Tonight I went to see my first 3D movie (at least, my first one since, um, let's see, maybe since I was at Epcot Center like, um, 25 years ago? Am I that old?)...
I went to see Alice in Wonderland, and thoroughly enjoyed it! It's such a great story - so many good lines and the whole story about killing the Jabberwocky and all that. Lots of good life metaphors in there. But it was also just really nicely done. The colours, the costumes, the music... really enjoyable! And the whole 3D thing is pretty cool too.
And the best part was that I had a gift card, and everything was half price! I didn't think they had cheaper movies on Tuesday anymore, but lo and behold, it was so much cheaper than we expected it to be, and the gift card pretty much covered all our tickets and nearly all our popcorn :) A very pleasant surprise indeed.
I saved my 3D glasses 'cause I'm planning on going in a few days with my nephews to see How to Train a Dragon, which is also in 3D. A full 75% of the movies I've seen in this country over the past few months have involved dragons and sword fights. I wonder what I'm supposed to be learning from all this?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The final countdown
I have 4 nights left to sleep in my own bed. Yowzers. I can't believe the time has flown by so fast!
The past few days have been pretty busy. On the weekend, I went to hang out with my family some more. I went with my parents up to my sister's place, then from there, we went to see my granny. I love my granny. We went and took her out for lunch one of our favourite chicken restaurants, and then instead of going straight home, we took a little drive. My granny seems to like going for drives - she doesn't seem to get out too much. But considering the fact that she's 90 years old, has a bum knee and poor eyesight, I think she does pretty well! One of the highlights of our drive was a little park where the geese were gathered.
All those little geese were hanging out two by two, and started to get pretty excited when a woman came along to feed them!
I was just happy to be inside the van and not out in the midst of all the geese, 'cause I still find them a bit scary. But they did put on a good show for us, and my granny had a hoot!
But they are quite statuesque and beautiful to watch!
After the geese had had their fill of the cracked corn the random geese feeding woman put out for them,we drove back to Granny's house for tea. I looked through all the old photo albums which she has on her shelf, including her wedding album and photos from so many years ago. What a blessing it is to have come from such a wonderful family, with such a great Christian heritage. I've been so blessed. I really enjoyed my afternoon with my granny. Even though she can't really see the photos anymore, she knows who's in each of the pictures and can still tell all the stories behind the pictures!
We drove back to my sister's house that night, and the next day dawned bright and clear. It was a gorgeous spring day! My sister wanted to do a bit of spring cleaning, so while the little guys played in the mud, my oldest nephew started a fire in the firepit to clear out some of the old junk in the shed.
We had us a good old book burning!
Now, normally, I'm not exactly into burning books. But these books had been free from a thrift store many years ago, and, well, quite frankly, had lived long and happy lives. In this case, they were taking up more than their fair share of the storage space in the shed.
However, they went out with a bang. All that sunshine and fire and spring in the air inspired me to want a good old fashioned hot dog roast! So off to town we went to grab some hot dogs, buns and fixin's for s'mores! And the heat from all that knowledge going up in flames fueled our bellies for supper!
Baby was even having a good time, enjoying most of the day outside!
And of course, the party wouldn't be complete without Bandit the cat prowling around underfoot!
The past few days have been pretty busy. On the weekend, I went to hang out with my family some more. I went with my parents up to my sister's place, then from there, we went to see my granny. I love my granny. We went and took her out for lunch one of our favourite chicken restaurants, and then instead of going straight home, we took a little drive. My granny seems to like going for drives - she doesn't seem to get out too much. But considering the fact that she's 90 years old, has a bum knee and poor eyesight, I think she does pretty well! One of the highlights of our drive was a little park where the geese were gathered.
All those little geese were hanging out two by two, and started to get pretty excited when a woman came along to feed them!
After the geese had had their fill of the cracked corn the random geese feeding woman put out for them,we drove back to Granny's house for tea. I looked through all the old photo albums which she has on her shelf, including her wedding album and photos from so many years ago. What a blessing it is to have come from such a wonderful family, with such a great Christian heritage. I've been so blessed. I really enjoyed my afternoon with my granny. Even though she can't really see the photos anymore, she knows who's in each of the pictures and can still tell all the stories behind the pictures!
We had us a good old book burning!
