well we finally have our new website set up so we're moving our blog there. we thought it would be cool to have a place where we could blog and also post photo albums.
so we hope you enjoy the new site. (fyi: the menu bar for navigating the new site is at the top of the homepage.
the new site is - http://web.mac.com/bryan.tammy
one new thing:
the new site is password protected (to allow for a little extra security) so you'll need the user name and password to access it. you should have already received an email with this info.
however, if you haven't received the email and would like the password info, please leave a comment and let me know. i'd be happy to send the user name and password to you. (please include your email address in your comment.)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
found this information on the cnn website today. i thought you might enjoy it. i find it really interesting.
World's most expensive cities 2007
1. Moscow
2. London
3. Seoul
4. Tokyo
5. Hong Kong
6. Copenhagen
7. Geneva
8. Osaka
9. Zurich
10. Oslo
11. Milan
12. St. Petersburg
13. Paris
14. Singapore
15. New York City
16. Dublin
17. Tel Aviv
18. Rome
19. Vienna
20. Beijing
if you'd like the whole article, you can see it here.
World's most expensive cities 2007
1. Moscow
2. London
3. Seoul
4. Tokyo
5. Hong Kong
6. Copenhagen
7. Geneva
8. Osaka
9. Zurich
10. Oslo
11. Milan
12. St. Petersburg
13. Paris
14. Singapore
15. New York City
16. Dublin
17. Tel Aviv
18. Rome
19. Vienna
20. Beijing
if you'd like the whole article, you can see it here.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
A bit of history
Most people can't believe that we have had as many different job expereinces as we have had. It is pretty obnoxious to tell you the truth, but so far has seemed to serve us well. One of our past jobs had us living in Peru, South America teaching English amoung other things. It has been fun to reflect on our time in Peru as we prepare for China. We did many things right, and sooo many things wrong. I have sat in amazement (and maybe a tad bit of frustration) over how different our experience in Peru could have been if we had some of the training we are recieving now. (That could be a whole other post.)
Anyway, with Peru heavy on our minds, we just happened to pass a Peruvian resteraunt. CRAZY uncommon. So, today we had free time at lunch and went to check it out. It was amazing! The cheif was actually from Peru as well as our waiter. They had all of our favorite dishes we had eaten so often in our Peruvian home. We told our waiter that we had lived in Peru and which city. So I told him my one sorrow in eating at the resteraunt was them not serving the dish that was special in our city. He surprised us by going to the kitchen and brining us a plate of Carapulcra! We ate until we could eat no more. The only sad part about the lunch...as we were speaking to the waiter in spanish I had a horrid revelation. I have to start all over again learning Mandarin. Oh, what a thought.
Anyway, with Peru heavy on our minds, we just happened to pass a Peruvian resteraunt. CRAZY uncommon. So, today we had free time at lunch and went to check it out. It was amazing! The cheif was actually from Peru as well as our waiter. They had all of our favorite dishes we had eaten so often in our Peruvian home. We told our waiter that we had lived in Peru and which city. So I told him my one sorrow in eating at the resteraunt was them not serving the dish that was special in our city. He surprised us by going to the kitchen and brining us a plate of Carapulcra! We ate until we could eat no more. The only sad part about the lunch...as we were speaking to the waiter in spanish I had a horrid revelation. I have to start all over again learning Mandarin. Oh, what a thought.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
ESFJ
For all of my work friends, I am sure that you will get a kick out of knowing that I was required to finally take the Myers-Briggs personality test. I have been doing everything in my power not to take it for the past five years. The idea of a test being able to tell me who I am drove me crazy. Not to mention I don't test well which added a whole other level to my desire to avoid being "profiled." Some of you might wonder what the big deal is...but you see in our organization EVERYONE asks everyone else what their "letters" are. I hated it. "Don't ask me my letters, get to know me and find out for yourself." That was my internal scream every time someone asked. My regional director laughed at me when I told him why I didn't want to take it. He said he knew exactly what my letters were just because I said that! Maddening!
Okay so this is a very long intro to simply tell you that I took the test; found out that I am an esfj (extrovert, sensing, feeling, judging) and actually liked the whole process. It was even more fun that Bryan and I were in the session with the psychologist together and were able to compare notes. WE ARE COMPLETELY OPPOSITE! Well all except the Judging which means we both like to be organized, scheduled, and predictable...that is probably what saves our marriage! :) It was fun to have the counselor tell us how to better utilize our personalities to serve one another better and tips on how our personalities will affect us living overseas. like - because my personality type is known as a "people gatherer" I will do better at learning Chinese in a group setting and practicing with my neighbors. Makes total sense. Bryan on the other hand a total introvert (yes, he really is an introvert) will do better with a one on one tutor. The counselor also gave us a few marriage tips, but maybe we will keep those confidential! :)
Anyway we are having fun in Madison. And all you IV folk can be smug about the fact that yes, you were right. I am glad that I took the stupid test.
