Today is my good friend Brooke's birthday. Brooke and I have this really odd relationship. We met in St. Petersburg, Russia in late August 2001 on a study abroad trip. Thus began the 3 months out of 8 years of friendship that we've lived in the same city. Brooke and I both went through some hard times in Russia and through that grew closer together. Close enough, in fact, that our relationship continues. It last through both of us finishing undergrad, me moving to Argentina, Brooke moving to Kentucky for grad school, me moving home after college, me moving to China for a year, me moving to Wheaton for grad school, Brooke moving to Mozambique, and then me moving to Quito. Now Brooke's getting ready to move back to the US this summer, and we'll be in the same country again for a few weeks. I'm pretty excited. It's kindof like a solar eclipse.
Anywho, in honor of Brooke's day of birth, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite things about her. I hope you enjoy it.
Things I Like About Brooke
-When I was very close to becoming an american-student-hermit in Russia, Brooke (and a mutual friend, Liz) swooped in and dragged me, quite literally, out of my room and into the rich experience which is Russia.
-We tend to take turns, Brooke and I, having emotional and spiritual breakdowns. This works out very nicely, since one of us is usually stable enough to help the other, when she is not.
-Brooke once shaved her head in a gesture of love and unity for a friend who had lost her hair from chemotherapy.
-Brooke is the best letter writer I've ever met. Not so much because of what she writes IN the letters, as because of what she writes ON them. The evelope and margins always have funny things written in. Sometimes she draws over the pictures and puts speech bubbles to make the people say funny things. Often she'll tear out a picture from a magazine and write her commentary all over it. It's always a treat to get something from Brooke in the mail.
-Brooke drove up to be with me when Mom died.
-Once for Christmas, Brooke sent me a cd, Norah Jones. She was really excited about it b/c she loved it and was sure I would, too. I did not. However, it turns out the cd was just before it's time in my life. I really like it now. In fact, I'm listening to it now.
-Sometimes when we visit each other, we set out with a vague destination in mind and then end up getting lost in the backwoods of Kentucky. Brooke is equally as unconcerned with this scenario as I am. We always have fun, and we always end up back home. Eventually.
-Brooke helps me to loosen up sometimes. She taught me I don't really need to fold my underwear. It's true! Try it.
-Brooke's blog (africahome.blogspot.com) is amazing. It is the only blog that I read that makes my blog feel inferior to me. Amazing writing. Humor, pain, truth, life. Check it out.
-When I get whiny, Brooke never lets me wallow in self-pity. She has a "if you can change it, change it. If you can't, let it go" sort of attitude that helps me keep perspective.
-I have never known anyone to get so excited about salmon patties.
-I can always count on Brooke to be game for trying out a new ethnic restaurant.
-Brooke knows how to be a long-distance friend. This is especially critical in my life, and hers.
Thanks, Brooke, for your friendship. May this year bring you joy, peace, and purpose.
I larve you more than chocolate fudge. :)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Pre-Birthday Randomness
Random observations from my life:
-I seem to be physically incapable of spreading a bagel with cream cheese WITHOUT taking a bite somewhere mid-process.
-Women here use a whiny voice whenever they ask you for something in Spanish. Given my late mother's extreme disappreciation for whining of any sort, this annoys me.
-I just noticed last week that the telephone lines that run in front of my house are out of control. There are about 12 billion of them, all strung together without any sort of apparent rhyme, reason, or thought for safety.
-I wonder if there's a world-wide contest for The Most Terrible Sidewalks. If there is, I'm pretty sure Quito has it in the bag.
-I love it when my family and I exchange email comments like this:
(from someone in Ohio) "Today it got SO WARM! It was like spring. 37 degrees!"
(from me) "I 'bout froze my sweet bippy off today- it was freezing- only got up to 58!"
-Last week I got a rose from a (female...don't get excited) friend and it's still in perfect condition in its water-bottle vase in my classroom. This in spite of the fact that most of those roses wilted the same day. Maybe the hormones that fly around my classroom are preserving it?
-I noticed last week that the Kitchen Aide mixer that I bought off someone here when I arrived has a "Hobart Corporation; Troy, OHIO" stamp on it. That's where my dad used to work.
-Some of my kids seem to like me better in direct proportion to how much I reprimand them. Others are quite the opposite.
