life's been good to me

mustaches are in.

2011-12-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

merry christmas! my family looks good with staches.

roadtrip to magic

2011-12-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

i've dreamed about the albuquerque balloon festival for years. it lived up to all of my dreams. i will own a hot air balloon someday---stay friends with me.

spring is officially my favorite

2011-06-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

these are two of the best places in the world....

central park and thanksgiving point gardens

cute, tiny people

2011-05-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

mrs lohemeier

2011-05-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

i am going to miss my sara mcconkie. she has been a better friend than i could ever ask for. this week was a tribute to her and her friendship and love. it all started with the bachelorette party that was, in charity's words, epic.

we couldn't send her off without hearing the broccoli song one more time.

i told sara that she was the most beautiful human being i have ever seen. i stand by that statement.

best friends/soulmates.

i can't get enough of this picture.

the cake. sara let me make it.

beautiful. she let me make the bouquet too.

eyres eating cake.

my two best girls.

i love you mr and mrs lohemeier.

an alternate universe

2011-05-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

coney island. i love it. there is a whole culture of it's own at coney island. it's sort of like stepping into the twilight zone. it has a sort of creepiness to it. there are rides going with nobody in them, pierced faced ticket takers, huge billboards and faded signs, empty concessions stands, and stray cats. i played my favorite carnival game and had to pull myself away after i couldn't knock over the 20lb milk bottles with a bean bag. dang those milk bottles.

in my easter bonnet

2011-05-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

i participated in american culture this easter with my best girls. in the 1870's, a spontaneous parade began on 5th avenue on easter. all the fancy ladies and men came out into the streets with their elaborate hats and sauntered down the avenue admiring each other's finery. it has continued every year since and this year i was a part of it!

kickn it for clay

2011-03-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

clay is my hero. he has cml leukemia and is kickn it's trash! he has the sweetest, kindest heart and loves people... and people love him. there are thousands of people praying for him. won't you pray for him too?

his brother, cole, shaved his head with clay and will be giving him his bone marrow this week.

clay is such a trooper and he has fun with all of his visitors. he even shoots the nurses with rubberbands and lazer pens and plays x box with all the techs. keep on kickn! kickn it for clay!

grand central station

2011-02-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

I love being part of this big community called New York City. I love traveling on a train from New Canaan, making transfers, and arriving at a beautiful apartment where people open the revolving doors for me and greet me. I love Grand Central Station. I think it is one of the most magical places I have ever been. The ceiling is robin's egg blue and covered with all the different constellations. There are chandeliers hanging from the edges of the ceiling and a big open area where people are walking to and fro to get to their disembarking trains. It is a mystery to me as to where they are going, but I know that there are hundreds of locations that these people will be scattered to in a matter of minutes. The subway is connected to this terminal and you can take a number of lines to different parts of the big city. I take the S line to Times Square and then hop on the 123 uptown to 72nd street. I am an uptown girl. People are transported in huge crowds underneath the ground all day everyday all year long. Public transportation is incredible. When I emerge from the ground, I am at 72nd street and life is bustling. Skyscrapers for miles, and millions of people living their own individual lives. So many lives! There are restaurants and shops lining all the streets, and no two restaurants are the same. They are all unique and have something wonderful to offer. How could anyone choose where to eat on the weekends? I walk four blocks up broadway to 76th and walk through the revolving doors. The doorman is there to push the door and welcome me. I grab my electronic key form the desk and head through the immaculate lobby and halls to the elevator, take it to the 6th floor, and walk down the long, tall hallway to 6f. When I leave the apartment, I pass by Clyde, the doorman, as he tells me how the weather is or to have a wonderful time out in the city. The second I step on the sidewalk, life is happening everywhere. The city gives me so much energy, and I get flurries of excitement to think that this is my city. I am a part of all this.

good year

2011-01-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

VIDEO--CLICK HERE---VIDEO

why can't the new year start without the ball dropping?

isn't it a curious tradition? i learned that the ball has been dropping in times square since the year 1907. the first ball was made out of iron and wood and adorned with one hundred 25-watt light bulbs. it was 5ft in diameter and weighed 700lbs. it was lowered by a rope as the clock ticked down.

the ball has dropped every year since then except for 1942 and 1943 during war when they dimmed out all the lights in new york city. the crowd still counted down and, at midnight, had a minute of silence. cool eh? the ball has evolved a bit, and continues to move into the future.

(i learned all this from the interweb)

so, i was there as the year turned. the whole world looks to times square to ring in the new year. who better to represent the US than kesha, in sparkly underpants, with transvestite backup dancers. she ended sitting on the shoulders of a drunk santa...classy.

nevertheless, i had an amazing time with my best girls and boy. we withstood the elements for 6 hours after shmoozing our way past barricades of cops. we couldn't have had a better spot.

happy. new. year.

big apple.

2010-12-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

here are a few things i love about new york. more to come...

i'm not sure what this building is called, but i can see it from my window . i love it.

central park is a magical place. i look forward to the day when i can say that i have explored every bit of that beautiflul park. there's a whole community of runners, dog walkers, bicycle riders, rickshaw drivers, hotdog sellers, and sight seers.

love these kids. they taught me all about modern art in the moma.

there are 36 bridges and arches in central park. i'm going to find them all.

it's not that far away...i'm huge.

sights when emerging from the ground.

cyndi and tom. that's a normal sized dog...i have tiny friends.

jackie. love her.

THE tree

christmas windows

new canaan, connecticut

2010-11-29T19:10:00.000-08:00

i am official. i even have a library card.

new canaan has the cutest little diner on main street. it's called new canaan diner.

i love this street, any time of day

that's not my house. but isn't it pretty?

that's my house. hidden by the tree. it's a huge tree...

i like this place

2010-11-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

new york

i have this goal...

2010-10-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

my never-ending goal is to visit every temple in the world. i love this goal because it takes me on wonderful adventures to beautiful places. there are currently 134 temples with 23 announced or under construction. with my previous visit of the ogden temple, i have now seen every temple in utah. other temples i've seen include hawaii, tonga, new zealand, tokyo, mesa, los angeles, oakland, washington dc, chicago, denver, las vegas, louisville, reno, boston, snowflake, nauvoo, manhattan, newport beach, and sacramento. i have some more traveling to do.

this one's for leesha

2010-10-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

leesha

life is still good!

