Alright, since I don't want to go to sleep (no surprises there), I'll write an update for all you interested parties.
Today was the first day of my long weekend, and it was altogether a rather pleasant day, even though the seven year old I live with did throw his dirty underwear at me and refused to tell me guten nacht when his mom asked him to. But if that's the worst thing that happens all day, there's really nothing to complain about! I slept in a bit, and then was fairly productive: laundry, emails, reading, translating. Translating is slow going, but I decided that at least for now, until I get more proficient with the vocabulary of international conflict and globalization, the best thing is to type up the whole chapter and paste it into google to get the basic picture. Then I'm working out the details and funny wordings with an online dictionary. Then, as time allows, I'm going back through with an eye for vocab, trying to get a feel for the German version of the information so that I'll sort of be able to follow class. It's a pretty entertaining process, actually, but it does take hours. I'm having a great time with the vocabulary though. For instance, did you know that sowjetunion is NOT the German phrase for "when pigs fly," but is actually the name of the Former Eastern European super power? Yup. 'Tis true. :) See? With homework this fun, who needs hobbies!
There is an older Swiss woman named Sylvia in my literature class who had a coffee factory in the Congo from the 1960s until the 1990s, when they lost everything (again) and were forced to return to Europe. Yesterday we were talking about Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and the girl who was scheduled to present didn't show up. My teacher used the opportunity to ask Sylvia all kinds of questions about her experiences in the Congo, and it was tremendously interesting!! She has some terrible stories, though. Really heartwrenching. For instance, she lived in the eastern part of the country, relatively close to Rwanda and Burundi. When there were conflicts between the Hutu and Tutsi (which began decades before the 1994 genocide), they felt the affects of it. She said in '71 or '72, one day she told her driver she needed to go to the city (Kinshasa?) to get milk for her children, because the shipment of powdered milk hadn't come in yet. He said he couldn't take her, but her father-in-law's driver could take her. She didn't understand why he was refusing, but the other driver seemed to understand, and they were just going to switch. But as she went out to the car, an Italian teacher from Kinshasa came in the gate, crying and a mess and said Sylvia had to stay and talk to her. She had been teaching that morning, and all the Tutsi girls were missing from class, so she asked the other girls if the Tutsi were having a feast that day. The girls had giggled and said "we have shot them this night." And they had. The teacher waited at Syliva's house for her things and went home to Italy and never went back to Africa.
In 1994, Sylvia had hostages camped outside their gate--"refugees," technically, but really part of the human shield of hostages that were being forced to stay there surrounding the militant insurgents in the middle. Each day there were people dead on the road who had tried to return home the night before. She said there was a very very old couple camped right in front of their gate, directly in front of it so that they had to move to let the car out. One day the old man said "Ich danke Ihnnen so, so viele!" He and his wife were old enough that they had learned German when they were little children when the Germans were colonizing that part of the continent.
Interesting, huh? Sorry for the awful stories. These are all things I read about in class, but it's different to hear it from a person who was right there to see it. The past suddenly jumps to the very present and very relevant when you meet someone like that.
Well, that wasn't so speedy afterall. Off to bed I go!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Happy Last Day of Radiation, MOM!
Congrats are in order for my mom, who finishes radiation today!! I'm pleased to say it's gone well. You're cooler than a frozen lake in january, Mom! (and I'm sure I'm not alone in that opinion!)
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Home Fires
What do you get when you apply one girl to a pile of homework? A VERY clean room, a great salad, and a home improvement project of course! This week I had a lot of homework to do, which is not to say I’ve done it. I will do it, just as soon as I get done telling you everything else interesting that’s been happening this week. First things first, you know. The most exciting news of the week is that my crocuses are finally blooming!!
Everyone else’s have been blooming for a couple weeks now, but the little micro-eco system in my pot didn’t get the memo. They are finally with the program now and are busy serenading the morning each day. Crocuses used to be my favorite flower, and they’ll still in the top five, I’d say. Daffodils, old-fashioned roses, peonies, hydrangeas, lilacs, and jasmine are the other four. Oh wait, that makes 7. Well, anyway. I’m pleased about my flowers.
