mama, i'm comin' home...

so, my journey home was quite the treat. i am really thankful that i even had the opp to go and be with friends and family for a quick two weeks. of course the time flew by, but i have to say that every minute and each hug was precious to me. so, the first photo may need an explanation, aye? during my trip home i encountered about as many delays as was possible. i had never really experienced delays before, so maybe statistically my time had come. the photo is a great illustration of how i felt when i arrived to the hotel i would be staying at on the grounds of Charles de Gaulle airport, instead of sleeping happily at my mother's home. my flight leaving NA was delayed and this caused me to miss my flight from Paris to Atlanta. so, i was told i would be staying the night. thankfully the good people at Air France put me up and gave me food money for this inconvenience. and thankfully there was free wifi, so i could call my family to let them know i would not be on the evening flight i was supposed to be on. well, the delays continued as my Paris to Cincinatti flight was delayed and then caused me to miss any possible flight to NWA that day, so I, again, got put up by Delta and was given food money. i finally got home on the morning of day three of my travels and was oh so happy to see my family. my sister and mom met me at the airport and my mom was sobbing. it was just so great to see them and hug them. i was able to travel to MH to see my dad and bonnie as well, which ended up being a quick trip since i arrived two days late, but it was great to be in MH. i was totally suprised by the damage from the ice storm. it was really bizarre. and then i was back to NWA to hang out with my mom and talk with a couple of groups. then it was off to down south...

i was really excited to be invited to share a little bit about where i live in NA with a preschool that an HSU/BCM alum now teaches at. below you can see me trying on my caftan for the kiddos. they were hilarious in the questions they asked and of course the gals got to try on the vest and belt and the guys tried on the belt. i was also able to share some of the delicious cookies that my NA friend and i made before i left. not every kid liked them, but at least they tried, right?
and then it was onto some serious visiting with friends! i was delighted to spend my first night down south with a small group of peeps and then the next day the floodgates opened with students, old roommates, great friends, and even my family all gathering together. it was a really special time and just so fun. above are some fun shots of me with Emma (who is growing, growing, growing and will always be seven years old in my mind) and me with Jessica and Zena. wow, what a time to just bask in His goodness and provision. i am so thankful for each everyone of you i got to see while at home. thanks for coming by, driving miles, and even flying in to hang out. what a joy! below you can see the partial crew from down south dining out at a fabulous BBQ place. they didn't even hardly blink twice when are huge group came in and the service and food was incredible. sweet! here is one of the displays i set up over the course of my time at home. i spoke at least ten times and each time was different it felt like. i don't think of myself as a speaker so much, so i learned a lot about how each crowd affects the dynamic. i really enjoyed giving folks a visual of NA through each table i got to set up. my mom was with me just about the entire time of my trip and got to be a pro at setting up the table and tearing it down at each place. i am really thankful for all of her help. in the conical dish are the two cookies that my NA friend and i made (fakkas and shebakia) and then to try and give people an idea of the mint flavoring of the tea that is a lifeline here, i filled the tea pot and glasses with spearmints. it worked out really well i think.

here is a shot with some great ladies! this was after a very successful henna party back up in NWA. we had at least 20 gals there and it was really cool to answer questions about life here in NA. they really liked the mint tea we made and they seemed to enjoy the cookies that my NA friend and i made to take with me to the States. i really had a great time with the folks up in NWA and am so thankful that they invited me back.

and then the final farewell came once again. of course a lot of other things happened along the way during this trip and if you are interested in seeing more photos, please leave a comment or email me and i will send you a link (or links) to photo albums i have hosted online.
i have to say that this goodbye was a little harder than i had expected. it didn't really click until right before i walked through security, so at least it wasn't a feeling i had the whole time. i really loved, loved, loved seeing my family. people asked me while i was home, what's maybe one big thing that i have learned since moving to NA and i would have to say the importance of family. people here in NA do a good job of keeping a tight-knit community and i have to say that it can have its downside, but i have realized that my family is truly important. i hope that doesn't sound like i didn't they were important before, i guess i just am not so convinced of the so-called independence that westernized places can pride themselves on. i guess i am learning that a family, is a family, is a family. and here you can see my beautiful family!

