I am working to get my trip photos up this week. There are already a few sets up from the beginning of the trip. So if you are interested in seeing a few photos behind the stories click here : Europe photos.
2.25.2007
2.21.2007
Welcome"Home" ...at last
Home, home at last and without any glitches. My flights back to Korea ended up being just as planned. I was so relieved.
I experienced a bit of culture shock at the airport in Frankfort. International airports are oddities, I think, because within them lives subcultures--little Korea's, little North Americas, little Africa's, and little China's, etc. Depending on what gate you go to, what company you fly with, or what flight you are on determines the culture, the language, the amount of times you have to hear the emergency proceedures before the plain takes off, and what inflight menu will be offered. For my case I entered into a German brand of Korea. I prolonged my entrance into the gate just to have a few more moments in Europe. Saying goodbye is tough! When I finally got up from my leaning against the post in the middle of the hall, I entered into Asia. Immediately as I entered the seating area for my Lufthansa flight I felt so out of place. No, no... I really do not want to leave the land where I almost fit in, where people do not assume I speak English, where I can hide (almost) that I come from the USA. As I looked around feeling the weight of leaving the west I noticed how I was one of a handful of white faces. It hit me, "You are going "home" to Asia. You may be going "home" but you are not going home. Already I heard the familiar sounds of Hangul (Korean) in the air. I was reminded how different the concept of space is as all chairs were full and people were rubbing shoulders and pushing...already!! There was a blond girl who shares my whiteness who looked like she was having trouble and she was asking, "Do you speak English?" She was half way across the room and I about shouted, "I do". I was thinking I could help her. No, she was needing Koreans who spoke English for some work project. She was doing interviews. Here I was thinking I had entered Korea and thinking I might be of some help to a foreigner..like me! Oh well, so much for trying to be helpful. I had not technically left Europe but at the gate of my flight to Korea I had already entered Asia. It was my pre-home "welcome home".
I experienced a bit of culture shock at the airport in Frankfort. International airports are oddities, I think, because within them lives subcultures--little Korea's, little North Americas, little Africa's, and little China's, etc. Depending on what gate you go to, what company you fly with, or what flight you are on determines the culture, the language, the amount of times you have to hear the emergency proceedures before the plain takes off, and what inflight menu will be offered. For my case I entered into a German brand of Korea. I prolonged my entrance into the gate just to have a few more moments in Europe. Saying goodbye is tough! When I finally got up from my leaning against the post in the middle of the hall, I entered into Asia. Immediately as I entered the seating area for my Lufthansa flight I felt so out of place. No, no... I really do not want to leave the land where I almost fit in, where people do not assume I speak English, where I can hide (almost) that I come from the USA. As I looked around feeling the weight of leaving the west I noticed how I was one of a handful of white faces. It hit me, "You are going "home" to Asia. You may be going "home" but you are not going home. Already I heard the familiar sounds of Hangul (Korean) in the air. I was reminded how different the concept of space is as all chairs were full and people were rubbing shoulders and pushing...already!! There was a blond girl who shares my whiteness who looked like she was having trouble and she was asking, "Do you speak English?" She was half way across the room and I about shouted, "I do". I was thinking I could help her. No, she was needing Koreans who spoke English for some work project. She was doing interviews. Here I was thinking I had entered Korea and thinking I might be of some help to a foreigner..like me! Oh well, so much for trying to be helpful. I had not technically left Europe but at the gate of my flight to Korea I had already entered Asia. It was my pre-home "welcome home".
2.16.2007
Looks to be an even longer day
So I just looked up my flight info on the computer. My flight out of Frankfort to Seoul looks to be leaving 5 hours before I arrive. And it looks like it is the only flight of the day. Oh joy! I wonder what will transpire on a day that was already to be long.
The final day
When I woke up today, the last day of my stay in Paris and the last day of my four week pilgrimage before making the long journey back to Korea, I prayed that I would meet someone today. Paris has been deplete of people interaction for me. When I decided to stay in a hotel I did not realize I would be trading comfort for people interaction. I just could not do another hostel. God totally answered my prayer in a neat way. I met two Australian girls as I was waiting in line to go up to the Notre Dame towers. Yes, I did see other things in Paris besides Notre Dame! As we were talking a girl from California heard us. She was alone and joined our conversation. The four of us talked and climbed the stairs up to the bell tower. It was so neat to experience the morning with others. The girl from California and I went to the Pantheon together and then she walked me to the Hotel De Ville to see a photography exhibition she raved about. She was just what I needed and I think I was just what she needed today too. It is so cool to meet such random people while traveling. I never would have met the people I have if I would have come in a group.
A month has gone by. I have so many new things to think on and chew on as I return to life in Korea. I can not say that I return to Korea the same Julene as I when I left. I feel like these 4 weeks have been a mini-lifetime. I am ready to not be traveling. I am ready to be in one place and to live from the experiences I have had. No matter where home is Dorothy got it right, "There is no place like home". My own bed and familiar sounds...even the annoying ones coming through the walls at Owens (my home in Korea) will be welcomed! Not having to pay for internet evey time will be welcomed too!
A month has gone by. I have so many new things to think on and chew on as I return to life in Korea. I can not say that I return to Korea the same Julene as I when I left. I feel like these 4 weeks have been a mini-lifetime. I am ready to not be traveling. I am ready to be in one place and to live from the experiences I have had. No matter where home is Dorothy got it right, "There is no place like home". My own bed and familiar sounds...even the annoying ones coming through the walls at Owens (my home in Korea) will be welcomed! Not having to pay for internet evey time will be welcomed too!
Moments of Heaven
Notre Dame has been my favorite place to visit in Paris. I went there three days in a row. Actually I was secretly stocking the cheap Eiffel Tower Key ring hawkers. One of them gave me the creeps the first day when he approached me and would not leave me alone. He was asking if I was from Australia. He was definatly the most uncomfortable encounter of the whole trip. Oh the wonderful things to experience in Paris!
Yesterday on my daily journey to Notre Dame I arrived during a special playing of the Notre Dame organ. I guess I was lucky because it does not happen every Sunday. I went in the massive Gothic cathedral and found a seat in the middle because I thought it would be the best place for listening. Being a single unit really helped at this moment as I had plenty of seats in prime places to choose from. I sat down and for the first time all day I was just still. I just listened to music moving through my body like I have never experienced before. It was a powerful yet soft sound. It did feel like I imagine a piece of heaven to feel like. I just sat there full of beautiful music and looked in front to the center piece, the sculpture of Mary holding Jesus' body and the gold lit cross. For me it was a moment where time stood still and somehow nothing in the past or future made any difference to me because what mattered was exactly and only the present. It was a blessing to just sit and be and take in a spectacularly beautiful moment in life. How often I wonder do such moments cross our paths (my path) yet I am so much beyond it or behind it that I never even realize it is there. These last few weeks as I have learned what I am like traveling alone I have also realized how I travel this thing we call life. I run, run, run, run. There is so much to miss in running. It is so easy to miss the moments of beauty and creativity and imagination. It is so easy to miss the God who is right there. When I have made myself stop on my journey like this this time at Notre Dame I have found something special. God met me in my stopping. How often we ask, "Where is God in our lives?" Ha. He is so right there, isn't he? He just waits for us to take in his moments of heaven.
After the concert I walked around aimlessly for an hour just taking in the sights and sounds of Paris. You will never guess where I ended up! I made a circle back to Notre Dame for Mass. I bought a crepe with sugar, are it with thankfulness and went in for the most over the top catholic mass of my trip. So much pomp and circumstance for this protestant girl! The smoked up the whole place with "holy smoke". How is that good for preserving the cathedral. I guess it still is very much a church.
