This last semester flew by. Sometimes it felt like I had so much to do that I didn't know how I would get it all done, but somehow I managed to get my work done, play, run, and relax. I was blessed to get to spend the semester teaching English as a Foreign Language to an adult beginners class. I thoroughly enjoyed this job.
I didn't run the kinds of times I would have liked to during this past track season, but I enjoyed practices and had fun during some of the races. I finished up the season at conference on May 7th and ran a full marathon on May 14th in Brookings, SD. I ran with my cousin Katie and had a great time!
Now I have a week to relax at home and then I'll be off to Colorado for my internship with the American Conservation Corps. I'm looking forward to a summer outside. Have a great summer!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Kontakt with Korea
As usual, it's been far too long since I last posted anything...nearly a month.
Here is a brief overview of a wonderful experience in northeast Asia with pictures to follow.
In March my brother, Tyler, and I (who both won full scholarships from the Korea Foundation) went to South Korea. There we encountered a very unique culture rich in its own history, language, foods and dress. We flew from Omaha through Dallas to Seoul. The latter of the flights was wonderful, because we got our boarding passes nearly too late and all the economy seats had already been filled, so we were upgraded to "prestige".
We stayed at an extremely fancy hotel in which we ate several buffet style meals, which included both Western food and Korean foods- always including rice and Kimchi. Kimchi is a spicy fermented cabbage dish that is served with every Korean meal. I also ate my fair share of Bibimbap- a dish that is made of a pile of white rice mixed with sprouts and a red (supposedly spicy) sauce.
We got to meet several students from Yonsei University (the host university in Korea) and also attened lectures there. These lectures were each very interesting. They included topics on Korean language, North-South Korean relations, US-Korean relations and Korea's history, culture and society. All the Koreans with whom I interacted were extremely friendly and respectful.
During the days, various activities and excursions were organized for us. We went took a walking tour of Yonsei University, where we saw the Samsung Library, which is a paperless library. I must admit, this defies every sense of what I think of when I think of a library, but it was very interesting. All books, magazines, newspapers, notes, etc are on touch screens of varying sizes like iPads and overgrown iPads. We also saw the largest women's university in the world, which is located nearby in the same district of Seoul. We had the evenings to ourselves to explore Seoul.
Other sites that we saw in Seoul included a reconstruction of a palace, the president's home, known as the Blue House for its blue roof, the site of the G20 Summit talks, the Korean War Memorial with an enourmous hallway which lists the names of all the fallen troops from other nations who helped fight in this war, including giant plaques listing the members of each US state.
Outside of Seoul we visited the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) which was extremely fascinating. It was an interesting atmosphere mixed with tension, armed soldiers, passport checks, barricades and live mines along the edges of the road, yet with gift shops as tourist attractions- asking for our contributions to support their economy. we saw the uninhabited North Korean propaganda village with its flag which weighs 600 pounds and is raised on a pole 160 meters tall!
In addition to the DMZ we visited a Hyundai car plant where a new car rolls off the line every 57 seconds. Hyundai along with SK, Samsung and LG account for the majority of South Korea's economy. Before returning to Seoul we went to Everland (South Korea's Disneyland). This was my least favorite part of the trip, but I can now say that I have been on the world's steepest wooden roller coaster, and I never need to go on a roller coaster or go back to an amusement park again.
During our final evening in Seoul we saw attended "Cookin' NANTA" a primarily non-verbal, comic, cooking, dancing and musical show. I can draw several parallels between Nanta and Blue Man Group.
This is not all that we did, but a brief overview of the wonderful opportunity provided to us. One last note...we tasted Corn Icecream! This was not exactly delicious...but after seeing it we decided we must try it. The corn icecream came in a wrapper and was encased by a thin layer of chocolate surrounded by a wafer-cone in the shape of an ear of corn. The icecream was corn-flavored and had real kernels of corn in it. Where do people get ideas like that?!
Here is a brief overview of a wonderful experience in northeast Asia with pictures to follow.
