Hi all-
My dad thought I should update the blog again- so here it goes... On Monday, my dad and I headed to Chapala, which is on lake Chapala, about 40 km south of Guadalajara. We drove through a couple of random villages (they weren't on our map) to just sight see. Then when we got to Gerri's house (the lady we are staying with the rest of the week), we went down to the waterfront and had lunch and listened to mariachi music and then just walked around the town. Later, dad went back to Guad to pick up Sherry (my step-mother) from the airport and Gerri and I indulged in the guilty pleasure that is the Bachelor.
Yesterday I started out my morning learning how to pick avocados from the tree Gerri has, and then proceeded to pick several avocados standing on a ladder waving a twelve foot pole with a hook at the end in the aforementioned tree. We also decided to go see a volcano yesterday. To do that, we knew the town/state named Colima had one, which was a couple of hours south of Chapala. However, the power was out at the house in the morning, so we couldn't verify where to go, so we just decided to head to Colima- and figured, a volcano was pretty big- and therefore, we could probably find it with no problems... Well, sufficient to say, we did not find the volcano, we did find lots of cool ranges, beautiful vistas and like a million curvy roads. Which my belly did not like. And an adventure that should have taken 6 hours, took ten.
So that's the update so far, today I think we are taking a boat ride to Scorpion Island (on the lake) to see another part of this area- it is very beautiful here, mountains and sunshine, and a golf course to boot!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Mexican adentures... chapter one
Greetings from Guadalajara!
So- tomorrow we leave the city and head to Lake Champas- but today was a very nice day, with one exception. My dad and I decided to venture into Guadalajara, neither of have been here before, and neither of us are really good at the Spanish- but we ventured on anyways. We spent the late morning/afternoon wandering through the cultural part of the city and watched the people, saw a couple of really cool museums, lots of art, a fancy theater and walked in to a few cathedrals. (There are pix up on facebook)... There are plazas up and down the streets, with lots of fountains and trees, and lots of street vendors. There even was a street that seemed only for bicyclists and skaters- kind of cool.
However, as my dad and I quickly discovered, Guad is not an English tourist city- and very few people speak English here and my Spanish is not great, and my dad's is non-existent. Sherry is pretty fluent in the language, but she hasn't made it to Mexico yet- passport problems... Hopefully she will be joining us tomorrow or Tuesday.
So- the not so great part- towards the end of the afternoon, we decided to leave the city and head back to the hotel for a little Siesta- and well, my dad had left the headlights on in the rental car, and the car's battery was dead when we got to it in the garage... which was quite a predicament- After wondering around and asking in broken Spanish for assistance from random strangers, this one man, wound up taking the battery out of his car, flagging down other people until he found someone with jumper cables, and jumped our car. (Very, very grateful for his help) Then, as we finally went to leave, the validating machine ate our parking ticket and we couldn't get the gate to go up. Again, someone stopped (well actually he was in the car behind us and couldn't leave till we did) to help us, and we finally got out of there.
So- that's a quick summary of the day. More on the art later, and maybe I will upload some photos here also-
Anyways- hope you are all well, and for those writing exegesis- my prayers are with you!
So- tomorrow we leave the city and head to Lake Champas- but today was a very nice day, with one exception. My dad and I decided to venture into Guadalajara, neither of have been here before, and neither of us are really good at the Spanish- but we ventured on anyways. We spent the late morning/afternoon wandering through the cultural part of the city and watched the people, saw a couple of really cool museums, lots of art, a fancy theater and walked in to a few cathedrals. (There are pix up on facebook)... There are plazas up and down the streets, with lots of fountains and trees, and lots of street vendors. There even was a street that seemed only for bicyclists and skaters- kind of cool.
However, as my dad and I quickly discovered, Guad is not an English tourist city- and very few people speak English here and my Spanish is not great, and my dad's is non-existent. Sherry is pretty fluent in the language, but she hasn't made it to Mexico yet- passport problems... Hopefully she will be joining us tomorrow or Tuesday.
