A Precious Gift

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/stacey_kramer_the_best_gift_i_ever_survived.html

I watched this with my Writing and Discussion Class this morning. There have been a few really good ones we have seen lately, but I could totally relate to everything she said because of when I had my operation. The only thing is my gift cost almost $100,000...guess that means it was that much more precious. :-) ...it's all perspective :-)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

d :-)

Got Here...Alive :-)

For the last 10 days I have been keenly watching the weather forecast so that I could start riding my motorcycle back and forth to work. Well last night I decided that today would be the day as weathernetwork.com gave me an hour by hour blow of what to expect...and rain or snow was not in the forecast. So this morning I rolled out of bed, threw my gear on, including a balaclava I got from Mark's Work WearWorld the other day. All the forums say that riding in cold temps a person has to be aware of frostbite more than anything. Other than this the next most important item I put on was a winter jacket someone gave me in Korea - 80% duck down, and best of all neon lime green yellow. I suspect that is why they were so keen to give it away. However, when you ride a motorcycle, glamorous styling comes second to visibility. :-/

Anyway, most everything went as expected. My teeth chattered a bit when I saw a logging truck come up behind me, but then when he saw I go the speed limit he passed so that was just fine with me. So now hopefully I can keep it up until next November when the snow comes again. I absolutely love riding. You smell everything as you pass, and see everything even moreso than driving because your eyes are darting around more. A friend of mine who is moving back here from China after several years was talking to me last week saying that he was REALLY worried about coming to North America because of the high price of fuel. He was saying he was wondering if people would think him and his wife are losers for riding their motorcycles everywhere. I told him that if you retain the same thinking as Asia and don't let other peoples' expectations get to you then you can keep riding your bike or scooter here no problem. I don't think him and his wife will have a problem with that. They seemed determined so that they can keep pioneering. And really, it totally helps with keeping ones cost of living reasonable. :-) I have been totally fortunate in my life to have great people in the congregations I have attended for the last 7 years. In California, when I arrived at the hall, I would just slip into the bathroom, slip off the gear and on with the dress and heels, throw the bag and helmet in the broom closet, and that was it. The brothers were TOTALLY supportive. For morning service they knew I would need two minutes in the bathroom to do my transformation so they always had their key ready for the hall even if the group was meeting outside. A few other brothers bought bikes after they saw mine and did the same thing. I guess everyone likes to save money. :-) Also, just great, great, people in the hall down there, (really miss them sometimes) but I am sure there will be the same type of brothers and sisters in this hall too. :-)

Well, I gotta run. I have attached a few pictures of my new place so everyone can see where to come and visit. Will be all fenced in so Harvey and Pearl have their own little yard. Totally feel taken care of by Jehovah God.

Love to all,
d :-)

Such a Fun Day!

Today we had Cultural Awareness Day. All the students created such a wonderful buffet of food from their countries. Each culture was given a classroom to setup to display their country. In the Korean classroom we took a screw driver and removed the legs from the tables so that everyone could eat sitting on the floor. Yesterday, since I have a vehicle, I took one of the Korean students to the Oriental Supermarket to buy things. We made such good time that I asked him after finishing if he was hungry...and thankfully he was :-)...so I took him for breakfast at the Specialty Bakery. Absolutely splendid! Anyway, today was just great too. All the students started cooking at 10:30 and had their dishes ready for 11:30. I was supposed to be heading up the Koreans, and we didn't know if anyone knew how to cook Korean pancake, which is all vegetables..and usually the grandmas and moms do all the cooking over there...so I found a video on youtube where a Korean lady walked us through every step of how to make it. Well her instructions were just perfect, because today all the students made it just right. But, I have to tell everyone...if for no other reason...I HAVE to take an eating holiday to Saudi Arabia. The salads, and platters of assorted foods those men put together were incredibly delicious. They made Arab coffee and desserts also. And some of them wore their thoubs too. It was really a great presentation. We had Mexico and Brazil and Japan and Switzerland represented also. The cheeses and chocolate from Switzerland were killer delicious. One of the Swiss students started off their presentation by telling us that his country cooks with tons of butter...immediately made me think that Dad was born in the wrong country. :-/ After finishing lunch we had a foozball tournament and then I headed home for the weekend. What a great way to end the week. So now I hope all of you will have a great weekend.

