18.12.09

Firsts...

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Well, hello, blog, I haven't been to you in a while.
So I'm heading home for Christmas, with a whole pile of "firsts" out of the way now. What firsts, you say? well...

My first time in a classroom (yes, I was homeschool K-12)
My first lab class
My first time living away from home
My first new country without my family
My first dorm room
My first roommate (yeah she's pretty awesome)
My first boyfriend
My first breakup
My first time ice skating (yes I looked like an idiot and enjoyed every minute of it)
My first time playing Halo =]
My first time playing guitar hero (ok, so it helps if you know the songs before you start singing)
My first awesome prof
My first terribly annoying prof
My first voice juries... bleh
My first time eating... whatever that stuff was at the cafeteria. Pretty sure I've never seen it's equal before anywhere on earth.
...well, and many more.

I'd say this has been a rather amazing first semester at college, I've learned a lot... most of it not in the classroom. I'm very ready to go home, but I'm aware that I'll be very ready to come back and hit the ground running next semester as well. I didn't fail my first semester of classes... I don't think... but then again, I don't have my final chemistry grade yet, do I.
We'll call this semester a good first try. ... now for my first visit home for Christmas!

26.11.09

Things I'm Thankful For

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Too many things to list them all... so we'll just go with 10 random things.

1. I'm thankful for mom and dad, whose wisdom I appreciate more every day.

2. My friends who care about me and don't care when I don't know what's going on as I adjust to life in the states.

3. My awesome boyfriend, who not only puts up with my craziness, but matches it with his own.

4.My family here in the states who make sure that I don't have any excuse to feel lonely or not-cared for.

5. Cuddly dogs, such as Harry the Shi Tsu and Ozzie the Schnauzer.

6. Pecan pie and ice cream

7. coffee!

8. 80% cocoa dark chocolate

9. Random trips to a restaurant with Bree (my neighbor) when we get tired of sedexo (the school cafeteria)

10. All the myriad of things that God has given me that make my life amazing.

the end.

28.10.09

My Favorite Things

1 comment:
These are things that make me happy...

Quietly reading a good book in the same room as good friends.
Eating a small piece of 80% cocoa chocolate very very slowly.
Walking in warm sunshine when the sun in just about to start setting.
Listening to music turned up too loudly.
Drinking a cup of very strong coffee.
Hugging a friend very tightly.
Laughing till it hurts.
Being tickled while I scream at the top of my lungs.
Feeling my phone buzz with a text message.
Playing the piano fast and loudly until I can't hear anything else and I can feel the music vibrating the whole room.
Falling asleep slowly under a warm blanket.
Hearing my neighbor scream my name from the other side of the hall.
Waking up and realizing I don't have to get up.
Taking a really long really hot shower.
The alternating hot-cold breeze that smells like sea salt that comes off a tropical beach.
Drinking a fresh green coconut.
Innertubing down the river behind Kudjip mission station.
Stepping on a dry acorn.
Watching a friend's face light up in laughter.
Speaking in a random language with someone who understands.
Drinking hot apple cider.
Telling someone exactly why I like them.
Being told exactly why someone likes me.
Singing at the top of my lungs.
Standing at the top of an Oregon cliff and looking out at the Northwest Pacific coast.
Having a completely random conversation that makes absolutely no sense to anyone but to those of use having it, while laughing so hard I can barely breathe.

Well, that's enough for now. Maybe I'll write more of these later. The song is right... it does make me feel happy to think of my favorite things!!! =]

9.9.09

wowww, this blog has been dead for a while

No comments:
Ok. wow. where to start?

it's been a few months since I posted, it seems. So I shall just make a vain attempt to catch everyone back up on my life with a bunch of random facts about my current state of being.

-I have moved to america. I am now living in Bethany, Oklahoma
-I have started college at Southern Nazarene University
-I am now the proud owner of one little macbook
-I still have my same job (web coding)
-I am loving my life at the moment.

That's really about all for this blog post. Certainly not all that's going on in my life, but whatever. All we can fit in for now. And maybe I'll be better in the future about posting on here. But no promises, most assuredly we are making no promises.