So- the not so great part- towards the end of the afternoon, we decided to leave the city and head back to the hotel for a little Siesta- and well, my dad had left the headlights on in the rental car, and the car's battery was dead when we got to it in the garage... which was quite a predicament- After wondering around and asking in broken Spanish for assistance from random strangers, this one man, wound up taking the battery out of his car, flagging down other people until he found someone with jumper cables, and jumped our car. (Very, very grateful for his help) Then, as we finally went to leave, the validating machine ate our parking ticket and we couldn't get the gate to go up. Again, someone stopped (well actually he was in the car behind us and couldn't leave till we did) to help us, and we finally got out of there.
So- that's a quick summary of the day. More on the art later, and maybe I will upload some photos here also-
Anyways- hope you are all well, and for those writing exegesis- my prayers are with you!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
other things
Hi all-
So, class is wrapping up in two days and then Polity ord and then... flying to Guadalajara, Mexico for a week of vacation with my dad and step-mom. Very exciting... Since I am back in Austin, and my friends and I have been doing a bit of movie seeing catch up. And, since I ranted about seeing Gran Turino, I thought I would mention the three other movies I have seen recently. First off, Slumdog Millionaire- a very, very good movie! Highly recommend it- it deals with a lot of difficult themes, so it is hard to watch, but it is also very good- and with a mostly happy ending, (esp. if you see it at the Alamo Draft House and watch their "previews" ahead of time).
Second- went and saw Bridewars or whatever it's called with the future Mr and Mrs. Lopez and that one was not so good. (You can see why it has a January release).
Third- I went and saw Defiance today. A very good movie indeed- also dealing with difficult subject matter- Jews who not only tried to survive the Holocaust by hiding in the forest but who also mounted a resistance against the Nazis. This one, although not required through the class, felt more poignant because of my class. It is also worth seeing.
There is not much else going on. The weather is quite nice- sunny and warm- glad that my friends have returned safely from their trip to Egypt and Israel and that the Hurricanes are back to winning games.
KoKo meows hi! She seems to be adjusting to apartment living and establishing the fact that everything I own, and I mean everything, is her play toy- which makes life a little more interesting I guess.
Anyways- don't know if I will get the chance to update from Mexico- so, check back in at the beginning of February!
Also- I should mention- yesterday was an amazing day, and one that almost made me feel patriotic- which is saying something- Yay President Obama!
Take care-
Carrie
So, class is wrapping up in two days and then Polity ord and then... flying to Guadalajara, Mexico for a week of vacation with my dad and step-mom. Very exciting... Since I am back in Austin, and my friends and I have been doing a bit of movie seeing catch up. And, since I ranted about seeing Gran Turino, I thought I would mention the three other movies I have seen recently. First off, Slumdog Millionaire- a very, very good movie! Highly recommend it- it deals with a lot of difficult themes, so it is hard to watch, but it is also very good- and with a mostly happy ending, (esp. if you see it at the Alamo Draft House and watch their "previews" ahead of time).
Second- went and saw Bridewars or whatever it's called with the future Mr and Mrs. Lopez and that one was not so good. (You can see why it has a January release).
Third- I went and saw Defiance today. A very good movie indeed- also dealing with difficult subject matter- Jews who not only tried to survive the Holocaust by hiding in the forest but who also mounted a resistance against the Nazis. This one, although not required through the class, felt more poignant because of my class. It is also worth seeing.
There is not much else going on. The weather is quite nice- sunny and warm- glad that my friends have returned safely from their trip to Egypt and Israel and that the Hurricanes are back to winning games.
KoKo meows hi! She seems to be adjusting to apartment living and establishing the fact that everything I own, and I mean everything, is her play toy- which makes life a little more interesting I guess.
Anyways- don't know if I will get the chance to update from Mexico- so, check back in at the beginning of February!
Also- I should mention- yesterday was an amazing day, and one that almost made me feel patriotic- which is saying something- Yay President Obama!
