Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
A little desperate
I have begun to understand where the dry, sardonic humor of things like The Office and Office Space come from. Working in an office breeds quiet desperation.
I didn’t think it did, because for some time I was always busy (and happily so) in my office. But since all the changes occurred I have significantly less to do, fewer people to talk to, and generally less engagement with my fellow human beings. That’s where the impatience with the world begins—boredom mixed with the dawning of the realization of how futile and insignificant my job (sometimes) is.
But the good thing about feeling that way, but also still being young and not completely disillusioned, is that it lights a fire under you to do something about it. So I’m in the process of getting bus and/or train tickets to go visit my family in Boston this weekend. Take that, quiet desperation!
It also fuels a sense of adventure; I might have to transfer busses at 1:30am in New York City in order to get up north a little faster. A year ago, this prospect would have terrified me. I went up there a month ago believing that New York, in its vastness, would scare the hell out of me. But once I got there, I finally realized: I live in Camden. You can’t scare me.
(Well, that isn’t true. I get scared when a loved one is in danger of physical or emotional harm. But walking around the Big Apple at night? That’s a breeze.)
I’m trying to buoy myself up; a run today after work (it’s so nice outside!), a fruit smoothie at lunch, Pandora on my computer at work, and making plans for the holiday weekend. Life could be so much worse than being a little bored in the office, after all.
I didn’t think it did, because for some time I was always busy (and happily so) in my office. But since all the changes occurred I have significantly less to do, fewer people to talk to, and generally less engagement with my fellow human beings. That’s where the impatience with the world begins—boredom mixed with the dawning of the realization of how futile and insignificant my job (sometimes) is.
But the good thing about feeling that way, but also still being young and not completely disillusioned, is that it lights a fire under you to do something about it. So I’m in the process of getting bus and/or train tickets to go visit my family in Boston this weekend. Take that, quiet desperation!
It also fuels a sense of adventure; I might have to transfer busses at 1:30am in New York City in order to get up north a little faster. A year ago, this prospect would have terrified me. I went up there a month ago believing that New York, in its vastness, would scare the hell out of me. But once I got there, I finally realized: I live in Camden. You can’t scare me.
(Well, that isn’t true. I get scared when a loved one is in danger of physical or emotional harm. But walking around the Big Apple at night? That’s a breeze.)
I’m trying to buoy myself up; a run today after work (it’s so nice outside!), a fruit smoothie at lunch, Pandora on my computer at work, and making plans for the holiday weekend. Life could be so much worse than being a little bored in the office, after all.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
I wanna be a part of it-- NEW YORK!!
Picture this: you arrive in New York City after a two-hour Megabus ride on a beautiful morning. You're a little dehydrated, a little hungry, and a little disoriented ("Excuse me, which way is 5th Avenue?").
Your options are: Door #1: Duck into the nearest Starbucks and ask the locals for directions.
Door #2: Grab a soda and a hot dog from the nearest vendor and sit down to fuel up before navigating the Big Apple.
Or, Door #3: Hoof it 22 blocks to Saint Patrick's Cathedral and end up drinking a Pepsi in the Archbishop of New York's rectory.
Ladies and gentlemen, the answer is, Door #3! What a way to spend Saturday morning!
Here's the full story: Father Qui-Thac Nguyen (the chaplain at my old Newman Center, and a really awesome friend and spiritual father to all of his students, both currently-studying students and alumni!) found himself in Washington DC last week and this week for vacation. Since we were on the same coast for the first time since Christmas (and even then, he and I were both so busy that we could only visit for about an hour), he gave me a call and asked if I wanted to meet him in NYC for lunch on Saturday. Knowing of my stipend-based poverty, he very generously got me a bus ticket to head north for the day! So on Saturday morning I got up early, took the subway into Philadelphia and hopped on a Megabus headed north.
Once I arrived, Father called me to say that he was at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. I figured it couldn't be too hard to find (I was standing at 28th St. and 7th Ave). I called my brother, who had been in New York more recently than me (and who visited the Cathedral about three times) to ask where the church was. He told me to go to 5th Avenue and start walking-- the church was "somewhere in the 30's". So I walked. All the way through the 30's, and I passed nothing that resembled a cathedral. So I asked a police officer where it was. He answered, "50th St." I muttered a quick "Holy Mother" before thanking him, and then I kept walking. Fast.
When I finally arrived at Saint Patrick's (God bless Father for waiting so patiently!), I called him to tell him I was out front. He told to go to the back, where the rectory is (which meant over another street-- this church is HUGE). I still wasn't sure where to go until I looked up and saw Padre in the window! I was so glad to see him!
Father had run into the Archbishop at a funeral service that morning, and His Excellency offered him a ride back to the city and a place to chill out until I got there. When I did arrive, Father said, "The bishop said you could have a Pepsi."
The Archbishop of New York! One of the most important Catholic leaders in this nation! And I got to drink a Pepsi in his parlor! We made sure to leave a thank-you note!
Once I'd cooled my heels and chatted with Father for a while, we decided to hit the city. The first place we went was right back into St. Patrick's so that Father could pray the day's Liturgy of the Hours. I decided to pray my rosary for the day while he did so.
