Chasing Ideals

The adventures never cease. Two coats and paint drenched ankles still aren't cutting it as the ceiling remains a faded brown. Time to wash up and wait for a better day and another can of paint. The beauty of second language paint instructions is that one never knows when paint is oil or water based. The joy of the oily version is of course that it does not wash off but rather around. First cleaning attempt results in white paint smeared mid way to the elbow, restaurant-kitchen-sink saturation, and kitchen help with dismayed tones wondering how the blazes I was to clean that mess up (the Polish version may not have included "blazes" but rather something remarkably less pleasant). In those first moments as she surveys the scene I have the distinct notion that somewhere large meat cleavers are being sharpened. Our turning point comes then in a swiftly reached moment of linguistic confusion. I quickly point out my limited understanding and inform her of my Irish origin. That then is the proverbial meal ticket as her tone and manner change to that of a hospitality minded bunny rabbit and she leaps to my aid. Three super high strength floor cleaners later (she dousing me with each) and we have achieved the removal of oily goodness from my epidermis while riduculous amounts remain on my tools and the sink. Round two with the help of cloth accessories succeeds in further sink and surrounding aesthetics destruction with only mild gains in brush cleanliness. In this moment the kitchen help informs me of family ties and sibling bonds and that in her family only she came away with a hot wired personality that required hideous excesses of constant movement while all the other peace driven sibs have "minds in heaven" (direct translation). She procures for me then a small bar of soap made entirely of what seemed fat, presumably from a humpback, and follows it up with the three aforementioned floor cleaners and the new addition of grotesquely scalding water. This achieves remarkable results though still leaves the tools in their paint saturated state. I cannot accept this discrepency and decide to soldier on. I am discovered five minutes later by kitchen help this time with paint beyond the elbows and further sink destruction. Never it seems did my rescuer's patience grow thin and it can only be assumed that my Irish heritage was interpreted to imply minimal brain function. The rapidity of her words continues and in one last gargantuan dousing of cleaners and buckets worth of skin removing water some semblence of order is restored to the kitchen, my skin has the sheen of a bright new babes, and my tools appear slightly renewed. I gave the cursory nod to my potato peeling accomplice as well as a heartfelt thank you and retired from my white paint madness in restaurant basement in Hel adventure.

But now all of that gibberish is hardly what the reader has come to lay eyes upon. I have yet said nothing of Slovenia or of Italy or of the joys of traveling with my Warsaw chums. The highlights of that voyage as all others lay in the people with whom it was shared. I remember the feeling of relief after four months hopping around the world, how wonderful it was to share the journey with treasured friends. Then in Slovenia what joy it gave me to be able to share my friendships there with them. We had as our lodgings a spot amidst tall mountains and long valleys and it was beautiful green flowing rivers that lined our ways. Some will remember the name Blaz from last year's hiking adventure atop Slovenia's tallest peak and it was his family to whom we owe our gratitude in having had such a wonderful spot to lay our heads this year. There was no end to the hospitality extended to us there from foods to friendships to wines to barbeques to homemade-beers to games of volleyball and the offerings of their garden to be used at our discretion. There is surely no way to experience a place like to be among and with its people. We explored the mountains, we leaped from treacherous wooden diving boards to emerald green rivers, we explored coasts in Italy and Slovenia bordering warm blue waters, sat playing Rummikub while fat raindrops danced upon the roof of our shelter, lay in hammocks provided by our gracious host and slept to the tune of wind whispering through the plum trees, spent hours reddening our forearms to volleyball bliss, dreamed of which historic town or city to explore in the time needed to take us there, and we spent hours in conversation and in feasting and at times in prayer.

A cherry atop that heavily iced cake was my return to the city that since maiden visit has captured my awe. Venice for me is one like no other where one wishes themself to be lost among the winding streets and overwhelmingly historic nature of the surroundings. Its cafes, its shops, its bustling canals and its hectic plazas were as ever a welcome assault to my senses. A moment atop the Rialto bridge and of taking in the action of the Grand Canal and one feels as though a time long past is being witnessed in much of the splendor that it once held. If any regret is to be had it was only the necessity of spending only a single day in that place. One cannot help but leave feeling that one has only begun to know it and that surely many further days might be spent amidst its charm. Moving on I further remember the sadly few moments with my student friends who graced my days last year with such frequency. Those who had remained in Ljubliana during the summer break had only my final afternoon and evening in Slovenia to be shared together. I got to the city by means of my first alone hitchhiking (autostop here) experience. Luckily Slovenia is bred for such a venture and I had only to wait five minutes for a first ride and five more for the one that took me to my destination. The second included conversation, a quick stop for a cappucino that was purchased for me and ended with being given means for the bus and a drop off at the station. I then spent those last precious hours there in non stop conversation from three in the afternoon until two in the morning and despite the short duration I am glad for every moment. Glad to have finished off the time as I had spent it many times before making crepes in the student housing and then gorging on obscene amounts of the outpourings in the company of friends. While I was there experiencing the gorge fest my Polish chums had returned to our favorite new cafe overlooking the mountains in Most na Soci and being given huge amounts of free ice cream by the waiter that never was with us without a smile and attempts to learn the Polish language. 'Twas a vacation not to be missed and not to be forgotten.