Take care-
Carrie
Saturday, January 17, 2009
reflections on the week
Hi all-
As this week has just come to the official close (it now being Sunday morning) I thought it would be a good time to reflect on these last seven days. I am half-way done with my Jan term class (being that it is only a two week class). The class that I am taking is entitled "Spirituality and the Holocaust" being taught by an adjunct professor, an artist named Carolyn Mansovetiz. It has been an interesting class so far, we have already had two visitors, a survivor of the Shoah and a second-generation survivor, the son of a mother who spent seven years in Auschwitz. In addition, having lots of books to read and class discussion and what not on this scar of humanity. One of the questions that seems to reoccur, is how this claim of those who lived in the towns and areas around the death camps, those whose neighbors were forced to leave their homes, how they could claim not to know what was going on. And I have been thinking about how, sadly, this makes all too much sense to me. I look around here in Austin, as it is everywhere else I have been and have been confronted with the truth that we all are guilty of doing that. Not sending people to the gas chambers mind you, but we all have turned a blind eye to those around us that we do not wish to see, that we can not bear to see, especially the homeless or the other. We make the all to quick judgement that if a person is begging on the corner than he or she is automatically going to spend that money on alcohol or drugs. And we look away. We can not bear to face humanity at its most humble levels. So we claim ignorance, and it might in fact be ignorance, we may not even really see the "other" but I think, if we are honest, this ignorance is one we are choosing not to see.
Perhaps a further example is this: I just got back from seeing "Gran Turino" with some seminary friends of mine. We went to one of the local theaters, and it being Saturday night, was quite packed with all sorts of movie goers. Now, the premise of the movie, and I should probably say "Spoiler alert" is that this old man, Walt (played by Clint Eastwood), is a Korean War veteran living in a neighborhood that has become sort of a Southeast Asian neighborhood, Vietnamese folks are his next door neighbors. Anyways, Walt is a racist, and calls everyone he meets offensive names, threatens lots of them, is a very hard man (which is established in part to have some transformation and sacrifice that comes later). And while I am sitting in this packed theater watching this movie, I am getting more and more angry and upset. But here's the thing, I am not upset at the movie (well I am, but I think it's meant to be upsetting), I am more upset at the fellow movie goers. When Clint Eastwood is saying all these lines, these horrible, offensive lines, the theater is laughing. They think it's funny, as if they have come see a comedy. And that to me, is sad. How do we ever expect to usher in the Kingdom of God if we find humor in putting the "other" down, if we can't see the humanity in one another, if all it is a punch-line to the average American, then yes, sadly, I can see why genocide still exists, I can see why anti-semitism and racism still exists, I can see why the destruction of people, the degregation of people, the hate that keeps being perpetrated by folks- when lines in a movie I think are said to cause a bitter reaction in actuality make people laugh, that's heart-breaking to me.
Maybe you think I am making to much of this, maybe I am, maybe I am just overly-sensitive due to the subject I am studying, maybe all of that is true. But I can't help to think, in fact I am finding myself more and more compelled to believe that maybe it's time we all became a little more sensitive, maybe its time we started opening our eyes to seeing that the "other" is really our brother. And I can't help but wonder, what sort of difference that would make in the world.
As this week has just come to the official close (it now being Sunday morning) I thought it would be a good time to reflect on these last seven days. I am half-way done with my Jan term class (being that it is only a two week class). The class that I am taking is entitled "Spirituality and the Holocaust" being taught by an adjunct professor, an artist named Carolyn Mansovetiz. It has been an interesting class so far, we have already had two visitors, a survivor of the Shoah and a second-generation survivor, the son of a mother who spent seven years in Auschwitz. In addition, having lots of books to read and class discussion and what not on this scar of humanity. One of the questions that seems to reoccur, is how this claim of those who lived in the towns and areas around the death camps, those whose neighbors were forced to leave their homes, how they could claim not to know what was going on. And I have been thinking about how, sadly, this makes all too much sense to me. I look around here in Austin, as it is everywhere else I have been and have been confronted with the truth that we all are guilty of doing that. Not sending people to the gas chambers mind you, but we all have turned a blind eye to those around us that we do not wish to see, that we can not bear to see, especially the homeless or the other. We make the all to quick judgement that if a person is begging on the corner than he or she is automatically going to spend that money on alcohol or drugs. And we look away. We can not bear to face humanity at its most humble levels. So we claim ignorance, and it might in fact be ignorance, we may not even really see the "other" but I think, if we are honest, this ignorance is one we are choosing not to see.
