Spring Break: a time to ignore whatever assignments might be lingering and take a break from school, destress, and recharge your batteries. I would say that I was pretty successful in doing those things over the last week, although I did let a little bit of homework sneak into my week of relaxation. Part of my pampering included getting a full body massage that ended up being just what my muscles and mind called for. You'd be surprised how much tension can build up in your body from the hours of sitting at a computer or furiously scribbling down notes in class. Danger signs should be posted: Caution! Finger and back cramps closer than they appear!
So on Friday afternoon I went to get my massage. After checking in at the front counter I was guided into the spa area where I was given a nice robe to wear, just like what's shown in all of the tv shows and movies. (I've had massages before but this was the first time to ever get a robe, so I was quite excited.) From there I was led into a room where the lights were dimmed and relaxing music was playing in the background. I knew this was going to be great. Already my mind was letting go of stress as I just stood there wearing my nice robe listening to the calming music. As I positioned myself on the massage table the massage therapist asked if I preferred a certain scented oil that would either energize me or relax me. Hmmm...hard choice, I know, but I went with the tangerine scented oil to energize me.
The massage therapist worked her magic on my legs, my arms, my back, my neck, and even my scalp. As she moved from muscle to muscle I felt myself becoming more and more relaxed. When she reached my head though, I knew I was getting close to the end of this wonderland. I was hoping she would forget to look at the clock and just keep going, because I didn't ever want it to end! And sure enough, almost as soon as I thought we were getting close to the end she stopped rubbing my scalp and started cleaning up. Darn! I was informed that I could take my time to get up and that she would meet me outside with a nice refreshing glass of water. I wondered to myself how much time I could really spend getting out of this nice cozy room before someone would come and make me leave. So I dawdled a bit to take in my full 60 minutes of this bit of heaven. It sure doesn't take long to get used to this kind of pampering!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
First Annual Spelling Bee
This has been my second free weekend of the semester. No track meets to go to since we didn't qualify anyone for the national indoor meet. So that left me with more time on my hands than I'm used to, looking for something to do. So what did I do? I participated in the first annual Luther College Spelling Bee!
There have been notices around campus for the past two weeks that this spelling bee would be taking place and that the top three competitors would win money: $50, $100, and $150. From the very first time I saw that there was going to be a spelling bee I wanted to do it. The number of participants was limited to the first 50 people to sign up. So I knew I better get on top of it before 50 people signed up before I did. I mentioned it to some of my friends and all of them made the same claim that they were the worst spellers ever, leaving me to go it alone if I really wanted to do it.
It turned out that only 36 people showed up to participate, and most of them had been peer-pressured by their friends. It was a lot of fun. I had been in a couple of spelling bees in elementary school, and that along with the fact that I read a lot and do cross word puzzles left me pretty confident with my ability to spell. But in the back of my mind I had pictures of the Scripps National Spelling Bee that is on ESPN every year, with those ridiculously smart kids who study the dictionary and proceed to make everyone watching feel dumb. I was hoping that the words we were given would start off easy enough to leave a little bit of my confidence in tact.
I was number 23 (yes we had official numbers pinned to our shirts) and witnessed quite a few people get out in the first round before it was my turn. "Your word is 'acupuncture'" I was told as I went up to the microphone, which of course is always too tall for me to reach. Whew, only 'acupuncture'! I was thrilled that I didn't get something like "helioseismography" which came up a few rounds later. But as I was spelling, somehow my brain forgot to tell my mouth to say that second 'c' in there, so after all that confidence I was buzzed out. In the first round. Ouch.
Being the competitive person that I am, I was not happy, especially since I know how to spell that word! Oh well, there's no way I would've won as the words got much more difficult as the number of contestants dwindled. There's always next year. And next time, I'll be R-E-A-D-Y!
There have been notices around campus for the past two weeks that this spelling bee would be taking place and that the top three competitors would win money: $50, $100, and $150. From the very first time I saw that there was going to be a spelling bee I wanted to do it. The number of participants was limited to the first 50 people to sign up. So I knew I better get on top of it before 50 people signed up before I did. I mentioned it to some of my friends and all of them made the same claim that they were the worst spellers ever, leaving me to go it alone if I really wanted to do it.