2010-10-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

I tend to blog only when I am out of the country, as if my regular life is not that exciting. It is! I've made a new resolve to blog more about the great things in my life. For now though, Charity says it best....

click here: Adventures to San Francisco

Chengalpattu

2010-08-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

The kids have a program to create ownership for the things they do and receive at Rising Star Outreach. Everyday, they earn a star if they are obedient to their house mother and teachers, and if they complete the tasks that they were assigned to do. Once a week, the Star Store opens and they can purchase pencils, notebooks, toys, jumpropes, and if they save up enough stars, a trip to Chengalput with dinner included and 75rupies(about $1.50) to spend. Seventeen kids used their stars to purchase this trip and I was fortunate enough to be a chaperon. The children all dressed up in their nicest clothes, combed their hair beautifully, and powdered their faces. The girls wore all of their best jewelry and brought cute bags to hold their money in.

Chengalput is a crazy, crowded place, and I had my eyes wide open the whole time to make sure I didn't lose sight of any of them. These kids impress me more and more everyday. As I sat on the bus and asked them what they were going to buy, almost all of them told me that they were looking for gifts for their sisters and their mothers. I walked with one boy, Nagaraj, in search for a tub of icecream that he could take back to the hostel and share with all of his friends. He held my hand and pulled me through the crowd as they stared at us. It probably looked really unusual to see a tiny Indian boy tugging along a 6ft white girl. It was fun to see all the girls crowd into a jewelry shop and try on all the rings and earrings, giving each other advice on which piece to buy. At the end of the road, there was an icecream man with his cart. I splurged and bought them all a cone--the total was 2$. The boys insisted that I buy jasmine flowers to put in my hair from the women stringing them together on the street. The scariest part of the whole trip was crossing the street. Traffic is insane in India--buses, trucks, cars, rickshaws, motorbikes, bicycles, and cows all zoom past with no particular order. We all walked out into this mess and prayed that they would stop to let our precious children pass. My triumph came when they were all sitting on the bus again with their shopping treasures. We then went to a "fancy" restaurant for dinner and ate parotha and omelets on banana leaves. What a beautiful night on the town.

2010-07-27T04:40:00.001-07:00

These are the faces I look at everyday. I am blessed. One of my positions in India is the Sponsorship Director. My job is to get to know these little angels and help them communicate with their sponsors by writing letters, drawing pictures, sending emails and pictures, and helping them read the letters that their sponsors write to them. These kids LOVE their sponsors and know them by name. They remember stories that they told them through letters and know their faces from pictures that were sent. They all think that I know their sponsors because I come from the same country. I wish I did know all the wonderful people that support and love all the children that are a part of my heart. The future leaders of India are at this school. They are the only ones that can change the way people think about the leprosy afflicted. They will become doctors, and lawyers, and engineers, and teachers. They will be the ones lifting others out of poverty. They will be the ones that smile at everyone. They will be the ones that use their talents to make others better. These sponsors get to be a part of that. From across the world, they are connected to these amazing individuals and provide continual love and support that encourage the kids them to do more than anyone ever thought they could.
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have always imagined." Thoreau

crossing borders

2010-07-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Andhra Pradesh is the state just above Tamil Nadu, where we live. Rising Star Outreach works in the majority of the 48 colonies in Tamil Nadu, and has been working towards the goal of expanding into Andhra Pradesh for some time now. We finally did it! In 24 hours, we saw 200 leprosy afflicted people--washed their ulcers, bandaged them, tested for diabetes and hypertension, took their pictures for medical records, and held their hands.
We had a lot of complications getting to the first colony, and when we finally arrived, they had been waiting for us for hours. Their eyes, and ours, filled as we walked around and shook their finger-less hands. We set up our clinic and started working with them. They were so gracious and pinched our cheeks with love. I sat down next to a woman and she grabbed my hair and pulled it back into the most perfect bun with no hair tie, and put a fresh flower in it. India can be a really crazy place and can feel so far away from home, but the second we walked into the colony we felt comfortable and safe. These leprosy-affected people were so open and so loving. We did not speak each other's languages, but somehow we could communicate that we were the same. Our souls look the same.
The second colony we visited was in the middle of a slum. It was raining, so all the colony members were crowded in one room. That was the hardest part of all--we were all trying to work on the patients, but there was no room to move around. It took a lot of patience to work around each other so closely. This is where people's true colors shine. The volunteers held the hand of a man who had an ulcer on his foot so big that it needed to be amputated. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he begged Dr. Kumar to cut it off.
There are so many people with conditions like this. The ulcers come from accidents and overuse. Pain is such a blessing and acts as a force field for our bodies. If I walk for 10 miles, I am likely to get a blister on my foot and readjust my weight so that it doesn't get worse. Without pain, there is no signal that tells them to readjust their weight, so they literally walk their feet off. If they step on a nail, that nail is driven into their foot until the damage is critical. There is no way to tell how hot something is by touching it, so they receive intense burns from touching coals or fire with their hands. Rats will eat away at their hands and feet at night, but with no pain they don't wake up to shoo them away. The world is a predator for those who are afflicted with leprosy. The only thing that is worse than slowly losing control of their body is the rejection and segregation that they face from their communities, countrymen, and families.

Jumping Indians

2010-07-17T11:00:00.001-07:00

These are the jumping boys. As I was taking pictures of the kids on the playground, the boys playing on the tower started jumping through the air for effect. As soon as they saw how amazing they looked spread eagle, they had to have more. Each time, they would climb higher and higher up the tower to get the best jump. We were at this for half an hour. It never got old.

dedication celebration

2010-07-11T03:41:00.000-07:00

What and amazing day! Today was the culmination of months of work. The new portion of the school, the dining hall, and the cafeteria were all dedicated today. This is a BIG deal! We had a lot of visitors come out for this event including Becky Douglas (the founder), Amy Antonelli(the executive director), Marriot's finest, leaders of the community and the state of Tamil Nadu, Ron and Joyce Hansen (legends--managing directors), Padma Venkatramen, and the parents and families of all the children.

A little about Padma: she is the daughter of the former President of India and is of a very high caste, but you would not know that unless someone else told you that. She is an amazing woman, and has done so much for the leprosy affected in India. She has pulled thousands of people out of extreme poverty and misery by creating a program of microlending. The loans that they are given are required to be paid back in full, but there is no interest collected on them, and there is no time limit for repayment. She teaches the people in the colonies to be self-sufficient, and in turn, they develop a sense of confidence and purpose that brings happiness. She met Becky Douglas and teamed up with her to create the Rising Star Outreach school for the children who come from the leprosy colonies and face the same stigma of being cursed and worthless as their parents do.

