http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org ryan stewart - around the world... en-us Mon, 8 Sep 2008 07:05:21 GMT 30 http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-word-on-finding-justine http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-word-on-finding-justine I received an email from Tara Stephenson (the leader of team J.O.Y.) about their day of looking for Justine. And instead of paraphrasing it all and certainly botching key details, I'm just going to copy & paste most of her email to me about it: Hey there,   So ya totally found her.  We documented the whole day and took some video.  I can't tell you how amazing it was to go on this journey not knowing what God was going to do. So expect a blog soon too.   The day goes like this:   So we start off to Livingston.  All we know is what you told me sooooooooo turn left before the big hill and walk down that road to a naz[arene] church.  We went and grabbed a bite to eat before and ran into a German named Birdie.  So then we went back down the hill, prayed for God's guidance and went.    As we were walking down the road, Maithili  [part of team J.O.Y.] asked if we could stop and pray for a woman on the side of Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=justine-is-alive http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=justine-is-alive HOLY CRAP GUYS.......... JUSTINE, who i met in guatemala a year and a half ago, ...(SEE http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=justine )   HAS BEEN FOUND!!!! i heard through stephanie fisk (the july '08 squad leader and who was on my jan '07 trip) that one of her teams was headed to puerto barrios for the month. she put me in contact with that specific team's leader, tara. we emailed a bit and i asked them if they were at all able, to find her and see how she is.and i hadn't heard anything for like at least a month. and just now i was going through all the world race pictures from august for the 'top photos' blogs i'm doin every month for AIM...and i saw this picture! and i'm like holy crap!   so uh...i don't know anything else at this point...i'm gonna find out though for sure and update you guys. but i am....happy that she is alive....but pretty saddened at the same time that she looks pretty much the very same as when i left her a year and a half ago Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=my-book-preview http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=my-book-preview   A lot of  people have asked me about and/or expressed interest in me putting together a photo book from my time on The World Race. Just to give you all an progress report on that little project...I'm workin on it, however slowly it may be taking.   And so...I thought I'd wet your palate a tad by giving you a sneak peek of what the back and front covers will probably look something like.  ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ And I thought I'd  give you a little update on me as well, while I'm at it.    I finished up that camp internship in minnesota about 10 days ago. That also kicked off my almost month and a half road trip out to oregon for the 1-year internship I'll be doing at another YL camp. (it starts october 1) So far, I've spent time with friends in minneapolis, des moines, kansas city and now boulder, colorado. From here I'm going to go to colorado Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=rice-night http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=rice-night Maybe 3 nights ago I heard that as a camp (there's about 80-90 campers here right now) we were going to be eating just rice for dinner. I didn't think they were serious. The intention was to get these second-time campers more aware of the rest of the world and how they live. They also are taking the saved money from food costs ($730) and giving it to 'Feed My Starving Children'. (www.fmsc.org)I was intrigued about it the moment I heard the notion. The next night I heard that they were for real doing it. I soon thereafter thought about a picture I took while at a care-point in Swazi a year ago. It's of a boy eating a hand full of rice...mid-bite. It's a good shot. The night before rice night I had this thought of talking to the camp speaker (rice night was his idea) about if he could possibly use that picture for his purpose of rice night. I get really excited about the possibilities of sharing my pictures for things and especially powerful things like this rice thing...and I am always Wed, 4 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=off-again http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=off-again I will write some more in the coming days hopefully, but just wanted to update everyone on what's going on with me. I am leaving tomorrow afternoon (sunday the 18th) for Castaway Club. It's a Young Life camp in northern Minnesota. (Young Life is an international ministry to teenagers) I will be a maintenance intern up there until August 18th. I'll be doing fix-it jobs and building projects, etc...I'm really excited to get back into the YL atmosphere. For those of you that don't know, YL was the vessel that God used to ultimately bring me to Him for good. I'm excited to be back living in community, like the World Race, and to be back around like-minded people my age (like the WR) and get to partake in some worship again. (like the WR) It's just going to be great all around. ........and if you haven't noticed, I really miss the World Race and that lifestyle...and just being alive. I've been back at home with my parents in the house I grew up in, these past 6 months. (first of all...i can Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=be-faithful-not-fearful http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=be-faithful-not-fearful In my last post I said that I was gonna be going to Texas to interview for a 2 year internship with Young Life down there. I went down there for a few days and interviewed for it and all that, but ended up not being offered the job. I ended up being a little too honest with them I think,  by openly sharing that I absolutely just wasn't