Let's go crazy!

Washington State is so fun for me now. I mean, it always was, but more in that 'home' sort of way rather than the vacation I now see it as. Started off my July visit with a triathlon!
"Don't worry, everyone looks like a sausage." (encouraging words from) Tina Chan

   

Then there was Sarah and Joe's wedding out on the farm...

...and Seattle to see my family...

 

 

...including walking around Mt. Rainier National Park with my mom...

 

 

...and I still have another weekend in Richlandia coming up! :)

The balance of my NYC summer is ripe with visitors: Shannon from VA, Drew and Jasmine from Boston, and Amber and Kristie from Richlandia. AND I'm going to see the revival of RENT on Broadway! :) Very excited.

And because even my family is confirming with me, yes, I'm returning to WA at the end of August. No one, and I mean no one, believes me...

And so on

I've been working as a substitute para-educator (quite the tongue twister for me) in the Kennewick School District for the past few weeks. So: yay, job! I really enjoy it so far. Lots of stories. Another time.

In--what is becoming characteristic--fiscally liberal style, I am headed to Hawaii next week for my sister's 40th birthday. You may say this rings a bell, that's cuz last year we celebrated my other sister's 40th birthday. For a virtually unemployed girl, the rest of my travel plans for this non-sabbatical year surprise even me. Gosia, my friend in Poland, is getting married the first weekend of May. Joyce whom you know from her visit to me in NYC and my visit to her family in Atlanta is taking me to EPCOT/Disney World with her later in May. And I've got a cruise to the Bahamas on the docket for my uncle's 70th birthday. Just tonight, I ran into the dear parents of an old friend of mine who said she's going to Spain in July and renting a big place and everyone is invited...and of course my 2nd thought (after "Oh dear") was: July is open.

I think I can register for my proof-of-dementia-card soon.

Also

My mom and I are headed back to Richlandia on Monday to resume Regular Life. Which I haven't been participating in for a while now so let's see how I do...Wanted to say that my sister's recovery has been very quick and smooth. PTL for that. I've learned a lot about my nasty habits and hard heart--especially when provoked by the little ones on whom Jesus said their Father always sees the face of angels. Or something like that. ;)

I finished "My Life in France" and loved it. Julia Child was a super cool lady. This is also fortuitous since my friend Yolanda has asked me to help with a Ladies Bruncheon wherein she is slated to give a Chinese cooking primer.

---- (added February 25) ----
Upon re-read I felt compelled to look up that angel-face verse and I got it backwards. It's: See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. [ESV]

Eight days a week

Back in NYC for a few days. Tonight, I had dinner with Amy, my friend since the 3rd grade(!), in Hoboken, NJ. It was nice to catch up and she treated. (Thanks, Ike!) Her baby just turned a year old and I have yet to meet him but she seems to be taking motherhood in easy stride and he sounds like he's taking to life in the real-world with great ability.

Since I arrived here a week ago, mostly I've been doing small apartment improvements for Juanita: got rid of a busted window A/C unit; organized under the kitchen sink; hounded the building maintenance to fix a leaky toilet. Today I obtained a fresh 5-foot Christmas tree! I'm going to decorate it tomorrow. Juanita says, "Why aren't you married? I come home after work to a clean house and dinner waiting." I've even fixed lunch for her to take to work a couple days. So, folks, please note: Irene has domestic potential.

Not to say I've been home exclusively. You know me: volunteering at Times Square Church, lunch with Nini in Fort Greene, a missed-play-so-coffee-instead with Linsey, the Met and Bergdorf Goodman windows (my favorite is the Reflected Serenades and Meticulous Metronomes), dinner with Jessica, a lunch and dinner with Nancy, MoMA to see the over-hung Bauhaus exhibit...

Wrapping up this year is bittersweet. I've had such a fun time. Yet the bank balance is a sort of reddish-black and even the Bible limits Jubilee to a year. So, for all those interested in my 'plans': I hope to go to Tucson and hang out near Olivia for a few months til it gets really hot, say June. Then maybe I'll go to Seattle and enjoy my favorite time of year there. Then...???