Now to pictures. There are plenty up there and the majority explain themselves but I should tell a little. Album one starts after night one in Austria and continues through the first days at our lodgings to wandering the streets of Venice. The river pictured being doven into was minutes from where we stayed through narrow country roads. Album two begins with our visit to a nearby waterfall park continues to our visit of Sistiano on the Italian coast and ends with collecting water at the mountain stream next to our spot. Album three displays some of Slovenia's finest from its coast and historic Piran to the north with lakes Bohinj and Bled for the eyes to feast upon. To get to those lakes in the mountains we made use of the AutoVlak, a train that takes cars quickly through tunnels and mountains to the north. That fellow is me sitting in the window of our car while the train chugged along and having my breathtaken by the views, the speed, and the ventures through long pitch dark tunnels, one of which was six kilometres in length. Last but not least Album 4 starts off with the cafe in Most na Soci and the waiter who was so kind to us and continues to our short trip to Padua which sadly began and ended during siesta time therefore making the city seem dead. The album finishes with a return trip to Sistiano where we swam and jumped before heavy rains and lightning began.

That was the name of the game last week when I attended the SLOT Art Festival in western Poland. Unfortunately yours truly oft displays the delikatnie of a one-legged and heavily intoxicated gorilla. Before expounding on that I should first give some background. I was invited to attend this festival a few days before my arrival in Poland and went immediately there after departing the train. My companions were Ania and Jacob and three friends of theirs (Ania and Jacob being the children of Darek and Asia who I met in Bojano and also went to Croatia with last month). In their company I experienced major struggle at first in adapting to yet another change of place, of people, of culture, of obstacles, and all else that have become my hurdles. In the first days of attendance I noted in myself a very negative emotional state of feeling so out of place and out of touch with the normal dynamics of life. I hadn't the energy or desire to struggle to communicate and had the sense of wishing to be elsewhere yet no concept of where or what place that might be. With my chums I was a poor and infrequent communicator, a Skyler reality that many would understand is not in the least normal. Thankfully in those days when moments of loneliness and a sense of despondance rose to their peak I met individuals whose graciousness and ability to communicate freely strengthened my spirit. Those individuals and the company of my friends brought life back to this weary traveler. I had the opportunity then to truly enjoy this amazing festival.

What is this SLOT you may wonder? In a word its a mixture of diverse workshops, teaching of truths about God, concerts, relationship building, and encouragement of artistic awareness. The workshops ranged from fire dancing, djembe drum playing, and dread lock sporting to philosophical discussions of life, family, poetry, and religious ideals. Concerts ranging from hard rock to reggae and worship. I have never before experienced such a diversity of activity nor balance in maintaining a focus on the teaching of God truths while allowing for exploration of so many areas of art and philosophy.

How did I spend my time? Shooting arrows at distant targets (I'm pleased to announce that no persons were seriously injured), hitting drums with the rhythmic talent of the next chap whose never before attempted (when you have a long term musician encouraging you to feel the music within and all you feel is the activity of your lower intestine or the sudden urge to ram the drumstick into his earhole you wish for childhood years and youthful musical exploration) and performing modern dance with the aforementioned gorilla style delikatnie. Modern dance was the most memorable not only for the friendships made therein but for the newness of expression in its attempt. Day one and two of said workshop included joint wrenching movement and Bambi style prancing about with spin, twirl, squat, and roll accessories. Those who know me best can easily imagine I'm sure the wondrous grace of movement and fluidity I displayed. All eyes turned and I dare say a few stomachs turned and transplant eyeballs were requested. Day three was the crowning achievement of delikatnie styling. Envision now yours truly pair dancing with a strapping six footer to the tune of slow and deliberate snake style movement in and out of one another's space (all the while being encouraged to maintain the "delikatnie" theme). It gave touch me tender entirely new meaning and foulness of expression. Not a display to be repeated in mixed or weak stomached company let me tell ya. After this and more to a similar tune our final task was four person improvisational dance with again the challenge of entirely new expression. It was these challenges I think that so bonded our little group of willing participants and I was fortunate to spend many of my last hours at the camp in their company. Overall the camp was an amazing lesson in the beauty of offering a diversity of enjoyment and experience and it was wonderful to see the artistic accomplishments of others in those final days and final performances.

On Monday we departed the camp for our journey here to Warsaw and the home of Darek and Asia. The warmth and joy of this family, their excitement for my coming, and the endless hours of learning a language that I have grown to love and be thrilled in the acquisition of combine to make for exuberant enjoyment of each moments since my arrival. There is a new photo album up with pictures from the camp. You'll remember Ania and Jacob from before and the newcomers are Patricya, Agnieska, and another Jacob. Those pictured elsewhere are friends I met in the modern dance class and as I mentioned spent much time with in the last days. In case any of you have interest the website for the camp is www.slot.art.pl . If you wish take a gander.

