Anti-dog people can come back tomorrow for a non-doggy post. But for today, just let me have my moment….
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Full of life
Anti-dog people can come back tomorrow for a non-doggy post. But for today, just let me have my moment….
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Office decor
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Insulation
My mom reminded me that most of you won't know that buildings in China are not insulated. Not even a little bit of insulation is in my concrete walls. That's why running the heaters in winter and air-conditioners in summer is expensive and somewhat ineffective. There is nothing to help retain the temperature, so once the machine is turned off, the indoor temperature quickly reverts to the outdoor temperature. On a sunny winter day, it is often warmer outside than inside. Either you can run your heater/air-conditioner non-stop, or in winter you can dress like an Eskimo every day.
Picture an bundled up Eskimo, washing dishes at the kitchen sink, mopping floors, typing on his computer. It doesn't really work well. I have no solutions.
If the Chinese are bothered by the weather extremes, you wouldn't know about it. They don't talk about the weather. (It is so weird, because Americans talk about the weather all the time. How can Chinese NOT talk about the weather? They talk about food instead. It's like when you meet a Chinese you might say, "hey the temperature is nice today!" And they'll look at you like you are a weirdo and ask what you had for breakfast -- or something like that.)
Let's see, where were we? Oh yeah, insulation. Bottom line is, very few if any trees died in the building of China. (Lots of concrete died though, haha.)
Picture an bundled up Eskimo, washing dishes at the kitchen sink, mopping floors, typing on his computer. It doesn't really work well. I have no solutions.
If the Chinese are bothered by the weather extremes, you wouldn't know about it. They don't talk about the weather. (It is so weird, because Americans talk about the weather all the time. How can Chinese NOT talk about the weather? They talk about food instead. It's like when you meet a Chinese you might say, "hey the temperature is nice today!" And they'll look at you like you are a weirdo and ask what you had for breakfast -- or something like that.)
Let's see, where were we? Oh yeah, insulation. Bottom line is, very few if any trees died in the building of China. (Lots of concrete died though, haha.)
Where I live
For example, when I first moved in, my across-the-hall neighbors consisted of a little boy, his young mom, and her 50-something mother. Then later a young man moved in (the husband I presume); he could have been working in another city for a year or two, as is common here. Then later a 60-ish-year-old couple moved in. I haven't figured out who they are yet. So, at least six people live across the hall in an apartment the same size as mine. I think the older people also have homes in their home villages, but they prefer to be in the big city, taking care of the kid while his parents work.
Here's the down ramp to the underground level where there are garages and storage rooms. I cruise down this ramp with my e-bike after every outing so I can re-charge it.
Just thought you might like to see my abode. My complex has a bigger population than some small towns in Texas.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Chillin'
I always hear that dogs don't need clothes because they have fur coats to keep them warm. But then I've also read that dogs that live indoors acclimatize to temperature-controlled dwellings much like people do. Clearly, my dog thought it was cold. She has the run of the house and lots of rugs to lay on. This was her choice.
If she's cold now, then when it gets seriously cold, I'm going to have to put clothes on her to keep her warm!
Mimi's not the only cold one. Over the weekend I put my electric blanket on my bed, dug out my comforter, and wore a thick sweater. It's dark by 5 p.m. these days. Looks like we're going to dig in and prepare for another long cold winter in the Middle Kingdom.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Northern Thailand - Lodging
Here are the log cabins, built according to traditional architecture.
Nice walkways.
Places to sit outdoors.
Checker/chess board is built into the table. (Pretty common in Asia.)
Water tower.
I used to think northern Thailand was remote and unexplored. I was so wrong. In town, you'll find Mexican food, expensive burger joints, malls, international schools, excellent American-style grocery stores, lots of Starbucks -- has more American stuff than many of your own American towns have. The neighborhoods are rustic and quaint, but this is by no means the ends of the earth.
Flowers in Thailand
Horrendous days of change
I do not want to write this blog post. But it's time for an update. (This is not about me, so please do not be alarmed.)
