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Today marks the 200 day countdown until the 2010 Shanghai World Expo Begins. This event will be the largest World's Fair. There are 70 million expected visitors during the 6 month period that the Expo will last. Close to 200 countries will participate and have a pavilion that showcases the business, economy, and culture of their country. I feel honored and humbled to be a part of this World Event in such a strategic country. Great things are happening and will happen in this country.
Official Expo site: http://en.expo2010.cn/

a lesson in kung fu

Have you ever see the movie Shao Lin temple with Jet Li? I haven't seen it, but I'd like to because that is where the Expo Project Group went for team building. We got to meet the Abbot (the head monk of the temple), and have many interesting 'behind the scenes’ experiences such as: eating vegetarian food with the monks - we couldn't talk and we had to finish everything they put in the two bowls that were in front of us. We rose at 4:30 am one morning to listen to the monks chant. One night around 8pm it was dark and soo quiet on the temple grounds. We got to have a kung fu lesson from a head monk. It was interesting being there at night and thinking about how old the place is.
We climbed one of the 4 main mountains in China and saw some ancient carvings on stone along a river. Then one day we got blindfolded before getting on the bus. Each person had someone guiding them as we got off the bus, still blindfolded. Then I began to hear clapping. We were being led towards the many clapping hands, it began to get louder and faster and I could hear clapping completely surrounding me. Finally we were led to a small platform and then told to take off our blind folds. In front of us were many perfectly straight lines of boys of all ages going all the way back to a fence at the other end of the courtyard. The youngest and smallest were in front. We realized we were in the middle of a keng fu school - with the dormitories and classroom buildings around us. All of the sudden a voice came over a speaker and called out some orders, then the kids moved in unison yelling "huh" and striking different kung fu poses. It was really quite incredible to see their intense faces and strict discipline as well as the sheer number of them.
It was a very interesting trip but a bit trying being surrounded by emptiness in the temples and in the boys faces. Overall, a very culturally rich trip with highs and lows that will be remembered.

Pepperdine SH style

The building here in SH that they got for the program a few years ago was originally built in 1937 when the school was founded in the US. I said 'hey' to your peeps Mark. 

while it lasts

so I figured out I could get on wordpress today. Hope you don't mind the switching around, but I am going to use wordpress while it lasts: www.iamthird.wordpress.com  

my sins are gone, ive been set free

There is nothing like worshiping with people from all over the world. So many people filled the church, I joyfully stood throughout the service with others who did not have room to sit. Wonderful time cooking and eating meals with new friends. He's got the whole world in His hands.

医院 yi yuan (hospital)

     Mr. Xue picked me up. Checked in at desk. Waited. Then, we who where there for physicals were corralled from room to room to get all the different check ups done.
Room 102 –change into gown/weight/height
Room 112 --eye examination room-cover one eye and say which way the “E” is pointing

Room 109 was labeled “Sample Center”. Worst room. By far.
      I was not allowed to eat for 12 hours prior to check up. Knowing I am a bit faint around needles (especially when I have not eaten breakfast), I opened a piece of chocolate (because I knew I would not have the strength to open it after the needle) and sat it on my leg. I propped my right arm up on the desk—nurse ties a rubber band thing around my bicep and starts slapping the veins in the crease of my arm above my elbow. Here we go…huge needle/shovel looking on the top where the blood can run down goes into my arm and she gets the back of the plastic part to syringe the blood out of my arm.
      This is the part where my eyesight becomes blurry, sounds become muffled, and my head begins to lay back against the chair. I of course forget about the chocolate on my leg. Luckily the nurse figures it out and begins to feed me the piece of chocolate as my head is resting on the back of the chair. Just before I went all the way out the chocolate began to take affect and the nurse also got me some water. I still must not have looked too good, because she reclined the chair then went to get me a ‘moon pie’ looking thing. She would not let me get up from the chair till I had finished eating it.

On to room 116- who knew they give ultrasounds to people who aren’t pregnant? My liver, gallbladder, and kidneys looked interesting on a monitor. The nurses just stared at me funny as I was still weak trying to get up and off of the tall bed-table I had to get on for the gook to be applied to my stomach for the ‘viewing’ of the internals.

117- Chest x-ray – lungs and heart seemed to be ok.

110 – 2nd worst room- EKG. Muster up some more energy to climb on another tall table. Lay down. Out come the rusty metal clamps that are attached to my ankles and wrists. Old timey suction cups with air squeezy balls attached to the end of them are placed around my chest and stomach. And the lady says “relax”. Like that is easy to do when your hooked up to a 1970s piece of medical equipment. Sheesh.

     Last room was another poking an prodding breathing in and out room, and the doctor took my blood pressure—that has always been pretty low. He took it once, mumbled under his breath, took it again and said “very low, very low”.
      Good thing I was watching as he began to type all the information from the other rooms onto the computer. The picture and profile where NOT me. It was a brown headed Belgium girl who was a few people behind me in the ‘corralling line’ . “Oh, so sorry, so sorry” the doctor said when I finally got it across to him that that was not my picture.

     Back out to the waiting room it was my turn to smile at the people who where nervously awaiting their check up experience. Whew, glad that’s over with!

"dreams are the currency of the future"

   A big thank you to my wonderful dad who paid my overweight luggage fee so that I could READ. Yes, I brought some heavy intellectual stimulation in the form of books. It has proved to be fascinating so far to see how each one grows me so much!

   Yesterday while reading The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly, I stopped within the first few chapters to write down some dreams. You know what makes me smile? When other people are living/thinking about/planning their dreams too.

-when a friend sits down with his brother to talk about their goals

-when the dreamer lands her summer photog gig

-when a friend tells me in the pool at my house one summer where in the world she was going to live... and she does it!

-when a friend drives cross country in pursuit of his dreams

-when a friend scuba dives Rotan Island to lobbying at Capital Hill and everything in between.

-when a friend moves to NYC

-when a friend nails a tough interview to land a sweet museum gig

-when a friend survives an accident, comes to know Christ, and redirects their life

-when friends find true love

-when friends and family nurture children - natural and/or adopted

-when a friend becomes a rock star

   "The pursuit of dreams creates passion, energy, enthusiasm, and vitality. One of the most powerful dynamics in relationships is trying to understand the other person's dreams and helping them chase and fulfill those dreams. Every relationship improves when we are mindful of each others dreams."

    KEEP PURSING YOUR DREAMS!