This is where I am

Overheating

2006-09-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

Well, the car is for sale. Only $500. It's in good condition and I'm sad to see it go. I just know it wouldn't make it if it were left sitting here in Vic with no one driving it. I hope someone buys it.

I am back now. Camp wrapped up reasonably well. August was a very busy month, but there were moments when I actually felt as though I was doing my job properly. At any rate, I got better at communicating. I did drop many balls during Breakaway Camp, which Christopher, Ashley and I co-directed, but we had a fantastic staff that did very well that week. I went paddling until late at night, paddled around Thetis Island, went to Chemainus Theatre with my mom, had some good talks on the...umm...*whispers* roof, and generally met some amazing people. The friends I made were very important as two rather stressful events happened while I was there. The first is that my bird died suddenly on the Thursday before Breakaway began. The second was that Ben got appendicitis. He's better now, but there were times when between personal, family, Germany and job stuff, the days were very crazy. God is good though, and I am learning to dwell in him better.

I fly to Germany on Tuesday, leaving town here on Saturday to go visit people in Vancouver. I am currently getting ready to head to bed after (at last) finishing a draft of my co-op report. I will finish the rest of it tomorrow night and spend Thursday and Friday packing. ULP!

I'll probably post again once in Germany..

with love and until then,
Liz

one month

2006-07-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well, seeing as one month has already gone by and I haven't updated, I guess this won't be as regular an occurance as I had hoped. My summer has gone very well so far. The summer staff is starting to come together as a family and we're going to be hanging out and singing/sharing tonight as a group. Next weekend is the big bash because our intrepid PYC leaders will be through their first session as leaders and be able to join us. I can't believe that there have only been 2 Pioneer camps so far and one rental groups. It seems like I've been here forever. I have been here a while though--nearly 6 weeks. The weather just got hot two days ago and I am planning on going swimming as soon as I finish this post. It is going to be an intersting summer if the heat keeps up. It adds to the atmosphere though, and it IS camp after all.

So...not much more to say here...email me for details; I do have pretty regular access. I've been kayaking several times!!!!! gone to Duncan and done laundry (significant events at camp), been swimming a few, started running until my knee decided it doesn't like gradual inclines and stopped letting me go (I might try again soon because I've been resting it). Other than that, my last day off, which was on Thursday, was pretty much my half-way recovery point. Please continue praying for me if you are and I AM enjoying myself.

From the little Island, my home for another month and a week,

Liz

Interlude

2006-06-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Yup, another two weeks passed by very quickly up at pioneer. I had an interesting time of it. I spent the second week staring at my computer screen accomplishing things but, well, not really there. I was in the middle of the three-week transition period that a coworker once told me is inevitable in each new job. My sluggishness was compounded by a cold I contracted somewhere around Monday and didn't shed until the following Monday. In the course of that week, I cleaned a freezer and some brain cells, finished a number of projects and generally got ready for things. The sunset photo was taken on the way up to Nanaimo just before I posted last, actually. No I did not look through the view finder. I just held the camera and shot--granted that was a bit more difficult than I'd anticipated and it took some concentration. Anyway, the photo above it is looking back to Thetis from the ferry.
]
The highlight of that week was by far the physical labour we did at the end of it. Megan and I helped the guys finish up the site. That's me driving the first load of two loads of lumber. I also got to drive a load of PVC piping up to the maintenance yard. Good times. Only, well, the next morning I was pretty out of it and barely made it up to Nanaimo where I napped in the mall parking lot before semi-engaging the group in Qualicum. It was fantastic to see everyone, really, but my goodness I was out of it. Too tired, still sick, barely able to talk etc. It was frustrating for me and well---well, I got to talk to a few people and see a few more and we all went for dinner to the restaurant. There was a minor whipped cream fight afterward and we all ate fantastic cake. The next day I rested and then drove back to Nanaimo and then down to Chemainus. The week went by quickly in hindsight. Camp has a trampoline and we will have to be so careful. It is a fantastic work out though. We finished on Friday and got ready for summer to start--which it does this coming week. I am not going to post for a long time after tonight, simply because my next extended period of time off is in July/August for four days. This Saturday was my brother's graduation from high school. YAY JON!!! I'm so proud of that guy=)

God is good...God is good. This has been an adjustment and a hard one...But he is making it easier to be away from people in Vic. And after a fantastic kayak today, has given me more things to chew on for the rest of the summer. Things like the meaning of leadership, how to engage groups fully (learned by not doing so) and other character things. God really has gifted me with some very good friends. Such a variety, all so different..."good stuff". Anyway...final thoughts, God bless to the China team, language sponges have to be careful (unless you're around someone who reads the dictionary ;) and here comes the beginning of the summer!!! I hope you are all well and see you when I see you=) mit Liebe! Liz

camp

2006-06-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

(I hopet the person who received this email doesn't mind me posting this piece...i'm too tired to write much more!)

I'm enjoying camp but it's more real life than I'd anticipated and I'm still adjusting. I'm glad that I'm doing something that will show me whether or not I really want a desk job later on. The job will also be a challenge as I'm juggling about 5 hats and roles but I'm really looking forward to the rest of the summer and do like/love the job=) This is the first intro to work beyond retail for me so it's all new and different. wheeee!

Right now I'm doing admin work (days off, room assignments) and template design, working on inventory for the tuck shop that I'm managing, and trying get my head around what working in an office entails. I spent a day and a bit cleaning because of dust, dirt and mice--it was beyond dusting, and I dubbed it "surface reclamation" and listened to a bit of CBC while scrubbing. It's been a good week though, and the four of us in the office are getting along quite well and the four of us young(er) staff have a good time eating together and/or relaxing. I went for an AWESOME paddle on Thursday in the rain. The water was flat calm, like a lake, and we paddled for a hour and a half up The Cut, which is an inlet that cuts deep into Thetis Island on the west side of the bay. That to me was camp and true relaxation.

