Beaches and Bagels

I invented a new word a few mornings ago: "gawjus." It’s just like “gorgeous,” only it’s more. It was a cold but sunny morning, and I had walked down to the beach. I can still picture the blue, blue sea, a surprising contrast to the muddied water of a windy yesterday. I now know what lies behind the simile of a sea like glass. I have not seen waves higher than about 0,5m, but they lap at the shore consistently, bringing treasures such as shells and driftwood and seaweed. To the right I see the tall buildings of downtown, strutting their stuff in the sunlight, proud. On the water before me I count 13 ships, and I am reminded of Grandpa who would eagerly beckon us each morning to the window of his harbour view, to count. Imagining the stories of each vessel makes for a fascinating exercise of the imagination. And these 13 stories and mine somehow overlap on the blue, blue waters of West Canada.

I fear I am becoming Canadian. In this regard, I could probably lump Canadians and North Americans together (but don’t ever tell that to a North American!): I ate a bagel for lunch. In fact, I have two whole packets of bagels in my freezer, waiting to be devoured with cream cheese or something luscious. Before coming here, I didn’t really even know what a bagel was. I have since discovered that the breaded donut-shape-thing comes in multiple flavours. Ooh, even thinking about cinnamon raisin makes my mouth water. I suppose, if I were truly to become Canadian, I would have to eat a bagel for breakfast. Not long afterwards, I found myself putting in my South African flag earrings. Just to be sure.

You know you're in Canada when...

(Alternatively, this blog posting could be entitled: “You know you’re not in South Africa when…”)

…you leave your mobile phone at school and when you look for it the next day someone has turned it in for you.

…you have unlimited internet.
…you can buy a gallon of milk (such a huge bottle!)
…you can buy a gallon of milk for a single-digit dollar amount.
…the government phases out the penny and the stores round your total up instead of down.
…the cars stop for you if you possibly look like you’re approaching the street to cross.
…people remind you that you have an accent.
 
Two of the biggest differences I’ve noticed being here:
…the weather. I miss hot hot days and heavy rain and thunderstorms.
…the safety. Not that I ever felt scared in South Africa, but it’s nice not to have to be vigilant all the time.
 
The things I love most about being here:
…being a student. This is because it includes the freedom of deciding my own schedule and the process of learning about stuff and researching interesting topics.
…the community, both at school and at church. A tightknit inclusive group of people who are genuine in their love for each other, and willing to step out of our comfort zones to extend that care to others.
…my home. My room is a welcome place to rest and be me; our house is a haven and the birthplace of many a great initiative and conversation; my homies are serious about becoming the best people we can be, and about embracing the lighter side of life.
…the outdoors. From tree-lined streets, to parks and the beach, to the mountains and the woods with tall tall trees, to crisp cool days and moss-covered trees.

The things I miss most about South Africa:

…the people I love. I think about them way more often than they know. I am so grateful, not only for where I am right now, but for where I have come from.
…driving! I didn’t think I’d say this, but I’d love to get behind the wheel of a stick-geared car and just drive!!!
…like I said earlier, hot hot days and thunderstorms.
…Afrikaans. Is it weird to talk to myself at times?!!
…Ouma’s Rusks. Mmmm. Especially on a Saturday morning.

How fortunate I am, to be able to call two places “home.”

Pause...

Already a month into Term 2. Time is passing quickly.
I pause and think of some things I am grateful for:
Friends near me now
Friends far away
The love of family
A sunny window in my room
Chocolate chip cookies
A restful afternoon
The opportunity to study
An awesome job
The diversity of people
A warm comfy bed
Fairy lights
Beautiful music
Photographs of treasured memories
The ability to read
God’s intricate involvement in my life
That I don’t have to be perfect
Kind people
A warm coat on a cold day
Worldwide communication
The talents I have
A beautiful city
Shared laughter
People who have walked the road ahead of me
The full range of emotions
The freedom to be myself
Opportunities to have fun
The sound of birds outside
Beautiful little crocuses
Bright green moss on knobbly trees
The sound of water
Juicy oranges
The smile of a stranger
That floating feeling of hope
The glory of God in every day
Comfortable clothing
Colourful days