-Sitting through a middle school girls "Appropriate Touch" lecture ranks in my top ten least comfortable moments thus far. Right up there with the time two Russian guys (in various stages of drunkenness) I'd just met stripped down to their "pajamas" (aka, boxers) in front of me that time we got to share the 2 twin beds in the only bedroom in the house...as the honored guests, of course, we got the bedroom.
-Tomorrow's my birthday and I shall be 29. As a result TGIFriday's at the mall is going to give me a free dinner. This is good.
-Even though I know I should be offended at the guys on the street to whistle or cat-call when I walk by, I'm not. I can't help it. It makes me smile inside.
-Recently I began using a dry-erase marker to write the scripture verses I'm learning on the tiles on my bathroom wall. Writing on the wall makes me feel a little giddy, like I'm doing something a little bit wrong.
-I live on a volcano. Isn't that weird?
-Today I found out that the kid that I tutor in English is a genius at math.
-It's only 8:49 but I'm going to go shower and read Fellowship of the Ring until bedtime. I leave for work at 7:30 each morning, but it doesn't seem that early anymore. It does, however, make bedtime seem early.
-I seem to be physically incapable of spreading a bagel with cream cheese WITHOUT taking a bite somewhere mid-process.
-Women here use a whiny voice whenever they ask you for something in Spanish. Given my late mother's extreme disappreciation for whining of any sort, this annoys me.
-I just noticed last week that the telephone lines that run in front of my house are out of control. There are about 12 billion of them, all strung together without any sort of apparent rhyme, reason, or thought for safety.
-I wonder if there's a world-wide contest for The Most Terrible Sidewalks. If there is, I'm pretty sure Quito has it in the bag.
-I love it when my family and I exchange email comments like this:
(from someone in Ohio) "Today it got SO WARM! It was like spring. 37 degrees!"
(from me) "I 'bout froze my sweet bippy off today- it was freezing- only got up to 58!"
-Last week I got a rose from a (female...don't get excited) friend and it's still in perfect condition in its water-bottle vase in my classroom. This in spite of the fact that most of those roses wilted the same day. Maybe the hormones that fly around my classroom are preserving it?
-I noticed last week that the Kitchen Aide mixer that I bought off someone here when I arrived has a "Hobart Corporation; Troy, OHIO" stamp on it. That's where my dad used to work.
-Some of my kids seem to like me better in direct proportion to how much I reprimand them. Others are quite the opposite.
-Sitting through a middle school girls "Appropriate Touch" lecture ranks in my top ten least comfortable moments thus far. Right up there with the time two Russian guys (in various stages of drunkenness) I'd just met stripped down to their "pajamas" (aka, boxers) in front of me that time we got to share the 2 twin beds in the only bedroom in the house...as the honored guests, of course, we got the bedroom.
-Tomorrow's my birthday and I shall be 29. As a result TGIFriday's at the mall is going to give me a free dinner. This is good.
-Even though I know I should be offended at the guys on the street to whistle or cat-call when I walk by, I'm not. I can't help it. It makes me smile inside.
-Recently I began using a dry-erase marker to write the scripture verses I'm learning on the tiles on my bathroom wall. Writing on the wall makes me feel a little giddy, like I'm doing something a little bit wrong.
-I live on a volcano. Isn't that weird?
-Today I found out that the kid that I tutor in English is a genius at math.
-It's only 8:49 but I'm going to go shower and read Fellowship of the Ring until bedtime. I leave for work at 7:30 each morning, but it doesn't seem that early anymore. It does, however, make bedtime seem early.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Singleness Awareness Day, aka SAD
When I was a kid, Valentine's Day meant a card from Aunt Janet, a handmade card from Grandpa and Grandma House, and a small candy gift from Mom and Dad. Plus, it meant designing a valentines day box and exchanging cards with my classmates.
In college, Valentine's Day became Singleness Awareness Day. In protest, my college roommate, Joy and I always exchanged $5 gifts and worked hard at convincing ourselves that we didn't care that we were boyfriendless.
Now that college days have passed (and Joy has gotten married...traitor...) VDay/SADay (ironic? I think not) has sunk back into the line of not-really-noteworthy holidays. You know, days like Secretary's Day and Sweetest's Day (seriously, if this isn't a V-Day copycat, I don't know what is...) and National Pig Day (sorry, Joy).
However, I have decided to get over my Scrooge-like SADay tendencies and share a funny story with you, as it seems worthy of the season.
