Sensational Run

Last evening, I went for a quick run down the hill to lower campus with Katie and Heather. As we got to the bottom of the steep decline, it started pouring rain suddenly, and it felt amazing. It was that perfect warm tropical rain with the wind just barely hitting our bodies as we ran further down towards the library and oval where they play rugby. We looked up and saw the MOST incredible sight I have seen in the rainbow world. There was a full, double rainbow directly in front of us. I have never seen such a vivid sweep of colors across the sky. I've never actually been to the ends of a rainbow before, but we ran right to where the prism met the raindrops on the ground. No pot of gold, but I felt so wealthy to have felt the abundance of joy that rainbow was exuding.
Absolutely stunning!

View from Orion (this does not do it any justice!) 

Roomies!

Kevin from Philadelphia

The Lovely Tiana from a few hours north of Lismore

Making roomie dinner

Matt from St. Cloud, MN

Scott from somewhere in Aussie Land 

My room mates have definitely added to the intensity of my experience in Lismore. From compulsory family dinners once a week, to finding them lost in the middle of the night downtown, they definitely keep me on my toes. Overall, it's been...interesting. They are all great people, nice (ish) and easy going and (sort of) sanitary. However. they are the quintessential example of party people who just want to have a good time-at any cost. Aka, my polar opposites. But it all works out in some odd way, because I've gained a backbone! It's not about feeling bad asking them to turn down their blaring music at 2 am, or to please, please just wash their dishes...it's about my place in this space as well. There have been several occasions where I've had to give in and just take out the overflowing garbage even though I hadn't been there all weekend, or washed every dish that we own that took up the sink, counter AND table for drying space. This is because our duty RA told us that if we don't to these things, we WILL get maggots, and that is something I don't want to deal with. I'm learning a lot about my strengths and weaknesses and how oddly mature I feel here. I'm usually the one that needs to settle down or learn to  pick up after myself better, but here, they call me their "mum." I'm the responsible, boring one. And it's never felt SO good to be SO boring.

I got my first paper back for my visual culture class, and I recieved a high distinciton which is the highest mark they give out! I was truly shocked because back home they drilled into our heads to accept getting a "credit" or "pass", which transfers back to a B or C at Eau Claire. Also, when students and professors say the average grade is a "credit," they actually mean it. Any Australian student I know is more than content with that grade, which transfers to a 'C.' At home, even if that IS the average, people tend to strive far beyond that. They don't fuss over GPAs here or compare grades after class. An Aussie guy in my class was appalled at our education system, when he found out that future employers actually care about the grades we receive while at uni. He literally didn't understand why that would be part of the interviewing process, when to him, everyone's on the same page after completing their course (degree). I tried to explain the competitive nature of jobs in America and how it's now necessary to look at those fine details, and he said, "even more reason to pick a person based on their character, not on their professor's opinion about their essays!"

Winter Wonderland Ball (minus the snow!)

Every year, the university puts on a ball for the students and this year's theme was "Winter Wonderland." I chuckled at the theme because the majority of Australian's have never even felt snow before. They've only seen it on TV or movies and my Aussie friends sit and ask questions about what it's like! A few are coming to UW-Eau Claire next year, and a huge reason is because they WANT to have the true winter with blizzards and all. Go figure! We were debating going to the ball because apparently people get really dressed up in prom-type gowns and all we had were shorter, casual dresses because there was no way a ball-type gown was fitting in that suitcase. After going back and forth on the decision, I realized that while we are here, might as well do everything possible that involved harmless fun and will create memories. So we got our $35 tickets, got dressed up at my place, took a bunch of pictures with a group and walked down to the UniBar on lower campus where there is a big event room for the dance. When we got there, it was packed! We weren't even trying to be "fashionably late," as we arrived around 6:30. It was a lot warmer in the room than the type of winter I'm used to (probably because they don't really use air conditioning here that I've noticed. Oddly enough, I've never been too hot in class even on very warm days. Or maybe it's that I'm too focused on the constant chirping and calls of tropical birds outside the classroom's windows. Constant. noise. To the point where it's sometimes hard to hear the professors voice over the noise outside! I enjoy it though...makes it feel very tropical. 
Back to the Ball, we got our drink vouchers and found a round table that some of our Aussie friends and their room mates were sitting at. I hadn't eaten since a light breakfast, so I was extremely hungry. It was a catered event, so they served the food to us as a three-course meal. 


