Share Your Lighter Side

Today’s post is going to be a little different because I want to hear from YOU! Yes, you, you who rarely comment or you who often comment. You who are reading this. Hi! Hi to you :). We had so much fun before asking and answering questions we thought we’d bring it back, allowing us to connect on other aspects of who we are.

I’ve written 10 questions to share on the lighter side of life. I’m going to list them here so if you want to just cut and paste the questions, you can and I’ll answer them below. Feel free to share as little or as much as you want. You could even pick just one question to answer. We can’t wait . . .

1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?

2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?

3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?

4. What are some of your favorite movies?

5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :))

6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?

7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?

8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?

9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?

10. What smells do you like?

::

1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right-handed with lefted handed jealousy. My nieces keep telling me left-handed people are especially clever and intelligent. Are they trying to tell me something?! I’d like to point out that none of them are left-handed either. Apparently right-handed people aren’t above being annoyed by other right-handed people.

2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? I fully planned to be the president of the US. I fully 100% planned NOT to be a teacher. My eyes nearly rolled out of my head every time a classmate kissed up to our second, third, or fourth-grade teaching saying, “I want to be a teacher just like you, Mrs. Gridley,”

3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cream, which would you choose? Vanilla. With either hot fudge or carmel sauce! YUM.

4. What are some of your favorite movies? I have a feeling we’ll all be showing our ages :). And that is cool! Princess Bride, Hoosiers, The Little Mermaid, and that one with Tom Hanks and the football. Can’t remember the name for the life of me right now. In the last year I’ve fully enjoyed  Collateral Beauty and Hidden Figures.

5. Do you sleep with your socks on? This is my trick question that I planted just for you. I would like to flush out those of you weirdos who sleep with your socks on. HOW?! How? Don’t your feet roast? Are you a robot? I’m just wondering. :). Even in the dead of winter if it is freezing and I start off with socks on, the end up tucked under my pillow in the middle of the night.

6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? Right now, I am enjoying being in Denver in the summer. It is cool in the mornings and evenings with beautiful blue skies during the day. The flowers and the colors? So good for the soul.

7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? I have needed them, I’m not sure this is a good story, but it’s the only one I have. When I was in second grade my sister and I were shoveling the neighbors driveway too close to each other. As I went down to stick my shovel in the snow, she went down half a second after me and split open my thumb. It was my phase of being deathly afraid of doctors so I remember my mom telling me that if I screamed and acted ridiculous the doctor may have to tie me down to the table. Well, I wasn’t all that keen on being restrained so I behaved calmly and only needed three stitches and my parents still got to the Broncos game on time!

8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Currently my gym has a class at 7:30; so I pop out of bed around 6:00, enjoy and cup of tea and reading before jumping around. Even if I have work to do on a Saturday for Have You Seen, getting something ready for VA in the upcoming week, or other work that needs to be done, I love the casual feeling of spending most of the day in my workout clothes. I LOVE Saturdays.

9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Today, as I write this, it’s been a bit rainy. What?! Late July in Colorado rainy? I know. Crazy. It is a poetic, lilting rain. Steady, but peaceful. I have planned on working in the garden (summer weeds and all), but tis not to be.

10. What smells do you like? I love the smell of original Jergen’s lotion (I think it is cherry and almond mixed together). I love the smell of hot pot in Sichuan provide (that bubbling broth just makes me happy!!!), freshly baked bread, and candles burning.

::

Your turn. I know others can’t wait to hear about your lighter side too. I love the click of “I didn’t know that!” Or “You hate socks too! Fist bump” moments, but those can only happen if you comment :). I can see why enjoying is mentioned so often in Ecclesiastes, it’s good every now and then to stop and chat about topics that can get pushed to the margins in light of all the “important” work. So, thanks for letting me share a bit of my lighter side.

73 Comments

  1. Denise August 1, 2017

    1. I’m right handed…so much so that when I was visiting Scotland I was severely challenged to shift the car with my left hand.
    2. I wanted to be a forest ranger…far, far away from people … The forest animals were safer.
    3. I almost always choose a fruit. I’m futunate to live in a town that is famous for their ice cream & strawberry is definitely one of their best.
    4. Many… Princess Diaries, Hitch, Peacemaker, Make a Joyful Noise, Mary Poppins, The Music Man, An American President
    5. Sometimes…it depends on how cold it is…but once I’m all snug I usually kick them off
    6. Today…I’m enjoying how they (the people of my town) have “adopted” me into their & look after me.
    7. Actually I just had some taken but it’s not such a great story… I had hip replacement surgery
    8. I like to sleep late & savor my morning coffee on my balcony.
    9. Today was about 85 degrees F & humid…but I don’t mind we’ve had a lot of rain this summer.
    10. Cinnamon

    1. M'Lynn August 1, 2017

      Oh, wow! Shifting with left would be so hard for me, too!

        1. Mary August 2, 2017

          Hehe, us Commonwealth folks are so used to it that we don’t even think about it!

    2. Amy Young August 1, 2017

      If they are famous for their ice cream (and what a great thing to be famous for!!), I bet the strawberry ice-cream is delicious 🙂

    3. Denise August 2, 2017

      Actually my favorite ice cream they make here is wild blueberry but it wasn’t an option with your question. Trust me its amazing

      1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

        Wild blueberry?! That does sound amazing . . . I wish the internet would let you upload a bowl and we could all try a spoon!