what a week

so, I got my jellaba and wore it to class last week to show my teachers. they were very excited about it! especially the one that helped me get it. i am really happy with how it came out and the sewing was done sooo well. anways, it was a great day all around cause that was my last day of class as i finished that section of my studies--i have crossed the bridge! :)

this past weekend I enjoyed some fun shopping in the m'dina. i went out on the night that is the best night for shopping (in my opinion) and took care of some final shopping for gifts, errands, and such and happened to find some great deals. i came upon this man that had a tarp-full of used scarves. they were priced at about 50 cents and i just dug right in. i got ten! they were so fun and funky it was hard to resist. i also got some fun flats that are stamped with the name Prada which i think is pretty hilarious cause they are soo all about knock-offs here. it was just a fun night all around. below you can check out the fun scarves i snatched up.

so, the plumber came to fix our broken tiles in the tub. and hacked away at them for like 45 minutes. the plumber showed up in a blazer, loafers, and pinstriped slacks. he eve brought his own tools and i have been told that is a big deal! i was also really impressed that the job got finished all in one day! i guess i had preparing myself for the worst and thinking it might be a week-long ordeal. but as you can see below the tiles were replaced and the job is finished! the first guy came in the morning to hack away at the wall and then had to leave and said he would be back in the afternoon. he came back and brought the tile guy along with him. the tile guy was not wearing the same type of attire, but had jeans and a hoodie on. they were nice guys.

i went to the doctor to see about this never-ending cold/sickness i seem to be dealing with. it was a super quick visit as we went to the office and didn't have an appointment and still got in just before her lunch break. i walked into her exam room and it also included her desk and such. it was interesting for sure. she asked me a series of questions and then did an examination. she seemed to think that i am suffering from allergies, so she gave me a prescription for cough medicine and some allergy medicine. i was maybe in there for like 15 minutes. the cost of the visit was like 12 bucks. Wow! and the meds were under 10 bucks total. so, we will see how it goes. so far the cough medicine is sorta working.

and then i had asked my roomie if i could make cinnamon rolls for our weekly breakfast night and so, i whipped them up from scratch. i got the recipe from a friend and they turned out okay. the presentation wasn't the best (i said they were rustic looking:), but she claims they were delish. i liked them, too. i am hoping to deliver them to some local friends when i go to say goodbye to them this week before i leave for my trip. i packed up my other bag today and think that i will be okay with the weight. i am excited about handing out everyone's gifts!!

well, hope you are having a great week.

food, packing, and people

well, another week is upon us and i have to say that it has passed quickly, yet slowly. i am about to head to my last class for a while ( i will be traveling and we have folks coming to visit after i return). we have been listening to a series about making good decisions and it has been really challenging, yet full of good wisdom. it is now a matter of application. so, today has been an experiment of sorts for me. i have to say that i am really thankful for some sunshine after what felt like months of rain. in the next 10 days we have just one day that has a below 50% chance of rain. what a welcome forecast for sure. as i look out my window now i see a couple gathering clothes from the line that is hung on the roof of the building across the way. finally we can dry our clothes, too! :) so, here are some fun photos from this past week. hope you enjoy them!

i got a recipe from a friend for this really great dish: General Tsao's Chicken. I had it at a friend's house and it was just so good and reminded me of some good American Chines food back home that I had to make it for myself. nothing may smell (or even taste) sweeter than friiiiied chicken. oh yeah!
here is the final product. it was steaming with goodness. i was really excited (as you maybe can tell).

i have started packing for my trip home and decided to take an evening to figure out what all i actually had and make sure that i had what i wanted for everyone. it has been fun to shop for friends and family for sure. after packing up the suitcase and adding some more things that i needed to get for friends and family, my gift suitcase weighs in 14 lbs over the limit. so, i will have to readjust some of the heavier things to my carry-on to help even out the weight! i am definitely looking forward to going home. it is still kind of surreal and i am also trying to not check out early, ya know?

below shows the first stage of packing up....

my roommate and i went for a walk on Sunday afternoon as i have been battling this insistent cold and needed to take in some sunshine and move about some. she decided to take along her really snazzy camera and capture some shots of the city and people. since we have had a lot of rain and the sun was finally shining many people were out and about (plus Sunday afternoons walks here are like Sunday afternoon drives in the States). so, here are some shots from my roommate of our Sunday afternoon walk.

