Okay, so I recently have been hanging out online at the site that Bret likes for music called Deezer. He generally finds all these sites online and at first I scoff at them and then eventually I give in and check it out and then I become a super advocate of it and find myself loving it. Deezer is a case in point. I LOVE this site and have been creating quite a creative Christmas play list. There are so many different versions of all the Christmas songs by so many various artists. I was totally laughing this morning cuz as I was browsing through the songs I came upon "It's Christmas at Ground Zero" by Weird Al and was laughing at all the memories this song brought back!
So it has been fun adding songs to my play list from artists ranging from Wham to Eartha Kitt to Barry Manilow to Manheim Steamroller! And of course I put Weird Al in there. There is a fun version of Frosty the snowman by an artist I have never heard of, but it is cute and very different from the version you hear on the radio. So fun!!! I will keep building my play as it really gets me in the Christmas spirit!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
A Modern Tower of Babel
I watched a show on Discovery Channel this last week on the Burj Dubai - which will be the world's tallest building and man-made structure on Earth when completed next year. Click the link to check it out on Wikipedia. It reminded me of the post on the Tower of Babel a little while ago. Dubai is really getting pretty cool. With the developments of The World and The Palm Islands along with this it sounds like a really cool place to visit.
On a separate note, in our Elder's Quorum meeting (after dropping mom and pops off at the airport express) we had a few General Authorities in our meeting like we often do. In fact, it was funny because one of the talks the teacher had to discuss was the talk "Do It Now" by Elder Hallstrom . The teacher joked that he had never given a lesson based on a talk with the person who gave the talk in the class (as Elder Hallstrom was in our class). Elder Hallstrom also spoke in Sacrament Meeting and gave an excellent talk. I was glad mom and pops got to attend the meeting and hear his talk. Anyway, in our meeting one of the other general authorities (whose name I can not recall) told an interesting fact. We were discussing Elder Oaks' talk "Good, Better, Best" and this man said that he had been in SLC during conference and had been able to see the teleprompter of Elder Oaks during the talk. He noticed that near the end of his talk Elder Oaks skipped a bunch of his talk and ended his talk. When the Ensign came out he noticed the talk was the same as in conference and had not included the skipped parts. With Elder Oaks in the region a couple of weeks ago, he asked Elder Oaks what was at the end of his talk. Elder Oaks mentioned that he considered adding the ending to the Ensign but left it out to be consistent with the audio and video conference. He had ended early to give President Hinckley more time for his talk. He said he was to end it something like this:
It is good for a man to be moral and try to follow Christ and if he does so he will be rewarded with a place in the Terrestrial Kingdom. It is better for a man to make covenants with God and live to be like Christ and he will be rewarded with a place in the Celestial Kingdom. It is BEST for a man to be sealed to his companion in the temple of God and that man will be rewarded with Eternal Life. This evening at dinner we spoke about this as a family. We always say in our family that "family" is most important. I added to that this bit of unspoken revelation that at an individual basis there is one high priority above all other. It is the "best" we can do. That is to marry in the temple of God. I thought this was a great ending to his talk and so thought I would share it with you. :-)
On a separate note, in our Elder's Quorum meeting (after dropping mom and pops off at the airport express) we had a few General Authorities in our meeting like we often do. In fact, it was funny because one of the talks the teacher had to discuss was the talk "Do It Now" by Elder Hallstrom . The teacher joked that he had never given a lesson based on a talk with the person who gave the talk in the class (as Elder Hallstrom was in our class). Elder Hallstrom also spoke in Sacrament Meeting and gave an excellent talk. I was glad mom and pops got to attend the meeting and hear his talk. Anyway, in our meeting one of the other general authorities (whose name I can not recall) told an interesting fact. We were discussing Elder Oaks' talk "Good, Better, Best" and this man said that he had been in SLC during conference and had been able to see the teleprompter of Elder Oaks during the talk. He noticed that near the end of his talk Elder Oaks skipped a bunch of his talk and ended his talk. When the Ensign came out he noticed the talk was the same as in conference and had not included the skipped parts. With Elder Oaks in the region a couple of weeks ago, he asked Elder Oaks what was at the end of his talk. Elder Oaks mentioned that he considered adding the ending to the Ensign but left it out to be consistent with the audio and video conference. He had ended early to give President Hinckley more time for his talk. He said he was to end it something like this:
It is good for a man to be moral and try to follow Christ and if he does so he will be rewarded with a place in the Terrestrial Kingdom. It is better for a man to make covenants with God and live to be like Christ and he will be rewarded with a place in the Celestial Kingdom. It is BEST for a man to be sealed to his companion in the temple of God and that man will be rewarded with Eternal Life. This evening at dinner we spoke about this as a family. We always say in our family that "family" is most important. I added to that this bit of unspoken revelation that at an individual basis there is one high priority above all other. It is the "best" we can do. That is to marry in the temple of God. I thought this was a great ending to his talk and so thought I would share it with you. :-)
Friday, November 23, 2007
Hong Kong hilites
We are having a marvelous time. everything is going well, and we have done such fun things every single day. we did nature things as well as city type things. we started out feeding turtles and fish, and walking along the beach. we went on a tram all the way up a steep incline to the highest point, Victoria Peak. we made it to the temple, Bret's work, and saw downtown. we got to see the fish, bird, jade, and flower markets. Here, they take a bunch of shops, like all their pet stores, and put them all in one area of like a few blocks or more. (picture china town) I don't understand why, because every shop basically sells the same thing. So, the fish markets were pet store after pet store, full of hundreds of fish tanks and fish in plastic bags, hoping someone will buy them. The bird shops were the same, amazing. Hundreds of birds, all kinds and colors, in little cages and boxes, even babies being fed by hand. Pretty cheap, too. and beautiful bird cages.
