The other day I was on the bus, and about 30 seconds before my stop the lady sitting next to where I was standing dropped her thermos full of what appeared to be fish head soup. It fell to the ground, breaking open and then splashed all over my shorts and went all down my [...]
So we were sitting outside at a tea house on a nice, sunny day at our Thursday afternoon Bible study when something happened that changed my life forever. We were talking about what we had just read when I felt something in my hair and then saw something fall on my nose and on my [...]
One of the many problems I’ve had in trying to relate to my friends here is that so many of them are engineers, and I’m not. A lot of them study some type of computer or electronic engineering, which is completely beyond me. When I ask what their majors are I usually don’t even understand [...]
I felt like we were about to rub a magic lamp and make a wish. We had just finished our Bible study and I thought it would be a good idea to go around and ask each person if they had a prayer request. Vince wanted his video game skills to improve. Paul wanted warmer [...]
Being a person who is comfortable with silence seems to be a rare quality in this part of the world. I’ve come across a few, but for the most part I’m all alone. People tend to think that I’m quiet because I’m shy, which they call “shame,” or that I simply don’t like talking. The [...]
Coming to a new country has been such a humbling experience. At home I was an independent adult. Here it’s quite an accomplishment for me to go to the store and buy shampoo. I feel helpless most of the time. My speaking and listening ability has improved a lot, but I still can’t read anything. [...]
Despite the fact that I’ve been here for over five months, I still found myself shocked the other day when I saw a girl picking her nose. I was on a very crowded bus caught up in my own little world when I noticed the girl standing next to me reach her hand up to [...]
A few weeks ago I went to visit my friend Fish at his home for the New Year. I was really nervous going into the trip because I’d heard stories from others about their past experiences visiting friends. I was expecting it to be a little awkward just because I would be staying with a [...]
There is a strange phenomenon in this city where nice things seem to get destroyed. I can’t really explain it, but it’s impossible to keep anything in good condition. Clothes get ruined, bikes get stolen, everything you own in your apartment is always cold, damp and dirty, and you are constantly sick because of the [...]
Being the Christmas season and all, I’ve been talking to so many of my friends about the holiday and what it means to them. I’m often sad to learn that so many people here see it as just a Western holiday. They’ve only recently started to recognize and adapt it into their culture, but it’s [...]
