Author: Trish

A Week in Greece #40: NEW ROOMMATES and HD CELEBRATION WEEK

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This week has been so great!  Mostly because I have new roommates, and I loooove them.  Luciana and her husband Giorgos moved into my second bedroom on Tuesday, and it has been so much fun.  Let’s relive each moment, shall we?

NEW ROOMMATES

Our mutual friend Janet also came over on Tuesday to help them move in.  We quickly got distracted by ordering tons of Chinese food and then playing Black Stories late into the night.  Luciana had a bad day on Wednesday, and she requested that we all drink cider together that night.  Giorgos was late coming home, so Luciana and I compared our Enneagram types (4 and 8 – the most passionate pairing that is most likely to end up in physical violence!).  On Thursday we all stayed up talking, and Giorgos said, “I want to play a computer game and empty my head,” and I said, “YES PLEASE.”  So they introduced me to Deus Ex, and we all sat on the couch making moral decisions. (Me: What happens if you kill that person?  Luciana:  We’re not killing people!  Giorgos:  Okay, honey, I’ll stun him.)

On Friday, Continue reading →

Meet My Fanfiction Joe Biden

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Hint: He’s really into ice cream.

My friend Elizabeth has a wonderful habit of sending me pictures of Joe Biden with “made-up” scenarios and conversations attached.  I say “made-up” because no one really knows the reality, and I choose to believe that life is exactly as she has described it.  They’re too good to keep to myself, so with Elizabeth’s permission, they can live on this blog forever.  Enjoy!

(Click the picture to see the in-context Twitter page from which they came.)

 

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*phone rings*
Joe: It’s Barack! Everyone say, “Hi, Barack!!”
Costco people: Hi, Barack!!
Joe: Hey Barry, what’s up? Oh, not much, just here at the NEW COSTCO, YEAH BABY!! [pause] mm-hm. Yes, I can pick up some chocolate babka for Michelle’s dinner party, no problem. This is literally the best thing; they gave me my own card and everything.
*hangs up*
Okay, Barack says I need to get a chocolate babka. I had better sample all of these chocolate babkas to make sure I get the best one, right, Janet? God, I love Barry. I mean babka. I love babka.

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“I want to make like the fro-yo bars, but with ice cream. I mean, c’mon, President Park, who wants a bowl this big of fro-yo when you could have ice cream, right?”

 

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“Happy 55th, Barack!  A brother to me, a best friend forever.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is ACTUALLY a REAL tweet made by Vice President Joe Biden, and that caption is HIS actual words.  My heart!

 

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“Barack hey Barack happy birthday man, are you going to eat the key lime pie? Just wondering, just wondering, no reason”

“It is just that key lime is my favorite, but it’s your birthday, okay”

 

 

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“I kid you not, Arseniy, I asked for an ice cream, and Michelle brought me a carrot. A fuckin’ carrot! But it was all in good fun, see, because then after she and Jill got done laughing at me, she brought out a waffle cone with four scoops of banana-chocolate rocky road. Four scoops! That was one helluva annual Secret Service family picnic, I tell you.”

 

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“Barack, I got you a cone too. Barack? Barack? hi, I have your cone!”

 

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“It’s okay. No, I just wanted two cones; I knew you were getting your own. It’s not like this is a date or anything, ha ha”

 

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“Michelle *said* they didn’t plant those tall bushes between our pools on purpose, but I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

 

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“Butterfly kisses, after bedtime prayer…”

 

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“OH. MY. GOD. Is that a CHOCOLATE WAFFLE??”

 

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“And then, see, the corgi jumps off the pier and does a belly flop in the lake! Gets me every time. Isn’t that great? Isn’t that so funny, Barack?”

“Yeah, that’s great, Joe!”

 

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This is so perfect I can’t even caption it. I only wish I could frame it and look at it forever. Such pure joy.

 

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A Week in Greece #39: SUNSET WINE, BIBLE STUDY, and a VISITOR

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I’m super behind on this, so it’ll be quick(er than usual)!

