I was away this weekend at Camp Nakamun for a school retreat. We were planning the orientation day for all the new grade 10s and so a group of us went out to have an intense planning session and just hang out, but I must admit I was rather apprehensive. I didn't know a bunch of people in the group going out... I've posted before about some of my awkwardness with friends and the fact that I don't exactly know a ton of people at school, and so I brought my iPod and a couple books just in case no one talked to me and I didn't have the guts to talk to anybody, which I figured would be a likely situation.
BUT as soon as I got in the school on Friday, I saw a guy from my former English class who I'd chatted with a bunch, and so I said hello, and he introduced me to another guy and girl, and so the four of us hung out for a lot of the weekend. It was actually really cool, to find these people that I wound up getting along with so well, instead of all the other people who were there, most of whom I know a bit and I know are realllly not the type of people I'd be friends with. Just not compatible personalities, but I was so happy I really did make friends, and I'm getting slightly excited for the new school year now.
So it became a rather enjoyable weekend, though I really hadn't expected it to be. It was also so diffierent from any of my other Nakamun trips - I've been out there 8 times, I calculated - 4 quiz meets, 2 quiz retreats, 1 youth retreat, and my grandma's 80th birthday. But each of those was in the winter, with the exception of the quiz meets, which are obviously very scheduled, and so we didn't use the climbing wall, human fooseball, campfire or go canoeing - all of which we did this weekend, and had a great time. So that was definitely a new experience, as was the fact that with my church group or family, there's a huge measure of comfort and security. I know everybody in my group, and I'm really comfortable with them all, while this time, I didn't know anyone very well and didn't exactly start out super comfortable with them - another different thing.
Food though, that was exactly the same, and before every meal, I would tell everyone what we were going to have, and I was always right. Bahaha.
But yes, that was my weekend. It is now exactly 8 days until school starts again, and because I'm sort of not looking forward to it, and sort of excited, they cancel each other out and I have no feelings on the matter.
~~~
"He looks like he's giving birth!"
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
4 letters
Just 4 letters. 4 certain letters which, when arranged in a certain order, form one certain word, and that word totally defines me. It's my name, and I find it incredible how this simple arrangement of 4 letters - that I didn't even choose - defines so much of me.
If I meet someone with my name, I feel an instant connection to them. If I end up disliking that person, however, I really dislike them all the more - I feel like they're disgracing the name, MY name. I judge people so much more highly if they're an ambassader of my name, my 4 letters.
I recently read an article about a woman with my name who stopped a man who had stolen someone's purse. I was filled with a fierce sense of pride - look what MY NAME can do! And then last night on the evening news, a young girl with my name was killed in a car crash. Though I don't know the girl at all and she didn't even live in my city, I felt so awful hearing that. No one deserves to die like that, but in my mind, she especially didn't. She holds my name, and so her pain was, briefly, my pain.
It's only 4 letters, but it's so important. It's the way I'm introduced to people, the way I'm initially different from everybody else, and it really is my identity. Those 4 letters carry my entire life, and I'm so attached to them. Without those letters, without that one small word... I would just be a nameless human being in a sea of faces, but at least my name, my 4 letters, are something to hold on to. In my life, in my world, to all my friends and family, they define me.
There have been times when I've met people, given them my name, and they've said "Oh! I know a girl with your name! She [liked this, disliked that, had this hobby, etc.] Are you the same way?" After just 4 letters, they formed an automatic idea of me. If they didn't have my name, they'd have to formulate their conclusions from who I am rather than the 4 letters that sum it all up.
So maybe it's not as important as I've thought. I've felt connected to people without ever knowing their name, or them knowing mine. I guess it's another handle to hold on to someone by.
But that's my deep musings for the day.
~~~
"Wow, that was a big word! I'm impressed!"
"Thanks! Yeah, I like to think I have a broad... uh... mm..."
"Vocabulary?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
If I meet someone with my name, I feel an instant connection to them. If I end up disliking that person, however, I really dislike them all the more - I feel like they're disgracing the name, MY name. I judge people so much more highly if they're an ambassader of my name, my 4 letters.
