it was good

No complaints except that American accents were somewhat jarring in as sumptuous a setting as Versailles.

On the way out of the movie, I kept hearing complaints that there was no dialogue, that anyone could have played Marie since Kirsten Dunst hardly says anything at all.

I could not disagree more. Isn't the premise that viewers experience the world of the French court through the eyes of a teenager? There's a lot to take in for her and us. What's so wrong with wide-eyed wonder at moments too overwhelming and confusing and surreal for words? Are we so insecure as a culture that we're uncomfortable with anything less than non-stop chatter accompanied by an ever-faithful laugh track?

Anyway, it was fun.

my day

Very often these days, I get asked: So what do you DO ALL DAY? (Do I sometimes detect hints of skepticism, envy, judgment, or even genuine curiosity?)

Here's a sample day in the life of me:

-awakened by the hubs going to work in the dark, early hours
-breakfast while skimming news headlines
-devotions, writing, prayer
-obsessively check email and blogs for awhile before...
-job hunting: research, write letters, refine resumes, check out postings and places, find contacts, rinse and repeat
-do New York: the opera, the museums, the shopping, the eating, oh the possibilities...
-(on a good day) head to the gym or run along the stinky East River
-hang out with new and old friends
-do all the Master of the House duties (a la Mrs. Chu)
-and the latest project...try to revive my minimal Mandarin skills

It goes by FAST and full I tell you. And it's definitely not all bonbons and soap operas. So there.

Madama Butterfly

No Chinese tourists to aggravate me at The Met last night...though I still shudder at the memory of having many a concert in Shanghai's Grand Theater ruined by loud conversations, cell phones ringing and other flagrant theater-going offenses.

Such a depressing story...it's almost unbearably grievous; the recklessness of the American #&$^&*% and the delusional girl he helps to destroy. The whole production was charming visually, and appropriately intense. It was especially cool to go with an aspiring opera singer--she gave me the real deal on the singers.

WHY?????

I went on a tour of the UN today and left SOOOO aggravated at the Chinese tourists. They were so outrageously rude, I am embarassed by ethnic association. They basically violated 10 of the 15 guidelines below. WHY???? WHY???? Am I just more sensitive to this brand of rudeness because of who I am and where I have lived? Is it my Western upbringing imposing some Western standard of behavior on them? I don't know but they were SO darned rude.

(Published in the Shanghai Daily)

New guidelines have been published by China for Chinese tourists venturing abroad. All this to improve the nation’s image.

1. Do not spit in public
2. Do not litter in public places
3. Line up, don’t jump the queues at public venues
4. Do not make pictures when a sign says “no pictures”
5. Do not talk in loud voices
6. Do not polish your shoes with bed linen or the hotel towel
7. Do not smoke in Non-smoking areas
8. Wear proper clothes
9. Do not strip down to to the waist (for men) when it’s hot
10. Do not wear pajamas in supermarkets or on the street
11. Do not remove shoes and socks in airport terminals
12. Men, observe the “ladies first” rule
13. Flush after using the toilet
14. Do not block other pedestrians by walking side by side on sidewalks
15. Do not force foreigners to pose for pictures

weekend: Gulu and CCFC reunion

Saturday morning, the hubs and I helped out some with World Vision New York's Gulu Walk efforts.

The Gulu Walk was started a few years ago to call attention to children in Northern Uganda who walk for miles at night to sleep in storefronts of larger towns. The threat of being abducted and forced into soldiering or sex slavery is what drives them on this commute. I wonder how God contains his rage at the people who force children to become killing machines, often beginning with their own families. Didn't Jesus say something about it being better to have a rock tied to your neck as you sink in the sea than cause his little ones to stumble?



We had to leave the Walk early for another Cornell Chinese Cult wedding. The best part was a totally unexpected, totally welcome reunion with a bunch of CCFC'ers. It was wonderful to chat with another unemployed wife, HKS, on getting to OK. OK with the state of our lives at this moment, and even OK with being NOT OK all the time. Know what I'm sayin? Also good to bug soon-to-be Dr. Lam about being the enforcer at our former Friday night group. hehe. Watch out!

lonely housewife

How do spouses of doctors and other insanely busy types deal?

