Monday, January 31, 2005
Pot o' Gold
The rainbow ended in the middle of the ocean. I suppose I won’t be getting a pot o’ gold without a boat.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Ireland update
This past week wasn’t too hectic. The Harbins attempted to ease us into classes, but I’m afraid of what’s ahead. Next week we have three hour blocks of classes each day in addition to a spiritual renewal service on Wednesday and Friday. So far we’ve just done Celtic Christianity, so next week we start in on Irish History and Irish Literature. I think we also have an Irish step dance class on Thursday. I’m so sick of school.
Cooking has gone extremely well this weekend, although I’m exhausted. My partner, Mary, and I head up the kitchen crew here at the Y, so on weekends we’re in charge of meals. It takes a good deal of time out of the day, but I honestly don’t know what else I’d do with myself and I love cooking. All this time I didn’t realize how much of an English girl I was! BTW, Mary lived on Third North. :)
So, basically, life is slow and I’m still alive. How’s that for an update?
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Dublin Hunt
We found everything on our list and got back on the DART just before 1 p.m., although we spent a lot of time walking in circles. I still don’t know Dublin very well, but perhaps eventually I’ll figure it out. We weren’t too interested in staying in the city, so we didn’t linger. We ate our sack lunches on the DART (I drank Club Rock Shandy!) and discussed what it means to fall in love.
Greystones was a welcome sight after a morning in the city. I usually like cities, but Dublin just seemed so strange to me. I’m sure I won’t feel that way forever, though. As we walked up to Coolnagreina, we looked over to the Loft and saw the Harbins in the window waving at us. We decided to stop in and hang out for a bit and they offered us drip-brew coffee (all we’ve had is instant since we got here… ugh!) and gingerbread. We ate and talked and just had a really nice time. I enjoy the Harbins SO much. I’m so glad they’re our trip leaders.
Below is a photo I took of the River Liffey from the Ha’Penny Bridge, one of the most recognizable features of Dublin. One of my group members was trying to find out if we were on the right bridge, so she yelled out, “Is this the Ha’Penny Bridge?” An Irishman who didn’t want to be bothered said, “I don’t know.” His companion laughed and confirmed that we were, indeed, on the Ha’Penny Bridge.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
A few photos!!!
Here's a photo of Brayhead (I think... I'm still learning what things are) from "Esther's corner" on the Brayhead trail.
This is our room! It's rather cozy, though it's freezing cold in the morning. Thank God for down comforters!
This is a man-hole in Greystones. Even their sewer covers are pieces of art!
Hillside and hike
Today was much better than yesterday. For one thing, it didn’t rain and I could actually see the ocean and mountains. I woke up to my alarm clock (no trouble adjusting to time here) and went downstairs to talk on the phone for a bit. Church started at
For lunch we had egg rolls and scones with NUTELLA. I’d had Nutella before in Monica’s room my freshman year, but I don’t remember enjoying it so much. I’m also looking forward to eating chocolate Panda. Today they just had “American Style” peanut butter Panda. Is peanut butter distinctly American?
After lunch, we went on a hike to Brayhead. It was muddy and rather chilly, but it was nice to hike. We went to the train station in Bray just as the DART was leaving, so we had to wait 40 minutes for a bus back to Greystones. Ann was sick and freezing, so she, Trista and I found a bowling alley that was open on Sunday. Inside, we had tea and coffee to warm up and I used Euros for the first time since I got here.
We got back to the station and waited around until the double-decker bus arrived to pick us up. Back in Greystones, we had dinner, meetings and ANN’S RING DOWN!!! Everyone already knew she was engaged and many of us had already heard the story, but it was exciting anyway.
Tomorrow we have our first Irish classes, but it’s all orientation. They say their going to ease into scholastics, but I’m definitely not looking forward to restarting class in any form. I’d enjoyed being on break SO MUCH. I’m just a lazy bum, I know, but I’m really starting to dislike school.
The story so far:
1/21
My journey began at
The time to board came, but there was no plane. Alas, it was still in
When we finally arrived in
We sat in the food court for a while and played a game of Go Fish. Dan and Ann tied with seven pairs while Trista and I each had six. We finally went through security and no one had any real hang ups, at least not that I know of. Again, we sat at the Aer Lingus gate until our plane boarded.
Air travel is always a lot of hurry-up-and-wait. You rush to get to the ticket counter two or more hours before your flight then you sit bored and tired until they finally call your seat. Then you sit on the plane as it sits parked and when it finally starts to taxi, it takes at least twenty minutes to make it to the runway. I wonder if I could have made it to O’Hare at the same time if we’d just driven through. Oh well. This was much safer in the long run. A snow/ice storm hit
The Aer Lingus flight was fine. It was shorter than the international flights I’ve been on before. I’ve never crossed the
I’m sitting on my bed in room 6. My roommates, Trista and Ann, took the bunk beds, so I have a normal bed which is semi-exciting. How did I get here? Uh… let’s see if I can remember.
I didn’t get a wink of sleep on the plane. We landed in
Annoyed Man: How long are you staying in
Me: Ugh… May. But I’m leaving and then I’m coming back (that statement totally confused him. Come to think of it, it confuses me right now).
Annoyed Man: Have you ever been to
Me: No. This is my first time in
Annoyed Man: Huh (with a “go-figure” attitude).
Annoyed Man: Where are you going to school?
Me:
Annoyed Man: No. Where in
Me: Oh, well, it’s at the YWCA in Greystones… Coolnag—
Annoyed Man: Never heard of it.
Annoyed Man: What will you be studying?
Me: History. Literature. Irish Culture.
Annoyed Man: Oh, that’ll be a lot of heady stuff.
Me: Yeah, I’m really excited.
Annoyed Man: Yeah, I’ll bet.