In March my brother, Tyler, and I (who both won full scholarships from the Korea Foundation) went to South Korea. There we encountered a very unique culture rich in its own history, language, foods and dress. We flew from Omaha through Dallas to Seoul. The latter of the flights was wonderful, because we got our boarding passes nearly too late and all the economy seats had already been filled, so we were upgraded to "prestige".
We stayed at an extremely fancy hotel in which we ate several buffet style meals, which included both Western food and Korean foods- always including rice and Kimchi. Kimchi is a spicy fermented cabbage dish that is served with every Korean meal. I also ate my fair share of Bibimbap- a dish that is made of a pile of white rice mixed with sprouts and a red (supposedly spicy) sauce.
We got to meet several students from Yonsei University (the host university in Korea) and also attened lectures there. These lectures were each very interesting. They included topics on Korean language, North-South Korean relations, US-Korean relations and Korea's history, culture and society. All the Koreans with whom I interacted were extremely friendly and respectful.
During the days, various activities and excursions were organized for us. We went took a walking tour of Yonsei University, where we saw the Samsung Library, which is a paperless library. I must admit, this defies every sense of what I think of when I think of a library, but it was very interesting. All books, magazines, newspapers, notes, etc are on touch screens of varying sizes like iPads and overgrown iPads. We also saw the largest women's university in the world, which is located nearby in the same district of Seoul. We had the evenings to ourselves to explore Seoul.
Other sites that we saw in Seoul included a reconstruction of a palace, the president's home, known as the Blue House for its blue roof, the site of the G20 Summit talks, the Korean War Memorial with an enourmous hallway which lists the names of all the fallen troops from other nations who helped fight in this war, including giant plaques listing the members of each US state.
Outside of Seoul we visited the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) which was extremely fascinating. It was an interesting atmosphere mixed with tension, armed soldiers, passport checks, barricades and live mines along the edges of the road, yet with gift shops as tourist attractions- asking for our contributions to support their economy. we saw the uninhabited North Korean propaganda village with its flag which weighs 600 pounds and is raised on a pole 160 meters tall!
In addition to the DMZ we visited a Hyundai car plant where a new car rolls off the line every 57 seconds. Hyundai along with SK, Samsung and LG account for the majority of South Korea's economy. Before returning to Seoul we went to Everland (South Korea's Disneyland). This was my least favorite part of the trip, but I can now say that I have been on the world's steepest wooden roller coaster, and I never need to go on a roller coaster or go back to an amusement park again.
During our final evening in Seoul we saw attended "Cookin' NANTA" a primarily non-verbal, comic, cooking, dancing and musical show. I can draw several parallels between Nanta and Blue Man Group.
This is not all that we did, but a brief overview of the wonderful opportunity provided to us. One last note...we tasted Corn Icecream! This was not exactly delicious...but after seeing it we decided we must try it. The corn icecream came in a wrapper and was encased by a thin layer of chocolate surrounded by a wafer-cone in the shape of an ear of corn. The icecream was corn-flavored and had real kernels of corn in it. Where do people get ideas like that?!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Time flies!
I have definitely fallen behind on posting! Much has happened this semester. A brief recap and I'll try to post again in the next two weeks.
Being back at Doane has had both its ups and downs. In some ways things are seemingly much easier, since I usually know who to see about a problem or where to go or how to behave myself in different situations, but in other ways it is difficult because teaching styles here are much different than those to which I have been exposed for the past year, many of the people I knew are no longer here and I broadened my world-view which makes it difficult sometimes for others to see where I am coming from.
I've been working on getting back into running track after being quite out of shape at the beginning of indoor season. Indoor season has now come to a close. I only competed once in the 5k and achieved a disappointing time. Our men's and women's teams both won the conference championship and it was fun to watch them compete. Now indoor season in over and the first outdoor season meet will be in a few weeks.