17.7.09

Update on the Whirlwind Masquarading as My Life

2 comments:
wow, has it really been a month since I last posted on here?! good grief. I hang my head in shame. Well.... not really, I have absolutely heaps of legitimate excuses, but I won't bore you with them.

We have now traveled across the states... and I'm serious, we have traveled ACROSS the states. We landed in Seattle, WA, and drove to Orlando, FL via Los Angeles, CA and Bonita Park, NM. In Orlando, we attened the General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene (which we are missionaries with). What an amazing Assembly! There is just something about tens of thousands of on-fire christians from around the world worshipping together. I also got to see a bunch of the other missionary kids who are normally evenly spread across the face of earth, so that was cool. MKs are pretty awesome people, I'll have you know.

After General Assembly and spending time with the Grandparents and their church, we drove up to Michigan for their NMI Convention... which is the missions meetings of our church, for you non-Nazarenes reading this. Then down to South West Ohio for that NMI convention. Some pretty amazing folks in all of those places, let me tell you. Hard to be cynical about the church after spending time with those kinds of people.

The things I am very muchly looking forward to now are Missionary Kid retreat at the end of this month (dances little happy dance of excitement); Family Camp after that back at my "home"... haha, yeah, I did live in one place in america, at least for seven years, believe it or not; and the start of school. I'm enrolled in pre-med classes for the first semester and can't wait to get started!

plus, at school, I will finally get a computer! Oh the joy! happiness! but until then, my loyal blog readers who are still checking this blog after a few forevers of inactivity... there will very likely be even more of that same level of activity.

And on that uplifting note... it's time to hit the road again.

14.6.09

Rubbish bin, pram, trolley, boot,

3 comments:
rubbish bin, pram, trolley, boot.... excuse me, I must use up these words before I have to start communicating with Americans so that they don't sneak out accidentally... rubbish bin, pram, trolley.....

Yes, I am still alive, surprise surprise. And life has not been devoid of happenings for the last few weeks... on the contrary, it has been a bit overloaded with happenings and that is part of the reason that I have been somewhat absent from cyberspace. The other part of the reason is that I am now stranded in the US of A with no computer... that's right, no computer. Danielle without a computer. See, I knew this was going to happen. I could see it coming. I am GOING to get a computer. It just has a date attached to it... the day I start university in a few weeks. See, at the uni I am attending, a laptop is included with tuition. So that's taken care of. But there is this GAP between the time of LEAVING the computer in Papua New Guinea and the time of GETTING the computer at school. Hence, Danielle Without Computer. Ah well. Probably good for me, actually.

So. What has happened in the last few weeks? Well, I can't upload pictures (since I'm using someone else's computer) but I can tell you in a short sort of manner:

1. I graduated from highschool.
2. Graduation party at Kudjip, which was awesome.
3. Left Kudjip on our way to the States
4. Stopped over in Fiji to get some essential work done. 48 hours in the country I grew up in... pretty good, I'd say.
5. Flew to Washington to some friends' house (hi Uncle Tim and Aunt Karla!)
6. Graduation party here, too... haha, such fun. and I did get pics, they just will probably have about a 2-month delay before they make it online.
7. Got in the car and headed out on the beautiful freeways of America headed for Orlando, FL... we will get there in time for the General Assembly of our church.

So. my life over the last little bit in a nutshell. *deep breath*
You can't accuse me of having a boring life.

30.5.09

Graduating...

1 comment:
Well, evidently I graduated... although for a homeschooler it's a bit hard to pinpoint the graduation because we kind of... ease out of school. There's always something else to learn, another book to read, etc, etc. But I have enough credits, and I start college this fall... so I'm graduating. Here is the email that my family sent out:
--------------------------------------
Dear Family and Friends,
We did it! We're graduating!
Well...Danielle is graduating!
Our homeschooling journey together from kindergarten to
12th grade has worked!Danielle will be starting at Southern Nazarene
University in Oklahoma City this fall.