However, they went out with a bang. All that sunshine and fire and spring in the air inspired me to want a good old fashioned hot dog roast! So off to town we went to grab some hot dogs, buns and fixin's for s'mores! And the heat from all that knowledge going up in flames fueled our bellies for supper!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Ouch
I spent a lot of money today. And all I have to show for it is a sore left arm and a bit of a bubble on my right forearm inside an ink circle.
I wonder if Obama has some sort of plan up his sleeve to pay for TB tests (don't worry - I'm not sick - it's just routine!) and Meningitis vaccinations for lowly literacy specialists? If so, it would be worth the run to the border to get it all done!
Anyway, I should be well protected against some of the crazier pestilences that are found in my neck of the woods! But for now, I've got a funny feeling in both my arm - at least my wallet isn't as heavy as it was before this evening's shots!
I wonder if Obama has some sort of plan up his sleeve to pay for TB tests (don't worry - I'm not sick - it's just routine!) and Meningitis vaccinations for lowly literacy specialists? If so, it would be worth the run to the border to get it all done!
Anyway, I should be well protected against some of the crazier pestilences that are found in my neck of the woods! But for now, I've got a funny feeling in both my arm - at least my wallet isn't as heavy as it was before this evening's shots!
Monday, March 22, 2010
13 Sleeps...
... until it's off to Africa once again! So what have I been doing over the past few days? Well, my nephews were hanging out at our house for a few days, which was such good fun! I don't know how full-time moms and dads can be moms and dads full time, all the time, for 20 years! But it's so amazing to have had such a good long stretch of time to spend with my nephews. They're really such amazing kids - all so different, but each one of them is so cool in his own way. I couldn't get enough of them during the week, so I followed them up to their place and had Friday pizza and movie night with them, and played with them on Saturday morning before having to come back to my own hometown.
I had a date with the African congregation that I was doing the literacy training for a few weeks ago. They're such a fun crew of people. I was invited to the home of one of the lay-leaders from the church, and when I arrived, I felt like I had stepped back "home" in Africa! The decorations on the walls, the furniture, the temperature in the house... it all felt like home! And the women, all dressed to the nines in their African fabrics, were cooking up a storm in the kitchen. There was also a rather large tv in the middle of the room, showing the station from our place back in Africa, too! It was so great!
There were about 25 people there, including the Canadian priest, his wife, and a Canadian couple who also works with the African church here. No African gathering would be complete without speeches, so we had lots of speeches, including one from me. I had a great time there, chatting with people, eating good African food (but I didn't get anywhere near the stew with the intestines - I've learned to spot an intestine bit from a mile away!), and praying together with them for Africa and for coming elections.
And then this morning, I was so encouraged at church! We had a great sermon, which likened our prayers to fire bombs from heaven (based on passages in Revelation!), and then I got to join together with some other like-minded sort of people for pizza after the service. It was good to get to know some new people in the church and I was just so encouraged to see how there are some really passionate people at our church who are spending their lives on eternal things - passionately living out their faith right here in our city, and just doing what God asks them to do.
And the day didn't end there! After the pizza shindig, I went with Mom and Dad on an adventure. We were just going to go for a walk because it was such a beautiful day today - sunny and warm (though a bit windy!). We did go for a walk in a new part of the city, but then we ended up taking a drive into the mountains, and taking a few little detours and "shortcuts" on the way there! We ended up at some waterfalls, where I used to hang out a lot with friends when I was in high school and university. It was so nice to see the falls again, 'cause it's so pretty around there.
Oddly enough, sitting on the rocks on the edge of the waterfall were two human sized wolves. Actually, people (not sheep) dressed in wolves clothing! Turned out they're "Furries". And they just like to dress up in their furry animal costumes and, well, hang out in public places. Not sure why. But they were cute outfits. Of course, I just thought we were going for a little walk in the neighborhood, so I didn't take my camera, so you'll just have to use your imagination on the whole "Furries" thing.
On the way back, we stopped in a little town, had some supper (a yummy steak sandwich), and got home just as the sun was setting... which, now that the time has changed, doesn't happen until nearly 8pm! I can't quite get my head around the fact that it doesn't get dark until after 8pm. I think I like this Spring thing!
