(interlude)

I'm sorry I've left you hanging! Blogger's not cooperating with my picture-posting plans and I'm therefore stubbornly waiting until it does. I'll try again tomorrow. Until then!

fun in Derry?

I had a VERY blog-worthy weekend, and you lucky people get to hear alllll about it.

I went home with my roommate Jenni on Saturday afternoon. The bus ride was very lovely, got lots of blurry green pictures of the countryside and cows and sheep. The grass here is almost flourescent green and it's SO cool to look at. Here's a picture:


So that was all well and good...then we went to Jenni's house. It's huge and old. The back part was on the maps 300 years ago. IMAGINE! It even has a name - Bessvale House. I've never slept in a house with a name before. It was a beautiful country home. Jenni lives on a farm with sheep and cows and lots of good stuff like that. It was like stepping into another world...


Jenni's family's farm

A house on her farm that two families used to live in, paying about 12.5 pence a week for rent (about 25 cents)


The back of the house

After a HUGE Thanksgiving-style lunch with her family, Jenni and I went into town. About 15 minutes away is the city of Derry, or Londonderry, depending on your political persuasions. Nationalists, who want Northern Ireland to be free from British influence, won't call it Londonderry, which is its official name. I'll just say Derry because it's easier. Anyway, Derry's a walled city, about 800 years old. Bloody Sunday happened here, I think around 1972 (don't quote me) which started off the Northern Irish Troubles. There is a really poor Catholic area outside of the walls, known as the Bogside. Across town, and across a river, is the poor Protestant areas. I'm going to start a new post (I think this one's getting too big) and give you pictures of Derry, and also tell you the nail-biting tale of the afternoon.

articulate.

Some conversational confusion here is caused by a serious language barrier, others by our own stupidity. Here's an example...

A few nights ago I was playing a game similar to Catch Phrase with my roommates and some of their friends. I was paired with a boy named Johnny because for some reason they decided he needed a handicap. Language barriers:

Johnny: Right. Um, this is a winged horse...
Me: (thinking... Pegasus?)
Johnny: No, wait. Okay, this is what you use to put clothes out on the line when they've been washed...
Me: Clothespins! (riotous laughter)
Johnny: Okay, forget that. Oh! What do you use to hold a tent into the ground?
Me: A stake! (more riotous laughter)

By this point, the timer has buzzed and I'm completely confused, everyone else is peeing their pants. APPARENTLY, the right answer WAS Pegasus after all and the Irish would use the word peg in both of the above situations. Who knew. Now, for the stupidity...

Me: Okay. This is a city... in ... Germany?
Johnny: Um, Hamburg? Berlin? Munich?
Me: No, no... okay, who invented the printing press?
Johnny: Oh, um...

Time. He was trying to guess "Johannesburg" which (who knew) is APPARENTLY in South Africa, not Germany. Here's another one:

Me: Oh, okay! What do people light off at the Fourth of July? (knowing they don't celebrate it here, but hoping this American tradition might be well-known)
Johnny: Um, cannons!

Oooooookay. So it was an amazing game and hopefully we'll play it again soon. In reality, sometimes I do feel like I'm speaking a different language. My roommate Jenni and I harrass each other constantly for saying the "wrong" words. Paper towel = kitchen roll. Cutting board = chopping board. Faucet = tap. Dishsoap = washing up liquid. AND SO ON. You can see how making lunch (or should I say.. dinner?) together can be quite a task :)

Things are going well here. I saw Bill and Jean Sullivan on Friday night!! It was so random, unexpected and LOVELY. We had a wonderful meal together and I think I got them completely lost after they dropped me off at my house. It sounds like they're having a great trip and are successfully driving on the correct side of the road, most of the time :) I'm so glad I got to see them - it was definitely a highlight of the past few weeks.