Yesterday on my daily journey to Notre Dame I arrived during a special playing of the Notre Dame organ. I guess I was lucky because it does not happen every Sunday. I went in the massive Gothic cathedral and found a seat in the middle because I thought it would be the best place for listening. Being a single unit really helped at this moment as I had plenty of seats in prime places to choose from. I sat down and for the first time all day I was just still. I just listened to music moving through my body like I have never experienced before. It was a powerful yet soft sound. It did feel like I imagine a piece of heaven to feel like. I just sat there full of beautiful music and looked in front to the center piece, the sculpture of Mary holding Jesus' body and the gold lit cross. For me it was a moment where time stood still and somehow nothing in the past or future made any difference to me because what mattered was exactly and only the present. It was a blessing to just sit and be and take in a spectacularly beautiful moment in life. How often I wonder do such moments cross our paths (my path) yet I am so much beyond it or behind it that I never even realize it is there. These last few weeks as I have learned what I am like traveling alone I have also realized how I travel this thing we call life. I run, run, run, run. There is so much to miss in running. It is so easy to miss the moments of beauty and creativity and imagination. It is so easy to miss the God who is right there. When I have made myself stop on my journey like this this time at Notre Dame I have found something special. God met me in my stopping. How often we ask, "Where is God in our lives?" Ha. He is so right there, isn't he? He just waits for us to take in his moments of heaven.
After the concert I walked around aimlessly for an hour just taking in the sights and sounds of Paris. You will never guess where I ended up! I made a circle back to Notre Dame for Mass. I bought a crepe with sugar, are it with thankfulness and went in for the most over the top catholic mass of my trip. So much pomp and circumstance for this protestant girl! The smoked up the whole place with "holy smoke". How is that good for preserving the cathedral. I guess it still is very much a church.
The Eternal Museum in Paris
Ok so I am trying this French key board again. We will see how it goes.
I went to the Louve today. So that is why my legs are sore and my eyes are tired. I have decided. I am officially not a museum person. Or a big city person. 4 hours of walking around looking at art is a once in a lifetime experience...both in terms of the incredible things I saw in person which I have only up until today read about and in terms of "I do not care to do it again". I have heard the Louve was big but I did not realize it is eternal! Really I think people go in and never come out. There were moments today when I thought I would never see blue sky again. It twists and turns, goes up stairs and down stairs eternally. After today I have a whole new concept of eternal life. I am so glad mine or yours will not be in a Museum; Yes, I am silly.
After waiting in the line to pay and get in I went straight to the Mona Lisa. I was thinking as I walked there, "What is all the hype about this painting?" I have seen posters of it and I do not get it. But then I stood in front of it and decided quickly that the posters and the pictures in history and art books just do not do justice to the real thing. I think besides her hair-due Mona Lisa is\was a beautiful woman. For someone who is not a museum person, the Mona Lisa was really incredible. Another highlight for me was Hammurabi Code in the Egyptian section; I remember learning about it in school and to see it in front of me was surreal. I liked the Renaissance rooms the best. Oh and Napoleon 3's apartment.
I walked to the Arc De Triumph today and splurged on a crepe with Nutella and Banana. I felt like I was really in Paris as I walked with my crepe in hand, with the Louve behind me and the Arc in front of me and the Eifel tower in the distance to the left. Ah... am I really walking alone in Paris? Yep. Never would have thought I could experience a city like this. I do think Paris is better experienced with someone although I really do not get all the romance associated with the city.
When I reached the Arc I sat down near a gate to finish my crepe. Um, I think a dog had used this area for a toilette earlier on or was it a cat? Before I could move a nicely dressed girl who looked like a gypsy, approached me and asked, "Do you speak English?" This was not the first time this trip for this to happen. As I am alone I have tried to be hyper aware of my surroundings. The girl was going to ask me for money. So I just looked at her as if I did not understand, I did not speak a word and I waved her away. Probably not the most Christian thing to do but definately the safest thing. I sat there and watched as she solicited funds from the whole crowd. There were two of them today. I wonder if they go to the same place everyday? I wonder what their lives are really like? I wish I could know without the fear and frustration of being solicited for money in a tourist area.
I went to a normal and non tourist area of Paris today and I must say it was the highlight after the Mona Lisa. I was amazed by all the cultures or ethnic backgrounds in the area--blcks, olive, red, white with the whole spectrim of hair yet no Asian. Beside the tourist places Paris has had the fewist number of Asians of my trip in weeks. It could just be where I have been. At the market area today there was an Indian musical group. They looked American Indian but that could mean Northern or Southern.
Tomorrow I am praying I find the little Nazarene Church in Versailles. Another adventure awaits in the morning. If nothing else I will go to the Palace of Versailles tomorrow. I really hope to worship with Nazarenes tomorrow.
I went to the Louve today. So that is why my legs are sore and my eyes are tired. I have decided. I am officially not a museum person. Or a big city person. 4 hours of walking around looking at art is a once in a lifetime experience...both in terms of the incredible things I saw in person which I have only up until today read about and in terms of "I do not care to do it again". I have heard the Louve was big but I did not realize it is eternal! Really I think people go in and never come out. There were moments today when I thought I would never see blue sky again. It twists and turns, goes up stairs and down stairs eternally. After today I have a whole new concept of eternal life. I am so glad mine or yours will not be in a Museum; Yes, I am silly.
After waiting in the line to pay and get in I went straight to the Mona Lisa. I was thinking as I walked there, "What is all the hype about this painting?" I have seen posters of it and I do not get it. But then I stood in front of it and decided quickly that the posters and the pictures in history and art books just do not do justice to the real thing. I think besides her hair-due Mona Lisa is\was a beautiful woman. For someone who is not a museum person, the Mona Lisa was really incredible. Another highlight for me was Hammurabi Code in the Egyptian section; I remember learning about it in school and to see it in front of me was surreal. I liked the Renaissance rooms the best. Oh and Napoleon 3's apartment.
I walked to the Arc De Triumph today and splurged on a crepe with Nutella and Banana. I felt like I was really in Paris as I walked with my crepe in hand, with the Louve behind me and the Arc in front of me and the Eifel tower in the distance to the left. Ah... am I really walking alone in Paris? Yep. Never would have thought I could experience a city like this. I do think Paris is better experienced with someone although I really do not get all the romance associated with the city.
When I reached the Arc I sat down near a gate to finish my crepe. Um, I think a dog had used this area for a toilette earlier on or was it a cat? Before I could move a nicely dressed girl who looked like a gypsy, approached me and asked, "Do you speak English?" This was not the first time this trip for this to happen. As I am alone I have tried to be hyper aware of my surroundings. The girl was going to ask me for money. So I just looked at her as if I did not understand, I did not speak a word and I waved her away. Probably not the most Christian thing to do but definately the safest thing. I sat there and watched as she solicited funds from the whole crowd. There were two of them today. I wonder if they go to the same place everyday? I wonder what their lives are really like? I wish I could know without the fear and frustration of being solicited for money in a tourist area.
I went to a normal and non tourist area of Paris today and I must say it was the highlight after the Mona Lisa. I was amazed by all the cultures or ethnic backgrounds in the area--blcks, olive, red, white with the whole spectrim of hair yet no Asian. Beside the tourist places Paris has had the fewist number of Asians of my trip in weeks. It could just be where I have been. At the market area today there was an Indian musical group. They looked American Indian but that could mean Northern or Southern.