'Tis already a week since this was written but I want to get it up. Much has happened since and will soon be told of.

At this moment I'm bound for Vienna aboard a train, my journey leading back to Poland and friends therein. At times such as these I become weary of the journey, happy to return to my friends but saddened to say goodbyes to others I leave behind. Feel longing for someone to share this journey with, to sit beside me here and share of all that was and might be now. Yesterday within myself I could feel the emotional disconnect as it reared its ugly head upon my heart. Perhaps the sense is necessary though the experience of starting to lose relationships built while they still surround me is an entirely new dynamic perpetrated on this year's voyage. Never am I without hope but a nagging desire to know my place and to begin to build the life that my heart and life has been preparing itself for with incredible excitement. My guide is sure of that I know; he leads me to places and people such as in the last weeks that I shall never forget nor regret the time shared in their company. I look out now at the Austrian countryside before me and see his mark in the deep green of each leaf and in the majestic glow of the setting sun. Am rejuvenated to know that one who could paint such a scene has my heart and life in his tender hands.

A sign of such care was the wonderful experiences of two weekend's ago in the region of Prekmurje, Slovenia's northeast. I met there with Karla and Benjamin's respective families and was lavished with hospitality and the chance to journey to the area's few landmarks. This is the way to experience a place, through the hearts and homes of those who live within its borders. At these homes the plates were never emptied, the best of homemade drink never far from my lips (in my humble opinion the myriad of fruit alcohols of Croatia and Slovenia make a majority of others comparable to urine), and the conversation continuing until the late hours. On the first night at Karla's house after the tasting of fresh-from-tree-and-bush plums and currants there was discussion of area house prices particularly that of the neighbors. I had visions of a quick purchase when was told that the price of 25000 euro was considered expensive as in Phoenix I am unsure if one can buy a portable toilet these days for such a price. On Saturday and then Sunday morning the majority of time was spent with Benjamin's mother and grandmother. Luckily his mom speaks a fair amount of English and the quantity of philosophical discussion only worked to rapidly improve it. I really know how to lay it on thick from th onset asking one who hasn't spoken English in years about the meaning of life and perspective on who God is. Saturday eve we enjoyed the cello expertise ('twas quite brilliant) of a chap who was convinced that the Slovene word for thank you was none other than "Koala" rather than the real deal "Hvala." At the end of each musical masterpiece played he would either roar that out or whisper it in deep, resounding, forty years of smoking tones. Had the audience quite tickled by eve's end. In the final hours of our visit to Prekmurje Sunday we again had a marvelous feast at Karla's following the practice building of the fam's tent (Karla and Benjamin were off camping for a week). The tent building, meal, and few sups of borovnica zganje (blueberry mixed with alcohol; the best I've tasted of the mixes by the way) were enough to have me giddy as a school girl for drive home and day's end. Nothing beats a weekend of gluttonous gorging, zganje slugging, and philosophical chatting to round out one's time in a place. I look forward to the day of my return to that place and those people.

There is more to come about my current local and my exercises in dental torture. Tonight I must be off to sleep and tomorrow I should be able to spew a few sentences of reprisal.

In about an hour I am off to Poland to go to a festival with my family from Warsaw. I had intended to write already about my activities over the weekend but now I have no time and will not until Sunday at the earliest. Until that time there are some new pictures up to take a gander at and I will update about my activities soon enough.

Two morns ago I traversed my highest ever peak, that of Triglav. With only two hours of sleep, shoes that threatened to seperate at any moment, and a few tasty sambos I set out with Blaz and eleven others to the 2800m (and then some) summit. My companions displayed concern over the likelihood of said shoes surviving the venture but I had ascents in Poland and Slovakia in the same pair to encourage my success here. I was not about to let my not having pictue perfect sportswear to prevent it as since the mention of Triglav some weeks ago I have wanted to surmount it. It is said that all Slovenes must scale this mountain at some point in life to truly call themselves such and the hearing of that statement more than peaked my interest.

Early morning hikes seem a cure for many ails and in this case the sleep deprivation was scarcely noticed and I was up the mountain pass like Heidi on steroids. Our only nourishment of the morn had been a kebab in Ljubljana which amazingly enough had in it meat and veg of good quality so there was no stomach destruction. The hike, the view, delectable sandwiches at lunch, the varied company, and the need for some rock climbing skill made for an exhilirating journey upwards. At the peak when all were rejuvenated in our success the customary arse whipping began. Apparently all first timers must receive two of the best from large rope on the behind. I ended up with three as a result of my cameraman not catching the first two wallops. When we scaled down to our mountain accomodation the tiredness finally hit and after a few card games and some tiredness-causing-giggles I was off to bed and a heavy headed sleep. I wanted to see the sunrise from that spot atop the nation and the 4:30 wakeup could not deter me. I was forced to wander far from our place and high back into the mountains off of the trail. I could imagine the voice of an old woman wailing "Don't wander off of the trail" but I then started questioning the necessity of such thinking. I was enthralled at the thought of seeing sunlight break over the mountains and was not to allow nonexistent trails to prevent me. As you will see in the pictures the effort and excitement were not in the least wasted as the experience left yours truly awestruck. The sun peeked its face upon me for only a few short moments but its affect on the landscape overwhelmed my senses with beautiful imagery. I returned to my bed filled with greater appreciation of the creator's work and inspired for our return voyage. The rest of the gang awoke shortly after and we set out on the long path through mountain lakes and dense greenery to the mountain base on the other side from where we had ascended. Thanks to considerate organization a van awaited us there to take us out for a marvelous last lunch together before we returned to our cars and the journey home.