I spent tonight with the Italian guys I met on the street, and it was so fun - we were sitting in their kitchen listening to flamenco music and singing and eating too many pastries. One of them, Marco, is going to Rome tomorrow ... I've been thinking about different places I could travel on weekends. Possibilities: Paris, Prague, Italy, Spain, Galway, Derry, Donegall, Eniskillen (all in Ireland). Belfast is still lovely, but it's feeling a little bit small. I went for a drive with another roommate, Nicola, and her family this weekend and it was SO good to get out of the city and see some of the countryside. The Irish coast is absolutely beautiful. We saw a lighthouse at a little town called Donaghedee (Donna-ka-DEE .. a fun word to say) and went for lunch at the oldest pub in Ireland. 1611, I think - amazing.

Other news? It's been great to hear from so many people via email. I'm doing my best to keep up. Probably no one will care but me, but the Buena Vista Social Club is coming to play in Belfast! SUPER exciting.

I went to a Vineyard-style church today, same as last week. Somehow, it's inviting but not welcoming. I don't really know what I'm looking for in a church here, or if I'm looking for anything. It's been interesting to go to a few different ones, and I'm not sure if I'll actually settle at a particular one or not. I'll let God lead me...

Anyway, lovely people - I'm off to bed. It's been nice chatting at you. I love you!

address

Not a super-exciting post, but I wanted to give you my new address here at the house...

101 Ulsterville Gardens
Belfast, N. Ireland
BT9 7BB

Cheers! ;)

not homeless anymore!

I officially have a house! Praise God! 4 Christian girls for roommates, sooooooo welcoming, a cute little street and a cute little top-story room with a skylight. Fully furnished, with a sink in my room - random, eh? More common here than in the States, I think. A lovely kitchen and good locks on the doors (very important). Wireless internet, cable, two bathrooms. Everything I had been praying for, and more.

Last night with Kristi I sat in the living room and watched The Truth About Cats and Dogs. We were both transported (mentally) and were freaking out about the fact that we were in Belfast and that Kris wasn't going to get in her care and drive home
after the movie. It was really weird. All this to say... the house situation is comfortable and I am so happy to be here.

Kris and I took an 11am bus down to Dublin and spent the afternoon walking, shopping, laying by a pond, eating fabulous dinner and gorging on Chocolate Melting Cake. Ahhhhhhh....it was lovely. She took off for the airport and I headed back up to Belfast. Got to watch a beautiful sunset over the countryside I just booked a ticketand totally relax into the techni-colored bus seat. Overall, a wonderful day.

I just booked a ticket to Edinburgh for October 13-15 so I can visit some friends I made there - VERY exciting. Indeed.

Tomorrow, trying out a new church with one of my roommates.

I'm so happy to have such a great living situation!! Thanks for praying for me if you did :)

the word on the street

Just some random thoughts from the day...

I had a room set up, but was sad about leaving the hostel (imagine!). Looks like the room is falling through tho, and I'm looking at another one today. Wondering if I'm meant to stay here long-term? Some really good conversations and opportunities to talk about God. So things are in limbo yet again - the interesting thing is that I kind of expected this to happen. It wasn't a surprise - I had been holding onto the room with open hands and I'm not devastated. Just wondering what steps to take next. Hmm.

I wanted to tell you about the word craic (pronounced "crack")... it's an Irish word, and they love to use it on any occasion. It means good times, or comeraderie, or something of that nature. So you can say - "What's the craic?" which means.. What's happening? What's the banter? or something like that. Or you could say, "That guy was great craic" (yeah, I know it sounds weird) which might mean he was funny or fun to be around. You could also say, "Youth group is good craic," if you were so inclined. Just make sure you only say it to people who have read this post :)

Speaking of Irish culture, if you're interested I found out about a website with a bunch of amazing photos from the Troubles - the not-so-distant-history of Northern Ireland. It's at www.belfastexposed.com and the photographer I heard about is named Sean McKernan - it's in the Archives section. I haven't been there yet, so I don't know how well they explain everything, but it might be good craic for a rainy afternoon :)

Work is going great. I work all of next week. Kristi Brockerman's coming to visit from Wed-Sat. and I'm suuuuuuuuuuper excited! Hopefully we'll get down to Dublin together next weekend and I pray she's not too bored while I'm at work!

Not much else to say! Take care, suckas.