So yeah, I really do miss Victorian, though, and suspect that it will be especially hard tomorrow not being part of Church and hanging out with everyone. That said, I'm hanging out at my Grandparents' right now and am pretty happy to be here, playing games, eating and having a good time=)

you don't know what you have until it's gone (a personal post)

2006-06-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

Strange. For the entire past week, I was psyching myself up (and out) about the fact that I am leaving town for the summer and only coming back as a transient for a weekend and then possibly two days. Now though, doped up on 70% chocolate and actually at peace because of the prayers at church today, I'm oddly ready to go. Maybe that readiness is because part of me left a week or so ago, before I even finished my course, and the rest needs to catch up and settle in the same place.

It also helps to know that I have at least one more shot at saying goodbye properly to one or two of the friends who are leaving and who I'm truly beginning to appreciate for once for who they are, now that I'm thinking about them gone. It's odd also to think that, hey, maybe it will take a tonne of effort to keep these relationships going over the distance, because of time, work and more but can we try? I used to shut off and start again...but this time, if possible, please let's keep going. As God wills. lol it's such a family thing--some of us don't get excited about stuff until we're actually gone or actually writing or whatever, just in case we could get disappointed. AnYWay.

Strange--the theme of this week has been 1) speaking the truth in love (And speaking truth period) 2) building long-term, deep friendships by taking risks and being open and listening 3) controlling the tongue and speaking less (partly to ensure #1 happens). So, friends who read, I thank you and wish you well...I'm off to sort some of these questions out in a place where I can gain strength and then come out here. As a wise friend once said, it is so easy to go from event to event, place to place, and let others do the work of building a foundation in scripture or a relationship with God--what is hard, and what is necessary, is building that foundation on our own. I'll add to that: and do all that building while in one's own city is even more key.
Life is just beginning still, so despite the rather melancholic tone of this piece, I AM glad to be going, will be very excited and have had so much fun in the past few days. Thanks esp. to those Friday Friends who surprised me, bbq'd and baked etc. =)

(added later: On the flip side, there are some dear friends and cool people here in town who AREN'T going anywhere and who I'm also starting to value more and more...so thank you also to those people! Several years more, I hope, several years more. Plus, my family's here, which fact is cool in and of itself. =)

I'm off, I'll be posting on another blog the details of my travels (Eventually). ereisegern.blogspot.com will be the eventual link...go there now, it will be pretty bare...oh, and this blog will remain for me-stuff, joy of joys to y'all who might be looking for something more entertaining.
Wahoo I'm off to camp! and I get to drive (and I AM excited about that too)=) I get to go kayaking and running and sailing and suntanning and do writing and baking and work yay...!

DQ Sunday

2006-06-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

I know I just posted, but I wrote my last final at UVic for over a year today and figured, well, might as well post to commemorate the occasion. Got some passport photos taken too, and wandered around the mall while they were being developed. Went to the pet shop, Zellers and finally decided to land at Bolen Books for a bit. Ended up reading two chapters of Ralston Saul's book "Death of Globalization" or something like that. Weirdly enough, I'm finally seeing the point of my degree in general. It teaches me to see the world in a different light. I see glimmerings of how poli systems fit together, what assumptions people make, where information comes from and what the point of studying is. Despite my griping, too, I found this coures very helpful and hopefully it will be useful. Anyway, we went to DQ tonight in lieu of a formal GIG event. The television line-up that followed was: Canada's Next Top Model, The Italian Job, South Park, Frasier and 5 minutes of some other show.
The South Park was all about one of the kids (this was my first full-ish episode) who makes a bet with another about who can make a platinum record first. One group founds a Christian Rock band purely because he thinks he can make money. To record songs, they simply alter the lyrics of secular songs, replacing names or other words with "Jesus". It sounded cheesy. While it bordered (and crossed) the line of good taste a bit, the episode made me ask again and again "Is this really what Christianity looks like to others? Is this really what it seems? Why??" I don't think seeking to be "cool" is the right answer and people easily create images and stereotypes of us, and being on the outside looking in to such a parallel culture would be odd, but I wonder. What does it come down to, how we are perceived? And does it matter? The recording industry has been a great blessing to many people and there is a tonne of excellent Christian music now. And yet, why would that bother people (besides "people" being South Park creators). Again and again it seems that relationships, one on one, are key to the answer of how Christ is presented...dunno. Maybe the episode picked up on a niggling hypocrisy...when we sing it, do we mean it? often yes but.
I'm tired. It's 1.27am. Philosophy at this hour gets interesting eh Elly?
To bed I now go and sweet may your dreams be.
Only three full days left in Victoria.

photo playing: new glasses...dog and me (pensive) sorry I cut off part of the frame. will post pic with other frame when camera batteries charge.

2006-05-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

for what it's worth

2006-05-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

A description of ENFJ's... I am fascinated by how much random information a person can discover when trying to avoid editing a paper or doing the dishes. So I agree with this profile, but a second one doesn't match me..bah...I don't think. but I have to work must work bye!

cuando tenga tiempo, navegaré

2006-05-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Last year the Tall Ships festival came here to Victoria. This year, right now, the Swiftsure race is happening and five friends are out on a brand-new boat motoring around scrounging sails. I am sitting at home trying to remember how to write coherently and at a grade ten level for my political science class. The policy analysis is coming along at the steady pace of several hours of work per day. I slept until noon by accident, and will start the work shortly.

This week went by really fast. Monday was part of the long weekend, and I don't remember what I did. In the course of the rest of the week, I had coffee with two ex-coworkers, went to two concerts (one band, one strings/orchestra) with my old high school, went to GIG, had dinner with friends, stayed up way too late writing, packed bags for sailing, did not unpack bags for sailing, and generally did a bunch of paperwork on the side. I also learned the very basics of cricket bowling, biked short distances in the rain and drove to the dentist. My new glasses came in, were adjusted once, went back to be readjusted and then were damaged by the heat of the plastic-bending-dryer-machine thing that the optician uses to alter plastic frames so they fit picky customers' requirements exactly. Two new lenses are now on order. I'll post pictures of both new frames when they finally come in.

