::: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM :::

Today is Mom's Birthday and she hates when we spend money on her. So it kind of makes it tough when getting her things. But this year she wants to be pampered! I had video footage and was ready to get more of the kids singing to Mom like we did for Dad's birthday, but with MAC getting a check up, that's now not happening.

So, from Asia, Mom...here's your birthday gift:

You will be spending the afternoon being pampered at a certain spa, recieving the full treatment of relaxation and massage. You will be receiving lunch while out about the town and even a final home cooked meal by your two favorite men...and a certain special lady to one of them.

Until I get to be a part of that in three weeks though,

Mom, you are amazing. You are patient, loving and committed to your family. You light up when we walk in the room. You consistently love on us and want the best for us and you feed us so well! You inspire creativity and frugality (although we seldom are as good as you...hee hee) and, you taught us. I remember daily something that you gave to me as a child in the form of knowledge or experience. And, much like I said to Dad on his birthday, it would take my entire life to even attempt at showing you how much I appreciate all you have done for me and Jo Anna and the two other parts of our family...the fuzzballs. You have nurtered us well and we honor you today.

NOW ACCEPT MY GIFT WITHOUT ANY COMPLAING AND BE THE DAMN PRINCESS!

::: A CONFESSION :::

My friends.

I cannot believe I am writing this in the public forum. But, as I have been so honest with you before, I will take myself to a new level of honesty with you.

I have done something terrible today and must get it off my chest and face the consequences, no matter how terrible they are. Today will forever live in my memory as a terrible day. My memories will recall this day with a cringe and a shudder.


It all begins when...

I...I...lost my...um...MAC.

He went into cardiac arrest, (shut down) and refused to come out of it (reboot). We thought we had him back, but then he showed signs of being in a coma for awhile (safety mode to prevent any damage). He is stable and we have received the Doctor's (technician) gaurantee that he will fully recover (warrantee). The only hiccup we face is bringing him back may take awhile (jackass left his restore cd in the states). We will know more tonight (after I take it in for service).

Following this random, and not oft MAC related hiccup, I find myself instead of stopping all blogging matters in light of the emergency, I have been forced to neglect my friend and move on...to...a...Windows based...PC! AAAAGGGGHHHH! You use a PC...you love a MAC.

The Insanity. Susan Powter where are you!

But, my MAC has served me faithfully and I will never abandon him. He is my consistent friend. While others stand by steaming over the fact that their PC has crashed yet again, and recount tearfully how many hours were wasted because of a blue-screen of death, and how many minutes go by while it tries to catch up, and how many right clicks it takes to restore and reset all of their connections...me and my MAC just cruised on by while their hours and minutes and clicks fell by the wayside into complete wasteland.Seems like all of that work we were able to do caused him a needed vacation.

I havn't shut down my MAC in months. I pack him up, take him everywhere. I watch him, listen to him, talk at him, and even spend hours doing nothing but hanging with him. Seems he was tired.

Seems that if only I had my cd, he would would already be back in business and moving down the road to progress. If only. I say rest on friend. We shall see if we can get you something tonight. Until then, you have been my workhorse. Even if you are down until I get back to the states, we will still have been more productive and joyful than all the hours combined waiting for the PC world to catch up.

This post was written on a...PC...and I am COMPLETELY ASHAMED.

Bring on the consequences. And can you send me my cd please.

*sniffle...tear*




MORAL OF THE STORY...take your software CDs with you when you travel, especially overseas.

::: SOMEONE PINCH ME :::

Is it really true?




My Christmas list has just been amended.

::: MOVIN' ON UP :::

That's right, I'm movin' on up in the world today...at least it would seem to them.

Today is moving day, (we only found out Thursday night) and as I write I am sitting with my things all packed up behind me. Who knows if the internet connection is has been installed, who knows what we will find. Seems like things are a little out of control and confusing for the Admin here right now. My soon to be roommates are pretty frustrated. There are a lot of unanswered questions as to what is actually ready out at the new place, but hey, whatever. All I know is that my morning commute is changing from 3 minutes to 39. And, now I have bus fare and MTR fare if I go that route. If I go taxi...who knows. Ought to be a fun week of new mistakes!

Ahh the learning curve!

::: THIS MADE ME HAPPY :::

Today is Thanksgiving back in the States. Sad day here in Hong Kong.