My doctor is on a brutal rotation, leaving us maybe 1-1.5 hours a day to be awake and in the same place together. And in those 1-1.5 precious hours, he's mostly just trying to peel off the demoralizing events of the day.

Even with two friends visiting, and lots to do right now, I feel like my "heart is walking outside of me" all day long. (I stole that line from EH in reference to what it's like having children, but it works for me.)

But then again, this IS still infinitely better than being in different countries!!!!

second last of '06

Only one more wedding to go this year!!! And I must say, THANK the Lord!

Yesterday, Superman and Spongebob Bear were married on a day of hail and rain and wild winds bracketing gorgeous breaks of sunshine. The weather was definitely a metaphor for the wedding itself...So many laughs (if only y'all could have seen KL's facial expressions throughout the ceremony!), SO many frustrations (Chinese people and their chronic lateness and utter disregard of instructions), SO many tears (the song he sung, "I think you really like me", the slideshow in memory of SSH, SH's tears, speeches...definitely a mascara running day). Pictures to come once I steal them from gear-girl. Speaking of gear-girl--THERE is a bridesmaid and sister to have! The wedding would not have been possible without her. Bravo!

Honorary mention to SF as well for grudgingly agreeing to be the snowboarder prop in my speech. One heck of a performance for someone who put up such a fight! DJ Praise rocked the house, the MC (you KNOW which one) definitely missing her calling in the HK entertainment industry. All in all, an ambitious event pulled off by the love and talents of many.

Toronto, I miss you already..but I'm also glad to be back in our own place. P.S. The hubby was not injured at all in the freak airplane/building incident. He was sleeping as doctors do in their spare time.

T.O.

To T.O. I go for a week of wedding ado. The hubby will join me at the end of it for our first wedding, post-our wedding!

Even the angels

Many thanks to those who sent 'get better' wishes and insights into the job search. RM in Oxford said maybe it's not so much what I wanna BE when I grow up, but what I wanna DO, since I happen to BE someone already. Great reminder.

Tim Keller has been doing a "Trouble with Christianity" series. Why is there suffering? How can there only be one way? Typical big grievances people have with the faith.

On Sunday, the passage studied ended with this, "Even angels long to look into these things." "These things" being the gospel, the good news, the amazing story of the gift of God come down to man.

Let's think about this for a second. Angels, who have been around since THE beginning, who see God all the time, LOVE to look into this story. I'm prone to dismiss angels as detached agents of God, unimpressed with humans. But they LOVE the story of the gospel! Suddenly I think I like them more.

Are WE tired of the story? I was thinking how I NEVER get tired of watching some movies or reading certain books. So much that it can drive people who spend any amount of time with me batty. "Anne of Green Gables or Return of the King or The Chronicles of Narnia, AGAIN?!!!!!"

I really like that idea that all the really GOOD stories out there, happen to be good because they're a shadow or echo of the one TRUE story.

gripes

Spent the entire morning trying to find a doctor through our insurance provider! What a stinking pain!! Canadians rejoice in your system!! (even if it is slowly becoming more like this cursed one, blech!).

And the sirens, incessant, annoying sirens from all the fifteen hospitals in the area are driving me bonkers!!!! There's the shrieking ghost version (eeeeeehhh ooooh eeeeeeeeh oooh) and the machine gun version (ENH ENH enh enh enh enh enh) and the dying cow version (unnhhhhhhh nuh unnhhhhh nuh).

I guess I'm on edge because I'm still getting over being sick, it seems like there's SO much to do, I feel SO behind in housework, job hunting, getting settled etc., it's hard getting used to the doctor's schedule, and I'm heading home this weekend for a week of wedding prep! AHHHHHH!!!



















Admiring Grand Central