We still had some time before dinner, so we mingled and took plenty of pictures by their staged wintery backdrop. The room was beautiful-filled with glistening lights, blue accents around the dance floor and white and blue pebbled centerpieces on each table. 

A live band was the music for the night, and that combined with the conservation gave the ambience of a wedding reception. We went to the bar to get our free drink for the night (very, very happily about the "free" part-although it's cost is obviously added to our original ticket), and then I realized I've never ordered a drink from a bar before. They had a "Blue Moon" drink that I got because that's one of my favorite types of ice cream and it sounded refreshing. I watched them make it so I knew what I was getting 


myself into...just sprite, blue coloring, and 
literally a touch of white wine.  I preferred the water on the table, so ended up just drinking that instead. It's just way more fun to have fun and then to actually remember the fun you had! A beautiful salad containing every vegetable and topping ever invented was presented for our appetizer, followed with delicious lamb, potatoes and pumpkin slices for the main course. They alternated between a chicken plate and lamb plate for every person around the table. I tried the chicken and it was delicious as well, but I haven't had lamb in a while, so it was a treat! Dessert was sno-cones with different fruity flavoring beautifully sculpted in our bowls. After the first "real" meal we've had in a while, we headed to the dance floor... ... where no one was dancing. The live band was playing music that would have been nice to listen to when reading a book on the beach, not when there's an energetic crowd that wants to liven up the place! Well, my friends and I danced anyways (like always), and we remained the only ones actually dancing for a while, but by the end there was a full dance floor. Mostly talking and slightly swaying, but still, they were upright and moving! :)

Around 11, we noticed the place was pretty much vacant, because everyone went out to the bars/clubs downtown.  That's not really my scene though, after trying it out a few times. It's really fun to go with a bunch of girls and just dance all night, because my group knows how to have fun and actually REMEMBER the night the next day.  After a while, you look around and feel a bit hopeless for humankind when observing people in that state of intoxication. So, we decided just to walk up the hill and have our own mini dance party in Orion for a while. I constantly feel grateful for the group of friends I've surrounded myself with while being here. It makes all the difference having people that follow your same mindset about what is and isn't a good time. 

As a result, I am loving waking up before 8 am every day and having a clear head, clear conscience and clearly a better day. 

Everyone there from Orion!

Response Paper

The most interesting class for me is Australia, Asia and the World. It is so refreshing to talk more about why we (as countries or groups of people) made the past decisions we did, why we haven't been able to solve some of them, and what we can do to genuinely make positive changes. I prefer this over the false information pumped into high school history textbooks that block out reality.


Here is a short response paper from our last topic of cosmopolitanism and the concept of a world citizen. It was difficult to write only 800 words on the topic but part of university writing is to be as concise as possible. 

What do you think about the concept of being a citizen of the world? What are its advantages/disadvantages?

It sounds alluring and intricate while simultaneously simple, to be classified as a citizen of the world. When I describe world citizenship, it is not in the literal sense of forming a common law among all people.  For me, world citizenship is about how individuals adapt and enhance their personal worldviews, emerged in a more culturally literate lifestyle. This type of person would live in a cosmopolitan world, filled with people ready for cross-cultural communication, learning with curiosity, accuracy and a fresh mind.

  

A world citizen views the world with a lens that sees difference as a chance for learning, newfound understanding and potentially celebration.  It takes more than just claiming you are globally interested.  If that were the case, we could all be world citizens after watching the world news while eating Thai food and discussing American soldiers fighting Joseph Kony in Uganda.  It entails having a deeper local and global awareness, perhaps by taking classes in world religions, anthropology, foreign economic structures, global politics, and studying linguistics.  If we can’t even understand each other’s basis of cultural cues and communication, how will we ever engage in a real dialogue with one other?

Part of world citizenship is recognizing where our thoughts come from and how significantly they shape our worldviews and actions.  The main challenge is that we have to look backwards before moving forward.  It starts by how we view the world and the people that live differently based on their geographical location.  Although the borders that we see on a map are man made and holistically inaccurate, they are the separating lines that we have learned about since childhood.  How do we just unlearn the false notion of boundaries that have been instilled in us our whole lives?  This is an enormous challenge in forming a cosmopolitan world, because those very lines and edges that we’ve drawn are greatly responsible for why we see ourselves as separate from people living in a different box than we do.  Not enough people question the immense effects of how the simple act of viewing a map can encourage separateness or inaccurate information about one another.