There have been workers all over campus doing hard, manual labor getting everything ready for this day. The women haul tens of bricks on their heads in their beautiful sarees. They somehow keep them so clean and they look radiant the whole time they are working. They stayed up all last night working on the finishing touches of the landscaping, planting grass roots in a line by hand. It was an amazing sight to see--they work so hard. It is incredible to me to think about how intense their work is, and how little they get paid. This is a very good job in India, but they still only make 150 rupees a day for the men and 80 rupees a day for the women. This is the equivalent of $3 and $2. Nothing. We got to help with as much as we could. We laid a dirt track on the field by moving one dish of dirt at a time and spreading it evenly on the ground. We then pulled a huge, rolling stone by hand over the dirt to level it out. Yesterday, all the kids were out of school to decorate for the event. They put posts all around the campus, and tied rope from each post and glued thousands of tissue papers to the rope one by one. I was able to help the teachers make some of the decorations that were hung from the ropes. We sat in the mango grove on mats and folded palm leaves into amazing shapes. I loved sitting with these beautiful people that I can hardly communicate with, and making natural decorations that are more beautiful than anything that could be store bought. The whole campus is remarkable! It doesn't even look like the same place. There is a "pathway of hope" that was donated by David Archuletta's fans and has random words carved into the stones such as "david is love" or "dave the day". Kind of cheesy, but it raised a lot of money for the organization. The rumor is that he is going to come out to India soon for a visit, which is good because I think one of the girls here is planning on marrying him. She's a big fan.

The morning started with sweeping the road with a 2ft long broom(which was really just a bunch of sticks tied together). My back is paining. Then, we set up a hundreds of plastic chairs under the awning on the field and in the dining hall for the program for the parents and dignitaries to sit on. The girls have been practicing a dance for sometime and needed help getting their hair and makeup ready for the event. I braided their long, black, shiny hair and put makeup on their flawless faces. These girls are incredibly gorgeous. As I was walking back on the path, our driver came past, honked at me, and said that I needed to wear a saree.I wasn't planning on wearing one, but more and more Indian people kept telling me that I needed to wear one. So, I did. It is very difficult to put one of those things on. It is just one piece of fabric that wraps around your body perfectly. Our wonderful cleaning ladies helped me get dressed and giggled about how tall I am. I might be the tallest person in India. Sometimes I find people standing next to me just so that their friends can take a picture with the tall girl. Good thing I like being tall. I walked around and everyone that I saw gave me compliments on my beautiful saree and fresh jasmine flowers tied in my hair. The kids looked at me and gave me the super sign with their hands. Indian women don't wear perfume, they wear jasmine. It is heavenly. All the volunteers and women wore sarees and looked stunning.

The program was incredible. The first part took place on the beautiful track that we laid. Amy and Padma raised the flags that were tied up. When they got to the top of the pole, the flag opened and fresh flowers trickled out to the ground. The children were all lined up in different houses and marched, military style, to a steady drum beat. When they walked past the parents, Padma, and Amy, they all turned their head at the same time towards the people. Amy and Padma saluted them as they walked past. They sang "I am like a star shining brightly" and did a wooden dowel routine. The dignitaries then cut the ribbon on the school, volunteer house, and dining hall. In front of the dining hall, a holy man was doing a puja (a religious ceremony to bless the building), with fire and incense. The dining hall was adorned with fresh flowers, banners, and fabric trimming. Padma spoke, along with some other important people and children, and then the dance troupe did their traditional dancing. Their culture is so beautiful. They then danced to Michael Jackson's Black or White and pulled out some moves that none of their parents had ever seen. They were so great!

After the program came the good part. All the kids got to be with their families! They only get to see them once a month when they come on buses and trains from different parts to the Rising Star campus. They all go out into the mango grove and sit on mats and eat food that they brought, or eat food that was made by our cook, Padmini. The parents hold their children all day long and look through their hair for lice. They put them into special clothes, and put fresh flowers in their hair. This is such a beautiful thing to see, and there was so much love in the mango grove. The kids talk about parents day all the time, and are always looking forward to seeing their families. I walked around to the different families and met the parents of the children that I love so much. I felt honored to shake their leprosy affected hands and tell them that I loved their children. Almost all of them offered their food to me. They have so little, yet they would give it all away in an instant. Another lesson learned.

There were a few journalist their covering the event that will, hopefully, spread the word that leprosy is not a curse, and that the people and children are wonderful. This day was incredible, and I will always remember this amazing event that brought so many people together.

goodnight kisses

2010-07-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

Every night, I get to go into the different rooms of all the children living at the school. There are about 160 kids split up into 8 different families. Each family sleeps in pretty much the same room, and the youngest kids all sleep on mats right next to each other. I sit with them and read them stories and sing them songs as their eyes close and they fall asleep. It is so heartwarming to me to see the love that these sweet children have for each other. They are all here away from home, and they don't have their mothers to hold them or rock them to sleep. I watch them as they rub each other's backs and sing Tamil songs together. I look up to them and want to be more like them. Every single person that steps foot on this campus is immediately their friend and their family--no questions asked. They don't wait to find out if you are cool, or pretty, or popular. There is never any hesitation. Even when you are sweaty, they will give you kisses on both your cheeks, your forehead, chin, and nose, and tell you that they love you.

Taj on the 4th of July

2010-07-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

I didn't think it was possible, but the Taj Mahal was just as beautiful and awe-some as it was the first time...maybe even more. My eyes are not big enough to take in all the intricate details and stunning white marble. The story of the building is a great love story of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He built it as a mausoleum for his favorite wife when she died having his last child. It took 22 years and 20,000 laborers to build. It's a Wonder.

So, I saw this cute little Asian girl doing the sweetest pose in front of the Taj...

I copied her...

Streets of Old Delhi on a bicycle rickshaw.

The school kids in Delhi ride in these cages to school. It's so cute, and they keep all their tiny backpacks on the top. I think the cage protects them.

sweet dreams

2010-06-23T08:06:00.001-07:00

Tonight, as I sang the darling boys to sleep, I was reminded that life is good, and simple, and precious. Sleeping on mats on the concrete, they are happy and content. I have so much to learn from them. I am so blessed to be a part of their lives for this short while. They will always be a part of mine. There is a quote by CS Lewis that is becoming my favorite quote more and more everyday.

