It's been about a month, for a lot of things. February 2012 has been one of the most distinctive months of my life thus far, for the following reasons:
-I've been in the country of France since February 1st.
-I've officially had a girlfriend since January 29th.
-I've literally not been a teenager since January 22nd.
Needless to say, each of these things has a boatload of implications. I'm not entirely sure what they all are, and I am obviously not going to share them all with you. Interestingly enough, I have had a constant in my life that does not change, and that is my Savior. He's the same no matter where I am, who I'm with, or what I do. These big changes in my life are significant, but the things the Lord has been teaching me don't vary.
Before leaving Indiana, several times, the importance of sharing the Gospel seemed to come to my attention through many different ways (different speakers/preachers, books, and the Bible). I realized that evangelism needs to be a lifestyle. (Not that I didn't know that before, but I seem to forget it.) When I arrived in France, evangelism was again an important theme. I say "again," but perhaps I should say "still." Relational evangelism is a crucial part of the Christian life in any culture. Obviously, the specifics will look different in different parts of the world, but the concept remains the same.
The Lord has been teaching me about many things about relational evangelism, especially since I began college. Sadly, I can't say that I have mastered the art. (I also don't believe that's an art that one can master.) But, I do believe that I have taken steps in the right direction. Study abroad has put me in situations where it is necessary. Living in the Grace College bubble is conducive to a different kind of spiritual growth not always found in the real world, that I have been confronted with while away.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Things I think while waiting for class
I got to school a little early this morning, these are the thoughts that I jotted down on the iPod.
Language learning: Useful Phrases vs Straight Grammar
There are obvious pluses to learning useful phrases in a foreign language. In fact, it's completely necessary. You can't just jump into another culture and not learn how to say "Excuse me" and "where's the bathroom?"
So my question is this: where's the line to tell when it's time to tell the learner that "¿Cómo estás?" is the 2nd person singular familiar conjugation of the verb "to be" in present tense? Put it all together and it literally means, "How are you?"
I mean it's kinda cool to figure out that kind of stuff on your own. For example, I thought the other day about "Au revoir" in French. "Voir" means "to see" so "revoir," "to see again." It's fun to make those discoveries on one's own, but perhaps I should've learned that earlier.
As usual, I'm just realizing that balance is the answer, and I just haven't found it yet. As I think about language teaching/learning, this kind of stuff mulls around in my brain.
Language learning: Useful Phrases vs Straight Grammar
There are obvious pluses to learning useful phrases in a foreign language. In fact, it's completely necessary. You can't just jump into another culture and not learn how to say "Excuse me" and "where's the bathroom?"
So my question is this: where's the line to tell when it's time to tell the learner that "¿Cómo estás?" is the 2nd person singular familiar conjugation of the verb "to be" in present tense? Put it all together and it literally means, "How are you?"
I mean it's kinda cool to figure out that kind of stuff on your own. For example, I thought the other day about "Au revoir" in French. "Voir" means "to see" so "revoir," "to see again." It's fun to make those discoveries on one's own, but perhaps I should've learned that earlier.
As usual, I'm just realizing that balance is the answer, and I just haven't found it yet. As I think about language teaching/learning, this kind of stuff mulls around in my brain.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Toto, I'm pretty sure we're still not in Kansas.
For all of you that were around for the first round of this year full of adventures, you may remember a post entitled "We're Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto..." It was just a few observations about differences between Argentina and Mexico. Basically, it was my way of telling you all about the greeting-with-a-kiss in Argentina.
This post is a little different. I almost entitled it "We're Not in Latin America Anymore, Toto," but one of the Grace students here is from Kansas, so I thought it was appropriate.
Enough intro: Most of my life has been spent in Latin America. I view that as an advantage in my life, and I think that it gives me a unique perspective. However, I find that in my mind there are two regions of the world: The US and non-US. One reason that I think I do this is that I like to spend time with MKs. We share our experiences from around the world and realize that we have a ton in common. We joke about bribing government officials and terrible roads and other things about the third world.
One thing that I am realizing, is that I haven't had a lot of interaction with people from Europe. Obviously, France is not the third world, but it is non-US. So, I wasn't worried about this trip very much because it's Round 2 of study abroad, the only difference is that I have to learn French. Obviously, that is oversimplified.
The cultural differences are sometimes hard for me to notice. There are the obvious ones: clean streets, posted bus schedules, and little clocks at the bus stops to tell you when your bus will arrive. But sometimes, you have to dig a little deeper, think a little harder. For example in church today, the pastor began with a defense of God and why he didn't create evil. I didn't think to much of it, it was a decent argument with solid illustrations. But the cultural implications are much higher: In France, being able to debate and argue your point is very, very important. The idea of just "talking" about something is somewhat unheard of. Lots of discussions are more than just the interchanging of words.
Another difference is the age of things here. Dijon is an old town, I have been in catholic churches that were begun in the 11th or 12th century. Honestly, it's mind-blowing. It's strange for me to be in a place where the history from basically a thousand years ago is known and documented. It makes me realize that that must be a factor in a culture's profile. I haven't done the research, but I'm aching to learn about it.
This post is a little different. I almost entitled it "We're Not in Latin America Anymore, Toto," but one of the Grace students here is from Kansas, so I thought it was appropriate.
Enough intro: Most of my life has been spent in Latin America. I view that as an advantage in my life, and I think that it gives me a unique perspective. However, I find that in my mind there are two regions of the world: The US and non-US. One reason that I think I do this is that I like to spend time with MKs. We share our experiences from around the world and realize that we have a ton in common. We joke about bribing government officials and terrible roads and other things about the third world.