Tomorrow I am praying I find the little Nazarene Church in Versailles. Another adventure awaits in the morning. If nothing else I will go to the Palace of Versailles tomorrow. I really hope to worship with Nazarenes tomorrow.
Here I Am Paris
Security measures at the airports really are laughable. I travel pretty cheap and today had some jam in my backpack. Last week I specifically asked if I could carry it on and the answer was yes. Today they searched my bag for it when there was suspicion. They found I had "liquid" and they treated like I was a criminal to be. Wait, is jam a liquid? Questionable for sure. Jam is as much of a liquid as Nutella and I had a jar of that too but the lady did not find it so I passed with my Nutella but not my jam. It will make for some lopsided sandwiches for a while. They whole thing just makes me wonder how good the security system is.
Three days in Paris to come. I look forward to the Louve tomorrow. Hopefully I will go to a Nazarene church on Sunday.
I would type more but there is a line for the internet and the French keyboard is driving me crazy.
Three days in Paris to come. I look forward to the Louve tomorrow. Hopefully I will go to a Nazarene church on Sunday.
I would type more but there is a line for the internet and the French keyboard is driving me crazy.
2.14.2007
A major slow down
Life has slowed down for me in Palermo. Thanks be to God! I am staying with a friend from seminary and she is a missionary. It sure is nice to see a familiar face. There are tourist type things that she showed me on our walk yesterday. Some old places. However, I am saving the last bit of my tourist energy for Paris on the weekend. I have been learning about the Sicilian culture and learning about my friends ministry here in Palermo. She has a lot on her plate both for this city and for this field. I am grateful she has welcomed me into her busy life. Something interesting for me is that she teaches English to Italians. The thought of teaching English in Italy sounds cool. I mean I teach English in Korea but Italy, now we are talking! It in reality is not different in the long run. The food is better here though! The weather is also better! Oh and the proximity to the rest of Europe is awesome. Ok...I am a bit jealous, can you tell? Ha.
I had a funny third culture (meaning the Korean culture that is inside of me) clash happen here. I have really adopted the "no wearing shoes in the house" rule at work in Korea. For some reason on this trip that "rule" has been at work in me. Odd. So I had taken off my shoes in the house-ministry center. Wed. night is English movie night. Just after we had finished setting up for the evening my friend looked at my shoes. She said, unless you want people to be staring at your feet, you might want to take your slippers off and put shoes on. In her own way she was reminding me that this was both a house, where we can be comfortable, and a ministrty center, where we need to be dressed up a bit to fit into the Italian culture. Ha. I looked at her in a bit of shock because I realized my wearing slippers was not because I was treating the place like a home where I can be comfortable but because I was treating the place like a ministry center in Korea, where you would not dare wear shoes. Ha. What a cultural class I never expected...hence the shock. I changed my slippers to shoes and therefore did not have a few Italian guys wondering why I was wearing slippers.
The rhythm of a day here in Palermo would take some getting used to. We wake up at 8 or so. We eat some breakfast. Ah...breakfast...so different. Italian coffee is like a shot of expresso. I actually like it with some milk and sugar. It is because I am not a big coffee drinker that I do not mind just a tiny, tiny cup of strong stuff. In fact I am going to buy a Italian coffee pot to bring home for fun. Also for breakfast we have toast. The volunteers working with my friend call the bread croutons. Ha...it is a small square peice of very toasted bread. We put jam on it. ALso we had some cookies for breakfast or as they call them, bisquits. By noon today I am famished. Lunch is about 1pm. We have had some great meals together. My friend has learned to cook Siscilian style and wow! Cooscous and veggies with bread was my favorite. Yesterday I tried a fried "rice" ball. To me it is so funny she calls it a rice ball because it was not a "rice" ball in terms of Korea. Yet it was made of a yellow rice. My friend cooks with olive oil and it is wonderful. I never knew I liked olive oil but I have probaly not had virgin quality either. The dressing for her salads is olive oil with lemon juice. It is really nice too. She made a squid dish with italian spices and wow it was amazing. In Korea I never touch squid with intention. After lunch I have enjoyed a siesta! Nice. At the ministry center they are quite busy between 4pm and 8pm teaching different languages and computer classes. I helped teach a class the other day. Dinner is around 8pm or 9pm. WOW. So late. I was warmed this was European culture but as I have been on my own so much I have not had to abide by this dinner rhythm. Until this past week at the monastery and here... Things get started here at about the time I start thinking about going to bed. No wonder they take a siesta in the middle of the day. It is needed!
Tonight and tomorrow I get to join two dinners at friends homes. It is so cool to get to experience Palermo on a relational level. I so enjoy meeting people even when I do not speak the language. I at least understand some since Italian is so close to Spanish.
My friend has given me a picture of what it is like for her to be a missionary as a single woman. I wonder if I could do what she is doing. She is the only missionary for our church in this city which boggles my mind. How does she do it? I have such a great respect for her and how God is using her here. She is fluent in the language and that helps in her being the only missionary! Also she has an influx of volunteers working with her so she is not always alone. It is cool to hear her speaking in Italian. She has only lived here for 2 years and is fluent. She did have 4 months of full time and 4 months of part time language training which is why she is fluent.
4 weeks of being on the road has about reached my limit of travel time. If it was any longer I would have to be in one place. It is good to find my limit and know I am not the type to go on a trip around the world for months and months on end. So many people I have met along the way are doing it. Like I have said many times throughout this trip, what makes it for me is the people. If the trip is teaching me any one thing (which it is teaching me so much more) it is that one of my greatest loves in life is people. Even better is talking with people about matters of importance. I have been blessed to do this at so many different points on this trip. I think it is time to settle in one place for a while and look for such opportunities somemore!
I had a funny third culture (meaning the Korean culture that is inside of me) clash happen here. I have really adopted the "no wearing shoes in the house" rule at work in Korea. For some reason on this trip that "rule" has been at work in me. Odd. So I had taken off my shoes in the house-ministry center. Wed. night is English movie night. Just after we had finished setting up for the evening my friend looked at my shoes. She said, unless you want people to be staring at your feet, you might want to take your slippers off and put shoes on. In her own way she was reminding me that this was both a house, where we can be comfortable, and a ministrty center, where we need to be dressed up a bit to fit into the Italian culture. Ha. I looked at her in a bit of shock because I realized my wearing slippers was not because I was treating the place like a home where I can be comfortable but because I was treating the place like a ministry center in Korea, where you would not dare wear shoes. Ha. What a cultural class I never expected...hence the shock. I changed my slippers to shoes and therefore did not have a few Italian guys wondering why I was wearing slippers.
The rhythm of a day here in Palermo would take some getting used to. We wake up at 8 or so. We eat some breakfast. Ah...breakfast...so different. Italian coffee is like a shot of expresso. I actually like it with some milk and sugar. It is because I am not a big coffee drinker that I do not mind just a tiny, tiny cup of strong stuff. In fact I am going to buy a Italian coffee pot to bring home for fun. Also for breakfast we have toast. The volunteers working with my friend call the bread croutons. Ha...it is a small square peice of very toasted bread. We put jam on it. ALso we had some cookies for breakfast or as they call them, bisquits. By noon today I am famished. Lunch is about 1pm. We have had some great meals together. My friend has learned to cook Siscilian style and wow! Cooscous and veggies with bread was my favorite. Yesterday I tried a fried "rice" ball. To me it is so funny she calls it a rice ball because it was not a "rice" ball in terms of Korea. Yet it was made of a yellow rice. My friend cooks with olive oil and it is wonderful. I never knew I liked olive oil but I have probaly not had virgin quality either. The dressing for her salads is olive oil with lemon juice. It is really nice too. She made a squid dish with italian spices and wow it was amazing. In Korea I never touch squid with intention. After lunch I have enjoyed a siesta! Nice. At the ministry center they are quite busy between 4pm and 8pm teaching different languages and computer classes. I helped teach a class the other day. Dinner is around 8pm or 9pm. WOW. So late. I was warmed this was European culture but as I have been on my own so much I have not had to abide by this dinner rhythm. Until this past week at the monastery and here... Things get started here at about the time I start thinking about going to bed. No wonder they take a siesta in the middle of the day. It is needed!
