We are Burmese, if you please...

Today I went back to my Burmese family's house.  I got to meet one of the family members I didn't get to meet on moving day, so now I know the whole family, but I'm still working on trying to memorize everyone's names.  At the house, everyone was downstairs, I thought, and then I thought I heard something upstairs.  So I go upstairs, and hear music.  I put my ear to the door because I couldn't tell if it was the radio or someone actually singing.  So I knock on the door, and one of the kids opens the door with a guitar in his hands and some sweet sunglasses.  He was playing the guitar, singing in English.  I didn't know he knew so much English, and I asked him if he wanted to work as a musician someday, and he said yes.  I thought that was the coolest thing, especially since he had his sunglasses on like he was already some famous musician, and I guess he's already got paparazzi with a camera around:)    

Eagles Training Camp

I started a story today...

...on a family of Burmese refugees.  A family of 7 were reunited with 3 other family members, who have been in Allentown for a year now, a week ago.  Today is the day they all started moving in together, and the first day I met them.  I was a little overwhelmed with the fact that so many people were moving in, with the help of their case worker and an intern from Catholic Charities, and the fact that they didn't speak English.  Eventually, they hope to house 12 people in the house, when they are able to bring a set of the family's grandparents over.  It's been a while since I've been this excited about a story... I wish I had more than just a couple weeks to work on it.  The family is so sweet, and I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my time in Allentown with them.  

Sportsfest Day 2

So after this game, I go to get the team rosters.  One team's roster consists of only numbers.  Anyone watching the game could've figured that out.  Then, as I'm captioning my pics of the team that did have an actual roster, there are two girls with the same number.  Who does that!

Sportsfest

Make-A-Wish

8 year old Ashari was diagnosed with leukemia in May of 2008, and had her wish of a shopping spree granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  She was picked up in a limo and taken to King of Prussia with her parents and older sister.  Ashari shopped at Best Buy, Toys 'R' Us, and the King of Prussia Mall, where she went to Build-A-Bear, which was her favorite stop, where she got a pink leopard cat that she named Princess.  

Dalai Lama Protestors

The Dalai Lama visited the Lehigh Valley this past week, and following shortly behind him was this group of protesters.  The protesters consisted of Shugden Buddhists, who worship a deity of the name Dorje Shugden.  The Dalai Lama has banned the worship of this deity, leading to a lack of religious freedoms in the country of Tibet, which is why the Shugden Practitioners are protesting.  

Next to the Shugden protesters, was a small group of Chinese Lehigh University students, who were also protesting the Dalai Lama for a different reason.  The students said that although Tibet is a part of China, the Dalai Lama's actions treat Tibet as if it has nothing to do with China.

Lastly, a young man waits for the second Sunday session of the Dalai Lama's lecture outside of Stabler arena by doing yoga.

p.s. one of the protesters thought I was from the Tibetan press...which is funny to me.