Though we are not looking forward to the goodbyes, we are overwhelmed with God's faithfulness and
blessings over our last 18 years with Danielle. She is certainly one
of God's good gifts to us!

We've attached her graduation announcement
and invitation to her celebration. If you don't happen to be in the
highlands of Papua New Guinea on May 31, we'll miss you, but you're
off the hook! For those of you who would like to keep up with the next
chapter of her life, she has a blog and would invite youto follow it:
http://lifebydanielle.blogspot.com.Also, here is the link to her
Senior Photo Album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mk.danielle/SeniorPictures
Thanks for rejoicing with us,Harmon, Cindy and Quinton Schmelzenbach
-----------------------------------------------------------

Now, you guys obviously already know about the blog =]... and here is a link to the
"attached" graduation announcement and invitation.

29.5.09

Coffee Plantation

1 comment:
On Thursday, we visited a nearby coffee plantation. We found out how coffee gets from cherries to roasted awesomness. Even Starbucks buys from this coffee plantation!







What I was really wishing I could get a picture of was the smell of the roasting room!!!

25.5.09

Sunday

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We went to church with the Dooleys and Katie.
The church was about a 40 minute hike away from the station.



After church, we taught Red Rover to a bunch of the kids and women.



And on the way back from church, we stopped by a waterfall for lunch.





Girls' Night

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Saturday night, Dr. Steph invited all the single ladies over to her house to make pretzels, eat brownies, and play some fun games.





We had a great time, playing Spoons, Pit, and Clay Mania. The most impressing accomplishment of the evening was when, during Clay Mania, Katie sculpted an "abyss"... and Becky guessed it!

22.5.09

What Happened in the Gotcha Game

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Well, I was out of the game within 14 hours, but I couldn't blog about it because you are not allowed to talk about it until the game is over. I did make a valiant effort, though...

I got up early the first morning, and got back from the workout room before the rest of my family was even up (this was to avoid the other members of my family outside, as I didn't know if they had my name).
I then journeyed down to the other end of the station to take up my post awaiting my target: Uncle Scott Dooley. I knew he had to walk by the mail room on his way to work.

As I waited, however, I found myself being shadowed by a sinister character in the form of Jessica Myers. Evaluating the situation, I decided that she must be after me. I was right... but my weapon (a squirt bottle) was more powerful than hers (a water gun)... so I assassinated my assassin and so survived. I then huddled down to wait... and wait... and those of you who know me know that waiting is a very hard for me.

Finally, after about half an hour, here came Uncle Scott. I was hidden quietly on the other side of the mail room, where he would have to pass me before he could see me; in which time I was hoping to get him. His footsteps approached. I was very quiet. He was almost here....
Suddenly, just before he came around the corner, a PNG lady walked briskly past me, saw me, and called out a friendly "GOOD MORNING!!!"
While hearing the steps of my target halt and hurry away, having been so warned that someone was waiting there, I kept my Christian spirit and responded with a cheery, though somewhat strained "good morning."

Uncle Scott scurried around the other side of the mail room, and with HIS superior weapon (an irrigation syringe), got me before I could react in kind. Gotten. *sigh*
And so early in the morning, too.

Ah well... it was great fun. There are many stories about tricks that have been used in this game... like the one where Aunt Judy Bennett dressed up as a local lady selling carrots by the road, hired a little PNG boy to sit beside her, and waited for her target to walk unsuspectingly by. Or the one where Tim Radcliffe climbed over the roof of the building Aunt Gail was hiding behind to get her.

The winner of this game was Uncle Scott Dooley, who survived longer than anyone else (which makes me feel a bit better about being got by him... at least I wasn't killed by an amateur!) Congratulations, Uncle Scott! But watch out...I have learned many lessons... next time I shall be a more experienced, more dangerous opponent!

21.5.09

OceaniaNazarene

4 comments:
I keep saying that I work as a webmaster, but I don't think that I usually offer much proof
(other than complaining about the hardships of dealing with computers). Well, here is proof.
I just finished a website that I've been working on for a month or so: http://oceanianazarene.org

Let me assure you, it is no small feat to get a website live from my little part of the world!