I feel as though I may not have done this experience justice in this writing of it but I currently haven't the energy to improve. I would appreciate that those of you that wish to comment in future would be more descriptive. I like to receive any but especially something of whether parts of the post were enjoyed or meaningful would be more valuable to me. I write because I love to do so, I had never imagined I could receive so much enjoyment in it, but of course the input and encouragement of others is welcomed with glee. Take a look at the new photo albums on Lovable Quirks to get an idea of our venture. The second album has some misc. shots from last week.

This entire week has been so full with new relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed Wednesday night getting to celebrate Wiesiek's birthday with him and his family and many friends whose lives have all been touched by this household. In this family I have really seen a picture of the type of environment I wish to have for my family in the future. This family has been so obvious in how much they love and has been very open in not only learning about me but discussing my plans for the future in a caring way. For the birthday we had a barbecue here at the house and ate cake with mascarpone and fresh blueberries. All who were here were interacting together and just enjoying relationship and I feel so priveleged that I got to be here for the occasion. Before this week none of these people knew me and yet there I get to be celebrating with them.

Since that night I have spent the last two days here at the house with them sharing in their daily life and enjoying each moment of this time. Their children are full of life and interest in their visitor and they are a testimony to the love and attention they have been shown by their parents. Throughout the days there are many visitors and visits to neighbors in this area. They also keep a garden so there are vegetables to be picked for the day's meals and eggs to be collected as they have chickens also. It is really quite an incredible environment especially for someone who has lived in the city for so long. I have really been made to feel at home here and that is so encouraging. I know that these are people I could always come and visit in the future as their home is so open for that. Tomorrow when I leave here I do so with sadness that I must go but at the same time feeling so refreshed to have been a part of this family and their life for a few days. Hopefully tomorrow I will be going to spend more time with Kasia's family. I am hoping to stay at her aunt's house for a day or two before leaving the area.

I have added a new gallery from my time here. The first pictures are of Wiesiek and two of his sons when we roasted some sausage and hot dogs over the fire last night. There are also pictures there of the house. In the third row those are pictures of the family's other guests who are staying in the guest room next to the main house. Their names are Marcin and Milka and their son Nicodem is pictured also in the fourth row. Where they live is not far from Krakow and I am going to stay with them after I leave there and go towards Slovakia. The last picture in the album is of Nancy. Hopefully I will get more pics in the morning before I leave. I should have taken more earlier but forget because I get caught up in enjoying the time.

As I said in a previous post I was invited to return to Hel with Kasia, Veronica and some members of the family. We took the ferry there from Gdinya on Monday afternoon and spent the day eating and wandering around Hel for souvenirs. It was a beautiful day to be out and I of course enjoyed the company. I got to practice my Spanish with Veronica and she was teaching me plenty of new words. By the middle of the day all of us were tired because even though it is nothing like as hot as Phoenix it is very humid and so does zap a lot of your energy. We could not return to Gdinya until 9pm though because the tourism is at its peak this time of year so the ferries are normally booked up. After our day in Hel I went with them to the family home in a village east of Gdinya. I was supposed to go that night to stay with friends of theirs but at that point it was already late so I stayed at their house for the night.

Yesterday, Tuesday, I spent the first part of the day at their home sharing breakfast and then going to the airport as today was the day Veronica started on her way back to Guatemala. It is sad to see her go but also I feel blessed for the time that I got to spend with her in her last days in Poland. I will be able to stay in contact with her hopefully in the future and at some point she hopes to move to Europe so I'm sure we will meet again. After the airport we returned to their home for lunch and I also got to see pictures from Kasia's missionary journies through South and Central America and Africa. She is at the moment attending music school in Guatemala and when finished with school plans to return to missions. In the afternoon we came here to meet Nancy and her family. Nancy and her husband (I will put his name in a later post but don't yet know how to spell it) have five children and have been missionaries here in Poland for many years. He is from Poland and she from Chicago but born to Polish and English parents. They are an extremely loving and welcoming family and the children are interested to find out about their new visitor. When the family found out I was traveling through they wanted to meet me and have me stay and so I spent the night here last night and will be at least tonight also. Throughout the year they open their home to missionaries traveling from different parts of the world and to people who want to be in the area during the holiday time. In my short time here I have so enjoyed meeting them and seeing the way that they live focusing so much of their time and energy on building relationships with other people and pouring into the lives of their children. This is a wonderful experience for me because my heart and my focus is for the family I will have in the future so this time is very encouraging. Today is Nancy's husband's birthday (I must find out how to spell his name) and so tonight will be a celebration with them and friends in the area. Something more for me to look forward to and enjoy. Each time I open my heart to new relationships it always allows for such amazing experiences with people that I cannot miss these opportunities that each of us are given each day. I added a few more albums to Lovable Quirks so take a look. Some are older pics from Berlin the day after the World Cup final and then their are pictures up until yesterday.

