Random Pictures and Stories...

HI

As I was writing the last post, I had mentioned that I had been writing another post, but instead got rid of that and ended up writing NOT what I had originally intended to write about. So, to finish that last post, I wanted to now post the photos that I had wanted to post. This post is now a random collection of photos from through out the past week. Especially the last one. Here they are!


Part 1:
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to take part in the Indian Festival of Colours. There are several stories that make up the history of this tradition, stemming from religion to a celebration of the season to just fun!
For me it was a really cool chance to celebrate and take part in this cultural experience. We danced, threw colours at each other, and then danced some more!
Here is more to the story, if you wanted to read up on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi

Part 2:
The Bachlorette and Wedding Shower!
Another reason to celebrate, the upcoming marriage of a really good friend! What fun we had dressing up as Bride's Maids and going to a semi-fancy restaurant to eat. Not to mention hitting up Wal-Mart after! At the restaurant, we were even placed at the table that was right in the centre as customers walked into the place... oh dear. The next day was much more relaxed, as it was the Wedding shower. That was a neat chance to talk with ladies and hear more experienced thoughts of marriage. So great to hear them pray for and bless my bride-to-be-friend too!

Oh yes. Wal-Mart.

The Wedding Shower.

 Part 3:
Lesson from inexperienced, independent student, attempting to live on her own:
Never open a container of  'charged' whipped-cream, even if it is believed to NOT have pressure inside.

A time for everything...

Hello,

I was going to write a nice cheery blog about all of these parties that I have been to in the past two days, but then I got news of the passing of two people today. One of these people I have known since I was born. And though I don't know him so well, he has been a family friend for a very long time. At this time last year, he was told he had 4 weeks to live because of severe lung cancer. Instead he lived for a whole year, even regaining the ability to continue biking again (his passion).  He recently went back to his native Austria and there he passed away. 

The second person. I have never met. But she is the mother of a very dear friend. I met this friend in Spain two years ago, and we had so many good times together. Shortly after coming home from Spain her mother was diagnosed with ALS, a disease that causes the body to slowly stop functioning, and eventually can't support itself. This afternoon I heard that she passed away.

My heart goes out to both of these families... to the daughter and sons and the husband and wife who both remain. 

Life is full of contrasts. Literally, I had already begun to write the post I intended to put online, here was the opening line, "Well, life has been pretty fun these past few days! Such happiness there is, in celebrating good things, and having some good fun with good people!"

Ironic, isn't it? Sobering and humbling. 

Life is full of lessons, and uncertainties... 

So, I will leave off with an excerpt of verses from Ecclesiastes (a book of contrasts at it's best!)

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 

A time to be born, a time to die.

A time to plant, a time to harvest.

A time to kill, and a time to heal.

A time to cry and a time to laugh

A time to cry and a time to laugh,

A time to grieve and a time to dance."

             - Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

life is BEAUTIFUL

3 weeks in...

Hello again,
As I promised in my last blog update, I would continue posting here even when I was home, so....

It's official, today I have been home already for 3 weeks! In a way, that makes me sad. But considering how quickly that time passed, I must be pretty busy!
In the last post, I had also promised to tell about moving... Now that is a big job!
The day after arriving home (even after getting home at 3:30am), I was quick to start unpacking all of my stuff because I wanted to get settled in as soon as possible. Well, I just became exhausted after that, and I guess there is STILL stuff that I am organizing, 3 weeks later! It is definitely a lot of work moving stuff around to just how I like it, organizing myself in the city (doing things like changing my address and mailing address- just to name a few things), and then seeing people! There is a lot to catch up on when one hasn't seen a friend for 6 months. I still feel like there are a lot of people I need to meet and catch up with, but it is really great to see them all. I guess, I can be thankful I don't have a job yet, so that I have time to see people! Though, I have tried (a little...) to get a job. I've handed out THREE resumes! But I think it needs more than that. You would think that between not having a job and living on my own, I would have the time to get everything that I want to done. It hasn't happened yet. But I guess I could always have a long list of things to do. I've actually been feeling in the past days that I need to intentionally set time aside to be quiet.
Well, that's one good thing about living alone, it's always quiet here!
Yes, sometimes I do feel lonely in this living situation, but it definitely already challenging me to rely more and more God and be comfortable with his presence and his presence alone.

Another good thing:
I have been a lot of places on my own lately (for example, sitting in church before the service starts) and it is so neat how many people I have met! Rather than sitting with a sister, I am free to talk with others, or they start conversations with me. Even in Tim Hortons, when I stand in line and I am on my own, I've had many more conversations with strangers. It is very cool!

I sure hope that these stories don't get boring because I'm not travelling anymore.
I think I can usually find something pretty interesting (at least for me it is!) to write about!

Gute nacht!
Christi

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