  2. Hollie August 1, 2017

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    I am right handed.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    When I was 8 I wanted to be a marine biologist.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    Chocolate – but to be specific, Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate.
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    You’ve Got Mail and Pride & Prejudice
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :))
    Oh no! And usually if the sheet it tucked in at the foot of the bed I pull it out so that my feet can be ‘free’.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    Friendliness and hospitality is a big part of the culture.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    Never. No stitches, staples, or anything more than a normal bandaid.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    Staying in bed, letting my kids watch a movie while I zone out and scroll through blogposts about homeschooling, bible studies and homemaking.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    Hot. It’s always hot. Sometimes it’s hot and wet, but today it is just hot.
    10. What smells do you like?
    Holiday smells – Cinnamon, pumpkin, nutmeg, Apple pie, freshly baked sugar cookies

    1. M'Lynn August 1, 2017

      Blue Bell! Yeah!!! Hey…I forgot those two movies on my favorites list!!!

    2. Amy Young August 1, 2017

      Me too! Untuck the blanket/sheet at the end of the bed. Free Feet!! 🙂

    3. Anna August 10, 2017

      1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
      I am right handed.
      2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
      An Indian Princess, yo. (I am a white westerner.)
      3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
      Chocolate with all the brownies.
      4. What are some of your favorite movies?
      The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
      5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :))
      I live in the tropics and I don’t want to die.
      6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
      The sense of humor. The people in my resident country have me laughing on a constant basis.
      7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
      Yeah, for a wisdom teeth removal. It was fun.
      8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
      Praying and reading the Bible with my hubby.
      9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
      Like I’m living in a warm moist towelette but in the most pleasant way possible.
      10. What smells do you like?
      Cooked garlic and butter, henna, rose, jasmine, musky scents and the smell of my husband. 😉

  3. Hollie August 1, 2017

    Whoa! It asked me for an image, I didn’t realize it would turn out so HUGE!! Yikes!

    1. Amy Young August 1, 2017

      Hollie I can remove the photo, but it is lovely to see you :)!

  4. Marie August 1, 2017

    Thank you Amy! I needed this right now!

    1. I am right handed, but I can write (just in larger print) with my left hand. Maybe if I injure my right hand someday that will be useful.
    2. I wanted to become a writer, but I also wanted to be a female version of Peter Pan and never grow up. When I was 13 and reality began to sink in, I wrote a 140-page novel about a girl who was cursed and couldn’t age.
    3. My chocolate-loving-identity says to choose the chocolate, but I’m in a non-committal vanilla season right now, so I’m not sure.
    4. My favorite movies are Tarzan, Avatar, and a bunch of BBC miniseries.
    5. Yes. In the winter, I can’t survive without socks on for a second. My feet freeze.
    6. I just moved to Alaska two months ago. I admire the way people in Anchorage love nature and put a lot of time and effort into retreating into nature.
    7. Yes, I have had a few stitches. No good stories to tell.
    8. Currently I sleep in on Saturday mornings, to recover from teaching ESL online until 3am.
    9. It is cool and cloudy at 60 degrees F, here on August 1.
    10. My favorite smell…. It’s that breezy beginning-of-summer smell, when the windows are open and the grass was just cut, mixed with the scent of chopped onions and red peppers cooking on the stove.
    ~

    1. M'Lynn August 1, 2017

      Alaska!?!?! I’d definitely be sleeping in socks!

    2. Amy Young August 1, 2017

      I love hearing what people wanted to be :). Would be fun to read your 140 page novel. One of my nieces grieves that she is growing up — the fact that you had the tenacity to write 140 pages is impressive! How long will you be in Alaska? 60 degrees on August 1st does not sound like my ideal temp :). But I bet it is beautiful!

      1. Marie August 2, 2017

        Thanks Amy! I still sort of dream of getting it published one day, if I can find it on my old hard drive! 🙂 ~ I’m in Alaska while my husband earns his degree. It might be 4-5 years, more or less… We’ll see! I am nervous about the winter coming up…I think the temperature will compare to NE China, but darker with lots of snow! We have been so blessed to join an amazing 3-year-old gathering here called Acts 247. If anyone else comes to Anchorage, let me know! 🙂

  5. M'Lynn August 1, 2017

    You’re right, Amy! This is FUN 🙂 I’m writing my answers before reading others 8n the comments to avoid subliminal messaging. Ha

    1. Right handed and right footed which is odd because I think if you’re right handed you’re supposed to be left footed. Oh, well. Jumping off my right foot has always felt more natural.
    2. I mostly wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid. My sister thought I was crazy because I’d have to go so far away from home. She lives very near my parents and I spent a long time in China!
    3. Blue Bell Vanilla!
    4. Marley and Me, Midnight in Paris, Inception, Interstellar, The Lego Movie, Ten Things I Hate About You, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Hitch, 500 Days of Summer
    5. In NE Chinese winters…YES. In Texas…I forgot. We’ll see when winter rolls around again.
    6. The slow pace and (mostly) laid back attitude of rural Texas
    7. Lots of stitches…here’s just one story…I got 9 stitches on a triangular gash on my ankle from cutting my leg on a license plate on St. Patrick’s Day only days after I turned 21. I was so mad because I didn’t get to go out and drink green beer that night. For the past ten (or so) years it’s been pretty easy to remember the date of my last tetanus shot, though!
    8. Sleeping in a bit then drinking lots of coffee
    9. Strange for Texas…High of only 89 degrees and kinda cloudy!
    10. RAIN

    1. Amy Young August 1, 2017

      It is fun :)! I love reading through people’s responses!! And I could see you as an astronaut. (Except, I can’t imagine being in something smaller and more confining than a long international flight!!). And so many good movies!!!!

