Tid-Bits

Most of the signs here are illustrated, which is great unless what you're selling is medication for diarrhea, gonorrhea, hemoroids, hernia, and impotence. Awkward.

My sleep patterns have shifted. 8pm to 4am. Cool.

I'm reading Seven Storey Mountain, the autobiography of Thomas Merton. I'm still in his adolescence, which is a little boring. But he becomes a monk eventually, so then it will get good.

I loves me some mango and fried plantain, but not together.

Why are ethnic babies just plain cuter than white ones?

I miss y'all. Reply to my email and write me :)

I'll try to put up some pictures eventually.

And Off I Go!

Tomorrow morning Claire and Dave pick me up and the journey begins.
2 days to California, 3 days in California, then 10 weeks in Ghana. I'm thinking Friday to Tuesday will be some the most disorienting and fun days of my life thus far. I'll be updating when I can, and sending update e-mails as well. So keep me in your prayers and feel free to send email and snail mail.
And I'm so excited to see many of you in the next few days!

The DaVinci Code

This past week I read the book and last night I watched the movie. Overall: unimpressed. Granted, I was reading it more to be in touch with popular religious movements than for enjoyment, but really I just didn't think it was a very well-written book. Dan Brown did manage to spin a confusing web of intrigue, blending a tiny bit of history with a whole lot of fiction, but for the most part his stuff was so far out there that I couldn't see what about it people think is fact. My biggest gripe is that he writes Church history as if it started with the Council of Nicea, which is depicted as a big political conspiracy. The church history enthusiast in me could really go off on that point, but I'll restrain myself.
As for the movie, I was even less impressed. The screenwriter turned Langdon into a skeptic and even a man of faith, which I suspect was in part to make the movie less controversial than the book. Also, part of what made the book a natural choice for conversion to film is all the grand art and architecture, but the movie was filmed in such a dark color scheme and minor plot points changed in such a way that the grandeur and beauty didn't come across at all.
So that's my rant. If you read/saw it and want to talk about it let me know (after all, I'll be seeing most of my lovely readers next week!).

In summer break news, I'm back at my parents' place for a few days after a week in the Springs with Claire and Dave. We stained a deck, did a lot of shopping (yay excuse to buy fun dresses!), watched movies and relaxed a whole lot. Tuesday we hit the road for Cali!
It's been great getting to catch up with a lot of friends here from high school, church, college, and even PTS. Now my life turns to laundry and packing. Ugh, packing.