I have to say, kneeling at the altar in Saint Patrick's, next to my favorite priest and before the tabernacle of the Lord, and praying was my favorite part of the whole trip. It's amazing-- no matter how far away from home you are, even in a city you've never been in before, visiting Jesus in the tabernacle (especially with your spiritual father at your side) always reminds us of where home truly is. I haven't felt that warm and safe in a long time.
Father, ever true to himself, was so generous all day! We picked up lunch from a deli and ate it in the middle of Times Square. We walked around a lot, and eventually headed to the top of the Empire State Building to take in the whole city at once. (The Statue of Liberty looks tiny from up there!) Afterwards we did head to a Starbucks to just hang out and chat before heading back to the Megabus stop. He had to head back to DC, and I went back to Camden. (New York is a LOT cheaper if you make a day trip there!)
I feel like this blog isn't doing the day justice-- I was just so overjoyed to be there, hanging out with Padre. He is such blessing to his students, and he goes to amazing lengths to shepherd us and remind us that we are loved, even after we've graduated. Anyone who knows Father QTN would not at all be surprised to hear that he bussed one of his old peer ministers up the East Coast just to hang out, which points to his amazing generosity and kind heart. But that doesn't diminish the fact that it was wonderfully generous of him, and that I am so thankful!
Your options are: Door #1: Duck into the nearest Starbucks and ask the locals for directions.
Door #2: Grab a soda and a hot dog from the nearest vendor and sit down to fuel up before navigating the Big Apple.
Or, Door #3: Hoof it 22 blocks to Saint Patrick's Cathedral and end up drinking a Pepsi in the Archbishop of New York's rectory.
Ladies and gentlemen, the answer is, Door #3! What a way to spend Saturday morning!
Here's the full story: Father Qui-Thac Nguyen (the chaplain at my old Newman Center, and a really awesome friend and spiritual father to all of his students, both currently-studying students and alumni!) found himself in Washington DC last week and this week for vacation. Since we were on the same coast for the first time since Christmas (and even then, he and I were both so busy that we could only visit for about an hour), he gave me a call and asked if I wanted to meet him in NYC for lunch on Saturday. Knowing of my stipend-based poverty, he very generously got me a bus ticket to head north for the day! So on Saturday morning I got up early, took the subway into Philadelphia and hopped on a Megabus headed north.
Once I arrived, Father called me to say that he was at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. I figured it couldn't be too hard to find (I was standing at 28th St. and 7th Ave). I called my brother, who had been in New York more recently than me (and who visited the Cathedral about three times) to ask where the church was. He told me to go to 5th Avenue and start walking-- the church was "somewhere in the 30's". So I walked. All the way through the 30's, and I passed nothing that resembled a cathedral. So I asked a police officer where it was. He answered, "50th St." I muttered a quick "Holy Mother" before thanking him, and then I kept walking. Fast.
When I finally arrived at Saint Patrick's (God bless Father for waiting so patiently!), I called him to tell him I was out front. He told to go to the back, where the rectory is (which meant over another street-- this church is HUGE). I still wasn't sure where to go until I looked up and saw Padre in the window! I was so glad to see him!
Father had run into the Archbishop at a funeral service that morning, and His Excellency offered him a ride back to the city and a place to chill out until I got there. When I did arrive, Father said, "The bishop said you could have a Pepsi."
The Archbishop of New York! One of the most important Catholic leaders in this nation! And I got to drink a Pepsi in his parlor! We made sure to leave a thank-you note!
Once I'd cooled my heels and chatted with Father for a while, we decided to hit the city. The first place we went was right back into St. Patrick's so that Father could pray the day's Liturgy of the Hours. I decided to pray my rosary for the day while he did so.
I have to say, kneeling at the altar in Saint Patrick's, next to my favorite priest and before the tabernacle of the Lord, and praying was my favorite part of the whole trip. It's amazing-- no matter how far away from home you are, even in a city you've never been in before, visiting Jesus in the tabernacle (especially with your spiritual father at your side) always reminds us of where home truly is. I haven't felt that warm and safe in a long time.
Father, ever true to himself, was so generous all day! We picked up lunch from a deli and ate it in the middle of Times Square. We walked around a lot, and eventually headed to the top of the Empire State Building to take in the whole city at once. (The Statue of Liberty looks tiny from up there!) Afterwards we did head to a Starbucks to just hang out and chat before heading back to the Megabus stop. He had to head back to DC, and I went back to Camden. (New York is a LOT cheaper if you make a day trip there!)
I feel like this blog isn't doing the day justice-- I was just so overjoyed to be there, hanging out with Padre. He is such blessing to his students, and he goes to amazing lengths to shepherd us and remind us that we are loved, even after we've graduated. Anyone who knows Father QTN would not at all be surprised to hear that he bussed one of his old peer ministers up the East Coast just to hang out, which points to his amazing generosity and kind heart. But that doesn't diminish the fact that it was wonderfully generous of him, and that I am so thankful!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Resurrexit sicut dixit, ALLELUIA!
Happy Easter, everyone!