The flower stores were also amazing, full of all kinds of beautiful flowers, arrangements, plants, etc. Very inexpensive. Malik bought me gorgeous peach-colored roses. we bought Tev those sweet smelling lilies. Kathy would love the jade market. our guide told us that most of it was not real jade, and there was no way to tell which was which, but there was also tons of jewelry, all handmade, and very inexpensive and beautiful. I actually bought myself a necklace made of black lava stone, coral stone, and onxy. Big and bulky, not like me at all. I felt I wanted something different to remember Hong Kong by.
Tuesday we went to Disneyland. Tev blogged about it on her other blog. we enjoyed it a lot, being with the kids. Lots of adults were there, by themselves. Dad and I found this funny. We wouldn't see the fun in going there without being with the kids. Kathy would have liked it. Tom would have been bored the entire time.....
we also went on a ferry and saw the city by night and a cool light show, where many of the buildings flick lights on and off, all colors, and all different shapes; it was really pretty.
Bret and Tevia's apartment is great, comfortable and spacious. we love looking out their huge windows at the bay and boats. there are usually people swimming, and always huge boats coming in to the harbor.
We also love watching Enok walk and dance and smile. Malik and Jarek are always fun to be with.
so are Bret and Tev!
The flower stores were also amazing, full of all kinds of beautiful flowers, arrangements, plants, etc. Very inexpensive. Malik bought me gorgeous peach-colored roses. we bought Tev those sweet smelling lilies. Kathy would love the jade market. our guide told us that most of it was not real jade, and there was no way to tell which was which, but there was also tons of jewelry, all handmade, and very inexpensive and beautiful. I actually bought myself a necklace made of black lava stone, coral stone, and onxy. Big and bulky, not like me at all. I felt I wanted something different to remember Hong Kong by.
Tuesday we went to Disneyland. Tev blogged about it on her other blog. we enjoyed it a lot, being with the kids. Lots of adults were there, by themselves. Dad and I found this funny. We wouldn't see the fun in going there without being with the kids. Kathy would have liked it. Tom would have been bored the entire time.....
we also went on a ferry and saw the city by night and a cool light show, where many of the buildings flick lights on and off, all colors, and all different shapes; it was really pretty.
Bret and Tevia's apartment is great, comfortable and spacious. we love looking out their huge windows at the bay and boats. there are usually people swimming, and always huge boats coming in to the harbor.
We also love watching Enok walk and dance and smile. Malik and Jarek are always fun to be with.
so are Bret and Tev!
Friday, November 16, 2007
start of trip to Hong Kong
I guess it is easiest to document this trip on here for now. it started today at 2pm when daddy got home from work early, smiling and happy, and announced, "I'm on vacation!". We went and picked up a rental car, packed, talked to Bret and Tev, went over the details, and we are finally ready. Dad is watching a movie, and I am going to read. I don't think I will be able to sleep much, as I am excited and nervous. Kathy called to say goodbye. That was sweet. The house is clean, I feel very caught up, and David Cotter is staying here to watch Daisy and the house. Stacie and Jake will also be coming in and out during the week, as the Hettingers home is crowded for the holiday. Yikes. What have we done?! The chicken part of me is saying I wish we would have let Kathy and Risa go. I really don't know what I am scared of, but I want to see Bret, Tevia, and the boys enough to adventure across the sea. I want to thank Bret and Tevia ahead of time for this opportunity to grow and experience another part of the world.
Singapore - the rest of the trip
On Tuesday I started the day off early with a trip to the office on the MRT (subway). For lunch I went out with Calvin Chin who is one of the few people out here in Asia who has been with the company for a few years. I have known him for some time and find him to be great. We went to a local little joint and he suggested I order the Mee Goreng which in Malay means fried noodle (like chao mian in Mandarin - which is where we get Chow Mein). It was fantastic. It was very spicy (love that) and so good that I actually went back there by myself the next day for lunch for the same dish. At this place you actually pay for your meal before you eat which is also common at some of the food courts in Hong Kong.
That evening Cal promised to take me to see the "real" Singapore and to try some of their famous Chili Crab and Pepper Crab. So after work we took a taxi to a local place called "No Signboard" restaurant (the no "signboard" is a play that it really doesn't have a name). Here we tried the chili crab which is famous in Singapore. We actually had the chili lobster as the crab is very messy and we were dressed up and Cal didn't want us to get stains on our clothes. We also had an appetizer that was like deep-fried squid with a sweet sauce on them. They were tiny squid (about the size of a grasshopper) and were very crunchy. I loved them. The chili crab was also very spicy and fantastic. Cal also ordered the White Pepper Crab for our main dish and it was amazing. I absolutely loved it. It was quite messy as we had to break up the crab and fish out the meat, but the taste was spectacular. We ate all this with a yummy coconut where we sipped the coconut water out of the coconut.