Another force working against a world with global citizens is that we are stuck to our images, identities, and policies, as if without them we would be nothing. Insecurities of difference will only prevent what is essential to live in a world with inevitable change and diversity.  “Cultural communities are constantly exposed to, and having to change in response to, each other, and can not longer define and maintain their identities as they did before” (Parekh, 2008).  That doesn’t mean that a world citizen has to let go of their core beliefs and agree with everyone else’s policies and views.  That would create a world of cowards.  Instead, a world citizen uses an anthropological point of view to better their understanding of the other first, and then will make observations and an more informed opinion.  The challenge is deciding what is and is not a universal idea that we should have a cross-cultural conversation about. Cosmopolitanism is based on the idea that “every human has the resources to a life of dignity and significance” (Brookes, 2006).  For instance, is it a world citizen’s responsibility to engage with citizens of Saudi Arabia about how their women are not allowed to drive?  “Through raising new global issues for consideration, presenting old problems in a new light, global citizens can help to shift the way in which people perceive their country’s relations with the wider world” (Pitty, Stokes, Smith, 2008). The paradox of the matter is that the world citizen can’t force their opinion on those citizens without breaking the foundational rule which is to not shape other’s minds based on your beliefs.  A frustrating result of world citizenship occurs when you have an informed basis of a global issue and are not able to truly resolve acts against human rights.

With all challenges in mind, I still propose that without world citizens, we will never truly progress with global health, as individual nations and as human beings. As globalization newly shapes our world, we have to change with it. I’m not talking about learning the importance of technological advances, but about the importance of human connection and communication on an intercultural level. “It’s a false idea that the progress of science and technology equals the progress of civilisation-as if we become more fully human because we can send an email on a mobile phone” (McDonald, n.d.).  True human advancement depends on our genuine thirst for knowledge about the ideas, lifestyles, and people that we may hold uncertainties about. Whether or not you choose to live as a world citizen, I believe we all have a moral commitment to further our involvement, knowledge and acceptance of one another to better the world we live in.

Lismore Regional Gallery

For my visual culture class, we had to find a gallery displaying contemporary art and write a concise 750 word reflection on the experience. I went with two classmates to the gallery downtown Lismore. I'll let the pictures and reflection speak for itself! 
~All of  the pictures below are from the gallery's website or are photographs from their pamphlet. 


http://www.lismoregallery.org/cmst/lrg003/view_doc_home.asp?id=257&cat=37  

As I walked up to the Lismore Regional Gallery, I thought about how I felt about contemporary art. I’ve had a few encounters with it in major cities, and it felt very different walking into this particular gallery. I noticed the gallery itself stuck out from the neighbouring buildings, with an intriguing, modern outside. Inside, there was no one else viewing the artwork except for the two other girls I went with. I realized there was no buzzing sound of artists and audience chatting amongst themselves while making claims and observations about the art on the walls. There was complete silence, as if a pin dropped in the next room, I would hear it. The only sound was the ‘click’ of the gadget on the floor that counted the people passing through the room. As I entered the first of three spaces, I questioned why there were so few art pieces in each room, with only one or two large photographs per wall. I noticed it was much cooler than the temperature outside, perhaps due to the concrete floor. I felt at ease physically, but mentally I was bewildered. I kept my focus on trying to figure out what led the artists to display certain photographs. The work that struck me with the most curiosity was a girl with a bird sticking out of her mouth. I wondered if I missed something, like if there was a sign that described the exhibition or the artist’s reasoning for these intriguing works of art.

"Mini-Flex Super-Comfort"
by Vanila Netto

"beginningsandendings"
by Newell Harry

"White Poles" by Jonathan Jones 

Confusion was my main emotion while being an audience at this contemporary art gallery. I realized that I was raised surrounded with landscape oil paintings and sketches of realistic portraits. When I began to paint, my main focus was making the image as realistic and aesthetically pleasing as possible. I received a positive reaction to that type of art, and I thought that it took more ability to make a painting look realistic, compared to an abstract image. 

