... Where I actually talk about the cat this time, and discuss how no matter where I am sleep is important, and about how people have the same questions about God, faith, science, humanism, and pragmatism no matter where you go or what language you speak. Or, at least in French.
So I sit in the kitchen, using the girl (I still do not know her name... one second, I'm gonna scour the kitchen maybe I'll find something with her name on it... nope nothing)'s laptop, eating rice with onions, red peppers, some soy sauce, and this awesome (and I mean AWESOME) mixed herb spice all together. This is at the end of day 15. A lot has happened since I last posted. Which is sort've surprising but then again when you're in a foreign country, I guess not?
Anywho, we'll start with last night.
Wait wait wait, the cat.
Oh that's right, I was going to talk about the cat. First thing when I got here, they have two cats. I think one's name is Joplin. Now, I don't know what it is about me, but cats looove me. And that would be great except that I am definitely allergic to their dander.
At any rate, Joplin jumps up on me the first time I sit down in their flat two nights ago. The girl (I really need to learn her name) was shocked, and said that she apparently has adopted me (the cat). Later on, the cat just decided to jump up again and lie down on my leg, and juuuusttt relllaaxxx, literally had her leg dangling. The girl host saw this and said that the cat doesn't do that with anyone, not even her or her boyfriend, and its her boyfriend's cat.
So, these cats love me. As is evidenced by the fact that Joplin has slept next to me for the past two nights. I bought some allergy medication for 4 euro. Well worth the cost methinks. And I'm starting to like cats. Uh oh.
"People would be better if they realized that it was them, not God, who did a good thing in their lives."
This was the gist of a 4AM conversation that I had with
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Quick Update: Day 14...
Where I talk about how I came to Lyon, France, and how I met Sam, and that this cat really loves me, and such and such...
You know, I thought that today I would sit down and write all about how my life got twisted upside and I'd like to take a minute just sit right there...
Whao. sorry about that. Anywho, I thought I'd finally have the chance to write all that has happened, but I realized that I can't really give it the deserved mental energy. I've been thinking in both French and English and found that my English has suffered un peu (a little, en francais) because of it.
So I'll give you bullet points:
On Saturday, day 11.
- Teddie and I left Interlaken after some early morning shopping.
- Arrived in Geneva, figured out the trains and got to the airport hotel we were staying at.
- Met up with mon amie (my friend) Sarah and her two friends from Tufts, about an hour and a half after we had intended. We owe her an apology for the delay, but hey it worked out :-)
- Toured around Geneva with us five (Teddie, me, Sarah, Glenn, and Julie), seeing some beautiful sights. Eventually, we got some coffee, then asked around until we found out about Carouge.
- Went to Carouge for dinner and then some drinks at what apparently turned out to be the best bar in Geneva (not sure what qualifies it as such, but someone said that so... must be true :-) )
- After this, all five of us squeezed into the Double hotel room that we had, and we even got some good complimentary breakfast in the morning for all of us. Hurray for cheating the system!
Sunday, Day 12 of trip (for Teddie, day 17):
- Went to Church Service at the St. Peter's Cathedral in Geneva. It's an awesome place, the service itself was interesting, protestant. I'll have some reflections on it later after the trip. But I could almost understand it, especially towards the end, as my comprehension of French got better and better. That and I started to understand the gist of the sermon, so I think I was able to put words into context clues etc.
- Met up with Glenn and Teddie after Sarah Julie and I got out of the service, and Teddie and I headed out for the hotel.
- Said goodbye to Teddie after using the internet for a bit. This is where I realized that I had very little money left, and that there was no easy destination for me to go to.
- Met Sarah and her friends at the park of the mont-blanc bridge about 45 minutes later than I said I would. They were planning on leaving too... phew!
- Said goodbye to them anyway :-) I'll be hiking with at least Sarah on Friday.
Things get interesting
- With nowhere to go, nobody to go with, no plans, and
You know, I thought that today I would sit down and write all about how my life got twisted upside and I'd like to take a minute just sit right there...
Whao. sorry about that. Anywho, I thought I'd finally have the chance to write all that has happened, but I realized that I can't really give it the deserved mental energy. I've been thinking in both French and English and found that my English has suffered un peu (a little, en francais) because of it.
So I'll give you bullet points:
On Saturday, day 11.
- Teddie and I left Interlaken after some early morning shopping.
- Arrived in Geneva, figured out the trains and got to the airport hotel we were staying at.
- Met up with mon amie (my friend) Sarah and her two friends from Tufts, about an hour and a half after we had intended. We owe her an apology for the delay, but hey it worked out :-)
- Toured around Geneva with us five (Teddie, me, Sarah, Glenn, and Julie), seeing some beautiful sights. Eventually, we got some coffee, then asked around until we found out about Carouge.
