At Home in the Midwest

Grace for Today

2012-02-13T10:53:00.000-08:00

With work the way it is, I'm grateful for the prayers for strength. God's giving me just enough grace to get through each day - luckily that's all I need. This song we sing in second grade Sunday school comes to mind: "There is no rock, there is no God like our God. No other name is worthy of all our praise. The Rock of Salvation that cannot be moved, He's proven himself to be faithful and true. There is no rock, there is no God like ours."

And this guy is pretty good about cheering me, up, too :)

10 Things You Should Know When Hiring An Attorney

2012-02-06T08:06:00.001-08:00

I’ve learned a few things working for an attorney that I would never have stumbled upon otherwise. These are very important tips, because attorneys think everyone knows them already.

Expect the attorney to move very, very slowly (from your perspective – from his the world is constantly spinning). Calendars get busy, and every client thinks his case is most important, when, in reality, there are other clients whose cases have equal amounts of drama and urgency as yours. This means:

1. You must call for updates on your case; he will not call you.

2. Do not expect updates on your case very often, even when you call.

3. Do not expect the attorney to return your phone call right away. Wait a few days before calling back.

4. Do not try to hire an attorney the day before your hearing. He will not be available.

5. You must call far in advance to get any sort of meeting scheduled or pleading filed.

Expect your case to cost way more than you expected. Attorneys cost a lot of money. They laugh at you if you mention that you want to keep the cost down or that you don’t think the amount on your bill is fair. Legal fees will stack up. This is one of those “life isn’t fair” things you just need to come to terms with. This means:

6. You will pay a retainer fee of a large chunk of money, from which the attorney will work at an hourly rate.

7. The hourly rate will be very high (more than $200).

8. Every kind of work done on your case will be billable. Expect to pay for letters, emails, phone calls (both incoming and outgoing) – even the ones to you, drafting of pleadings, travel time to court, etc. etc. etc.

9. You will need to replenish your retainer (if you don’t, you are very, very lucky – or your case was not very complicated at all).

10. The attorney does not actually make $200/hour, so don’t use that when arguing about your bill.

New Year, New Post

2012-01-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Been out of the blogosphere...life has changed quite a bit. Here's to a new year full of bright possibilities.

How to Write a New Years Letter

Every year on or around New Years I write myself a letter. Then I seal it up in an envelope, and write "Do not open til January 1, 20__" on the outside. What do I do with the old letters? I can't honestly remember. I don't think I know where any of them are, but I have places I could look. The purpose is reflection, evaluation, motivation for the year to come. There are five sections. If you follow this outline, you could write your own new years letter:
1. Description and evaluation of how you spent New Years. Tell what you did and with whom, then tell whether and why you liked/didn't like it.
2. Which hopes from last year came true? Which didn't? Which wildest wishes from last year came true? Which didn't? (you won't be able to do this section if this is your first year writing yourself a letter).
3. What are the 2-3 biggest changes you went through?
4. What are your hopes for 20__?
5. What are two wildest wishes for 20__? (If you could have anything, what would it be?)

Books of 2011

I only read 28 books this year, but I've learned not to beat myself up for not reaching my goal. In 2010 I read 76, and in 2009 I read 122. That's only counting the books I read all the way through (I think it's cheating to count halves or excerpts). I've put an asterisk by re-reads.
*Girls In Pants by Ann Brashares
*Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
*Harry Potter 4 by J. K. Rowling
*Harry Potter 5 by J. K. Rowling
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Linnet Bird by Linda HOleman
The Sweetness of the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
*Harry Potter 6 by J. K. Rowling
*Harry Potter 7 by J. K. Rowling
William and Kate, A Royal Love Story by The Sun
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
*Hebrews
The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope J. Stokes
*James
Horoscopes for the Dead by Billy Collins
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Without Remorse by Tom Clancy
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
*Song of Solomon
Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Litigators by John Grisham

James 4

2011-11-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves to the Lord, and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Halloween!

2011-10-29T20:24:00.001-07:00

I've never really done a lot to celebrate this holiday, but this year was a little different. A week or so ago I spent an evening with Gary and Sue, drinking "Witches Brew" (mulled wine from Leelenau Cellars, my favorite winery) and watching Arsenic and Old Lace, which we didn't remember was a Halloween movie until the beginning.

Last night I threw a costume party with my Bible study leader:

My pirate outfit and Tara's Beauty (her boyfriend came as Beast).

The back of my shirt. It's based on a lyric from Francois and my song, which you can listen to here.

Bonfire! No cops showed up this time (unless you count Dave, whose costume was a police officer - complete with a box of donuts).

Everyone was surprised by how many and how fluffy our cats were. This is Poppy.

Getting into character: Sarah, the hula girl, pleading with Cop Dave to let her out of the handcuffs...

Stevie, a character from That 70s Show, smoking "weed," and Darcy, his goth girlfriend (who won the costume contest) stabbing him.

Pumpkin carving contest - Tyler, a clown mechanic (?), managed to make this photo a classic.

Keith, mostly de-costumed, came as Captain Jack Sparrow. He enjoyed the pumpkin carving a little too much.

All the pumpkins together.

Shipment of Books

2011-10-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

Several of you asked if you could buy copies of Watermelon Seeds and Wortels from me directly, and I said I would re-post again when I got them in. Well, I ordered them yesterday, so they will be in within a week. Let me know how you want to pick up your copy! Remember you can always get a copy online at https://www.lulu.com/commerce/index.php?fBuyContent=11040334.

Adventures In Adulthood

2011-10-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Every year on my birthday I write a letter to myself, after I open the one from the year before. Usually it includes a summary of important events to remember from the year, things I'm proud of, things I'm not proud of, hopes for the future, and predictions for the coming year. The predictions are always wrong.

The letter I wrote this year included a lot of speculation about why 22 feels so different, and I came to the conclusion that life has changed dramatically in the last year. I'm not a college student anymore, I moved halfway around the world (and back), I have a full-time job and no homework to come home to. I'm apartment hunting, car shopping, and making decisions about savings accounts, life insurance, mutual funds, and investments. Weird? Yeah. I'll say.

Meanwhile my other half lives an ocean and a world away.

My letter had a lot more hopes in it than predictions this year. Who knows what this year will bring?

Notre Dame v Air Force

2011-10-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

Go Irish, Beat Purdue!

2011-10-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

A Win, In Spite of A Loss

2011-09-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Because any day with Grandma and Grandpa is a win :) They took me and Will to the Central Michigan v Michigan State game today at East Lansing. Central lost, big time - when we left it was 44 to 7. But we had a great time!

Bright and Shiny

2011-09-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

Those words describe my car's new exhaust system and yesterday's football game. With my first paycheck I was able to have a mechanic see to my car's most pressing need, the rusty, dangling catalytic converter and exhaust pipes and muffler. Now there is a bright, shiny tailpipe peeking out the back, the only evidence of the new, quiet purr instead of the old, loud roar.

Additionally, things are looking up for Notre Dame: we beat MSU yesterday! Turnovers are definitely still a problem, but at least they are a problem for Michigan State, too. Hopefully they are still a problem for the Spartans next week when we go up for the Central Michigan v MSU game in Lansing.

Uh, Oh...

2011-09-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

This football season is not getting off to a good start. The Irish lost again yesterday in another fiasco of a game, and if you look at the sidebar to the right entitled "Our Personal Football Season" you will find that so far my teams have only won two of seven games. Here's hoping we can get some good practices in this week...

[a title about ireland]

2011-09-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like watching guys in skirts throw telephone poles? We did yesterday, so we headed down to the Michiana Celtic Festival. Along with Irish food and Irish beer, Irish music and Irish dancing, tons of people dressed in kilts, and the sound of bagpipes, we got to see Highland games! We threw a tomahawk (poorly), watched border collie goat/duck herding, visited some Clydesdales, and walked through the vendor tents. The weather was perfect, a real fall day with cool breeze and warm sun, and we spent some quality time with Gary and Sue from church, who I'm thinking of adopting as an extra set of parents because they are so awesome.

Disappointed

2011-09-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

The Notre Dame opener today was torture to watch. After an opening drive of three great plays where we gained a lot of yardage, we fumbled on the last play and the other team ran it back for a 96-yard touchdown. It was downhill from there, with fumbles and interceptions and all kinds of mistakes. I was thoroughly disappointed in my team today, especially after looking forward to this local holiday for weeks and weeks. I didn't think they could play this badly even if they tried.

If I were Brian Kelly, I would take receiver Theo Riddick out and not let him play for the next few games until he learned to catch the ball properly. We can't have a starting receiver who can't catch. Additionally, every single one of my slot backs and wide receivers, and generally any other offensive player who might have a chance of holding the ball during a game, would be required to carry a football with him everywhere for the next week. They all need to practice not dropping the football. I don't care where they are -- in class, on a date, in the shower -- they have to hold it and not let go. Maybe then they'd be able to hang onto the ball during a game.

Two delays of game for weather conditions just made the torture longer, and frankly, I don't think my team deserved to win today. Skip Holtz's defense blocked well and played a decent game, and they had a good win. The Irish are very nearly disgraced until next week, when they might be able to redeem themselves because Michigan is also terrible. I hope they beat those skunk weasels.

One happy moment: making a Notre Dame t-shirt for my kitten, Dr. Tiny Cat :)

Some Updates....

2011-08-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

1) I got a job! I'm working full time as the administrative assistant at the Law Office of Christine Majewski and Summers Insurance, both companies in the same building. We are undergoing construction right now, so things are crazy, but I love the job and can't wait to see how the companies change and grow. I'm very, very busy all day long. It's great!

2) My love is on a mission trip right now in the slums for five days. Pray for him and his team.

3) My brother is back at school, and the house is so empty without him. Can't wait for him to come home so we can see some football games.

4) Opening day for Notre Dame's football season is Saturday! Go Irish! If you're not watching the game, you better have a good excuse...

The Movie Priest Deserves A LOT More Credit (Warnings: Spoilers ahead; this post is rated PG-13)

2011-08-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

There are many things Priest is not:
• I don’t “read” this “text” as a dystopia; that doesn’t seem to be the point, although blogger Jeffery Nicholas would disagree. While it’s true that there are dystopian elements, and it certainly can be looked at from that point of view (“Priest – Movie Review Part 1”), that isn’t the movie’s main idea.
• Nor does Priest purposely call out the Catholic church’s sexual abuse scandals (“Priest Movie Review Part 2”), with monsignors, rosaries, characters crossing themselves, confession via Star Trek-like video conferencing, penance in the form of Hail Marys and Our Fathers, and the Eucharist, although I’m more willing to give him that than the other.
• IMDB’s brief summary of the movie, “A priest disobeys church law to track down the vampires who kidnapped his niece” (“Priest (2011)”) is accurate, but I don’t think it comes any closer to giving potential viewers an idea of this movie’s theme, either.
Priest is about something deeper. Many people are likely to agree with Nicholas, who says Priest “seems torn between being an action movie with little concern for plot thread or motive and being a thinking person’s movie that looks at motives and power struggles” (“Priest Movie Review Part 2”). Many Christians are likely to disagree with my suggestion that Priest’s theme is a true, classically-Christian conviction. However, examination of the movie as a literary text reveals this message: the Church cares more about its own appearance than the truth, and although such loyalty requires sacrifice, one will triumph whose allegiance is to God alone, not the organization "church."

If you haven’t seen the movie, here is a brief plot summary for Priest (2011, PG-13) before I get going: Long ago, the cities were attacked by vampires, so the Church (the only government/religious organization) trained warriors to eradicate the vamps and put them on reservations. Now the wars are over and the priests have been forced into retirement. Hicks, a sheriff for a wasteland town outside the city, informs Priest that Priest’s brother and sister-in-law have been killed by vampires and their daughter, Lucy, kidnapped by the same vamps. Hicks invites Priest on a quest to go after Black Hat, the leader of the vamp pack, and rescue Lucy. Along the way they are joined by Priestess, who helps them to victory in the end.

The Church Cares More About Its Own Appearance Than the Truth

The Church in the movie ignores the truth. They force the priests into retirement after the vampire wars are over, ignoring their need for help reentering society; as a result, priests are ostracized. Additionally the Church ignores the fact that Priest is having nightmares about the time when he fought in the vampire wars. Instead of ministering to him, they ignore the truth, tell him that it is the devil influencing him, and a hard day’s work will cure it, along with three Hail Marys and four Our Fathers. The viewer later discovers that Priestess also has these nightmares and has been ignored.

Priest also tries to get the Church to listen to him about the vampire attacks. They say his family is in their prayers, but offer nothing else by way of help (this brings to mind James 2:15-16, Matthew 25:35-36, and 1 John 3:17). He asks for his authority to kill vampires to be reinstated. The Church’s monsignors say there are no vampires outside of the reservations, that Hicks was mistaken, and that the people in the wastelands are just immoral people, therefore there is no need to reinstate his authority. When one monsignor starts to argue with the others, they tell him to sit down and be quiet. Throughout it all, the monsignors, representatives of the Church, ignore the truth, in favor of preserving the safety of their public image.

One of the Church’s monsignors has a meeting with Priest and listens to him say, “They won’t even listen to me,” to which he responds, “You can’t break your covenant to hunt down a small group of scavengers; it would be sacrilege. You risk stirring things up again” (Priest). This is yet another instance of the Church, even a more sympathetic image of the Church, trying to preserve their appearance instead of fighting for the truth. The monsignor tells him, “If you go against the Church, you go against God,” and Priest's response is, “Then I go against God.” Then he breaks the rosary he has been clutching (Priest). Because the movie makes it obvious that Priest does anything go against God, the rosary is meant to be a symbol of the Church’s idea of God; Priest goes against the Church’s idea of truth. And as Priest makes his escape from the security officers who try to arrest him for rebeling against the Church, the monsignor says, “God help us” – because clearly the Church can’t do the helping(Priest). Still later, the Church calls four ex-priests into service again to hunt down the one anarchist Priest, using their resources to carefully preserve their lie and their image.

The cities are full of Church propaganda, showing that they care more about appearance than truth. There are loud speakers proclaiming, “God protects you; the Church protects you; the city protects you; absolution is the only way” (Priest). The Church is teaching that God, the Church, and the city are all the same thing, while the movie works very hard to deny that. There are posters that say “Faith Work Security” (Priest). The Church says that the people inside the city’s walls have absolute faith in the ability of the church to keep them safe and that “questioning the Church’s authority is absolutely forbidden” (Priest).

Three priests sent by the Church go to find Priest in Jericho, the origin of the train that will take the vampires to the city, and meet Black Hat and his vampire army.
• Sidenote: the symbolism of a city named Jericho being the place where the vampires’ journey originates is significant: “Jericho” in Hebrew is Yәriḥo, a word thought to derive from the Canaanite word Yareah, which means “moon” (“Jericho”). Interesting choice for the origin of an army of creatures of darkness, don’t you think? The symbolism of the moon continues when Black Hat tells Lucy he is “the bringer of the tide” (Priest).
The first priest shows off when he meets Black. Again the priest (who represents the Church) is all about appearances, because even after his fancy karate moves, he ends up getting his heart ripped out (literally) by Black Hat. The priest’s show isn’t worth anything because he doesn’t have the truth; he doesn’t have God’s power on his side.

There are many more instances of the Church caring more about its public image than the truth. A con artist peddles holy water, claiming that it is authenticated by the Church and will keep away vampires (another lie, endorsed). Hicks says that the clergy think of the people who live in the wasteland as a bunch of godless heathens, and they stay away – it might harm their public image.

“The movie makes a sharp distinction between God and the Church” (PluggedIn Online). At one point Priest says, “There is no sun in the cities, not anymore” (Priest). There is no light where the Church is; there is no God in the cities, although they claim that is the only place he exists.

Throughout the whole movie it is clear that the Church has a completely different agenda than spreading God's truth, and that the two are separate ideas.

And Although Such Loyalty Requires Sacrifice

It is evident that absolute loyalty to God means that the loyal follower will have to sacrifice parts of his life for the cause. For example, Black Hat, a former priest who has had to make sacrifices, finds self-sacrifice repulsive; he explains to Lucy that he wants “to be free from a life of suffering and sacrifice, to no longer be told that [his] every desire is a sin” (Priest). He says, “Join me and your life of sacrifice will be over” (Priest). In contrast, Priest finds sacrifice necessary, and not quite as bad as the alternative: allegiance to darkness.

The viewer is led to believe Priest has had to sacrifice more than others who become priests because he was not a virgin when he committed to serving the Church. It is not until later in the movie that the viewer finds out the real reason that Priest’s sacrifice is greater. He gave up Lucy, his daughter, to join the Church’s (and at first, God’s) cause, giving his only child to his brother to raise.

There are other instances of this Scriptural idea of denying the self and taking up one’s own cross (Mark 8:34-35). Priestess has fallen in love with Priest, but she prays for her salvation instead of giving in, sacrificing her own desires for God’s. Later, Hicks says to Priest, “I know the look a man gets when he likes killing. It comes easy to you,” and Priest answers, “I just comes; easy’s got nothing to do with it,” indicating that killing is difficult for him, but he sacrifices what he wants for God’s assignment. Priest quotes Psalm 23 at one point, saying, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me” (Priest). He is sacrificing by being in the midst of such evil, but he trusts in God and sacrifices anyway.

Clearly the movie presents that idea that it is good to sacrifice of one's self.

Allegiance To God Alone Means Triumph

There are many aspects of the plot that demonstrate allegiance to God and the subsequent triumph. Priests who are loyal to the church’s misguided orders end up dead. Priestess, on the other hand, forsakes her vows to the Church and joins forces with Priest. Together, they are successful in defeating evil. Here are some more:

Black Hat says, “You can’t win. I’m stronger now than you ever were,” which is revealed to be true in the action sequence following his words (Priest). Black Hat is stronger. But that only happens to show that Priest is incapable of triumph unless he has God. When Priest has nearly been defeated and has been stabbed in the shoulder, pinning him to the wall of the train car, he looks at a cross that Priestess gave him and finds a little more belief in God, a little more faith. Then he is able to pull the knife out of his shoulder and go and hunt down Black Hat once and for all. His cross becomes a knife that he throws at Black Hat, showing that his extraordinary powers come from God, allowing him to beat the vamps.

“Priest never forsakes the Almighty” (PluggedIn Online). He has self-control and stays true to God even when Priestess admits that she had to ask forgiveness for the feelings she still has for him after all these years and they share a romantic moment.