I miss Turkey, the smell, the anticipation. In the morning we inject that timely bird. Mid day we deep fry that sucker. Shortly after. We pounce.

No turkey. No traveling to see family. No deep fried Cajun Turkeys anywhere that I have found. But, I will honor you oh Holiday of Thanks, with a ceremonious nap after school today!

Without Thanksgiving in the way, the merchants here in Hong Kong get a full two months of shopping before the Big Rest after Christmas. You know the one between Christmas and New Years! Then those sales kick in. The decorations have been up for weeks now and the tree is already lit in Central. "She's a bute Clark."

Well, in my efforts to keep up I began listening to the holiday tunes I have and came across this online today...it makes me happy.

But, perhaps this year I will celebrate with Peking Duck instead of Turkey. Equally delicious, worse for you, but oh so dang good! Happy Turkey day my friends!



By the way, Melinda Dillon's laugh during this clip is second only to this one:

::: WHAT DO YOU SEE :::

Some days I wander the streets and pathways of the Choi Ming and Kin Ming Estates where I live, and I see these faces that I wonder about.

I see families. I see Buddhist monks, I see students, and I see Muslims in their evening clothes. I think to myself, are those their pajamas?...their house clothes?...their worship clothes? Then I realize I am an ass!













(click photo to enlarge)

I notice that the place I currently live is probably the working class area. Across the street the more polished people, and across the tunnel even more shiny people. Believe me it is not that I think the working class dull, they actually seem to have more fun...at least more of an actual living, breathing life.

I know no Muslims. Chances are you do not either. I don't mean that you never say hello to any or that you don't work or go to school with any,...I mean, "KNOW." Have dinner with them at their home, share a ride with them, attend their birthday or other kind of parties. And, I am willing to guess you have no idea how this feels.


HANG WITH ME HERE

I have to be honest...I am ashamed of myself at this point. I knew the minute that this article posted why they were arrested. Incidentally it had 200 comments to the others very few at the site I read about it at. Check it out here: 6 MEN ARRESTED AT MSP

I am mostly ashamed that in America, the home of the free, we are so shackled into our self-patriotic ideas that we have no idea what other "religions" do. When you hear AMERICAN do you think of white, middle class, born here, two jobs, two cars, a few kids, and a nice home?...I did. Again, ashamed.

I mean soapbox for a second here...We say that people who are Christians are 'Religious.' People that are Jewish are called "Jewish" and if we are angry at them Muslims are called "Terrorists" but most of the time, "Muslims." Every-day speak.

If the definition of "Religion" and people who follow that 'religion' are 'religious', then all of them are the same. All follow a "system of belief", a system of living,so to speak. All practice rituals of the so-called system, therefore all are 'religious.' Please be careful how you use this term. It can be insulting to be called religious. Truth is friend, that if you do any one thing every day...like brush your teeth every morning...that you are by definition "Religious."

But, we have this idea in our heads that all are something. All can be classified. Around our house we joked as I entered College that we were looking for a scholarship called "The Half-Italian, Lived in Brasil for a year, Brown haired guy who used to live in New Jersey but now lives in Texas Scholarship." You have to be something to be anything it seems.

I am offended by those like me. I am offended by those who make jokes about these people who have come to our country and legally have joined our communities. I have joined in the stereotyping too. And I hate that. And, I will again I am sure...mostly out of routine and the stupid feeling of always needing to make someone laugh.

STILL WITH ME?...IT CONNECTS, I SWEAR

Immigration is something that in Texas is something that is talked about a lot. We have a lot of Mexicans. They do not want to be called Spanish Speaking, Hispanic, or anything other than Mexicans. Well the table has turned and I am the immigrant. I would love to someday have a Permanent Resident's card for some other country. Not saying it will happen but the idea is quite intriguing to me. To live somewhere long enough to be called a Permanent Resident. To be welcomed and a card carrying person of Hong Kong. I like the sound of that.

But, the way the two things connect is that I am the one who sees potential for myself and dreams of life with my family here. Beginning new traditions and celebrating the old ones. I am the one who is drawn here by what it has to offer me. I am the one who desires to be here. I am the one who thinks every now and then, what is the fastest way this can happen?

Again, it is very much just a thought. And perhaps its thought for a thoughts sake...to get me to think. But I empathize more now with those from other countries and backgrounds in the U.S. Wouldn't it be amazing if we cared so much about our country and it's people that we took it as our patriotic duty to welcome our neighbors by learning about them and their "religious" activities. A man can dream right?