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and godessess, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw now, you would be strongly tempted to worship...There are no ordinary people,(there are no giftless people) you have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is to immortals who we joke with, work with, marry, snub, exploit."
CS Lewis

It is obvious to me that these children have an infinite potential. They are gods and godesses in the making. Now I just need to remember the people in my everyday life. Every person I will ever come in contact has this same potential.

things to smile about

2010-06-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

This is Christraj. See that gum in his mouth? It's mine. That little weasel stole it right out of my mouth. "aunty. boomer."

My most valuable possession in India: my watch. It was a Christmas gift from my mom from the kid's section at target. It has lizards that move around with every tick and the face glows when you push the button. The kids LOVE it.

This is Amirthram. She is beautiful like all the other children. I think she looks just like Halle Berry. Ya?

My dear friend McCall is here with her sister-in-law Bailey! I love them so much! McCall was my roommate for two years and is one of my favorite people. She makes me happy.

Bethel Nagar Colony

2010-06-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

This is Dr. Kumar. I admire him so much. He loves the people that he treats and is a humanitarian in his own country.

I fell in love with this girl. She had the most wonderful spirit. Although she looks very young, she is 18yrs old. She is has a mental disability and no parents to look after her. She spends her time with a sweet woman from the colony named Jennifer.

The Bindu Arts School. Instead of begging on the streets, these elderly people paint and sell their art to support themselves and each other.

The people at the leprosy colonies are bursting with light. They watch us with caution until we greet them and wave. They smile back at us with their heart melting smiles and make us feel as good, or better, than we make them feel. It is shocking to them that we would come from across the world to show them love and kindness when people in their own country don't even see them as human beings. They are cursed, they have to be. Look how ugly they are. I don't see them as ugly at all. They are some of the most beautiful people God created. Their souls shine through their bodies.

good things

2010-06-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

This is Kanmani. Mom is his sponsor. He loves her so much! Every time i see him he says "you mom, grandma nicki." I gave him a picture of mom and me and a letter that mom wrote with her hand traced on it. He shows it to all the kids.

The Hendershots are a family that live here in India as the managing directors of Rising Star. I admire them so much. This is Oaks. He loves all people.

Do you remember in elementary school when the photographers would come to the school and take pictures of you with your hobby? Usually it was a soccer ball or a violin... what about scissors? One of the women at the colony showed me pictures of her babies. This is the picture she is most proud of.

I love this view. Mariyambee gives me big hugs around my waist everyday.

These two girls are friends.

Brother and sister team.

I'm back

2010-06-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

As I landed in Mumbai, I sort of had a panic attack. I'm in India again. What am I thinking? I flew over on a buddy pass and they put me in business class. Pretty fancy, but mostly uncomfortable. Table clothes on the trays, glass individual bottles of jam, hot towels, individual retractable movie screens, fully reclining chairs, miles of leg room. I felt completely out of place and awkward to have people waiting on me so much. Next time, i'll fly economy. I guess I had a small taste of the caste system working. Somehow, the people in the front of the plane are better than the people in the back. Money. Money doesn't make a person respectable, a person's heart and countenance make them respectable. Right?
India. The journey here was too long. 46hours. "slept" in mumbai airport. When I finally made it to Chennai, I searched through the sea of Indian men holding signs with people's names on it. My flight was 2hrs delayed and I couldn't find my name. So, I went to the phones to try and figure something out. Just as I did, a man came up to me and said "rising star!" with a huge smile.
We drove three hours to the school out in the countryside and arrived to two American girls with braids cheering for me. Olivia and Boston. These girls are two of the five children of the directors and were my dear friends when I was here before. So many people from before are not here anymore: the Dennings, Tal and Anita, Tom, Ron and Joyce, and my dear Charity and Sara. But, so many people are here that I love. I sat with my feet elevated (they are huge from travel-swelling) and talked with Kristin about it all works. She is the sponsorship coordinator, and I will be taking over for her when she leaves on Sunday.
The best part of my day--I walked over to the children's to teach a painting class, and from the balconies and rooftops, the kids were yelling "dani auntie!" They remember me. My mom sponsor's a little boy called Canmany and he was shouting "grandma nicki. you mom. my sponsor!" I got lots of hugs and pinch kisses. Charity-i gave Vjlakshmi a pinch kiss for you. The kids asked where cherry was. Sara- Satya misses you. Gokulraj is still talking about Corduroy. "He lost his button," he told me. In my painting class, I taught the kids to paint butterflies. The boys ended up painting mickey mouse? "Auntie, one paper please!"
We ate dinner on the rooftops as the sun was setting on the rainy countryside and shared our high's and lows of the day. High:coming back to a place i love to people i love. Low: my feet are fat.
I brought my ukulele over and played happy birthday to Belle, they youngest of the wonderful Hendershots, while all the kids in the school sang and looked at this two year old girl with adoration. She rules the school. no question. All the kids ate cake and requested the mango song. They remember!
I'm back:)

NY/DC

2010-06-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Gallivanting around the east coast with my best girls

bear lake...blake

2010-06-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend. Bless it. I went to Bear Lake for a few days with some of my favorite people in this world. We had a blast.
http://vimeo.com/12206800

beautiful feet

2010-02-16T04:41:00.000-08:00

We visited a colony this week with Dr. Kumar to wash the feet of people who have been affected by leprosy. They hobbled into the open, Christian church with their specially made shoes that fit over their toe-less feet. One man made us his friend and waved his palms at us as he jabbered away in Tamil. He had been blind for twenty years and there was pretty much no hope for him, but they did a surgery anyway and he is now able to see. He has so much joy for having seen so much hardship in his life. I washed many feet, all of which had huge sores and ulcers on them. Luckily, none of them had any feeling in their feet due to the nerve damage from the leprosy. I was scrubbing pretty hard. Our once blind friend sat down and I unwrapped his feet. Fluid from his sores had seeped through the bandages and made them stick. As I unrapped, the most fowl smell I have ever smelled made my eyes water and my stomach ache. This man was so content and had so much love and kindness in his eyes. He kept motioning for me to scrub harder on his wounds. As i did, chunks of dead and rotted flesh came off into the water tub. When I take into consideration the problems of the world, all of a sudden, I feel ridiculous for ever complaining about anything. I can't imagine looking at these beautiful people and feeling anything but compassion and love for them. They have taught me an invaluable lesson that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

head lice...