We believe

We believe that God is present
in the darkness before dawn;
in the waiting and uncertainty
where fear and courage join hands,
conflict and caring link arms,
and the sun rises over barbed wire.
We believe in a with-us God
who sits down in our midst
to share our humanity.
We affirm a faith that takes us beyond
the safe place: into action, into vulnerability
and into the street.
We commit ourselves to work for change
and to put ourselves on the line;
to bear responsibility, take risks,
live powerfully and face humiliations
to stand with those on the edge;
to choose life and be used by the Spirit
for God’s new community of hope.
Amen.
Iona Abbey Worship Book © 2001 The Iona Community

Real Canadian Winter

The life of a student is possibly one of the best! Just a few classes, and an essay every now and then (I'm downplaying it just a bit. It's tough to have to read hundreds of pages when you'd rather be outdoors; and the crunch at the end of semesters is quite exhausting!) But the perks include staying up as late as I like and sleeping late on the days without morning classes. There are fewer responsibilities and the consequences affect only me. Friends abound, and the scheduled holiday breaks are awesome!

This December I got to experience a Real Canadian Winter with my family. I'm talking snow everywhere and temperatures down to about minus 20C. It was so cold at one point, the vapor on the insides of the car windows froze! (And yes, I spelled vapor without a "u") I suppose winter could be more extreme. We didn't get stuck in a blizzard or anything like that!

The best part about this holiday? Seeing my dad, mom, and brother. We shared three weeks exploring Canada, playing scrabble, watching movies, going for walks, skiing, hot tubbing, and trying out some traditional eats and drinks. (Some worked out better than others!)

Thanks dad for such an awesome holiday, for skiing and Nordic skiing, for your massages, and for drinking egg nog :) Thanks mom for driving, for all the organizing, for yummy food, for whistling all sorts of tunes, and for playing Pictionary with me! Thanks boet for 'irritating' me and allowing me to irritate you, for scrabble and thrashing us a few times, and for sharing your caramel chocolate! Missed you sister; but here's to some time together soon!

All in all, you know it's a good break when you're ready and excited for the next term of school :) Here I come!

The World Sleeps in on Sundays

I’m sitting on the couch in our lounge and looking out the window. It’s no longer morning, but the stillness of Sunday has set in and I am glad to be alive to witness this day. The sun lights up the houses across the street, and the dark clouds behind add to the effect. It’s been raining the past few days, and now everything is clean, bright, and wet, and colour stands out so well in the lighting.

Not all is beautiful. The leaves, which once held their majestic sway in the streets, are now soggy and brown and make for quite a sport crossing streets where they have not already been cleared away. But the beauty is there if one will be open to see it. It’s always there. Just this morning I saw a hundred thousand glistening rain drops adorning the branches of a bare brown bush. So easily missed in this sorry-I-can’t-stop-for-you lifestyle.

Which is why I like Sundays. Granted, not everyone gets to sit back and breathe in deeply on Sundays, but I sure hope everyone gets slow down at least somewhere in a week. I get to take stock of my life, myself, my surroundings. And I get to appreciate the present – the moment, the week, the people in my life.

There is beauty in people too… if one will just look long enough to see it. Some say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Others say beauty is inherent in the thing itself. I’m no philosopher, but I’d say it’s both. The beholder has the privilege of recognizing the beauty that is already there. Which is why I look for it. And is why when I see it I step back to take it in fully.

I think of a children’s book I own: Who made the Morning? (by Jan Godfrey & illustrated by Honor Ayres.) It’s about Little Brown Bird’s quest to discover the maker of this beautiful morning. She eventually discovers that it is God, who makes all things and who is always with her. The last page of the book reads, “and to thank Him, Little Brown Bird sang a happy song.” I find myself thanking God for another beautiful day, and praying that my whole life will be a happy song.

What's brewing...

Mid-term is so last season! We’re onto papers now… hopefully all the research is done. Now for editing and reediting, and formatting them just right. When I think that it has only been about three months, I am astounded! So much has happened. I feel like I’m a much larger person – not in a physical aspect, not merely mentally, but wholly larger. I have much inside me that wasn’t here before. Here’s one example… a poem that has been brewing of late:

 In the Service of a Leaf

Leaves are fascinating.

