::: IN CASE YOU HAVN'T NOTICED :::

I am no longer in Asia. I am in Dallas preparing for my upcoming wedding!

::: THAT'LL SUM IT UP :::

"Politically the U.S. is unpopular abroad. But we see an almost unlimited opportunity for growth for our products. We recently shipped marshmallows, popcorn, and pretzels to new clients in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. American culture, at least as it's manifested in food, is pretty bulletproof."

I read that today in an online CNNMoney article. It reminded me of a conversation I had with a guy named J Wat. Justin Watkins if you will. He and I met last year on a trip through Hong Kong and I called him up when I moved here in August. We would get together and hang out a few times before he left and mainly we would eat at some place western. Tony Roma's, California Pizza Kitchen, etc. Once, we went to see a movie...The Departed. But before we entered the theater, we noticed we had some time...and I had not had dinner.

So we decided to hit up that favorite fast food of Asia...even knocking out McDonalds, the ever popular K.F.C. We mused at how the world hates our role in the global economy and of course politically, but they all want our food and vacation spots!

Please see below for an excellent commentary and other musings by Mike Myer's as he plays a scottish father in "So I Married An Axe Murderer."

::: A NEW TITLE ? :::

I was reading a New York Times article and came across a quote that just may become my next subtitle...

"-belief in hope beyond reason."

I do not do well everyday as a follower of Christ, but He impacts me daily. I attempt at most times to effort my life toward this following...and at times, I roll over like Bear used to do and just want my tummy rubbed by the easy offers of this world. And at other times I throw stones as those who fail around me.

This whole thing is a mess.

But...it's a beautiful mess.

Where I may stub my toes in the world, my God is there to take my mind off of it and remind myself that...I am not an idiot.

I just am.

I just am being changed.

I just am becoming.

I just am experiencing new things.

I just am living in an abundant life.

I just am experiencing God at work all around me.

I just am another one, who is a part of the myriad of those who long for what Jesus spoke of and modeled...heaven on earth. Oh that majestic man who loved the ones who are hard to love and spoke sharply at the religious.

If only I could love the way he loves me. Without condition, without effort, without quitting.

After all, it makes no sense.

::: SNEAKY :::

Unbeknownst to Mom and Dad, I snuck home for a two week vacation!

It is Chinese New Year in Asia and I figured...I could spend the same amount of money that it would take to come home traveling around Asia and seeing some amazing things...and hating that Cheryl wasn't here to experience it with me thus rendering it not as fun to share stories about.

SO...I decided to spend the vacation time with her and Mom and Dad. My sister even decided she would join us! She arrives in about an hour for a nice weekend visit.

So...the updates will begin again in about a week!

Much love

::: QUIET ON THE ASIAN FRONT :::

I have been pretty quiet this past week...and even a little before.

Sorry.



I have been contemplative as to what the future in Hong Kong looks like after the school violated our contract. Would I overlook it this one time? Would I get on the next plane home? Would I wait and find a job in Dallas? Would I wait and find a job here until July and find the one I am looking for? Decisions, decisions.

After a week and a half of trying to decide, I made my decision...



There will still be moldinasia...for at least awhile longer. But, the search is on...


Normal posting should resume shortly. After all, Chinese New Year is coming up! That should be really interesting! Two weeks off and a bunch of people with fireworks!

By the way, it will be the year of the pig...there are huge pigs everywhere in this city. I mean everywhere! HUGE ones. Nothing like 15 feet tall pigs looking you down the snout! But they all have these slits in the top of them for...that's right...money. Really HUGE PIGGY BANKS!

::: A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE :::

Well tonight I realized I wiped out all of the pictures that I had stored in my iPhoto files.

ALL OF THEM.

LOTS OF THEM.

I got over it rather quickly because up until I left for Hong Kong, I never carried a camera. So all of the photos were actually from other people...which means I am likely to be able to get them again.

However, I lost every picture I have taken since arriving here. Then it dawns on me that I have some good ones on the blog here. I took a read all the way back to day one and enjoyed the journey and pictures. I hope you have too.

That gave me the idea to take some of the pictures that I took on my phone and post them as a little visual journey since arriving here as well. So...here goes...

::: THIS HUMBLES ME AND WATERS ME DOWN...EVERY SINGLE TIME I HEAR IT :::

I came across a service called 'truthcasting' and signed up to watch my church from Hong Kong.

