Well Norris and I decided to take a "relaxing" trip to India this Christmas. It was quite an experience. After living in Egypt for the last year and a half has helped us deal with all the wheeling and dealing that comes with bargaining in a third world country but the people! There were soooooooo many people!!!!! We thought we lived in a place with a lot of people but that was nothing compared to India. Delhi was a bit overwhelming but after we went to Varanasi we realized that it probably was just because it was our first day there! Even while we were still in the airport in Delhi people were trying to rip us off....even at the pre-paid taxi booth with the prices written on the sign....it was pretty funny, Norris held his own very well!!!
We decided to take night trains so that we could have the opportunity to see more places. We were glad we did it the first night! We were able to get a great place on the train and we were able to sleep very well. And when we got up we were in Varanasi! It was great! We got to see the Ghats where people go to wash themselves and it was CHAOS!!!!!!!! We thought there were a lot of people in Delhi, this was x10! Apparently they believe that if you die and your ashes are put on the river than it is the most holy place you can be put. So as we were taking a great trip on a boat down the Ganges people were being cremated right in front of us! It was a little more that I wanted to see but whatever! We then went to a fun place for dinner that night and saw a giant herd of Monkey's. They were soooooo cute as long as they were far away! I did not know that there were so many monkeys in North India but we saw them EVERYWHERE!!! It was crazy but they were cute! We were just hanging out and we decided that we should start heading back to the train station just to make sure things were going ok. We had seen everything we wanted so we headed back early. Norris kept telling us the train left at 8 but we headed for the station and got there at about 6:07. When we walked in we looked at the sign and realized that our train left at 6:15. We looked at each other and started running. What was great was that we needed to get our bags from the train station and then head to the train....BUT WE MADE IT! We got on the train and about 1 minute later we were moving! We were sooooooo glad that we made it! It would not have been fun trying to find a place to stay in that place! It was great! We had another fun night train ride and when we woke up we were in Agra! I love those trains!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Not Me Sunday's
Well I have taken this idea from my friends blog. I always love reading her Not Me Monday's and it gives me inspiration so I thought I would try out Not me Sunday's since that is the beginning of our week.....
Well.
1. I did not bake 10 dozen cookies with my friends and try to decorate them all in about 3 hours
2. I did not run 8 miles and think it was fun
3. I do not have a husband that shows his emotions about life to other people, and he does not inspire me to be a much better person every day!
4. I did not teach 6,7,8 graders about music today and did not have one of the best days ever.
5. I did not try out 4 different dinner recipes last week and have success with all of them....according to Norris.
6. I did not stay out all weekend past my bed time and regret it this morning when I had to go to school.
7. I did not go out and buy a new treadmill so that we can run at home and not worry about trying to fit it all in at school.
8. I did not receive my visa to get into India which leaves in 12 days.
9. I was not so tired and lazy today Norris and I ate veggies and sandwiches for dinner.
I am so happy that I have a husband that shares his emotions with everyone. He is such a sensitive guy that Loves me and My Father. I love when he is playing his guitar and leading us all into a better place! I love him even more at that moment...How blessed I feel!
Oh what a beginning to the week! But only 2 more weeks/13 more days before INDIA!!!!!!
Well.
1. I did not bake 10 dozen cookies with my friends and try to decorate them all in about 3 hours
2. I did not run 8 miles and think it was fun
3. I do not have a husband that shows his emotions about life to other people, and he does not inspire me to be a much better person every day!
4. I did not teach 6,7,8 graders about music today and did not have one of the best days ever.
5. I did not try out 4 different dinner recipes last week and have success with all of them....according to Norris.
6. I did not stay out all weekend past my bed time and regret it this morning when I had to go to school.
7. I did not go out and buy a new treadmill so that we can run at home and not worry about trying to fit it all in at school.
8. I did not receive my visa to get into India which leaves in 12 days.
9. I was not so tired and lazy today Norris and I ate veggies and sandwiches for dinner.
I am so happy that I have a husband that shares his emotions with everyone. He is such a sensitive guy that Loves me and My Father. I love when he is playing his guitar and leading us all into a better place! I love him even more at that moment...How blessed I feel!