I had a date with the African congregation that I was doing the literacy training for a few weeks ago. They're such a fun crew of people. I was invited to the home of one of the lay-leaders from the church, and when I arrived, I felt like I had stepped back "home" in Africa! The decorations on the walls, the furniture, the temperature in the house... it all felt like home! And the women, all dressed to the nines in their African fabrics, were cooking up a storm in the kitchen. There was also a rather large tv in the middle of the room, showing the station from our place back in Africa, too! It was so great!
There were about 25 people there, including the Canadian priest, his wife, and a Canadian couple who also works with the African church here. No African gathering would be complete without speeches, so we had lots of speeches, including one from me. I had a great time there, chatting with people, eating good African food (but I didn't get anywhere near the stew with the intestines - I've learned to spot an intestine bit from a mile away!), and praying together with them for Africa and for coming elections.
And then this morning, I was so encouraged at church! We had a great sermon, which likened our prayers to fire bombs from heaven (based on passages in Revelation!), and then I got to join together with some other like-minded sort of people for pizza after the service. It was good to get to know some new people in the church and I was just so encouraged to see how there are some really passionate people at our church who are spending their lives on eternal things - passionately living out their faith right here in our city, and just doing what God asks them to do.
And the day didn't end there! After the pizza shindig, I went with Mom and Dad on an adventure. We were just going to go for a walk because it was such a beautiful day today - sunny and warm (though a bit windy!). We did go for a walk in a new part of the city, but then we ended up taking a drive into the mountains, and taking a few little detours and "shortcuts" on the way there! We ended up at some waterfalls, where I used to hang out a lot with friends when I was in high school and university. It was so nice to see the falls again, 'cause it's so pretty around there.
Oddly enough, sitting on the rocks on the edge of the waterfall were two human sized wolves. Actually, people (not sheep) dressed in wolves clothing! Turned out they're "Furries". And they just like to dress up in their furry animal costumes and, well, hang out in public places. Not sure why. But they were cute outfits. Of course, I just thought we were going for a little walk in the neighborhood, so I didn't take my camera, so you'll just have to use your imagination on the whole "Furries" thing.
On the way back, we stopped in a little town, had some supper (a yummy steak sandwich), and got home just as the sun was setting... which, now that the time has changed, doesn't happen until nearly 8pm! I can't quite get my head around the fact that it doesn't get dark until after 8pm. I think I like this Spring thing!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Reunited
I think it's pretty pathetic that I feel like I've been reunited with an old friend, since my computer came back to me. She's all sparkly and clean and has a sleek new keyboard and a nice quiet fan humming away in the background. Almost looks as good as new again... if you can look past the sweat stains and the worn mouse buttons :) I was sorta digging my old keyboard, as the letters were even getting worn off because they've been tapped upon so often! My computer definitely looks well loved. Or at least well-used :)
The computer clinic called me yesterday afternoon, just as I was walking out the door to see a movie with my nephews. The two oldest ones just finished reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians, so we had to go see the movie. It was actually a pretty good movie - good fun, anyways. And apparently quite faithful to the book, according to my nephews.
But yes, I couldn't exactly stand my nephews up at the movies to run and get my computer, so I had to wait until this morning to get the computer. And then, as soon as I got back from the computer clinic, it was time to make the sandwiches and pack the picnic to bring to the Zoo! I love the zoo! It was supposed to be super warm here today (18C!), so I think every single mom in the city packed her pre-schoolers in their strollers and high tailed it to the zoo today. I've never seen so many fleets of strollers in my entire life. It was a little freaky, actually. There were strollers everywhere. Seriously, fleets of strollers. And since it was *supposed* to be "hot" today, most of the moms thought it was time to get out the flip flops and capri pants! There were even moms running around the zoo in tank tops and shorts. I mean, really, people, stick your head out the door before you choose your outfit for the day, would ya? Just for reference... I was wearing a long sleeve t-shirt, a sweater and a shell jacket, and I was just bordering on the line between "cool" and "perfect". It was 13C at it's highest today. Not exactly what I would call flip flop weather!
Anyway, the animals seemed to be enjoying the warm weather, as well. We got some good views of the tigers, the snow leopards (not the Ghanaian skier!), bears, and some more moving dinosaurs. I was having fun with my new camera, and seeing what the zoom could do.
Do you know what some of these creatures are?
The computer clinic called me yesterday afternoon, just as I was walking out the door to see a movie with my nephews. The two oldest ones just finished reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians, so we had to go see the movie. It was actually a pretty good movie - good fun, anyways. And apparently quite faithful to the book, according to my nephews.
