The gift that keeps on giving

We love our friends here, we really really do! I want to say this now so no one thinks I am a hater....

Because of our differences in culture with our friends here it can lead to awkward and very funny situations. They really love to give you gifts and we love getting them. Not only we do love getting the gifts because it shows that they care and have thought about you, but we also love them for the laughter they sometimes bring.

Jared came home today after seeing a friend. This was the first time he had even really had a conversation with this friend...it was so kind and thoughtful of him to give Jared this gift.

What it is....I have no idea but it looks like a little baby (boy or girl? There are flowers on those clothes) playing with cymbals. It of course will be prominently displayed in our apartment!

Ok, now for my story. Two of my VERY good friends gave me a birthday gift last year. It was very thoughtful of them and I am glad I get to share this with each of you.  What they said to me when they gave me this gift was, " Jennifer, this is for you from the bottom of our hearts" Awwwww......

Yes, you would be right, these are 2 baby bottles and inside the bottles were what I think are a little boy bunny and a little girl bunny. Of course for our future babies. Well, and you know what else! The bottles are little piggy banks (rather bottle banks)! I guess Jared and I can now start our savings for the little shoes that will join us at some later date.

We had been at a party and decided to show some of our American friends. Charles didn't quite hear my intro that this had been a gift from some friends and just kept saying, "Jenn, what are you trying to tell us".

I am glad Jared came home with a fun gift today and jogged my memory of our fun gifts from the past year. I will post more pics of any other we get this year.

Hopefully the first of many!

Well, I have gone and done it! I made a blog.  No need to clap and cheer...really. Before we left a year ago I told some people...I think I might start a blog.  We have been here in Asia for 1 year and 1 month and I have finally begun.  So, I hope it sticks. It's not really about anything in particular just our daily life. Many of you receive our emails which contain certain information about life here but this will show the nitty gritty, the crazy side, all that other stuff that life brings you.

Living overseas is always an adventure. Many of you know that from taking trips from 1 week, maybe a month of two, some of you have been in our "shoes" and lived over seas for a year or more. No matter how long your trip outside the U.S. has been you know to expect the unexpected.

For us here in Asia there are many cultural differences and even frustrations in our language barrier which you will learn hopefully through my posts. As I type this I have 2 Asian men in our apartment...weird as that sounds, let me tell you more....they are braking open our safe. No they are not burglars, and I am completely safe. Last year they helped us a lot in getting settled by re-doing our bathroom and kitchen sink. A few weeks ago our safe just decided it wouldn't open. We put in the code and turned the key, the little green light lit up but the key would not turn. I think they will have to drill into it. Looks like we will be buying a new one.

I am very grateful they were able to come so soon because at the same time the gas in our stove just decided to stop working. I am going to try my best in my very broken language to ask him to help us with that too. I would like to be able to cook again...in the near future.  We really do love our place and feel very settled in, sometimes I feel like we own this place because we have to pay for everything. The landlord won't pay for things to be fixed, even if there is rotting wood for a cabinet and mold under your sink when you move in. Just another difference between here and there...