Tagged by melvis:

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4. What does it say?
it’s blank!  (seriously)

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
the wall

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
I live in Uzland…therefore… 

4. Without looking, guess what time it is:
10:30

5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
10:11

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
someone speaking in Russian

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
when I was coming to work

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
rentals on the jersey shore

9. What are you wearing?
white pants, black top, pink jacket

10. Did you dream last night?
yes – I was at the airport, and one of my friends didn’t get through customs

11. When did you last laugh?
this morning, talking to someone (but it was a sarcastic laugh)

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
a calendar

13. Seen anything weird lately?
I live in Uzland… therefore…

14. What do you think of this quiz?
unique

15. What is the last film you saw?
lock, stock, and two smoking barrels (didn’t finish it, yet)

In the theatre?
I live in Uzland… therefore…

16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
a beach house

17. Tell me something about you that I don’t know. 
you don’t want to know.

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
all food would be really cheap.

19. Do you like to dance?
LOVE IT.

20. George Bush:
doesn’t… quite… get… it.

21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Josephine

22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Benjamin

23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
I live in Uzland… therefore…

24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
I will now tell you everything you ever wanted to know…. about men.

25. 4 people who must also do this quiz in THEIR journal: 
ckimchi, kyuri, dontletmedown, gnusharas

Why is it that the first song you hear in the morning always sticks with you throughout the day?

Absurd that as I am riding in a taxi this morning, this is the song the driver is playing, quite loudly. 

I also noticed that almost every taxi driver here smokes. I guess it makes sense — you need something to do as you roam the streets, trying to find passengers. But all that secondhand smoke! 

And now, a special tribute to Big Poppa (he likes it when you call him that), who is slowly withering away in the cold, harsh reality that is called … Norway.

At first, we didn’t understand his ways…

…or his fashion…

…. or his eating habits…

… or his extracurricular activities..

.. but soon, we all came to love hanging out with him…

.. especially at his favorite restaurants…

… and realized what a unique and wonderful Poppa we found in this farmboy from Norway…

We love you Poppa!

I love sports underdog stories.. (my apologies in advance to schoopaman)…

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/ncaa/specials/ncaa_tourney/2006/03/26/george.mason.uconn.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

Read this book in two days!  The book is about a Chechen surgeon who treats both Russian and Chechen patients during the two wars between Chechnya and Russia.

Amazing.

Depressing.

Compelling.

Kind of gross, as he describes blood, burning flesh, bones sticking out… all stuff that my Xanga doctor friends have seen a million times, especially those in ER medicine….

I recommend it.  But afterwards, make sure you read what the Chechen-Russian wars are all about.  I hardly knew ANYTHING about them before this book.  Shame.  And it’s not over, yet.

And just a shout out to all of those Xanga doctor friends who often post about interactions with crazy patients, but treat them with compassion nonetheless – kudos to you! (genejkim, drtaekim, joshuy) I know you’re just doing your job, but I think you guys do it with special attention and care.

I hate death.  Death means that someone has left the earth and we no longer have the pleasure of their company. It makes us sad.  It makes us feel lonely.  And I hate seeing the effects of death on other people… on mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, friends… all left behind, mourning.  No matter if it’s sudden or expected, death is painful.

But those of us who believe in eternal life – who believe that there is a heaven where we are made perfect and are eternally in the company of God – death is not the end!

I am especially thinking about this fact again this week, as a young man – crippled from 7 years old - “ran to J-sus” this week.  It’s so very sad that we no longer have him on this earth. I didn’t know him at all, but those who did were blessed by his selflessness… he was loved and he will be greatly missed.

But he is now in heaven – running, skipping, jumping up and down… all those things he could never do here on earth.  He was happy here on earth – but he’s perfect up in heaven!  Yeah!

His death reminds me of my cousin’s.   He died a few years ago of brain cancer.  He was a wonderful, loving, enthusiastic, passionate guy.  He and I were about a year apart – we were both March babies.  But even before he had brain cancer, Indo struggled a lot.  He loved living in this world and wanted to get the most out of it, but sometimes it was too much for him.

When he finally died – leaving behind a wife, two young kids, his parents, his sister, and countless friends whose lives he had touched - someone close to me really struggled to understand why God would let something like this happen.  And the only answer?  He believed in eternal life and how to get it and had it.  I know he did.  And that meant that he went to a place where he was perfect – free from brain cancer, free from the world he loved so fiercely but struggled through so constantly… free to enjoy the presence of God forever…he was home, with God… and oh how much he must be enjoying it up there!   Sweet!

