Chopsticks, mountains & celebrations

Today I returned from a trip to East Asia, my first time in this particular East Asian country. Of the different Asian cities I've visited, this one was probably the most unique, and also the hardest cultural adjustment. The city's population is primarily one specific people group, but a Muslim-background people group with Central Asian roots also calls the city home. Which means you can be on a main city street one minute with views like this:

The mountains are stunning!

And then turn down a side street the next and see this:

Warm bread-so good!

Boiling the eggs. 

In my country, fruit is cut into small slices and
placed in bags. Here, you just eat a
slice standing on the street.  

The Muslim population also means views like this:

In my Southeast Asian city we don't use chopsticks that much, but here, it's all they use. The people I was with thought I didn't particularly like meat because I didn't eat much of it during mealtimes. Truth is, I have yet to master the art of chopstick-eating. So even if I wanted to try the meat, sometimes I just couldn't quite manage to get it on my plate:

That's tea in the little bowl. It's a staple at every meal.
But if you ask for water, it will be hot. They don't usually
drink cold water. 

Meals are done family style, meaning the group orders
a bunch of dishes and everyone shares. 

Which then means you have to get the food from the middle
of the table onto your plate, with the chopsticks. I did get
 better as the week went on.

Dinner at a nice restaurant which included a fork
and spoon! Although everyone else, minus
the foreigner, still used the chopsticks. 

Lamb stew. The potatoes were really good. 

Milk tea is a popular drink. No need for spoons, you just pick the bowl up and sip (or slurp!)

I tried figs for the first time. Actually quite tasty. They flatten and then stack them:

One afternoon we went to an old cemetery. It really seemed like we were in the middle of a desert:

While I was there the city celebrated an important Muslim holiday when every family had to kill a sheep. They would then spend the day cooking the meat and being with family and friends.

The thing is, the sheep killings took place right on the streets. It was everywhere, and they did everything involved with killing and skinning the sheep. After awhile I couldn't look, it was too "graphic." Here are some tame photos:

Sheep for sale on the street.

Man trying to coax his sheep to get up.

Another ornery sheep. People used wagons, wheelbarrows
and even car trunks to carry their sheep home.

As we walked the streets that morning we prayed. So many people believing that the sacrifice of an animal would cover their sins. So many people not really even understanding why they had to kill an animal, just doing it because it's what you do on this holiday.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." 

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth."

-Isaiah 53:5, 7

City skylines

I've always had a thing for the sky-clear skies, puffy clouds, sunrises or sunsets. I love it. And when you live in a city that can at times get so smoky and smoggy you can't even see a skyline, you appreciate those clear skies even more. 

So, on a recent trip to Hong Kong, most of the items on my carefully planned, mapped out list had something to do with seeing the unique skyline. I only had about two days but squeezed in photos of the skyline from the harbor, Hong Kong's tallest building, the waterfront promenade and the peak:

The tram up to The Peak

View from The Peak

From the sky100 look out

Name after name of tech companies

We also took in a few other sights, such as the the history museum, which was one of the best museums I think I've visited.

Couple other random photos from the quick trip. I admit I got a little carried away at the candy store and saw candy you can't get here. The unique Jellybelly flavors were photo-worthy (Although I didn't take them home I did bring back a bag of Smarties and Nerds):

Hard to see but this one is green tea

And this pink one is lychee, a popular
fruit in Asia.

Their patience is impressive. Lines like this all
over the city for buses.  

The line kept going!

Name of this street? Sneaker street. And that's
literally all that's on this street, just shoe stores.

A very "Asian" photo to end. Lots of duck items
on the menu in Hong Kong. 

Sunday surprise

Last Sunday walking into church I could hear the music from the parking lot. I was surprised to hear the familiar tune of "How great thou art." It was a sweet blessing to start off worship not only with a song I knew, but with a hymn, as I really love hymns.

For some reason as I stood there singing I was a little overwhelmed by the moment. People singing in different languages, yet singing the same truth to the same God. And, that God would give me that moment. A moment to actually be able to join in singing with those around me.

Sundays like that are even more appreciated after Sundays like today :) The woman sitting with me and translating left early, leaving me on my own for most of the service. I played the "see how many words you can recognize in Thai" game before deciding to just open my Bible and read a few chapters in John.

