No, its Northern Ireland

So this will probably be my last foreign post (tear...wipe...sniff), but congrats to all of you who have kept up with my banter thus far.  I think I'm floating somewhere near the 20 post mark, so good on all of you.  There may be a treasure map waiting on the other end...

I flew into Dublin on the night of the 22nd, hopped on a bus to Belfast, and was greeted at the stop by a local friend of a friend named Richard who I have stayed with these past few days.  Richard and his wife Lisa live in a Belfast suburb named Hilsborough, and have been extremely generous and selfless tour guides during my time here.

Yesterday we woke and enjoyed some waffles which I smuggled through customs, then jumped in the car and took a tour around the greater Belfast area which is pretty much the epicenter of the struggles which have taken place over the years.  The streets and neighborhoods we drove through were painted with murals of various heros (either Catholic or Protestant depending on the neighborhood) who had influential rolls during the struggles through the years.  It was really remarkable to drive down the streets and be so close to such a fresh and recent part of Irish and British history, and see some of these philosophies applied in other scenarios like the current Israeli/Palestinian situation.  Truthfully I couldn't believe how ignorant I was to the entire conflict which was so recent, and it was an eye opening experience to witness firsthand, especially through the Treacys perspective of it all.  Afterwards we came back, took a nap, then went and had dinner with some of the Treacy's friends from church.

Today we woke and went to the 8:30 service at the Treacy's church.  Richard is a former Anglican priest, and he helped out with communion this morning, so I got to tag alo

ng and go to the service.  Afterward Richard and I came back, changed, and went north to the Giant's Causeway, which is about an hour and half north across the sea from Scotland.  Depending on who you ask, the causeway was either a result of volcanic activity, or constructed by an ancient celtic giant, but none the less, it is a really remarkable sight to see.  Afterwards we took a drive up the coastline for a bit, then headed on back home to catch the tail end of the closing ceremonies of the olympics.

Tonight will be low key, dinner here, and tomorrow I ship off to DC!  I hope you all are well, and have enjoyed keeping up with this blog as much as I have.  Be well, and I look forward to catching up with all of you on the other side of the pond!

Best,

Blake

So you know why they call them Belgian waffles?

Because they perfected them...that's why. I don't have any clue of the origin of waffles, but if another society created them (maybe the Mongols, or the Prussians), the Belgians surely crossed the t's, dotted the i's and tucked the little puppies in bed, because they are ridiculous. In Brussels they are sold on the streets like funnel cakes at the State Fair. I ate three today. Three. I ate dinner, went and got one, walked away and consumed my first, then came back to the vendor with the spare Euros I had. That is how good these things are. I dare you to come to Brussels and eat just one. Actually buy two ahead of time, and if one will tie you over, I'll eat the other one. Thats how good these things are.

Sorry for the ranting, i just had to vent that. Belgium has been an incredible trip. The family I am staying is remarkably hospitable and generous, and I have not been short of new experiences and adventures. Yesterday we went to a nearby military base to do a little grocery shopping for the week ahead. It was like someone took an enormous exacto knife, cut out a few American stores, and glued them to a countryside in Belgium. We walked in these stores and I felt like I was walking in any standard grocery back in the states. They had a dip isle. I have never been so excited to see Copenhagen and Red Man Chaw in all my life...and I don't even like the stuff. I was back in the land of 99 cent Suave shampoo! It really made me think more about the sacrifices our soldiers overseas make every day, and the everyday familiarities like Texas Pete Hot Sauce I take so much for granted. I have grown to miss that kind of stuff more than I realized I would, so I can only imagine how much more these brave men and women are, not only here in Europe, but further more in the Middle East.

Last night we checked out the downtown night life in Brussels, and as luck would have it, I ran into Will Shafferman. I knew he was in Brussels, and we had been trading emails back and forth, but it turned out completely coincidental (divine) that we ran into each other at this random bar. It is really cool to be in a different country, and turn the corner and see a familiar face, I guess you just have to try it sometime.

Today I walked around downtown Brussels, and did some reading, window shopping, and waffle eating. Afterward I came back and watched a few movies with the family and here now I sit. Midnight here, but merely quittin' time over in the States. I hope all of you are good, and had a good Wednesday at work! I'll talk to you soon.

ps-They have Chi-Chi's in Belgium. I have fond memories of going to Chi-Chi's for my birthday in Waverly Place in Cary, NC, and my dear sweet Mom giving me Dave Matthews Band tickets (RIP LeRoi) when I was in 4th grade or something. Every time we drive by one, I probably freak those in the car out with my animated reaction toward such a noble establishment.

pps-They also have Food Lion, though it is called something else which I doubt translates to Food Lion, but at any rate it is the same logo.