I recently read an article about a woman with my name who stopped a man who had stolen someone's purse. I was filled with a fierce sense of pride - look what MY NAME can do! And then last night on the evening news, a young girl with my name was killed in a car crash. Though I don't know the girl at all and she didn't even live in my city, I felt so awful hearing that. No one deserves to die like that, but in my mind, she especially didn't. She holds my name, and so her pain was, briefly, my pain.
It's only 4 letters, but it's so important. It's the way I'm introduced to people, the way I'm initially different from everybody else, and it really is my identity. Those 4 letters carry my entire life, and I'm so attached to them. Without those letters, without that one small word... I would just be a nameless human being in a sea of faces, but at least my name, my 4 letters, are something to hold on to. In my life, in my world, to all my friends and family, they define me.
There have been times when I've met people, given them my name, and they've said "Oh! I know a girl with your name! She [liked this, disliked that, had this hobby, etc.] Are you the same way?" After just 4 letters, they formed an automatic idea of me. If they didn't have my name, they'd have to formulate their conclusions from who I am rather than the 4 letters that sum it all up.
So maybe it's not as important as I've thought. I've felt connected to people without ever knowing their name, or them knowing mine. I guess it's another handle to hold on to someone by.
But that's my deep musings for the day.
~~~
"Wow, that was a big word! I'm impressed!"
"Thanks! Yeah, I like to think I have a broad... uh... mm..."
"Vocabulary?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Your friendly neighbourhood spider-saver
That's what I turned into over the past two weeks in Idaho. It's a darn good thing I'm not afraid of spiders, or else we would have had a major problem, since pretty much every time I went into my bathroom, there was a lovely spider right beside the toilet. However, I'm a good person, and I like spiders, so rather than killing it, I would scoop it into my wastebasket and toss it into the garage. Unless it was late at night, at which time I would just flush it down the toilet - but that only happened a couple times.
My brother, on the other hand, is terrified of spiders and refused to use the downstairs bathroom for the entire holiday. Not that you'd see me complaining - it meant I had the bathroom to myself.
And on a slightly related topic - I saw the Simpsons movie and laughed myself stupid at the Spiderpig scene:
Marge looks up, says "How did the pig tracks get on the ceiling?"
Homer is holding pig up to ceiling, singing:
"Spiderpig, Spiderpig
Does whatever a Spiderpig does.
Can he swing from a web?
No he can't, he's a pig.
Look out, SpiderPig."
Thought of Jessica and died laughing. Drove my brother nuts. :P And laughed even harder when Homer later put a scar and a pair of glasses on the pig and declared, "He's not SpiderPig anymore. Now he's Harry Plopper."
I found it hilarious.
Speaking of Harry Plopper, I loved the last Potter book. I think the romantic pairings definitely ended up right, and overall it was a satisfactory ending. Maybe around Christmas I'll read all seven books in a row. That should be fun.
Not much else to say though. Later days.
~~~
"You've gone mad with power!"
"Of course I've gone mad with power! Have you ever tried going mad without power? It's boring and no one listens to you!"
My brother, on the other hand, is terrified of spiders and refused to use the downstairs bathroom for the entire holiday. Not that you'd see me complaining - it meant I had the bathroom to myself.
And on a slightly related topic - I saw the Simpsons movie and laughed myself stupid at the Spiderpig scene:
Marge looks up, says "How did the pig tracks get on the ceiling?"
Homer is holding pig up to ceiling, singing:
"Spiderpig, Spiderpig
Does whatever a Spiderpig does.
Can he swing from a web?
No he can't, he's a pig.
Look out, SpiderPig."
Thought of Jessica and died laughing. Drove my brother nuts. :P And laughed even harder when Homer later put a scar and a pair of glasses on the pig and declared, "He's not SpiderPig anymore. Now he's Harry Plopper."
I found it hilarious.
Speaking of Harry Plopper, I loved the last Potter book. I think the romantic pairings definitely ended up right, and overall it was a satisfactory ending. Maybe around Christmas I'll read all seven books in a row. That should be fun.
Not much else to say though. Later days.
~~~
"You've gone mad with power!"
"Of course I've gone mad with power! Have you ever tried going mad without power? It's boring and no one listens to you!"
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Last update until after Idaho
Well, the days since my last post have been relatively full and exciting.