Self presses the upload button.

The Dear Dell gives me a blank look, like it's never heard the word "upload" before.

Self patiently explains to Dear Dell exactly what is meant by "upload."

Dear Dell clearly explains that the blank look signified not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of willingness,
and that unless I greatly increase its pay, it is not planning on complying.

Self calmly informs Dear Dell that what we are talking about is not an increase in pay, but the slight chance that if
it obeys it will emerge from this session alive.

Dear Dell jumps guiltily and begins uploading.
Dear Dell stops uploading, and my program dies in a fit of convulsions.

Self raises eyebrows.

Dear Dell quickly begins feeding Self a great number of faulty excuses about it being the fault of the internet.

Self raises eyebrows further.

Dear Dell whines pitifully, asking how Self could possible expect good performance from Dell while providing it with such
internet and power.

Self raises eyebrows further (forehead is beginning to hurt by now).

Dear Dell reluctantly begins its task again.
Dear Dell flickers; becomes unresponsive.

Self coughs in an expectant manner.

Dell is comatose.

Self searches for cause of phenomenon.
Some investigation reveals that the power is out... again.
Self sighs in a manner revealing great internal desire to throw something.

Power flickers back on.

Self patiently re-starts Dell, re-explains task, and re-begins upload.

Dell flickers; sticks out its tongue, throws a tantrum, murders all essential programs, and sits in front
of Self asking what Self is going to do about it.

.......... need I continue?

Anyway, minor and major setbacks for the most part taken care of, the website has been launched. *deep sigh of relief*

18.5.09

Let the Gotcha Game Begin

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The game of Gotcha is... well, we'll let the rules speak for themselves. Here they are, as emailed to the Inhabitants of Kudjip (also known as Kudjipites):

This is an open invitation for kids and adults to play GOTCHA. We will start next week after everyone has a chance to respond. Respond as soon as possible – you will receive your assignment Sunday night

It is basically a game of assassinations (OK Joe, Ethan and Quinton stop drooling). Each player receives an envelope with the name of the person they are to “get”. You “get” someone by splashing them with water (water gun, cup of water, water balloon, etc). If you succeed in “getting” someone then they are out and you take the card of the person they were to get as your next assignment. It is set up in a circle so eventually two people will be after each other for the sole title of Gotcha Champion.

Here are the rules:

1. Water from some container that you are holding with your hand (you can’t just spit on someone or splash a puddle).

2. Out doors only. Anything in doors is out of bounds – homes, church, hospital, cars, etc… You can not attack from inside a building or covered area or vehicle or be attacked in any of those places (this includes basically anything with a roof – no porches either – hospital or home). This rule was just to keep you from getting attacked at the second you open your door, not to let you run next to any building for a time out. So to clarify this rule does not include awnings or where a roof is overhanging – it must be an obvious covered area (ie a porch leading inside a building).

3. The starting time will be Monday May 18th (as in 12:01 a.m.) unless announced otherwise. Ending with one winner (when you end up with your own name you win). This is for before/after school or work (so as to not disrupt PE, recess games, work, home, etc…). The exception is that you are fair game if you go home for lunch - your walk is not at any of those places and not disrupting anything.

4. Once you are out of the game you can not share information with anyone about who your target was or who got you with any other players (remember you are dead, or at least “got”). This is only fair for other players. Just say you are out and tell the stories later.

5. If you see someone is attempting to get you then you can get them first (obviously you won’t take their card since their card has your name). Basically getting your would-be assassin buys you some time – until the person who has their name takes them out and gets your name for a new assignment!

a. If you are attempting to get someone and they take you out first then you are out. After this, basically you are just waiting for someone to come get you wet for nothing – sorry you can only die once, either being “got” by an assassin or botching your attempts to get someone else.

b. Only one person is “got” in an encounter since you can’t take each other’s cards. First person hit is out even if you both end up wet.

c. You can not just go around “getting” anyone you see in case they might have your name. Play fair or it’s 40 lashes with a wet noodle. You can only “get” your target or someone you really think is a would-be-assassin. Truly the game works best where you don’t know who all the players are so it keeps you from just splashing everyone “just in case”. That is no fun, so again play fair.

