Taiwan
Israel
Jordan
Egypt
America
8.14.2010
Some of the best
Many of you know that I have taken a lot of photos the past few years. A lot. Here are a few of my favorites.
Taiwan
Israel
Jordan
Egypt
America
Taiwan
Israel
Jordan
Egypt
America
8.13.2010
Brunei Darussalam
I am sure by now that my more faithful blog readers have noticed I have several blogs. This is in part because I very much like categorization, and I think certain topics deserve a blog all of their own. Like lame stories from my life, or stints in other countries.
Anyway, I have a blog entitled "My Arabic Mission." And with a name like that, and the subject matter (my semester living in Jordan), I expected to get a lot of Arab country hits on that blog. (You can see the list of places around the world that have accessed my blog here. I think it's quite impressive.)
And so yesterday I checked my "world map" to see what interesting countries had been added. And I saw "Brunei Darussalam."
I have never heard of that country. And I felt quite embarrassed. Here I am, about to graduate from college, having studied and lived in the Middle East for extensive periods of time, and I haven't even heard of Brunei Darussalam?
In case you haven't either, here are a few figures:
Population: 395, 027
Square Miles: 2,228
Capital (and largest city): Bandar Seri Begawan, with 78,000 residents
I hear that it is one of the smallest countries in the world. Which makes me think to myself, which countries are smaller? Any guesses?
And just think. Somewhere in this tiny country, someone could be reading my blog.
Anyway, I have a blog entitled "My Arabic Mission." And with a name like that, and the subject matter (my semester living in Jordan), I expected to get a lot of Arab country hits on that blog. (You can see the list of places around the world that have accessed my blog here. I think it's quite impressive.)
And so yesterday I checked my "world map" to see what interesting countries had been added. And I saw "Brunei Darussalam."
I have never heard of that country. And I felt quite embarrassed. Here I am, about to graduate from college, having studied and lived in the Middle East for extensive periods of time, and I haven't even heard of Brunei Darussalam?
In case you haven't either, here are a few figures:
Population: 395, 027
Square Miles: 2,228
Capital (and largest city): Bandar Seri Begawan, with 78,000 residents
I hear that it is one of the smallest countries in the world. Which makes me think to myself, which countries are smaller? Any guesses?
And just think. Somewhere in this tiny country, someone could be reading my blog.
8.10.2010
The Radiator
I know you have all been worried about me, my car, and most especially the radiator in my car. Particularly since the radiator had a crack in it. I thought I would share pictures.
If that one's not enough to see that crack, here is a close-up:
Yes, friends, that is a crack that is over 8 inches long.
I don't know how it happened. All I know is one Saturday I drove up to Lehi to babysit my nephew. And I parked, walked into my brother and sister-in-law's house, chatted for about 20 minutes, and then they walked out the door to leave.
My brother was back in the house in less than 2 minutes, asking for my keys because "Your car is leaking all over the driveway."
My heart sinking, I followed him out to see my car resting in a puddle of antifreeze. I knew my antifreeze had been leaking in small drips, but I thought it had stopped. Well, I guess it had stopped for a week or two, only to dramatically dump the contents of the radiator in one rush when I was in the one place that someone could actually do something about it without breaking my bank account. (Isn't God so merciful?)
Well, my brother inspected my car and quickly found the leak--a big one. He told me to be careful and fill up the antifreeze tank with water each time I drove it.
So I drove it home the next day, and then to campus the next day. When I returned to campus after our nightly "Chinese house dinner" (more about the FLSR later) I was shocked to see my car leaking water all the way in to the parking lot. And a puddle in the parking lot.
After a 3 day hiatus of not driving it so it would make it up to Lehi that Friday without exploding (I'm too spoiled these days. But it is way too hot to walk back and forth to campus 18 times because I have to go home for dinner!!) I bought a new radiator and took it up to Lehi to have my brother replace it, watching the rear view mirror the whole way to make sure I wasn't gushing water (the temperature gauge in my car is broken, and I didn't want my radiator to explode or my engine to crack!). When I parked in his driveway and got out, I heard the sound of gushing water. If only I had had a camera. My car was gushing water like a waterfall. This was no small leak!