The restaurant was in an the red light district of Singapore. Most tourists don't know much about this area nor even realize they have a red light district. This comes from the history of its place in military strategy as many military people came to Singapore for shore leave and would look for a good time. The government eventually took control of the situation and now the places are registered by the government and they try to keep control of the industry. In this area they also serve durian, which is known as the king of all fruits. It is also highly known as being "stinky" and tasting awful. I remember watching a show on the discovery channel where a guy goes around tasting "odd" things and when he tasted the durian (after nearly throwing up from the smell) he couldn't really finish it. At our office in Hong Kong - where they also have a milder durian - the people in the office won't even get around it let alone eat it. It is banned on all planes and many hotels. So when Cal suggested we try some durian I was excited. We found a little shop (that you could smell long before you could see it) and we picked out a durian. They were surprising expensive - which could also be due to the fact that they were out of season. It was about $10 USD for a medium sized one. Cal picked one which they opened. He touched the fleshy yellow interior and decided it wasn't ripe and asked for another. They took another and after touching this one Cal thought it was perfect. We then headed across the street where they have tables set up with stools and a garbage can to toss in the seeds. It was like a little durian cafe. And there were several people there already sharing their durians. By this time the smell no longer bothered me. I had been given many different adjectives to describe the taste, so I was ready for anything. I took one of the fleshy yellow pods and it felt like slimy mud. It was very slippery and messy. I took a bite and to me it tasted fairly mild and a little like custard. It certainly was a different taste. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I at my entire seed - or at least the flesh on the seed. I didn't try another one. Cal ate the other three or so. He loves durian. I can say that the taste lingered all night. Even the next morning I could taste it after having brushed my teeth a few times. That night my stomach was a little weaker than usual and rumbled somewhat. I'm not sure if this was from the durian or my lunch or from traveling, but my mind certainly attributed it to the durian since that was mostly what I could taste.
The rest of my trip went fairly normal with trips to clients and reading my book. Thursday afternoon I got on the 747 to go back to Hong Kong. I sat next to a fairly rude couple and tried to ignore them by reading and watching movies. I started Live Free or Die Hard but was unable to finish as we landed. It was actually really good and I look forward to finish watching it at some point. I got home very late and was happy to see Tevia. Once again I loved my visit to Singapore. I'm not sure it is a place I would ever go as a tourist, so I am even more grateful to have been able to go these two times. It is a unique place and has a great feeling about it.
That evening Cal promised to take me to see the "real" Singapore and to try some of their famous Chili Crab and Pepper Crab. So after work we took a taxi to a local place called "No Signboard" restaurant (the no "signboard" is a play that it really doesn't have a name). Here we tried the chili crab which is famous in Singapore. We actually had the chili lobster as the crab is very messy and we were dressed up and Cal didn't want us to get stains on our clothes. We also had an appetizer that was like deep-fried squid with a sweet sauce on them. They were tiny squid (about the size of a grasshopper) and were very crunchy. I loved them. The chili crab was also very spicy and fantastic. Cal also ordered the White Pepper Crab for our main dish and it was amazing. I absolutely loved it. It was quite messy as we had to break up the crab and fish out the meat, but the taste was spectacular. We ate all this with a yummy coconut where we sipped the coconut water out of the coconut.
The restaurant was in an the red light district of Singapore. Most tourists don't know much about this area nor even realize they have a red light district. This comes from the history of its place in military strategy as many military people came to Singapore for shore leave and would look for a good time. The government eventually took control of the situation and now the places are registered by the government and they try to keep control of the industry. In this area they also serve durian, which is known as the king of all fruits. It is also highly known as being "stinky" and tasting awful. I remember watching a show on the discovery channel where a guy goes around tasting "odd" things and when he tasted the durian (after nearly throwing up from the smell) he couldn't really finish it. At our office in Hong Kong - where they also have a milder durian - the people in the office won't even get around it let alone eat it. It is banned on all planes and many hotels. So when Cal suggested we try some durian I was excited. We found a little shop (that you could smell long before you could see it) and we picked out a durian. They were surprising expensive - which could also be due to the fact that they were out of season. It was about $10 USD for a medium sized one. Cal picked one which they opened. He touched the fleshy yellow interior and decided it wasn't ripe and asked for another. They took another and after touching this one Cal thought it was perfect. We then headed across the street where they have tables set up with stools and a garbage can to toss in the seeds. It was like a little durian cafe. And there were several people there already sharing their durians. By this time the smell no longer bothered me. I had been given many different adjectives to describe the taste, so I was ready for anything. I took one of the fleshy yellow pods and it felt like slimy mud. It was very slippery and messy. I took a bite and to me it tasted fairly mild and a little like custard. It certainly was a different taste. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I at my entire seed - or at least the flesh on the seed. I didn't try another one. Cal ate the other three or so. He loves durian. I can say that the taste lingered all night. Even the next morning I could taste it after having brushed my teeth a few times. That night my stomach was a little weaker than usual and rumbled somewhat. I'm not sure if this was from the durian or my lunch or from traveling, but my mind certainly attributed it to the durian since that was mostly what I could taste.