Both Priest and Priestess bow their heads in silent prayer before meeting their foes, throughout the entire movie. Priest prays, “Dear Father, forgive me. I would like to firmly resolve to sin no more…but I can’t” (Priest). Priestess prays, “In this time of need, strengthen me. You are my refuge and strength. I do not fear for You are with me” (Priest). Her power to succeed in blowing up the train comes from God.

It is only after Hicks goes through a “salvation” process that he triumphs over evil. Before Hicks’s transformation, someone says that “Lucy is in God’s hands now” because she has been captured by Black Hat; Hicks says, “Problem is, we both know outside of a week Lucy’ll be dead,” demonstrating his lack of belief in God’s power (Priest). Priest intends to kill Lucy if she has been infected by the vampires, and Hicks, who is in love with her, worries. Priestess says that Hicks won’t be able to stop Priest from killing Lucy (even a law man cannot stop God’s power), but Hicks refuses to accept this and confronts Priest, beginning his salvation process. Priest tells Hicks that he won’t be able to stop the train or save Lucy without Priest’s help. Unless Hicks has Priest (and therefore God’s power) on his side, he won’t be victorious. Then Priest says, “We ride out and meet this together” (Priest). This sounds to me an awful lot like “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV). Hicks chooses to believe, going along with Priest and Priestess to stop the train, and his salvation process is confirmed by Priest telling him, “You would have made a good priest” (Priest). Later, after the train is blown up and Priest has saved Lucy, Hicks rides up and discovers her alive, and Priest nods to Hicks, affirming that she is not infected and that he can be with her. Hicks is saved by God’s power alone, the only thing that could save Lucy, too, and he is victorious.

While it is certainly not always true that the Church cares more about its own appearance than the truth, it is pretty insightful for one of the world’s movies to point out that indeed, sometimes Church is about what it looks like on the outside, rather than ministering to hurting people on the inside. One Christian movie review said, “Priest is about as spiritual as a visit to Devil’s Tower or a plate of angel food cake…superficial faith trappings are all in the service of amped-up action. This isn’t…a film that’s intended to provoke deep thoughts” (PluggedIn Online). However, the movie’s message is that it is by God’s power that loyal followers are able to triumph over evil; isn’t that 1) a deep thought, and 2) an idea that most Christians ascribe to? This is still a B (or C) action movie. Certainly if violence doesn’t appeal to you and vampires (and bad acting, save for Karl Urban (Star Trek)) scare you, don’t see Priest. Before anyone writes it off, though, he or she should consider that if we Christians started ministering to the world instead of telling it that its problems are because of the devil and it should just say some prayers, then maybe God’s power would do the rest.

This movie presents a deep Christian truth that a very anti-Christian world somehow managed to present to itself.

Works Cited

“Jericho.” Wikipedia. 16 August 2011. Web. 24 August 2011.

Nicholas, Jeffery. “Priest – Movie Review Part 1.” Nicholas Musings. 16 May 2011. Web. 24 August 2011.

Nicholas, Jeffery. “Priest Movie Review Part 2.” Nicholas Musings. 17 May 2011. Web. 24 August 2011.

PluggedIn Online. “Priest.” Focus On The Family. 2011. Web. 24 August 2011.

Priest. Dir. Scott Charles Stewart. Perf. Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, and Karl Urban. Buckaroo Entertainment. 2011. DVD

“Priest (2011).” Internet Movie Database. 2011. Web. 24 August 2011.

African Cookbook: It's Here!

2011-08-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Watermelon Seeds and Wortels: Traditional South African Food (ISBN 978-1-257-96404-8, $12.99, 6x9 paperback, 40 pages) has been published. The book is available for purchase at lulu.com and other online sellers. With a foreward by Tracy Burchett, this cookbook gives you recipes and directions for easy, delicious South African dishes that you can make with ingredients available here in the States. Written by an American who spent five months in South Africa sampling lekker cuisine, Watermelon Seeds and Wortels: Traditional South African Food will broaden your culinary horizons and expose you to new flavors and languages. Includes glossary with definitions and pronunciation. All measurements have been converted from the metric for ease.

Are You Ready for Some...

2011-08-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Dad and I went to our first football game of the season last night, and it was awesome: Mishawaka v Portage. I got to hang out with my dad, learned about typical offensive and defensive formations for plays, and got to watch some pretty good high school players. Um, can I just say?: I LOVE FOOTBALL! It's the only reason I'm happy about fall peeking its head out. Well, that and cider and donuts (thank you, Michigan).

Conserveral

2011-08-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

Conservatives and liberals are two groups that I don't fit into. I'm a firstborn, so my tendency is to convince everyone that my opinion is right, and I have lots of reasons to back it up, but no one ever agrees because I don't fit into either group. I'm convinced that Jesus would have been a conserveral. Maybe I'm wrong, because I'm sure conservative Christians would say that he would have been conservative, and liberal Christians would say that he would have been liberal. I think conservatives are wrong about some things, and I think that liberals are wrong about some things. I think I'm wrong about some things, too. "Conservative" and "liberal" are just descriptors of a general point of view here; they are not intended to be dirty words.

TUBING!

2011-08-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Today we went tubing down the Chip River with Grandpa and Grandma's nephew Gerald and his wife Lydia. It was a lot of fun. Gerald and Lydia kayaked while Will and I floated in old tubes from truck tires that Grandpa got at the tire shop in town. Grandpa floated in a huge 54 inch pull-behind tube and used a paddle to navigate. We even got in a few class one rapids. What a great day!

The Steel Wheels Finale in Goshen

2011-08-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Last night, the Steel Wheels rode into Goshen from Valporaiso to finish their bike tour. Kristen, her mom, our friend Kelly, her mom, and I drove down to meet my parents and go to the concert. The mandolin player's dad hosted the concert in his backyard. It was really personal. All the audience members brought potluck food, and we brought three different kinds of ciders so we could do a sampling (Woodchuck Summer, Ace Pear, and Fox Blackberry Pear). There was an opening band and Dad and I waltzed, and then the main event started. They played a couple of new songs, including one that Jay wrote for his one-year-old daughter, called "Nola's First Dance." We got to hear the fiddle player play his resonator guitar (he didn't take it on the bike tour, but someone brought it for him to play the last night). One of their roadies played a song on the guitar, and my old fiddle teacher Sean played the ukelele with the band on "Big Rock Candy Mountain," which they had never played together before. It was a perfect night, a little cold, but a perfect beginning for fall.

Congratulations and Best Wishes

2011-08-13T20:24:00.001-07:00

It is traditional (as per Emily Post's standards) at a wedding to wish the groom congratulations and the bride best wishes. I say both to Virginia and Jason, whose wedding was tonight. My friend Ben was running sound for the ceremony, so we got to catch up for a good hour while the wedding party posed for pictures afterward. I haven't seen him in so long!

I also got to see my friend Summer, who I didn't realize I missed so much until we went this morning to get her hair done (she was a bridesmaid) and I got to hear all about her trip across America this summer. Now she and Kristen are both trying to get me to do it, too :)

This morning after the hair appointment we went to the Isabella County Animal Shelter so Summer could check in. I met this beautiful, sweet, friendly, one-eyed cat.

New Mt. Pleasant Style

2011-08-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Kristen and I are in Mt. Pleasant for a wedding this weekend. Here's the first thing we saw when we stopped at Meijer, newly returned to our old stomping grounds:

On the plus side we went to The Cabin and got to see Dan LeFevour play football for the Bengals in a preseason game. That was really a blast from the past, welcome back to your old college town, because DL was the QB when we went to Central.

The Livery, The Foundry, and the Steel Wheels

2011-08-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

The night after Bell's, Mom and I went to The Livery in Benton Harbor to hear the Steel Wheels play again. Kristen met us there with two of her friends from her bicycle trip across America. It was fun to hear them talk to the musicians who are currently in the middle of a bike tour.

Then the next night Dad took me and Will to South Haven to see them again at The Foundry. I love this band.

Bell's Brewery and the Steel Wheels

2011-08-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Mom and I drove to Kalamazoo with two of her friends to go see the Steel Wheels play. They are doing their annual bike tour in southern Michigan, and we got to see them at Bell's Brewery last night. As ever, they are so good. This band normally performs in Virginia, so we rarely get to see them. Americana and bluegrass music is their specialty, and they have won several awards. You should definitely listen to some of the music on their web site.

Dog Days of Summer

2011-08-05T19:40:00.003-07:00

Tonight was awesome. We went downtown to listen to The Bergamot, and it turned out the city was having a special event: "Dog Days of Summer." Everyone brought their dogs out to walk in the city, and the restaurants were having specials. We rode in a horse-drawn wagon with a basset hound, and this little boy said, "Excuse me, can I pet your hound dog?" Soooo adorable. And we met up with some of Mom's friends and had drinks and went and saw another live band. We saw bassets and poodles and chihuahuas and boxers and Westies and retrievers and pugs and everything in between. I love my town. Makes me think of a country song...

"These are my people. This is where I come from. We're giving this life everything we got, and then some. It ain't always pretty, but it's real. It's the way we were made; wouldn't have it any other way. These are my people." -Rodney Atkins

County Fair

2011-08-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight Mom and Will and I went to the fair. We listen to country music a lot, and this is what it's all about: cowboy boots, big trucks, and farm animals. It was a blast :)

I Miss This Guy...

2011-08-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Bear

2011-08-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

About two months ago, some horrible people dropped some three-week-old kittens at the end of our driveway, not caring if they lived or died. Since then, these kittens have been living in our downstairs bathroom, causing trouble and charming us into submission :) Today, we found Bear a new home.

The Air-Conditioned Vacation (Part Two)

2011-07-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up late and lazed around the hotel room for awhile. When we finally got our act together, we went to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. It's geared toward kids, but there were a lot of cool things. There was a tornado machine with a description of how tornadoes are formed and how the machine was able to demonstrate it. There were other machines, too; one about waves, one about earthquakes, one about currents under water, one about sand dunes...it was totally awesome. We also saw a bunch of historical exhibits about workers in the early 1900s and life in the early days of Kalamazoo. We learned that the Stryker table was invented in Kalamazoo. We also saw a mummy (and a cat mummy!), got to work in a factory line, budget our salary, walk a floor with a printed map of Kalamazoo, learn dance steps from the marks on the floor, be the cameraman for a news room, and so much more. Afterwards, we went rock climbing :) That was my favorite part of the whole vacation.

The Air-Conditioned Vacation (Part One)

2011-07-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

For Mom's birthday we decided to go camping. Then a never-ending heat wave descended upon the country, and we decided to take it somewhere with air conditioning. So we are in Kalamazoo for an overnight. We went to beautiful old Victorian house that we almost stayed in (the Stuart Avenue Inn) but their air conditioning was broken, so we skipped that idea and picked a hotel. Then we went to an Indian restaurant tonight (where we, being the nerds that we are, spent ten minutes unfolding and refolding our cloth napkins until we learned how to fold them ourselves...check out this video, and learn how to do it yourself!) and then to see live blues music at the 411 Club. It wasn't super awesome, but it wasn't terrible. And it was fun to see the one-handed guy play trumpet left-handed and the 14-year-old boy play electric guitar. Then we went swimming, and we are excited to finish off the mini-vacation tomorrow. We'll get home just in time to see Kristen for a bit before she goes to Chicago.

Best Local Vocal Talent

2011-07-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

The Bergamot is our new favorite local band. It is a duo; the guy sings backup and plays guitar and the girl sings lead and rocks the socks off the audience before the first song is over. They do mostly originals, and their sound is poppy and bluesy and retro all at the same time. They're like a cross between Colbie Caillat and Ella Fitzgerald. It's really interesting, and while some of their songs could use a few more lyrics (they are what Grandpa likes to call 7-11 songs), the vocals can't be beat. We've seen them at the Union Coffee House in Buchanon twice, and plan on seeing them again in a week when they are at Fiddlers Hearth in downtown South Bend. I highly suggest you check out their tour schedule on their website (link at the beginning of this post) and try to catch them at a venue near you. It will be worth every penny of gas money. The word is you can even catch them in Chicago sometimes. Wondering about the origin of their band name? Check this out.

First Footlong

2011-07-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

I ate at the Paris Soda Shop in Niles with my friend Tara the other day...had my first footlong hot dog. I had never been in there before, and it was really cute! The place was decorated all 1940s, with old rusty signs and those cute metal lunch boxes (they serve their sandwiches in those lunchboxes). The proprietor was really sweet, and the ice cream was delicious. I highly recommend the place to anyone looking for a filling, homemade lunch or a quiet, retro atmosphere.

The Blue Bottle Club

2011-07-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

This novel by Penelope J. Stokes was way better than I expected. Mom recommended it to me, and checked it out for me from the library. It's been sitting on my bedroom floor, along with stacks of other books I've been meaning to read, and because I finished most of the other library books I have (I tend to focus on library books first because I have to return them in a timely manner), I picked it up at about 6:30 this evening when we got home from the beach. It is now 11:30, and I just put it down. Finished. For five hours this book held my attention; it didn't waver.

The story is about four women who make a pact with each other when they are teenagers. They vow to fulfill their dreams, and they write everything down on paper and seal their dreams in a bottle that remains forgotten in an attic for sixty-five years until the house is razed. Then a journalist discovers the bottle and hunts down each of the four women's stories.

None of the women fulfilled their dreams in the ways in which they imagined they would; however, each one realized other dreams that, accompanied by faith in God and trust in His path, were equal to or greater than the dreams they thought of for themselves when they were young.

The back flap of the book boasts of the author's accomplishments, saying, "Penelope J. Stokes is the author of fourteen books of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry...she has also edited more than 150 titles. With a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature, Ms. Stokes served as a college professor for twelve years before leaving the classroom to pursue her writing career." In some small way, the author's bio blip hints of some of her own dreams turning out in a different way than she imagined, which only serves to give life to the otherwise fictional account of these four women's lives. In some ways, it gives me hope; maybe someday I'll read this blog and it will be my own blue bottle time capsule, and I'll realize that my dreams came true in unexpected ways.

Kid Stuff

2011-07-10T18:23:00.001-07:00

I've been baking cookies with my grandma since I was a very tiny little girl. Tonight, Grandma requested Kristen's chocolate cookies, so I found the recipe on my computer and stirred them up for Grandma. You can make them, too, if you want:

Kristen's Chocolate Cookies:
1 c. butter
1 ½ c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
2/3 c. cocoa
½ t. salt
¾ t. baking soda (can substitute 2 t. baking powder)
2 c. Andes mint bits
350F for 8-10 mins

Kristen's job this summer is babysitting seven kids. Their ideas to keep from being bored are genius. They made a journal at the beginning of the summer called "The Not Bummer Summer" and outlined a theme for every single week of the whole summer. Each theme has activities that go along with it. Here are some of their ideas, if you have kids you want to repeat them with:

Splash Bash: have water balloon fights, have squirt gun fights, go to the beach, learn about water.

Book Week: dress up like your favorite book characters, read aloud to each other, visit the library, make bookmarks.

Harry Potter Week: read the books, watch the movies, drink tea together, dress up like the characters.

Animal Week: learn how to take care of your pets, visit the zoo, make dog treats or catnip mice.

Bike Week: learn how to give your bikes a tune-up (check tire pressure, oil the chain, etc.), go on a bike ride.

Help the Homeless Week: make lunches to donate to the homeless shelter, spend a night outside in shelters that you make out of cardboard boxes.

Food Week: have different theme days where you make special foods (Vegetable Day, Dessert Day, Fruit Day, etc.), have a party in the basement on Dessert Night where you dress up all fancy and dance and eat all the delicious things you made (you can use the fancy lights on Windows Media Player for your disco lights).

All About Week: each day a different kid teaches the others all about something they are interested in (e.g. Safety Day, South America Day, etc.).

Arts and Crafts Week: ....you get the idea....

Not So Lame...

2011-07-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

My friend Kristen is here sitting next to me and she just read my last post and says, "You're not so lame."

Here are some of the not so lame things I've been up to lately--

Visiting my cousin Tabitha at her summer music internship.

She is a very short driving distance away compared to normal, and I've gotten to see her sing opera twice in two weeks. We even went to ice cream at this adorable little place:

Also, I've been present at some great photo ops for Will lately...this one was taken when we went to see fireworks the second time:

And this one was taken at Chick*fil*a on one of the trips to see my cousin:

Here are some of the fireworks pictures I took (I found the fireworks setting on my camera!):

And now I'm in Mt. Pleasant, visiting some friends from college and my grandparents, and going to a bridal shower on Sunday. It will be so good :)

Post Grad

2011-07-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

The movie Post Grad is about a girl who gets good grades in high school and gets a nice scholarship and goes to college and majors in English because she wants to be an editor and graduates and then doesn't get a job so she moves back in with her parents and has to figure her life out...oh, yeah, and she ends up moving very far away from home and falling in love...does this sound familiar? She even drives an ice cream truck in the end of the movie, and I just happened to apply for a job to drive an ice cream truck the other day. This movie must be based on my life.

The thing is, it's kinda sad but true. Ryden, the main character, says, "This whole post graduation thing is not really turning out the way I planned. I mean, I just thought I'd be doing something amazing by now. Or at least doing something."

And here I am applying for secretary positions and ice cream truck driver positions, instead of going into my field. I am crashing in my parents' extra bedroom...it's not even my room anymore. And I think the way I learned to deal with hard things while I was in Africa was to ignore them. Normally I am the kind of person who confronts things head on, but lately all I do is pretend the problem doesn't exist and hope it will go away. Retreat into books, since I have all this extra time (I'm sooooo lame). There are lots of things that I CAN do. I am capable of lots of things. But there is nothing that I WANT to do. So I stay up late and sleep late in the mornings, and let Mom and Dad foot the bill. Sometimes, I really disgust myself.

Ryden's story works out...moving far away and falling in love is the right thing for her. She even has a great soundtrack in the background to help her. But my big far away move didn't work out so well. Life isn't a fairytale chick flick.

Carmen

2011-05-24T01:50:00.000-07:00

My good friend Carmen works as the Children's Programme Coordinator at BEAM, and she is the perfect person to fill the position because of her love for children, her dedication to Christ, and her hardworking attitude. However, BEAM doesn't have any sponsors for her salary right now. Please consider continuing your support by sending your monthly gifts for Carmen instead of for me.