I had intended on setting out for Krakow yesterday but now have had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with a family here in Gdansk and their friends. On Saturday night I was feeling really overwhelmed as I watched people in Sopot going to clubs and some of the couples sitting together at the park. It is so hard for me to watch couples together who cannot and will not communicate with one another. I feel that that type of relationship with someone is such a gift and so to watch people who in some cases have spent a life married together be are totally unable to communicate it grieves my heart. I was also seeing so many young people going to the clubs and so many I could tell were there just to try to look cool and were acting so fake with each other. It reminded me of the emptiness I felt as a teenager trying so hard to fit into all of the molds that young men and women are pressured to conform to. I am so saddened to think that for many of them these years shape their lives because it is so difficult as a teenager in Western society to try to be yourself, to not conform to rigid roles. The end result of living this way and trying so hard to be someone else is a profound emptiness but many young people know of no alternatives. I felt overwhelmed at asking myself what I can possibly do to offer hope to people in these situations as their seemed in that moment to be so many who needed it. At the end of that day I was just hoping that by being at a Church Sunday I would be encouraged being around other Christians.

As always God far exceeded what I could have hoped for or expected. I had a really difficult time finding my way to the Church and had nearly given up looking for it but eventually I got there. When I did the pastor, whom I had spoken to for the directions, asked a woman named Kasia to translate the service for me. Kasha has lived as a missionary and is now studying in Guatemala but she happened to be there for this service and was also translating the service for a friend of hers from Guatemala. Well after the service had ended Kasia and her parents invited me to have lunch with them and of course I accepted since at this point I had met no one since leaving Germany. It was really wonderful to spend the day with them enjoying not only the company of Kasia's immediate family but also Veronica from Guatemala and members of Kasha's extended family also. The family asked me many questions about my travels and especially why I was leaving the United States. This time with them was so refreshing after the way that I had felt the day before. I did not leave them until late in the evening and this after being invited to join them the following day in going to Hel on the ferry.

When I arrived back at the campground I was so full emotionally from my time with the family and was ready for bed when the Polish young people camping next to me in Sopot asked me to join them. I had been camping next to them since Thursday and we hadn't spoken but this night we chatted. They were excited to speak English to me and to try to teach me some Polish songs and words. It was so nice to find out from them what it is like living in and going to university in Poland and also to share with them about what I am doing. God really overwhelmed me this day in allowing for me to spend so much time building relationships with other people. I could never have expected this day to be so full and I was so blessed by it.

The United States media has done stellar work in not only trying to convince the US public that President Bush is a fool and to blame for all the country's problems but also trying to convince people outside the country of the same. I have met many people over here who are convinced of his foolishness because of the one sided information they have heard. This portrayal of our leader abroad promotes disrespect not only for the President but the government that he represents. It undermines the authority of our government and its ability to function already in the United States and will have the same result abroad if this portrayal is allowed to continue.

I remember as a senior in high school learning about our government and the three branches of government that are designed to balance one another. When I see the news or hear the arguments made against the President it is so clear that the structure of the government is neglectfully forgotten. United States society and world society has grown to love scapegoats. When people's lives are failing or their decision making is on par with a child's they look to blame their DNA, or their parents, or in this case the government when many people don't even exercise their right to vote and are completely unaware of what the government is doing. I would hate to be in the President's shoes right now because the attention span of the people is so short. One minute I hear people stupidly saying they want our government to go after anyone in a turban and supporting the war to the next when they hate the President and cannot understand why we ever went to war. When I was a teenager for a while I loved the WWF because of the drama of it. The hero one show is the arch enemy the next and it goes back and forth constantly. Our media presents the news in this fashion now and it seems the public eats it up like candy. Many people rely purely on what they hear in the media and that information is so jaded by a desire for ratings. We want our news to be like our movies and never mind if all the while especially young people and the rest of the world are adopting an attitude of disrespect towards our leaders and our government as a whole.

Any country that maintains the attitude that "All politicians are crooks" and allows the media to turn the executive leader into a jester is promoting poor leadership. It is the responsibility of the people in a democracy to bring about change in their government. Sitting at home watching television and bitching about the government does nothing. It is when the people in a democracy neglect their role that incredible problems emerge. Our next generation of "leaders" (frightening thought) have grown up, many of them, with the attitude that leadership needs not to be respected. Why would they think any differently when they turn on the news or open a newspaper? I know that I have probably said more than enough but it was so sad to me to know that such disrespect is filtering out to the rest of the world. I believe that at points in history other nations looked to ours as somewhat of a standard but I could hardly think this is the case now or will be in the future.