The rest of my trip went fairly normal with trips to clients and reading my book. Thursday afternoon I got on the 747 to go back to Hong Kong. I sat next to a fairly rude couple and tried to ignore them by reading and watching movies. I started Live Free or Die Hard but was unable to finish as we landed. It was actually really good and I look forward to finish watching it at some point. I got home very late and was happy to see Tevia. Once again I loved my visit to Singapore. I'm not sure it is a place I would ever go as a tourist, so I am even more grateful to have been able to go these two times. It is a unique place and has a great feeling about it.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Singapore - my return - day one
I arrived in Singapore on Monday afternoon (Nov 12). The first time I arrived in Singapore I was with Tevia and the boys and we were greeted by a brilliant sun and the beautiful landscape. This time it was overcast and grey. This downplayed the beauty of the drive to downtown, but I still found the place wonderful. I checked into the Suissotel The Stamford and went to my room on the 53rd floor. It overlooks the Singapore River and was a sight to see. I had a call and then afterwards set out to explore. My first stop was the Taco Bell we had found on our last night in Singapore. We hadn't gone in to eat, but I was craving some good ole american tacos so I walked down there. They had a limited menu with no beef options (I am guessing to please the Indian population). I ordered the gordita with chicken and sat down to eat. It was good - not as good as in the USA. The chicken was dark meat, which was a good touch. They even had Fire sauce - and actually it was the only sauce they serve.
I had planned to go down to Clarke Quay but saw a patch of green that I felt I wanted to see. It ended up being Fort Canning Park. This was the original place where the kings and later governors of Singapore lived and ruled. It was lush and green and I could hear many loud bird calls. There were huge trees with large vines hanging down and green moss growing all over them. It was still cool as the sun was behind the clouds and it had a feeling of tranquility. It was also very empty - I felt like I had the whole park to myself. I read a lot of the signs and from the hill you get a good view of the city.
I then went down to the river and through Clarke Quay which is a trendy spot with night clubs and bars. I walked over the bridge and along the river as the sun began to set. It was just a great experience to see the boats on the river taking tourists around with their chinese lamps and lights. At one point I sat down on the river's edge and just looked at the area. Somebody had put some incense on the bank near me and the smell brought such a sense of a foreign land. It was amazing to think I was sitting in Singapore miles from my homeland. It felt so calming, exciting and exotic at the same time.
I finished the evening with the walk back to my hotel where I went down to the mall (remember, most hotels out here have malls in them) and had some sushi and a salad. Salads are rare in Asia, so this was a nice change. I then went to the bookstore and bought the next book in the series by Stephanie Meyer (New Moon) and went back to my room to dive in. I missed my family and boys, but couldn't help enjoying such a neat location. I snuggled into my king-size bed and went to sleep.
I had planned to go down to Clarke Quay but saw a patch of green that I felt I wanted to see. It ended up being Fort Canning Park. This was the original place where the kings and later governors of Singapore lived and ruled. It was lush and green and I could hear many loud bird calls. There were huge trees with large vines hanging down and green moss growing all over them. It was still cool as the sun was behind the clouds and it had a feeling of tranquility. It was also very empty - I felt like I had the whole park to myself. I read a lot of the signs and from the hill you get a good view of the city.
I then went down to the river and through Clarke Quay which is a trendy spot with night clubs and bars. I walked over the bridge and along the river as the sun began to set. It was just a great experience to see the boats on the river taking tourists around with their chinese lamps and lights. At one point I sat down on the river's edge and just looked at the area. Somebody had put some incense on the bank near me and the smell brought such a sense of a foreign land. It was amazing to think I was sitting in Singapore miles from my homeland. It felt so calming, exciting and exotic at the same time.
I finished the evening with the walk back to my hotel where I went down to the mall (remember, most hotels out here have malls in them) and had some sushi and a salad. Salads are rare in Asia, so this was a nice change. I then went to the bookstore and bought the next book in the series by Stephanie Meyer (New Moon) and went back to my room to dive in. I missed my family and boys, but couldn't help enjoying such a neat location. I snuggled into my king-size bed and went to sleep.
The Tower of Babel
This is really not that difficult. We had a Seventy this last week do a devotional in our area for our temple workers. I guess these things are annual affairs. Anyway since I am a veil worker, I got invited with Karen. So we really just slipped in there with barely an invitation. Anyway this meeting was great. At least Mom and I felt that we were taught like we had not been taught for some time. Likely we are just too proud, but that is another story, back to the Tower. So this Seventy apparently had a different take on the Tower story. I personally had always thought it was very strange that the people would try and build a structure that would get so high that they could reach heaven. Their total skills at the time were likely only 4-5 stories, and they could see the Sun and Moon and stars, not to mention the mountains. They must have been dumber than a sack of hammers. I think that all our early ansestors were just as capable as we are brain wise they just did not get taught the theory of relativity or the Bohr theory of the atom in HS. So very unlikely that they would actually do something so utterly stupid. Well if you go back to the version in the KJ and look at it much more carefully, he thinks, and I and mom agree with him, that a different, far more believable story is being told. You also may want to keep in mind the words in italic in the KJ are added words by the translator to make things sound better but were not actually in the original Hebrew (or the Greek for the NT). What ever the bad folks were up to, it was not at all pleasing to God. Think about it from a temple corruption perspective. After all there is more than one way to "get to heaven". Especially the "name" thing. After considering it, I doubt they were ever trying to build a really tall building at all. What do you think?