  6. Michele August 1, 2017

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    Right-handed, but in fourth grade, my violin teacher discovered I probably should have been left-handed, which explains my terrible hand-writing!
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    I wanted to be a writer, but I also started moving toward teacher pretty early.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    Chocolate- and I just had some while reading the answers above! 🙂
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    Princess Bride, the Narnia movies and Dead Poet’s Society are the ones that come to mind now.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :))
    NO! Okay, except there have been a few nights in Kathmandu in the winter when I can’t stand to take them off right away- but they come off once the hot water bottle has done its magic under the blankets!
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    I love their graciousness in dealing with bumbling foreigners!
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    When I was six, my mom was pulling me into my bedroom and I was pulling the other way. My forehead hit the latch on the door frame and I ended up with seven stitches through my eyebrow.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    In Nepal, Saturday morning is church morning. In Wisconsin this summer, I often go for a walk by the lake and then hit the farmer’s market on our capitol square- have a coffee and a muffin and watch people before buying some fresh veggies.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    Perfect- low eighties and sunny- spent it at the beach with my eight-year-old niece.
    10. What smells do you like?
    Pretty much anything baking, garlic frying fresh-mowed grass and coffee!

    1. Amy Young August 1, 2017

      Okay, so I found myself nodding in agreement with so many of your answers. Those movies you listed, Michele, I LOVE them too! And a hot water bottle in bed? Yup, I’d much prefer it to socks. Too funny that you were eating ice cream :)!

  7. Arlys Bohnker August 1, 2017

    Arlys 1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    Right handed
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    I wanted to be a Home Economics teacher
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    4. What are some of your favorite movies? Sound of Music Christie series
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :))
    Yes, because my feet get cold even in the tropics.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    The friendliness of the people.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    Several times. When I was a child, I dropped a spade on my big toe and needed 5 stitches. In college I was in a car accident, and hit the front windshield and needed about 30 stitches in my head. I cracked the windshield, but didn’t go through. This was before seat belts were required.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    Making pancakes and reading a novel.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    It’s cloudy, but warm, it’s 31 C right now.
    10. What smells do you like? Vanilla, cinnamon, lemon, peppermint
    ::

    1. Amy Young August 1, 2017

      Wow! dropping a spade must have been painful!! And needing 30 stitches after hitting the windshield? I know head wounds bleed a lot, but still, quite the story! If you are/were interested in being a Home Ec teacher, I bet you are a good cook! I’m jealous 🙂

  8. Sarah Hilkemann August 2, 2017

    1. Completely right-handed.

    2. When I was growing up, I wanted to be a writer! My pioneer-day fiction stories from elementary school would probably be hilarious to read through now.

    3. I’m a vanilla kind of girl, because you can customize it with so many different toppings! Strawberries or chocolate chips are always lovely.

    4. Favorite movies: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Sound of Music, Harry Potter; more recently I really liked La La Land and Hidden Figures

    5. I hardly ever wear socks in Cambodia, but the only time I slept in them here was when it got down in the 60s F during cool season once. It was freezing! 🙂

    6. One thing I like about the Cambodian culture right now is how they feed you when you come to visit. Last weekend we traveled to visit with a pastor and his wife, and after our meeting the wife said she would make us a “simple” lunch. We dined on fancy fried fish, stir-fried veggies, soup, and homemade fish paste.

    7. Last year I had a few stitches after having a benign tumor removed. I was curious to see them after I could take off the bandage and before they dissolved, but I almost fainted! I am never woozy and it was just a little scar.

    8. Saturday mornings are for breakfast out so my teammate has good internet to talk to her family, and I read while she does that. Then we go grocery shopping to take advantage of two bike baskets.

    9. Today it is quite hot and humid! It is rainy season but we haven’t been getting good rains to help cool things off.

    10. Smells I like: citrus, bread in the oven, coffee beans, lots of essential oils

    Thanks for doing this, Amy! 😀

    1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

      I love the “completely right handed.” I think I am too — when I try to write with my left hand, it is very hard and looks not like writing at all. Maybe I should try more often for my brain . . . or maybe the kinder choice to myself is to claim that I, too, am completely right handed. :). Pioneer Day Fiction? I love it. It reminds me that in second or third grade my best friend and I planned to write to the president to ask if the whole US could go back to Little House on the Prairie Day times for just one year. After that we could revert back :). Her sixth grade sister told us the idea was stupid and would never work, so we didn’t write him :).

  9. Esther August 2, 2017

    1. Left handed

    2. Veterinarian

    3. Chocolate

    4. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Beauty and the Beast (original)

    5. No

    6. The people’s hospitality

    7. I’ve never needed stitches. But one time I was giving my younger brother a backwards (back to back) piggy back ride, and he fell off straight into his metal bunk bed and spilt his chin open, requiring stitches.