Carmen loves the 145 children who come to the centre for a meal as though they were her own. She knows them all by name and always has a laugh and a smile to share with them. I've watched her helping the kids write letters to their sponsors, playing games with them, and relating to them in their own language because she's taken the time to learn it. She is passionate about her work because she knows that God brought her here, six hours away from her home in Natal, to make a difference in the lives of these kids.

When you send your support to BEAM every month for Carmen, you will know you are helping bring love and the light of Christ to the people of Nellmapius. Your gifts will be put to good use because there is no one as hardworking or dedicated as Carmen. She arrives at the centre before everyone else to unlock and start getting the kitchen ready for the day. She leaves the centre after everyone else because she is busy cleaning up the kitchen and seeing that everything is locked down tight for the night. In between, she never sits down and always has a job that she is busy with.

Thank you for praying about your gift to Carmen. God can't wait to use your help to make a difference in the lives of these people.

If you haven't been given the chance to support BEAM in the past but would like to sponsor Carmen, please make your checks payable to BEAM Africa USA Ministries. BEAM is a 501c3 organization, so make sure to include a note directing the funds to Carmen (if you include her name anywhere on the check it will not be tax deductible). The address is:

BEAM Africa USA Ministries

PMB 138

3520 Okemos Rd. Ste. 6

Okemos, MI 48864-5943

Please visit BEAM's website for more information (their U.S. donation page can be found here). You can also like BEAM's Facebook page or follow BEAM on Twitter.

Coming Home

2011-05-23T01:05:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I am really grateful for your support, and for all that I've learned and been able to do here. I have worked hard to update BEAM's website, and have established their Facebook and Twitter presence. I have automated the electronic newsletter, and served the children and others at the center. These are things BEAM has wanted to do for a long time, and I am so happy I could help out in these ways.

Despite a good semester together, with a lot of good work accomplished, I have decided to come home. It's been a really difficult decision, but I have come to the conclusion that I am not the best person to fill this position long-term. I have the utmost respect for BEAM's wonderful staff and their good work, truly transforming the township of Nellmapius and doing it in the name of Christ.

I've grown as a person through this experience. I've learned how to encourage people better, and how to be more patient. I've also learned that God's plans are not always crystal clear.

You’re probably wondering about Francois. His parents have encouraged him to study in the States for several years, and he has decided to pursue that avenue at this time.

I look forward to all that God has in store for me next. I can contact you individually once I am home if you have any questions. If you'd still like to support BEAM, I encourage you to do so. It’s a wonderful ministry, and they will use all the help you can give them to bring Christ to their beneficiaries in practical, life-giving ways.

God's blessings,

Kate

Alex

2011-05-16T01:35:00.000-07:00

Alex is the cutest kid in the world. He is Louise’s son, and he’s about two and a half. I got to spend a lot of time with him on Saturday, and it was so special. He has the biggest smile, and he can be so cheeky sometimes. But I like that with his limited English and my limited Afrikaans we can play together. At one point I got up and he called, “Kom sit hier, Tannie Kate” (Come sit here, Aunt Kate) and I said, “Ek kom nou” (I’m coming). I can say, “Eine, my tone!” (ouch, my toes!) when he runs his truck over my toes and I can help him count his trucks (een, twee, drie, vier…). I asked, “Is dit vinnig?” (is it fast?) and he would say “Ja!” and I can tell him “Dit is baie soso” if his food is hot and he needs to blow on it. Things like, “Nee, is nie joune nie” (no, that’s not yours) and “Los!” (leave it!) and “Nag, Alex” (good night) and “Lekker slaap” (sleep well) and “soete droompies” (sweet dreams) and on and on. Someday maybe my Afrikaans will evolve beyond the two-year-old level, but for now, it will do when I need to babysit.

Coming Soon!

2011-05-11T03:48:00.000-07:00

My first book is in process! It’s a cookbook, full of recipes from this country’s rich culture. From desserts like milk tart to main dishes like German potato pancakes, each dish has been thoughtfully prepared for me and the recipe shared with me by my South African friends. Recipes from Africa: Traditional South African Food will include a story about my first encounter with the food and easy instructions for preparation. They will all be translated from whatever language they were given to me in, and all measurements will be converted from the metric. Stay tuned to hear more details, including the release date and price. Proceeds will help fund my two-year ministry here in South Africa. You can see a sample recipe here.

South African Recipe: Appel Koek

2011-05-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

Appel Koek (Apple Cake) serves 8-10

4/5 c. + ¼ c. margarine or butter
1 c. + ½ c. suiker (sugar)
½ t. salt
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs, beaten
2 c. self-rising flour*
4/5 c. milk + 1 c. milk
3 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
1 pint whipping cream

Boil apples until fork tender but not soft. Set aside. Cream together the butter and 1 c. sugar until smooth. Add salt and vanilla. Add the eggs to the mixture and stir. Sift flour. Add sifted flour and 4/5 c. milk to the mixture, and cream together until smooth. Pour half the batter in a 9x13 pan. Lay cooked apples on top of the batter, then pour the rest of the batter on top. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. While the koek (cake) bakes, boil together the remaining 1 c. milk, the remaining ½ c. sugar, and the ¼ c. butter. Take it off the stove and let it cool. When the apple koek (cake) comes out of the oven, prick little holes in it all over and pour the sauce on top. Beat whipping cream until stiff. Serve apple koek (cake) with unsweetened whipped cream.
*You can use the same amount of regular cake flour + 2 ½ t. extra baking powder instead.

Another Long Weekend

2011-05-04T04:38:00.000-07:00

We had Monday off, so that made for a three-day weekend. We watched movies (My Fair Lady, Pearl Harbor, Top Gun), read books (An Abundance of Katherines, The Princess, Fellowship of the Ring), and ate delicious food (mashed potatoes, chicken a la king, curried rice, milk tart, butternut soup). It was relaxing, but I was ready to come back to work.

Yesterday I got so much done! I think it was the most productive day I've had in the nearly four months that I've worked here. We put the entire newsletter together and sent it out. I worked on a Afrikaans translation project. I caught up on Facebook/Twitter/emails. And I still managed to wash dishes in the kitchen, finish Hero's planner, and some other tasks that I did while Erika was looking at the newsletter. That's so much work! I forgot what an American pace is like normally, but yesterday reminded me.

I miss you all. I'll try to get to the post office today to check for your letters and packages and to mail some back :)

Royal Wedding

2011-05-04T02:17:00.000-07:00

Today at work we hardly did anything. We brought a TV and an antenna, and we spent most of the day watching the BBC coverage. Erika said that after all the terrible things that have been happening in Libya and Japan and other countries, the world is ready for some happy news like a wedding. We watched all kinds of history about the royal couple, saw pictures of them from elementary and high school, watched Kate sing in her grade school concerts, heard about British traditions, etc. Did you know that it is tradition for the queen to award someone a new title when a royal couple gets married? Today Prince William got three new titles, including the Duke of Cambridge (which will make Kate the Duchess of Cambridge), the Earl of something, and the Baron of something else. They showed the different places where the members of the royal wedding party are getting ready, and the cars arriving to take them to Westminster Abbey. It was really, really fun :) Americans aren’t nearly as excited about the royal family as South Africans are.

I remember being a little girl when my mom was going through her Diana phase. We looked through books of photographs of her, and Mom even has a replica of her ring (that famous, famous ring). I always wished that I could have seen her wedding, after looking at pictures of it. And now I got to see my very own royal wedding. How fun <3

Easter

2011-04-28T04:42:00.000-07:00

It’s the end of the month, so our cell phone airtime and internet data bundles are running out. But there is enough left to post this update:
We just had a long Easter weekend. We got Good Friday off, as well as Easter Monday and the following Wednesday. Tuesday we only had to come in to work to feed the children, and then we went home again. Now we work Thursday and Friday and then have another long weekend because Monday is a holiday.

I tried some new foods over the weekend. Kartoffelpuffer (which, literally translated from the German, means “that potato crap”) is basically potato pancakes with applesauce on top. We made a ton of them, and now we are eating the leftovers. It is very cheap to make and very filling. You’ll find the recipe in my African cookbook (look for it coming soon!).

I went with Erika and Louise to get our hair done on Tuesday. It took three and a half hours! The end result is very dark brown hair with a black streak and a purple streak on the right side of my head. And I have bangs now (or a fringe, as they call it).

Francois got a lot of art and sketching done over the weekend, and he is making progress. Now he is working on animation stuff, creating his own comic strip and characters, etc. It’s fun watching him come up with all kinds of creative ideas.

My dog, Courage, was so lonely so we tried moving a second dog to live with me (they had four more in addition to Courage). We tried Moppy first, a fancy kind of poodle, and she’s pretty mellow. She’s the mom of the other three, so she’s older and more laid back. She did fine in the house…knew how to use the newspaper at night and everything. But every morning when I let the dogs out, she ran straight back to the house. So we sent her back and tried bringing Molly over (Hero’s dog). But Molly isn’t used to being in the house at night so she whined allllll night long. It got old really fast. So they decided that all the dogs must come live on my side of the fence. They spent all day moving the house and re-welding the roof so it would fit in its new place. And now all five dogs run free between all the houses, and I don’t have to worry about feeding them or letting them in the house or cleaning up after them or being kept awake by their whining. I think it’s a good solution.

Today we are back at the centre just for the end of the week. It was very cold this morning, probably close to freezing. I’m wearing leggings under my jeans, and I’m going to buy a space heater as soon as possible because the buildings aren’t heated in South Africa. The pavilion where we feed the kids was the hang out spot this morning because that side faces the sun. I have a feeling it will be the hang out spot all winter long.

Baby!

2011-04-14T05:22:00.003-07:00

Today I learned how to tie a baby onto my back :) This is Ma Mogale's four-month-old granddaughter, who I had the privilege of looking after this morning. Oh, and in the background in the winter coat is Sandra. People are starting to pull out the hats and mittens here.

You Guys Are Awesome

2011-04-12T00:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for the encouragement from yesterday. You guys are awesome. Things are looking up.

Today I am working on little things. I was in the kitchen this morning helping wash dishes and clean the towels. Now I'm working on our beautiful, handmade guest book, finishing the pages and getting it ready for when our THREE (count them: 3!) groups come this winter. God is going to bless us big time.

Please pray that the funds come in to finish the renovations in and around BEAM house. We really want to build the bachelor flats so that the groups can have the house to themselves.

Hero has started art lessons. He wants to go to college for either video game design or 3D animation, he's not sure which, but both programmes require a portfolio with the applications, so he's starting to get everything together. He's using my camera today to practice photography, and I got him a sketchbook and pencils for his birthday so he can draw. It's so cool to see him enjoying his new hobby.

Here's an interesting link to an article in Real Simple magazine that my friend Taylor wrote about in her blog post.

Need Some Light

2011-04-11T03:17:00.000-07:00

Some days here feel pretty bleak. I’m not used to having my life so controlled, and I’m not used to my opinion not counting a lick. I’m not used to being treated like a child (even when I was a child, my parents respected me and wanted my input). I’m not used to my efforts all being headed off no matter what it is I’m trying to do. It seems pretty helpless today.

I think all the blurred lines make it hard to get along. We see too much of each other. I’m working with my neighbours, who are also my boyfriend’s parents, who are also my landlords.

I'm trying my hardest to respect them and bend my headstrong self to their wishes and smooth things over and do my job and rely on God and be kind and help people and do what I was called to do. It's just hard some days.

Here are the words of Seether, a South African band:

"Call Your name every day, when I seem so helpless
I'm fallin' down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this doubt
I'll mend myself before it gets me."

Birthday and Menagerie

2011-04-08T03:05:00.000-07:00

Last night we went out for pizza for Hero’s birthday. It was really fun. We went to a place that has all-you-can-eat pizza, and basically just chowed down. It was good to spend time with all of the family together. Hero ate nine pieces of pizza! NINE! Of course, my brother eats a lot, too, so I shouldn’t be surprised. I ate five. The waiters just walk around with pizzas and hand out slices until they are gone, then they bring the next one. Huge pizzas, and huge slices. Yum! Pizza is probably, next to chocolate and mashed potatoes, the food I crave most here.

There are funny kinds of pizza in South Africa. I think the one I liked best was the one that had chicken on it with sweet and sour sauce. It tasted like a McDonald’s chicken nugget on pizza. Mmmm. But they also had Mexican, with peppers and onions and mince (didn’t taste anything like Mexican food). There was an Al Capone pizza, which was like barbecue chicken pizza with onions and pickles. They also had pizza with steak on it, and pizza with seafood on it, and 3-cheese pizza (feta, mozzarella, and cheddar), and Roman chicken pizza, and a carnivore pizza, and ham and mushroom, and vegetarian, and even one with avocado, bananas, and bacon. I don’t know what that one was called. Louise says it was awesome—one of the best pizzas there. I was too freaked out to try it. All the strange flavours reminded me of British pizza that had baked beans and fried eggs on it.

There was a clown who made balloon animals for a missions organization. He was Portuguese, but had spent the last few years in the Philippines and is now in South Africa raising money for the people who are in the Philippines now. He made Erika a flower, Alex a tiger, Louise a teddy bear, me a rabbit, and Hero a birthday hat:

In addition to my ducks and Pretty Cat, who sleeps in my bed now instead of at Erika's, I have a dog :) Animals just keep getting added to the menagerie I'm thinking of calling "Kate's Zoo." Courage is a fox terrier, and she's quite enthusiastic because she didn't get a lot of attention before. In fact, she can be very, very annoying, but luckily she only comes in the house to sleep at night. We call her Courage the Cowardly dog because she's afraid of Pretty (and everything else, pretty much).

My ducks are doing well. They are finally eating their food and are getting used to me. They don't run nearly as far when I go into their area.

It's getting cold here...I wore two jackets this morning (I think it was 60 degrees). Feels like 25, though, now that I'm used to the 90 degree heat. I think I like African weather, but I wish it wasn't approaching winter because I'd rather have summer all the time.

Eendjies (Little Ducks)

2011-04-04T02:21:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, Louis finally gave us the go-ahead to move the second flock of ducks to the pond by my house. So now I am officially the mother to six little duckies, and they are the cutest things in the world :) They are still afraid of me, though. Louis put a bench in their enclosure so that I can sit and talk to them and feed them bits of bread. They used to be tame, but when they grew up Francois stopped talking to them and picking them up and so they are wild again. They are even afraid to eat the grain I put out for them. Louis says when they get hungry enough they will eat. I can't wait to check on them when I get home from work today.

Kristen showed me how to check the stats on my blog. Here are some interesting ones you might like to see (demographics on my readers):

Kristen

2011-04-01T00:51:00.000-07:00

The weather feels like late May in Michigan, and I’m sitting in my office listening to Alan Jackson and realizing that I haven’t updated in awhile. Rest assured, I’m still here in South Africa, and still missing all of you. Here’s what’s been going on lately:

Kristen visited this week (you can read her blog post here). She arrived on Saturday morning at 2 a.m., so Francois and I took a middle-of-the-night road trip to Johannesburg to pick her up. Then we slept for the rest of the night, and during the day Saturday I took Kristen ice skating. It is so weird to go skating in the middle of the summer! But the mall has an ice rink, so we went. Then Sunday we had a braai with a potjie (like an African stew cooked over the fire, that you eat over rice) and we went to church Sunday night. I really wanted Kristen to experience Afrikaans church, because here in Pretoria at least half of my life happens in another language. Most of Kristen’s life happens in English. Sometimes it’s hard to catch all the jokes in Afrikaans, even when Francois is translating. For example, in Afrikaans, when you say “Ek het ‘n tweelinge getrou,” it LITERALLY means “I married twins” but it figuratively means “I married a twin.” In English, we have two ways of expressing the two meanings, but there’s only one way in Afrikaans. So the pastor said “Ek het ‘n tweelinge getrou” and then clarified, saying that he only married one of the two, and everyone laughed. But it doesn’t make very much sense when you translate it to English.

On Monday Kristen went to work with me. We left work a little early in order to go tour a school in Pretoria that one of the CMA wives works at. It’s a school built especially to help deaf children learn to speak. They have up to five deaf children in each class, mixed in with children who hear normally. It was really interesting because the subject is very controversial: on one side, people say that if you try to teach deaf people sign language, their worlds are very limited and they don’t have as many job opportunities, so you should teach them to speak and listen like everyone else. That way they will have better, more normal lives. On the other side, people say that by forbidding deaf children from using sign language in school and teaching them to speak instead, then you are basically eliminating a culture, as much as you would be eliminating a culture if you forbade French people from speaking French anymore. I can see both sides of the argument.

But anyway, the cool thing about this school was that everything in it was especially designed to help children learn language. The light coming into each classroom was far above the required amount, so that the teacher’s face is always in the light and the students can see to read her lips. The walls are covered in special carpeting that prevents echoes. There were different stations in each classroom to help the children play: a hairdresser, a gym, a fire station, etc. That way the children can practice the language that goes along with each situation. There were some classrooms that were all Afrikaans, and there were some that were all English. The garden had a desert plants section, an herb section, a tropical section, etc. so that the kids could experience different kinds of plants. There were geese, turtles, and rabbits, and the different classes switch off every week feeding all the animals. The paths in the garden were paved with different kinds of stone so that when the kids are going barefoot (most children here don’t wear shoes very often, not even in public places like stores) they can feel the different textures under their feet. There was a bicycle section of the playground where they get out different kinds of bikes every day for the children to ride (tricycle, tandem trikes, scooters, etc.). It was a really, really interesting tour. Kristen especially liked it because we got to see the audiology clinic and how the therapists work with the parents of the deaf children (Kristen studied communication disorders, so she knew a lot more of the science-y stuff that went along with our tour).

On Tuesday Kristen got to help out a lot at BEAM with the kids, and even on a rescue mission in the community (we had to take some kids away from their alcoholic mother who wasn’t taking care of them).
Wednesday was our busiest day. We left work early to go to the Sammy Marks museum (you should Wikipedia him – he was a Russian Jew whose British mentor encouraged him to move to South Africa and invest. He became a very wealthy business man in Pretoria and was friends with both the British and the Boers…and, incidentally, the guy who founded Nellmapius, the township where I work). We had a delicious picnic next to the rose garden, and then we toured the Victorian mansion. The only reason the house is still in such good condition is because all six of Sammy’s children were disinherited, so the grandchildren and the trust fund are in charge of the house (it didn’t get passed down through the family). Then later that night we went out to Indian food with Kristen’s friend Kathryn, her boyfriend, and his friend. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers! Francois had never had naan bread before—he enjoyed it immensely.

