Dear Judith,
As I write this, Rhonda and I are waiting for the other girls to come pick us up so we can go do laundry and sit at Java Joe's. It's our tradition to get Chai Latte's and an oatmeal raisin cookie every Sunday while we wait for our laundry.
Yesterday was my birthday. Rhonda bought me our favorite treats from Ebisuya and chocolate soy milk. Ken and Crystal invited all of us over for lunch, and when I came in, it was decorated and the girls bought me a couple little things. Though it wasn't as much of a surprise as they were hoping for, it was nice. Last night, Amy and Nicole came over and we watched a couple of movies.
This morning, I walked to the Elementary school and met up with Rhonda. We got spring rolls from Spicy Thai, then walked to the beach. Unfortunately, fairly soon after we got there, it started raining in the traditional Saipan way. By the time we walked back to the Beach House, we were absolutely soaked.
We drove down to Garapan and walked around a little bit. Everything is so overpriced down there, but it's fun to look.
I'm amazed at how quickly I've become completely comfortable with this place. As I was walking to the school, one of the dogs started walking towards me and growling a little bit, and without even thinking, I scared him away. It didn't seem odd at all, just part of my normal life. As we walked around Garapan and people stared and honked and whistled at us, I laughed, but was no longer surprised. Everything here is normal. This is my life, and even though it's completely different from where I thought I should be, it's exactly where I belong. God used you, Jude, to get me here.
I miss you dearly. I can't wait to hear from you soon.
Jaimie
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4 comments:
Happy Belated Birthday my dear, I wish I could have been there to celebrate with you, but know that I am giving you a big squeeze in my heart.
I can so totally relate to this feeling of normalcy that you are now experiencing and the way that it catches you off guard, all too quickly. As you can probably imagine, just like leaving home was a big adjustment, leaving Saipan will be equally hard, because it is becoming and will have become your life and your place. The hardest part of leaving Saipan though, which makes it harder to leave than "home," is that you never really know if you're coming back. :) I miss it everyday you know? I miss getting Thai coffee from Nancy and Jai Jai at Spicy Thai. I miss Tacos from Oleai after diving. I miss going to the beach with Mai and Jessica. I miss being called "Miss." All of that became a part of me and now...I can't seem to figure out who I am. My identity is so mixed up, and I miss knowing myself the way I did on Saipan. I hope you find yourself there, like I did, but don't leave yourself behind.
Here are some of my favorite Saipan things to do:
1. You've obviously discovered Spicy Thai, so you can mark that off the list. Everything there is fabulous and you should enjoy it to the fullest because I haven't found any Thai food that good since returning. Plus the people are my favorite. If you remember, tell them Judith, the blond one, says hi.
2.Mai, Jessica and I used to go to the beach on Sunday mornings, then head up to Coffee Care and Expressions for lunch and candy and fuuuun! Alison is so nice and will give you free candy.
3.If you haven't noticed, things are expensive in Saipan. I think I noticed this most often when buying groceries because you a)need them and b)buy them a lot. Because I'm a believer in the Green movement as well as a penny pincher (at times), I found a great local, organic veggie stand. Traditionally Jessica and I would go on Friday afternoons or else we'd all go on Sundays. It's near the 99 cent shop in Garapan off of Middle Road. Sean knows where it is, so you can ask him.
4. The Thai shop on the street where you live with the flashy lights is very exciting. Cute clothes for hardly anything. I got 7 jeans there for like...ten bucks. Yay!
5. Taste of India...so yummy!
That's all for now, but more to come later!
Peace love!
Happy Birthday sweet Girl!! Sorry we are late with our wishes. We are so very proud of you and think about you often and pray for you all the time. Love and miss you!!!
Following up on Judes comment: . . .and for those of us who stay behind when you fly away, the thing we miss the most is. . you.
Thanks for the great posting. I love to hear about my beautiful and capable daughter. God has blessed you with so much. I'm sorry I missed your birthday but how many people can say that they spent their 19th birthday in Saipan? Well, a bunch of Saipanese but really-how many that you know? I love you!!!
Enjoy your week and your little ones!
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