BUT...WHAT ABOUT...

My Northeastern friends may say yeah, but their people flew planes into my buildings and my friends died.

Noted.

Recently Pope Benedict, who has a reputation of conservative and deep theological thought, wrote in his book SALT OF THE EARTH the following...

"...we must recognize that Islam is not a uniform thing No one can speak for [it] as a whole. There is a noble Islam, embodied, for example, by the King of Morocco, and there is also the extremist terrorist Islam, for which, again, one must not identify with Islam as a whole, which would do it an injustice."

Interesting.

Being on the other side of the world, in a city that receives flights direct from the middle east frequently throughout the day, allows me to be challenged to not be the theological know-it-all who thinks he knows everything cause he has a Degree or Masters of Divinity, or Ph.D. The guy who says, "Yay for me, I went to Seminary," or "I know Greek and Hebrew." You know, that guy who so pompously is so convinced that he has looked at the issue from every angle. To think in my short amount of years I have most of this figured out. (My blood pressure is going up as I type this).

AND THEN THERE'S THIS

I really appreciate what my Pastor has said in a talk he shared with us:

"I've gotta tell y'all, When I entered the ministry 28 years ago, I was a lot smarter than I am now. Man I knew so much more. For certain, than I know now. And I've been a youth pastor, I'd been to four years of seminary, I'd written Exegetical papers, I read boucous of books and I had opinions about everything. I knew stuff. Knew for certain stuff. I thought I knew what caused homosexuality and how it could be cured, and I would have told you how. I thought I understood God's whole mind and heart about marriage and divorce and remarriage. And I had papers written where I could show you what was right. I thought I knew all about how women were supposed to function in the church and their role in ministry and what they could and couldn't do. I had opinions on how to change our culture, what the church should look like, how people should worship, what people should believe about how to dress in church...I used to wear three piece suits back in those days! What movies we ought to see, what TV shows we ought to watch, what political stripe we ought to wear. I had opinions about earrings and tattoos and I could prove to you from Scripture. And I knew exactly what was going to happen at the end of time...because?...I made a chart! Still have it! You want to know?...I knew. I gotta tell you 28 years of ministry kind of mitigates, a lot of certainty about a lot of things. And I have discovered on this journey of faith, that while certainty about some things that may be more superficial fades, certainty about what is fundamental grows. And I stand before you today as one who is a lot more humble. I am much more willing to say, "I don't think I know." But at the same time I stand before you as one who is more convinced than ever that...God is alive...Jesus is His Son...the Scriptures are true...and the key to life is following Him. There's a lot of things that I am not so sure about anymore. Not because I don't believe I can have a Biblical conviction about it. It's just that I've been humbled by recognizing that the Scripture is complex, and it has nuance, and it has different approaches and angles. And I must be ever about the journey of going deeper into the Word and being led by the Spirit to truly understand it. To have convictions about what is true, but to be willing to say when I am not exactly sure or certain, "I don't think I know!"

Now, that man...He is a shepherding Pastor. Interestingly enough...he is the pastor to the President of Dallas Seminary. Many of our elders and lay leaders are DTS profs. Many of our members are Seminary students.

I really hope they were listening that day.

::: SO HERE'S WHAT I DID THIS WEEKEND :::

I had another visitor this weekend...click here

::: IT'S GOOD TO BE THE FOREIGNER! :::

This weekend's guests were not as culinary adventurous as I thought they would be. Marc did well, and tried real hard, but they really weren't here for a visit, they were here with a job to do and in a short time.


















One of our meals that stands out was a breakfast where Pick and I were the only ones to head out that morning. Pick is a super cool guy and an excellent cameraman. We went to a local place here in the area I live in and received extra special treatment. At first I thought that at one look at our sizes the cashiers thought, "Wow, these guys are going to eat a lot and we are going to make lots of money!"

But, as is normal here, I was humbled by their extension of hospitality. This restaurant is a place where you order and pay at the front, then get in line by the kitchen to pick up your tray that coordinates with the number on your receipt. It's quick. It's cheap. It's good.

Instead of getting in line and waiting for our trays, then carrying our hot food to find a table in an often crowded dining room, we were seated by the cashier and told to wait. She personally went and waited in the queue, fetched our trays, and then brought them to us. Dynamic service and it felt very good to be the foreigner!

