Goodbyes.

Tonight I attended the last 20s and 30s Bible Study scheduled before I say goodbye to Bristol. I consider myself very lucky to have formed several different groups of friends while I've been in Bristol... "The HistArchs", the other arch students-especially the North American contingent, my housemates, the Dean's Court flat group, MethSoc, and "20s & 30s". With the "20s & 30s" group I've found friends with whom I could laugh and share. I remember the first time I attended 20s & 30s I was quite nervous as I didn't really know who or what I might encounter, but before the night was through I realized it would be a fun group to be a part of. Tonight I said goodbye... for now, hopefully not forever. Thinking about leaving isn't terribly easy, but it helps to know they will continue to meet on the 1st Monday and 3rd Wednesday to think, grow, and pray together. Best wishes and hope to see you in February.

Just, Margaret

"Zabardust"

Apparently this is the Pakistani word for really great, cool. I learned it at that international covered dish meal I mentioned I was going to and that I baked the Key Lime Pies for. It was so fun! Really. Zabardust (pronounced za-bar-dusth)!

I feel very blessed to have been able to meet the people I have this year. My international education has been as defined by my interaction with them as any of the lectures in which I have sat. Success this year isn't defined by my ability to trowel out the perfect trench (though I do think I've come a long way on that front [smile]) or to be able to explain stratigraphy for various audiences, but by the relationships I've formed. I'm not sure how many people I'll be able to keep in touch with as we scatter to all corners of the world, literally. (I hope it is more rather than few.) The season to part has come, as I reminded by someone this evening. It is not something that can be changed any more than I can change having met these wonderful people in the first place. God has ordained my life to include this rich experience and I am thankful. What my journey will include next I can only attempt to imagine!

Just, Margaret

Its good to be exhausted.

MIH Group Photo

Saturday I joined most of the other student residents of my house for the annual "Day Out."  Loaded in a big coach with picnic supplies, we headed to Wales borderlands (Tintern Abbey and the Osc Valley to be exact).  What a fun day we had despite the chilly wind and occasional spot of rain.  We did see a bit of sun and my cheeks are rosy and have that warm summery feeling I've missed so far this spring.  What follows are a few photos and a peek into my thoughts for the day... which includes some brief journaling I did while on site hence the stream of consciousness form.  Something about just having a day to relax opened up my soul.  The landscape, though beautiful in its uniqueness, was also reminiscent of the North

 Georgia mountains.  So the day was a strange combination of remembering and creating new memories. A significant day for me in ways I don't feel completely able to express yet.  

  

It is nice to be reminded why you love something/one.  Wandering around Tintern Abbey, I suddenly have this feeling of peace that I am doing what I love, that ruins still entrance me with their memory.  "A lonely ruin what does it tell us about humanity." The poetry of space... It is so lovely to just wander and make up my own story.  Very different feeling to my field trips with my course.  Laughter with questions. 

A word for the sound of water.  Someone asked me if the English language had a word for the sound of the water flowing, falling.  Suddenly English seems so inadequate.   

When was the last time I lay down in a grassy field like this... years ago I think. [smile]

Hope you enjoyed the brief tour of my Saturday.    

Just, Margaret

A digital scrapbook

This Sunday I volunteered to represent MIH at a Methodist church service.  Apparently they requested that a few students attend the service to talk about their church experiences in their home countries.  What the church will be getting is an American and an Australian... not exactly the most exciting combo at least in my mind.  I guess its still hard to think of myself as an international student.  International students should come from exotic locales and Georgia just doesn't feel "different" enough.  So the last day and a half I've been thinking about the experiences I've had in the United Methodist Church, basically since infancy though I've decided to focus on the last few years (missionary experience and such).  They also asked that we bring any "artifacts"- actually their word not mine- that we may have to share.  Since I do really have a whole lot of material artifacts I could share, I decided to put together a quick slideshow to loop throughout the morning.  I've actually had lots of fun going through photos again.  Finding ones I remember taking in Fargo and then Baldwin, remembering the different events in Georgia before I moved here.  Its cathartic to reassess my life over the last few years in this way.  Reminds me of the blessings, things I should remain thankful for.  Not sure if the photos will make much since to people who haven't lived through the events with me... maybe they'll think their exotic. [smile] 

Speaking of blessings, today is my beautiful grandmother's birthday.  I don't think she would mind me telling you that she is 80.  The women in our family don't tend to freak out about telling their age.  I think my Grammy would say that there is no reason not to share her age because each year has added so much to the joy of her life experience.  That's one of the things I love about her and hope that I can inherit.  She loves people so fully and with such amazing joy and compassion.  I love that I share her name.  The photo above is the most perfect of the two of us together, but I love it because I think we've sat on a porch together talking or not talking, sometimes both intently reading more than any other place.  Love you Grammy and Happy Birthday!