I have added some new pictures to Lovable Quirks. They are from my last week in Germany. The pictures in the middle are from my day trip to Wittenberg. I also finally updated the map in my "Where am I" section. I will write more tomorrow about my time in Gdansk since Sunday.

I have another experience to share from my time here in Poland. The other night I was reminded how wonderful it is that in the United States you never have to pay for grocery bags. I had realized that campgrounds here in Poland do not supply toilet paper always so I went to a local store to fetch one. This is also a time to mention a dynamic about the Polish people which is that they are very curious. I have been surprised at the level of eye contact people will make with you even as a stranger and that wherever I go I see people looking at me very curiously. I thought it was because I am a foreigner but I noticed that they do it also with each other. That said, I purchased my roll of toilet paper and a loaf of bread and realized of course that I had forgotten to bring a bag and was not going to get one. I then walked back through town, a small town thank goodness, and was very aware of the looks I got from other people. It would be a strange site to me to see anyone carrying around toilet paper and bread so I understood their curiousity. I am glad that I am light on the old feet and got back to the campsite with much rapidity to avoid more of the curious stares. I must remember to always bring a bag with me to stores so I don't have a repeat experience of this.

Since Monday I have been traversing and enjoying the Baltic Coast of Poland. It is such a blessing that I can return to the country that my grandmother's parents came from. I had not really thought of it before I came but I feel it such a privelege to at least be able to get some idea of what life was like for them so many years ago. The Polish people are very focused on family and on community based on the numbers that are out in the streets at night and how often families are out together talking and exploring. I love to visit places where people congregate at all hours of the day and in those places they connect with friends and family members. It is a wonderful alternative to sitting at home viewing the same crap tv shows or having the news tell me who to be afraid of now. This time of year in this area people from all over the country come to enjoy the weather and the beaches.

I am currently in Sopot which is just north of Gdansk. I arrived yesterday and previously had been traveling in small towns including Hel that are along the northwest coast. The weather is warm and the beaches are marvelous so it is definitely a nice time to be here. Also a refreshing change from Western Europe is that the price of everything is considerably lower. The exchange rate makes it so the dollar is actually worth more for once. It is a nice change from the high prices especially in the tourist areas of Germany. I am hopefully going to be able to visit a Church here that does their service in both English and Polish. It has been difficult trying to communicate in Poland because it is mostly younger people that can speak English and they are not always so friendly. I think now that I am in a larger city I will have more opportunities to meet people. Today I have been exploring the center of Gdansk and enjoying seeing so many people out and about. I should be able to post again before I leave here and I'm sure some of you have wondered where I was the last few days. Finding places to use the internet is definitely more of a challenge especially in a country like this which is only now catching up with the technology in the west.

It may be because I am traveling alone or perhaps because of how I relate to people that I notice so strongly the communication between people. I had hoped that this was a dynamic existing with couples I have seen in the United States but unfortunately it seems that here also there are people "madly in love" who can't think of a word to say to one another. I understand that sometimes there is a beauty when two people are together and do not need to say anything but this is different from an obvious discomfort between people because neither one knows what to say. I can think of many instances with couples young and old, especially at restaurants, where the two people will not speak a word the entire time expect perhaps asking the other "What are you going to have?" or "How is the food?" or "Did you see that movie?" Couples who have spent fifty years sharing a life together but when the chance comes to communicate they would sooner turn on the television or go to the movies(On a side note I think that the television and movies are the savior of many a couple as there is no need to communicate anything in front of the screen). It is also amazing that young couples who know little or nothing about one another can think of nothing of interest to say.

I guess it is better to at least not look like you are alone even if relationally you are very much alone. I know this very strongly because I must often walk around to crowded places by myself and I see people that though they have no connection with those around them, based on their obvious discomfort, at least they do not have to look like they are alone. In part I don't blame them because I get no joy from walking about with the "I'm alone" sign over my head. For me to be traveling alone is some of the most difficult time emotionally since I was a teenager and then often by choice and often not I was alone always. That is why it boggles my mind. I believe that each human being is the creation of an infinite and an awe inspiring God and that into each one of us he has placed elements of himself. I could not in a lifetime know the entirity of another of his creations so why is it that we end up with nothing to say. Either it is because we are uninterested in the hearts of others or because we haven't an idea of how to really discover another person. We are so focused often times on our own needs and day to day life that we miss the opportunity we are afforded all the time to connect with the hearts of others who each have pieces of the creator inside of them waiting to be found. This is a great tragedy and a tragedy that often stems from selfish lives, ridiculous social rules that tell us not to ask personal questions, and a shallow-ness in relationships that will never allow for real closeness.

Right now in my life it is so difficult to be around people and because of language differences be unable to communicate with them. It is so frustrating because there is so much to explore in the hearts of all people and so it amazes me that some choose a life where they do not even attempt to really know others. I hope that no one will ever catch me in years to come with my wife or my children or my friends with a bored and disinterested look on my face and witness no communication between me and them. The God of the universe created us for relationship with him and we as his creation have the same need and the same purpose for our lives. It is too short a time on earth to let so much other garbage get in the way.

