I stopped to pick up some Pupusas for my lunch this afternoon at a store owned by former students of mine. Miriam and Martha are from El Salvador and were my students last fall and winter. They are hardworking women who are making a life and future for their families through their hard work. Martha persevered through her son’s battle with leukemia and improved her English while also working. They are both remarkable women who have made new lives for themselves and their families. They recently started their lunch van which is in the parking lot of Miriam’s store Variedades El Quetzal at the corner of 13th and E streets in Lincoln.

Pupusas are similar to eating a round tortilla that is stuffed with chicken, beans, or pork  and cheese. It is eaten with shredded cabbage and salsa topping it. It is a food I heard about quite often when I went to school in Minneapolis. A friend of mine, Beatriz Rodriguez from El Salvador, talked about pupusas all the time. I had my first pupusas several years ago found out they are delicious, so when I heard Miriam and Martha had begun to serve them from their lunch van I had to go there on Cinco de Mayo.

Miriam in her lunch van

Martha in her lunch van

Miriam and Martha also sell tacos, burritos and nachos and they are all are priced great. You can sit there at their picnic tables or take them to go. Their lunch van is open 11am to 10pm. If you want to have some authentic food priced better than fast food, stop by and enjoy some pupusas or the tacos, nachos and burritos.

The children danced several traditional dances they were taught by my friend Rossana. Rossana’s desire is to help keep Mexican culture alive among the children and youth. I appreciate her vision for doing so because it concerns me that wonderful aspects of Mexican and other cultures are being swallowed up by current day influences which may be less artistic. The children performed well for their age and I am sure their parents were proud of them.

One young woman who danced solo, did so with noticeable joy and enthusiasm.

It was great to spend Cinco de Mayo with my Hispanic friends and appreciate more of their culture. It was certainly a more authentic was to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than simply buying tacos on sale at a fast food place It also gave me a greater appreciation for the richness of Mexican culture which is something I have had an interest in since I wrote a report about the Aztecs when I was in elementary school. Next year I hope to go to another authentic celebration of Cinco de Mayo.

Poe Dee with one of his scholarship certificates

Poe Dee was one of the young Karen people who received scholarships for college. In fact he was awarded four different scholarships. While that is admirable for any young person graduating from high school, it is further magnified by the fact that he has not been in America for very long. The first Karen people came to Lincoln in the summer and fall of 2007. More came in 2008 and more continue to come. I spent a lot of time with the Karen in Lincoln in 2008 and again in the summer of 2009. It is remarkable that for a people group so new to Lincoln, five young people were awarded scholarships for college. It is a testimony to the great teachers at Lincoln High and to the hard work and dedication of the five students of which Poe Dee is an excellent example.

It is fascinating for me to think about how these young people only a few short years ago were living in refugee camps in Thailand with limited resources, then came to a new country in need of learning a new language, and now they will graduate from high school this month. Not only will they graduate, they will also have their college paid for through the scholarships they have earned.

It is also a great example for all of us that just because someone looks different, perhaps very different than anyone we have met before, we need to be careful not to judge based on appearance. Personally I love the colorful traditional clothes the Karen wear. They have given me a robe, a few book bags, and a scarf. I am sure there were times my young friends wore their traditional clothing to school. They may sound different with a different accent. Their culture differs from ours as well. However, their parents have the same desires for them that American parents have which is for them to have a better future than the parents had. For their parents to know that their children will go to college is so meaningful.

I had the opportunity to speak with the mother of one of the young people with the help of my friend He Wah. I was able to share the thought with her, on Mother’s Day, that her daughter has been able to do something many young American people have not, which is to earn a scholarship to college. I can’t help but wonder what thoughts she has after all of her years living in a refugee camp, to now know that her youngest daughter will go to college in America.

This is a picture of me with my friend Star Ee a loving Karen grandmother. I first met Star Ee in 2008 when I spent a lot of time with a new refugee group in Lincoln called the Karen who are from Burma. I first met a few in some ESL classes that I teach in the early Spring of 2008. I had a few women in my class who talked about their Karen meetings on Sundays. They invited me to come, so I joined them one Sunday afternoon and saw how new the Karen were to America. It was my privilege to spend my Sunday afternoons and many other times with them for several months in 2008. Their Sunday afternoon meetings were held in apartments since they were not yet fully connected with the church they have become a part of now which is First Baptist Church in Lincoln. During my months with them I heard their stories of the hardships they had overcome. Star Ee was one who caught my attention as I heard about how she looked after the children in the refugee camps. In many ways she is a mother and grandmother to many of the Karen people in Lincoln.

In this picture is Pa Saw whose family was one of the first ones to arrive in Lincoln. She was one of the first Karen people that I had the pleasure of meeting. I had three Karen women in my class. They asked me one day if I had children and I told them that I did not. The Friday before Father’s Day in 2008 they came to class and after class finished and the other students left, they each came up to me and placed a lei around my neck. They told me that I was a father for them because I helped them. It was a moment I will never forget.