I took the last week off from work and travelled south to Washington DC with my brother, the intrepid traveler that he is. We stayed at the JVC House in the Columbia Heights neighborhood (it was the second time in two weeks that they put me up, and the second time around they put up me and Joe! Thanks, guys!), and spent most of our evenings with them: eating dinner, drinking wine, watching Law & Order, and talking about Europe and social justice-y things. Jesuit Volunteers are cool.
I have fallen thoroughly in love with that city. I already have a favorite restaurant (Amsterdam Falafel, if you ever find yourself in the Columbia Heights area), bookstore (Idle Time Books—a wonderful, understated, and charming place that plays French lounge music and sells the best collection of used books I’ve ever seen), and place to go to church (the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Staggeringly gorgeous.) Joe and I did decidedly tourist-y things during the days—visiting the monuments, going to museums, walking around a LOT—but it was nice to have a few favorite places to go where we felt a little less like tourists. I don’t see myself living there for a long time, but if I could swing graduate school there, I’d be a happy camper!
By the by, the basilica is a wonderful place to be during Triduum! Every priest in the archdiocese comes to concelebrate with the cardinal and the apostolic nuncio to the US. All the seminarians (literally, ALL of them) help serve the Mass. It’s a really beautiful thing to watch. I needed more than an hour to check out all of the side altars in that church!
We schlepped back to Camden after the Good Friday service because our community had planned on having an Easter dinner together (some months ago, the school that Mark and Jenna work for donated a turkey to our community, and we kept it in the freezer for a special occasion. We called the feast “Easter-giving.”) The Vigil Mass at Sacred Heart began at 4:30am (when my alarm clock went off, I actually said out loud, “Are you CRAZY?”), but it was gorgeous. One lady was initiated into the Church, and she just glowed with joy and sacramental grace when she received her Sacraments! She and her godparents led candlelight procession outside the Church (we sang a LOT of “alleluias”) and back in, and even at 5:30 in the morning, the people on the streets took a reverent notice. We went back into the church to finish Mass, and the whole event finished around 7am.
I decided to take advantage of the energy that I still had and went for a run after mass, but I had to hurry home and shower because most of us went to Christine’s church for the 9am Easter service. I really like her church—they have a great ministry team that serves as the pastoral team. Protestant services still feel a little foreign to me, but they’re always so joyful and profound that I certainly enjoy them. Kingsway (the name of the church) starts its services with a praise and worship session, and something pretty profound happened during it on Sunday.
Granted, I had gone to bed at midnight, awakened at 3:30am, been awake for a two-and-a-half hour Mass, and run three miles already that day. I had received a few messages from friends back home who told me they were thinking of me at Easter Vigil. It was my first Easter away from home. An experience (which I’ve always kept to myself) from Good Friday 2009 was still fresh in my mind, as its promise was fulfilled this Easter. So I was teetering on the edge of emotional to begin with.
But when the pianist played the first few measures of “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”, I just lost it. It wasn’t desperate bawling, but the tears just flowed up and out of me, and I didn’t have the strength to stop them. The song reminds me of home, my old Newman Center, and special moment with a special friend. I couldn’t really help myself.
The slightly mortifying part was that while none of my roommates noticed this (I was sandwiched in the row between Jenna’s boyfriend and my brother, so they couldn’t see me), the lead pastor did. He look over his shoulder, and even though my vision was blurred, I could see him turned toward me for part of the song. Keep in mind—I’ve only been there once before, and I doubt he even saw me that time. So, from his perspective, some unfamiliar woman was standing in his church, weeping like her heart would break on Easter morning. Being the good pastor that he is, when he came and shook hand with our row at the sign of peace (I’d composed myself by then), he gave me a pretty emphatic look and leaned in to ask if I was all right. I answered yes—I just get emotional about Easter.
The truth is, I don’t know what caused the sudden flood of emotion, but I felt a lot better afterwards. Then I napped for four hours, and we ended the day with a great dinner with our community (and a few extended community members! Siblings, significant others, etc).
I took the last week off from work and travelled south to Washington DC with my brother, the intrepid traveler that he is. We stayed at the JVC House in the Columbia Heights neighborhood (it was the second time in two weeks that they put me up, and the second time around they put up me and Joe! Thanks, guys!), and spent most of our evenings with them: eating dinner, drinking wine, watching Law & Order, and talking about Europe and social justice-y things. Jesuit Volunteers are cool.
I have fallen thoroughly in love with that city. I already have a favorite restaurant (Amsterdam Falafel, if you ever find yourself in the Columbia Heights area), bookstore (Idle Time Books—a wonderful, understated, and charming place that plays French lounge music and sells the best collection of used books I’ve ever seen), and place to go to church (the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Staggeringly gorgeous.) Joe and I did decidedly tourist-y things during the days—visiting the monuments, going to museums, walking around a LOT—but it was nice to have a few favorite places to go where we felt a little less like tourists. I don’t see myself living there for a long time, but if I could swing graduate school there, I’d be a happy camper!
By the by, the basilica is a wonderful place to be during Triduum! Every priest in the archdiocese comes to concelebrate with the cardinal and the apostolic nuncio to the US. All the seminarians (literally, ALL of them) help serve the Mass. It’s a really beautiful thing to watch. I needed more than an hour to check out all of the side altars in that church!
