Vicarious Summer

Mamelodi Stories

2008-09-12T12:44:00.002+01:00

While this blog has pretty much become a scrap book from the summer of 2005 - life has not stopped! Head over to our new blog, www.mamelodistories.org where we are sharing our experiences as we spend a year serving with Africa Revolution in the township of Mamelodi in South Africa.

A Final Post - For Now

2005-10-06T16:12:00.000+01:00

Rebecca and I have been waiting for a good time to write one final post, to put the blog to rest over the winter, until next summer when no doubt more adventures will begin. Because life hasn't stopped since we've been back in the U.S. there's no real good time to do it, so this is a good as any.

Things with my Mom have somewhat stablized, as she receives chemotherapy and we all slowly adjust to the fact that this is real. It's been a rollercoaster of emotion, lack of emotion, helplessness and clinging to prayer, scripture and Grace. I talk to Mom almost every day on the phone and she always sounds upbeat, even when she's really tired or had a bad day with back pain. In my experience with chemotheraphy in high school, I learned how important a positive attitude is. I saw this same attitude in South Africa from Selina, the woman who contracted HIV from her boyfriend who cheated on her. Instead of feeling like a victim, she came to terms with the fact that this is now her life, and is moving forward to embrace the new reality in her life. I think we underestimate the power of our minds to actually bring about in our bodies a reflection of this positive outlook. I'm not saying we heal ourselves, but it almost seems like it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you act like you're going to die any minute, you'll be depressed and your body will not fight. But if you take it by the horns and say, "I'm going to live" then your body responds and fights to survive. I'm not saying we can defeat any sickness, some are too much, but it sure makes living with it so much better.

In other news, Rebecca and I have two new kittens, Pippy and Champ. I've posted a link on the side bar to their website. They stay at Rebecca's house, with an occasional visit to my house. The website from my class in Spain is also finished. There's a link to it on the sidebar as well. My story is called "Wild Horses and Celebrations." Our church, Grace Community Church, became officially organized last week, meaning Ru is our official pastor and we're no longer a church plant. It's exciting and encouraging to be part of a new church as it gets its feet planted. I'm excited to see us reaching out into the community, acting in faith like I witnessed at Vincent's church.

Finally, before I pass it to Rebecca, I am still formulating my thesis this semester through many meetings with Jim Thomas, a professor in the School of Public Health and a pastor at the Chapel Hill Bible Church. He's been extremely helpful in helping me understand the bigger picture of HIV and to dig deeper into how we can help things. If I had to title my thesis right now it'd be: "AIDS, Poverty, and Faith." I will look at what things the Christian Church is doing and not doing to help with AIDS. This thesis will be finsihed in May, so I'll probably do a posting here when its done (it'll be an interactive multimedia website). I am excited to most likely return to South Africa in January to follow up on some things and explore more, now that I have more focus.

...

It's hard to believe that this is our "unofficial" last post to Vicarious Summer. Nate and I want to thank each of you for following our adventures this summer and for keeping in touch by posting comments and shooting emails. A big thank you, too, to those of you who contributed to the "Want to help us out?" link. We have no way of knowing who you are, but thank you! Nate and I got dressed up and cashed in on the blog contributions the other night by enjoying a wonderful dinner date at the Latern in Chapel Hill.

Most of all, thanks for your encouragement and prayers that followed us this summer. We feel so blessed to be surrounded, no matter where we are in the world, by so many wonderful family members and friends.

On my end, finally (!), I've readjusted to being back. Work at NCCAI is going well and I was quickly welcomed into the fold by my colleagues. I'll have my work cut out for me this next year as there is so much communications potential for the Insitute, which is exciting.

Having Pippy and Champ around has been great fun, though it's hard to get anything done while at home! They are just too adorable, and hilarious.

We're going to miss posting to this blog, but as Nate said, we'll be back at it soon enough! Thanks again for reading!

The Challenge Now: Living By Faith

2005-09-03T03:47:00.000+01:00

One week since being back in Chapel Hill... it feels weird to be back, and I don't feel settled yet at all. In fact, I've felt distracted all week, between runs to and from the storage unit I kept all summer, returning to Grace Community, seeing Nate, stopping in the J-school, getting moved in to the house, hanging out with friends, meeting the folks at NCCAI, etc... I have not found an equilibrium yet and feel pretty out of touch with myself to be honest.

Most of all, I've felt the challenge of keeping from falling back into a rut. By rut I mean the me before the summer, before all I experienced, the me before my time at L'Abri, the me before all I learned about myself while in London. Driving around Chapel Hill and Durham, walking around campus, I feel like I never left and have even forgetten that the summer happened. I have to think hard to remind myself our Vicarious Summer was only a week ago...

Most of all, I think the challenge now is living by faith in everyday life, and taking risks to test faith. There were instances this summer that amazed me. For instance, when I decided to go to London this summer, I knew I was going without knowing anyone there. No big deal, I thought, I'll make friends pretty easily. I remember that first week, after the bombings, I felt very alone in a city full of people, in need of companions. I asked God in prayer for a friend. The next day I stepped off the bus in Canterbury to see a girl in a T-shirt with a Tar Heel on the back. Enter Sarah and Tara. Crazy too that I happened to see a girl I knew in high school in Birmingham, who I hadn't see in six years, who mentioned in passing when I saw her my last night in Birmingham right before I left for the summer that she had a friend from college working in London. Enter Cara into my life. Even crazier that Nate was in touch with a girl over email for two years who knew his friend Trevor and that she turned out to be Laura Delgado, another close friend of mine from this summer. The most awesome part about this summer was not the travels, not the adventures, not the work experience, not the thrills, but the people. Undoubtedly the people. The fact that all of us girls, with totally distinct personalities, managed to get along so well and travel so easily with one another was a blessing.

Two other things amazed me this summer. Before I left Chapel Hill in May, I really had no idea where I would come back to on the job front after the summer. I handed it over to God, asking that He place me in a setting where I belonged and that the timing would work out. I'm amazed by his grace providing the NCCAI opportunity-- a job that was coordinated, after several lenghty international phone calls, purely on faith both on my end and on the end of NCCAI (we finally met in person yesterday!). Also, I didn't know where I was going to live when I got back to N.C. this fall. God's provision once again with the housesitting opportunity in Durham, again something that coordinated in a way that still can't believe. These two happenings have challenged me though because I'm tempted to think, oh yeah, I figured these out, when really, it was God working in the details all along, opening doors and closing others.

The challenge now is trusting God all over again. I've wrestled with that all week as I realize the changes ahead of me this next year, changes that will require a choice on my part in my approach. Habits are being formed and attitudes are being readjusted...and a greater sense of equilibrium is being reached daily.

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of ruts and start searching for different ways and truer answers."--M. Scott Peck

Diagnosis

2005-09-02T04:07:00.000+01:00

Mom came home last week, the day I left to come back to Chapel Hill. She's been at home, weathering Katrina (no damage to the house, fortunately), getting stronger and waiting for the final diagnosis. She visited the doctor today, and almost all the results of the tests they've done are in and show that she has Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the plasma which is treatable but not curable. She starts chemotherapy right away. The dosage is supposedly not enough to cause her to lose hair or get very sick, but it does last 12 months. Patients usually respond very quickly with the symptoms (severe back pain the major one) reducing very quickly. My parents are going to take it day by day. That's the only way we got through the year of chemo I did in High School. That and many prayers, so keep them coming.

As I begin a new semester, adjust to Rebecca having a job (which she starts on Tuesday!), digest everything from this summer and make sense of all that's happening with my mom, life feels a bit out of whack. I've just written and deleted many attempts to explain how I feel, but it's not coming out right so I'll just end with the last two lines of an E.E. Cummings poem:

life's not a paragraph
And death i think is no parenthesis

Sweet Home Alabama

2005-08-25T19:18:00.000+01:00

After a delayed flight (surprised?) into Atlanta yesterday, I made it home to Alabama late last night. My parents moved this summer from Birmingham to our family farm in Troy, so that's where I am today. It certainly feels good to be in L.A. (a.k.a. Lower Alabama), surrounded by cows grazing and peace 'n' quiet. I hadn't missed the humidity, though!

So what's next for me and Nathan now that our summer adventures are coming to an end? Nate returns to NC tomorrow and begins classes on Tuesday. He has one more year of grad school in photojournalism and mulitimedia left at the J-School at UNC-Chapel Hill (sad that I won't be going back myself!). Tonight I head home to Birmingham for a few days, to regroup and visit with friends before moving back to NC on Monday. I'll be house sitting this next year in Durham, and I begin work at my new job the week after next. I'll be working in Raleigh as the director of communications for the N.C. Child Advocacy Institute, a statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan organization devoted to improving the well-being of kids and youth around the state. I'm thrilled about joining NCCAI in this newly-created post and am looking forward to the fact that it'll be a challenging, yet very rewarding, position!

Be on lookout for at least one more blog posting from me, collecting my final thoughts about this summer. Many thanks for following along!

Mom is coming home! *UPDATE

2005-08-25T04:19:00.000+01:00

***Update
Just before being released the doctors got the result of another test that showed abnormal protein levels. So they're going to move her into a hospital room out of ICU so she can see an oncologist. This has been a rollercoaster for sure, but we're aware that she is in God's hands. Keep praying!
***

Since I arrived in Fairhope, AL on Monday, my mom has been getting better every time I see her. She's currently in ICU only because there are no beds in the main hospital. If everything continues through the night she'll be released from the hospital sometime on Thursday. None of the tests they ran showed anything abnormal, so the doctors are stumped about what could have caused her calcium to go so high and what could have brought it back down. I think it's safe to say that hundreds of people praying had something to do with it. For those of you who prayed, thank you so much! Unless there's a major change, I won't be posting anymore and you can assume she's still getting stronger. Please continue to pray for her recovery.

Last Days in England

2005-08-23T16:23:00.000+01:00

Today is my last day in London, and it's sunny here for a change!

I spent the afternoon at the British Museum. I vaugely remember going there as a kid, but to see the vast collections of artifacts from Egypt and Ancient Greece & Rome over again was pretty awesome. The special exhibit on Africa was cool, too. It's totally worth a trip! Incidentally, around the corner from the museum, I made good on a promise to my old boss at the Arts & Sciences Foundation to stop by the soon-to-be-opened UNC European Study Center.

Tonight, Nate and I had planned to go to dinner and the showing of Shakespeare's The Tempest at The Globe Theater. I'm going to dinner instead with my journal, but luckily am meeting up with one of my hallmates for the play. Then, out for one last night with Sarah and Tara! And a full English breakfast with them and my friend Laura is scheduled in the morning before I depart. Many thanks to Laura and brother Pablo for the awesome L'Abri-like discussion we had last night.

These last few days in England could not have ended with a better weekend. If ever in this country, GO TO BATH. Sarah, Tara, and I loved every minute of our time there. Arguably England's most elegant city, Bath is known for being the home of the most well-preserved Roman baths in the world. We were disappointed that there's no spa you can go to (there is, but it's still under construction and was scheduled to open in 2001, 2004, and now 2006...), but our tour of the Roman baths totally made up for this and turned out to be fascinating. While in Bath, we delighted in exploring the town, visiting the beautiful Abbey, shopping at all the little boutiques, enjoying tea at the Jane Austen musuem, spying in on three different wedding parties (one of which for a UNC bride!), and dining at awesome little restaurants. We spent Sunday visiting nearby Stonehenge, and on the way there, caught a glimpse of the Westbury White Horse, a carving into the chalk side of a mountain. To view photos from this past weekend, click here.

