yeti speak…

  • gathering for more photos

    Since my friends had been to this village before they had developed pictures they had taken of the villagers and brought prints back to them. You wouldn’t believe the excitement this caused! They were anxiously waiting for the photos almost as soon as we arrived in Karong. I’ve never seen families negotiate in this manner…

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  • our host home

    our host home

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  • another family photo

    another family photo

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  • still some snow

    still some snow

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  • around the neighborhood

    around the neighborhood

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  • back to the countryside

    I’m leaving today for a two-day trip out in the countryside. Myself and 4 other friends will be taking a bus about 3 hours south of Xining where we will then hike 3 hours or so to a mountain village. This village is one that can’t be accessed any other way so I’m pretty excited.…

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  • Ash Wednesday starts Bright Sadness

    Today is Ash Wednesday or, as my friend J-Lo (not Jenifer Lopez) pointed out, the beginning of what the Orthodox church refers to as Bright Sadness (a.k.a. Lent).  Some blogging friends have posted their perspectives on this Christian observance (e.g. J-Lo’s post, Bridget’s post) and have given me a new sense of anticipation for this…

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  • pop quiz

    The picture above depicts yours truly in a contemplative posture.  I was most likely doing which of the following… a.  Calculating the number of days (~360+) before I would be able to return to an establishment that sells espresso drinks in standard sizes (short, tall, grande) and where such drinks are prepared following a multi-stepped…

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  • correct answer…

    you got me?  If I knew I probably wouldn’t be blogging about it. (Sidenote:  This picture was taken about three weeks ago.  I shaved my gotee a few days after this was taken.  Yesterday, Anna looked at me wide-eyed.  "Daddy, when did you shave off your beard?" she asked in amazement. Such an observant child. …

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  • a christian alternative

    Back in 1992 my faith in God became real. I had spent a number of years like Jonah; running from reality and pretending that what I knew to be true wasn’t. But He was patient and waited me out; ultimately revealing the Ecclesiastes-type vanity and futility of any pursuit outside of Him. At that time…

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