excited to share that we are traveling to the states this summer for the holiday. some of the tickets have been purchased and plans are being made which makes it all pretty official. we aren't sure on the dates of arrival and departure as we have not purchased the plane ticket from cambodia to america yet. paul is working on that part.
the only plans we know of right now are that we will be on a cruise leaving seattle from june 25th-july 2nd to ALASKA. we will be traveling with paul's parents and we are thrilled. i have been on one cruise before and paul has never been. i told him that to get me to go again we had to go somewhere that i think is cool---such as the mediterranean, around the southern part of south america or alaska. so here we are....going on a cruise to alaska. i have a few activities i hope to take part of while on this trip--my wish list--1) to hang out/see/participate in dog mushing and 2) to see bears and other animals in the wild. paul has been doing lots of research on how to best make this happen for me which makes me love him so.
the unofficial plan is to arrive in seattle from PP a few days before the cruise and play in the city. it's one of our favorite american cities. then after cruise we will fly to houston to see family and friends for about two and a half weeks or so. i have started the "to do list" for houston, the "shopping" list, and the "must visit these stores" list. i am weirdo, i know. i also have the "friends i must see/visit with" list. i am list making queen, as many people can affirm. it works for me.
mark your calendars, peeps! we are coming to america!
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
first 11 of '11: 1.6.11
today was an overall great day! it all began just before 10:40am when i roused myself awake just before the alarm went off. i got to sleep a bit more since paul claimed the shower first. yeah, i love when he does that for me. the girls went to lunch at the living room cafe down in bkk and it was fabulous. the younger girls played in the kids playroom while the older girls chatted and reflected on the holiday here. it was a fabulous time and all of thoroughly enjoyed being together. we had lunch and then made three stops before coming back to the house for the afternoon--the frame shop, monument toys, and the pharmacie. i got the cool indigo dyed fabric i bought in laos sorted out for framing as well as the piece of art that our favorite cafe owner in seoul, jenny, made for us when we were there in october. big check off the list of the last bits for now of the home decorating. monument books/toys was to get a birthday present for the smallest girl of the bunch and both of them spent a bit of their christmas cash on crafty items too. last stop was the pharmacie, my friend needed to stock up on some basic meds that they can get here and not get in seoul.
afternoon tea at the house with our housekeeper, ming, and her entire family. stu made scones and they were awesome! we visited, took pictures, and played video games. the afternoon breezed by and soon it was time for round one of goodbyes. ugh....they are hard no matter what the circumstance i think. the girls were really sad to say goodbye to sreyleak. they have had such a great time being together for the last few weeks.
we kept dinner simple by ordering in pizza. we shared one last meal together before starting round two of goodbyes which were more gut wrenching than the first. ming did not want to leave the girls and they surely did not want to leave her. it was hard to watch and totally a heart breaker. soon after the girls laid down for a nap before having to leave for the airport. the adults sat down stairs doing one last bit of chatting before the tuk tuk crew arrive to carry our friends and all their luggage to the airport. it was sad, hard, tough, and tearful.
paul and i again closed the night with some episodes of big bang theory to cheer up our moods and topped it off with the latest modern family. no big plans for the weekend at this point......we just want to rest and i am sure that won't be an issue since we seem to have genetic gifts of sleeping and resting.
afternoon tea at the house with our housekeeper, ming, and her entire family. stu made scones and they were awesome! we visited, took pictures, and played video games. the afternoon breezed by and soon it was time for round one of goodbyes. ugh....they are hard no matter what the circumstance i think. the girls were really sad to say goodbye to sreyleak. they have had such a great time being together for the last few weeks.
we kept dinner simple by ordering in pizza. we shared one last meal together before starting round two of goodbyes which were more gut wrenching than the first. ming did not want to leave the girls and they surely did not want to leave her. it was hard to watch and totally a heart breaker. soon after the girls laid down for a nap before having to leave for the airport. the adults sat down stairs doing one last bit of chatting before the tuk tuk crew arrive to carry our friends and all their luggage to the airport. it was sad, hard, tough, and tearful.