At work, I’ve been making some changes to the web site slowly but surely. I’m still learning the editing software; there are some hilarious mishaps, like making the new button that links to our Facebook page gigantic, but luckily we can always go in and edit the page. Getting the exact wording for the pages nailed down takes awhile, but it gets done eventually. You can see what’s happening lately on the events calendar (which is mostly current), and you can now donate in South Africa and the U.S. (you could do this before, but it wasn’t very obvious. Now we’ve changed around the donation page). Soon you will see more information on the staff page, too.

Only one other hilarious tidbit: someone at work the other day sympathized with Louise when she said her son Alex (2 years) was sick with a runny nose, and they recommended giving Alex mopane worms to cure it :)

Missing Home

2011-03-15T02:01:00.001-07:00

This weekend Francois and I went with Marc and his family to the Diamond Diggers' Day Jol, basically a party/rally that the Cullinan motorcycle club was hosting. We watched events like tire throwing, tug-of-war, slow races, and beer-drinking contests (for men and women). It was fun, and it was definitely a new experience.

We went to the grand opening of a biker bar as well. CMA tries to put in an appearance at all the big motorcycle events. They had a "bounce castle" (I'm racking my brain to try and figure out what it's called in the States) that Francois and I bounced in for awhile :)

That night I watched my first cricket game! India and South Africa played (it's still the playoffs for the World Cup), and while I learned the rules, the game turned into a very close match. And South Africa won! What an awesome first cricket game to watch.

The next day we went to a racetrack that had just opened, about two hours outside of the city (past Bapsfontein if you're Googling it). It was an awesome venue, with a swimming pool and kiddie pool for the families, as well as a jungle gym and swing set. There was a concession stand (I ate my first South African hot dog! It's amazing how much you can miss junk food...) and a screen where people could watch cricket.

Watching the bikes on the race track was very cool. They went so fast it was hard to get photos...I kept snapping the button and taking empty photos because the bikes had gone past already.

On the way back to Pretoria, I was struck by how similar the countryside is to Michigan. Instead of making me feel at home, though, it made me miss home more because the cornfields we were passing weren't "my" cornfields. They were across the street from palm trees and razor wire. The wildflowers weren't the same breed as "my" wildflowers. There were guinea fowl by the side of the road instead of wild turkeys. It's so similar that it makes me sad because it's not quite similar enough.

Guess I'll Go Eat Worms and I Love My Job

2011-03-10T04:33:00.000-08:00

One of the traditional foods here in Nellmapius is mopane worms. At first, all the black people on staff teased me and said they were going to make me eat mopane worms. But when I expressed interest in trying them, they were surprised. Well, yesterday, they finally brought me some grilled mopane worms to try. So while the black people laughed and the white people made barfing sounds and tried to discourage me, I ate a mopane worm. And guess what? It actually wasn't that bad. It mostly tasted like biltong (South African beef jerky)...except for the spiky horns on the worm :)

Today is a quiet day at the centre. Sandra is gone because she has pink eye, and Erika only came for half the day. Louise is out this afternoon because her son got sick at school. It is unusual for me to sit alone in this office, but it has brought a sense of peace to this hot afternoon.

I'm realizing more and more how perfect this job is for me. I'm using the skills I learned in college, but the best part is the people I am getting to know.

One of my latest projects is updating the staff page on the BEAM web site. I've been interviewing all the staff, preparing to write a few paragraphs about each of them for the page. Another part of the project is taking photos of everyone. I am so grateful to my mother for giving me my beautiful camera before I came overseas. It does a wonderful job, and the photos of the staff are turning out perfectly. It's been fun asking them to pose in different ways and capturing laughing moments. They borrow each other's sunglasses to wear for some of the shots. Being a photographer really allows me to see people in different ways; I'm not just looking at them from my perspective. I can see them more objectively and also up close. I find myself thinking, ''Wow, she's beautiful'' when I'm downloading the photos onto my computer, something I had never bothered to notice before.

In addition to working with beautiful people, I work with real people and real stories. It's easy to forget that everyone has a story when you're wrapped up in your own story. Through these interviews, I've discovered some surprises; small ones, like where someone is from, all the way to big ones, like this: one woman has an adopted son. Her son's biological uncle was featured on a television program last week and wants to meet the child. I helped her, through an interpreter, write the email to contact the producers to get in contact with the man.

Everyone has a story. I should bother to listen to the stories more often.

Day Two, Cape Town

2011-03-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

Today we slept in because we were so tired from the hike yesterday. We took a short train ride to downtown Cape Town and then began walking in the general direction of the Bo Kaap market. This market happens on the first Saturday every month, and it is mostly Muslim women who run it. They cook all sorts of amazing, delicious food, and we were pretty excited to go. After forty minutes of wandering through the steep streets of Bo Kaap (with brightly coloured buildlings!), we finally saw a sign for the market. Eventually we found it, and it worked out because we were more hungry when we got there, so we could eat even more lekker (kind of like “awesome”) food. I think I had thirteen samosas, along with some dessert thing and some of Kristen’s food. I know it’s a lot of food, but it’s hard work walking and hiking and being energetic all the time with a bunch of college students…I think living in the plots has aged me faster. Sometimes I feel like an old lady, set in my ways and ready to rest for awhile, instead of going going going all the time. Most of the women in the market had the typical burkas on with head coverings, but one woman had a veil over her face as well. Just before we left, she took her two little girls to the bathroom, and I happened to be in there at the same time. She had lifted her veil, and I could see her smile  It made me happy to see her a little more free.
After Bo Kaap market, we walked downhill a little ways to Green Square Market, a larger, more touristy outdoor market, where I randomly met someone from DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo, where I was born). She spoke French to me, and I said “Bonjour” and “Comment ca va” back, but after that I was lost. I explained that we left when I was just a baby, and she asked what language my parents speak. "Lingala?" she asked, and I responded yes. Then I said, "Mbote, sango nini?" to her, and she laughed. The man who was with her said that Senegal is the best country in Africa, but he'd never been there :)

We took the train back to the house, then packed up and took a taxi to Clifton Beach. I swam in the ocean for the first time! It was fun to lick my finger and taste that the water really is salty. It was freezing cold water! For a tropical/warm place, Cape Town has the coldest water in the world. Even in the middle of summer. I got super tan without getting burned (don't know how that happened). We finally started getting hungry and decided to find a restaurant. We ended up at Col Cacchio's Pizzeria, and got to watch the sun set while we ate. By the way, pizza is probably the thing I miss second-most about home. The beach is the first. I had them both today :)

After the taxi brought us home from the beach, I got to chat with lots of people from home. I talked to Grandma and Grandpa, Dad, and all my cousins in Terre Haute (except Claudia). I love that Kristen has uncapped wireless internet!

Then we went to Long Street, which is like Beale Street in Memphis or Bourbon Street in New Orleans. We went to a club called Jo'Burg, and it was pretty horrible. But then we went to an Irish pub across the street (whose first floor was like Jo'Burg). The second floor was really laid back, and they had a guy playing piano instead of pounding loud techno music. It was waaayyyy less crowded, and there was a balcony where we could look down and watch the people on Long Street. It was on the balcony that we met four or five guys from the States, all in grad school at Houston. Two of them had done their undergrad work at Notre Dame (what are the chances of meeting two ND grads at an Irish pub in South Africa?).

Good day, I think :)

Day One, Cape Town

2011-03-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

This morning, I got up at four a.m. to get to the airport on time for my flight to Cape Town. I finally got to go visit Kristen! The flight was only two hours, and compared to my last one (eleven hours) it was heavenly.

We landed early, and I got picked up by Kristen's RA, Taku, because she was in class. He took me back to their house and then we walked to UCT (University of Cape Town)'s campus. He took me on a tour (see Facebook for photos...there are way too many to put on here)...it was absolutely beautiful! The buildings are all old and quaint and gorgeous, and between each one you can see Table Mountain rising in the background. The university it built right up against the mountains.

After the tour, Taku took me to Kristen's class and we waited until they got out. Then Kristen and I screamed and hugged and smiled, etc. She introduced me to a bunch of her friends, and then took me to meet some more people from the program she's in. Afterward, we walked back to the house and she gave me a tour. Then we walked to Debonnair's pizza for lunch (I crave pizza here all the time), and went to the grocery store to get food for the weekend and for the braai later.

Then I took a short nap back at the house, and we called a cab, and seven of us went to Table Mountain.
View from the bottom.

We hiked to the top. I still can't believe we climbed a mountain today! It was SOOOOO tall, and it was really really hard. It was like climbing stairs for two hours straight, but super tall stairs made for a giant. At the bottom it was sunny and super super hot, but then we got two thirds of the way up, and in the shade, the landscape completely changed. It looked like Ireland for the last third, and we kept looking down at Cape Town, which looked like Florida. What a weird combination. It was soooo hard to climb up. We had to keep stopping to catch our breath. But then we got to the top and it was all worth it! The view was absolutely breathtaking (literally and figuratively), and we just stood there exclaiming and taking pictures.

After spending awhile at the top looking in the gift shop, eating ice cream, and drinking TONS of water, we took a cable car back down the mountain. It took about five minutes, compared to our excruciating hike.

View from the top

Now we are braaiing on their back patio. One of the guys, Nathan, is a wizard with the grill, and we are just sitting here enjoying good food and drinks and hanging out. I made pap (a cornmeal paste, kind of like a thick porridge) and tomato gravy to go with the braaivleis (braai meat). It is a staple here with braais, and they had never heard what pap was called, only eaten it once since they've been here. They say I'm more South African than they are because they are all Americans living together and I've gotten to experience it all more naturally. I'm glad for that.

Tonight as soon as I've finished uploading my backlog of pictures (Kristen has no limit on the amount of data you can download/upload here, unlike the rest of South Africa!), I'm going to crash. Sleep will be good because tomorrow we have another packed day. It's so nice to hang out with people my own age again. What a big change to go from college to the real world, where you don't all hang out in big groups of people just like you all the time.

On Air with Erika and Life Savers

2011-03-03T05:52:00.000-08:00

This morning I went to the Impact Radio studios and was able to be in the room when Erika went on the air. It was just a quick five-minute blip about Beam Africa and what our needs are. Afterward they blessed us with a donation! It was a lot of fun.

Then on the way home, we nearly ran over a chameleon, and Erika (who is the most animal-sympathetic person I have EVER met) started fretting about how it would survive, and she asked if we should go back to save it. I was nearly laughing because I didn't think she was serious, but Louise, from the back of the car, said, "Yes! You should." She had the most heart-broken look on her face, I shut my mouth because I saw they were serious. So we drove back, and in the middle of the highway, Erika stopped her car and Louise got out and ushered the tiny, very angry chameleon the rest of the way across the road. She said, "I decided not to touch it, just to rush it along." We got these pictures: I love its curly tail!

Peace

2011-03-02T01:38:00.001-08:00

Today I am working from home. I forgot how peaceful the plots (houses out in the country) can be. I was able to sleep in a little bit because I didn’t have a commute. Then Hero and I went for a run (a short one…I’m out of shape), and I came back and showered and made a gigantic, delicious breakfast (Nutella is the bomb diggety, did you know that?). Now I am sitting outside on Erika’s veranda, watching the ducks splash in their pond, listening to soft music and the wind blowing while I work (we aren’t allowed to listen to music at the centre). The little dogs are licking my toes.

And the atmosphere is more relaxed. I didn’t know it was possible to be more relaxed than at the centre (I was pretty stunned the first few weeks by the slower-than-America pace), but working here is restful.

For example:

It was okay for me to take a break to show Maria, our maid (here, the politically correct term is “domestic worker”), the things that need to be done at BEAM House – Maria normally works for us once a week. She spends one day at Louise’s house, and the rest of her time at Erika’s house.

Walking outside to get to my house was perfect. The morning commuter traffic on the dirt road has died down, so all I could hear was the birds chirping. There isn’t a cloud in the sky, just perfect blue as far down into the valley as your eye can see. The sun was warm on my face and my back. We walked slowly, and Maria asked me about my family in the States.

I get to see Francois when he pops in and out all day (he sometimes works for Louis with the other men, doing odd jobs and yard work), and we may even get to have lunch together.

I will get far more work done here than I will at the centre. It is Erika’s long-term plan to set up offices at the plots; she and I will work from here every day then, or at least three days a week. I’m so looking forward to it. I will miss the staff (meet Sandra, in the picture below) and the children, and even the daily craziness. But it will be nice to work in such peace every day.

Lion Bait and A Boyfriend

2011-02-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend Louis and Erika took the family (and me) to a resort that keeps lions. The man in charge (his name was Leon, believe it or not), was like a Michael Douglas wannabe (if you’ve seen the movie The Ghost and The Darkness, you’ll understand the reference). He took us on a tour of his house/the offices, and it was almost like the tree house in the old Disney version of The Swiss Family Robinson. We watched a presentation about lions and their behaviour and then we got to go see his lions. Their gene pool is the same as the lions from Bible times, like in Daniel and the Lions’ Den, etc. It was magnificent! I got some great photos, which I hope to be able to share with this post, but it’s hard to tell what the internet is going to be like, so we’ll see. One of the female lions saw Alex, Louise’s 2-year-old son, and immediately recognized him as the weakest of our group, and she wouldn’t let him out of her sight. No matter what side of the cage we were on, the lion followed, keeping her eyes on Alex all the while. At one point we were on the bridge that goes over the cage, and she stared straight up at us...enabling me to get some of the best photos. It was a great trip, and I loved the thrill of being so close to such awe-inspiring creatures.
The other news that you will all be mad at me for not sharing is this: Francois (Hero) and I are dating. I suppose it’s probably not the best idea to date the boss’s son, but I guess you can’t help who you fall for, right? We talked with his family, and they are okay with it.
Hero is very sweet, and I’ve never been so treasured. He’s eighteen (no jokes about robbing the cradle, please) and in the midst of a gap year between high school and college, where he wants to study video game design; he’s smart and really good with computers. We hang out all the time (it’s really nice that he lives next door)…he is currently reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Romans, and Revelation to me. He helps me with Afrikaans, too; I got a language werkboek (workbook) at the mall over the weekend that is for kids, but it’s perfect. It has all kinds of exercises that teach me different sounds, rules (like how to construct sentences properly and how to make words plural), and basic words like body parts, numbers, etc. I’m starting to write sentences like “Dit is my neus. Nee, dis nie my neus nie; dis my hand!” (This is my nose. No, this isn’t my nose; this is my hand!) and “Waarmee skryf jy? Ek skryf met my vingers.” (What do you write with? I write with my fingers). At the mall we bought a puzzle to work on as well. Some nights Hero and I visit Louise and Vernon and Alex and watch movies; some nights we lay on the roof and watch the stars (I love seeing the Southern Cross!...the only constellation that is the same here as in the Northern Hemisphere is Orion; I don’t recognize any others). We’re just taking it one day at a time, figuring things out.

Dance Lessons

2011-02-23T23:43:00.000-08:00

Louise asked me to teach her how to ballroom dance. So on Wednesday nights at 6:30, we clear out the lounge area of BEAM House and I teach a lesson. Last week was waltz, and this week was rumba. We also learn a line dance every week, so that we can do more dances when we practice at the end. Carmen comes, and Louise brings her husband, Vernon, and Francois came last night. We are hoping to get more people involved...maybe Isabel, Marisca, Marnus, and Moncele will come :)

Other updates:
You can now follow BEAM Africa Network on Twitter: @beamafrica

I also have a Twitter, which is linked to this blog on the right column: @inlovewafrica

Kathryn, A Car, and Fall

2011-02-18T01:17:00.000-08:00

The other day, I had dinner with a woman from Atlanta, Georgia, who my friend Kristen connected me with. She's pretty cool. She took me to pick up my car! Some of the CMA people are loaning me a car for a little while (it's their daughter's car, and she doesn't have her driver's license yet). Then Kathryn and I went to this pizza place, supposed to be the best in Pretoria. But they stopped serving dinner just before we got there, so they told us about another tiny, out-of-the-way place. We went there and they let us in, even though it was late, and it was super super fancy. Like, you were supposed to order four-course meals, but we only had entrees and drinks. Hunters Gold? It's absolutely best hard cider I've ever had. I ordered the Sunshine Fettuccine, which had a creamy tomato sauce, cashews, sun-dried tomatoes, and grilled strips of goat cheese on top (not feta, I can't remember exactly what it was called). It was soooo delicious. They brought us blueberry-flavored sorbet to cleanse our palettes at the end. Kathryn was very fun to hang out with. She's been EVERYWHERE! Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Rwanda, Australia, New Zealand, and all over Africa. When she gets back from Lesotho (she also works for an NGO, and her work takes her all over the place), we're going to hang out again.

It's starting to feel like fall (sort of) here. I can tell that the days are getting "colder". When we wake up in the mornings, we (almost) need long sleeves and socks on. The South Africans are all wearing long sleeves to work and dressing their kids in sweatshirts. Even though it still gets fairly hot during the day. At night the breeze is cool now, instead of warm. In the shade during the day, it's cool, even though it's still sweltering in the sun. I can't wait to see what winter is like. Hero says that the leaves turn brown and fall off the trees like they do in the States, and he hates it because everything dies. But what does a palm tree look like in winter? I can't wait to find out.

Adorable...

2011-02-16T04:59:00.000-08:00

This little guy came in with his mama yesterday to see the legal advisors...

Biker Church

2011-02-13T04:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend one of the families of CMA adopted me! Marc and Thereza picked me up Saturday morning and took me around to different bike shops to look at motorcycles. My favorites are the Suzuki Bandit 400cc and the Kawasaki Ninja 250cc. I will go back later to test drive them. We also ordered me a new air flow jacket...it has all the padding and protection a motorcyclist needs, but it breathes so it's appropriate for hot weather (and it's super hot here). Then they fed me braaivleis and we hung out with the family; they have two high school kids, Nadine and Duncan. Duncan and I played guitar, and Nadine shared her room with me. The girls took me to the mall as well :)

Sunday morning Marc and I went to the Dedication Run (I rode pillion). There were about 1400 bikes there, all from different motorcycle clubs (not only CMA or other Christian clubs, but also all the secular ones as well) so it was a big outreach opportunity. Then we rode back to the house the long way so I could get a tour of Midrand (where the Bikers' Church is). Then I took a nap, had a late lunch, and we all went back to Bikers' Church for the normal service, which happens at night. It was awesome because it was like a whole other culture. The church is very "seeker friendly" and practical for ministering to bikers. When bikers walk in, they see stands specially made for hanging their helmets and jackets. They are welcome to drive their bikes inside and right up the aisles if they have a new bike and are worried about leaving it in the parking lot. The offering buckets are old helmets with the padding taken out. It was very fun. However, I don't think I'll go there permanently because I need sermons that are deeper than the ones there.