But yes, I couldn't exactly stand my nephews up at the movies to run and get my computer, so I had to wait until this morning to get the computer. And then, as soon as I got back from the computer clinic, it was time to make the sandwiches and pack the picnic to bring to the Zoo! I love the zoo! It was supposed to be super warm here today (18C!), so I think every single mom in the city packed her pre-schoolers in their strollers and high tailed it to the zoo today. I've never seen so many fleets of strollers in my entire life. It was a little freaky, actually. There were strollers everywhere. Seriously, fleets of strollers. And since it was *supposed* to be "hot" today, most of the moms thought it was time to get out the flip flops and capri pants! There were even moms running around the zoo in tank tops and shorts. I mean, really, people, stick your head out the door before you choose your outfit for the day, would ya? Just for reference... I was wearing a long sleeve t-shirt, a sweater and a shell jacket, and I was just bordering on the line between "cool" and "perfect". It was 13C at it's highest today. Not exactly what I would call flip flop weather!
Anyway, the animals seemed to be enjoying the warm weather, as well. We got some good views of the tigers, the snow leopards (not the Ghanaian skier!), bears, and some more moving dinosaurs. I was having fun with my new camera, and seeing what the zoom could do.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Still all alone...
... without my faithful computer buddy. But my nephews are hanging out at our house all week, so there's lots of fun to be had... and I don't have a computer to work on anyways... so... might as well play :)
Saturday, March 13, 2010
I'm back from a trip!
I made it back! It was such a great time. I'll write all about my trip at some point.
For now, though, I just wan to let you know that I might not have much to say... and my poor little computer is at the clinic for the weekend. She has been having a problem with her keyboard (a rather key component of the machine!), so she's getting a new one installed. The poor guy at the repair shop has probably never seen a computer in such a state. He was a little shocked by the dust in her innards, and even ordered a new fan (or something - I didn't quite get the details over the cell phone while I was browsing for new pajamas at the Bay!), because he said there was too much dust inside.
So I'm just borrowing Dad's computer while he's out doing some "spring" cleaning - enjoying the sun a bit!
But I didn't get stuck in BC. I did come back, though it was a little difficult, I must admit. At least the sun is shining and bright here... no green grass or daffodils. But a bright sun and beautiful blue sky isn't such a bad trade-off.
For now, though, I just wan to let you know that I might not have much to say... and my poor little computer is at the clinic for the weekend. She has been having a problem with her keyboard (a rather key component of the machine!), so she's getting a new one installed. The poor guy at the repair shop has probably never seen a computer in such a state. He was a little shocked by the dust in her innards, and even ordered a new fan (or something - I didn't quite get the details over the cell phone while I was browsing for new pajamas at the Bay!), because he said there was too much dust inside.
So I'm just borrowing Dad's computer while he's out doing some "spring" cleaning - enjoying the sun a bit!
But I didn't get stuck in BC. I did come back, though it was a little difficult, I must admit. At least the sun is shining and bright here... no green grass or daffodils. But a bright sun and beautiful blue sky isn't such a bad trade-off.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
I'm on a trip!
I've always wanted to live downtown somewhere in a cool old apartment, within walking distance of little shops, cafes and restaurants. And for the next few nights, I get to live in an apartment just like that! To make it even better, this one is stocked with interesting books about Africa, beautiful photos of far-off places on the walls, and wireless Internet. Unfortunately, the friend who belongs in this apartment happens to be at work. But I'm enjoying a nice quiet evening with my computer and some books. A lovely rest after a bit of a busy week!
I managed to fly domestically on my own just fine. I even saw members of the Russian, Latvian, and Ukrainian Olympic teams in the airport as I sipped my Earl Grey and waited for my flight. And I chatted with a lovely Newfie who was moving out to the West Coast to be with her grand kids. Someone who I first met in the Philippines was waiting for me at the other end, and she so kindly dropped me off where I was staying.
I love how God works things out, because I actually got to sleep in the very same room that I slept in when I was a student out in these parts 7-8 years ago! And my old housemate and her husband (also a friend of mine) live in the upstairs part of that house with their three rather cute kids.
It was just so nice to see them all, along with so many other old friends who are still in the area. A friend from Bible school in Europe who now lives relatively nearby drove up with her kids to have coffee with me, and I shared a few meals with other old friends from various corners of the world.