Tonight and tomorrow I get to join two dinners at friends homes. It is so cool to get to experience Palermo on a relational level. I so enjoy meeting people even when I do not speak the language. I at least understand some since Italian is so close to Spanish.
My friend has given me a picture of what it is like for her to be a missionary as a single woman. I wonder if I could do what she is doing. She is the only missionary for our church in this city which boggles my mind. How does she do it? I have such a great respect for her and how God is using her here. She is fluent in the language and that helps in her being the only missionary! Also she has an influx of volunteers working with her so she is not always alone. It is cool to hear her speaking in Italian. She has only lived here for 2 years and is fluent. She did have 4 months of full time and 4 months of part time language training which is why she is fluent.
4 weeks of being on the road has about reached my limit of travel time. If it was any longer I would have to be in one place. It is good to find my limit and know I am not the type to go on a trip around the world for months and months on end. So many people I have met along the way are doing it. Like I have said many times throughout this trip, what makes it for me is the people. If the trip is teaching me any one thing (which it is teaching me so much more) it is that one of my greatest loves in life is people. Even better is talking with people about matters of importance. I have been blessed to do this at so many different points on this trip. I think it is time to settle in one place for a while and look for such opportunities somemore!
2.11.2007
Assisi
I left Vallechiarra before light on Saturday. I almost stayed through the weekend but decided I really really wanted to visit Assisi. Assisi was really good of a different way. I was very alone for these two days in Assisi. There were hords of tourists though and several huge groups from Korea and the USA. They were all on expensive tour type trips. I can see the value in those now!
I had rained the whole time I was at Vallechiara and I had a break from rain at Assisi. I walked around this city on a hill surrounded by a wall for most of the day. I saw the church of Saint Francis and Saint Clare. It was odd to me however. The churches were built after their deaths as a place of rememberence. AH, ha, no wonder there are so many churches in Europe. If a church is built not for a space to worship in but a place dedicated to a Saint's veneration then in a place like Europe there will be a ton of churches. People do worship in the churches in Assisi but it does not seem like many people. The fresco paintings were outstanding. THe art I have seen has been great. I just love how the stories of the gospels and even the stories of the lives of the saints are portrayed on the walls of the churches. Just by looking at the art you learn. Art definately has a way of directing the heart towards God and prayer. I understand icons better than ever as I have visited these amazing churches. It really is not the worhip of a graven image it is a directional piece for the heart.
I stayed at the hotel. AH, a hotel. However, it was like staying in a dorm at about 11pm. There was a large group of American college students visiting. They are all doing a semester in Rome and had a weekend trip to Assisi. They were so loud and partying or on their way to a party. They were incredibly rude too. It was one of those moments where I was ashamemed of being American. They were just trying to have some fun yet they had no concept of the other guests who paid good money for a night of rest. (that being me) Good thing I had ear plugs! After putting in the ear plugs I had a great night of sleep.
Today I got up at 10am. I could have slept the rest of the day. I left the hotel and walked 4.5 km up hill to a place where St. Francis used to go and pray. It was a tough walk with all my stuff with me and I was so overdressed. I de-layered and took my time. I was worried at times I was going the wrong way. How awful it would be to be going the wrong way up hill...especially when it was for 4.5 km. But I was going the right way. I walked up overlooking the valley. I heard birds chirping. It was so good to be in the countryside and on my own left to my own thoughts. I really enjoyed the walk. Then I finally got to the destination. I got to see some places where Francis of Assisi prayed and where they think he might have written his famous canticle -- Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Ha. Visiting that place made me understand Francis of Assisi a little better. He is called the patron saint of animals I hear. (thanks Dad) In the setting of Assisi when a person has heart for God the beauty of the surroundings and the sounds too definately would make people a lover of life in general. Beautiful.
I took the earlier train back to Rome today. I leave for Palermo in the morning. I look forward to staying in one place for a few days. The trip is coming to the end which is ok with me. I will enjoy time with a friend and then a few days in Paris and I think I will be so ready to return to Korea. Wow. I look forward to getting into a routine.
I had rained the whole time I was at Vallechiara and I had a break from rain at Assisi. I walked around this city on a hill surrounded by a wall for most of the day. I saw the church of Saint Francis and Saint Clare. It was odd to me however. The churches were built after their deaths as a place of rememberence. AH, ha, no wonder there are so many churches in Europe. If a church is built not for a space to worship in but a place dedicated to a Saint's veneration then in a place like Europe there will be a ton of churches. People do worship in the churches in Assisi but it does not seem like many people. The fresco paintings were outstanding. THe art I have seen has been great. I just love how the stories of the gospels and even the stories of the lives of the saints are portrayed on the walls of the churches. Just by looking at the art you learn. Art definately has a way of directing the heart towards God and prayer. I understand icons better than ever as I have visited these amazing churches. It really is not the worhip of a graven image it is a directional piece for the heart.
I stayed at the hotel. AH, a hotel. However, it was like staying in a dorm at about 11pm. There was a large group of American college students visiting. They are all doing a semester in Rome and had a weekend trip to Assisi. They were so loud and partying or on their way to a party. They were incredibly rude too. It was one of those moments where I was ashamemed of being American. They were just trying to have some fun yet they had no concept of the other guests who paid good money for a night of rest. (that being me) Good thing I had ear plugs! After putting in the ear plugs I had a great night of sleep.
Today I got up at 10am. I could have slept the rest of the day. I left the hotel and walked 4.5 km up hill to a place where St. Francis used to go and pray. It was a tough walk with all my stuff with me and I was so overdressed. I de-layered and took my time. I was worried at times I was going the wrong way. How awful it would be to be going the wrong way up hill...especially when it was for 4.5 km. But I was going the right way. I walked up overlooking the valley. I heard birds chirping. It was so good to be in the countryside and on my own left to my own thoughts. I really enjoyed the walk. Then I finally got to the destination. I got to see some places where Francis of Assisi prayed and where they think he might have written his famous canticle -- Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Ha. Visiting that place made me understand Francis of Assisi a little better. He is called the patron saint of animals I hear. (thanks Dad) In the setting of Assisi when a person has heart for God the beauty of the surroundings and the sounds too definately would make people a lover of life in general. Beautiful.
I took the earlier train back to Rome today. I leave for Palermo in the morning. I look forward to staying in one place for a few days. The trip is coming to the end which is ok with me. I will enjoy time with a friend and then a few days in Paris and I think I will be so ready to return to Korea. Wow. I look forward to getting into a routine.
