Culture Shock

The hypothalamus is that part of your brain that tells you you're hungry. My 12th grade psychology teacher taught us a lot of different things, but this is the one piece of information that I retained. And it’s to a strange extent. For example, I’ll be eating a snack in front of my dog Copland. He’ll politely sit in front of me waiting for my charitable contribution or an inadvertent crumb. The longer he waits the longer his shoelace-like drool gets. His hypothalamus is at work. My son Enoh also has a hypothalamus. Although we’ve put it on a 3.5 hour schedule, it’s still obvious when Enoh receives a special message from that part of his brain and he shares it with us in the middle of the night in the form of a piercing scream. And then there’s my response to being hungry. I often become irritable, grumpy, impatient and downright desperate when I’m really hungry. Those are the times I salivate like Pavlov’s dog (the other psychological thing I remember) when I think about food. So ...

Enoh has been the target of many nicknames. Friends, family, parents (Petra and I) and strangers alike have either mistakenly or purposefully called him something other than we named him. The following is a list of those names: Those that rhyme (sort of): - Anyhow - Eggnog - Enough Mistakes: - Emu (his American pediatrician) - Emo (his American pediatrician the second time) Those that have nothing to do with his actual name: - Mister Shlister - Kermy - Honey Bunches of Oats - Snorters (he snorts when he cries) - Cow Butt (he has an outfit with a cow on the behind) - JJ (for Jeremy Jr.)

In the last day I've encountered two different advertisements. The first one was on television and featured a series of cute toddlers trying to say “Merry Christmas”. They all made the kind of verbal mistakes that endear us to that age and it caught my eye. A few minutes later I saw Petra smiling as she watched the same commercial. It was effective. The second was on the radio. A pleasant woman was talking to her (presumably) husband who was dissatisfied with the old status-quo television and wanted to get an HD TV. The lady was all-too happy to help. “There’s a place we can go” she said, but immediately turned omniscient and told all about the amazing deal this store had. In the first, the message was that this brand’s greeting cards had the perfect way to say “Merry Christmas”. Subliminally though - even given the fact the message was for adults – told us that we should teach our children what Christmas is really about here in America. The second ad was for us men. And believe me...

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Or what about a warm cup of coffee? I went for my Dunkin Donuts hot french vanilla coffee with cream and sugar this morning. You typically place your order to a talking sign and then move your car up and give your money to an actual person. Today the lady informed me that the driver ahead of me had paid for my coffee. She also told me to have a "blessed day". Who knows if she was a follower of Christ? She probably had never heard of the book Random Acts of Kindness or seen the movie Pay it Forward . Or maybe she has. Whatever the case, she made my day - no strings attached. What a concept huh? Talk about culture shock.

Change is on the way. Since beginning the blog a few months ago I've decided some things need to be tweaked. I've already got some ideas but I'd like your input as well. Please participate in the poll to your right. I've arranged the polls so that you can vote for more than one option Your voice will be heard!

The events of a week ago are probably the most significant piece of American history in my lifetime. While I do have plenty to say about the election of Barack Obama; most of it is unoriginal. The fact that Obama is the first black president doesn ’t resonate with me the same way it would with Tiger Woods. Oprah can identify with the “self-made man” much more than I can. His multi-ethnicity is foreign to me. I am neither a student of history nor a sociologist any more than I am a politician. My vantage point comes from my relatively short American life, my dissatisfaction with the current president and my exposure to the media. So if you want my reaction you can go here , or here . This post will be a collection of facts, mini-stories and tidbits of information – some more significant than others – that I’ ve digested over the past week. Stats: - Obama won more votes than anyone in American history (T) (62,527,406 votes) - He received 93% of the votes in District of Columbia. (U) - 9%...

We spent some time in Austin Texas with family last week. The following are some of the things we saw while we were there. The first photograph ever taken. No, no one has a clue what it's supposed to be a picture of: The Gutenberg Bible which was "the first substantial book printed with movable metal type". It was completed in 1454 or 1455. This is one of 5 complete copies in the world: And for those of you who thought American history was shallow - The Ten Commandments. Apparently Moses was a student at the University of Texas at Austin: The Texas Capital building, in which our current President's (former Governor of Texas) picture graces the walls: We returned to Boson this past weekend where we were able to have Enoh dedicated a second time by my father in the church he now pastors - Central Baptist Church in Southbridge . For a guy who's name means "dedicated", Enoh has certainly lived up to it so far: Central Baptist was so warm in receiving ...

