He Who Laughs, Lasts!

“Remember, men need laughter sometimes more than food.” ~Anna Fellows Johnston


I'm not sure I would have agreed with that statement prior to relocating to SEA. After all, I had experienced hunger. Not in a severe state. But I understood the yearning for sustenance to fill an empty void. I could relate to hunger pains and the awareness of feeling faint or weary as a result of the absence of nutrition. However, I had never experienced the absence of laughter. That is until I found myself living in a culture void of true joy. It is not to say that there is no laughter here. But the laughter here is more like rowdy smiles and less like unabated amusement that sends you on a mini vacation.

You know the old saying, “You don't know what you have until it is gone”? I emphatically concur. I never realized how much I laughed until we arrived in a land deprived of mirth and side splitting laughter that makes you spill tears of joy and creates an instant need for Depends. Who knew wetting your pants could be so much fun?

Fortunately for us, we have Jackson. And he generates an abundance of laughter in our home. And while some may find sarcasm cynical and berating, our family is quite amused by the sport. And this has proven to be a true blessing. For at times, the environment in which we live provides a tremendous playing field for the satirical athlete.

Laughter is an antidote which prohibits us from becoming curmudgeons. It is the remedy for a depressed mood, an ill temper, a critical spirit, and a lonely disposition. I've heard it said laughter is the shortest distance between two people. It has also been said that laughter is contagious. It is my hope that we find this to be unequivocally true. If others can find laughter from our joy, and as a result desire the source (or author) of our joy, then lives can be radically changed by the most effortless of acts.

Wouldn't it be amazing to see those rowdy smiles turned into tenacious, roaring chuckles that emerge from a deep-rooted merriment as a result of true inner joy?

“At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.” ~Jean Houston


Dragons and Lions

As this day comes to a close, so does the fifteen day celebration of Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. 

Since January, our city streets and store fronts have been lined with Chinese lanterns, buildings have been donned with Ang Pow (red envelopes), and gold chains with coins have draped various entry ways.  Billboards and banners display the common holiday greeting "Gong Xi Fa Cai!" which means "Congratulations and be prosperous!"  

During the Chinese New Year there are many festive traditions including feasts, Lion dances to ward off evil spirits, and Dragon dances to summons good luck and fortune in the year to come. 

On this last day of jubilation, I am reminded of other seasons of the year when we choose to express appreciation, joy, admiration, and honor. And I can't help but wonder why we don't embrace this celebratory mindset as part of our day to day approach to living. After all, life, with all its uncertainty, life is a gift. And to ignore the beauty of each day, as marred as it may be, is to disregard the generosity of the giver.

This thought brings back visions in my mind's eye of weeks past. Walking through crowded malls, our conversations were repeatedly interrupted with an eruption of clanging percussion as Asians portraying dragons danced their way through clusters of shoppers. With each interruption, Jackson would grin from ear to ear and eagerly await the noisy performance. What we viewed as an unnecessary interference, Jackson viewed as a pleasant distraction. It was a matter of perspective. We saw unwanted drums. Jackson saw delightful instruments. We saw dressed up teenagers preventing us from accomplishing our errands. Jackson saw brightly colored costumes creating merriment for those who would permit.

With this in mind, I determine to keep my perspective in check. When faced with inconsiderate drivers, paperless bathrooms, and inadequate language skills, I purpose to look for the merriment in the moment.  

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.