The Latest News

2005-08-23T15:59:00.000+01:00

Nate made it to Mobile safely last night. His mom has regained consciousness but is still not completely with it. The initial CAT scan results reveal no sign of a tumor, but besides a prognosis of hypercalcemia, not much more is known right now. Continued prayer is appreciated!! Please pray as well that Carol would receive the best medical attention.

Change of Plans: Much Prayer Needed Now

2005-08-22T10:52:00.000+01:00

Vicarious Summer Readers:

Nathan expressly asked that I post this blog entry and its details to pass along our shared request: Whether or not you believe in the power of prayer, please, if you are bothering to read this, pray for the Clendenin family.

Late last Thursday night, Nathan's mom Carol was hospitalized for life-threateningly high levels of calcium in her bloodstream, after weeks of mysterious back pain. Carol was stabilized in ICU last Friday, but Sunday her condition worsened. We are still lacking in details regarding the situation, but Nate's dad John and sister Michelle let me know yesterday afternoon (London time), the latest: Carol may have suffered a stroke or seizure yesterday morning. It now appears she's in a coma, and Michelle informed me in the middle of the night last night that she's been put on a respirator. It was clear to us all that Nate needed to get home ASAP. I have been in as close touch as possible with Michelle and John these past few days, and have managed to pass along updates, by both email and phone, to Nate in South Africa; but all of this latest news I learned yesterday as Nate was on a 12-hour flight from Johannesburg to London.

Thankfully, Nathan was scheduled to fly in to London this morning for two final days in the city before the two of us were to head home on Wednesday. I decided yesterday to take a risk and try to find Nate at Gatwick airport early this morning, thus forgoing our original plan to meet up at King's Cross Station here in the city. Many thanks to all who joined with me in prayer yesterday, last night, and this morning that I would catch Nate at Gatwick before he boarded a train to meet me as planned. I was so thankful to spot him this morning (btw, his flight was late, again). I shared with him the latest news, and between prayers, hugs, and tears, another prayer was answered: we managed to get Nathan on the earliest and quickest U.S. Airways flight from London to Mobile, AL.

Please join me in praying specifically that Nate's mom will stay strong these next hours as Nate makes his way home, that the doctors and nurses would be given divine wisdom to assess her condition at present, that Carol would regain consciousness and be restored to health, and that God would shed extra grace and comfort on John, Michelle and Nate at this time. All agree: God alone is in control of this situation, whatever the outcome, and Carol's life and health belong only to Him. I know Nathan is appreciative to all who have already shared their concern, and I am grateful to all of you who have responded to my requests for prayer on his behalf. Now, your continued prayers are coveted as God's love and mercy is poured out on this family!!

My Thoughts on This Experience

2005-08-17T02:17:00.000+01:00

How funny that Nate posted his last post; he beat me to it. I was just about to post my "Top Ten Thoughts on London," but now feel a bit upstaged! So, though mine is not a Top Ten List after all, I am still contemplative, as there are things I deeply miss, and things I don't miss so much. I figure I'll share, instead, the things I didn't expect.

So London, a great city, is not what I expected. I had a really fun night out tonight dancing with the girls in Covent Garden, but the cab ride home was perhaps the most insightful bit. I've been tempted to post this entry for the last few weeks, entitled: "Thoughts on London versus NYC versus any other place..." Simply put: London is not what I expected. It is very cosmopolitan...as my cab driver put it tonight, "too cosmopolitan...overly cosmopolitan..."

It's something I'm still trying to make sense of... While I expected to be hanging out with Brits, getting to know the British culture, experiencing the English at their best, I can hardly say that's the truth. If anything, the community surrounding L’Abri, in the middle-of-nowhere England, was the closest to that. London, on the other hand, is foreign. This is my fourth or fifth time here, and I'm just now thinking this, I admit; hence the difference between being a tourist and being an "inhabitant." Like my cabbie said tonight -- he, a black/Indian man, born and raised in London -- London is "somewhat scary... too many random people here... the British are totally accepting, to the point that it's an 'open-door policy,' to the city's detriment..." Do I agree? I can't say. Though I know that, sure enough, I've felt kind of out-of-place being English-speaking, in supposedly an English-speaking capital city... and I doubt the terrorist attacks have helped that opinion. Again, I don't know whether I can pass judgment, but I do know, in comparison to what I expected, my thoughts on London are that it is a very international city, it's not the best place to experience England, and it has less energy than other "big" cities I've visited... and I honestly do not feel as safe here (felt safer in NYC last summer). My taxi driver and I shared an in-depth conversation behind the politics of it all, and I arrived home thinking, "I'll be glad to get home to the Triangle..." Before then, though, I'll be happy to return to our farm in south Alabama and to good ole' Birmingham... am looking forward to home. But, as always, I'm glad to feel stretched. It's kind of cool to be experiencing what feels like the whole world in one city. And London really is a fantastic place.

Top Ten Things I'll Miss When I Return Home

2005-08-16T23:20:00.000+01:00

NOT REALLY
10. Dialup – Usually a web guy’s kryptonite, but not me. I love paying $10 and waiting an hour for photos to upload.
9. Separate Faucets – Who needs warm water? I much prefer either scalding or freezing.
8. The Looks – I’ve really gotten used to being stared at everywhere I go, and I’ll really miss the myriad kids yelling, “Shoot me!”
7. McDonald’s – somehow it took coming to the opposite end of the world to find my hidden love for the largest chain of grease peddlers on the planet. I will especially miss the pukey-burp aftertaste.
6. Mental Math – I never was good at it, but I’ve grown to love dividing by 6.5 (or multiplying by 1.4 in Spain) in my head in order to figure out I’m definitely paying more than I would back home.

REALLY
5. Community – from burying loved ones to visiting neighbors, these people know how to care for each other.
4. People who still love Americans - I’ve gotten plenty of “ohs” and “we don’t like Bush” comments everywhere else I’ve been, except South Africa. I’m actually respected here — people come up and thank me for taking pictures at their loved one’s funeral.
3. Having all day every day to shoot photos – busy but focused is how I like it. Grad school is more like busy, unfocused, tired, stressed, wish I could just find time to eat a real meal.
2. Singing all the time – I’ve been doing it since I was 2, but here I’m just another voice in the crowd. I’ve been learning some African songs, but there’s never a shortage of good old American 80’s music around here.
1. Beautiful Shining Faces.

Kruger National Park

2005-08-14T19:50:00.000+01:00

On Friday we hopped in the donkey (the affectionate term for the rental car) and headed north for Kruger National Park, home to many wild animals including the “Big Five”. On the way we saw some beautiful sites including a natural bridge and a wonderful view of the mountains called “God’s Window.” We spent the night about 50 km from the park and got up early on Saturday to hit the park when the animals were out and about. From the car we saw some amazing animals including: lions, hippos, giraffes, zebras, buffalo (quite different looking here), monkeys, baboons, warthogs, jackals, antelope, wildebeests, and most definitely some elephants. We actually got into a high speed chase with the elephant you see above; apparently the donkey upset him and since they never forget anything, we didn’t come back that way! Vincent, his wife Gloria, and daughter Busi were packed in the car with my gear. It was quite a long day, especially with a 4-hour drive to get back to Mamelodi. But it was well worth it, to say the least. Now that I’ve gotten most of the playing out of the way, I am very anxious to get started on the remaining thesis work. In 5 days Vincent and I will photograph and interview a grandmother and the orphan children of her two deceased daughters, the gravedigger and more funerals, a woman valiantly living with AIDS, a prostitute and anything else that comes up. Like Vincent says about services at his church, “We plan, but sometimes God steps in.” I am expecting a great (and busy) week.

A Fun Last Weekend in London

2005-08-14T19:28:00.000+01:00

With time running out, I'm trying my best to squeeze in all that's left that I want to do here in the city. Friday evening, I joined Cara and others for a walking tour around Southwark, which stopped at three notable pubs along the way to taste some traditional ale. Our night ended at one of the oldest pubs in London, The George Inn, sharing a picnic table with some crazy Australians and a newlywed Canadian couple.

Saturday, Sarah, Tara and I played tourist around the city. We saw the Changing of the Guard, toured the State Rooms in Buckingham Palace (well worth doing!), then happened across a random little Italian restaurant near Hyde Park, where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch. As we were coming out of the restaurant, no joke, we ran into Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson! Tara was eye-to-eye with Tom on the steps when she realized who it was (meanwhile Sarah and I were fiddling with an umbrella), but Sarah and I managed to catch a glimpse through the window without making any sort of scene. It's about time we had a celebrity sighting in this city!

After, the girls and I saw the exhibit on diamonds that's currently on display at the Natural History Museum. The diamonds were pretty mesmerizing, some weighing in at 400 and 600+ carats, others perfectly flawless. After a tiring visit to Harrods, we girls enjoyed gelato, coffee, and each other's company at a little patisserie in Knightsbridge before heading home.

Today I spent the day with Cara, her sister & brother-in-law, and some friends in Brighton, along the coast. Brighton is a bizarre place, kind of a cross between Nice, France, and what I'd imagine Myrtle Beach or Atlantic City to be like. We toured the Royal Pavilion, an interesting Moroccan-looking palace built for George IV by the same architect/interior designer who executed the remodel of Buckingham Palace, which I had trouble believing since the inside of the Pavilion was decorated in Chinese and Indian styles. An interesting place, but like I said, bizarre; one does not feel like one is in England while inside, or even while in Brighton. After walking up and down Brighton Pier, with its sensory-overloading arcade and carnival, we chilled out on the beach for a bit. I'm looking forward to this next week in the city, finishing up my projects at Peppercom, and one last excursion from London next weekend.

Two Weeks Left

2005-08-11T00:06:00.000+01:00

Two weeks from today, Nathan and I both head home to America... on my end, I'm anticipating a busy next few days of squeezing in all that's left that I want to do. My girl friends and I have kept the pact we made the night we realized we were running out of time-- with the exception of last night, we've taken turns, brainstorming and coordinating something enjoyable to do every night in or around the city.

The other night, I hosted Rachael Hyde and Anna MacDonald, two Carolina J-school girls; and on our way back into my dorm from meeting Sarah, Tara, and Cara for dinner, we ran into none other than Jana, the girl I befriended and spent the day with on July 7th, the day of the first terrorist attacks. I knew Jana was back in London from having gone home to Germany for a bit and we were going to try to meet up sometime in the next week or so before we both leave, but it was crazy that I ran into her. I feel certain that God is continuing to place people--awesome girls, really--in my life while I'm abroad.

This evening, Jana joined me and Sarah and Tara for Tara's turn planning a night: a walking tour of Hampstead Heath, following by a dinner picnic in Hampstead Park, overlooking the city. It was really relaxing to hang out and talk about the transitional stage of life we're all at right now and what we've learned about ourselves from our time in London.

On an entirely different note, it occurred to me today that the quantitative portion of my master's thesis was presented this afternoon in San Antonio, TX, at the AEJMC National Convention. Many thanks to my thesis adviser Lois Boynton who co-authored the quantitative paper and presented it today on my behalf. Lois and I are hoping to publish the qualitative portion of the thesis when I return, and meanwhile, I'm hoping to publish the findings of both research methods in trade publications as well as academic journals. A brief abstract of the paper that was presented today (Why are More Women than Men Attracted to the Field of Public Relations? Analyzing Students’ Reasons for Studying PR) can be found here. A big shout-out to my colleagues in the J-school who are presenting in San Antonio this week! Represent!

Capetown

2005-08-10T17:11:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday Will and I explored Capetown with a hike up Lion’s Head, one of the smaller peaks that lines the oceanfront. We had wonderful blue sky weather with just a little chill. Even though we’re at the southernmost part of the southern hemisphere in winter, it’s not that cold. After snapping some shots of Table Mountain and the 12 apostles (sort of like Mt. Rushmore but natural) we drove south toward Cape Point along a beautiful highway that had us wedged between steep cliffs on the left and blue waters on the right. We ended up missing the entrance time to the park that leads to the Cape (5pm) and instead checked out some penguins then headed to a small town where we had a really great seafood dinner and Guinness. We got home late after a stop at another lookout to take some night shots of the city from above.