There isn't much else to say, except if I could contact the minister in charge of the English language, I would request that there be a second person plural pronoun added to our language. French has "vous", German "ihr" and "Sie", Spanish "ustedes" and "vosotros"...English has "you". To silence critics, I would make the usage of this word optional. It would generally be reserved for very particular situations where clarity is required. Anyway, yes I am a language geek, yes there is a reason for the rant although it isn't large, and yes I AM going to go work. Hasta luego.

bah

2006-05-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hoops...how many can a person jump through in order to register a programme??? seriously!

telephone!

2006-05-24T00:05:00.000-07:00

Or more specifically, cellphone. It's official, folks: I spent the required 5+ minutes playing with my cellphone and, low and behold, I have voicemail now! So leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you asap. No more long drawn-out renditions of the Butterfly Waltz while I run across rooms or rummage in an overstuffed purse. If you haven't noticed, it's a momentous event.

Ironic especially as I'll only be available on weekends in two weeks and then will be away in Germany with a new phone. But still....=)

GIG pictures (post is below)

2006-05-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

New Post...interesting...really...I think!

2006-05-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I was initially choked when I found out that some friends had (semi-) spontaneously decided to hike the Juan de Fuca trail this week, as I have been wanting to do SOMETHING camping related for a while now. I found out about it at 1000 the night they left, after futilely driving downtown to a swing event that was cancelled for the first Friday in ages because of the long weekend. That isn't to say this week and weekend weren't fun and that I can't go camping. Maybe I'll pitch a tent in the backyard once it stops raining.

As I mentioned in my last post, I managed to get another parking ticket, which now means I've owed something around 60$ in fees over the past semester, all from the last three months. However, my brother found my missing library book in a backpack in the basement, which means that I won't have to pay 92$ on Wed. when I return the book. These weeks are going by quickly. In between meeting friends and attending class, I managed to keep the paperwork end of things maintained until Thursday when I hit a potentially frustrating snag. I'm supposed to have a very specific website or course information package to turn in with my application for the letter of permission, but my temporary home Uni--UofM--is new to the game and doesn't HAVE a webpage for this programme. So now I'm waiting for a reply from the advisor.

In other news, I got a haircut and now have some nice layers, spent Saturday afternoon hauling dirt around for my parents in the yard and watering myself and the lawn, read an entire Laurie R. King novel on Saturday, and am working my way through the da Vinci Code in small doses. The only historical error I've picked out for certain so far is his explanation of the term "left wing". Far from being a radical expression of the semi-repressed femine part of the world, the term owes its significance to the French Revolution when the radical anti-monarchists sat on the left side of the tennis court at the meetings. That pattern carried over into the new parliament. Then again the rebels could have been organised carefully by manipulative priests.... There have been other passages that smelled suspiciously phony to me, but I'd have to buy another book and read it along side the novel to find out for sure and I'm just not going to do that right now. Maybe later. For now, I'll talk it over with friends. It's an interesting mystery at any rate.

Sunday some of us got to tour a navy vessel (thanks DL!) and then three of us met later to watch "Family Stone". I'm not sure if it's sad when a person can list all the chick flicks they've seen on two hands, but in my defense, I have two brothers. We watch James Bond, Die Hard, Arnold, and other movies with such explosion-based plots. Or should I say watched? I haven't watched a movie at home here in a long time now. In fact, this is probably the longest stretch of time that the entire family has been at home in several weeks or a month.

I'm supposed to be studying right now or investigating how to prevent TB on the Native Reserves as part of my policy process. This course is so different. It's really more of a skill-development course than a course devoted to the learning of facts and theories that do not have to produce something concrete, workable and, well, usable. I'm not stressed...yet...but it is going to take me some time to find the articles I need, read them, process them and then draw up a document. Methinks I can't leave this one until the night before and pull of something exceptional--exceptionally good that is.

dolphins and mountains singing praises

2006-05-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

Left: three spinner dophins--one of them a baby--swim off the bow of the catamaran in Hawai'i. The animals would launch themselves several feet straight out of the water and spin like a top until they disappeared into the water again. The baby especially would launch himself (or herself) out of the waves for the pure fun of it, splashing backwards to his waiting mother underwater. True Freedom.

The Centennial was a great chance to see old friends from high school. It was a bit intimidating at first to arrive at school and see no one from my class at all on campus, but eventually about six people came to the Friday night celebration and we had a good time catching up. I met more people at the beer garden (wine garden for me) the next evening, Saturday night. We talked and joked and then watched the fireworks from the bleachers as the school anthem played in the background...yup, I love my old school, but it's a relationship that still needs some working out. It was fun though, and I got over most of my fright of being back and remembering old ways of thinking. Funnily enough, the campus has changed so much that very few of the buildings really feel old and familiar to me...only the field really holds memories--that and the old building of the yearbook room where I spent many a long hour in grade 12. Good times.