Last week was pretty great!  I had my regular Greek lessons.  I considered cancelling my Thursday lesson to have the evening to clean and get ready for Sarah’s visit, but then Anthi told me that my teacher LOVES me and that I’m so hardworking she’s willing to keep teaching me even though she doesn’t really have time to do it. I respond VERY well to effusive praise, so I kept the lesson but asked to do it earlier.

On Tuesday at HD we had a lesson about creating happiness, and I said that I missed binge-watching TV shows with friends.  Wonderfully coincidental, on Tuesday evening, I went to visit Kendra.  As “repayment” for catsitting for her a while ago, she bought us a bottle of wine and we hiked up a hill to watch the sun set over the sea.  We went back to her place and made barbeque chicken sandwiches and watched the first episode of This Is Us.  It felt really great to have a friend who I feel comfortable enough with that a two-hour planned hangout could extend to 11:00 pm.

I went back to her apartment on Wednesday for Bible study.  For the first time, it hit me how strange it is to have a Bible study that lasts 2.5 hours and only ends because it’s 11:00 pm and people need to get home before midnight.

Life at HD continues to be good.  I started up my regular counseling sessions with each participant, with our newest woman for the first time.  She was reluctant at first, which was slightly panicky for me because I don’t get to use my counseling skills enough to feel truly confident, but then she opened up about current worries, and by the end she leaned back into the cushions and said, “I feel so much better.”  Yay!

Sarah came on Friday, and we caught up and made pizza and packed for our weekend in Meteora…which I will talk about in a separate blog post!

5 “Worship” Songs That I Can Stand

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I don’t like Contemporary Christian Music.  I think this is mostly a knee-jerk reaction against my teenage ALL CHRISTIAN EVERYTHING SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD asshole days, so I am probably throwing some babies out with the bathwater (sorry, babies!).  But there is also a little truth to the fact that a lot of CCM is just…not creative.  Not technically good.  And most importantly to me, they are often too Happy Happy Joy Joy.

I can’t stand a faith that pretends life is good.  I can’t stand a faith that refuses to acknowledge domestic violence, addictions, bad moods, and doubt.  Unfortunately, most of our worship music is “blissfully” free of our uncomfortable reality.  But I want to be uncomfortable!  I want the songs I sing to God to be messy and truthful and desperate, because that is how I am.

So even though I don’t like traditional worship music, I DO love me some songs about faith.  Here are a few of my favorites.

1|  “Jesus, Jesus” by Noah Gundersen Continue reading →

Fundraiser | HD T-Shirts and Hoodies!

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Last year I had a lot of success with a t-shirt fundraiser I did with Booster.  This year I wanted to do the same – but more!  What’s the point of autumn if it’s not hoodies, am I right?  This year, I am proud to announce that there are THREE different wearable options that will promote awareness of HD AND help me continue to work there for another year!

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Men’s T-Shirt: $18 + shipping
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Women’s T-Shirt: $18 + shipping
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Hoodie: $28 + shipping

Half of the money spent will go toward making the product, and half will go to me!  All proceeds will help me get one step closer toward my goal of raising $32,000 by November 15th so that I can continue to work with HD for another year!

Visit my Booster site Another Year in Greece today and place an order.  The sale ends October 15th, so do not wait!

Sunday Summary #43

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1| Last Night’s Debate, or the Mansplaining Olympics 

An excellent and hilarious summary of the first presidential debate.

TRUMP: Also in addition to your sinister Machiavellian control of everything on earth, you are not good at leadership. I believe these things simultaneously and see no contradiction in them.

CLINTON: Wasn’t I supposed to be talking? About focusing on the middle class?

HOLT: (shrugs)

TRUMP: “TYPICAL POLITICIAN. ALL TALK, NO ACTION.”

CLINTON: Is this in response to something specific?

TRUMP: “NEVER GONNA HAPPEN.”

CLINTON: Did someone hit a switch on your back somewhere into drunk uncle mode?