Monastery at Vallechiarra
When I set out on my trip to Europe I was really intentional about leaving the door open for random excursions or opportunities. This week, I believe, God opened up one of those random experiences. I went to stay with a community that lives about an hour south or Rome by train in a little area called Vallechiarra. The community is calls themselves the Fraternity of Jesus. I stayed with them for three days. The have been in existence since 1972. Only in the last few years have they started to let the world know in an intentional way that they exist. Yet, still, they are not marketing themselves. They have a website and made a little booklet about their lives. There are two characteristics about this community. They have a life of prayer and a life of work. From what I can tell the whole of their life and the drive of their theological life was born out of the desire to be Christlike. The searched the Gospels and learned what they could about the early days of the church. THe idea that Jesus was from Nazareth is important to them. THe idea that Jesus worked as a carpentor, with his hands, is very important to them. They have choosen to support themselves through the work of their hands. THe have two communities in one. There are about 20 men and 16 women. I am sure my numbers are off as I was only couting during the evening vespers and Mass.
The sisters warmly took me under their wings for my stay with them. They welcomed me and allowed me to participate in the life of the community. That means I prayed and worked with them. Wow, they get up early for me! We met at 6:30am for prayer and then breakfast. Prayer was all in Italian, of course, and it was a liturgy of song and written prayers. It was not all in Italian as some was in Latin too. Then we had a simple breakfast of bread with jam and coffee.
Oh and lest I forget, this community has a strong belief that organic farming is the way to go. It too has its theological roots for them. It has something to do with not killing. (I am butchering ; ) their theology I am sure) So everything we ate was organic. Even the things they do not produce and make themselves, they buy organically.
After breakfast I worked in the kitchen with the sisters to wash ALL the dishes. They have quite the system in the kitchen for the two seperate communities. The sisters and brothers have all their own dishes and silverware. I can not imagine what goes into cooking three meals a day for 40 people. WOW. I did see the dishes and that was amazing.
After dishes I was invited to the worshop where I was compannioned by Sister Anne. She is 23 or 24 and is originally from East Germany. What a wonderful person she is. I was assinged to her and her work because out of all the sisters she spoke the best English. She is fluent in English, Italian and of course German. We had some great conversations and I had a ton of questions about her and her choice of living in the community. Before she came for her first visit to the community as a volunteer she was not even a Christian. It is clear to me that she found in the community the Lord. It was so neat for me to talk to someone from the Eastern part of Germany. SHe was only 6 when the cold war ended and the Berlin wall came down. She knows the hardship of being on the eastern side of Germany and living through some pretty rough national changes.
For work I made envelopes from scratch. I helped make packets of paper they would sell. I folded cards. I pretty much did a lot of mindless work. That they would allow me to do things that they will turn around and put in their store to sell is amazing to me. They trusted me to do and make things that would support the community. That is awesome. Sr. Anne is an artist and makes a whole lot of things with paper and paint.
This community makes icons and they are beautiful. They have a whole workshop devoted to the creation and production of their icons. I had no idea how time comsuming icon making was. It is so much more than painting.
I was given a walking tour of their grounds. They have trees and trees and tress--olive, peach, apple, and...more. They have buffalos that give them milk, cheese and meat.
After lunch we returned to work until about 5:30 or 6pm.
At 7pm we had vespers in the chapel followed by mass. Dinner was normally at about 9:30. Late! After dinner I was so ready for bed.
I was pretty skeptical of the community. It is such a commited way of living and I can tell they have choosen certain aspects of the Bible to build the entirety of their communal life on. They are Catholic yet the role of scripture is greater in this community than I have ever noticed in other catholic places. In fact during the morning prayer the abbot preaches a short sermon. He preaches from the mens dining room and it is "broadcasted° into the sisters dining room. (that is so odd)
On the last day I met with a brother who is from England. He was so incredible and from him I got a better idea of what the community is about and how they came to be. What really hit me was the intensity of the commitment. They are so Christ centered. A theme they seem to live by is °a journey of converstion". For me there is a lot in that theme. I think my own church could learn a lot from that way of living each day. Each day is another opportunity to change and to be changed by God. What strikes me is that their journey is not done alone. The radical commitment of each individual to live like they do, I do not think, could be lived out by solitary individuals. Their is strength in numbers. I am asking, so how can this monastic spirituality and this type of commitment be lived out by people who are not in a proper monastic community. I think a lot could be learned from the monastics. THere is a daily and weekly rhythm that they live out together and it forms them and helps them to continually offer their whole lives to GOd and each other. There are some core commitments they have made to each other and God that they keep not because they are somehow able and not even because God helps themn (although that is so true). They keep the commitments because there is a community that helps them and who is also needed their help. I am attracted to the monastic life yet not so much that I want to find a "proper" monastic community to join. I think the church needs to live in a more monastic way in its nonmonastic life. How does that happen? I know it does not happen with one person...not even a person who has God flowing out from them. However, it can happen with a group of people who have faith the size of a mustard seed and who together have God flowing out of them. More to come.
The sisters warmly took me under their wings for my stay with them. They welcomed me and allowed me to participate in the life of the community. That means I prayed and worked with them. Wow, they get up early for me! We met at 6:30am for prayer and then breakfast. Prayer was all in Italian, of course, and it was a liturgy of song and written prayers. It was not all in Italian as some was in Latin too. Then we had a simple breakfast of bread with jam and coffee.
Oh and lest I forget, this community has a strong belief that organic farming is the way to go. It too has its theological roots for them. It has something to do with not killing. (I am butchering ; ) their theology I am sure) So everything we ate was organic. Even the things they do not produce and make themselves, they buy organically.
After breakfast I worked in the kitchen with the sisters to wash ALL the dishes. They have quite the system in the kitchen for the two seperate communities. The sisters and brothers have all their own dishes and silverware. I can not imagine what goes into cooking three meals a day for 40 people. WOW. I did see the dishes and that was amazing.
After dishes I was invited to the worshop where I was compannioned by Sister Anne. She is 23 or 24 and is originally from East Germany. What a wonderful person she is. I was assinged to her and her work because out of all the sisters she spoke the best English. She is fluent in English, Italian and of course German. We had some great conversations and I had a ton of questions about her and her choice of living in the community. Before she came for her first visit to the community as a volunteer she was not even a Christian. It is clear to me that she found in the community the Lord. It was so neat for me to talk to someone from the Eastern part of Germany. SHe was only 6 when the cold war ended and the Berlin wall came down. She knows the hardship of being on the eastern side of Germany and living through some pretty rough national changes.
For work I made envelopes from scratch. I helped make packets of paper they would sell. I folded cards. I pretty much did a lot of mindless work. That they would allow me to do things that they will turn around and put in their store to sell is amazing to me. They trusted me to do and make things that would support the community. That is awesome. Sr. Anne is an artist and makes a whole lot of things with paper and paint.
This community makes icons and they are beautiful. They have a whole workshop devoted to the creation and production of their icons. I had no idea how time comsuming icon making was. It is so much more than painting.
I was given a walking tour of their grounds. They have trees and trees and tress--olive, peach, apple, and...more. They have buffalos that give them milk, cheese and meat.
After lunch we returned to work until about 5:30 or 6pm.
At 7pm we had vespers in the chapel followed by mass. Dinner was normally at about 9:30. Late! After dinner I was so ready for bed.