    8. Sleeping in, waking up slowly, staying in my PJs/comfy clothes for as long as possible, reading

    9. It was raining heavily before the sun rose; now it’s cool but the sun is coming out

    10. The animal smell of a barn, new books/pages, really old books/pages, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, lavender

    1. T August 2, 2017

      sorry, but I can’t understand liking the animal smell of a barn! and I’m from Kansas! 😉

      1. Esther August 2, 2017

        Most people I know don’t understand. 😛 But it’s probably my favorite smell!

        1. Michele August 2, 2017

          I actually kind of like it too. It’s nostalgic to me- early childhood memories of my grandparents’ farm! 🙂

    2. Amy Young August 2, 2017

      What kind of books do you read Esther? Are you more a fiction or non-fiction gal? (And I’m taken with the smell of a barn too . .. though I didn’t realize it until I read this and thought, “yes!” Thanks. That’s why these lists are fun … fun to get to know others a little bit and to have a mirror held up and we get to know ourselves too.)

      1. Esther August 2, 2017

        I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction, it depends on the genre/topic! I’m currently rereading The Lord of the Rings and I enjoy other fantasy-type novels such as Harry Potter. I really enjoyed the Shiloh book we read for the VA book club. I’ve also enjoyed more “realistic” fiction by authors such as Angela Hunt and Francine Rivers. As for non-fiction, again it depends on the topic, but I especially love anything science/nature/animal related. My grandpa visited me earlier this year and he brought an entire suitcase of National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Popular Science magazines for me. 🙂 I’m only about one third through the giant stack!

        1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

          What a treasure trove from your grandpa!!!

          I’ve started “A Man Called Ove” for the VA book club (book starts next week) an am LOVING it 🙂

  10. Mindy August 2, 2017

    From Mindy in Indonesia
    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right handed

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? Veterinarian. I would play “vet” and pet shop with my stuffed animals.

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? chocolate

    4. What are some of your favorite movies? shawshank redemption, most of the marvel super-hero movies (saw the new spider man on my visa run and loved it!), the martian, newsies, and a ton more.

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :)) no, but I’ve been tempted occasionally to get relief from mosquitoes.

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? The slow pace of life, how family-oriented and neighborly everyone is.

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? I had to get my pinky toe reattached when I was a teenager because I clipped it on the side of a swimming raft (with metal bands holding the floats). The worst part wasn’t the stitches, but my dad having to come out in a canoe to get me and bleeding all over everything until I got to shore. Also had to get stitched up after getting shot in the leg on the field. A couple guys tried to steal my moped and I got shot in the process but managed to get away with God’s help.

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? watching youtube and TV on my laptop.

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? hot (high 80’s F), sunny, no wind.

    10. What smells do you like? lilac and jasmine and puakenekene flowers, rendang cooking.

    1. Elizabeth August 2, 2017

      Oh my goodness, the stitches stories!!

      1. Michele August 2, 2017

        Yes, I think we have a winner for stitches stories! Hopefully no one will top those two!

    2. T August 2, 2017

      ah! pinkie toe and bullets! eek!

    3. Amy Young August 2, 2017

      Agree with Elizabeth, Michele, and T — would love to hear more of the bullet story! Have you thought of writing it as a post for VA? :). I’m sure I’m not the only one who would like to hear it!!

      1. Mindy August 2, 2017

        I’ve never written a post before, not sure how that all works. I’d be happy to share though if people are interested, just let me know how. It’s a good story, and interestingly enough what I learned through it is that the every-day obediences are where the real courage and faith are on display. Traumatic events, while perhaps more story-able and memorable, haven’t challenged me nearly as much as daily cross-cultural life following Jesus.

        1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

          So interesting you say that about the common every day challenging more … just last I was part of a discussion about “life altering events” and someone said something along the lines of “Amy’s meningitis and nearly dying would be one.” And I told a lot of the story . . . but I didn’t think it really altered me all that much. It is a “good story” and I”m glad I’m alive, but I can see how waiting in long lines at the post office actually formed me more. However, not the most engaging story to listen to. “and then I got in line. And I thought, this won’t take long since there are three people working here. ….”

          I think your story will fit perfectly with some of the fall themes … we’re going to be reading a book (in book club) about Risk on the field. Let me look over the themes and I’ll email you some of the possible matches. 🙂 I love to see God weaving this all together!

  11. Elizabeth August 2, 2017

    1. Are you right or left handed? Right.

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? I cycled through many things. Astronaut (who didn’t??), archaeologist, writer (hmm that one happened), teacher (that one too, though not the way I imagined), and mom (yeah that one too).

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Vanilla. When I was young it was chocolate, NEVER strawberry. But now I think vanilla has enough flavor on its own, no need to add cocoa.

    4. What are some of your favorite movies? Anything Jane Austen. Anything British.

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :)) Not in the tropics! Yes in Midwest winters!

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? I enjoy the nature. And the fact that it doesn’t get cold. And the fact that it teaches me so much about shame and honor (though I’m really a baby when it comes to understanding it).

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? Only in childbirth 🙁

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? We almost always go out as a family and do something fun. I also like to sleep in and drink coffee slowly and sit at home and read.

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Sunny with a blue sky, but it rained earlier.

    10. What smells do you like? Vanilla, lavender, lemon, and peppermint. Also the smell of tea tree oil (which I use for lots of things), not because I particularly like the smell, but because the smell speaks of healing to me.