2|  There are few things I love more than grown men consenting to be bossed around by tiny, amazing girls.

 

A Week in Greece #38: EVERYTHING IS LOOKING UP

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It’s amazing what having time with friends and having renewed interest in work can do to make a girl feel better.

Work

This week we finally had resolution on a major issue that has been in the air for THREE MONTHS.  It was one of those things that affects you in such a subtle way that you don’t even realize it was bothering you until it’s gone.

And in addition to that – we welcomed our fourth participant into HD!!  The story of how she escaped from her trafficker is crazyballs as always, and it is all kinds of rewarding to get to be a part of her life as she chooses health and recovery.  We’re in the first stage where she’s trying to impress us and be especially good, which obviously is easiest, but I’m looking forward to the day when she is comfortable enough with us that she can get assertive.

Augh, this is always the worst, because there is SO MUCH to say, but not in a public forum that will live online forever.  The short story is: work is really great right now.

Greek

Well, I’m still learning.  I’m finally getting comfortable with Evangelia, my Greek teacher, which means when she explains a complicated grammatical issue in Greek, I feel okay saying, “Alright, I’m done.  See you in a couple days!”  Of course, next week is my last week of lessons with her, so.  Just when you get used to a person…

On the plus side, she said that I’m just two or three concepts away from knowing pretty much all of Greek grammar!  Which is great, except that she said my vocabulary needs a lot of building up.  It’s all super true and makes total sense.  Grammar is the stuff I can study and categorize in the safety of my brain.  Vocabulary is nonsense that I have to speak out loud, and that doesn’t happen all that often.

Friends

The week started really well – at church on Sunday, Janet sat beside me, making me feel a lot less like a fly on the wall.  There were three new Americans at the service, so seven of us ex-pats went out to lunch together.  One of the new Americans paid for all of us on the sly.  He’s married with kids and a steady job – I really appreciate when people who have their life together treat those of us who don’t. Continue reading →

Letters Between Friends: TANNER’S ORCHARD AND APPLE CIDER DONUTS

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Dear Tricia,

Fall weather has hit. Like a pumpkin pie to the face. After the weekend, we went from 89 to 67 yesterday and 59 today.

I do know that you enjoy fall and warm-like clothing, but I don’t remember your feelings on Tanners. Completely nostalgic, yet terribly overpriced, but I will probably be back every year, and of course those apple cider donuts…yeah…that place.

We went there today. After we picked up the girls at school Mom and I took them out to frolic in the brisk air.  Nathan has a soft spot for the apple cider donuts so of course we sent him a picture to rub in his bearded face…

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We played on all the fun trains & buses &slides.  I really wonder what goes through a kid’s mind sometime when they come to a place like this with SO much stuff today.  I feel like I would be so overwhelmed I’d shut down and just watch…but Ruthie was like a pinball in a pinball machine.  *ping*ping*ping*  Continue reading →

My Favorite Greek Hymn

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One of my favorite parts of any worship service is the singing, and this is especially true in a country where the majority of my singing time (while driving) has been removed.  I still love singing in Greek, which is a little weird because I can pronounce things even if I don’t understand what I am singing.

There are a lot of translated American worship songs in the Greek churches, which is a shame, because I don’t particularly like American worship songs.  HOWEVER, there is this one song that I’m a huge fan of, mostly because it’s really powerful and kind of foreign-sounding.  As part of my Greek lesson, my teacher had me actually translate the words, so now I know that I am not accidentally blaspheming while singing.

They’re singing the song a bit too fast for my taste in this video, but you get the idea.  The minor key!!  I am a sucker for minor keys.