Love to all,
d :-)

ps. I am teaching the pronunciation program this semester and the group in the glasses are my students. The other pic of the student with her parents are from Mexico. She is from Hidalgo. When she returns home in May she has agreed to deliver a card to some friends of mine who speak English (I don't know who they are yet :-/, but by then hopefully I will). Now that she has learned English, hopefully they can help her learn the"pure language". :-)

Culture Day At The College

Tomorrow is culture day at the college. The school has been divided up into all the cultures and a teacher has been put in charge of each group. I was put in charge of Korea. Yeah! :-)

We have put together a slide show of Korea, and are making Korean pancake and choco pies for everyone. (A choco pie is basically a wagon wheel, but they are called choco pie in Korea).

Last night we were going over the details of our plan and the students were figuring out how we were going to make everything. They were very worried how we were going to do it without an oven...and I kept saying "don't worry I have a frying pan". Them: "We know, we know, but how can we make it hot???" I then explained to them that it was electric and all we have to do is plug it into the wall. They were amazed and excited, as I had forgotten that this isn't a usual thing in Korea. So now we have many chefs wanting to try it out. :-)

Okay, well after the cultural afternoon I will post some pics. I am very interested to see what the Saudi men all produce. They said they are "making a most delicious meal". I know that chicken and rice plays a big part in their meals, but I just don't know yet how it is prepared. After tomorrow I will though. :-) yum..yum...yum..

Everyone have a great day!

love, d :-)

Our Beautiful Snow Coming To An End Soon

Harvey and Pearl have had a hay-day this winter playing in the snow. I am so surprised at how well Pearl has done. I honestly thought she may be afraid of it. On the contrary, she actually loves playing in the stuff. I should have had my camera on my more often to take more pictures of them burrowing and jumping in the stuff. I on the other had have not been quite as agile, and taken three bad falls in the backyard. It is quite steep and no matter how one places their feet the snow has been as slick as oil. But once I shake myself back to reality I am okay so that means I guess it has been soft enough to prevent any damage. :-)

Okay, excellent day ahead, so must run. Hope everyone is having a great day in service.

love to all,
d

Duck Lake

Hey hi everyone :-)

I wanted to show everyone a pic of a great dog walking place here. I have been driving by it everyday and decided to look at it using Google Maps to see what trails are around it. Great dog walking trail right along the side of it so loaded Harvey, Pearl and Otto in the truck and took off to explore it. Pretty snowy and icy at the moment but we made our way along it for about a mile. Which means there and back will be good exercise! :-) It is just a small lake but very very pretty. The trail reminds me of the Houston trail in Fort Langley, just going through the reeds and fields. Anyway, I think we will be down there often.

Our Spanish congregation is taking off. We have had some growth and a few extra chairs had to be brought in last Sunday. An English brother and his wife that had served in Nicaragua gave the talk on Sunday. Really well done. Mine is still coming slow but sure and this week I will start going to the Spanish service group regularly.

A friend of mine in the hall here also got a clean bill of health concerning her cancer, so that is just excellent. She is young so she is excited now with what she can do with her life. There is no doubt a down side to sickness, but it is also a real clarifying experience too. As Warren Crowe used to say: everything in life is perspective and reaction.

And lastly, my student that I turned over to the brother in my congregation because he wanted a Bible study is doing great the brother says. So that is really great too. :-)

Well, I better run and get ready for work. Fabulous students and really good classes going on right now. A little nippy running to the truck these days though as it is minus 13 :-+ ..that is a symbol of my shriveled face in the cold wind. :-)

Love to all,
d :-)

A Really Wonderful Person

Today is Rochelle's funeral. Terry posted this pic and it is exactly the way I think of them. Rochelle always had such an infectious smile. It is hard to believe she is gone so young. Wanted to drive down but just got to nervous about the Pass with the snow. Anyway, can't wait to see her again in the future.

ALMOST Had a Good Hockey Game Last Night!

Being the Activities Director for the college too (besides teaching), means I get to arrange fun things to do. Last night Portland came here to play. About 20 of us showed up. Unfortunately, it seems most the rest of the city thought it would be a good game to see too, so there was standing room only left. Yikes! Standing for two or three hours. :-/ Nobody was quite into that. Anyway, hopefully there will be another Friday or Saturday game coming soon because it would be fun to do that. Next item on the hit list is arranging curling lessons for the students...and me. :-) Sounds kind of fun. I borrowed the movie "Men With Brooms" to give me a bit of an idea what to expect. I have to say after working at this college, and having so many Saudi students, which is much different from what I have had before, I think they are just great...not the best studiers :-/ ...but just very fun people to have around. Okay, everyone have a wonderful weekend! Love to all, d :-)

A Flip Culture

This week is the start of a new semester. Complete freshness. Just like outside. We’re having the biggest snowfall of the year so far and it is gorgeous. 15 inches in one day. I parked on the street by the college and actually got snowed in - some nice shovelers and a plowman though helped with getting me out. ...It is always exciting on these days to see the new faces when I walk into the classroom too. I think in the afternoons this semester I will be teaching Pronunciation and Reading as electives.