6. A few suggestions for the players:

a. Be armed at all times outside – it is amazing how well people will find out your schedule.

b. Trust no one (especially don’t let anyone else know who your target is, as the circle gets smaller giving away information can be very detrimental that is why you can’t talk when you are dead.)

c. Don’t act too suspicious or your target may get wise and “get” you first.

d. Have fun!!!

OK – here are answers to common questions before we start (to clarify the rules below).

1. Yes, a water balloon is a container in your hand.

2. A rain-coat, poncho, etc… is not like a Kevlar (bullet-proof) jacket. Whatever you are wearing is part of you and can be hit – there is no protective clothing that can protect you.

3. Can you deflect water with an umbrella or something else? Yes but if any of the water hits you then you are out.

4. Any time that you can not be attacked then you also can not attack someone else. In other words if you are at work or school (and therefore could not be attacked) you also can not see someone walking by and run by and attack them. The purpose of the rule is to not disrupt work by being attacked or attacking. Again this is for “before/after school or work (so as to not disrupt PE, recess games, work, home, etc…).”

5. There is no way to quantify how much water it takes to “get someone” so whether they soak you or just get you with a water gun – they beat you to the draw and you are out. Play fair – if they get you, they get you – don’t bicker about how many drops it was.

...and there you have it. Gotcha.
The game lasts several days... or weeks... depending on the skill and luck of the players. The players are the Kudjipites who have submitted their willingness to participate. But... the submissions were done secretly... so no-one knows who's in or out! This could be a very interesting next couple weeks.
Let the Gotcha Game begin!

16.5.09

The Kid with the Syringe

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I walked into the Operating Theatre this week, in my usual, unsuspecting way. I crossed the entryway, took off my sandals, and began to put on my "inside shoes," the crocs that I wear in surgery. Now, the inside shoes are lined up against a wall, which is across from the trolleys where patients patiently await or recover from surgery. So, as I put on my shoes, I was facing away from said trolleys. I heard whispering behind me, but thought nothing of it until I was suddenly wet... like I'd been shot with a water gun. At the same moment, I heard giggling. I decided to investigate. Turning around, I saw a little kid sitting on one of the trolleys. He had on a poofy surgery cap, and had a bowl of water and a large syringe, with which he was happily dousing poor unsuspecting souls such as myself, with the gleeful help of Gail Dooley. He was our next patient and had become bored with the long wait, so Gail had provided him with amusement. Well, after giving me a free shower, the kid couldn't refuse to let me take a picture of him, could he?

14.5.09

Spirit Week End

2 comments:
We had a great Spirit Week... lots of fun and goofing off! ... which, incidentally, the MKs here are quite good at. We finished off the week with an evening of fun, games, and sugar.

Each day of the week, we decided who had the best costume, and then on this last evening, the winner from each day came in their winning costume.
Cilla was Military,
Jo was Cinco De Mayo,
Jessica was Mismatch,
Quinton (my brother) was Nerd (can we have a round of applause for Quinton?)


And I was Mafia.


We performed a special song for the gathering of missionaries that came to our final evening. If you have ever heard the VeggieTales "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything," then you will know what tune to put this lovely song to:

The Highschoolers Who Don't Do Anything

We are the highschoolers who don't do anything
we just stay at school and lie around
and if you ask us to do anything
we'll just tell you, we don't do anything...

(nerd)
well, I've never aced PE, and I'm not too good at football,
and I've never left my homework on my locker shelf at school
(military)
and I've never run through hallways and I've never been suspended,
and I've never been to prom in the spring!

(cinco de mayo)
well, I've never gotten swirly-ed and I've never had detention
and I've never gotten beat up by a big tall senior guy
(mafia)
and I've never lost my hall pass, my lunch money's never stolen
and I've never been to prom in the spring!

(mismatch)
Well I fast-forward my teacher, and play ping-pong over Dickens,
and I let myself in with my own set of keys
and I'm always top of class, and I bring to school my coffee....
and I've never been to prom in the spring!


