Two lists

Things I miss (in no particular order):
Easy access to talking to and seeing family and friends
My Fort Worth apartment and my full of grace and mercy and laughter roommate inside the apartment.
All my DC peeps--you each deserve your own line on this list.
Dynorock--climbing partners and employees--think of me on the 45 wall.
Target
Friday morning rushes at Starbucks--but only when I was on the bar
Speaking of Starbucks--a rocking latte right after a shift--mmmm-nothing like it. Well, a rocking latte on a day off is pretty good too actually--when the weather starts to get cool, but is warm enough still to drink iced drinks.
Trinity Park
Tuesday night tea time
Cooking in a kitchen and culture of which I have a full grasp.
Wearing my hair down
Wearing whatever I want
South Texas sunsets
Tacos Ernesto and Rosas
Not having unattractive feet


Things I love here (again, in no particular order):
Music--more than in America--I don't really get it--and I have way more folksy taste here--bring on Sandra McCracken and Derek W--will there ever be a perfect playlist?
My park/zoo
Walking
Anytime I can speak Arabic
Being here
Shwarmas--kinda like tacos
Scarves--I feel like Grace Kelly in them.
Cooking--sorta--I will like it more once I figure out a few more things about shopping here.
Slumber parties
Right now the weather (this will change in a few months)
Juice stands
Community
Laughing with strangers
Fun long skirts that nearly cover my toes.
Dashes--apparently

Sarcasm

I think I am going to ease up on the sarcasm for a while. Sometimes it creates walls between myself and people, and those aren't ever good. It isn't the first time I've put it aside, some of you may remember that I did so last spring, but it still isn't that much fun. I hope that it helps facilitate more genuine, honest relationships.

"Yesterday"

Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in the desert. Somedays were tougher than others, especially those days which painfully reminded her that she did not yet really speak the language of this far off, exciting desert place. One of those days, let's call the day "yesterday" for the sake of this story, she also found herself locked out of her apartment late at night after watering the plants. She could not leave her yard for she was not wearing what some like to call, "culturally appropriate clothing." She called out for her kind and benevolent landlady to no avail. She then distressfully called out for the knight in shining armor/local store owner near her. He did not hear her either. Determined not to leave the yard, she feared she would have to spend the night outside. Finally a neighbor heard her call, and after a very long poorly communicated ordeal, the landlady came down with her son. The son broke down the door; more than an hour after the plants received their water, the girl reentered her house.

A few tears fell at some point in the evening for this girl, but she was reminded of the provision of her amazing Prince of Peace who always looked out for her, was always with her, even when she was locked out of her apartment in the desert. Her soul was restored. The next day, she also walked an hour in the heat of the day, and that felt great too.

The end

Also, she is still trying to figure out how comments work on her blog. She apologizes.

Community

I love community. I don't just love community, I recognize that I need it, that we all need it. I miss my community from back in the States. Close honest relationships take time to build. I miss those who gave me that time, and allowed me to share my life with them. But, I am so thankful for the new community here. His provision of new community is a gift which I can't help but thank Him for many times over.

Blogs are interesting inventions of our day. Email and mobility created a society which generated large amounts of long distances friendships and even acquaintances. But, we tire of communicating the same update in individual emails and hate insulting people with too many mass emails, so we created blogs. Blogs invite an opportunity to keep in touch without having to keep in touch. We can know how our friends are doing without emailing them or talking to them, let alone sitting down with them and a cup of coffee and sharing life with them. Overall I like blogs, but I don't want to use mine as a replacement for relationships which require greater maintenance than posting or reading a few paragraphs. So friends, I commit to keep in touch with you. Please call me out if I don't, and let me hear from you personally as well. And come have coffee with me here--my treat.

The Park

I've started spending time in a park near my house. While I do go there to meet people so that I can practice my still broken Arabic, I also genuinely enjoy going to this place. It has lots of grass to sit on and fun girls who often want to talk. I have to pay to get in, which I find interesting. An admission ticket is about 50 cents--really not too bad for a pleasant evening sitting in beautiful green grass. The weather hasn't been too bad either, that and maybe I've acculturated to it at least a little bit. Most of the evening one of the vendors plays American pop music, but I never know any of the lyrics. Maybe some pics will come, I need to procrastinate my self-aware computer system anyway.

Volleyball

A volleyball game made my cultural experience of the evening. Apparently volleyball is a well loved sport around here, second only to the highly beloved football. Now, those of you who know me well, know that I only really enjoy sporting events for the social aspects they provide. Mostly, I enjoy talking to people and eating cotton candy. Tonight was not too much of an exception; and while there was no consession person selling cotton candy, I was not at a loss for sweet things to eat. Foreigners are much the entertainment around here, and my friend and I were quickly ushered to a front seat at center court. More than one camera was pulled out in the course of the evening, including a TV camera, in order to document our attendance. Who knows, in only a few short days I too could be an international super star. Just remember, never believe what you read in the tabloids. We were given snacks and bottled water, and met international referees, at least one of whom has refereed at the Olympics. My team won. Ok, I didn't have a team really, but a team won and I cheered on their victory.

I took pictures and maybe sometime I'll post some. My aspiration for creating a blog has been reached so I plan to enjoy that before moving on to greater technological accomplishments. After the pictures, I think I'll work on creating self-aware computers. Then I'll create even stronger self-aware computers to help us defeat the first set of self-aware computers when they take over the human race. So basically, my next technical task is to save the world. Where do I apply to receive the Nobel Prize?

I finally got a blog--hence the url

Hey friends I finally got a blog. I love to write, but now I feel on the spot and can't think of anything. More to come.