It was also just so nice to be back in familiar surroundings, where I have so many good memories! I spent a lot of good, very good, years in that area, with a lot of good, yes, very good friends. So it was good to have a chance to relive a few of those memories!
Plus, it looks like Spring out here! And Spring is hands-down my favourite season of all. And since I've been missing "seasons" for the past few years, being suddenly sprung into spring is a beautiful thing. The cherry blossoms are blossoming, the daffodils are daffing, and the crocuses are... well, what do crocuses do other than just sit there and look springy? The weather has been lovely - though I must admit, I think I was a bit optimistic thinking the temperatures would be a bit warmer... but the sun has been bright, the sky has been clear and blue, and the sun has felt warm (beneath a sweater and light jacket!).
Tomorrow, while my friend sleeps off her night-shift, I plan on taking myself, a coffee, some music and a Bible down to the beach!
I managed to fly domestically on my own just fine. I even saw members of the Russian, Latvian, and Ukrainian Olympic teams in the airport as I sipped my Earl Grey and waited for my flight. And I chatted with a lovely Newfie who was moving out to the West Coast to be with her grand kids. Someone who I first met in the Philippines was waiting for me at the other end, and she so kindly dropped me off where I was staying.
I love how God works things out, because I actually got to sleep in the very same room that I slept in when I was a student out in these parts 7-8 years ago! And my old housemate and her husband (also a friend of mine) live in the upstairs part of that house with their three rather cute kids.
It was just so nice to see them all, along with so many other old friends who are still in the area. A friend from Bible school in Europe who now lives relatively nearby drove up with her kids to have coffee with me, and I shared a few meals with other old friends from various corners of the world.
It was also just so nice to be back in familiar surroundings, where I have so many good memories! I spent a lot of good, very good, years in that area, with a lot of good, yes, very good friends. So it was good to have a chance to relive a few of those memories!
Plus, it looks like Spring out here! And Spring is hands-down my favourite season of all. And since I've been missing "seasons" for the past few years, being suddenly sprung into spring is a beautiful thing. The cherry blossoms are blossoming, the daffodils are daffing, and the crocuses are... well, what do crocuses do other than just sit there and look springy? The weather has been lovely - though I must admit, I think I was a bit optimistic thinking the temperatures would be a bit warmer... but the sun has been bright, the sky has been clear and blue, and the sun has felt warm (beneath a sweater and light jacket!).
Tomorrow, while my friend sleeps off her night-shift, I plan on taking myself, a coffee, some music and a Bible down to the beach!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Going on a trip!
And I'm not sure what to take. Funny, I feel more comfortable flying halfway around the world than I do flying 1000 km to the next province over!
But I'm really looking forward to getting there. It's been amazing to see how everything all came together in the end. I was feeling a little bit bad about not planning farther in advance, but if I had bought all my plane tickets and figured out my accommodation too early, these last minute great-ness-es couldn't have happened!
So tomorrow night, I'll be sleeping in my old house! I used to live the in fair coastal city where I'm flying to tomorrow. And for quite a while, I rented the basement suite in a lovely neighborhood. It was a great place to live. And now, several years later, one of my friends from that era is renting the same place, and is between roommates at the moment. So she's got an extra room for me to stay in... in my very own house. And the other amazing thing is that a former roommate of mine is renting the upstairs of the house, along with her husband and their children! How cool is that? I'm so excited about being in my old place and seeing the old folks again.
I decided in the end not to spend the money to rent a car or anything. I think I'll manage to get around with my feet, and on the bus, and depending on the kindness of others. This is really going to be a new experience for me, as I've always had a car when I lived there. So, let's hope it's not too rainy and that people with cars have as much pity on me as I did on the car-less when I lived there! (Hopefully I was kind enough to the car-less?!)
But I'm really looking forward to getting there. It's been amazing to see how everything all came together in the end. I was feeling a little bit bad about not planning farther in advance, but if I had bought all my plane tickets and figured out my accommodation too early, these last minute great-ness-es couldn't have happened!
So tomorrow night, I'll be sleeping in my old house! I used to live the in fair coastal city where I'm flying to tomorrow. And for quite a while, I rented the basement suite in a lovely neighborhood. It was a great place to live. And now, several years later, one of my friends from that era is renting the same place, and is between roommates at the moment. So she's got an extra room for me to stay in... in my very own house. And the other amazing thing is that a former roommate of mine is renting the upstairs of the house, along with her husband and their children! How cool is that? I'm so excited about being in my old place and seeing the old folks again.
