My Bedside Table

I'm REALLY good at starting books...

Really, REALLY good.

International Women's Day (It's a real thing)

You may or may not know that March 8 is International Women's Day.  I didn't know this until I moved to a foreign country.  The conversation went something like this:

Student: Miss Miller, what do you do in America to celebrate International Women's Day?
Me:  Eh...ah...what's International Women's Day?
Student:  It's an INTERNATIONAL holiday.  How do you celebrate?
Me: Well, uh, we don't do that in America.
Student: WHAT!?  It's INTERNATIONAL.  Everyone must do it.

That's basically where the conversation ended.  It's really not a very exciting conversation. American holidays were somewhat confusing for my students who had been taught that "Fool's Day" (April 1) was an American holiday on the same par as, well, at least Halloween if not July 4 or Thanksgiving.

During my time overseas I celebrated International Women's Day in a variety of ways.  One year there was a fancy banquet at a hotel downtown (not as fun as it sounds).  Sometimes there were compulsory lectures (exactly as fun as it sounds).  But, by far, the best March 8 celebration was that of 2008.  And by "best" I obviously mean "most horribly awkward."

To celebrate IWD (it's just too long to keep typing out) that year, the Foreign Language College was honoring women by taking the whole department (men and women) to a hot spring.  Yay!  Nothing like being the only white girl in a bathing suit with your entire department of Asian coworkers!!

We all take a bus to the hot spring which is really like a fancy pool complex that's just fed from a hot spring.  It's not at all nature-y or what I had imagined a hot spring to look like from my vast knowledge based on movies.  Fortunately, unlike in the movies, everybody wore a bathing suit.

Then, we break off to our respective locker rooms where there's no privacy.  Zilch.  So, you know, I get to the be the only white girl changing.  I had a super cute suit with a little skirt because it's important to be modest when you're the sole focal point of attention... and about to go swimming with your male colleagues on a work trip. Some stranger ladies complimented me with a "Oh, I very like your bathing costume" which made me feel totally fashionable in a 1890s kind of a way.

First, we hit the super hot pools.  Then we went to the pools where the little fishies nibble on you.  (New idea: they should totally combine those two pools and then WE can nibble on the little fishies while we relax - this has to be in practice somewhere in China).  I was pretty freaked by the little nibbly fishies.  Especially because you're like submerged with them.  And what they don't tell you in fancy travel magazines is that all those little fishies poop.  So in addition to you sitting in your bathing suit talking about your hometown to the dean of your department while little fish nibble at you, there's also little fish poops floating about.  See how fun this is!!!

I didn't last long in that pool.  Give me a pumice stone or those skin scraper things at the pedicure place any day.  Next up, I did some laps and idly (dare I say awkwardly) floated about and attempted small talk with acquaintances (none of the other foreign teachers  nor any of my close friends in the department were on this trip. Perchance they were better informed ahead of time).

That lasted for a couple of hours.  I kid you not.  It was long.  So long.

And then it was time to leave.  Yay!  Except that required changing and showering.  A giant room with lots of shower heads and not a shower curtain to be found.  Show time, folks!  I just stared at the wall and showered very quickly.  Still, I think my biggest public restroom performance is when I had to change a tampon in the super busy Xi'an bus station. Trough style.  No walls or doors.  They don't use tampons in China.  Poor corrupted children waiting in line. (Sorry for using the "t" word twice and with no warning!!)

So that's the story of my most memorable IWD celebration.  Now picture your office going on a trip like this.  Fun times, huh?  :) 

Holiday Redux

I took pictures during the holidays with good intentions to be posting but we can see that never happened.  So here's a little whirlwind tour through Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Thanksgiving at the beach is pretty awesome.  Especially in a relatively small town.  Here's the lowdown:

Get up early for a run/walk on the beach

Be awestruck by the beauty of the sun rising over the ocean

Finish the race and have breakfast at the club

Go to a crazy crowded street party in front of Pete's Bar.  No Macy's Day parade here - just hanging out with everyone east of the ditch and drinking mimosas.

And then there's normal turkey and food and stuff.  I made this super yummy turkey soup (with stuffing!) with our leftovers.  Including making the stock from scratch.  

Then it's Christmas and there are new ornaments.  I didn't collect very many during travels this year, but I did still pick up a few fun ones.  This one is from the local Greek fest. 

This is from my CA trip with Cassi and is to remind me that in hindsight it's really funny that we got motion sick and almost ran out of gas and someone had to pee on the side of the road.  

And my mom & Doug brought this pretty little guy back from Hawaii

Only 10 months until it's Christmas again!

Gratitude #138 - 157

138. A friend for Lent accountability

139. This plan which I'm doing for Lent and has been super fascinating http://lyngenet.com/

140. Discovering how awesome the farmer's market around the corner is

141. Also discovering how insanely good fresh parmesan cheese is

142. A writing corner in my room

143. Devotions for Lent

144.  This poem:

Is this a Fast, to keep

The larder lean?