Tammy
Okay so this is a very long intro to simply tell you that I took the test; found out that I am an esfj (extrovert, sensing, feeling, judging) and actually liked the whole process. It was even more fun that Bryan and I were in the session with the psychologist together and were able to compare notes. WE ARE COMPLETELY OPPOSITE! Well all except the Judging which means we both like to be organized, scheduled, and predictable...that is probably what saves our marriage! :) It was fun to have the counselor tell us how to better utilize our personalities to serve one another better and tips on how our personalities will affect us living overseas. like - because my personality type is known as a "people gatherer" I will do better at learning Chinese in a group setting and practicing with my neighbors. Makes total sense. Bryan on the other hand a total introvert (yes, he really is an introvert) will do better with a one on one tutor. The counselor also gave us a few marriage tips, but maybe we will keep those confidential! :)
Anyway we are having fun in Madison. And all you IV folk can be smug about the fact that yes, you were right. I am glad that I took the stupid test.
Tammy
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
equalizing
After a week of much work and even more emotion, I am able to say that sitting through hours of meetings every day actually feels like a vacation! Crazy I know, but so true. I haven't seen a box for at least three days now and none of us have broken down in tears- which is huge.
The kids are having a good time with Nana exploring the capitol building, the children's museum and tomorrow I think it will be the zoo. And all joking aside, Bryan and I are really enjoying our time in Madison as well. It has been nice to get to know our new supervisors better, to learn more about the international movement that our organization is a part of and to receive training for living overseas. We feel very cared for. For example part of our training includes seminars and meetings with a psychologist and spiritual director. I am learning so much about my emotions, cultural expectations, my personality and weakness. I kinda wish I had known some of this stuff years ago...it probably would have made Bryan's life much easier! :)
So all that to say we are learning much, have settled into our hotel room and our emotions are equalizing out. Thanks for pr-ying for us.
Tammy
The kids are having a good time with Nana exploring the capitol building, the children's museum and tomorrow I think it will be the zoo. And all joking aside, Bryan and I are really enjoying our time in Madison as well. It has been nice to get to know our new supervisors better, to learn more about the international movement that our organization is a part of and to receive training for living overseas. We feel very cared for. For example part of our training includes seminars and meetings with a psychologist and spiritual director. I am learning so much about my emotions, cultural expectations, my personality and weakness. I kinda wish I had known some of this stuff years ago...it probably would have made Bryan's life much easier! :)
So all that to say we are learning much, have settled into our hotel room and our emotions are equalizing out. Thanks for pr-ying for us.
Tammy
Sunday, June 10, 2007
moved out and in madison, wi
sorry that it's been a week since our last post. things have been a little crazy in the past week.
in the past week we have packed up our house, moved everything to be stored in a storage barn at tammy's parent's house in croswell, and are now in madison, wisconsin at our LINK orientation. we're doing well and the kids have been troopers. we're excited to finally be here since this seems like the first travel step towards our journey to east asia.
we'll be here in madison for 10 days and then we'll get in the van and drive to florida. :-)
we'll try to blog off and on this week to keep you up to date with some of the stuff we're doing here and some of the funny stuff the kids say.
here's a funny ruthie story from today's travels. we stopped at fazoli's for lunch. the kids wanted a lemon ice for dessert. tammy was teasing ruthie that she had eaten too much spaghetti and that she was too full. she looked at tammy and said, "no, i'm not mom. see." and then she promptly opened her mouth to show tam that she still had plenty of room.
bryan
in the past week we have packed up our house, moved everything to be stored in a storage barn at tammy's parent's house in croswell, and are now in madison, wisconsin at our LINK orientation. we're doing well and the kids have been troopers. we're excited to finally be here since this seems like the first travel step towards our journey to east asia.
we'll be here in madison for 10 days and then we'll get in the van and drive to florida. :-)
we'll try to blog off and on this week to keep you up to date with some of the stuff we're doing here and some of the funny stuff the kids say.
here's a funny ruthie story from today's travels. we stopped at fazoli's for lunch. the kids wanted a lemon ice for dessert. tammy was teasing ruthie that she had eaten too much spaghetti and that she was too full. she looked at tammy and said, "no, i'm not mom. see." and then she promptly opened her mouth to show tam that she still had plenty of room.
bryan
Friday, June 1, 2007
graduation dinner
you'd be surprised at what i cooked for dinner last night.
since it was sam's graduation day, i told him i'd cook him whatever he wanted for dinner. his choice: grits, eggs and sausage! nothing could make a southern dad happier. seems you can take the boy (and his kids) out of the south, but they're still going to find a way to eat grits. must be genetic somehow.
now, if we could just find a way to convert tammy to the culinary wonders of grits. wait was that a pig i saw flying by. :-)
bryan
since it was sam's graduation day, i told him i'd cook him whatever he wanted for dinner. his choice: grits, eggs and sausage! nothing could make a southern dad happier. seems you can take the boy (and his kids) out of the south, but they're still going to find a way to eat grits. must be genetic somehow.
now, if we could just find a way to convert tammy to the culinary wonders of grits. wait was that a pig i saw flying by. :-)
bryan
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