Mr. Joe Baggins!

A week ago I arrived in London not knowing what to expect. I had little communication with the priest here, and I didn’t even know where I would be sleeping.  Without knowing what I was getting into made leaving Belfast even harder.  I had made some amazing friends in Belfast, and it was really difficult to say goodbye to them all.  I’m lucky that London isn’t very far away, and many of my friends have already made plans to visit me when I’m here.

So far, the week has been very good.  I enjoy my work with the church, and the congregation seems great.  The rector, David is very welcoming and extremely nice. He is even letting me stay with him and his family for the summer!  I have slowing been introduced to the congregation, and I think they like me. There aren’t many young people here so I think they like having someone youthful around.  I have Thursdays off for an exploration day, and I also have Fridays off to go into the city or visit places near by.

Its strange to be back into a regular work schedule.  Only having class two days a week in Belfast had me used to sleeping in.  It has been rewarding to get up and do work everyday though.  Acton (the town the church is in)  is a real community and David knows just about everyone. It almost reminds me of Maryville, but much more diverse.  The local school has children who speak a combined total of 40 languages.  There are many different religions represented in the area, and it is not uncommon for me to pass by women in full burkas.  But one of the best things is Morrisons, the supermarket.  Its kind of sad that the place that feels most at home is a mega store, lol.  Over all, I’m looking forward to my summer and the friends I hope I’ll meet.

I have booked a way to get to Belfast by land. My wednesday flight was cancelled on Sunday. Yesterday, I travelled 13 hours to Marsielle to stay with a friend.  Today, we booked a way back to Belfast by land. I am leaving in just a few hours to get on a train to Paris. I`m spending the night in Paris to catch the 10 o`clock bus to London. Overnight on on wednesday I am on a bus from london to Liverpool. then on thursday morning I have a ferry to belfast directly, for 8 hours. This puts me in Belfast Thurday night @ 6:00pm.  I`m praying for a safe journey.

My Sunday flight was canceled as well. So, hopefully, my flight on Wednesday will be alright. My patience is tiring but hopefully I won’t be stranded in Venice too much longer.

As some of you may have heard, there is a volcano erupting in Iceland that has stopped all air-traffic in the UK. I was due to fly today from Venice to Dublin, however my flight was canceled because of the ash. I’ve been working for the better part of the morning to find the quickest way back to Belfast.  I am now booked on a flight to Dublin on Sunday, April 21st (I’m praying that this doesn’t get canceled). I am planning on enjoying the extended holiday in Venice, but I would have preferred to get back to Belfast.  I just wanted to keep everyone informed so you don’t worry too much about how this volcano is affecting me. 

Other than that, you can expect a full report of the highlights of my Eurotrip when I get back to Belfast (hopefully on Sunday)

I’m going to have to start by apologizing that I haven’t posted an update in over a month. I have been trying to pull everything together, and I have not found an inspirational topic to discuss. However, I have been quite busy this month. I have written 2 papers, volunteer 40 hours with Conservation Volunteer, read alot of homework, and socialized with friends, both here and back home.  It seems, that although I have an easy work load this semester, my time is running away from me too quickly. 

I have also been in Belfast for the past month, and haven’t been on any explorations since my travels in London.  It has been nice to be able to feel at home in Belfast, and just enjoy day to day life.  I did, however, have a wonderful St. Patrick’s day in Dublin.  I woke up way to early for the 2 and a half hour bus ride to Dublin, but I was eager with anticipation.  The parade itself was pretty strange though.  There was no theme to it, and they had some of the strangest floats that would have appeared to come out of a child’s nightmares.  For example, they had scary clown puppets, and 20 foot spiders.  After the parade, the QUB group found a nice pub playing Irish folk music.  We stayed for a while and had an excellent time dancing, singing, and socializing.  It ended up being the best St. Patrick’s day EVER!

So, tomorrow, I am off with my friend Jenna (pictured Above) on, what we are calling, EUROTRIP 2010. We have been planning this trip for literally four weeks, and have found it both challenging and rewarding.  I will definitely provide more details when I arrive, but for a quick summery, I’m going from Spain, to France, to Italy. We will visit Barcelona, Grenoble, Marseilles, Cinque Terre, Rome, Florence, Venice, and Dublin.  I’m looking forward to this opportunity to explore Europe, and I’m super excited.  The down side is that I won’t be posting any blogs until I return. So, you’ll have to wait to hear about all the fun I’m having, haha. See you in Mid-April!

(above) Last Nights Dinner, I was way too proud of it, haha.