    Thanks for doing this Amy, it was fun!!

    1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

      Elizabeth, so fun to see the different jobs you were drawn to! It reminds me that not only did I want to be the president, I also wanted to be a lawyer — which horrified my dad (he probably saw that if I became a lawyer, it would not call out my best, but capitalize on my “shadow side”.). Mom told him, “Do not say anything to Amy about being a lawyer because then she will become it just to make a point.” Apparently Mom got my shadow side too! :). It was only through a very clear call from God and instantaneous change of heart that I became a teacher :).

      1. Elizabeth August 2, 2017

        Love the lawyer story — both your mom’s and dad’s reactions!

  12. Mary August 2, 2017

    1. Right-handed
    2. I wanted to be a Mum. It still hasn’t happened though.
    3. Give me all the chocolate!!!
    4. Ten Things I Hate About You. Chicago. Raising Helen.
    5. If it’s cold enough to wear socks then I definitely wear them in bed. In Thailand, not so much.
    6. I love the food, the innate (and taught) respect, the value of family, and the “Mai pen rai” no worries attitude.
    7. I needed major surgery after breaking my back. By falling off monkey bars. As an adult. Yep, good times :-/
    8.I like waking up slow, reading, drinking tea, maybe making pancakes, scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, and staying in bed as long as I can.
    9. Today it is hideously muggy and hot. And threatening to rain.
    10.I love the smell of scented candles, mosquito coils, coffee (the smell more than the taste), and fresh baking.

    1. T August 2, 2017

      breaking your back! whoa!

      1. Mary August 2, 2017

        Yeah, you know the hanging upside down by your knees trick with no hands? Turns out I couldn’t do it anymore.

        1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

          Ouch :)!

          And I’m sorry that you’re not a mom. It’s interesting how some interests in childhood were only for childhood, to propel us to the next step, and others, are life long.

          I also like the smell of coffee! (but I can’t stand to drink it at all. However, coffee ice-cream is okay :))

          1. Mary August 2, 2017

            Thanks. I am a preschool teacher though so I get to love lots of kids. My neighbourhood is also full of young kids who love to interact with me. So God is answering that longing in other ways.

  13. Addie August 2, 2017

    1. Ambidextrous, but I mostly use my right hand for writing! I think I was born left-handed, but it was quickly corrected because of cultural preference. A weird circus trick I have is that I can write with both hands at the same time, except that my left hand writes a mirror image.

    2. I wanted to be a violinist (and became one!) I also knew I wanted kids (nowhere near that dream), to be a teacher (my current job).

    3. Chocolate all the way!

    4. Cheesy Christmas movies….

    5. No, I can’t imagine! I tried once with fancy shea-butter-moisturizing fuzzy socks that I received as a gift, but couldn’t stand it even I need the dead of winter (-40C where I live)

    6. The calmness and open space! I love that it’s so sparsely populated that everyone has to know a bit about everything in order to survive, unlike where I come from where everyone normally only specializes in one thing.

    7. Only mouth stitches! I have a terrible dental record 🙁

    8. Going for coffee, either alone or with friends. Double bonus if we go busking in the market before!

    9. It’s extremely hot and humid with murky air, but much better than its been the past few days.

    10. Lavender, orange, peppermint, and eucalyptus! I use them in my laundry to keep pests away.

    This was fun 🙂 I really enjoy reading everyone else’s too!

    1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

      I agree with Michele! That writing thing is crazy cool. Could you do some two handed writing and take a picture of it and show us?!

      #6 — I love that insight on culture (generalist vs. specialist) and the open spaces. I’m with you on the socks!!! (as you know :)), but the cheesy Christmas movies? Maybe one :). Now sports movies? I could watch those by the hours!

  14. Michele August 2, 2017

    That writing thing is crazy! What an awesome brain! It seems like that ability would somehow have to be connected to other things that would be helpful in cross cultural living! 🙂

  15. sarah August 2, 2017

    1. Right-handed.
    2. A nurse and to be Asian. ?
    3. Chocolate. If possible with other forms of chocolate mixed in.
    4. All of the Fast and the Furious Movies, most of the Marvel movies, anything Austen or Austen-esque.
    5. In cold places, Yes!!! But, really for some reason it’s more about having my ankles covered than my whole foot.
    6. Everybody is smiley and friendly. Tons of nature- flora and fauna. Dusky Leaf Monkeys, giant black squirrels, monitor lizards and loads of Kingfishers. The ocean.
    7. Mostly just situations in which I thought, “Well, I might need stitches but there’s no way I’m going to the hospital here.” 🙂
    8. Waking up with some coffee and my uke, maybe painting or taking a jungle walk to the market for breakfast.
    9. Early morning showers followed by bright sunshine and a gorgeous sunset.
    10. Jasmine, osmanthus, gardenia, tiger balm.
    Nice to hear about your lives, everybody!

    1. Mindy August 2, 2017

      I take it you’re not asian? I was always drawn to other cultures and ethnicities growing up too. I wanted to be native american badly for quite a while – I learned to make dream catchers, do beadwork, work leather, and flintknap. Being a midwestern white girl I never had a sense of cultural “distinct-ness”, and I longed for it. I just hope that most of my efforts fell in the area of cultural appreciation, and not appropriation 🙂

      1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

        Mindy, this makes me smile. I can picture a girl doing all of the things you described and for the reasons you articulated!

