Cleaning Up

So my days at my first "real" job are coming to a close. I've accepted a position elsewhere and as I cleaned out the folders on my work computer, I came across this description of my trip to Singapore back in January 2007. For memory sake, I wanted to post it before I deleted it, so here it is:

Travel
The flights to Hong Kong (15 hours) and then to Singapore (3.5 hours) were rough, plane travel isn't my forte, but I kinda had a feeling I would get sick, so I prepared for it. I felt sorry for Alicia who took care of me after meeting me 24 hours earlier! The flights coming back to the States went much smoother and she and I were so excited to be coming home we stayed up for most of the flight…making it seem l-o-n-g. I didn't feel sick until we began to land in L.A. and had a few long altitude drops. Sadly after landing I did get sick, but at least I was on my way to a comfortable hotel! Thanks SO much for praying for me and being my support system! I definitely felt the prayers and wouldn't have made it there and back again without them! A lot of you know about my "observation lists" from my blog, so here's one I made from my flights:

*Cathay Pacific is an amazing airline! The flight attendants are gorgeous and nice. The food comes on a cute little bamboo tray and they serve their drinks in plastic blue cups. They served peanuts and random snacks (free, mind you) throughout the flight. If you felt like eating a cup of noodles, you could get that too. All of this in economy class. I wonder how first class would be…

*Watching The Little Mermaid on an 11-hour flight isn't a good idea because then you get the songs stuck in your head for the rest of the time…

*Cathay had a relaxation commercial they would play after the flight safety video showing different exercises you can do during the flight to relax and stretch your muscles. However, when Alicia and I tried them out we discovered if you truly wanted to do them, it would require hitting your neighbor in the face with the arm stretches and having at least 5 more inches of leg room to fully extend the leg and foot. So we decided it’s better to just get up and walk around, hiding and avoiding the stewardesses and their inevitable “please go back to your seat” mantra.

*Customs in Singapore went smoothly and people were nice to you, even offered mints at the counter with a little mint trashcan (yes, they are obsessed with cleanliness). Customs in the U.S…not so good…at least not in L.A. It must’ve been, “I’m in a bad mood and therefore will try and make everyone else’s day horrible even though I know half of you just traveled around the world, I don’t care, you have to stand in line for hours while I sit and stare at my nails and talk to my coworkers…” day. And as you could’ve guessed, no mints were offered.

Singapore
Singapore is so beautiful! I recommend it to anyone wanting to see Asia but not the third-world part. It’s cleaner than the U.S. and felt safer too. Transportation is cheap and reliable. People want to help you get around and since most people speak English there’s no communication barrier. As you hopefully saw in my pictures, it’s SO GREEN! It was refreshing to drive around and see trees, bushes, flowers neatly maintained around the city and even downtown. Our taxi driver said it takes around a million Singapore dollars to keep the plants looking nice around the city. A stark contrast to the cement city of L.A.!

The strangest thing was how comfortable I felt. I wasn’t nervous about making cultural faux pas because somewhere inside I knew this culture. I was home, here I could relax. Only when I was away from the States, did I realize just how different I felt, from my “fellow” Americans. While adjusting to the States I accepted what I needed to about the culture to move on, but I never fully acclimated. Even after nine years (ten in June crazy!), I still get a little overwhelmed when I’m in a room full of Americans my age. There’s just so much pop culture I don’t know, which influenced the worldview, value system and thought processes of my generation. But in Singapore…I felt secure; I knew how to think like an Asian, what they valued culturally, how they saw the world around them. Even in a country I had never been to, a part of me felt more comfortable there than I did back home in Orlando. It’s weird admitting that to myself…

Conference
The conference was incredible! I felt honored God allowed me to hear how He wants to move in the Asia region. The hearts of these men are so tender and passionate for their Savior. Their passion to see their countrymen come to Christ was humbling. I realized how hard my own heart was towards the lost. I don’t pray every day for my friends who don’t know Him, I don’t weep for them or see the urgency these men do. Some of them constantly see the huge sacrifice that’s made when someone comes to Christ, like in P, N, and C. Actually during the three days of the conference the P guys had to leave early because their families were being threatened and some of the people in their ministry were hurt all because they proclaimed their faith in Christ.

Thanks again to all who supporting me in prayer while I was gone. Know that the Lord is working wonders in the Asia. :) It’s hard to believe my first job out of college would provide me with an opportunity to travel overseas, and see, hear, and be the instrument which tells others what God is doing in the world!

P.S. Here are a few links to Singapore pictures I’ve posted online. Some of the captions explain more of the little details on the trip that would’ve cluttered this post! Enjoy! :)

Album 1: Hotels and Fort Canning grounds
Album 2: The mall, Chinatown, downtown and seaport
Album 3: Botanical Gardens
Album 4: Orchid Gardens