At 5:15am today we got up for our shark cage diving excursion. They picked us up at our door and drove us all the way to the small bay about 2 1/5 hours away. The fed us and then we boarded “The Baracuda” for a 20 minute ride out the Shark Alley. The minute the anchor was set down we spotted a Great White circling our boat. The captain gave us a quick briefing and we suited up to get into the cage alongside the boat. We would sit in the rather chilly water until the captain told us, “Down, Down,” and we’d take a breath and go under to view the beautiful animals going for the bait they had out in front of us. At one point I was face to face with a shark with only about 2 feet in between us. It was a great experience, and another day of beautiful weather. I did spew in the water from motion sickness but felt just fine after that. Many on the boat had to leave early, due to sickness, on a dinghy that came out to rescue them. Will and I are about to hunt down some good food and relax tonight before I head back to Mamelodi tomorrow.

Powerhouse

2005-08-08T17:12:00.000+01:00

Vincent's church is called Powerhouse. And boy was it a house of power! Besides the wonderful singing, it was just beautiful to see the shining faces, full of happiness and praise. Will and I got up and shared a few words and what I told the congregation (about 150-200 people) was that despite the fact that many people look up to the U.S. church, we have so much to learn from them about how to worship and how to pray. I'm still processing all my thoughts on it, so I won't share it all now, but as expected, I will not return to the U.S. the same person at all.

Will and I are in Capetown now. The weather changes about every 10 minutes, but it's been pretty nice so far. Tomorrow should be a full day of seeing the beautiful sites. It's really beautiful here.

Weekend in Belgium

2005-08-07T23:10:00.000+01:00

Just got home from a wonderful weekend in Belgium with Cara, Sarah, and Tara. We traveled by Eurostar train on Friday evening to Brussels, where we had an "interesting" night at the hostel we had booked. Saturday, we traveled by rail to Bruges in the northern region of the country known as Flanders (languages spoken: Flemish, French, Dutch here and there, and English). Much smaller and more quaint than Brussels, Bruges is decorated with storybook houses, winding canals, open squares, and waffles shops and pubs on nearly every street corner. Belgium is known for its frites (french fries), waffles, chocolate, mussels, and beer; so we spent the day eating, eating again, bicycling, eating some more, stopping for a stein, eating some more... We rented bicycles that day, which I highly recommend doing if you're ever wanting to explore a town in a short amount of time, and ended up riding miles out from Bruges to a tiny town in the country called Damme, alongside a tree-lined waterway and home of the most amazing ice cream-filled crepes. Tara and I rode on a tandem bike, which was so much fun, though difficult to handle at times! Along our ride we passed windmills and anglers along the river; and once back in Bruges, we explored the canal paths by bike, guided by a great walking tour brochure. Our night concluded with dinner in the town square and time together at the pub/hostel where we were staying.

After a visit to Bruges' chocolate museum and one last waffle stop on our way out of town, we traveled back to Brussels and spent the afternoon exploring the very random, hodge-podge city that Brussels seems to be. We tried to see most of the major sites scattered around the city center, dodging a bit of rain by stopping in chocolate and lace shops near the Grand Place city square. The train ride back to London tonight offered a chance to relax, and I found myself deep in thought, mostly moved by the book I'm reading at the moment.

The girls were easy travel mates, and I was glad we all got along well, even when a touch of grumpiness would inevitably set in after long days of exploring. This past weekend offered us a great opportunity to deepen our friendship, which not only made our weekend very memorable, but makes me excited to know that it will continue even after my time here in London ends. Tomorrow night I'm hosting two UNC girls (classmates of Nate's from the Spain trip) and am looking forward to introducing them to Cara, Sarah, and Tara over dinner at Shepherd's Market, an enclave of pubs and restaurants near Green Park (introduced to me last week by another friend of a friend from Chapel Hill). How different my world must seem from that which Nate is experiencing right now...

To view some photos from this past weekend (uploaded in backward order), click here.

Finding the Story

2005-08-05T23:02:00.000+01:00

This week 32 people will be buried in just one graveyard in Mamelodi. On Saturday I will shoot the majority of the funerals that will take place more or less simultaneously. After that’s over I’m heading to the airport to pick up my friend Will Brown (since we met at L’abri back in 2001, we’ve been doing trips) and then straight to a wedding that Vincent is officiating. I am looking forward to Will’s visit, and our excursion to Capetown next week. It will be good to take a step back from this project and see where I am what I need to accomplish in the last 10 days I am here.

In a story as obvious as “People are dying of AIDS in pandemic proportions” it takes some thinking to avoid the obvious pictures. My struggle so far has been to search outside the box for little moments and images that keep things interesting. Since the last post Vincent and I have been all over the place (Vincent has been the biggest help). He’s really making the process much easier and is always cheerful and laughing. We’ve interviewed an AIDS orphan, prayed for AIDS victims in their home, been to the graveyard a few times, talked to many different people and even visited a barbershop today (see pic of man with baby). One of the side stories I am hoping to pursue is about the many little shops people have set up to earn a living. This is how they fight poverty, through innovation and entrepreneurship. Poverty is the real problem here, not AIDS.

Mamelodi Moments

2005-08-03T21:42:00.000+01:00

I had quite a full day here in Mamelodi. I awoke at 5am to the beautiful sounds of the morning prayer meeting just outside my window. The singing was so beautiful, and it was great to just listen to it. Vincent and I ate some breakfast together around 9am (when I finally got up), then went out to meet with some older ladies at the YMCA. They welcomed me with tea and sandwiches. Apparently most of Mamelodi knew I was coming, so I’ve met lots of people eager to meet Vincent’s visitor. We also had lunch at the Y, after some singing and dancing. It was a great time. Afterwards we went to meet the gravedigger at the cemetery. He told us in Zulu all about how he got started digging during Apartheid, when it was the only job he could get in order to stay in the town and not be forced back to the countryside where he came from. He buried many victims of government killings and even endured threats and attempted murders from blacks who saw him as an extension of the government. This man will be a very interesting person to record audio with, and we’re going on Thursday morning to photograph at a funeral. Vincent has been such a blessing, helping find all kinds of people. And he really knows what I am looking for without me really asking. We’ll be riding along and he’ll say, “I know this orphan, his parents died of AIDS. We will talk to him”. And I say, “Yes, that would be very good.” It’s been working like that so far, and we have lined up that orphan, a woman who works in an AIDS ward, and possibly a prostitute with AIDS (the women who do that here do it for lack of any other way to get money, not because of greed or anything else, really).

Safety here has not been an issue so far. I have felt completely safe in every place I’ve been, including a very “dodgy” looking housing complex leftover from Apartheid (a hostel is what they call it). Plus, Vincent is with me all the time. I haven’t taken many photos yet that will actually be used for my project, but I’ve included one here of a neighborhood boy. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Aug. 2: Attitude = Gratitude

2005-08-03T00:05:00.000+01:00

A perfect London night! Sarah and Tara and I met up, kind of spur of the moment, for Shakespeare in Regent's Park tonight. Beforehand, we picnicked with wine, bread, cheese, hummus, Nutella; then sat back and enjoyed "Twelfth Night" in the open-air amphitheater, amazed every now and then by how pleasant the weather was. "Twelfth Night," amusing and somewhat confusing as it is, was performed wonderfully! I am so glad we went!

I found myself during tonight's performance thinking about today, August 2nd. Thirty-six years ago my parents wed... eleven years ago my grandfather died... it's hard to believe how time collects and it's really only on certain days that we even realize it... I spoke to my mom today to wish her a happy anniversary and later in the day was reminded of a letter she sent me a few weeks ago, with the remark that Attitude = Gratitude: how the way in which we approach things -- new experiences, challenges, disappointments, whatever in life -- determines our mindset, understanding, and recollection, toward those things. With this in mind, I thought about my time at abroad thus far (at L'Abri and in London); my daily experience at Peppercom; this next year; Nate's first day in Africa (by the way, I spoke to him on the phone today too, and all is well!); my hopes to visit my brother and sister-in-law soon in Alaska; my aspirations regarding the kind of work I want to do, regarding the kind of person I want to be... How thankful I am for all that was/is to be learned.

After the play, the girls and I made a pact, realizing that time has flown and there's still so much we want to do. London, we agreed, is different than other major cities (here, one is eager to travel elsewhere on the weekends; in NYC, for instance, one wants to dive into the city on weekends). With weekend plans in the works, we are now intent, with only a few weeks left in the city, to do something cool every weeknight the rest of our time here. With more focused attitudes now, gratitude is certain-- I am already thankful!

Nate Safe & Sound in Africa

2005-08-02T11:17:00.000+01:00

Just received word from Nate that he arrived safely in South Africa this morning. Vincent, his host, and another pastor from the township of Mamelodi, met him at the airport. He says they're treating him very well! Tomorrow, Nate will meet the gravedigger he'll follow for the next three weeks. Very cool.

Pre-Africa Thoughts

2005-08-01T17:31:00.000+01:00

I've had many different thoughts in the past week or so in anticipation of this last leg of summer. This is the part that really matters and in many ways the part I've been preparing for. I have many thoughts and ideas in my head about what it will be like, but I'm also realizing things may utterly surprise and shock me. At the church service here in London this Sunday, worshipping among a crowd of strangers who welcomed me, I realized that in a week I'd be worshipping with another quite different crowd who no doubt will also welcome me. I look forward to joining in their worship, seeing a different part of the diverse body of the church. I spoke with my host today on the telephone (well, I was on Skype) and they are excited to see me and will be at the airport waiting for me. I have no doubt they will be wonderful hosts to me in many different ways. I just have to make it there on a 12 hour flight! My flight into London from Santiago was twenty minutes early, by the way, so I'm 7/7 on irregular timings and I hope the upward swing keeps moving upward, shaving time off this flight and the one coming back.

You may not hear from me until the weekend, but I promise to post something as soon as I can. "The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." -Frederick Buechner

Two Days Together

2005-08-01T12:23:00.002+01:00

The last two days have been fun, though adjusting to being back together took a little time at first, which we expected, I think. Nate arrived Saturday afternoon, and we enjoyed an awesome dinner at a noodle bar Wagamama, then walked around Leicester Square, Covent Garden, and Piccadilly Circus. Sunday morning we heard John Stott preach at All Souls, then ran into our friend Laura Delgado and spent the afternoon hanging out with her. Nate wanted to show me his old neighborhood when he lived in London for a few months back in '01, so the three of us went to South Kensington and saw #39 Onslow Gardens, his favorite coffee shop (La Brioche), his laundry mat, etc. It was cool to share that bit of his life with him. We went to St. Paul's yesterday afternoon, but are headed back there today to hopefully climb to the top if it's open to visitors. After hanging out in Southbank along the Thames yesterday afternoon, we headed back up to my part of town and joined my hallmates and some friends for homemade sushi and curry. An international dinner for sure-- two Americans, one Japanese, one Indian, one Swiss, one Italian, and one Belgian! It was great fun, and we learned phrases from each language, which Nate scribbled down. This morning we had a full English breakfast at a cool little cafe in Angel/Islington and are now headed back downtown for some more sightseeing before Nate leaves for Africa this afternoon. I'll be sad to see him go so soon, but I have a feeling these next three weeks will pass quickly.