Friday, November 09, 2007
Back to the routine
The other night when I came home from work and found Malik having difficulties breathing, it reminded me of another time he was like that and we had to take him to the hospital. I knew at that point that I needed to pack him up and get him to a hospital. I wasn't worried, but calm. We had been through this before. I remember my first week in Hong Kong when I was alone looking for the nearest hospital knowing that at some point we may need to know this crucial piece of information. Every day on the way home from work I passed the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital and so I always knew I could go there. So that is where I took my son. I left my wife in tears in fear and asked Jarek to take care of her. Tevia really struggled with this. I think there was a lot of fear about taking Malik to a hospital outside of the US. I prayed for her to be strong and took Malik to the hospital.
Most hospitals I have been to in the USA (which isn't many) always seem crowded. I was expecting this one to be worse. But in fact, it was quite dead. It was around 6:30 PM and we were immediately admitted. The "urgent care" room was small and they hooked Malik up to oxygen and I showed them his charts and gave his history. Their English, though not perfect, was understandable and didn't seem to cause any issues. A little later a woman was admitted who was in undeniable pain. She was doubled over and was speaking in English though she looked Asian (couldn't see her face). She asked for pain medication and moaned. I was glad they got us out of there quickly so as not to frighten Malik.
I was asked the type of room I wanted - which was surprising to me. I could choose from a "private" room, or one with 2 people, or one with 3-5 people. Each had a different price, and so I had to choose. I chose the private room. In the end I probably could have chosen the 2 person room and still had a private room as the pediatric section was fairly empty, but I'm glad I chose the private and so we were really in our own little world. The room was large and had a bed for Malik and one for an adult. There were two flat screen LCD TVs and DVD players as well. We had our own bathroom and a table with chairs and some windows with a beautiful view over the area of Hong Kong called "Happy Valley."
The service was great and I never felt scared or fearful of getting a disease (which I usually do in hospitals). I think this was mostly because we were in our own room and felt completely separated from the rest of the hospital. Malik had wires and tubes everywhere so he couldn't do much. He had an IV in his left arm, an oxygen reader and heartbeat monitor on his right big toe and was usually hooked up to oxygen with a mask. He, as usual, stayed in good spirits. He didn't cry when they gave him the IV. I told him it would hurt and he looked at me as they did it. He flinched and grimaced and then said to me with a little moisture in his eyes, "well, at least I didn't cry." It was nice to have him be so strong. It helped me.
Being in a hospital room for a day and a half wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. I was fasting the first day, but the food we could order looked good and Malik liked it. The second evening Tevia and the other boys came and we had dinner together. I ordered curry fried rice and it was great. Jarek ordered the very typical meal of noodles in soup with beef and it was awesome.
I prayed a lot that first day. I wasn't worried Malik would die or anything, but I wanted to get him home. I felt guilty that I had dragged my family here to Hong Kong and was causing pain for my son and wife. I knew deep inside that this can happen, and has happened, in the USA, but I prayed a lot to God to calm my wife and make the rest of our time in HK like the last couple of months. The reality is that our family has been super healthy since arriving here - which has been a little surprising to me. With the pollution, a new country, stress, and different food I was expecting a few more coughs and colds.
One positive thing of the stay in the hospital was I was able to start the book "Twilight" that I have wanted to read for so long. We had purchased a copy here a couple of weeks ago. Tevia loved this book (and I believe Cari and Tevia's mom did as well). I absolutely loved it and finished it in the time I was there. It was also refreshing to know that this book was written by a member of the church and yet it wasn't preachy or anything. Just good, solid reading and a wonderful story. It is about love and what we will do for love. It made me think of the love my wife has for me for being willing to come out here with my boys and stand firm by my side. Though I am sure she wanted to come, I don't think she truly anticipated the sacrifice from her side. She is with the boys all day long since they aren't in a school and though she has enjoyed homeschooling, she still gets little break from them. I come home later than usual and so she sees me less. She has no friends to talk to and can't get around easily with the boys. She has shown her true love for me by coming here and standing at my side. I love her so much for that.
We are now back together at home. It almost feels like it was a dream and didn't really happen. The boys are back playing Nintendo; Tevia is reading her books. And I am grateful to have this. To be together as a family. Life is so fragile. Things do go wrong. But we must go on and thus take advantage of every moment we have together with those we love. I try hard not to take that for granted. I am excited to see my parents in a week.
Most hospitals I have been to in the USA (which isn't many) always seem crowded. I was expecting this one to be worse. But in fact, it was quite dead. It was around 6:30 PM and we were immediately admitted. The "urgent care" room was small and they hooked Malik up to oxygen and I showed them his charts and gave his history. Their English, though not perfect, was understandable and didn't seem to cause any issues. A little later a woman was admitted who was in undeniable pain. She was doubled over and was speaking in English though she looked Asian (couldn't see her face). She asked for pain medication and moaned. I was glad they got us out of there quickly so as not to frighten Malik.
I was asked the type of room I wanted - which was surprising to me. I could choose from a "private" room, or one with 2 people, or one with 3-5 people. Each had a different price, and so I had to choose. I chose the private room. In the end I probably could have chosen the 2 person room and still had a private room as the pediatric section was fairly empty, but I'm glad I chose the private and so we were really in our own little world. The room was large and had a bed for Malik and one for an adult. There were two flat screen LCD TVs and DVD players as well. We had our own bathroom and a table with chairs and some windows with a beautiful view over the area of Hong Kong called "Happy Valley."