It turned out that only 36 people showed up to participate, and most of them had been peer-pressured by their friends. It was a lot of fun. I had been in a couple of spelling bees in elementary school, and that along with the fact that I read a lot and do cross word puzzles left me pretty confident with my ability to spell. But in the back of my mind I had pictures of the Scripps National Spelling Bee that is on ESPN every year, with those ridiculously smart kids who study the dictionary and proceed to make everyone watching feel dumb. I was hoping that the words we were given would start off easy enough to leave a little bit of my confidence in tact.
I was number 23 (yes we had official numbers pinned to our shirts) and witnessed quite a few people get out in the first round before it was my turn. "Your word is 'acupuncture'" I was told as I went up to the microphone, which of course is always too tall for me to reach. Whew, only 'acupuncture'! I was thrilled that I didn't get something like "helioseismography" which came up a few rounds later. But as I was spelling, somehow my brain forgot to tell my mouth to say that second 'c' in there, so after all that confidence I was buzzed out. In the first round. Ouch.
Being the competitive person that I am, I was not happy, especially since I know how to spell that word! Oh well, there's no way I would've won as the words got much more difficult as the number of contestants dwindled. There's always next year. And next time, I'll be R-E-A-D-Y!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Don't Catch the Bug
Sniffles...coughs...germs. The past few weeks many students have presented with symptoms of colds, flu, and even the dreaded mono. Thankfully I have yet to become a victim of these nasty bugs, but plenty of my friends have not been so lucky. Attendance in classes has been spotty and those sick students who do come to class spend a good deal of time coughing, distracting the prof and the rest of the students. No good.
Just this past weekend we've had some pretty scary incidents due to illness:
Saturday morning we had track practice at 10 AM. So we met and then headed out in packs for our run. When I returned to the lockerroom about an hour later, I saw some juniors hustling to get their clothes on and head off to the parking lot. After some quick questioning I found out that one of the freshman runners who had been sick for the past week had passed out on the sidewalk 10 minutes into the run! Thankfully the other teammates in that group were able to borrow a cell phone and call an ambulance. Everything turned out just fine, but that was really scary! I'm not sure how I would've reacted if I had been with that group and it happened. It just goes to show that sick bodies need time to recover before they can handle more stress.
Then today I found out that a student I know who has already been diagnosed with mono had to go to the hospital yesterday because her glands were so swollen that she couldn't talk. I had been hearing from friends that she was really not feeling well earlier in the week due to the mono, but apparently it got even worse. Not good at all.
So I'm doing my best to wash my hands regularly, get enough sleep, and stay away from sick people - hard to do when my roommate has the sniffles, but I'm determined not to catch the bug.
Just this past weekend we've had some pretty scary incidents due to illness:
Saturday morning we had track practice at 10 AM. So we met and then headed out in packs for our run. When I returned to the lockerroom about an hour later, I saw some juniors hustling to get their clothes on and head off to the parking lot. After some quick questioning I found out that one of the freshman runners who had been sick for the past week had passed out on the sidewalk 10 minutes into the run! Thankfully the other teammates in that group were able to borrow a cell phone and call an ambulance. Everything turned out just fine, but that was really scary! I'm not sure how I would've reacted if I had been with that group and it happened. It just goes to show that sick bodies need time to recover before they can handle more stress.
Then today I found out that a student I know who has already been diagnosed with mono had to go to the hospital yesterday because her glands were so swollen that she couldn't talk. I had been hearing from friends that she was really not feeling well earlier in the week due to the mono, but apparently it got even worse. Not good at all.
So I'm doing my best to wash my hands regularly, get enough sleep, and stay away from sick people - hard to do when my roommate has the sniffles, but I'm determined not to catch the bug.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sleet, Slush-- Slip Slidin'
Last Thursday my only class of the day was Botany for three hours in the afternoon. We had been warned to dress for the weather because we were going to be outside looking at trees. The forecast had not been promising: 100% chance for rain/snow. So Thursday morning when I woke up and saw the sun shining I was very optimistic. Hey, maybe it would turn out to be a great day for being outside, I thought. Wrong!
