InteRnatIonaL SessioNs

Mother's Day Open House 2009

2009-05-10T02:05:00.000-07:00

We (the Lion Class) have been practicing a little over a month for our Mother's Day Open House! It has been crrrrrrrrrazy for all of us, but the kids did an emaculate job and we're just all happy it's over. You don't know how many bribes and treats and blah I had to give to get them to keep going...poor things. But the parents want to hear them speak...without help...and so we practiced on and on.

Our Program:

1. Yoga introduction by kids and Chinese Teacher
2. Teachers Welcome the Parents
3. Children Welcome the Parents with the song "I Love the Mountains" with actions
4. Phonics Review and game
5. High Frequency Word Review, Brief discussion about parts of a tree (roots, trunk, branch, leaf, cherry, tree)
6. Group Conversation...Each child uses High Frequency words in sentences connected to the tree discussion
(i.e. Can you see it? What do you see? What is it? It looks big. It looks little. I see the....(tree).
7. Bathroom Break/ Set up for the play
8. Perform "The Three Bears Medley" ....I was inspired to create something that the kids were familiar with and would give each one an equal opportunity to speak! You gotta watch out for those parents.
9. Sing the song "Celebrate love" with actions then perform a memorized speech with actions

"Good morning everybody. Thank you for being here today. My name is ____________. This is my mom and I love her. I think my mom is (smart and beautiful)...so I nominated my mom for the most 'smart and beautiful' mom award. I love you mom. Please come to the front to receive your award!"....Yes, they said that.

10.Traditional red bean soup ceremony. The children feed their moms soup to symbolize their gratitude for nourishing them.

*Celebrate that it's all over!

And now...some pics

Practicing our play, "The Three Bear's Medley"

A mix of "The Three Bears, The Three Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood"!

Get a dinosaur card for doing a good job! (The kids are totally into these cards right now).

Make some colorful lantern decorations.

Make a sign that you think will totally rock

Create a speech telling everyone what you think of your mom

Give the speech...

with actions

in front of everyone's mom

then invite them to come to the front to receive their award

Ask the parents what they liked most about the MOther's Day PRogram....the Play!

Meanwhile break into your moms award candy while listening to the boring parent comments

...and then partake in a traditional ceremony

The children fed their moms red bean soup as a symbol of giving back to the one who has nourished and cared for them

Act like you're getting your picture taken for a magazine

or simply let your grandma feed you instead

celebrate that it's all over with a little bit of chocolate cake!

Happy Mother's DAy!

OASIS_Live FoRever

2009-04-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

Friday April 3, 2009!

Waiting for the band

checking for any technical difficulties with the binoculars

A close up

Wooooooooo!

Noel Gallagher (song writer/brother of lead singer) singing Talk Tonight. Love.

Liam Gallagher singing Champagne Supernova. It's what I came for. The first time I ever heard it was on the highway in Hawaii.

OASIS_Live Forever

OASIS faves: Champagne Supernova, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Whatever, Don't Look Back in Anger, Don't Go Away, Talk Tonight, Wonderwall, The importance of Being Idle, Stand By Me, Live Forever....

BorNEo Epilogue

2009-03-31T03:21:00.000-07:00

We had to drive through palm oil plantations to get to Uncle Tan's.

Heading back was just as muddy as when we came in...only this time there were some obstacles.

A huge rig of palm oil pickins stuck in the mud...luckily we didn't have to wait long...it actually just had to back out.

A flood...that turned out to be...not so deep.

L to R: the Australian matching couple (always wore the same colored t-shirts), the London couple (Gary the softie and Holly one of the cooler girls I have ever met), the Swiss couple (Sonja and Patrick) and the South African (Surita aka my co-worker).

This was the group we ended up with for the last few days. I have to say I really loved the Swiss couple b/c we were always laughing at the same things. We had actually told them about Uncle Tan's and they came with us.

In Sukau, Jonas and Lois from Sweden. They were filming some stuff for American schools. You can check out some of his work: thewildclassroom.com. It's like Bill Nye the Science Guy stuff. Pretty cool.

All this for a pic of a tiny praying mantus.

We were on the NE side of Sabah, Malaysia and were heading South. Ah the taxi ride...I couldn't help but breath in that fresh air...

you know...that air. I was dying and laughing to myself at the same time...all that cig smoke flying in my face...but believe me that was better than the rotten fish smell all 3 hours in our mini bus ride to Semporna.

The bus stop to Semporna. There is no set time for the bus to leave.

You know which bus to take by the sign on the bus or in its front window. I don't know how we made it around, but we survived b/w our little known Malay/Chinese and their English. ha ha. The most commonly known word was...Ringgit (their currency)

This is a mini bus (boss meanie) (we say it backwards and without a cool accent). This is so luxury compared to some of the other buses and means of transportation...truly.

and when the bus fills up...then you go. You could be waiting for hours...which we did. The bus even took a few rounds around the town beeping at everyone on the street to see if they wanted to hitch a ride to Semporna.

While waiting for the Semporna bus to fill up we began to feel hungry...so we ate and these lovely Muslim girls were the cooks. They actually asked us to take their picture...not a usual case.

After a good nights rest in Semporna we found the Mabul Cafe to be a great place to eat and figure out where to dive.

Figuring out when and who we were going to dive with. I was the scribe while Surita read off prices and accommodations. We dove with Uncle Chang. And lived on Mabul island for a few days.

A view from Mabul. I dove to see the Hawksbill Turtle and I saw. I could have just watched them forever...magical.

Mabul itself...is not poor in beauty, but poor in the way of life. Poverty and tourists...don't make a good mix. It's not a new thought for me, but seeing what I saw motivates me to be more urgent to do something about it...I'm working on that.

freedom love

Pick a spot to sit down.

Make sure you have some tooth fresheners.

And brush away to the rising tide and sun.

Dive with the locals

...and somehow notice a set of homemade drums in front of the scuba hut.

