Ahhh the good life...

   Crossing the bride from Souix City IA into Nebraska you go under the green government sign which reads Nebraska... the good life.
  Today I came into Lincoln and let me tell you it looked as though a tropical paradise compared to the frozen prairie that I now get to call home. I couldn't help but think of the sign that I used to so often pass beneath. Today felt so good, green grass, trees in bloom, warm rain and ginormous green wheat fields.  I miss this place.

Hours in the Sky

   In the past month and a half I have spent 56 hours in the sky. Flying gives me great anxiety, in fact I think it's one of my bigger fears. Unfortunately it seems as though there is no way for me to avoid it, tomorrow I have to catch a plane at 7 am.
  This is a picture I took with my ipod I flew right over the north pole! The airplane was 37,000 feet off the ground and it looked as though we were just a few hundred, the landscape was huge and vast. I prayed many times nothing would go awry.

Bootea Knife

   This is my new knife! I paid 150 taka(less than 2 USD). I love this knife it makes me feel powerful yet vulnerable, I know if I fell on it there may just end up being two of me. Anyhow when I was in Bangladesh these knives were always used to chop up food. They are quite fast once you get the hang of them. Making it more stable I place my foot on the tail of the knife then I slice away.

Luke + Rumi

   Luke and Rumi were two of my first grade students. Both of them had very good english so I got to know them a bit better than some of the other children. Whenever we sang songs during class Rumi could always be heard, she never ceased to call me Shara teacher and she was always quite insistant on making sure that I looked at every detail of her school work and gave it an A+. Often times I would pass by her and she would ask me, "Shara teacher how are you?" "I am doing good. How are you doing?" Rumi's response was  always, "I am fine".

   Luke was very demanding when I first arrived at the orphanage but as time progressed he became one of my favorites. Luke just wanted to be with me. Unlike many of the children he never demanded I give him stuff. Sometimes I would take Luke on walks and he would be nearly silent the whole time. I remember asking him how long he had been at the orphanage, he wasn't sure but he thought he came when he was three. I asked him why he came. He told me that his parents could not take care of him any more so it was better that he go to the orphanage. I will not forget how on the day that I left the orphanage Luke kept pulling on my shirt telling me that I was not leaving. I told him I had to go and his only response was "No". I told him to be good, "No". I told him I would miss him, "No". I told him I would come back, "No Shara teacher". I miss Luke very much and will not forget all my Luke memories. 

BANGLADESHIS