Sakkies, the Ant, and the Spirit of Ubuntu

2011-02-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Friday
God surprised us at the end of the day with a delivery of 100 sakkies (bags) of mealie meol (maize meal). Maize meal is a staple in the diet here – it’s not like the cornmeal you bake with. It’s more like grits. They cook it like a breakfast cereal (like oatmeal or Cream of Wheat) and serve it alongside every meal. It’s called pap. The centre cooks it for the children every day, and they use one 20-kg sack every day. So 100 sacks is a HUGE blessing! Praise God for his provision. A man just came and opened the back of his truck and told us to start unloading. It was leftover from one of the local Christian radio stations. Each sack had a piece of paper stapled to it that said, “Jesus loves you!”

I also got to go to another meeting with Erika. I’m really enjoying acting as “reporter” for the centre. I get to meet so many people who are trying to help the township (like a squatter’s camp) and this part of the city. This meeting was to see if we could partner with another organization in order to help the people better.

Saturday
Saturday morning Louise took me all around Pretoria to look at motorcycles. The one thing that hasn’t seemed to operate on Africa time around here is my vehicle purchase. By some miracle I have enough rand (South African money) to buy a small used bike to get around town. I know I said I would never drive a sportster, but that seems to be all that is available here (besides for the occasional imported Harley that is way out of my price range – and I would ride a sportster before a Harley, in any case). So I will look for a small one, not a 600cc. Now it’s just a matter of locating the right one for me and having Louis look at it to make sure it is mechanically sound. February is the time when everyone starts selling their motorcycles here, so we are hoping for some good deals coming soon. I’m still trying to get a meeting with CMA (Christian Motorcycle Association) as well, to ride with them around the area and learn more about bike riding in Pretoria, but things happen on Africa time here.

Saturday night I heard someone outside my window, so we called Louis and he came to stand guard. Until the alarm was installed on Tuesday, he promised to come every night from midnight to five a.m. with his .38 Special to stand guard. Pray that the police can apprehend these men because they’ve been burgling the neighbourhood for some weeks now and limiting our freedom to move around at night.

Sunday
Sunday afternoon Carmen took me to the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we were able to walk around and marvel at how beautiful God’s creation is.

I’ve included several pictures, but my favourite is the one of this ant. He posed long enough for me to try at least ten times to get the focus right in the shot:

Another week started at Beam. I was busy for a change! I began collecting stories about the staff for my book, and I even learned some Sotho (“dumelo” means “hello,” “o kae” means “how are you?” and “ke teng” means “I’m fine” – just in case you want to greet someone in Sotho (SOO-too) today). I also helped some of the children write letters and draw pictures for their sponsors.

Tuesday
I went with Sandra (who, by the way, is astounding…she speaks her native language, Sepedi, as well as English, Afrikaans, Sotho, Xhosa, Zulu, Tsonga, and Ndebele – and she can understand Venda and Swati but can’t answer in them when someone speaks to her) to the library in Nellmapius to find out if they will assist us in hosting more life skills classes. We walked there, and it was nice to see more of the township where I work. The man at the library was rude to us, and Sandra said that he didn’t have the spirit of ubuntu (togetherness). It means that he didn’t have a welcoming attitude.

I also got to help in the kitchen. We made pap and sausages and sandwiches…lots and lots of sandwiches. While I was spreading butter and jam on bread, Asanda and Samaria were chattering away in what I assume was Sotho. Every once in awhile Asanda would break into one line of a song. I had been told that she had an amazing voice but had never heard it. Wow! She is amazing! She has a deep, full voice and never hit a wrong note. Sometimes ¬¬¬Samaria right next to me would join in softly with the harmony part. It was wonderful listening to them. Then Faith came in to have lunch, and they all three joined in, singing “Your Holy Spirit must come down, and Africa will be saved” with perfect, three-part harmony. It was beautiful. I’m so glad I helped with lunch on Tuesday :)

Wednesday
Louise is back at the centre after being home with her son for a few days. It has been hectic, but hopefully now things will settle down and get back to normal. The alarm is finally installed, so hopefully the bad guys will figure out that they can’t bother us anymore and then we will be able to sit on a blanket and watch the stars at night again without risking anything. Please keep praying for adjustment. It’s hard to be in a new place and not be able to have all the freedoms I had in the States. I’m still trying to figure out how independent I can be, and they are trying to adjust to this crazy woman from the U.S. who is more independent than they are used to.

I got to help some of the social workers talk to a deaf girl today. She needed their help to get a South African ID so that she could get a passport to go be with her family in Botswana. They weren't being very patient with her, so I was able to calm the situation down and figure out what she wanted. I felt so bad for her, and I was so glad when they finally figured out that her mom lived close and they could go to her house and get the mom to interpret. We were communicating by writing on a piece of paper (you try communicating in English, which is only one of the four people's first languages, with two South Africans with heavy Sotho accents and one deaf girl, whose grammar is unstructured...I think writing would be your only option as well). But in the end I was so relieved that we could understand her enough to go find an interpreter, I almost cried. In fact, after I wrote "okay. we want to help :)" I had to leave the room before I had a meltdown.

I'm starting to miss everyone! Write me letters :) I will write you back.

Government and Break-In

2011-01-27T23:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got to go to the Department of Heath and Social Development with Carmen, Emission, and Louise. Every month they have to go and make a report to DSD and provide evidence of how they are using their funding. It was really interesting. The Department of Health and Social Development is part of the provincial government (as near as I can figure, like our state government), so we went to the Gauteng (the province that Pretoria is in)office in downtown Pretoria. The city is SO much different than the outskirts. The man we met with was very, very thorough and meticulous about the evidence, and it seemed like there were a bunch of hoops that we had to jump through. Aren't there always hoops when government gets involved? That much doesn't change, even in a foreign country.

Last night I went to bed early. Carmen woke me at about 11:30 with some shouting, and I couldn't understand her. She came in and jumped on my bed and told me she had heard pounding on the door and thought someone was trying to break in. She was shaking really bad, and she tried to call Louis from my phone but there was no reception. She also woke Marie and told her what was going on, and then we hung out away from the windows in the middle of the house for a few minutes, not sure what to do. Then Louis called my phone back, and somehow the signal held long enough for him to tell us that he was coming over. When he finally showed up, he was with Vernon, Louise’s husband. They looked around the door and discovered that one of the sliding glass walls was partially displaced, and there was a big crack in it. The door had been lifted clean out of the runner with a crowbar. They also found a wokapi knife (a kind of small knife) on the ground next to the crack. Some of the laundry I had left hanging out was gone (two t-shirts and some socks). They called the police. When the cops showed up, they brought three cars. Each of them was wearing jeans and regular shirts, with Kevlar vests over them that said POLICE on them. Each had a handgun, and some didn’t have holsters—they just shoved the guns into their waistbands. One of them was carrying a stockless AK-47. They took the knife in a plastic bag (that I provided…they didn’t have them with them) to fingerprint it. They also said that there had been a series of break-ins in the area. Erika said that at previous break-ins they stole drills/tools from the storeroom. Pray for protection around the Beam house and grounds and around the centre in Nellmapius as well. There have been some men coming around asking to make copies for a couple days, and Erika thinks they were just scoping the place out. Someone got their licence plate number, and she is going to call the police today and have me come in to look at mug shots to see if I can identify them. Pray that God protects this place and the equipment we have that we need to run the drop-in centre.

One of the care workers on staff here accepted Christ yesterday - praise God for that!

Going Deaf and MailChimp

2011-01-25T23:02:00.001-08:00

This morning the rain is deafening on the tin roof. It seems like I haven't seen the famous sun everyone talks about since I've been here, but today the rain pours harder than anything I've seen yet. It rains every day, and the flooding in South Africa is getting worse. We haven't seen any here that I know about, but 28 places in the country have been declared disaster areas. And the rain doesn't let up. I washed my clothes yesterday and hung them to dry, and they still aren't dry because of how humid the air is. Even on the few sunny days I've seen, there is rain, either in the morning when I'm waking up or in the afternoon or evening after we get home from work.

In other news, I finally have a project to work on. It feels like I've been sitting around for too long. The pace here is so much slower; I still need to get used to it. But this morning, I am working on setting up a process for when Beam wants to send newsletters. Erika asked me to contact someone in the States and find out how their newsletters work, and he directed me to Mail Chimp, an email marketing campaign, but also a listserv manager. I created an account to explore the site (you may see emails from Mail Chimp later, because if I like it I'm going to use it for my own monthly newsletters).

Last night I went to see Marisca's class perform in a "concert." It was called Jukebox. All nine grade eight classes had to come up with a dance to a song and then they performed them for the parents and the school. It was very interesting...I don't remember having anything like that in high school, but remember that grade eight is sort of an initiation period for the high schoolers here. After all the classes performed, they had to sing the school anthem, which they hadn't all learned yet. I didn't find the show as entertaining as everyone else (all the songs were in Afrikaans and the dances went along with the lyrics, so I was pretty lost), but it was fun to go and see the high school. I saw the classrooms and the sport fields (cricket and rugby and soccer, of course) and Marnus's results posted for his performance at the last track meet (he does shotput, javelin, 100m, 200m, and other events as well).

Recuperation

2011-01-23T23:35:00.000-08:00

Roses at Ludwig's Roses.
The tea room :)
The view of the hills of Pretoria from Helga, Amy, and Heather's flat.
My new cell phone.

Erika said that the weekends around here are for recuperation. Here's how my recuperation went:

On Saturday I went shopping with Erika. I got to see what a mall is like here (similar to our malls, maybe a little more claustrophobic). We got a new SIM card for the phone I am using. We tried to get keys cut so I could have a key to my new house but the hardware store was closed (they close around eleven on Saturday and aren't open on Sunday). Then we went to Spar, the grocery store.

Erika also took me to a fancy rose farm, and we had tea in their garden tea shop. It was so dainty and beautiful. I took lots of pictures, so as soon as I have time I will post them. There were hundreds of breeds of roses, and they were all lined up in alphabetical order. The place smelled soooo good.

On Sunday, I went with Carmen to try a new church in Pretoria called Central Baptist Church. They sang songs I knew, which was cool, and the pastor started a new series on the book of Romans. Before we left for church Carmen had to get her car jumper leadered (jump started). We stopped at Spar on the way to church because we were going to a braai (barbecue) and pool party afterwards and we got some meat. The car started fine after we came out of Spar, but then after we came out of church we had to get it jump started again. Then we drove out of the church parking lot into the street and the car totally died at the first robot (traffic light). Someone from the church came to try and jump start it again, but it didn't work. Meanwhile it started raining really hard. Eventually we just pushed the car back to the church (backwards down a one-way street....), and we left the car there overnight. Carmen's friend Heather took us to the braai in her car.

The braai was at Heather's house. She is a tenant in a house in downtown Pretoria. The house has three floors, and Heather lives in the top floor with Helga (a German-speaking girl from Namibia) and Amy. Helga is in medical school like Heather is. Amy is a social worker. The view from their flat is incredible. Pretoria is entirely surrounded by bergs (they say they are hills, but I call them mountains because the Midwest is so flat, and the word berg actually means “mountain”). I don't know my way around yet, but I do know that when I am not completely surrounded by mountains, then I am not in Pretoria any more. I'll post pictures of the mountains as well.

The other tenants are Roelene, an older blonde lady who works in some legal office. Nick also lives there, and he actually cooked us lunch because our braai got rained out. He is a magnificent chef – the chicken he made had a peanut butter banana sauce on it. He also made a pasta salad that had a tangy, white sauce on it and had olives, broccoli, and mushrooms. There was hummus, which no one else at the table besides me had heard of before (that surprised me), and some carrots and sweet potatoes baked with cinnamon and sugar. He made a a salad as well, with feta cheese and olives, and there were sausages. It was delicious – I love tasting new things, and it was all so wonderful. He cooked it with the help of James, a young red-haired boy who also ate with us.

While we ate, Nick entertained us with stories of his travels. He was at a conference between a bunch of Middle Eastern countries and said it was quite hectic because some, like Lebanon, can drink wine, and the others are forbidden. He told us about the different degrees of covering that the women were required to have (some with two veils, but all of them with fancy painted toes and jewels and henna decorating their bare feet). If you have seen the video Achmed the Dead Terrorist this will be funny to you: he said at one point it was so loud in the conference room that someone yelled “Silence!” and he said under his breath “I kill you!” Lol. Luckily no one heard him...

We also talked about Namibia. It is in the middle of nowhere. They have a hard time getting fresh produce of any kind, but they raise cattle there, so every meal consists mostly of meat. Nick and Helga told about it for a long time, about how everyone raises cattle and how 6500 hectares is a small farm (there are 2.5 acres in every hectare...you can do the math).

Christine de Plessis is the name of the almost-ninety-year-old woman who is Heather, Helga, Amy, Nick, and Roelene's land lady. She is so spunky – I couldn't believe she was that old. She still swims in her pool, and she doesn't have gray hair yet. She told about one night when someone tried to break in. It was the third or fourth time this guy had broken in (he jumped all the way up to the first floor, which is the second floor in America, and climbed in a window). Christine was laying in bed, and she just happened to have her pistol laying close when she saw the window start to open slowly. She didn't say a word, just pointed the pistol at the guy when he showed his head in the window. He ran away and never came back. What a spitfire old lady :)

Francois came over to watch a movie last night, and he brought my new phone. I now have a cell phone (a super fancy one, actually...when they said it was Erika's old phone I didn't expect such a nice one)! My number is 074-177-6184, for those of you who are curious. I'm still getting email set up on it, but then I will be able to keep up with everyone a little better.

Random Bits, Natural, and I'm A Little Teapot

2011-01-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

Random Bits:
On our way to the chicken farm yesterday, Louise told me that when it rains and there are blue skies, they call it “monkey's wedding.” They also say “the fox sleeps with the wolf's wife.” Here everyone knows that the fox and the wolf are enemies, so sleeping with the wolf's wife would be the ultimate insult.

In Sotho (soo-too), the word lakua (I have no idea if I'm spelling that right, but you say it “lah-KOO-ah”) means “white lady.” Sometimes the black children say that to Erika (there are no white people except us in Nellmapius, where the centre is). No one has said it to me yet, but Louise said if they do I must say masotho (“mah-SOO-too”) back, which means “black person.” They would be very surprised.

They tease me about how because I am American I have a sweet tooth. It's true that Americans eat far more sugar than South Africans. They rarely have dessert or even sugar in their tea. I have stocked up on all kinds of chocolate because I keep finding new kinds to try, and they just shake their heads and wonder how my body can handle it all.

Natural:
Things are more natural here, more genuine. In the United States everything has to be the biggest and the best, and if it's not then it pretends to be the biggest and the best. People are more laid back and easy going here – this is Africa. They know it's not going to be big. It probably won't be the best.

Here is one example: people aren't as concerned with appearance here. In America there is one body type that the media says everyone should aspire to have. Here, everyone has a different body type and for the most part, they accept it. They are comfortable with it, almost like they are saying, “It's how it is; we can't change it. Why should we try?” It's not an attitude of complacence like it sounds, but one of healthy acceptance, like that old prayer that says, “God grant me the patience to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change those I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Another part of this appearance example is that they aren't as concerned with body odor (which might sound gross, but read on). It is hot here – after all, this is Africa. People sweat. Everyone knows it. If you smell like sweat, well, that is natural. You will wash eventually, when you get the chance. This place is nowhere near Kenya or Swahili-speaking people, but the phrase hakuna matata really applies.

Here is another example: The people are less focused on the clock here than in America, and it seems more free form. Often we are fifteen minutes to a half an hour late, and it's not a big deal. It is expected. The atmosphere is very relaxed. They even say, instead of “I'll be right there,” “I will see you now.” But “now” is not immediate. It could mean “the next thing I do after I am finished with this will be to come to you” or it could mean “I'll be there within the hour.” I find myself trying to pin down an exact time that I should be ready, and Erika will respond “Not too early.” I am left on my own to figure out what that means. Francois and I decided to watch a movie together last night, and we never decided on a time. We just said “See you later,” and then he came over eventually. It was dark out, so I know it was night, but I don't really know what time it was.

Last example: Afrikaans people eat far less than Americans. It is normal to have one helping and eat it slowly and be done. They think Americans eat way too much. I find I have to eat a good, hearty breakfast in the mornings, because for lunch we just snack on fruit or a slice of bread with grondboontjie butter (“HROHNT-boyn-kee”), which means peanut butter. Then for dinner it is a small meal as well. I have yet to eat until I am too full, which happened all the time in America, and I have only eaten until I was just-right full once. The rest of the time, we eat enough to stop feeling hungry, and that is enough.

I'm A Little Teapot:
Everyone drinks tea here, whether it is ninety degrees out or not. It is the polite thing to do to offer someone tea when they come into your home. If you are lucky, they will offer you coffee (ten times weaker coffee than anything you find in the U.S., and they like to joke about how they have to water down American coffee) or a cool drink (which means pop or juice). But it is almost always tea. At first I said, “No, thank you,” because I didn't like tea. But I found they would make extra effort to find something else to offer, so I began to say, “Yes, thank you,” and drink it and be grateful for their hospitality. Last night, I made myself tea because I actually wanted some. It only took five days for me to become a “teapot,” as Carmen calls it. She warned me the first day that she was a teapot :) They pour the milk in the bottom of the cup first like the British do, and only if you have a very sweet tooth do you put sugar in it.

Cell and Slaughterhouse

2011-01-21T04:32:00.000-08:00

We drove by a game reserve yesterday that is almost done and ready to open. Louis said that sometime while I am here they will take me there. They are going to stock the big five: elephants, water buffalo, lions, leopards, and rhinoceroses. If they do that, malaria doesn't come to the area (I'm not sure what he meant by this, but I guess he knows what he's talking about). I held the most beautiful baby today, too. He was so quiet and peaceful: Neo (nay-oh).

Also, when I was introduced, people had trouble saying my name Kate, so they decided to call me Katerina. I think I need to learn Sotho (soo-too) and Zulu, at least greetings, because so many of the people we interact with speak those two languages.