Watch the clouds at sea...and think of the things you wish everyone could experience with you...It'll happen someday.

When we got to the airport our flight was cancelled so they put us up in a Hyatt (4 star) hotel. A nice way to end the trip after a long stream of...not so clean hostels and random street food that you were unsure of. The next day we arrived at the airport LATE and had to through the airport just in time to hear them announce...it was boarding time! I was laughing inside about how the ENTIRE trip was not without some kind of pure adventure.

Terima Kasih (Tur-ee-muh Kah-see) (roll the r) means Thank you. I love you Borneo. I wouldn't have seen it any other way...you should try it sometime.

A LaNd CaLLed BoRNeO...

2009-03-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

It was November and I sat in a local breakfast shop with a friend from work. We were about to drive through the hills to find some local hot springs. While we were waiting for her scooter to get freshened up with some new breaks she told me of her plans to travel to Borneo. My eyes got big and so did my idea...to join her! A few months later we hopped on a plane with NO idea of where we were going to sleep that night.

The next 3 weeks were pure backpacker adventure. Not a day was planned more than a day or two in advance...and getting from point A to point B was never the same. The mix of people and religions make for an incredible way of life. Wish you could have been there. Alas, I'll just... show you some pictures.

The first few nights we stayed in Kota Kinabalu (KK) at the Asia Adventure Lodge hostel. While we were there we planned out a rough idea of what we wanted to do and talked to some other people that had already been there and done that. Amongst the lodgers was...

UNCLE THE PALM READERThis is uncle aka philosopher and my palm reader who read I would either work in a bar, help others, and/or get married and have kids...what the random?

WorLds LarGest FloWer...Native to Malyasia and Indonesia
Blooming time: 5-7 days certain times of the year
THE RAFFLESIA hmmm. I was interested in seeing it...but uh I didn't think I would see it this way...it's a long story. But I'll tell you the short version.

You follow the cute little guy up a little dirt road, hang a left, walk through some bushes, and come to a stream. Then he stops and holds his hand out for you to go ahead...

only then did I look up to see a little fence. I was dying.

Is this really what tourists do? Apparently...it is.

I'd rather just get a picture with the natives and get it over with. These guys were the best part of the whole...Rafflesia experience.

SEPILOK ORANGUTAN REHAB CENTER
I took a really cool film of her which won't post. She was so close and it was special not to see her behind bars, but in her natural habitat. The Center rescues and reintroduces these amazing creatures back into their natural environment.

UNCLE TAN'S RIVER SAFARI
I don't know what this was made of (smelled like vicks) but it was the most amazing repellent I have ever used! Definitely a life saver! Better than anything on the market fo sho.

A glimpse of the jungle. I LOVED IT! You ride in a little fisherman boat at different times of the day and see the wildlife in it's natural habitat. I admit that I wasn't too sure how we were helping their environment with a somewhat noisy boat and smoke choking out the natural air, but uh....the locals run this joint and they are fighting the gov. to keep the jungle area from being replaced with palm oil tree plantations. DON'T BUY PALM OIL PRODUCTS!

We took a small trek in the jungle and looked closely at the insects and other living organisms.

Lan in the front. He has been doing the backpacker safari for 12 years. I wish you could have listened to him speak about the palm oil plantations, the struggle with the government, and the fight to keep what jungle they have left. He would call me "Samoa" after explaining to him why I looked like a local ha ha. It was good to meet another bro out in the world.

sleeping quarters

Our last morning at Uncle Tan's we headed down a different part of the river and came across this little guy. A 2 year old Orangutan eating the fruits of the tree. Obviously my camera wasn't good enough for this moment, but I think we all could have just stayed there for hours watching it. It was actually a humbling experience...and makes me sad to think that the jungle keeps getting smaller and smaller.

He or she looked like this...only way cuter and this one is already way cute.

I loved seeing the jungle this way. It was actually quite sad to leave after only 3 days in it. I have to go back. I just have to. Anyone want to come?

More stories and pics to come.

ChRistMas...

2008-12-14T00:53:00.000-08:00

....is my favorite Story

...is Love, Peace, Joy, Noel

...is FaMiLy

...is FrieNds

...is definitely watching my all time favorite church classic

...is seeing the Lights on Temple Square....wondrous.

...is seeing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concerts... An all time favorite each year.

...is Listening to MoTab Christmas Music to bring in the Christmas Spirit. LOOOOOOOOve this album.

...is seeing Sissel perform...I swear I heard an Angel sing.

...is hearing French horns in the music

...is hearing all those classic Christmas songs that never get old

...is Mariah Carey's 1994 Christmas Album that I could listen to over and over during the holidays

...is all about the Holiday Classics that you couldn't wait to see as a kid

...isn't Christmas without Elf. Loooooove.

....and it isn't Christmas without that feel good Last Holiday story. Love.

...isn't about the Grinch, but about the song...(which Mariah Carey helped write mmmmhmmmm)..."WheRe Are YoU ChRiSTmAS"

...is standing at the top of a snow capped mountain with your board and dreaming about the fun ride down...minus the Christmas crowd.

...is snowflakes (paper or real)....falling in the lamp lit street on a quiet evening

...is a tree of lights in your home and sleeping by it each night

...is all those yummy treats you get from everyone!

...is a Christmas card

...or two

...is a feeling

I am loving the Christmas Spirit this year...and all of these things are just another reason why. Love and Miss you All. Merry Christmas!

Sun Bei Bei & Church...

2008-12-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

This is Sun Bei Bei. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints almost 70 years ago and is still so passionate about the gospel. He inspires.

My favorite things about Sun Bei Bei
1. His shuffle walk.
2. He knows where Samoa is and has a buddy from there.
3. He always has fiber crackers, chips, chocolate, nuts, or some kind of treat in his black bag for you.
3. He insists you eat it and will say, "Come on, don't be shy".
4. He will be speaking in Chinese during testimony meeting and will suddenly switch over to English and bust out in Song.
5. He will sing the WHOLE SONG...NOT just ONE verse.

