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| I could try and claim that nothing much has been goin on as I'm back in Canton, but I havent spent this entire time in Canton. I survied the last few weeks in south america, I loved it but I was ready to get home. I was greeted at the airport by mom, daddy off of crutches, and a boy who resembled Evan but was taller than I remembered and had this rather interesting mo-hawk. It of course was Evan and as I was soon told it is a "fo-hawk" LOL. So I got a bit of time to just lounge around the house, spend time with my puppies, and washing all of my terribly dirty clothes most of which I wont be wearing for several more months. the best part of that, aside from my adoring dogs, was getting to hear people on the phone! I still like AIM and miss it at the moment now that I cant use it, but conversations on the phone are by far superior!
Then Evan and I got to spend a week in Colorado for a camp with the youth group in Canton, which consisted of Allana and Matt. So I was truely home for a week! It was a tough week though. We went up to Buena Vista on saterday and stayed with grandma and grandpa for a day. We both spent sunday afternoon at the river. Evan and Matt fished and Allana and I sat around in the hot springs. And what better to follow that but Bongo Billy's!! For those of you who dont know Bongo Billy's is a small coffe shop chain in CO. Now there is no way I can go to BV and not get Bongo Billy's coffee, it is impossible! Anyway early the next morning we parted ways with mom and dad and headed to Denver. We got there about midmorning and began camp by packing up our backpacks. That right I spent half a week backpacking! I've been hiking and I've climbed mountains before, but backpacking was much more of a challenge. My pack was HEAVY! ok so 35 or 40 lbs, but it was akward and it really did feel very heavy. I walked away a few days later with bruised hips and sore shoulders, but the experience was so worth it! For more details on this part of the week you'll have to ask me. Anyway on Thursday we hiked all the way down and headed into the city for a tour. The camp we were on is a summer progam of Dry Bones, an organization that works with the homeless teens in Denver. the tour we went on Thursday afternoon wasnt to see the sights but to see where these kids live. There were several points where I really wanted to cry. The contrast between where they "squat" and the insanely expensive lofts a few yards away was incredible, and sad. Later in the evening we went bowling with a group of the street kids, that was fun and for once I actually bowled pretty well. I'll attribute that to pointers made by some of the street kids. Then we went back downtown and fed everyone dinner. We saw another sad contrast durring dinner as there was a fashion show going on a block away from where we were. All in all that week was a strengthening and eye opening experience. That said I loved it! | | |
| So a week or so ago we went to Brazil. It was strange to change currency again, and even stranger to change languages! The only word I learned, obrigada (thank you) sounds so pretty... but then again I was even more confused because I understood even less! but enough about that and on to the falls! Some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen! I loved being on the Brazil side and being able to see all the waterfalls. Then that night we went to see the largest waterfall, the Devil's Throat by moonlight. Simply the sound was amazing! we tried to take pictures of it but... none of our cameras would take the pic! but we have some funny ones of us! we're soaked but still smiling and a laughing  . we do both of those alot. Well maybe not so much the next day. When we went to the Argenine side of the falls it was pouring. seriously the most rain I have ever been in or ever seen coming out of the sky at one time!! I was wearing a poncho, possibly a better one then most of the others were wearing and yet I was still cold and quickly getting miserable. Sarah decided to go back to the van because she was sick and she was afraid of getting sicker. Since I was squishing in my shoes already and I didnt want her to walk back alone we left together. Maybe at some point I'll regret that but right now I'm glad. I was able to relax, get some homework done adn just chat with Lauren, Sarah and Dr Collier since she was in the van too. We still had a nice time. We went to a show that night. They preformed dances from all over South America. So we saw tango again and candombe too. there is so much that words are not sufficient for, so you'll have to wait for the pictures I guess.
I hate to end on that note but I'm gonna help Lauren with her Uruguyan door Exposse (ok so I cant spell but you know what I mean) I keep refering to it as her door-ography. so I'll write a more another time!! love you all! | | |
| Created on Wednesday, 05/24/2006 10:49 PM
It is relevant to anything I say about today to mention that I got sick today. therefore I am not all here. Classes were a bit of a struggle to stay awake during but I made it. So this afternoon we got to have a tango lesson. That was alot of fun! Obviously none of us had ever done tango before, but it seemed to be a common goal. I think I'm gonna have to teach my brother now though. that sounds funny but he's pretty much the only guy I'll be around for the rest of the summer after we get back. Plus that kid needs somekind of dance lessons, though I'm really not the one to talk. so tango was fun even though I was paired with a kid who had not so much rhythm, but he could steer fairly well so... I guess he wasnt too bad considering. I would rather get lightly kicked occasionally than be running into people the whole lesson.