I started out volunteering with Adult English as a Foreign Language classes again as I had done before I left to study abroad. After one teacher resigned, I ended up taking over her class. They are all wonderful students and I love working with them. They are enthusiastic about learning English and I always end the day in high spirits.
I'm leaving for South Korea in 2 days. I'll be there for about 1.5 weeks to get a taste of the country's language, culture and history. It's almost time for take off...ready or not, here I go!
Being back at Doane has had both its ups and downs. In some ways things are seemingly much easier, since I usually know who to see about a problem or where to go or how to behave myself in different situations, but in other ways it is difficult because teaching styles here are much different than those to which I have been exposed for the past year, many of the people I knew are no longer here and I broadened my world-view which makes it difficult sometimes for others to see where I am coming from.
I've been working on getting back into running track after being quite out of shape at the beginning of indoor season. Indoor season has now come to a close. I only competed once in the 5k and achieved a disappointing time. Our men's and women's teams both won the conference championship and it was fun to watch them compete. Now indoor season in over and the first outdoor season meet will be in a few weeks.
I started out volunteering with Adult English as a Foreign Language classes again as I had done before I left to study abroad. After one teacher resigned, I ended up taking over her class. They are all wonderful students and I love working with them. They are enthusiastic about learning English and I always end the day in high spirits.
I'm leaving for South Korea in 2 days. I'll be there for about 1.5 weeks to get a taste of the country's language, culture and history. It's almost time for take off...ready or not, here I go!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
back at Doane...
I'm back at Doane and getting into the swing of things again. Today is the third time it has snowed since I've been in Crete, I believe. Although it isn't a lot of fun to be out in the cold weather, silently sinking snowflakes drift through the air resting on trees and on Doane Lake leaving a beautiful scenery lying all around. I can't stop thinking about how blessed to have the luxury of being in a safe, warm building whenever I please.
In some ways it is nice to be back, but in other ways I feel out of place. It will take time to meet new students, get reacquainted with old ones and I'll need to continue to remember that change is a simple part of life.
This month I've been taking sign language class. It's been interesting and I have learned quite a bit. Indoor track season is in full swing, but I have not competed yet, and may wait until outdoor season to begin competing again.
Highlights of my past 2 weeks on campus include cooking and eating with friends, rooming with a really good friend, volunteering for adult English as a Foreign Language classes again, and receiving a visit of my brother, Tyler.
In some ways it is nice to be back, but in other ways I feel out of place. It will take time to meet new students, get reacquainted with old ones and I'll need to continue to remember that change is a simple part of life.
This month I've been taking sign language class. It's been interesting and I have learned quite a bit. Indoor track season is in full swing, but I have not competed yet, and may wait until outdoor season to begin competing again.
Highlights of my past 2 weeks on campus include cooking and eating with friends, rooming with a really good friend, volunteering for adult English as a Foreign Language classes again, and receiving a visit of my brother, Tyler.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Journey home...then home sweet home
I've been home for about 3 weeks now. I left Munich and went to France for a few days where I stayed with a friend before flying home. He showed me around Paris and around his town. Since then I've been home a lot of the time and am enjoying time spent with my family before I head back to college at the beginning of January. As much as I love being home, I must say it has been an adjustment and there are things I miss about Germany and Peru.
Some pictures from France:
Merry Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten! ¡Feliz navidad!
Some pictures from France:
Merry Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten! ¡Feliz navidad!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Recent realizations...
...I've spent more time out of the States since my high school graduation than in the USA.
...By the time I get home, I will have traveled with all of my luggage 10 times! That's a lot of work, and 10 seems like a good place to stop.
...Over this year, I've lived in 4 different cities.
...By the time I get home, I will can say that I have visited 5 countries since I was last in the US.
...Weather here is even more unpredictable than at home.
...It isn't very long till I go home!
...By the time I get home, I will have traveled with all of my luggage 10 times! That's a lot of work, and 10 seems like a good place to stop.
...Over this year, I've lived in 4 different cities.