Today he sang, "Silent NIght" and his version of "radiant beam from heaven's star"....is a classic.

Amongst other things...Today- I was late to church...shoot sometimes you're late. So I hung out in the library looking for some lesson materials...then Sun Bei Bei walked in with his mini raido with earphones in hand. Then he asked me to open the windows (so his little radio could get some reception), and he gave me the other half of his earphones to listen to...Billy Grahm.

I held the radio close to the sunlit window in one hand and an earphone up to my ear in the other while he sat in his chair and I on the footstool. Sometimes you hang out in the library with your favorite grandpa, next to the sunlit window, listening to Billy Grahm...ahhh the adventures. I love Sun Bei Bei and you would too...wish you could just simply meet him.

Treats in a bag

Going in for the reach...you never know if it will be fiber crackers or chocolate.

Ahhh good. Today it's chocolate.

"Come on, don't be shy ...eat it."

Star Party 2008

2008-11-30T05:31:00.000-08:00

"Want to camping?", they asked.
"Sure!"
"It is mmmm... I don't know how say...He Wan SaN...3 tall mountain in Taiwan."
"Cool! Let's go!"
So you take a bus with a bunch of kids, parents, and their teachers just 3 hours north and hit 14.

He Huan ShAN

Shan (Mountain). Third tallest Mountain in Taiwan

Unload from the bus and walk to your campsite.

Ummm that's cool. What is that?

Yup it's a greenhouse type dealio. It's also where you'll be sleeping for the night.

Alrighty then...let's set up camp. cha

The Greenhouse in effect...

Camping is good in this hood...

Ms. Chen and her daughter Debby (my neighbors/Landlord). We're tight.

Our camping neighbors.

Star Party 2008

There were so many amazingly huge telescopes&things....people with their laptops and high tech stuff....

But honestly, the best view of the stars could be seen from this homemade telescope....from Lan Tan Elementary School. I lined up at least 3 times to see the stars from this one.

Lan Tan Elementary group

Star Party peeps waiting, hoping, wishing for their lucky number to be called out for an awesome prize....

This was my lucky number (san-jiu-qi). Not.

Ah well this girl was lucky in love...

okay I know the picture should be about the moment...and for me the moment was about...that ring. check out the ring...hilair. Although the night before there was another engagement and the dude set up a slide show showing them at the star party since 2005 and then there were fireworks! What the engagment! It was sweet enough to make one shed a tear or two.

Alas I was lucky to see such beauty...

Tag&Things by EiGht

2008-11-15T21:34:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by the sunshine maker...and so...I write...

8 Tv ShoWs...
1. OPRAH
*the audience is crazy, so are her prizes, and she always says the darndest things.

2. EXTREME MAKEOVER people/homes
*I love before and after things. Although these shows got a little too extreme so...no more

3.PROJECT RUNWAY
* I like to see what people create...sometimes it's amazing....sometimes it's just crazy.

4. THE OFFICE
*Can we just say...awkward, but hilair.

5. TRAVEL CHANNEL W/ IAN Wright
*He is one of the only British dudes I find to be funny.

....and now for some OLd SchooL shows I loved (b/c I ran out of ones for now...I don't really watch tv at the moment)

6. FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR
*hilair family ties

7. THE COSBY SHOW
*that feel good show

8. LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE ties with IN LIVING COLOR
*uh...another feel good show.

My friends would make fun of me by making their teeth look like Laura's (a little bucky) and then say, "but pa...". They hated this show...but I didn't care b/c I liked Laura's adventurous character and her will to fight back the bullies mmmmhmmmmmmmm.

On the other hand I couldn't find a decent picture for ILC so LH made the cover.
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8 FaVe RetAurants
shoot there are so many great places. These are off the top of my head, but these also hold many fond memories of peeps and the like...but actually the foods pretty divine too.

1. ROYAL INDIA in Sandy
*Love their mango Lassi. Love mango everything. Love the owners (I use to work there ha ha).

2. BOMBAY HOUSE (brother of Royal India)
*many celebrations of great times there.
*a fave: Chicken Tikka Masala medium hot

boneless chicken barbecued in tandoor oven, then cooked with bell pepper, onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, cream and spices

3. LACAI NOODLE HOUSE
*Vermacelli rice noodle with charbroiled pork and egg roll
*or Curry with chicken or shrimp

4. THE KOREA HOUSE
*what can I say...Asia

5. BEITERMAN'S in NH...I think that's how you spell it.
*Freshly baked bread, toasted if you like, and all the best ingredients. I always love a good soup and sandwich. This is not an original... doesn't do justice, but kind of captures the...white deli paper it comes in...

6. THE COMMON MAN in Ashland, NH.
*The best rustic atmosphere and yummy cheese/cracker appetizers

7. A-PU
*Best Hot Pots in Chiayi (J-as in jeep. ia-say it like eye, yi-as in ee). Love hot pots. You can get different soup bases...I usually go for chicken. I've never had this one...but looks inviting.