Just, Margaret

Sushi Night

Sushi, I think, is one of those foods that you either love or hate.  And I happen to be of the former disposition.  I remember the first time I ate sushi in New York City with the US-2s.  It was a unique experience.  Harris drank a whole shot glass of soy sauce... but that's really another story for another time.  Back to tonight's festivities... Earlier this week some of my international friends, Jessie from Taiwan and Hiro from Japan invited me to join them this Saturday for sushi night.  I've never really made sushi at home, but told them I would join and bring some dessert.  To make a long story short, we had a great time and sushi night really turned into an international feast with cheese and quince jelly from Spain and Chinese rice and fish stew and Japanese sushi of course and to finish American style brownies.  [smile] We had so much food.  It was really amazing... one of those 5 loaves and 2 fish things.  I've always thought that the miracle was actually the generosity that the young boy inspired in the other people gathered.  All in all I had the most perfect Saturday night!   

Tomorrow morning worship meeting with the Quakers and tomorrow afternoon finishing up my presentation for Tuesday.  Busier day than I should have planned for one of my Lenten Sabbaths, but I'm just taking one day at a time and at least I've had tonight to recharge.   

Just, Margaret

Spring!

With the weather we are having it is hard to believe that just 15 days ago there was snow on the ground.  The sun today was just so awesome.  As I was walking to the library (yes even on the most beautiful day I had to go to the library... don't worry I found a really sunny corner to sit [smile]), I wished I could transport some friends from the States to Bristol today.  It would be the perfect day to give a tour of all the places I've discovered since moving here.  A bit of explanation for the photo above:  This is the patch of grass right outside my window.  I've observed several people stop a moment to look at the blossoming of wildflowers that have popped up over the last week.  Isn't it beautiful?  The small white flowers are snowdrops and I have no idea what the purple/blue flowers are.  I feel so blessed to such a beautiful personal window-scape.  

Just, Margaret

King Cake Query

I'm looking for a good and fairly easy recipe for Mardi Gras King Cake. I'd really like to try making one for my international housemates and share another part of my US Southern culture with them.  Too bad I didn't bring any of my Mardi Gras Beads with me.  Any suggestions for the cake would be very welcome. 

Just, Margaret

My Walk Home

Since I had my camera with me on the way back from the Uni on Wednesday I decided it was a great time to take some photos of what I see everyday on my walk home.  This starts in a park that I kinda consider to be the start of my neighborhood and ends with a view of my student house.  A lot of the shops in between are left out because there was a delivery truck in the way, but I'll make sure to take another photo or two sometime soon to post.  Hope you enjoy the tour.  

Just, Margaret

Spreading the Pumpkin Love!

Over the last month I've discovered that if you gather enough international students together and a cultural exchange of ideas, food, entertainment, etc. spontaneously occurs.  Since joining the MIH house I've shared international food, international movie nights, and late night discussions about random cultural differences or traditions (most recently about marriage rituals in India and Sri Lanka).  I have to say that I love it!  These are the exact reasons that I wanted to live in an international setting.  All this peace and goodwill... recognizing the humanity in persons who might normally in our home countries be considered "the other"... there has to be some way to translate this on a global scale... that's the start of another post that will have to wait for another day.  Until this weekend my most significant contributions (besides listening and asking lots of questions) to this most natural cultural exchange has been through numerous explanations of the US election. (Its the international topic of conversation these days, well that and the economy or exchange rates for international students [smile].)  But on Saturday I had the chance to share some real US culture-- the tradition of carving pumpkins to make jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.  I always just assumed that this was a tradition that was inherited by the US from one of our immigrant cultures, but now I have it on good authority that this is definitely an all-American activity.  I had the most fun teaching my new friends from Sri Lanka, Spain, Italy, Taiwan, and Greece to carve their very first pumpkins.  That afternoon has to be one of my favorite experiences since I've been here.  During the afternoon I told them all that in their countries next year they had to carve a pumpkin to spread the "pumpkin love."  Enjoy these photos of our pumpkin fun.

Just, Margaret