::: THE VALUE OF CASH :::

Johnny Cash has a new album. Here is one of the most intriguing pieces of art I have ever seen.

I was moved...In Asia. (*wink)

::: YOU PICK THE TITLE :::

My thoughts so far:

"HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM"

"I WANT TO THANK MY PARENTS FOR THE DRUM SET THEY GAVE ME AS A KID, WITHOUT THEM I WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO WIN THIS MTV AWARD"

"JO ANNA!!!! GET HIM OFF THOSE DRUMS"

"KEVIN...GET OFF THOSE DRUMS"

::: THERE'S HAPPY MOLD IN ASIA :::

Some friends from home came to Hong Kong tonight. They are filming video for a conference called FUSION. You should check out the website www.fusionconferences.com and their parent site, rightnow.org.

I have been able to be a part of both of the groups projects and can easily say that without a doubt, some of the finest people around.

Today they played messenger. They brought a care package from Cheryl. It sure was amazing to see her handwriting again. I realized that no matter how much we talk or see someone's face, there is nothing like their handwriting. Letters mean so much. Someone sat down and puts effort into it in a way that an email can't show. Video on the internet can't communicate like a written letter either. It's much more special.

Included with this letter was the modern version of a mix-tape...and seriously...what can say it better than tunes? She is amazingly thoughtful.

It doesn't stop there.

There were my favorite Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies, and homemade cookie bars. But there was also something else. Cadbury chocolate dipped sticks. I think I mentioned once that I liked those.

She amazes me. Her thoughtfulness and depth of caring humbles me...and it makes me smile!

And, no matter how many times and ways I try to explain to you in blog posts, I will never be able to describe how amazing this girl is. So, sorry if these are redundant. But, if you have ever felt like this, I hope it reminds you of how special your lady or man is to you.

So go tell them. Just try, and when you can't find the words...just tell them that.

Cheryl, I cannot find the words.

::: DIRT IN THE WRINKLES and THE ESCALATOR THAT IS A BRIDGE :::

EDITORS NOTE: since it has been a week since the last post, I combined two of them for your reading leisure. END OF EDITORS NOTE.

Signed,

The Editor

::


The thing about seasons is that they help you determine.

You determine your outerwear...and, in some parts of the world, your underwear by the seasons. You can determine the difference in the season by just looking at your electric bill, your check book, your laundry pile.

My laundry pile is showing a change of season. But, I am talking about a different kind of laundry here. I am talking about the laundry that needs airing out...the dirt in the wrinkle of the laundry of our everyday. Our lives. My life. For me, as a follower of Christ, it is things impure, things that are not what God has offered us. Things that I have taken grasp of by myself...while thinking they are the best for me. No, I am not going to be making any major public confessions, other than this...I am an f-ed up individual...and I am okay with it. That is what grace will do for you. Give you the strength to admit it and yet still find peace about it. In this season, the message of Jesus is quite clear yet again...by giving it up, you gain it all. And, I feel like I have.

This morning I was walking to campus after stopping off for milk-tea and there is a two tier escalator I take to get there. By the way, escalators are everywhere here. In fact the longest in the world is here...it’s in a part of town called the Mid-levels. I digress.

The seminal thought this morning however is how it amazes me that as a foreigner, I “get” escalator etiquette far quicker than locals and young people...at least it seems. The escalator playing the subject of my morning light-bulb moment handles all the traffic between the huge apartment complexes and the MTR station near where I currently live. All sidewalks converge here for those who live on the upper level of the Estate trying to go lower, and the many students who’s schools are in the upper. At 8.05-8.15 the escalator is quite busy. Peak time if you will.

Hong Kong is packed. More than NYC. In fact, I laugh at NYC sidewalks now. “UNLIMITED COSMIC POWERS...little bitty living space.” (Aladdin, for those who can’t remember). Imagine the arrivals hall of Grand Central Station in between the Subway Station at 5.30pm absolutely everywhere you go. The worst part of it is the total chaos that it can be. People walk on both sides of the walkways in both directions. It is like your own personal game of Frogger. And no one knows how to be courteous..at least when walking. People cut in line if there is enough space to jam a foot between them an another person.

Get the point?