8. L&L Hawiian BBQ
*gotta have that Polynesian style cookin
___________________________________________________
8 Things That HappeneD yesterday

1. I enjoyed the morning sun through my window
2. I ate breakfast with a friend
3. I rode in the hils with my scooter to catch the sun
4. There was a nice cool breeze
5. A nice old man helped us order lunch under the open hut atmosphere
6. Went to Jongpu Hot Springs...an amazingly good time
7. Had a water pressure massage
8. Sat in a steam bath/sauna dealio and I could have stayed there forever b/c it
felt like all the pollution was being cleansed from my lungs!
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8 things you Look ForWaRd To

1. Hugging my nieces and nephews and catching up when I return home

2. Hugging and catching up with the Socwell sistahs when I return home
Charie (L) was my trainer on the mish. We are bonded for life. She just moved back west and I can't wait to hang out with her awesome fam. Heather (R) the one who tagged me and whom I am also bonded for life!
3. Reuniting with old friends one on one or one huge partay
4. Going back to school for MSW
5. E-mails from friends...as I am a world away
6. Laughing!
7. More unity and love with bros and sistahs around the way
8. More understanding and confidence in the Lord and Father's Plan for me and for all
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8 things on your WisH list

I wish I could krump dance...it's called krumping. It's an evolution from break dancing and it'll leave you without words...but on that note...I would like

1. To travel the world and see its many beautiful people and places

2. To understand Mandarin and sit in sacrament without an interpreter
3. To be an extra in a movie...hee hee...just to be in the background walking around or something...I have practiced this in many of my photos...I think I'll be pretty good at it by the time my chance comes around. Here is an example....
notice anything behind Wesley?

look again....
4. To love more constantly
5. To meet historical men and women who have inspired me through teachers, books I've read, and things I've seen.
6. To attend every important event in my loved ones lives
7. To meet all those whom I could call friend in this life
8. To be a neighbor with all of my friends! I would love it.
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TAG...it's your Eight. Don't feel obligated. Just do it. I mean...tell all or not....no worries...you do not have to add pics or adlib..most people just make a list...I just did it kk style.

1.Brad
2.Brittney M.
3.Sherri S.
4.Rachel M.
5.Betty
6.Pidge
7.Trish
8.Wendy

HappY HaLLoWeeN!

2008-10-31T04:54:00.000-07:00

When I first got to schooL the kids couldn't wait to show me their bags full of costumes for Trick-or-Treating! They could not wait to go...they could hardly wait for their naps to be over...most of them couldn't sleep!Tina and Alex Before...

...and AFTER ha ha...love the face. She gets a little shy.

With Alex there is no holding back! Spiderman is the shiz.

Bryan loves "Harry Potter" and will write "HP" BRYAN on all of his papers...

...therefore he is "HP".

Jason and his little sister (mei mei) joined us in their devil and mini mouse wardrobe. Love.

Evan was so proud of his Pirate hat, Steven the beetle, and Michael aka Spiderman...yeah boyeeeeeee!

Fairy face Sophia...so cute.

ummmm Leah the lost Angel? with her upside down wings. She's a babe.

Mommy pics before we hit the road for some Trick-or-Treating! Yahooo!

We had a long walk around the neighborhood and are about to hit our last two spots. A church and a restaurant! Cha! The kids were getting tired, but so happy to be outside (it's always nice to be outside) and getting candy for FREE.99!

kids in their costumes and moms at hand made for a nice Trick-or-Treating adventure.

A little tuckered, but still happy to be out.

Singing "The Witches Brew" while waiting for our candy givers to come out and...give!

A little tribute to BoBo...the kid runnin excitedly to who knows where.

BoBo eyes Leah and...

...goes for it. Until I say, "Ahh BoBo No". Meanwhile Leah's calm nothing remains the same. She was so excited, but the pictures just don't capture her true expression moments before.

OH. okay.

Uhhhh one of the few pics of me...and the kids. I am dressed as an Angel! (Thanks Cindy)

I Drew a Line

2008-10-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today I had that day dream feeling...when you're ready to sleep only you're outside in a huge open field minus the snakes and other harmful things...and you're stretched out comfortably as you look at the stars feeling happy to just BE...there. And if I were in a video and the background music was Coldplay's Yellow the camera would zoom away from my face as it's turning slowly in circles and then it opens up to me being this tiny speck in a moonlit sky and its light reflects off of everything it touches. Somehow it's as if I have become part of the stars.

Okay, but the funny part is when he sings, "I drew a line, I drew a line for you...." I thought he said, "A truer lie, a truer lie for you..." or something like that. And I thought how could there be a true lie, better yet a truer lie? Ah the things you make up for the lyrics you don't know, but think you know. I could still be off on the right lines. Nevertheless it was always fun to belt out using those exact words. Ahhhh to dream.

Glad to Be...

2008-10-29T03:56:00.001-07:00

Today I was actually glad to be...sick. I hate those days when you're kind of sick, but you know you could be at work. But this was a day I was honestly sick, and I could honestly call in to work and say, "I'm sick". So I was grateful to be...sick because it meant I could stay at home and rest for a second. Sorry moms, I know many of you don't even get a sick break...so I will enjoy the moment.

Porter Jackson (PJ)

2008-10-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Little Porter had to hit the NICU when he first arrived. My little bro, Dan, said he wasn't too worried, but than he's always been pretty optomistic.

Here's PJ's grams (yup the Martin grams). She is laughing so hard right now. This is the best kind of laugh anyone in the Martin fam could ever witness...it's contagious b/c it's usually about the most random things! Porter is so cutie here.

Porter posing for an announcement pic. He looks good in...orange!

My folks were watching him this day. What a bundle of baby cute face_lovin_ cuteness_ all wrapped up in blue_all bunched up and surrounded by colors and cars cute or maybe they're trains cute. I love you cute face. I can't wait to meet you. Welcome to the family and thank you for blessing us with excitement, happiness, love, and fun adventures together ahead! Next year can't come soon enough!

All pics courtesy of my dad and Dan. Much Love!

What?! My Nieces...First Date

2008-10-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

One day I got an email from my little niece, Savannah.

S: "I'm doing pretty good...i went on my first date on my birthday! the kid that took me was Chris Olsen he is a senior but a young one so he is only 17 but he is the nicest kid ever! It was me and him and two other couples. We went to Los Hermano's it was fun he told them that it was my birthday and so they made me wear this big Sombrero it was so funny! but it was way way fun i loved it..."

kk: Tell me more about this dude....

S: he is a way fun kid. anyways about the...

kk: (in my mind) ...ha ha...girl you are too funny. Not real into anyone_ Always a cool thing especially as a teen.