The Karen people have a special place in my heart, so I wanted to spend my Mother’s Day afternoon watching their Mother’s Day program at First Baptist Church. It was a poignant afternoon as they blessed the grandmothers and three American women who have given of their time and hearts to the Karen people. There were several songs shared and readings shared. It was wonderful to watch as young people escorted the grandmothers to the stage to be seated for their blessings. They were escorted in while a young girl sang in Karen.

Towards the end of a song in Karen by two young men, children came in with leis to place around the necks of the grandmothers.

The grandmothers also received flowers and more leis from youth

I can’t even begin to imagine what these wonderful women have experienced and endured in their lives having fled their country to seek refuge in the camps in Thailand. It was a rich moment to see them be blessed by the young people in the church. Then their family members gave them flowers and gift bags. The other mothers seated in the church were also given flowers for Mother’s Day. I appreciate how they honor their elders. I look forward to going to their Father’s Day celebration in June.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the University of Nebraska Lincoln to join in Freedom March which was an effort to raise awareness about and do something about Human Trafficking a tragedy that is under reported. It is easy to think of it as a problem over there somewhere else in the world, but it is here in America as well. Women and girls are kidnapped and forced into prostitution. Some are kidnapped in other countries and smuggled into the U.S. through the U.S./Mexican Border or on ships. It is the 2nd most prevalent international crime, 2nd only to drugs.

We signed a petition to voice our support of legislation to help fight this pandemic human tragedy. My eyes were first opened to this during my trips to Romania. I saw children on the streets of Bucharest who were prostituting themselves. Obviously it was not the life they wanted. The images have stayed with me and I still pray for those children. Little children do not grow up with the dream of one day being forced into being brutally forced into prostituition.

It is one thing to be aware of the problem and another to do something about it. Paul Yates of Tiny Hand International shared about the work that Tiny Hands does to combat the evil of children being trafficked into India through Nepal. The children Tiny Hands helps are the innocent victims of sex trafficking. Tiny Hands intercepts children and rescues them. The children are then taken into loving group homes where they can grow up being loved and cared for and can go to school. Many of the children come from cultures where their families would not welcome them back. It is a ministry that I support each month and pray for on a regular basis. It is not much, but it is something that I can do to try to combat the evil of children being sex trafficked.

After Paul shared about Tiny Hands we walked to the State Capitol Building to listen to more speakers. Ron Hampton shared about is research into human trafficking and the statistics were alarming. Millions of women, girls and boys are human trafficked. That may sound like a problem out there somewhere in the world. It is here in little Lincoln Nebraska too. It is estimated that over 2,000 women and children are enslaved by human trafficking and are here in Nebraska.

There are numerous ministries and organizations that work to combat human trafficking. Tiny Hands is the one I support. Imagine what could happen if each person who reads this begins to support a ministry or an organization. It is one way that we can be part of the solution. If you are Nebraska another thing you can do is to click on the link below to sign the petition.

(http://chn.ge/w9CvP0)

After my morning ESL reading group at my church today, I enjoyed lunch at Babylon Restaurant with my new friend from China. George has been in Lincoln for a few months to study English in the Intensive English Program at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Last week we had some Mexican food and while we were eating, George told me that he wished he could travel around the world and try the foods in each place. I enjoy trying foods from other cultures as well, so I told George we would eat some food from the Middle East.

Babylon Restaurant is in a strip mall on S. 48th street close to 48th and Highway 2 in Lincoln. Our waiter was Ali and I must say the service was excellent. When you first come to Babylon Restaurant it does not look like much on the outside due to it being in a strip mall, but when you go inside you and see the decor, you get a glimpse of Middle Eastern Culture. I particularly appreciated an mural on the wall that had a scene of a prayer tower contrasted with a moon smiley face.

Good service is essential for a restaurant and decor is a nice extra, but when dining out it is all about the food. I found the food to be delicious and authentic at Babylon. It is definitely a place I will go back to and is a place I highly recommend.

George had the Kofta Kebab which is made from ground beef. I love Kofta Kebab myself as well. It was served with rice and choice of soup. The only negative comment I heard from George was that he was full and it was too much, but it was too much of a good thing

I had the chicken kebab which is my favorite kebab. It was cooked just right and was tender and juicy the way chicken should be.

We started it off with some hummus and bread. I love hummus!! Fortunately for me hummus is healthy it is made of beans pureed with olive oil and garlic. Other ingredients can be added as well.

I loved the food, and the service was excellent. I will certainly visit Babylon again!!

