Monday, April 18- Brown outs, Halo Halo and Slaves

We have been having so many stinking brown outs lately.  It’s making me crazy! I won’t be able to blog for long due to the tremendously short life of my computer battery, so I’ll just fill you in about a few events.

Today I took a group of elementary kids (the rest will go tomorrow) to a place called “Quinchers” were they got to enjoy a chicken sandwich and one of their favorite treats, Halo Halo.  Literally Halo Halo translates as “mix mix” which is what they do before eating it.  It’s basically (hey, brown out over!) a cup or a bowl and they just stick a mess of stuff in there.  Ice is a must ingredient and then usually ube flavored ice cream which is bright purple and basically gross.  Then they add corn (yes), cheese (yes!) and/or cornflakes and some kind of gelatinous substance.  You will not be surprised to hear that I did not order any for myself.

At dinner I had one of those “what are they teaching kids in school” moments when the girls at my table started asking questions about America.  They do this quite often and it’s normally along the lines of “do you have this fruit” or “do you go to a market” and stuff like that.  Well tonight Melody asked if I cooked in America and I said yes and Mary Lyn followed it with, “do you have slaves?”  What?! Seriously?! I repeated it to see if I had misheard, but she confirmed it.  I emphatically answered no and she said, “Servants?” Wow.  Now I know that most of their history would be about their own country, but the abolition of slavery in America was kind of a big deal; I assumed that would be covered.  It’s just funny to realize that my home is even more of a foreign idea to them as theirs is to me and my friends who can’t grasp what it is like here. Different worlds.

I just walked outside to hush some dogs making a ruckus outside my window and I looked up to see the moon brighter than I have ever seen it.  I seriously couldn’t look directly at it for very long.  The light looked artificial, like a street light.  Crazy.

Exciting news: We expect Uncle Bob to arrive mid-morning on Tuesday (so yesterday, since I can’t post this before then).  I’m very excited to see him again, and of course to have another American friend around.  I think he’ll only be staying for about 24 hours though.  It will still be good, and though we aren’t tell the kids yet, I know they can’t wait to see him again.  They always ask when he’ll be here again.  He is the Uncle they never had and they love him.

I was telling someone today that I am going to be home in a little over three weeks and it weirded me out.  That is crazy!! I’ve had a countdown of days until I leave here, but somehow it is so much harder to picture myself at home again that travelling to my next destination.  I remember three weeks ago! I can’t imagine being home in that amount of time.  I think the amount of travel that I still have left makes it difficult and slightly scary.  Putting aside my journey to Australia, I have to fly back to Manila and stay there for two days and then try to get out with no trouble (my visa will have expired) and then go through Tokyo while praying that things are stable enough there for me to get out and then continue the long trek home.  Wow, I am so glad that God has my future taken care of—I’d be a wreck otherwise. J

I’ve gotten to have some really sweet times with my Savior the last few days.  I go out to the view right at sunset and the hills are painted with beautiful pink and orange hues.  I pull out my mp3 player and just sit and sing for a while, which is absolutely my way of worship and something that I have thoroughly felt the lack of since arriving here.  Chris Tomlin, Donna Stuart, David Dunn, Casting Crowns, David Crowder, Jordan Johnson, Selah, Bebo Norman and Hillsong—thank you for joining me here and bringing me the joy of singing praises to my redeemer.

It’s about lights out time.  I actually don’t mind brown outs at night since it makes the dorm utterly black and the house parents can’t listen to their radio.  It’s selfish, but I enjoy the deep sleep I get in the dark and quiet. However, so far it looks like our power is staying (but that could be because the generator is chugging away—loudly.)  I’d just like to add that I have no clue how all this technical stuff happens.  Generators and electricity and whatnot are so foreign to me. I never paid much attention to those sections in science. 

Good night, loves! I will see you in less than a month, God-willing.

Love you!