February really? already?

So I haven't posted in forever. Usually this time of year I am not consistently by a computer. This is due to the holiday. Unlike the US and Canada winter is the long vacation while summer is the shorter one.

Tomorrow other then being Valentines day, will be Chinese New Year. It will also be Tibetan New Years. Quite a busy day if I say so myself. Tonight I find myself in a Bangkok hostel on my way back to China in a couple days. China town is about a 5 minute walk and I expecting little sleep tonight due to the fireworks and celebration.

Either way I wanted to write and say all is well and I am excited for a new semester on the rooftop. But for now I will try and take in all I can in Chinatown in Bangkok.

Hope all is well.

December Review

As I sit in the Korean owned coffee shop watching pop songs I am sitting here thinking about the past month. Is it really almost 2010?

Well, classes are done. Grading is finished.

I just gave a lecture on Christmas in the local English Corner for a friend. Tried my best to lead a few songs... not sure how that worked out.

My fellow teachers have left for Nepal. Most of the students have left campus, it must be the end.

Well it has been a fun couple weeks. Last weekend Duane, Becky Heidi and I got the opportunity to help out a school about three hours outside of the city. A lot of firsts during that trip:

First time teaching in a Tibet Middle School.




First time to a Tibetan Ngangma:



First time seeing Tibetan Men slow dancing...





and this hat...





That's all for this entry... I will give some more updates soon.

Cornerstone Books

This entry is a little shout out to my parents back home in Monmouth, Oregon.

The Grand opening was a success and it is official. Cornerstone Bookstore is open for business. This is a testimony to how the Father provides. It has been an exciting process according to my parents but one where they have had to put complete trust in Him for the resources and support. For those readers in the Polk County area it is located on 110 Monmouth Ave in Monmouth.

In other news, I have officially finished classes and just have one formal exam to do in a week and a half and to finish up my grading. Didn't I just get here last month? No? Well it sure feels like it.

I do want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. It is always a blessed time of year wherever I am being able to share the story that makes this time of year special. I hope you all have a blessed holiday season.

Palden Lhamo Festival

Yesterday was Palden Lhamo Festival. Perhaps the most feared day for Tibetan men. There is an idol of Palden Lhamo's daughter that is revealed only one day a year. My friends Duane, Becky and Heidi braved the crowds and got this pic of the unveiled goddess. Recently this has also become sort of a "Woman's day" where women can ask for money. So many of my Tibetan friends say this is a good day to stay indoors.

here is the story of this idol:
http://en.tibet.cn/news/tin/t20071126_288851.htm



I was reading Jeremiah this morning and got really sad. It really makes me wonder about the love for these carved objects. Babylon doesn't seem that far away.

Singing Competition

For the past two weeks my school has been putting on various competitions and performances for The Foreign Language Festival. Apparently this only happens every 3 years. Either way tonight I just finished Judging an English Singing Competition. The girl who sang Thriller as a tribute to MJ got third place. Meanwhile the guy who was singing Madonna got second place... go figure.

I am afraid I might have to be performing by the end of the week... I just hope I don't have to sing Country Roads or My Heart Will Go On.

Oba Mao

That's right it is Obama-Mania. Well the president is visiting Shanghai today and my freshman students couldn't wait to tell me. At first I thought there was some sort of special holiday. Oh no, just Obama making his first visit to the Middle Kingdom.

I don't know how the trip will end up, but if it is half as successful as the hype... well then I would say it is a pretty good step in China US relations.

Either way I think I want the t-shirt:
http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/shop/obamao-tshirt-658266

Time it is a flyin'

After a hard week last week where I heard some hard but good words the Father has really blessed this week with His timing. It seemed like it could of been one of those crazy weeks where I barely have time to catch my breath, yet in the end all my appointments seemed to work out. By either combining or some canceling while leaders called me at the last second... either way it was a full week that still had a time where I felt rested. It is amazing how if you really leave things in His hands he does provide.

On another note I just got my power chord for my computer today. 5 days without it... it was tough for grading and teaching but in the end it really wasn't horrible. Perhaps I should take a few days off more often.

So apparently I have less then a month of teaching left for the semester. Didn't it just start last week? Time it is a flyin'