My hosts for the week were young couple Cristi and Alexandra. They had an a nice apartment in a building that had a store on the ground floor like many apartment buildings in Romania do. It seemed like we laughed constantly. We certainly had a lot of fun. Each morning I would have coffee with them and each morning they would ask me if I wanted milk and sugar. I would say no and that I liked to drink my coffee black. One morning they expressed their concern for me about not having milk and sugar in my coffee and that it could be bad for my health. I got a chuckle out of that.

This picture is actually from my trip there at Christmas time in 2005, but it gives an idea of how small the church building was that they met in. This is the actual worship area for the church. I share this photo because it reminds me of the beauty of simplicity. In America we get so caught up with having the latest program, the newest technology etc for our worship experience. We met in a simple building and used an overhead projector to display the worship songs. There was nothing fancy at all but there was genuine community and fellowship as we gathered together.

I was able to learn some more expressions in Romania such as:

Isus a Inviat- Jesus is risen

Adeverat a Inviat- He is risen indeed

At the end of our Easter worship we walked around with decorated eggs and tapped each others egg. The one whose egg was still intact won. My first try I destroyed both my egg and my friend’s egg. He was disappointed. I was also able to spend some time with a college group at the University of Constanta. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and worship together.

I will always remember that Easter with great fondness because it helped bring me back to the essence of Easter which is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with friends and not let the meaning get lost in Easter candy, and other trappings we can get lost in here in America. I will also remember my time with my friends there. It was an awesome Easter experience for me.

One aspect of experiencing other cultures that I enjoy is tasting their food. One afternoon during one of my trips to Romania my group wanted to go to McDonald’s for lunch, which I did not want to do because I can always have junk food anytime. When I spend time with another culture, I want to experience their food. It helps me to learn about their culture and allows me to experience new taste sensations. The food at Malaysia night was tasty, but not as spicy as I thought it might be.  They may have toned it down for the Americans

My friend Tu from Vietnam volunteered in the buffet line

For our dinner we had a buffet line and could choose from colored rice, fried chicken, stir fry, and other delicious items. The only thing I did not try was the roasted coconut. I sat at a table with people I had not met before, but had the chance to meet two young men from China who are working on their Master’s Degrees in Actuarial Science. I did sneak back for seconds, but there was only some sweet and sour chicken left, which of course is Americanized Chinese food

At the end of the evening they served all of the guests Teh Tarik which is a tea made with tea, sweeten condensed milk, and a little salt. It was a night of good food, a humorous musical, good music, and information about Malaysia. If I have a chance in the future, I will visit Malaysia. I will for sure go back to Malaysia Night next year.

During our enjoyable evening at Malaysia Night there was a poignant moment when a music trio performed for us. It was music in simplistic beauty. Two young women played acoustic guitars and another young woman sang beautifully for us. I feel bad that the program did not list their names, so I can give due credit to them, nevertheless, I want to share with you about that moment.

The first song was one dedicated to her mom. I am certain if her mother is able to see the recording, she will be touched deeply. The song was sung in Malay with English translation on the screen. Personally, I enjoy listening to music sung in other languages. It adds to the beauty of the moment for me. The singer has a wonderful voice and it was a joy to listen to her.

The second song they performed was a contemporary Chinese song. The young people from China that I was sitting with recognized the song right away. I thought about how impressive it is that a young woman could sing in Malay and Chinese and can study at UNL in English. She is obviously a talented young woman.

What impressed me about their performance is the fact that they are not professionals, but they performed so well. It was a special moment in the midst of a fun-filled evening. I wonder if they will be famous musicians in Malaysia someday

I went to a festive event at UNL last night. I always enjoy going to Malaysia Night at UNL. This one was special and stood out to me as far as the entertainment was concerned. They had a humorous musical with a story about the Queen of Magika being frozen to a door which was the entrance to Reality Land. The two main characters set out on an amusing journey to collect the ingredients needed to make their special tea, Teh Tarik. Once they had the Teh Tarik they were able to give it to the Queen and she was freed.

Woven into the musical were introductions to Malaysia and the three cultures that combine to make Malaysia the special country that it is. Malaysia has three distinct groups that live together as one country. The groups are of Malay, Chinese and India descent. I especially enjoyed the dance number which displayed all three distinct cultures.

One number that was also fun was when the duo went to Borneo to obtain the magic teabag. The ruler of Borneo asked them to get the feather off a bird in exchange for the tea. The bird dance was lively and watching the duo try to get a feather was amusing.

In the end the duo was able to get all of the ingredients and save the Queen of Magika. The musical was entertaining and I appreciated the fact that it was performed by students at UNL. It was not a professional theater group, which made it much more fun for me. It was hilarious how they worked various aspects of student life into the musical such a an iKnow device which was a spoof of an iPhone.

I had a great time and look forward to future Malaysia Nights. One of these years I will have to go visit Malaysia and see some of the culture there for myself, but for now I will enjoy Malaysia Night each year