2010-02-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

When you live with 170 other kids in a tight space, you share everything...pencils, books,clothes, and lice. I was always terrified of lice when I was in younger and immature. The school nurse would check each year and I couldn't think of anything worse than having critters on my head. Now that I've grown up, I have realized that lice isn't so bad. There are a lot of worse things to be had. The kids at Peery Matriculation School pretty much all have it, so this week has been filled with haircuts and lots of shampooing. The girls had a blast lathering up and running around naked. What a life. At any given time, Charity, Sara, and I are covered by at least ten children hanging from our arms, legs, and neck. There's no way we are getting out of this place lice-free. I think we have pretty much accepted this fact. Bring it on.

Yaa Bee Cee

2010-02-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

Every child in the school has learned the ABC's wrong, so I have made it a goal to have every child (and teacher) saying it properly before I leave. I don't know where it came from, but instead of saying A, E, F, M, N, L, S, X, and H, they say Yaa, Yee, Yef, Yem, Yen Yel, Yes, Yex, and Hach. I made hundreds of bracelets before I came, and am giving them to the students that can recite it perfectly. This means that I have swarms of children on me at all times screaming the abc's at me demanding a bracelet. I have started having dreams about being beaten by letters. I do feel, though, that we are getting great results. Once one of the kids gets it perfectly, the others go to them for help. They are so proud of their bracelets.
Also, something that I am now grateful for in America is lines. There is no concept of them here. We started an art project with the kids that was supposed to be painted butterflys, but turned into flying papers and paint all over bodies and screaming children. There was no waiting for turns with the paint. This is pretty much how all our activities turn out, bless their hearts.

Kolkata Chennai contrast

2010-02-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hell and Heaven. We flew into Kolkata, the second most populace city in India. It was insane. In the first few minutes of being there, we were scammed four times. Our taxi man dropped us in the heart of the city. I can't accurately discribe the scenes that we saw. Picture the most crowded place you have ever been and multiply that by a zillion. Cars are coming at you from every direction (there is no concept of lanes). THey are constantly honking. COnstantly. Bicycle rickshaws. Emaciated foot rickshaws. Men bathing in the gutters. People lying in the streets. People dying in the streets. People peeing in the streets. Flies. Smog. HONKING. It is almost suffocating to be there. We had a route planned out and a few tourist sights that we wanted to see, including mother Teresa's house. We decided to try and walk there using our map and by asking people. Everyone we asked told us different directions. We finally made it there through madness and it was closed. Next stop, British memorial in the park. We gave in to a bicycle rickshaw driver that had been following us. ALl three of us got on causing him to struggle a lot. Turns out he had no idea where he was going and let us off in the middle of nowhere and told us that it was just around the corner. When we finally found it, we sat on the stone steps for an hour just staring ahead. After working up some courage, we went back in, ate dinner, then went to our shady, airy hotel. Three of us slept on two beds pushed together with the dresser pushed against the door. We made it through the night to tell the tale.
We flew to Chennai and found a sign in the sea of Indian men that said Charity Eyre. Our driver drove us through bustling streets, through lush,green fields to Rising Star Outreach. There are a couple of buildings, and we pulled up to the place we will be staying for the next month. It is a dream. We have a room with beds, pillows, sheets, fans. It's bright and clean. Some of the best humanitarians in the world are here with their families. After a night in Kolkata feeling down and blue, this was heaven to come and see smiling, welcoming faces. They took us immediately over to the school and we met the little angels. They are children of leprosy victims that have come straight from the colonies. We will be helping them with their education so that they can become leaders in their country and make it a better place. We instantly loved them and they loved us. We played and played with them, and ate with them, and played some more. Their English is so cute. They all call us Auntie and bobble their heads at us. We ate dinner with our new family on the rooftops while the sun was setting. The sky was all sorts of beautiful colors and the food was amazing. After dinner, we went into the girls' dorms and helped them with their homework and they taught me Tamil words. I am going to like this place.

I once lived in Chiang Mai

2010-02-03T02:59:00.000-08:00

On our journey to India, we stopped in a magical place called Thailand. I lived here two summers ago teaching English and it felt like coming home. I had two of my good friends to show around which made everything new and exciting again. Our first stop was to the islands in the south. We went to a surreal place called Railay Beach near Phi Phi island. The beaches were white, the water was clear, limestone cliffs surrounded us, and lush green jungle encompassed us. It was a small piece of heaven. Rock climbers come from all over the world to climb these rock faces and live the backpacker life. We canoed through the jutting rocks in the ocean, climbed to the top of mountains, met a hunky Australian guy that didn't leave our side, and boat rides in the starlit night. We then flew to Chiang Mai, a piece of my heart. Everyting was almost exactly how i remembered it. I took Sara and CHarity to the top of the mountain on a scooter to the wat Doi Suthep, rode elephants in the jungle, bamboo rafted down the river, ate all kinds of amazing thai food including fish waffles, kaosoi, mango and sticky rice, tom kha gai, tropical fruits, banana waffles, etc, went to the saturday night market, and the glorious sunday market(best market in the world, and i know my markets), church in a ward with good old friends, school to visit my students, karaoke in an under the sea themed room, and cruised the town in a tuk tuk. This was arguably the best layover of all time.

INDIA

2010-01-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

I've never been to India... I think I'll go. I am headed off to India in less than a week to work with a humanitarian organization called Rising Star Outreach. They are an amazing new NGO that work with the leprosy afflicted in Chennai. There is a centuries old caste system in India that views people who contract leprosy as evil and cursed. Because of this, they are unable to get any treatment whatsoever from Indian hospitals and are treated like dirt wherever they go. Their only way of survival is begging on the streets--and the more disfigured and awful you look, the more money you will collect. Leprosy is a bacteria that attacks the nerves in cool places of the body--like the hands, feet, and face. The nerves die, and so does any sense of pain or feeling. These people have no idea that they are scalding their hands in the fires or that rats are eating off their fingers as they sleep. They just see the wounds and think that the leprosy has caused the blisters and the loss of limbs. When you and I walk for a long time, pain tells us that we are using certain parts of our feet too much, so we re-adjust and use other parts of our feet. These people don't get those pain signals, so they are literally walking their feet off. Our eyes become irritated when we don't blink, and it is extremely painful if we get a small speck of dust in them. Not people with leprosy though. They don't have the signals to tell them to blink so their eyes will dry out or become damaged by foreign objects not blinked out. The life of someone with leprosy is hard and trying, more so than mine that's for sure. These are things that make my problems seem so trivial, and I am embarrassed that I complain at all in my life. There are so many of my brothers and sisters in this world who are struggling to stay alive. I have been given so much, not because I deserve it by any means. I am no better than anyone. I believe that I have been given blessings so that I could help others. Heavenly Father gave me what gifts and talents that I have so that I could give them to others, not just for me. I am still trying to figure out my place in this world.