sure if this was where I was supposed to come or not. I expressed that I definitely have a heart for the nations and Japan and that I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to 2 years in Texas or America still. (But at the same time I made it clear (whether they were convinced or not) that if they offered me the position and I felt God wanted me down there, I'd commit to the 2 years for sure) After I came back to Michigan, I realized that my extreme honesty and openness may have been driven by fear. Fear of...committing to something that may not be the absolute best thing for me right now and therefore somehow wasting 2 years of my life. Fear of failing at Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=far-from-over http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=far-from-over This is me 3 days ago......you could say that my demeanor in this picture effectively illustrates how in my head and in my heart...I REALLY MISS the life I had on The World Race. Now, by saying, 'the life i had' I don't mean in any way that that life is gone and is never to return ...because I know that isn't true. I know for a fact that God still has AMAZING things in store for me! Huge things! I'm just in a place in life right now (as I imagine many of my fellow racers are) where it feels like no other experience could ever measure up to the high I was on during The World Race. But I'm reminded of Philippians 1:6, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." God began a good work in me way back before I was even thought of, but he REALLY began a good work in me during The World Race. And it's just cool to see and hear one of his promises that, yeah even though the world race is over, and all the experiences, cha Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=back-to-life http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=back-to-life The bulletin board at church on my first sunday back So, I thought that I was done with blogging on here. But I thought it would be a good idea to at least update you guys (however many people will still read this) on what has happened since I have been back. In some ways it's been as I would've expected, but in some ways things haven't happened as I thought they would. I sit here now...actually just a day shy of 2 months since I left Hong Kong...and I guess it has flown by. Not sure if that's a good thing or not.  But I sit here...at home in the house i grew up in...on a friday night...with nothing to do but blog. :) Again, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. I'll just cut to the chase of what has happened, then I'll talk a little more about what it's actually like to be back home...in this American culture. First of all, I left everyone by saying that I was really planning on moving to Branson, Missouri to be around a girl. Well...to make a long story short, tho Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=prints-for-sale http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=prints-for-sale I am home now...and it's weird. So many things are exactly the same as when I left...as if this past 11 months was just a figment of my imagination. I know it wasn't though. I'm ready for the next adventure. I've had a lot of people say stuff to me about my pictures. 'There awesome...you have such a gift...you should put together a book..' etc.... So what I'm going to do for now at least, is offer prints for ANY PICTURE I have ever taken! If you saw a photo on my blog this year, tell me which one it is and what kind of print you want, framed, dry-mounted, or just the print...and i'll send it to you. The price list is above. Either leave a comment on this blog, or email me at ryanstewartphoto@hotmail.com ANY PICTURE! Here's some from this trip (and some not from this trip)...to entice your aesthetic senses                             &n Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=hk http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=hk the Hong Kong skyline A few nights ago, we had a dinner out and had a little ceremony where everyone received a medal and a certificate for completing the trip, and then a quick prayer. telfer and others enjoying the cookout at the restaurant seth addressing the whole group Agapetos, the winning squad B team for the Race YETI and Salt shared the A squad Race title Josh, Bush and Youell after the light show downtown Hong Kong a bridge near where we've been staying the final hodge-podge L.O. picture (with Joy and Brienna being represented by some fruit and ramen) Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-bests http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-bests Gary Black and I after the final banquet for the January 2007 World Race teams It's been a great year! It's been a challenge, but it's been an amazing learning experience and adventure. There was a few times where I really wanted to just quite and go home...but I am really glad and actually proud of myself for sticking it out. I would've instantly regretted leaving if I would've done it. Hollywood Josh Mr. Zing himself...James Spano Some lessons I've learned: You can't do life on your own. I'm still learning that it's not about how you feel. It is not about you. Prayer is maybe the most important thing. In God's eyes, being is much more important than doing. Becca Mallorie Chad being thanked and honored for all he's done and endured over the course of the last two years (2 stints on The World Race) I want to share a list I made a few days ago of ways that this year has changed me: I've become more confident in myself I've become a man and more mature Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-grand-finale http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-grand-finale Gary blessing our last night's banquet and the meal bush at the final banquet Josh and I Jimmy, Chad and Clinton...thank you so much for all you guys did and sacrificed for all of us this year! Andrew Shearman, Lisa & Gary Black...just some of the amazing people that have invested and poured into us all year long. Seth is obviously the man that has invested