Not much to say, but it feels like it's been forever since I posted last. I think not soin reality. I've just been that busy. :) Well, sick and busy, so time takes on new measures.
Finally started painting my office so that I can eventually get all set up before the new term begins. It's definitely hard to work without a desk and access to my files and books. The office is going to look great! I'm very happy with the colour - orange. I'll never fall asleep at the books again! So far we've only done one coat of two walls. Using two slightly different shades for the sunny/less-sunny walls. It probably won't be noticeable, but I had to get 2 cans anyways, so might as well do the 2 colours. We still have to finish all the trim in the master bedroom as well.
Robin has us hooked on the INXS show now. Sorry mom, but it's far better than Canadian Idol. This week Idol was doing rock music as well, and there's just no comparison. After watching an episode of INXS and then catching a song on Idol, it was pathetic. Also caught the first episode of Tommy Lee going to college. Who thinks up these things??? Craziness I tell you. What is the world of entertainment coming to? What happened to the Muppet Show? (I don't know why that show came to mind).
Well, aside from some evening TV, most of the day you'll find me on the computer writing and researching. And telling the cats to bugger off. Gryphon took that a little too seriously and figured out how to open the screen door himself. He's obsessed with going outside now. He was not like this at the townhouse. I think it's all the trees and birds and squirrels and other local cats that entice him. He and the local squirrel have developed a "relationship". It's hilarious to hear the squirrel nattering at Gryphon from a tree after Gryph's been following her. I'd noticed our resident squirrel always on our deck a while back. Then this week I saw her on the deck again and thought, jeez, this squirrel likes our deck. Then I thought, hmm, Gryphon's out here somewhere. Then I saw Gryphon jump onto the rail behind the squirrel. lol. After I screamed at Gryph the squirrel got away to once again natter at my cat. Today I bought a second halter so I can let the cats go out together tied up, but mostly because I made a vet appointment for them down the street.
It's very convenient that a 2 minute walk away is a chiropractor, naturopath and vet. I'll be seeing the chiropractor next week to begin treatment. I'm looking forward to that! It's been 3 years since I had a chiropractor. Next I just have to find a hairdresser. My short hair is getting long fast.
As for Robin... nothing new to report. That's why I type these. :)
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Bielefeld Photos
Well, I have finally uploaded some photos. These are more place photos than people photos, since most readers will not know any of the persons pictured.
Let us begin with Sharma's tour of the city on our last day, as this Tiger's journey illustrates my usual routine around town.
Sharma escapes from our Hostel room
And heads for the fish pond inside the hostel.
Sharma poses with the LinenWeaver statue in the Alt Markt infront of one of many churches...
...and then enjoys an evening bier at one of the cafes.
Sharma poses infront of the Nicolai church with a fellow monk. Yes, Sharma has decided to enter a monastery.
Meeting new friends (or saying goodbye)
Waiting for the regional train to take us to Hannover.
Here are more of Bielefeld:
A lovely square where a friend and I enjoyed a bier and icecream, luckily catching some sun. It was chilly and rainy for most of our stay. I had to buy dry clothes on one occasion and long sleeves.
Sparrenburg Castle, a few blocks from my hostel where a weekend Medieval Festival was held. Very fun!
This is on the old Rathaus (like city hall). I enjoyed seeing all the old buildings, especially gargoyles and these faces. I have many more photos... but I won't bore you!
This is one of many open air pedestrian shopping areas, and the one closest to our hostel.
One of the side streets near the hostel.
The hostel is in the background, under the rainbow.
As the Linenweaver is the city's symbol (along with Spurrenburg tower) you'll find replicas painted brightly around town.
A typical evening at the hostel with my fellow participants in the FD program.
Prof. Streib lecturing... we spent many hours on campus...
Ralph Hood, guest lecturer, speaking on Fundamentalism.
Our first excursion took us to a Castle in nearby Detmold...
And an open air museum of old farm houses and villages. I wish I had a photo of the windmills handy. My batteries started dying and I knew I could get photos from friends, so I saved my photos for pictures I didn't expect others to take. I particularly liked all the hearths.
But the highlight of that day was the Externsteine. See this lovely ancient Pagan altar - The sun rises through there on Summer Solstice. And there are other astronomical events, which you can look up :)
On another excursion we visited Herford, home of the oldest Christian settlement in the region (all of Germany?). Keep in mind I was in Germany studying Faith Development theory, hence all the religious sites.
