A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Well, it's done. Immigration's H-1B cap season is come and gone. I'm exhausted, but glad it's over. If you haven't gotten an e-mail from me in the last few weeks, take heart! I'll actually have a few minutes to examine my life and get caught up on things like that. YaY!

A Papaya Post

I spent a great deal of today thinking about my cousin, Sara and her Mya Papaya. My working morning was spent at the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. A rarity - usually I send away for people's visas, but today I got to act as agent and go, in person, to pick up a Chinese visa for a client. It was an extremely long wait and an interesting one, as it was prime people watching. Lots of little Chinese girls about Mya's age waiting for visas with their parents. I smiled as I listened to one little girl tattling on her brother to her father in rapid Chinese - some things are the same in any language. Plenty of multi-lingual families speaking in a blend of the two languages. The lady behind me spoke to her two young children in Chinese, but ended every sentence with, "Ok?"

Eventually the seat next to me was taken by a very nice Chinese woman who chatted with me for quite some time in heavily-accented English. She asked me when I was going to China. Alas, I am not. She is going back to visit her parents, which she does once a year and has ever since they returned to China about four years ago - after living in Chicago for six years prior. I talked to her about Mya and brought out my phone to pull up Sara's website and show her pictures. She oohed and aahed about how pretty she is and giggled as she said that "she look like she have plenty attitude." By the way, Sara, she told me to advise you to try and find a way to keep up Mya's language because "Chinese very hard learn." Her own daughter, at 11, has forgotten all of her Chinese (it's not her fault, though, she says...her father's American and speaks no Chinese) and so she makes Anna go to Chinese Saturday school, but she's having a difficult time.

It was a nice break from the regular work day - and I get to go back again tomorrow. They took the visa application but were to busy for same day service, so I get to go pick it up tomorrow. I wonder who I'll meet then.

Jeff's New Tattoo

I love it! Mom and Matt represented in one tattoo.

WeeeHooooo!

This is my victory song following Michigan State beating Louisville:
"We're gonna Sparty on tonight...We're gonna Sparty on tomorrow!"

Watch out UConn, we're gunnin' for ya! Go STATE!

(**disclaimer: This post was not written by Cindi)

Another Earth Hour Commerical I Like

Be sure to participate next year!

Earth Hour 2009 - Vote Earth

In Other News

It appears that one of our cats has converted to Islam.

You Found Me

I really wanted to post the YouTube video for the song "You Found Me," by the Fray, both because the first time I heard it, I had to buy it (Mike seems to think this happens to me a lot.) and because there's just a lot of really, ugly stuff happening in our lives right now. I think that it would speak to anyone who has struggled to maintain their faith in the face of unfortunate events, especially those over which they have no control. Unfortunately, the song video embedding has been "disabled by request." I can however, post a link - and I did. If you haven't heard it (which would surprise me) - or if you want to hear it again, I encourage you.

A little background from Wikipedia -

In an interview, Isaac Slade expressed his meaning behind the lyrics of the song:

"You Found Me" is a tough song for me. It's about the disappointment, the heart ache, the let down that comes with life. Sometimes you’re let down, sometimes you’re the one who lets someone else down. It gets hard to know who you can trust, who you can count on. This song came out of a tough time, and I’m still right in the thick of it. There’s some difficult circumstances my family and friends have been going through over the past year or so and can be overwhelming. It wears on me. It demands so much of my faith to keep believing, keep hoping in the unseen. Sometimes the tunnel has a light at the end, but usually they just look black as night. This song is about that feeling, and the hope that I still have, buried deep in my chest.

Birthday (Week) Pictures

The Real Story

The real birthday cake from my informal birthday get together last week...

The "official" birthday cake from my informal get together last week. :)

Mike told the server that I was 32, but that she should bring out the cake with "23" on it because I'd like it better...and she did! Awesome.

James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Happy Birthday, Mike!!!!!