Oh what a beginning to the week! But only 2 more weeks/13 more days before INDIA!!!!!!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Grad School and Thanksgiving!
Well,
We have had a fun start to fall/winter here... Norris has been accepted to Grad School at Creighton University in Omaha Nebraska! We are super excited!!!!! He will begin it right after Christmas and graduate summer 2011! Now the program has a very long title that I never seem to get correct but it is something he is going to be very good at! It has to do with stopping conflict between different people and international relations! He is super excited about it and so am I.
We had a great Holiday weekend. We had our 3rd Thanksgiving this weekend and filled our stomachs once again! We were invited to a celebrate with some other Americans and the food was wonderful! They have been here for a while and they had some wonderful Egyptian spins on Thanksgiving Dinner! One thing they did that I can't wait to get the recipe for was rice for the stuffing! IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!!! I had never had brown rice stuffing before but I never want to go back to normal stuffing again! It was sooooo good! We also had some eggplant dishes that were phenomenal and of course wonderful conversations!
It is great to have conversations with people from all over the world! It is fun to hear different perspectives on things! Having never left the US until a year ago I have a lot to learn about the world! It has been fun traveling it and picking up different traditions from other people! I hope these are traditions that we will continue to carry with us for the rest of our lives!
Two days after Thanksgiving Norris and I decided to throw a party! We love throwing parties! We had some friends over that did not travel for the EID. We made some Fo-Mexican and played some games! We learned this new game called QUELF! If you have not played it you must buy it! It is sooooo random and stupid and hilarious and fun! There was one point that Norris had to build a fort and hide in it until his next turn. Right after that I had to hide under the table and be a cat and there was singing and dancing and all sorts of craziness!!!! It is like the "office" with the amount of randomness that it has!!!! But when you are playing with fun people then it doesn't matter how silly you look!!!!!!
I give Thanks to the Big Man all the time for allowing us to come back! We are so grateful that we can grow in friendships with our friends at AIS and HCC!! They are so wonderful and they make us feel so welcome! I can't imagine how different our lives will be because we have spent time here! We will forever be changed for good.........
We have had a fun start to fall/winter here... Norris has been accepted to Grad School at Creighton University in Omaha Nebraska! We are super excited!!!!! He will begin it right after Christmas and graduate summer 2011! Now the program has a very long title that I never seem to get correct but it is something he is going to be very good at! It has to do with stopping conflict between different people and international relations! He is super excited about it and so am I.
We had a great Holiday weekend. We had our 3rd Thanksgiving this weekend and filled our stomachs once again! We were invited to a celebrate with some other Americans and the food was wonderful! They have been here for a while and they had some wonderful Egyptian spins on Thanksgiving Dinner! One thing they did that I can't wait to get the recipe for was rice for the stuffing! IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!!! I had never had brown rice stuffing before but I never want to go back to normal stuffing again! It was sooooo good! We also had some eggplant dishes that were phenomenal and of course wonderful conversations!
It is great to have conversations with people from all over the world! It is fun to hear different perspectives on things! Having never left the US until a year ago I have a lot to learn about the world! It has been fun traveling it and picking up different traditions from other people! I hope these are traditions that we will continue to carry with us for the rest of our lives!
Two days after Thanksgiving Norris and I decided to throw a party! We love throwing parties! We had some friends over that did not travel for the EID. We made some Fo-Mexican and played some games! We learned this new game called QUELF! If you have not played it you must buy it! It is sooooo random and stupid and hilarious and fun! There was one point that Norris had to build a fort and hide in it until his next turn. Right after that I had to hide under the table and be a cat and there was singing and dancing and all sorts of craziness!!!! It is like the "office" with the amount of randomness that it has!!!! But when you are playing with fun people then it doesn't matter how silly you look!!!!!!