I acted as record keeper/journalist for Louis and Erika today at a meeting (got my first sunburn, too). I took pictures and video and I am writing a report to file along with the pictures. Eventually some of the information will be posted on the Beam web page and later published in the book. Louis said he would like to have the book published by the time I leave.

Erika got in contact with some of the people in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who are going to train me to work on the website. I am hopefully going to do a web conference training session on February 3rd so that I will know how to work on the page in general. Later on I will have more advanced training.

Last night I went to cell (like life group) with Carmen. It was cool to meet more people and see all the children. I got to ride Marisca's horse a little bit. She taught me to post, and then to ride bareback. She said I am a natural and she would give me riding lessons. In a year she said I will be really good. I am going to give her guitar lessons in return.

Today I went with Louise and Francois to a chicken farm that donates chickens to Beam every two weeks. I took pictures, but I don't have time to upload them right now so I will catch up on it this weekend.

Learning Afrikaans

2011-01-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

Goeie more! I had my first Afrikaans lesson yesterday. My roommate Carmen took me to her friend Isabelle's house. On the way, we stopped for petrol, which is sold in litres. There was a gas station attendant who pumped R100 worth of fuel for us (it's about R8 per litre here) and received a tip. We also bought chips (they don't call them crisps here, but they thought that in America we call them crisps) and cool drinks (here “cool drinks” are very popular...it means anything that is not water that is served to refresh. So pop and juice, not tea). Then we went to Isabelle's house and I met her three children. Marnus is eighteen, Marisca just started grade eight, and Moncel is six. Their school year begins in January, which makes sense because then they have three months off during summer just like we do (it's just a different date, not a different season). Marisca had a whole bunch of books to cover, so we helped her with her technologie, language (English), literature, economics, Afrikaans, and other books. Marnus had already done his – he is the organized one of the family.

While we worked, I got my first lesson in Afrikaans, and I learned about the schools here. It all started because Marisca doesn't speak English as well as she would like (I don't say that she doesn't speak it well because I was perfectly able to understand her, even though I supplied a few words. I think her English skills and my Spanish skills are about equal). We had to say everything in both languages. Isabelle eventually went and got me a little notebook and some sticky tabs. I wrote the letters of the alphabet on the tabs and made my own Afrikaans dictionary. She also brought out a tweetalige woordeboek (bilingual dictionary) for us to look up words and two children's books in Afrikaans that she let me borrow. They taught me some new words and explained how to make words plural. Also, much like “ito/a” in Spanish, in Afrikaans they can add “jies” (which, depending on the end consonant, becomes “kies”) to the end of words to make the noun a smaller one. For example, sproet is freckle. Sproete is freckles. And sproetjies (pronounced “sproy-kees”) is little freckles :)

I learned that grades eight through twelve (“twalf”) are considered high school, which means that Marisca just started. She is at the bottom of the ladder, and much like fraternities' hazing in the U.S., the eighth graders are treated with unending bullying. They have to do things like write embarrassing love letters to upperclassmen, sit in front of the class with a dunce cap on and sing children's songs, pass a tennis ball covered in sticky syrup through their t-shirt and then on to the next person (who has to do the same thing), etc. It's quite hectic (they say “hectic” here for wow/horrible/that sucks/crazy). Also, they have prefects and head boy and girl, just like in Harry Potter! And they have Sellotape (like Spellotape?)...who knew those things were real. I thought J.K. Rowling just made them up. At some point during the evening, Marisca said that when she is in love she likes to draw lots of hearts on everything. I asked her if she is in love now, and she said no, but her older brother said yes. So I asked her who she's not currently in love with, and she brought out her class register (which comes with pictures), and showed me a picture of her “man.”

After awhile Marisca tok me out into a pasture to see her horse. She has a Thoroughbred-Arabian mix named Misty, who is fifteen hands tall. Marisca wants to breed her with either a Thoroughbred or an Arabian, but it costs at least R5000, so it will have to wait. There were also two other horses with her that the neighbors own. They just got vaccinated for horse flu, so we can't ride them for a month, but after that she invited me to go riding with her. The horses have to get the vaccine every year or they will die.

I was also invited to see a rugby match and a cricket match at their school sometime. I really like these people. They made me feel so at home. They teased that they speak lower Afrikaans. I think it's like cockney versus the Queen's English. But they are very down-to-earth and accepting. Marnus and Marisca kept asking me about the music I listen to in America, and they played me some of their favorites including Lady Antebellum, Jason Derulo, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Kelly Clarkson, Cascada, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Jesse McCartney :) Those were the ones I recognized, anyway. They played others, too. One of the artists they introduced me to is actually a friend of theirs who got famous. They want to set me up with him (he has a motorcycle!), but when they told me he is thirty-three, I told them they should set him up with Carmen instead. She is thirty-one and not married yet, and Louise has a plot to get her married off: Louise and her family are looking for a new church, but once they find one, they are going to bring Carmen to cell (lifegroup/Bible study/home group). Not a cell with old people, but one with young people! Hopefully she will meet someone there, but if she doesn't then they will bring her to coffee shops with them. When I asked Louise if she goes to coffee shops often, she said no, but she is willing to sacrifice for a friend – LOL! Carmen thinks the whole thing is very funny.

Tonight Carmen made me and Marie dinner. She is from Durban (near the coast on the Indian Ocean side), about six hours from here, and she said the food is different from the British-Afrikaans food that Marie would make. Carmen's people like to mix savory and sweet together in the same meal. Tonight we had chicken cutlets covered in garlic paste (like you would eat at a Middle Eastern restaurant) and bread crumbs and baked in the oven. There were plain noodles, boiled butternut squash, and beef gravy to go with it, as well as a plate of tomato slices and onion slices. Then Louis brought us each a Tootsie Roll for dessert. Also, I bought hoender eiers today (hen's eggs) at Makro – at first I thought they were real eggs, but when Louise told me they were candy, I had to get some to try them.

Pictures from London

2011-01-19T09:53:00.001-08:00

Africa

2011-01-17T23:03:00.000-08:00

Here are a bunch of notes I have written to people. When I get the right adaptor for my electric plugs I will be able to take more time and organize my thoughts and write more coherent posts, but I thought some updates would be welcome.

To Mom: I got some sleep on my second flight, but not enough. I was really tired when I got here, and I still am, but I only took a half hour nap so I can hopefully not be too jet lagged. Tomorrow I get to go to BEAM in town with Erika and Carmen (my roommate who works at BEAM) and Louise, Erika's daughter, who picked me up from the airport.
She picked me up and we went to the ATM in Pretoria, about an hour away from the airport, and it didn't work. So we went to another one and it didn't work. So we went to the store and she said she would cover me, but then it ended up being almost R500, so we left our "trolley" (cart) at the store and went to ABSA and they couldn't really help that much. So I changed my American money and leftover British pounds and ended up with enough cash to go back to the store. But we tried using my card at the store to pay for the groceries and it worked! So idk what is really going on, but Erika gave me the number you gave her to call collect and I will try it tomorrow.
They have an extra Virgin Mobile cell phone that is on their plan that they are going to get me a new SIM card for it and then I will just pay them for my part of the bill every month. They said it's cheaper that way.

Btw, how did you know that I was having bank trouble? You called Erika about it, she didn't call you.

I'm going to have five ducks! The little pool next to my window is going to be ready in about a week and then I get to be in charge of feeding them :)

To Grandma: I am in South Africa and it is 7:30 at night and I have been here for twelve hours and I am really tired. I'm going to go to bed early tonight and try to sleep through the night and get up and do tomorrow like a normal day. Louise, Erika's daughter, picked me up from the airport and took me grocery shopping. There is one issue with the bank to work out and then everything will be all set.

I am going to get ducks! Louis built a little pool outside my window and I'm going to get five ducks and the wild guinea fowl come to eat, too. They have blue heads!
Love you. More later.

To Mom: A little overwhelmed. I didn't really know what to expect, but Louise was really helpful and really kind and it was really good to have her there. She is Erika's daughter, and she is married to Vernon and they live next door, between me/BEAM house/Carmen and Louis/Erika/Francois (their son). He just graduated from high school and Louis says he is taking a year off to "find himself...find Francois." They call him "Cois" for short, pronounced "so-iss," even though they pronounce his name the French way, "Frahn-swah." He has curly blond hair and dresses like a normal American with the baggy cargo pants and vans shoes and a metal tshirt. He plays electric guitar, and has teased me endlessly since I got here. His accent is more British/American sounding than Erika and Louis'...they sound like Australian mixed with Swedish.

To Mom: The flat I am going to live in won't be ready until July. In July a group from Colorado is coming for a short time, and a couple from there will come as well. When the group leaves, the couple will stay for a year and will live in the other bachelor flat. For now I have a very nice room in the BEAM house with my own bathroom. You asked what Louis and Erika have done for me already. Louis is a very, very hard worker and he can fix anything. He re-caulked my bathroom and re-tiled my window sill. He installed shelves in my closet and is putting handles on the doors today. He had Francois and Tomalo clean up an old vanity and oil it and put it in my room so I can have a dressing table. He is giving me a cell phone because they have an extra. I will pay them for my part of the bill every month. Carmen has her own room and bathroom in the BEAM house as well. She is white. She has learned Zulu growing up because she is from Durban. I can't wait to start learning Afrikaans. Louise said she would teach me. Erika taught me Kameelfontein this morning...it means camel fountain. The ducks are for pets. Erika and Louis have some and the guinea fowl come eat with them (they have blue heads!). Also, they have a gray and white short haired cat named Pretty Boy and five Yorkies, all of whom I have not met yet but one of them is Molly.

It is hot, but not super hot because there has been an unusual amount of rain and storms here lately. It reminds me of Costa Rica. In the sun it is very hot, but my house is surrounded by huge tropical trees that I have never seen before, and they keep it very cool. Plus the floors are all tile so that helps. The groceries are pretty much the same as here, except they call ketchup "tomato sauce." They have peanut butter and they even have Snickers. I didn't go down the candy row to find out if they have dark chocolate m&ms, but I'm betting they have at least regular ones. They also have potatoes (I didn't buy any because I got other groceries, but I will get some next time). Erika is going to call a friend of hers who is in charge of one of the branches of CMA (a Christian motorcycle group). She said they normally go on rides to the country on the weekends, and it would be very acceptable for me to ride with them once I get my bike.

Louise has an underactive thyroid, and she went to the doctor yesterday and he gave her medicine that is making her very sick to her stomach. Still, she is at the centre today and is taking me to Makro (like Costco or Walmart) later today. Erika will drop us off and meet with a potential supporter, and then they will pick us up and go back to the centre. None of the men showed up for work today, so all the women have had to do their normal work like lifting tables and chairs and stuff. It seems weird to me that they find it so unacceptable to do work like that because I do that stuff on a normal basis, but things are different here.

The dirt is red instead of brown. There are shanty towns on the way to Nellmapius, and the people who have regular houses let squatters come and build tin shanties in their yards for R200-300. The taxis are controlled by drug cartels, and they have a monopoly on the transportation system. We passed lines and lines of hundreds of people this morning on the way to the centre, all of whom were waiting for taxis. They drive like maniacs, and they slash the tires of regular people's cars so they have to take taxis. The government does nothing, the police don't pull them over, and they are one of Louis and Erika's favorite things to complain about.

Louis and Erika are so loving, especially toward each other. He calls her "my darling" and she always has a smile for him. They are very touchy feely. They snuggle on the couch and she always has her hand on his leg or his arm. It's really sweet.

London!

2011-01-16T07:51:00.001-08:00

I'm sitting in Heathrow airport at a little internet kiosk where you put in pound coins. 10 mins=£1. Dad was worried that I wouldn't make it back to the airport in time to get on my flight to South Africa, but everything has been going through without any snags so far.

The flight to London was fun. I met an older guy who fought in the Vietnam War and now he works for CAT (the construction company) and does some of their corporate business stuff, for which he travels a lot. He showed me his passport - he's been everywhere (including South Africa)! I also met a lady on her way to Delhi, whose hobby is traveling. She rents an apartment and saves all the money she makes at her job at a Catholic hospital for traveling. She has been everywhere as well, including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and (of course) South Africa. She told me she really liked Pretoria, and while she was there she tried to raise AIDS awareness. A man told her that the people weren't really listening to her, but she told him that they would definitely remember the short, fat, white woman standing in the street yelling about condoms! Hahahahahaha.

Anyway, we flew over Ireland (someday I will go there). The food wasn't actually bad. They served tea with everything, including the snack, the meal, and breakfast. I got to watch BBC news on the little TV, and I got some sleep (not a lot). Our flight attendant's accent sounded just like Merry and Pippin in Lord of the Rings.

Somehow Zack and I missed each other at the airport, but my flight was really late (early, actually, but air traffic was so backed up that we circled the airport for a good thirty or forty minutes, then sat at the gate for awhile). So I bought myself a bottle of water to get change for one of these internet stations, tried facebooking him, and when he didn't answer, I went to the Underground ticket booth and bought a day pass. Then I got a tube map and went to Piccadilly Circus(pictures to follow...don't think I can plug my memory card into this station). I walked to the Notre Dame London Center where we used to live (Isabelle doesn't work there anymore, Dad) and the guy at the reception desk let me walk around for awhile. Then I went to Trafalgar Square and then to Parliament. And then I was so tired I just caught the tube back to Heathrow.

After "freshening up" in the airport bathroom (traveling for extended periods of time with no shower and sleeping in your clothes gives new meaning to those words), I ate a muffin and now I'm updating for you guys :) I love you all! Soon they will announce my gate, and I will get on an 11-hour flight to South Africa. Hopefully I can post pictures tomorrow some time. Now I think I need to go find some more food because that muffin is all I've eaten today.

Inspiration...

2011-01-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

Quotes that have kept me company the last week...

"It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world...and at peace with myself." ~Nelson Mandela

"These old boots still got a lot of ground
They ain't covered yet
There's at least another million miles
Under these old bus treads
So if you think I'm gonnna settle down
I've got news for you
I still got a lot of leavin' left to do
And as long as there's a song
Left in this old guitar
This life I'm bound to lead
Ain't for the faint of heart
So you won't fall for me
If you know what's good for you
'Cause I still got a lot of leavin' left to do
I guess the Lord made me hard to handle
So lovin' me might be a long shot gamble
So before you go and turn me on
Be sure that you can turn me loose
'Cause I still got a lot of leavin' left to do"
~Dierks Bentley "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do"

"Go, not knowing where! Take, not knowing what! The way is unknown, the path is long. Even the hero does not know how to reach the end by himself or herself." ~Russian fairytale

"Go to the people
Live among them
Learn from them
Love them
Start with what they know
Build on what they have."
~Anonymous Chinese poem "Serving the People"

"To be a missioner is to go where you are needed but not wanted and to stay until you are wanted but not needed." ~Bishop James Edward Walsh, M.M.

I get on a plane in less than 8 hours. And then who knows what is in store :) See you all on the other side of the internet in a couple of days!

NYE

2011-01-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

My best friend and I hosted a black tie cocktail party to celebrate the new year. It was everything we hoped for and more than we imagined it would be. We rocked the socks off multiple generations of people, different kinds of dance steps, and delicious refreshments. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy, taken mostly by my good friend Lisa (who is a professional photographer). She also did our hair (as did Katie) and sewed me into my dress. Best New Year's Eve EVER!

The Books of 2010

2011-01-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

Because my friend Pam does it, I'm going to post a list of the books I read in 2010. If you have any questions (like whether I liked them or not, etc.), feel free to ask. Just because I finished a book doesn't mean it was good, and just because I didn't finish a book, doesn't mean it wasn't good. Also, some of these books were ones I have read several times over.

Books I Finished:
The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins
Timelock by David Klass
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The Canterbury Papers by Judith Koll Healey
The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin
The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Reluctant Debutante by William Douglas Home
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Sean Donovan by Lori Wick
A River Runs Through It by Norman MaClean
Donovan's Daughter by Lori Wick
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
So NOT Happening by Jenny Jones
Bitsy and the Mystery at Hilton Head by Vonda Skinner Skelton
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
Ruby Unscripted by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma
Burn by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy
In the Sweet By-And-By by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck
Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm
Wish You Well by David Baldacci
Paper Towns by John Green
Hood by Steven Lawhead
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
Scarlet by Steven Lawhead
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Utopia by Sir Thomas More
Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Trial by Franz Kafka
Age of Discretion by Simone de Beauvoir
Woman Destroyed by Simone de Beauvoir
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
Love, Ghosts, & Facial Hair by Steven Herrick
A Place Like This by Steve Herrick

Books I Didn't Read Cover to Cover:
Forgotten God by Frances Chan
Meditations by Descartes
Physics by Aristotle
Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick
The Institutes by John Calvin
Night light by Harvard Lampoon
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke
Principles of Human Knowledge by George Berkeley
The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton
How to Improve Your Fishing
Fisherman's World
The Complete Guide to Fishing
Reel Women by Lyla Foggia
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares
Crock-It by Barbara Murray
The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley
Woe Is I by Patricia O'Conner
Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
Tuck by Steven Lawhead
Beliefs and the Dead in Reformation England by Peter Marshall
Popular Politics and the English Reformation by Ethan Shagan
Forgotten God by Frances Chan (yes, I tried to read it twice)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Letters of Abelard and Heloise by Peter Abelard and Betty Radice
William Marshal: Flower of Chivalry by Georges Duby
Voyages and Discoveries by Richard Hakluyt
Sixpence House by Paul Collins
The Glamour of Grammar by Roy Peter Clark
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

2011-01-04T12:22:00.001-08:00

…my address in South Africa! It is listed below.

PO Box 71423
The Willows
Pretoria
0041
South Africa

I’m also posting it on facebook, and I will include it in my update letters.

Graduation Pictures!

2010-12-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

In case you're not on facebook, or didn't see them yet (captions are under the photos they pertain to):
Graduation tickets are hard to come by. Here are four of the seven that I managed to acquire.

Walking into the new Rose Arena. The construction was barely completed in time to hold commencement there. Katie edited the photo so that the colored bit shows you where I am in the big mess of people.

Me by the seal in front of Warriner Hall. The color of the tassel indicated the degree; mine is white for a B.A. The gold cords were for cum laude graduates (magna cum laude and summa cum laude wore medallions instead). They repainted it for commencement so it's all bright and shiny. The Latin means knowledge, virtue, and friendship.