Later Savannah emailed me all these pics and wrote:

"hey hey hey im glad you liked them! ya my friends are alot of fun i love um i have a couple kids i think are cute but no boyfriend which i think is fun and better :) ha ha anyways. well i'm going to have to keep this one short and sweet cause i've got MUCHO homework :( haha but i can't wait till you get home i love talking to you it releaves all my stress and lets me get away from hard times for a little. counting down the days till you get home!!!!!!!!!
<3 <3 <3 ///::: Savannah

PS the weather has been pretty hot till about yesterday it started raining ad you can feel the fall breeze coming in. haha but see ya"

Savannah....and a kid named Chris.

I think this is so funny...Chloe is in awe of her older sister and Savannah is just like...dude what's up...or maybe it's more like..uhh are you serious?

Savannah is on the Left in turqouise.

Hey...strike a pose.

Ah the things girls do for fun...

Love you girlfriend!!!!!!! Thanks for sending me all the fun pics! And keeping me updated on all the good times. Don't forget to write down more of grams sayings for that "precious moments" shirt we're going to...create!
Love, me

Ysella {Ee-SeLL-uH} Leilani

2008-10-21T03:15:00.000-07:00

Ysella Leilani Sneddon
LEiLaNi: Flower from Heaven

LauginG Flower from HeaveN

Jubie, James, and Ysella

Jubie: origin comes from The mixing of her parents names. Her parents grew up in the PHilippines and came to California before they began a family.

Jubie was one of the first people I ever met during my first year at college (BYU-HI). We were headed to a freshman orientation ha ha...and as I stepped out of my door so did she. We practically linked arms and walked to the auditorum together and have never seemed to stop linking arms.

We've linked arms through night walks on the beach, at high tide, tripping over couples making out while trying to find a bon fire. We've linked arms on our way to way fun dances....when the Hawaiian locals are there....it's not the same! We've linked arms walking across campus and got to meet President Hinckley on his guarded golf cart. We got to shake his hand and feel of his faithful loving Spirit. We've linked arms at the Oakland Temple...shoot...I was on my mission and she just happened to be outside the doors when I came out....just in time. Jubie stopped at the airport before I headed home from CA. so we could link arms again! We also linked arms in the Oregon Temple when she and James were trying to decide if they should have another baby. That day....was one of solemnity and peace and silenced the fears of the unknown...and a few years later we have only begun to be blessed by heaven sent baby Ysella Leilani....For forever. For Eternity.

WE are linked for eternity. Fa'a fetai Lava for blessing so many of us with your love, friendship, and sister Love. Love you sis!

Proud brother Kainoa (aka Kai). Ysella looks so much like he did when he was a babe. They're lucky...they got their mama's lips!

Cute face Kai, baby Ysella, and Grandpa Rieta. Love you gramps. Jubie's dad had a little mechanical shop somewhere in the hills of Hayward and he put a pic of me and Jubie up (it was of us at the Oakland Temple hee hee) and he never took it down....It is such a simple thing as this that makes me feel alive, loved, happy, and grateful.

Uh...I don't know....some father/son, eating/bonding time or something. It's cute.

Makeo (aka Mac) gettin in some one on one time with Ysella. He's in love.

Some Grandma Rieta lovin.

Sweet dreams baby Ysellal Leilani. Love you.

All pictures courtesy of Mom Jubie via emaiL...Much Love! Love them ALL! I have yet to meet my Little Name Sake. Can't wait.

SomEtiMeS

2008-10-01T05:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you think the person taking your picture told you to say "Qi" (chee as in cheetah). I thought it was interesting one should say "Qi" (that's 7 in Mandarin) b/c it sounds so similar to cheese. Well everyone is laughing at my thought process. I got my qi on while they got their cheese.

I went to hear Elder Richard G. Scott speak at this hotel. I don't recall the place or name at the moment...but it had beautiful gardens and a bunch of "famous" cartoon characters throughout the vicinity.

Sometimes you do this...

and sometimes you do this...

Cool place.

This is the view from the tower.

Cute toon.

Sometimes you see it...

...and sometimes you don't.

I don't know...sometimes you just take a pic.

Where we sometimes ate.

Where the night's dance would be held.

Dance Theme: Knight's/Princesses. Lame. But I got a funky dress.

Okay the scenario: Sometimes you are the only one that dresses up for the party (1 out of 3). However, when you do dress up everyone comes up to you and acts like you are a movie star. They want to take your picture. Or if they don't have a camera they take the opportunity to say "Piao Liang" or "Oh you are rilly princess" or "Oh wow very beauty"....I couldn't pass up my one night of fame. I can now see why they prefix everything with the word "famous". They make you famous. I took as many pictures as they wanted. I was laughing so hard...inside...at how ridiculous my dress was...on purpose...and yet these people were totally serious about their comments. If you want to feel like a superstar no matter what you wear...dude come to Taiwan. It was good times.

So there was a live band. Finally towards the end they played one song in English. It was an old Lindsay Lohan teen song "You're It...you're the ultimate...I've been waiting all my life for someone just like you...!" So uh...sometimes you just mosh. I became...the moshing princess. Waving my magic wand around, singing out loud to the lyrics...kind of missing America...and then a bunch of guys joined me. They loved moshing. Who doesn't. Well I mean you know...sometimes you just...mosh.

This is one of the dudes who moshed with me and I quote as said when he joined in on the fun, "Oh Kaffy you are soooo coo!...ha ha ha". Ah kid...thanks, but really I'm just a nerd. I still wish you could have heard the accent and saw the moment....and well....it's just all about....sometimes.

A Little RandoMnesS

2008-09-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

Taipei Traffic

This golden buddah is only a 20 min scooter ride from home...it's huge. Just below him there was a lot of movement and noise from Tai Chi peeps...when all of a sudden I looked over to see...

...this dude. Something I loved to do in high school during that new business class they were trying to implement.

I like contrast

My homeboy Steve-o (from work) got invited to our curch dance...ha ha...and he came. It was good times. The little dude is the bishops son, Hou Ray.

