Better Ingredients...

I’m not really sure how it happened, but Papa John’s opened here in December sometime and we managed to get to March without knowing about it. Good thing we saw the KRISPY KREME sign hanging up next to Papa John’s announcing its opening next month… we will not be late for that one!
Ok, all you faithful blog readers out there who scrolled all the way through the pics… I want to share a story that could have everything to do with the pictures above. Back in 2004-2006 I worked at Outback Steakhouse. One day I waited on a table with 2 gentlemen sitting at it. One, I thought, looked familiar…

Sharon: “Hi! Wait. Have I waited on you before? You look familiar.”
Man sitting with Familiar Guy: “Um, well, you may not have waited on him, but he may have made your pizza.”
Sharon: (as the lights went on I said like an idiot) “You’re Papa John!”

That’s right folks. I met and served THE Papa John. He was very polite and even asked about me. When I told him I had plans to move overseas (and named the country) he said, “Really?” Then his friend (who was super-lame and totally acted like the side-kick to someone famous) told me they were actually discussing opening Papa John’s in China. I said, “Well, I don’t know about there, but I know I’d like to have a Papa John’s where I’m moving to!”

Could it be? Could I have been instrumental in bringing Papa John’s here? I, of course, choose to believe so and will therefore reward myself by an extra helping of garlic sauce!

Isaac's First Birthday!

Isaac is One Year Old!
We had his birthday party today at our house. We put up a couple of tents because around here, when you have a party the number one signal to all neighbors is a tent! We didn't have to send out invitations or anything. We did tell a couple of people, but mostly people just saw the tents and heard by word of mouth. If you're a friend, you come.
We bought a small pool for his party (thanks Mom!) And set it up under the porch because people here do everything they can to stay out of the sun. Even though we both grew up in Florida, having February birthdays meant we never got to have a pool party. We thought it would add some fun to the normal birthday festivities. Only a few kids played in it (but enough to fill it up for sure) and it was a big hit. We told the adults we were gonna buy an even bigger pool and have a party for ourselves and the adults next week for our birthday… I only tell you that little piece of info because I said it in their language and I must have said it right because they all laughed and then rolled with the joke. (One mom when her daughter asked if it was true, said, “Yes, but you can’t play in it. Only the adults.”) It’s all about the small victories folks.I can’t believe our Miniman is ONE! They say the years just get faster, especially when you add more kids (which we’ll hopefully do this year!)

I made my mom’s chocolate cake for the big cake- not nearly as well as she does, but it turned out alright. For Isaac’s cake, I made 3 cupcakes hoping I could come up with something. I tried to make a koala and I think it turned out alright (disproportionately large ears, but who would dare judge?) Isaac liked his cake, but in an effort to help the icing not melt in the VERY hot sun, I put it in the freezer… a bit too long though. When he went to dig in, it was too hard! AH! Anthony gave it a poke to try and get it started for him, but even for Anthony it was tough. But he eventually got into it, picking the entire cupcakes up and shoving them in his mouth.
Not long after we cleaned him up, he had a sugar crash and napped for about an hour. The older boys had a water balloon fight with the leftover balloons. We opened presents later. In this culture, you normally don't open gifts in front of people, so we did it inside when there were just a few people left.Everyone took home a bit of cake and a few extra cookies. All in all it was a great party! Happy Birthday Sweet Isaac!

Love Birds...

We went to the bird-park on Valentine's Day- with Isaac of course (can you see the date on Anthony's armband?) Isaac's more like a training wheel or a wheel on a Tonka truck than a "Third Wheel" and he comes with a stroller, so you can put the 3rd wheel on wheels if need be. We had never been there and it was fun! There are a lot of birds not in cages, and because of our residency visa, we got in for less than half-price. Woohoo!This was painted on one of the walls. No kissing in public though for risk of paying a fine...(although I doubt anyone would have given us a ticket on Valentine's Day!)
We went into the parrot enclosure (kinda like the velociraptor enclosure in Jurassic Park). All was going well.
Isaac liked feeding the birds and didn't mind how close they were.
Until one (2nd from the left) bit his hand. He cried so loud! It left a mark (you can still see it today!) but I was laughing and couldn't do anything because both arms were occupied. Then as he was crying a couple birds landed on him and my head and scared him even worse. It wasn't as bad as the poor cow in the Velociraptor cage (he stopped crying before we even got out of the enclosure) but still...poor Miniman!
Isaac's favorite birds were the toucans (so like any parents with only one child, we used the money we saved from the entrance fee and bought him a stuffed toucan). There were several Hornbills flying around as well- huge!If you're ever in town we'll take you! (unless you come on Valentine's Day, then we'll ask you to babysit:)

For Dorks Like Us Who Love to Read People Much Smarter than Us

Yale did something very cool.

They put EVERYTHING Jonathan Edwards ever wrote online... for free.

Of course, they did this after I dropped a Benjamin on "The Works of Jonathan Edwards" a couple years back.

