Sunday, July 20, 2008
Picture time
So if you read my last post you would have seen that I promised pictures. Well now they're on facebook. Enjoy!
In Bruges
It has been a long time since I have written one of these scintillating worldwide-interweb articles, but we are all chilling in the logement for the afternoon with nothing better to do. I suppose you (and I) should be excited about my lack of posting, because it's a strong indication that I was busy actually doing fun things.
And such fun things have indeed been brought to fruition! After our interminable classes on Friday (the last of which was actually quite interesting and entertaining*) we went out on the town to explore and enjoy more of the local culture. Most of the time we hang out in Ixelles and Elsene--two neighborhoods near the south of the city, and at least 6 metro stops from the real heart of the city. We finally took the metro to Gare Centrale/Centraalstation and got out near one of Belgium's most beautiful churches. I was overwhelmed, since most of the stuff around the campuses don't exceed 2 or 3 stories. It was some kind of basilica or cathedral built from white stone (most of the others are brick), and when contrasted with the low-slung kind of Dutch-style row houses all over the city, the thing really blew my mind. Anyway, we proceeded to walk around for quite a while until we found a restaurant right by the Grande Place/Grote Markt. I had Stoemp Bruxellois which is a specialty of Belgium: a kind of mashed potato-vegetable-bacon casserole, with black and white sausage. Upon further inspection, and much to my chagrin, I came to realize the "black" sausage was... Dieu me bénissez!... a blood sausage. I tried it cautiously, remembering the rillettes and blood sausages i was persuaded into choking down in France. This was not only the best blood sausage I have ever had, it rivaled kramarczuk's brats in my book! Such a pleasant surprise, especially when combined with the hoegaarden blanche. My epicurean adventures would not end there, but let's leave it at that for the moment. We went out later to a place in Ixelles and did the laid-back European kind of nightlife thing... It was lovely.
*Interesting and Entertaining: The afternoon speaker was from the EP's communications division. He spoke 13 languages fluently, and had some knowledge of 5 more. He was Czech, and related to us some extremely salient personal history about how his perception was altered by the Prague Spring 1968 and the fall of the Iron Curtain. He was by far the most genuine speaker of the bunch, and the rationale for his support of the EU has resonated with me much more than the other, more bureaucratic, characters. To see his office's amazing lip sync video, which was produced as an advertisement for the Sakharov prize, check out the link.
Anyway, let' s continue. The next morning we woke up bright and early (using the term "awake" as loosely as possible) at 7 in the morning (1:00am my time) and proceeded to hop 2 metros and a train to fabulous Bruges. NB: In French it is spelled Brugges but the dominant language there is Dutch so in the interest of fairness I will respect their dactylic method. The train ride was exactly an hour, so it was a pleasant experience if not for the fact that I was still about 98% asleep. The next thing I remember, I had my face in one of the most delicious cappuccinos of my life. It made everything else infinitely more enjoyable. And dang, we did a lot of stuff! Shopping on the little side streets, lunch in a cafe outside the big belltower that the guy falls from in the movie... (Did you know? If you actually see the thing you'll realize it is impossible for him to have fallen on the ground because of the tower's construction... look at the pics below. He would have been skewered on a parapet.) Where was I? A chocolate museum with chocolatier demonstrations, a brewery tour, (best tour I've ever been on!) a canal boat ride... the list goes on. And of course what else could we do? We had to have waffles and real Frites Belgiques with a huge dollop of fresh mayonnaise on top! These aren't so much Belgian specialties as they are Flemish specialties. In Brussels it's not as emphatically advertised. Anyway, the pictures I'll post will give you a much better idea of the experience. Yes, I have pictures! Ooh la la.
Today we went to a kind of flea/junk market for a while, but as is customary in the low countries, it rained intermittently all morning and prevented us from doing much. We did manage to walk around and finally got a good view of some of Brussels' most beautiful structures. Tomorrow is the Belgian National Holiday. Hopefully I'll get some sweet pictures of military demonstrations and perhaps a couple shots of the King of Belgium (descended from King Boudewijn I, it is apparent that this dude doesn't mess around.)
I'm really getting more settled, and it was beyond exciting to get to travel to another destination within the trip I'm already on! It helped make Brussels seem more like our place of residence and not just a kind of extended hotel stay. Bruges is unfortunately quite touristy, but aside from the Grote Markt and the Mannekin Pis, Brussels is quite formal and doesn't lend itself well to busloads of Germans, Japanese, and Americans. You will see the occasional fat guy in a Yankees hat, but they just don't conglomerate like they will in other cities. Plenty of people visit here, but it seems to me that the infrastructure is not suited to tour-on madness. Brussels seems almost like a secret, only a couple hours from both Amsterdam and Paris, and yet not nearly as exciting to the average traveler. When you see the pictures you may get a better idea of why I think I may like it better than the others.