Debby. My landlord's daughter. She and her mom also came to our church dance. hee hee. I love how she can rock the knee high socks/sneakers (a common style among many of the females here).

Debby's mom and Wesley (2nd Counselor in Bishopric) live at the dance.

Traditional Market. Reading the paper until someone comes along to buy a little...duck.

Black or white chicken...take your pick.

Ever heard of a....ChicKeN LumP? Seriously...chicken lump? It's called Chinglish. Hilair.

Here's what it looks like! They're tasty.

Fried Pork Fiber. A common condiment that you will find on almost anything. The missionaries call it...carpet meat because it kind of does look like carpet fibers? It's not...bad.

Some locals took me on a ride up this "famous" mountain (BTW everything is prefixed with the word FAMOUS) that lead to tea farms and other various things. There are 36 bends (and more) that are labeled. Well as we came around bend 24 there was nothing in sight...

but this! This PoweR CHaiR. I was dying. It was the most random thing to see amongst the many mountain bends!

Debby driving the car. My dad let us do this sometimes on our grandpas tractors or on the freeway. Kind of a scary thought.

A shortcut DOOR! who does that!? I thought it was cool.

I slept in this cafe. I went to visit a different part of Taiwan and it was my friend's friend...Let's just say cool place, but glad it was only one night.

I think this is hiliarious. Whenever the kids come out of the bathroom their pants get twisted every which way...I love big yellow underwear pulled up high...don't you! too cute.

When the school year ends seems like every school has a big graduation performance (Chinese and English Schools). This was for my bushiban kid's (Chinese school graduation). On the mic-the principle. Holding the cake-her mom. The cartoon characters-who knows. RaaaaaaaanDooooooM.

Some NOble Grad pics (a post on this later). Monkey happiness...not. But they're cute.

Uh...I was going for sentimental, but Justin was going for "ahhh get me out of this ridiculous rabbit costume". Seriously I think I was dreaming about it all being over. We all wanted a break by the end of the semester.

Angel the Rabbit-digging for some lunch before her performance.

Something about the way it's written...makes all the difference in "the" sign. love it.

Sometimes you just want to wear your sunglasses ALL day long, even when you sleep. Nicky did.

I didn't realize the calendar dude had a cig in his mouth until the end of the semester. oops.

Another random comment from Jeffrey's dad. I like the use of the word "flaunted"...yes...flaunted.

Ummm awkward friend-hug-struggle kind of moment?

Got to line up your shoes before you enter music class. A little scary how straight they're placed...and placed by the children no less.

My screen saver. Jeffrey and Sophia lovin their snack time...ah the Good times!

Room oN the 10th Floor

2008-08-17T02:34:00.000-07:00

After you enter the building, take a ride up the elevator to the 10th floor (or if you're really ambitious take the stairs). Walk out the elevator and you'll see my door as you slightly hang a left.

View from my front door.

Take a step further in and you will get a wider view as you can see from this skewed sun faced shot.

Looking back to the front door. My kitchen. Everyone has propane gas stoves. Yes, I get to buy a little tank every time I need gas for my stove. So far I have only had to replace it...once. I don't cook often.

Across from the lovely kitchen is the ladies room. Rockin the plastic slippers are a must when walking upon this floor. You need them to wade through the puddle that merges next to the tub.

It took a few months before I actually put the shower curtain up. I used the same rod when I had nightwatch duty for those stinky pets (see DRAIN-O Works!). I had to defend myself it was very useful in the matter.

The Throne at it's Best.
Take a look to the (R) and you will see a yellow package with a napkin-like tissue in it. This is how T.P. is done. They do have rolls, but they're not as common. Don't you just LOVE the colors! Below the sink is a drain where I put my DRAIN-O to use. It also gets water broomed down it after every shower. Look for my trusty red broom on the (R). There's a small leak in the floor...I hope it holds up for at least one more year! cool eh.

The shelves...

This is my friend Mandy (interior designer). I asked her if she had any ideas of how I could rearrange to fit some chairs in (besides the ledge of my bed). Check out the picnic table cloth chillin in the background. mmmmhmmmm.

The only seating arrangement besides the floor. Here are Kelly Huang (L) and Kelly Tsai (R). If you look close, behind the girls, there is a pillow with a putrid green pillow case. Yup. When I first got here I couldn't resist getting the next best thing I could find...that was it.

.....And NOW....for some change.I moved the bed and got some chairs. The only original piece is the table. Underneath the table are some small bamboo stools (a common sight in homes). I made the green wall hanging which was inspired by a design from a cup and left over tissue paper from a lantern (which I converted into a light cover to tone down those darn florescent lights). I like it a lot.

My chairs face this lovely ensemble. Good times. OH the best thing is the water heater (silver dude on the L of the shelves) it is perfect to warm up your water for anything! I love it!

My Bed got a make over too. I love the cooler because it makes living up high in this sticky weather bareable. I was really hesitant to move my bed by the sliding doors, but got over it and am just consistent on the roach spray.

I thought I should you know...maybe get in a LIVING mag shot. Aside from it being a little dark and the tip of my desk chair it's not too... bad. Ha. p.s. where are the traps? Hint: there are 2

This is how I like it...organized with a little mixed genre of things like...a stove. A few who know me say I should consider the whole personal assistant thing... maybe when I go into business I'll let you know eh!

Looking straight ahead from the sliding glass doors. When people say BBQ...they're refering to that little metal pan I got goin on that ledge with a little charcoal brick to go with it.

Looking down from the 10th floor out into the plethora of buildings. Depsite the close proximity of everything my surroundings are...interesting and it's nice to see something different.

NO more coin op unless I need something dry in a hurry. I've only had to replace the gas tank (for bath/kitchen) once. I haven't needed warm water since... June. But by the end of September I will put it back to use. Look for more traps. Hint: there are 2

Looking Right

Looking Left

This is Ben. It's nice to see a little life amongst concrete surroundings.

