Well, since I last wrote I have actually moved. It is lovely to be so close to the prayer room…it only takes 4 minutes, and I still have people giving me lifts if it’s raining (which is nice because heavy rain is capable of getting you pretty wet even if it’s only a short walk).
Sat her in my nice room I am feeling a bit culture shocked though. Today it suddenly hit me again… it’s weird how culture shock does that, hits you at different times. I’ll be totally fine and then I’ll be close to tears, like I am writing this.
I had such a lovely afternoon today. I met up with a few friends from Commission and we went to Panera for lunch. It was so nice to catch up and just hang out. I came home and went to do my laundry, which is tricky because it means going into the flat in the cellar and it feels strange to walk into someone else’s home. And so that just got me all insecure in how to go about the whole thing. I did get my washing on in the end and now it’s in the dryer on this great setting called “auto dry”, which means it’ll stop when it senses that the clothes are dry. Very practical! And I even had a nice little chat with one of the girls downstairs too.
And now I’m sat here, having totally embraced the American diet by eating toasted waffles. Basically I bought a box of waffles and they sit in the freezer and when I want one I just pop it in the toaster (which by the way “defrosts before toasting”) and then it’s ready. Drizzle a little of “Aunt Jemima’s Pancake and Waffle Syrup” over it and there you go, a whole little (not so healthy, but tasty) snack. My hit of culture shock has passed, for now. I have a quiche in the oven baking away. I’m going with a friend of mine to some thing tomorrow afternoon and we’re to bring a side- dish, and so I thought a quiche might be nice (I am not quiet sure what they mean by a “side-dish” but I kind of figured it was something to have on the side of a more main dish). Baking is very therapeutic (as my good friend Avisi would agree with me on).
In the season of Halloween there is something called “haunted houses”, which apparently is very big here in Kansas City (maybe beyond also, I don’t know seeing as my complete USA experience is this place alone). IHOP-KC has an evangelistic outreach to those who go to these houses and have their own house, which is as I have understood it about real life “hell” situations. And we do surveys (well I say “we” but I haven’t actually done it yet) and get conversations going about God and life. My point being that I am going along tonight. I don’t know what it’ll be like, but my good friend Rosanne is going, so we’ll check it out together.
And tomorrow I’m going to Spanish class. Last week I met with Rosanne for coffee and we were chatting and both wanting to learn Spanish, but not really knowing how or really being motivated to do serious research into how to learn it. Then the next day (I think it was the next day) Rosanne ends up talking to a guy who says they offer beginner Spanish classes at a local church every Saturday morning for free. How cool is that!! So tomorrow we’re going. I wonder how much my Portuguese will help me, or if it’ll end up being in the way and I’ll mix them up. We’ll see.
Sat her in my nice room I am feeling a bit culture shocked though. Today it suddenly hit me again… it’s weird how culture shock does that, hits you at different times. I’ll be totally fine and then I’ll be close to tears, like I am writing this.
I had such a lovely afternoon today. I met up with a few friends from Commission and we went to Panera for lunch. It was so nice to catch up and just hang out. I came home and went to do my laundry, which is tricky because it means going into the flat in the cellar and it feels strange to walk into someone else’s home. And so that just got me all insecure in how to go about the whole thing. I did get my washing on in the end and now it’s in the dryer on this great setting called “auto dry”, which means it’ll stop when it senses that the clothes are dry. Very practical! And I even had a nice little chat with one of the girls downstairs too.
And now I’m sat here, having totally embraced the American diet by eating toasted waffles. Basically I bought a box of waffles and they sit in the freezer and when I want one I just pop it in the toaster (which by the way “defrosts before toasting”) and then it’s ready. Drizzle a little of “Aunt Jemima’s Pancake and Waffle Syrup” over it and there you go, a whole little (not so healthy, but tasty) snack. My hit of culture shock has passed, for now. I have a quiche in the oven baking away. I’m going with a friend of mine to some thing tomorrow afternoon and we’re to bring a side- dish, and so I thought a quiche might be nice (I am not quiet sure what they mean by a “side-dish” but I kind of figured it was something to have on the side of a more main dish). Baking is very therapeutic (as my good friend Avisi would agree with me on).
In the season of Halloween there is something called “haunted houses”, which apparently is very big here in Kansas City (maybe beyond also, I don’t know seeing as my complete USA experience is this place alone). IHOP-KC has an evangelistic outreach to those who go to these houses and have their own house, which is as I have understood it about real life “hell” situations. And we do surveys (well I say “we” but I haven’t actually done it yet) and get conversations going about God and life. My point being that I am going along tonight. I don’t know what it’ll be like, but my good friend Rosanne is going, so we’ll check it out together.
And tomorrow I’m going to Spanish class. Last week I met with Rosanne for coffee and we were chatting and both wanting to learn Spanish, but not really knowing how or really being motivated to do serious research into how to learn it. Then the next day (I think it was the next day) Rosanne ends up talking to a guy who says they offer beginner Spanish classes at a local church every Saturday morning for free. How cool is that!! So tomorrow we’re going. I wonder how much my Portuguese will help me, or if it’ll end up being in the way and I’ll mix them up. We’ll see.
So, that’s a little update from me. Once the quiche and laundry are done I’d better get going. Before the “haunted house” outreach (which by the way is called “The Edge of Hell”) there’s the Friday EGS (Encounter God Service). Writing all this down I am finding that I am a wee bit busy, even if it hasn’t felt that way. I better get cracking on. Until next time.