My wife always told me Croatians are rough around the edges. In other words, they often come across rude when you first meet them – but then after you get to know them they're the friendliest people in the world. Although it's a generalization - and there are always exceptions - I've found her description to be quite accurate. Many times I wish I saw more smiles or friendly faces in Croatia. So today I'm at a local Austin, Texas Starbucks. I order a plain grande coffee. The lady pleasantly asks if I'd like her to leave some room for cream. I say “yes please”. She continues: “Would you like whip cream on top?” “No, thanks” I reply “Would you like a dash of our new Christmas cinnamon sprinkles?” “No, thanks” I repeat “Well you just don’t want any of our little treats to make your coffee better do you?” She said playfully. Taken aback I reply: “Well I thought your coffee was supposed to be good by itself.” It was right around “coffee” that I heard what was comin...

I am thrilled that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States. His victory is unprecedented, exciting, and historic. But for all the energy and time I put into absorbing the campaign I'm convinced there's something more. Yes, America has definitively chosen Obama as the man they want to bring change to our country – even the world. But our collective decision to put our hope in a politician should pale in comparison to a real authentic hope – hope grounded in faith. Hebrews 11 fantastically begins by defining “faith” as being “sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (TNIV). For those of us who have grown up hearing this verse it might not be as shocking as it was intended to be. How can we be sure of what we hope for? Isn’t hope, by definition, something we’re not supposed to be sure of? How can we be certain of what we do not see? Barack Obama, whether you’re a critic or not, will fail. He will bring change, but it might not be the change...

It's hard for me to articulate the change that has washed over me in light of the elections, results and historic speech Barack Obama made last evening. The contrast between Obama and Bush at least from the surface level is so striking that it's incredible that they will share the same title. The word that comes to mind immediately is humility. Obama was humble in his gracious message to Senator McCain. He humbly recognized the fact that Americans - rather than he - made this change. He’s rooted in the sense that he is a part of the process rather than the engine behind the process. Obviously a leader must have a certain amount of confidence in his abilities. He wouldn’t have made it past the first primary if he weren’t aware of his leadership capabilities. That being said, he seems to genuinely want to be a part of history – not the highlight of history. His ideas are radical at times, his policies foreign to some, but his temperament hasn’t wavered and his campaign was never ...

From the latest New Yorker: "His vote doesn't count, but at least he gets a sense of being part of the process. " That's me. I don't get to vote. So here's my attempt to have a voice in the elections. At the risk of oversimplifying; Top 10 Reasons I Would Vote For Obama: 10. Hussein. We could finally have a president that not only has a different color skin, but has other ethnic influences – a good thing seeing that there are other people in the world besides Americans. 9. Oratory. This doesn't belong any higher than number 9. A good speaker does not necessarily make a good leader. However, a good leader should be able to speak clearly and articulately. Obama does that plus some. 8. Sarah Palin. Yes, she’s a soccer mom – that doesn't qualify one for vice-presidency. 7. John McCain. Yes, he’s an American hero – that doesn't qualify one for presidency. 6. Intellect. Call him an elitist (but he's not – see 5). Call him an intellectual. For my vot...

I messed up. The deadline for registering to vote was the 15th of October. I called to register on the 16th. I will therefore have no official voice in determining the outcome of the 2008 presidential election. Although I live in a state (MA) where that probably doesn’t make a difference, I am nonetheless frustrated at my incompetence in taking part in an important part of democratic life – an event that many have risked their lives to be a part of. With that in mind, let me explain the rationale for the following post. I’ve come across some lists/articles of the reasons why you should vote for a particular candidate or party. Some of them have been entertaining. So I’ve decided to make my own. However, since I decided I would vote for Obama 2 years ago, I’ve run across some things that he stands for (or doesn’t) that trouble me. Any wise decision must take the negatives into account. Focusing only on the pros will lead to a rather uniformed position. That being said, I am confident th...

I have the privilege of being in Massachusetts at the height of autumn. The Psalmist says: "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands..." I often consider this verse when I see the beauty of His creation. This afternoon my parents and I spent some time driving around central Mass. The following is a combination of pictures I took today and during my college years at this same time of year. Enjoy.