Proud parents because they managed to graduate me with no college debt!

Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa all went to Central. I carried on the family tradition that Dad's cousin Diane, Grandma's mom, and Grandma's sister also helped establish.

Here's the whole crowd, including Coco, Will, and Katie. Thanks for being there, everybody!

Two-Week Whirlwind

2010-12-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

in a nutshell:

- graduation from college

- the packing of boxes and the move home

- getting to see the best friend everyday instead of every four months

- so much sleep: 53% of the first 48 hours of being home

- SNOW! Much more in South Bend than Mt. Pleasant

- new temp job: (paid) marketing intern at Ave Maria Press

- quit old job :(

- extraordinary kindness and generosity from supporters of my trip

- dentist visit (need new filling, don't need wisdom teeth out)

- Mom's surgery (more cancer, but it's out now) and a day in the hospital

- more sleep

- fun! in the forms of: wedding, dancing with Danny, seeing The Bone Collector, seeing live music at Fiddler's Hearth, movies in the Steenbeke's basement, etc.

- more trip planning and details getting worked out...leaving January 15 for South Africa (stopping in London on the way to see Zack)!

- hanging out with my brother way more than normal [:

- anticipating Christmas with the fam

All I can say is that life is good. I love not being in college anymore.

Adult

2010-12-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I was talking about all the food I had to cook to bring to the dinner that Will and I were going to the next day (we met Mom and Dad there). Someone commented on the fact that I was contributing a lot, and I said, "Yeah, it's almost like I'm a real adult or something." They responded, "Oh, give it ten years or so."

I am here to say that I am an adult, and lately it's even more apparent than usual. I won't give the usual excuses (I can legally join the military, smoke, drink, vote, etc.) because they are only that: excuses. Instead, I will tell you some stories.

Today a classmate asked me to turn in a paper to the professor for her because she was too embarrassed (she has missed a lot of class lately, and this is a grad class, so people notice). I noticed as she told me that she's been having problems at home with her husband that her make-up didn't quite cover up the bruise under her left eye. I agreed to turn in the paper for her, passed on information about the final exam, and said goodbye. Another weight added itself to my "knowledge about the world" scales: sometimes there are life issues that are bigger than school.

My professor promised to post the take-home final exam on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. Today she gave me her home phone number and asked me to call her if it wasn't posted by 5 p.m. so that I could remind her. I am her "safe guard," as she put it. She said she trusts me to throw away the phone number after Sunday. Another weight added itself to my "knowledge about the world" scales: even adults make mistakes.

I resent the fact that because I am only 21 I am not seen as an adult. I am naive about the world still, yes; but I am learning. I also am not so naive that I don't realize that I am that way. Socrates said that the mark of a wise man is the knowledge that he is not wise. I at least have that much wisdom. I pay most of my own bills. I have planned an entire trip to a foreign country on my own. I have raised the money.

Today I bought a "Central Michigan Alumni" shirt. Whether graduating, and therefore having the right to wear it, makes me an adult or not, I can't say. But I can say that I am capable. I am fully capable of managing, organizing, planning, executing, and living. And even thriving. I can make healthy or not healthy choices and enjoy (or deal with) the consequences. I am also wise enough to know whether I should choose to have a new computer or have the money for a new computer to use for something else. Decisions like that are ones that I am able and want to make on my own. I want to be free to decide, even if I might decide the wrong thing.

I don't need ten more years to be an adult. Yes, time will teach me a lot, but I don't need it to qualify as an adult. I don't need a husband to be an adult. Yes, marriage will teach me more than I can possibly imagine and will help me grow up even more, but I can be responsible without a husband. I don't need children to be an adult. Yes, they will grow me up faster than possibly even marriage will, they aren't necessary to be an adult. I am an adult and would like to be treated like one. I would like my decisions to be respected. I would like my input to count for something. I would like to live as the adult that I have, and will continue, to become. Nothing more, nothing less.

To those who read this and get a little bit indignant: I am not disrespecting you. I think you have done a fabulous job raising me and teaching me and growing me. I know you are worried about me. I know you love me. Thank you for loving me. But please: love me enough to let me choose.

Thoughts? What does it mean to be an adult?

Deer Hunting

2010-11-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

Today Grandpa let me sit in his deer blind with him, and watching through the fog and the dim light paid off. I shot a nice-sized doe from 150 yards...pierced the heart. Here's a pic:

Thanks to Will for letting me use his .223 and his hunting gear :)

Musical Recommendations by Yours Truly….

2010-11-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

Best Dance Song – this totally depends on the type of dancing... waltzing: "Iroquois Waltz" by Goldmine Pickers; lindy: "Solid As A Rock" by Ella Fitzgerald; bolero: "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion; blues: "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone; etc.
Most Inspiring – "It Happens" by Sugarland
Most Encouraging – "Everything'll Be Alright" by Joshua Radin
Best Cheer-Up Song – "Wild At Heart" by Gloriana or "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas
Best Workout Song – "Never Let You Go" by Jakaranda
Best Breakup Song – "I'm Not That Girl" from Wicked or "Paper Bag" by Fiona Apple
Best Crying Song – "Skin" by Rascal Flatts or "She's Somebody's Hero" by Martina McBride
Best Driving Song – "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Lady Antebellum
Sweetest Love Song – "Shelter" by Ray LaMontagne
Best Summer Song – "Cowboy, Take Me Away" by Dixie Chicks
Best Chill/Mellow Song – "Every Morning" by Keb Mo
Best Belt-It Singing Song – "Stuck Like Glue" by Sugarland
Best Silly Song – "Sailor" by Joe Vercellino
Best Political Song – "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" by Toby Keith
Best Inappropriate Song – "Ticks," "Online," "I'm Still A Guy," or "Water" by Brad Paisley (or if you want really inapprop, then "The Hot Tub Song" by Phil Vassar)
Sing-Along-Country-Song – "It's A Great Day To Be Alive" by Travis Tritt
Best “I’m SO over you!” Song – "This Ain't No Love Song" by Trace Adkins

November and Open Mic Night

2010-11-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

November has arrived, and with it the first big frost. I made the mistake of leaving Lucy outside all night, and she was covered in a thin white coating of ice when I left the house this morning. I can see the end of college just around the corner.

There are fewer projects on my to-do list, so the end of the semester seems like it might actually happen, as opposed to the daunting task it seemed before. I also purchased my cap, gown, and tassel (and I got my yellow cords, because I'm graduating with academic honors).

I just got back from a weekend at Purdue visiting Will. It was a lot of fun...I miss him a lot. We also got to see Aunt Carol, Uncle Brad, and our cousins. Later that night we talked with Claudia and Tabitha on Skype. It was a night for catching up :)

More things are getting checked off my to-do list for Africa: I got fingerprinted and applied for a Police Clearance Certificate. I signed insurance papers and paid the deposit. I got my last shot, and am now able to photocopy my vaccination record for the visa application. Keep praying that God will bring in all the monthly pledges I need.

In two weeks I have a fundraiser at my favorite coffee shop in Mt. Pleasant: an open mic night. I'm finalizing the set list and getting ready to put flyers up. Pray that God blesses the event and that after it is over I can finally purchase my plane ticket.

Bring It On, World

2010-10-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

I hate winter, but there is something to be said for the warmth, brightness, and delicious smells that a winter kitchen provides. It's not winter yet, but the warm clothes (and jackets and coats...uhhgggg) that I've been forced to wear lately indicate that winter is coming. Winter is so dismal, and it just adds to my mood.
Lately, it seems that everything is piling up (this might be because I have been slacking a little lately...). But do you know how hard it is to go to a foreign country? You can't just go. You have to apply for a visa if you are going to be there for a significant length of time, and applying for a visa involves billions of forms that you a) have no idea what they mean, b) are seemingly unobtainable, and c) require copies of forms that will be obtained when you pay for a procedure or license or something else official for which you don't have the money right now. Visas also require a lot of money. So while I'm calling the South African Consulate and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department (or the FBI, I'm not sure which organization to call to obtain a form that says I'm not a criminal), be happy that you don't have to do the same.
School is also crazy. I have a presentation on Monday that I am in the midst of preparing for and a paper due the same day, and a couple of books to read for Tuesday, and other stuff that has been hanging over my head that I should probably use today and tomorrow to accomplish.

Here are some things I am thankful for, to counter the drudgery of this post:
- my friends Whit and Ariel...they know what for
- my roommate Ariel because she did nearly ALL the dishes while I was in Detroit yesterday
- my trip to the Detroit Institute of Art, one of the greatest museums in this part of the country (its rivals are in Chicago and either Toledo or Cleveland, I don't remember which)
- the anticipation of Kristen coming over tonight to watch Firefly and eat venison roast and butternut squash with me and roommate Ariel
- cell phones...sometimes texting makes you feel close to people even when they are very, very far away
- the motivation (for once) to tackle the skyscraper that my to-do list has become
- my bed. I know this is a little different from all the things on this list, but at the end of the day, I can fall into my very big, very comfy bed and forget my to-do list for at least a few hours (if I'm lucky, at least 7.5 hours)
- the countdown...there are seven weeks exactly until I graduate from college. What will it be like to be able to say "when I was in college..."
- looking forward to deer season

A Small Rant On Being Single...(even though I know it's cliche)

2010-10-17T10:18:00.001-07:00

My also-single friend Taylor posted this recently on her blog: "At first I was planning on doing '10 Reasons Being Single Rocks,' but then I decided against it because I couldn’t think of any legit reasons. Don’t get me wrong, I believe there are millions, but I believe if you’re not having luck being creative at a certain moment, move on to something else. So, some other day, when I feel more inspired on the topic, I may very well have 50 rocking reasons to be a bachelorette (and NO, that does not mean someone celebrating that they will be married in a few short days, I mean it in the literal sense of the word)" (read the whole post here). Here is another post by my good friend Whitney, who gets a little more agitated than Taylor, but is just as funny.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as she is. I know there are good things about being single, but right now I'm sick of dating and dating and dating and never finding the things in men that I require: 1) a good match, 2) a nice guy, and 3) someone I'm attracted to. I have found plenty of good matches that I'm not attracted to, plenty of nice guys who aren't good matches, and even some that I'm attracted to who either aren't nice guys or aren't good matches (or both). But I have yet to find all three in the same person. And even if I did, it would be just my luck that he wouldn't be interested in me. So I'm throwing my frustration out at the world because I'm sick of holding it in. DATING SUCKS! Why is it so hard? I'm off to eat some chocolate and wallow in self-pity until I realize that I'm doing just fine on my own :) (which hopefully won't take all afternoon).

Memphis Pictures

2010-10-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Will and Eric on a bike ride:

B.B. King's and Rum Boogie's with Philip and Aunt Debbie:

At A Loss for Words...

2010-10-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Señor Mario Vargas Llosa is the most recent winner of the Nobel Prize for literature (read the article here). This may or may not be important (because it may indicate that he is an authority on the subject) when considering his words about fiction:
“I don’t think there is a great fiction that is not an essential contradiction of the world as it is…The Inquisition forbade the novel for 300 years in Latin America. I think they understood very well the seditious consequence that fiction can have on the human spirit.”

What does that mean? There are two parts to that statement; first:

All great works fiction necessarily go against reality. (Deny the existence of reality? Are about unreal things?)

and

Fiction gives humans rebellious spirits.

Discuss:
Are those accurate summaries of Vargas Llosa’s words? Do you agree or disagree? If he’s right, how does (will, should) that change the way we interact with fiction? I’ve thought about this all day and can’t seem to come up with an essay (or even preliminary thoughts) to write about it. So I’m asking you – what do you think?

1 Timothy 4:12

2010-10-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

I love the university community. It's a place that fosters the coming together of ideas. Yes, people say today's generation is falling apart. We are lazy goodfornothings. I know what you see, what you base those opinions on. You see the students who go to class in their pajamas, looking unprofessional and not prepared to learn. You see the guy with the mohawk taller than the length from his wrist to his elbow. You see the students who come to class still drunk from the night before.

But I don't think we're hopeless. Here's what I see:
I see the students who put up the deep red banner advocating the Sober in October event and fighting alcoholism on the campus of one of the biggest party schools in the nation. I see the makeshift shanty built from cardboard boxes where students sleep overnight to raise awareness for homelessness and Habitat for Humanity. I see the group of definitely not French students sitting outside a coffee shop and speaking French to build their language skills.

We may be young, but we have initiative. We are smart. We are fostering those ideas. We can make a difference, too.

Richly Blessed

2010-09-26T16:55:00.001-07:00

My fundraiser dinner today went perfectly! We had way too much food, of course, and were able to pass on leftovers to the His House campus houses. We didn't have as many people as we expected, but the people who came were immensely generous and I made about $400. My parents came up and helped by providing food, helping cook, set up tables, wash dishes, and tons of other things. Grandma and Grandpa also helped so much, and my best friend and my roommate and my friend Kristen...there are way too many people to thank, but thanks to the guests who came and donated. Thanks to the church for providing the space for my dinner. Thanks to Amanda for making the flyers, and thanks to Adina for hanging the flyers because I was far too busy. Thank you, thank you, thank you. God has truly blessed me with the amazing people in my life and blessed the efforts of them by providing for my trip. I am abundantly blessed.

TIA

2010-09-24T08:54:00.001-07:00

My friend Tim recently told me that he is very curious about the country of South Africa (presumably because I'm going there). I told him I am too. I spend a lot of my time wondering what it will be like to live there. I just read this post by a friend of mine who spends a lot her time in Benin, which is definitely not the same as South Africa. However, I can't help but wonder how similar they are.

I spoke with my professor's wife the other day because she lived in South Africa in the late 70s (during Apartheid). Her descriptions were of very British- and Dutch-esque culture and lots of racism. I know it will be different, but I wonder how different? I've heard that it is very racist compared to here, but that doesn't give me a good idea.

Fortunately, there are less than four months left until I will experience just what "this is Africa" means.

How To Be A Good Professor:

2010-09-14T11:32:00.001-07:00

In order to be a good professor there are some general rules that must be followed. Professors should inspire students to learn and should have the ability to help those students learn, too. By maintaining a neat appearance, checking facts, and becoming experts in their fields, professors can be good: inspiring and challenging.

I know it’s cliché to say that first impressions are the most important, but it’s true. When professors come to class, especially on the first day (but throughout the semester, too), their appearances should be “neat.” What does that mean exactly? Well, it’s hard to explain because it doesn’t mean that shirts have to be tucked in (in fact, sometimes they look better untucked), but it does mean that everything should be in place. Hair should be combed. It doesn’t mean that they can’t wear jeans. Neat means that everything the professor did on purpose to put together his appearance should still be put together when he comes to class. Disheveled is not professional. Also, shirts should probably have a collar – that level of professionalism isn’t too much to ask. Work boots are probably not the best choice. Clothes should fit properly. The first step on the road to being a good professor is being neat.

There are two reasons for being neat. The first is that students are more likely to listen to what professors have to say if they appear “put together.” On a subconscious level there is a certain amount of disrespect kindled in my head if a professor comes in and she hasn’t been careful about her appearance. It doesn’t matter so much what she’s wearing (jeans/casual is fine), but it matters how she is put together. The less there is to criticize about the professor’s appearance, the more likely a student is to listen to the lecture.

The second reason for having a neat appearance is that presenting an image of chaos distracts the students. If the end of a professor’s belt is flapping or hanging instead of being tucked in where it’s supposed to be, I’ll probably spend five minutes wondering why his belt isn’t right and where he bought it and if they didn’t have the right size belt there, etc. Students spend the entire class period looking at their professors, and they don’t need any more distractions. In one of my classes I spend several minutes of each class period wondering if my professor brushes his long flyaway hair at all and how come he can’t get it all to stay in the ponytail, when I should be trying refocus my attention on what he is saying about Old English. I also am annoyed that one pant leg is tucked into his boot and the other is out. The less disheveled a professor looks, the more likely a student is to pay attention.

Being a good professor isn’t just about looking like she has everything together. She must also actually have it together. If a professor starts talking and mentions that the American Civil War began in 1862, a student is going to start thinking she’s stupid because she doesn’t know that the Civil War actually began in 1861. And then students will stop listening to what the professor has to say. So the first rule about knowing what she’s talking about is to double check facts. Even if a professor thinks she knows, if the lecture is going to involve the information, it deserves a fact check.

Most of the time I find that it helps to be an absolute genius, too. The best professors are the ones who know their fields backward and forward and not only that but also LOVE their fields. The best classes are the ones in which students learn things that aren’t self explanatory; things they need the professor for, instead of things that could be learned elsewhere. The professor must be a necessary part of class, or the student will write him/her off. How can a professor be necessary? Be a genius.

The final requirement for being a good professor generally follows from being a genius: being challenging. If the professor is a genius and an expert is his/her field, it is generally accepted that the students will find the material challenging. Of course, while students complain about challenging courses because they require more work outside of class and more brain power, those are the classes that they ultimately remember and actually enjoy. In other words, in order to be a good professor, she must not be wishy-washy or a pushover. A good professor is firm about the material he has to teach and doesn’t cut things out unless class time is running out. He is not there to please the students by letting them out of class early or letting them take him on tangents and rabbit trails. Instead, the professor is there to educate the students and inspire them to learn.

Inspiration to learn comes from professors who are all these things: put together and neat in appearance, correct about general facts, interested/knowledgeable in their own fields, and challenging. The best classes I’ve ever had were the ones from professors who were all these things. They can be intimidating (in fact, they are the professors about whom students tell scary stories), but they are the professors for whom I turn my cell phone off in class. They are the professors who I visit during their office hours. They are the professors who I respect.They are the professors from whom I learn the most. They are the professors who make me want to work on a paper for weeks in order to be the best I can, just to get their approval. They are the professors I appreciate; they are the professors I remember. These are the good professors.

On Love.

2010-09-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

My friend Whitney inspired this post with her own post...read it here.

She used the term "sweet little bleeding heart." I realized that is what I want to be. If this is what it means to be a sweet little bleeding heart:

~that you love until it hurts and, metaphorically limping through the pain, love some more
~that you get texts at three in the morning from those who feel worthless
~that you get calls from friends who may or may not have found the right girl, finally
~that you give far less than you wish to, but more than you probably can afford
~that you have to have an outlet for all the emotions welling up inside of you or you will break down
~that you have too much to do and too few hours to do it in
~that you constantly need emotional refreshment and run to your God, who can handle it all, for that reprieve

then I may already be one <3

Loving means hurting. But that's one form of masochism I'll embrace wholeheartedly.