One thing that I am realizing, is that I haven't had a lot of interaction with people from Europe. Obviously, France is not the third world, but it is non-US. So, I wasn't worried about this trip very much because it's Round 2 of study abroad, the only difference is that I have to learn French. Obviously, that is oversimplified.
The cultural differences are sometimes hard for me to notice. There are the obvious ones: clean streets, posted bus schedules, and little clocks at the bus stops to tell you when your bus will arrive. But sometimes, you have to dig a little deeper, think a little harder. For example in church today, the pastor began with a defense of God and why he didn't create evil. I didn't think to much of it, it was a decent argument with solid illustrations. But the cultural implications are much higher: In France, being able to debate and argue your point is very, very important. The idea of just "talking" about something is somewhat unheard of. Lots of discussions are more than just the interchanging of words.
Another difference is the age of things here. Dijon is an old town, I have been in catholic churches that were begun in the 11th or 12th century. Honestly, it's mind-blowing. It's strange for me to be in a place where the history from basically a thousand years ago is known and documented. It makes me realize that that must be a factor in a culture's profile. I haven't done the research, but I'm aching to learn about it.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
"This is where character counts."
The Cougars played well, but in the second half it became more and more evident that the Lancers had the upper hand. It came to a fairly critical point in the game, Mid-Con was behind by several scores, but the games wasn't out of reach yet. Then, the center missed a Lancer driving down the lane to score. It wasn't entirely his fault, but he was partially to blame, and I didn't judge him for the profanity that escaped his lips. What surprised me was Coach Bennet's actions. He proceeded to sub out the young man, sit him on the bench, and say in a stern voice, "This is where character counts." He didn't play again for the rest of the game.
Needless to say, I was shocked. The coach had just taken out his team's best shot at making a comeback in that game, just for saying "damn." I'm not sure if they could have won even with this player, but in no way could they win without him. It was a gutsy, but admirable move by Coach Bennett.
| Coach Winston Bennett |
So the question probably stands, "What happened yesterday?" Nothing earth-shattering, I just didn't get the results I wanted on my placement test and didn't get a job I had applied for. Frustrating? yes. Disappointing? absolutely. End of the world? not in the slightest. God has reasons for the stuff that happens, not to mention that fact that He puts people in your life who care. He is good and in control, but, apparently, I have short term memory loss.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Dijon, mon nouveau ville
As you may know, I currently live in the city of Dijon, France. It is located less than 200 miles from Paris, but only an hour and half by train. The ride is picturesque, the little towns reminded me of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. (This is appropriate because that movie is set in France.)
My first description of the city: A fierce collision of the new and the old. The buildings are ancient, especially where I live downtown. However, new businesses are everywhere. By "new", I mean McDonald's and other internationally renowned companies. Near the house, there are a ton of places to shop for clothes of all kinds, just because it looks like a medieval city, doesn't mean that it not downtown of a fairly important European city.
The streets are narrow and if you don't live in downtown, you aren't allowed to navigate your vehicle down the slender alleys. Dijon is known for it's churches, Roman Catholic churches of course. There are at least 18 cathedrals and chapels worth listing on Wikipedia. I saw about 4 in my excursion today.
My excursion today consisted of my going to the train station to a photo-booth to get pictures for my student ID. Needless to say, I left the house, so I got lost. Not that I didn't enjoy seeing the city, but one gets cold in 25º F weather, especially when one wonders around for more than a couple of hours.
And to add insult to injury, I left the camera at the house. It's right here by my computer. For that I beg your apologies, I know some of you have requested documentation. To make up for the lack of photographical images, I shall include the logo and coat of arms of Dijon.
My first description of the city: A fierce collision of the new and the old. The buildings are ancient, especially where I live downtown. However, new businesses are everywhere. By "new", I mean McDonald's and other internationally renowned companies. Near the house, there are a ton of places to shop for clothes of all kinds, just because it looks like a medieval city, doesn't mean that it not downtown of a fairly important European city.
The streets are narrow and if you don't live in downtown, you aren't allowed to navigate your vehicle down the slender alleys. Dijon is known for it's churches, Roman Catholic churches of course. There are at least 18 cathedrals and chapels worth listing on Wikipedia. I saw about 4 in my excursion today.
My excursion today consisted of my going to the train station to a photo-booth to get pictures for my student ID. Needless to say, I left the house, so I got lost. Not that I didn't enjoy seeing the city, but one gets cold in 25º F weather, especially when one wonders around for more than a couple of hours.
And to add insult to injury, I left the camera at the house. It's right here by my computer. For that I beg your apologies, I know some of you have requested documentation. To make up for the lack of photographical images, I shall include the logo and coat of arms of Dijon.
| Logo |
| Coat of Arms |
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Saaafe!!
Well guys, I made it. I got to Dijon, France, even better, I got to the house I'm going to be staying at. There were some doubts along the way, and some things I would do differently the next time, but Praise the Lord, I am here.
5 cities, 4 airports, 4 countries, 4 train stations, countless hours of waiting, way too much money spent, all in about 28 hours. I think it's time for sleep.
5 cities, 4 airports, 4 countries, 4 train stations, countless hours of waiting, way too much money spent, all in about 28 hours. I think it's time for sleep.
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| This is a quick laptop snapshot of the bedroom. (I'll get the camera out when I'm not so tired.) |
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