Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)

Why does a typhoon need two names? I don't know the answer, but there was mass destruction all the same.

We participated in a fundraiser for disaster relief today and are trying to plan other events to help with rebuilding. Although the Philippines is half a world away, their needs are the same as those who are nearer to us in times of disaster. We choose to help this cause because these are our relatives and friends.

Never forget where you came from and always realize how fortunate you are to enjoy life in the United States. Our "poor" will never compare to theirs.

Another Attempt of Interpreting

My Thai language skills are pretty good considering that I have never lived in the country for more that three and a half months at a time.  I can speak the main dialect and understand three different Thai dialects, the main one, the Northern (Phrae) dialect, and the Southern dialect.  I can also understand some Lao and Cambodian people because the languages are similar.

I have been called upon to interpret a few times.  I have done mostly volunteer work for family friends by going to the hospital for a circumcision and speaking to English classes at schools in Thailand.  I had one paid opportunity for a family friend who had clients in Thailand come to visit the US.  For me that was an enjoyable and easy opportunity because it was mostly conversational and just interpreting for the clients landmarks as we passed them.

This weekend, I am the substitute interpreter for a Buddhist monk who is going to be speaking about Buddhism near where a Buddhist temple is going to be built in Central Ohio.  He is going to be speaking to students at a school.  Now, schools and students, I am comfortable and have experience; Buddhism, not so much.  I know enough about it to know that it is a way of life, not particularly a religion.  My parents are Buddhist, and my mother is pretty religious, but she raised me on the basic tenet that if you do good, you will get good.  Her belief is that all religion is good, so when I married a Catholic and have two children that I am raising Catholic, it is not a big deal.

I think that I am going to have to do a crash course of reading up on Buddhism sometime between now and Saturday!

The Beginning of My Life

I was born by C-Section at Grant Hospital at 5:25pm.  I was born with my umbilical cord wrapped around my neck three times.  The doctor had to cut a slit in my neck so that I could breathe.  I still have a scar behind my left ear.  Obviously it worked because I am still here today to blog about it!