...By the time I get home, I will can say that I have visited 5 countries since I was last in the US.
...Weather here is even more unpredictable than at home.
...It isn't very long till I go home!
Monday, November 15, 2010
lately...
It’s been a long time since I’ve taken the time to update you on what I’ve been doing. Here’s a brief overview of my last month here in Munich. Besides for the everyday things like running, going to class, reading, and attempting to keep my room free from the fruit fly infestation (primarily in the kitchen, but throughout the apartment), I was able to do a number of cultural activities.
My fruitfly trap
Some of the museums that I visited include two technical and automotive museums, the Munich city museum, and 4 art museums. I’ve come to realize that most things can be interesting if approached in the right way. Art never really interested me before, but I found the museums here as well as the architecture of several buildings, especially churches fascinating. When combined with historical anecdotes and being able to see things first-hand, it all makes a lot more sense. I can now better appreciate the different art movements. One thing, that catches my attention each time that I hear or read it, is that the reason that Munich so much artwork has, even though 80% of the city was completely destroyed in WWII, is that they knew the bombs would come and because Hitler loved artwork, he saw to it that all most of the artwork was removed from the city and stored in safer places.
I visited Schloss Neuschwanstein (the castle that looks like the Disney castle) and Schloss Nymphenburg. The first of those two was neat to learn about and see, but had way to much decoration and ornamentation for my tastes. The surrounding landscape with the autumn leaves was gorgeous.
Many days were rainy and dreary, but there were a few days on which we had gorgeous weather, such as those this weekend. I took full advantage of the sunny days spending my entire time outdoors going for walks along the Starnberger See, in the Englischer Garten and in the garden belonging to Nymphenburg Palace.
This past Saturday, I spent attempting avoiding city center, yet having a difficult time getting around the city because of protests that were being held. A group of about 1000 neo-Nazis were demonstrating in the city’s center. Their actions were condemned by the mayor as well as numerous others here. An anti-protest was held by about 5000 people and police from several large cities in Germany were here to enforce safety and crowd control.
I also watched a theatrical production of a book by a Swiss author that I read a few years ago and got to see a ballet. Both were excellent.
Oh, and I’ve seen two shops with names about as close to mine as they come: “April April” and “Aprilia”
My fruitfly trapSome of the museums that I visited include two technical and automotive museums, the Munich city museum, and 4 art museums. I’ve come to realize that most things can be interesting if approached in the right way. Art never really interested me before, but I found the museums here as well as the architecture of several buildings, especially churches fascinating. When combined with historical anecdotes and being able to see things first-hand, it all makes a lot more sense. I can now better appreciate the different art movements. One thing, that catches my attention each time that I hear or read it, is that the reason that Munich so much artwork has, even though 80% of the city was completely destroyed in WWII, is that they knew the bombs would come and because Hitler loved artwork, he saw to it that all most of the artwork was removed from the city and stored in safer places.
I visited Schloss Neuschwanstein (the castle that looks like the Disney castle) and Schloss Nymphenburg. The first of those two was neat to learn about and see, but had way to much decoration and ornamentation for my tastes. The surrounding landscape with the autumn leaves was gorgeous.
Many days were rainy and dreary, but there were a few days on which we had gorgeous weather, such as those this weekend. I took full advantage of the sunny days spending my entire time outdoors going for walks along the Starnberger See, in the Englischer Garten and in the garden belonging to Nymphenburg Palace.
This past Saturday, I spent attempting avoiding city center, yet having a difficult time getting around the city because of protests that were being held. A group of about 1000 neo-Nazis were demonstrating in the city’s center. Their actions were condemned by the mayor as well as numerous others here. An anti-protest was held by about 5000 people and police from several large cities in Germany were here to enforce safety and crowd control.
I also watched a theatrical production of a book by a Swiss author that I read a few years ago and got to see a ballet. Both were excellent.
Oh, and I’ve seen two shops with names about as close to mine as they come: “April April” and “Aprilia”
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