I was pretty skeptical of the community. It is such a commited way of living and I can tell they have choosen certain aspects of the Bible to build the entirety of their communal life on. They are Catholic yet the role of scripture is greater in this community than I have ever noticed in other catholic places. In fact during the morning prayer the abbot preaches a short sermon. He preaches from the mens dining room and it is "broadcasted° into the sisters dining room. (that is so odd)
On the last day I met with a brother who is from England. He was so incredible and from him I got a better idea of what the community is about and how they came to be. What really hit me was the intensity of the commitment. They are so Christ centered. A theme they seem to live by is °a journey of converstion". For me there is a lot in that theme. I think my own church could learn a lot from that way of living each day. Each day is another opportunity to change and to be changed by God. What strikes me is that their journey is not done alone. The radical commitment of each individual to live like they do, I do not think, could be lived out by solitary individuals. Their is strength in numbers. I am asking, so how can this monastic spirituality and this type of commitment be lived out by people who are not in a proper monastic community. I think a lot could be learned from the monastics. THere is a daily and weekly rhythm that they live out together and it forms them and helps them to continually offer their whole lives to GOd and each other. There are some core commitments they have made to each other and God that they keep not because they are somehow able and not even because God helps themn (although that is so true). They keep the commitments because there is a community that helps them and who is also needed their help. I am attracted to the monastic life yet not so much that I want to find a "proper" monastic community to join. I think the church needs to live in a more monastic way in its nonmonastic life. How does that happen? I know it does not happen with one person...not even a person who has God flowing out from them. However, it can happen with a group of people who have faith the size of a mustard seed and who together have God flowing out of them. More to come.
Wouh...a different type of prayer experience
Prayer comes in all kinds! I went to this prayer meeting with an international church in Rome on Tuesday night. It was fascinating to enter the building and find people from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Germany, Nigeria and Brazil. There were also missionaries there from Texas. The prayer time was different for me. It was a challenge especially in that I have been steeped in a completely different form of worship. Taize was contemplative and quiet which is so me and this was shouting, speaking in tongues (I think) and very charismatic--which is so not me. Well worship is "me" but I find it fascinating how style really makes a difference. Even more fasicinating is how theology backs each different style but that is another topic for another day. I became even more uncomfortable when a man said, "There are four people here who need prayer for healing, someone has a bad back, someone a bad knee, and so forth." People came forward to recieve prayer. They stood the whole time and I sat as my whole body was tired from walking all over Rome and the Vatican. They were kind enough to let me be different. Little did they know how different I was feeling. It was such a different style of worship yet the people were so sincere and I could tell they loved the Lord and they really sought Gods presence in their lives and the life of their church. It was really good for me to see that there are other international churches out there. This church seeks to reach out to the international community in the Rome area. There are people here for all types of reasons. What a ministry they can have in a melting pot of cultures.
2.06.2007
Not so alone in Rome
As I was on my way to Rome on Sunday I was thinking, °Great I am going to Rome sick and alone". Not the greatest way to be in a city only dreamt about and seen on the television. Yet, my cold has subsided, gratefully! The hostel I choose is not that bad afterall. I was a little nervous about that for sure. One never knows how clean or dirty a place will be nor how "dirty or clean° the people will be. The first night just as I arrived a free dinner was being served in the next door restarant. Nice! A girl from Brazil walked with me over there and we both realized we had just arrived and were both alone. We enjoyed pasta together and talked. She spoke great English. What a way to be introduced to not really being alone in Rome.
I signed up for the walking tour which was free except for a tip. Our guide, Will, is in pre-tirement as he says. He is from Oklahoma and has been in and out of Europe for the past 4 years. I have to say, that sounds really tempting. If I did not have such a strong compulsion towards ministry I would probably be someone who pre-tired to live in Europe. I do not care to pre-tire because of a vocation that seems to keep tug on me. Wills whole mindset is so against the tide and if he could figure out that God wants his whole life, I think he is the type of guy who could make a big difference.
So this walking tour. It was a four hour tour. We were six in number plus Will. What a great group of people we were. Three girls from Argentina! A couple from China and then two of us from the USA. I love the international people I get to talk to and hang out with. Definately for me it is this aspect of traveling that surpasses even the great things I get to see.
Together we saw the Pantheon, the Forum, Trevi Fountain and the Colloseum. Wow what a group of monuments. The Forum was a huge area full of ruins and it seems that the ruins are overlaped from different time periods. It just felt so surreal. I could not do justice in writting to what I saw. The Colloseum was my favorite. It was bigger than I thought it would be. And they guide said that it was not even the biggest for its day. There were others that help more people but are no longer °alive°.
I had a few hours to myself and just meandered through the old palace are. Then I went to a gelati place. Wow, geloti or geloto...whatever it is called is wonderful. I sat down next to a couple from England. They could be my parents and have kids my age. They went on and on about how strong I must be to be traveling on my own. I guess so I said. However, I have met so many others just like me! They worried more or my parents than they did for me. Ha. I guess they know what my parents must be feeling as I am gallevanting around the world alone but not so alone. This couple helped me realize why Americans do not travel to other countries as much as Europians. I guess the answer is really obvious. It is distance. It only took a two hour flight to get from England to Italy. That is nothing in terms of flight time in the USA. I could get from Sacramento to Denver in that time. Also here in Europe you can fly so darn cheaply! I do not understand how in Europe you can fly for like 30 dollars and in the US the cheapest flight is maybe 99 dollars. How does this work? It makes me wonder if it is a regulations thing. Does the US have stricter regulations?
In the evening I went out with the girls from Argentina. We wanted to see the Trevi Fountain at night. Wow, it is beautiful. I so enjoyed hanging out with these girls. They give me hope too. I understand so much Spanish. Man, it is so cool to her them talking and to know what they are saying. That is such a different experience. I have been in Korea for more than 2 years and I still can not do that with Korea. ALthough I have renewed desire to try to learn some Korean. Hearing the Spanish and recognizing I really do know how to learn a language is so darn encourging. Maybe Korean is just really hard for an English speaker.
On our journey together we stopped into a random store with a salesmen who was playing praise music. I asked if He is a Christian. He is. He told me about his church and how he became a CHristian recently. He is from Brazil and became a CHristian once he started working in Rome. TOngiht I am going to a prayer meeting with his church because it is really close to the hostel I am staying at. Yeah! I so look forward to meeting Christians who live here. How cool.
Last night I slept in a room full of Hungarians. Oh my gosh! There was 5 of them and in our room we have 6 beds. You can say it was a challenge! They were basically partying in the room. THankfully they were no drinking. (at least I do not think they were) They had music blarring. I kept out for a while. THey were really nice to talk to. They were glad that I was not french. I have no idea why. After 11pm I finally asked if they could be a little bit quieter. I asked nicely. They were really cool about it thankfully. It was so odd to be the only one not in their group. Definately this was not the best scenario for an alone traveler!
Today, Tuesday, I woke up super early for me. (before 7am) I was at the Vatican by 8 30am because I was hoping to dodge lines. Today there were very short lines. I got to go right in! Yeah. I went throught he Vatican museums which were pretty great. I had an audio guide so I know a little about what I was seeing. I opted out of the organized tour which is expensive! I was so glad I did too because there were just so few people doing a self guided tour for me was the great. I could go at my own pace. The Sistine Chapel was so not what I expected it to be. I had no idea how extensive the artwork out be. I have only ever seen the creation part where God is touching Adams finger. I had heard of the Last Judgement but had no idea what it was nor how huge it would be. It was like a football field. Well, if not that big it was close. I got to sit for like 20 minutes with my eyes lifted to the ceiling. I have only heard stories of people shoulder to shoulder moving through the chapel. SO, to be able to just sit there and look and look was outstanding. What a gift. I can say I have really seen the Sisten Chapel. Again, I had no idea that a whole chapel would be painted by a single man. No wonder it has world fame. Wow! After the chapel I went and saw where they have the Pope carriages. Ha. Dad, I took pictures with you in mind. They had a Pope Toyota Land Cruiser. No way! I just can not picture it! Later I saw St. Peters Bassilica. Again, an amazing church with out of this world art work. One must see it for themselves. I just sat there for a while and took in as much as I could. I went in to the prayer area. A guard stopped me to tell me, NO, this area is only for prayer!. Ha. I guess the camera around my neck gave the impression I do not pray. Ha. It was so cool to meet God there. It just does not seem right to go to St. Peters Bassilica without entering into some sort of worship!