Around 12:15 it started to rain. It would come down hard, let up, and then come down hard again. So we started botany class at 1 and spent a little time in the classroom. About 2:00 we headed outside, all of us in hats, gloves, raincoats, boots- basically wearing whatever we could to keep warm and dry. We were prepared for an adventure.
Not five minutes after we left the classroom the rain conveniently turned to sleet/hail. Little pellets were hitting us as we walked around campus attempting to look at the trees. We had impeccable timing. Our professor would tell us to look up at the branches high on the tree and we would, but seconds later we would be saying "Oww, sleet in the eyes!" We all just had to laugh. What a perfect day to schedule our outdoor adventure. I had a good time for the 20 minutes we were outside. Sure beats being in the classroom all afternoon!
By the time practice rolled around, all of that sleety rain precip had left a nice think coating of slush on all of the sidewalks and roads around town. Running turned into slogging through the wet stuff. At first we tried to navigate around the slush, but it was inevitable that our shoes and socks would be completely saturated. It turned out to be kind of fun after we got used to our shoes feeling like 5 lb. weights.
Then came the cooler temps at night. After dinner I went with some friends to the dress-rehearsal of "Vagina Monologues" (excellent and highly recommended!) and the slush on the sidewalks were just starting to freeze. But oh man, after the show was over around 9:15, ice was just covering campus! As we journeyed from the Center for the Arts across campus to Towers, we were sliding all over the place! It was so much fun letting gravity pull you down the little slopes and then trying to keep your balance. All over campus giggles and eeks were heard as people successfully got down a slope and became overconfident right before wiping out. Who knew the weather could lead to so much slip slidin' and smiles?!
Around 12:15 it started to rain. It would come down hard, let up, and then come down hard again. So we started botany class at 1 and spent a little time in the classroom. About 2:00 we headed outside, all of us in hats, gloves, raincoats, boots- basically wearing whatever we could to keep warm and dry. We were prepared for an adventure.
Not five minutes after we left the classroom the rain conveniently turned to sleet/hail. Little pellets were hitting us as we walked around campus attempting to look at the trees. We had impeccable timing. Our professor would tell us to look up at the branches high on the tree and we would, but seconds later we would be saying "Oww, sleet in the eyes!" We all just had to laugh. What a perfect day to schedule our outdoor adventure. I had a good time for the 20 minutes we were outside. Sure beats being in the classroom all afternoon!
By the time practice rolled around, all of that sleety rain precip had left a nice think coating of slush on all of the sidewalks and roads around town. Running turned into slogging through the wet stuff. At first we tried to navigate around the slush, but it was inevitable that our shoes and socks would be completely saturated. It turned out to be kind of fun after we got used to our shoes feeling like 5 lb. weights.
Then came the cooler temps at night. After dinner I went with some friends to the dress-rehearsal of "Vagina Monologues" (excellent and highly recommended!) and the slush on the sidewalks were just starting to freeze. But oh man, after the show was over around 9:15, ice was just covering campus! As we journeyed from the Center for the Arts across campus to Towers, we were sliding all over the place! It was so much fun letting gravity pull you down the little slopes and then trying to keep your balance. All over campus giggles and eeks were heard as people successfully got down a slope and became overconfident right before wiping out. Who knew the weather could lead to so much slip slidin' and smiles?!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Harlem Gospel Choir
This past weekend Luther was treated to a concert and church service performed by the Harlem Gospel Choir. This choir is made up of some very talented singers and musicians from multiple Black Churches in Harlem. I wasn't able to attend the concert on Saturday night due to our out-of-town track meet, but I luckily was able to hear them perform in church this morning.
I really wasn't planning on going to church this morning and I had no idea that the Harlem Choir was performing, but then a friend stopped by on her way and so I tagged along. When we entered the CFL I couldn't believe how many people were there! On a normal Sunday there would easily be about 1/6 of the people that filled the seats today. The Harlem Gospel Choir got people of all ages from the community out of their seats, dancing and clapping to their up-beat music. I loved seeing these elderly men in their suits clapping over their heads and having a grand time. This was such a big deal that even a news station had their camera-man taping the service, although I don't think the tape can do justice to the actual experience.