Thank you for praying for my Chinese friend Dan who had brain surgery in June. God spared his life against all odds. I wanted so much for Dan to live long enough to hear the Gospel. He received a Bible and it was marked with important verses. He received a tract to tell him how to believe in Jesus. But Dan lost his eyesight during the surgery, and unless someone would read the tract or Bible to him, he had no way to read it for himself. I hoped that his wife would read it to him, and maybe she did, but they claim to be Buddhists and even ran a Buddhist house church in their home, so who knows? I have no way to know.
A few weeks ago, Dan, age 56, was in the bathroom one morning getting ready, when his wife heard a thump. She ran into the bathroom and found Dan had collapsed on the floor, and he wasn't breathing. She had no knowledge of CPR, and by the time emergency personnel arrived, there was nothing they could do. Four and a half months after surviving brain surgery, he died of lung failure.
I was stunned. His family was stunned. We thought surviving brain surgery had given him additional years to his life, maybe a decade or even more. No one expected this, and it is hard to wrap my head around it still. Pray for his elderly parents (in their late 80s). It is next to impossible to offer comfort and hope with people who have no belief in anything besides the material world they can see. They truly believe that death means the end of existence in all forms. They have no hope for an afterlife, either good or bad. Pray too for Dan's wife. In 16 months she lost her only son (in a car wreck) and her husband. She despairs, has no hope, and wants to run away to a monastery in the mountains.
And if that is not enough ….
I asked you to pray for my Chinese friends, Luella and Hank. (It was on this post.) Hank, age 49, found out at the end of May that he pancreatic cancer. Well, actually, Hank didn't find out from the doctors (this is Chinese culture), but his wife and grown daughter knew he had it. He eventually caught on when his fellow chemotherapy patients chatted about it; they figured it out together. His mother, living in the same house, never found out what he had, she just knew he was sick.
I see Luella often and consider her a good friend. I've been to their home several times for meals. Luella would tell me that Hank was doing pretty good, that the doctors had caught it early. She probably knew the outlook wasn't so optimistic, but was trying to put on her brave face as she always does.
The week after Dan died, Hank also died. My heart sank. I thought he had more time.
Luella fought back tears as she told me about her new life. Hank's boss paid for most of his medical care during his illness, and she continues to get her husband's monthly salary for now. She knows it cannot last forever though, and she doesn't know if she'll have enough money to survive when it ends. Her grown daughter has a job (she doesn't make much), and her son-in-law is not well educated and is currently unemployed. (They live together in the same house.) Luella's mother-in-law who lived with her for years has moved in with another child, so the group dynamics at Luella's home have changed dramatically in a shockingly short period of time.
And there's more ….
I have two friends I meet with regularly at coffee shops to study English and other important topics. One of the boys' mothers had neck cancer, a big blob of a tumor hanging off the side of her neck. The doctors were not optimistic on the prospects of surgery, and said even if the surgery succeeded, she only has 5 years to live. But she survived the surgery and last I heard she is weak but doing okay. The surgery happened a little over a week ago. The young man still lives at home and is terrified by the thought of losing his mother.
There is too much cancer and sorrow among the people I know here. My heart is heavy. Some eternal hope would make it all so much more bearable for me, and them. I pray God would open their eyes to see things they do not now understand.
Death is a certainty, I just always pray people will live long enough to get a chance to hear about God -- to really hear in a way they can understand.
Please pray for surviving family members as most now grieve without hope. Pray that God will help them to find their footing and make it through these horrendous days of change.
Thank you for praying for my Chinese friend Dan who had brain surgery in June. God spared his life against all odds. I wanted so much for Dan to live long enough to hear the Gospel. He received a Bible and it was marked with important verses. He received a tract to tell him how to believe in Jesus. But Dan lost his eyesight during the surgery, and unless someone would read the tract or Bible to him, he had no way to read it for himself. I hoped that his wife would read it to him, and maybe she did, but they claim to be Buddhists and even ran a Buddhist house church in their home, so who knows? I have no way to know.
A few weeks ago, Dan, age 56, was in the bathroom one morning getting ready, when his wife heard a thump. She ran into the bathroom and found Dan had collapsed on the floor, and he wasn't breathing. She had no knowledge of CPR, and by the time emergency personnel arrived, there was nothing they could do. Four and a half months after surviving brain surgery, he died of lung failure.
