Don't Believe It

If anyone ever tells you that you can make anything taste good, they have not tasted shalgum.
I know this because today I tried this drink made of fermented beet juice that they drink here.

Did you catch that? FERMENTED beet juice. 

I promise it is as gross as it sounds.
It will make you want to gag and run out of the room with tears in your eyes.
You CANNOT make that stuff taste good.
Take my word for it.

I would happily drink ayran like it was going out of style before I EVER took another sip of shalgum.

Thanksgiving in Pictures

My Life

Public transportation.

Pretty much sums up my life here.

10 Snippets of Life Recently

1. Me, umbrellas, wind & rain do NOT go well together. My umbrella (which I reluctantly purchased a few weeks ago in anticipation of the winter rain here) had a fight with the wind this week, and lost. It joined the massive graveyard of broken umbrellas that cover the streets on a rainy day here.
2. Quiet rainy mornings have been my place of solitude this week. Actually, they have been for my entire time overseas. Quite ironic for someone who is generally not a morning person. The Father has woken me sometimes a couple of hours before my roomates and it has been such a blessing - not because I don't love being with them (I do!) but because it has been wonderful to sit in silence, drink my hot tea, think, pray, journal, read the Word...
3. I finished reading John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress this week! I am ashamed to admit that I have never previously read this book, but now I have and I am so glad! It was a huge encouragement to me to read of the believer's journey through life - the battles, victories, sorrows, joys, lessons learned, etc.
4. As I finished one book, I started reading another: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney. This has sat on my shelf at home for literally a couple of years now and I have finally resolved myself to read it. The first couple of chapters I have read left me feeling pretty raw. It's going to be a growing process - a good one. One that I trust will leave me more conformed to the image of my Father.
5. Banana bread, banana cake, banana muffins, etc. have become a staple in our house. We have blown through probably a couple bags of flour, but can't help buying the cheap bananas.
6. Sarah & I enjoy spending a couple of hours each week at a local coffee shop (usually Starbucks - not a lot of choices here) reading and talking and journaling. I always enjoy the combination of writing, talking, people-watching and sharing our ups & downs. This week, we sat in a particular Starbucks that was unusually overwhelmed with English speakers - I hardly knew what to do with myself. I couldn't help but eavesdrop in on all their conversations (mostly because I could understand EVERYTHING they were saying)! I didn't even have to think at all in listening! Is this what America will be like in a few weeks?
7. We have mold growing on our walls. Not cool.
8. If there were one thing I could have made room to bring with me it definitely would have been my rain boots. I am so sad they are at home in America.
9. We celebrated my roomate, Vonda's, birthday on Friday! We started the day with a lazy morning and roomate breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes. Later, we went to a coffee shop and spent some time with some of our American friends. So thankful for a day without rain today!
10. I have decided that for the month of November I am going to post a picture for every day of the month. I hope this will give a good depiction of daily life here.

Rain

I have learned about dealing with the rain while living in a country that receives A LOT of rain in the fall & winter:

• Nationals get it. I do not. I was the only wet person on the metro today.
• Sperry's are not completely waterproof.
• The person who invented rainboots is a genius. Why didn't I make room for those in my suitcase?
• I still love thunderstorms. They are just better when you are outside & not in the middle of them.
• FACT: It is raining too hard when rain starts coming through your umbrella.
• I am still NOT a fan of umbrellas. Living in a country that rains a lot has not changed that about me. I don't expect that it will either.
• Banana bread is a great snack to make on a rainy day.
• Eat the banana bread with a homeade vanilla latte. You're welcome.
• I love rainy days.

Pumpkin Cookies

Every fall my family makes pumpkin cookies (sometimes I think they would be better described as jack-o-lantern cookies so as not to be confused with pumpkin-flavored cookies, which they are not).  I was missing fall and was feeling ambitious so I ventured to the store and found the ingredients that would create a familiar cookie to me…and persevered through the afternoon to conquer one thing on my bucket list for the fall: make pumpkin cookies while living overseas.

Success.  I was very pleased with the result :)

Traditionally, we frost sugar cookies with orange frosting and use green gumdrops for the stem, M&M’s for the nose and eyes and raisins for the mouth…but, seeing as my current location does not offer any of the above candies I decided I could break tradition this fall.  I improvised and justified my lack of food coloring by the fact that there are indeed white pumpkins in the world!

Coffee Shop Day

This is what a coffee shop day looks like...

Wish you were here with me!

What I See Everyday

Please lift up views like this one that we see all the time.

Ask that the Father would break down the barriers that hinder an understanding of the Truth that we find life in.

What I Have Learned so far...

• Magnum bars will change your life, or at least refresh you so that you have confidence to try and find the right bus to get home. They also happen to be the most amazing ice cream bars that I have ever put in my mouth. The ice cream here...not so much. Take my advice - stick with the magnum bars.
• You can buy orange juice from the vendors on the streets and I love it.
• They do not put ice in their drinks here. So sad :(
• My best friend is my fan that keeps me cool at night (p.s. no air conditioning here)
• Living in a city with millions of people all around you requires that you dispose of any personal bubble that may have made its way over here with you.
• The tile floor is the coolest place to lay for about 20 minutes when you get home.
• There must be at least a hundred ways to get from any point A to B here.
• The fruit is delicious and you can buy it cheap anywhere...I try everything.
• Yogurt is basically the equivalent to sour cream here.
• Other than water (which you can buy on the street for about $0.45 here), they drink cola and ayran (a yogurt, milk & salt drink) with everything

First Few Days...

Living here