To fight the nostalgia and to provide something completely different, here are some tips from a very very random Christian magazine called "Radiant" about how to be organised. I'm assuming guys could apply them too=p I was kinda surprised that they made sense to me. Not being organised by nature, it took some outdoor-ed related analogies to make me realise, "hey, wait, maybe that piece of paper DOESN'T have to sit there for four months...ooohhhh". Here they are in no particular order:

1) Thirty-second rule: if it takes less than or equal to thirty seconds (not 30.5 or 31, but 30) do it. This principle can be expanded to encompass the two-minute, the six-and-a-half rule etc. if the organisee is so inclined.
2) Pack it out: if you enter a room, leave it exactly as you found it or even a little bit better. I'm guessing carefully covering holes and burying the toilet paper is probably not necessary. But the principle applies regardless of the room or situation. And hey, it's good practice for the campsite that we will all someday end up going to when we someday plan and organise and go on a camping trip. *hint hint*?
3) Write it down. All of it. Need a sock from the dryer for tomorrow and going to forget it? Write it down. So far so good. Now I have to find the book where I wrote everything down=)
Just kidding, but really...after three parking tickets (yes I just got another one and no I'm not happy and yes I'm going to pay it when I find it =S)

So, now that you're organised and ready to go, here's the last principle: ask for help from an organised friend if you need to clean up stuff and don't know where to start. And seeing as you are all organised now....
ciao amigos and have a great week!

mama mia

2006-05-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Wow-o. Once paperwork starts falling, it's pretty hard not to start running around in mental circles trying to do everything at once. I've been declaring my degrees, transferring faculties, registering a Social Sciences Co-op, applying for admission to the Humanities Co-op so the SocSci one can actually go through because I changed faculties back to the Hum. one to facilitate my exchange to Germany....*gasp*...for which I have also had to request several forms. I think, I think I have it straight now. CRAZY. As it stands, though, I am officially a Dual Germanic Studies Major (co-op) and Political Science major (co-op), on track to graduate November 2007 if I don't take a year out. If I do, I'm looking at November 2008. That seems like an eternity. I'll take some summer courses in there, but who knows... that's not including co-ops, of which I officially need to do 4 but plan on doing only 3 and just getting the work experience. Soo...may God take this plan and do what he wills with it as I go onward through my poli course right now. Man...i'm tired. And don't even ask me where I'm going with all of this. The international component, the languages, the IV stuff, all of it is being moulded into a career of some sort...but I can't tell you what it is yet=), because that's still too vague.

Anyway, this week was good. I had an adventure taking my car up to the mechanic's, helped by an engineering bodyguard/friend/driver. I'm very grateful to him=). We got the car up in time for the mechanic to announce that he was about 2.5 hours behind and could we leave the car? Thankfully, we'd looked at the bus schedule before (yay for business sense of said friend) and knew the times. So we made it back in time for him to work and for me to bake, but it was a long-ish day. And yesterday we drove back up to get the car. It wasn't bad at all, really, but that much travelling is tiring. Aside from that, this week has been paperwork and phoning and reading and friends. Tomorrow is my last day at the store, and tonight and tomorrow the centennial. And then it's mother's day.

Anyway, hope everyone is well and enjoying the sun.
hasta el fin de la semana,
me

da Vinci

2006-05-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Suggested approach to listening about anything, in particular to concerns about the book. Sometimes this mag is really conservative. Not this time. This time, I think the author nailed it. I'm super excited to hear too, that our ways of doing outreach are going to change. This is a time of challenge. But hopefully a good challenge. I like being in summer school. So far, I've had time to read=)

hm

2006-05-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

Hm. for someone with lots of time to sift through the Washington Post's briefing on the Whitehouse. I'm scared a bit...what a world.

miscelaneous

2006-05-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

We are back from Mark Camp! I got a few decent pictures, see the collection below, but don't magnify them too much because they have a lot of noise in them. (Noise being a term in digital photography and probably a bunch of other things.) Anyway, I loved our group. Tim, Patty, Rebekah, Jacqueline, Nicole and I were our university's representatives. The others were mostly people I had met in passing before at SLC or another camp. At any rate, it was sooo good to see Gen again!! We stayed up way too late two nights in a row talking, and it was very good, but I definitely have found my limit for tiredness. Actually, that limit happened during a midnight dutch blitz game, and then again on Saturday when a group of us went to a movie back in town. I learned one random thing this weekend: if you are over-tired, change your contact brand, change the prescription for said contacts and then go to an action movie, you feel like you will pass out or collapse when you stand up at the end. There is simply too much sensory information. Oh, and another highlight also is the Brendan is back in town. The long lost friend has returned once again.

Mark Camp was an intensely personal time for me. I struggled at first with making the study anything more than an intellectual exercise. I'm used to literary analysis, you see, but not the type of analysis that brings out themes that I have to contemplate, wrestle with and somehow apply to my life. I am very glad I went though. It was good to be back in the safety of God's arms at Camp. There his presence is so tangible for me, and it is a place where I can laugh, joke, argue and be ME...and this time, I think, that me will carry on into the city=). I spent a few good times by myself (good in the true sense of the word, not "pleasant" etc), but also had a blast with friends lifting logs, remembering that I once had a wood stove in Nanaimo and CAN build a fire in one (or at least maintain it), weeding and raking the volleyball court, playing Blockus and Ticket to Ride, eating good food, going to the "council of Nicea" and discussing many concepts, playing basket ball, kayaking, running here there and everywhere (I LiKe to run=)) and watching friends unfold and begin to relax and grow over the time. One friend got a job while we were there...I am very glad for that...God is looking out for him big time. There were hard moments too, and God and I have many things to consider now and deal with, piece by piece, moment by moment.