Created on Monday, 05/29/2006 10:47 PM
Stacy and I were really nervous about going to the Alianza tonight. We didnt really know where exacty we were headed and certainly not where to get off the bus. And yet everyone was really nice. One lady told us that the street was not for a long time and then the bus driver told us when we reached our stop. We ended up getting there about half an hour early so we actually sat in on another extra half of a class. Then we had 2 other classes we were scheduled to be in. All of the people spoke really well. The final class was our favorite. They were very eager to talk and had alot to say. In all of the other classes we've been in, and very much so in Montevideo, it felt like the classes were asking questions because they were told to by their teacher. The last class tonight and to some extent the one before had things they wanted to ask and things and palces they wanted to tell us about too. We were able to have real conversations with them. Actually we kept talking after class was over. I stayed up stairs and ended up talking about sports! I know nothing about sports except that I like watching soccer and hockey. but we talked about Baseball, Football, Basketball, everything. Then I went downstairs and Stacy was trying to explain what a "chick-flick" is. That took quite a bit of explaining. so we stayed in ther talking with all these same people and their teacher for a good 15 more minutes after I came down stairs. But by far the best part was one of the guys in the class. Ok so he was kinda cute but that isnt what made him the best. we mentioned that the school we go to is a christian school and he asked "so you are Christians?" we said we were and he told us he is too! that is the first person I've met who was that open about having any faith. So he gave Stacy his email and we said we would keep in touch. I just cant get ove how cool that is to meet a christian in a classroom visit at Alianza! | | |
| alright so it has been way too long since my last post and for that I am very sorry. as much as I want to tell you about all the sights we've seen and the people we have met lately there is a more pressing matter at hand. Last weekend our group took a trip to Buenas Aries. This was a really fun weekend! I loved the city and have plans to return with a few friends here.
On the way back however the trip took a downturn. We took a really fast ship across the Rio de la Plata (River). Some of our checked bags. We ended up being some of the first people off the boat but since we had also been some of the first ones onto the boat the bags were at the very back. In addition the system for claiming bags was difficult if not impossible for a person who does not speak spanish. Therefore the four friends I was with were the last ones to claim their bags. We originally thought that we were behind the rest of our group so I went outside to the busses to look for them. I ended up being stuck outside by myself for at 15 to 20 minutes by myself. Finally I saw Dr Collier and the other half of our students. I was still watching for the other 4 who were still trying to get their bags so I only overheard her conversation with the students with here as I thought I woudl hear the same directions when they were repeated for the other half of the group. I did catch that all the busses were going to Montevideo and that we needed our tickets from the boat to get on the bus. I turned aroud to ask a question of my own a minute later and they were all gone. os I stayed where |I was to continue to wait on everyone else thinking maybe everyone is saving us seats on the bus or something. 5-10 minutes later Dr Wherry comes out and I pass on the information I overheard and and he heads off to a bus also. after this I start watching the busses and all the ones that were parked fill hand leave. Another 5-10 minutes passes by and finally the 4 I've been waiting on come out. After really quickly running to the restroom (I couldnt take all my stuff with me) I tell them that everyone else has already gone. we figured the best thing to do would be to get on a bus and deal with emotions on the ride back. I got on and saved seats. Then I went to see what was talking them so long. turns out our boy had been keeping his ticket in his passport and had gotten it back from the officials who stamped it before we left Argentina. We ended up having to pool our money to buy him another ticket. All of this has been further complicated by the fact that none of us speaks spanish. Finally we were all allowed to get on the bus. on the way back to Montevideo we took the time to talk about what had happened. We wanted to make sure we were all on the same page. Basically we felt like we should had gotten more information about getting bags, the tickets etc. Plus we didnt think we should have been left behind to figure everything out and deal with any problems. Simply put we didnt feel adaquately prepared. This actually wasnt the first time that I've felt like we should have gotten more information or better preparation for a trip or class assignment. We got back to the house and asked to speak with Dr. Collier and Dr. Wherry. Dr Whery came with out question, I guess he's spent enough time with us to know that we would ask to talk that late unless we felt it was very important. Dr Collier however refused to come out. I admit we should have been much more specific in what we wanted to talk about when speaking with her on the phone (she's asked that we call instead of knocking on her door). We still talked to Dr Wherry and he apoligized for leaving.
The following day we did talk to her about the situation. The first conversation was not under the best of circumstances. One fo the girls was so upset it triggered and asthema (sorry I can't spell) attack. Finally that evening we were able to sit down and talk with the whole group and both professors. At first I was not happy that the whole group was going to be there but it turned out to be very good. We were able to work with a few other problems we were having as well. Some of those were also with Dr Collier and some with just group dynamics.
On of the girls with us called her mother before we talked to Dr. Wherry that night. Her mother then emailed I someone at ACU to ask how this would be dealt with. the response she was given quoted Dr Collier's description of the event and it was nothing like what happened. what she said made it sound like we were constantly making trouble and this was a from of punishment, for which she had aploigised. Her statments also made it sound like we were not following directions. In reality there were no directions to follow or not follow. But my favorite part was when she said that she had left an "informed volunteer" with the group. I was not a volunteer for that position and she did not make sure I was fully informed. That was frustrating.
The important thing now is really that I can laugh about the experience as upsetting as it was at the time. I have no choice in working with Dr. Collier as my professor and to do that I am thinking it is best to let this go for now. There is nothing I can do now anyway | | |
| first off thanks to Uncle Byron and Ben who offered to come down and protect me from the boys here, much appreciated. I guess i\ve written abou that alot because we were warned but I guess we never dreamed it would be this obvious! we have plenty of jokes about that. alright so we've had several really good speakers come in. Plus we've had our first tango lesson!! It was tons of fun!! since we dont have enought boys we invited boys from Casa de Jovenes (dont quote my spelling). they were once again very fun kids, dont speak a lick of english. they only problem was that the guys needs to be firm when dancing the tango so he can lead you, they tended to be the opposite, more like limp noodles. anyway I'll write more later, right now I'm sick and my bed is calling me.
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