There are many reasons I'm looking forward to my upcoming return to Pakistan....but one of the hot items on my list is the fact I'll be there for elections (or lack there of). Either way, it's going to be a big time in the country...and I've got two cameras and a journalists' drive for getting out there. My husband and I have had several conversations about what I "will and will not do". He's more on the "will not" side, while I am on the "will". I've had to remind him....I'm still the white Christian chick who went to PK on my own in 2004.
Well, just like in 2004, I find ways to make jokes about serious situations(like being taken hostage). I don't know why, I really don't think it would be a fun experience, but I don't figure I am in control so why not make the jokes (that, and I'm not truly concerned about it). In the fall of 2004 I was laughing with a friend of mine and said I wanted a shirt that would say "I'm with stupid" with arrows pointing behind me. People who know about those old shirts, and people who have ever seen a hostage video will appreciate that most. Anyway, my friend and I laughed and laughed and I carried the joke into other punchlines and we had many humorous conversations. That's what I know to do usually. Today on the phone I told my husband it has dawned on me that even if they attempt to kidnap me, it won't last, and here's why:
HAVE YOU SEEN THESE GUYS? From the video coverage I've seen in the past, these guys in the background are pretty small....and, well, I'm not.....so there's a good chance they won't try to wrestle this bull!
They'd deliver me with full condolences to my husband: The way I talk....and talk, and talk, and talk....they wouldn't be able to handle it. Even if they didn't turn the Toyota around and drop me off at home...they'd never have enough video for all of my rambling! "We are very sorry for you sir, your mind and ears must ring 24 hours a day, best of luck"
I'm not stupid: I don't intend to climb the mountains and get that exclusive with the dumb asses runnin' those training camps...I'd much rather hang out and smoke hookah at mini golf and get halwa puri at 6am with my family.
Finally, folks.....no need to worry-just expect to see some great pictures and funny stories about goats and sweaters......that's the real stuff anyway.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Black Friday
I have never been one to get into jumping out at 4am to go shopping.....of course, I rarely have the money to purchase anything that I would save hundreds of dollars on......but this year I got really lucky and found myself going shopping...nothing crazy-but I'm excited;
Ezzah's toys-I had been looking for this specific toy for my ma to get Ezzah for her birthday. I had only seen it at Toys R Us and that was fine. I had looked a couple of other places just so she could see it, but had no luck. (TRU is about an hour away from us). Whilst looking through the ads just for the fun of it, I noticed one of the stores in the area had them on Thanksgiving buy one get one free. I should mention, with the first toy, there was a second which was also educational and fun....so I figured...of course! I found myself walking into the store at 7am on Thanksgiving morning to pick up these items. It was no big deal-we are up plenty early anyway....and memaw got to hang out with ezzah
Coat for me-I saw this leather jacket a few weeks ago that I LOVED (and happened to look pretty good in), but even at 60% off I wasn't going to fork over that kind of paper for a jacket.....well....the ads said the day after Christmas such coat would be on sale for 60$-and the store opened at 4am. I don't think I would have gotten up to go get the coat, but I had to be at work at 5 so went ahead and went over. Again not a big deal...and I got a sweet coat!
Stuff for the husband-I noticed several items a couple of weeks ago which I wrote down on my "things not to forget before going to PK" list. Well, these prior mentioned ads had all of these items DRASTICALLY on sale on friday. Since I had to work and my grandad didn't really didn't have much to do, he went over mid-morning and picked up these things(the store was not busy and close to my house). He also picked up a few items for himself :)
So, while I didn't camp out for a really cheap computer or Wii (which would be sooo cool to have), I got the things I wanted and saved quite a bit of money....good deal
Ezzah's toys-I had been looking for this specific toy for my ma to get Ezzah for her birthday. I had only seen it at Toys R Us and that was fine. I had looked a couple of other places just so she could see it, but had no luck. (TRU is about an hour away from us). Whilst looking through the ads just for the fun of it, I noticed one of the stores in the area had them on Thanksgiving buy one get one free. I should mention, with the first toy, there was a second which was also educational and fun....so I figured...of course! I found myself walking into the store at 7am on Thanksgiving morning to pick up these items. It was no big deal-we are up plenty early anyway....and memaw got to hang out with ezzah
Coat for me-I saw this leather jacket a few weeks ago that I LOVED (and happened to look pretty good in), but even at 60% off I wasn't going to fork over that kind of paper for a jacket.....well....the ads said the day after Christmas such coat would be on sale for 60$-and the store opened at 4am. I don't think I would have gotten up to go get the coat, but I had to be at work at 5 so went ahead and went over. Again not a big deal...and I got a sweet coat!