I walked around Rome like a mad women today. I found a gelati place. I found the Spanish steps. I found the ST. Ignatious Church. That was cool. The churches sure are wonderful. They are so ornate it puts our churches to shame. ALthough maybe it went overboard!
My feet are tired, my body is tired and I have seen all the Rome I care to see. Maybe that is bad...there is so much more...but that must be saved for another day. TOday was good being alone. I am so torn. A part of me loves this traveling a lone stuff. However, there are times when I definately wish I was with a friend or family member. I am realizing traveling is only secondly, for me, about what you do and what you see. First and foremost, for me, it is about people. IT is the people I am meeting that are making this trip. WIthout the people it is just a whole bunch of history that is cool but it is history alone. The people give me an idea of the world at present!
Tomorrow I am off to some random monastery which a girl I met at Taize told me about. They support themselves by growing foods organically. Supposedly they have a slight tie with Taize.
More to come. But not until Sunday.
I signed up for the walking tour which was free except for a tip. Our guide, Will, is in pre-tirement as he says. He is from Oklahoma and has been in and out of Europe for the past 4 years. I have to say, that sounds really tempting. If I did not have such a strong compulsion towards ministry I would probably be someone who pre-tired to live in Europe. I do not care to pre-tire because of a vocation that seems to keep tug on me. Wills whole mindset is so against the tide and if he could figure out that God wants his whole life, I think he is the type of guy who could make a big difference.
So this walking tour. It was a four hour tour. We were six in number plus Will. What a great group of people we were. Three girls from Argentina! A couple from China and then two of us from the USA. I love the international people I get to talk to and hang out with. Definately for me it is this aspect of traveling that surpasses even the great things I get to see.
Together we saw the Pantheon, the Forum, Trevi Fountain and the Colloseum. Wow what a group of monuments. The Forum was a huge area full of ruins and it seems that the ruins are overlaped from different time periods. It just felt so surreal. I could not do justice in writting to what I saw. The Colloseum was my favorite. It was bigger than I thought it would be. And they guide said that it was not even the biggest for its day. There were others that help more people but are no longer °alive°.
I had a few hours to myself and just meandered through the old palace are. Then I went to a gelati place. Wow, geloti or geloto...whatever it is called is wonderful. I sat down next to a couple from England. They could be my parents and have kids my age. They went on and on about how strong I must be to be traveling on my own. I guess so I said. However, I have met so many others just like me! They worried more or my parents than they did for me. Ha. I guess they know what my parents must be feeling as I am gallevanting around the world alone but not so alone. This couple helped me realize why Americans do not travel to other countries as much as Europians. I guess the answer is really obvious. It is distance. It only took a two hour flight to get from England to Italy. That is nothing in terms of flight time in the USA. I could get from Sacramento to Denver in that time. Also here in Europe you can fly so darn cheaply! I do not understand how in Europe you can fly for like 30 dollars and in the US the cheapest flight is maybe 99 dollars. How does this work? It makes me wonder if it is a regulations thing. Does the US have stricter regulations?
In the evening I went out with the girls from Argentina. We wanted to see the Trevi Fountain at night. Wow, it is beautiful. I so enjoyed hanging out with these girls. They give me hope too. I understand so much Spanish. Man, it is so cool to her them talking and to know what they are saying. That is such a different experience. I have been in Korea for more than 2 years and I still can not do that with Korea. ALthough I have renewed desire to try to learn some Korean. Hearing the Spanish and recognizing I really do know how to learn a language is so darn encourging. Maybe Korean is just really hard for an English speaker.
On our journey together we stopped into a random store with a salesmen who was playing praise music. I asked if He is a Christian. He is. He told me about his church and how he became a CHristian recently. He is from Brazil and became a CHristian once he started working in Rome. TOngiht I am going to a prayer meeting with his church because it is really close to the hostel I am staying at. Yeah! I so look forward to meeting Christians who live here. How cool.
Last night I slept in a room full of Hungarians. Oh my gosh! There was 5 of them and in our room we have 6 beds. You can say it was a challenge! They were basically partying in the room. THankfully they were no drinking. (at least I do not think they were) They had music blarring. I kept out for a while. THey were really nice to talk to. They were glad that I was not french. I have no idea why. After 11pm I finally asked if they could be a little bit quieter. I asked nicely. They were really cool about it thankfully. It was so odd to be the only one not in their group. Definately this was not the best scenario for an alone traveler!
Today, Tuesday, I woke up super early for me. (before 7am) I was at the Vatican by 8 30am because I was hoping to dodge lines. Today there were very short lines. I got to go right in! Yeah. I went throught he Vatican museums which were pretty great. I had an audio guide so I know a little about what I was seeing. I opted out of the organized tour which is expensive! I was so glad I did too because there were just so few people doing a self guided tour for me was the great. I could go at my own pace. The Sistine Chapel was so not what I expected it to be. I had no idea how extensive the artwork out be. I have only ever seen the creation part where God is touching Adams finger. I had heard of the Last Judgement but had no idea what it was nor how huge it would be. It was like a football field. Well, if not that big it was close. I got to sit for like 20 minutes with my eyes lifted to the ceiling. I have only heard stories of people shoulder to shoulder moving through the chapel. SO, to be able to just sit there and look and look was outstanding. What a gift. I can say I have really seen the Sisten Chapel. Again, I had no idea that a whole chapel would be painted by a single man. No wonder it has world fame. Wow! After the chapel I went and saw where they have the Pope carriages. Ha. Dad, I took pictures with you in mind. They had a Pope Toyota Land Cruiser. No way! I just can not picture it! Later I saw St. Peters Bassilica. Again, an amazing church with out of this world art work. One must see it for themselves. I just sat there for a while and took in as much as I could. I went in to the prayer area. A guard stopped me to tell me, NO, this area is only for prayer!. Ha. I guess the camera around my neck gave the impression I do not pray. Ha. It was so cool to meet God there. It just does not seem right to go to St. Peters Bassilica without entering into some sort of worship!
I walked around Rome like a mad women today. I found a gelati place. I found the Spanish steps. I found the ST. Ignatious Church. That was cool. The churches sure are wonderful. They are so ornate it puts our churches to shame. ALthough maybe it went overboard!
My feet are tired, my body is tired and I have seen all the Rome I care to see. Maybe that is bad...there is so much more...but that must be saved for another day. TOday was good being alone. I am so torn. A part of me loves this traveling a lone stuff. However, there are times when I definately wish I was with a friend or family member. I am realizing traveling is only secondly, for me, about what you do and what you see. First and foremost, for me, it is about people. IT is the people I am meeting that are making this trip. WIthout the people it is just a whole bunch of history that is cool but it is history alone. The people give me an idea of the world at present!
Tomorrow I am off to some random monastery which a girl I met at Taize told me about. They support themselves by growing foods organically. Supposedly they have a slight tie with Taize.
More to come. But not until Sunday.
