Count your blessings one by one!!!

Mmmmmm, I think that's one of the songs that we sing in church every so often. Count your blessings one by one!! Truly, today is one of those days. I can easily look at it from a different perspectives. But thanks to my friend who skyped me and kept telling me to feel blessed for each thing that I do have and experience. That's what helped keep me in perspective. Well, you may wonder what happened?? Today is good ol' sunday. The sky was not the most clear and it wasn't super duper cold (a good mild mid 50s). I got up about 7:15am to start my day...walked into the bathroom and realized 'what! no water??' Good thing something triggered in my heart last night for me to save a small pot of water. That was the saving grace for me because I was able to wash up this morning. Since being here, I'm experienced little episodes of mishaps such as: two incidents of no electricity (one was due to the lack of credit on the meter, and second was due to the contractors upstairs decided to turn off the main power, including mine so that they can remodel the unoccupied units....hello! someone lives here!!). Apparently, I am one of the few occupants so far in this building since it's still so spanking new. As you saw how nice my place looked. Well, the challenge is that not all ammenities are set up since there are not too many occupants yet. Therefore, when things happen, I have to muster up courage and a thick skin in my language skill so that I can contact the site's electrician to check on things for me. (It's happened with the elevator, electricity, and now water!) With my mastery of language (NOT!), it's very humbling and hilarious to hear myself muster out whatever words I can to try get my point across re: my needs. Well, by now, it's either I am getting better with my language (which I like to think so) or the staff here are petrified with my horrible Chinese, they recognize my voice and are able to anticipate my need before I even make my point of request. Sigh!! so, why count my blessings?? It's because what I am sharing here a very much of life here. I never fully appreciated how 'well' we westerners have it until now that I am away from the western comfort. Honestly, we are spoiled back home. If anything gets disrupted, we almost get demanding and entitled in complaining about how inefficient the service is.

Well, here...it's completely opposite. We may get informed or not re: the disruption of services and we just have to adapt. So, why was the water service disrupted today?? I found out it's because the city is in the process of improvement and beautification; and the main street located close to my house is next up in the reconstruction process. In order to make the road beautiful, they had to shut off the water main on that street, hence, affecting those living and business quarters around it. The curiousity that I have is how in the world do businesses keep running without running water?? (especially restaurants). Well, no one else in the neighborhood seemed to be fazed by the disruption. So I too carried on as if I wasn't affected. The only thing was in my house, dirty dishes and toilet was filling up with grossness (at least I felt like it was).

Praises, hallelujah!! just 30 minutes ago, water came back on. You can imagine, I ran to do the dishes and gave myself a nice hot shower. What a blessing to have running water!! That's why, who knows how long this will last?? I may have to go back to no shower tomorrow.

Therefore, may I encourage you to count your blessings each day and one by one.... (just as I had to in order to keep perspective to keep going).

Here are my blessings for this week:
1. I got around the city safe and sound (able to dodge the traffic cautiously).
2. Thankful that today when I was on my way to church; I ran into a girlfriend. She had to call me on my cell to inform me that I missed getting off at the appropriate stop (since I was sitting upstairs at the double decker bus while she was downstairs). Needless to say, I was oblivious to the fact that I bypassed the stop. Good thing she called and waited for me. duh!!??
3. Thankful that I was protected from pick pockets so far (common occurences within the city); as a matter of fact, one of the friends just had that happened to her today.
4. Yea! class is cancelled tomorrow. I haven't gotten my studying down yet. It's hard to get those pinyin down. (hence, procrastinating by jotting in my blog instead.)
5. They actually serve 'illy' coffee at one of the coffee cafes here. I went there to study today and had a good time studying with friends. The only downside is that the coffee is quite pricey.
6. Yea! I got treated to pizza, mozarella sticks, and french fries for lunch today, yum!!
7. I had my first guests over for dinner last night and we had tacos! Thankful that my friend gave me taco seasonings, and I had tortillas! I made salsa (missing the lemon juice) and banana bread for dessert. Good to have a break from Chinese food.
8. I am able to catch up on some of the latest through Anderson Cooper's 360 on iTunes. Thankful that iTunes works here. It helps me from being homesick.
9. Today is a good internet day!
10. Thankful that I am able to take a nice hot shower! Now I can sleep well for the evening.
11. I am thankful!! I guess this is the preparation to welcome in the thanksgiving season coming, which will be a month away. And I will be in Singapore. Wow, I wonder how we will celebrate there since I will be with a group of people from all over the world. Maybe I won't have 'thanksgiving' this year....=( (boohoo!!).

Truly, looking at life 'half full' is so much better than 'half empty'; especially in a completely different culture. It's so stressful in all the little things and they can easily get on my nerves. So, I am finding little ways to work off the stress!

Well, next blog, maybe I will try to convey some of the vocabularies in pinyin and have you experience some of my daily challenges...or look at it this way, you are learning a new language with me. =)

Blessings to you and be blessed!!