Anyway, this next week is going to be nutty. I have a three/four week course starting tomorrow for 2 hours everyday, plus reading etc. I've turned in my notice for the bookstore, and so work one more Saturday. And I'm going to Stars on Ice this Tuesday with my grandma and my mom. It's the centenary of my old high school this weekend. WAhoo...zzzzzzz....I miss having roomies like I do at camp...and I really really want to hang out with the friends here before we all scatter around the country and world. I don't believe that everything's happening so soon. Well, those are the thoughts from this corner at the moment. May you rest well and work hard and find out how to meet God everyday in a deep way. 'Night!

a jumble of camp pics

2006-05-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

the first night of being third year

2006-04-29T01:39:00.000-07:00

Firstly, these photos are from Lena's fire and then me tonight, the first night of third year. Please consider the funny lines and blurred heads to be special artistic effects rather than the biproducts of me being too something to buy a tripod. I'll put it on my going away list. ANywaY=)

Once and awhile to always, I find it easier to write about things than to speak them out. Those of you who have watched me "think" about something know that a mind map is the most common way for me to organise my thoughts, or at least to make them look cool or more complicated than they really are. The question that was raised tonight with the group of us who went out with Susie was "what are you going to take away from IVCF [now that you are leaving]?" Welll...that I really like chocolate chip cookies and brownies, but most of all I enjoy retreats to random places with friends? You see, I'm in a bit of an odd place. I'm neither out of the IVCF world, nor am I a part of it this coming year. That means that I will be leaving with things to try out and with the ability to come back and learn more, I hope, in the coming years. We'll see=) I can however divide the things I've learned into three "about" categories: things about myself (which I'll keep secret for now but are personal and academic in nature=), things about others and how to relate better, things about leadership. Each of those categories further has a subdivision of "discovered with aid of others (DWAO)" "discovered indirectly through aid of others (DITAO for polisci students). Having nicely created said categories of DWAO and DITAO, I won't actually be using them. I'll just throw things out here, please comment on them as you see fit:

--Leading in IV means being willing to take a knock in your grades because you really CAN'T do everything at once...or it means having a schedule that you may have to change.
--Leading involves investing in people, learning to let oneself be invested in and gradually, as the roles become clearer, acting on opportunities to serve God in the way one can best.
--Screwing up, messing up, falling down and being honest about it are all parts of this...we're humans, just with a little bit (or large bit) of supernatural help...it's okay to be wrong sometimes.
--Sometimes, shutting up IS best because then we get to listen and hear and understand the point of view of other people. That doesn't mean we must agree, just that we know where others are coming from. It also gives us time to formulate an intelligent (or semi-intelligent if it's 720am) response that honours those around and really represents what we're thinking.
--At two am, everything boils down to chocolate, caffeine and prayers that the computer won't crash and destroy the work, or the brain won't crash and destroy the studied facts and figures. God listens. He really does. =)
--Look at the people around you, know what makes them tick and love them (different from always liking them: talk to my bible school lecturer for details).
--HAVE FUN and don't sweat the small stuff but know what that small stuff is so it doesn't get forgotten and turn into big stuff if it might be or is important.
--Teamwork is complicated but necessary.
--Be real. Don't be afraid to say "I can't do something" but also be up for challenges.
--Tack AFTER you build up enough speed and BEFORE you run aground with a boat full of sailors on a sailing trip at camp.
--Find someone who will keep you accountable somewhat and keep you from imploding or exploding.
--It's going to get tough. Find people who've been there before and learn from them, listen to them and take heart.=)

I've not always been very good at these things, and some of them I am just learning about right now as I type and try and remember. However, I guess it always takes time to learn things and discover things and put everything into perspective. That's what's great about this club: we have support around us. We have each other, our friends and our coworkers, we have our intrepid and wise leader from Van and we have the opportunity of a lifetime to begin to grow. So yeah, it's a challenge, but yeah, I AM glad for the experience. And yes, God really does care about our today and our tomorrow and yes, it all does work out somehow.
To catch a lesson, we may have to go through some briars, some deserts, some valleys and some muddy patches...but he is faithful, he will do it, and, for those of us who like schedules and plans, he has one--he just hasn't shown it to us yet. We get bits at a time. And above all, know who we serve and get ready for a ride! Thanks for letting me learn with you guys, and I know any of you incoming exec-ers, all of whom have been prayed over and will be prayed over, are going to be used by God in ways you cannot imagine. Take care. Happy holidays=)
(PS I'm off to camp for the next little while and so am officially "away" as of tonight. I'm turning in my notice at the store tomorrow and am preparing paperwork for camp. If you are volunteering/interested in volunteering, drop me an email and I'll send you details.)

venting

2006-04-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

bah. everything costs so much suddenly. gas, eyeware, mechanic, food...welcome to the real world i guess. this time o' year is frustrating. aaarrrgh.

much has happened

2006-04-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

When it comes time to say goodbye,
and the smile grows bigger and bigger,
it's because I'm filled with hope for the future
and because the stretching lips are walls
to stop the dam that breaks,
breaks, floods and rushes later.
No we won't be like this forever:
As soon as you're gone, I'm gone, you'll know.
And the mending heart will heal... slow.
Rest assured I'll miss you
...don't you know?

This week has, despite the somber tone above, been filled with extremely diverse and fun activities. It is good to live every moment now--or that is my goal--left in Victoria before the sporadic summer begins. I'll be up and down the Island in my little car, which is going to the mechanic on May 10th, starting the end of May. As I think about it, that means I have a long time left here. Nearly 5 weeks. It's an odd situation in that I am saying goodbye for now and will be back for a week or more in September before I leave, but some people might not be back then or won't be around or available to hangout in the usual combinations. So maybe, "hasta luego" really what I mean.

Highlights from the past week include: an exam written and over with on Tuesday, a super computer music concert (esp. the last piece;)) and interesting pizza time afterward, GIG (most accepting group of people you will meet...I've appreciated the few times there a lot), another exam finished and completed in a slightly less than satisfactory manner (studied a long time but not well), lunch with Nicole then a restful movie about parrots with Marijks and my family on Friday, work dinner driving dancing bed by one on Saturday, church pub (odd order of words there eh?) beach (frisbee, rugby, wading, peace and magnificent snow-capped mountains) dinner talk on Sunday, and finally lunch with mom and then the women's study tonight.

Wow, okay that is a rather large amount of stuff...I guess I am sort of busy. But really, it was worth it. Next time I will pass on the Settlers and go study though...but my exam is at 7pm so maybe...no, must be resolute! *stamps foot and spins away in a secretly relieved huff* Anyway, as there will be more to post over the next few days, I just gave up waiting until there was a lull in things to post. It's almost summer, which apparently will mean busyness. Oh, despite the length of the walk, I think my favorite time on Sunday was a moment coming back when I caught the first summer whiff of sun-baked fir needles and dirt, mingled with the fresh, clean breeze. It is not summer, only April. But I will be at camp next week, resting with good friends. Or grounding sailboats.

