This...

No more trip pictures to post, but here are some other recent shots for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

This was an inadvertently brilliant purchase: sand-colored running shoes.  You can't tell if they're dirty or not!  (Which is handy here, because keeping shoes from getting dirty is like trying to keep the sun from shining.)

 

 

This was a little surprise at the bottom of the egg carton.

 

 

This is deetak, a fruit that tastes vaguely reminiscent of kiwi and melon of some sort.

 

 

This is what it looked like after I sucked the pulp/flesh off.

 

 

This is a science experiment gone bad.

 

 

Just kidding.

 

It's really juice made from deetak.

 

(What, you mean my mad scientist face didn't fool you?)

 

 

This was my only taste of Thanksgiving - a friend brought mini pumpkin pies to class that day.

 

(And no, that's not supposed to make you feel sorry for me.  Really. :))

 

 

This is a failed attempt to get Mom, my package, and me all in the picture.

 

 

These are the contents of aforementioned package...my late-birthday-early-Christmas package.  So many fun things!

 

 

This is a party favor from Sarah's shower - they saved one for me, and you better believe those M&M's were gone in a flash!

 

 

This is because Sarah is Sarah.

 

 

 

This is because Beck is Beck.

 

(And I'm pretty happy I have both them as sisters.)

 

 

This is next year's planner.  Planners, you know, are my one weakness.

 

 

This makes me laugh.  Read it.

 

 

This is a fataya - a meat-and-onion turnover, served with a fried egg, French fries, and ketchup. 

 

 

This was at Haurell's birthday party last Saturday night.

 

 

 

This is Janel, Benedicte, and Michaela.

 

 

This is Ruth, Patricia, and her petit ami (I forget his name).

 

 

This is the "appetizer" table...but it was really all sweets.

 

 

This is because no party here would be complete without music and/or tv.

 

 

This is the birthday boy himself.

 

 

 

This is because he thought we were done singing and he could blow out his candle, and then we start "Happy Birthday" in yet another language.

 

 

 

This is my song of the week.  Hallelujah for the cross...Hallelujah for the war He fought...Hallelujah because love has won and death has lost and we are free.  We. are. free.