Adios, Ciao, Bye

2005-07-30T11:14:00.000+01:00

The rest of the group headed back to Chapel Hill left early this morning. We had a wonderful dinner last night with the entire group at a restaurant called Don Quixote. Everyone is pretty sad to leave. We really bonded with each other through working on our stories and spending time being social in Santiago. I think everyone was ready to move on though, as I am. A part of me would be really exicited to be heading back to Chapel Hill today, but the rest of me is looking forward to the adventure of South Africa. And of course all of me is excited to see Rebecca today in London!

I never made it to the beach here. Sad... But there are a few palm trees in Santiago.

People Make All The Difference

2005-07-29T00:09:00.000+01:00

Time and time again this summer, I have been amazed by how God has placed people in my life. Living in London can be tough, and every day, I admit, I have mixed feelings about it. But I know that there's a reason I'm here, that I'm continuing to learn more about myself, that I'm continuing to experience confirmation about certain things; and knowing that is what excites me about being here. It's the same feeling I had last summer in NYC. And at the end of both summers, when I'll be ready to come home, appreciating everything all over again, I will have gained a perspective that I owed myself to experience. The fact that I have met some awesome people, though, has certainly made a difference. Without them, I fear I'd wonder at times whether it's worth it.

Tonight I hung out with Sarah, Tara, and Pamela, the three girls I met the weekend I went to Canterbury and Dover. We had so much fun together at a pub near my place. Sarah, a UNC grad, and I had a great discussion about how life after school, along with traveling, can reveal needs and desires one never knew one had; we agreed, we both feel the intense tug to make some sort of difference in the world with our respective futures. We also reminisced much of the night about good ole' Chapel Hill, agreeing we have to hang out when she visits in December (He's Not was the agreed-upon location).

Meanwhile, I'm super excited about another adventure around the corner next weekend. After considering all sorts of places--from Rome to Venice to Geneva to Porto--Sarah, Tara, Cara (I'm already getting their names confused!), and I finally booked Eurostar tickets tonight. Brussels and Bruges, Belgium, here we come!

July 25 Fireworks

2005-07-28T13:27:00.000+01:00

As promised, here is a shot from the fireworks I missed. Taken by Leah Latella. The site might not be up until mid August, but it's worth the wait. The whole July 25th story turned out really well!

The Promised Lance Photo

2005-07-26T22:09:00.000+01:00

Compliments of Mark, the guy I met at the Paris airport. Notice the McDonalds logo in the background-- that second-story window was where I was!!

More Paris photos can be viewed here.

Worth The Wait

2005-07-25T17:44:00.001+01:00

Yesterday made up for four years of being bummed about having missed the Tour de France finish by a day the last time I was in Paris. I said to myself months ago, there was no way I was going to be in England this summer and miss it again... I intended to spend this weekend's trip by myself, soaking up Paris and cheering for Lance on behalf of my brother who's a cyclist and my sister who lives in Austin. Traveling by oneself is okay, but it's so much better when one can share it with someone else. Sure enough, great people were placed in my life from start to finish this past weekend, making my time in Paris and the experience of witnessing Lance's last Tour all the more fun and memorable. Spending Saturday with Nicole, my roommate at the MIJE, was great fun. Interestingly, I found myself recognizing random spots around town while being reminded by various things of people back home-- sights I knew friends and family would have appreciated.

Never would I have guessed, though, that I would come to Paris and spend seven straight hours in a McDonalds... My friend Cara, who I spent last weekend with in Oxford, decided on a last-minute whim to come to Paris for the Tour de France finish, which was a great surprise! We met up Sunday morning, did a little sightseeing, then searched hours beforehand for the best spots from which to see the cyclists whiz by on their eight laps around the Champs-Elysees between 2 and 4 o'clock. The crowd lining the length from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe was only about six or so people deep, but too deep to catch a good view of the course. Looking around, hungry by this point, we spotted a McDonalds, which we knew would be quick. We also spotted the fact that it had a near-empty second floor! So, for the rest of the afternoon, we staked out prime spots overlooking the Champs-Elysees, just half a block from the Arc de Triomphe, with a view of both sides of the street through the trees (and we ate well-- "McDo," as the French would say, has a far better menu than what we would find in the U.S.). By 4 p.m., the cyclists hadn't come yet (thanks to a delay of rain), but an introductory parade had started and the McDo was now full of people. Cara and I still made claim to our spots right up front next to the windows.Finally, around 5:30 p.m., the teams car could be seen and the peleton flew by! How cool!! I had to be quite quick with the cameras, switching between my little digital one and my film one with the better zoom. The next couple of times, I was able to spot Lance, wearing le maillot jaune and blue shorts. About nine minutes separated the laps, and after two or three times the peleton had fallen back from the break-aways, making it easier to anticipate the action. I was becoming frustrated by this point with my cameras-- dying battery, full memory cards, rolls of film needing to be switched. How I WISH Nate had been there, snapping away, capturing far better photos.I am hopeful that the photos on my film camera turned out well, but I'll have to patiently wait these next few weeks until I have those developed back home. Poor Cara meanwhile was being squished, and the two of us were dreadfully sweaty with tired legs and feet, but so glad to be there! After the awards ceremony further down the Champs-Elysees, each of the teams slowly circled the loop sipping champagne, and I think I was able to snap some good photos with my film camera that I will especially want to show my brother when I see him next.

After it was all over, I caught the metro, then the train to the airport, only to find out I had to wait some more. My flight was delayed, not scheduled to leave Paris until 11:30 p.m. Luckily I met a nice Brit in line who promised to share his up-close Lance photos with me. We chilled at the airport for several hours while EasyJet took every care to make our trip home as drawn out as possible. I arrived at London Luton after midnight in the rain, worried that the trains might not be running that late, found out they in fact were, opted to spare my life savings by choosing not to take a cab ride that would have been quicker, took a train that I think called at every small town along the way, and arrived at my dorm well past 2 o'clock this morning. The journey home last night made me pretty homesick, and as I see Nate expressed in his last posting, I too found myself craving home, my family, friends, the convenience of my car, my own bed. I kept telling myself it couldn't be as bad as Nate's 30+ hour travels from the U.S. to Europe earlier in the summer... As for Nate, simply put, I am beyond ready to see him at this point.

Traveling has its ups and downs like everything else, and in my opinion, it can teach one a great deal of patience and fortitude. For the experience of this past weekend, journey home included, it was worth all the waiting around and any ounce of discomfort yesterday might have asked of me. Back in London, I'm ready for another month of more travels and adventures!

Missing Home

2005-07-25T12:13:00.000+01:00

I'm not usually one to miss home while I'm away, but for the past few days I've been wishing that I were heading back to good ol' Chapel Hill at the end of this week. I miss my room and my favorite coffee shops, and my friends. I am definitely excited to see Rebecca for a few days though. Unfortunately it didn't work out for here to visit me here in Santiago, but I am glad to see her environs and hang out in London a bit.

Things here are winding down for the photogs. I'm working on timings to sync the photos and audio. Yesterday and today we're covering the huge festival that's going on here. Nobody really knows which holiday they're celebrating but one of them is about Saint James or something. They lit up the cathedral last night with a beautiful display of fireworks. I'll try to snag a photo from one of the others who was assigned to shoot that, because I had a terrible view from the carnival where I was stationed. I ran into some crazy Galicians later who insisted I join them for a beer. It didn't take much to twist my arm because I had been shooting the rides for way too long. They were all about my age and it was good to get their perspective on many things, including American politics (uck), and Galicia and the fight for independence from Spain (a recent mini-bomb went off here a few days ago, it was no big deal in the end but of course caused a little scare). I also told them all about North Carolina. In the end it was quite a cultural exchange. I'm off now to continue shooting the festival. Today I'm assigned to the big square in front of the Cathedral.

Un Plein Jour

2005-07-23T22:36:00.000+01:00

Typing on a French keyboard (frustrating!), frantically checking email, paying far too much for -- we'll see how this goes... Awesome day! My Aussie roommate Nicole and I went to the top of Notre Dame (worth doing!), found a fresh market, ate lunch in the Pont Neuf park, spent the afternoon at Musee d'Orsay (the best!!!), shopped at Chatelet des Halles (too crowded!), enjoyed coffee, went to the top of L'Arc de Triomphe, walked along the Champs-Elysees, met up with Nicole's friends from uni under the Eiffel Tower for dinner, got back to the Eiffel Tower in time to see it sparkle at 10 pm, had dessert near Montparnasse-- a full day, and very fun! There's so much more I could type, and I will when I get back to London. In the meantime, Allez Lance!!!!

Ah, La France!

2005-07-22T13:51:00.000+01:00

After a 3-hour cab ride to Luton airport yesterday, I left for France last night, glad to leave London following yesterday's events. I was able to wind down on the plane, and by the time I got to Paris I wasn't feeling the sense of nervousness I had felt earlier in the afternoon. I arrived in the city late last night, but luckily the trains and metro were still running. I'm staying in the 4th arrondissement, at the rue de Fourcy branch of the MIJE, which I highly recommend if anyone is ever looking for a unique, clean, and ideally-located hostel in Paris-- it's right by Ile Saint-Louis and Ile de la Cite. This morning, after breakfast with one of my roommates from Australia, I toured both islands, visited Notre Dame and Ste.-Chapelle (a smaller church with floor to ceiling stained glass windows (a well-kept secret in Paris)), hopped on a bus to Les Invalides, and met a group at the Eiffel Tower for a bike tour of the city (Fat Tire Bike Tours). Four hours of exploring Paris on a bike, with a lunch break in the Tuileries garden, was a great time! Today's weather is pretty, so I'm going to do more exploring this afternoon before dinner. How I have missed Paris!-- it's such a wonderful city and feels wider, calmer, less crowded, safer, and saner than London. I'm trying my best to only speak English when around Americans and to try my rusty French the rest of the time. Already, I'm finding the French more responsive in their native language than I remember from my last time here. Wish I could write more on this post, but my Internet access time is running out fast, so more later!

More Bombings in London

2005-07-21T13:55:00.000+01:00

More incidents have happened here in London today, minutes ago actually. I'm at the Peppercom office, and we have the TV on, but are learning few details at this point. A helicoptor is circling overhead, and from the aerial TV coverage, we've spotted that the bus bombing was less than two streets away! Literally just around the corner from our office. The entire underground system has been shut down, and the train that I was going to take to Luton airport this afternoon for Paris, has stopped running. At this point, I'm still going to make my trip to France, but please, keep our safety today in your thoughts and prayers.

Vilarello

2005-07-19T14:45:00.000+01:00

My time in Vilarello, Galicia was wonderful. A town of about 10 people, it is tucked far up into the mountains where the loudest sound is the buzzing of bees. I accompanied another student, Anna, who is doing a story on the village, which likely will not exist in 10 years. There was an issue of her safety with some of the villagers, so I gladly went along. I wrote captions for the Rapa photos, hiked a bit and had a chance to clear my head and breathe deeply. The trip took over 3 hours to get there, with the last hour spent winding narrow roads, hoping another car wasn't coming down.

Things here are coming together slowly. The audio people (who are mostly Galicians) almost had a mutiny yesterday. I was out shooting some final shots for the stone story, but apparently they do not like the direction they're being given. Things seem to be much calmer today as people finish up audio, write captions and tone their images. We're having a big meeting tonight to look at all the photos, hear the audio that's done and probably deal with any big issues. Everyone here is really stretched to learn how to work with others. And I was thinking the other day that this project is really quite ambitious in what it is trying to accomplish, and I don't know of any other quite like it. So it's very natural for there to be plenty of kinks and problems along the way, since most here have not done this before. And we also keep coming back to the fact that, "Hey, we're in Spain!"