2.04.2007
Rome at last
So I finally made it to Rome. Ah. I found my way to the city center and got help from the tourist office to help me find my hostel. I checked e-mail and it looks like I will be making some plan changes. I want to visit a monestary that has some ties with Taize and I think will also provide some rest. It means less time for me in Rome but I am so ok with that at this point. Tomorrow and Tuesday are sure to be full days.
2.03.2007
More Rest at a Cost
I missed my flight today. In the way of my budget it sure is a bummer. However, in the way of my body I must admit I am relieved. I could use another good day of not having the compulsion to "go, go, go". I am finding I am not good at not "going, going, going". Everyone will probably want to know, "How did you miss your flight?" A whole series of reasons. I think the biggest factor was how poorly I've been feeling. I so enjoyed resting this morning and took it way too slow--so slow I did not leave myself enough time for mistakes or unknowns. When I set off I choose a slower subway route too. I guess on Saturdays the subway does not go to the airport as much. I can not believe I am not more stressed by the whole thing. There was nothing I could do in the end and my body was thanking me. In a sense it was saying, "You mean, we don't have to find our way through another new city to another new place to sleep?" Nope, just pay for your mistake, take one less day in Italy and GET SOME REST!
I met this kid who was also running late but he was running late to his dance competition. We had the most serious conversation I have had yet with a total stranger. At one point I told him I could be a pastor he kind of perked up. He said God seems to keep on reminding him that he should come back. Wow, that was prettz astute. I was glad to be a sort of reminder. One of the best things about this trip is the random people I get to talk to. Thankfully so many people around here speak English.
I met this kid who was also running late but he was running late to his dance competition. We had the most serious conversation I have had yet with a total stranger. At one point I told him I could be a pastor he kind of perked up. He said God seems to keep on reminding him that he should come back. Wow, that was prettz astute. I was glad to be a sort of reminder. One of the best things about this trip is the random people I get to talk to. Thankfully so many people around here speak English.
Rest...a little
Posting pictures has not been as easy as I had hoped from an internet cafe. Maybe Rome will provide a place for this. So it is not that I don't want to or don't have time but that so far it has not been available.
Stuttgart was good. I loved having a hotel room. Maybe I will find more hotels along the way as they sure do provide more rest.
I again maneuvered my way through a completely foreign subway system and managed it just fine. Wow, that is so cool. I took a walk in the city, found an information center, learned about a show called, "Africa, Africa" and went. It was like a circus but had dancing and some great music and some displays of amazing athelic talent. However, some of the body contortion artists were not so cool in my book. I was a pretty high class affair and I must admit I wondered if this was good for the people of Africa. I can't imagine a touring circus called, "North America, North America", in which total generalizations were made about our people through dance and circus style acts. For 90 minutes before the show no one was allowed to find their seats. Instead, everyone had to stand around in the consession area. There were no paper cups and paper plates at this consession area either. It was all beer mugs and wine glasses. It looked so very high class to me when in reality maybe it is how the people in Stuttgart do a show. I have no idea and one night in the city is not enough to make a judgement. I was pretty uncomfortable just having to stand around and wait..alone. One thing that is so different for me.. people assume I speak German. It sure is different than in Korea when they just automaticallz assume I don't speak Korean and that I speak English. People just speak to me and depending on the situation and how it benefits me I say something in English or just nod. Sometimes I can nod because their body language also says what they are saying verbally. Last night I sat next to a man who has done a lot of traveling in Africa and he too came to the show alone. He spoke English which was nice. I love meeting random people. He asked what I had done in Poland so I told him about visiting Auschuwitw. I felt really priviledged to speak to someone of German heritage about Auschuwitz. We talked about it as a human tradgedy and he said it would be a good place for him to visit too.
Well, I slept in today, had an amazing breakfast which the hotel provided, took a nap, did some internet and now I am on my way to the airport to fly to Rome.
Write more later.
Stuttgart was good. I loved having a hotel room. Maybe I will find more hotels along the way as they sure do provide more rest.
I again maneuvered my way through a completely foreign subway system and managed it just fine. Wow, that is so cool. I took a walk in the city, found an information center, learned about a show called, "Africa, Africa" and went. It was like a circus but had dancing and some great music and some displays of amazing athelic talent. However, some of the body contortion artists were not so cool in my book. I was a pretty high class affair and I must admit I wondered if this was good for the people of Africa. I can't imagine a touring circus called, "North America, North America", in which total generalizations were made about our people through dance and circus style acts. For 90 minutes before the show no one was allowed to find their seats. Instead, everyone had to stand around in the consession area. There were no paper cups and paper plates at this consession area either. It was all beer mugs and wine glasses. It looked so very high class to me when in reality maybe it is how the people in Stuttgart do a show. I have no idea and one night in the city is not enough to make a judgement. I was pretty uncomfortable just having to stand around and wait..alone. One thing that is so different for me.. people assume I speak German. It sure is different than in Korea when they just automaticallz assume I don't speak Korean and that I speak English. People just speak to me and depending on the situation and how it benefits me I say something in English or just nod. Sometimes I can nod because their body language also says what they are saying verbally. Last night I sat next to a man who has done a lot of traveling in Africa and he too came to the show alone. He spoke English which was nice. I love meeting random people. He asked what I had done in Poland so I told him about visiting Auschuwitw. I felt really priviledged to speak to someone of German heritage about Auschuwitz. We talked about it as a human tradgedy and he said it would be a good place for him to visit too.
Well, I slept in today, had an amazing breakfast which the hotel provided, took a nap, did some internet and now I am on my way to the airport to fly to Rome.
Write more later.
2.01.2007
Ready for a day of nothing!
I've been fighting a pretty significant cold for over a week now. We've really taken it slow today and that is good. I have a few days of taking it slower coming up. It is so much needed and hopefully it will help me get over this nagging cold.
Today Yoni and Ken and I just walked around. We went to the Jewish district here. We just went into one synagogue and ate lunch down there. It was good and short. As we were walking back to the city center we decided to check out this castle. Not that was cool. We took a tour of the "private apartments" and saw some really great art. The rooms we saw were inhabbited by Polish kings at different points. During WW2 the rooms were occupied by the Nazi's. I hadn't realized how torn a part Poland had been for many years by war. This country has been split up and reunited many times in its history.
We spent some time at the internet cafe. (hence my catching up on some bloggling) Later we'll find a place for our final dinner together in Poland. I leave for Stuttgart, Germany tomorrow. I will be staying at a hotel tomorrow night! I'm so looking forward to a hotel. Hostels are cheap but not having my own space is a bit of a challenge! I really hope the hotel will provide the much needed respite!
Saturday I'm on to Rome. Wow, that is so cool. Did I really just use the words "I" and "Rome" in the same sentence? ; )
Today Yoni and Ken and I just walked around. We went to the Jewish district here. We just went into one synagogue and ate lunch down there. It was good and short. As we were walking back to the city center we decided to check out this castle. Not that was cool. We took a tour of the "private apartments" and saw some really great art. The rooms we saw were inhabbited by Polish kings at different points. During WW2 the rooms were occupied by the Nazi's. I hadn't realized how torn a part Poland had been for many years by war. This country has been split up and reunited many times in its history.
We spent some time at the internet cafe. (hence my catching up on some bloggling) Later we'll find a place for our final dinner together in Poland. I leave for Stuttgart, Germany tomorrow. I will be staying at a hotel tomorrow night! I'm so looking forward to a hotel. Hostels are cheap but not having my own space is a bit of a challenge! I really hope the hotel will provide the much needed respite!
Saturday I'm on to Rome. Wow, that is so cool. Did I really just use the words "I" and "Rome" in the same sentence? ; )
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