in us and the world race the mosthe's traveled all over the world to many of our debriefs. Seththank you can't even come close to accurately expressing how grateful we are for all you have done and for what God has showed us thru the world race. January 14, Palenque, Mexico - A & B squads in their original entirety April 15, Lima, Peru - the current A squad at that time (minus Andrew & Katie) May 30, Vilanculos, Mozambique - The current A squad at that point (minus Josh & Clinton) September 2, Ko Samet, Thailand - The entire A, B & C squads November 16, Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=not-quite-paradise-city http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=not-quite-paradise-city The Beijing West train station This probably won't be much more than pictures, but before heading back to Hong Kong for our final debrief, we spent a few days in Beijing...where our main purpose for being there was to visit The Great Wall. (pictures of which will be my next blog) One interesting thing about Beijing...you would think that they capitol of the most populated country in the world would be freakin huge and skyscrapers all over the place...but surprisingly I did not see any buildings taller than say 30 stories or so. Kinda interesting. some crazy cage thing in one of the taxi's I rode in Most people will recognize this following picture...it was taken in the summer of 1989 in Tiananmen Square. There was a lot of protests going on throughout China then...people protesting against the government for various reasons. It turned into a massacre, but anyway...I was able to walk around the square one night. (though you weren't allowed to actually go in the middle of the squ Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-wall-one http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-wall-one hiking up to The Great Wall on a most spectacular day. We made our trip to the famed Great Wall of China. We were debating about going to a section that was restored, but way more touristy...or go to an unrestored 'as-it'was' section that was not touristy at all. I was glad that we went ended up going to the latter section. God has seriously blessed on everyday this year that we have visited a 'World Wonder' this year...the day we were at Machu Picchu was fantastic, and even though Angkor wasn't actually elected into the New 7 World Wonders, (it is in my book) we had a beautiful day when we visited there as well. Seriously...three of the World Wonder caliber (four if you count the Palenque ruins) locations...in less than a year..............WHO DOES THAT!!!! Telfer We had this whole several-mile-long section of The Wall, completely to ourselves. It was pretty cool. me and fellow SAU amigo, Emilie annie on The Wall Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-wall-two http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-wall-two It unfortunately became probably one of the biggest stories of the day...Talia literally ran into part of The Great Wall of China...and apparently had a pretty good gash just above her forehead. She's probably getting sick of all the attention the incident has been given...but how many people do you know that have shed blood from The Great Wall? :) I love ya Tal! Clinton enjoying the day it was a shorter version of one of these that Talia ran into I think Emilie, Candice and Spano World Racers have taken it over here's a little sample of the scale Katie soaking in the day I'll have at least one more blog to put up while I'm still out on the field...so STAY TUNED for that! It'll include a section describing the ways that I have changed and grown as a result of this year. And before I sign off completely, I'll give you a little idea of what I'm tentatively planning on doing in the near future. Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=sweet-child-of-mine http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=sweet-child-of-mine having some sunday worship in China :) I'm gonna keep goin with this 'classic-rock-songs' as my blog titles...cuz I've been really into this stuff lately. So...just so you know. :) Thurs - Oct 18 - 15:31 - China I'm bored. DiscontentI'm just kinda likeI don't know what I'm really doing up here. I don't like that there's not really anything to doall we can really do is sit and prayworkI don't know   right now, I'm wishing I woulda went to the cultural exchange, instead of up here. It's a cool place, lots of culturethe mountains are sweetbut I don't know.   Lord, please just tell me what to do while I'm up here, sit and pray, walk and prayworkwhatever, tell me. Fill me  "Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it." - Braveheart hanson took this when we hiked up over the town Ahthe ongoing battle and challenge of being vs. doing'. It's going to continue to take a while to learn whatever lesson I need to learn on this subject. I know (and Gary even tal Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=back-in-the-saddle-again http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=back-in-the-saddle-again an exhausted and sick Spano, on one first evening in Hong Kong I am back in Hong Kong now, after a 3 week stay in Northern China. I'm going to just do a series of blogs with pictures from the few weeks, but I'm going to purposely pick ones that don't give away the location or contacts. While in Hong Kong the first time though, we had our final race of the year. Now I have spent some time in several big cities of the world: New York, Lima, Buenos Aires, London, Stockholm, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Tokyo, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur...I have to say, Hong Kong is probably the coolest big city I have been to. Our race day was capped off by a night at the new Hong Kong Disneyland. I spent the next three weeks with team LO-gape-lution. (me and josh (the remains of L.O.), agapetos and revolution). We took a 38 hour train ride plus about 5 hours of bus time up to our location. the sweet sleeper cars... world racers are in town people... josh in his beauty... bussi Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=stairway-to-heaven