Munster Cathedral
Holy Tree Stump - has to do with a vision of Mary and the founding of this church. They really have enshrined the tree stump.
The Altar on the Hill... in the rain... somehwere near the Mary church and having to do with its founding, but the rain was beating us into the ground and so I never did hear the story. But I did hear something about ancient pagan site, so I snapped the photo hoping to hear more later.
I have played with this picture's contrast trying to highlight the image on the stone.
One of the many churches we saw that day had gargoyles all around
I enjoyed the details more than the churches as a whole.
An old chapel.
I liked the detail of the woodwork.
Well, that should be enough photos to share. I'm sure you're sick of them already. I didn't bother putting images of me sitting from 9-6 in lecture rooms. Not very interesting photos.
Let us begin with Sharma's tour of the city on our last day, as this Tiger's journey illustrates my usual routine around town.
Sharma escapes from our Hostel room
And heads for the fish pond inside the hostel.
Sharma poses with the LinenWeaver statue in the Alt Markt infront of one of many churches...
...and then enjoys an evening bier at one of the cafes.
Sharma poses infront of the Nicolai church with a fellow monk. Yes, Sharma has decided to enter a monastery.
Meeting new friends (or saying goodbye)
Waiting for the regional train to take us to Hannover.
Here are more of Bielefeld:
A lovely square where a friend and I enjoyed a bier and icecream, luckily catching some sun. It was chilly and rainy for most of our stay. I had to buy dry clothes on one occasion and long sleeves.
Sparrenburg Castle, a few blocks from my hostel where a weekend Medieval Festival was held. Very fun!
This is on the old Rathaus (like city hall). I enjoyed seeing all the old buildings, especially gargoyles and these faces. I have many more photos... but I won't bore you!
This is one of many open air pedestrian shopping areas, and the one closest to our hostel.
One of the side streets near the hostel.
The hostel is in the background, under the rainbow.
As the Linenweaver is the city's symbol (along with Spurrenburg tower) you'll find replicas painted brightly around town.
A typical evening at the hostel with my fellow participants in the FD program.
Prof. Streib lecturing... we spent many hours on campus...
Ralph Hood, guest lecturer, speaking on Fundamentalism.
Our first excursion took us to a Castle in nearby Detmold...
And an open air museum of old farm houses and villages. I wish I had a photo of the windmills handy. My batteries started dying and I knew I could get photos from friends, so I saved my photos for pictures I didn't expect others to take. I particularly liked all the hearths.
But the highlight of that day was the Externsteine. See this lovely ancient Pagan altar - The sun rises through there on Summer Solstice. And there are other astronomical events, which you can look up :)
On another excursion we visited Herford, home of the oldest Christian settlement in the region (all of Germany?). Keep in mind I was in Germany studying Faith Development theory, hence all the religious sites.
Munster Cathedral
Holy Tree Stump - has to do with a vision of Mary and the founding of this church. They really have enshrined the tree stump.
The Altar on the Hill... in the rain... somehwere near the Mary church and having to do with its founding, but the rain was beating us into the ground and so I never did hear the story. But I did hear something about ancient pagan site, so I snapped the photo hoping to hear more later.
I have played with this picture's contrast trying to highlight the image on the stone.
One of the many churches we saw that day had gargoyles all around
I enjoyed the details more than the churches as a whole.
An old chapel.
I liked the detail of the woodwork.
Well, that should be enough photos to share. I'm sure you're sick of them already. I didn't bother putting images of me sitting from 9-6 in lecture rooms. Not very interesting photos.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Hallo - from Germany
Here I am in Germany. I have many photos but not uploaded yet... I will post them, have no fear.
This is the second day of my second week, but it feels like I have been here forever.
I am finally adjusting to the different keyboard... see, I have new keys like ä and ö and € and other regular keys are in new places.
But you don't want to hear about the keyboards.
I am here for a 2 week workshop on Faith Development theory and research methods, which has turned out to be more interesting than I expected. I was afraid they would try to indoctrinate us into some type of theory/methodolgy, but the project coordinators are asking questions about this theory/methodology to revise it and asking us to participate in the process.
There are 15 international persons (students, researchers, professors) here for the workshop, plus a few research assistants (also students) from the project - including my friend Chris who suggested this workshop in the first place.