Before going to this gallery, when I thought of contemporary art, I pictured a series of coloured dots painted on canvases at a New York art gallery. It seemed to me like a chance to earn a profit for the gallery, and the artists’ background and reasoning for the work was inconsequential. Contemporary art never seemed to be well thought out enough to be called genuine masterpieces. The lack of audience at this Lismore gallery added to my sense of uncertainty on how to react. I had pictured what I’ve observed in magazines and movies, where there is a large group of people attempting to pick apart the artwork while using the gallery as a social event. It was as if I had to think about how I should be react, instead of just enjoying what was in front of me. I felt there was a code of conduct that I should’ve been aware of, but wasn’t. There was a screen displaying a video with 

a goat inside an unnatural looking concrete room. 

"Goat Odyssey" by Hayden Fowler

I stared at this video that kept looping every few minutes, trying to distinguish what provoked the artist to capture this surreal idea. My thoughts were too forced, as if I was trying to solve a riddle. I have academics to challenge my brain and inquire about the world. When it comes to viewing art, whether it’s a photograph, sculpture, video or painting, I want to feel the art, not think it. Because I couldn’t grasp a cohesive meaning behind the photographs, I felt frustrated not at the experience, but towards myself. Why couldn’t I see what I was “supposed” to see or feel. Maybe it was due to my lack of exposure with contemporary art. Perhaps it was because I only surrounded myself with the art I am used to-landscapes and portraits in what I consider to be an attractive medium. 

"Self-Portrait Spinning (Invalides)"
by Shaun Gladwell                   

My contemporary art experience didn’t end when I 

left the building. I came back and researched the 

artists and the exhibits purpose; it was to display a collection that was made possible due to the essence of light and to show that without light in our world, we wouldn’t have these images illuminated. I also found that one of the artists was a Sydney born aboriginal man of the Wiradjuri nation. After more insight into the exhibit background, I was able to have a more thorough reflection and discover a more sincere attitude towards the art displays.

Minyon Falls Rainforest Hike

View of the falls from the lookout point

Joining the SCU Outdoor Adventure Club was a fantastic choice and is a perfect match for my adventurous self. Our last trip was to visit the Nightcap National Park an hour north of Lismore, and hike to Minyon falls. It was an 8 kilometer loop, down to the waterfall and up the other side of the cliff. When we arrived, it was pouring rain, and when I said that, I mean it. We were in the middle of a sub-tropical rainforest (tropical rainforests are more north like in Cairns), and the sound and feel of the constant flow of raindrops made it all the more exhilarating. Our hike started off by looking at the waterfall from a lookout about a kilometer away. In the fog, it looked like an impressionism painting of a rainforest in Thailand. At 100 meters (328 ft) tall, the waterfall looks majestic from a distance, but has extreme force at the base. As we started our hike, rain in full swing, we had to trek uphill a while before reaching the top of the waterfall where it curved straight down into the air and down to the ground below. It was still so foggy all you could see where the tops of the forest of palm trees and the water crashing at the bottom. It didn’t seem like a lot of water at all at the top. It was more of a creek or stream that just dropped off suddenly, yet sounded like it was a wide, powerful river falling over a cliff. As we were walking, one of the three club leaders let us know that by the end of the hike we will have a few leeches on us. I’m usually not a baby about insects, as I have dealt with all my friends’ and roommates’ huntsman (baby tarantulas) and cockroaches in their rooms, but for some reason, leeches just aren’t my thing. With no choice but to keep on going, soaking wet at this point, we crossed a few creeks by rock jumping which reminded me of when Emily and I would spend hours in the creek by our Brookfield house. FUN! 

  The hike itself wasn’t physically challenging for me, but it had an element of being mentally challenging because it felt like an obstacle course. Boulders blocked the natural trail and we literally had to help each other by boosting each person to the next slippery rock. Well I have long legs and I’ve never been more grateful for them, so I could be more independent and somehow climb up them. I forgot to mention…by this point, I had 6 leeches on me and a few had managed to get in my sock and stay there a while to make me bleed when I removed them. I learned that leeches like warm parts of your body, and ironically within an hour I was freezing because of the rain and lack of sun during the hike. It didn’t matter either way, another 7 leeches managed to find their way on my legs on the second part of the hike. We reached a stream that we needed to cross in order to get to the path that led to the base of the waterfall. The cool water rushed beneath us and we leapt from rock to rock, and came to a halt when there was nothing but a fallen log that stretched from half way across the stream to the edge. We had to either strategically balance and walk across the six inch wide surface, or do what I do! Fall in. Always. Fall in. If you’re already wet from head to toe, it makes the most sense and gets you to your destination quickly. And while you’re at it, splash around in the water a bit to get off any leeches that may still be clinging on for dear life. I laughed at the fact that I packed an extra pair of socks in case mine got wet. The spare socks were also soaked because the drawstring bag I brought may look water-resistant, but is so NOT.  

