Post Europe, post summer

Well. Here I am again, writing another. I never did get a good opportunity to post a blog while in Europe. I was either too busy, to overloaded to say anything or the internet was to expensive. But it was an intense and incredible experience as I was able to travel and learn, along with my peers and professors.

But before I describe more of my trip I wanted to give a brief update on my most recent going-ons. This last week I have gone from the farm of my gracious parents (where I've been for the last month with my nose in my books and papers, trying to finish up my Europe assignments) and have moved into Calgary. I'll be living with my brother and have just started working as a survey assistant, also endearingly known as a rodman. I'll be the guy lugging around stakes, spikes and fluorescent ribbons, writing co-ordinates and boundaries on these wonderful pointed sticks and pounding them into the ground. All this effort in the hope that when the construction on a road or buildings begins, they will read these stakes and know exactly how and where the road and building should be built (don't worry, the boundaries and co-ordinates are given to me by a professional survey, the one I'm to be an assistant to). I will be going back to school in New Brunswick in January, but for now I get to be settled here in Alberta.

I'm both mellowed and excited for this fall. I'm not thrilled that I will be missing the arrival of new students to St. Stephens University, and the great courses provided by my professors and the community of students and staff at the school... not to mention that autumn season of the East Coast, where there actually is one. But I look forward to this new experience of living in Calgary, getting to know my brother better (for better or for worse! just kidding about the worse) and having a different pace of life. I know this has the potential to be an amazing time, I hope and pray that my attitude and actions will reflect the life I optimistically envision for myself during this time.

Off to Europe!

It's been a while since I've written, with the contradictory busyness and relaxedness of the end of semester I haven't kept up the blog. But, this summer has a lot in store and I'm quite excited about it. As some of you may know my academic program includes a study abroad term, one term to be spent in Southeast Asia and the other in Europe. This summer, I'll be taking off to Europe for 2 months of amazing and intense learning.
The bus, full of students and professors, will be heading out tomorrow morning around 8 o'clock, and then begins the physical part of our European journey, and we won't step back on Canadian soil until our trip finishes July 16th.

What will we be doing? Well, we'll be making a tour of most of the major Western European Countries (Spain, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, France and Britain), stopping in some of the major cities to check out historical sites and world class museums. During the day we'll be traveling by bus or checking out the cities and museums, and at night we'll be hanging out, working on homework and then snuggling into our sleeping bags after zipping up our tents (yup, we're camping European style nearly all the way through).

What am I studying? The trip is a regular school semester adapted for travel, so I have a full five courses during this time. Courses are mostly history based, but the disciplines branch into literature (European myth), religious studies (reformation movements), Art (studying artwork and genius), and some politics (we're taking a look at the European Union). Overall, the courses look at the influences that have shaped western culture in ancient and recent history, and it's implications for us today, as both human beings and Christians (obviously HUGE effects on the Christian world through both Roman Catholicism and many of the rich traditions and notable saints, as well as the reformation movement and it's positive and negative effects).

What am I looking forward to? It is going to be absolutely amazing seeing first-hand the places and art forms of history. I'll have the opportunity to see paintings and sculpture by Michaelangelo, buildings by Antoni Gaudi, the cubism of Picasso and innumerable other works of art and historical artifacts. I hope I don't get too overwhelmed. I'm also looking forward to understanding and gaining insight into how all of this has affected the history of the present, and what it says about humanity, or does it say actually anything?

If you think of it, pray for this group of academia as we travel and learn together. There are always safety and adjustment issues when going to another country and culture, as well as logistics in a big trip like this. Also, pray that as students and staff we will glean greatly from our experiences in this journey and as we continue to learn what it means to be followers of Christ in a world rich and full of history. I will try to make short updates along the way. Thanks for your prayer and support as I continue on my travels and my learning.

Mandatory Mustache March

Now, I realize March is now over, but I thought I'd fill you in on what happened on the final, momentous day of the month past. To give prelude, Mandatory Mustache March is an event explained well by its title. Like its more familiar counterpart, No-shave November, Mandatory Mustache March calls all who have the ability to grew facial hair to let loose those little hair follicles, to do what they are made to do! So, in response to the challenge, myself, Dave, and few other brave and adventurous souls took to heart March's challenge.

There are a few things I must say before I continue. I must admit, for the majority of the month of March my mustache was accommodated and supplemented with as healthy a beard as I could grow. Some may call this weakness, but I, looking back, would call this dramatic effect. And I also must admit that I had one, full trim during that time. But this, I would call self-consciousness.