First, on Saturday, well... first I should set the mood.
I was grumpy. Very, very grumpy. I had been in a bad mood all day and then Mother started getting after me to clean my room and hang up my clothes, and then I realized that she had hung up my pants on the small hangers instead of the large hangers, and she moved my long-sleeved shirts to the other side of the closet, and since I'm very particular about my closet organization, that really did not thrill me. So I got even grouchier.
All day, I had been looking forward to around 7:00, because I was going to phone my Aussie, so just before 7, I asked my dad if I could tie up the phone for a couple hours and he asked me to wait until after 7 because he was expecting a call. I semi-cheerfully cooperated, and then at 7, the doorbell rang. He hollered at me to get it. Then it rang again. And again. I thought it was my brother, so I fired the door open very irritated, and there are 13 people on the doorstep shouting "Surprise!"
So basically, my mother rigged up a surprise birthday party for me. There were a ton of my church friends there, plus one junior high friend and one friend from way back in elementary school who I've been friends with most of my life. I didn't really know what to do - I just left them outside, ingesting what was going on, until my mom opened the door and let them in. So we all traipsed downstairs and hugn out for a few hours.
It was so cool though - I've never had a surprise party before. It was exciting for me to have people like Graham there, who I had barely known before the missions trip, and realize that I really did make friends on the trip. And my kung-fu card from Kyle, and having Becky and Joanna, who I don't see nearly as much as I'd like to... anyway, it was a good time. I made sure to thank my mumsy and apologize for being so grumpy.
Then the next day, Kyle brought me a present which he didn't on Saturday because the invitation said no presents (grr... mother!) It was... a Canada. Smarty-pants. And a little calendar and a cheesecake recipe from his mother - I feel very special. His mother gave me a birthday present. Haha.
Later that day was Ellie's birthday party, which was fun. I gave the youth group gift to Natalie and was very excited to do so. Ellie's such a cutie pie! Hey Amy, what happened to the picture CD? Just thought of that now...
And then that night, Mom took me to Capital Ex (almost wrote K-Days there... Cap. Ex is a pretty dumb name though) to see Chantal Kreviazuk. She's a singer, she was playing at EdFest, and since I've liked her for a while and entry to Capital Ex and the show was only $10, I begged to go. It was actually really amazing - she can really play the piano - I mean, she just killed the thing. It was incredible. And then to look out and see the sunset and the rides all lit up by neon lights, and then around 11, fireworks starting... I can't even describe the beauty of it. It looked like something out of a movie. It was incredible.
And then the past few days have just been blah, getting ready to leave for potato country (Idaho) in the morning. Goody. I'm actually really excited to go shopping in the American stores though, and we're going to an amusement park and staying at a lake, so it should be a relatively good time. Anyway, that's all for now, talk to you when I get back!
~~~
"mumble mumble mumble."
P.S. Amy, women don't share their men. It just doesn't happen. That book really is a fantasy novel...
First, on Saturday, well... first I should set the mood.
I was grumpy. Very, very grumpy. I had been in a bad mood all day and then Mother started getting after me to clean my room and hang up my clothes, and then I realized that she had hung up my pants on the small hangers instead of the large hangers, and she moved my long-sleeved shirts to the other side of the closet, and since I'm very particular about my closet organization, that really did not thrill me. So I got even grouchier.
All day, I had been looking forward to around 7:00, because I was going to phone my Aussie, so just before 7, I asked my dad if I could tie up the phone for a couple hours and he asked me to wait until after 7 because he was expecting a call. I semi-cheerfully cooperated, and then at 7, the doorbell rang. He hollered at me to get it. Then it rang again. And again. I thought it was my brother, so I fired the door open very irritated, and there are 13 people on the doorstep shouting "Surprise!"
So basically, my mother rigged up a surprise birthday party for me. There were a ton of my church friends there, plus one junior high friend and one friend from way back in elementary school who I've been friends with most of my life. I didn't really know what to do - I just left them outside, ingesting what was going on, until my mom opened the door and let them in. So we all traipsed downstairs and hugn out for a few hours.
