Judy's Awesome! Blog and Picture World

Hi everyone... sorry I haven't updated for a while. I just don't feel that nursing school is much to write about. The funniest thing that happened to me this week in nursing school is that I missed a bird-poop by two feet! It was great, it made me smile and thank the Lord for small mercies (I was on my way back to the hospital after spending the day doing home visits with elderlies).

 

Julia's wedding was by far the highlight of the semester! I went over a couple of weeks before the wedding, and we spent the weekend making >200 tarts (Karl, you can thank ME for those Saskatoon tarts) and platzes and squares and wedding favors... and we watched an entire season of Survivor, but don't tell anyone we slacked off... the weekend of the wedding was a veritable zoo with little sleep, but it all pulled together for a perfect day! Even the weather held in there. I'm sorry I don't have any of the professional pictures to put up - if anyone is looking for a great photographer, get a hold of Crystie Jensen-Tarr. (There's a nice plug for you, Crystie.) There's an album up of some informal shots my mom took with a cheap camera. Julia told us bridesmaids after that she couldn't have imagined a more perfect day! Can't ask for anything better than that.

Oh, and I met a cute guy, that's pretty nice too ;-)

Hello! Well, another semester is going by - the sooner, the better! I'm very tired of school. And some things about nursing school are just very annoying - especially how they can fill a three-hour afternoon with about 30 minutes of content. Day after day.

Well, I finally got my camera figured out, so I put up a few pics of Christmas (I know, it's march already) and other stuff...

Signing off for now (sorry I don't have anything exciting to say)... Judy

What shall I say?

I've learned a lot about needles and health and random silly artsy things like "location" and "intersectionality" and that vague assignments and dumb teachers go hand in hand and that people are heavy and hard to turn. But in some other things I know less than I did before... am I becoming more realistic and less idealistic or am I just having a momentary hiccup of stupidity? I'm glad God knows me... let's just hope that he can turn me with a bit.

So... who wants to hang out with me this Christmas?

Hello, hello from Canada!

It's rather cold here. I never realized just how northern Canada is... yes, even the Fraser Valley.

 

The air is cool, if not downright cold. The trees are cold trees - as in, they look northern, all pine-y and fir-ry. And the toilet seats are freezing! On the other hand, at least there are toilet seats. And hot water... I had a hot shower today, a long one. It was fabulous!

 

While it is very nice to be back in Canada, and most things seem so "normal", there are a few things that I'm not used to yet: I'm not used to putting dirty knives or plates on the counter without feeling pressure to clean up immediately so the ants won't get all over them... eating rice with a fork (what's that!?)... not worrying about whether I'm eating something with my left hand... how easy it is to make a right turn at an intersection...

 

Well, I'm still jet-lagging, and I need to try and figure out what to wear to my cousin's wedding, and pack to head to Victoria, so I shall be off. Please, if you want to contact me or invite me over or hang out with me, give me a call or email me. 604-850-5617, judy_bandsmer@yahoo.com.

 

See you later!

Neighborhood Animals

- by Judy Bandsmer

 

The cows, they lumber rather well

in shades of tea or caramel.

They sometimes stop

to chew the crop

of wild grasses in the dell.

 

The ants, they scuttle everywhere!

Inside your house, your yard – take care:

they’ll kill your plants

and make you dance

from bites or crawling in your hair.

 

The cutest things here are the goats!

Their bodies float along like boats

atop of legs

which look like pegs

with patched and multicolored coats.

 

The birds, they flit around the sky;

All sorts of colors you can spy!

And then their tweets,

their songs, their cheeps,

provide grand music as they fly.

 

It’s said that monkeys live ‘round here,

they’ll play and jabber, tease and jeer...

I shan’t evade:

I am afraid

that I have seen just one this year.

 

The beetles are a funny sight...

One wonders they survive the night!

With one small tap,

They’re on their back,

And big or small, they’ve lost their fight.

 

Of monitors, what shall I say?

They’re hard to see – they run away!

They look so fat

but eat my cats,

then take off with their slinking sway.

 

Tall roosters strut, and chickens cluck

and scratch for food in sand and muck.