A Wonderful Weekend

2005-07-17T22:09:00.000+01:00

A Wonderful Weekend
Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

While shopping Friday evening, I managed to get in touch by phone with Cara Ludutsky, a college friend of a friend of mine from high school. Both in the mood to take a day trip Saturday, we decided on Oxford. I met Cara for the first time yesterday morning in Paddington Station, yet feel as though I've known her forever. We found ourselves--first on the train ride to Oxford, then over and over again this whole weekend--able to relate to one another on a variety of subjects: our upbringings, past hurts, views on love, weakness for buying shoes, appetites for books, pet peeves, the fact that we're both C.S. Lewis fans... Our afternoon was spent leisurely dining at the The Lamb and Flag pub and exploring Mr. Lewis' "sweet city with her dreaming spires" (to quote poet Matthew Arnold). In particular, we toured Christ Church College, home of the largest quadrangle among Oxford's 39 colleges. The main staircase and dining hall in Christ Church were quite impressive and, not surprisingly, had served as inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. Yesterday's weather was absolutely gorgeous, so plenty of people were punting along the River Thames with picnics of wine and cheese in their boats. While strolling, Cara and I would stop here and there for dessert, iced coffee, or a pint. A wonderfully relaxing day ended back in London with ordered-in pizza at Cara's flat in Notting Hill. A Northwestern grad, Cara lives in San Francisco, is a buyer for the headquarters of Gap Inc., and is over here in London til November. Today we met for church at All Souls, home to theologian John Stott's congregation, and after enjoyed a Persian lunch (London has the best ethnic food!) outside in the sun. We then took the tube up to Camden Town to explore Camden Market, which was super crowded and overpriced. Not really knowing where we were going as we walked along the Camden Locks, we ended up in Regent's Park, which I think might rival NYC's Central Park in terms of beauty. Yet another relaxing afternoon of conversation with Cara ended along the banks of the boating lake, where we lounged in lawn chairs listening to live music in the park. The weather was ridiculous. There, we composed a list of things we want to do for the remainder of the summer. Going to the Proms is first on the list.

El Mundo

2005-07-15T19:34:00.000+01:00

Madrid's big paper, El Mundo, had an article about our project today. They featured one of my photos! Looks like Rebecca and I are getting lots of press this summer! >View the article.

I am off tomorrow for a remote village. Should be fun! We turn in all our photos and captions Sunday at 10pm. Nobody's sure what we're doing after that, but we are definitely going to the beach!

One More Story

2005-07-14T21:42:00.000+01:00

I write this entry from my car, overlooking a huge quarry while listening to classical music. I am waiting for the light to soften a bit before I take a photo. Why am I taking photos of a quarry? Well, just as things were winding down with the Rapa story (writing captions, doing a final edit to go with the audio, etc) me and my sound person, Jessica, were assigned another mini-story about stoneworkers. Apparently Galicia is famous all over Europe for its stonework, and I can see why, because almost everything is made of beautiful old stone. So I’ve been shooting a story about a guy who is restoring a stone house (a 4 year project for him and his crew) as well as visiting some quarries and other places where rock is cut and shaped a bit. It’s been another pretty fun story, although tracking down all these people and places has been a source of frustration between me and Jessica, since our way of doing things is slightly different. I like to ask all the questions up front (like, “Will you be working with stone when we come tomorrow?”) and it seems Jessica is a little more timid about asking strangers about their schedule (and since she’s doing most of the talking b/c I don’t speak Gallego, she has to be the person to ask). I had my first real argument in Spanish, as a result, but things are ok now. Jessica is trying to finish editing all the audio from the Rapa into a 3 minute piece, which also presents a challenge, and taking time away from her to do this mini-story is probably not the best idea. But if I’ve learned anything in Photojournalism, it’s that there always plenty of problems to be solved. I am probably also going to help out with another story that is in a very remote village. I’m told it’s absolutely beautiful. I am mostly coming along to help with driving and some Spanish. I’m excited to see more of Spain! There are plenty of things that us photographers have been complaining about (most things due to lack of communication from above), but we always come back to the fact that we’re in Spain!

And just to mention two random things: 1. I really love driving around in Spain. There is something about driving around in a foreign country that makes me feel independent and free because I had the same experience driving last summer in Mexico and of course last month in Ireland. 2. While writing this entry I had to translate from Spanish. I am now thinking mostly in Spanish! No dreaming yet though.

DTH Article

2005-07-14T14:09:00.000+01:00

I was asked to write a story for UNC's Daily Tar Heel about my experience last Thursday. Click here to view today's spread. Click here to read the article.

Soli Deo Gloria: Bach's B Minor Mass

2005-07-12T23:51:00.000+01:00

Soli Deo Gloria: Bach's B Minor Mass
Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

Yesterday I arrived at work before everyone else and was locked out of the Peppercom office. Luckily The Guardian newspaper had been delivered already, so I flipped through it, catching a tiny notice that the B Minor Mass was being performed tonight by the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir. I had to go! For those who are unfamiliar with the work, Bach's Mass in B Minor is unparalleled. Over two hours in length, it is an island of a choral work (yet one can argue it's followed pretty closely behind by Bach's St. John's and St. Matthew's Passions, which are also amazingly complex and demanding works). This evening, then, I headed out to Guildhall, barely leaving myself enough time to be the next to last person to obtain an unclaimed ticket-- the concert has been sold out for days, apparently! That was close! When I walked into the Great Hall, I was amazed-- a packed house under the roof of a gigantic cathedral-like space ("What is this place?" I wondered). Having sung the mass myself, I anxiously waited for the concert to get underway. Ah, to hear the "Gloria" and the "Cum Sancto Spiritu"-- what a pause in life to remember how deeply I miss being part of a choir. Indeed, my choir days at Indian Springs and at Vanderbilt are parts of me I regret leaving, at the time with an excuse that I was "getting tired of it." Grrrr, I hate that. Anybody who knows me from Springs can attest to how much choir meant to me. I really must return to choral singing again... Listening intently to the mass, I found myself soul searching, thinking about a lot of things relating to my past, present, and future. Nate and I had a good conversation last night, firmly agreeing on how we each want to "do good" in the world, so I thought about that for a long while. During intermission, as I was snapping this photo, a gentleman came up to me and suggested that I photograph some of the statues as well before people's heads got in the way. We chatted a bit, and I asked him what this place was. "This is the Guildhall, Miss, the place where the city government of London meets and where the mayor is elected," he explained, pointing to where his colleagues sat (I quickly realized this man was a member of the corporation, the governing body, of London). We chatted some more, exchanging minor criticisms of how the trumpets and timpani were lacking in the work's most dynamic parts (he too had sung the mass). Next, he said something that I will always remember (forgive me, as I'm poorly paraphrasing his eloquent insight): "This isn't just music and shouldn't be performed as just music. This is theology -- indeed, the deepest reality there is -- set to music. It is only a glimpse of what is to come. Bach has even included the angels," referring to the sopranos in the "Gloria" and the female solos in the "Laudamus Te." Yes, musical works like this -- in their vastness and grandeur -- are glimpses. No wonder Bach signed every piece of music with a signature: "S.D.G" -- Soli Deo Gloria: to God alone the glory...

Canterbury & Dover

2005-07-10T22:57:00.000+01:00

Canterbury & Dover
Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

On Saturday, I joined fellow BUNAC participants on a field trip to Canterbury and Dover, both in the region of England called Kent. For those who aren't familiar with BUNAC (www.bunac.org), it's the work exchange program that grants students and recent graduates the opportunity to work abroad in various countries for up to six months. I highly recommend it if any of you are still in school or soon to graduate and are interested in working abroad-- work visas are near impossible to come by otherwise, especially in the UK. Once overseas, the BUNAC office is an excellent resource for housing, jobs, social gatherings and outings, and all sorts of other info. I decided to go on yesterday's trip at the last minute and am really glad I did. Friday night, after a heavy week of starting work, thinking too much about job prospects, hosting company, and dealing with bombings, I was not only wanting to escape London for a bit, but I was really craving an opportunity to meet more people. Ironically, big cities full of people can be lonely places. Well, an answered prayer happened when I got off the bus in Canterbury, hoping to befriend somebody. I noticed the back of a shirt of a girl ahead of me-- "Tar Heels, Seniors 2005." Sarah Zimmerman, who just graduated in English from Carolina, is working here in London as well and doing some traveling before she returns to the States in January. Her friends, Tara and Pamela, and I spent the whole day together exploring Canterbury (home of the spectacular Canterbury Cathedral, the center of Anglican Christianity and pilgrimage since Anglo-Saxon times) and later Dover. Canterbury was neat, but Dover was better. Perched atop the famous White Cliffs, Dover Castle is sprawled out on 70 acres of expanse, commanding respect as it has protected the stretch of English coast closest to the continent of Europe for over 2000 years. Inside the White Cliffs is an extensive network of secret wartime tunnels, built in Napoleonic times and used extensively during War World II. After seeing the tunnels, we took our time touring the Keep (Henry II's castle), where I snapped this photo looking out over the English Channel toward France (which you can see on a clear day). Upon returning to London yesterday evening, I had a patio dinner with Laura, then met up with the BUNAC girls for a night out on the town at (we couldn't believe it) a dance club that stayed open later than 11 p.m. This afternoon was spent with the girls in Regent's Park enjoying beautiful weather.

Different Worlds

2005-07-09T17:23:00.000+01:00

Sunday marks the last day I will be shooting for my story. The past two days I've been visiting the little town, Amil, where the Rapa will take place. Today I trampsed around in the woods amidst the mountains following those who herd the wild horses together then take them to a pin where they're kept until it's time for the shaving. About every other thought was, "I can't believe I'm in the middle of Spain chasing wild horses. Is this for real?" All the other thoughts though were about Rebecca in London, a city that despite it's relative proximity, seems worlds away. I wish I could have beamed her in today for the hike, as I know how much she would have enjoyed it.

You might be wondering what else I've been doing with my time, since these Rapas only happen on the weekend. Besides one day that we returned to Sabucedo to see the small village after the Rapa there was over, I've been trying to help out the other photographers as much as possible, since some groups have had trouble communicating in other languages. I've been to the coast, and I really hope to return and spend some time at the beach. Right now I have quite the farmer's tan, being out in the sun all day for various days. Oh, and I learned to count to 10 in gallego. Can't spell it though, or I'd prove it for you. The galician language is very similar to spanish (castellano) and portuguese. It's a beautiful language, really. And so far I have been able to understand most of what people say, although once I respond to them in castellano they swith over so I can really understand. Finally, I've posted a second rough edit of photos. Rough Edit II.

And Another

2005-07-08T14:41:00.000+01:00

This one appeared in the Austin-American Statesman (my sister Beth lives in Austin and responded to the paper after noticing a request that people with relatives in London please let them know-- local angle always important!). Not a New Yorker, though, as the article states... Read the article.

Front Page News

2005-07-08T12:13:00.000+01:00

The N&O interviewed me on the phone yesterday. Read the article.

Yes, I am OK

2005-07-07T16:04:00.000+01:00

First, I owe thanks to each of you for your emails, prayers, and concern. I really appreciate your wanting to make sure that I was safe today.