Life in Africa

2009-06-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Life in africa is amazing. Every single day is packed full of life changing experiences. It is kind of hard to take it all in. Why do we have so much when others have so little? I got a quote today. "Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it." I think that the only reason that we are given so much is so that we can help and uplift others. We are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. People are more important than any "thing".

We have been staying in a village and doing different service projects and visiting so many people who have nothing. They eat roots and beans that they grow themselves and gather dirty water so that they can boil it and drink it. Sanitation is very low, and clothing is scarce. Every child has tattered and torn clothes and no shoes. They run up and hold your hands and have the most beautiful bright white smiles. They have so much love to give. I think that we could give a little more love to everyone we see, no matter what the circumstances are. People have nothing, but they share the little that they have. We went to the village where the children all sang to us and we cleared some fields for them and their whole village showed up to recieve classes from some of the volunteers we were with... all on the spot. They made us a meal that we ate with our hands. The people here live to be about 44. They are extremely hard working and incredible.

Today, i went to a orphan babies home in kampala. I stayed and held the babies for a couple of hours. I fell in love with this baby called Cate who would not eat. She was 9 months old, but looked like a premie. She was skin and bones. I was determined to get her to eat, and she managed a half of a bottle. It broke my heart to know that she would probably not make it, and that there are millions of babies just like her who are affected by diseases and more who have no mothers or families. Makes me realize how much i love my family.

We have seen some wonderful and beautiful waterfalls and mountains, and have climbed through the rift valley. I ran a half marathon on the nile where hundreds of ugandans were along the sides of the road cheering me on and keeping me going. For the last 4 miles of the race, i had about 15 little boys running barefoot with me. They would look back and say "you must go faster or that one will catch up." Running a half marathon in africa is a good idea, but not a great idea. It was hot, and rough, but awesome!!

We are now coming on the second phase of the trip. The soccer girls come tomorrow morning and for two weeks, everything will be about them and their experiences. I think that it will be amazing. They are really fun and focused girls.

Best present ever!

2008-10-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, I got to share my birthday breakfast that Jill made for me (waffles and icecream) with my twin Daven! We had a great day together, then i drove home with my favorite person, my mom, and when I got home these handsome boys came to my door with balloons and sang me the Mango song! How wonderful!! Then we rode bikes to my favorite frozen yogurt place and I ate mangoes on mine. I have wonderful roommates and friends that I love so much and they left tokens of love in my room for me. Keri and Mike know how cold I get, and how i long for palm trees and sand, so the printed out huge tropical scenes and hung them all over my walls...just what i needed.

Nauvoo

2008-10-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

After a long time of no posts, I have decided to start up again. Mostly because of my granny Smith!
I took an impromptu trip to Nauvoo with Jill, and Trevor, and my twin Daven. He is the cutest baby in the whole world. I am serious. I met them in the airport in Des Moines, then we drove to Nauvoo through the prettiest countryside and along the Misipi. I really love the east side of America. It's beautiful! The city of Nauvoo was magical! Especially the new temple. I had an amazing time with the people that I love. The baby was my favorite part though.

Phuket

2008-08-08T06:20:00.001-07:00

malaysia

2008-08-08T06:06:00.001-07:00

Bali

2008-08-02T03:26:00.000-07:00

cambodia

2008-07-31T05:59:00.000-07:00

Oh Cambodia. I think this was my favorite place after Thailand. We flew into Siem Reap in the south of Cambodia. This is where the famous Angkor Wat is (on of the 7 wonders of the world). The first day we were there, me and two friends took a tuk tuk around the villages and the countryside of Cambodia. We stopped at markets and met so many wonderful people. The people are so good here, and so beautiful. A group of little kids picked us flowers and gave them to us and practiced their english with us. Cambodia has dusty roads, tons of vintage bicycles, like the kind that people pay lots of money for in the states. Tiny kids will ride huge bikes. Angkor Wat is an ancient temple complex built in the 1200s out of intricately carved stone. It is incredible! Wonderful even! Birds have dropped seeds on the tops of them and trees grew all over them. The biggest Wat has a massive stairway to heaven or Nirvana. A lot of it is damaged because of the wars with the French, Thai, Khmer Rouge, etc. We took a long bus ride through the simple villages to the capitol city Phnom Penh. Cambodia is a war-stricken country that has gone through a terrible genocide. Everyone in the country today has been directly affected by it. The Khmer Rough tortured and killed so many people and destroyed so much of the country. Everywhere we went we saw people with missing limbs, and NGO's set up to rebuild the country. We visited Tonle Sap which is the highschool that the Khmer Rough turned into a torture prison and killed hundreds of thousands of people. There were still bloodstains on the floors. Then we went to the killing fields where they would massacre people and leave the bodies. Every time it rains, teeth and bones and clothing come up from the soil. It was very sobering, but good to learn about how bad things can get with evil leaders.

Vietnam

2008-07-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

We flew into Hanoi from Laos. This country is so different! It has french architecture on all the tall skinny colorful buildings. People have shops on the bottom level of the buildings and housing on the top. When we got there, we ate at a really nice restaurant then went to a waterpuppet show. These are unique to Vietnam. Back in the day, the people would do waterpuppet shows out on the rice paddies for entertainment. They are big puppets on bamboo poles that are under the water so it looks like they are dancing on top. So cool! The music here is awesome too. It is high and whiny, and i got a really great instrument. In the morning we went to Ho CHi Minh's maussoleum. This man was and still is so loved by his country. His body is embalmed and preserved in the maussolleum behind glasss. When we walked through, there were guards everywhere with bayonettes and they would make sure that we didn't talk or fold our arms. It was kind of eerie, but kind of cool too. We flew down to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh city and went to sites from the American War fought in Vietnam. I didn't know that rubber grew on trees. It does and we saw the plantations. Then we went to the Cu Chi tunnels where a lot of the fighting took place. The vietcong fighters dug 200 km of tunnels. We crawled through some of the tiny tunnels and saw some of their ingenious booby traps. We also went to the war memorial museum. It is interesting to see how the war has changed the lives of the people who live here. Vietnam has a crazy amout of motorbikes! Like millions. THere is always a sea of them on every road, and they are swerving up onto the sidewalks and around objects, and they carry anything on them from cages of full grown pigs, to giant logs, to refrigerators. My favorite thing was to walk across the street into the motorbikes. I just walk out in a steady pace and bikes swerve around me and miss me by a couple of inches. I am invincible!

