myretroperspective

The Fourth of July for me, typically consists of the beach, a cookout or two, and nearly always ends with sand between my toes ooohing and awwwing at competing firework displays over the Gulf of Mexico up and down the Clearwater-St. Petersburg shorelines. It's never stirred particularly patriotic feelings, just a sense of home and summer. 'merica! As far as I can remember- this is my first 4th of July spent abroad. I'm wondering if I wouldn't have been in Spain over 4th of July during my high school study abroad in 1998, but if I was, I don't remember it whatsoever. Somehow my best memories of celebrating the Fourth are home in Indian Shores. One of our dear friends from the consulate representing with me! It wasn't long after we arrived in Shenyang that we started hearing murmurings of the consulate Fourth of July event. As one would expect, the Independence Day celebration is the biggest event of the year, but it's mostly geared towards wowing the consulat...

It's rare that I talk too much about R's work because most of it is not all that interesting, and it's a bit grey as to what is cool to talk about on the internet and what's not ok when it comes to the issuance of US visas so it's easiest to avoid it all together.  However last night R gave his first Public Affairs lecture. Each week the consulate hosts English lectures on different aspects of American culture. Can you guess what R chose to speak on? What else? COFFEE. doesn't he look so... representative? The title of his lecture was: "America's Coffee Culture: Why Americans Love Coffee." Starbucks has over 850 stores in mainland China and has decided to continue to expand their business here. While China is a tea culture through and through, coffee has a definite presence in China's cities. The lecture drew the largest crowd yet with what I'm guessing was about 100 Chinese -mostly students, young adults and other community members. There ...

I was on skype the other day with a friend who's also living in China, but has been here about 4 months longer than we have. She was asking about our adjustment and if we were missing family a lot already. I was surprised that for me, the answer was- not too much, not to where I feel it yet. Now I know R would disagree. He has really missed getting to talk to friends. With his work schedule (out the door at 7:30am and home around 6pm) he doesn't get too many chances to catch people 13-14 hours behind on the time change. people we like to keep up with- moms But I've been surprised that while I don't have too much to do, I have been able to keep up with our family, a few friends and with some things going on in America. I've actually spoken to my seester possibly more in the last 2 months than in the 6 months before that (granted she is in Seattle on West coast time). Living in Atlanta or DC wasn't exactly close to our family in Tampa, Seattle, Denver or Bartlesvi...

looking up Pennsylvania Ave. towards the Capitol building After a very long last day of con-gen for me, R made good on his promise to take me to see the White House Christmas Tree. We had planend to go a couple other times, but bailed at the last minute. I was exhausted but it was well worth the trip just to say good bye to DC on our last night. just a building we passed on our way to the White House  The whole city is aglow with Christmas cheer. R could hardly make it half a block without me saying- oooooo pretty, let's take a picture of that hotel or building. It definitely made up for not being able to decorate our own home for Christmas. Eisenhower Executive building next to the White House It flurried a tiny bit as we walked and I felt like it was a display of God's mercy that DC's November and December have been relatively mild just before we head to Shenyang. North side of the White House We finished the night by getting pizza at our favorite spot in town- District o...

Well as you may have heard it's election day.  I'm expecting less people to read this post than any other post because social media is FLOODED with everyone's personal accounts of their voting experience.  I'm not sure if it's because I was out of the country living in a dorm in a remote part of Asia last election season, the fact that we're living in such a politically charged area, or just the uptick in social media in the last 4 years, but I am sooooo over it.  So you will not find my account of voting here.  I'm not even going to tell you whether I voted, let alone who for.   The increased focus on politics that happens every 4 years seems to be just another platform for people to feel good about themselves and tell everyone about it. I voted! I voted for so & so! I voted against such & such! I'm so informed! I'm so progressive! I'm so conservative! Look at me!  It did my heart well to advise a friend yesterday who was stressing about...

Well since we have no inkling of our next international flight, what better time to sit on the couch and watch the nations compete in a myriad of sports?  Yes, even-numbered years are better because of the Olympics! We received an Opening Ceremonies party invite today and let me tell you, I can't wait!  I'm best at sporting events that take little beforehand research and where the sports anchors fill you in on what it actually means to perform well in a particular competition.  Who doesn't love little Bob Costas narrating the finer points are archery or taekwondo? And swimwear has definitely evolved, hasn't it?  As of right now, I am most looking forward to the Olympics! Hopefully there will be more to look forward to soon.  Happy Games!

Our trip to Seattle was so much fun, R has been telling people he wants to retire there.  I think a key ingredient was the weather.  After living in East Asia for 3 years grey and rainy doesn't bother us at all. As the clouds descended, nostalgia settled in with it.  Yet Seattle's fog is a little different than CQ's "fog" which is mostly smog.  It was cool (not warmer than 68 the whole time!) and clear and GREEN. Just the right amount of outdoors for city-dwellers like us! Day 1: We arrived at SEA-Tac and went straight for an espresso bar! Then we ate some tasty chinese and headed to the saturday night service at Mars Hill.  We were spent after church due to the travel & time change. Day 2: Seester took us and her boyfriend to hike Mount Si.  It was great to be out in the fresh air but after 4 miles up into the clouds and back, I groaned the rest of the week whenever I was forced to use my legs.  So much fun to be out and hike some!  We came h...

Can you believe my first time to Texas was just last weekend? It felt similar to Florida- hot and flat.  R & I flew into Houston and rode South to Lake Jackson with the Ms to watch T, his team member in East Asia of 2 years, marry W.  We loved getting good time with the Ms who were great friends to both of us in East Asia and particularly as we dated & were engaged.  R likes to say that we probably wouldn't be married if it wasn't for their strong constant encouragement in his life over the 13 months we dated. :) C was one of R's groomsmen at our wedding and we hope that the Lord is leading us both abroad in some capacity or another in the coming years.  We spent Friday afternoon taking the newest M baby H to the beach for the first time.  No surprise here- he loved it! I felt bad that his first beach experience had oil rigs in the background but like most children under the age of 1, he didn't seem to notice. you can't see the rigs in these pictures but...

I wasn't sequestered but the gag order involved in being on a trial jury has that reverse psychological effect- I know I cannot talk about this trial and yet IT IS ALL I WANT TO DO. Now that it's over, I feel the need to post about my first (and hopefully thanks to the state department last-for-a-long-time) experience with our legal system as a juror (or otherwise for that matter). I knew from the initial jury selection questions that I would be on this jury. I had little-to-no knowledge of heart catheterizations, no medical background and little bias against "frivolous lawsuits" (yep, they had the gall to ask us that). Boy, how things have changed in a week. The trial I was on in the Fulton County State Court was a medical malpractice/wrongful death suit. The surviving family members and the estate were seeking 2.4 million in compensation. We heard from 3 heart cath lab techs, 4 cardiologists and several family members of the deceased over the course of 3 days....

I've actually spent every 4th of July in the US. Before this year it's consisted mostly of a low key day at my parents' beach condo followed by watching fireworks up and down the shoreline. This year R and I stayed in Atlanta without too much of a plan. We went to the Braves game on Saturday night with 2 others couples from our small group and counted that as our fill of fireworks and Americana. We didn't really have big plans for the actual 4th of July, except for the invite from our next door neighbors. They are this fun engaged couple who rents the house next to us that R and I have been meaning to get to know. About a week ago she told R they were having a party and we were invited. Then a day or two later he told R to please stop by- the festivities would start around noon and end whenever everyone left. There would be food, a keg and beer pong... Not our typical type of party but we want to get to know the neighbors. The next day he told R some people woul...