Tuesday 16 July 2013

Date Ideas #1: Old-School Games

Chad going for the kick in Paper Football.
Since the start of our marriage, Chad and I have always worked together in some capacity. After the first few years of having too many work conversations over dinner, we decided that something needed to change. So we implemented the weekly Sacred Date Night.

In reality, we just call it "date night", but we've come to regard it with such respect that it is pretty much sacred to us. No phone calls, no rainchecks, no multi-tasking. This is our time alone.

After talking to other couples, I realised that this idea was a popular (and much sought-after) one, but whether due to time or lack of inspiration, many couples don't implement this. So as we've been doing this now for over five years, I thought I'd help eliminate one of those reasons and start a new list of date ideas. Some of them may seem silly but as the point of date night isn't to be majorly productive, we didn't see this is as a problem...

#1: Old School Games
Remember games as a kid? Ones that didn't involve a power supply? Go down memory lane and share your favourite childhood games together. Here are some ideas to get you started:
  • Knucklebones/5 Stones
    This was what I played when exams were over and you were simply sitting in the classroom filling time.
  • Paper Football (see photo)
    The less-painful version for the dining room table. See here for instructions. Or click here for a pretty entertaining video tutorial.
  • Board Games (e.g. Twister, Candy Lane, The Game of Life)
  • Marbles
  • Fold paper airplanes
    For added mileage, borrow an origami book from the library and learn how to fold different kinds of planes. Then set up a target area and try to send your planes into it.
  • Basketball
    Set up mugs around the room. Using crumpled-up pieces of paper as balls, try to get them into the mugs from a designated position.
  • Pac-Man
    Ok, this one is kind of cheating. But I think most people will agree that Pacman is a classic. If you have an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad, download "Pac-Man Lite" for free and take turns trying to eat those white dots as fast as you can.

Friday 12 July 2013

Much-needed Disturbance

This has been an eye-opening week.

I know I can be cautious and thrifty (to the point of penny-pinching). But last month had been one of those in which I found myself thinking several times, "If I get through this, next month is going to be awesome." Well, I got through it.

Suddenly, things looked different. I thought about all the time spent doing safe things, unnecessary things, and all the effort spent worrying and saving for some contingency plan for an unforeseen disaster. I didn't like that thought and decided I needed some inspiration.

A panda at Huangzhou Zoo, Zhejiang, China.
Photographer: Xiaoqun Zheng
I know I might be criticised for this but this
was the photo that got me most emotionally.
On Monday, I took Chad to the World Press Photo Exhibition for our weekly date night. It was a surprise and he was delighted. I, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to expect, being more of a post-production kind of gal. But by the end of it, I was changed.

The photos I saw represented so much hurt and despair on a level that I, in my cloistered world, have only ever heard about. Parents outliving their children through war, children with acid-splashed faces, women who play sports in secrecy for fear of persecution...these are scenarios that exist only in movies for me.

We came away silent, and after some time, both of us expressed that the exhibition had been a much needed disturbance.

So to myself and anyone who might be reading this, take this away: silver linings only come to those who have their eyes open. Get off that couch, give generously, don't wait to cash on in those gifts that God has given you and love, love, love fiercely.

Friday 5 July 2013

Why I Don't Want to be a Unicorn

In trying to tell people about acrobatics, what it is, and why I love it, I usually get one of two reactions:
1) "You're crazy, but in a good way."
2) "You're just crazy."

I think I've realised why both these reactions feel unsatisfactory to me: it makes me feel like a unicorn.

Unicorns are very rare creatures - so rare in fact that they're extinct. People don't think about unicorns on a regular basis, but when they do, they regard them with a mixture of fascination and the knowledge that they need to hold them at arm's length. This is because people who cuddle unicorns, as bright and shiny as they may be, are generally frowned upon by society.

I don't want to be a unicorn. I want to be a dog. A big fluffy golden retriever that people want to engage with. When I say, "I do acrobatics", I want people to react to it like I just said, "I run," or even, "I love golf." I want there to be a chance that people will say, "Hey, me too! We should do it together sometime!"

Handstand Progression
The process of becoming a unicorn: This means more to me than just being able to do handstands.
The process of becoming a unicorn isn't without its upsides though. In a strange way, I can't help but relate this to sharing my faith in God. Now, I realise that in saying this, I've made myself an even rarer kind of unicorn, the acrobatic God-loving kind. And how many of those are there?

Being uncomfortable in life was definitely not my goal. But I'm beginning to understand why it's so important. At the end of my life, I want to know that I stood for the things that are not only important to me, but important for the future. And you just can't do that by sitting on the fence.

Not Your Cookie-cutter Cards

"Tongue-tied": my favourite card featured in front.
Maybe it's a little cheesy but it still makes me grin
everytime I see it!
I was running low on cards to give away. Sure, I had a range of blank cards that I had somehow accumulated and was keeping for a social emergency. But given the time, a homemade card is always my first choice for any occasion.

So I dug out my beloved drawing pen and (feeling somewhat like a child again) my coloured pencils. Some nice heavy paper and one season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer later, I have a brand new collection on limited edition cards hot off the press!

Now that was therapeutic!