Thankfully my brother replaced the radiator with the new one I had purchased. And the best news? The cost of the radiator was less than the cost of taking the GRE.
If that one's not enough to see that crack, here is a close-up:
Yes, friends, that is a crack that is over 8 inches long.
I don't know how it happened. All I know is one Saturday I drove up to Lehi to babysit my nephew. And I parked, walked into my brother and sister-in-law's house, chatted for about 20 minutes, and then they walked out the door to leave.
My brother was back in the house in less than 2 minutes, asking for my keys because "Your car is leaking all over the driveway."
My heart sinking, I followed him out to see my car resting in a puddle of antifreeze. I knew my antifreeze had been leaking in small drips, but I thought it had stopped. Well, I guess it had stopped for a week or two, only to dramatically dump the contents of the radiator in one rush when I was in the one place that someone could actually do something about it without breaking my bank account. (Isn't God so merciful?)
Well, my brother inspected my car and quickly found the leak--a big one. He told me to be careful and fill up the antifreeze tank with water each time I drove it.
So I drove it home the next day, and then to campus the next day. When I returned to campus after our nightly "Chinese house dinner" (more about the FLSR later) I was shocked to see my car leaking water all the way in to the parking lot. And a puddle in the parking lot.
After a 3 day hiatus of not driving it so it would make it up to Lehi that Friday without exploding (I'm too spoiled these days. But it is way too hot to walk back and forth to campus 18 times because I have to go home for dinner!!) I bought a new radiator and took it up to Lehi to have my brother replace it, watching the rear view mirror the whole way to make sure I wasn't gushing water (the temperature gauge in my car is broken, and I didn't want my radiator to explode or my engine to crack!). When I parked in his driveway and got out, I heard the sound of gushing water. If only I had had a camera. My car was gushing water like a waterfall. This was no small leak!
Thankfully my brother replaced the radiator with the new one I had purchased. And the best news? The cost of the radiator was less than the cost of taking the GRE.
8.09.2010
The Cell Phone Girl
You know who they are. Those people that don't seem to know when, because of the time and the place, a cell phone conversation is not socially acceptable.
Like in the middle of church. Or while taking a test. Or while sitting in a "no cell phone" area of the library. Or in the middle of class if your class has less than 50 people. Or when sitting at the dinner table.
The list goes on and on. Sometimes I want to turn and look at those people and say, "Not here. It's not socially acceptable." But I just give them "the look" instead, which they usually ignore because, well, they are on the phone.
So anyway. Today I was taking a survey. A paid survey. Can I just say that I have run into this sweet setup where I get emails about surveys that the BYU business school will pay me to take and if I want to participate, I just sign up for a time and go? I get $5 a survey, too, and they usually take less than half an hour. Lunch money for a week!
But I digress. We were in a rather large room with about 50 computers. And there were 4 of us. And we were waiting for the survey person to give us the instructions. One girl there, eager to take advantage of the silence, got on her cell phone. After 2 or 3 minutes, the survey person said, "Ok, let's get started." The girl on the phone didn't even look up. The survey person cleared her throat and said a little louder, "Ok, we're going to get started. Please put everything else away." Still nothing but loud cell phone conversation from the cell phone girl.
The survey person glanced over at me and I snickered, trying to let her know that I, too, thought this awkward situation was incredibly funny.
Finally, the survey person walked over to the cell phone girl and said, "We're going to get started, if you could put that away." "Oh, ok," was the reply.
And then she said into her phone, "Look, I'm taking a survey right now, so I'll call you later." And all 4 of the rest of us just snickered, thinking, that is so not socially acceptable.
Is there a time when in situations like this a cell phone conversation (loud, not even whispered!) is ok?
Like in the middle of church. Or while taking a test. Or while sitting in a "no cell phone" area of the library. Or in the middle of class if your class has less than 50 people. Or when sitting at the dinner table.
The list goes on and on. Sometimes I want to turn and look at those people and say, "Not here. It's not socially acceptable." But I just give them "the look" instead, which they usually ignore because, well, they are on the phone.