Transcontinental

Dear reader, sorry for my long absence. I have been really enjoying my last few days in NYC with no work. Prayer in the Square was awesome. My friend Joyce from college and Atlanta posts came to visit me from SF and we ate and I worked through my visa trials. Then it was Kara's wedding to Hans in Lancaster, PA.

I am headed to Chennai, India in a couple hours for my RZIM course and will be there for three weeks. Afterwards, I plan to go to Dhaka, Bangladesh to visit an old friend from Switzerland who's there working on a UN assignment. I'll be there for a few days before returning to NYC. I'll stay in the Apple at Juanita's in Queens for a few days and then fly to Tucson to visit my college friend Olivia for a few weeks. Then, this will be mid-November, I'm going to Seattle to serve as nighttime nanny for her four kids while she and her husband are in Paris. Then it's Thanksgiving. Then I'll be back in NYC for about two weeks and then back to Richlandia for Christmas and into the uncharted 2010.

I'll post something more personal when I'm settled in India, hopefully. Know that God continues to rain down his favor and love upon me and those for whom I'm asking Him for. Which includes some of you! :)

Testing or Leading?

Turns out, usually, that when I think I'm being tested, I'm actually being led. I have a lot to catch up on, but want to share some recent details.

I spent about six hours running around and calling all the banks in the Tri-Cities trying to find one that would cash advance on Amex. Charging my rent (first and last and deposit) isn't the greatest feeling but it's how it had to happen. All during the hot pursuit of not bouncing the check that was already en route to the subletor, I was thinking "why? why? why is this so hard?" And while I don't know why, I can tell you that my roommate--whom I found on craigslist--not only attends Times Square Church (where I attended for five years before the Western Move) but sings in the choir. AND she's planning on taking a sabbatical year to travel in 2010. AND she tracks the weather in Athens on her iPhone (as I do on my iPod touch).

Today, my 2nd day in the sublet, which is just off Columbus Circle, I was struggling with the wifi. Getting really frustrated and again: why? why? why is this so difficult? I mean, here Juanita is been so gracious in loaning me her HP mini and I still can't blog with a full keyboard like I want to. So off to Starbucks I went. Texted my friend, Tiffany, which reminded me about a sermon she had wanted me to listen to on marriage. I downloaded it and the weather cleared up. So I popped in the earbuds and took a walk up Riverside Park--getting happier and happier to be here. When I hit Broadway, I was going to turn right, but decided to cross the street so to avoid staring at the cute man who was pushing his two kids in an urban stroller (the kind that have the attachment on the back for the older kid to stand on)--I mean, I can't listen to a podcast on the importance of marriage and then gawk after Mr. DILF (sorry if you don't get the reference, it's rather bawdy). Crossing the street, I run into an old colleague of mine from my days at Grey Interactive. Meaning I haven't seen her since 2001. And I got to tell her and her husband about stuff including my upcoming trip to India and why I'm going. Pretty cool. Got back to the apartment about an hour ago and my roommate told me she rebooted the router and all is well with wifi. So here I am, blogging. Again, He doesn't answer my "why" but I certainly hear a gentle, kind "told you so."

More--on the rest of Richland time, touring the Olympic Peninsula with Nancy, and the first week back in the Apple employed--later.

Remaining plans: three weeks of work at Deutsch, Greece, Israel, two more weeks at Deutsch, India in October, Tuscon to visit Olivia, Seattle to watch the set of 4 while my sister and brother-in-law are in Paris(!) and through Thanksgiving, New York for two more weeks, Christmastime in WA and then it's a big TBD.

Wow

Before I began my travels, Nancy's parents were visiting her from Alabama and I was telling them about my plans. Near the end of my soliloquy, I said, "I'll stop when I run out of--" to which Nancy's father inserted: "Friends?" I replied, "Well, I was thinking 'money' but that too." And now, just as I am truly running out of money, the Good Lord has given me a little 'pot of gold', as Debbie called it, in the form of a freelance job for my old company in NYC.