Perhaps a further example is this: I just got back from seeing "Gran Turino" with some seminary friends of mine. We went to one of the local theaters, and it being Saturday night, was quite packed with all sorts of movie goers. Now, the premise of the movie, and I should probably say "Spoiler alert" is that this old man, Walt (played by Clint Eastwood), is a Korean War veteran living in a neighborhood that has become sort of a Southeast Asian neighborhood, Vietnamese folks are his next door neighbors. Anyways, Walt is a racist, and calls everyone he meets offensive names, threatens lots of them, is a very hard man (which is established in part to have some transformation and sacrifice that comes later). And while I am sitting in this packed theater watching this movie, I am getting more and more angry and upset. But here's the thing, I am not upset at the movie (well I am, but I think it's meant to be upsetting), I am more upset at the fellow movie goers. When Clint Eastwood is saying all these lines, these horrible, offensive lines, the theater is laughing. They think it's funny, as if they have come see a comedy. And that to me, is sad. How do we ever expect to usher in the Kingdom of God if we find humor in putting the "other" down, if we can't see the humanity in one another, if all it is a punch-line to the average American, then yes, sadly, I can see why genocide still exists, I can see why anti-semitism and racism still exists, I can see why the destruction of people, the degregation of people, the hate that keeps being perpetrated by folks- when lines in a movie I think are said to cause a bitter reaction in actuality make people laugh, that's heart-breaking to me.
Maybe you think I am making to much of this, maybe I am, maybe I am just overly-sensitive due to the subject I am studying, maybe all of that is true. But I can't help to think, in fact I am finding myself more and more compelled to believe that maybe it's time we all became a little more sensitive, maybe its time we started opening our eyes to seeing that the "other" is really our brother. And I can't help but wonder, what sort of difference that would make in the world.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Back in Austin
Hi all-
Got back yesterday to Texas after my two week trip to NC. It's good to be back in my apartment despite the mess that needs to be dealt with here. KoKo seems happy to have me home which is also good- she still has plenty of kitten mischief left in her. Good times...
Since I last posted (I think it said the 3rd) what have I been up to? Well, went to a Hurricanes game where the Canes beat the Devils, and caught up with my adopted grandparents as well as a few other friends and hung out with family. Kenny and Ruth came over Friday night to my mom's house and we all had dinner together and watched Arrested Development episodes. Pretty laid back. Last night I went out with the Kirwans here in Austin- which turned out to be somewhat of an adventure, since we started out at the Flying Saucer (it's their one year anniversary here), but it was too crowded for us, so then we headed to this place we have passed by many times but never stopped, the Draught House, and their kitchen was closed- except for free brats, which I do not eat, and wound up at Santa-Rita for a late dinner.
Anyways- here are a few pix from my second week in NC- enjoy! Class starts tomorrow for me...
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Happy New Year!
Hi all-
Sorry it's been a little longer than I meant since I last posted- I am enjoying my time in NC. Mostly, I have been catching up with friends and spending time with my NC family- and a lot of time with my grandmother. The Hurricanes are 3-1 since I have been back east- which means I have had fun cheering for them since I can watch the games here, although I won't see them in person until Tuesday when they play the Devils. I did take Kenny to see the Canes practice on Tuesday (his first time) and then also introduced him to the sport of disc golf which was fun, esp. since Cary has a new course that opened up in 2008 that I hadn't played before- but will probably play again before I leave- it is very nice...
Other than that- I have been trying to relax a bit before the last push in seminary, and weathering a cold. Awesome.
Well that's it for now, perhaps I will get some photos uploaded soon.
Take care and Happy 2009!
Sorry it's been a little longer than I meant since I last posted- I am enjoying my time in NC. Mostly, I have been catching up with friends and spending time with my NC family- and a lot of time with my grandmother. The Hurricanes are 3-1 since I have been back east- which means I have had fun cheering for them since I can watch the games here, although I won't see them in person until Tuesday when they play the Devils. I did take Kenny to see the Canes practice on Tuesday (his first time) and then also introduced him to the sport of disc golf which was fun, esp. since Cary has a new course that opened up in 2008 that I hadn't played before- but will probably play again before I leave- it is very nice...
Other than that- I have been trying to relax a bit before the last push in seminary, and weathering a cold. Awesome.
Well that's it for now, perhaps I will get some photos uploaded soon.
Take care and Happy 2009!
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