I decided in the end not to spend the money to rent a car or anything. I think I'll manage to get around with my feet, and on the bus, and depending on the kindness of others. This is really going to be a new experience for me, as I've always had a car when I lived there. So, let's hope it's not too rainy and that people with cars have as much pity on me as I did on the car-less when I lived there! (Hopefully I was kind enough to the car-less?!)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Back home?
I spent this weekend with some folks from back "home".
Can you find me in the photo? There is a local congregation here of folks from one of the language communities that I work with back in Africa! So they asked me to come and help train some of their literacy teachers this weekend!
What fun we had together! Of course, in so many ways, it was just like being back in Africa. I had absolutely no control over any of the logistics - when things started, who showed up, what supplies would be there... just like any other workshop we run over there! I'm really learning a bit of flexibility in my work, that's for sure. The night before we started, I talked with one of the organizers to ask how many people we were expecting, so that I could figure out how many handouts etc. to make. The answer was that we would have anywhere from 3 - 30 participants! Right. Very helpful.
Anyways, I guestimated, and decided that I thought 15 would be a good number of participants... and sure enough, we actually had 16 show up! So it worked out well.
And what a blast it was! Once we got started (late, of course!), we all had a great time. At least, I had a great time, and it sure looked like everyone else was having a great time, too :)
I basically taught the usual standard fare - using material that I brought from Africa. I taught them how to use the ABC Books which were developed by the team in Jb. Most of them have never seen these books before, so it was pretty eye-opening for them to see how to use them. They all got a chance to practice using them, and taught a bit of a "sample" class in their language, as well.
And I taught them how to do the Language Experience Approach. Since I'm completely obsessed with the Olympics lately, I brought in my ice skates and we had a discussion about skating and then wrote a story about it. That was great fun - talking to a group of immigrants from Africa about such a Canadian pasttme! Most of them were pretty scared of the thought of getting on ice skates, but one of them had given it a try a few weeks ago, when the local police put on a special program to connect with immigrants. (they find that so many immigrants certainly don't have the idea of police being friendly because of their past experience in their home countries... so they hosted a skating afternoon to try to build some relationships with the immigrant communities here!)
And then today, I was busy at that church the whole day! They asked me to "preach" during the normal "English" service. I felt a little out of my league, being the main event and all. They even gave me one of those wireless microphones that wraps around your ear. I felt like a rock star. And I think the speaking went well. It's quite a charismatic church (well, I guess that's all relative... but they did an awful lot of anointing and praying both before and after the service ... which I actually really appreciated). As I was speaking, people were really looking interested, which is always encouraging. I don't think I put a single person in that congregation to sleep! Praise the Lord, eh?!
After the service, I ran home to see bits of the hockey game. How can I call myself a Canadian and NOT have seen at least part of that game! Plus, mom was making steak for lunch! Mmmmm... steak, sweet potato fries, ceasar salad and iced tea for lunch between periods in the hockey game. How Canadian can you get?
The worst part was that I actually had to leave to get back to the church before the game was over! On the way over there, at least I could listen in the car. This second service was in the language of the African folks... so thankfully it started a bit late, so I could sit in the car for a little while once I got there to hear the overtime and to see who actually won!
It was great being in this service, though. They had the drums, the prayer book in their language, and everything was done using their language. People were even dressed in the exact same kinds of clothes that they would be dressed in back in Africa! I tell you, it was a strange feeling to walk out of that building and crunch through the icy parking lot to my car once it was all over. And it was harder than I thought it would be to dredge up the Arabic that I know to be able to talk to people, too :( What's going to happen next month when I get back "home" and want to start using Arabic again!? It's going to be a bit brain-taxing, I think.
Anyway, a good time was had by all. I was a little concerned about the translation of my second "sermon", though. Normally, to translate well, you need to listen to a whole sentence or two or three or four (especially for these languages that have such different word order than English!). But this translator stopped me every 3 words to translate what I said! So... I have no idea what they understood from my sermon, but I think most of them (with the exception of some of the older folks) could understand the English, anyway. But I just think it's great that they're continuing with their church in their own language, and keeping that part of their culture and heritage alive, even here in a new country!
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