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jIsForJoy
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Name: Amy
Interests: Lip-synching to songs in my dorm room with my roommate, hanging out with friends, coffee, warm weather, Jesus
Expertise: making people laugh and smile
Message: message me
Member Since:
12/18/2005
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| I wrote this blog entry for a class, and thought I'd make a little more use out of it by posting it on here as well. Enjoy and God Bless,
Love you all,
AMY JOY
I’ve always said the best way to learn is to travel. Below are five random stories from my travels and the valuable lesson I learned from each.
Beware of Buying Bags
Italy: My friend and I were on a day of sightseeing in Florence, Italy- Uffizi Gallery, Michelangelo’s David, Palazzo Pitti- it was lovely. Well, mostly lovely, except for the street peddlers. Everywhere I turned, there was someone selling something. The most popular items for sale were replica name brand bags. After declining to buy a bag numerous times, I finally gave in, hoping to appease the bag-selling masses. I was wrong.
Lesson learned: My plan backfired. Buying one bag only put a flaming label right across my forehead that said “BUYER: RIGHT HERE.” The other bag-sellers were on me in an instant. Tip: It’s best to not even look the street-sellers in the eye. They will get you, and if one does BEWARE- more will follow.
In Italy, with the bag I never really wanted
Wanted: American Wife
Israel: I was fourteen, shopping in a bustling plaza in Jerusalem. An Arab young man came up to me, grabbed my arm, and said in broken English, “Mam. Mam. Will you marry me?” He wasn’t joking. He followed me, and continued to ask me if he could marry me until he noticed I was with my parents. As fast as he appeared, he disappeared into the crowd.
Lesson learned: Although the event shocked me and shook me up a bit, I learned at a young age that foreigners covet that green card! Watch out for marriage proposals from foreigners!
Just think, he could have been my husband!
She Speaks!
France: Upon arriving in Paris, I went to the information window at the train station and asked the women working what time the next train to Lion was leaving. She gave me a disgusted look and babbled something in French. I stepped back to let the next person go. I overheard her speaking English to the person after me- good English might I add. Interesting.
Lesson learned: French people just want respect. They want you to believe they are the center of the universe. We all know that isn’t true, but nonetheless, at least respect their language. From that moment on, when I approached locals, I would always start by saying, “Parlez-vous Anglais?” This simple effort to speak their language produced much better results. When it France, do as the French do, and it will lessen their animosity toward us.
At a train station in France trying to figure out where to go next
Step Away From the Gas Pump
Oregon: During a summer road trip, my friends and I were driving through Oregon. After hours of driving, a bathroom-gas stop was calling. We stopped at a tiny roadside gas station which offered a greasy convenience store where available for sale was dusty candy and soon-expired soda. Along with the enticing selection of goods, we were allowed the privilege of using a bathroom with a toilet barely hanging to the wall. As if those experiences weren’t amusing enough, I reached for the nozzle to pump gas into the car, only for a toothless gas-station worker to run out and scream, “Stop, stop, stop!”
Lesson learned: It is against the law to pump your own gas in Oregon!
Other note for travelers to Oregon: Pronounce their state name correctly or else. It’s not Ore-re-gone, its Or-eh-gun.
Oregon may not let you pump your own gas, but they will let you check your oil!
International Sales Techniques
India: While on a mission’s trip to India, I went shopping for the day. After purchasing many ethnic items such as beaded shoes, bangles, and perfume, I set my eyes upon an intricately embroidered shirt. I asked the shopkeeper how much it cost. He replied, “Only 600 rupees mam,” which equaled about 15 American dollars. I held the shirt for a few minutes, trying to make a decision. Meanwhile, an Indian woman, wearing the exact same shirt that I was holding, walked up to the booth. I instantly asked her how much she paid for her shirt. She said 150 rupees, which equals a little over $3! After I informed the shopkeeper of my discovery, the shirt I was going to buy went on an instant clearance. Hmmm.
Lesson learned: In India, if you are white, you are rich. Because the average Indian only makes $45 a week, and because they realize that westerners make much more, white skin gives Indians the automatic okay to overcharge you. It is a dirty, but very effective sales technique.
Shopping happily in India, before I discovered being ripped-off
Hopefully, after reading this entry, you will be a bit more travel savvy and will be able to avoid some of the predicaments I found myself in. As for me, I’ll continue to travel and learn my lessons the hard way.
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This first blog is without a doubt dedicated to my dear friend, roommate
Ashley. I promised her I would post a blog before Christmas break has ended so
here it is. Also, she's the one who set me up with this thing, in an attempt to
get me off of the somewhat scandalous MySpace and onto a supposedly
cleaner Xanga. Well, I admire her attempts, but, Ashley, my loyalty is
still to MySpace. Love you Ashley. :)
Ok so here I sit, after a month of putting this off, still not
sure of what I should say but hopefully somehow the words I type will form
into some thoughts that make sense or are at least of interest to the thousands
that will read this. Yeah, I'm lying to myself cause the reality is only Ashley
with probably read this.
