Kababayan
Friday nights are our scheduled small group meeting. Tonight's session was led by "Papa" Olojan. The focus was WORSHIP, what it is and how it relates to our purpose. Just like last week, I felt touched and I listened to the message with my heart. Since having asked Christ into my life last Friday, I've felt this "newness" in my life that is unexplainable. I feel like I'm looking at life with new eyes. I feel that the greatest thing has happened to me and it's all due to a decision I have made to have a "relationship" with Christ. Another woman who is part of the praise team at church was surprised that I am a "new Christian"...she said that just by looking at me, she thought I was an "old" Christian. But what she said afterwards got me and she commented that, "God must have been working through you for a while now." Anyways, the rest of the evening was spent meeting and getting to know new friends. Hubby and I met a couple who had recently moved to MN from CA...turns out that the husbands have mutual family friends and to top that, both their dads served in the Navy around the same time, same place! Talk about a small world, eh? They've only been in MN for 6 months, moved to the area because of a job relocation, and like us, don't have any family or friends out here. Very cool couple...ones whose "language" was like music to our ears! (inside joke, people!) We were venting about there is a total lack of Filipino stores and restaurants out here (um, there's only ONE!) and we jokingly mentioned that we should try and start one up. Hmmm.....wouldn't that be cool? Owner of a future Goldilock's in Woodbury, MN?! Woudn't be such a bad idea, eh??? Seriously though, tis nice to meet new friends, fellow kababayan, fellow Californians...there's a time and place for everything and I feel we were in the right place to meet the people we have in the short time we've been here.

CulturFest
Tomorrow is my first performance with CSFA in Owatonna, MN. I'm a tad bit nervous simply 'cuz it's been 4 years since I've last danced, but I'm hoping the nerves'll disappear once I get on stage. I'm no longer dancing Pandanggo/Oasiwas as I originally thought...actually, we had been rehearsing Singkil over and over and over that we rarely touched upon the Barrio suite. I will be dancing Ba Ingles, a cutesy and simple rural number. I have to keep telling myself that this isn't a professional group. We were being told to put our hair up in buns and I'm like, okay, standard info. But then the director went into this whole explanation that there's no dangling earrings allowed, but studs are okay; no jewelry, but if you're married, wedding bands are fine; all hair in buns, but if you've got short hair, leave it as is...Um, whoa! I've NEVER heard all that before! Eh, I don't know about all that...can't say that I agree with how things are done, but yah, gotta keep reminding myself that this isn't Larawan or Likha... On a cooler note, I've made a 'friend' who had "danced professionally" before. She's a cool chick who appreciates how rehearsals SHOULD be run...um, I'll leave it at that. In any case, I'm excited 'cuz this event is a coming together of the different cultures represented out here. I'll let you know how things go...