So I'm heading back to the Apple a week earlier than planned but that's fine with me. Hoping to sublet a bedroom in a 2BR apartment in midtown west. That's still to be worked out. I am so grateful. Literally jumping for joy. Just like I have the Chinese church kids do as a thanksgiving exercise. :)

"...We were berry picking...It's been so cold this year they turned blue..."











My sister and her girls all in various pink stripes. Like a gang.











Dinner with the Krahns, well, some of them. This is the family of Esther, whom I visited in Montenegro. But in our shared Richlandia. Yummy kale, wild rice, and curry chicken. (Thanks for reading, Mark!)





Kids who I used to have in Chinese church children worship who have since moved onto youth group. Now we're Facebook friends!







Debbie, Josh, and their son. I just loved Josh's cross hand hold. :) Lunch at Sageport Grille, one of my Richlandia favs.

Family: the great time warp

Seriously. When I hang out with my family, I kind of forget about the rest of my life. I am only a daughter, a sister, or an auntie. There is no "Irene", only "Xiao A Yi" (pinyin for 'mother's younger sister'). So now I face the biggest blog lapse since I began, I think.

The rest of my time in Richland was packed to the gills with good visits with more friends interspersed with FB Texas Hold Em'. Had a cathartic discussion of sorts with my parents and the fruit of that emotional expression/honesty is still reverberating. If fruit reverberates, that is. Ripening, might be a more contiguous verb. So, again, yay emotional maturation! Yay, counseling! One friend of mine whom I saw a few times during my 10 days in Richland quipped (I paraphrase): you have a lot of patience to engage with a variety of people and really listen to them and remember details about their lives. It blesses me to watch you interact with people. Her words were very affirming as I find her an incredibly upbeat and engaging person.

So I wound up driving the standard-shift, no power steering, cassette tape deck truck to Seattle as my parents went up the day before so my dad could attend my niece's "Special Guy" kindergarten lunch. It wasn't so bad. Dance recital was fun(ny). And I was The Face Painter at her 6th birthday party. All the moms recognize me as such now. One kid asked if it was my job. Maybe I should consider it? Speaking of, my current idea list of jobs come 2010 are: teach, nanny, freelance project management, and nursing school (I realize this is not a job). So kind of broad spectrum. And of course I could become another empty-pocketed writer. Which sounds kind of appealing as well.

So the party was fun and the clown was totally not scary and very funny ("Nothing better than an iced-mustard.") but the memorable thing was that during the party my other sister called to say that my dad was going to take me sick mother to the ER because she couldn't stop puking. And this was on my mom's actual 73rd birthday! So they hydrated her and gave her some medication IV and sent her home. But we were all worried. My mom is a workhorse and kept apologizing for not being able to help out. This was the least of our concern. Anyway, some drama ensued about whether she should go home or stay but eventually she and my dad went home to Richland for a few days before coming back so my dad could present the gospel at an area Chinese church event. I have many thoughts and feelings about the Whole Thing but most importantly, I created a Therapeutic Event (so calls my counselor) in that I am separating from my parents' marriage. It's not mine, I've got no business in it, and boy is that freeing. (Thanks to Kristie who shared some good stuff with me and confirmed that it's the right thing for me to do, emotionally--even if it sounds crazy.)

The rest of the week has been a mix of Play Dough with my 2nd youngest niece, Jackpot (some ball toss game) with my eldest niece and her neighbor friends, wiping up spills, changing diapers, playing Settlers of Catan with my brother-in-law and sister, grocery shopping, researching washing machines, driving the minivan around, and tickling my nephew. I am the 3rd parent.

I did see my high school friend Jason yesterday for coffee. He works at T-Mobile and I hung out with him before he caught the bus back across Lake Washington (well, missed and caught the next one). So that's some peer-level interaction.

My next stops are Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia in Canadia and Banff with Juanita; Bellevue/Seattle for Independence Day; Richland for another week; TBD; camping in Mt Rainier Park; the Olympic Peninsula with Nancy from Richland; and NYC on August 1st.

I'll post some pictures later today if I get a chance.

Love to you, my lovely readers. A quote via my friend Amy: Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable. (And reading my blog = being heard. So there.)