laos

2008-07-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful country. We took a slowboat down the Mekong river for two days and slept in a small village the first night that exists to provide lodging for boat travelers. In the morning, me and a couple girls went for a jog into real Laos and we saw some people fixing the road. Two small girls were hauling the dirt, so we stopped to help. I think the whole village came out to watch the white girls haul dirt. It was great. We stayed two days in Luang Prabang, a beautiful village on the mekong River. We visited a cave on the cliffs of the river that had over 1000 statues of Buddha. In the morning we went to the street and bought a basket of sticky rice to give alms to the monks. They walk down the streets every morning with their bowls, and people put in food, or other offerings. We would put a handful of rice in each monks bowl as he walked by. When you do it, you have to be on your knees lower than the monks. There were about 300 monks. This place is so picturesque. The monks walk around the streets holding umbrellas. Luang Prabang has beautiful torquoise waterfalls. We visited two, one with leeches that ate my ankle blood, and another with bathing elephants. At the Hmong village, there were babies strapped to babies.

Last day of school

2008-07-07T03:45:00.000-07:00

We had our last day of teaching at Baan Huuikiang Primary School. One of the saddest days ever! We made a CD for each student with pictures and songs on it, and hired an ice cream man to make as many icecream sandwiches (the real ones) as the kids wanted. The whole school gathered together in the morning and the students sang to us, "thank you ever so much" to the tune of happy birthday. Then every single student came up and gave us a rose, and gifts. I feel so undeserving! Then, we sang the mango song with the whole school. All day long we were showered with hugs and kisses and gifts and letters. Then at lunch, the cooks made our favorite food. I am so sad to leave this school. I love them so much!

eggy hotsprings

2008-06-24T23:10:00.001-07:00

Our teachers at the Elementary school took me and Brent to the Hot Springs on sunday. All the teachers came just for us. This place was beautiful, and so nice. There were warm rivers, and geisers, and beautiful gardens. It smells like eggs because of the sulfur, and if it smells like eggs, might as well eat eggs right? In some parts, the water is so hot that it is boiling. I bought a basket of eggs for 60 cents and hung them in the water for 15 minutes. Then we all ate them with soy sauce. This is a genious idea!

Asian babies

2008-06-15T06:30:00.001-07:00

I love the little kids I teach so much. They brighten my life so much! This week was the national teacher appreciation day for the teachers, and all the students gathered in the canteen. The teachers were seated on the stage, and there was a buddhist shrine, a Thai flag, and a picture of the king next to them. All the students came up one by one with a bunch of flowers and bowed to the shrine, and the flag, and the king, then to the teachers. We were invited to sit on the stage with the teachers, and all the students bowed with their hands and heads on the ground and gave us the flowers. They are taught to have so much respect for their religion, country, and elders from a very young age. It was an amazing experience, and made me feel a little uncomfortable. They gave us the microphone and we got to tell them thank you and how much we loved them. Then they started singing, "thank you ever so much" to the tune of happy birthday. I cried.

We had special ice cream sandwiches...real ones. White bread, ice cream scoops, jellies, and nuts....genious.

In the Jungle...

2008-06-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

We went on an amazing excursion through the Thailand jungle! We all hopped in the back of a pickup truck and rode a couple hours north and started hiking. We had a guide with us, and we hiked through the most amazing jungle and mountains! We hiked through about five different hill tribes and met the different people in them. They sold us some of the handicrafts that they had made. They are really primative, and so nice. The hills were covered in a patchwork quilt of different crops, and I did something i have always dreamed about doing... I hiked through a mango forest!! At the end of our first day of hiking, we met 6 elephants ready for us to ride them. Elephants are such a majestic animal. They are so big and so gentle, and i love them! I got to sit on the very front of the elephant, on it's neck, and ride it like a horse. They are so big that it doesn't even bother them. We rode the elephants into the hilltribe village where we slept for the night. They made us a big feast and a fire, and the children sang around the fire with their bright traditional hilltribe clothing. I brought my uke with me and sang to them. I think they liked it. Something that was super interesting was that there were two albino children in the village. They had all the Asian characteristics, but their skin and hair was white and they had light eyes. After milo and toast the next morning, we set off for some more hiking. When we reached the river, our guide made us some bamboo rafts, and we floated down. By the time we got out of the river, no one was really on the rafts anymore. Ralph (my professor) threw us all in.

A day in the life...

2008-06-03T01:28:00.000-07:00

This last sunday, we were invited to attend Longar at the Sihk Temple. I am so impressed by this faith. These people are so wonderful and so kind. They gave us beautiful headscarves to cover our heads, and we sat on the ground with them while they worshipped. Then we ate with them...indian food, it was wonderful, and vegetarian! No mysterious meats. Then they talked with us about their beliefs and their religion. Our professor, Ralph, finally got here, and he has a sweet bike. He let me ride on the back to the top of the mountain where we met the rest of the group for Banana waffles, and more of the temple. I was blessed by a buddist monk who threw water on me...so neat. There is a family in our ward that I have fallen in love with. Brother Dang drives us around on our excursions, and his family comes with. His wife, Thoi, is so sweet, and they have two sons, Ole, and Om. I like hanging out with them more than anybody. We went to the neatest place for dinner. They had a huge buffet of foods that you bring back to and grill and boil in the middle of your table.