      2. sarah August 3, 2017

        Mindy, I think if I hadn’t lived in an area with a fair-sized population of native Americans and therefore felt the distinctness, I would have been right there with you, beading away.

    2. Amy Young August 2, 2017

      Where you live sounds beautiful. And your stitches answer makes me smile! I get it!

      1. sarah August 3, 2017

        Blessed. The view from my living room.

  16. Daveen Wilson August 2, 2017

    Daren’t upload a photo because the one time I commented, the photo came out HUGE!

    1. Right- handed.

    2. Can’t remember ever wanting to be anything other than a cross-cultural worker, and that’s what I’ve almost always been!

    3. Definitely vanilla.

    4. All time favourite is Casablanca, almost know it by heart. Also, Shrek, our family quotes from that one a lot!

    5. Only if I’m trying to cure the cracks that come from wearing flip-flops all the time.

    6. That people always make time for sitting round a meal for hours and just being together.

    7. After childbirth, and carpal tunnel operations on both hands.

    8. It’s basically like any other day, usually; our day off begins on Saturday evening.

    9. It’s dry, as it has been for months, and very hot – 36C atm

    10. Coffee roasting, bread baking, earth after rain

    1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

      Shrek! Yes 🙂 . . . so many good movies and this discussion is reminding me of them 🙂

  17. Michelle S August 2, 2017

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right handed. I think I’m actually somewhat ambidextrous as I can do a lot of things pretty easily with my left hand, but since I entered “right-hand-only” cultures I try not to exercise that ability.

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? Being a stay-at-home wife and mommy. I sometimes dreamed of running an orphanage, too.

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? Vanilla…although I think it’s best with toppings!

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? I actually just recently re-discovered what socks are. 🙂 After I broke my toe a few weeks ago, I wrapped it up with a poultice before I went to bed. I wanted to do something to protect my bed sheet if the poultice leaked from under the bandage, so I was trying to figure out how to fasten a handkerchief or something around my foot…and then suddenly had the helpful revelation that there are things called socks that are custom made to fit and stay on feet! And that I actually had some of said things packed away somewhere. So, obviously, no, I don’t sleep with my socks on here in the tropics. Back in the States when I slept in an unheated bedroom in the winter, I did usually wear socks to bed.

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? The cheery friendliness

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? I’ve never needed stitches for an accident or anything interesting…just a few minor surgeries. I had a little bit of a strange experience the one time after having a small benign cyst removed…a few weeks after the surgery (long after the stitches were out) something started sticking farther and farther out of the incision. After some puzzling and contacting the doctor’s office, we figured out that my body was “spitting out” the stitches that were down inside and were suppose to just dissolve as it healed. But the nurse said it wasn’t uncommon and was nothing to worry about; we could just gently clip it off as it pushed its way out.

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? I miss leisurely Saturday mornings. Since I teach teachers, Saturday morning is one of my class times.

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? It rained a little this morning and then turned into a sunny, not-too-hot day (mid-80’s F–it’s our “cool” season right now). Now it’s dark and has dropped a couple degrees for the night.

    10. What smells do you like? Fresh baking, onions sauteing, candles burning, a grove of pine trees, the scent immediately after a rain, a freshly bathed baby

    1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

      Michelle your sock story cracked me up . . . I could see me doing something like that :). And your body spitting out stitches . . . wow. Never heard of that. I bet it was a bit unnerving until you found out what was going on 🙂

  18. Raven Cruz August 2, 2017

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    I used to be ambidextrous, but I’ve lost most of it. Now just right handed!

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    Too many to count. Olympic gymnast, Nurse, Flight Attendant, Band Director, plus many more.

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    Always vanilla. Never chocolate.

    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    The movies I grew up watching…Sound of Music, My Girl, Mary Poppins, anything with Shirley Temple. Not so much a movie watcher these days, but love documentaries when I can find them.

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on?
    Never and it makes me shudder at the thought of doing so!

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    Everyone is willing to give and be generous with each other.

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    Yes – I busted my chin open after falling on to a concrete floor when I was around 5.

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    Not setting an alarm and having time to read.

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    Today was a bit cold as it was in the lower 70s! Summer year round here!

    10. What smells do you like?
    Depends on the weather or time of the year!

    1. Amy Young August 2, 2017

      Raven, I can just picture you in my minds eye as a wanna be Olympian. I bet you were adorable because you ARE adorable. And the range of movies you grew up on . . . only one made me feel old. Ha!!!

  19. Ruth Felt August 2, 2017

    1. Lefty! When I was reading down the comments I felt kind of bad for all you right-handers. Does that mean I’m a snob or that being left handed is super awesome? I did always appreciate my first class with a group of (Chinese) students who would gasp when I wrote on the board, and tell me how clever I was.

    2. As a small kid I wanted to be a garbage collector. You got to ride on the back of the truck!!

    3. Chocolate ice cream. Unless it’s in an In-N-Out milkshake and then maybe vanilla.

    4. Benny and Joon, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken, Planet Earth series

    5. Nooo

    6. You *can* feel lonely but it’s impossible to feel isolated. Everyone is outside all the time – walking, biking, selling food, playing with kids, everything. Back in the day I’d watch my neighbors hanging out outside in the dead of winter (South China, no heat) in down coats brushing their teeth, washing their clothes, doing pretty much everything.