paul and i again closed the night with some episodes of big bang theory to cheer up our moods and topped it off with the latest modern family. no big plans for the weekend at this point......we just want to rest and i am sure that won't be an issue since we seem to have genetic gifts of sleeping and resting.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
first 11 of '11: 1.5.11
word of the day: REST!
i did lots of it and it was awesome. paul and i had lunch together which is always a treat since we don't get to when i am working. we went to fatboy subs around the corner from our house. they are super good. simliar to subway, but SOOO much better. subway on steroids is the description we often use. i had a filly cheesesteak and it was so yummy. we shared a cookie (paul got it free with his frequent buyer card) and then he walked me home. he was off to gloria jeans to work and i had no plans for the afternoon.
i spent much of the afternoon in bed---sleeping and/or cuddling with our cat, India. she loves to cuddle and just have attention since Sam passed away. it's been a nice change since she usually can be quite the independent kitty.
last night we took our friends and their friends to Yumi which is easily one of our favorites here in PP. it's a fusion Japanese place and has an unique menu. the Yumi pork ribs are the best i have ever had. it was fun to go with more people as we tried much more of the menu than we usually would/could. it was such a smattering of this and that and the best part was that everything we tried was amazing. i cannot wait until our next visit there. such a gem in our city.
paul and i finished off the evening watching somce big bang theory after our friends went to bed. we really have grown to love the show and always have a good laugh which is therapeutic.
another great day of holiday.........three more days before i go back to work.........
i did lots of it and it was awesome. paul and i had lunch together which is always a treat since we don't get to when i am working. we went to fatboy subs around the corner from our house. they are super good. simliar to subway, but SOOO much better. subway on steroids is the description we often use. i had a filly cheesesteak and it was so yummy. we shared a cookie (paul got it free with his frequent buyer card) and then he walked me home. he was off to gloria jeans to work and i had no plans for the afternoon.
i spent much of the afternoon in bed---sleeping and/or cuddling with our cat, India. she loves to cuddle and just have attention since Sam passed away. it's been a nice change since she usually can be quite the independent kitty.
last night we took our friends and their friends to Yumi which is easily one of our favorites here in PP. it's a fusion Japanese place and has an unique menu. the Yumi pork ribs are the best i have ever had. it was fun to go with more people as we tried much more of the menu than we usually would/could. it was such a smattering of this and that and the best part was that everything we tried was amazing. i cannot wait until our next visit there. such a gem in our city.
paul and i finished off the evening watching somce big bang theory after our friends went to bed. we really have grown to love the show and always have a good laugh which is therapeutic.
another great day of holiday.........three more days before i go back to work.........
Sunday, January 2, 2011
first 11 of '11: 1.1.11
paul and i went to lunch at java cafe. it was nice. we sat upstairs outside on the balcony. the weather was perfect and there was a gentle breeze that made sitting there heavenly. i ordered a christmas coffee sans the orange peel and iced with a breakfast sandwich. yum! paul had a beef fajita wrap. after we went to gloria jean's where we spent much of the afternoon hanging out. i read some, attempted to start a new crochet project, and people watched. paul worked and plugged away at learning new action script.
later i went to russian market with sheree to hunt for things for the house. she had a list too. i found some new fabric that i am going to use in our guest room, a mirror for our room, ordered a lamp shade, and eyed some new lamps for our room too. it was a fun trip and i am feeling much more confident shopping in russian market.
we made our way home via the frame shop, but she was closed for the holiday. for another day it seems!
we had dinner out with all four of the adults and left the littles at home with ming. we went to ocean for dinner and it was fantastic per usual. i chose the beef fillet a la ocean. yum! we had some great conversation over amazing food. so nice to connect with friends and talk about all sorts of things.