http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=stairway-to-heaven standing around the campfire one night... I got to go on a couple awesome camping/hiking trips while up in the mountains. The first one was just guys: me, Josh, Hanson, Telfer and Chad. We set off fireworks that night, had some prayer time for the area, and in the morning I hiked up a ways and had a great view. some Tibetan prayer flags The second trip, every racer from Logapelution that was still up there, came out for this trip. We were up on a beautiful mountain lake. We did some more prayer over the area, as it also was a big Tibetan buddhist worship/prayer area. I also spent a lot of time up in pine trees sawing down firewood with my Leatherman saw:) more Tibetan prayer flags It was cold up there. Mucho fria! The second day we were at the lake, Eric, Josh and I set out in the morning to hike up a nearby peak. From the campsite...yeah, it looked like a big hike/climb, but little did we know exactly what we were getting ourselves into. Eric and I reached the Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=ode-to-lo http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=ode-to-lo As the team leader, I thought it would be fitting to do a final tribute to Team L.O. The team is basically done as we know it. Annie is going to team Salt for the rest of the year because there's some girls on that team that she really connects with and wants to get to know better, Tim is going with Nessa, and Josh and I will be with the media/Agapetos team for the last leg. I will also give you a little recap of how the team has evolved each and every month of this World Race. Last September when teams were announced after training, the team was: Annie, Joy, Clinton, Andrew, and current June racers Christy Linhart and Brooke Witt. I was added in October, Christy and Brooke had to postpone their trips until June because of financial reasons. In Matamoros at the very beginning of the year, Salt needed another guy, so we gave them Andrew and they gave us Brienna. January 4 - Matamoros, Mexico - Team formerly-known-as-Hupomone, just before we left for Palenque February 9 - An Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=advisory-to-my-readers http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=advisory-to-my-readers just so you guys know...we are indeed heading to china today. well, hong kong today, then china in the next following days. and so please just be conscious in your comments to any past blogs or emails to me, so that they do not include anything about ministry or christian terminology or anything of the sort. i'm not sure if i will be blogging at all while i'm in china, so just know that too. Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=angkor http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=angkor the main walkway in front of Angkor Wat around sunset time All of A & B squads (minus the philippines group and Jake) spent debrief up in the town of Siem Reap. It's the gateway of the famous Angkor Wat temple and the surrounding temples of Angkor. We had all of Sunday available to go see the temples, but Annie, Tim, Clinton and I got over on Saturday evening as well for about an hour. the classic Angkor Wat shot Ever since I was in Siem Reap a couple of weeks ago on my way to Phnom Penh from Malaysia, I had decided that I was going to rent a bicycle to tour the temples by myself. Most people either do it by tour bus or rent a tuk-tuk for the day. But I like riding bikes...and I have ridden one maybe 3 times this year. So I indeed rented a decent mountain bike for $2/day...and had the most grueling day physically of the entire year I'd say. I probably biked over 25 miles I bet, and walked a ton and climbed all the insanely steep steps of several of the temples. To Tue, 9 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=an-hour-of-life http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=an-hour-of-life Ta Prohm I remember when we were on Ko Samet for our last debrief, I saw a book on Cambodia. I looked at it and looked at some of the pictures from Angkor Wat and the area. So I had more of an idea of what I was going to be seeing. And after looking at the pictures of Ta Prohm...I was much more excited about seeing that place than even Angkor Wat itself. I left our hotel at about 5:20am (that is way early for me!) in hopes of getting some of the sunrise light. Turns out the sunrise pretty much sucked...and the only real good light that ended up showing itself wasn't until about 8am. It was not a complete waste of sleep though by any means. Because when I arrived at Ta Prohm around 6 or a little after...I had the whole grounds to MYSELF for almost an hour.... ....talk about serene...and quiet...and solitude...and just one of the best ways to spend an hour of life Preah Khan Ta Keo there's a ton more pictures in the PICTURES YO! section, so be su Tue, 9 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=reconnaissance http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=reconnaissance meeting with an orphanage contact near Battambang I've been up in Siem Reap for about 2 and a half days now for debrief, but the three days before that, Andrew and I did our little 'set-up' trip. It didn't turn out being as much as we thought it was going to be. One of the guys we were going to go visit down on the coast, ended up coming to Phnom Penh to meet us. Then Andrew's team (Salt) happened to be going to a church last Sunday in Kampong Chom province that we were planning on checking out anyway, so we got that done that day. So that only left two more locations for us to visit ministries at. We took a 4 or 5 hour bus ride from Phnom Penh to Battambang, and hooked up with YWAM up there. Once again YWAM was phenominal to us, and was a huge help. We got the scoop on all that YWAM itself does in Battambang and what some of our teams could do in the future. The next day we headed out on two motos to visit an orphanage in a village. The trip (which included some tire troubles) Sun, 7 