Today Ben brought a Misses.

Lan Tan D.C.

2008-08-17T00:57:00.000-07:00

Lan Tan Lake is just a walk down the street.

The Lake is our main water resource so you never see anyone on it or in it...at least I haven't. These were taken in January so the water level has gone down a bit in these pics.

A little map of the lake and there is a little man_made hole behind it. Actually it's suppose to be a little cave, but it's cool. I just really liked the colors in the middle of nowhere!

Some mosaic murals, but you can't really tell. Oh well, check out the greens.

They just put in these new lights across the dam. The whole area around the lake has parks and foothills. I can't really describe the beauty and adventure that lies around the lake...a little Swiss Family Robinsonish.... The lake is also next to a University and it has some beautiful buildings as well!

A regular sight!

Heading home.

My buildings are on the left.

A little roadside breakfast place I pass on my way to the lake.

Hang a left before you pass this part of the street and you can find my building. However, you can see the corner store (L) that provides me with drinking water and on the other end (R) is a "Family Mart" convenient store that provides other...convenient things.

Pass 3 buildings that look just like this until you come to the 4th one on the left and you've got the right place. My place.

10F-11, NO. 183
HSIAO-YA RD
CHIAYI CITY, 600
TAIWAN, R.O.C.

DRAIN-O Works!

2008-08-17T00:25:00.000-07:00

My Stinky Pets:
Larry and frickin Harry

Actually these are the disgusting creatures that freaked me out when I first moved in. I remember stepping into the bathroom and I saw one of these scurry across the floor. My first glance of it was from the corner of my eye and I thought it was a huge rat! But when I turned the light on...it was No Rat. ughhh. They grow big in these parts. (Although I am rather glad it wasn't really a rat either).

This is the main reason I would not fall asleep until 3 or 4 in the morning when I first got here. I have lived with these things before in Hawaii, but it's been a long time since then and I didn't want to get used to them...again. Plus I had roomies and I didn't have to fight against them alone. Anywho...I would lay in my bed with the lights turned on, a stick in one hand, and RAID in the other.....just in case. I wasn't about to have these crawling on me in the middle of the night. After a while I got rather exhausted from the late nights and finally figured out a better approach. DRAIN-O down the pipes and in the sliding glass door, Roach TRAPS, and spraying RAID outside my doors every few days! As a result they have kept outside and died outside! Victory!

ShoTs of the HaiZi

2008-07-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

Haizi (Hi-zi [as in zit only without the t] ): Children

Okay this has been a long time coming so. . .IT's a bit lengthy. Take your time...maybe even a few days to see what I have just posted before your eyes. I invite you to partake of the full experience. It will probably have you saying...Dude_or....not...

My first semester at Noble was spent with the Kangaroos.

KANGAROO CLASS
Cc_w: Johnny (holding the tree), Gary II, Leo, Gary I,
Morgan (in red), Charlene, Apple, Judy, (missing Collin)And yes, I really had a Gary I and Gary II. I tried to use their lasts names instead, but all the kids still said I and II....hee hee. Ah we had a good time. I will try to post our Christmas 2007 skit we created (for the schooL Christmas program) in the near future...future.

...then the next semester I got the cutest kids in all of Taiwan! I got to work with the Whale class! Wahoo!

Here are my little WHALES. . .

Jeffrey knows his stuff. He can be sitting in the back row messing around, but when he sits at a table to do some serious work he brings it! He can be independent, but he's definitely a softie as he likes to cry at any little push, scratch, shove...or look!

Insert from the Communication Books:

Uh when I first read this I thought it was...wasn't real. I thought this was so funny, but at the same time I was thinking to myself...Dude, not only do we hope Jeffrey recovers, but I hope WE recover after he passes it all on to us! Stay tuned for more Jeffrey news via Comm_books.
Pure hilair.

Jason's first show and tell moment was with a huge black and red toy gun. Needless to say these are two paper guns he has proudly made (although here they look like chicken nuggets). But seriously look at that cute face. Truthfully he's a little softie. He really likes Julie and will try to be next to her any chance he gets. He will always say, "I like Julie" and smile real big after he says it. Ahhh young love.

Alex has incredibly good manners that I don't recall ever having at his age. He'll say, "Excuse me" at all the appropriate times and I think to myself...man you have good parents or sometimes I think...are you serious? However, lately he has gone wild! Yup at school he can have manners and be out of control! Wooo! Hopefully I'm not rubbing off on him.

BoBo...his name says it all. He makes a lot of kids cry and so I learn how to deal. However, I love this little guy. You know how people will say, "good girl or good boy"...Well he will say, "You are good Teacher Kathy." Another heart moment happened when we sat down for lunch. He touched my arm and said, "I like your color. You are orange and we are this color". I love him.

Evan started out shy. Now he will dance and sing to the playing music when he thinks no one is looking. He will seriously bob his head, let his arms and feet go wild, and try to sing as he jives to the music. I love it. On another note he has no problem throwing a bit of a tantrum when he doesn't get his way. Most of the time you can prevent all that with a little hug and then he will do whatever you say.

Justin is a darn hoot. He used to have his hair permed and it made him look like...a little piece of broccoli. That's right, broccoli. Eventually his parents got it chopped off and he no longer gets called "Brockery" by the Chinese teachers. He is the youngest of the bunch. He is great at mimicking whatever and I mean whatever you say! For example if I say, "Jeffrey sit down" immediately you hear, "Jeffrey sit down!" then he smiles and laughs. He's very entertaining to say the least.

Leah is just a lot of fun. She has been gone to mainland China most of this semester, but her return has been a fun one. She can be stubborn (who isn't) and won't blink an eye or give a budge until you have truly given her a reason to do something she doesn't want to do...taking a star or no play time becomes her option and that usually gets her to budge. . .a little :] She is most entertaining. After she has accomplished something she will tilt her head to the side, kind of like in this pic, and then nod her head a few times as if to confidently yet comically say, "I know, I know". I love her.