Anyway, happy birthday to my brother Graham! He is 17 today, and only 365 days away from being a college-bound 18-year-old rapscallion. I hope you like your gift, Graham! I'm looking around for a late present too... hopefully I'll figure it out before I leave. The Czech guy explained to us that in Czech, as a result of Radio Free Europe and USO productions, all say "Ahoi" when greeting each other or when departing. So, to conclude the written portion of this super-epic marathon post, Ahoi!
And such fun things have indeed been brought to fruition! After our interminable classes on Friday (the last of which was actually quite interesting and entertaining*) we went out on the town to explore and enjoy more of the local culture. Most of the time we hang out in Ixelles and Elsene--two neighborhoods near the south of the city, and at least 6 metro stops from the real heart of the city. We finally took the metro to Gare Centrale/Centraalstation and got out near one of Belgium's most beautiful churches. I was overwhelmed, since most of the stuff around the campuses don't exceed 2 or 3 stories. It was some kind of basilica or cathedral built from white stone (most of the others are brick), and when contrasted with the low-slung kind of Dutch-style row houses all over the city, the thing really blew my mind. Anyway, we proceeded to walk around for quite a while until we found a restaurant right by the Grande Place/Grote Markt. I had Stoemp Bruxellois which is a specialty of Belgium: a kind of mashed potato-vegetable-bacon casserole, with black and white sausage. Upon further inspection, and much to my chagrin, I came to realize the "black" sausage was... Dieu me bénissez!... a blood sausage. I tried it cautiously, remembering the rillettes and blood sausages i was persuaded into choking down in France. This was not only the best blood sausage I have ever had, it rivaled kramarczuk's brats in my book! Such a pleasant surprise, especially when combined with the hoegaarden blanche. My epicurean adventures would not end there, but let's leave it at that for the moment. We went out later to a place in Ixelles and did the laid-back European kind of nightlife thing... It was lovely.
*Interesting and Entertaining: The afternoon speaker was from the EP's communications division. He spoke 13 languages fluently, and had some knowledge of 5 more. He was Czech, and related to us some extremely salient personal history about how his perception was altered by the Prague Spring 1968 and the fall of the Iron Curtain. He was by far the most genuine speaker of the bunch, and the rationale for his support of the EU has resonated with me much more than the other, more bureaucratic, characters. To see his office's amazing lip sync video, which was produced as an advertisement for the Sakharov prize, check out the link.
Anyway, let' s continue. The next morning we woke up bright and early (using the term "awake" as loosely as possible) at 7 in the morning (1:00am my time) and proceeded to hop 2 metros and a train to fabulous Bruges. NB: In French it is spelled Brugges but the dominant language there is Dutch so in the interest of fairness I will respect their dactylic method. The train ride was exactly an hour, so it was a pleasant experience if not for the fact that I was still about 98% asleep. The next thing I remember, I had my face in one of the most delicious cappuccinos of my life. It made everything else infinitely more enjoyable. And dang, we did a lot of stuff! Shopping on the little side streets, lunch in a cafe outside the big belltower that the guy falls from in the movie... (Did you know? If you actually see the thing you'll realize it is impossible for him to have fallen on the ground because of the tower's construction... look at the pics below. He would have been skewered on a parapet.) Where was I? A chocolate museum with chocolatier demonstrations, a brewery tour, (best tour I've ever been on!) a canal boat ride... the list goes on. And of course what else could we do? We had to have waffles and real Frites Belgiques with a huge dollop of fresh mayonnaise on top! These aren't so much Belgian specialties as they are Flemish specialties. In Brussels it's not as emphatically advertised. Anyway, the pictures I'll post will give you a much better idea of the experience. Yes, I have pictures! Ooh la la.
Today we went to a kind of flea/junk market for a while, but as is customary in the low countries, it rained intermittently all morning and prevented us from doing much. We did manage to walk around and finally got a good view of some of Brussels' most beautiful structures. Tomorrow is the Belgian National Holiday. Hopefully I'll get some sweet pictures of military demonstrations and perhaps a couple shots of the King of Belgium (descended from King Boudewijn I, it is apparent that this dude doesn't mess around.)
I'm really getting more settled, and it was beyond exciting to get to travel to another destination within the trip I'm already on! It helped make Brussels seem more like our place of residence and not just a kind of extended hotel stay. Bruges is unfortunately quite touristy, but aside from the Grote Markt and the Mannekin Pis, Brussels is quite formal and doesn't lend itself well to busloads of Germans, Japanese, and Americans. You will see the occasional fat guy in a Yankees hat, but they just don't conglomerate like they will in other cities. Plenty of people visit here, but it seems to me that the infrastructure is not suited to tour-on madness. Brussels seems almost like a secret, only a couple hours from both Amsterdam and Paris, and yet not nearly as exciting to the average traveler. When you see the pictures you may get a better idea of why I think I may like it better than the others.