But for all their pain,

they work in vain:

We buy them piecemeal from a truck.

 

I’ve heard that there are snakes around;

I’d hoped to see some on the ground.

Except for fakes,

the only snakes

I saw were locked up at the pound.

 

The geckos have such friendly smiles

and snap up bugs; though all the while

they leave behind

small gifts in kind

that keep me sweeping off the tiles.

 

My favorite creature is the cat;

though feral, they are fun to pat!

They come see if

I have some fish,

then tire me with a midnight spat.

 

The creatures here are not the same

and somehow they aren’t quite as tame

as those I find

I left behind...

and yet, I like them, all the same.

 

[Note: the last line is most definitely poetic license. I DON’T like ants. No doubt they have their proper place in the food chain, and they help keep my floors clean. But I still don’t like them.]

Have I ever mentioned that Malaysians like to burn things? Mostly weeds. But also garbage, including plastic bags and other things that smell terrible. And are none good for human respiration. Well, lately, someone in the neighborhood has been smoking up all evening long. I try to cool my house off so I can sleep, but then my room gets so smelly and smoky that I can't sleep. Sigh. No win, this one. I hope they switch habits soon, or run out of things to burn. I'm not getting very much sleep!

 

Unfortunately, I'm getting very grouchy teaching these days. I think I'm tired of teaching! Only 15 more schooldays to go, and two days of testing.

 

On the other hand, I suddenly have become a science teacher for a few of the young girls in the neighborhood (like, grade 3-5). I'm not quite sure how it happened... it wasn't my idea, that's for sure! But I am had a great time today! Today I taught them about Matter: Solid, Liquid and Gas. I think they had a great time! Even though they are supposed to be learning science in english in the schools, they know almost no English. So we have a bit of a funny time trying to understand one another. We'll see if I get to keep teaching them, if they're interest holds. Their interest is certainly holding when it comes to playing "Ais-Water" with me (frozen tag). It's terribly fun, in spite of the heat, to play games with them.

 

I added a few pictures to the May folder - including my "Chinese haircut", Julia. Oh, and notice the fabulous curliness of my hair! I will be so sad to get back to Canada and watch my curls disappear again.

 

Oh, what else? I also got new cats! Well, my neighbors actually, but I feel somewhat maternal about them as I was their guardian and protector and feeder through the three days of travel from KL, and am now teaching the boys all about how take care of, play with, etc. cats. They are beautiful! Stray Siamese cats (I suppose not surprising considering what country I live in). One is actually long-haired, and honestly feels like a pussy willow. They are sweet! Anyway, we will see if they survive us leaving for a few days trip visa-renewal up to Thailand. So far we haven't had luck with the cats and kittens.

 

Hi!

Well, I'm a little tired today, but glad to be back in my house! Our three day quick jaunt into KL turned into a... let me see, it must be 6-day journey, what with car problems and extra places to stay. Well, I had a pretty good time, I bought the boys a couple of treats (some old Enid Blyton books) that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and a bought another pair of capris which are just the handiest things here - they are so much cooler than long pants, and still decent enough to wear outside the house (although not into town or out to eat, but I can at least answer the door and go outside and talk to others.

And we got some cats in KL from a friend! They are lovely, half-grown male cats, one looks like a Siamese, and the other has lighter points and long hair. They are very friendly and sweet, and right now a little scared from all their traveling. I wish I could bring them back to Canada with me! I will put up some pictures soon, but I don't have those particular ones downloaded yet. But I think today this computer is detecting my thumb drive so I"ll get those "April pictures" to you now.

I drove here right at sunset, the most important call-to-prayer time. Which means that I drive through a lot of bugs. It's maybe a good thing that all of you are sleeping right now and I can't use the web cam - I think I have smushed bugs on my face.

Hope you are doing well. I"m feeling a little tired of teaching right now, even though I haven't taught for nearly a week. I"m counting days until I'm done teaching (18 more teaching days! and 2 test days...). I would very much like to come back to Canada for good in June, but I'll keep that open just in case my FAther has other plans.

Either way, I guess I'll be seeing many of you in just over a month!