We schlepped back to Camden after the Good Friday service because our community had planned on having an Easter dinner together (some months ago, the school that Mark and Jenna work for donated a turkey to our community, and we kept it in the freezer for a special occasion. We called the feast “Easter-giving.”) The Vigil Mass at Sacred Heart began at 4:30am (when my alarm clock went off, I actually said out loud, “Are you CRAZY?”), but it was gorgeous. One lady was initiated into the Church, and she just glowed with joy and sacramental grace when she received her Sacraments! She and her godparents led candlelight procession outside the Church (we sang a LOT of “alleluias”) and back in, and even at 5:30 in the morning, the people on the streets took a reverent notice. We went back into the church to finish Mass, and the whole event finished around 7am.
I decided to take advantage of the energy that I still had and went for a run after mass, but I had to hurry home and shower because most of us went to Christine’s church for the 9am Easter service. I really like her church—they have a great ministry team that serves as the pastoral team. Protestant services still feel a little foreign to me, but they’re always so joyful and profound that I certainly enjoy them. Kingsway (the name of the church) starts its services with a praise and worship session, and something pretty profound happened during it on Sunday.
Granted, I had gone to bed at midnight, awakened at 3:30am, been awake for a two-and-a-half hour Mass, and run three miles already that day. I had received a few messages from friends back home who told me they were thinking of me at Easter Vigil. It was my first Easter away from home. An experience (which I’ve always kept to myself) from Good Friday 2009 was still fresh in my mind, as its promise was fulfilled this Easter. So I was teetering on the edge of emotional to begin with.
But when the pianist played the first few measures of “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”, I just lost it. It wasn’t desperate bawling, but the tears just flowed up and out of me, and I didn’t have the strength to stop them. The song reminds me of home, my old Newman Center, and special moment with a special friend. I couldn’t really help myself.
The slightly mortifying part was that while none of my roommates noticed this (I was sandwiched in the row between Jenna’s boyfriend and my brother, so they couldn’t see me), the lead pastor did. He look over his shoulder, and even though my vision was blurred, I could see him turned toward me for part of the song. Keep in mind—I’ve only been there once before, and I doubt he even saw me that time. So, from his perspective, some unfamiliar woman was standing in his church, weeping like her heart would break on Easter morning. Being the good pastor that he is, when he came and shook hand with our row at the sign of peace (I’d composed myself by then), he gave me a pretty emphatic look and leaned in to ask if I was all right. I answered yes—I just get emotional about Easter.
The truth is, I don’t know what caused the sudden flood of emotion, but I felt a lot better afterwards. Then I napped for four hours, and we ended the day with a great dinner with our community (and a few extended community members! Siblings, significant others, etc).
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Right, so... this is what happened in January...
I really should update y’all on my life this month—I just can’t think of anything significant enough that it would be interesting to read that can also be posted on a public blog… some private stuff, etc. You know how it is.
Ok. Umm… I returned to work on January 4th after a nice (albeit short!) week at home with family and friends. Among my favorite days were a shopping trip in Seattle with my mom and sister, a gorgeous performance of The Nutcracker with said mom and sister (AND I ran into my old music teacher, who was there with his daughter!), a surprise visit to Bremerton to visit Andrew, Lindsey, and the babe (whose laugh is so intoxicating that I physically can’t keep from giggling when I hear it), a New Year’s Eve party (where I found many old friends and caught up with them… Neil, Jacob, Casey, Matt, Nicole, Lilly… I miss all of you!) and several quiet, one-on-one days with a few dear friends.
Work has been pretty stressful since I’ve been back. One of my cases was supposed to be resolved the Wednesday before last, and I was excited because it was the culmination of three months of hard work on my part. The client desperately needed a doctor’s appointment that she was finally going to have that afternoon. I stood with her and waited for her medical transportation to arrive. And we waited. And waited. And then… we waited some more. Long story short, it turned out that her medical transportation request was never sent. I was unbelievably frustrated—the rest of this woman’s life hinged upon this doctor’s appointment, and something as trivial as a clerical error kept it from happening. We were back at square one, and she’s been declining since I got her case in October.
The rest of the week didn’t seem to get better, and I found myself looking forward to Friday, which was the day I was going to take the GRE. (How stressed out do you have to be to look forward to a standardized test?) I took a personal day, drove to Philadelphia, and took the exam. I scored right around the middle of the bell curve, and I’m still waiting on the Analytical Writing score. I felt really good about the writing section, but only time will tell.
I had realized a few days before I took the test that I really had no idea as to what master’s program I wanted to enter, so I decided to hold off on applying anywhere for a while. I have some ideas now, but I don’t want to rush into anything and I do want to take a little bit of time to clear my head and plan carefully.