I’m also quite pleased with my recent additions to décor and functionality on the home front. First, we have my new star-studded “bookcase” (aka brown cardboard box).
It’s true that the box would have held books just as well without the great purple and silver wrapping-paper addition. But would it have looked just as pretty? Certainly not. And would the little lady of the room been as happy? Of course not! Hence, the wrapping paper (I have to hand it to you, Mom—I learned this from you).
Next, we have my new snazzy coffee-in-5-minutes French coffee press.
I really just wanted a normal, drip coffee maker. But I couldn’t find one under 60 francs, so the 20 franc alternative seemed like a good option, and I think of all my French friends (all two of them) every time I use it.
And finally, my beautiful new ceramic wall blocks. The picture doesn't really do them justice.
I actually bought these at home, at Valley Art in Forest Grove. I went in to find presents to bring back to some girls here (honest!) but instead I spent my Christmas money on a blue soap dish and these fantastic wall blocks, and put in a request for a third one in the same colors and motif. Someday, when I have an old farm house, they’re all going in my bathroom next to white curtains (I already have the fabric!). I unfortunately had to leave the wall blocks home, along with my growing collection of other art, old chairs, rugs, tea towels, cloth napkins, silverware, pottery, and power tools. Could it be any clearer that I need a house?!
I went to two concerts this week. Thursday night was Janet’s medieval improvisation concert in Leonhard Kirche in Basel. She played medieval harp. Then, moving ahead a century or two, last night Gaby and I went to Dominic’s baroque concert in Frick, which was also quite excellent and made me miss playing violin. I also got to listen to a lot of Swiss German along the way, which is always good.
That’s all my news! Hope you are all well!!
Love y’all!
steph
Everyone else’s have been blooming for a couple weeks now, but the little micro-eco system in my pot didn’t get the memo. They are finally with the program now and are busy serenading the morning each day. Crocuses used to be my favorite flower, and they’ll still in the top five, I’d say. Daffodils, old-fashioned roses, peonies, hydrangeas, lilacs, and jasmine are the other four. Oh wait, that makes 7. Well, anyway. I’m pleased about my flowers.
I’m also quite pleased with my recent additions to décor and functionality on the home front. First, we have my new star-studded “bookcase” (aka brown cardboard box).
It’s true that the box would have held books just as well without the great purple and silver wrapping-paper addition. But would it have looked just as pretty? Certainly not. And would the little lady of the room been as happy? Of course not! Hence, the wrapping paper (I have to hand it to you, Mom—I learned this from you).
Next, we have my new snazzy coffee-in-5-minutes French coffee press.
I really just wanted a normal, drip coffee maker. But I couldn’t find one under 60 francs, so the 20 franc alternative seemed like a good option, and I think of all my French friends (all two of them) every time I use it.
And finally, my beautiful new ceramic wall blocks. The picture doesn't really do them justice.
I actually bought these at home, at Valley Art in Forest Grove. I went in to find presents to bring back to some girls here (honest!) but instead I spent my Christmas money on a blue soap dish and these fantastic wall blocks, and put in a request for a third one in the same colors and motif. Someday, when I have an old farm house, they’re all going in my bathroom next to white curtains (I already have the fabric!). I unfortunately had to leave the wall blocks home, along with my growing collection of other art, old chairs, rugs, tea towels, cloth napkins, silverware, pottery, and power tools. Could it be any clearer that I need a house?!
I went to two concerts this week. Thursday night was Janet’s medieval improvisation concert in Leonhard Kirche in Basel. She played medieval harp. Then, moving ahead a century or two, last night Gaby and I went to Dominic’s baroque concert in Frick, which was also quite excellent and made me miss playing violin. I also got to listen to a lot of Swiss German along the way, which is always good.
That’s all my news! Hope you are all well!!
Love y’all!
steph
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