    7. I had stitches in my chin when I was a baby. I fell on my bottle while chasing my sisters around. I don’t actually remember it, but it was rather traumatizing for my mom and I still have a little scar.

    8. Saturday morning is typically my morning to get out of the house for a few hours ALONE and just hang out, read, listen to music, journal, etc. I’ll go to a coffee shop or sit outside or something. As an introvert with loud, ever present children, I definitely value this time!

    9. Surprisingly pleasant for August in Georgia!!

    10. So I just caved and bought essential oils thing (Excited, but also feel a little like a sell out! Ha!) and I’m newly in love with Stress Away (it has lavender, vanilla, cedarwood, and a few other oils). I think the name is pretty self explanatory. I’m pro anything that is stress reducing.

  20. Liz S August 3, 2017

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    RIght. Left hand is seriously dumb.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    nurse, like my Mom. I did spend several summers volunteering at her hospital. Still love all things medical.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    Vanilla. Every. Single. Time.
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    Too many. Everything from Pride and Prejudice to Avengers to the Blind Side.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :))
    I’m a California girl. Cold is BAD. GImme all the fuzzy socks. Unless my husband is doing his impression of a radiator. Which is pretty good, I must say.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    Lots of things. I love how differently an outing to the beach is approached.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    HA!! Just ask my good friend and school liaison, Lily, who had to hold my hand while undesolved stitches were removed – on TWO different occassions!!
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    Um…nothing is awesome….
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    Glorious! Brilliant blue skies filled with puffy clouds, absolutely lovely temperatures…a great day to take my kids to the park.
    10. What smells do you like?
    Anything with spices (of the Thanksgiving variety), vanilla, Chinese food (of the authentic variety), and my kids fresh from the bath. PIZZA.

  21. Adrienne August 3, 2017

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?
    – I’m a lefty. The only one in my family.
    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    – I wanted to be so many things (which I attribute to reading so many books). The dream that I still toy with now and again is an antique/gift shop.
    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    – If there are toppings, always vanilla. If it’s plain, in a cone, chocolate. Plain in a bowl – strawberry.
    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    – When Harry Met Sally, Princess Bride The King’s Speech, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Ringer, The Goonies, Sabrina (Humphrey Bogart and Audrey *swoon*), Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Disney’s animated Robin Hood.
    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :))
    – Growing up in an old farm house in Michigan, with no forced heat in my upstairs bedroom, I used to fall asleep with socks on all the time. I always kicked them off in the middle of the night though. Now I live on a tropical island, and I don’t wear socks…ever.
    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    – The traffic here is crazy, and the streets in some barrios are so narrow. If you have to navigate a tight spot, or back out onto a busy road, whatever stranger is passing by automatically assumes the responsibility of helping you proceed safely on your journey. Whether you know them or not, whether it’s convenient or not – someone is looking out for you. It’s true in wider culture, but driving was the first time I felt that tangibly.
    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    – My only stitches were for oral surgeries – so I was knocked out when they cut me open and sewed me back up. No cool story or scars.
    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    – Ideally I would wake up early, go to a yoga practice with a friend, hit a coffee shop for a couple hours, then go home and be productive – laundry, cleaning, bill paying. I haven’t found anyplace to do yoga here, so now it’s just me and youtube yoga instructor.
    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    – It’s rainy, which is making it quite cool. Dominicans don’t like to go out in the rain, so this morning was eerily quiet, while everyone waited out the first wave of clouds.
    10. What smells do you like?
    – A load of whites – bleached and sun-dried, bread baking, just-cut grass, puppy breath, lilacs, and original Old Spice (worn by my grandpa, dad, and big brother).

  22. S. Simon August 3, 2017

    So much fun to read about your lighter sides! First question triggered a funny memory, wrote it down for you.

    I am left-handed and in my European home country, being left-handed is slightly cool, but nothing more. How little did I know this would be one of the biggest cultural differences in my host country Bangladesh!

    From the start colleagues, staff and even complete strangers would come up to me asking, are you a lefty? On which I hesitantly agreed, not knowing this being a good or bad thing. Quickly I learned your left hand is the toilet hand. You don’t hand money over with your left hand, you definitely never eat something touching it with your left hand. You can basically only use it for dirty stuff and insulting people. (And from a young age children get beaten by there teachers for writing with their left hand…) So in this eating-with-right-hand culture I did a lot of practise getting my right hand in shape and after a while I could impress locals with my hand-eating skills. Not bad for a foreigner, they’d say.

    On one of my trips to the country side I received a dinner invite from the owner of a prawn farm. I was very excited to eat fresh prawns and together with my local travel buddy we joined his table. It was only then I realized I had no clue about peeling that prawn with one hand, let alone my ‘wrong’ hand! My host was closely following my moves and asked if I didn’t like prawns. Helplessly I looked at my travel buddy and gestured if I could please use my left hand. Her shocked expression told me that was not a good idea. And together with her right hand I finally managed.I guess, two rights make a lefty!

    1. Michele August 3, 2017

      Oh wow, I have struggled with eating things like that where I really want to use two hands, but can’t imagine trying to do it with only my non-dominant one! Great picture of you and your friend tackling it together! ☺️

  23. Elizabeth August 3, 2017

    Fun seeing everyone’s responses!