It was so cool though - I've never had a surprise party before. It was exciting for me to have people like Graham there, who I had barely known before the missions trip, and realize that I really did make friends on the trip. And my kung-fu card from Kyle, and having Becky and Joanna, who I don't see nearly as much as I'd like to... anyway, it was a good time. I made sure to thank my mumsy and apologize for being so grumpy.
Then the next day, Kyle brought me a present which he didn't on Saturday because the invitation said no presents (grr... mother!) It was... a Canada. Smarty-pants. And a little calendar and a cheesecake recipe from his mother - I feel very special. His mother gave me a birthday present. Haha.
Later that day was Ellie's birthday party, which was fun. I gave the youth group gift to Natalie and was very excited to do so. Ellie's such a cutie pie! Hey Amy, what happened to the picture CD? Just thought of that now...
And then that night, Mom took me to Capital Ex (almost wrote K-Days there... Cap. Ex is a pretty dumb name though) to see Chantal Kreviazuk. She's a singer, she was playing at EdFest, and since I've liked her for a while and entry to Capital Ex and the show was only $10, I begged to go. It was actually really amazing - she can really play the piano - I mean, she just killed the thing. It was incredible. And then to look out and see the sunset and the rides all lit up by neon lights, and then around 11, fireworks starting... I can't even describe the beauty of it. It looked like something out of a movie. It was incredible.
And then the past few days have just been blah, getting ready to leave for potato country (Idaho) in the morning. Goody. I'm actually really excited to go shopping in the American stores though, and we're going to an amusement park and staying at a lake, so it should be a relatively good time. Anyway, that's all for now, talk to you when I get back!
~~~
"mumble mumble mumble."
P.S. Amy, women don't share their men. It just doesn't happen. That book really is a fantasy novel...
Friday, July 20, 2007
Late night phone calls = <3
So I recently discovered that my phone plan, which includes unlimited Canada/ US calling, also includes 1000 free minutes basically anywhere in the world. I have this friend that I met a year ago. He lives in Australia. All year, we've been emailing and arranging msn conversations and all that complicated stuff, while also missing each other like mad and wishing we could see or at least talk to one another. And then I figured out that we can!
So yesterday, I sent him an email telling him about the phone plan and how theoretically, I could call him if he was interested, and then I periodically checked my email all afternoon/ evening for a response. I checked it on a whim at about 10 pm, just before i was planning to head in the bed-type direction, and there he was! So i quickly talked to him and he gave me his number and i called him right then and we ended up talking until after midnight. My parents were relatively annoyed... oops... but it was the most amazing thing to talk to him again and hear his lovely accent! Somehow I didn't really think we'd basically ever talk again unless we visited each other's country, so this for me was sooo exciting and pretty much made my... well, it would have made my week if my week hadn't started in Costa Rica. But it was still awesome.
Anyway, that's the most exciting thing to happen to me since I got home.
~~~
"That guy's a big bloke!"
So yesterday, I sent him an email telling him about the phone plan and how theoretically, I could call him if he was interested, and then I periodically checked my email all afternoon/ evening for a response. I checked it on a whim at about 10 pm, just before i was planning to head in the bed-type direction, and there he was! So i quickly talked to him and he gave me his number and i called him right then and we ended up talking until after midnight. My parents were relatively annoyed... oops... but it was the most amazing thing to talk to him again and hear his lovely accent! Somehow I didn't really think we'd basically ever talk again unless we visited each other's country, so this for me was sooo exciting and pretty much made my... well, it would have made my week if my week hadn't started in Costa Rica. But it was still awesome.
Anyway, that's the most exciting thing to happen to me since I got home.
~~~
"That guy's a big bloke!"
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Costa Rica + Sweet 16!
Hey everybody!
Well, I'm home from Costa Rica now and I had an absolutely amazing time. I couldn't even begin to tell you how everything was, but it was incredible. The biggest realization I had was I guess just the power, greatness and love of God, which was probably the point of the trip anyway. But I mean, there was more to it than that... rice and beans, quotes, falling in fountains... sigh. Maybe what I'll do for the next few days is post a story about the trip every day.
