New Big Wong

Some of you may know that one of our assignments here is to take a trip to Washington DC and share with people you come in contact with. So we jumped on the bus and headed out. (Side note - we were selected to be bus captains. I know it's a prestigious title and a big honor but please don't feel awkward around us. Remember we're just like you.) Anyway our lunch goal was to find the most authentic restaurant we could. We carefully surveyed the area and after much deliberation we ended up at the New Big Wong. That's right I'll say it again New Big Wong. We figured you'd have to be foreign to name your restaurant New Big Wong.

By the way it was delicious and we got to share with our waitress!

Another quick fact about our trip to DC - We were appointed bus captians for the short bus

Insert your own amusing statement here _______________________

Rabies is a special feeling

In preparation to move overseas it has been advised that we get properly immunized. Ok, we want to be healthy so that sounds pretty sensible right? Here's the fun part "properly immunized" is just a nice way of saying "Hey Mike and Em, we are going to give you each ELEVEN shots in both arms two at a time and pump you full of every disease that you could possibly incur in the next two years!" Awesome.

Right now swimming around in our bodies are the following deadly diseases:
Hepatitis A/Hepatitis B cocktail
Japanese Encephalitis
Tetanus
Yellow Fever
Typhoid (I thought you only got that on the Oregon Trail)
Rabies - watch out that one's a bleeder.

The Dora the Explorer Band-Aid and the melted ice cream sandwich was not quite the consolation that we was hoping for

Poor little guy

We also were assigned the task of organizing some fun activities for the children after they get their shots. There are three different days that we have shots here to accommodate the different series of shots that we're given. The first day it wasn't so bad cause the kids didn't know what was coming. The parents hyped it up and got them all excited about the fun activities afterward and it was fine. The second week was a little trickier cause they all knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. We sent people into the clinic to make balloon animals hoping that the squeaking of the balloons would drown out the screams of the children being held down inside. I don't think it worked. Still a fun day. Tomorrow is our last clinic day - so we'll see how it goes

This is my cousin's son Owen - We're both pretty stoked about our balloon hats

Just the Beginning

Things are winding down here and we'll be headed back to Ames in just a couple weeks. We're starting to think about the time that we will be spending back home. There's lots to do, family and friends to see, good-byes to say and only about 4 short days to do it in. I've been trying to avoid thinking about it for a long time, but alas it's here.

Our time here has been great. It's been uber fun getting to think about what our days will look like and to wonder in expectation about all the ways that we'll be able to be used there. We're stoked to be students again and to experience all the new things that are headed our way. I even think we are ready to tackle the chicken feet dinners and the squatty potty expeditions. (We tested out some different strategies on a "dry run" and I think we may have found a winner.)

The closer it gets the more excited we are to go and start our work there. But the closer it gets, the less excited we are to say farewell to the people we love here in the states. Please lift this up for us and ask that Mike and I would use this time well and not feel too overwhelmed. Thanks Guys.

PS I know you can be overwhelmed and I know you can be underwhelmed but are you ever just whelmed?

A visual on the Squatty situation for any who might be unfamiliar

Language 101

Ni feng pi le ma? (did you fart?)

Mei you (I did not)
Dui (Correct)

Ahhh, my first Chinese phrase. It will always hold a special place in my heart. For some reason I find that bathroom humor is funnier in Chinese. One of these days we really should start learning phrases that are actually useful.

Geochaching

If you have ever wanted to be a pirate... or a boyscout... then I would recomend geocaching. Apparently it's kinda nerdy but very fun. If you haven't heard of it just go to http://www.geocaching.com/. Basically you just use your GPS to find "treasure" (aka crap) in the woods. Sometimes if your the FTF or First To Find you get an extra little gift.

Quick word to the wise... if you want to create your own cache to be hunted by others make sure you read all the directions first. Other wise you end up hiding an Excedrin bottle full of paper and Chinese money under a brick in Roanoke Rapids North Carolina for no reason. I'm just saying... rhetorically...

Shenanigans

Shenanigans. Have you ever said something like... "I'm so hungry I could eat an elephant" or "I'm so mad I could just kick myself"? Well, if you and your buddies decide to play shenanigans you should be a lot more careful about the things you say. If you say something absurd and your friend calls "Shenanigans" on you then your immediately left with two choices actually doing the thing you said you would do OR your friend gets to punch you as hard as they want. Hmmmm... decisions decisions. (I'm not really sure why all these games involve punching).

Mike the RA

Well Mike's dream has finally come true. He get's to live in the dorms and be married to me at the same time. He is one lucky man. For those of you that don't know, Mike loved dorm life. In college he spent all four years dedicated to Friley as an RA. The first night we got to our new housing assignment he was like a little kid in the candy store. He immediately informed me that we were going to town ASAP to get some "door-decs" so we went out and bought a white board and put our names on the door. He was particularly excited about the potential to play "hall sports" which the ISU Department of Residence frowns upon. After a our dorm was ravaged by savage TP-ers Mike sprang to action and began a campaign to get himself elected as the RA. The hearts of his fellow residents were won over by his eloquent speeches and charismatic personality resulting in a landslide victory! (perhaps this was also due to the fact that he had no opponents)

Those hooligans!!

Mike's campaign poster