But, at last, for one final hurrah, the beard was shaved off and the mustache remained, and Dave and I prepared ourselves for a day that will never be forgotten, though the erasing of it's images will be the desire of many!
I can't give account to exactly what Dave and I were thinking when we donned our plaid shirts, pulled on our blue jeans and looped, through loops, the belts with the biggest buckles we could find (out of the few minutes it took us to get dressed). Nor can a give word to what our exact thoughts were when we tucked those plaid shirts into our buckle-fastened blue jeans. I guess the only thing I could say we were thinking was that this, this day, was the 31st of March, and we wanted to give the greatest showing of our Mandatory Mustaches as we could manage. And we did...

Photo Credits to Shelly Perry (without her photo-shooting skills the images of this day would not have been captured for the rememberance of all, Ode-to-Perry!)

Easter Long Weekend

I had a fairly busy easter weekend. Amidst trying to accomplish some research for a bunch of papers I have due at the end of term... I actually ended up falling privy to a few other activities. Friday evening the students and many others from the university community gathered for a good Friday service. In this we followed the easter lectionary used by the Celtic community in Northumbria. We walked through various rooms of the school and stopped to read different reflections on the accounts of Jesus as he carried the cross to Golgotha. It was a good way to come together as a group of people and meditate on the event that defines our faith as Christians and as people. After that I went and hung out at a youth cafe that happens every Friday night at the church I go to, playing some games and hanging out with some of the youth from the church.
Saturday evening we had a Space party in recognition of our friend Sam's day of birth! The only stipulation for coming to the party was that one had to wear something space related. My buddy Dave and I dressed as Robots, as you can see. I'm the happy robot on the left and Dave the less happy one on the left. (yesterday I thought it would be a good idea to place the body and head of my smiley happy robot in one of the stalls of the girls bathroom... I haven't heard of any reaction yet, but I at least thought it would be funny to inadvertently walk into an unusually happy robot occupying a toilet seat)
Sunday afternoon the school came together again and had the annual easter egg hunt, which included the annual hunt for the great easter bunny (this year my friend Dave was the easter bunny and had to hide in some deep dark corner of our 100 year-old residence).
Also on Sunday the Masters of Ministry students arrived home from their two week trip to Greece and Turkey, which from looking at the pictures is completely amazing! I can't wait for my trip to Europe!

George MacDonald

I just wanted to put in a good quote from George MacDonald (1824-1905), a writer that I'm researching for one of my classes. The quote is from one of his writings on the theme of Dryness.

"That man is perfect in faith who can come to God in the utter dearth of his feelings and desires, without a glow or an aspiration, with the weight of low thoughts, failures, neglets, and wandering forgetfulness, and say to Him, 'Thou are my refuge.'"

In addition to the new look of my blog, I put a little question you can vote on, on the side bar. Be sure to put in your vote! It's just for mine and your amusement, and those are all some of places that I have been or would like to go.

Acadia National Park

Other than relax at the farm last week, a few of us also took the time to go to a sliver of Acadia National Park on the Schoodic Peninsula. It's funny how we all went to the cabin to escape the school, and then I needed an escape from the cabin and went to the ocean. The time was well worth it. I don't want to explain the experience with words normally used because I'm afraid of giving an explanation or at least an impression not worthy of the experience. I was fronted with the rawness and beauty of the ocean and the landscape where the water meets solid ground. Driving through the trees, coming to an escarpment of rocks leading into the water. The tide was coming in and the waves were coming in harder. There was no one around for miles, just the three of us that decided to go. We followed the road farther along the coastline of the park and, coming around a bend, found the road opening us up to a small rock beach. The beach was flanked on either side by a corridor of solid, but not terribly high, rock that made up the bulk of the peninsula. It was an area that could have served as a small harbour if the rocks weren't so jagged and the water so violent. The waves were forcing their way in, some of them at least two meters high. Given that I'm a prairie boy and haven't lived by the ocean most of my life, and even with my experience in New Zealand and its fantastic ocean-scape, I don't think I have ever experienced waves that were so tall. The three of us just stood and watched the waves come in. I was trying to take pictures and videos, trying to capture the biggest waves or snap a shot just as one was breaking. Here I took this picture of Katie, with her standing on the rocks, watching the waves come in.

Reading Week in Maine

Alright, so its been almost three months since the last post. I think the best thing to do is jump right in. So far I've survived the East Coast winter with no resentment, yet I'm looking forward to warm weather and more of the sun again. This last week was my spring/reading break. A group of my friends and I decided to spend the week at a cottage close by and found a great little place situated on an organic farm just off the coast of Maine. The farm is home to a collection of animals, pigs, chickens, goats and sheep, the most notable animals being the horses, which are Norwegian Fjords. These are used as the working power in many ways around the farm whether it is plowing the fields or pulling carts and wagons to collect timber or the sap collected from the Maple trees. To be honest, I didn't get too much reading or studying done, but it was definitely a break away from studies and the routine of life at a small university.