Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 76

An introduction to the daily 5 can be found here.

Today's Daily 5:

1. Hemp limp balm from the Body Shop
2. Watching a behind the scenes cooking show about Disneyland.  This I wouldn't have cared about before I went to California, besides finding it mildly interesting.  But, after touring my friend LP/CA's favorite escape, and hearing all her tidbits of behind the scenes trivia, it was totally fascinating to watch the show today, and made me laugh.
3. spending several hours on various random buses, reading.  I decided that taking a few different bus routes around the city for about three hours this afternoon would be the perfect way to accomplish some reading I needed to do, as well as be out and about a bit, and enjoying the sun.  it was lovely, and may become a regular feature of my Saturday routine.
4. Sunshine.  It wasn't warm today, really, but the sun was out, and there wasn't snow, and after this grey week, the sun was a lovely blessing
5. Allaying a fear
6. An appointment this morning that was good
7. Stopping at the Farmer's Market - good smells, bright colors, happy people, fresh food
8. getting a few necessary errands done
9. Some serious out loud laughter over emails traded with friends today
10. buying new slippers
11. eating a lovely meal for supper that I purchased at the farmer's market
12. Food Network - hey, a girl needs her escapist television, and some of my favorites involve food that looks so beautiful that I want to taste it, even if it's filled with stuff I would never eat in real life.
13. enjoying the book I was reading
14. bus connections that went smoothly
15. having a good day after a really rough night

A Few Links

I loved this brief post from Seth Godin:  Just Because He's Angry

And I loved this post from Christianne at Lilies Have Daydreams today.  I know this space she talks of, and today it encouraged me to reframe it as a place of having a heart that is tender, rather than one in pieces all over the floor.

Bus rides

I have a regular Saturday appointment on the opposite end of the city from where I live. It means that I spend at least two hours of most Saturday's on the bus.

This particular bus is always an experience. My favorite part is when, on the way north, we reach one particular stop in China Town. There is this sudden influx of very elderly Chinese women. The very air changes. What was a quiet ride is now filled with is suddenly filled with chattering in a foreign language, and the bizarre clash of cultural experiences nearly always makes me want to laugh.

There is "white people" bus etiquette. If there is an empty bench seat, take that one, not the one that already has someone sitting in it. Don't shout across the bus - stand or sit near the person you're talking to. Talk in low tones.

All of these "rules" go out the window when the bus hits China Town.

And the sudden mixture of cultural norms simultaneously makes me uncomfortable and happy. Because, on this bus, on the way to and from my appointment, I am reminded of the world I fell in love with, and I'm fascinated by and pray for the people and cultures I encounter.