Ω, Θεέ αναρωτιέμαι (O God, I wonder)
πώς μπορούσα εγώ να ζήσω (how I could live)
δίχως την αγάπη Σου και τη φροντίδα Σου.  (without your love and your care)
Όμως τώρα Σε γνωρίζω (But now I know)
είμαι εγώ παιδί δικό Σου  (I am your child)
και ποτέ δε θα ‘μαι μόνος (θα είμαι μόνος) (and never will I be alone)
γιατί Εσύ θα ‘σαι κοντά μου. (θα είσαι κοντά μου) (because you will be close to me)
Δόξα, στον Πατέρα (Glory to the Father)

Δόξα και στον Υιό Του (and glory to His Son)

Δόξα στ’ Άγιο Πνεύμα παντοτινά! (Glory to the Holy Spirit always)

What I Read | September 2016

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This month I filled by brain with murder mysteries, musical histories, travel anecdotes, high fantasy, and (auto)biographies of YouTubers and female saints.  Real on-brand, if my brand is “EVERYTHING,” which it is.

unknownHamilton the Revolution
by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter

THE HAMILTOME.  My mom brought this to me, and it only confirms that LMM is a literal genius.  The background information about how the Broadway musical came into existence makes the show even more impressive (how is that possible), and Lin’s notes throughout the lyrics highlight his intelligence, attention to detail, and humor.  I’m forever grateful to know that he thought of the Hamilton/Burr rivalry as something akin to Harry/Draco.

51e6cmjvnlStrong Poison
by Dorothy Sayers

This little murder mystery was gifted to me by a friend who knew I love witty romances, and it totally scratched that itch!  I did, however, accidentally solve the mystery within ten pages, so the actual plot part was not very exciting.  But Lord Peter Wimsey and his too-good-to-be-true feminist feelings for Harriet Vane?  I swooned all over their conversations.

crazy-rich-asiansCrazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan

“I’m getting kind of tired of hundreds of pages of ‘They are SO RICH, check out this thing they own,’” I said to a friend.  “Tricia,” she responded, “Look at the title, you should not be surprised.”  Despite the almost comical portrayal of sickening wealth, I liked its message that all the money in the world will not solve your problems.  Not an original concept, but I’m considering reading the sequel, so some part of me must have loved peeking into the lives of the fantastical Singapore elite.

unknown4Modern Lovers
by Emma Straub

I got this book because I THOUGHT Straub wrote a different book that I enjoyed.  She did not, which is why it turns out I did not super love Modern Lovers.  It’s not bad or anything, but the full extent of my notes on it read: “Eh – interesting but not memorable.”

original-imageThe Road to Little Dribbling
by Bill Bryson

I love Bryson’s travel books, and this one commemorating the 20th anniversary of his Notes From a Small Island seemed like a good investment.  Unfortunately, this time I found his wanderings around Great Britain to be wildly unpredictable – occasionally great, but too often boring.  There’s only so often I can read about an old man being gently annoyed by the state of the society today.

unknown3A Contemplative Biography of Julian of Norwich
by Amy Frykholm

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of all things shall be well,” is one of my favorite quotes, so I was interested to read this the-best-we-can-do-with-limited-information biography about Julian of Norwich.  It was very helpful to read about just how difficult it was for a woman to study the Bible centuries ago, let alone to have the freedom to write about her spiritual experiences and offer theological doctrines.  I adore Julian’s message of God’s love and am intrigued by her mysticism, so well, I should probably read her actual book, Revelations of Divine Love, now.  Whoops.

unknown2Assassin’s Apprentice
by Robin Hobb

A friend of mine fell in love with Hobb’s universe and suggested I start at the beginning.  I’m glad I knew there was obsessive potential up ahead, because the first half of this book wasn’t enthralling.  By the end, though, I was totally hooked, and I’m eager to see what political disasters Fitz diverts with the help of a little assassination and mind-melding.

it-gets-worse-9781501132841_hrIt Gets Worse
by Shane Dawson

I love Dawson’s brand, whether on YouTube, his podcast, or in his books.  He a furiously controversial figure, and he delights in crucifying himself…but running through the deliberately shocking humor is a wide vein of authenticity, vulnerability, and hope.  He’s a mess, and he’s writing to people who know that they too are a mess, and somewhere in that I find a lot of beauty.  Do many people call Shane Dawson’s work beautiful?  They should!