i haven't figured out the actual name for this stuff below yet, but it resembles taffy. these guys walk around with these huge clubs of the stuff. i will have to try and tell you guys all about it.

this is a very, very common site on sunny Sunday afternoons in the winter and just about any afternoon/evening in the summer. these folks love to sit, talk, watch, and socialize. this shot definitely captures a lot!

well, i hope you are having a great week. i am trying to think of any other things that have happened, but it is life as usual i guess. i am looking forward to this Saturday! not necessarily because it is V-day, but because my friend is going to help me make up some sweets that are local neccessities so i can take them back with me to the States! lots of fun photos to come:)

oh! and i did go and get my jellaba (all by myself:). a photo to come for sure!

into Feb 2009

so, i have wanted to get a jellaba (local one-piece oufit that both women and men wear here) made with some fabric i purchased. turns out it has been harder than i thought to actually get this thing to a trust-worthy tailor and in the works. thankfully i have great local friends that are willing to help make things happen. we searched around a bit here in the city i live in for a tailor and found the price too high for what i wanted (i want really simple details). so, my other friend offered to take me across the river to check out some places there. it seems that we always seem to try and go on Fridays (which are considered by some the holy day, so they will not work) and the tailors' shops are either closed for the day or for the extended lunchtime. but we did find a place at first. we finally were able to talk to a guy about what i wanted and everything. well, it was interesting and funny to say the least! normally i would want to walk in there and first thing ask what the price is, but they just don't deal that way here. turns out we walk through everything that i want, take measurements and everything, to then settle on a price. well, i also tried on a jellaba to compare it to what i would want. what was so funny about this part was that the jellaba actually fit really, really well. my friend even said, "oh, this was made just for you. you should buy it." well, it just so happened to be fuschia and that flowy velvet. and then the very loud detail had purple and fuschia running through it. a far cray from my very simple, very understated jellaba i had envisioned. in my mind i thought, "wow, i already get enough attention as it is. this would only bring on even more comments!" thankfully, i had already brought my own fabric, so i simply claimed that i wanted my jellaba with the fabric i had purchased. i really appreciated her thinking of me so nicely, but it just wasn't my taste. so, then after all that...the price. well, turns out it was too high and the man wasn't budging. so, we left. my friend said that she would send her aunts there (to scold him maybe) as she couldn't believe the man wouldn't come down on the price. so, we rounded the corner and came to another tailor's shop. this man was really nice and calm and very helpful. and the price was right on point! and not only was the price great, but it would be ready in a week! other places said at least two. i was so happy to get the receipt pictured below! so, i plan to go this weekend to see if it is ready to pick up. this past weekend i had the opportunity to go visit some friends that are studying language in another city. the family has two boys and i hadn't seen them since the summer--how they have grown! it was a really great and refreshing visit. one night some of the young ladies got together and had a spa night. they invited me and i enjoyed getting to soak my feet and then dip my hands in some soothing warm wax. fun! lots of good food and conversation for sure:)

during the day my friend and i went to their m'dina to see what kinds of steals and deals we could find. much like our city right now, it rained on and off most of the day, but there it was colder as they are further inland. it was quite a difference from here. you can see how winter here is so green! we have had an incredible amount of rain this winter! behind me there is a nice plot of crops and then some of the city beyond that. i was all bundled up for our shopping trip. it was fun to be with her and get to walk around their city some.

i came back to a super bowl party with my friends here. my roomie grilled up burgers and made one for me, too! it was delish! and they even made up some cheese dip with rotel. it was quite the par-tay! we stayed up to watch the entire game...it was a good one!

then it was one of our gal's birthday. she wanted to go bowling and to TGIFriday's to celebrate. i met them at the bowling alley, but didn't bowl as i wasn't feeling great. this picture captures some fun cultural mixes, right? his friend bowling with a pretty western outfit going and he's even wearing an ipod, too. then there is the guy with the man-dress, sandals, jacket, scarf, and Yankees cap on. it was fun! oh the sights we see:)

well, hope that you are staying warm. we have this up down thing going with our temperature here. right now it is pretty cool, but yesterday i wasn't even wearing a jacket. then it seems to be raining, raining, raining! oh the fun. wishing you a great weekend!

time flies...