In Brussels

So there is a song called "When I Paint My Masterpiece" by The Band in which the third verse starts out "Well I left Rome, and landed in Brussels, on a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried". Though I didn't exactly leave Rome, but rather Geneva, and the plane ride was really quite smooth, it was the only relevant thing I could think of. I arrived last night (about an hour late, thanks EasyJet) and after grabbing my bags, was welcomed at the gate by the mother of the family I am staying with here in Brussels. Turns out Brussels is a big ex-Pat hub for both military and corporate officials, so there are several international schools all around the area. The family I am staying with are not only teachers at one of these schools, but also run a non-profit youth ministry here, and conveniently enjoy hosting sojourners like me in their abundance of free time. At any rate, they were the Young Life leaders of a buddy in DC when he was over here in high school, and he put me in touch with them, so big props to you Lide Paterno. Needless to say we hit it off pretty immediately with our Young Life backgrounds and what not, so Brussels has already bee a great joy. Oh and they have a hilarious dog named Goomie, pictures to follow. Today it sounds like I might get to go to Waterloo where Napoleon had his last battle and fell to Wellington, so that should be sweet. I'll report back on how that works out. If any of you know anything else cool about Brussels or Belgium, I am all ears. Hope all is well!

Beginning to see the end...

Good morning one and all,

I am still here in Switzerland, soaking up the fresh air and the perpetual view of the Alps which I wake to every morning outside my window. We finished renovating that house on Friday, and have pretty much been laying low outside of a climbing adventure we took yesterday and running. Right next to the base is a big park/forrest thing that is full of trails which has proven great for a little Euro cardio. The woods are big and dense, and though I feel I could be jumped by a pack of Wolves at any moment, it is really a beautiful place to go run and be alone for a while. I was running down a trail this morning and got ambushed by some thorns...that was sweet.

Tomorrow afternoon, I am flying up to Brussels to spend a few days with a family up there and see a little bit more of the European mainland. I really don't know much about Belgium at all, but am excited to see it and get to know this family who will be hosting me. After that I will be headed back up to Ireland, and will spend a few days in Belfast, and surrounding parts of Northern Ireland. Maybe I will make a trip to the Giants Causeway, but I cant make any promises. Aparently Northern Ireland is very different that the rest of it, due to the protestant infulence, but i'm not sure and will have to report back. Anyway, after those few days in Ireland, I will board a plane and be back in the States on August 25. I decided a few weeks ago, that it was time to come on back to the states, and though I am cutting this trip short by a few weeks, I feel really good about my return to DC. Anyway I hope all is well with you all, and I look forward to talking to you all when I do.

ps-In an addendum to the last entry, I tried to go see the Dark Knight again...it didnt work

pps-For whatever reason, the spell check doesn't really work when I ask it to, so please forgive whatever mispellings you notice.

The Elusive Dark Knight

Hey Everyone,

I hope this blog catches you all in good spirits. All is going well here in Switzerland, and we are nearing completion with this house we have been working on. Today's work was dedicated to tying down loose ends like hanging curtains, replacing smoke detector batteries, and ensuring all the lights were connected and functional. The house we are preparing will be inhabited by 20some female students from the German side of Switzerland who are coming here for school, so naturally we are trying to make the house as warm and welcoming as possible. After work today we came back and grilled out, then took it back to the Raleigh State Fair with some deep fried Milky Way bars for dessert...they were a hit among the Euros.