Two additional students are from WLU - so Waterloo-Laurier has a strong representation :) Others are from Turkey, the Netherlands, Rome, Wales, the U.S., and local. And research interests and background cover a wide range of traditions, which is very useful as one of the goals of the project here is to make Faith Development research more applicable across religions and cultures. (Needless to say there is a lot of work to be done and it is questionable whether this is even possible).
We have classes from 9 am until 6pm daily. So far Sunday has been our only day off. We have things planned eveyday until Sunday afternoon when the workshop ends. Granted, 2 of the days are excursions (field trips).
Our first excursion was last Saturday when we visited the Castle of Detmold (where a prince still lives (in half of it, the other half is a museum) decorated in Baroque style), the Open air museum in Detmold (with complete 18th and 9th C farms and farm houses and villages arranged on a vast area of land, working old wooden windmills, old farm animal breeds, and a delicious bakery) and finally, the Extern Stones. The stones were my favourite of course. (here is a brief intro: http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/germany/externsteine.html)
Sunday I attended the local Medieval Festival at Spurrenburg Castle (rebuilt ruins) here in Bielefeld (BTW, that's BEE-le-feld) with friends. Yep, I have made several new friends. We bonded over "bier" and bagels.
This is definitley the land of beer.
Free alcohol was served on the flight here! And beer is very very cheap. But nobody uses bier steines... it's all tall beer glasses (sorry Robin).
Thursday is our second excursion when we visit historic churches in the area and see a Frank Gehry building (some architect).
I will be home Monday after another long flight... I was up for about 33 hours on the way here because I arrived in town just in time for the first lecture and had to stay awake for the rest of the day - and then there was a social event (with beer of course). It put me back on a schedule, I just lost a night of sleep.
TTFN,
Mandy
PS I no longer have access to my primary email account, as of a week ago. I am working at building up a new address book. I can be reached at mandyfurney @ yahoo.ca
This is the second day of my second week, but it feels like I have been here forever.
I am finally adjusting to the different keyboard... see, I have new keys like ä and ö and € and other regular keys are in new places.
But you don't want to hear about the keyboards.
I am here for a 2 week workshop on Faith Development theory and research methods, which has turned out to be more interesting than I expected. I was afraid they would try to indoctrinate us into some type of theory/methodolgy, but the project coordinators are asking questions about this theory/methodology to revise it and asking us to participate in the process.
There are 15 international persons (students, researchers, professors) here for the workshop, plus a few research assistants (also students) from the project - including my friend Chris who suggested this workshop in the first place.
Two additional students are from WLU - so Waterloo-Laurier has a strong representation :) Others are from Turkey, the Netherlands, Rome, Wales, the U.S., and local. And research interests and background cover a wide range of traditions, which is very useful as one of the goals of the project here is to make Faith Development research more applicable across religions and cultures. (Needless to say there is a lot of work to be done and it is questionable whether this is even possible).
We have classes from 9 am until 6pm daily. So far Sunday has been our only day off. We have things planned eveyday until Sunday afternoon when the workshop ends. Granted, 2 of the days are excursions (field trips).
Our first excursion was last Saturday when we visited the Castle of Detmold (where a prince still lives (in half of it, the other half is a museum) decorated in Baroque style), the Open air museum in Detmold (with complete 18th and 9th C farms and farm houses and villages arranged on a vast area of land, working old wooden windmills, old farm animal breeds, and a delicious bakery) and finally, the Extern Stones. The stones were my favourite of course. (here is a brief intro: http://www.sacredsites.com/europe/germany/externsteine.html)
Sunday I attended the local Medieval Festival at Spurrenburg Castle (rebuilt ruins) here in Bielefeld (BTW, that's BEE-le-feld) with friends. Yep, I have made several new friends. We bonded over "bier" and bagels.
This is definitley the land of beer.
Free alcohol was served on the flight here! And beer is very very cheap. But nobody uses bier steines... it's all tall beer glasses (sorry Robin).
Thursday is our second excursion when we visit historic churches in the area and see a Frank Gehry building (some architect).
I will be home Monday after another long flight... I was up for about 33 hours on the way here because I arrived in town just in time for the first lecture and had to stay awake for the rest of the day - and then there was a social event (with beer of course). It put me back on a schedule, I just lost a night of sleep.
TTFN,
Mandy
PS I no longer have access to my primary email account, as of a week ago. I am working at building up a new address book. I can be reached at mandyfurney @ yahoo.ca
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