greetings! it has been an eventful past week or so. i have found that time here is flying oh so quickly! i can't hardly believe that Feb is just around the corner. well, here is an update from some recent activities and just some life stuff. hope you are well and staying warm...some of you may be reading this late since your power was out. know that i am thinking about you all! i just love the view from my room sometimes. this day just made happy with these beautiful clouds rolling in and finally we had a few days of sunshine. it is actually quite warm today, but i think we are about to get that storm system that swept across AR and KY here in the next few days, cause we have rain, rain, rain forecasted. really the winter has been pretty mild here. i feel like a house that i lived in in AR helped prepare me for the temperatures here since we don't have central heat or air.

so, the photo above may seem like a mix of misc things...and you are right, they are! but this gives you a glimpse of one of my favorite perks about NA. you can actually buy only what you NEED. instead of having to buy a package of this, that, or the other thing, one can actually purchase a half kilo of this or one or two of that. above are just the recent purchases made this way: plastic paper covers to help protect papers and these even allow for them to be put in a binder (they are really popular here actually). i just wanted like 4, so i walked into a bookstore and asked if they had any. the man asked how many i wanted and i said four. he gave me four! and they were like 10 cents a piece. sweet! then i needed some needles to work on the cross-stitch you can see below. well, i went into the m'dina, found a shop with thread and needles and got two different sizes...just one of each! both for less than 50 cents! okay, so then i have been looking for cocoa (without sugar) and haven't been able to find it at the grocers, so i mozied on down to this shop in the m'dina that sells chocolate chips, party supplies, etc. (it has turned into one of my fav spots) cause i thought surely they would have cocoa! and they did! actually it was in a large trash barrel, but it was what i wanted:) so, he asked how much do you want and i told him to give me 200 grams. and i got 200 grams! the choc chips pictured there were a total bonus! i have purchased choc chips here in the past, but they are larger and a more circular shape than the chips in the States, but when i was going to pay, i looked down and saw these in a plastic container. give 200 grams of these, too, please! fabulous!

so, then i needed a ring for the cross-stitch and went back to another sewing notions store in the m'dina and ordered up just one! my oh my. i just love this type of purchasing power:)

so, we were offered the opportunity to cross-stitch an animal as a part of a quilt. i got the horse and this was my first time ever to cross-stitch! i don't know if i will be doing it a lot, but it was fun. i enjoyed doing the detail work, but wasn't sure if the quality of my cross-stitches are really great. oh well, i had fun anyways! giddy up!

so, last weekend my roomie and i went to watch a film at a local cinema. i really wanted to see this film as it was filmed in a nearby city to where we live and the language in the movie is the same as the one i am learning. i thought it would be a cool cultural experience as well. also, i wanted to make my mom proud by going to the movies (her favorite activity in the States). it was fun for sure. we actually met up at 3pm to try and see the film at one theater, but the show was sold out and the next showing at that particular theater was at 9pm. since we didn't want to see it at nine, we just walked over to the other theater (like a block away) and found that they had a showing at 5pm. so, we met back up about a half hour before the show and got our tickets. we opted for the most expensive ones to ensure we would get a seat (the most expensive ticket being like $5). so, we wait and watch the lobby of the theater fill up quickly. people were anxious to get inside. well, the other show let out and we were let in. we go upstairs cause my roomie sees that our color tickets are being taken upstairs. we get to the top and go in and another ticket person asks for five more dhs. i gave it to her and she directed us to our seats. we totally had box seats! it was really kind of cool. the theater was an old orchestra theater maybe, so there was even an orchestra box down below. so, we actually sat in chairs, not like the foldy type of chairs in theaters normally. so, we enjoyed the movie. it was funny to hear the responses of the people to the film. it was a bit teeny bopper as they would applaud or whistle at different scenes. you could even bring in your own food--and not even have to hide it! it was fun for sure. the movie was good in my opinion. i thought it was filmed really nicely...i loved the colors and all. the story was about two young guys just trying to make it in their city. it was fun for sure and just another fun cultural experience. my lang helper was suprised we went. not sure why, but i am glad we did! below is a link to a trailor for the film if you want to check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym6ojpPrwRM

hope that you are having a great week and staying warm! i am getting ready to take a trip to see some friends, so hopefully i will have some fun pictures and stories from that. oh, and the superbowl is coming up, along with a fellow student's birthday...so lots to update on next time i am sure! :) thanks for reading and joining me in this journey. grateful for you.