Living every moment also means concentrating on verbs, conjugations and tenses, and vocabulary...voy a estudiar todo el dia antes del fuego. Hasta luego amigos. May you be blessed this week, and enjoy the sun.

24 hours ago

2006-04-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

The photo is nothing more than a random picture from the Schloss outside or near Friedrichshafen in Germany. I came across it in the files today and thought it was interesting, so here it is. Photos are a good distraction from learning poetic terms for a 9am spanish exam.

I am people-ed out. Extroversion or not, 9 hours of constant people is enough. Ben and I sat in silence today (once we finally woke up) and just ate lunch without much more than a passing "point of order" comment. We are living off of the most excellent ham sandwiches we have had in a very long time. The rest of the family came back this afternoon, so they also enjoyed having leftover turkey, ham, stuffing, pasta, salad (I DID forget the parmesan cheese sorry), potatoes etc. The last load of dishes dried from 2pm this afternoon onward, and I slept most of the afternoon. But it was worth it.

It was the Easter dinner last night. Steve, Becky, Tim (and Richard) came by early to cook the meat part of the dinner. They did extremely well. Thank you guys=) The dinner was a team effort. All told, about 17 people passed through last night, eating, talking, playing mau and also playing pool. I definitely did have fun...this is the third dinner (fourth, but we won't mention the time everything was 1.5 hours late) this semester and it was, contrary to all appearances, kind of fun for me. Speaking of contraries, I thought I had better put it out there: my parents rock despite my talk to the effect that they are strict. They are in many ways, but they are also trusting. They let me have the house, the utensils, some of the basic staple foods eg rice, the dishes and more last night and have been open to having several full-scale invasions throughout this past semester. Oh, and yeah....I'm sorry for using Mom as a bit of a cover for my own perfectionism=) I DO, as Becky asked, like having things nicely organised. My system's different from Mom's, slightly, but do like things to go a certain way. Curious what one can learn about oneself during a dinner party, or about other people for that matter....

So, past week= good and varied. From a birthday party on Monday to exams Tuesday and Wednesday to work Thursday and Saturdy, it went by in spurts of fast and slow. Friday was a definite highlight. The Place's service was profoundly moving. Imagine the darkened hall with candles burning in three tiers along the sides of the stage. A spotlight shines on stage left, illuminaing a roughly hewn wooden cross lying on its side against the platform. Listen to the singing, to the hushed guitars and simple lyrics declaring his death, our freedom, the grace that saved a wretch like me, like you. Hear the ring of the hammer on the nail and see the paper filled with scribbled lists of sins and hopes folded, bent, and pegged with a hundred other papers to be washed, shaken and restored in newness through his death and life.

A few of us went to Rob's house afterward and watched The Passion and stayed until 245am.

He is Risen. As Lynne challenged, stop and take a moment to find a place that is beautiful to you and think about what that means. He died for ME, for YOU. Personally, as well as collectively we have been saved. What a strange, amazing, staggaring idea. Death has no sting...there is no fear...we HAVE new life. My head knows this but man, the heart has trouble following, and well, the actions aren't even close most of the time. I wonder where we got the idea as Christians that everything should be happy, pleasant and sunny-side up all the time? Honesty... sincerity... slowly i'm learning that these things mean the sadness and mistakes come too. it's okay though, on some deep deep level, it's okay. I'm glad he died while i was still a sinner. i couldn't hope to make it on my own. He is risen indeed.

music??

2006-04-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

I should be studying and I will be soon (spent afternoon napping sadly), but I have to post. Apparently my neighbour has started a band?? An outdoor band?? That's what it sounds like at any rate.... Something's a bit off/out *ouch feedback*....it's really making me appreciate the talent you guys have. REALLY. Ah, well, it promises to be an interesting night, somewhat amusing night and now I have something to ignore so I'll concentrate better on my EU stuff. Man, once this exam is done, I'll have the rest of the week free. Free to sleep, free to spend time alone and reading, free to sleep, free to recover sanity (if you're going insane, do you know it?) and well, free to study. Happy Tuesday!

Later: so apparently the guitar is hooked up to his car speakers, or so B. and I think. Vocals have now been added. I can't tell if he's just playing along to a song or singing too. Most likely just playing along. I have to hand it to him, it's a clever idea and certainly entertaining and highly unusual for this rather staid neighbourhood. I wonder how long it will last....

feathers

2006-04-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

Persy's dropping little yellow feathers off my reading lamp and into my notebox. She's been up here for a good three hours and still seems content. Funny how her attention span is longer than mine that way.

The past 48-....24x3...12x6....72 hours have been very exhausting, very extrovert-ing and very interesting. I really haven't had an incredible amount of sleep. Thursday blended into Friday due to a spanish paper that took a long time to write. I have learned so many things this semester, however, both things academic and things in the category of life experience. There really is something indefineable about being at university that gives one a different way of looking at projects, articles etc. Anyway, I'm thoroughly off-topic.

Friday I got 2 hours of sleep in the afternoon and then, for once this semester, was actually on time to a destination. That was a little ironic because I was on time to an event at Salsa Palace, so most people didn't come until much later. It was sooo fun though! Way outside my normal comfort zone (some of you probably don't believe that I even went--I'll post pictures after next time) and very challenging. I'm not at all coordinated naturally and have a hard time concentrating on the beat, the steps and the guy. By the end though, I could mostly concentrate on the guy, feel the beat through his timing and fake the steps. At any rate, I had fun. Latin dancing, being more sensual, also pushes my boundaries. Funny thing is though, they're pushed but it's totally in a non-threatening way. Not like some night club where you are going to get picked up. So really, the guys were awesome. At any rate, those that I danced with. And I saw my hairdresser there, which is awesome. =) She's a very good amateur dancer.