Anyway, happy birthday to my brother Graham! He is 17 today, and only 365 days away from being a college-bound 18-year-old rapscallion. I hope you like your gift, Graham! I'm looking around for a late present too... hopefully I'll figure it out before I leave. The Czech guy explained to us that in Czech, as a result of Radio Free Europe and USO productions, all say "Ahoi" when greeting each other or when departing. So, to conclude the written portion of this super-epic marathon post, Ahoi!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Portrait of the Scholar as a Young Man
It's raining here in Brussels. Our coffee plans were only partially foiled, since outdoor tables were a little too wet for comfortable seating. Nevertheless, we made it to class and had a nice breakfast beforehand. We just heard from the European Commission's Directorate-General chairman for aviation policy. His talk was pretty much the most interesting one, in my opinion, although it's hard to pick favorites. I'm probably going to write one of my research papers on aviation policy. It's amazing how the Open Skies agreements have blown up in the past 15 years... and even in the last 3 months, step 1 of a 2-part EU-US aviation integration process has been put into practice. I'll probably write something that criticizes the DG for being slow to recognize resistance by trade unions, despite planned conferences in 2008 and 2009 for US-EU labor relations harmonization. I like how this blog has devolved into a space for me to expound upon my classes... I suppose if you are in colloquia from sunup to sundown, (this 30-minute break notwithstanding) your focus tends to gravitate towards that area of your life.
I'm here in the EU studies center at ULB-Solbosch. It's about a 25 minute walk from the dorms, unfortunately, but the cool thing is that the center is surrounded by the Japanese, Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian embassies. Every time we walk by, the return trip is accompanied by some angry-looking Green Beret type guys from the Saudi compound. Americans are so popular!
I've really written a lot recently, in part because this is pretty much my only connection to the outside world. Nobody ever gets on Skype (hello family?!) so besides Facebook and email, it's pretty slim pickings. I talked/briefly typed to Wyatt yesterday, but the Internet in my room only sends packets every 30 seconds or so. Usually my connection has sent around 100,000 packets and received maybe 1500. Oh well. Sorry dude!
If you want to talk to me for real, I am usually online starting at around 7pm (US East 1pm). So, if you have an afternoon to kill, me donnez un appel!
Again, apologies for the picturelessness. This is, after all, only my 3rd day of classes. Wait til the weekend!
Be encouraged! Heb 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
I've been convicted by my shortcomings in the past few weeks, but not a shameful conviction. I'm really coming back to these verses just because they are exactly what I need to hear: that my personal history is not some stone edifice, but something that Jesus has himself comprehended in His life as a human and is capable of washing clean. That's where confidence in Christ stems from: That's why we can hold fast to grace and mercy. I won't lie: This experience has been somewhat trying. But that's the only way you learn, both in academics and in spirituality. Encouragement is everywhere I turn.
Anyway I'll probably write more later. It will be awesome to read all of this after I'm back home--in a way, this blog is as equally important to me as it is to those keeping up with my adventures. Like my friend Lara from High School, who frequently checks up on posts from years and years ago, I expect to reference these events with fondness.
Have a beautiful day, and good morning! (6:40am east coast)
Ian
I'm here in the EU studies center at ULB-Solbosch. It's about a 25 minute walk from the dorms, unfortunately, but the cool thing is that the center is surrounded by the Japanese, Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian embassies. Every time we walk by, the return trip is accompanied by some angry-looking Green Beret type guys from the Saudi compound. Americans are so popular!
I've really written a lot recently, in part because this is pretty much my only connection to the outside world. Nobody ever gets on Skype (hello family?!) so besides Facebook and email, it's pretty slim pickings. I talked/briefly typed to Wyatt yesterday, but the Internet in my room only sends packets every 30 seconds or so. Usually my connection has sent around 100,000 packets and received maybe 1500. Oh well. Sorry dude!
If you want to talk to me for real, I am usually online starting at around 7pm (US East 1pm). So, if you have an afternoon to kill, me donnez un appel!
Again, apologies for the picturelessness. This is, after all, only my 3rd day of classes. Wait til the weekend!
Be encouraged! Heb 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
I've been convicted by my shortcomings in the past few weeks, but not a shameful conviction. I'm really coming back to these verses just because they are exactly what I need to hear: that my personal history is not some stone edifice, but something that Jesus has himself comprehended in His life as a human and is capable of washing clean. That's where confidence in Christ stems from: That's why we can hold fast to grace and mercy. I won't lie: This experience has been somewhat trying. But that's the only way you learn, both in academics and in spirituality. Encouragement is everywhere I turn.
Anyway I'll probably write more later. It will be awesome to read all of this after I'm back home--in a way, this blog is as equally important to me as it is to those keeping up with my adventures. Like my friend Lara from High School, who frequently checks up on posts from years and years ago, I expect to reference these events with fondness.
Have a beautiful day, and good morning! (6:40am east coast)
Ian
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Thousand Words is Worth a Picture
So, I have taken two pictures so far. One of them was of a sign, and the other one was of some food I ate. I'm aware that I have failed the general blog community... (the blogmunity?) but have no fear, the pictures are on the way. Internet is almost as precious here as cheap food, so I suppose in a way I am being forcibly weaned of my tremendous and horrible addiction to all things Internet.