Stuff for the husband-I noticed several items a couple of weeks ago which I wrote down on my "things not to forget before going to PK" list. Well, these prior mentioned ads had all of these items DRASTICALLY on sale on friday. Since I had to work and my grandad didn't really didn't have much to do, he went over mid-morning and picked up these things(the store was not busy and close to my house). He also picked up a few items for himself :)
So, while I didn't camp out for a really cheap computer or Wii (which would be sooo cool to have), I got the things I wanted and saved quite a bit of money....good deal
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
MOOOSH!
Okay, so I'm often aware of the fact that I appear to be a minority....but what's great is I find myself many times surrounded by my fellow minorities (we're talking in thought not in race, age, religion, etc)
I don't know that I can say I agree with the State of Emergency in Pakistan.....of course I wouldn't try to pretend to disagree with it either....for the reason that I am not in charge of Pakistan, nor am I privy to any information those in charge are. I guess that doesn't matter. It also should go to mention the fact I'm even discussing this issue means I'm not quite as A-Political as I desire to be.
But why would anyone really care. I don't think they do. The news has moved on to the latest in domestic issues, the democratic debates went off and now we discuss who the a worst job.
Here's my point. I live in a country where one of the biggest platforms of campaigning to be MY leader is who we will and will not be going to war with next. We say we don't believe in dictatorships....yet we dictate to every other country out there how they should be ran. Hell, WE AREN'T EVEN A TRUE DEMOCRACY!
I have said ages ago and I stand by my thoughts stronger and stronger as the days go by. Christians (and I could argue people of most faiths) are not meant to be involved in politics. We Christians are to be concerened with the widows, the sick, those incarcerated....to love as God loves.Welcome to being a humanitarian rather than a politician. I have felt for A LONG TIME it is not worth getting involved with who is and who is not in charge, because on the grander scale it doesn't matter if you decide human life is more important. I would rather volunteer feeding the hungry than go vote. I feel true change in this country would not be to finally elect someone OTHER than a republican or democrat, rather it would be to fill up the homeless shelters with food and clothing for people.
p.s. I do know the political interested part of me CAN'T STAND B.B., Imran Khan, or Nawaz Sharif.......
I don't know that I can say I agree with the State of Emergency in Pakistan.....of course I wouldn't try to pretend to disagree with it either....for the reason that I am not in charge of Pakistan, nor am I privy to any information those in charge are. I guess that doesn't matter. It also should go to mention the fact I'm even discussing this issue means I'm not quite as A-Political as I desire to be.
But why would anyone really care. I don't think they do. The news has moved on to the latest in domestic issues, the democratic debates went off and now we discuss who the a worst job.
Here's my point. I live in a country where one of the biggest platforms of campaigning to be MY leader is who we will and will not be going to war with next. We say we don't believe in dictatorships....yet we dictate to every other country out there how they should be ran. Hell, WE AREN'T EVEN A TRUE DEMOCRACY!
I have said ages ago and I stand by my thoughts stronger and stronger as the days go by. Christians (and I could argue people of most faiths) are not meant to be involved in politics. We Christians are to be concerened with the widows, the sick, those incarcerated....to love as God loves.Welcome to being a humanitarian rather than a politician. I have felt for A LONG TIME it is not worth getting involved with who is and who is not in charge, because on the grander scale it doesn't matter if you decide human life is more important. I would rather volunteer feeding the hungry than go vote. I feel true change in this country would not be to finally elect someone OTHER than a republican or democrat, rather it would be to fill up the homeless shelters with food and clothing for people.
p.s. I do know the political interested part of me CAN'T STAND B.B., Imran Khan, or Nawaz Sharif.......
DUCK!
"you call it loosening up, I call it spiraling down"
As I have commented many many times before-what this culture has done to Christianity is, at times, disgusting. I don't entirely blame the preachers and messengers, as I don't believe some people truly think about what is going on. Some things, I'm willing to "live and let live", because my hope is sometimes ignorance will be someone's saving grace. However, the sight of flying tortillas had me gasping for air.
I'm not kidding. We live in a world where we attempt at all costs to take the sanctity out of the church in order to appeal to people who seem to have no desire to learn about God unless it's on their terms. We've stepped up the music beat including guitar solos that can be easily compared to a "guitar hero" session. We've created light shows for the singers, all sorts of swinging doors and props for the speakers. And having worked in churches who utilize this sort of behavior, I've also seen the political game it takes to be "cool" enough to work under the big top. TV preachers go to greater lengths, as they are trying to vie for a greater audience....move over American Idol.