And that’s why, even through tears, on behalf of these two young men and countless others, I can thumb my nose at death and say:
 ”Where, O death, is your victory? 
  Where, O death, is your sting?
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord J-sus Ch.”

More pics from India:

Truly a sight to behold — the Taj Mahal.  Many or most of the builders were supposedly Uzbek.  That’s what people tell me here.

Speaking of meat…. this guy looks like he’s SO OVER the whole meat thing…

This is from Holi, that colored-powder throwing holiday.  See these nice ouftits they ruined?  (the stuff doesn’t come out of clothes)

I like their “understated” (i.e. not all jeweled, colorful, tacky-like) architecture.

And finally, a random poster at The Big Chill Cafe in Delhi which serves, among other things, risotto; pizza; shrimp pasta; banana splits;
grilled chicken salads; chocolate truffle cake….

Thoughts as I am back in my home country:

• Coming back to my “home”, I was happy to finally be able to eat beef … (though I think I *could do* vegetarian in India… paneer, lentils, curried veggies…yum yum)…. my roommate greeted me with a dinner of some cooked ground beef and rice… yummy…


• …. but sad to think about how behind “MY” country is economically… and in product quality.  The goods in India, much of it made there, is really good quality and affordable!  The goods made here – maybe affordable, but very low quality.


• Similarities in words between HINDI and UZBEK… pretty cool! 


• At the Red Fort in Agra, where the Taj Mahal is, the guide kept saying to us “this used to be gold… but the British government took it” and “this used to have stones… but the British government took it”… and they call Americans imperialists! Indiana Jones was always trying to get artifacts away from the Nazis to put into museums, not to keep for himself!


• The movie Napoleon Dynamite has appeal with people that you think it wouldn’t and doesn’t have appeal with people that you think would.  We watched it and quoted it EXTENSIVELY during out time there.


• You don’t know SPICY until you’ve eaten INDIAN SPICY (but I loved it… my nose sniffling, my eyes watering… and I’m still eating away…)


• Living in a developing country gives you an IRON STOMACH.  I didn’t get sick at all, and I ate Indian STREET FOOD.


• Visiting a country is 10x more enjoyable when you know the language. Or when they know YOUR native language.

Also, I really enjoyed going to the International Church there… and I especially enjoyed the sign that was in the
restroom of the building we met in (the British school):

Dang, I hate it when they restrict me like that. No stores?

Notice: * implies a frozen dessert.  But it’s just implied.  It might not actually be one.

And notice this is a HIGH ORDER RECEIPT.  And notice the ketchup stain at the bottom.  SICK.

Another beautiful face of India.

Alright, Alright!

I’ve been eating DELICIOUS Indian food… my favs are butter chicken, daal, and a 7 rupee (that’s like, 20 cents) pakora – a fried sandwich with paneer (cheese) and potato inside that was served inside a bowl made of leaves!  And served with the ubiquitous HOT HOT green sauce  It was amazing:

By the way, I’m here with a woman and her two kids..close friends of mine from the country I live in now. 
This is not just a picture with a random white kid.

Went to some places in Delhi, like Humayan’s Tomb, and also explored around the place where I’m staying… family friends of the family I’m with.. a very famous area called Nizamuddin West.. and some important places of pilgrimage for the Muslims (this is mostly a Muslim area). 
Here are some pics from that adventure:

Women can’t go inside, so they have to sit outside and peer through… my tour guides, Wasim and Asif….and at Humayan’s Tomb…

Visited the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and an old city called Faitepuh Sikr… all beautiful.   AND the Taj didn’t smell like feet because they now give you these white slipon covers for your shoes so you don’t have to take them off!!  Brilliant!  Here’s me with my friend.  Just to prove we were there.  Like my shawar kameez? (my outfit)  SOOO comfortable.

Part of the fun was getting there, a four hour drive that would take two hours if we didn’t have to dodge all the crazy traffic.  And it amazes me that women can do this:

And at the Taj, there were women singing…. I love their saris…

Children followed us EVERWHERE, asking for money and staring at the blonde kiddos!  So our strategy to get rid of them was… take a picture!

Only one day left!  I will definitely be coming back one day…

The McAloo Tiki burger was at McDonald’s! 
I was tempted to eat a filet-o-fish, but I’ll do that before I leave.

Today Hindus celebrate a festival called Holi. 
This is how you celebrate this holiday:

Yes, people throw paint on each other.  As you can see, we were also victims.  
A man came up to me and smeared red powder all over my face.

So far, I haven’t eaten any Indian food.  Had DOMINO’S PIZZA last night, KELLOG’S CORN FLAKES for breakfast, and
Sour Cream & Onion flavored LAYS – all stuff I cannot get in my country!