If you follow this blog, it means that you are probably aware of the protests and demonstrations in Bahrain. In case you are wondering, Alison, Eva and I are doing fine. If you weren't wondering... well, now you know. Most of the demonstrations have been away from our normal stomping grounds, and we are avoiding areas where demonstrators are gathering.
If you are aware that things are getting a little heated in Bahrain, it probably means you have a news source. However, I'll give you another one. I currently have a blog feed that automatically gives me any online news article that mentions "Bahrain". You can view a search on Google news for "Bahrain" here. Most of the articles are about the protests, and there are a lot of good articles.
Feb 15, 2011
Feb 14, 2011
Christmas and Easter Irony
One of my favorite comic strips is "Non Sequitur". The characters are witty, the humor is biting and the author likes poking fun at the absurdities of society. Today's strip is as follows:
Ok, so I get the joke. Two players playing for competing holidays spending time together. But the irony is, the holidays actually do go together. It's not just in secret in the off-season that they 'canoodle', but by their nature they are inseparable.
The problem is that the holidays that were once cornerstones of the Christian identity in the United States have become secularized and commercialized. This is true particularly in Bahrain. Stores catering to westerners stock up on Santa figurines and Easter egg decorating kits. The holidays have a very secular flavor.
But the two holidays are inherently intertwined. Christmas, you see, is the holiday in which we celebrate God coming to earth, in the form of Jesus. The primary purpose of Jesus coming was to atone for our sins, to provide an avenue to wash away our shame and make it possible to has a real relationship with God. That process happened during the death and resurrection of Jesus - Easter. Without Christmas, we cannot have Easter. And without Easter, Christmas is meaningless.
Ok, so I get the joke. Two players playing for competing holidays spending time together. But the irony is, the holidays actually do go together. It's not just in secret in the off-season that they 'canoodle', but by their nature they are inseparable.
The problem is that the holidays that were once cornerstones of the Christian identity in the United States have become secularized and commercialized. This is true particularly in Bahrain. Stores catering to westerners stock up on Santa figurines and Easter egg decorating kits. The holidays have a very secular flavor.
But the two holidays are inherently intertwined. Christmas, you see, is the holiday in which we celebrate God coming to earth, in the form of Jesus. The primary purpose of Jesus coming was to atone for our sins, to provide an avenue to wash away our shame and make it possible to has a real relationship with God. That process happened during the death and resurrection of Jesus - Easter. Without Christmas, we cannot have Easter. And without Easter, Christmas is meaningless.
Feb 13, 2011
Update on Tiny-Tiny
We've decided to give the nickname of our second child Tiny Tiny (Eva's womb nick-name was Round 2). We have lots of nicknames for Eva that we toss around. Chunkus is probably the most common one, but Tiny (or little tiny or baby tiny or ____ tiny) is another common one. However, Eva is not the tiniest any more. This has become even more apparent as more babies are being born at church and she now looks enormous, particularly compared to our friends Ross and Emily's newborn, Laila. So we have now nicknamed the second one Tiny Tiny.
Other than that, there really isn't a whole lot to say. As you can see on the counter just to the right, Alison is about 23 weeks along (you'll need to go to the blog to see the pregnancy widget). To be honest, I haven't kept that close attention. Or at least not like I did with Eva. With Eva, I followed the week-by-week part vigorously. I was up-to-date with the development and how things were moving along. I usually knew how many weeks and often how many days Alison was along in the pregnancy. Not any more. I (and Alison as well!) have to check my blog to see how far along Alison is.
In a couple weeks, we have big scan of some sort. I think its the one that COULD be 3D if you're willing to pay for it. We, however, are quite happy with a few extra dinars and a 2D picture of our child. I'll post that picture when we get it.
And now the update from the Baby Center:
Other than that, there really isn't a whole lot to say. As you can see on the counter just to the right, Alison is about 23 weeks along (you'll need to go to the blog to see the pregnancy widget). To be honest, I haven't kept that close attention. Or at least not like I did with Eva. With Eva, I followed the week-by-week part vigorously. I was up-to-date with the development and how things were moving along. I usually knew how many weeks and often how many days Alison was along in the pregnancy. Not any more. I (and Alison as well!) have to check my blog to see how far along Alison is.
In a couple weeks, we have big scan of some sort. I think its the one that COULD be 3D if you're willing to pay for it. We, however, are quite happy with a few extra dinars and a 2D picture of our child. I'll post that picture when we get it.
And now the update from the Baby Center:
- At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound,
- your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.
- If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in.
- Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.
Feb 11, 2011
Thoughts on Egypt
Egypt seems to be holding the attention of much of the world - or at least the media's attention, recently. The papers have pictures of protesters all over the front pages, and the "international" section is littered with articles and analysis. It's an important part of the Arab world. What happens in Egypt has huge impact on the rest of the Middle East. Others in the Middle East have been motivated by what they see in Egypt.
And as people discuss the protests, many people - including myself - tend to talk about it as they would a football game. Or a political contest. Detached analysis that looks at the broad strokes. There is certainly use for this kind of discussion. However, the discussion often gets limited to that. It's natural, of course, if you don't have any personal connection. I talk the same way about the uprising in Kazakhstan last year, or the protests in Thailand the year before that.