When we finally got to the water hole at the bottom of the falls, we were a little tired, very hungry, and extremely excited to see the spectacular sight looking upwards at the powerful stream of water. We attempted to find a dry place to sit (the rain let up for a while), yet the waterfall sprayed constant frigid water all around us. As I sat with my back towards the waterfall because the spray was too forceful to face, I opened my very sad looking PB&J sandwich. It was soaked, as was the rest of the food.  One of the girls was showing off her very dry sandwich, waving it in the air, and within 10 seconds it was soaked from the waterfall’s spray.  Lesson learned! Only apples remain an option for rainy waterfall hikes. Food woes aside, I wanted to take in every sound and feeling this grand piece of nature was emitting. Unlike an ocean, which has a patterned sound…waves rolling in, crashing, silence, waves rolling in, etc., a waterfall has a constant sound. There was so much pressure under the waterfall yet it seemed calm and steady. It reminded me of a situation of tough love…firm, assertive and unwavering, yet with trust and unexplained harmony. We stayed there a while, letting the force of nature make us feel very, very small. Feeling insignificant once in a while is refreshing.

   

As we made our way up, I led the group for whatever reason they assigned me that role, and made the two kilometer trek through the rainforest. On the way up, the path was laid out nicely (that is after we climb back down those boulders that people were boosted up on, and across the creek that I gracefully (hah) crossed). That trail was the one that people go down if they want to see the falls without enduring the five hour hike. We made it back to the top with a few more leeches in stow and each with drenched clothes from the rain that picked up again. Surprisingly, we did the hike in 3.5 hours which they gave credit to my “far too energetic self” leading the group on the way back.

               

I definitely plan on going back within the four months I am here…and I won’t be forgetting a rain jacket next time!!

Get out and get dirty!

A leech got me :(

The Outdoor Adventure Club for this hike :)

Aussie Sunday Lunch :)

On Sunday, the internationals had a chance to be hosted for lunch by some local residents in Lismore. We were paired up and placed with an Aussie couple or family for the day, and got to enjoy the company of people outside of the university. I was paired up with Heather and we were introduced to the Whitney’s, a 60-something year old retired couple who couldn’t have been more hospitable (and adorable.) Maria Whitney picked us up and drove us (in her manual car) to the hills of Lismore where there lived. She told us how they’ve lived in the neighborhood in the same house for 30 years and couldn’t image being anywhere else. I could see why. They were towards the top of the rolling hills and the view from their house was impeccable. The house itself though was down a short, very steep hill that we had trouble getting up on the return home. When we arrived, about fifteen minutes away from campus, she said “Hope you don’t mind hanging with a bunch of oldies like myself! My sons and daughter are in Uni in Canberra so they couldn’t make it this time.” We walked through their modern yet quaint home to the balcony where there were eight other “old folks” sitting around their patio table. We all introduced ourselves and sat down while they kept chatting about the topic they were already on, which was movies. Movies they’ve recently seen, what us “youngins” are watching these days, operas they’ve attended at the Opera House and which ones shows were painfully boring. They were all around that age that they keep mentioning how old they are and how pretty soon they won’t be able to do this and that, but I saw them as all very vibrant, energetic and youthful. 