I give Thanks to the Big Man all the time for allowing us to come back! We are so grateful that we can grow in friendships with our friends at AIS and HCC!! They are so wonderful and they make us feel so welcome! I can't imagine how different our lives will be because we have spent time here! We will forever be changed for good.........
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thanksgiving
Well this year we are going to get to have three Thanksgivings! It is so much fun to eat tons of Thanksgiving food in a place that we never really thought we could! It is great to hangout with so many different people and enjoy good dessert!!!!!! I think that is the best part, the apple pie and pumpkin pie all with Ice Cream and whipped cream!!!! YUMMMMM......
Well I thought I would make a quick list of some of the different things I am thankful for this Year:
GOD
A great Husband
Wonderful Friends
Great New Friends
Good Jobs
Great Family
Great In Laws
Wonderful Country to live in
Opportunity to travel the world
Fun times playing and singing with my husband
Wonderful Friday Mornings
These are just some of the things that have come to my head! It is great to be reminded of all the things that happen during the year and throughout your life! Try it.......
Well I thought I would make a quick list of some of the different things I am thankful for this Year:
GOD
A great Husband
Wonderful Friends
Great New Friends
Good Jobs
Great Family
Great In Laws
Wonderful Country to live in
Opportunity to travel the world
Fun times playing and singing with my husband
Wonderful Friday Mornings
These are just some of the things that have come to my head! It is great to be reminded of all the things that happen during the year and throughout your life! Try it.......
Sunday, November 8, 2009
An evening with the Hams!
So I just thought that I would like to share what an evening looks like through the eyes of the Hams! We do not get to see many of you often so we do not get to share with you the rituals we have begun since our marriage over 4 years ago! WOW I can't believe it has been 4 years!!!!
Well we have really gotten into running lately! I guess for the past year and a half we have run almost every night after a day of teaching! After we get home we sit down and decided what we would like to eat.....veggies with rice or veggies with noodles!!!!! Then when we finally decided which one we want more Norris measures out the water and I begin cutting the veggies! I have found that over the last 3 years I have grown to LOVE the evening dinner meals with Norris! It is so great that he is so willing to help me! We have about 30-40 minutes with no interruptions (except for cuts on the hands and boiling over noodles!!!!!!!!!) It is great to just have time to really talk with each other, because if you have ever eaten with Norris you know there will not be much talking once he gets the food!!!! I LOVE IT! Well after we finish cooking we decide which movie we are going to watch! usually we just have it on as background noise because we usually need to veg. out after the long day with the students! I never knew how exhausting teaching could be!!! Then after we have talked for a while we either head out for a walk or we curl up in bed say our prayers and are out for the night!!! I have to say I love these little traditions we have made with with each other! It is soooo wonderful to be connected to someone in such a real and personal way!
I was thinking the other day that we should have a Husband appreciation day!! You know just to say thank you for them trying to read our minds but failing because we never just tell them! Buying chocolate for us and then us getting mad at them for doing something so sweet but we are trying to be on a diet!!!! Having them buy flowers for us but having no vase to put it in! Dealing with us when we cry for just NO REASON!!! Dealing with us when we just want to be petty and depressed!!!!!!!!!!! Yes I do think we need to have a husband appreciation day! They are just the best!!! I LOVE YOU NORRIS!!!!!!
Well we have really gotten into running lately! I guess for the past year and a half we have run almost every night after a day of teaching! After we get home we sit down and decided what we would like to eat.....veggies with rice or veggies with noodles!!!!! Then when we finally decided which one we want more Norris measures out the water and I begin cutting the veggies! I have found that over the last 3 years I have grown to LOVE the evening dinner meals with Norris! It is so great that he is so willing to help me! We have about 30-40 minutes with no interruptions (except for cuts on the hands and boiling over noodles!!!!!!!!!) It is great to just have time to really talk with each other, because if you have ever eaten with Norris you know there will not be much talking once he gets the food!!!! I LOVE IT! Well after we finish cooking we decide which movie we are going to watch! usually we just have it on as background noise because we usually need to veg. out after the long day with the students! I never knew how exhausting teaching could be!!! Then after we have talked for a while we either head out for a walk or we curl up in bed say our prayers and are out for the night!!! I have to say I love these little traditions we have made with with each other! It is soooo wonderful to be connected to someone in such a real and personal way!