I was stunned. His family was stunned. We thought surviving brain surgery had given him additional years to his life, maybe a decade or even more. No one expected this, and it is hard to wrap my head around it still. Pray for his elderly parents (in their late 80s). It is next to impossible to offer comfort and hope with people who have no belief in anything besides the material world they can see. They truly believe that death means the end of existence in all forms. They have no hope for an afterlife, either good or bad. Pray too for Dan's wife. In 16 months she lost her only son (in a car wreck) and her husband. She despairs, has no hope, and wants to run away to a monastery in the mountains.
And if that is not enough ….
I asked you to pray for my Chinese friends, Luella and Hank. (It was on this post.) Hank, age 49, found out at the end of May that he pancreatic cancer. Well, actually, Hank didn't find out from the doctors (this is Chinese culture), but his wife and grown daughter knew he had it. He eventually caught on when his fellow chemotherapy patients chatted about it; they figured it out together. His mother, living in the same house, never found out what he had, she just knew he was sick.
I see Luella often and consider her a good friend. I've been to their home several times for meals. Luella would tell me that Hank was doing pretty good, that the doctors had caught it early. She probably knew the outlook wasn't so optimistic, but was trying to put on her brave face as she always does.
The week after Dan died, Hank also died. My heart sank. I thought he had more time.
Luella fought back tears as she told me about her new life. Hank's boss paid for most of his medical care during his illness, and she continues to get her husband's monthly salary for now. She knows it cannot last forever though, and she doesn't know if she'll have enough money to survive when it ends. Her grown daughter has a job (she doesn't make much), and her son-in-law is not well educated and is currently unemployed. (They live together in the same house.) Luella's mother-in-law who lived with her for years has moved in with another child, so the group dynamics at Luella's home have changed dramatically in a shockingly short period of time.
And there's more ….
I have two friends I meet with regularly at coffee shops to study English and other important topics. One of the boys' mothers had neck cancer, a big blob of a tumor hanging off the side of her neck. The doctors were not optimistic on the prospects of surgery, and said even if the surgery succeeded, she only has 5 years to live. But she survived the surgery and last I heard she is weak but doing okay. The surgery happened a little over a week ago. The young man still lives at home and is terrified by the thought of losing his mother.
There is too much cancer and sorrow among the people I know here. My heart is heavy. Some eternal hope would make it all so much more bearable for me, and them. I pray God would open their eyes to see things they do not now understand.
Death is a certainty, I just always pray people will live long enough to get a chance to hear about God -- to really hear in a way they can understand.
Please pray for surviving family members as most now grieve without hope. Pray that God will help them to find their footing and make it through these horrendous days of change.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Must have been Veterans' Day
When I looked on Facebook this morning, I saw lots of photos of men in uniforms. I don't have a marked calendar handy (oh yeah, maybe I should change the one on my wall that says October), but I presume that yesterday was Veteran's Day. Here's a little family background on those who served their country:
My dad, WOW
My father was drafted into the Army when he was 19 years old. He served two years, from 1953-1955. When he went to basic training, he expected to be shipped off to the Korean War that was underway at the time. But God had mercy and during my dad's basic training in El Paso, they got word that an armistice had been signed, ceasing battle operations. What a glorious day that must have been for my dad, his family, and his fiancé (my mom)! But a draft is a draft, and my dad had to serve out his entire two years. He spent one year manning a ground-based gun intended for aircraft on the snowy grounds of Misawa, Japan. He did not enjoy that bitterly cold year in Japan, and Japan's role in WWII just a decade earlier probably influenced his opinions of the place. I am so glad that he never had to see first-hand battle, but he was based where tensions were high and governments were unstable. A true patriot, my dad proudly flies the U.S. flag in his front yard on special holidays.
