in no particular order
1. beautiful scenery of ha long bay
2. motorbike ride in hoi an
3. bus ride from da nang to hoi an
4. piano bar in da nang
5. hot stone massage (my first!) in hue
& throughout- eating the most delicious food every day; unforgettably beautiful views; and spending quality time with/getting to know better, vantnguyen :)
a lot of reflection occurred during this trip. i'm at a juncture in my life where significant decisions must be made, and i know i need to thoughtfully process their implications while also simply giving in to god + instinct. much left to process. so thankful to have been given the opportunity to think through these things in such an environment, and to have had v to provide her insights. a lot more to come about vietnam (much of which will necessitate a group vchat with the girls + v!), but for now-
arrived in shanghai early this morning after a sleepless night of travels. was warmly greeted by another good friend, s. looking fwd to spending time with him and exploring. crashed for a few hours, now getting ready to go out for a bit. that will entail hunting down a suitable lunch spot (noodles? mcds?), scoping out the nearby grocery store/playground (for old people/baby watching), dancing through traffic, and wandering aimlessly.
really, really, really miss my parents.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
da nang
arrived in da nang this morning-
i'm sitting where i think v sometimes sits to write us long e-mails and update her blog :) how strange to think, isn't it?
itinerary for da nang is to meet every single one of v's ladies:
porridge lady,
sandwich lady,
noodle lady,
coconut juice lady,
smoothie lady,
etc.
oh and motorbike uncle.
yippee!
i'm sitting where i think v sometimes sits to write us long e-mails and update her blog :) how strange to think, isn't it?
itinerary for da nang is to meet every single one of v's ladies:
porridge lady,
sandwich lady,
noodle lady,
coconut juice lady,
smoothie lady,
etc.
oh and motorbike uncle.
yippee!
hanoi + ha long bay
can't believe i'm here.
have been repeating to myself at random points throughout the day,
"i'm in vietnam. i'm in vietnam. I'M IN VIETNAM!"
and it still doesn't feel real.
motorbikes
crazy traffic
bright lights
loud noises.
cute babies
and old people.
vietnamese iced coffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
rice paddies
really narrow, long buildings
GREAT weather/minimal mosquitoes :D
amazing, amazing, amaaazing food...lots of it, for very cheap!
ha long bay was absolutely, ineffably beautiful.
kayaking/cave tours/jumping off a boat!/sleeping on a boat :)
but mostly for me, just being completely enveloped and awestruck by the natural beauty of it all.
tonight is our last night in hanoi.
our only real plans/goals are to eat three different types of entrees/dinners (averaging one every hour), a dessert, and a drink (smooooothie!)
headlines for ssa people, with more details forthcoming:
v's purse got slashed while we were walking thru the night market!
and she rolled her ankle playing badminton the evening before mtng me!
:O
have been repeating to myself at random points throughout the day,
"i'm in vietnam. i'm in vietnam. I'M IN VIETNAM!"
and it still doesn't feel real.
motorbikes
crazy traffic
bright lights
loud noises.
cute babies
and old people.
vietnamese iced coffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
rice paddies
really narrow, long buildings
GREAT weather/minimal mosquitoes :D
amazing, amazing, amaaazing food...lots of it, for very cheap!
ha long bay was absolutely, ineffably beautiful.
kayaking/cave tours/jumping off a boat!/sleeping on a boat :)
but mostly for me, just being completely enveloped and awestruck by the natural beauty of it all.
tonight is our last night in hanoi.
our only real plans/goals are to eat three different types of entrees/dinners (averaging one every hour), a dessert, and a drink (smooooothie!)
headlines for ssa people, with more details forthcoming:
v's purse got slashed while we were walking thru the night market!
and she rolled her ankle playing badminton the evening before mtng me!
:O
Saturday, October 15, 2011
korea :)
in a strange way everything seems to have picked up right where they left off when i departed korea in september of last year, must be the familiarity + timing. i love that i arrived just in time to greet the seasonal shift from the heat of summer to the autumnal orbs- it's my first time being here during this time of year. and i have been swimming deep in family, family, family from the moment i set foot on land.
last night my cousins and i "snuck out" at midnight (korean grandparents worry more than you could ever imagine) to go to mcdonald's and watch "real steel." LOL. as you can tell, i'm really taking advantage of the fact that i'm in korea...
more to come. the jjajangmyun we ordered for lunch just came to the door! heeehehe. just wanted to let everyone know that i'm alive and doing very well in KOREA!
last night my cousins and i "snuck out" at midnight (korean grandparents worry more than you could ever imagine) to go to mcdonald's and watch "real steel." LOL. as you can tell, i'm really taking advantage of the fact that i'm in korea...
more to come. the jjajangmyun we ordered for lunch just came to the door! heeehehe. just wanted to let everyone know that i'm alive and doing very well in KOREA!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
hello world
in one week i will be leaving for a month of travels throughout korea, vietnam, and china.
eek!
it is a very last minute, unexpected trip. i am more excited than i have been in a long, long time. in my mind's eye i see myself sitting in the corner of a little cafe in da nang, staring out the window as sheets of rain pour down. journaling, of course, over vietnamese coffee. watching the sun rise every morning, gazing up at stars at night- something i haven't been able to do in so long, and something that never fails to fill me with the greatest sense of peace and wonder. soaking in the little joys and losing myself in the worlds of strangers.
i'm approaching this trip as a time of quiet reflection and the opportunity to rejuvenate + re-center myself far, far away from the lovely but loud chaos of my life. to catch up with friends and family, revel in god's creative powers, see + experience things i never could at home.
boy am i BLESSED :) don't think i don't know it, 'cause i most certainly do.
eek!
it is a very last minute, unexpected trip. i am more excited than i have been in a long, long time. in my mind's eye i see myself sitting in the corner of a little cafe in da nang, staring out the window as sheets of rain pour down. journaling, of course, over vietnamese coffee. watching the sun rise every morning, gazing up at stars at night- something i haven't been able to do in so long, and something that never fails to fill me with the greatest sense of peace and wonder. soaking in the little joys and losing myself in the worlds of strangers.
i'm approaching this trip as a time of quiet reflection and the opportunity to rejuvenate + re-center myself far, far away from the lovely but loud chaos of my life. to catch up with friends and family, revel in god's creative powers, see + experience things i never could at home.
boy am i BLESSED :) don't think i don't know it, 'cause i most certainly do.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
psalm 139:1-18
1 You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
hehe
today's sermon at church was about moses, and how god uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. how fitting after my last post, it made me smile quietly to myself :) i'm so cool. hehe. okay god is so cool.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
(extra)ordinary
i am surrounded by so many inspirational narratives that i often forget how thrilling my ordinary life has been as well. when compared to the billions of dots in this big wide world, i know that i am living the stuff of dreams. to have had the opportunity to leave my hometown and start fresh in new, exciting environments with minimal responsibilities and burdens- extraordinary. to have had my mind, heart, worldviews so carefully expanded and cultivated at two excellent universities- extraordinary. to have encountered and shared fellowship + intimate experiences with a whole cast of diverse, encouraging individuals who span the globe- extraordinary. to have the complete + unwavering love, faith, trust, of parents who support me in all these things- extraordinary. and to be touched softly every day by an enormous god who never forgets me- extraordinary.
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