English as an official language

I was shocked to get back to America and find out that Missouri had voted to have English as an official language. I have always enjoyed telling my friends that America does not have an official language, and it still doesn't, but there are several states that do and Missouri has now become one of them.
I recently read an article for class by Joshua Fishman entitled "'English Only': It's Ghosts, Myths, and Dangers." It was very helpful in thinking about this topic. Basically, it calmed any fears because it explained that having English as the official language hasn't done anything to actually change laws or how they are interpreted. People who don't speak English still need services that they cannot be denied. Practically nothing will probably change in Missouri.
Today I heard English being compared to Wal-Mart: a monster that devours anything in its path as it take over the little guy (or something like that). People all over the world want to learn and speak English, so why do we think that people in America do not want to? Knowing English opens up a wide range of opportunities in eduction and for jobs. There are businesses in Switzerland and Scandinavian countries where employees are required to speak Engish at the office. Except for isolated groups, all ethnolinguistic minorities lose their mother tongue almost completely by the second or third generation. Because of the large amount of Hispanics, it may take another generation for Hispanic immigrants, but they will learn English.
I believe (and so does Fishman) that America would be better off if we would celebrate bilingualism. If we encouraged immigrant groups to learn English as well as retain their mother tongue, we would have that much more knowledge to choose from. Every language is a creation of God, reflects His glory, and contains knowledge and a worldview that doesn't exist in English. The more diversity we have, the more knowledge we have for building our country and the more we reflect God's glory.

Save the Endangered Languages

This is what I'm studying. I found this video interesting if you want to learn more about how cultures and languages around the world are in danger of becoming extinct.

Origins of Chinese-American food

I always suspected that Chinese food that we eat here isn't at all like Chinese food in China, but never really had any facts to back it up. I found this really interesting talk though that explains where Chinese-American food came from. Check it out.

Restaurant comparison

I stopped at IHOP on my way down to Dallas to meet with someone. Since I was going to be driving through lunch, I thought I'd buy something to eat so I wouldn't have to stop again. I was very suprised to to see that the cheapest things on the menu were $6.99. I thought I could get something small, but didn't really see anything. (To be clear, I did just glance over the menu; I didn't read every item.) Then with coffee it's up to $8.5 or $9 easily. I ate the whole dinner and left with nothing.
Then, yesterday, I met up with friend at a swanky restaurant in downtown Dallas, the kind of place where they don't put cents on the menu, everything was $8 or $10. I got a sandwich for $8 and water. That came with a salad and there was a free meatball and some bread included in the deal. I ended up taking half my sandwhich home as leftovers.
So the swanky restaurant downtown was cheaper than IHOP off the interstate. I don't really understand this. The quality of the food and the atmosphere was much nicer at the place downtown, so I guess I won't be frequenting IHOP very often anymore, not that I have been to it that often in the first place. There aren't really many situations in which one would be choosing between the two, but it's lesson that appearances can be deceiving when it comes to restaurants.

I just confirmed on www.usnews.com that my high school, Joplin High, received the bronze medal from US News, meaning it's among the best high schools in America, and the best high school in the area. I guess this is why I'm so pro-public school. It was free, and I was well-prepared for college. Go Joplin Eagles!

In the spirit of a late Thanksgiving, here are some things I am thankful for....
1. Hot running water straight out of the tap. No cold showers, no waking up early to turn on the hot water heater, no boiling water to do the dishes...just nice hot water directly from the tap.
2. Being able to hang out with my friends at whatever time I want.
3. Theme parties...being able to find what you need to have interesting parties....like making bread men for St. Nicolas...
Yesterday was St. Nicolas Day, so we made little men out of dough, as is apparently the tradition in some parts of Switzerland, and had a party with several friends and it was so nice. I was almost sad at the end of the night because I'll have to leave here again. I am going home though, so I'm not too sad.

One offen sees funny or striking things on the buses in Nairoibi. Driving around the city on our last days, we saw this bus that apparently didn't live up to it's name at some point...

the election from Kenya's perspective

I haven't been in Nairobi for much of the election, so I'll just guide you to read what one of my colleagues who has been living here has written. Having arrived in Nairobi last Thursday, I've been able to see what it's like without having had to hear it for too long. I watched the news last night on TV (not something I do often in Kenya). For the 45 minutes I watched it, they talked all about how Kenyans are supportive of Obama and showed video from all over the country of the parties Kenyans were having to follow the elections. One town even had a mock election so they would have the chance to vote in the US election. On the news they said that if Kenyans were able to vote, 97% of them would vote for Obama...not only because of his heritage they insisted.
It's just been confirmed that tomorrow is a national holiday here in Kenya. I hope that doesn't mean my haircut will be cancelled.

Government bureaucracy

Often in the morning there is a group of men that sit in front of our office, or under the mango tree next to it. They work in the office next to ours. I don't know why they don't sit in front of their own office. We exchange greetings as we walk in, but never much more than that. Finally last week we decided to ask them more about what they do. The head guy explained to me that when someone wants to put money in the bank, they first have to come to this office which gives them a piece of paper which allows them to deposit money in the bank. I asked him why they weren't at the bank which would make things easier, to which he replied, "I don't know, it's something the government created."
The other guy was there shed a bit more light on things. I think he really wanted to convince us that they do work. It seems it actually has something to do with taxes, like the businessmen have to come declare what they're putting in the bank so that they can be taxed. Then he talked about how they tax people who paint their buildings, but he didn't charge us for the painting on front of our office because we're neighbors...(and the fact that it's a department of the church, which is the more likely story.)

Rainy Sundays

Here's a picture of some silly girls who started walking to church when it was extremely overcast, without a raincoat or an umbrella. It started raining about a third of the way to church so we took shelter in someone's outdoor kitchen. The ladies there didn't speak French but they were very animated and started dancing and singing for us in their seats. When the rain let up we continued walking in the drizzle so as not to miss church.