1. Rice can be quite a challenge.
2. Don’t get stuck washing all of the dishes in the sink. (I’ve probably washed more dishes this past month then I have ever washed in my entire life combined)
3. ALWAYS look both ways before crossing the street.
4. Free lunches are your best friend.
5. Whatever you buy at the store, you have to carry back.
6. When in doubt, its probably best just to throw it out.
7. Playing Twister on a train isn’t as bad of an idea as you would think.
8. Playing truth or dare on a train IS as bad idea.
9. Just because you’re in a different country, doesn’t mean you don’t have to do the homework.
10. Heaters need oil to work.
11. Take an umbrella everywhere you go.
12. Look for cheap deals, but always read the terms and conditions.
13. Don’t talk to the church guys who pass out tea at 2 AM, just take your tea andGO!
14. If one were to end up talking to the guys passing out tea, have plenty of time to discuss your theological perspectives.
15. Just because the treadmill has an emergency stop button, doesn’t mean you should press it.
16. Clearance sales are also your best friend!
17. Apparently John Terry gets around. (However, I have yet to figure out who that is)
18. When cooking, baked cheese makes everything taste better
19. Ask the lady if its ok to pay in coins BEFORE you collect 84 pounds in change from the 30-person group.
20. When attending a hockey match, beware of the flying sandwiches.

(View from Cavehill above Belfast Castle)

Sorry its been a while, things have become much more busy now that classes have really kicked off.  I just had my first full week of classes and volunteering this week, and I’m more exhausted then I thought I would be.  Recently, I’ve also been doing a lot of sight seeing of Northern Ireland.

Last Friday, My friend Jenna and I went to see Belfast Castle.  This quickly became my favorite day since I’ve arrived in Northern Ireland.  We hiked up a mountain to the very top, and the view was just beautiful. I was surrounded by the Moore Mountains, the Sea, Scotland in the distance, and the city under my feet.  It was amazing.

That Sunday, I visited the biggest tourist attraction of Northern Ireland, the Giants Causeway.  It was nice because there were 53 international students which we organized on facebook to go.  We crossed a rope bridge, saw a few castles, and Bushmills Distillery on our way to the Causeway.  The Causeway itself was beautiful, especially the view from the cliffs looking out into the sea.

Yesterday, also a Sunday, a small group of us took the train to Londonderry/ Derry. (Unionists call it Londonderry and Nationalists call it Derry)  It was really cold and snowy, but the train ride was really fun.  Once we were there we all had a blast.  We took a fascinating walking tour with someone who was protesting during Bloody Sunday.  We ate lunch at a nice pub, and we walked along the walls of Derry.  Perhaps the most interesting part for me was seeing the Unionist side of the city.  The sides of the streets were painted in Red, White, and Blue (the colors of the British Flag).  It was a long day, but definitely worth the 6 pound train ride.

All and all, I’ve been really busy seeing the countryside.  Northern Ireland really is beautiful, and it has massively impressed me, as I’ve been able to see all that it has to offer.  I’m going to London on Thursday, and staying for 4 nights.  It should be fun!

(above) St. Thomas’ Parish Church

Before I left, I thought finding a church home would be easy.  I mean Northern Ireland has a reputation for being very religious, and there is practically a church on every corner.  There is even one right across the street from me.  The first problem I experienced, however, was the name of the church I wanted to attend.  At home, it’s the Episcopal Church which is a member of the Anglican Communion.  It wasn’t until the 4^th day here someone I asked told me the Irish equivalent would be the Church of Ireland.

After I knew what to look for I did a quick search of local “Church of Ireland” churches.  I was upset to find that they were all in North Belfast, and I lived in South Belfast.  They were all out of walking distance, which was discouraging.  Last Saturday, a group took the international students shopping, and I talked to one of the helpers.  She told me she was a member of the “Church of Ireland” and would love to take me to her church the next day.

That morning i was very excited about trying this new church, and I looked forward to meeting more people.  As I arrived, I was unaware of what I had gotten myself into.  Now, unbeknownst to me, churches in Northern Ireland have been through a long period of Evangelical influence.  I’m actually taking a class on how Evangelical ideas have influenced churches here.  I grew suspicious as I entered the church and found a single Bible in my chair, no Book of Common Prayer or Hymnal.  The preacher also wore no vestments, only a suit.  There was a projector and a church band made up of a keyboard, drums, and guitar.  Now don’t get me wrong, I understand people enjoy worshiping this way… I just don’t.  Well, long story short, the service had very little liturgy, lots of praise singing, and a long sermon.  Actually, it was quite similar to Southern Baptists services I have attended back home.

After realizing, that I needed to find another church, I asked the woman who drove me if she had any suggestions of any churches that were more liturgical.  She told me of St. Thomas’ Parish Church, which is only a 5 minute walk from my building.  I got excited again, and visited St. Thomas’ this past Sunday.  It was a great experience, and I felt welcomed and at home.  The church is beautiful, and the congregation seems to be very friendly.  Hopefully, I will continue to enjoy going to this church for the remainder of my term here in Belfast.