The following week was a short one for us JVs because we took off for Dalton, PA for Re-Orientation. It was only the second retreat where all of JVC East was present—the ninety of us won’t see each other again until Dis-Orientation in (gulp) August! We stayed in a seminary (although right now it functions as a retreat center because there aren’t enough vocations to fill the giant building) for the week, and I must say that I really appreciate the appeal of being a seminarian! I had my own little room with a desk and a rocking chair, which is really all I need. I never quite realize what the privacy of one’s own room feels like. The Fatima Center staff fed us very well, and (my favorite part) there was a Eucharistic chapel just down the hall from my room. If I had had the privilege of attending theology classes all day (I did, actually, but they weren’t necessarily comprehensive about our faith), it would have been a week in the life of a seminarian. Since I can’t do that, maybe I’ll go get a theology degree…
I think that our community as a whole found a lot of growth, both personal and communal, this past week. It wasn’t always pleasant, but it was a growing experience. After we had a talk at dinner on Monday, it felt like we’d knocked down a wall that had kept us from communicating fully. So I guess it was a big help. As it was, I called a few friends back home for support, all of which helped me somewhat.
On a semi-related note, our community was also in charge of planning Mass on retreat. Among other things, we planned the music—which is always my department. I must say, we have talented musicians in JVC East! Being the de facto director, I got a lot of compliments (which I tried hard to spread to the rest of the choir/band) on the music. People were pretty moved, and I was happy with it.
Now that I’m back at work, life didn’t wait for me to get back into the swing of things gradually. By 2pm on Tuesday (my first day back) I had to help break up a brawl in the lobby! Two women in their fifties were fighting over a boyfriend (I think—there was a lot of R-rated Spanish getting thrown around, but I caught most of what they were yelling at each other). The guards pulled off the aggressor, and I pulled away the one that was clearly losing the fight (she didn’t really fight me back, thankfully). Is it bad that I’m not shocked at any of this anymore?
So, now you’re caught up! Hopefully I won’t leave everyone hanging for a month again for a while.
Ok. Umm… I returned to work on January 4th after a nice (albeit short!) week at home with family and friends. Among my favorite days were a shopping trip in Seattle with my mom and sister, a gorgeous performance of The Nutcracker with said mom and sister (AND I ran into my old music teacher, who was there with his daughter!), a surprise visit to Bremerton to visit Andrew, Lindsey, and the babe (whose laugh is so intoxicating that I physically can’t keep from giggling when I hear it), a New Year’s Eve party (where I found many old friends and caught up with them… Neil, Jacob, Casey, Matt, Nicole, Lilly… I miss all of you!) and several quiet, one-on-one days with a few dear friends.
Work has been pretty stressful since I’ve been back. One of my cases was supposed to be resolved the Wednesday before last, and I was excited because it was the culmination of three months of hard work on my part. The client desperately needed a doctor’s appointment that she was finally going to have that afternoon. I stood with her and waited for her medical transportation to arrive. And we waited. And waited. And then… we waited some more. Long story short, it turned out that her medical transportation request was never sent. I was unbelievably frustrated—the rest of this woman’s life hinged upon this doctor’s appointment, and something as trivial as a clerical error kept it from happening. We were back at square one, and she’s been declining since I got her case in October.
The rest of the week didn’t seem to get better, and I found myself looking forward to Friday, which was the day I was going to take the GRE. (How stressed out do you have to be to look forward to a standardized test?) I took a personal day, drove to Philadelphia, and took the exam. I scored right around the middle of the bell curve, and I’m still waiting on the Analytical Writing score. I felt really good about the writing section, but only time will tell.
I had realized a few days before I took the test that I really had no idea as to what master’s program I wanted to enter, so I decided to hold off on applying anywhere for a while. I have some ideas now, but I don’t want to rush into anything and I do want to take a little bit of time to clear my head and plan carefully.
The following week was a short one for us JVs because we took off for Dalton, PA for Re-Orientation. It was only the second retreat where all of JVC East was present—the ninety of us won’t see each other again until Dis-Orientation in (gulp) August! We stayed in a seminary (although right now it functions as a retreat center because there aren’t enough vocations to fill the giant building) for the week, and I must say that I really appreciate the appeal of being a seminarian! I had my own little room with a desk and a rocking chair, which is really all I need. I never quite realize what the privacy of one’s own room feels like. The Fatima Center staff fed us very well, and (my favorite part) there was a Eucharistic chapel just down the hall from my room. If I had had the privilege of attending theology classes all day (I did, actually, but they weren’t necessarily comprehensive about our faith), it would have been a week in the life of a seminarian. Since I can’t do that, maybe I’ll go get a theology degree…
I think that our community as a whole found a lot of growth, both personal and communal, this past week. It wasn’t always pleasant, but it was a growing experience. After we had a talk at dinner on Monday, it felt like we’d knocked down a wall that had kept us from communicating fully. So I guess it was a big help. As it was, I called a few friends back home for support, all of which helped me somewhat.
On a semi-related note, our community was also in charge of planning Mass on retreat. Among other things, we planned the music—which is always my department. I must say, we have talented musicians in JVC East! Being the de facto director, I got a lot of compliments (which I tried hard to spread to the rest of the choir/band) on the music. People were pretty moved, and I was happy with it.
Now that I’m back at work, life didn’t wait for me to get back into the swing of things gradually. By 2pm on Tuesday (my first day back) I had to help break up a brawl in the lobby! Two women in their fifties were fighting over a boyfriend (I think—there was a lot of R-rated Spanish getting thrown around, but I caught most of what they were yelling at each other). The guards pulled off the aggressor, and I pulled away the one that was clearly losing the fight (she didn’t really fight me back, thankfully). Is it bad that I’m not shocked at any of this anymore?