I was thinking the other day that we should have a Husband appreciation day!! You know just to say thank you for them trying to read our minds but failing because we never just tell them! Buying chocolate for us and then us getting mad at them for doing something so sweet but we are trying to be on a diet!!!! Having them buy flowers for us but having no vase to put it in! Dealing with us when we cry for just NO REASON!!! Dealing with us when we just want to be petty and depressed!!!!!!!!!!! Yes I do think we need to have a husband appreciation day! They are just the best!!! I LOVE YOU NORRIS!!!!!!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
October through words!
Well it was quite a busy month this month. Having a full time teaching job has been crazy! Trying to clean the apartment with all the nasty dust has been a full time job of it's own!!!
Well things I have tried to accomplish this month:
1. clean the apartment more often
2. cook more meals for dinner
3. talk with friends from back home
4. keep up with plans for my students
Well they have not been the largest goals but it has been fun to try these things! I did ok with number 3 talking to my friends!!!!!!!! The cleaning has definitely taken last place!!!!!! Oh well there is always another day another week to do that better!!! I have enjoyed trying out new recipes some times!! I tried to make dirt cake a week ago and it was disastrous!!! I forgot that I did not have instant pudding and the only type of pudding they had was strawberry......it was quite interesting! Also we do not have cool whip we have to use whipping cream and whip it ourselves!!!! It is really good though but the dessert as a whole was not quite a success!!! Oh well we can try it again a different day!!!
We had a great time celebrating Norris's birthday and then we went to a night at the ballet! It was the most interesting ballet ever!! I felt bad for the Juliet! She was almost dropped 3 times by Romeo! We thought there might be an early death scene but they did make it to the end! Our favorite people to watch on the stage were the ones in the back that never danced!!!!! They just stood there and waved their arms about! I thought Norris was going to loose it in the middle of the show! There was a visiting lady from England, and I am not sure she has been here for too long! She had been here long enough to be frustrated but not accustomed to the culture and the talking and cell phone use that happens here! In the middle of the second act she turned around and LOST it on a row of young people! They still did not stop talking but I think it made the lady feel better! As we say here..."It is always an adventure" "Why ask why"!!!!!!!
Well things I have tried to accomplish this month:
1. clean the apartment more often
2. cook more meals for dinner
3. talk with friends from back home
4. keep up with plans for my students
Well they have not been the largest goals but it has been fun to try these things! I did ok with number 3 talking to my friends!!!!!!!! The cleaning has definitely taken last place!!!!!! Oh well there is always another day another week to do that better!!! I have enjoyed trying out new recipes some times!! I tried to make dirt cake a week ago and it was disastrous!!! I forgot that I did not have instant pudding and the only type of pudding they had was strawberry......it was quite interesting! Also we do not have cool whip we have to use whipping cream and whip it ourselves!!!! It is really good though but the dessert as a whole was not quite a success!!! Oh well we can try it again a different day!!!
We had a great time celebrating Norris's birthday and then we went to a night at the ballet! It was the most interesting ballet ever!! I felt bad for the Juliet! She was almost dropped 3 times by Romeo! We thought there might be an early death scene but they did make it to the end! Our favorite people to watch on the stage were the ones in the back that never danced!!!!! They just stood there and waved their arms about! I thought Norris was going to loose it in the middle of the show! There was a visiting lady from England, and I am not sure she has been here for too long! She had been here long enough to be frustrated but not accustomed to the culture and the talking and cell phone use that happens here! In the middle of the second act she turned around and LOST it on a row of young people! They still did not stop talking but I think it made the lady feel better! As we say here..."It is always an adventure" "Why ask why"!!!!!!!
October through pictures!
Norris's 27th Birthday!
The Ballet "Romeo and Juliet"
Canadian Thanksgiving!
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