Improving My Culture

Lately I've noticed my English and table manners have suffered from two years of speaking half-English/half-language-o-the-month while eating rice with my fingers. In my attempt to learn new big words or brush up my etiquette, some of the other debriefers have taken me for an etiquette expert (ah, if they only knew about Nic 'n' I's crazy TMI classes). Perhaps it was the mentioning fo the correct manner of eating asparagus with the fingertips that fooled them.

Yesterday on of the ladies gave me a copy of Emily Post's Ettiquite book from 1945. It's a riot! I find as I read it that the world seems to have a bit more certainty. Here at debrief I may be wrestling with the abstract questions of life, but can be confident that someone else has answered the question of how you seat a dinner party of 12 in the house of a widow (apparently the objective is to avoid her serving herself from an untouched first dish).

Here are a few gems:
- Did you know flight stewardesses used to be registered nurses? Fascinating.

- When removing bones from fish you are to first lift the bone with the fork then pull it the rest of the way pinched between the fork and knife.

- "He whose manners are only put on in company is a veneered gentleman, not a real one"

- [discussing how a visitor takes leave]"Naturally a woman is less effusive in what she says to a man than in what she says to another woman. And yet she may very well exclaim, 'I've been completely thrilled!' if he has told her anything that can be truthfully described as thrilling, but not otherwise. (p.10 - do I detect some sarcasm?)

Life Is Short...Hang Out with Kiwi's

Today one of my favorite, yet crazy midwife buddies is moving to the land of the kiwis. This is just me tipping my hat to say, yeah, life is short...

The Rockstar Midwife

Congrats to Hooles who persisted in taking her 8-hour certification exam again and passed! 

The Sweetest Place on Earth

I found myself lost in the midst of connecting freeways as I tried to get to church. Finally I decided to just hang out with Jesus at Panera Bread and then breeze through Hershey. I was very disappointed that, in fact, the streets do not smell like chocolate.

Prayers Fulfilled?

This little town has a sign in honor of a female missionary doctor who opened the first hospital in the Chinese empire. Apparently she lived here when she came home after 31 years of service "broken in health". I wonder if she prayed for this town. Now, years later missionaries are being restored in the Lord at this same place.

Living It Up In the Small Town

Last night they gave us some free time to play a game or watch a movie (this is my kind of spiritual retreat!). We picked out an old Don Knotts picture, “The Reluctant Astronaut”. (Seemed fitting in light of his recent death) Sure, Don Knotts is classic, but movie making has come a long way.

You know you have a real winner when the movie trailer has lines like
“See Don in every type of training equipment”
(whooo, you don’t see training equipment everyday, now do you?)
“See Don in orbit”
(I’m pretty sure that was not actual footage)
“It’ll put you in hysterics”
(The over exaggeration being your classic indicator)
They flash glorious special effects such as crackers suspended in the air on string…ingenious.

O well, it sure had to be more exciting than hopping in the car to cruse this tiny town of 900 to see if they had a 24-hour gas station. As the older participants headed to bed at 8:20 they told us that maybe the new Subway in the gas station might be open. The big city has ruined me! Actually I am just enjoying a slower paced life....usually

My View

This is the view just outside the house where I'm staying during the debrief. It's not a tropical beach, but it is beautiful. So cozy and comfy. I think I need another run...they feed us on the hour. =0)) 

Earning My Wings

Driving to the east coast was more of an adventure than I anticipated. There was no forecast of snow, but I ran into a lovely near-white out on the highway. (And no, I did not exaggerate this detail, though it did come in handy when there was an outlet mall near the off ramp when conditions got bad).

The day started out nice. I took pictures of the state sign…sang at the top of my lungs...reminisced about road trips with family or friends. Then ,after missing my turn at the border and give the state of Pennsylvania about $5 in tolls just to get lost on their road I decided the Amish have something to the no vehicle thing...

Nah…who am I kidding after a year of public transportation in Asia? I love driving myself.

As for my first encounter with Red Bull…I’m not so sure it gives you wings, but combined with a double tall caramel macchiato, and diet Dr. Pepper you do take flight.

On the Road Again...

After 4 days with my parents, it's time to be on the road again. (I believe I've flown 9 times in a matter of two weeks this month). A road trip should be fun, though I'm still not used to being without an Asian caravan. (After my MP3 rant my cd player bit the dust, so I may be stuck listening to NPR the whole way. It IS a conspiracy!)

From the Dark Corners of My Memory

While looking in a box for some old school records I ran across a floppy disk (remember those?) with some photos...it's funny what you can forget when you haven't looked a pictures for a while.

This is Teen Missions boot camp 2000. I believe the song to go with this was "Poncho, poncho man, I wanna be a poncho man." Yes, this has made me into the missionary I am today...(and NO stories from the peanut gallery in Manila)

Some Final Texas Memories...

 

Durian: The fruit that smells like garabage (at least to Americans)

1. Recently returned friend decides to invite her friends into the wild world of Asian delicacies...this time it's durian candy.
2. They ask, "What's that smell? Not so sure what to think at first.
3. A can't handle it and spits it out.
4. N can't get the taste out of her teeth.

DFW: Gateway To The Next Adventure In Life

DFW has become somewhat of a gateway leading to major events in my life. The last time I flew out of this airport I had been to NM and was pretty certain after that semester I'd be leaving my other school and heading towards my missionary midwife school. It was the start of a big change...moving out of the house...branching out on my own...finally going oversees for more than a few months.

In '01 I was in this airport on my way to a conference that launched me into my first midwife program. December 30, 1999 I left the AA terminal in the hype of millennium’s eve. Summer '95 Charity and I cam through on the same flight as I returned from my first big mission trip. (And I couldn't leave out driving BY the airport in '97 when we moved across the country)

So here I am again...sitting in the DFW airport on the verge of the next phase of life. (trying to decide if I should stay here for a bit or go back overseas ASAP) For the first time the world seems like a HUGE open door. I've learned in the last two years that God and his plan may not be in the little box I imagined.

So how is Melissa 2006 different? (Pardon me for a bit as I sound like Bob Dole and use the 3rd person narrative) Perhaps Melissa '06 has realized that she can't conquer the world by herself and that might not even be what she wants. She's realized she needs and values relationships and that God is not slow. Sometimes it may feel like He's taking the long route, but that's because there is so much along the way.

And this time the Melissa leaving DFW is NOT crying...she's smiling and singing knowing that even though this past year has been sooo hard and tested her to her core she can sing...

Give to the wind your fear
Hope and be undismayed
God hears your sighs and counts your tears
God will lift up, God will lift up lift up your head...

Through waves and clouds and storms,
He gently clears the way
Wait because in His time, so shall this night
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy
Soon end in joy, soon end in joy
God will lift up your head
Soon end in joy (3 Times)
God will lift up your head
God will lift your head (3 times)

(Jars of Clay Redemption Songs)

Making a Difference One MB at a Time

Rest is good...but a nagging urge to go back to work continues to tap on my shoulder. I may not be able to help welcome new life into the world anytime soon, but I can rest knowing that today I have helped 2 friends create blogs. I have been there to witness new web page life coming into the world... Less mess, fewer hours, and more sleep.




(ummm...it isn't the same)