Someone asked me the other day, now that I have been back in Canada for a few months, what is the hardest adjustment? After thinking about this I have to say that it is connections with people. I used to hear brothers and sisters overseas and other expats say that after living in a flip culture (complete reverse of your own), going back and trying to connect with people is one of the hardest challenges. People are great in Canada, so that is not the problem. But I do know what they mean now. A person can’t help but change a lot when living in a completely different environment. In my case it started with living in a 10x10 apartment, and seeing all my friends do the same. You start to look at material items and what a person really needs, differently than before. A person spends a lot more time thinking about life, and developing their relationship even moreso with Jehovah…because really…when no one else in your area speaks English and your congregation members are not close by, He really does become your confidant. A person also gets used to a lot of peace in their life...not a lot of drama. And then seeing many friends in foreign lands live such simple lives. And then there are the lessons of values. You talk to someone who had their fingers ripped off by a cookie machine because the employer didn’t provide safety equipment, or someone else whose arm was sucked into a roller and broken badly. Or someone’s Bible study is taken to the emergency room because her fingers have turned blue because of no heat in their truck container home at –15 degrees. Or then there was the sister I worked with in service who told me she knows others don't understand why ones work overseas away from their families, but then told me they too wanted enough money to feed their children or take them to the hospital when they are sick. It's one of those 'walk a mile in another's shoes situations I guess. But all these things helped me put things into perspective and become more empathetic. It can’t help but alter the way a person starts looking at other’s lives and their own life. Breaks it down to what is really important.. …But these are the thoughts that I find one really can’t share with many others because ones may think you are being self-righteous, but that is not what is intended or what it is about. I know myself it has also just changed my perspective on how I look at things and react to situations permanently. Meeting these ones overseas and seeing their lives has reinforced what and who I really want in my life too. For instance, back here in Canada, I recently heard of a situation where there is a group of people planning a big event. I couldn’t believe how mean and awful they were treating each other. I really thought about this, and this is one of the things I react to differently now. At one time I would have just let those situations swirl around me, and even engage them if I had to, but now I just distance myself, because I can’t see having that stress around me anymore, or people who treat others badly. I know some people think it is okay because people are imperfect, so they tolerate it, but I just value my own peace of mind and happiness more now. Something else I have learned to appreciate is not having showy displays - even with gatherings, that’s okay for others, but now I think about ones who don’t have a lot, and the showy stuff really bothers me. I guess I have learned to be empathetic toward those with little. :-/ Reminds me of something I said to my mom last week, “my friends in the Philippines have very little, but when they send their pictures, EVERYONE in the picture has the biggest smiles on their faces”. :-) I am not perfect by any means, but I am glad I went away as it really did open my eyes and help me make changes within, so for others contemplating it, I do recommend it - - but just be ready for some changes within you probably didn’t expect either. :-) Anyway, regardless of the feeling a bit like the odd duck out at times… that is okay because good friends always accept you the way you are :-) …and likewise. And I do very much enjoy the company of spending time with my parents again. :-) …So there were great advantages and lessons learned from living abroad that are irreplaceable, but there are some great perks about being here too.

Anyway, I hope my thoughts are not garbled or offensive to anyone, I just tried to put them down the best I could on this subject. And sorry for the bad grammar moments as I was typing at the speed of light. :-)

Much love to everyone! And have a wonderful week!
D -)

Beautiful Weekend Here

Hey hi everyone, :-)

I thought I would show you a couple pics of the boardwalk here in Kelowna on an icy day. Very pretty scenery. As you can also see Harvey and Otto are walking on a splitter. This was their first day. The initial mile was a bit challenging but then they got onto it pretty good. I am babysitting Otto until April, and I like to walk them but three leashes going every which direction drives me crazy so the splitter is the perfect solution. Hope all you had a great weekend too!

d :-)