Time

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Vacation and holidays with family is so good but so hard; when you are having fun time just passes way too fast!  I realize I am 2 1/2 weeks into my 7+ week long vacation, but already the time is passing so fast!  Family came and family left and all of a sudden almost everyone is already gone and I’m quickly realizing it’ll be another year and half before I’ll see them again.  That’s a REALLY, REALLY long time!  I can honestly say I’m happy I am teaching architecture in PNG when I am there, but from the comforts of home, it gets a little harder to remember why I am doing it.  It’s sooo far away, communication is so little…  A year and a half will go by quickly and then I’ll see them again, but that’s a year and a half away…

Anyways, I’ve had all of my grandparents here, all of my siblings, extended family, family friends, it’s been good, and even better when bad weather kept people around an extra day.   Always plenty of awesome food (thanks mom 🙂 ) and just never enough time in the day.

Toy Story V

Saturday, December 25, 2010

You didn’t know they’d already come out with the fifth one, did you?

This is my favorite, I thought he was holding it as a banner:

and then he put it on the ground:

Merry Christmas to ALL!!!

Toy Story IV

End bits from the Haus win construction in Bumbu….

Toy Story III

Toy Story II

Toy Story I

Around the world kids will always find a way to be kids.  They make toys from anything and everything, what’s more fun than the box the fridge comes in?  Maybe the box the old tv’s used to come in, before the flat tv was around anyways….

Inherently creative, inherently resourceful, kids if left to their own devices will find a way to play and enjoy life.

Technology @ home

Monday, December 20, 2010

It’s good to be home!  Some yoga classes, a little bit of shopping (too many ‘cheerful’ holiday shoppers).  So besides family, good food and the comforts of western-ness:  I’ve got full internet access!!!  And that’s mostly what I’ve been doing…catching up on 14 months worth of internet activities!  From planning my trip to Cambodia and Thailand coming up in January with Stephanie, to ordering presents (for myself), to getting in touch with friends, to downloading stuff for students…ahhhh, unlimited internet, gotta love itt!!!!   (Oh and I love not having to worry about charging stuff now while the power is on…because, it’s always on!

State-side!!!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Well, at least I think it’s Tuesday?  It’s a little hard to tell…I left my house Monday morning at 5 am for the airport…minor arguments with security regarding the weight of my carry-on (why was security involved?  isn’t that Air Nuigini’s problem?) but managed to get it all on the plane and the plane actually arrived in POM early!

Lunch with some friends in POM at the yachty a stop at the pharmacy to get some meds for my insect bites (sand flies from the settlement) which will not go away and then off to Hong Kong where I have major discussions checking in with the airline staff concerning the weight of my carry-on (19 kilos or about 45 lbs – not sure what their problem with that is??? 😉  )

Note to self:  just when I think I’ve gained some perspective in life and patience, I learn that maybe I haven’t…

I have no patience for check-in people who refuse to see my ‘sound’ logic…  My carry-on held my cameras and laptop and warm clothes to pile on when I arrive in the states…pretty much nothing else.  They can’t really expect me to check that?  They offer me ridiculously tiny bags to put my ‘essentials’ in for carry-on…I look like a bag-lady in the very fashionable Hong Kong airport!  Really though, by the time I removed the stuff I refuse to check-in, I am checking in an empty suitcase and now carrying 19 kilos on my shoulders rather than in a rolling carry-on.  So I go buy a duffel bag to put it all in, and could actually buy another suitcase, but I know when I get to the states I would be charged a lot of additional fees on my next 2 flights for excess carry-on.  It is impossible to win with airlines when they aren’t all consistent and I’m flying on 3 or 4 airlines this trip.  (US Airways is very lovely about my giant check-in which could’ve potentially cost me an extra $100 but they didn’t nor did they comment on the size of carry-on!)

Anyways, am now in JFK, after re-packing my original carry-on, exhausted after 40+ hours of travel with another 8 or so to go.  It’s lovely to be back, wish I had time to run into the city, but that’ll wait til January.  It doesn’t feel like anytime has passed since I was last here.  Familiarity is comforting in things like a to go cup of coffee, ready-made yogurt parfait, browsing the books and magazines in all the newstands (which only makes me aware of how much news I am unaware…)

And most brilliant of all?

High-speed internet in the airport!!!

Ahhhh – it feels so good!