Anyway, I promised last time that I would talk about the group. Dang, it's hard to believe so much has happened between then and now! I feel like I've finally gotten a chance to settle in a bit. I'm sitting in my new friend Ashley's room (the sacred room of wifi heaven) while she and some of my other hallmates sit outside and try to finish our interminable readings. The readings we get assigned are really beastly. Down the hall, some ULB students (the real Belgian ones) are listening to some kind of Techno jam and giggling like Francophone hyenas. I've only met them when I accidentally forgot to close our awkward shared-room shower apparatus thing, and one of them walked into my room to inform me of my error. That was in no way startling... :P
Let's discuss some of the coursework, shall we? I know my Dad reads this thing, so I would like to expound upon strictly academic matters for at least a few sentences. Our reading has referenced 5 of my present, past, and future professors: John Stephens, Liesbet Hooghe, Evelyne Huber, Gary Marks, and Milada Vachudova! It's pretty cool to know I have direct access to some of the field's most influential scholars. The seminars here are intense and extremely informative, and the 18 students in the program are all destined for amazing things. It's seriously like an introduction to a junior grad school cohort. I have never felt so free to express my dorkiness! My other new friend Kristina from the University of Colorado has been giggling at our seemingly impenetrable textbook all night. Example number two: We had a presentation this morning at Bruegel, a Brussels think tank that specializes in economic policy recommendations. After the presenter had finished his talk, we proceeded to ask him questions for an hour and a half. That's like a tuesday-thursday block of genuine, honest dorkiness flowing from all over the room. The dude was an academic, so he didn't run away crying after the first half hour, but I commend his resiliency. I would have made an excuse about time and ended the session.
Anyway, hopefully that gives you a pretty concise illustration of the way the courses are. We are just now blossoming into our fully dorky selves, after a somewhat tense feeling-out process during the first day. Considering we're in classes for roughly 6-7 hours daily, it didn't take many days for us to get acclimated.
I'm probably going to Brugges this weekend! (don't tell me I spelled it wrong: I speak French, you Dutch crazies.) Me and a few other people I have gotten to know pretty well are going to take a train and chill there for a day. This weekend is Belgium's National Holiday, intended to celebrate its independence and its bizarre bilingual federal identity. We're hoping to get back in time to witness some crazy fireworks, street parades, and intense techno dancing. I'm really glad that the Wisconsinites are so friendly... it seems to be all of the eclectic University students with the Wisconsin kids in one camp, and all of the Washingtonians on the other. I don't blame them, they all knew each other to begin with, but whatever. Their loss: All of the cool people hang with us and we know it. I'm just kidding! As a scholar of the EU I know better than anyone not to play geographical or regional favorites. In fact, a speaker today commented that it is now taboo in EU discourse to say "in my home country". The substitute is "In the country I know best". Somehow, (and there is empirical proof for this, thanks to the intense research of people like our program professors), this actually helps European delegates to be less motivated by the internal affairs of their home countries. What do ya know.
I think I am getting a Midwest accent again (as I feared) due to my proximity to Wisconsinites. I need to wake up every morning and say 5 southern expressions including such proper nouns as Bojangles, Sweet Tea, and Overturned Truck. Not to mention I have been pretty much Frenching it up (linguistically, not physically) with everyone I meet, so who knows what kinds of hurdles my Broca's region faces in this bizarre city. It's very much a cross between Amsterdam, a smaller city like Antwerp, and Paris... kind of dirty in some districts, full of charming and off-kilter little avenues and roundabouts, and generally teeming with people of every persuasion and nationality. The EU district is pretty amazing: Glass and steel everywhere, reminiscent of a futuristic Washington DC. It's really striking. As I mentioned earlier, pictures of these places and others are coming soon. I really hope to work the camera when we go to Brugges. We might stop around in other places too, like Ghent and who-knows-where. I'm happy to translate for whoever requests it... the Carrefour discount food mart is pretty daunting for most. I bought a cheap plastic bowl and a tiny fork, and I have been cooking pasta in the kitchenette on our floor. Did I mention the logement is named "Ghandi"? It's pretty funny because the architectural style reminds one of his days spent starving in a prison cell. No frills!
No problem though. I felt a little down at the beginning, if only for the fact that I knew no one. But now that I'm making friends and really starting to engage the course material and the city, I've been overwhelmed by excitement! I'm pretty thrilled for the three-day weekend, in which we will travel and celebrate with the locals. The next weekend is Luxembourg, but I'm planning on renting a car with some of the German-speakers and heading over into what is supposed to be a beautiful area in Germany for a day. The next weekend, qui le sache? Maybe Paris, maybe somewhere else... Thanks to the Schengen Agreement and many other free-market policies I have been studying, free movement in Europe a breeze!
Anyways, I haven't had an extraordinary amount of time to think about other things (namely personal reflection.) I suppose I'll set out some time tomorrow, assuming our reading is light. Tomorrow morning, coffee and croissants at a charming café with some lovely ladies!
Well, that's it for now.
Hopefully St. Ashley will grant me access to her pearly gates of wifi freedom later.
Peace and love!
Ian
Anyway, I promised last time that I would talk about the group. Dang, it's hard to believe so much has happened between then and now! I feel like I've finally gotten a chance to settle in a bit. I'm sitting in my new friend Ashley's room (the sacred room of wifi heaven) while she and some of my other hallmates sit outside and try to finish our interminable readings. The readings we get assigned are really beastly. Down the hall, some ULB students (the real Belgian ones) are listening to some kind of Techno jam and giggling like Francophone hyenas. I've only met them when I accidentally forgot to close our awkward shared-room shower apparatus thing, and one of them walked into my room to inform me of my error. That was in no way startling... :P
Let's discuss some of the coursework, shall we? I know my Dad reads this thing, so I would like to expound upon strictly academic matters for at least a few sentences. Our reading has referenced 5 of my present, past, and future professors: John Stephens, Liesbet Hooghe, Evelyne Huber, Gary Marks, and Milada Vachudova! It's pretty cool to know I have direct access to some of the field's most influential scholars. The seminars here are intense and extremely informative, and the 18 students in the program are all destined for amazing things. It's seriously like an introduction to a junior grad school cohort. I have never felt so free to express my dorkiness! My other new friend Kristina from the University of Colorado has been giggling at our seemingly impenetrable textbook all night. Example number two: We had a presentation this morning at Bruegel, a Brussels think tank that specializes in economic policy recommendations. After the presenter had finished his talk, we proceeded to ask him questions for an hour and a half. That's like a tuesday-thursday block of genuine, honest dorkiness flowing from all over the room. The dude was an academic, so he didn't run away crying after the first half hour, but I commend his resiliency. I would have made an excuse about time and ended the session.
Anyway, hopefully that gives you a pretty concise illustration of the way the courses are. We are just now blossoming into our fully dorky selves, after a somewhat tense feeling-out process during the first day. Considering we're in classes for roughly 6-7 hours daily, it didn't take many days for us to get acclimated.
I'm probably going to Brugges this weekend! (don't tell me I spelled it wrong: I speak French, you Dutch crazies.) Me and a few other people I have gotten to know pretty well are going to take a train and chill there for a day. This weekend is Belgium's National Holiday, intended to celebrate its independence and its bizarre bilingual federal identity. We're hoping to get back in time to witness some crazy fireworks, street parades, and intense techno dancing. I'm really glad that the Wisconsinites are so friendly... it seems to be all of the eclectic University students with the Wisconsin kids in one camp, and all of the Washingtonians on the other. I don't blame them, they all knew each other to begin with, but whatever. Their loss: All of the cool people hang with us and we know it. I'm just kidding! As a scholar of the EU I know better than anyone not to play geographical or regional favorites. In fact, a speaker today commented that it is now taboo in EU discourse to say "in my home country". The substitute is "In the country I know best". Somehow, (and there is empirical proof for this, thanks to the intense research of people like our program professors), this actually helps European delegates to be less motivated by the internal affairs of their home countries. What do ya know.
I think I am getting a Midwest accent again (as I feared) due to my proximity to Wisconsinites. I need to wake up every morning and say 5 southern expressions including such proper nouns as Bojangles, Sweet Tea, and Overturned Truck. Not to mention I have been pretty much Frenching it up (linguistically, not physically) with everyone I meet, so who knows what kinds of hurdles my Broca's region faces in this bizarre city. It's very much a cross between Amsterdam, a smaller city like Antwerp, and Paris... kind of dirty in some districts, full of charming and off-kilter little avenues and roundabouts, and generally teeming with people of every persuasion and nationality. The EU district is pretty amazing: Glass and steel everywhere, reminiscent of a futuristic Washington DC. It's really striking. As I mentioned earlier, pictures of these places and others are coming soon. I really hope to work the camera when we go to Brugges. We might stop around in other places too, like Ghent and who-knows-where. I'm happy to translate for whoever requests it... the Carrefour discount food mart is pretty daunting for most. I bought a cheap plastic bowl and a tiny fork, and I have been cooking pasta in the kitchenette on our floor. Did I mention the logement is named "Ghandi"? It's pretty funny because the architectural style reminds one of his days spent starving in a prison cell. No frills!
No problem though. I felt a little down at the beginning, if only for the fact that I knew no one. But now that I'm making friends and really starting to engage the course material and the city, I've been overwhelmed by excitement! I'm pretty thrilled for the three-day weekend, in which we will travel and celebrate with the locals. The next weekend is Luxembourg, but I'm planning on renting a car with some of the German-speakers and heading over into what is supposed to be a beautiful area in Germany for a day. The next weekend, qui le sache? Maybe Paris, maybe somewhere else... Thanks to the Schengen Agreement and many other free-market policies I have been studying, free movement in Europe a breeze!
Anyways, I haven't had an extraordinary amount of time to think about other things (namely personal reflection.) I suppose I'll set out some time tomorrow, assuming our reading is light. Tomorrow morning, coffee and croissants at a charming café with some lovely ladies!
Well, that's it for now.