My oldest brother, CLW
C joined the Army when he was about 19 or 20 years old, after several years of college. The army promised him a chance to study at their expense. But of course, there is always more to the story. Like all soldiers, he was trained and sent abroad, where he engaged in military exercises to prepare for war. There were no wars going on at the time, so it seemed like a safe thing to do. One day during field drills in Germany, he and his guys were getting into the back of an armed personnel carrier (truck), when somehow in the truck behind them, an "unloaded" mounted machine gun went off, hitting my brother and another guy. I forgot how many bullet fragments entered my brother's body, some just missing his heart by millimeters. The other guy had to have facial reconstruction surgery. My brother stayed in the hospital for two months, enduring surgeries and mending his health. But you know, you never really get over something like that.
His wife had just had their second child in the U.S. a few months earlier; C had been in the U.S. for that; so she and the family hadn't joined him in Germany yet.
It was Friday, the 4th of July when he got shot. We didn't hear anything until Sunday evening of July 6th. It was after the evening church service, and I was home that summer from college when we got the call. My parents were upset, so I called the pastor who came over with his wife and sat with my parents to comfort and pray with us. I eventually went to bed (I think I had to work the next day), but my parents stayed up all night, making their first ever international phone calls. This was 1980, and making international calls wasn't a common thing to do.
They dialed "0" on their rotary-dialled phone to call the local operator, who put them in touch with a operator in the country of Germany. My parents had been told that my brother was in a hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. The German operator told my parents that Landstuhl was nothing BUT hospitals. And that lovely German operator stayed on the phone with my parents for hour upon hour until she called around to all the hospitals and found my brother. And sometime in the middle of that night, my parents got to talk to my brother.
He stayed in the army for awhile, but an episode like that -- where you are shot by one of your own people, by a gun that isn't supposed to be loaded -- is not something that instills trust or makes you want to stay. He suffers like many soldiers who returned from war suffer. It never goes away. He's a good guy. Please pray for him not to have any more residual effects from this event.
My next older brother, JAW
Technically, he is not a veteran. But he serves his country and puts his life on the line every single day. Not just for a tour of duty, but for a lifetime. So I think people like him should either be included in Veteran's Day or get their own holiday. Or at the very least, they should get a lifetime supply of Velveeta and Rotel cheese dip, with tortilla chips.
My cousin, RY
Richard (yeah, I'm using his real name) got married in the summer of 1965. In December of that same year, his mom, step-dad, two younger brothers and two women were killed by a drunk-driver. He had no immediate family left. Isn't that enough for one person to endure for a lifetime? Apparently the government didn't think so. A few years later, I remember standing at an airport, probably Houston Hobby airport, as Richard wore his uniform and was walking to the gate. Emotions were high that day, and tears flowed freely. When I, a child, asked why, I learned that he was going to Vietnam, to serve in the war, and if things didn't go well (as they had not for so many others), we might not see Richard again. Later in life, the impact of that departure became more real to me. Thank God, he came home. Richard is a great guy who has had to endure more suffering in his lifetime than most.
When I was growing up, every week at church we would pray for peace in Vietnam. When the war ended, I remember wondering what we would pray about now that the war was over. I couldn't remember a time when we hadn't prayed for it to end.
Other extended family
My uncle R.E., and his son, William both served in the Marines. My cousin Norman served in the Navy (in the Philippines). I'm not sure who else in my extended family served, but maybe my parents will fill in the blanks and I can update you.
Last but not least, I want to give a little shout-out to my mom who sat home on pins and needles on many occasions, praying and supporting my dad and brothers through the times of uncertainty presented by their service. I'm sure my sisters-in-law have been through a lot too. Women are often the heart of the support system to our veterans.
I hate war, but someone has got to defend us from the bad guys. Thanks to those of you who put yourself at risk for the rest of us.
My dad, WOW
My father was drafted into the Army when he was 19 years old. He served two years, from 1953-1955. When he went to basic training, he expected to be shipped off to the Korean War that was underway at the time. But God had mercy and during my dad's basic training in El Paso, they got word that an armistice had been signed, ceasing battle operations. What a glorious day that must have been for my dad, his family, and his fiancé (my mom)! But a draft is a draft, and my dad had to serve out his entire two years. He spent one year manning a ground-based gun intended for aircraft on the snowy grounds of Misawa, Japan. He did not enjoy that bitterly cold year in Japan, and Japan's role in WWII just a decade earlier probably influenced his opinions of the place. I am so glad that he never had to see first-hand battle, but he was based where tensions were high and governments were unstable. A true patriot, my dad proudly flies the U.S. flag in his front yard on special holidays.
