Yeah, I remember how tough it was to find housing in a new unfamiliar area -- I'm still indebted to Dan for finding me my cozy little Finley Forest condo in North Carolina! So I'm more than happy to be a bit of Eva's eyes and ears in Richmond. The landlady at this place was a kindly middle-aged Hong Kong lady; she was quite happy to speak Mandarin with me (ah, my Cantonese is severely lacking), and quite eager to get a quiet single Taiwanese lady for a tenant. The inside of this shower looked pretty awful, though, lots of mould in the lower corners, indicative of poor drainage. And the kitchenette was abysmal.
Today was a pretty packed and tiring day for me; at this point in the day I hadn't had time to eat anything yet, except for a couple cookies from the faculty meeting! I notice that I start forgetting little things more when I don't eat or sleep enough. .... umm, what was I saying earlier? ;)
In any case, I am so grateful to God for every breath, and for the fact that I do have food available (if only I take time to eat it!). This morning, during a break in that three-hour faculty meeting, a colleague of mine whom I respect dearly, and who is usually so strong and brash, really surprised me. Right in the middle of the crowded, noisy hallway, she kinda broke down in front of me, sharing tearfully about her stresses at home at and work. My heart goes out to her, but I really had no idea what to say -- and she probably didn't need me to say anything at all. But I pray for her, for God's peace and strength, and I am reminded that there are so many who have gone through so much pain; I hope I can be a small glimmer of a reflection of the love and compassion that comes from Jesus Christ.