Hopefully St. Ashley will grant me access to her pearly gates of wifi freedom later.
Peace and love!
Ian
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Levity, Brevity
So I really need to go to bed. It's been a loooong time since I've slept. Why, you may ask? Because I just made it all the way to Brussels after my flight plans got all rearranged due to inevitable Northwest suckitude and other such misfortunes. I went through Minneapolis (yay!) but I was only there long enough to buy a Big Mac at the conveniently located, completely generic McDonalds that in no way reminded me of the place where I grew up. Sad. Anyway my flight boarded like 20 minutes after I got off the Raleigh-Minneapolis plane, and suddenly I was in the air for 7 and a half hours with a broken seatback video monitor! Words can't really do justice to the despair that gripped me. Even worse, the very moment I was handed my tray of airplane food, we collided with a thousand-foot wall of turbulent air that proceeded to twist the plane into knots (and my stomach as well) for the next hour. I managed to fall asleep and not puke up the 1/3 of a dinner roll I had choked down before the tempest... Things became very fuzzy for a while... Then I awoke to find that my tray had been removed from my tiny fold-down table without my knowledge! Oh air hostess, would that you had glimpsed only a morsel of my rage! Anyway I slept fitfully for the rest of the flight, and then proceeded to buy the wrong ticket at the kiosk upon arriving in Amsterdam. I was extremely surprised that the Thalys train arrived the minute I stepped on the platform, but whatever, now I'm going to Belgium at 200km/h right?
I had to pay an 18 euro fee for essentially hopping a train... Way to go, Official Representative of American Intelligence. At least they didn't kick me off! I met some very interesting young ladies from Ireland who had been in Amsterdam for a crazy hallucinogen-induced rave party festival all weekend. They were really tired. One of them had a nose ring and all kinds of crazy hair stuff going on, but underneath it all she was strikingly beautiful. I kind of wished that I could meet her in an alternate universe where she wasn't crazy and I wasn't jetlagged beyond belief. Anyway, that's a story for another day. We kept getting shuffled around in the seats as normal, law-abiding customers got on and off the train. I saw Antwerp, and it looked really pretty from the station. I spoke to a man from Vancouver who was visiting Paris, presumably alone, and I was inwardly praying that he was either meeting someone there or that someone would come into his life there and surprise him completely. Ever seen Paris Je T'aime?
Everyone here speaks French and it is the kind of French I love. They are just kind of relaxed about it, and they like to joke about Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Jordan and all kinds of other gross American stereotypes. I had a really nice conversation with a taxi driver that pretty much followed those lines. He wished me the best.
Anyways, I'm here now, and already I've come in contact with some really cool people. My group is really fun and nice (I'll talk about them in a later post.) In closing, I just want to encourage people with the miraculous nature of God's guiding presence. How on earth did I get here? I feel like I'll wake up in an hour to the grinding hum of airplane engines and realize it was all a dream. So many modes of transportation, so many mistakes to be made... It's truly marvelous. Not to mention I'm one of 2 people here who speak French. The independence is pretty thrilling (traveling such great distances alone) but I need to remember to keep that independence in the context of my dependence on God's guidance. I read some of Job on the plane and it hit me in the face. More on that later.
Love, Ian
I had to pay an 18 euro fee for essentially hopping a train... Way to go, Official Representative of American Intelligence. At least they didn't kick me off! I met some very interesting young ladies from Ireland who had been in Amsterdam for a crazy hallucinogen-induced rave party festival all weekend. They were really tired. One of them had a nose ring and all kinds of crazy hair stuff going on, but underneath it all she was strikingly beautiful. I kind of wished that I could meet her in an alternate universe where she wasn't crazy and I wasn't jetlagged beyond belief. Anyway, that's a story for another day. We kept getting shuffled around in the seats as normal, law-abiding customers got on and off the train. I saw Antwerp, and it looked really pretty from the station. I spoke to a man from Vancouver who was visiting Paris, presumably alone, and I was inwardly praying that he was either meeting someone there or that someone would come into his life there and surprise him completely. Ever seen Paris Je T'aime?
Everyone here speaks French and it is the kind of French I love. They are just kind of relaxed about it, and they like to joke about Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Jordan and all kinds of other gross American stereotypes. I had a really nice conversation with a taxi driver that pretty much followed those lines. He wished me the best.
Anyways, I'm here now, and already I've come in contact with some really cool people. My group is really fun and nice (I'll talk about them in a later post.) In closing, I just want to encourage people with the miraculous nature of God's guiding presence. How on earth did I get here? I feel like I'll wake up in an hour to the grinding hum of airplane engines and realize it was all a dream. So many modes of transportation, so many mistakes to be made... It's truly marvelous. Not to mention I'm one of 2 people here who speak French. The independence is pretty thrilling (traveling such great distances alone) but I need to remember to keep that independence in the context of my dependence on God's guidance. I read some of Job on the plane and it hit me in the face. More on that later.