Their view of Lismore from the balcony 

One of the most precious things I have seen in a while happened during the lunch. Each of them had a calendar notebook out and planned an activity to do each month for the entire year! They asked us for some ideas as if we knew the area better than them, and it turns out we’ve already done some things that most locals have always wanted to do! For April, they are doing a walk from Lennex to Byron which would take a full day, then they will stop at one of their favorite cafes for lunch. Every month is accounted for up until next March. They told us that it is what keeps them going and gets them excited about yet another year progressing. It was second nature to them to be able to plan that far in advance. How couldn’t you make time each month to be in the company of your favorite people, do your favorite things and find adventure in new places? Next year they are planning a trip to America, starting in California, heading to Vegas for a few nights (what a sight THAT would be!), and ending up for winter in New York. It’s their dream come true to see the ball drop on New Years Even in NY. We talked over appetizers, consisting of different types of cheese and biscuits (crackers), roasted macadamia nuts and pretzels. I was curious as to the substance in the middle of the cheese platter which looked like a bean dip. Of course, I dipped my cracker into it and took a hearty bite. My taste buds didn’t react the way I had expected and I asked what I was eating. “It is pate.”   Okay, so that’s liver. Interesting.   “It’s goose liver.”   A new experience.  Instead of rejecting the offer, I took a bite of the other kind of pate on the table of which I did not ask what animal it belonged to. That one wasn’t as pungent, yet looked like a pile of gray tuna mixed with a slimy exterior. From then on, I stuck to the cheese wheel which was delicious.  Marie offered us juice or wine and we had a glass of wine (it was pink and inviting unlike the pate), and enjoyed that over conversation. We talked about how Lismore is mostly an area of retirement, so the views are mainly conservative, but there has been an influx of younger students (mostly Liberal) from the University. This creates some controversy in terms of the town’s entertainment, night life, and religious/political views. They said it helps that some people from Nimbin migrate to Lismore so they don’t really care what at all happens considering they are still stuck in the 60’s as are their minds and physical state. 

     We sat outside the whole time, enjoying lunch which consisted of bbq chicken, steak and sausages (still no hot dog buns to be seen since I left the US), a cold cous cous curry salad with prawns, a green salad with homemade dressing and homemade biscuits (real biscuits, not crackers). The conversation was light and easy, as we were treated like one of the adults, not the company that needed to be interviewed. They only asked a few questions about what we were studying, about our families, and where we have traveled so far. They were amazed at all the things we have done so far, and told us how their kids LIVE in Australia and haven’t’ even done half the things we have. It was so interesting to have Australians ask us our opinion on what it’s like to climb the Harbour Bridge or go to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary or the markets in Byron Bay on Sunday. Instead of how I usually view political talk  (dry, useless, contradictory, condescending), I was able to see it in an entirely different light during this lunch. I think it’s because in Australia it seems like the citizens are never against each other because of political viewpoints, they just talk about what they do and don’t like about the person in office. That seems to make a lot more sense to me. Also, the eldest lady there recalls Australia feeling more heavily under British rule, and now it seems to be

not be influenced by it at all until you look at a 

few of Australia’s federal laws. 

We talked about health care and I spoke up about how ridiculous emergency bills are and one of their husband was just in the ER for chest pains and he had x rays done, lots of blood work, and medication all for under $50. I told them to add a few zeros and that would be the American experience. Also, I learned a lot more about HEX, which is the government’s supply of money for university students. They are given thousands of dollars every year (and usually don’t have to pay a cent for classes, books, groceries, utilities, moving costs due to college, transportation, etc) in the years they are at Uni. When they start making over $35,000 a year at their job, then the government starts to take out bits of their paycheck.  They think it is insane that we paid what we did to study abroad in Lismore, considering their kids get to study in America for a year for free. I just have to keep reminding myself that they have to pay a lot more for the everyday essentials like food, petro (yes, it’s a petro station not a gas station here), and clothes.  One of the lady owns a macademia nut farm and I asked if we could go help pick the nuts one weekend and she was thrilled. That will be coming up shortly I hope! She said it’s actually hard work and to wear clothes that you aren’t afraid to get dirty. (I don’t think she knows how I’m the one to always seem to FIND dirt and end up being covered in it.)  

Pavlova and Macadamia Nut Pie

Dessert was out of this world incredible. I had (of course BOTH) delicious pavola with raspberries and homemade whipped cream on top and a slice of caramel and macadamia nut pie. I found out what Heaven feels like. Over coffee and tea-with real sugar cubes, they asked me what I would make them if I came over. I went with the Greek theme. Spanikopetas for an appetizer, leek soup, corn fritters (because I just learned how to make them at a healthy-cooking class on campus), pastisio for the main dish, and baklava (if my dad were there to help make it). They then proceeded to ask me to come over every weekend for lunch ;)

They mentioned that we were a LOT easier to converse with compared to the four Chinese girls that didn’t really speak English that they hosted last year. We exchanged emails and will be seeing them again soon as well as for a church service on Easter.

The Whitney's dog they rescued 10 years ago

I am so glad I signed up for this because I came back feeling so at peace. How wonderful that there are people that genuinely want to open their home, their bbq, and share their company with a couple of strangers. By the end, it felt like we fit right in and had been going to these lunches for years. SO grateful.