This post comes awfully late but anyhow I thought it should be shared. A few days before I left Berlin I had spent the day near by in Wittenberg and stopped for lunch. Not realizing what I was ordering, the meal that I was given consisted of a plain bread roll and a plain sausage. This meal choice was written up at the entrance to the restaurant so I had expected it to be perhaps some local specialty. It could certainly be said that the German people are fond of their sausage and this was no exception. I assume now that this was meant to be similar to a hot dog or perhaps the hot dog is some spin off from this. I may never know. I have a strong feeling that the German diet has never won favor with the vegetarian crowd though as it seems that sausage is never left out of the mix at meal time.

I am currently staying with a man named Birk Ehmer and his family in Frankfurt Oder on the border with Poland. Birk and his wife have three children between the ages of twelve and seven. Since my arrival I have been treated as an honored guest. I had never met Birk before but when he heard that I was coming invited me to stay for a few days. It is incredible to meet people who are willing to open their hearts and lives to me. I have been so blessed to make such connections along the way. In the time that I have been in Germany I have been most impressed by the sincerity and welcoming attitude of the people. I have had to relearn to truly take people at their word and that is a wonderful thing. Though I leave Germany for Poland tomorrow I now have friends here that I will stay in contact with and who have supported me so much along the way.

The other night I went with Birk and family across the border to Poland and it felt strange to go such a short distance but be surrounded by a different culture there. I have never in my life before been within walking distance of another country. I am excited to be going to Poland for a while so that I can experience a place that I have never seen. Poland is a country with much history and many beautiful places from beaches to tall mountains and old cities. I will also have to get used to hearing and attempting to speak a very different language. This is a little annoying because I have just started to learn some German words and have gotten used to the way that it sounds. Oh well, I guess that will be one of the difficulties of being on the road. I have heard that many of the young people of Poland speak English well so I should not have too much trouble there. Hopefully along the way I can give plenty of updates about where I end up and what it is like.

I have exciting news to share that perhaps many of you already know. My friends Taryn and Adam have had their first babs. I have yet to see any pictures of the little one but am so excited for them as the enter the joy of parenthood. I have known Taryn since 2000 and in that time her life has shown me so much about what it is to follow Christ with passion and love for people. At the time when I met her I had never really seen following Christ as a lifestyle but merely a Sunday morning ritual. I saw in her that the life of Christian was meant to be one of passion and she was someone that never hid her love and care for the people around her. I see now how necessary it was for me to know her as I was searching for something to live for and not merely believe in. Now Taryn is married to an incredible man who's heart is as large as his chest and he loves also with a passion and a humility that impacts all who come in contact with him. I had the honor of being a part of their wedding last year and now am so excited that their child Enoch will grow up surrounded by such amazing love and such devotion to Christ. I cannot wait for the day that I get to meet him or the chance to hear how he grows with such incredible parents to guide him. It's exciting stuff.

Perhaps Berlin is best explored in Spring or Autumn. The size of the downtown area requires plenty of time for exploration and the current temperatures, though nothing like Phoenix, are enough to make using public transport very uncomfortable. I have enjoyed seeing the different architectural styles in different portions of the city but overall I think that Berlin is too vast and too industrialized to be somewhere I would return to. My purpose in being here was the World Cup final and I was thrilled to be a part of that amazing occasion. There was so much excitement and such an incredible atmosphere for each minute of the game and I will never forget the rapturous response of Italian fans to their victory. To be fair to Berlin it is a city loaded with museums, history, an incredible night life, and hundreds of places to eat and drink. For any big city lover I am sure it would be marvelous but for me now all that big cities have to offer has lost any allure. And on a traveling budget I had no desire to pay the high prices for entering the museums.

If you see the pics I have added to Lovable Quirks for Berlin and the World Cup Final you will notice some strangers in the mix. I met Kate, Ashley, and Alex at the campground and got to spend my first days here hanging out with them. They are all from Adelaide (hope I spelled correctly) in Australia and were out to support the Aussie team in the Cup. I am so glad that I met them as they were a marvelous bunch. Kate and Ashley are traveling Europe as I am and we got to compare notes on where we are going and have been. Alex is Ashley's brother who was out during his summer break from school. Over the weekend we all took a look about the town and enjoyed some marvelous soccer games. It was wonderful as always to get to share my time with other people as especially in a city this size it can be a bit lonesome. We also got to share the incredible experience of seeing the final with all of the crazy fans from around the world. My new Aussie friends left Monday to head to Prague for a week and then further south. I am off to Frankfurt Oder this Friday to spend a few days with someone I have connected with there.

Take a look at the pics from Berlin and the Cup final on Lovable Quirks. Hope you also watched the videos from the post two days ago.