Now, I must explain the last verse a bit...
1. a couple kids use ABeka videos for some classes, and they do on occasion fast-forward the dvds. Not that I am guilty of ever EVER doing that. *non-guilty face*

2. We play ping-pong on a regular table, with our Dickens collection stood up across the middle for a net.

3. several of us do have keys to the schoolroom

4. of course each is top of class, because they are the only ones IN class... we are in all different grades.

5. And yes, we do bring coffee or tea to school. On occasion. Hey, it's basically a supervised homeschool...

After our song, we played a game of Geography Bowl. Parents against non-Parents. It was a lively game, lots of fun, much enhanced by the entrance of a large, unsuspecting cicada which we promply evicted, and greatly livened by the electricity which kept going on and off.

Non-parents won, not that that particular fact is important.
We had a great Spirit Week, a great finishing evening, and lots of fun! Thanks to Katie, the teacher, who made it a wonderful time.

13.5.09

Nerd Day Picture!

4 comments:
Well, here is a picture from Nerd Day, courtesy of Becky, who, by the way, made a great Nerd!

8.5.09

And She Got Bored Again

3 comments:
For those of you who don't know me personally, let me tell you something about myself.
I get bored very easily. And I hate to be bored. It's like... my biggest fear.

Soooo, perhaps that explains why once more I became tired of my blog's colours and header, and so changed them! Enjoy.

7.5.09

Mismatch Friday

2 comments:
Today was "Mismatch Day"...





Mafia Thursday

1 comment:
Thursday was Mafia Day, as you can no doubt see.
By the way, I love Jo's shirt... the one that says "Loser"... I want one like it. The back says "He who saves his life shall lose it and he who loses his life for my sake shall gain it"... or something like that.







6.5.09

Nerdy Wednesday

2 comments:
Wednesday was Nerd Day, and there were some awesome outfits... but when I got to the school, I realized that I had left my camera card back in the computer... and there was no time to run back and get it and get back to the school, because I had to be at the office for work in about 5 minutes.... *sigh*
Soooo, the Nerd Day Post Pictures will have to wait until Cilla, Katie, and Becky email them to me. Patience. They shall come eventually.

5.5.09

Cinco De Mayo

1 comment:
For those who read my blog and are non-americans or Mexicans and don't know what Cinco De Mayo is, it is a Mexican holiday celebrated by Americans... get that... to celebrate... wait, I know this... a Mexican victory. Of some kind. I'm sorry, my history is rusty. Anyway, it's today, so that was today's Spirit Week theme. Same people as yesterday here....









And we have a couple new faces too.
First, Dr. Becky Wallace, whom I roomed with for a couple weeks while my parents were in Singapore. (she blogged about that here) We had a great time together, she's awesome!



And Wiley Riggins, who has shown up on earlier blogs.

3.5.09

Spirit Week - Military Monday

1 comment:
This week is "Spirit Week" at the MK schools. For the high school, today was Military Monday. We all wore our best military uniforms.

Here we all are: Quinton, Jo, Jessica, Cilla, Me, Katie


















And now we have...

Commander Quinton
































Lieutenant Josiah































Jessica the Marine































Sergeant Cilla































Officer Danielle































And, of course, the teacher: General Katie































Our activity for the afternoon was Boot Camp... a very dizzy relay race, which included spinning



















running


















push-up-ing


















wheelbarrowing



















And some falling



















and goofing.

My Quilt

1 comment:
Danielle made a quilt! Yes, she did... and I know that at this point my best friends are sitting there shaking their heads in disbelief (yes, Calli, I see you) that Danielle could stick with something for long enough to complete it... especially something as sit-down-and-slowly-sew-it as a quilt... but my selfish motives were enough to keep me going, and with the help of Aunt Gail Dooley, I made the quilt.

Here is Aunt Gail:



















Here's what the material looked like at first:




















And here's what it looks like now!




















I did get more pictures of the process, they are in my picasa album... there are some in the April album and some in the May... sorry 'bout that. :)