This link is what they sent me when I was having trouble accessing their MAC OSX player. They are fixing it. Yay.

Click on Irving Bible Church, then on Sunday Sermons, then choose When Being Right Is Wrong. This might be the best message I have ever heard...stress the 'I' part there folks. I still haven't recovered from it. It has shaped me.

Check out truthcasting when you get a chance...basically it is a collection of church video podcasts but not on iTunes.

It would be better if they just loaded it up to iTunes as a video podcast though. Then you could take it with you if you wanted.

::: DANGIT :::

Bring on the asses.

Let me tell you, this is the second time I have been overseas during an election season and the liars, I mean candidates, are already making asses of themselves internationally. And that is in no way a shot at the Democrats or their choice of a mascot. The United States of America is an equal-opportunity ass-making-of-yourself nation, as we have seen over the last few years, and I love it.

But, could you just duke it out sometimes and save us the lies and terrible news reporting? I mean seriously...I need a nap already.

You think it's bad being there for it? You should see it from afar! Where else do we give people a bunch of money to go out there and have a lie-off, pay for them to make fools of themselves in a playground he-said, she-said, and then give them control over the most powerful economy and military in the world?

Only in America. Land of the Free





to make an ass out of yourself, and subsequently our nation.

::: IT'S COLD :::

It was as warm as 69 today.

But inside, it feels like about 50. IT'S COLD ALL THE TIME. It is always warmer outside than in our office, and in our home. For some reason, the windows are always open in our office too. MAKES NO LOGICAL SENSE TO ME!

Nose = cold
Toes = cold
Hands= cold

I am = outta here for the day!

PEACE...

::: SCOTTIE CRISSEY, YOU ARE TODAY'S BEST PHOTOGRAPHER :::

That would be Cheryl and I walking away from the DFW International Arrivals Terminal after my arrival. And...hand in hand...all is right in the world!





* The award of "Today's Best Photographer" expires at midnight due to the overwhelming number of great photographer's in the world. Gotta share. All entries are chosen by secret ballot, and are audited by the accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand. No animals were harmed in the taking nor, the editing of this photograph.

::: SOMETHING I SAW TODAY :::

No comment. All I am saying is that I saw this today. That's all. Nothing else.

























pretty sure I know a few people that should get on that bus! CRAP! I DID IT. I DID'NT MEAN TO. UGH! I TRIED SO HARD!

::: FROM THE TOP ROPES IN HK :::

An entry showing what happens when a foreigner does not blend well with the non-formal, and at times illogical ways of foot-trafficking in Hong Kong. And I don't mean the buying and selling of feet.

Please read, have a good laugh at the cartoons, not at Mr. Leung's demise.

If you are going to drive on the left...wouldn't it make sense just to walk on the left as well?

Logic would say so. But again, logic hasn't quite made it over the Pacific just quite yet.

::: A PSEUDO-ENTRY :::

For some reason, these three dorks came to Hong Kong to see if my story was good enough to tell anyone. Here are a few pictures from one of their blogs that they took while visiting!

*** These three dorks are really cool guys!

::: FOR ALL THE GIRLS I LOVE :::

Well, part of living overseas is that you put your family and loved ones in the trust of God because there isn't anything you can do from 10,000 miles away. That thought hit me one night while in bed living in Brasil. And, it led to me trusting God in a whole new way...pretty much changed my life.

So, to all the girls I love who are afraid of your cell phone starting a fire at a gas station, or think that leaving the engine on while pumping gas will blow you up...I submit the following video for your watching.




NOTICE:

:: If you clicked the video link, I did not name the video. That would be get me into trouble with my sister, my girlfriend and depending on the month, my mother.

:: The fire didn't start until AFTER the pumping began, thus giving time for just enough fumes to build up near the handle.

:: The girl was wearing a sweater...likely had cloth seats in the Jeep. Recipe for static electricity to build up with each move she makes.

:: Notice she never touched the door or any other metal surface after she got back out of the Jeep to stop the pumping. Rendering her 'charged' when she went near the pump handle, and thus the fumes.

:: If she did you would have seen her jump just like you do when you touch a door handle when getting out in the first place getting that nice little jolt that usually happens most when you wear a sweater in colder weather.

:: No jump means that she is fully charged. Fully Charged + Fumes= Messy pants.