So, now you’re caught up! Hopefully I won’t leave everyone hanging for a month again for a while.
Monday, January 4, 2010
And the world keeps turning...
It was so lovely to see everyone while I was home! I love and miss you all!
Life here continues to trudge on. We did lose a tenant a few days after Christmas. It wasn't unexpected, as she was terminally ill. But I'd just had her in my office less than a week before she died, so it's a little shocking that she was so close to the end at that time. Still, this is the first time that I haven't been sad that a tenant passed away. She was ready.
It's good to be back with the roommates. We need to get back into the swing of things in terms of scheduling food (we completely exhausted our "emergency reserve" food during that snowstorm, and now we have no food! Last night we went to an evening Mass specifically because they serve dinner afterward!), community and spirituality nights, although that will be hard because this month's schedule is crazy.
We're going to Scranton next Thursday for Re-Orientation, which sounded so far off when we first got here! We'll be there for almost a week. The following week, all of the former Camden JVs are coming to our place for a reunion (which they sort of planned without telling us; the first we heard about it was that six people will be crashing on our floor for a weekend. On the upside, they remember what it was like to be a JV and will treat us to groceries in return for our hospitality).
We have to start planning for our big event next month: the Valentine's Day party. Remember how each JV house is assigned a holiday party (each community is responsible for throwing a party, which relieves financial burden for the rest of the houses for the rest of the year)? We have Valentine's. (An aside: I'm really not the partying type. It seems like most JV parties eventually devolve into beer pong and romances that become awkward in the sober light of day. I like to either play hostess in the kitchen, or hang out in a quiet corner and talk to someone. I think I'm too old a soul to enjoy big, loud parties). Which is not to say that I'm not excited-- I love throwing parties a lot more than I love attending them.
Going home was a very timely balm for my soul. I spent a lot of time on the move to visit my loved ones, and even then my time was so limited that I didn't get to see everyone. BUT, I'll be back in June to go to a couple weddings, so try to catch me between nuptual gatherings! My big concern after the break was getting enough rest, because I kept waking up early and staying out late while at home! That schedule, plus the plane ride and the jet lag are making me a little sleepy today.
Work has gone a bit nutty-- for various reasons, upper management has decided that it's the best use of resources to take a case manager (yours truly) and stick her with the after-school child care program. (I've trained for four months to be a case manager, and now with four hours' warning, they're putting me in child care? I'm pretty miffed.)
I wanted a better way to end this, but I can hear a lady with Altzheimer's yelling down the hall, and I just know she's headed for my office door...
Life here continues to trudge on. We did lose a tenant a few days after Christmas. It wasn't unexpected, as she was terminally ill. But I'd just had her in my office less than a week before she died, so it's a little shocking that she was so close to the end at that time. Still, this is the first time that I haven't been sad that a tenant passed away. She was ready.
It's good to be back with the roommates. We need to get back into the swing of things in terms of scheduling food (we completely exhausted our "emergency reserve" food during that snowstorm, and now we have no food! Last night we went to an evening Mass specifically because they serve dinner afterward!), community and spirituality nights, although that will be hard because this month's schedule is crazy.
We're going to Scranton next Thursday for Re-Orientation, which sounded so far off when we first got here! We'll be there for almost a week. The following week, all of the former Camden JVs are coming to our place for a reunion (which they sort of planned without telling us; the first we heard about it was that six people will be crashing on our floor for a weekend. On the upside, they remember what it was like to be a JV and will treat us to groceries in return for our hospitality).
We have to start planning for our big event next month: the Valentine's Day party. Remember how each JV house is assigned a holiday party (each community is responsible for throwing a party, which relieves financial burden for the rest of the houses for the rest of the year)? We have Valentine's. (An aside: I'm really not the partying type. It seems like most JV parties eventually devolve into beer pong and romances that become awkward in the sober light of day. I like to either play hostess in the kitchen, or hang out in a quiet corner and talk to someone. I think I'm too old a soul to enjoy big, loud parties). Which is not to say that I'm not excited-- I love throwing parties a lot more than I love attending them.
Going home was a very timely balm for my soul. I spent a lot of time on the move to visit my loved ones, and even then my time was so limited that I didn't get to see everyone. BUT, I'll be back in June to go to a couple weddings, so try to catch me between nuptual gatherings! My big concern after the break was getting enough rest, because I kept waking up early and staying out late while at home! That schedule, plus the plane ride and the jet lag are making me a little sleepy today.
Work has gone a bit nutty-- for various reasons, upper management has decided that it's the best use of resources to take a case manager (yours truly) and stick her with the after-school child care program. (I've trained for four months to be a case manager, and now with four hours' warning, they're putting me in child care? I'm pretty miffed.)
I wanted a better way to end this, but I can hear a lady with Altzheimer's yelling down the hall, and I just know she's headed for my office door...
Saturday, August 22, 2009
I'm here: A Camden update
Hey, everyone!