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-rouge http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-rouge It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me...but The Khmer Rouge ravaged this country in the 1970's. Tortured and killed tons of people...even women and children. I went with Tim yesterday to visit Tuol Sleng Prison and the actual Killing Fields. Tuol Sleng used to be a school I think, but was changed into a prison in the 70's and used for torture and many other things. Prisoners were taken from Tuol Sleng out to The Killing Fields to be executed. Tim was saying yesterday...that this whole Khmer Rouge thing still doesn't make sense to him...like what exactly was the driving force for these people? I think it was just that they wanted the country to be done their way...and so that, for some reason meant kinda starting the whole country over again pretty much. At Tuol Sleng, there's rooms full of pictures of people that came through there.      you can still see bones and clothes on the ground at the Killing Fieldsskulls in a monument at The Killing FieldsI've now Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=young-life-cambodia http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=young-life-cambodia I've tried a few times to connect with Young Life in some of the places we've been this year. Hasn't really happened thus farwhether it was my fault or not. Back in July in South Africa, when we were looking over the options for what ministries we could do in Thailand and Cambodia, I noticed Young Life was on the list for Cambodia. I wondered if it was the YL I know and love. I've been in contact with the Asia YL director, Clif Davidson, within the last two months or so about YL in Cambodia, Thailand and Japan. (Japan, because for a little while there I was trying to arrange a trip there for this month to scope out some future ministries) I was in contact with a lady with YL in Japan, and Mr. Davidson gave me the contact info for Pyneath, the YL guy here in Cambodia. I shot Pyneath an email a few weeks ago and another one a couple days ago. I had lunch with Jimmy and Christ Newman (our YWAM contact) here in Phnom Penh about 5 or 6 days ago, a Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=untitled-cambodia http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=untitled-cambodia I arrived into Cambodia on the 18th. A nice long bus ride from the border to the city of Siem Reap (where Angkor Wat is located). Tim and I stayed there with team Agapetos for about a day and a half before heading down to Phnom Penh where everyone else is.I had the privilege to go to Eric's english class one morning. It was really neat, and such an opportunity. I mean, he all out shared the gospel with them the day before and they were all excited and wanting to hear from our God. Eric's got a good thing going on up there. It was cool to see.an aerial view of Phnom PenhOne of the first things you notice in Phnom Penh is the traffic. It is just a constant free-for-all weave. Intersections turn into motorbikes, tuk-tuk's and cars completely cutting each other off and weaving in and out of one another. They drive on the right side of the road here...most of the time. Sometimes you'll see bikes, moto's or occasionally even a car driving slowly along on the opposite side going completely ag Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=beginning http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=beginning enjoying some FABULOUS rotisserie chicken and pineapple, both from street vendors. I think the total cost for both of these things was about $1.50. not  bad! I know my mom will at least appreciate to actually see some pictures of me for once. I finally got a hold of all the pictures tim has taken of me in the last month and a half or so. I'm not used to actually putting up pictures of me, and it feels a little weird...but I thought it might be good to show some actual pictures of me doing the things I write about all the time...There's a bunch more that I uploaded into PICTURES YO!, but here's a dozen of them. So yeah, Tim Weisemann took all these pictures of me, so thank him if you want. I did photoshop them though. on a ferry in Bangkok on our temple tour day singing a kids song at our first school presentation in northern thailand. It's funny, because I actually learned this song about 3 and a half years ago when I was at the Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=hell-in-malaysia http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=hell-in-malaysia Our first of two nights in Penang, Malaysia (the island where my friend Judith is from) Tim and I got to experience first hand, The Hungry Ghost Festival. It's a Chinese festival that I had heard about a few days earlier at church in Petaling Jaya. It's a time when some of the Chinese people in Malaysia (I'm not sure if it's practised in China or not, and I'm not quite sure if this is a Buddhist ritual or what) invite spirits (most of which are their ancestors I think) out of hell to please them so that the spirits don't haunt them here on earth. From what I saw they pretty much just burn a lot of stuff, like incense, fake money, big effigy statues, cars, houses..etc (all made out of paper of course) to 'please' the spirits so they'll be friendly spirits, and not haunting spirits. They also have half dressed women singing like britney spears to 'please' the spirits, and of course the men too. We (Judith's sister, Marion and her bo Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=penang http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=penang I don't know what I'm really doin with this post, but I have some pictures of Penang to put up...so here they are. :) here's a couple shots from the 21-hour train ride from Malaysia to Bangkok. Ha...that's it.......:) Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=petronas http://ryanstewart.theworldrace.org/?filename=petronas This post is purely art shots of The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur... ...and one random one Sun, 9 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT