valentine's day dinner

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I spent all day making cupcakes for our English club's Valentine's Day party tomorrow that I forgot today was actually the day until a friend came over for dinner and reminded me. She loves tacos, so we had tacos for our Valentine's dinner. Thankful for good friends and even better conversations.

 

photos from the... month

Heh, sorry, I know I'm a bit behind on this whole photo-a-day. I have been taking photos, for the most part; it's just an issue of being able to find time/internet to upload them.

 

Women carrying sticks on their backs

 

The little kids in my neighborhood are like terrorists. Ding-dong-ditch, throwing little green pods at my door, peeking in the windows… If it's unlocked they try to sneak into my house, and when I say hello, they run off squealing. That's usually what happens when I try to make friends with them: they squeal and retreat. I've tried playing in the rain with them, making conversation… The only thing I've found that works: gifts. I had Dad bring me a bag of dumdums, and it's the only thing that seems to pacify the little ones.

This morning, they were doing the normal things: climbing up on my gate, trying to get the gate open to do who knows what. I could hear them making their demands - "Bule! Hey, bule!" - followed by words I can't understand, then counting up to ten. I assumed they wanted more candy. As soon as I brought it out, though, they scattered. I finally persuaded them to come over, and they didn't say a word. What, now they're shy? After trying a couple of different questions or even starting a game, I gave up. Ah well. At least they smile big and wave every time I get home.

 

Last week we went to one of the university campus and handed out flyers for our English club.

 

And then this week, we invited some students to go with us. We had a great turnout! Here are the girls with my new roommates.

 

We also started a three-week discussion time on the different kinds of loooove. This first week was about family and friends. Next week: romance. Oh, how they are eager for that one...

 

Last night we babysat for some friends so they could go out on a Valentine's date. This is hide-and-seek. I wonder where they are...

 

The picture doesn't do it justice.

"'Behold, the L0rd G0d comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flocks like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the L0rd or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust." - Isaiah 40:10-15

classy Singapore

The time has come again to travel to the great land known as Singapore. Talk about a metropolitan city. The contrast is so strong, I culture shocked after walking into the airport. Just the airport! It's clean, and there are signs that accurately point to where you need to go...

There are many things I love about Singapore, and others that I don't so much. I love that I can walk around without being stared at and at night without fear (Singapore has a super low crime rate. No worries, still being wise). I love that I can take the subway. I love that I can drink water from the tap. I love the different cultural pockets in the city - Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street. I don't love the prices. Or getting lost in a 10-story mall after going up the wrong subway exit (whoever came up with building malls on top of subway exits/entrances was both brilliant and horrible - great for advertising, awful for navigation).

Buuut the good news is I got my visa! PTL there were no problems or complications! The way the visa process works actually sounds a little... shady. I meet a guy (a visa specialist) outside a McDonalds in the morning; hand him my visa papers, passport, and some money; and return that evening to pick up my passport with a new visa inside. It's all totally legit, though, and gets the job done! It also means I have the whole day to explore. First stop: IKEA.

 

The first time I went to IKEA was during my last visa run. I was overjoyed and overwhelmed and almost hyperventilated. After 45 minutes of wandering and occasionally putting something in my shopping bag, the overwhelmed feeling won out, and I ended up leaving without buying a single thing. This time around, I prepped myself a little better and was able to actually purchase a couple of things for the house.

On my way to pick up my visa, I ran into some friends who were doing the same. Afterwards, they took me to this lovely tea place and treated me to my first macaroon. I then made my way down to Arab Street and had some incredible Moroccan food and tea.

 

And then a nice evening stroll through the city.

 

If there was life on another planet, this is how I would imagine their trees. In reality, this is part of the new Gardens by the Bay.

"The man who has G-d for his treasure has all things in one. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight." - A.W. Tozer

cooking lessons

A few days ago a friend and I made dinner for our national colleagues at the English center, and what I really mean by that is she cooked and I watched. And peeled potatoes. We made a sort of local chicken curry. It was quite an interesting process, actually, and all started with a trip to the market. I walked out of the house without my camera (of course I forget it when I go someplace interesting...) but it's so unique of an experience that I snapped some with my phone. Apologies for the poor quality.

 

 

 

This is where we bought the spices for the curry. Those bowls are full of different... pureed maybe? ingredients. For instance, one has onions, one garlic, another hot peppers... You walk up, tell them what you want to make and how much, and they scoop different amounts of the spices into a bag.

 

What ours looked like. 

 

Yummm.

 

See? My potatoes. :)

 

So then after sauteing the spices a little, we added the chicken. And later some water and the potatoes.

 

And lastly some coconut milk.

 

Viola! Chicken curry! Actually, it's called gulai ayam. Maybe not quite a curry, I don't know. 

 

To go with the chicken, we made a special snack called krupuk. These are little chips made from cassava (so I've heard anyways). They start off small, and then as you fry them, they expand.

 

The process was so fascinating, I recorded it, ha.

 

Yumm... The dinner was a hit. I'm super grateful for them and all that they do. They're incredible.