I've become saddened because I believe this is not indicative of the Church God had in mind. I'm sad because I wonder what we miss as a congregation by being subjected by (and/or involved with) this Barnum and Baily's act. The new line has been drawn when a preacher on TV opened his message by throwing (literally frisby-ing ) them into the audience (I call it that intentionally). WTH????
Have we decided that church is no longer a place of worship and reverence for God....to bring our offerings of praise, repentance, and acceptance of his Word in our lives??? Perhaps the church is now just as casual as TGIF or Applebees. Perhaps someone has decided there's no longer a need for reverence and respect in he place we choose to call a place of worship. I don't recall reading anything in the Bible that said that this was the plan for our lives, but I guess as I've mentioned before....that just goes to show I'm obviously not on the new council of Christianity!
As I have commented many many times before-what this culture has done to Christianity is, at times, disgusting. I don't entirely blame the preachers and messengers, as I don't believe some people truly think about what is going on. Some things, I'm willing to "live and let live", because my hope is sometimes ignorance will be someone's saving grace. However, the sight of flying tortillas had me gasping for air.
I'm not kidding. We live in a world where we attempt at all costs to take the sanctity out of the church in order to appeal to people who seem to have no desire to learn about God unless it's on their terms. We've stepped up the music beat including guitar solos that can be easily compared to a "guitar hero" session. We've created light shows for the singers, all sorts of swinging doors and props for the speakers. And having worked in churches who utilize this sort of behavior, I've also seen the political game it takes to be "cool" enough to work under the big top. TV preachers go to greater lengths, as they are trying to vie for a greater audience....move over American Idol.
I've become saddened because I believe this is not indicative of the Church God had in mind. I'm sad because I wonder what we miss as a congregation by being subjected by (and/or involved with) this Barnum and Baily's act. The new line has been drawn when a preacher on TV opened his message by throwing (literally frisby-ing ) them into the audience (I call it that intentionally). WTH????
Have we decided that church is no longer a place of worship and reverence for God....to bring our offerings of praise, repentance, and acceptance of his Word in our lives??? Perhaps the church is now just as casual as TGIF or Applebees. Perhaps someone has decided there's no longer a need for reverence and respect in he place we choose to call a place of worship. I don't recall reading anything in the Bible that said that this was the plan for our lives, but I guess as I've mentioned before....that just goes to show I'm obviously not on the new council of Christianity!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Osama bin Santa
The reason we can't find Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan or Pakistan is due to the fact he's actually hiding out in our local shopping malls. Just as he traveled the caves of S.E. Asia, he wonders from city to city/mall to mall conducting research. Like Bigfoot some people are able to snap pictures of him before he takes off....but also like the myth...many people don't believe even the evidence. He has granades snapped to his belt, carries a radio in the shape of a small army tank in order to keep in touch with those under his command and is sometimes seen with a camera man for on the spot video recordings. Be aware this holiday season.........
Saturday, November 3, 2007
as we know it
Okay, so.....I'm not suggesting we all sell our possessions and join a commune, however, this is something that has become of a passing interest to me...the scientific end to the world.
I have never been one to concentrate too much on the "rapture" and all of the other "in" words in Christianity's revelation. I believe God will do things as He wishes and that will be that. However, there has been a repetitive bit of information coming from different traditions and cultures that all lead to the same suggestion....Dec 2012 is going to be a very interesting time period. What is intriguing to me is these various people are form different locations, time periods, and methods have all come to the same scientific conclusion....when the science wasn't even there yet.
Essentially, there will be an alignment of the sun and some other stuff (we all know I don't remember facts and names very well) and it's going to throw the whole cosmic world off kilter. I'm not saying this WILL be the end...but I don't think I'm ready to say it's not bound to happen......thoughts?
I have never been one to concentrate too much on the "rapture" and all of the other "in" words in Christianity's revelation. I believe God will do things as He wishes and that will be that. However, there has been a repetitive bit of information coming from different traditions and cultures that all lead to the same suggestion....Dec 2012 is going to be a very interesting time period. What is intriguing to me is these various people are form different locations, time periods, and methods have all come to the same scientific conclusion....when the science wasn't even there yet.
Essentially, there will be an alignment of the sun and some other stuff (we all know I don't remember facts and names very well) and it's going to throw the whole cosmic world off kilter. I'm not saying this WILL be the end...but I don't think I'm ready to say it's not bound to happen......thoughts?
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