Through Outsiders' Eyes: Year in Photos

"Security Wall" around Bethlehem

As we get older we all seem to comment how the time flies and how the year passes so much faster than it did when we were younger. This year has reminded me how big changes do have the tendency to make the time feel like it moves more slowly as now looks rather different than 12 months ago. Saying that I did get back to the UK for Christmas thinking what a long year it had been only to be shocked that a whole year had passed since a neighbour of theirs had died since that only seemed like a couple of months ago to me. Our brains do funny things with time.

And so for a quick overview of the more unusual bits of my year in photos, since photos seem to be largely more popular than text and anyway if you want more text I have a whole 6 months of blog posts to follow!

March and April (Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica)

A week of training on industrial automation for work in Costa Rica, still delighted I could learn something new and in my second language.
A whistle stop 24 hour trip to Panama for work, a new passport stamp and a stop by the famous Panama Canal on the way back from site. (Would have been better without having the sun in my eyes for the photo)
One and a half day women's retreat immediately after arriving back from Panama, beautiful location on the Nicaraguan Pacific coast and an opportunity to make an unexpected new friend - Dawn.
One of many tasty cook-ups of foreign food with my friend Lisa, her family and anyone else we could rope into eating adventurously!

May and June (Nicaragua, UK, Israel and Palestine)

More food from other foreign places with Lisa and co!

First visit home to the UK for the year. Two days sightseeing in London with mum as a belated birthday present for her.

As always lots of fun with niece and nephew.
Another new passport stamp as I joined a group tour for the first time in years and made my first visit to the Holy Land with lots of opportunity to learn about current events as well as seeing historical religious sites.

At Temple Mount, Jerusalem

Also managed to catch up with Jenny, a school friend I haven't seen for almost 20 years and meet her husband and baby daughter as well as meeting up on the same day with some university friends Krish and Miriam and their growing family who I hadn't seen for about 10 years.

Bethlehem

Dominus Flevit, Jerusalem

July to September (Nicaragua, UK, Malaysia)

Leaving dinner with friends in Managua

Made it back to the UK twice, once for my niece's 2nd birthday and the second time for my nephew to start school - this time I was in transition to Asia.
Sadness at leaving Nicaragua but lots of great goodbyes and I was finally worn down into joining Facebook which has turned out to be a good way of keeping in touch over long distances with friends in different countries.
Moved to Malaysia but within two weeks had agreed to move another three and a half hours flying time more eastwards to the Philippines, but managed to see the Petronas Towers and the Indian night market in KL before I left as well as finding a church I would have liked to be part of.

Colleagues from Nicaragua

Birthday celebration with friends from work, Managua

Petronas Towers, KL

Photos from market, Little India

Masjid Jamek, KL

October to December (Philippines, Hong Kong)

Moved to Manila, Philippines for about 6 months to finish a new water treatment plant. Moved from a hurricane and earthquake zone to a typhoon and earthquake zone, but nice to be able to manage in English as the working language in almost every encounter.
Weekend trip to Hong Kong for visa renewal purposes. Found flying over the South China Sea seems to involve more turbulence than I would like.
Made it home on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with the family.