The service was great and I never felt scared or fearful of getting a disease (which I usually do in hospitals). I think this was mostly because we were in our own room and felt completely separated from the rest of the hospital. Malik had wires and tubes everywhere so he couldn't do much. He had an IV in his left arm, an oxygen reader and heartbeat monitor on his right big toe and was usually hooked up to oxygen with a mask. He, as usual, stayed in good spirits. He didn't cry when they gave him the IV. I told him it would hurt and he looked at me as they did it. He flinched and grimaced and then said to me with a little moisture in his eyes, "well, at least I didn't cry." It was nice to have him be so strong. It helped me.
Being in a hospital room for a day and a half wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. I was fasting the first day, but the food we could order looked good and Malik liked it. The second evening Tevia and the other boys came and we had dinner together. I ordered curry fried rice and it was great. Jarek ordered the very typical meal of noodles in soup with beef and it was awesome.
I prayed a lot that first day. I wasn't worried Malik would die or anything, but I wanted to get him home. I felt guilty that I had dragged my family here to Hong Kong and was causing pain for my son and wife. I knew deep inside that this can happen, and has happened, in the USA, but I prayed a lot to God to calm my wife and make the rest of our time in HK like the last couple of months. The reality is that our family has been super healthy since arriving here - which has been a little surprising to me. With the pollution, a new country, stress, and different food I was expecting a few more coughs and colds.
One positive thing of the stay in the hospital was I was able to start the book "Twilight" that I have wanted to read for so long. We had purchased a copy here a couple of weeks ago. Tevia loved this book (and I believe Cari and Tevia's mom did as well). I absolutely loved it and finished it in the time I was there. It was also refreshing to know that this book was written by a member of the church and yet it wasn't preachy or anything. Just good, solid reading and a wonderful story. It is about love and what we will do for love. It made me think of the love my wife has for me for being willing to come out here with my boys and stand firm by my side. Though I am sure she wanted to come, I don't think she truly anticipated the sacrifice from her side. She is with the boys all day long since they aren't in a school and though she has enjoyed homeschooling, she still gets little break from them. I come home later than usual and so she sees me less. She has no friends to talk to and can't get around easily with the boys. She has shown her true love for me by coming here and standing at my side. I love her so much for that.
We are now back together at home. It almost feels like it was a dream and didn't really happen. The boys are back playing Nintendo; Tevia is reading her books. And I am grateful to have this. To be together as a family. Life is so fragile. Things do go wrong. But we must go on and thus take advantage of every moment we have together with those we love. I try hard not to take that for granted. I am excited to see my parents in a week.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
is it too late for Donovun?
The things I see and hear in the schools, I should write a book about. I think I will. so today, I was subbing for a special ed teacher. I had a self-contained class with about 9 students. for 7th period. some of these students go to keyboarding. I have been in this class before, as a TA. I had complained then to Don as to why they needed me. there were again today, 5 adults in the classroom.
I was asked to work specifically with Donovun. he was over in the corner, looking at Utube, and the teacher asked me to have him stop going on other sites and try to get him to do his work.
I took a deep breath, and went over, pulled up a chair, and smiled at him.
It would take a long time to describe the entire 45 minutes.
short version- he said, ( hard to believe everything he said), he was 18, school was bull----, it was a waste of his time, he was on parole, he lived with his aunt, he hated his parents, his 12 year old sister was raped last week, he had to buy his own clothes and food, but couldn't get a job cause of school, etc.
He was good-looking, and said to me, when I asked him to do his typing, "I'll do it for you." he continued to hit on several times, saying, "are you married? would your husband let you?", what are you doing later? can we hook up?" so funny. I told him I was a happily married woman and a grandma, and he said, "so?". but he let me teach him how to use the tool bar, and he started typing as we chatted. I asked him if he ever went to church, and he said no, but I'll come to yours, (with his smiling glimmer).
later, after he left, the computer teacher teacher told me good work. he had gotten 3 paragraphs typed. she said he never does his work, and she said it was good that I got him to do it. she told me he did live with his aunt, was on parole, met with a judge weekly, and had a hard life.
driving home, I prayed for him. what can people do? the teachers at RCK try, but little gets thru. he meets with counselors there, and says that is bs. he has no guidance, no church, no values, no goals. he lives in wappingers. where has society failed him? who is left to help him? I told him to look after his sister, and asked if I could help. he said the cops didn't even care. I told him it was his job as her big brother to talk to her, watch out for her, and tell her not to ever go anywhere alone.
he said that he would try, but that she was 12 and acted like 21.
he asked if I could come back, and I said I would try. I told him the other teachers cared too, and he said that he didn't think so.
poor kid. how do we fix things like this? where is he headed?
when we left, I told him to finish school, and that he owed it to himself to be somebody, and that he couldn't do anything without finishing school.
oh how I wish I could do more to save the world.
I was asked to work specifically with Donovun. he was over in the corner, looking at Utube, and the teacher asked me to have him stop going on other sites and try to get him to do his work.
I took a deep breath, and went over, pulled up a chair, and smiled at him.