It was very neat to see the CFL rocking with joy for the Lord. I loved hearing the Choir's own versions of Amazing Grace, O Holy Day When Jesus Walked, and When the Saints Go Marching In. The drummer and the soloists were phenomenal and they looked like they were loving every minute of praising the Lord. It was such an interactive worship service compared to the normal service, and I know that many of us would welcome back the Harlem Gospel Choir any Sunday.
I really wasn't planning on going to church this morning and I had no idea that the Harlem Choir was performing, but then a friend stopped by on her way and so I tagged along. When we entered the CFL I couldn't believe how many people were there! On a normal Sunday there would easily be about 1/6 of the people that filled the seats today. The Harlem Gospel Choir got people of all ages from the community out of their seats, dancing and clapping to their up-beat music. I loved seeing these elderly men in their suits clapping over their heads and having a grand time. This was such a big deal that even a news station had their camera-man taping the service, although I don't think the tape can do justice to the actual experience.
It was very neat to see the CFL rocking with joy for the Lord. I loved hearing the Choir's own versions of Amazing Grace, O Holy Day When Jesus Walked, and When the Saints Go Marching In. The drummer and the soloists were phenomenal and they looked like they were loving every minute of praising the Lord. It was such an interactive worship service compared to the normal service, and I know that many of us would welcome back the Harlem Gospel Choir any Sunday.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Singles' Awareness Day
"Singles' Awareness Day"- I heard this phrase for the first time Friday night in the lockerroom before practice as some of the girls were commiserating that Saturday would be Valentine's Day (apparently also known as S.A.D.). I laughed out loud when I heard this. Who needs a significant other to have a good Valentine's Day? Especially when you've got a whole team supporting and caring for you?!
Coming into college I thought that, of course, I would immediately meet some guy that I would fall deeply in love with and we would get along just wonderfully. Isn't getting into a serious relationship one of the goals of going to college? Well, things haven't turned out quite like that. Being part of the cross country team I did immediately meet lots of guys, and guys with some of my same interests nonetheless, but I haven't had a boyfriend yet. Those things take time.
I would say that about half of my friends are currently in a relationship and the other half are single just like me. I would imagine that this is probably true for a lot of campus. Just from walking around campus you'll notice how many groups of friends are walking, talking, and laughing. I think that Luther is a very friendly place, with respectful, fun students. If you're looking for a relationship, opportunities definitely exist to get in one. But if you're content just having good friends and remaining single, you won't feel pressured into finding a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Like I said, being on the cross country and track teams bring me lots of love. We had a Valentine's Day meet yesterday and not only were there loads of teammates cheering me on, I received many hugs and even chocolates that made me feel just as loved as anybody. No reason to be sad about being single on Valentine's when you've got this team!
Coming into college I thought that, of course, I would immediately meet some guy that I would fall deeply in love with and we would get along just wonderfully. Isn't getting into a serious relationship one of the goals of going to college? Well, things haven't turned out quite like that. Being part of the cross country team I did immediately meet lots of guys, and guys with some of my same interests nonetheless, but I haven't had a boyfriend yet. Those things take time.
I would say that about half of my friends are currently in a relationship and the other half are single just like me. I would imagine that this is probably true for a lot of campus. Just from walking around campus you'll notice how many groups of friends are walking, talking, and laughing. I think that Luther is a very friendly place, with respectful, fun students. If you're looking for a relationship, opportunities definitely exist to get in one. But if you're content just having good friends and remaining single, you won't feel pressured into finding a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Like I said, being on the cross country and track teams bring me lots of love. We had a Valentine's Day meet yesterday and not only were there loads of teammates cheering me on, I received many hugs and even chocolates that made me feel just as loved as anybody. No reason to be sad about being single on Valentine's when you've got this team!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Bridging Two Worlds
Amazing how my daily life can seem so different after spending a month in another country. Perhaps I have just gained a new perspective on things, but I truly feel like my life in the United States is quite different from my daily life in Ecuador. I'll try to explain:
In Ecuador time is not valued in the same way that it is here. Lives are not run on a strict schedule. Yes, there were starting and ending times for schools, but in what I encountered, that was about it. My family ate meals just whenever everyone would arrive home. If someone was expected and hadn't yet arrived, then we waited for them. No one had places to rush off to, except for me when I had to be back at school at 3 and we weren't sitting down to lunch until 2! I felt almost rude and definitely out of place scarfing down my food so that I could dash off while everyone else was still sitting at the table enjoying their meal.