I'm back at home, finally, after quite an odd day... This morning, instead of leaving my dorm at the usual time of 8:30 a.m., I took my time, hanging out with my L'Abri friend Nicholas while he was packing up his things for his flight home to Chicago today. We left my dorm around 8:45 a.m. and discovered, upon arrival at King's Cross Station minutes later, that there was "a power outage" at King's Cross and that the station was closed. We were directed to take the tube from Euston Station, a few blocks away down the road. Of course, hundreds of other people were headed that way as well. At Euston, Nick and I managed to slowly navigate our way underground, parting ways at the junction of the Northern Line. "Good," I thought, "I'll be getting to work around 9:15 a.m. and Nick should have plenty of time to make his way to Heathrow." Moments before arriving at Platform 6, servicing the eastbound Northern Line, an announcement over the P.A. system stated and repeated over and over: "Because of an emergency, this station is being evacuated. Please make your way toward the exits." Interesting... Everyone was calm; we just figured it had something to do with the power outage up the way at King's Cross. Outside Euston, everyone was trying to catch a bus to work. I figured out I needed to take the 205 to Old Street and stood, waiting patiently, among a crowd of people with the same dilemma. I broke out my iPod, kept my eyes peeled for 205. Then I heard a loud thunderclap. "Was that an explosion?" I thought. No one seemed to know. Besides, why would it be? Buses meanwhile were becoming overcrowded. One newer bus, the extra long kind, accidentally tore off its back turn signal cover as it crashed into a parked vehicle right in front of me. A crowded mess now of buses and people. Then, another announcement, repeated: "Please calmly evacuate the area. Bus service has been suspended." Great, how were we all going to get to work? Further out from Euston, confused about how I should get around the roads that were by this point all being roped off, I recognized a girl who looked my age from the crowd of people waiting for the 205 bus. Jana, a German student interning at a law firm this summer, was likewise at a loss for what to do; so we bonded (we learned later that we live around the corner from each other!). People around us were realizing they couldn't get cell phone service and that the networks were down... After being herded in various directions as police officers closed off more streets, and after being nearly plowed over by a police car screaming by, Jana and I finally managed to make our way down to Russell Square, where we hoped we could take another tube line or catch a different bus. At a street corner, we caught our first glimpse of what was going on, peeking into a hotel lobby window to watch live coverage on BBC the situation at hand. "Six bomb blasts... numerous casualties... fatalities." This was serious. Jana and I found a payphone, used calling cards to call home, and ran into an Irish woman named Tanya who seemed really shaken (she had taken both the Northern Line tube and the bus before being order to exit the bus in the middle of a random street). The three of us located a nearby hotel to stop into to watch more on the news. So, I've been at a random hotel pretty much all day watching the news, staying put, as the people there and the newscasters said to do. The thunderclap I hear earlier, I learned, was either the bomb blast at King's Cross or that of the bus that was hit. As for me, I'm fine, not shaken too much, just grateful to be alive still. The timing of my being able to exit Euston and my meeting Jana and Tanya was Providential, I believe. And if any of you are wondering, the British citizens I encountered today were remarkably calm about all this. Also, I was impressed as well by the helpfulness of the British public safely officers, both in and outside of the rail stations. Of course, today is the one day I didn't take anything I really needed, like a London map or my A-Z street guide or the phone numbers of loved ones... Thanks again to each of you who sent emails and posted in response to Nate's message (and thank you, Nate, for passing along news of my well being). Please continue to keep the city of London in your thoughts and prayers-- as I type, police cars are still flying by.

Rebecca OK

2005-07-07T12:42:00.000+01:00

London was hit today with what appears to be terrorist attacks. I have heard from Rebecca via email that she was about to get on the train this morning to go to work when it was evacuated. She is safe in a random hotel for now. Please keep her in your prayers, as well as all those in London.

London Wins!

2005-07-06T14:59:00.000+01:00

London Wins! Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

This just in: London has won the bid for the the 2012 Olympics!! This city is going nuts!

A Welcome Reminder of the Truth

2005-07-06T10:56:00.000+01:00

Well, today is my third day on the job. For those who may not know, I'm interning this summer with Peppercom (www.peppercom.com), a public relations firm with offices in NYC, San Fran, and London. The UK office (located in the Hoxton district of the city) is incredibly laid back, with only five or six people, many of whom work from home two or three days per week. There's a fully-stocked kitchen that you can raid anytime, and the boss' two dogs chill in the office while we work. I'm one of three interns this summer-- the two others are undergrad guys from NYC. These last few days have been somewhat confusing as I've had some lengthy phone interviews about full-time positions back in the States after my summer ends. Admittedly, these last two days, I've felt really anxious as I've made myself stressed out over the impending decision regarding what kind of job I want... With the arrival yesterday evening of a friend from L'Abri and thanks to a certain individual's advice-filled emails, though, I was reminded of the truth: that my steps truly are in His hands. A L'Abri-like conversation over dinner last night likewise reminded me of all that I learned while at L'Abri and with Nate in Ireland that I had too easily forgotten these last few days. With what really matters back in mind, I feel much better and much lighter. p.s. Despite the fact that no one in England recognizes the Fourth of July, I had fun on a boat cruise along the Thames Monday night with a bunch of Americans my age! Hope each of you had a pleasant holiday.

Works Well With Others? : 1 2 3 4 5

2005-07-05T23:34:00.000+01:00

I have been out shooting three days now, and finally had today to take a breather. I met with various members of our group so we could all get on the same page about what the story is and how we're going to tell it. I think the biggest challenge so far has been that we all have different ideas about how to do things, and various levels of experience and skill. Those trained at UNC (myself and the designer) know how our director Rich wants things to be, but the others do not, and apparently have not been told. Things like, we absolutely have to have names of all the people in the photos, unless it is totally impossible. Today was a bit frustrating as I realized we were all lacking bits of important information. For instance, I just learned from the designer today that the enter site is going to be about "The Ancient Way" or traditional ways of doing things that are changing or dying out. For me personally, I also struggle with knowing how and when to step in, as a leader, and help guide things. With this group, that is not a very easy thing to do. So I am surprised that the challenges with this project are not in photography, but in working with others. I think for today, I'll give myself a 3 or 4, but of course I am aiming for the 5. You may view a rough edit of about 30 images from the 3 day festival in Sabucedo. I am shooting one more festival this weekend and then will pretty much be done shooting, although I will keep shooting other things on my own.

Rapa Das Bestas

2005-07-03T21:25:00.000+01:00

At 5pm Friday I was told I would be leaving the next day to cover a traditional festival called "Rapa Das Bestas" (that's a Galician term for Shaving the Beasts). It started in the Bronze age when people lived out among the wild horses, and would shave their manes and tails in the summer to keep them cooler. But now it's a tradition, where people from small villages gather horses from the mountains then herd them into the town where they tackle each horse and remove their hair. As you can imagine it gets quite wild in the ring and I'm happy to say that I'm still alive, even though I was in there with them today! It is going to turn into a great story, I think, as we continue gathering content (photos and audio) from various other villages that do the Rapa Das Bestas. I am working with a Galician student, Jessica, who does audio and a graphic designer and infographics person. The good news is, our deadline to have all the photos turned in is July 17, so I will have some free time in Spain! Look for more photos once I have more free time. I shot over 1,000 the first day, but I'm going on a 250/day diet from now on. Now I'm headed to bed because we're up early again tomorrow.

Afternoon in Greenwich

2005-07-02T23:56:00.000+01:00

Afternoon in Greenwich
Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

I met up today in Greenwich with Alice Hall (cousin of Elspeth Hamilton from Grace Community Church in Chapel Hill), Alice's husband Matthew, and their friends Richard and Sarah. Greenwich is east of the city and is home of the Old Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, the Cutty Sark (an impressive tall ship docked in the harbor), and an awesome Saturday market. Greenwich's other claim to fame is its location, at zero degrees longitude, along the Prime Meridian. In my mind, making the day trip to Greenwich is one of the earliest memories that I have of visiting London for the first time as a kid, so it was neat to go back years later and tour it again. With regard to the Prime Meridan, located on a hill overlooking the city, my family has a great photo of me, my brother, and my sister, lined up shortest to tallest, straddling the two hemispheres. I took the time to reenact the photo again (see attachment)! Alice & Co. and I had a great afternoon together. It was nice to be in the company with just Brits. We toured the museums, strolled around the market, and enjoyed lunch at a traditional East End pie & mash restaurant. Later, we returned to the city of London and enjoyed drinks just along the bank by Tower Bridge, in an area of town called Butlers Wharf. There, we discussed all sorts of things: the differences between Britain and America with regard to currency, economic trends, health insurance, retirement plans, mortgage schemes, tax breaks; slang for all sorts of terms; public relations; religion; L'Abri; plays and picnics; and other random topics. I learned some Welsh and some more British vocabulary. After dinner at a local pizza place, I caught a glimpse of the sunset over the Thames just before ducking underground for the tube home. I'm hoping to join Alice and Matt tomorrow for church in north London and enjoy another free day before I start work on Monday.

Safe in Santiago

2005-07-01T00:39:00.000+01:00

After a delayed flight (6 for 6!), I arrived in Santiago Thursday afternoon without a hitch. Caught the bus into town, found some directions to my dorm and was able to check in a day early. The room is quite nice, with lots of light from a skylight sort of thing that I can swing open to let in air. The photo is a view from my room if I stick my head out. That cathedral is one of the most beautiful I've seen. La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is still my favorite though.

For those who may not know, I am here in Spain for a summer school class through UNC, in collaboration with the University here and one in Chile. We're doing multimedia storytelling, and I'm on the photography team (though I hope to participate some with the multimedia team). When it's over at the end of this month we'll have produced a site much like the one from last year (chiloestories.org). The rest of the group (including students from Chile) does not arrive until Friday afternoon, so I've just been exploring the city and catching up on fun stuff, like posting photos from Ireland! (there's a link on the side, or you can view the photos here .)

Settled in London

2005-06-30T19:21:00.000+01:00

Settled in my flat in London! Was sad to part ways with Nathan this morning, but have had a great first day to make up for it. I'm living this summer in N1, the district in London that near's King's Cross/St. Pancras tube station, near the British Museum. I'm in a single room with my own bath in a University College London dorm with five or six other flatmates. And I love it, no more use for Internet cafes-- got the Internet hookup in my room! I'm going to spend tomorrow exploring my neighborhood and refamiliarizing myself with the city. I can't decide yet if living in London will be more or less demanding than NYC was last summer. One thing is for sure, it's not nearly as hot!

Dublin Farewell

2005-06-29T22:11:00.000+01:00

Well, Nate and I have been all over the country! Since last we posted, we enjoyed an amazing sunset atop the Cliffs of Moher in western Ireland, drove through Ennis, Limerick and Cork, and spent last night exploring Kinsale, a tiny coastal town in the south. Today we drove through Waterford (home of the crystal!), stopped in Greystones, another fishing village for chips and Guinness, and had to deal with horrendous Dublin traffic to return our car. Tonight we're enjoying our last pints of Guinness and Kilkenny around Temple Bar in Dublin. We're sad to leave each other tomorrow, but excited for our upcoming adventures in London and Santiago.

On a different note, many thanks to all who have contributed through the 'Want to help us out?' link! (Please email us, though, if you've contributed-- we have no way of knowing our sponsors). Look for a link to complete Ireland photos soon! In the meantime, cheers from the two of us.

7 Million People in Ireland, 1 Photo Professor

2005-06-28T13:37:00.000+01:00

Maybe the Irish are lucky, as the legend goes. We've definitely experienced enough of Irish luck to wonder if it's luck, or something bigger. Yesterday we drove all around the Connemara region, north of Galway. Beautiful rolling hills, rocky terrain and narrow little roads that afforded the left side of our car some close and personal time with the wildflowers lining the narrow roads. The timing of things continues to be perfect, along with the weather (blue skies,70 degrees with no humidity). With everything going so well, we were hardly surprised (yet greatly elated) to look over while driving past a wide spot in the road to see Pat Davison, my photography professor at UNC, grabbing a camera out of his rental car. We quickly pulled over and walked up to where Pat and his family were admiring the beautiful view of the Atlantic and had a wonderful half-hour reunion before we each continued on our way. Driving away, Rebecca and I were glowing and remarked how so many tiny things, like me pulling over for a 10-minute nap on the side of the road, had to happen in order for us to have noticed Pat and his family on the side of a remote road in Ireland. I knew he was going to be here, and hoped we'd run into him, but I feel so blessed to have enjoyed such a wonderful encounter. I still can hardly believe it. To add a sense of reality (I don't want all the blog readers to think this trip has been without its difficulties), Rebecca and I did miss dinner last night and ended up with a liquid diet of Guinness and pub crisps, as well as some doggy-like treats called Bacon Bites (with "real bacon taste"). The sun doesn't set until about 10:30 p.m. every night, and even after that it stays pretty light until 11 p.m. But we're trying to remember to eat at a normal time, like 6 p.m.

