Christmas...is coming!

As the autumn season is full force back in the states and you are decorating for Halloween and preparing for Thanksgiving, here in Singapore we skip right to Christmas. Now, most expats (us foreigners who live here to work) celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving but those holidays are not publicly recognized. Downtown there is already a two-story Christmas tree outside one of the malls, along with roads lined with decorations. It was rather odd to drive through downtown last night and see Christmas decorations, especially when it is 80 degrees! Nevertheless, Christmas is not about the snow, but it sure does seem to help! There are many things I have had to give up or say good-bye to. Please enjoy my list of what I miss most; please note, family and friends is not included on this list. They, of course, are the thing I miss most; I am limiting this list to more "material" things.


I miss....

•  Being cold when I'm outside - the only time I am cold is when I am indoors and the air conditioning is on.
• Target. I love that store. There is no such thing as one stop shopping over here. 
• Seeing the stars at night. Due to light pollution, a phenomena that is caused by an excessive amount of people causing an excessive amount of light making it impossible to see the stars at night, I cannot enjoy the company of the Big Dipper or Orion. 
• Knowing where things are and how to get to there. The public transportation here is great, but sometimes it is very difficult to find places on foot. There are so many buildings and they are so tightly packed together; sometimes I spend more time finding the place than I do actually at the place.

Although there are many things I miss, there are just as many, if not more, things I am thankful for. God has blessed me beyond belief; unfortunately, those things in the list above sometimes cloud my view of what He has blessed with me.

I am thankful for...

• My 2nd graders. They daily remind me of Christ's love and patience. If you ever want to experience Christ in a very real way, look into the eyes of a child. Christ is looking right back at you. These kids love so unconditionally; no matter how much work I give them or no matter if I don't allow them to talk or play outside, they love me all the same. My kids teach me more than I could ever teach them.

• Living with my family. It still baffles me how God worked this whole Singapore thing out. His timing and His ways sure are mysterious but they sure are wonderful...when we wait! Being able to live with my aunt, uncle, and cousins is beyond words. It is so nice to come home to people I know and have a history with. It is such a blessing to be able to go on a walk with one of my cousins or hitch a ride to the store with my uncle. It is such a blessing to talk with my aunt about my day at school or something I am struggling with. Being with my family here makes all the unfamiliar and unknown not as scary.

• The MRT. The public transportation is very easy to use, very cheap, and overall a fun experience. There are always fun people to watch :)

• A job. Apparently it is somewhat rare to land a job in your profession right out of college. I am blessed with a job that God has equipped me for, a job that pays, a job that keeps me on my toes, and a job that allows me to get to know wonderful people. I have met some wonderful people at school - people from all over the world who love and worship the same God as me. 

God sure knows what He is going. Even though it seems like the world is turning upside down, God is still holding it. 

p.s. 59 days until Christmas!

Home via the bus

Today, my cousins came home from school with me. They love taking the bus and the MRT (train/subway). One of the buses we can take to the MRT is a double-decker! Enjoy part of our journey with us. And I apologize in advance for the unstable filming; the bus drivers are not the smoothest of drivers, plus there are many speed bumps on the roads.

Happenings in 2nd Grade

One of the parents in my classroom found out I like Korean food. Every now and then, they bring me lunch. Today was Kimbop, grapes, and juice. It was yummie :)

Math - practicing counting by various integers. I put their worksheets in pocket protectors and the students use dry erase markers; they can easily correct their mistakes.

Time Bingo! Who doesn't love a good game of Bingo?!! Well, my students play Bingo while practicing telling time. It is a win-win!

Using manipulatives helps abstract concepts become easier to understand.

A craft we made - learning that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who washes away our sins.

A Bible/reading assignment. Students listen to a Bible story them summarize it and illustrate it. This was is a student's summary/illustration of Moses and the burning bush.

Around town

Just some sights and sounds are town.

Sweet & Sour Pork Rice - This is a dish I like to get. 

Just about everything over here is served with an egg. 

This is a Hawker Center. It is an outdoor food court. There are stalls around the perimeter and seating in the middle. Once you get past the smells, it is really quite a fun experience :)

Some locals enjoying lunch.

One of the food stalls.

This is a book store in Holland Village. The books are literally stacked from floor to ceiling - and this is only one row of the store. It is very overwhelming, but there is a book for everyone!

Saturday afternoon on Orchard Road

I have officially taught for an entire quarter! Friday marked the end of the first quarter of school. HURRAY! Time sure has flown. Although the end of the quarter should call for celebration, it actually calls for Miss Jorgenson to be bogged down with grading and report cards. As a break, I took an adventure down to Orchard Road. This is considered "downtown" and the shopping mecca of Singapore. It was hot but I came across some fun characters :)

Some life guard "hunks" advertising for an Asian airline. They were carrying around a box of sand; people would come up and build in the portable sand box. Please note the group of girls on the right - they were following the "hunks" rather closely :)

A film crew - I wanted to walk in the background in case it was a new movie!

Orchard Ion. The MRT entrance.

Ngee Ann City - one of the many malls.

Ahoy! Pirates advertising.

The cutest, skinniest, and oldest hula-hooper. He used these long chains of wooden balls. At one point he was hula-hooping around his waist and on both arms!

Life is flying by over here. In just over a week I will have been here three months. I would say I am pretty well adjusted to the culture and weather (although I am really missing the beautiful mid-western fall). I am having some difficulty adjusting to being an adult and all the responsibilities of my job/life. Do not misunderstand me, I absolutely love my students...I am just having a hard time loving all the responsibilities that are being thrust upon me. GUSS, as I affectionately call it, stands for Grown-Up-Shock-Syndrome. Below are some prayer requests - I would appreciate your prayers as I try to navigate my way into the adult world.

• Good rest - it is amazing how exhausted I am after a day of work
• Find a church "home"
• One of my students is moving back to Japan - pray for my whole class as this is her last week with us 
• Embrace the time and opportunities God has given me

Thank you for all your prayers and your support.