- Went to Carouge for dinner and then some drinks at what apparently turned out to be the best bar in Geneva (not sure what qualifies it as such, but someone said that so... must be true :-) )
- After this, all five of us squeezed into the Double hotel room that we had, and we even got some good complimentary breakfast in the morning for all of us. Hurray for cheating the system!
Sunday, Day 12 of trip (for Teddie, day 17):
- Went to Church Service at the St. Peter's Cathedral in Geneva. It's an awesome place, the service itself was interesting, protestant. I'll have some reflections on it later after the trip. But I could almost understand it, especially towards the end, as my comprehension of French got better and better. That and I started to understand the gist of the sermon, so I think I was able to put words into context clues etc.
- Met up with Glenn and Teddie after Sarah Julie and I got out of the service, and Teddie and I headed out for the hotel.
- Said goodbye to Teddie after using the internet for a bit. This is where I realized that I had very little money left, and that there was no easy destination for me to go to.
- Met Sarah and her friends at the park of the mont-blanc bridge about 45 minutes later than I said I would. They were planning on leaving too... phew!
- Said goodbye to them anyway :-) I'll be hiking with at least Sarah on Friday.
Things get interesting
- With nowhere to go, nobody to go with, no plans, and
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Keeping Folks Updated!
So someone had told me that keeping a blog in Europe traveling was near impossible. I have to say, they're right.
I'll have more time later this weekend/ next week to update everyone, but the bulk of the stories will be posted once I return after the 21st. Keep checkin though, I'll be able to swing some thoughts by.
Teddie and I are in Interlaken, Switzerland right now. It's unbelievable. Well, I can believe it, but it's just... awesome.
Word... thanks for following, hope you're doing well! I miss people from the states, and wonder what's going on back home... fill me in?
~Sean
I'll have more time later this weekend/ next week to update everyone, but the bulk of the stories will be posted once I return after the 21st. Keep checkin though, I'll be able to swing some thoughts by.
Teddie and I are in Interlaken, Switzerland right now. It's unbelievable. Well, I can believe it, but it's just... awesome.
Word... thanks for following, hope you're doing well! I miss people from the states, and wonder what's going on back home... fill me in?
~Sean
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Quick Update: Day 3....
...Where we take a bus tour from Dublin to Galway via the Cliffs of Moher; meet Bud, the bus driver; meet Rachel and Sam; and figure out that Nimmos is a sweet hostel.
So, today's day three, starting bright and early. Some not-fitting-in points... Teddie and I have started the "Giant Teddie Plays with Europe Storybook" that will be a separate page to the right. It's fun. Check it out for yourself (when we get it up there). [Teddie's comment: That's what she said]
Instead of giving you the blow-by-blow of our day, which mostly consisted of us riding on a bus, I want to introduce you to our bus driver, Bud.
Bud the Driver
Bud is an older guy, probably in his 60s. He's hilarious, kind-hearted, and loves driving the tour buses. As we drove around Ireland, this time heading to the Cliffs of Moher, I was constantly amazed with his knowledge of the history of Ireland, the area, and specific sites. Of course, it's his job. But that's not something that comes easily to people. Clearly he loves what he's doing.
Let's get this straight. Coach bus drivers everywhere are amazing drivers. They fit those things down streets, around corners, and into spots that any mere mortal driver could never fathom. I've long since lost that sense of dread when in a coach bus and approaching a tight spot. Instead, I see it as a form of sport. I think that would be a great Youtube video, a bunch of shots of coach bus drivers fitting into and around the most insane spots. C'mon interwebs, make it happen.
Bud is one of those guys. But I digress. We got to one of the last spots on the tour and we took the advantage to talk to him about his life a bit. He said he used to drive trucks for 5 years on the continent, and he's been driving coach buses for this company (Extreme Ireland) for 4 years. In between those two, however, he owned a successful furnishing business. I asked him what that meant, and he explained that he made furniture, but also contracted guys and would put together teams to fully furnish houses... so, lay electrical, plumbing, insulation, and do the whole house altogether. It was a successful business, and that is definitely something right up my alley.
So why did he leave? Bud said he reached a point ("pint" in the Irish brogue :-) ) in his life where he wanted a change of things. So, he left the company, sold it. He said that he didn't know what the next step would be, but that he didn't want to drive trucks or buses again, at least not on the continent.
This is the cool part of Bud's story (not saying the rest isn't cool, buuut). Someone he knew handed him a slip of paper with a number ("gnome-burr") on it, and told Bud to call it. He didn't get why, and put it off for a bit. That friend asked him if he'd called yet, and Bud replied "No, what is it? What am I calling fer?". The friends response was puzzling. "Just do it fer me, will ya?"
