water flowers

water flowers, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

*updated to add: This photo was taken in Thailand at this mini-golf place we went to with another family from our organization. The water was really gross and murky, actually, which is the main reason I put this in black and white. :)

Tastes like Horse (ed. 7): Thailand

One of the things I've been eager to tell you about was the cooking class that CB and I took while we were in Thailand. A special Thai edition of Tastes Like Horse seemed like the perfect opportunity. :)

me & CB, originally uploaded by Wanderings

After we chose which dishes we wanted to learn how to make, we headed off to the market with our teacher who bought most of the ingredients we'd be using in our meals and also spent a lot of time talking about the different fruits and vegetables that are used in Thai cooking.

baskets II, originally uploaded by Wanderings

After returning from the market, we had a few minutes to sample some different fruits and thai snacks before we started cooking.

fruit/snack sampler, originally uploaded by Wanderings

A few of the dishes I learned how to make were ...

pad thai, originally uploaded by Wanderings


panang curry, originally uploaded by Wanderings


mangoes & sticky rice, originally uploaded by Wanderings

We had a great time learning all the tricks of Thai cooking, playing with the spices, and tasting each other's meals. I learned that a small Thai pepper goes a long way and that it really is better to go easy on the peppers so you can actually taste your refreshing papaya salad. :)

Before we left, CB bought some of the spices that are difficult to find outside of Thailand so that we could recreate some of our meals for the rest of the family once we got back to UB. Yum.

enjoying her first dish and modeling our chef uniforms, originally uploaded by Wanderings

Back to School

Today I held my first "Essay Writing" class. [Anyone who can think of a better name, please let me know, because that just sounds bo-ring!] We had about 5 students show up today (probably because I didn't get the informational email written until yesterday afternoon). I'm hoping a few more will show up next week. My goal is that, by the end of the semester, each of them will feel confident writing a basic 4-5 paragraph in-class essay. We'll be focusing on the planning process, structure, editing/rewriting, and voice. We'll play around with language and form, I'll have them edit one another's work, and, hopefully, we'll have time to explore some creative writing, too. I'm excited to be working with a smaller class because it means that I can customize it a bit more and (hopefully) meet their individual needs in a way that I couldn't in a larger class.

In the next week, I'll also be starting a Creative Writing class for the younger kids (12 and under), which I'm really excited about, a few literature circles (one for boys, one for girls), and a book club for any of the high school girls who are interested and actually have the time. Even though it means a huge learning curve for me, I'm looking forward to actually working in an area that I've studied and feel equipped to teach. Wish me luck!

A fifth birthday in Monglia

I know that I never have and I doubt that I ever will meet another 19-year-old like Kyle. It's been over 10 years since I've really spent time hanging out with him. When I was his babysitter, he was a mellow, imaginative, and fairly particular kid. He liked structure and wasn't too happy when my rules differed from his parents, but he rarely gave me any trouble. Oh, and he really liked to watch this Michael W. Smith "Change Your World" video. That's about all I remember.

So has he changed? Well, in some ways he's still the same mellow, imaginative, structured person he was and has grown to be a pretty amazing young man. On the morning of his birthday, Kyle shared with all of us a bit about what he hopes to do in the next few years and the two things that stood out as his prominent goals are to grow in his understanding of God and to be able to serve others. I look at him and think, "Dude! You're already there!"

He has a rich knowledge of the Word. As CB has pointed out before, he notices details in the stories that most people just skip right over and he'll study or meditate on those details to understand why they are significant. He's already completed a comprehensive course on Greek and is now working on Hebrew. Sometimes, he'll sit down with his Bible and "read" a story to Linden -- adjusting the language to fit her understanding and sharing bits of knowledge from his studies to help her better understand the story.

Kyle also has a servant's heart. He is often helping out in the kitchen -- washing up breakfast and lunch dishes for his mom. (Which is where I'm often able to have some good conversations with him -- I just grab a towel and start drying and get to hear his thoughts. Awesome!) Two mornings a week, while CB is working with the older kids and I'm working with Linden, Kyle is teaching Holly and Casey. And a more patient teacher you couldn't find! Kyle is always ready to lend a hand and is willing to help out whenever and wherever he's needed.

It's sometimes hard for me to realize that this kid I used to babysit isn't a kid at all anymore, but a young man -- eager to enter this world and embrace whatever it is God has in store for him.

A fourth birthday in Mongolia

fresh-faced five-year-old, originally uploaded by Wanderings.

Lovely Linden. She is a joy to be around: good-natured and lively with a giggle that is infectious. She loves music and pretty dresses and when her big sister puts the pink stuff on her cheeks. She has a head fully of red curls and is a funny mix of stubborn independence and willing recipient to all the love and care her 7 older siblings want to lavish on her. She also loves old Little House videos and Phantom of the Opera (although her sensitive little heart apparently cried for days the first time she saw it -- she was so upset that the Phantom didn't live). She has a tender little heart.

I've been doing school with her two mornings a week and have really loved getting to know her in that situation -- learning where she excels and where she struggles, watching how much she can accomplish when she puts her mind into it (and how stubborn she can be when she's not in the mood to try), and getting to do some cooking together, too.

She has a number of little quirks that I'm hoping to capture on video at some point, but for now I'll just leave you with this little snippet of her singing part of a carol: