All Smiles

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.
Charles M. Schulz

It's Been A While!

Things have been pretty crazy around here and I haven't really had a chance to slow down and update y'all on what's been going on!

Immediately after returning from Vietnam I spent about two weeks catching up on sleep, missing Vietnam, hanging out with my grandma, securing a job at Life Time Fitness, and spending time with a boy I had started talking to while still in Vietnam.

At the end of May I started my last class to get my degree! Chemistry, intense chemistry! We have a lab and lecture almost every day, as well as 4 tests plus a final exam. Next week is the last week and I'm proud to say I haven't been failing at any point!

I also started working at Life Time in the Child Care Center. It's quite an experience. Basically we make sure the kids don't hurt themselves or other kids. The people that work there are interesting and fun to chat with, and there are quite a few kids who are there every single day so you get to know them. I work 5-6 days a week and have been making decent money finally! Plus I get a free membership :)

After my senior project is finished at the end of July, I am looking to start a post-baccalaureate certificate in project development and management at Baker College online. I really think it will help when trying to apply for jobs at LCMS or any other mission organization because a lot of what they do is project planning. I'm also considering starting my own sort of business!

I think about Vietnam every single day! I think about the traffic, the weather, the language, the people, and most importantly my friends and family. I can't be more thankful that God allowed that to be a part of my life!!

Change, Change, Change

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.
Anatole France

Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.
Arnold Bennett 


He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.
Harold Wilson 


If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.
Maya Angelou 


It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.
C. S. Lewis 


We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance.
Harrison Ford 


You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
Mohandas Gandhi 

A Little Ao Dai Adventure

I finally had a traditional Vietnamese dress, ao dai, made for me. Actually, I got 2 dresses and one pair of pants to wear with both. They are both gorgeous and I cannot wait to show them off back in America!

I was a little hesitant to head back to the tailor's shop because the first time she was quick to comment on my curves. She's just not used to anyone that isn't skin and bones. Thankfully I'm proud of them!

Thankfully there were no comments about the curves, but she did get 2 handfuls of "the twins" and lift them up, suggesting that I needed a more supportive bra to pull off the outfit!

Nothing like a little fondling from a stranger to complete my day :D

Reasons This White Girl Honked At YOU!

The driving in Hanoi is just plain ridiculous. HOW on earth people survive daily on the roads is beyond me. Here's a list of things that drive me absolutely nuts about Vietnamese drivers:

1. Texting or talking on the phone while driving.
2. Never using a turn signal (while texting or talk on the phone).
3. Honking for people to get out of the way when there is no where for anyone to go (while texting or talk on the phone).
4. Making left turns beginning as far on the right side of the road as possible (while texting or talk on the phone).
5. Driving through a red light causing everyone in opposite traffic to stop for you (while texting or talk on the phone).
6. Speeding (while texting or talk on the phone).
7. Not wearing a helmet (while texting or talk on the phone).
8. Adults wearing a helmet and not putting one on their kids (while texting or talk on the phone).
9. Honking for people to start going when there is still 5+ seconds on the timer until the light turns green (while texting or talk on the phone).
10. Zooming out of a side alley into busy traffic without regard to oncoming traffic (while texting or talk on the phone).
11. Instead of waiting for traffic to go, driving out to the left of everyone, blocking oncoming traffic, and then causing more of a traffic jam when you eventually have to merge back to the right anyways (while texting or talk on the phone).
12. Two or more motorbikes driving next to each other (while texting or talk on the phone).
13. Turning around to stare at the foreigner driving a bike (while texting or talk on the phone).

Oi!

I'm a Bathroom Stalker

Here's the situation: for some reason unknown to myself, or mankind, the teacher in my faculty frequently change the lock on the bathroom. The process should be like this:

1. Make copious copies of new key.
2. Distribute to entire faculty.
3. Replace old lock with new lock.
4. Allow everyone to do their "business" when they please.

Here's how the process goes in our faculty:

1. Replace old lock with new lock.
2. Make a few copies.
3. Allow others to realize they no longer have the correct key.
4. Seek out the select individuals with a correct key.
5. Make a few more copies.
6. Receive another copy of the OLD key.
7. STALK THE BATHROOM FOR SOMEONE WITH A CORRECT KEY SO YOU CAN DO YOUR "BUSINESS".
8. Repeat steps 4 and 5.
9. Pray to sweet, baby Jesus that steps 6 and 7 do not need to be repeated.
10. Receive correct key.
11. Do your "business" whenever you please.

I'm halfway between step 7 and 8. No drinking water at work until step 10 is complete.

Engineering?

So this semester I've been assigned to teaching Reading/General Engineering at the Hanoi University of Technology. What?? Where is my degree certifying me to teach this?? It's nowhere to be found, so thus I have been left to fend for myself in the classroom.

Something I've learned in the past few years is to be honest with myself, and with those around me, about my shortcomings. That way there is no confusion, denial, blame, and there is usually a bit more laughing involved. So here are a few of the things I've had to admit (sometimes in the midst of the mistake):

1. After adding incorrectly to determine the winning team of a class: I can't do simple math.

2. After drawing a worm looking thing on the board: I can not draw. (See earlier posts for pictures.)

3. After misspelling countless words on the board: I can not spell very well.

4. After dropping my motorbike on myself and running over my own foot: I cannot lift/turn/park my motorbike.

5. After tripping over nothing: I'm clumsy.

6. After snapping at someone I'm close to: I lash out at the people closest to me.

So there it is, my little list of shortcomings. However I have also found that my realizing my faults and admitting them, I can draw closer attention to the things I do great! Like singing, reading, picking up Vietnamese, writing, being positive, being great with kids, being thoughtful, and always trying to bring some laughter to the moment :)

I love being in the classroom with my students here so much! But I'm having a hard time living in this limbo. Limbo this time consists of knowing that my time in Vietnam is almost over, but not quite because I still have to be here for a couple more months. How do I function? How do I interact with people? Who do I spend my time with? Where do I direct my efforts?