So anyway. Today I was taking a survey. A paid survey. Can I just say that I have run into this sweet setup where I get emails about surveys that the BYU business school will pay me to take and if I want to participate, I just sign up for a time and go? I get $5 a survey, too, and they usually take less than half an hour. Lunch money for a week!
But I digress. We were in a rather large room with about 50 computers. And there were 4 of us. And we were waiting for the survey person to give us the instructions. One girl there, eager to take advantage of the silence, got on her cell phone. After 2 or 3 minutes, the survey person said, "Ok, let's get started." The girl on the phone didn't even look up. The survey person cleared her throat and said a little louder, "Ok, we're going to get started. Please put everything else away." Still nothing but loud cell phone conversation from the cell phone girl.
The survey person glanced over at me and I snickered, trying to let her know that I, too, thought this awkward situation was incredibly funny.
Finally, the survey person walked over to the cell phone girl and said, "We're going to get started, if you could put that away." "Oh, ok," was the reply.
And then she said into her phone, "Look, I'm taking a survey right now, so I'll call you later." And all 4 of the rest of us just snickered, thinking, that is so not socially acceptable.
Is there a time when in situations like this a cell phone conversation (loud, not even whispered!) is ok?
8.05.2010
"You can replace the chicken with snake"
Why do all of my crazy stories involve Taco Bell?
Today I went to Taco Bell at BYU to get my regular--a chicken burrito. This is my regular because it is only 99 cents, which is a steal, if you ask me. Especially since they raised the price of bagels from 69 cents to 99 cents, and one of the only things you can get for less than 99 cents that can even kind of be considered a meal is a corn dog. I used to get a cheesy bean and rice burrito, but then the price went up from 99 cents to $1.50. And that is just way too expensive for my starvation budget.
But ANYWAY, I went to get a chicken burrito, and just as I stepped up to order I noticed a sign that said, "Sorry, we are out of chicken." Taken aback (now I would actually have to choose something...and maybe even have to pay more than 99 cents) I told the man behind the counter that was waiting to take my order that he would have to wait a minute because now I had to choose something that didn't involve chicken.
And the girl standing next to him, trying to be helpful, said, "You can replace chicken with snake in any menu item!"
Snake? Snake?! Was she joking? I laughed out loud, and when she looked confused as to why I was laughing, I thought to myself, am I back in Taiwan? Snake tacos...really?
So then when I told them I usually get a chicken burrito, the man said, "You can try a steak burrito instead!"
Oh. Steak, not snake. I burst out laughing again and told them, "I thought you said snake, not steak! I thought you were joking!"
And when my cheesy rice and bean burrito (I guess it was worth the 50 extra cents) came out, the girl handed it to me and said, "I apologize for any snake you find in there..."
Ah, Taco Bell. Where the fun never ends.
Today I went to Taco Bell at BYU to get my regular--a chicken burrito. This is my regular because it is only 99 cents, which is a steal, if you ask me. Especially since they raised the price of bagels from 69 cents to 99 cents, and one of the only things you can get for less than 99 cents that can even kind of be considered a meal is a corn dog. I used to get a cheesy bean and rice burrito, but then the price went up from 99 cents to $1.50. And that is just way too expensive for my starvation budget.
But ANYWAY, I went to get a chicken burrito, and just as I stepped up to order I noticed a sign that said, "Sorry, we are out of chicken." Taken aback (now I would actually have to choose something...and maybe even have to pay more than 99 cents) I told the man behind the counter that was waiting to take my order that he would have to wait a minute because now I had to choose something that didn't involve chicken.
And the girl standing next to him, trying to be helpful, said, "You can replace chicken with snake in any menu item!"
Snake? Snake?! Was she joking? I laughed out loud, and when she looked confused as to why I was laughing, I thought to myself, am I back in Taiwan? Snake tacos...really?
So then when I told them I usually get a chicken burrito, the man said, "You can try a steak burrito instead!"
Oh. Steak, not snake. I burst out laughing again and told them, "I thought you said snake, not steak! I thought you were joking!"
And when my cheesy rice and bean burrito (I guess it was worth the 50 extra cents) came out, the girl handed it to me and said, "I apologize for any snake you find in there..."
Ah, Taco Bell. Where the fun never ends.
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