So there’s a taste. I stumbled and fumbled so much I probably looked like an illegal immigrant or something. Ugh. Baggage claim was fine though. Everyone’s bags got off the plane!!! We met the Harbins a little before
The YWCA is SOOOOOOOOO different than what I expected. It’s right in town. I expected it to be in the middle of a field (kinda like TU), but no, there’s shops across the street and the harbor is a block away. So far,
We got the grand tour of the YWCA campus, including the Main Lodge (where I live with the rest of the girls) and the Man House (which we are not allowed in ever again… fine with me). The Harbins have an apartment across the street, so we checked that out. It was SOOOOOOO excellent! It’s exactly the kind of place I’d want to live.
Then we went back to the Main Lodge and had tea and biscuits (cookies) and discussed how tired we were. After some needed sustenance, we got to work moving our bags to our rooms. It didn’t take me long to unpack.
We ate lunch and had a meeting and went to a walk around Greystones while it was pouring. We all got drenched and I missed my call from Cliff. I eventually got to talk to him, though, so everything is terrific now. :)
We’re basically orientating today-- lots of meetings and sitting around. Everyone is utterly exhausted, so we just stare at each other. It’s pretty pathetic.
The one sunshine in our lives is the new Y manager’s family. Jonathan and his wife Lisa just moved to
I got to sleep about
Thursday, January 20, 2005
My bags are packed...
I don't know how often I'll be able to blog, considering we allegedly get 15-minutes of internet time per week (!!!). Something about the "ethos" of the community... ask Vance. Anyway, all that to say I'll blog when I can, so check back from time to time.
I'm not quite sure what to expect. There are lots of things I'm excited about, but lots of things that scare me, too. It doesn't matter though. My plane leaves tomorrow whether I'm ready or not.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Generation Ex
Ok, so it's been about two weeks since I finished this book and I'm just now getting around to reviewing it as I promised.
Generation Ex by Jen Abbas is incredible. If you are an adult child of divorce (an adult who's parents divorced at any point in his/her lifespan) or know someone who is, do yourself a favor and read it. It names the wounds children of divorce suffer with stunning accuracy and describes the unique handicaps we face later in life because of them. I would warn adult children of divorce reading this book to make sure a full Kleenex box is handy. If you're anything like me, you'll use every last one.
When I first heard about the book, I wasn't sure what to expect. In fact, I wouldn't have read it had it not been perscribed to me. I didn't know if I'd be able to relate to Abbas' story or if it would even name the struggles I'd faced since my parents' initial separation in 1996. Everything was in there, though, and so much more.
Ever since Cliff introduced me to John Eldredge, I've been learning about the importance of heart-wound healing. In Generation Ex, Abbas provides specific information for me and other adult children of divorce. She gives us hope for the future in that we are NOT doomed to repeat our parents' marital failure. We can break the cycle, if we rely on God to heal our particular wounds and choose to love others as God loves us.
I love how Abbas weaves her own story and the stories of others into her book. Many, many times, I could point and say, "oh my gosh, that's me!" I'm sure countless others have experienced and will experience the same thing.
I highly recommend this book. While not everything I read is immediately applicable, I'm sure I'll treasure this book and its wisdom for years to come.
Friday, January 14, 2005
7 days
Thursday, January 13, 2005
New links
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
That's not even a state!
You're the Panama Canal!
While others are content to work long and hard hours, you're all about
taking the shortcut. While this has benefited you for the most part, it has required
starting several conflicts so that you could get your way. Your old profession doesn't
seem terribly lofty to anyone, and sometimes you've even needed to dig ditches to get by,
but you figure the results are worth it. Now, most of the time you're just
cruising.
Take the State Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Blogging and mental health
Yount cites studies that found positive correlation between diary writing and psychological disorder. The more people record their secret thoughts for their own eyes only, the more likely they are to be mentally unstable. I found this tidbit interesting as I've always believed journaling to be therapeutic.
Yount goes on to discuss the Christian fad of journal keeping. He says if we follow the models of Jesus and Paul, we won't keep our thoughts to ourselves but will share the joy we've found in Christ with the world. What a concept!
So I started thinking... what does this mean for blogging? Blogs can be a type of journal, but since they're public, they can be a means by which we can glorify God by sharing ideas, thoughts and feelings.
I also felt challenged because I do keep a private journal, but I'm beginning to wonder why. If I don't want others to read my words, why record them? Instead of turning deeper into myself in the privacy and solitude of my journal, I'm going to hone my letter-writing skills and reach out in conversation. Human beings are made for relationships. It's one way we mirror the image of God.
Friday, January 07, 2005
An ellipsis
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Friday Night Lights
Now, when I saw the trailer for this movie a few months ago before Collateral, I'd rolled my eyes commented, "Not another football movie." I don't really understand football (even after a year on O-Line for intramural flag) and never got into the high school hype. Friday Night Lights, however, left me pleasantly surprised.
I enjoyed the movie because it refused to glorify football. All but one player's college/professional football dreams dissipated in the arid Texas heat. It turned out that football wasn't all they had in life, and by the end of the movie they'd moved on.
I also liked that the ending wasn't cliche, but I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen the film.
While I enjoyed the movie, it did have flaws. I got lost several times when the players mumbled stuff on the field. I figured I wouldn't understand it anyway, so I wasn't too upset. A few scenes at the beginning (party scenes) were difficult to watch. Fortunately, the activities in these scenes were not glorified either. And, of course, the ending finger-kiss scene between Billy-Bob and his movie wife was sufficiently cheesy. Those three seconds could have been used better elsewhere.
As a whole, I liked Friday Night Lights. If you have an extra $2.50 and a spare 2 hours, check it out. You probably won't regret it.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Happy New Year!!!
"It's gonna be a happy new year!"