My oldest brother, CLW
C joined the Army when he was about 19 or 20 years old, after several years of college. The army promised him a chance to study at their expense. But of course, there is always more to the story. Like all soldiers, he was trained and sent abroad, where he engaged in military exercises to prepare for war. There were no wars going on at the time, so it seemed like a safe thing to do. One day during field drills in Germany, he and his guys were getting into the back of an armed personnel carrier (truck), when somehow in the truck behind them, an "unloaded" mounted machine gun went off, hitting my brother and another guy. I forgot how many bullet fragments entered my brother's body, some just missing his heart by millimeters. The other guy had to have facial reconstruction surgery. My brother stayed in the hospital for two months, enduring surgeries and mending his health. But you know, you never really get over something like that.
His wife had just had their second child in the U.S. a few months earlier; C had been in the U.S. for that; so she and the family hadn't joined him in Germany yet.
It was Friday, the 4th of July when he got shot. We didn't hear anything until Sunday evening of July 6th. It was after the evening church service, and I was home that summer from college when we got the call. My parents were upset, so I called the pastor who came over with his wife and sat with my parents to comfort and pray with us. I eventually went to bed (I think I had to work the next day), but my parents stayed up all night, making their first ever international phone calls. This was 1980, and making international calls wasn't a common thing to do.
They dialed "0" on their rotary-dialled phone to call the local operator, who put them in touch with a operator in the country of Germany. My parents had been told that my brother was in a hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. The German operator told my parents that Landstuhl was nothing BUT hospitals. And that lovely German operator stayed on the phone with my parents for hour upon hour until she called around to all the hospitals and found my brother. And sometime in the middle of that night, my parents got to talk to my brother.
He stayed in the army for awhile, but an episode like that -- where you are shot by one of your own people, by a gun that isn't supposed to be loaded -- is not something that instills trust or makes you want to stay. He suffers like many soldiers who returned from war suffer. It never goes away. He's a good guy. Please pray for him not to have any more residual effects from this event.
My next older brother, JAW
Technically, he is not a veteran. But he serves his country and puts his life on the line every single day. Not just for a tour of duty, but for a lifetime. So I think people like him should either be included in Veteran's Day or get their own holiday. Or at the very least, they should get a lifetime supply of Velveeta and Rotel cheese dip, with tortilla chips.
My cousin, RY
Richard (yeah, I'm using his real name) got married in the summer of 1965. In December of that same year, his mom, step-dad, two younger brothers and two women were killed by a drunk-driver. He had no immediate family left. Isn't that enough for one person to endure for a lifetime? Apparently the government didn't think so. A few years later, I remember standing at an airport, probably Houston Hobby airport, as Richard wore his uniform and was walking to the gate. Emotions were high that day, and tears flowed freely. When I, a child, asked why, I learned that he was going to Vietnam, to serve in the war, and if things didn't go well (as they had not for so many others), we might not see Richard again. Later in life, the impact of that departure became more real to me. Thank God, he came home. Richard is a great guy who has had to endure more suffering in his lifetime than most.
When I was growing up, every week at church we would pray for peace in Vietnam. When the war ended, I remember wondering what we would pray about now that the war was over. I couldn't remember a time when we hadn't prayed for it to end.
Other extended family
My uncle R.E., and his son, William both served in the Marines. My cousin Norman served in the Navy (in the Philippines). I'm not sure who else in my extended family served, but maybe my parents will fill in the blanks and I can update you.
Last but not least, I want to give a little shout-out to my mom who sat home on pins and needles on many occasions, praying and supporting my dad and brothers through the times of uncertainty presented by their service. I'm sure my sisters-in-law have been through a lot too. Women are often the heart of the support system to our veterans.
I hate war, but someone has got to defend us from the bad guys. Thanks to those of you who put yourself at risk for the rest of us.
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