Love, Ian
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Final Countdown
I am getting ready to leave for fabulous Brussels, Belgium! I will be staying at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, La Plaine Campus, Logement Henri Lafontaine. I'll get more details once I arrive, such as room numbers and all that good stuff. I haven't even started packing, but I still feel like every waking minute of the last few days has been devoted to preparations. Little things that I would never normally acknowledge are looming in the forefront of my consciousness all of a sudden--Watch batteries, letters to my grandmother, birthday presents for people who haven't yet even begun thinking about their own birthday--such attention to detail! I can't imagine what a semester abroad would entail. That's what I have to keep telling myself: This is all good practice. I plan on going abroad at least once more before undergrad is over, so hopefully all the mistakes I make this time will help me not to err when I'm going for five months instead of one.
In light of my hastily approaching departure, I recently purchased a pocket Bible to take with me (the other one is far too big, despite its invaluable margin notes and information.) In the few days I've owned this new book, I have developed a pretty strong attachment. It's almost as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. I'm not sure why, but this new Bible has really made reading Scripture into a remarkably different experience. Perhaps it just feels more personal (all my other Bibles have been gifts). The fact that I bought it, I suppose, indicates I feel more invested in it, and that in turn encourages me to treat Scripture with more value. Being the type of person that can very easily fall out of habits, this newfound approach to Scripture is invaluable. How often have I told myself: "well, if I were only more committed to reading and memorizing, many of my spiritual struggles wouldn't be so difficult anymore." I am always so taken by those people in my life with a seemingly never-ending supply of Scriptural knowledge... perhaps because I read so casually, without treating Scripture the way it should be treated. I tend to forget much of what I've read, and other things tend to wash over me without any kind of emotional response or application to my life. So buying this Bible has actually really convicted me to be that much more committed to my reading. And lo and behold, after reading Hosea of all books, I came to a sudden realization that things I never expected to impact me were in fact changing me in subtle ways. I suddenly feel much more convicted to put down and destroy my personal idols... the strong language in Hosea was a very direct reminder to me (and Israel) to stop the worship of Baals. (I won't get into details, but hey, we all have them. These guys' were made of bronze and gold, oftentimes mine are just chilling in my overactive imagination.) And in the twilight spaces of my consciousness, when I am drifting off to sleep and then waking up to my vicious alarm clock in the morning, I find myself captivated by the imagery of passages I had never thought to remember in daylight hours. I'm not sure how this works out with the timing of my trip and my other recent spiritual goings-on, but I feel like this is the kind of habit that I can take to without much effort. I have been listening to a pretty old song over and over recently, and it really speaks to what's been going on recently. I have tilled and planted and waited patiently for a harvest of spiritual dedication, but it has taken my prayer for rain (the Spirit) to fulfill my actions and start new growth in my life. I hope that has been evident in the story above.
Anyway chew on this, blogopoids.
barren land can overflow with
life and fruit and fields that grow
in the barren land with labor and toil
planting seed and tilling soil
will stay the same, stay the same
but if for rain! but if for rain!
but if for rain to fall, irresistibly call
rain to cover me
but if for rain to heal, uncontrollably fill
the soil of eternity
and barren land will overflow with
life and fruit and fields that grow
Holy Spirit spur me to till
a once barren land so thirsty still
for living water, O God, sustains
so life and fruit and fields remain
lest they stay the same, stay the same
(hebrews 6:1-3, john 5:39; 6:44, ephesians 2:8-10, psalm 119:73)
Much love from Cary/Detroit/Amsterdam/Brussels!!
Ian
In light of my hastily approaching departure, I recently purchased a pocket Bible to take with me (the other one is far too big, despite its invaluable margin notes and information.) In the few days I've owned this new book, I have developed a pretty strong attachment. It's almost as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. I'm not sure why, but this new Bible has really made reading Scripture into a remarkably different experience. Perhaps it just feels more personal (all my other Bibles have been gifts). The fact that I bought it, I suppose, indicates I feel more invested in it, and that in turn encourages me to treat Scripture with more value. Being the type of person that can very easily fall out of habits, this newfound approach to Scripture is invaluable. How often have I told myself: "well, if I were only more committed to reading and memorizing, many of my spiritual struggles wouldn't be so difficult anymore." I am always so taken by those people in my life with a seemingly never-ending supply of Scriptural knowledge... perhaps because I read so casually, without treating Scripture the way it should be treated. I tend to forget much of what I've read, and other things tend to wash over me without any kind of emotional response or application to my life. So buying this Bible has actually really convicted me to be that much more committed to my reading. And lo and behold, after reading Hosea of all books, I came to a sudden realization that things I never expected to impact me were in fact changing me in subtle ways. I suddenly feel much more convicted to put down and destroy my personal idols... the strong language in Hosea was a very direct reminder to me (and Israel) to stop the worship of Baals. (I won't get into details, but hey, we all have them. These guys' were made of bronze and gold, oftentimes mine are just chilling in my overactive imagination.) And in the twilight spaces of my consciousness, when I am drifting off to sleep and then waking up to my vicious alarm clock in the morning, I find myself captivated by the imagery of passages I had never thought to remember in daylight hours. I'm not sure how this works out with the timing of my trip and my other recent spiritual goings-on, but I feel like this is the kind of habit that I can take to without much effort. I have been listening to a pretty old song over and over recently, and it really speaks to what's been going on recently. I have tilled and planted and waited patiently for a harvest of spiritual dedication, but it has taken my prayer for rain (the Spirit) to fulfill my actions and start new growth in my life. I hope that has been evident in the story above.