It's ok... I still got some Hamilton's, and when I can I drop 'em like Aaron Burr.

Getting Lost in the Foo

Using the wonders of wifi, I'm downloading "Lost" from iTunes in Carrefour, the French Walmart. I think wifi means something like Wonderous Internet Flying Inthesky, although Wikipedia tells me it means "wireless fiedelity." Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you're getting the best possible information.

By the way, Carrefour is pronouced "car-FOO" and must be said with a frou-frou accent and an poorly disguised distain for anything unfrench-like.

World Heritage Site- Melaka

We went overnight to watch the Superbowl with some friends and on our drive back we stopped by one of the most famous places to visit here. It's actually taken us 2 and half years to make it to Melaka. Last year it was deemed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO...which in case you don't know, is a big deal. The city is a port city and over the centuries it has accumulated a rich history. I think I heard once it was the place where the "winds meet" meaning it's great for sailing big ships from Europe, Arabia, and India to China, Japan, and beyond. Different nations, particularly the Portuguese, have colonized it. In fact the local people from there actually look different (their noses particularly look more European)...which is a testimony to what a unique place it is since it's only about 3 hours from the capital and this nation only has about 23 million people total. You can tell before someone says, "I'm from Melaka" that they're from Melaka. They're proud of their heritage...as they should be!
There's lots of antique shops and other "old stuff" to see like the Christ Church and "Jonker Street." The whole place just has a very distinct feel to it. We're definitely going back! A fountain dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria.
Isaac checking out the cool tile in front of an antique store.
Isaac and I making our crazy smile faces in front of St. Francis church.

"Will You Marry Me?"

It’s not quite that simple here!
To get engaged here is a big to-do. Not that it’s not in the states, it just takes more time and effort, with more people involved here than in the states.
We went to an engagement ceremony back in 2007 when Kakak’s younger brother got engaged. This time we were on the “girl’s” side and learned a bit more.

First. I (Sharon) got to use my crafty side and made a “hantaran.”
“Hantar” means “to send,” and when you add the suffix “an” to anything, it makes it a noun.
So a “Hantar+an” is “The Sent Stuff.” (we don’t have an English equivalent really). Hantaran are gifts that the bride and groom give one another at their engagement.

My language teacher is good at making hantaran and the like, and he helped me make a hantaran for my friend Rina’s engagement.
Usually hantaran is made by one person- kinda like a wedding coordinator/planner- so that they all match. I volunteered to make one for my friend and she agreed. So it didn’t match exactly, but it didn’t look too terrible in the end either. I made a chocolate tower of sorts, because the hantaran set needs to have something “sweet” included for your sweetheart.

Here’s me making the hantaran with our language teacher.
Day 1

Day 2 The finished product!
The Engagement Day
So here’s my friend’s living room with her professionally done hantaran with mine added (later another of her friends brought a pretty basket with some muffins too). She liked it and was glad I made it. All that stuff is for her fiancé-to-be. His family comes to her house and brings hantaran to give to her as well. But the engagement is more about the bride-to-be.
She was in the bedroom getting her make up done and getting dressed. Here the girl gets all dressed up (not quite like her wedding day, but pretty close). When her fiancé-to-be family shows up, she stays in the room.

Here’s his family arriving. Rina’s fiancé is (If I remember correctly) the 9th of 9 children! His parents are professionals at the engagement thing by now. (notice he gave her a full line of Clinique skin care products! Holla!)Both families crowd into the room. All the hantaran is placed together. Then the fathers discuss the bride price. That’s right! The bride’s family negotiates a price for the hand of their daughter…she’s valuable! I’ll have to clarify, but usually I think the bride gets to keep most of the money and usually she buys jewelry or other things like that to mark her wedding day. If you’ve ever read the parable of the “Lost Coin” in the book of Luke in the bible, the reason the woman was so freaked out that she lost her “coin” was because it was something she received on her wedding day. The jewelry a girl will buy is kind of like that I think (not coins, just special). It would be like an American woman losing a diamond out of her wedding ring. Sorry, that was a tangent.

After the price is agreed upon (which is actually really already known before the ceremony, but the formality makes it special) everyone quotes/sings a prayer (Muslim style). Then the girl comes out and sits as her mother-in-law-to-be puts a ring on her finger. (the bride’s dad inspects the ring during the “price” discussion).
After that the couple is engaged! Then everyone eats:)

Where is the groom-to-be during all this? He’s outside! Traditionally he’s not allowed in at all, but now when people start to eat, he’s allowed to eat and mingle with the guests. Here’s the happy couple. They’ll actually have a two-year engagement while she finishes law school! Whoa!
And just to make this post even longer. Here’s some pics with my friend and I and her younger sister.
If you’re wondering if the whole thing feels as special as a guy dropping to his knee and popping the question, the answer is (no pun intended) “Yes!” When I went to take the above picture with Rina, she looked at me all excited and squealed, “I’m ENGAGED!” just like any newly engaged girl would do in the states.