So I can't really remember if I have commented earlier on our luck thus far with The Dark Knight, but the saga is just to epic not to mention. A movie could be made about our pursuit to see a movie. When we left the states, our flight departed Washington, DC on July 13 while the Dark Knight released in theatres later that week in the USA. Then came Ireland. Ireland was an interesting journey for us, in that of the 8 or so days we were there, we slept in the car (remember, a VW Golf) for 5 of them. Needless to say, after day 3 or 4 days, we weren't exactly thrilled to be in the car, and were really excited about merely turning off our brains for a couple hours and enjoying some good ole fashioned Caped Crusading in what we thought would be the Irish opening of The Dark Knight. We arrive at a theatre only to find out that it opens in three days, which is conveniently one day after we arrive in France. I wish I could express to you all the dissapointment in our hearts that night, really, it was one of the greatest let downs I have experienced in a long...long time. Fast forward to last night, the grand opening of the Dark Knight here in Switzerland. We arrive at the theatre, make it through the lines, and purchase tickets, excited for the masterpiece which will soon unravel before our eyes. Luckily Matt payed attention in French class, and after confirming it with the ticket salesman 4 times, discovered the showing was in FRENCH, yes FRENCH, and the ENGLISH speaking theatre across town which was showing it was already sold out. You must be joking. No Blake, not joking at all, I am really without explanation as to how this movie is so difficult to on the big screen. After last night's events, I have just decided I can wait until I make it back to the states, my heart can't take this kind of emotional volatility any more. Thus concludes my European saga with The Dark Knight. If any of you have not seen it yet, and are reading this from the greater Washington, DC area, maybe we can go when I get back, though I can't make any promises that the movie will actually play while I am sitting in the theatre.

Christmas Hope and Powertools

Today started out as an overcast day here in Switzerland, and shortly after lunch turned into a flat rainy day. We, however, didn't let the rain dampen our mood, and continued to try and be productive around here at the base. We finished our shed project yesterday, which brought us to a slow, gradual renovation process in a house turned dormatory that YWAM owns here. This has consisted of a good deal of moving, rearranging, and finally today, setting up some of the rooms for students who are going to arrive here next Monday. While moving, we discovered an old box FULL of random stuff like the complete works of Mark Twain and National Geographics from the early 80's, and also within it held a little jewel known as "Christmas Hope" (http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Hope-Various-Artists/dp/B000H0MMN6/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1218568059&sr=1-9). This joyous selection features some of your favorite Christmas tunes sung by various artists like Michael W. Smith, Gary Chapman, and everyones favorite...4Him. Needless to say, once we found a CD player, we embarked on a Christmas journey not traveled by many, and not soon to be forgotten. Once that started playing, productivity skyrocketed, and the rainy day blues couldn't hold us back. Turns out I'm an electrician...who knew? Speaking of unrealistic resourcefulness...I think I may go see The Dark Knight tomorrow. I might have already seen a bootleg version of it, but really I feel like it is pretty irreplaceable on the big screen, so standby for reactions. Anyway things are going well here, the food is still good, the people are still nice, and Michael Phelps is still winning.

The Land of Expensive Shoes

Happy Sunday All!

I hope this blog finds you all good wherever you are. Things are great here in Switzerland and the adventures keep coming. So first off, how about the opening ceremony the other day? Wow,

pretty remarkable, I think they probably employed a group the size of Fiji to make that thing happen. It was really neat watching the opening ceremonies in another country and truthfully I dont know that I have ever been more proud to be an American. I know it sounds hokie but its really true. When you see an Olympic team showing up from a country like Zimbabwe or Sudan, knowing what these people have come from and will go back to, I just cant help but feel so fortunate for so many liberties which I was literally born into.

Yesterday we went into Lausanne for the day and explored around for a bit. We first stopped at this store called Jumbo which is equivalent to a Dicks Sporting Goods in the states. This was a sobering visit when I went to the shoe isle and found picture A. 199 Swiss Francs for a pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 11's? These shoes are about 90-95 USD in the states, and the swiss franc and the dollar are trading at about 1.08 Francs to every 1 USD. That means that these shoes are selling for 183.94 in dollars?!? Aparently, however, Switzerland is widely known worldwide as having one of the highest standards of living which really doesn't suprise me. Aparently Starbucks baristas get paid something like 26 francs an hour, Beth do they pay you that much at Murky?

Anyway after that cultural lesson learned at the Jumbo, we pressed on to the International Olympic museum which overlooks Lake Geneva in Lausanne. Really what are the odds of American being in Lausanne, Switzerland while the Olympic games are taking place? Exactly...pretty slim. The museum was pretty incredible, so much so that we spent 6 hours in it. I could go to length about all the artifacts they had preserved from before the time of Christ, or all the torches used from all of the modern day Olympics out on display, or even all the sweet signed olympic gear they had (signed pair of Jordans, '92 Dream Team, really), but this blog really couldn't do it much justice, so you'll have to wait and hear it in person. Anyway after the Olympic time, we came back to the base, ate dinner, and pretty much laid low the rest of the evening.

Sorry for the lack of brevity, but its my blog and I do what I want.

Love

B