Anyway chew on this, blogopoids.
barren land can overflow with
life and fruit and fields that grow
in the barren land with labor and toil
planting seed and tilling soil
will stay the same, stay the same
but if for rain! but if for rain!
but if for rain to fall, irresistibly call
rain to cover me
but if for rain to heal, uncontrollably fill
the soil of eternity
and barren land will overflow with
life and fruit and fields that grow
Holy Spirit spur me to till
a once barren land so thirsty still
for living water, O God, sustains
so life and fruit and fields remain
lest they stay the same, stay the same
(hebrews 6:1-3, john 5:39; 6:44, ephesians 2:8-10, psalm 119:73)
Much love from Cary/Detroit/Amsterdam/Brussels!!
Ian
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
A Web Log on the Inter Nets
I have successfully created my very own blog on the intertubes for the enjoyment of any passersby who wish to learn more about my Belgian adventures this summer! The momentous afternoon is only a few days away, and my list of things to do would go unfinished without writing a "make a blog" task and checking it off. In fact, I have my travel itinerary here so you can know with absolute accuracy where I will be at every second of the next few days.
1. Northwest Flight 1695 to Detroit, MI July 12, 2008 4:28pm ET
2. Northwest Flight 48 to Amsterdam, NL July 12, 2008 9:20pm CT
3. Thalys Train Schiphol, Amsterdam->Brussel Zuid July 13, 1:00pm in whatever time zone that is :I
4. Arrive at La Plaine Campus of the Université Libre de Bruxelles... hopefully by 5:00.
So now you know. I'm inwardly hoping to become stuck in the Schiphol airport while America's government collapses amid a mostly bloodless civil war, leaving me stranded à la Tom Hanks to eat saltine crackers covered in ketchup. My imagination is always eager to produce these kinds of situations for me.
Did you know that John McCain is not computer-literate? There is a website called http://www.thingsyoungerthanmccain.com that is pretty entertaining. (note: You have to scroll down and go through the pages to weed out the posts about the things McCain supersedes in age.) I get bored at the cancer lab where I work a lot, especially since it's my last week before my summer hiatus (I'll be back in the fall).
I would write something inspiring, but I feel a little spiritually winded right now. I've definitely been enjoying the very active presence of God in my life recently, don't get me wrong. But as Zack Braff puts it in Garden State, I am very much "in it" right now... I need some time to think and sleep and just rest. People have been both an amazing encouragement and also a big challenge. My pride has been injured by pretty much every situation recently, which is as humbling and awesome as it is difficult. I think that getting to travel in the near future is really going to open my eyes to the extent to which God pursues me... and the distances He will go (both with me and through me!)
Anyway that's a pretty good first post I think. And if you're wondering why it's called what it's called, just remember that I study political science. And that I'm a huge nerd.
Much love from beautiful Cary, NC.
Ian
1. Northwest Flight 1695 to Detroit, MI July 12, 2008 4:28pm ET
2. Northwest Flight 48 to Amsterdam, NL July 12, 2008 9:20pm CT
3. Thalys Train Schiphol, Amsterdam->Brussel Zuid July 13, 1:00pm in whatever time zone that is :I
4. Arrive at La Plaine Campus of the Université Libre de Bruxelles... hopefully by 5:00.
So now you know. I'm inwardly hoping to become stuck in the Schiphol airport while America's government collapses amid a mostly bloodless civil war, leaving me stranded à la Tom Hanks to eat saltine crackers covered in ketchup. My imagination is always eager to produce these kinds of situations for me.
Did you know that John McCain is not computer-literate? There is a website called http://www.thingsyoungerthanmccain.com that is pretty entertaining. (note: You have to scroll down and go through the pages to weed out the posts about the things McCain supersedes in age.) I get bored at the cancer lab where I work a lot, especially since it's my last week before my summer hiatus (I'll be back in the fall).
I would write something inspiring, but I feel a little spiritually winded right now. I've definitely been enjoying the very active presence of God in my life recently, don't get me wrong. But as Zack Braff puts it in Garden State, I am very much "in it" right now... I need some time to think and sleep and just rest. People have been both an amazing encouragement and also a big challenge. My pride has been injured by pretty much every situation recently, which is as humbling and awesome as it is difficult. I think that getting to travel in the near future is really going to open my eyes to the extent to which God pursues me... and the distances He will go (both with me and through me!)
Anyway that's a pretty good first post I think. And if you're wondering why it's called what it's called, just remember that I study political science. And that I'm a huge nerd.
Much love from beautiful Cary, NC.
Ian
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