Habits

Back in Richlandia! Here's me with Mooch's foster mom, Rachel. Windy got me hooked on FB poker. Which has kind of replaced my crossword puzzle obsession that I had in Vegas. Which is kind of funny if you think about it.









These are the three products of my glassblowing class that I took way back when in New Orleans. I've been waiting to see how they turned out since they were shipped directly back here. Pretty cool!





Richlandia has its own beauty, which I really appreciate after having been in other beautiful places and looking at the creation and people and food. Of course my mom cooks for me here and it's yummy. Old friends have taken me out for some traditional fare: Stacey with Spudnuts and Nancy with Atomic Brewery.




The rest of my time in Vegas was really sweet. More hanging out with Carrie and her family. More cross words and sleeping in 'til I woke up naturally. More cool rock formations, as pictured here at Red Rock Park.

Here's some wildflowers: fuzzballs. I've decided, influenced by Milton's quote from previous post, that it's OK that I don't know or even learn the scientific names for all these flora, I enjoy them all the same.



And comparatively, I am busy now running around seeing my awesome friends in the Tri-Cities. Thank you to all my blog readers and especially cool is Nancy for being my first subscriber! Wow, I feel very loved.

After a few more days here, I'm going to Seattle for my niece's birthday, will be back around, then have a trip to Canada in-planning with Juanita, and later in July a trip to the Olympic Peninsula with Nancy. Hope to camp with Josh & Debbie and do some other fun stuff in between as well.

Back in the USSA

Love my new friends in Montenegro. Will post photos soon.

A day in Warszawa to quickly catch up with Gosia and give a little presentation to her 2nd grade class on my visit to Turkey. Karen and Emre had helped me out already by teaching me a song. The two Turkish kids in Gosia's class--excuse me, Miss Margaret's class--resisted singing it because they said it was for babies. And the one American kid said to me in reply after I told him I was American: "Native American?" It was a fun day. Will post pictures tomorrow maybe. See: Turkey/Montenegro culture has worn off on me a bit. Nothing is definite. Nothing is urgent.

Can I just say that the Vienna airport is the only one so far where wifi isn't an issue for my iPod? Countless other places I have full bars, so to speak, but still Safari won't open. Ugh. This is frustrating to me. Disagreeable even.

So then I was in NYC for less than 24 hours but had breakfast/Central Park stroll with Nancy from Alabama. Gosia said it was funny she used to be Nancy from back stage crew at TSC, then she was Nancy from NYC, now she's Nancy from Alabama. People move.

And of course a Korean food fix with Juany (my endlessly gracious host) before catching my flight to Colorado, where I am now. Aurora. Which reminds me of Wayne's World, even though it's the wrong state. Like strip malls and nice split level houses. Work with me.

I'll be here for the next few days before visiting Joanna (Wellesley friend) in Albuquerque (which I'm learning to spell correctly) and then Grisel's wedding (TSC friend) in Phoenix and the Grand Canyon and then Vegas to see Carrie (high school friend).

So many stories to relate about the rest of Turkey trip and Montenegro. But for some reason what I want to share is getting on the subway from JFK airtrain (my fav) and glancing over to see the totally thugged out guy sitting next to me is midway through The Plumed Serpent by DH Lawrence. More reasons why I [heart] NYC.

March plans

After Mardi Gras, I hope to visit my friend Nancy's folks and my other friend Nancy in Alabama. Then Joyce will be in Atlanta, Shannon in Virginia, Colleen and Riah in the DC area, Shirlie in New Jersey, and finally Juanita in NYC. There is a small chance my friend Ken will be at his restaurant in Florida over Wellesley's spring break, in which case I may Jetblue there for a few days.

Going to the gym every day has been great. And, for all of you who got my Christmas email, I finally started weeding the front yard! :)

Opening move

Just bought a one-way ticket to New Orleans departing Feb 22. Smile. Had a lovely new year's eve into new year. Met with one friend who encouraged me to fully learn: the greatest of these is love. And another friend today who was just plain excited for me.

Dad asked me to do the weekly Asian market shopping tomorrow saying I did a good job the last time. I am celebrating this small but meaningful assignment.