T.I.N.A. – This Is Not America
A brief explanation:
The phrase T.I.A., which is short for "This Is Africa," was made popular by the movie Blood Diamond (excellent movie about the diamond trade in Africa, if you can stomach the cursing and gore). It is said when a common sense, a well constructed plan, or something completely out of the ordinary from normal life occurs on the continent of Africa. We became quite accustomed to using this phrase during our summer in Kenya. However the phrase is insufficient in that it only makes sense in the continent of Africa. So, we have adapted the phrase to T.I.N.A., or "This Is Not America," to describe moments like the below. T.I.N.A. can be applied to frustrating circumstances, humorous happenings, and even meaningful moments, so long as it is not something that is typical of where you are, and not typical of America. Enjoy.
Part 1 :: Romanian Edition.
T.I.N.A. is…
… not having the information needed to make a “good” decision.
… getting yelled at in a language you cannot understand because you unknowingly took over someone else’s train
car.
… the Metric system (which mathematically speaking is "easier," unless of course you are trying to figure out how
much exactly is 240ml and how many days of contact solution that is).
… a 2L plastic bottle of beer being cheaper than water.
… chocolate that is way, WAY better!
… metered/throttled/pay-per-usage Internet (in other words, pure evil). What is the purpose of the World Wide Web
full of everything you ever wanted if you cannot access it all??? This makes posting blogs quite difficult.)
… the Hungarian edition of Settler of Catan, or should I say, "…" with no English and plastic pieces but just as much
fun!
… unattended trucks parked in the middle of the road, taking up the entire road so that no other car can pass.
… no power steering, no power brakes, no power windows, and no rear brakes on the 2002 Dacia truck with locks
on only half the doors and brakes on only half the wheels. Oh, and the brakes you do have don't really work!
… not having a plan for what “the Americans” are going to do, much less a purpose.
… not having the appropriate tools for the Americans to accomplish the task, or having the appropriate tools, but
they do not work.
… not knowing until the night before that you will be doing so you are preaching or singing or leading an entire
church service.
… not being asked to preach, but being told, “You are preaching tomorrow.”
T.I.N.A. is…
… where the Kingdom of God is advancing with the full force of the Holy Spirit, pushing back the gates of hell,
bringing healing and power, freedom and hope.
… where you start to hear to prompting of the Holy Spirit a little more clearly, and start to act on it, because you have
no other direction.
… where you learn that you are truly not in control. It’s one thing to say that you believe in God's sovereignty. It's
another thing to learn to trust His sovereignty.
T.I.N.A. is where I want to be.
Us at the bath house in Bucharest, Hungary – a great way to relax with our team!
Where we lived in Șistarovăț Arad, Romania – with the infamous truck.
View of Șistarovăț from the rear view mirror.