:: Never take the handle out while it is on fire. True, it seems to work in this instance. Hit the emergency shut off button on the pump (front or side) at the sign of flames...then run.

:: Change shorts.


And now, barring any negligence on the part of the girls I love...I should be able to sleep at night not wondering if I will be attending the crispy funeral of one of them and feeling tremendously guilty for not sharing this public service announcement. It's good to be Italian.

::: THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS :::

Hong Kong is very cool.

And...three of the five of my favorite things that...if someday...I was forced to own would put a huge smile on my face, are here in Hong Kong also.

So, here are..."a few of my favorite things"...as inspired by one bad looking mini I saw on the way to school today.

AS if we needed another song lyric,

" If I were a rich man...

























































And...as if that wasn't enough...here is what I learned today...call it a blending of three of my interests...Italians, Airplanes, and Vespas.

::: NOTHING TO REPORT, EXCEPT BREAD POISONING :::

Well, it's been almost a week and a half since returning back from the Christmas holiday.

I was walking from the minibus to the MTR station on my way to work and as I thought about how long it had been since my last real posting, I thought, nothing seems too out of the ordinary here anymore. Nothing to report really. I get up in the morning and I go through my routine. I see the same people, do the same things and expect the same things...

Then, I read the paper.

This article was in the South China Morning Post a few days ago. I read it while eating a Krispy Kreme and enjoying a cup of coffee as a mini-treat for not running Cheryl off these past 6 months. Yay for me.

150 years ago in Hong Kong, the colonial British were just really setting into Hong Kong and were on the verge of losing her to the enemy who was encroaching on all sides. During this time the people of Hong Kong ate very little bread and the need for a bakery was purely for the Colonials. Well, if you do not like Colonials, that would be a great way to get rid of them. And thus, someone tried. The largest and most famous bakery provided just about all of the breads to the Westerners and was owned by a locally-famous, um, local.

Poison was added to the dough and the bread was baked as normal. Unsuspecting Colonials went about their days picking up their breads and taking them home for dining throughout the day. But, the taste was not as invisible as the smell was and as soon as many took it into their mouths, they spit it out, thus rendering the poisons not fatal. Many did fall ill though and even the Governor's wife fell ill. Justice was pursued and arrests were made. Trials were had and the baker was called before the bench. In the end the poisoning was the end of this man's career in Hong Kong, and there was not enough evidence that he had knowledge of such a scheme. Turns out that two of his employees skipped town right after their shifts. But, even still the baker was run out of town. He did manage to rebuild his reputation outside of Hong Kong and regain his businesses albeit not in his hometown.

The Governor's wife never did fully recover and would be dead within and year and a half.

This place is fascinating to me!

::: UM, DOES IT REALLY SAY THIS :::

Ok. This has nothing to do with Asia either, but as a Christ follower, headlines dealing with the Church catch my eye. This one catches my flak as well. Are you kidding me?

Does it really say this?

From the New York Times:

A Church’s Challenge: Holding On to Its Young

I believe that has been the major problem of a certain type of church for the last 100 years or so!

I digress.

::: STILL STANDING :::

Well, I am still here. My apologies to the faithful who have asked where I have been. Between the sleeping, and the visa issues, I am wiped out! But the good news is the energy is coming back and we should have a real deal post tomorrow! Thanks for sticking in there with me!

By the way, I will update some Christmas stories on another blog being that it has nothing to do with Asia. Much love.

The Mold.

::: BACK IN THE SADDLE :::

So...at 2am, I rolled into my house. After one destroyed piece of luggage made it and one other is still in Seoul, Korea...I was finally home for some rest. An extra hour and a half chasing visa issues and luggage reports put me in pretty late.

I left Dallas at 1pm Saturday and arrived into Hong Kong at 8.45am the next day Dallas time. It was a beating. Dallas to Seoul was a long 14hr45 minute flight...so long that my butt actually fell asleep at least a half-a-dozen times. Imagine me standing at the back of a plane full of Koreans hitting myself on the cheeks to wake them back up. Nothing like getting stared at while you slap your own butt awake.

I laid down at 2.45am and woke up at 5.45am exactly...45 minutes earlier than I had planned. But, so far at 12.36pm our time, I am still trucking along with good energy...but not creative.

So, I bid you a farewell for a few hours. Perhaps tomorrow a video posting with my new video camera.