To All My Constituents

We have a saying here.  "If you can't be the best, just don't be the worst.   Try, Try, Try not to be the loser."  So in keeping with that idea, I am writing this blog.  You see when I created this blog, I told myself that I would write at least 4 posts a month.  Today is January 31st.  I'm writing this post to keep from failing at one more thing.  So here it is.  Enjoy. 

Elaine is my hero

     Remember that Seinfeld episode where there is a dog that barks incessantly outside of Elaine's apartment at night?  She tells Jerry about the dog, and Kramer overhears and says he knows someone who can "fix her problem".  Kramer takes her to Newman, who as a mailman hates dogs, and they hatch a plan to get rid of the dog.  What I love about this is that Elaine takes action.  She doesn't just sit back and let the dogs drive her crazy.

     There is a pack of mongrel dogs that run amuck in my neighborhood causing all sorts of chaos and ruckus at night while D and I are trying to sleep.  I cannot exaggerate how insane they are.  You see all these dogs during the day and they're just laying around sleeping, looking all calm and normal.  They have to rest during the day because they party like it's 1999 at night.  I'm convinced they are all in some sort of street gang.  It's like Sharks and Jets out here at night.  It's seriously out of control.  Before I came here, I sat through a whole bunch of classes on culture shock.  They told me that there would be things in the culture that would prick me and rub me the wrong way.  They said this was normal.  They told me that the triggers would be different things for different people.  Well for my money, let me just say that nothing sends me into a hysterical rage against this culture more than the raucous barking dogs surrounding my house.  On any given day, I go off about these crazy canines and their fiendish ways at least 2-3 times.  I have tried to get my friends here to help me "fix my problem".   I've asked the man who drives me around town to try and run over them on multiple occasions.  ****Disclaimer: I still love dogs.   I love my friend Jeana's dog Walter.  I love my friend Lyndsay's dog Gunner.  And most of all, I love my dog JR. *****  BUT these things aren't dogs.  They're four legged creatures that have been overtaken by some sort of crazy spirit.  And I think it's the spirit of Rabies.  No joke.  Question: What is the best way to prevent rabies?  Answer: Get rid of all stray and ownerless dogs.  And since all of the dogs here are stray and ownerless, I feel like I would be doing this country a public service if they were to all disappear.  And as if to prove my point, I can hear them all going nuts right now even as I write this blog. 

To check out how my hero Elaine's situation works out just follow the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgfHNIMompM
When you watch the opening scene, just picture me in place of Elaine and you'll get a pretty accurate picture of what I do every night.  Now if only the mailman here performed such services...

A Picture is Worth...

The vest is from Annie.  The antlers are from Ruth.  The buzzword is synergy. 
The output is greater than the sum of the input.  Individually these items are good, but together they make a truly awesome outfit.

Thanks for the Christmas attire Annie!



This picture is from a trip I took up north this past summer.



I see this dude (and tons just like him) hanging out
 in my neighborhood every day.

I'm not sure what this picture is about.  Your guess is as good as mine.

My old couches getting hauled off. 

D and I made a cheesecake.  We paid a pretty penny to bring the cream cheese up from the capital city, but it was totally worth it.

This picture is for my Grandpa.

I can't wait for cherry season to come back.  Of course, cherry season also means crippling heat and flop sweat.  So maybe I can wait after all.

This one is for all you who have missed seeing my mug.  Here ya go.

Happy New Year (better late than never)

      So I totally meant to write this blog entry 12 days ago.  What can I say?  Moving to a different country hasn't helped my procrastination problem.  What's that saying - the more things change, the more they stay the same.  And so it is with life here.  The new year brought with it some changes. New teammates arrived. Old teammates left.  (It was sad to see my dear friends leave, but I'm so thankful for the time I worked alongside them.)  I'm  no longer considered a newbie.  It is cold here now.  Actually cold.  (The actual temperature isn't that cold compared to what I'm used to, but none of the houses are built with insulation.  The walls are all just concrete.)  I'm not doing full-time language learning. (Don't get me wrong.  I still need full-time help, but I want to be more involved in the work.)   I'm starting a wellness program for expecting mothers in a nearby village. I'm learning how to drive a manual SUV.  (This is actually not something that is entirely new this year but is something I'm resolved to mastering this year.)  I'm trying to drink less caffeine. 

        And of course, some things are the same.  I'm still not great at speaking or understanding the language.  I still go into culture shock every night when the mongrel dogs living in my neighborhood start up their nightly howling at the moon.  (I'm utterly convinced they all have rabies.)  My partner is still the same thoughtful, encouraging Db.  (Thank the L!)  People here continue to ask me when I'm going to get married.  (Side note:  The great thing about getting asked that question in this culture, where arranged marriages are the norm, is that I can totally blame my singleness on George.  Ha!)  The Chiefs still stink.  I still drink a pot of coffee and a diet coke practically every day.  (Remember that comment about drinking less caffeine?  I said I was trying - not succeeding.)  I still miss my family and friends back home (and those family members who live in the PRC).  I also still know this is where I'm supposed to be right now.  What else?....  Oh yeah, my G is still the same.

Merry Christmas to ALL

I had a GREAT Christmas!  The festivities started Christmas Eve night.  I tried to carry on as many of my normal traditions as possible so I had a candlelight dinner complete with cheese, summer sausage (special treat), and rotel with real tortilla chips.  Then D and I read the Christmas story as well some of the prophecies from Isaiah that spoke about his coming.  Finally, in true Watts tradion, we watched It's A Wonderful Life.  I'm not sure if D is as big a fan of the movie as I am but I assured her it was a must on Christmas Eve.   Christmas morning got off to a great start as I was able to skype with my parents, sister, brother, sister-in-law, and beautiful nieces.  Then D and I had a lavish breakfast - Swedish pancakes, fruit, and scrambled eggs.  Yum.  Then we opened presents.  As you can tell from the pictures, there was plenty of stuff under our tree and in our stockings.  I am so blessed.  Not because I received so many gifts but because so many different people went to the trouble of buying, wrapping, and sending gifts halfway across the globe!  We spent the rest of the day with some of our dearest friends.  I am always blessed when I spend time with this family, and Christmas day was no different.  We listened to some JP while we ate lunch and sang carols around the table.  After lunch we watched The Nativity Story, played cards, opened more presents, visited, ordered Chinese for dinner, and then capped the day off with some pecan pie made with pecans leftover from Thanksgiving.  I ended the day by skyping with my Frazier family. 
    This Christmas marked the first time I was away from my family for the holidays. And I confess I was homesick at times, but I also spent a large part of the month being thankful for the opportunity to experience the season in a different way.  This Christmas, being away from my mom and missing her, I wondered if Mary was lonely for her mother that first Christmas night.  This Christmas, while sharing the story with a girl who was hearing it for the first time, I was reminded that all of us are supposed to be like the shepherds spreading the news of His birth.  This Christmas, celebrating in a land where the majority of people rely on works and ritual worship and prayer as a means of salvation, I am reminded of the good news of great joy the angels declared for ALL people.  This Christmas I am thankful that my Savior's birth can and should be celebrated in every country all around the world. 

Merry Christmas!

As a special Christmas treat, my bird friend flew around the world for a visit.

D and I are spoiled.  We each had 3 stockings!!!

Check out all the loot!

Mom sent us cool new shades.  Thanks Mom!

My parents got D a new travel thermos.  Now she can drink her tea on the go.

We each gave the other a new shawl for Christmas.  It was so cold in our house Christmas morning so I wrapped up all the way in mine.  This picture makes it look like I'm just a floating head!

What a festive picture!  Check out te Starbucks Christmas blend in the background...
Thanks Seyan! 
It went great with the pecan pie. 

We partied till we dropped.

By the end of the day we were pretty worn out.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas came early.

28....So Far, So Great!

I celebrated my first birthday overseas this week.  My dad and I were born only 1 day and several years apart so normally we celebrate together.  I wasn't sure what to expect as I had never been away from home for my birthday festivites before.  Plus, let's face it.  I'm not getting any younger.  So I was fully expecting this birthday to be kind of a downer.  But once again my friends and family all around the world came through in a big way.  I got to skype with my parents in the morning while it was still my dad's birthday in the States.  Then I enjoyed some yummy waffles made with love by my partner D.  After breakfast, I bit the bullet and went to language class.  I was dreading going to language on my birthday, but actually I ended up having a nice visit with my language tutor.  My language is not great yet, but it has at least progressed to the point where I can hold up my end of the conversation without mass confusion ensuing.  Then in the afternoon I went to a village to visit some friends and check on a newborn baby.  On the way home from the village, I received a very special phone call.  My nieces called to wish me a happy birthday.  Lydia sang Happy Birthday and Away In A Manger. In the evening several of my friends treated me to a night on the town.  We went to the nicest restaurant in our city and enjoyed some good food.  I had a great time just sitting, visiting, and laughing with friends.  The night ended with carrot cake and presents  Normally, I make this cake for my dad on his birthday, but this year D made it for me.  It was delicious.  All in all, a great day.   Thanks to everyone who sent presents, cards, emails, and greetings. 



We don't have any candles so we just stuck a match in there.



D and I at the restaurant.  D ordered the lamb for me because she knows
meat is one of the things I miss the most from home.