Huh

I always knew that there were a lot of transexual boys/men in Thailand (there's a word for them: "kateuys") and wasn't thrown off by seeing them around, but I've never heard of this before. Huh.
Not sure what I think in general, but the plus is that the kateuys won't be uncomfortable using the men's restroom, and the girls won't be uncomfortable with having kateuys with them in the women's restroom.

Transition at Work

Today, one of my coworkers turned in her two week notice and another announced that she is pregnant. Wow. I understand why the first is leaving--the stability of our jobs here is still up in the air and the job that she is leaving for is a better fit--but it's still sad. She's always been very kind to me. And the coworker who is pregnant is the one I work most closely with, so I have 7-8 months to learn how to do everything she does now!! Ack!

Poverty and obesity

This article on L.A.'s city council banning new fast food restaurants in South L.A. (one of the poorest areas of L.A.) for 1 year reminded me of how true it is that poverty and obesity are often linked in the States. When there are limited supermarkets in your area and the ones that are there offer fewer selections of fresh fruits and vegetables (which cost more than beans and rice anyway), when fast food restaurants proliferate and are often the most affordable food, when you have to eat out of cans because you can't cook because you've lost your gas or lost your home...your health and weight suffer. Thankfully in NW Pasadena, the Food 4 Less and the King's Ranch (Latino focused supermarket) in our neighborhood have a decent selection of vegetables and fruits, though they are still more expensive than boxed food. But then of course, I have the financial resources and the car to drive to Trader Joe's or whatever upscale grocery stores I want to if I can't find what I'm looking for, and some of my neighbors don't.

Poverty is dang costly. :(

5.4 Earthquake

So exciting, I just experienced my first earthquake today at around noon! It was so weird; I could see the walls swaying. Thankfully nothing at the office fell over. I think we were fairly far from the epicenter. The pictures from other places in L.A. are a bit of a different story, however. I'm not sure what I'll find when I get home; hopefully everything will still be on the shelves.

The thing that concerns me is the massive earthquake that is all but certain to hit L.A. anytime between now and the next 30 years. If people are freaking out over this one, will they/we be prepared if that one hits? Perhaps it's time to actually take some of those earthquake preparedness steps I learned about while working at the Red Cross. :P

Ewww

Diamante and I found a tiny worm on a plate in the cupboard today. Then one on the counter. Then on the wall. I confess this was not one of my good moments of identifying with the poor. After I'd found five or six in different places in the same area of our kitchen, I freaked out. After some investigation and worm squishing, we finally traced it to the bag of rice in the top part of the cupboard. When I looked inside, it looked like the rice was moving, there were so many worms. I had this moment of angst where I internally considered how so many people in the world would have to sift the worms out of this rice because they needed it too much to throw away--and for a flash I contemplated doing the same thing, because they have to. But my worm squeamishness won out, and we threw away 1/3 of a bag of rice, plus two potatoes and an onion that had been contaminated. So depressing. To what lengths should identification with the poor go, when "the poor" are in such different situations depending on whether you are living in a black neighborhood in Los Angeles, a squatter settlement in Manila, or amidst the overwhelming poverty of Kolkata? If the poor around me would throw away the rice, but the poor elsewhere in the world would eat it out of necessity, what should I do? Sigh. Incarnational living and justice are messy things to work out.

Tidbits from the Weekend

I got to go see a free outdoor performance of the Taming of the Shrew this weekend with a friend. It's been my favorite Shakespeare play ever since Ms. Wallace made us read the play aloud in class in high school. I got to be Kate, and in that moment, the play came alive for me. I love Kate's spunk and the verbal banter between her and Petruchio, two equals in passion, wit, and energy. Haven't quite figured out what to do with the ending of the play, but nevertheless I still love it.

On another random note, a friend sent me this awesome song, which I am posting here in tribute to all of my fellow Jennifers, Jens and Jennys out there! :) The artist made a music video that goes with it, but like most music videos, it's a little weird so I'm not linking to that here.

Tired

I'd been planning to call up the junior high girls and invite them over to hang out this afternoon. It looked like a perfect arrangement. Diamante was going to be gone with other friends and I had nothing else scheduled between church and the Servant Partners new staff welcome dinner in Pomona this evening. Some friends were going to be playing ultimate Frisbee and I was seriously tempted to join them, but I thought that I should put the girls first. My goal for the summer was to do something with them at least once a week and that has certainly not taken place, so here was a free afternoon and I intended to spend it with them.

But then we left church late after talking to the folks visiting from Thailand and by the time I'd gotten home, eaten lunch, and said bye to Dia, it was already 2:30 pm. And I felt tired. So tired. I sat there and wrestled with whether or not I had enough energy to call up the girls, go pick them all up, and host them at my place--and with whether it mattered that I was tired or if this was one of those "die to oneself" moments for the good of someone else. I decided not to make a clear decision (thereby making one of those decisions that becomes a "no" in the absence of any concrete action) and zoned out by checking on several blogs I read. Then I came across Erika Haub's blogpost on the need for persistence in continuing to extend oneself in blessing others. Oooh. I was convicted. I picked up my cell phone, decided who I was calling first, and hit the dial button. While I was on the phone with her, however, the weight of my weariness hit me and I just couldn't convince myself to instigate a get-together. Instead, I told her the details of the trip to Six Flags that Dia and I are planning for the girls this coming Saturday, and asked her to find out from her parents if she could go. I called the other girls to give them a head's up about the trip as well, and told them I was looking forward to getting together with them soon.

I still can't decide if I should have invited them all over anyway, or if it's ok to recognize that I'm tired and to choose to give myself a break. Probably this is one of those things that isn't an absolute for all times, but depends on the situation. Which is why I am so grateful for grace, that covers over the multitudes of mistakes I make in misinterpreting or failing to follow through with the best decision.

So here I am, trying to figure out what I can drink that will keep me awake for the dinner this evening and the driving to and from. Or perhaps I shall just curl up on this couch and take a nap.