So I am on this two tier escalator packed full of folks, holding a cup of steaming milk-tea. We are heading up to the second tier and then it begins...the shift.

We go from traveling at a nice speed, you know, normal escalator pace...and as we get to the top, the back up begins. I see the crowd as I crest the top of the escalator hill..what ever that thing is called...we’ll go with dismount. I am trying to figure out what the hold up is. It is nothing. It is people. Everyone crams two side by side when they get onto the escalator but, fail to have the insight to remember that when we get to the dismount at mid level of the two tiers, we are dumped onto an area about 5 feet deep to catch the ride to the second level...and we keep on coming, and so do the people behind us.

Before getting on the first level, I was cut off by a teenage girl that I wanted to slap for being so pushy and rude and selfish. Bad words were said in my mind. I cooled off on the ride up...only to get to the cram fest at the middle platform. Steaming hot milk-tea still in tact. It was like an assembly line of idiots all backing up and Lucy and Ethel were running out of room for all of us ‘candy.’



We are all crammed together tighter than Ross Geller in leather pants.



I walked away from the experience frustrated. Then, another teenager decided that she and her friends were going to yell at each other...while laughing...in that high-pitch puberty tone that would irritate Mother Theresa...with food in her mouth...for like two minutes. Blood pressure rising...culture stress kicking in.

Culture Stress is one step away from culture shock...the other way. It is after culture shock, but before integration. It can get the best of me sometimes and I just want to yell, “Hey idiots...get a clue. This is supposed to be one of the busiest places in the world...whatever happened to that? Walk faster...on the left, like you drive!”

They just do things differently here. And, I am the one who needs to be patient and see it all as part of this adventure. I am actually getting pretty used to it and have adopted some of the local ways. God help me when I get back to Dallas!

But the point is that I am the one swimming upstream. I am the one who is different. I am the one in rebellion to the ways of Hong Kong. And the worst part is that these are the some of the most caring and sensitive people I have ever met.

Humbled yet again.

::: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKEY!!! :::

November 5th, three years ago was one of the most bittersweet days of my life.


The silver lining...this little guy. I remember seeing that little dude sitting in that little clear plastic baby...um...thing...I don't even know what to call it. But it is that Tupperware looking thing they put babies in the nursery at the hospital.

My family and Kevin's mom had gotten to the hospital in the late afternoon awaiting news of any kind. We let someone know we were there to see my sister, assuming she was still in a room waiting for something to go down...literally. HAHAHAHA sorry about that one. Anywho the bonehead nurse knew she was in the process of getting out this large watermelon of a person and asked if she wanted to see us. Of course the answer was No. Kind of a dumb question.

Well, we heard nothing and I of course cannot stand still and wait for anything, so I paced. I found a window to some room not associated with patient rooms. The blinds were closed. I found a way to peek in anyway. There is a little slit where the strings run through on the blinds...I just peeked through there. Hey, I just really wanted to see in the window!



Then, I saw a baby placed into one of the bins. Couldn't tell at first what it was. But then I peeked to the nametag. I saw a blurry name that had the blurred shape of a capital 'P' and then a tall letter of some kind right where a 't' would be in Pintar, my brother-in-laws family name. Same amount of characters. I peeked closer and sure enough, it said 'Pintar'. BAM! We had BABY!

Then, I find out his name is Michael. Yikes. Too much of a good thing.

He is three today. THREE! Yikes. He will be spoiled more than normal by all the people that love him for no other reason than he exists, but will be celebrated for who he is and is becoming, making us love him more and more each day. Especially his little personality, the way he can look like an angel at one glance and a devil at another...after all his name is Michael. We are famous for being little devils!

Happy Birthday Dude!

Love, Unckle Michael from around tha wirld

::: update to previous post :::

I no longer have to wonder what Jeff is up to.

We have reconnected over the last few days and it really is a freaking cool thing. I searched for him on the internet and could not find a thing. I did find a lot of stuff on his older brother and found out he has become quite the producer.

I began my search like anyone does...I Googled him. I found out nothing doing a search with all kinds of search criteria. Nothing.

Finally, I just searched pictures. BAM!, there he and his wife were. So now I know he is married. I click on the picture and it gives the email of the lady who married them and her website. I email her telling her I am looking to get in contact with him and she CC"s the email to Jeff's wife. And, you can guess how it went from there.

Been a really cool part of this week!