As you may or may not have surmised from my long (or so it feels) absence from the Internet, I a) have been very busy since I left the Wednesday, and b) have been without Internet that entire time. Look for updates here and there, but don’t be surprised if it takes me a day of two to respond if you email or Facebook me; I’ll only have access to the web at work.
So, we (the Camden JVs) have arrived! The reception in the community so far has been very positive, and very overwhelming. Former Jesuit Volunteers (hereafter referred to as FJVs) came to visit us within hours of our arrival, most (thankfully) bearing food or beverages for us. I don’t think we’ve touched any of the food we picked up at the grocery store yet, and this is our fifth day here!
But before I get too far into our time in Camden, I should start with the journey out of Seattle to Baltimore.
My last few days out west were full of that “warm sadness without loss.” I hugged goodbye most of the people that I meant to see before taking off, especially at the lovely shindig my family threw for me before going. Thanks to all the Bellingham people who make the drive to Everett to see me off! Love you!
I visited some good friends before going, too. When I walked away from a few homes that held the people I love, it felt like my heart was ripping through the muscles of my back. But even in those moments, I feel absolutely certain that this (Camden, and more broadly, JVC) is exactly where I am supposed to be.
I flew out of Seattle around midnight on Wednesday night/ Thursday morning. Since it was a red-eye flight and I was flying toward the sunrise, I basically skipped Wednesday night. So it felt like Wednesday and Thursday were all one, long day. At the airport in Baltimore, I managed to grab a latte and some breakfast before taking a cat nap by the baggage claim. Eventually I found my community hanging out near where the bus was supposed to pick us up, and after the standard confusion of moving sixty people to one location on a bus, we got on a charter bus and drove to Blue Ridge Summit in Pennsylvania.
Blue Ridge is simply gorgeous. It’s owned by the Jesuits in the area, and frequently is used for retreats like the one we were on. We had a lot of talks, small groups and presentations on the core JVC values: community, spirituality, simple living, and social justice. We had Mass three times: once to kick off the retreat, one for the feast of the Assumption, and one we call the missioning liturgy, when we are all blessed and sent forth to our cities. At that Mass we each received our Jerusalem cross, which is a traditional symbol of missionaries. It’s one large cross, representing Jerusalem, and four little ones around it, representing the four corners of the earth. In JVC, the four crosses stand for the four values.
We got to Camden without incident and found our little house, which is downright luxurious by JVC standards. Carpeting, two stories plus a basement, laundry machines, a dishwasher, 2.5 baths, 4 bedrooms. The dining room table is a big, beautiful, sturdy thing that just screams for people to sit around it and be a community every night. We are VERY well taken care of around here.
The only drag, and certainly what will become the cross that I bear in terms of staying connected with my family and friends, is that we have very limited access to the Internet. I do have a computer at work, but I can't use Facebook or anything like that there. This is all part of learning to live simply, which is one of the main reasons I became a JV; I wanted to purify my faith and life by rooting it in the Gospel, and part of that is giving up worldly goods. Having such a great house makes that a little more difficult, but we're at least going to try going without internet. I don't know if it will last; we plan to revisit the issue in about a month and make a decision as a community. Until then, my apologies if I'm slow to get back to you!
We visited each other's placements the last two days (after a lovely tour d'Camden led by Nick, an FJV, and my amazing cousin), and I have to say that I think we were all placed really well. I like my supervisor, Irma. She's a cool lady, and I look forward to working with her.
Also (I don't have photos of it yet, but believe me), I got a pleasent surprise: I get my own office!!! I am officially a grown up, with a job and an office! Granted, my computer there leaves something to be desired, but I'll take what I can get.
Last night marked our first trip to Philadelphia, so we hopped a PATCO subway to the big(ger) city. We had a great time with some Philly FJVs at a bar called Noche, and then headed back to the Philly JV house. It was a good time. Those of us who headed back last night got caught in a truly diluvian rainstorm last night. I actually took out my contact lenses and carried them in my hand because the rain kept washing them out! Some of my clothes (the ones that can't be dried in the drier) are STILL not dry yet! It was quite the adventure.
I'll write more later about our neighborhood and work-- I start at my job on Monday.
If you want to reach me, PLEASE email me instead of using Facebook (call me for the address; I don't want to put in on a public blog.). It will be easier for me to respond to you. Or you can send me snail mail (like my lovely friend Sara did-- I got a letter this morning!)-- call, text, or email for the address. :)
Take care, everyone!
Molly
As you may or may not have surmised from my long (or so it feels) absence from the Internet, I a) have been very busy since I left the Wednesday, and b) have been without Internet that entire time. Look for updates here and there, but don’t be surprised if it takes me a day of two to respond if you email or Facebook me; I’ll only have access to the web at work.
So, we (the Camden JVs) have arrived! The reception in the community so far has been very positive, and very overwhelming. Former Jesuit Volunteers (hereafter referred to as FJVs) came to visit us within hours of our arrival, most (thankfully) bearing food or beverages for us. I don’t think we’ve touched any of the food we picked up at the grocery store yet, and this is our fifth day here!
But before I get too far into our time in Camden, I should start with the journey out of Seattle to Baltimore.