On our last evening in our host city 'Ecuadorian time' was very apparent. All host parents and Luther students were invited to a "going away" dinner that was at 7:45 based on the invitation. I know that my parents and I didn't even leave home until 7:50! I was getting a little worried, but then when we arrived at the dinner people were just chatting and at least 3 other families came in after us. The dinner didn't actually get started until at least 8:15, but no one seemed too bothered by this at all (except for us students who came in late with embarrassed looks on our faces).
Now returning to such a rigid and hectic class/practice/work schedule, I am definitely missing the calmness and flexibility of Ecuador!
One other aspect that I miss is the closeness and kindness of Ecuadorians! I felt so much care and respect from my host family (below picture) despite only being there for 3 weeks! It came from the custom of kissing everyone on the cheek whenever coming or leaving the house, even if you didn't know them. And it also came from spending so many evenings together just hanging out in front of the tv and talking! I saw my 27-yr old host brother sitting on his mom's bed one afternoon just talking about life, and I thought that was really neat and that it would be a rare sight in the U.S.
As soon as I returned to my home in Cedar Rapids, IA, I immeditately noticed that difference in how families interact and show affection here in the U.S. versus in Ecuador. At home I usually don't kiss or even hug my parents upon entering/leaving my house, but rather a quick 'hi' or 'bye' will suffice. I did spend quite a bit of time talking with my parents when I returned, filling them in on my great experiences, but I also spent so much more time alone doing my own thing while my parents did whatever they needed to do. In the U.S. I've realized how independent we are, worrying about our own schedules and obligations so much that sometimes we sacrifice time with the people we really care about.
Thus far it's been very eye-opening to see the direct contrasts of our culture and Ecuador's culture. But some of the Ecuadorian customs aren't all that I'm missing, what about the 70 degree weather?!
In Ecuador time is not valued in the same way that it is here. Lives are not run on a strict schedule. Yes, there were starting and ending times for schools, but in what I encountered, that was about it. My family ate meals just whenever everyone would arrive home. If someone was expected and hadn't yet arrived, then we waited for them. No one had places to rush off to, except for me when I had to be back at school at 3 and we weren't sitting down to lunch until 2! I felt almost rude and definitely out of place scarfing down my food so that I could dash off while everyone else was still sitting at the table enjoying their meal.
On our last evening in our host city 'Ecuadorian time' was very apparent. All host parents and Luther students were invited to a "going away" dinner that was at 7:45 based on the invitation. I know that my parents and I didn't even leave home until 7:50! I was getting a little worried, but then when we arrived at the dinner people were just chatting and at least 3 other families came in after us. The dinner didn't actually get started until at least 8:15, but no one seemed too bothered by this at all (except for us students who came in late with embarrassed looks on our faces).
Now returning to such a rigid and hectic class/practice/work schedule, I am definitely missing the calmness and flexibility of Ecuador!
One other aspect that I miss is the closeness and kindness of Ecuadorians! I felt so much care and respect from my host family (below picture) despite only being there for 3 weeks! It came from the custom of kissing everyone on the cheek whenever coming or leaving the house, even if you didn't know them. And it also came from spending so many evenings together just hanging out in front of the tv and talking! I saw my 27-yr old host brother sitting on his mom's bed one afternoon just talking about life, and I thought that was really neat and that it would be a rare sight in the U.S.
As soon as I returned to my home in Cedar Rapids, IA, I immeditately noticed that difference in how families interact and show affection here in the U.S. versus in Ecuador. At home I usually don't kiss or even hug my parents upon entering/leaving my house, but rather a quick 'hi' or 'bye' will suffice. I did spend quite a bit of time talking with my parents when I returned, filling them in on my great experiences, but I also spent so much more time alone doing my own thing while my parents did whatever they needed to do. In the U.S. I've realized how independent we are, worrying about our own schedules and obligations so much that sometimes we sacrifice time with the people we really care about.Thus far it's been very eye-opening to see the direct contrasts of our culture and Ecuador's culture. But some of the Ecuadorian customs aren't all that I'm missing, what about the 70 degree weather?!
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