About halfway through the service a woman behind me taps my shoulder and points to my open Bible. "You know the reference," she said, smiling. I smiled back and said no, I actually didn't. She tried to say the book but I couldn't understand what she was saying. She asked someone else sitting on her row, then whispered to me, "Jonah."

John. Jonah. At least I was close. :)

Lazy Saturday

I woke up Saturday morning and tried to turn on the bathroom sink. Nothing. As I headed for the second floor to see if maybe it was just that bathroom, I heard water, and something that sounded like the washing machine. I knew the washing machine wasn't on, so I quickened my pace to get downstairs.

I peered into the kitchen and saw dirt everywhere. I tiptoed inside to find a stream of water gushing into the kitchen and a pool of water settling over the floor. Apparently the water had been coming in all night.

With the water tank plugged in, water poured onto the kitchen floor...but didn't come out through the sinks or showers. Crazy.

After a few phone calls, a friend and her husband were knocking at the door. Unfortunately, the problem was such they couldn't help, so I packed up and went to stay with a friend for the weekend (no water and no shower isn't good, but not being able to flush a toilet is really no good!)

A plumber came Tuesday, deemed the situation a "major" one that would involve lots of digging to find the broken pipe, and said he'd be back Thursday (because Wednesday was Mother's Day).

He just left my house, and amazingly, I now have water. I say it's amazing considering this is what my kitchen looked like this morning:

And this is how the plumber showed up at the house-no trucks needed here!

Can you say #asia?

Type-A Asia

Last night I returned from a week in Nagoya, Japan. As the country's fourth largest city its skyline still made for an impressive view:

Cool sky tower gave an
impressive 360 view

We also got some city views from atop Nagoya Castle. Nagoya Castle was built in the early 1600s, with much of it being destroyed during WWII and then reconstructed years later. One of the rulers who either lived in or helped build the castle (this was one of our first stops and I think we were still jet-lagging so the history is a bit fuzzy!) strongly opposed Christians. His influence helped stamp out much Christian influence in the city.

Less than 1 percent of the city is Christian. I was told from friends living there that the family structure in Japan is on the weak side. Of course this isn't true of all families, but just as a whole, the family is not the most important thing in Japan. It's the job and career and being professional. So in a a sense providing for family is important, but the actual loving your spouse and spending time with your children, not as much.

If you look around the subway stations, it's filled with people carrying briefcases, wearing blue/black and white, and walking straight and tall (no slouching). They are people who work hard and want to excel in what they do, and I admire that quality of excellence.

They are also a people who have mastered living in small spaces. Side note: A friend there told me to picture it like this: Take the United States, divide it down the middle and now shove all those people into the state of California. See why Japanese must be experts at living with no personal space?

In this home, the sink actually sits on top of the toilet:

And in this public restroom, you have a soap dispenser AND hand dryer all in one station!

So efficient. They even thought about what would happen if you were an out-of-shape tourist not used to walking around all day in the heat:

This is in an elevator. The sign
says, "Take a little break.
Have a seat."

Their city streets are SO incredibly clean. And quiet. Lots of people ride bicycles and, being Japanese, you'd never just leave your bike lying on the street. You would, of course, place it neatly in the bike rack:

Their buildings are clean too, probably because they often take their shoes off. We also do that where I live, but the slipper thing was new to me. At schools and at a community center we had to take off our shoes and wear the slippers they provided. They were always way too big for me.

The last night of our visit we attended one of their big festivals and enjoyed some of the parade. This may be a hard-working culture, but they do know how to have fun!

Great place for a fan!

Speaking of fun, the high school we visited had some interesting options for afternoon "club" time. The first photo is our boxed lunch at the school, the second photo is of Kendo practice:

Everything was pretty good except the pasta, which
tasted too fishy for me.

A few other photos from the trip:

Drink machines are everywhere! So handy. 

It's universal!

One of the rainy days. The long area in
the middle is a flat water "fountain" of sorts.
Still not sure it's purpose, other than to look cool. 

This is chicken, rice and Japanese curry. I'm not one
for seafood, but I do like curry. 

Just a short walk from our hotel. 

This "golden dolphin" image with the head
of a tiger is a symbol in the city. Legend has
it that this animal could cause rain to fall. Thus,
temples and castles were often adorned with the
dolphin statues in order to protect from fire. 

The "bullet" train that brought us to the airport. These
trains are so precise, down to the second.