In between Mannheim and Berlin I spent two days in Bamberg and the surrounding area. I camped along the river that runs through the city and was impressed by the beauty in this part of Bavaria. Bamberg is tourist city but definitely worth exploring. The Churches and old style German buildings along the river are amazing to see and the city has plenty of activity around the center. I spent some of my time there eating German food at and Irish pub. The chap who owned it was from Dublin and the waitress, who had an Irish accent, was his wife from Eastern Europe. There were plenty of places in town to relax and enjoy the surroundings and on that day an Irish pub seemed my finest option for some reason. Unlike other cities in Germany that I've been in or around this was one that has yet to become overly industrialized and that made the journey there worthwhile.

At the campground in Bamberg I also witnessed Germany's loss to Italy and was surprised at the response of the German fans in attendance. When Italy scored the goal that won the game for them the reaction was minimal and it almost seemed that the German fans expected it. The only Italian fan in the mix was jumping up and down before and after Italy's goal. I cannot remember ever having such an emotionless reaction to my team's loss. When I was younger I used to throw things, curse, and be in bad humor for a day when any team I followed was to lose especially close to the final.

I have added pictures to Lovable Quirks of my time in Bamberg as well as pictures of Eddy and Roberta whom I stayed with in Mannheim.

Last night was amazing getting to experience the final at the fan fest in Berlin. I have had no chance to update the site since I left Mannheim and have a lot to post about but for today I wanted something current up and what is more current than the final of the world's largest sporting event. I got to be in the thick of it amongst both French and Italien fans underneath Brandenburg gate and just metres from the Reichstag. The mood was incredibly intense as both team's fans and thousands from around the world were gathered. I was impressed by the play of both teams though in the late second half and overtime periods both teams made foolish decisions. Italy's was to play very casually and it seemed as if they didn't care if they scored or not. France as a team cannot be blamed however Zinedine Zidane committed one of the worst fouls I have seen using his head as a ram against one of the Italian players. A player with his experience and playing in perhaps his last game should never have done such a thing. Even his coach cheered the decision to have him sent off and rightly so. A powerful bit of footage was of Zidane walking past the World Cup trophy on his way out after getting the red card. As much as I hate penalties and feel it was no way to end the match, both teams could have avoided it but didn't and in the end Italy came out on top which hopefully all who read this probably know. The following videos are from moments during the game at fan fest with plenty of crowd footage. I will add further posts in a few days and finally get some new pictures up.

France's goal

Italy's goal

Italy wins it

More of crowd

I have been here throughout the World Cup but have yet to make any comments about it. The other night I watched Argentina against Germany and it turned out to be one of the most emotionally frustrating games I have ever watched. I am not a fan of either team but having watched Argentina outplay Germany for 120 minutes (a credit to the fitness of soccer players) and then lose on penalties was horrible. I have met people both here and in the past that have said that soccer is just a game and while I agree that on a basic level of course that is true but in terms of soccer on the world stage with young and old in countries everywhere watching this is not the case. When Cambiasso missed the final penalty for Argentina and was in tears after the game I was reminded how much I hate penalties as a way to finish a game because it puts so much pressure on individual players. No person who has never been in that position could relate to having the whole world watching you kick a soccer ball to decide your team's outcome. I'm not sure when it was decided that penalties were a way to decide a game but whoever made that decision was certainly a fool. This way of deciding a game has little or nothing to do with skill as many of the world's best have missed a penalty but is simply a way to bring the game to a close faster instead of letting the skill of the teams decide the game no matter how long it takes. Only Ireland vs. Spain four years ago and Cameroon vs. England in 1990 have ever affected me so strongly having watched Ireland and Cameroon and now Argentina outplay the other team but lose because of something as ridiculous as a penalty.

We all live in a world where especially for young men and women there are few or no heroes to emulate. Young and old men and women cling to movie stars, musicians, and in this case soccer players. I can remember growing up in Ireland watching the World Cup and seeing my country (a tiny place) represented on the world stage. This moved soccer beyond a game to a representation of the abilities of my country to compete with others. When I see people from around the world there to represent their country both as players as fans it reminds me how important it is for all of us to maintain some kind of identity. So many of us work jobs that we are neither interested in or passionate about and when we go to Church we are often surrounded by others who have little or no passion left for our beliefs and simply attend out of habit or perceived expectation. It is no suprise then that something like soccer is so popular because there fans can place all of their passion and energy into the support of their team. Soccer is not my great passion in life but I think it is naive to call the fans of soccer foolish or mock their emotion related to the game. Human beings created in the image of a passionate God can not be expected to live dispassionate lives and not search for something like soccer to follow and be a part of. In countries like Brazil and Argentina many young people are growing up with nothing and their only escape from that world is through sport. It is no wonder that Brazil has always produced some of the finest soccer players as many have had to fight through intense poverty and competition just to make it to that point. This would not be a popular opinion but a few weeks ago when I watched Ghana knock the US out of the Cup I was glad because I knew that the celebrations in Ghana would be intense. The United States especially in the Olympics has always been a winner and the awareness of the World Cup in the US is only now increasing. I knew that for Ghana to win would mean so much more to that country and so I was pleased.

Before anyone again mocks the crazy fans it would be wise to realize that that may be all that person has ever known to be able to develop any passion about.