It would take a long time to describe the entire 45 minutes.
short version- he said, ( hard to believe everything he said), he was 18, school was bull----, it was a waste of his time, he was on parole, he lived with his aunt, he hated his parents, his 12 year old sister was raped last week, he had to buy his own clothes and food, but couldn't get a job cause of school, etc.
He was good-looking, and said to me, when I asked him to do his typing, "I'll do it for you." he continued to hit on several times, saying, "are you married? would your husband let you?", what are you doing later? can we hook up?" so funny. I told him I was a happily married woman and a grandma, and he said, "so?". but he let me teach him how to use the tool bar, and he started typing as we chatted. I asked him if he ever went to church, and he said no, but I'll come to yours, (with his smiling glimmer).
later, after he left, the computer teacher teacher told me good work. he had gotten 3 paragraphs typed. she said he never does his work, and she said it was good that I got him to do it. she told me he did live with his aunt, was on parole, met with a judge weekly, and had a hard life.
driving home, I prayed for him. what can people do? the teachers at RCK try, but little gets thru. he meets with counselors there, and says that is bs. he has no guidance, no church, no values, no goals. he lives in wappingers. where has society failed him? who is left to help him? I told him to look after his sister, and asked if I could help. he said the cops didn't even care. I told him it was his job as her big brother to talk to her, watch out for her, and tell her not to ever go anywhere alone.
he said that he would try, but that she was 12 and acted like 21.
he asked if I could come back, and I said I would try. I told him the other teachers cared too, and he said that he didn't think so.
poor kid. how do we fix things like this? where is he headed?
when we left, I told him to finish school, and that he owed it to himself to be somebody, and that he couldn't do anything without finishing school.
oh how I wish I could do more to save the world.
Malik coughing = Tevia stressing
I know you all have heard it before, but i just have to say once again, I really get so stressed and worried when Malik has this stupid cough. He is on treatments and it is now twice as stressful for me because we are in another country. He is miserable which makes me irritable because there is not a lot I can do but wait it out. Bret says that everything will be "fine" which is true, but the waiting till it's fine part really is very hard. I know it is super hard for Malik too since he is the one that is having a hard time breathing. He doesn't move much because he gets winded and he is dizzy if he tries to stand too long. It is so hard to keep him drinking too, which is what he needs to keep his body hydrated so it can try to fight this off. Anyhow, I know this is very boring for all of you, but it helps me to get it out of my system. If you don't mind sparing a few prayers for him, it would be very much appreciated. Thanks guys!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
teaching special ed at kinry
Yesterday was the first time I had the opportunity to teach at kinry, a 3-6 grade school that my kids attended for only 6th grade. a really nice school. I had signed up to TA for 4th grade, but when I got there, they desperately needed someone it the self-contained special ed class, because the TA there had just called in sick, and the teacher could not do that class alone. I agreed. it was 5th & 6th grade mixed, only 9 kids, and 2 were absent. the teacher has it hard, having to switch subjects and levels all day, with kids going in and out for different specials. the kids were extremely good for that day, according to her, so it was not difficult for me. I fell for each student, immediately, and they bonded to me right away. there was a boy, short, skinny, no socks in oversized tennis shoes, dirty hands, dirty jeans, long, unkept hair, a hole in his shirt- you get the picture, who seemed nice enough when he first came in. now, I am never told what reasons these kids are in this self-contained class. I can guess some. as the morning wore on, he got more and more uninterested in class. he refused to work, put his head down, and spaced out for 15 minutes at a time. the teacher or I would go over and calmly ask him to participate. he would just sit up and look bored. at 11am, the kids get snack time. he had none. he put his head down. I felt so sad. the other kids had juice boxes and gatorade and twinkie type things and candy from Halloween and bags of popcorn. then it was science. the teacher asked me to see if I could get him to do his paper on his own. I kept saying I would help him. he said he hated science, and would just stare ahead, and not give me eye contact. I tried 3 times. I almost gave up. then I went over one more time and gently persuaded him to do one question, just one. I struck up a conversation about what he likes to do. he has no bed time, and plays computer games all night, or so he claims. He asked me to guess what game he plays. I told him if he did 2 more questions, I would. he did, and I guessed Diablo, and he laughed. and we were friends the rest of the day. after lunch, he returned with more energy, and participated more. he smiled more. he had to stay in for recess because he owed work. I would have let him out to play. I would teach differently. last night, I felt sad that I couldn't really be a teacher. my little moments of effectual teaching are few and far between. after praying and dreaming about people on welfare, I am wondering if maybe after this year, I will change my field and go up into Poughkeepsie and work for social services. right now, this job is perfect.
tomorrow I work at Ketcham in English. I like the variety and hours of choice.
tomorrow I work at Ketcham in English. I like the variety and hours of choice.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Fast & Testimony Mtg - Happy Birthday Sis!
Today was fast and testimony meeting and as usual it was great here in Hong Kong. But the testimony that touched me most was near the end when a young man dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt got up. He had arrived a little late for sacrament meeting with another young man and I wondered if he was a tourist. He got up and told everyone he was a Marine based in Okinawa and was here on a short leave. He bore his testimony and it was a sweet and sincere testimony. My heart was touched as he bore witness of the truth and talked about the temple and how excited he was to go to the temple soon with his wife as it was a big goal for them.