It was great though, and I stayed up until 2 last night yakking about it. Then I slept until 12, which is completely out of the ordinary for me! Even more out of the ordinary is that I'm still tired, but I suppose that can be excused, because before I went to bed, in a period of 41 hours, I only slept for 3-4 of them.
And today is my birthday! I'm 16, still without a learners licence, but very excited for the new year of my life. And honestly, there's no better way to start it than having just come from the greatest trip of my life. In fact, I sort of miss the trip already. It's weird to wake up on my own, without Amy in the same room and noises of 7 other girls getting ready. And to be sitting here, on the computer, all alone without someone dibsing it after me or Graham sitting behind me with his guitar... it's just different. I got so used to all these people that it doesn't feel right without them, and I really do feel like we're all a family now. I love you all!
So now, to choose a quote to end the post... this shall be difficult.
~~~
"On the plus side, Imodium is delicious."
Well, I'm home from Costa Rica now and I had an absolutely amazing time. I couldn't even begin to tell you how everything was, but it was incredible. The biggest realization I had was I guess just the power, greatness and love of God, which was probably the point of the trip anyway. But I mean, there was more to it than that... rice and beans, quotes, falling in fountains... sigh. Maybe what I'll do for the next few days is post a story about the trip every day.
It was great though, and I stayed up until 2 last night yakking about it. Then I slept until 12, which is completely out of the ordinary for me! Even more out of the ordinary is that I'm still tired, but I suppose that can be excused, because before I went to bed, in a period of 41 hours, I only slept for 3-4 of them.
And today is my birthday! I'm 16, still without a learners licence, but very excited for the new year of my life. And honestly, there's no better way to start it than having just come from the greatest trip of my life. In fact, I sort of miss the trip already. It's weird to wake up on my own, without Amy in the same room and noises of 7 other girls getting ready. And to be sitting here, on the computer, all alone without someone dibsing it after me or Graham sitting behind me with his guitar... it's just different. I got so used to all these people that it doesn't feel right without them, and I really do feel like we're all a family now. I love you all!
So now, to choose a quote to end the post... this shall be difficult.
~~~
"On the plus side, Imodium is delicious."
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sleep
(yeah, I know I haven't posted in ages. So shoot me.)
I am of the opinion that you sleep better if you know you don't have to get up. I've been having great, wonderful, long sleeps since school let out. I wake up in my own time, kind of drift into consciousness rather than being rudely shoved into wakefulness by the incessant screaming of an alarm clock. It's quite peaceful and I enjoy it, because I know that it doesn't matter when I get up anyway.
But then this morning, I had to get up at 9 because I had to babysit at 10. I woke up at 7, tossed and turned for a while, went back to sleep, woke up at 7:45, kind of drifted off until 8:15, and then stayed there in a semiconscious, not awake, not asleep state until quarter to 9, at which point I decided it was pointless and I might as well just get up.
So I had a crummy sleep for the last couple hours, because I knew my sleep would be ending soon. Turned out that my babysitting job got cancelled anyway, but the point is that you sleep better when you're guaranteed sleep. When you're under pressure to sleep; when you know that you won't be able to sleep past a certain time, you end up not sleeping at all.
That's got to be one of the more pointless posts I've ever made. Humph.
~~~
"that's... not my name."
I am of the opinion that you sleep better if you know you don't have to get up. I've been having great, wonderful, long sleeps since school let out. I wake up in my own time, kind of drift into consciousness rather than being rudely shoved into wakefulness by the incessant screaming of an alarm clock. It's quite peaceful and I enjoy it, because I know that it doesn't matter when I get up anyway.
But then this morning, I had to get up at 9 because I had to babysit at 10. I woke up at 7, tossed and turned for a while, went back to sleep, woke up at 7:45, kind of drifted off until 8:15, and then stayed there in a semiconscious, not awake, not asleep state until quarter to 9, at which point I decided it was pointless and I might as well just get up.
So I had a crummy sleep for the last couple hours, because I knew my sleep would be ending soon. Turned out that my babysitting job got cancelled anyway, but the point is that you sleep better when you're guaranteed sleep. When you're under pressure to sleep; when you know that you won't be able to sleep past a certain time, you end up not sleeping at all.
That's got to be one of the more pointless posts I've ever made. Humph.
~~~
"that's... not my name."
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