    1. Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous? Right handed

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult? For a long time I wanted to be a teacher, then a doctor, and eventually went into nursing.

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose? I agree with one of the above posts – with toppings definitely vanilla, in a cone – chocolate, but never strawberry (unless it’s neopolitan!)

    4. What are some of your favorite movies? All time favorites are Sound of Music and Mulan

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :)) Rarely, and when I do I usually kick them off by morning!

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in? The people and getting to know them.

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories? I didn’t think I did and then reading the posts reminded me that I have, during childbirth.

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning? Pancakes and coffee – wherever I am in the world, Saturday is always pancake morning. Growing up it was pancakes and cartoons with Dad, now I make pancakes for whoever I am with and I hope to pass on the Saturday morning tradition to my children.

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are? Cold and wet!

    10. What smells do you like? This is a hard one! Anything baking (cake, cookies, bread), holiday spices (pumpkin pie spices, cinnamon, pine Christmas tree), clean cotton or fluffy towel scented candles…

  24. Cecily August 3, 2017

    When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?

    Once when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered, “A nurse or an alligator.”
    Then, when I was a Candy Striper one summer, I got in a scrape with a car and it looked like I had alligator skin on my leg.
    So, for a brief moment in time, I got to be both at the same time!

    1. sarah August 4, 2017

      It’s so rare to have all your childhood dreams fulfilled in one summer! 🙂

  25. Heather Henson August 6, 2017

    Are you right or left handed? Anyone ambidextrous?

    I’m right handed. This is where I admit to a fascination for watching how left handed people write!

    2. When you were a kid, what job/role did you want to have as an adult?
    A nurse! My mother was a nurse. ‘Dress-up’ days in my early school years saw me in the bits of mum’s nursing uniform that fitted me. As soon as I could, I became a nurse and midwife too!

    3. If you had to choose between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice-cream, which would you choose?
    On the rare occasions I have ice cream… chocolate! I don’t actually really like chocolate of any sort but it’s not as sweet as strawberry or vanilla. My choice of chocolate ice cream would be the home made variety I make for Ross. It’s rich and dark with pieces of ginger folded through!

    4. What are some of your favorite movies?
    Hmm… that’s a hard one. I’ve watched so many movies in planes at high altitude over the past few years. Sometimes I get to the end of one and sigh with that feeling of rich satisfaction. But later when asked what did I watch, I can’t remember the title. Just the story!

    5. Do you sleep with your socks on? (I’ve asked before and I’m asking again :))
    No! Well, not unless it’s freezing cold. At present it’s really hot where I live.

    6. What do you enjoy about the culture you live in?
    The invitation into relationship contained in so much of life. The coffee shop, supermarket deli, church service time, coming in / going out of our house. Everything. The food. The passion in conversation. Not having enough language yet means it’s easy for me to think they’re arguing! 🙂

    7. Have you ever needed stitches? Any good stitches stories?
    Thankfully no… well not overseas anyway. Having a certain physiological make-up means the one time I did have stitches in my hand it felt awful. Like having a glove on. Not an experience I care to repeat!

    8. What do you enjoy doing on Saturday morning?
    Being able to take unhurried time with my husband over breakfast and a coffee!

    9. Today, what’s the weather like where you are?
    Hot! It’s 37°C at 10.13 am.

    10. What smells do you like?
    Eucalyptus (I miss that smell). The smell of my newly bathed little granddaughters (I miss them…). Coffee (weird because I can’t have too much of it!). The soft smell of a rose. Freshly laundered clothes / towels etc. Especially after they have dried in the sun!

  26. Annika August 9, 2017

    3- chocolate. All things chocolate. I love vanilla in iced coffee, but give me chocolate.

    4. I’m such a nerd. The first chronicles of Narnia is my all time favourite movie. And I cry every single time I watch Prince Caspian, without fail.

    5. I don’t sleep with socks on. And even when I do, I wake up with them stuffed in the bottom of my sheets. Absolutely proof that my body dislikes the whole sleeping with socks on game.

    7. When I was living in Uganda for the first time, my friend and I caught a Matatu into the city. We were dressed up and headed to an event, so I was wearing this floral skirt that went to my knees. A matatu is a 15- seater van but Ugandans love to shove everything and anything they can fit in it; bring on the goats and chickens and babies and adults and grocery bags and potatoes. We flagged down the Matatu and got in. The driver yelled at me to get into the back and not take up all the room in the front as we were one of the first ones in. I tried to step over one of the folded seats on the side and did not see the rusty piece of metal sticking up. I slit the back of my thigh open and the driver had to pull over to find bandaids from this wooden shack on the side of the road. I walked through the city with my friend, clutching the back of my leg. I ended up only getting butterfly stitches, but I think it counts. I had to call my mom to get her to call our hospital in Canada to confirm that I had my tetanus shot. I did. Now I have a cool scar.

    9. The weather is sunny here today. I’m in my passport country and we just had two weeks of scorching heat. Then it rained for two days- a complete downpour. Now we are back to heat and sunshine. I live on an island on the east coast of Canada, and it is full of massive, lush, green hills and long stretches of beautiful sandy beaches. I’m from a country town where we are all raised with a pair of cowboy boots and taught how to square dance.

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