Here's to living in the moment, trusting that God has all my tomorrows already figured out, and holding His hand through it all.

Earning "It" Back

Trust. It's a hard subject. And it's what life sorta runs on.

When you're little and your mom or dad is in the pool telling you to jump and promising that they'll be there to catch you. You trust them. And then you jump. And they catch you. Done deal. Now you'll be obnoxious and ask them to catch you eight million times because you trust that they'll be there every time. To this day, I can call my parents any time of day and they'll be there for me. Extra done deal.

But man oh man. God save the soul of the boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend that breaks that bond of trust. It's SO hard to trust again! Imagine if my dad had just let me sink to the bottom of that pool. Assuming I am alive after that, I'm going to bet I'd have some serious trust issues with Dad. How do you gain that back. YOU LET ME SINK! You let me down! You broke my heart! I get a horrible feeling in my stomach when I imagine putting any sort of faith in you whatsoever!

These feelings don't just go away. These feelings fester, they hurt, they drive distance between you, and in my case...there's really no return.

So you say you want to earn my trust back? How do you do that exactly? Just catch me every time after that and hope that when I'm 90 years old I won't remember that you dropped me that very first time?

Fortunately I live a life where I have someone I can always rely on to catch me when I jump, and that's God. Humans will ALWAYS fail. Always? Yes, always. And that sucks. I can't imagine growing up without a parent/parents/anyone at all. But even in those cases, God is there for those people too.

So next time I jump and someone let's me fall, instead of looking around for someone else to pick me back up again, I'll try to remember to look up to my Heavenly Father who I can always depend on.

*Disclaimer: My relationship with my dad is awesome. This was just a metaphor. Love you, Dad!*

Shameless Plug

I've recently taken an extra interest in photography. I SHOULD with that fancy $500 camera that my parents bought for me! Anyways, I decided to post my favorites on Flickr and then somehow stumbled across a few groups with daily challenges/contests. Basically the first 7 people to reply to the thread post a picture relating to the topic, and then everyone votes on the winner. It's only been 3 days and I've already won 3 challenges!

Sooooo here's my site: Amanda's Flickr Page, as well as the links to my 2 winning photos: Winner #1, Winner #2 and Winner #3.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi! (Happy New Year!)

More winnings: Winner #4

Music To My Ears

Whenever I'm in a "mood" I always flip through my music for something to sooth the "mood". Here's a list of some of my most frequent listens...and bands I would highly suggest checking out (or laughing at me for having the guts to write this in public).

*Newsboys
*Sanctus Real
*Britany Spears (the old stuff)
*Switchfoot
*John Mayer
*Jack Johnson
*Kelly Clarkson
*Rascal Flatts
*anything from a Disney soundtrack
*Billy Joel
*Frank Sinatra
*Matt Nathanson
*Maroon 5

Flat Tire

They say you should put all your eggs in one basket. Well, screw whoever "they" are. Although, "they" are right, dangit. I did. And now chest feels like some elephants trampled on it.

So I'm not getting my dream job. I'll put on my big girl pants and deal with it of course. I've no choice. But dang...I really wanted that job!

I'm feeling a bit lost. I was really convinced that God was really lining things up for this to happen. I know there's a reason behind the closed door, but now I'm just not sure what my goal was. Before I was working towards a goal...now I'm just sort of treading water.

I'd appreciate some job recommendations. I'm great at typing and Microsoft Word. I have a car and I'm willing to relocate. I'm super friendly, organized, punctual, reliable, and great at multi tasking. Thanks for helping in advance.

I also make some pretty awesome ColdStone Creamery Birthday Cakes...that's always a plus.

No, Mom, That's the Bumps Blind People Use to Read

Why yes, the title is something that came out of my sister's mouth on the way into the city from the airport less than an hour after arriving in Vietnam. I always miss her, but more so when we are together and we just crack up over the smallest things. Check out the quotes section on my Facebook for more of my sister's antics.

Gotta love that face.

It was so great to show them what life is like here: loud, dirty, crazy, busy, unplanned, unscheduled, late, early, cheap. But the best part was to be able to share my family and friends with them!

Sister, sister, and mother.

The NIN family and my family :)

Although most of our experiences were positive ones, I'm still fuming over a couple bad ones.

1) I got my phone stolen at the Long Bien bus station on Sunday afternoon. I had just finished giving my mom a lecture about pickpockets on the bus, and WHAM! Some guy shoved into me, I grabbed my purse, and he grabbed my phone. I almost wish he had stolen money instead! There goes a year's worth of contacts made in Vietnam :(

2) I almost got in a physical fight with some guy on the street. He grabbed me to push me out of the way, I elbowed him to get my arm back, he shoved me in the back. I almost punched him in the face. Ugh. Boys suck in every country.

Speaking of boys, I may or may not have met a cute Irishman to keep me company for the remainder of my stay here in Vietnam. He's a gentleman, has an adorable accent, nice friends, and likes me :)