Bryan is the lover of the bunch. If he does something wrong he will say, "I love you" or sometimes it will sound like "I luh you". He will put his ear to your face and put his hands around your head and say,"What did you say?" or he will just randomly stand up while I'm giving a lesson, come hug me and say, "I love you" or he'll just lay across my lap. When that happens everyone else feels like doing the same thing. Cha. That's when I get to hug them back and say, "I love you too! Now please go sit down!" I would love to have this little guy with me forever.

Steven is so darn cute. The Chinese teachers actually call him an "old man" because he is very slow when he does things, especially when he eats. One of my favorite things about this little dude is his laugh. When he laughs I just want to rewind it and play it over and over again. It makes your heart laugh when you hear him. He can be so quiet and somber like, but he is so aware. So when you hear him laugh it is as if he has come alive.

Angel is our very own Chinese Dora the Explorer. She loves Dora. She also loves to wear dresses, have her hair brushed, and look beautiful. I love how excited she gets when she has the chance to wear her little pink tutu for dance class. When she wears it she comes alive! Although we have some good times at school, she would much rather be sprawled out across the floor looking at the ceiling or finding something to laugh about. Can't blame her, I felt the exact same way when I was in school!

Tina is full of life! Just check this pic out! She's very artistic. I love how she mixes her colors when she uses her crayons or does art projects. I think it reflects a lot about her own little personality. So fun and unique. She is imaginative and loves to tell stories. She is also very helpful. Although she only has an older brother, she likes to play the big sister role and really helps me out with the youngins.

Sophia is a blast. Just look at that smile. Her smile is usually the first thing you see when she comes in the morning and the last thing you see when she leaves. Very little will get her down. She is very independent and likes to do everything herself. She looks like a little 2 year old, but she's almost 5. I love to pick her up and twirl her around while she squeals and laughs as if she is being tickled to death. When we took this picture she was also laughing like she was being tickled to death! She's a cutie fo sho!

Julie is a little lover and her little laugh kills me. Her laugh reminds me of all my little nieces/nephews and watching them grow. She is the cute girl Jason likes. She used to like him, but has tired of his overbearing presence hee hee. When he says, "I like Julie" she will immediatly say in a stern voice, "I don't like Jason". Shoot...It's bitter sweet. She will hold on to you forever and never let go. She will wrap her arms around my legs, look up and say "I like Teacher Kathy". Ah I love these kids.

Nicky is hilarious. She is so darn cute and so fun to have in class. She loves to help me and will often say, "Teacher Coffee I like help you". I love it. She also likes to talk a lot at the lunch table and will often open her mouth to show me the remnants within it left to chew. It's a means of showing me that she is working on eating despite the fact that she is still jibber jabbing away. Gotta love it.

Monday_Bushiban (cram school)
On Monday's I go to bushiban to teach these lovely girls. It's a nice change up after a day at Noble. I get to practice the little Chinese that I know with them because they are on a different comprehension level.

L-R: Joyce, Jennifer, Fanny, Joy, Amber, Joanna, Naomi, Wendy, Peggy (hiding), but you can see her in the pic below.

The dynamics go a little something like this: Peggy hates English, but I think she's warming up after lots of praise, stickers, and treats! Fanny (pink sweater) is total serious, but she's likely to know all the answers. Meanwhile Joy and Joyce bounce around the room like monkeys mimicking English/Taiwanese sounds to get the whole class laughing. But not Fanny. She is pure focused. And the others...just gossip. Ah it's a good time with them.

Friday_Bushiban
Aside from the fact that it's Friday, spending some time with these little tykes is always an adventure!

James gettin' his cheese on!

James and Jay. Check out Candy in the background. . . I like what you can find in the background of a pic.

Jerry chewing on some chocolate, stylin' it up with his hair (they had a school performance that day). This kid cracks me up and I just want to squeeze him. He is smart. He will be doing a word search puzzle, pretend to be looking at his school books, then look up as if he's listening and somehow he still manages to understand what's being said. Genius. Who does that? Dang he's cute.

...and the wild adventures begin!

...the blue striped shorts belong to wild little Morris.

The John's Family private lesson: Jessica (12), Kevin (10), Isabella (6)
I love this family. They will invite me to go do fun things. I recently went with them to the Butterfly Museum at Chiayi NationaL University. It was amazingly beautiful. For those who love contrast in all things...this is a must see. NO pics were allowed, but it's etched in my memory. There was a display of butterflies slowly turning (from the ceiling to the floor) forming a DNA helix. Incredible...and the contrast of colors was breath taking. I loved it all so much I went back again and will definitely. . . go again. Anyways they do cool things.

They made these poses on their own. It's kinda like they're the Chinese Von or Van? Trap Family...for reals. There doesn't seem to be anything they won't do or try.

Ahh fur cute.

Dude It's MY BLOG!

2008-07-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Dude It's mY BloG!
Let the tales of Laughter,
LoVe, HilariousNess, Adventure
and out Pourings to the Heavens above...

...flow like the waters of the Earth.
Let contrast in each word create beauty
with everything it touches.
Let not the numbness of life
capture your soul.
Awake in the thickness
of wonderment...
FEEL!

In everything you go through
Believe in the
Existance of Your Spirit!
LoVe, Laugh, Play, be Free and
LiVe!

kk

SO LOVE ON!

2008-07-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

A wise friend once told me, "Your life is full of value. We aren't here on earth to do things that can be written in books or flashed on a screen. We are here to write in peoples hearts that God loves them. We are the pencil he writes with (I think Mother Teresea said that). You just keep being that little pencil. And don't forget to sharpen yourself now and then so you can love all that God brings into your path of influence. What a beautiful mission it is to love His children. That is the true purpose of this life. Few know that, even fewer live it. So love on."

THaNk You BEtty! Love you!