First Day in Ireland

2005-06-27T11:16:00.000+01:00

First Day in Ireland Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

An amazing day. Staying with Dave was "awesome!" (a word he got such a kick out of!). Wes, Nate and I went to church at Dave's church (York Street Presbyterian in Dun Laoghaire, just south of Dublin). Get this-- the guy serving as the interim pastor was from Birmingham, AL, too! Small world. Wes, Nate and I parted ways with Dave and headed back up to Dublin, where we went to the Guinness Storehouse and had a blast. To my disbelief, saying I had worked for Diageo last summer, etc., was enough magic to get the three of us in, ahead of an hour-long line of people outside the Storehouse. After enjoying our pints and doing some damage at the gift shop, Nate and I said our farewell to Wes and went to the Dublin Airport, where we picked up our car and were on our way headed west, all the way to Galway and beyond! I swear, hours were stretched out on our behalf, because even though we felt a bit pressed for time in Dublin this afternoon, we managed to do all that we wanted, drop Wes off perfectly on time to meet up with Dave, and reach the airport exactly when we had scheduled to pick up our car. Nate did an excellent job driving on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road. The Midlands of Ireland is mainly flat, with rolling hills and a few lakes. We stopped at one point on the side of the road and picked up the behhhhst strawberries, from Wexford. Attached is a photo taken in Galway City, on the western edge of Ireland, just before sunset. Nate and I ate dinner by one of the canals, along with a ton of Irish hippies. We left Galway right about the time of sunset, which was incredibly dramatic. We couldn't believe it, the sun was setting, taking the whole expanse of the sky, at 9:30 p.m.-- the day felt wonderfully long.

Guinness for Strength

2005-06-27T11:04:00.000+01:00

Guinness for Strength Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

The Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse affords a 360-degree view of Dublin and your very own perfectly poured pint. Not pictured are the two irreverent Budweiser drinkers, who shocked and appalled our sensibilities. Oh well-- we later found out that Guinness brews Bud for most of Europe. Cheers to more black pints to come.

nathan & rebecca

Our Steps are in His Hands

2005-06-27T11:00:00.000+01:00

Our Steps are in His Hands Originally uploaded by nathanclendenin. Just like the road trip through Mexico last summer, it feels as if God has bestowed extra grace into every detail of the trip. Leaving London included a leisurely morning and a bus or taxi ride (unintentionally) past all the major sites we would have wanted to see, like Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral. Other little things that make big differences kept happening all day. We'd arrive at the train station to get a ride to the airport and the next train would be leaving in 5 minutes, the one after it not for another 40 minutes. Our flight to Dublin was delayed 20 minutes (I'm 4/4 on delayed flights so far!), but we still arrived in front of Trinity College to meet our hose Dave Freeburn (pictured) just a few minutes late. Dave ended up being the perfect host. He was quite chill, super friendly, and very funny. We spent the night at his flat next to the church where he serves as the youth leader. Another guest of his, Wes from Birmingham, AL was also there (random?!) and so we all got fish and chips down by the bay and then I experienced my first pint of Guinness in its natural environs (They say it tastes better in Ireland, and I think I agree. It's not totally different such that I'll never enjoy a pint again in the U.S.though). True to its nature, the Guinness nurtured conversation between new acquaintances that covered a range of topics from theology in the south to old 80's music and of course U2 (the reason we stayed with Dave was because we emailed random Presbyterian churches asking for lodging due to the fact that Bono and the crew are playing three concerts over the weekend and everything is booked. Wes saw them Friday night). The night ended with a jam session with me and Dave on guitar playing hits from Freebird to Smells like Teen Spirit. It was quite a welcome to Ireland. And whether things are working out with amazingly perfect timing or I've been delayed and in search of my bag, I will remember that my steps are in His hands.

Final Thoughts on L'Abri

2005-06-25T12:39:00.000+01:00

Final Thoughts on L'Abri Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

Nathan finally arrived at L'Abri, on the last train Thursday night! Our last day at L'Abri was great, but bittersweet. Everyone Friday was happy to finally meet Nate but sad to see us go. Luckily before we left, I met with Dawn one last time, and Nate and I joined a morning poetry reading group and a good lunch discussion at Wade and Chryse Bradshaw's house about why we all sometimes zone out during sermons. English L'Abri will always be a special place to me. As I signed my farewell in the guestbook yesterday, I was struck by the difficulty of putting my thanks into words. I wrote, though, that I think the most refreshing and comforting thing coming away from L'Abri is to know that I don't have to have it "together" as a Christian and that there's no point in pretending. It was so awesome to be among people these last three weeks who understand that while God meets us wherever we are, in whatever struggles we have, with whatever weaknesses we have, we should as well, to whoever. And, of course, the experience of living in community was really neat. I am appreciative of the fact that I gained so much insight into myself, allowing needed healing and restoration to happen. Three weeks, though, only whet my appetite. I could stand to listen to more tapes, etc., but I'm really excited about Ireland! Looking forward to showing Nate around Dublin and exploring the countryside together.

30 hours of travel

2005-06-25T11:37:00.000+01:00

barcelona airport At 3:30pm Wednesday I hopped in the car with my housemate Rachel, bound for RDU airport, fresh, excited and eager to kick off the trip. Arriving at the terminal, the automatic check-in did not have my information. A minor hiccup having something to do with United and US Air not communicating. So I boarded the plane and we were then informed that due to bad weather in Philadelphia, my connection to London, we had to wait to take off. I was supposed to take off at 6pm, and we didn't leave the ground until 7pm. The flight went ok although we went out of the way to avoid more weather. As we landed around 8:00pm , all of us stared out the window at a line of about 30 or more planes lined up to take off. The captain then informed us that because of a wind change all the planes were trying to get to the other side of the airport to take off, and it was a total disaster of a traffic jam. We sat on the plane, moving inches at a time, for over 2 hours until we finally reached the gate. By the time I got off the plane around 10pm my connecting flight to London had long left the gate(and was probably still sitting on the runway in the traffic jam). Because the delay was due to weather, I was informed that they would not provide lodging. I opted for a flight through Barcelona that night, which put me into into Barcelona at 2pm (local time). My flight was set to leave on British Airways to London at 6:30pm, but guess what? Delayed. So I hung out in the Barcelona Airport all day, not having enough time to go into town and enjoy a coffee at a cafe and I didn't leave until after 8pm. At this point I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to catch any trains to L'abri since I would be getting in late. And I was also beginning to wonder if my checked bag would ever catch up with me. I got into Heathrow around 10pm, caught the last bus to the train station at Woking where I caught to last train that put me into Liss at 1pm. Rebecca and a l'abri mate Fiona met me at the train and we then walked the 2 miles to the Manor House in the dark. I was so glad to just finally "be" somewhere, and not waiting at an airport. (I'll let Rebecca fill in our time at English L'abri). After sleeping a few hours I woke on Friday to a beautiful day! I made some calls to US Air about my bag and they directed me to British Airways, whose number would not work. I was beginning to get worried about my bag, because we were leaving for Ireland today (saturday). So we left L'abri and headed to Gatwick airport to sort it out. I talked to a bunch of people, nobody seemed to know anything. I was about to leave and try again on Saturday (today), but the angel at the help desk, Mary, asked me, "Are you sure you've been helped enough?" I told her I didn't know what else to do but asked her for a different number for British Airways. She connected me to their office in the Airport where I got a new number to call, and I happened to ask her to check my lost baggage report. She said, "I've got your bag". I shouted and told her I'd be right there! So after much worry I had my bag and headed into London to meet a friend I know through the L'abri, Laura. I am at her place now with Rebecca and we're making plans to get to the airport and head off to Ireland! We're supposed to stay with a random Presbyterian youth leader I emailed after not finding anywhere to stay in Dublin due to the U2 concert this weekend. So stay tuned for that adventure and tales of driving on the wrong side of the road.

Selborne

2005-06-23T14:54:00.001+01:00

Selborne Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

Next to the last day at L'Abri. Nathan's arrival time has been delayed until late tonight (he's in Barcelona at the moment), so I and a few others walked to Selborne today on our day off. It was great. We took what's called 'The Foot Path,' which passes through gorgeous fields. Of course, we encountered plenty of goats, cows, horses and sheep along the way. Selborne is a sleepy little town known for its tea room and pottery shop. After ice cream, we walked around a bit. I've attached a photo of the church there, St. Mary's. I'm really looking forward to having Nathan here tonight and tomorrow to share in the experience of English L'Abri and life at the Manor House.

Gearing Up

2005-06-21T07:37:00.000+01:00

I've been absent from the blog, since Rebecca got a head start on the summer travels. Since school let out in early May it seems like I've been working frantically to get ready to leave this summer. Now it's almost here and I am getting very excited. My room is a disaster, I haven't started packing and I've got plenty left to do, but it will all get done. I am very excited to see Rebecca, and visit her at L'abri for a day and meet the people she's been with the past few weeks. I am also very excited for some discussion over meals. I miss that most from my time at Swiss L'abri back in 2002. And speaking of, I ran into a worker who was at L'abri while I was there with Trevor. Her name is Joey and was in town for the wedding celebration of her old roommate, the bride of one of our church members, Andy Pennock. It's a small world. I wonder who else I will run into in the next two months?

Faith in the Wind

2005-06-18T21:09:00.000+01:00

Today was a beautiful, one of a kind, gloriously sunny day. I spent the morning gardening again, but this time—-with blisters and nettle stings as proof—-I felt the frustration of intense weeding. Our lunch discussion today was slow-going, but interesting. We discussed the concept of conscience—- whether we inherently know right from wrong, or whether it is (exclusively or partially) learned from our upbringing and/or our environment. This, of course, forced us to grapple with a number of other issues and ideas, which eclipsed the original question (having to do with an entirely different subject); and thereafter, the discussion became very convoluted. So goes a lunch table discussion at L’Abri... My time, though, with Dawn this afternoon was different. 'Clarity' is the word that comes to mind. Sitting out back on the grass, in shorts and in the sunshine, we discussed a number of things. I am grateful for the ease with which Dawn and I are able to relate, for she sees through me, to my needs or fears at heart of each of my questions or concerns or struggles, and meets me exactly where I am, suggesting chapters from books, names of tapes, poems—- all things she knows (and to think, she barely knows me!) will speak to me in a profound way. And they do. This being my last session with Dawn, I felt the need to ask 'the L’Abri question,' the question most students who come here inevitably ask: 'so how do you know Christianity is the truth?' For me, I needed to hear a response, and from someone who, like myself, was raised by Christian parents. How did she know? How did she believe, apart from her upbringing? Dawn has probably been asked this question countless times, but today, she paused, like she needed to carefully take time to think before giving her response. I appreciated this, as I know I would have discounted an instant, canned 'L’Abri Worker' answer. Dawn’s answer was interesting: confident, yet humble. She fleshed it out carefully, and slowly. 'Well,' she said, 'on this earth, we can only have sufficient knowledge of things, or a sufficient understanding of truth, not a comprehensive or ultimate understanding.' We discussed this idea. Dawn added, 'I cannot know, 100%, that what I believe is the truth, simply because I cannot see it, cannot touch it, cannot contain it or control it. But I can have sufficient knowledge and then let go, and believe, on faith, that it’s true.' We discussed this even further. 'You cannot prove that Nate, for instance, loves you, and I cannot prove that Peter loves me,' Dawn said. 'But you trust, and thereby believe, that Nate, or anyone for that matter, does love you when they say they do. You can have pointers and you can have faithfulness as 'proof,' as we know it; but when it comes down to it, you cannot prove that your boyfriend, or your friends, or your parents, or God, or whoever, loves you. You can only believe on faith and in trust.' An awesome response, I thought. 'So why Christianity and not some other religion?' I furthered. I already knew my answer, but I felt it worth asking. Dawn answered, 'Christianity reflects the reality of this world, the reality of the brokenness of this world. It gives us answers that no other religion can, answers that deal with our brokenness.' And I added, 'In other words, as John Stott says,' only the figure of Jesus deals with our sin.' Thinking back on Dawn's response about belief in things unseen, I was reminded of a passage of Edith Schaffer’s that I read this week in her book 'L’Abri,' which, incidentally, tells an amazing story. God is like the wind. You can see trees around you blowing, you can see and even feel the effects of the wind, but you cannot see the wind. Faith is simply believing that the wind exists.