So, Bud called. Someone picked up. I imagine the conversation went down a little something like this:
Bud: "Hello!"
Person X: "Hi what can I do ya fer?"
Bud: "Uh, I actually don't know meself. I'm jus' callin' cause [coze] a frien's been pesterin' me to call this number, so I'm just obligin'."
Person X: "Ah, well, can ya drive a coach [coh-ch]?"
Bud: "Sure I can, I have me license and drove on the continent fer a few years. But I don' know that I want ta be doin't again."
Person X: "Tell ya what, try it out fer a few weeks, an' if ya don' like it, ya can leave."
Bud: "Arright, I don' see why not..."
And so his stint as a coach bus tour guide/driver began. Out of the blue, friend handed him a number with no explanation. That number left him to this job. He explained that he loves driving, and he gets to meet a whole lot of people that way. I think one of the coolest things was watching him interact with locals or shop owners at each place we stopped. He knew his stuff, and he got to know the people he saw fairly often. Great guy, great country, and great feeling!
So that's the story of Bud. I'm posting this on Day 4, after we had a whole other bus tour to Connemara with a whole other unique bus driver (Old-man winter beard, lives on the border with Northern Ireland, has relatives on both sides, the conflict landed him in jail for 7 years, but there's plenty of love for family on both sides. His quote: "We're jus' people, ya know?").
More to come! Love and peace,
~Sean
So, today's day three, starting bright and early. Some not-fitting-in points... Teddie and I have started the "Giant Teddie Plays with Europe Storybook" that will be a separate page to the right. It's fun. Check it out for yourself (when we get it up there). [Teddie's comment: That's what she said]
Instead of giving you the blow-by-blow of our day, which mostly consisted of us riding on a bus, I want to introduce you to our bus driver, Bud.
Bud the Driver
Bud is an older guy, probably in his 60s. He's hilarious, kind-hearted, and loves driving the tour buses. As we drove around Ireland, this time heading to the Cliffs of Moher, I was constantly amazed with his knowledge of the history of Ireland, the area, and specific sites. Of course, it's his job. But that's not something that comes easily to people. Clearly he loves what he's doing.
Let's get this straight. Coach bus drivers everywhere are amazing drivers. They fit those things down streets, around corners, and into spots that any mere mortal driver could never fathom. I've long since lost that sense of dread when in a coach bus and approaching a tight spot. Instead, I see it as a form of sport. I think that would be a great Youtube video, a bunch of shots of coach bus drivers fitting into and around the most insane spots. C'mon interwebs, make it happen.
Bud is one of those guys. But I digress. We got to one of the last spots on the tour and we took the advantage to talk to him about his life a bit. He said he used to drive trucks for 5 years on the continent, and he's been driving coach buses for this company (Extreme Ireland) for 4 years. In between those two, however, he owned a successful furnishing business. I asked him what that meant, and he explained that he made furniture, but also contracted guys and would put together teams to fully furnish houses... so, lay electrical, plumbing, insulation, and do the whole house altogether. It was a successful business, and that is definitely something right up my alley.
So why did he leave? Bud said he reached a point ("pint" in the Irish brogue :-) ) in his life where he wanted a change of things. So, he left the company, sold it. He said that he didn't know what the next step would be, but that he didn't want to drive trucks or buses again, at least not on the continent.
This is the cool part of Bud's story (not saying the rest isn't cool, buuut). Someone he knew handed him a slip of paper with a number ("gnome-burr") on it, and told Bud to call it. He didn't get why, and put it off for a bit. That friend asked him if he'd called yet, and Bud replied "No, what is it? What am I calling fer?". The friends response was puzzling. "Just do it fer me, will ya?"
So, Bud called. Someone picked up. I imagine the conversation went down a little something like this:
Bud: "Hello!"
Person X: "Hi what can I do ya fer?"
Bud: "Uh, I actually don't know meself. I'm jus' callin' cause [coze] a frien's been pesterin' me to call this number, so I'm just obligin'."
Person X: "Ah, well, can ya drive a coach [coh-ch]?"
Bud: "Sure I can, I have me license and drove on the continent fer a few years. But I don' know that I want ta be doin't again."
Person X: "Tell ya what, try it out fer a few weeks, an' if ya don' like it, ya can leave."
Bud: "Arright, I don' see why not..."
And so his stint as a coach bus tour guide/driver began. Out of the blue, friend handed him a number with no explanation. That number left him to this job. He explained that he loves driving, and he gets to meet a whole lot of people that way. I think one of the coolest things was watching him interact with locals or shop owners at each place we stopped. He knew his stuff, and he got to know the people he saw fairly often. Great guy, great country, and great feeling!