This Tuesday, I asked a fellow teacher if he'd pick up lunch for me at the restaurant where he usually goes for take-out. Unfortunately, said teacher (we'll call him Mr. Smith for his own sake) had lunch plans for Tuesday, but on Wednesday he emailed me to say he was going that day, and ask if I wanted anything. I replied with my order.
As 5th period (last class before lunch) rolled around, Mr. Smith came to my classroom to ask if I wanted lunch. He hadn't gotten my email. So, in front of my class I thanked him and gave him my order and some money.
As he walked out I wagered in my mind which student was going to say it.
But class went on, I got everyone settled working on homework, and I thought maybe, just maybe I had dodged the bullet.
Then Ji raised her hand.
"Miss Foster?"
"Yes, Ji."
"How old are you?"
(Eye rolling from Miss Foster...here we go...) "75"
(laughter all around the classroom)
Ji: No, seriously!
Me: I'll be 29 this month.
(pause as Ji thinks)
Ji: Then you should get married!
Me: You think so? Well, I'll take that under consideration. Thanks for the suggestion.
Ji: You should marry Mr. Smith!
(more laughter; I begin to turn red)
Me: Uh, what makes you think that?
Ji: He's lonely. He wants to get married!
Me: Really? Well, loneliness isn't really the best reason to marry someone...
Milton: Can we leave 1 minute early for lunch?
(I breathe a sigh of relief- new topic!)
Me: No.
Ji: I bet you don't want to leave early because Mr. Smith's bringing your lunch.
I could continue, but really the arguments weren't that convincing and I struggled to get control of the classroom (and my blushing) reasonably quickly. Ah, the joys of Middle School. Poor Mr. Smith. Poor me! I can only imagine the other side of this discussion that must take place in other classrooms. I guess I'll just pretend to be glad to have kids who are so concerned about my happiness! :)
In college, Valentine's Day became Singleness Awareness Day. In protest, my college roommate, Joy and I always exchanged $5 gifts and worked hard at convincing ourselves that we didn't care that we were boyfriendless.
Now that college days have passed (and Joy has gotten married...traitor...) VDay/SADay (ironic? I think not) has sunk back into the line of not-really-noteworthy holidays. You know, days like Secretary's Day and Sweetest's Day (seriously, if this isn't a V-Day copycat, I don't know what is...) and National Pig Day (sorry, Joy).
However, I have decided to get over my Scrooge-like SADay tendencies and share a funny story with you, as it seems worthy of the season.
This Tuesday, I asked a fellow teacher if he'd pick up lunch for me at the restaurant where he usually goes for take-out. Unfortunately, said teacher (we'll call him Mr. Smith for his own sake) had lunch plans for Tuesday, but on Wednesday he emailed me to say he was going that day, and ask if I wanted anything. I replied with my order.
As 5th period (last class before lunch) rolled around, Mr. Smith came to my classroom to ask if I wanted lunch. He hadn't gotten my email. So, in front of my class I thanked him and gave him my order and some money.
As he walked out I wagered in my mind which student was going to say it.
But class went on, I got everyone settled working on homework, and I thought maybe, just maybe I had dodged the bullet.
Then Ji raised her hand.
"Miss Foster?"
"Yes, Ji."
"How old are you?"
(Eye rolling from Miss Foster...here we go...) "75"
(laughter all around the classroom)
Ji: No, seriously!
Me: I'll be 29 this month.
(pause as Ji thinks)
Ji: Then you should get married!
Me: You think so? Well, I'll take that under consideration. Thanks for the suggestion.
Ji: You should marry Mr. Smith!
(more laughter; I begin to turn red)
Me: Uh, what makes you think that?
Ji: He's lonely. He wants to get married!
Me: Really? Well, loneliness isn't really the best reason to marry someone...
Milton: Can we leave 1 minute early for lunch?
(I breathe a sigh of relief- new topic!)
Me: No.
Ji: I bet you don't want to leave early because Mr. Smith's bringing your lunch.
I could continue, but really the arguments weren't that convincing and I struggled to get control of the classroom (and my blushing) reasonably quickly. Ah, the joys of Middle School. Poor Mr. Smith. Poor me! I can only imagine the other side of this discussion that must take place in other classrooms. I guess I'll just pretend to be glad to have kids who are so concerned about my happiness! :)
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