And clean

From fat of veals and sheep?

Is it to quit the dish

Of flesh, yet still

To fill

The platter high with fish?

Is it to fast an hour;

Or ragg’d to go,

Or show

A down-cast look and sour?

No:  ‘tis a Fast to dole

Thy sheaf of wheat

And meat

Unto the hungry soul,

It is to fast from strife

And old debate,

And hate;

To circumcise thy life.

To show a heart grief-rent;

To starve thy sin,

Not bin;

And that’s to keep thy Lent. 

By Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

145. Surprise Amazon gift cards in the mail

146. Hand-me-down skinny jeans

147. New flats!!!

148. Tax refunds

149. Maid of Honor responsibilities

150. Adele

151. Jennifer Lawrence (this list also might be stuff that in general makes me smile)

152. A trip to this awesome local brewery with some very cool people

153. A new fruit bowl that I glazed myself

154. A sunny Sunday to walk in the park

155. The clinic at my office which has effectively ruined me to work anywhere where I can't run in to see the doctor or get a $5 prescription filled at almost any time

156. The smell of cookies my roommate made filling the house (even if I won't eat them).  

157. A cool night, a warm room, a cozy chair, and a book.  Bye!!

Whatcha up to?

What are you reading?

I just last night finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak which was fantastic.  The unique POV took a little getting used to, but I loved the book even if I did sit in my chair and sob for 5 minutes near the end.  Books about Germany during WWII have that tendency. 

I immediately (well, after mopping up the tears and debating whether I had any "happy" books) started a new book I received for my birthday this year.  It's called Call the Midwife and the BBC/PBS series is based on these memoirs by Jennifer Worth.  I only read the intro, but am definitely looking forward to digger deeper into this one.

What are you watching?

Downton Abbey Season 3. Duh.  Let's see, what else... I love Parenthood and am getting into Nashville.  I know it's intentionally soap opera-y and dramatic, but I'm still hooked.  I have a love/hate relationship with the way they seem to take news out of the headlines and tweak it a bit. Part of me is like "be more original for crying out loud" and then part of me is like "oh, so he's kind of supposed to be Tim Tebow, and she's doing a Renee Zellweger/Kenny Chesney type thing."

I'm watching a lot of movies because it's Oscar season, though.  My favorite so far is definitely Silver Linings Playbook.  I've seen it twice in the theater already and can't wait to own so I can watch it after doing things like reading books on Germany and the Holocaust.  

I feel like most of the other movies I've seen have been really good, but just a tad too long.  Get those folks some editors!!  

Hobbit? Good. Just a bit too long.  Sweeping vistas and all are nice and New Zealand sure is pretty, but I've also got to pee.  

Life of Pi?  Good, although I had a different grasp of the ending in the movie than when I read the book.  Maybe I just don't remember it well, but I feel like even though the words/scenes were the same at the end, Ang Lee tweaked things to make the meaning come out slightly different.  Also, just a tad too long.  

Zero Dark Thirty?  Very good.  Very intense.  Very torture-y right from the get go which was hard to jump right into (although, really, when is it easy to watch torture?)  Now I'm very conflicted about having a bit of a crush on a guy I saw torture people.  I felt like it was a really even-handed account. Lots of suspense. Great performances.  Also, I was surprised to note the similarities between Pakistani and Chinese interior decorating choices - I swear I had that same washing machine in China.  With that giant range of mountains between the two countries, it's easy to forget that they border one another. 

Les Mis? I read a lot of bad stuff about it before going, so I feel like I still had many of those thoughts in my head as I watched.  It was good.  I just had such high hopes.  I feel like there definitely was a lot more they could have taken advantage of.  For example, Anne Hathaway's stunning solo had so much story going on with it as well.  All the other solos are close-ups of people singing and walking or standing or riding a horse - I feel like the story that could have developed during those solos was a lost opportunity.  I do look forward to seeing it again with a more open heart/mind.  Also, once again, just seemed a tad too long.

Lincoln?  Stunning.  My 2nd favorite of the season.  It was like an episode of The West Wing taken back in time but with REAL HISTORICAL people!!  (sidenote: Bartlett for President!!)  Daniel Day Lewis was stunning.  I mean, he totally was Lincoln.  Now, whenever I read a Lincoln quote (which have been prolific lately between the movie and our current president and fighting modern-day slavery) I hear it Daniel Day Lewis's voice.  

What am I eating?

Lots of yummy recipes lately which I'll try to post/link to later.  Last week I made turkey sausage with white beans and kale - yum!  A coworker tried the recipe with her family and her son (who is a chef) said it was really similar and almost as good as something they make (at his fancy restaurant).  Also appreciate my new oven mitt from Anthropologie courtesy of the family gift exchange - thanks, Meg!