So that's the story of Bud. I'm posting this on Day 4, after we had a whole other bus tour to Connemara with a whole other unique bus driver (Old-man winter beard, lives on the border with Northern Ireland, has relatives on both sides, the conflict landed him in jail for 7 years, but there's plenty of love for family on both sides. His quote: "We're jus' people, ya know?").
More to come! Love and peace,
~Sean
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Quick Update: Day 2...
... during which we learn about the problems of heavy partying and trying to have a productive day the next day; the Dublin Zoo is awesome; Jameson is pretty good in Ginger Ale; some advice for hostel jumping; and Irish food is better than anyone can tell you.
So Day 2. Let's see how quick I can recap:
- Rough Morning
We had planned on waking up a bit early to head back out on the "Hop on Hop off" bus tour. However, our late night shenanigans really hurt that process. After breakfast of oatmeal left over from my backpacking trip and showers, we trudged our way to the bus stop, where we got on and made it to the Dublin Zoo. Quick Lesson: Seeing things in Europe is a great idea. Meeting people at night and sharing about life is also a great idea. Find the balance!
- Zoos are awesome places for dates
I've always understood this. If you want to enjoy animals, find out some really cool facts, and take a person out on a date, go to the zoo. Teddie and I grabbed some coffee and food before we went in, and we made a full loop of the Dublin Zoo. I have to say, I was impressed, and I learned a number of cool new things, like
So Day 2. Let's see how quick I can recap:
- Rough Morning
We had planned on waking up a bit early to head back out on the "Hop on Hop off" bus tour. However, our late night shenanigans really hurt that process. After breakfast of oatmeal left over from my backpacking trip and showers, we trudged our way to the bus stop, where we got on and made it to the Dublin Zoo. Quick Lesson: Seeing things in Europe is a great idea. Meeting people at night and sharing about life is also a great idea. Find the balance!
- Zoos are awesome places for dates
I've always understood this. If you want to enjoy animals, find out some really cool facts, and take a person out on a date, go to the zoo. Teddie and I grabbed some coffee and food before we went in, and we made a full loop of the Dublin Zoo. I have to say, I was impressed, and I learned a number of cool new things, like
Quick Update: End of Day 1 into Day 2
Hey all!
Okay, there's a whole lot more stuff coming down the pipes. The issue is that a) uploading all of these pictures and videos that Teddie and I have taken is going to take a while and b) I want to do them justice.
Alright and if I'm being honest, c) Teddie and I had quite the long night out on the town last night, and between that, the recovery this morning, our busy afternoon, and our evening, I've had no time to jump online. Until now :-)
[Just a heads up to, well, anyone who knows me well... we had a pretty wild night, and it's something that I'm sure I'll be reflecting upon and praying about privately for a while. Read the following with an understanding that I am unsure of how to feel about some of the events. At the same time, I want this blog to be honest and give an account of my summer. I'm not making excuses, but rather saying if you're scratching your head after this, I'm not shocked, and I'm probably scratching my own head with you. I've still got some more growing to do.]
The run-down of the rest of Day 1:
Guinness and New Friends
In some of the videos
Okay, there's a whole lot more stuff coming down the pipes. The issue is that a) uploading all of these pictures and videos that Teddie and I have taken is going to take a while and b) I want to do them justice.
Alright and if I'm being honest, c) Teddie and I had quite the long night out on the town last night, and between that, the recovery this morning, our busy afternoon, and our evening, I've had no time to jump online. Until now :-)
[Just a heads up to, well, anyone who knows me well... we had a pretty wild night, and it's something that I'm sure I'll be reflecting upon and praying about privately for a while. Read the following with an understanding that I am unsure of how to feel about some of the events. At the same time, I want this blog to be honest and give an account of my summer. I'm not making excuses, but rather saying if you're scratching your head after this, I'm not shocked, and I'm probably scratching my own head with you. I've still got some more growing to do.]
The run-down of the rest of Day 1:
Guinness and New Friends
In some of the videos
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Made it! Euro-tour, Day 1 update 1
Bag's are packed, roughly 35 lbs total. I'll link to the packing list that I used later. :-)
All of the books in my daypack :-) SuperFreakonomics, the Tipping Point, Let's Go: Europe, My Utmost for His Highest devotional and journal, IV Staff Fund Development Manual...
Oops, started buying things at the airport... Probably the worst impulse buy is the headphones. You know how you make a pretty expensive purchase by convincing yourself of the reasons you'll use it? Well, now I have to use them for those reasons... Jeez.
The official Flags of Dublin!!! Not really, gay pride event is in a few weeks. Just gearin' up for it!
Videos after the break! and More to come later! including my thoughts
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