"The moment or hour of leave-taking is one of the pleasantest times in human
experience, for it has in it a warm sadness without loss. People who don't
ordinarily like you very well are overcome with affection at leave-taking... It
would be good to live in a perpetual state of leave-taking, never to go nor to
stay, but to remain suspended in that golden emotion of love and longing; to be
missed without being gone; to be loved without satiety. How beautiful one is and
how desirable; for in a few moments one will have ceased to exist."
- from the book "Sea of Cortez" by John Steinbeck and E. F. Ricketts
My last few days out west were full of that “warm sadness without loss.” I hugged goodbye most of the people that I meant to see before taking off, especially at the lovely shindig my family threw for me before going. Thanks to all the Bellingham people who make the drive to Everett to see me off! Love you!
I visited some good friends before going, too. When I walked away from a few homes that held the people I love, it felt like my heart was ripping through the muscles of my back. But even in those moments, I feel absolutely certain that this (Camden, and more broadly, JVC) is exactly where I am supposed to be.
I flew out of Seattle around midnight on Wednesday night/ Thursday morning. Since it was a red-eye flight and I was flying toward the sunrise, I basically skipped Wednesday night. So it felt like Wednesday and Thursday were all one, long day. At the airport in Baltimore, I managed to grab a latte and some breakfast before taking a cat nap by the baggage claim. Eventually I found my community hanging out near where the bus was supposed to pick us up, and after the standard confusion of moving sixty people to one location on a bus, we got on a charter bus and drove to Blue Ridge Summit in Pennsylvania.
Blue Ridge is simply gorgeous. It’s owned by the Jesuits in the area, and frequently is used for retreats like the one we were on. We had a lot of talks, small groups and presentations on the core JVC values: community, spirituality, simple living, and social justice. We had Mass three times: once to kick off the retreat, one for the feast of the Assumption, and one we call the missioning liturgy, when we are all blessed and sent forth to our cities. At that Mass we each received our Jerusalem cross, which is a traditional symbol of missionaries. It’s one large cross, representing Jerusalem, and four little ones around it, representing the four corners of the earth. In JVC, the four crosses stand for the four values.
We got to Camden without incident and found our little house, which is downright luxurious by JVC standards. Carpeting, two stories plus a basement, laundry machines, a dishwasher, 2.5 baths, 4 bedrooms. The dining room table is a big, beautiful, sturdy thing that just screams for people to sit around it and be a community every night. We are VERY well taken care of around here.
The only drag, and certainly what will become the cross that I bear in terms of staying connected with my family and friends, is that we have very limited access to the Internet. I do have a computer at work, but I can't use Facebook or anything like that there. This is all part of learning to live simply, which is one of the main reasons I became a JV; I wanted to purify my faith and life by rooting it in the Gospel, and part of that is giving up worldly goods. Having such a great house makes that a little more difficult, but we're at least going to try going without internet. I don't know if it will last; we plan to revisit the issue in about a month and make a decision as a community. Until then, my apologies if I'm slow to get back to you!
We visited each other's placements the last two days (after a lovely tour d'Camden led by Nick, an FJV, and my amazing cousin), and I have to say that I think we were all placed really well. I like my supervisor, Irma. She's a cool lady, and I look forward to working with her.
Also (I don't have photos of it yet, but believe me), I got a pleasent surprise: I get my own office!!! I am officially a grown up, with a job and an office! Granted, my computer there leaves something to be desired, but I'll take what I can get.
Last night marked our first trip to Philadelphia, so we hopped a PATCO subway to the big(ger) city. We had a great time with some Philly FJVs at a bar called Noche, and then headed back to the Philly JV house. It was a good time. Those of us who headed back last night got caught in a truly diluvian rainstorm last night. I actually took out my contact lenses and carried them in my hand because the rain kept washing them out! Some of my clothes (the ones that can't be dried in the drier) are STILL not dry yet! It was quite the adventure.
I'll write more later about our neighborhood and work-- I start at my job on Monday.
If you want to reach me, PLEASE email me instead of using Facebook (call me for the address; I don't want to put in on a public blog.). It will be easier for me to respond to you. Or you can send me snail mail (like my lovely friend Sara did-- I got a letter this morning!)-- call, text, or email for the address. :)
Take care, everyone!
Molly
Monday, August 18, 2008
Back in the saddle
I'm home from the beach, back at work, and fighting a cold-- and oddly, in a decent mood. Maybe that's just because I'm still fresh from the vacation. Expect pictures soon, though I only got a few good ones.
I did FINALLY meet Miss Ellery, and I think I'm in love! She's a tall little thing; 24 inches long at just under three months. So she has a lot of length but not a lot of muscle tone to move it around. She notices everything, expecially sound-wise-- I noticed that she paid special attention when someone started singing (erm, guitly) and when the music from the TV changed. Let's get this girl into piano lessons, stat!
Less than two weeks left of work!
I did FINALLY meet Miss Ellery, and I think I'm in love! She's a tall little thing; 24 inches long at just under three months. So she has a lot of length but not a lot of muscle tone to move it around. She notices everything, expecially sound-wise-- I noticed that she paid special attention when someone started singing (erm, guitly) and when the music from the TV changed. Let's get this girl into piano lessons, stat!
Less than two weeks left of work!
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