Why ENG 252 Is The Worst Class Everrr...

2010-09-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

WARNING: I'm venting. If you don't want to hear it, don't read it.

When ENG 252 starts, Brevda writes a question of the day on the board. He has openly admitted several times that these questions cannot be answered. So what do we do in class? Listen to him speculate. Today's joyful lecture/rambling session was concerning: "Why was Emily Dickinson a recluse?" So we listen to him go on for awhile.

Then I ask, "Do you want us to answeryour question based on the poems we read for today orshould we hypothesize?"

To which he replies that the question really can't be answered, but "Do you have an answer you'd like to share?"

So I say, "Some poets and artists are like that. They withdraw. They are emo."

He asks, "They are what?"

Okay, professor does not know what emo is...rephrase. "Some artists are just like that. It's who they are. They withdraw."

Which he understands to mean that Emily Dickinson felt that she had to withdraw in order to write poetry. She couldn't write if she wasn't a recluse. Which is not what I meant at all.

So he begins talking about how religion influenced her poetry, incorrectly summarizing "Calvanism" (it's named after John Calvin...spell it right, dude) and its tenets (which he pronounces "tenants").

Then he asks why she never married.

When someone says, "Do we know why her sister never married?"

he says, "Well, we will never be able to answer the question why she never married. No one can answer it."

So why did you ask us then?

The student who asked, equally as frustrated as I was at this point, says, "Well, it just seems weird that they both never married. I thought if we knew why Lavinia never married, it would help us understand why Emily Dickinson never married."

The professor says he doesn't know and that you would have to read about Emily Dickinson's life to know why. Isn't that your job? You're the professor, you're supposed to be prepared for class!

Then he asks about audience...who was she writing these poems for - she never attempted to get them published.

In response, a student bravely (you must be brave in this class to answer a question, because you know your answer will get shot down or misinterpreted immediately) says, "Maybe she wrote them for herself."

Brevda says, "Well, but writers always have in mind some kind of audience. What would be the point of writing if you didn't intend for someone to read what you wrote?"

He is faced with silence (and the painful look on my face), so he asks, "Am I right? How many of you are writers?"

1/3 of the class raises their hands.

I finally speak up. "I would disagree with that, wholeheartedly. Artists and poets feel things differently, and sometimes they write just to get it out because they can't stand to keep it inside anymore."

"But you would want someone to read it, right?" he prods.

"Absolutely not," I say. "It's far too personal. I wrote it to get it out on paper, possibly for the very reason that I couldn't talk to someone about it. I'm not going to share it with anyone."

He wonders aloud, "Then why didn't she give up writing poetry after someone told her that her work wasn't good?"

What he doesn't understand is that if you're a writer, there is no greater pain than bearing the unwritten inside of you. It doesn't seem that he will ever understand. And what he doesn't understand, he shouldn't talk about. Or base entire class lectures on.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that during the course of the class period, he actually said out loud that being a wife and running a household is limiting and unproductive. Thanks for knocking what I want to do with my life, sir. I fully appreciate your infusion of doom and gloom into my every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

SNAMU

2010-08-31T08:52:00.001-07:00

Edited for content, SNAMU is "Situation Normal: All Messed Up." That describes this semester so far. It is only day two of week two, and already I'm up to my earlobes in homework, planning for overseas, and emotional crises, and I feel like I'm going to shivel up and die because there is neither enough of me nor hours each day to go around.
Here are some snapshots that hopefully explain what I mean:
- I got an email yesterday that said my application for graduation was being thrown out because I didn't have all the requirements completed. The solution: I had to talk to numerous people in the administration building (in several different departments), but now I am all set and am graduating on time: December 11, 2010 (provided I pass all my classes).
- Which brings me to my next snapshot: I am taking 18 credits this semester, 6 of which are grad level (one of those is a history class which is WAY over my head, but totally interesting, so I'm sticking it out; but it's important to remember that graduate students usually only take three classes, and I'm taking two as well as four undergrad classes) and ALL of which are reading/writing classes. I love 19th Century European Art the best, which also happens to be the only class I'm auditing and not getting actual credit for. I hate American Literature: Realistic to Modern Period because the teacher is terrible. Summary: mostly awesome classes, but way too much work and very difficult.
- Planning for South Africa is moving right along, but I have to be constantly on top of it. It's like I'm juggling twelve balls at once, and if I take my eyes off of them for even a second they will all hit the ground. So I'm planning two fundraisers right now, a dinner and an open mic night. I'm making doctor appointments, applying for visas, getting my international driver's license mistakes corrected, etc. etc.
- Emotional crises: my pastor is leaving and I didn't expect my reaction - breaking down in the middle of church on Thursday night. One of my best friends needs Jesus so so so much and is fighting Him just as much. In four months I will be leaving all my friends and family who I love so much, and none of them want me to go, so not only is it hard for me to leave, it's hard to bear their emotions, too.
- Work. Oh, yeah, I have a job? Praise God that I have one in Michigan's economy, and that I was able to get 15 hours a week at it. However, the regular schedule hasn't even started yet, so I have no idea how I'm going to get my homework done once it does because I'm already melting down.

Hopefully those pictures give you a good idea of what life is like right now. If I make it to graduation it will be a miracle. Right now, I have to go read Book I of Sir Thomas More's Utopia...

South Africa Update

2010-08-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

Here's what else has been done lately:

scheduled an African dinner fundraiser at church for September 26

sent out a follow-up message to my group on facebook

created event for dinner on facebook

started to plan open mic night fundraiser at my favorite coffee shop

got four vaccines (see picture above): typhoid, polio, hepatitis a/b, yellow fever

got my international driver's license in the mail

got the forms I need for my visa

started making a PowerPoint to send to church mission committees for fundraising

Music and Friends: Beautiful and Encouraging

2010-08-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

There are some songs that are perfect because of their tunes...songs like "The High Walls of Derry" (an old traditional Irish tune, sung by Nolan Ladewski), "Sean's Favorite" by the Goldmine Pickers, "Second of May" by the Steel Wheels, "Everything'll Be Alright" by Joshua Radin, "Twilight Serenade" by Jason Miles Goss, and "Constellations" by Jack Johnson are beautiful because their melodies are soft and graceful. But other songs are perfect because of their lyrics. They say exactly what you're feeling or what you want to say or what you know someone else feels but can't seem to find the words to express. This week has been filled with new bands and new songs and new lyrics that are perfect. Here are selections from them:

Look at all the lonely hearts
Shivering out in the dark
Hiding from the truth
Cover up the proof
Demons that I've tried to hide
Imprison me in my own lies
And all that I can do is cover up the proof
Don't be afraid to...
Stand up!
Stand up if you're broken
Stand up!
Stand up if you feel ashamed
You are not alone when you hurt this way
Stand up!
Stand up if you need love
Stand up!
This is not judgment day
You don't have to hide
There's no need to run
Everything will be okay

We have so much motivation
But we don't see our inclinations are a cry for You
a desperate pleading and yearning for You
But we don't know who we should be crying for
Burning up, burning up
I know why you're feeling this way
There's an ache you can't erase
A yearning that you can't replace
And you want Him, and you need Him
But you act like He's not there
Yeah, you know that you're hollow
And something's missing here
So you push and you pull the hole in your soul
But you can't make the hunger disappear

Hiding in a smile
Is a life filled with hurt
A soul that's crying out
Wanting to be heard
I've tried all I know
To discard all my pain
Will I come alive
Is there any way
I'm wasting away
And it's all I can take
I'm ready to change
I'm not gonna break
Tired of waking up without you
Every single day reminds me
It's not too late
Living in a world of hurt
Hurting everything that's worth loving...
Acting like it's all ok
Knowing that I'm in the way
Seeing where I need to be

But I need you to carry me
I'm holding on
To things I shouldn't
It's time to let them go
I've been on a losing streak
Hit so hard I couldn't speak
But when I hear Your voice it fades away
And I can hear You say
It's a brand new day
The pain goes away
The waves are crashing down on me
But I know that this cannot be the end, be the end...
Right now I feel like copping out
Will You hold me up, if I just say
That I will stay
I will hold on to this hope that I have...
I'll push through this moment, I'll never give up
You gave me a promise...
I'm so tired that I can't stand
But I know that time will heal this heart, heal this heart

I don't wanna waste another day
Living in regret from my mistakes
I'll move on and the sun will shine
Pick up the pieces walk away
Live with the choices I have made
You've forgotten and so will I

I don't live a perfect life
But God knows I'm trying the best I can
And I have wasted so much time
Pretending I'm alright about who I am
But now I'm living the best I can
I desperately want you
I desperately need you
I need a love that stands true
I desperately want you
I want to love what You love, I want to see what You see
I want a hope that burns like a fire in me
I want Your light in my life, I want my heart renewed

[Compiled from:"Cry for You" by Reilly; "Moving On," "Wasting Away," "Forever With You," "Desperate," and "Best I Can" by Decyfer Down; "You Gave Me A Promise," "Brand New Day," "The Hunger," and "Stand Up" by Fireflight]

I am grateful for the wonderful, awesome friends I have who hold me up when I need it. This week has been filled with Ben, who can slow dance with me and rub my back and not have it be romantic; Kristen, who will stay up late talking and snuggling because we both need it; and Danny, who cooks for me, buys me dinner, dances with me, shows me new things, and stays up late on the phone as long as I need to talk. I am overwhelmed by the beautiful, encouraging people in my life. They inspire me to be that way for my other friends who need an anchor, who need to be loved.

Fireplace!

2010-08-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

I finally got pictures of what the BEAM house looks like. This is where I will be living (notice the real fireplace and European-style deep tub with shower head):

I Love Summer

2010-07-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I updated...here are some things that summer has held:

My friend Alex Tremlin (now Mrs. Mikrut) got married. This is me at the wedding holding Layla Danielle, my friend Courtney's baby :) She fell asleep in my arms despite the hip hop in the background. So precious.

Me and Whitney at the wedding :)

I visited my old neighbors, Lisa and Dave, twice in Rockford, MI. While I was there I got to learn how to wakeboard! Also, I helped fix up their little house. I believe they are moving in today. It was very encouraging to hang out with the Hammonds and see them living out God's love. They serve each other the way the Bible says, and that's rare.

For Katie's birthday, her mom got us two tickets to see Brad Paisley in concert. We drove all the way to Moline, IL, for the show :) Just in case you were wondering, Brad Paisley can really play all those amazing guitar solos! He's very talented. Poor Will was very jealous. I believe there are videos on facebook if you want to see more.

Also, Katie's brother Joey is visiting home for two weeks from base in Kansas, and I got to hang out with him a little on Sunday night :) We went on a motorcycle ride together, each on our own bike (he just recently got an R6). It was cool riding with someone else - I've never done that before. Also, he let me ride his bike a little bit, and I made him practice with me on the back (he had never taken passengers before). I love motorcycles.

My cousins from Memphis are visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Edmore right now, which is where I'm posting from. We might go fishing tomorrow! They are enjoying the farm and doing things they don't normally do in the city...we had foil dinners on the grill for supper, and Sam even got to go hunting.

I donated blood again today for what could be the last time, depending on how the dates work out before I leave the country. I found out that I will be able to donate in South Africa, though, at the Red Cross there. That was very exciting to me!

What's still coming this summer:

- Vaccines for South Africa - I have an appointment in August to get a bunch of shots! God is blessing me with support for this trip. I still have lots more to raise, but He is faithful. I know the rest will come in.

- My friend Dave Bachelor is coming to visit in Mt. Pleasant this Thursday. Luckily, he's good at/likes to shop...because I hate it, he's going to help me pick out some jeans. Bleh. At least we get to hang out.

- This weekend I'm going home because it's Mom's birthday. She and Cup o' Soup have a gig on Friday. Then on Saturday we might be going to Ohio to visit a friend of hers who is in from Arizona. Sunday I'll be riding my motorcycle all the way back to Mount Pleasant (about six hours because I have to take all back roads). I road it down last weekend and left it because I was in a time crunch to get back (plus Will wanted to drive it to work this week).

- The weekend after that is Mom's birthday party - crazy madness!

More South Africa

2010-06-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend was crazy in terms of working out details about my move to South Africa.

Things I Accomplished:

- Got details about financial support so I could finish my letter
- Finished my letter
- Made an appointment at the Writing Center to look over my letter
- Began a list of people and addresses to whom the letter will be sent
- Found out how the money will get to me after it is donated here in the U.S.
- Set up a phone appointment for tomorrow to talk about more details with a guy in Colorado
- Downloaded an Afrikaans learning program
- Downloaded the New Testament in Afrikaans
- Printed the application for an International Drivers License
- Printed the application for a South African visa
- Printed the list of vaccines I need
- Determined that I will be living in the BEAM House, which is adjacent to the BEAM Africa building...photos coming soon. Apparently it seven minutes out of town (yay! I'm going to live in the country!) and I will have what sounds like an apartment-ish. Here's what Erika wrote: "It will be like your own place as you will use the kitchen and bathrooms as well as lounge for your own purposes. Some rooms have their own bathrooms. There is one other lady living there and now and again there might be small groups of about 15 - 20 coming in for 7 -10 days or so....You will have privacy and will also be close to us if need be. This property is right next to our own property." I also found out the "town" is Pretoria, which if you look on a map is on the east side of the country.
- Began making a poster for fundraising events
- Talked to Leslie at church...we are emailing back and forth about a time to meet to talk about fundraising ideas
- Brainstormed ideas for three fundraisers, at least two of which will come to fruition
- Created prototype flyers for each of the three ideas
- Connected via facebook with a woman who served for a year with BEAM Africa with whom I can talk and from whom I can glean wisdom

Things I Still Have To Do:
- Fill out the visa application and send it in
- Fill out the internation driver's license application and send it in
- Get shots
- Finish list of addresses
- Edit financial support letter
- Mail out financial support letter
- Meet with Leslie
- Plan fundraisers
- Hold fundraisers
- Buy plane ticket
- Make packing list (find out what to pack!)
- so much more that I haven't thought of yet...

South Africa

2010-06-04T05:26:00.001-07:00

It's official (although still in the very early stages...as in, I don't have a ton of information yet. Plans are still underway)! I'm going to South Africa when I graduate. BEAM Africa is an organization located in The Willows, South Africa. Because 25% of the South African population is unemployed, they are all about education and job training for adults and child care. I will be helping the directors, Louis and Erika Lingenfelder, write a book about the work they do there, as well as helping write and edit their newsletter and website and helping with English literacy (which I think means teaching, but I don't know for sure). It's a volunteer position, which means I need to raise money for a plane ticket, a used car (they are right-hand-drive cars! how weird is that?!), and about $1200 a month for the (at least) two years that I will be over there. I'm so excited! More info later, but here's a map of the location:

or here, I'm not really sure which yet...google maps is not conclusive:

Either way, it's down there somewhere, lol.

Just after looking doing preliminary flight shopping, I might be making a connection in United Arab Emirates. How cool is that? I'm super excited about all aspects of this incredible opportunity! Praise God for bringing it to me.

Lazy Days of Summer

2010-06-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was another perfect, relaxing day. I drove from Edmore to Mt. Pleasant (after coming up from South Bend yesterday with Grandma and Grandpa I stayed the night at their house). I unpacked and cleaned the house, then rewarded myself with lunch (pasta salad from Grandma). Then I spent the afternoon finishing Wish You Well by David Baldacci (see below). I also read some more of The Great Gatsby. Then my friend Alyssa and I went to Doozie's and rented Leap Year (see below). This morning, I finished Gatsby (see below) and now I'm at the UCup, surfing the web and eventually reviewing some papers for the Writing Center. I'm looking forward to a little over an entire week of this, before I have to get on the road again. Life is good :)

Wish You Well by David Baldacci. Pop fiction. I read this because Dad lent it to me. He said Baldacci is not normally like this book; in this one, the character development was good and the lawyer/political stuff was almost non-existent. So I gave it a go. And he was right. I enjoyed it from the very beginning. Granted, the writing was not exceptional, but the character development was as good as promised, even bringing tears to my eyes at a few places. The plot was creative and heart wrenching. It's about two children from New York City who have to go live with their grandmother in the backwoods of Virginia when their father is killed and their mother handicapped in an auto accident. The hard work and rich life of working the land is communicated perfectly. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

Leap Year (2010, MPAA rating PG, Kate's rating: PG). Starring Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, and Adam Scott. Directed by Anand Tucker. I watched this movie for the second time (first time was because Katie rented it and wanted to watch it) last night. It is absolutely the cleanest chick flick I have ever seen. It's also hilarious. It doesn't compromise anything in terms of movie quality for the cleanness of it. Amy Adams plays a control freak whose boyfriend hasn't proposed to her in the four years they have been dating. When he goes to Dublin, Ireland for a cardiologists' convention, she decides to follow him to propose to him on Leap Day, in keeping with a great Irish (and family) tradition. However, her plane gets diverted to Wales because of a storm, and the story that follows is about her struggles to get to Dublin in time. Of course she falls in love with an adorable Irishman, if a bit cynical, in the process. I would recommend this movie to all lovers of chick flicks. I would even suggest that the boyfriends/husbands/fiances of the chick flick lovers might enjoy it because of Matthew Goode's performance as the cynical Irish guy. Normally I don't go for movies where the two main characters hate each other the whole time, but about halfway through this one they start to warm up to each other, so it's not so bad.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Classic literature. I've already mentioned this one, and in fact recommended it to my readers. However, I'd like to amend my review now that I have finished the book. It's true that I was charmed by the first half, but all the charm quickly wore off, just as all the extravagant rich people's adventures quickly grew old to them in the story. Towards the end, I kept wondering "What is the point?" It was monotonous, and everything seemed filled with futile efforts. All the characters try to relive their past, and fail right up to the end. I couldn't see the point. I kept trying to figure out what the theme was. Where was the meaning in this book? Then I got to the last line: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." And it all made sense. That WAS the point, that there was no point. Once again, I am amazed by great literature and how much richer it is compared to the pop fiction that I usually escape into. I would recommend this book still, but now I have a more complete view of why. Not only is it good writing, but it has an underlying meaning as well. If you like this book, you should read A River Runs Through It. I didn't like that one, but both are examples of great writing and simple themes that are easy to find (if you are teaching high school literature and want to practice analysis, these two are books that would be good to choose).