However, with the Egypt situation, we (Alison and I) have some connections that brings it closer to home. We have some Egyptian friends in our small group who have family in Cairo and Alexandria. A couple teachers who are from Egypt also worry about their families in Cairo. I also have a few students who are from Egypt, living abroad in Bahrain.
These friends have strong opinions about Mubarak and what should happen if (when?) he resigns. They (both Christians and Muslims) have strong opinions about the Muslim Brotherhood. However, they are more concerned about the safety of their families, particularly as the police have abandoned many areas of the city. They speak with a tired, concerned pride of how the people in their community have come together to provide for one another as the economy continues to suffer.
Of course, no one knows what will happen. The protests seem to have waned and it looked as if Mubarak might be able to out-wait the protesters. However, as I read CNN this morning, it seems as if new life has been breathed into the protests, for better or for worse. Obama, I'm sure, wants to help move things along, but I'm sure he's aware that if makes the wrong step, he may make things worse rather than better. Caution is the order of the day, and he's wise to heed that order. (No matter what he does, there will be much criticism. If he does nothing, he will be accused of not supporting the "freedom agenda". If he tries to move things forward too much, he will be accused of using US power to bully).
Whatever happens, God is in control. He appoints rulers and he removes rulers. In our small group on Tuesday night, we prayed the following:
And as people discuss the protests, many people - including myself - tend to talk about it as they would a football game. Or a political contest. Detached analysis that looks at the broad strokes. There is certainly use for this kind of discussion. However, the discussion often gets limited to that. It's natural, of course, if you don't have any personal connection. I talk the same way about the uprising in Kazakhstan last year, or the protests in Thailand the year before that.
However, with the Egypt situation, we (Alison and I) have some connections that brings it closer to home. We have some Egyptian friends in our small group who have family in Cairo and Alexandria. A couple teachers who are from Egypt also worry about their families in Cairo. I also have a few students who are from Egypt, living abroad in Bahrain.
These friends have strong opinions about Mubarak and what should happen if (when?) he resigns. They (both Christians and Muslims) have strong opinions about the Muslim Brotherhood. However, they are more concerned about the safety of their families, particularly as the police have abandoned many areas of the city. They speak with a tired, concerned pride of how the people in their community have come together to provide for one another as the economy continues to suffer.
Of course, no one knows what will happen. The protests seem to have waned and it looked as if Mubarak might be able to out-wait the protesters. However, as I read CNN this morning, it seems as if new life has been breathed into the protests, for better or for worse. Obama, I'm sure, wants to help move things along, but I'm sure he's aware that if makes the wrong step, he may make things worse rather than better. Caution is the order of the day, and he's wise to heed that order. (No matter what he does, there will be much criticism. If he does nothing, he will be accused of not supporting the "freedom agenda". If he tries to move things forward too much, he will be accused of using US power to bully).
Whatever happens, God is in control. He appoints rulers and he removes rulers. In our small group on Tuesday night, we prayed the following:
- God would grant wisdom, compassion and humility to those involved in the power transition (or whatever that may be)
- God would provide comfort for those who live in Egypt, and those abroad who worry about their families
Feb 7, 2011
Weekend in Qatar
This weekend, I took 6 students to a Model United Nations conference in Doha, Qatar. If you are unfamiliar with Model United Nations, students simulate a United Nations meeting where each student represents a different country and discuss an issue and try to determine what the UN should do about the issue. Issues range from human rights issues such as migrant workers to security issues such as the crisis between North and South Korea.
At this particular conference, students from all over Europe, Africa and Asia attended, with one school even coming from the US. It's great because the kids get to meet and interact with a wide variety of cultures and perspectives.
One of the best things about MUN is that the students need to represent their country from that country's perspective. For instance, it is difficult for a student from a Persian (Iranian) background to speak from the United Kingdom's perspective regarding nuclear weapons!
A conference like the one in Doha is great for a couple reasons. First, the students spend multiple days in their respective committees debating and negotiating with other delegates. It's great to see them persevering over the long haul. Second, because the conference is multiple days long, I get to float between the various committee sessions, listen to the debates, and get a good chunk of reading done! Really, it's a lot of sitting around, but I'm a-ok with that. Third, we stayed at a four star hotel (with cable!) and great restaurants. The breakfast buffets were fantastic.
All in all, a great time. The students were challenged, got to see Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Qatar (the hosts of the conference) and have a generally fun weekend away from home!
At this particular conference, students from all over Europe, Africa and Asia attended, with one school even coming from the US. It's great because the kids get to meet and interact with a wide variety of cultures and perspectives.
One of the best things about MUN is that the students need to represent their country from that country's perspective. For instance, it is difficult for a student from a Persian (Iranian) background to speak from the United Kingdom's perspective regarding nuclear weapons!
A conference like the one in Doha is great for a couple reasons. First, the students spend multiple days in their respective committees debating and negotiating with other delegates. It's great to see them persevering over the long haul. Second, because the conference is multiple days long, I get to float between the various committee sessions, listen to the debates, and get a good chunk of reading done! Really, it's a lot of sitting around, but I'm a-ok with that. Third, we stayed at a four star hotel (with cable!) and great restaurants. The breakfast buffets were fantastic.
All in all, a great time. The students were challenged, got to see Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Qatar (the hosts of the conference) and have a generally fun weekend away from home!