later i went to russian market with sheree to hunt for things for the house. she had a list too. i found some new fabric that i am going to use in our guest room, a mirror for our room, ordered a lamp shade, and eyed some new lamps for our room too. it was a fun trip and i am feeling much more confident shopping in russian market.
we made our way home via the frame shop, but she was closed for the holiday. for another day it seems!
we had dinner out with all four of the adults and left the littles at home with ming. we went to ocean for dinner and it was fantastic per usual. i chose the beef fillet a la ocean. yum! we had some great conversation over amazing food. so nice to connect with friends and talk about all sorts of things.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
disjointed
an update from the penh about us....
things are good. otterball has been picking up here and there, so paul has been busy with projects. he spends many days at the gloria jean's coffee shop--drinking coffee and working away. they all know him now and when we walk in they already start his order----regular iced latte. it makes me smile that he has a "place" to work and hang out. other days he stays at home and makes the second bedroom his office. he has a really creative "desk" that he likes and allows his laptop to cool. it is Styrofoam packing from our microwave. he cracks the door, turns up the air con, and leans against the pillows on the bed. quite the set up, i think. not to mention he has constant coffee coming from downstairs due to ming, our amazing housekeeper. she brews him iced vietnamese coffee with sweet milk daily---at least one or two per day. he is spoiled.
school is going well. i love my job and the kids are awesome. i am blessed to be working with two great guys on my "team". they both teach grade 5, but we plan the same units of inquiry so we can collaborate and share. so far, it has been awesome. we all have fabulous ideas to share and easily think aloud with each other while planning. one is from england and the other from south africa. i feel valued and respected here. my ideas are accepted and thought about. there is much freedom to do what i truly love and for me that is huge. it has been such a joy to come to work and know that i don't have to worry about the small stuff. thank God! the PYP adjustment can be overwhelming, but i am in line with the philosophy, so it works with me deeply. i am doing lots of thinking and reflecting which i love and challenges me to do my best work. it is just wrapping my head around it all and making it happen that can be daunting.
our apartment is in the final stages of becoming "finished" whatever that really means. we are trying hard to sort out places and "homes" for the last bits of stuff. we have a few more pieces of cane furniture to pick up, pictures/art to hang, and the touches that make a home. i have to go hunting for some lamps, but not sure when that will happen. we are also planning to buy bicycles to poke around our neighborhood a bit more without depending on someone else. we are so excited about this venture. once i get a bike, i plan to "pimp" it out with some baskets, plastic covers for them, and a bell. i am hoping that i can find an orange bike too. me loves all things orange.
i have made a few good friends that i can be real with which has been huge for me. this revelation just happened which has been a blessing. knowing that i have a friend to hang out with is what i needed. someone local and that is on the same page--especially with faith--was something i was seeking out. she also happens to be supporting my ESL kids in the classroom which makes it fun too since we work closely together as well. good stuff there for sure!
we have started church shopping which has been interesting, full of all kinds of emotions, and lead to some great discussions. things are different here. not bad or negative, just different. pray that we can find a church we can call "home" and be able to connect with some folks in this way. paul has asked me not to panic, so i am trying not to since we have only been here just over two months. patience, mandy.
on the artsy front, paul is planning and hoping to buy a guitar today. we went shopping over the long weekend and wow, i learned a lot just from observing. you can really "hear" how good a guitar is or not. it was quite interesting to follow him around. he found a nice "fender" (looks real, feels real, sounds real, but not sure how "real" it really is) acoustic. it sounded warm and beautiful. the only catch was there was no pick up or "electronics". he is hoping to make it back to a different shop that had lots of stuff and seemed pretty in the know about all things music today to ask if they sell the electronics and if so, do they install. not sure what will happen, but i am so glad that he is "missing" playing and music. he hopes to find some gigs around town to play regularly.
as for me, i am still figuring it out. i am feeling a bit plain these days with more normal hair. i know hair has nothing to do with ability or anything, but it is this weird thing i deal with. i have been getting involved with a local stitching group (knitters & crocheters). it works, but not really filling my creative hole in the way i hoped. i am thinking about working through the book, the artist's way, again on my own. i need to be intentional and set up art dates with myself. i really love photography, so maybe i can make that my outlet. i just have to get out of the house and do it.....then more importantly do something with the photos.