Practical Matters

2005-06-18T07:51:00.000+01:00

Practical Matters Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

To give you an idea, a typical day at L'Abri is half work, half study. It's amazing how smoothly the community functions, with everyone assuming responsibility for one or two duties each day and doing his/her little bit to help. I choose to do my assigned chore(s) in the morning, then spend the afternoon reading, listening to audio tapes, journaling, etc. Usually, I have indoor chores, like helping prepare the lunch meal, cleaning the Manor House, or cataloging the library. Last Wednesday, though, I spent the morning transplanting 20 or so box trees from one garden bed to another, then thoroughly weeding each bed. After, Andrew Fellows, one of the workers, remarked, 'Well, when you come back in 15 years with your four or five children, you'll spot a certain hedge and be able to say, 'Look kids, I planted that!'' An exciting thought! (Four or five children, though! hmmm...) Attached is a photo of my box trees. There are four sets of families (the Fellows, with their four children; the Bradshaws, with their four children; the Pauls, with their two little boys; and the Drydens, with their son) and two single women, both in their thirties, that live on the property here. The workers take turns hosting the students for lunch and dinner discussions, and each student is matched with a worker, who serves as the student's tutor for the duration of his/her stay at L'Abri. The meals here are always hearty and satisfying, and interesting conversation on any variety of subjects always surrounds the table. One always interrupts one's morning or afternoon work/study for the tea break, accompanied by volleyball and ultimate frisbee (incidentally, by the end of the day, I've usually had at least five or six cups of tea, as tea always follows the meals as well). I've been amazed by the ethos of this place and by how the workers seek to demonstrate Christianity on a daily basis by how they open their homes and lives, sacrifice their previous income to living on donations alone, and their patience with an influx of students who come and go, term after term. Another work/study day, Day Thirteen, begins. I'm meeting with my tutor Dawn again today and am looking forward to gaining even more insight into myself, the truth, and the meaning behind things.

Back at the Manor House

2005-06-16T16:15:00.000+01:00

Back from Petersfield, where I spent the day with three other girls from L'Abri. Over lunch at a local pub, where we were greeted at our booth by the resident cat, we had a very open conversation about our lives thus far, our renewals of faith, and our struggles in believing. For me, my time here at L'Abri has allowed a much-needed questioning and strengthening of the childhood religion on which I was raised and, admittedly, neglected somewhat in college. I feel I've gained a lot of insight into who I am, what I believe, what doubts and fears I still struggle with, why Christians and non-Christians I know are the way they are and how that has influenced me, etc. Anyway, today's weather cleared, but I decided against leaving early for Liss for a trip to Selborne. We spent over an hour at the Petersfield bookstore, among 30,000 books. We also visited St. Peter's church in Petersfield's town square. Katie Pennock, whose brother I know from Grace Community Church in Chapel Hill (!), and I took the train back to Liss and walked back to the Manor House. We talked a long time. The people I've met here are amazingly honest and open about their lives and their struggles, and I have found I have been able to be so myself, without feeling threat of judgement from anyone. No wonder this place was given a name that means 'shelter.' Apologies for no photos-- we're having server issues here, so I've been unable to upload them to this blog.

Petersfield

2005-06-16T11:35:00.000+01:00

It's Thursday, my day off from life at L'Abri. I'm actually typing from the local library in Petersfield, the nearest 'city' to the Manor House. Rain is drizzling... we're going to walk around for a bit, enjoy coffee (I've had a bit too much tea at L'Abri!), and visit Petersfield's famous bookshop of 'old books.' Then, I might try to catch the train back to Liss, walk the two miles back to the Manor House, then meet up with some other folks to walk to Selborne for tea and to visit a pottery shop there. Hopefully the weather will clear this afternoon. A post of 'Practical Matters at L'Abri' is forthcoming.

A Glorious Ruin

2005-06-12T16:01:00.001+01:00

A Glorious Ruin Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

L'Abri is a wonderful place. The longer I am here, the more clearly I see the ruins of my brokenness. But I am likewise amazed, on a daily basis, to discover the assurance of being restored by God. Thanks to my tutor Dawn,with whom I shared a lengthy conversation over coffee yesterday, I learned a very significant fact about myself. This was not something I learned during our conversation, but only after, when Dawn pointed me to two tapes: a series on 'Attachment' and 'Detachment.' I am a slave to the idols of my heart, especially to my relationships, my need for control, my tendency toward perfectionism, my approval-seeking nature. These are all things I have thought 'Oh yeah, these I easily worship, no big deal.' Yesterday, though, I was floored by their strength over my life. C.S. Lewis suggests this world is 'a glorious ruin'-- a beautiful, broken, stately, fragile, depraved, and overflowing place all at once. So are we as humans, without a doubt. Attached are two photos: one of the ruins of a small church behind the Manor House, and another of 'The Green Door,' which leads to the road to Greatham.

Lunch Picnic

2005-06-09T07:45:00.000+01:00

Lunch Picnic Originally uploaded by rfolmar.

The highlight of Day Three was lunch. I was assigned, along with three others, the morning chore of helping prepare the lunch meal: Toad in the Hole with mashed potatoes with onion gravy, green beans, and a peach yogurt concoction for dessert. Making Toad in the Hole was interesting to say the least! It's a British dish -- sausages set artistically in a batter, then baked -- that, when done, resembles America's Pigs in A Blanket...sort of. Of course making the dish for 20 was a task, and we had to remake the batter three times! Long story. Attached is a photo of the picnic blanket I spread out for my small group to enjoy lunch outside. The weather yesterday was beautiful-- a sunny (and surprisingly warm!) English day. I ate lunch with a group of 7 girls, and the topic of conversation that came out of nowhere related to Francis Schaeffer's letters-- how Schaeffer had the ability to meet people at their problems and struggles, without being condescending yet without offering apology either for expressing his beliefs and viewpoints in answering their concerns. This led us to the topic of mass communication in general, which excited me. We discussed how the art of letter writing is a dying one, and how courtship by letters is a rarity now among romantic relationships. We discussed why our communication techniques have changed over time and the pros and cons of these changes. It was all really interesting. The conversation took a turn when we got on the topic of people sending mass emails or newsletters (even blogs!) to friends to give updates on life, etc. Edith, one of the L'Abri workers, made the point that we only broadcast, in a sense, our accomplishments and never our struggles; yet, we, as humans, can really only relate to one another in our struggles and weaknesses, not in our perfections. I felt convicted. Here I am guilty this summer, in fact, of posting to a blog site about the happenings of my summer, thereby maintaining the performance-based aspect of any of my relationships. And in life, I admit I am likewise guilty of being more willing to tell of the positives than I am willing to admit any weakness or struggle. And as a result, I am perhaps upping the ante on people's expectations of me... I think we are all guilty of this perhaps. In a sense, we are doing ourselves a disservice by not allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to one another --we can only grow, as Edith pointed out, in being vulnerable. And so I admit that it's one of my struggles for me sometimes to be real, broken, and in need with you all. I felt a change in myself yesterday in realizing this.

Day Three at English L'Abri

2005-06-08T07:33:00.000+01:00

Day three at L'Abri begins... This place is really neat. It's located in a little town in Hampshire called Greatham and consists of a large manor house and several outlying buildings (the old well house and pump house, the old schoolhouse, the manor's stables). These are where several families live. They have us in their homes for lunch and dinner, and the dinnertable is rich with discussion, wherever it takes us. We all eat breakfast together in the manor house, which begins shortly, in fact. I'm in a room with 7 girls. One of my roommates is from Birmingham, AL, while the others are from England, Australia, Singapore, Hungary, and elsewhere in the U.S. The people here are interesting and authentic. At L'Abri, there's an audio collection library and a regular library, and one's day consists of half work/half study-- study on whatever you like. Of course, we take tea breaks at least two or three times a day, while we play volleyball or throw the frisbee. Intellectually, I'm beginning to eat up my time here-- yesterday I started listening to tapes and reading. I listened to a really good tape on 'How to believe in Jesus in a multifaith society?' and another on 'The importance of questioning.' It's funny, I came here with a few things in mind, but in less than a day or two, it's like my eyes have been opened to wanting to explore even more. Today I'm going to study Forgiveness-- forgiveness from God and forgiveness of others. I haven't been assigned a tutor yet, but will be soon. Apologies in advance for infrequent posts these next two weeks. I'm purposely avoiding checking email, signing on the Internet, etc., but will pop in every once in a while. p.s. Yesterday I held in my hands a day-old kitten, belonging to one of the families' cats! It was as big as one of my hands, fully covered in fur, but without its eyes open yet. A wonderful thing for sure!

Rebecca Off!

2005-06-06T18:06:00.000+01:00

I dropped Rebecca off at ATL International today. Surprisingly it wasn't sad because I'll be meeting her in London in less than three weeks! We both remarked at how blessed we are and how amazing this summer will be.

Rebecca Off! Originally uploaded by nathanclendenin

Night Before Rebecca's Departure

2005-06-05T07:32:00.000+01:00

Hours away from crossing the pond. Nathan is taking me to the Atlanta airport tomorrow for my direct flight to London Gatwick. Once there, I'll take a train to southwestern England, then find the rest of my way by foot to the doorstep of the Manor House, aka English L'Abri (L'Abri Website | English L'Abri Website). I'll be at L'Abri for the next two-and-a-half weeks, and I'm going to try my best to leave the world behind for a while. In other words, I'm going to try to purposely avoid any magnetism to telephones, e-mail, etc., and instead dive into the Manor House's library of texts and audio tapes. Nathan asked me tonight about my expectations regarding L'Abri (he admitted he had some of his own before studying at the Swiss branch for two months back in '02). I answered that really I think my expectations are positive ones, considering I've encountered, since meeting Nate, a handful of other Christians who have had only good things to say about their time at various branches. We'll see. I do have some topics/questions in mind which I'll be excited to further explore. I think, most of all, I'm looking forward to discussion time around the dinnertable in the evenings. One can't beat hearty debate over a homecooked supper! In the middle-of-nowhere, England, to boot! Cheers to that.

Summer Travels

2005-06-05T06:12:00.000+01:00

Since we're both going to be all over the place this summer we figured this would be the best way to let everyone keep in touch with us. We will both have pretty regular Internet access most of the time so we should be able to update something every day or so. Both Rebecca and Nathan will be submitting posts, and you can see whose post is who's by the credit given at the end of each new post. Feel free to leave comments on our posts by clicking the "Comments" link. We'd love to hear what you all are up to as well, so please keep in touch with us by email! In the meantime, enjoy exploring the world vicariously!
-Nathan & Rebecca