For the most part they are pretty and green,
Silently proclaiming praise,
And something about recycling air.
 
Somewhere in each leaf’s lifetime,
It loses all but radiates homage instead,
Resplendent.
The landscapes are steeped in colour.
No one leaf is quite like another,
And none remains as is for long.
 
In one final act of beauty and service
They lose themselves completely
And fall to the ground,
A sacrificial carpet lining the streets
On which the Bride of Glory treads.

 

Mid-term... already!

I can hardly believe we’re half way through the first term!!! Most of the firstyears are frantically reading through half of the Old Testament before the mid-term exam next week. The Scriptures come alive in context… I understand on a whole new level what the authors were trying to get across, and I’m learning to appreciate the artistic use of language too.

That’s not all that is shaping my thinking. We’ve covered a huge range of topics in Christian Thought and Culture. Some of the things we have touched on are the formation of the doctrine of the Trinity, the canonization of the Scriptures, modernity & postmodernity, pagan influence on the early church, and how different cultures might express Christianity differently… a LOT to take in, wrestle with, and take a stand on. It is rich!

I still enjoy walking to the bus stop each day (it has not rained too much yet). The Vancouver houses are quite something to admire, as are the trees. Here’s a poem about leaves I wrote in 2007, although the varieties here are generally a lot wetter than those described below!

The Dance of Leaves

It is when the skies are clouded over

And the winds howl
That the leaves come out to dance

They scurry along

Their warm little bodies frozen forever
Working wonders in their jig
Against the backdrop of a twilit sky

Others are coloured more vibrantly

Yet not quite as energetic

A sudden scuttle

As if a crescendo

The wind fades

And they settle once again
Expectant

The Little Things

Why did I walk home today? Well, I decided on the way, if I had have taken the bus, I would not have enjoyed eating the blackberries that grow along the way. And secondly, because I lost my bus pass!

I wake up, excited by the little things in life: yoghurt with sweet nectarines every morning (and any other time of day), walking past my favourite house on the block, hearing a great song on repeat for endless hours, surprising a friend, being surprised by a friend, discovering something intriguing and amusing in the class readings, the two-tone flowers I have not seen before, the wonder of a free afternoon, the pictures in a child’s book, writing my name in the letters of the Greek alphabet, and the feeling of sun on my face.

The sunny days are coming to an end, I am told. The overcast early mornings are something I can expect all day long, I hear. The rain goes on and on. That is if you can classify it as rain; I understand it is more of a perpetual drizzle. This coming season is not devoid of beauty. The leaves tell a different story. Each of them gives a final splurge of colour, a kind of epic attempt at the extraordinary, before plummeting to their deaths. Just like fireworks. It’s the little things in life that seem to hold the potential for great joy.

"You have been assimilated"

Apart from the really obvious absence of jet lag and incorporation of varied terms, I have found myself adjusting to the ways of the Canadians. I can partially imitate the Canadian accent (or is it North American?) and I find myself keeping to the right of the sidewalk. It’s not that straightforward as I live in a house with other internationals, so we experience a daily mix of vibrant culture.

The other day I threw “kuier” into the conversation and then realised that it needed an explanation. Well, there’s plenty of opportunity here for kuiering… from potlucks on the beach, to hanging out at the local pub (a completely normal activity here, I assure you), to lunch out together after church. Bring that a little closer to home and you have my amazing housemates who themselves are great to spend time with. A pretty good setup, if you ask me J

Classes (said with an “a” as in “man”) have started and they are great so far! There is a lot of work, of reading, and the pace is quick, but I’m into it! I surprised myself by enjoying Greek class the most at the moment... possibly because it's the only subject that is definitely right or wrong at this level. And it's kinda cool to be able to read Greek (even if I have no idea what I am saying!!)

The truth is, I’m a South African down to the core and I always will be, but I have found it easy to adjust into this multi-cultural city that is Vancouver. It’s made easier by the familiarity of “home” in the body of Christ, even this far from long-time friends and family.