And I worked all of yesterday (11-6) and then went to the club's last bbq. We then played basketball for awhile while the guys wrestled. And I got home by midnight, which is a record given the past few days. Anyway, it is nearly impossible to believe that courses are done now...probably because i've registered for one summer course and might do another to push as hard as i can towards getting these degrees done. I'm in for the long haul right now. At least 3 years. Yay for being 23 or 24 at graduation.

Anyway, have once again rambled enough. I'm working more this week, but want to see you guys if you are here in Vic. Joyful, I don't have your email addy anymore =(

found some pictures

2006-04-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

so I bought a card reader. now to upload pics...all the way back to summer time!
....20 minutes later....okay, so I got one to work....photoshop...it's been a long time here. I'll post 'em as I recover 'em.

This one's from a day trip during Boys' Camp when Shane, Steve and I took the guys cliff jumping. Well, I didn't jump. Someday

extensions...

2006-04-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

...of the un hair-related kind. My paper for spanish has been nicely postponed several days, which means, once I've done spending time messing with html coding on here (I can't read the font either, but can't think of a better one right now) I'll get to work on readings for other classes. It's a pollen-y, windy, gorgeous day here in the city. I ate the last meal of "two eggs and a side order of brown toast please" (the please is part of the meal) and don't think I'll be too nostalgic about the group, although I have learned so so much from them. Now comes the hard part of carrying on friendships past the convenience of meeting more or less predictably once a week. Highlights of the past week include, briefly in reverse order, turning the clocks ahead, killing a very large spider, getting rather ill, sleeping, going to a concert of Mozart's Requiem and Faure's Requiem, watching Wallace and Grommet--absolutely hilarious--, trying to be two places at once on Wednesday and failing, sleeping, enjoying the sun a bit, enjoying having fewer classes, reading. Oh, and a bit of msn-ing too.

Did anyone else read the throne speech? I'll admit to reading it partly so as to have something different to write about on here, but also partly because of all the theories and perspectives we've discussed in class. I like the proposition of review the Anti-Terrorism Act by parliament, and a lot of it sounds good. But as the CBC critics noted, it's a little lacking in specifics. More realist? To be honest, the ideas in the foreign policy section seem nice and reasonable...but is there something contradictory about getting mixed up in more multilateral treaties etc. while maintaining sovereignty? At any rate, it seems to be nicely constructed to be "clear and focused"(p 7 pdf) while being ambiguous. But hey, it's just a throne speech. Let's see how it works in policy.

Anyway, as I've nicely spent an hour on here, I'll throw out an idea to see if anyone reads this: shall we go ice skating on Thursday night? I have that paper due but will get it done before hand and would really like to go. comments?

Espero que tengan una buena tarde. Hasta sábado o un día anterior.

last night of ring out

2006-04-01T00:58:00.000-08:00

It's raining now.
Soft, quiet drops are falling freshly outside.
Breathe.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Smell the simple, dreamy perfume of the magnolia
in the yard, the whiff of grass mingling with the smell
of rain on dusty pavement,
rain on the car roof,
rain on my hair.

And slowly turn and walk inside
and leave this moment to wash
piece by piece,
down, down the drain into Memory
where it thuds with the hockey puck and rings
now faintly,
now clearly,
now loudly,
with memories stored in laughter to the tune of a hair-tuned
guitar and the sound of voices, manyvoices,
lifted in praise,
lifted in joy,
lifted high for one glorious long-lasting moment:

Live!

And then softly gently spiral downwards downwards
downwards into sleep

It has begun.

well

2006-03-28T19:50:00.000-08:00

Well, so the family is back and I survived. In fact, I got into quite a nice little routine while they were away and as much as I am enjoying having them back, it IS quite different. More lively for one, and less work for another. I'm not sure the latter is really a bonus though. Anyway, something about msn-ing. It is very difficult to leave a conversation...specifically, a conversation with someone you don't know and who has an email address very much like a friend's and who emailed you from mexico and therefore speaks spanish just like said friend. For those of you who know Nicole's email, you'll know how easily this mix up can happen.

This week...well...Monday was Exec and a very late night (but a good one and I am very grateful for the conversations/prayer times), Tuesday a blur, Wed welcoming Ben back, Thursday work, Friday more randomness. We sadly couldn't go skating (yay for reading the dates wrong=)) but everyone came over here at Tim's suggestion so we played games until 230am. Good times...relaxing and very fun weekend!!! I didn't work, and so had a meeting instead and am soo excited for this summer!!! Wheee....that excitement is spilling over into my daily life, tempering somewhat the sadness at the prospect of saying "so long" to some very special people here in Vic...the feeling is much akin to that felt near the end of a good, long race where one has finally hit one's best pace and is ready to push that extra 200 m to finish well but doesn't want the race to end. Bah, talk about a pretentious tone. Anyway, back to reading about the UN and such...and hopefully not to too many distractions.

Buenas noches, lectores.

and when it rains, it pours

2006-03-19T01:09:00.000-08:00

What a week. This week has been nuts for the majority of the people I have talked to. Midterms are done for the polisci students, but we have papers now...or more specifically, I had one paper due this week. Maybe it's a bad sign that, when you hit Saturday night, you remember what you have done but you have no idea really what time it is. Mentally, I sort of know, but physically my body clock is still some time in yesterday. Staying up almost all night doesn't help. So what did I learn this week: Monday night dinners are super fun, especially salad-related ones; getting outside of The Club and seeing people socially means I have learned more about my friends' actions (and they probably of me) in this past week than before; we're all human...sounds ridiculous, but really it has implications that mean we understand how each other person works on a fundemental level; I like spanish poetry; I don't do well with many tasks when very very tired, but socially, things become more interesting because I can't be anyone but myself; I like rose wine; my dog takes a lot of work but shows such grace when I am not home; planning a meeting or a day or a series of days takes time in and of itself, but ultimately saves so much; I learned how to make Irish stew and then how to eat lots of it; I like coffee at coffee houses; a moment to hang out could mean very little or so much--sometimes it's better not to know yet; we're all looking for something, and some of us lose our keys more often; one upping is not cool, and guys have strange ways of bonding sometimes......but they're all incredible people.