This week I'm eating off (the joy of being single, one recipe and you have food for a week - better like leftovers) a quiche which is a long-loved recipe from the Wycliffe recipe book.  Basically, a pie crust, cheese, eggs, milk and whatever kind of meats and veggies happen to be hanging out in the fridge.  It's a great way to use a lot of random leftover type things (half a pepper, one stalk of broccoli, etc.)

And I'm also enjoying BBQ turkey meatloaf - super yummy!  And easy (which you may have noticed is a theme with my recipes).  I got green beans to go with it and I just have to say that after growing my own green beans last summer, store-bought ones now basically make me want to spit them out of my mouth.  Looking forward to spring and planting new veggies!!

What am I listening to?

The new Taylor Swift album.  Like incessantly.  Like I'm a 12 year old girl (which works out fine since I use the word "like" overabundantly like a 12 year old girl as well).  

Atlanta radio stations pretty much suck at the moment, so if you've found a good one, let me know!!

I'd love to hear your answers to these questions!  If you end up sharing, please post a link in the comments so we can get good ideas from you!

Double Dog Dare Done!!

This post is a little late in coming but no less worthy of celebration because I DID IT!!!  I went a whole year without shopping retail!!!  And even occasionally got complimented on an outfit. :)

History of this dare if you're not familiar -
Post 1 - The Dare
Post 2 - The Cheat
Post 3 - The Homestretch

How I Did It -
1. Stopped going in clothing stores.  Rather obvious but still for some reason surprisingly helpful. :)

2. Losing weight, at least enough to go down a size in the store in my closet which was kind of like having new clothes except better because they're free and recognize an accomplishment (except not better once you get so sick of them and hate them and wonder why you ever bought them to begin with but they're the only pair of pants you have to wear now).

3. Gifts - hand me downs from friends or family who decided they didn't want something were the biggest boon to my wardrobe - particularly one adorable White House/Black Market cardigan that I love.

Things I Learned
1. I still make the same shopping mistakes at thrift stores.  The good news is that the mistakes tend to be cheaper, but I can't return it if I don't end up wearing it after a month.

2. The danger with ONLY shopping consignment or thrift was that I was so excited if something fit/seemed halfway decent that I would definitely buy it even if I didn't love it.

3. I did learn where the thrift/consignment stores were, so hopefully that will help me go there more in future.

4. Sometimes I just want to buy something.

Shopping Again
1. Initially I was totally freaked out by the thought of going back to the mall.  It all seemed so overwhelming.  And loud.  And bright.  And then I realized I'd become 80-years old.  Or my dad.

2. But the lure of new things pulled me in.  And I realized I had no concept of current style at all.  It all seemed...ugly.  Probably canceling the Glamour subscription the same year I hardly stepped foot in a store had drawbacks as well as positives.  This feeling rather reminded me of coming home from Asia (You mean, those pointy-toe shoes I made fun of in China are actually POPULAR in the US, too?!?!? I no longer know which end is up!)

3. But then I realized there were choices, like of sizes, and if I liked something I could keep looking until I found one that fit.  That's fun.

4. And I realized after not spending much money on this for a year that I was hesitant to part with money for clothes.  So that made things easier in that anything over $15 didn't even really get a second glance. I'll enjoy that for as long as it lasts.

Overall, I think it was definitely a worthwhile endeavor.  I saved some money.  I learned to be more content with what I have and look ever deeper into the closet and drawers.  I learned to deny myself some things.  Also, I reconditioned myself to walk to the back of Target through the center aisle rather than meandering past all the clothes.

I considered repeating the dare again this year with something else.  What if I didn't buy any new books but only used the library and books loaned from friends or from paperbackswap for a whole year?

Then I had a heart attack.

And when I was revived a laughed a bit in a frightened sort of a way and promised never to think that thought again.  

Gratitude 113- 137

113. That I get to start marking thankfulness in January of 2013 with gratitude 113!!

114. For my physical therapist

115. Three day weekends

116. Breakfast of macadamia nut pancakes with fresh bananas and blueberries mixed in, turkey bacon, and fresh fruit

117. Clear, sunny skies and cool weather

118. A job that challenges me

119.  Let's be honest, a job at all

120. Encouragement to live and serve with reckless abandon - http://johngunter.net/singleness/

121. Chocolate

122. Lazy Saturdays

123.  Good books - currently reading The Book Thief

124. And looking forward to starting Call the Midwife

125. The big surprise of an ipad (even if it is the biggest time suck known to man)

126. Fresh flowers from a friend in my kitchen (ok, I so wanted to change this to foyer because...)

127. Alliteration - I love it!!

128. And Parallelism

129. New possibilities on the horizon

130. Skype

131. Skyping with bride to be trying on wedding dresses in another state

132. Skyping with bride to be after scouting locales in another country

133. Fixing car problems myself (take that coolant leak and power steering fluid!)

134. The thought of travel

135. Learning each day more and more of what it means to Trust God

136. And the peace and contentment that flow from that

137. Planning goals for the next year