Life Go On

Nope, that's not a typo in the title. In many Asian languages, maybe all, verb conjugation is not necessary. One recognizes the tense of the verb by the context of the sentence. Therefore, T-shirts here declare “Life go on”. And we like that declaration. One, we have to be reminded of that some days. And two, it just makes us smile.

Smiling at the differences sure beats criticizing them. And we have indeed had our fair share of criticizing that which we find foreign. We've developed a love hate relationship with our current way of life. We are in awe of the shoreline and the breathtaking horizon as it drops off into the deep blue. We detest the litter and pollution that the tide brings into view. We are honored by the hospitality that so many bestow upon us. We are heart broken by the prejudices and hatred that we see among others. We find humor in the alien nuances that keep us on our toes. We find ourselves frustrated by the challenges of repression. We appreciate the simple way of life and the contentment we see as locals embrace this way of life. We are disgusted with poor work ethic and a generalized apathy towards life we see in some of the people groups.

Each day we are faced with the decision to overlook the many struggles and focus on making a positive difference in the lives of those around us. I must confess, there are days when we do not succeed in this endeavor. However, there are those days when we are rewarded with local friendships, experiences that have helped us grow as individuals, and reminders of the love and support we have back home. And these days keep us putting one foot in front of the other. In all of it though, our source of hope and strength is found in our Creator.

So, as we face the challenges of each new day, we remember life indeed “go” on.

The following is our Top Ten list of SEA bellyaches:

10. “Fix'n it” = duct tape, caulk, or Super glue.

9.   People do not like to say “no”. So, people say yes with no intention of following through.

8.   One cannot “hold it” until the last minute as one must make time to pay the Bathroom Attendant before entering public restrooms.

7.   Confusion over why one pays the Bathroom Attendant as it is NEVER “attended”.

6.   Parking (inconvenient “car parks”, extremely small spaces, parking fees, the list goes on).

5.   Malls (there is no way to concisely explain this).

4.   If the person you ask does not know the answer, they will answer (lie) nonetheless leading you astray.

3.   If you are in line at a store and the person behind you has less items, you are no longer first in line.

2.   No matter what direction you are driving, you canNOT turn right (we drive on the left side  of the road).

1.   Neighbors fail to care that your apartment is on fire once they realize the fire does not negatively impact their dwelling.