I need some new shoes (my old shoes smelled. My mom tried to make me get rid of them last time I visited and I refused. They couldn't be in the apartment, they smelled so bad).

2) My church family. We were just inducted as members of our church and I've made so many wonderful friends so quickly! It's a great community that holds the same beliefs I do and shows so, SO much love. I don't think I've been in a church with this much love before.

3) That we will have enough money for rent! NYC rent kills. Even in Harlem. So I'm just thankful we got it!

4) I am thankful that I'm going to California next week. I work for MTV and if you have teenage kids, you'll know that this Sunday is the Movie Awards. I will be working them. I start working Sunday evening at 5pm, work until 4am, then I have a hotel room in Times Square, then back to work at 9am and I may be working until midnight. But we'll see. Either way, California will be a welcome respite! I wish it were Hong Kong, but I have to wait for that.

5) It is my parents anniversary today! And, if he were still with us, it would be my Papa's 77th birthday. It made me really miss my family. I can't see them until August, but that's better then December (that would have been a year!)

My Papa LOVED my mom's food. Loved it. And if you knew my mom, you would know that she puts LITERALLY a pound of butter in everything she makes. I told my husband that I knew that my Papa would be eating the most buttery, heart-clogging thing at God's table. Steve said that, no matter what it was, it probably only had half as much butter as my mom uses.

Oh, oh!!! I have a 6.

6) That we got our new sponsor child!! I know this sounds weird, but for our anniversary, Steve sponsored another child. An 11-year-old boy from India and he looks so sweet in his picture!! I can't wait to send letters. :-D

Happiness, Silliness, and the Like

I like to bake. A lot. It makes Steve a little irritated because I make a TON of dirty dishes. But I can't help that. I made bagels the other day and it was great. Here's the next goal I have set for myself...

CINNAMON ROLLS!!!
I'm so excited to try them. I think I'm going to try them over Memorial Day.

So I found out that I am fo sho going to South Korea this summer! I am so excited. I know this is going to sound gross, but I'm thinking about trying dog's meat soup. If I can get my brother to do it, then I can go. Once he's in, at least I know that someone will go with me. I don't really need to wander around Seoul by myself.


My goal in life at the moment is spoiling my neice. Sure, her parents don't entirely want it, but I think it might be my job. So when we go, I'm thinking about getting some things for her.

This absolutely adorable dress is called a hanbok. They make them specially for certain occasions or just have them for everyday. This one looks like it'd be a first birthday special occassion one. As long as my sister-in-law doesn't mind, Lillian is freaking GETTING ONE.

That's my excitement so far. Silly excitement.

My happiness for today/this week is:
1) Steve is getting his bonus soon. Which is really nice so that we can pay some things off and such.
2) Though I'm not entirely excited about working Movie Awards, it'll be good to get some comp days, otherwise, I'm not going to be paid during all my time off.
3) I'm just feeling like God made this a beautiful day!! He is so freaking good to me for no reason and I'm trying to appreciate that in all the things I do and say and think.

How are you guys? How has your week been and all?