Well, I’ve been thinking for a few
minutes about what to write and I gave up so I'm handing it over to Mandi
while I think:
I’m Amy’s friend Mandi, and Amy
knows I’m quite a wise person, so she asked me to write a few words here (I’m
modest too). First, I’d like to say how amazing she is, and that anyone
privileged enough to know her feels like the world is a better place after
meeting her.
Well, I was
told to talk about this weekend. It was great because Jeremy, Nick, Amy, and
Brando came and visited me (actually brought Amy here to fly out), but I’ll say
they came just for me. We had fun going to the Mall of America (Jeremy’s first
time ever), going to a Christian club and almost dying from driving onto a
train trackJ,
hanging out, and go-cart racing. Jeremy might even have been witness to a
murder, so it was quite the weekend. We had 8 people in my two bedroom
apartment so it was squished, but I had fun making breakfast and hostessing
(even though the food didn’t taste very good). I also enjoyed making fun of her
new beau Brian as I listened to their conversation, but I can’t be too harsh
cause he seems like a nice guy despite his Southern/British accentJ
(Love ya Brian—just treat her like the princess she is). Soon she has to leave,
and I will be sad, but I’ll just have to continue to call her for midnight
chats and we’ll be good.
Now, for my
words of wisdom for the New Year. Love God with all your heart and soul and
mind. Do not be conformed to this world, but be a light in this generation so
there’s something in you that stands out and people are drawn too. I heard a
quote once by St. Frances of Assisi, I think, that said something once
like—Share God with all people, and when necessary, use words—and I love
that. I am far from perfect and I know
that I could and should know God so much more than I do, but it is my prayer
that this year I will know Him and love him like never before, and I hope that
is yours too. I just read the book Captivating,
and it helps you see how God loves us so much. We are the apple of His eye.
Everything good and pure in this world was created for us. So dig deep into His
Word and heart, and you’ll see the love in his eyes for us: his beloved. Until
next time, Mandi
Ahhh I love my Mandi. Thanks girl! Now I'm ready to write. :) She never ceases to make me smile. Her
sun-shiny personality always makes my day better… even if it is already going
great. She somehow manages to be encouraging, loving, and supporting ALL THE
TIME, no matter her mood or what she is going through. Love ya forever Mandi!
Maybe she will soon be getting one of these Xanga sites so whoever read and
liked that posting from her can get more of her inspirational writings on her
site!
Mandi mentioned the book Captivating
above, and I’m going to have to make a comment or two about that book as well.
Seems like ever girl I know has read, is reading, or wants to read that book.
The book beautifully describes our God-ordained role as women. With the start
of a new year, it is a great time for me to change a few things in my life…
mostly the thing that matters most to me: my walk with the Lord. Captivating was filled with many
inspirational points to help me get this year started right. One quote I
particularly liked is this:
“God wants to be loved. He wants to be a priority to
someone. How could we have missed this? From cover to cover, from beginning to
end, the cry of God’s heart is, ‘Why won’t you choose me?’… God longs to be
desired. Just as a woman longs to be desired… Life changes dramatically when we
discover that it, too, is a great romance. That God yearns to share a life of
beauty, intimacy, and adventure with us.”
I absolutely love that perspective on our relationship with
God. Most of the time, the talk is always about God loving us, but what about
God? He’s the other half of the relationship and I so often neglect loving Him
in the way that he deserves. I’m guilty
of getting so caught up in life- work, school, friends- that where is the love
of my life, the Lord Jesus Christ, in all that business? Is my relationship
with Him one of convenience or is it one of true love and devotion, one that is
equally as committed through the good times and the bad? I am guilty of
conditionally loving my Savior, when He is consistently, unconditionally loving
me. This year I really need to work on loving God in a way that SHOWS instead
of in a way that is only spoken. Actions speak love louder than a thousand
words. What I do, more than what I say proves my love. How I treat others, the
decisions I make in my life, and how much time I spend with the Lord are just a
few of the ways I can starting SHOWING Him how much I love him and truly begin
to experience the “life of beauty, intimacy, and adventure” that God longs to
have with me. How exciting! I am so ready to experience what God has got in
store for me, but first I must chose to love Him in the way He deserves, or at
least give it my best attempt. It’s a new year, a new chance to begin again.
Thank you Lord for loving me unconditionally. Here I am, your daughter, before
you now asking you to hear the cry of my heart, to see that even though I fail
so often, my heart is searching after Yours. My desire is to love you in at
least a fraction of the way that you love me.
Here we go 2006… new year, new haircut, new friends, new
boyfriend, new chances for me to live for the Lord. As I go back to school, I’m
brimming with excitement for what is to come. I can’t wait to see the girls of
33-4, to learn all kinds of new information in my classes, to become better at
my radio job, to have random adventures, to eat dinner with friends at the Rot,
to have late nights of “studying” in the c-lab, to get back to serving at the
depot Grille, and whatever else life at Liberty brings. And of course, it’s a
given that I’m eagerly anticipating a reunion with a special someone at the
airport tomorrow! J I am excited to know what challenges, obstacles,
surprises, and blessings I’ll stumble upon this semester cause it’s me and my
God facing this year together.
Love you all, AMY JOY
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| Guess you HAVE to have a xanga site now, m'dear!
muahahahahhaa
-take a wild guess | | |
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