March 2, 2010

• asia, i already miss you.

  Returned from Asia last night (and I'm competely exhausted).  It's only been 24 hours, but I already miss Asia...

  (in cambodia) the sight of nourishing coconut, palm, and banana trees scattered across fertile plains.  abruptly stopping the car because of oxen/buffalo/cows/chickens crossing the road.  waking up to a rooster crowing at sunrise.  mangosteens, mangoes, pommellos, lychees, longan. refreshing lime iced tea on a ridiculously hot day.  fresh and sweet sugar cane juice ground up in front of my eyes at my aunt's home.  unbelievably delicious clean crisp crab.  modern khmer songs accompanying us during our travels.  counting the number of bridges we cross to get to my family's home beside the mekong.  greeting the friendly nurses and doctors of the hospital. learning about the challenges and accomplishments of the NGO.  witnessing the staff utilizing the training and equipment we taught them.  visiting my cousins' newly built houses, evidence of my family's slow climb out of poverty.  hearing Ba's laugh as he is reunited with relatives from long ago.  watching lil boys, rich and poor, play with one another without any reservations.  experiencing the hospitality, generosity, and friendliness of the Khmer people.   learning stories, some tragic, some lighthearted, about our family history.  understanding how food equals love...
  
  (in hong kong) the towering skyscrapers reflecting industrialism and modernism. dizzying lights and sounds of double decker buses, trams, taxis, cars, and masses of people on crowded sidewalks. the green mountains of the new territories reminding me that natural hong kong is within reach. the silly sight of clouds sleeping on hong kong harbour in early morning. turquoise waters. egg waffles, red bean desserts, the perflect blend of east and west in my daily cup of hk style milk tea.  chefs swiftly and smoothly wrapping wontons on the sidewalks in front of their dumpling shops, reminiscent of "dai pai dong"s. the artistry that lies in making the perfect bowl of won ton mein: boiling a ladel of noodles to the perfect temperature so they are not too soft and not too tough, flavors of shrimp and pork robustly infused into each spoonful. the unbelievably smooth, efficient, and timely subway system.  receiving red envelopes from our relatives for chinese new year.  a hodgepodge of decor: sometimes minimally clean and modern, other times traditionally red and gold with symbols of luck and fortune, then random moments of cartoon tigers (because it's the year of the tiger) decorated on wall painting, or stickers, or even large statues and figurines adorning storefronts and posted on walls.  admiring old family photos, hearing personal family stories, visiting important places in family history...
  
  ~ ~ ~

  But now I'm back home.  Winter greeted me properly last night, with harsh cold winds biting my face as I stepped out of the airport.  Now I have a suitcase to unpack, clothes to wash, food to cook, (but at least the groceries are bought thanks to my awesome sister), mail to read, bills to pay, and massive amounts of photos to download and upload.  Taxes.  UGH!    

  And Jury duty too?  (Seriously, God has a sense of humor).

  To top it off, I return to work tonight.  AGHHHHHhhhh will I remember how to do [American] nursing?!

  Relying on God to humble me and keep me in His presence as I begin to seek His purpose for my life here in America...

  • 1:58 pm
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