BURMA

2008-05-29T00:56:00.000-07:00

We found out that it would cost less to leave the country than to renew our visas, so we made a visa run to Burma. If you have been keeping up with the news, you know that Burma is having a lot of troubles with the Cyclones that have killed thousands of people, and the military government. We crossed the border in the north where there are not so many problems, and we took some motorcycle cars around to see the different sites. There were like 6 motorcycles, and we rode around like some sort of posse. We saw some great Wats that were Mahayana Buddism which is a lot different than the Buddism in our area. They have flashing lights... The women and children wear mud on their faces, I am not sure why, it is either to keep bad spirits away, or it's sunscreen. We were supposed to go see the longneck women of the Padang hilltribe that wear brass rings to elongate thier necks, but they only do it for tourist purposes, and to make a profit, and it is very dangerous for their health, so we didn't want to go. Everywhere we went, women and children would follow us around with umbrellas, and tied up birds for us to free. We were only there for a short time, but we will get to go back next month! We drove through the beautiful, majestic mountains of thailand, and stopped at the mekong river and the Golden Triangle where the opium trade was most prominent at one point.

Doi Suthep

2008-05-20T23:16:00.001-07:00

To celebrate a huge Buddhist holiday, we hiked from the base of the mountain to a temple(wat) on the very top. There were thousands of people and monks walking and street vendors all the way up selling food and drinks. We started late at night, it was a 17km hike one way, and when we got to the top, we had to climb thousands of stairs to get to the wat. It was so crowded that it took us an hour for just the stairs. (there is a picture of the stairs a day before and the night of)Inside the wat, there were nuns and monks sleeping on the floors, and people worshipping with flowers and candles. The ancient story is that there was a sacred shrine placed on a white elephant and let loose and it brought it to the top of the mountain and then died. The shrine is still there and is covered in gold. It was amazing to be part of this amazing journey.

Chiang Mai

2008-05-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

The fruit in Thailand is wonderful! This was like a giant pineapple lollipop! The lady carved it so beautifully for me. Can't even tell you how good it was. It rains a lot in chiang mai, which is a really good thing! It is so super hot when it doesn't. When it rains, it rains a lot, but that doesn't stop the motorbikes. They hide under plastic bags and umbrellas or nothing at all. It is fun to sit in the back of the rot dangs and watch the daredevil cyclists. They all look like they are having a lot of fun too! Our dorm on campus is cozy, no hot water, but we don't need it.

More happenings...

2008-05-18T01:21:00.000-07:00

I've become an expert at Jaywalking, but it took a lot of practice. You just have to mosey your way on into the busy road full of speeding vehicles, and they weave their way around you or slow down. The trick is to not hesitate or change your walking speed at all. It is kind of magical.
We had an adventurous few days full of beautiful views and animals. We went on a night safari at this amazing place that had more animals than any zoo i have ever been to. We saw lions, all kinds of tigers, and bears, zebras, giraffes, elephants, wildabeasts, hyenas, crocodiles..... They were all pretty close to us too! They had a singing fountain with a lazer show that was better than Bellagio or Disneyland. We were pretty much the only ones there too, so we had the whole park to ourselves!
The next day, we went to get our visas renewed, but it turns out that it will be cheaper for us to make a visa run to Burma, so that's the plan. Then we hiked up a muddy jungly mountain to some amazing waterfalls.
We went to a butterfly farm, an orchid farm, a snake farm, a monkey farm, the queen's botanical garden's and a Buddhist temple on the very top of a mountain all in one day. At the snake farm, I kissed a poisonous python that they put around my neck. It was kind of creepy, and went against all my instincts. The monkeys were so cute and humanlike, but it was sad to see them with chains around their necks. They did all sorts of tricks like shoot hoops, ride bikes, and swim. The gardens were huge and beautiful, and the temple on the mountain is amazing! We are going to walk from the very base of the mountain all the way to the top (17km one way) with thousands of Buddhist worshippers.

Bangkok to Chiang Mai

2008-05-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

So we are finally in Chiang Mai! We were in Bangkok for a few days staying with Brighton's future inlaws,and we were pampered. Manicures, pedicures, massages, shopping, and fine dining. And super soft comfortable beds. Chiang Mai is new and exciting. It is the motorbike capital of the world. They are everywhere weaving in and out of cars and people. Last night we went to family home evening at a member's humble home and I ate snake! It's kind of spicy. I was the only girl that ate it, and they thought I was crazy, but they loved it. I am excited to explore more of this wonderful place!

I think I'm turning Japanese

2008-05-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

I am moving to Japan someday. I tried to take Daven with me, but Jill said no...Cmon Jill! Don't be so selfish! The people are so super nice. They went out of thier way to help the crazy tourist. Everything is so clean, but there are no garbages anywhere! Once we got here, we hit the subways and didn't stop till we were back at the airport. We saw so much of Tokyo, and ate wonderful foods. I ate tons of clear jelly cups filed with fruit. They do the jello thing right. And you can find noodle bars everywhere you go. We went to a couple of sushi bars where the chef stands in the middle and makes delicious plates of sushi and puts them on a conveyor belt that is moving around him. We sit around it and pull off the sushi that catches our eye. Then you pay according to plate color and how many you have. Japan is a lot more expensive than the states(I spent thousands and thousands of yen in two days), and the people are a lot friendlier and intelligent. The subways are filled with a sea of black suits and business men. We have a lot to learn from them. Tokyo is huge! We went to a place in Shibuya called Central Gai. That's where they film a lot of scenes from movies. It's like Las Vegas glitzy but not nearly as sleezy. They do have gambling though...but it looks more like super intense video games with loud techno music, dim lighting, and colorful flashing neon lights. They play with little metal balls that they collect in buckets. Amimae character advertisements are all over the city. Japan now has a special place in my heart.

Mexicali Rose

2008-04-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

I wish I were back in Mexico taking it easy on the beach....Ah...I can almost hear those mariachi bands.

I make cake

2008-02-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

So when Jill got married, I became obsessed with weddings and I told her that I was going to make her cake...she didn't have a choice. I never made one before. I bought cake books, and looked at cakes, and talked to people who made cakes. I guess you could say I am self taught. She had two receptions, so I made two full cakes. I started making cakes for close friends. Making a wedding cake is a stressful thing. It takes at least two days, and totals about 12 hours. The cake is a big part of the wedding, and the biggest moment for me is when I bring the cake and look at the face of the bride. That first look tells everything, and if she doesn't react well I am crushed!

February break

2008-02-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

"Do you even go to school?" That's the question I get lately. I only have classes on tuesdays and thursdays, and I went to Mexico for a week. I didn't have school on friday, sat, sun mon was presidents day, and therefore tuesday was monday classes, which i don't have school, wed, thursday I left for mexico and was there fri, sat, sun, mon, tue, wed, and got back thursday, then no school fri, sat, sun, mon, then tuesday is the first day of classes back. Crazy eh?