In the past 7 hours the following has happend:
I broke one glass, lied in mafia and felt very bad but kinda had fun, met some cool new people =), got a parking ticket worth 30$ if I pay now or 57$ by the bylaw after 14days, learned that if "something" tells me I should wear a tee shirt or bring one to a party so I can clean up without wearing a tanktop, that something is worth listening to, esp. if said tank top is one I'd promised myself never to wear on its own;I forgot to turn my lights on and then got pulled over by the cops. I really should have had a ticket for speeding too but she let me off...I was only going 60 or so, but that is fast esp. when I've got 4 other people in the car. Ah my....it was an interesting trip, but hey, I guess I deserved it. I got completely lost coming to Nicole's because I turned too early. I got very tired.

This has been a good week. Not really good in that many exciting and wonderful things have happened, but good in the sense of learning many super important lessons. From punctuality to love to dog sitting to irish cooking to driving to research to other life stuff, I've been taught a lot. Guess that's what comes of telling God I'd like to "grow" and if he wanted to, he may do what he wants with me because it's for my good. Taken seriously, that means there's a lot more ahead as he tosses up more things to examine. But truth be told, it's good and better now than in Germany, when my friends and family will be gracious. So, my dog says it's time for me to go to bed now, and I agree. 'Night all....

Nachrichten

2006-03-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

What a week of surprises and strangeness. It started with an essay that wouldn't come to life and then sputtered into being in the form of 8 pages of poorly constructed arguments that sounded good but might not make sense. That was Sunday...and the week was characterised by time-wasting on my part in relation to school. The first-ever late assignment went in on Friday for my spanish. Joy joy joy.

It was not all bad, and indeed, as may be typical, the times I spent working on things other than school were very enjoyable. The exec met again and had a good time--very intense, but good--as I mentioned previously. Wednesday night study was good, work was super (very good conversation with my co-worker while we were doing shop-stuff) and the post-outreach talk with a few good friends quite good.

Friday was a different story. Procrastinating and tired, I compulsively opened my email to check about something, and I have been accepted into my programme abroad for next year. Not too many details to be posted on here, but it is a year abroad and will go from September until July, which is A very long long time to be away from here. It is exciting though, because I am going to do something different, something unexpected and, I think, something God wants me to do. Plus, it will help to get perspective on IVCF from the outside and then maybe be more invovled when I am back. Or not....and I have a summer job, so life is good.

This ought to be a philosophical zone so...hmm...how many decisions do we make just because we think other people will like them or because we are afraid of the alternative? I'd venture that most people-pleasers have this problem at some point. We don't want to assert our indpendence or individuality because then, horrors, we might offend someone. This logic is actually pretty faulty, and it's been interesting to try and see things outside of that. It is much better to have an expressed opinion and be open with others, thinking through what to say and what to remain quiet about, than it is to remain silent for fear of being stupid. There are many factors at work in this. Being judged...it's actually more fun when someone has a respectful difference of opinion because it makes one think. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. more on the next post.

In Brief

2006-03-07T00:36:00.000-08:00

The essay I am writing is driving me nuts, so please, no one ask me about the European Union, its electoral structure and the parties within it. I've ended up writing a report about the system with my original thesis being disproved by the information I collected. Something else significant to note is that one should NEVER change a good essay-writing system just because the method everyone else is using seems more common. BAaaa (sheep). As Rebekah was saying tonight, it's sometimes the process of writing these papers that counts more than the paper itself. Okay so those are my words, but she did remind me "it's only school". Only....Anyway, thanks to the friends who reflect back to me my own desires and decisions, particularly in mundane things like leaving a group to go study etc. Sometimes that is the greatest gift, a friend who can be a friend honestly and forcefully sometimes, and softer and gentler others.

I'm babbling now and would like to finish the corrections on this thing so I can get it mostly drafted and printed for tomorrow so I can go to the leadership meeting. Exec was very good tonight, btw, I am sorry Gill missed it. We only have one or two more meetings as a group....sad yet exciting. Anyway, here is the link to the pictures from my baptism: www.pbase.com/eheffa It's my dad's website, and if you need a password, the gallery for the photos is "lambrick". Now I hope no one is stalking me on here. That's always the danger of these blogs! G'night!--Me

Writing

2006-02-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

I know I am procrastinating, because I suddenly had the urge to write something on here. I wonder if anyone will notice. This past week has been incredibly eventful for me. We went skiing as a group for three days and I had a completely fabulous time...a blast...but came back absolutely wiped. Hmm...I had a big long post planned for here, but I don't think I will make it now, because the guilt of wasting time just set in. The most significant thing that happened this past week was my baptism, and I will someday post pictures somewhere for everyone! The other things were a conflict with a friend that I hope will deepen the friendship not make us go separate ways (unless that is God's will now?), IVCF met at my place as a group, someone gifted me with two chocolate bars, and I wasted much time...only, the time I spent not writing on here I spent thinking or with friends, two things the uni doesn't leave much time for when it's in session. Anyway, the weather is wonderfully windy here and I am glad to be inside, studying my Spanish. Hasta luego, and thanks for listening.

Once upon a time

2006-02-14T22:41:00.000-08:00

I once created a blog on here, many years ago...or so it seems. I can't actually remember when I last had one of these things, or my password for the other one, so I thought I'd start again so there's some record of these coming months in Vic. and my hopeful journey abroad. Mach' Spass!