off to do some planning....
things are good. otterball has been picking up here and there, so paul has been busy with projects. he spends many days at the gloria jean's coffee shop--drinking coffee and working away. they all know him now and when we walk in they already start his order----regular iced latte. it makes me smile that he has a "place" to work and hang out. other days he stays at home and makes the second bedroom his office. he has a really creative "desk" that he likes and allows his laptop to cool. it is Styrofoam packing from our microwave. he cracks the door, turns up the air con, and leans against the pillows on the bed. quite the set up, i think. not to mention he has constant coffee coming from downstairs due to ming, our amazing housekeeper. she brews him iced vietnamese coffee with sweet milk daily---at least one or two per day. he is spoiled.
school is going well. i love my job and the kids are awesome. i am blessed to be working with two great guys on my "team". they both teach grade 5, but we plan the same units of inquiry so we can collaborate and share. so far, it has been awesome. we all have fabulous ideas to share and easily think aloud with each other while planning. one is from england and the other from south africa. i feel valued and respected here. my ideas are accepted and thought about. there is much freedom to do what i truly love and for me that is huge. it has been such a joy to come to work and know that i don't have to worry about the small stuff. thank God! the PYP adjustment can be overwhelming, but i am in line with the philosophy, so it works with me deeply. i am doing lots of thinking and reflecting which i love and challenges me to do my best work. it is just wrapping my head around it all and making it happen that can be daunting.
our apartment is in the final stages of becoming "finished" whatever that really means. we are trying hard to sort out places and "homes" for the last bits of stuff. we have a few more pieces of cane furniture to pick up, pictures/art to hang, and the touches that make a home. i have to go hunting for some lamps, but not sure when that will happen. we are also planning to buy bicycles to poke around our neighborhood a bit more without depending on someone else. we are so excited about this venture. once i get a bike, i plan to "pimp" it out with some baskets, plastic covers for them, and a bell. i am hoping that i can find an orange bike too. me loves all things orange.
i have made a few good friends that i can be real with which has been huge for me. this revelation just happened which has been a blessing. knowing that i have a friend to hang out with is what i needed. someone local and that is on the same page--especially with faith--was something i was seeking out. she also happens to be supporting my ESL kids in the classroom which makes it fun too since we work closely together as well. good stuff there for sure!
we have started church shopping which has been interesting, full of all kinds of emotions, and lead to some great discussions. things are different here. not bad or negative, just different. pray that we can find a church we can call "home" and be able to connect with some folks in this way. paul has asked me not to panic, so i am trying not to since we have only been here just over two months. patience, mandy.
on the artsy front, paul is planning and hoping to buy a guitar today. we went shopping over the long weekend and wow, i learned a lot just from observing. you can really "hear" how good a guitar is or not. it was quite interesting to follow him around. he found a nice "fender" (looks real, feels real, sounds real, but not sure how "real" it really is) acoustic. it sounded warm and beautiful. the only catch was there was no pick up or "electronics". he is hoping to make it back to a different shop that had lots of stuff and seemed pretty in the know about all things music today to ask if they sell the electronics and if so, do they install. not sure what will happen, but i am so glad that he is "missing" playing and music. he hopes to find some gigs around town to play regularly.
as for me, i am still figuring it out. i am feeling a bit plain these days with more normal hair. i know hair has nothing to do with ability or anything, but it is this weird thing i deal with. i have been getting involved with a local stitching group (knitters & crocheters). it works, but not really filling my creative hole in the way i hoped. i am thinking about working through the book, the artist's way, again on my own. i need to be intentional and set up art dates with myself. i really love photography, so maybe i can make that my outlet. i just have to get out of the house and do it.....then more importantly do something with the photos.
off to do some planning....
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