It was obvious for me to think of Jimmy even though I have never met him. I thought here was a young man defending our country and looking to improve himself. His testimony touched my heart and I found myself in tears. I turned to Tevia to see her in tears as well. Even Tevia's mom was crying. I made it a point to talk to him afterward and thank him for his testimony. His friend actually had been based at Hawaii some time ago. They were amphibious reconnaissance and here in Hong Kong for a couple of days. I gave them both my business card and told them to call me if they wanted to do lunch or dinner. The one was not a member but had come with him since you have to be with a buddy to go on shore. Reminded me a lot of a mission. After church many members went up and shook their hands and thanked them for all that they do. It was interesting because I couldn't imagine that happening in the States, but here in Hong Kong there were many Americans grateful for what they do.
On another note: Happy Birthday Sis! Though technically it is not your birthday where you are yet, it is here! I miss you.
It was obvious for me to think of Jimmy even though I have never met him. I thought here was a young man defending our country and looking to improve himself. His testimony touched my heart and I found myself in tears. I turned to Tevia to see her in tears as well. Even Tevia's mom was crying. I made it a point to talk to him afterward and thank him for his testimony. His friend actually had been based at Hawaii some time ago. They were amphibious reconnaissance and here in Hong Kong for a couple of days. I gave them both my business card and told them to call me if they wanted to do lunch or dinner. The one was not a member but had come with him since you have to be with a buddy to go on shore. Reminded me a lot of a mission. After church many members went up and shook their hands and thanked them for all that they do. It was interesting because I couldn't imagine that happening in the States, but here in Hong Kong there were many Americans grateful for what they do.
On another note: Happy Birthday Sis! Though technically it is not your birthday where you are yet, it is here! I miss you.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Our Scant Halloween...
We didn't do a big Halloween celebration this year. No costumes, no trick or treating. Bret did get a bunch of candy at the store and let the kids gorge on Halloween night. We didn't carve our pumpkin until the day after, but it was still fun. Malik chose the mouth, Jarek chose the nose and actually carved it out, I picked the eyes and Jarek created the eyebrows and Bret carved those out. We didn't have a candle so we used a flashlight to light up our pumpkin.
A visit from the Webbs
Tevia has posted much of what we have done with the Webbs, but I thought I would recap with my perspective. I haven't seen Tevia so excited in years as we waited on our balcony watching each car and van turn into our apartment driveway. It was like me at Christmas. She was so happy to see her parents. It has been fun seeing them look in amazement and unbelief at everything around them - trying to believe that they are actually in Hong Kong. Monday at the nunnery and gardens was wonderful. I particularly loved the nunnery and garden. I enjoyed talking with my boys about the different gods we saw and explained to them that even though they aren't the true gods and we don't worship them that we respect the beliefs of others and that all religions have some truth in them. I loved watching the people come by and do their short little bows. One man was chanting in a low chant that sounded like I have seen on TV. Even for me on days like these it is hard to believe I live here. I just adore the architecture and marvel at the beauty.
Disneyland was awesome. I had been told by many that I would be so disappointed by Hong Kong Disneyland as it is not as big. But I loved it. Some of the rides I even thought were better than Anaheim. The fact that the park was not crowded was so nice and many times we had rides or areas basically to ourselves. I truly felt the magic of Disney here. I look forward to going back in a couple of weeks.
It wasn't fun going back to work, but work has been busy and so that makes the days go quick. I look forward to Tevia's parents returning from Nippon and taking them to some good chinese restaurants and some other places. It has been fun for the boys having them here as well.
On a side note, for the past year or so I have been looking for a good music player to use on my computer. I have used Rhapsody and iTunes and many others. This last week I picked up WinAmp after they did a major rehaul and love it. But the reason I love it is mostly due to a little add-on they have called minilyrics. Basically it finds the lyrics to the song that is playing and then shows the lyrics scrolling and highlights the line that is currently being sung during the song. It works for almost all songs. As a person who loves music lyrics, this has been awesome. I think mom would love it. So as I listen to Simon and Garfunkel right now I can see the lyrics and sing along. It is almost like having a karaoke machine. Try it out. It's free.
Disneyland was awesome. I had been told by many that I would be so disappointed by Hong Kong Disneyland as it is not as big. But I loved it. Some of the rides I even thought were better than Anaheim. The fact that the park was not crowded was so nice and many times we had rides or areas basically to ourselves. I truly felt the magic of Disney here. I look forward to going back in a couple of weeks.
It wasn't fun going back to work, but work has been busy and so that makes the days go quick. I look forward to Tevia's parents returning from Nippon and taking them to some good chinese restaurants and some other places. It has been fun for the boys having them here as well.
On a side note, for the past year or so I have been looking for a good music player to use on my computer. I have used Rhapsody and iTunes and many others. This last week I picked up WinAmp after they did a major rehaul and love it. But the reason I love it is mostly due to a little add-on they have called minilyrics. Basically it finds the lyrics to the song that is playing and then shows the lyrics scrolling and highlights the line that is currently being sung during the song. It works for almost all songs. As a person who loves music lyrics, this has been awesome. I think mom would love it. So as I listen to Simon and Garfunkel right now I can see the lyrics and sing along. It is almost like having a karaoke machine. Try it out. It's free.
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