Hello friends! Well, I arrived home safely in Indiana Saturday afternoon and have been spending the past couple days trying to adjust to the change in time zone. Three hours doesn't seem like it would be a big difference, but it certainly does when you're trying to get up in the morning. Anyway, here is an update on my travels back home to the USA.
Tuesday evening Tiff and Brent had me over for a farewell dinner. I got to pick whatever I wanted for dinner and I chose stuffed salmon and rice. Mel also came over with her boyfriend and brought her lasagna. For dessert, Tiff made cherry crisp, which she knows I love, but we didn't have time to eat it before we had to head off to the youth center for my final night with the kids. Since it was my last night, we decided to make it special and bring Rock Band. Plus, we wanted to play some other team building games with them and we knew Rock Band was a sure way to draw them in. It was a wonderful evening that was made even more special by Tiff, as she brought in popcorn, angel food cake, and some other snacks to make it into a little party for me. The kids all signed a card and gave it to me at the end of the night, which was really touching to receive. Tiff and I then walked one of the girls home and hung out at Tiff's house for awhile to watch the end of Prince Caspian and have a really good talk before I headed home for bed.
Wednesday was my last day in Klemtu and it was definitely a busy one. I woke up early, did some reading, and then went for a run as I knew it would be my last one in Klemtu for awhile. And I know I promised to stay away from wolf territory, but I just couldn't resist it on my last run. I said many prayers before and during, and I am happy to report that the run was wolf free. I then went home to continue cleaning and packing before heading to Tiff's for a delicious lunch of salmon sandwiches. Since we never got a chance to enjoy the dessert she made the previous night I got to sample that as well. It was well worth the wait! I then rushed back home and continued my cleaning/packing spree, and was delighted when Tiff and the girls came over to be my little helpers. Tiff's girls were so cute scrubbing everything they could get their hands on. After doing the bathroom floors, they asked if they could wash the walls. I told Tiff that I hope their desire to clean lasts well into the future! We cleaned and packed up until about 15 minutes before my plane was leaving, then took my stuff down to a friend's truck and made the short drive down to the dock. I have never arrived for a flight at the same time the plane was pulling up to take off, so that was a new experience! I then said my goodbyes to some of the kids, Tiff's girls, and the hardest, Tiff. There were four of us on the plane headed for Bella Bella, and I got to be the one to sit next to the pilot in the front. It was incredible. After a beautiful flight to Bella Bella, we had a short layover where I got to see three Klemtu people that were on their way back to Klemtu. I was really happy I got to see them because I had gotten to know each one of them quite well and I was hoping to get a chance to say goodbye. Our next flight (this time on a much bigger plane and not a seaplane) took us to Port Hardy, and then straight to Vancouver. All in all, it was a very quick and easy flying process. Scott met me at the airport and after getting my bags he drove me across the street to my first restaurant in 10 weeks.....McDonald's. I laughed and told him I don't even eat McDonald's at home, but he insisted I do it for the experience. We then drove to his home in Abbotsford and shared stories about Klemtu on the way. At his home, I was greeted by his wife, Karen, and their two kids, and I enjoyed spending time with them and sharing some of my favorite memories before calling it a night.
I slept in and lounged around Thursday morning before heading out with Scott to pick up Karen to drive to Vancouver. They had a meeting with the doctor and social worker taking care of one of their dear friends from Klemtu, and they were all kind enough to let me sit in on the meeting as they knew I would be starting medical school in a short time. After the meeting, we took their friend out to a nice restaurant and had a wonderful meal. We then went to the grocery store and bought fruit for her to bring back to her room at the hospital, said goodbye, and then headed back home. We made a stop on the way to meet Tara, the school teacher I had become friends with in Klemtu, as she lives close to Scott and Karen. They dropped me off and Tara and I went for ice cream and then took a long walk around her neighborhood and caught up on what had gone on the past couple of weeks. It was really good to see her and hear how she had been doing and also share with her some of my wonderful memories from the past couple weeks. She then took me back to Scott and Karen's and I went right to bed.
I woke up Friday, got ready, and then Scott dropped me off at Karen's office so I could help out for the day. She works for an organization called "Mission Without Borders" that serves those suffering the effects of poverty and oppression in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova. It was really cool to learn more about what they do and help such a worthy cause, especially since I have a desire to work in medical missions. Karen and I then went to lunch at a really cute tea restaurant called "SerendipiTea". Both of our lunches were really good and we even got to indulge in some dessert afterward. We then headed back to work for a few hours before going back home for dinner. I finished packing up and took a nap before dinner as I knew I would be flying all night. After a very nice dinner prepared by Scott, I finished getting ready while their family headed to the Abbotsford airport to pick up their son who had just gotten back from playing basketball in Europe. I got to visit with him for a little bit, but soon it was time to head for the Vancouver airport and begin my travels back home. After having quite a bit of difficulty finding where to check in, we got my boarding pass and I said goodbye to Scott and Karen. I almost made it through security without any problems, but silly me forgot to take out my pocket knife from the camping trip, and let's just say the security guards weren't too thrilled about that. I flew all night, connected in Houston, and before I knew it was back home in Indianapolis. I was greeted by four wonderful people-mom, dad, Mary Beth, and Barkley! I couldn't believe my mom managed to get our dog into the airport, and it didn't take long before they were coming after us and forcing us to get the dog out of there. But it was a wonderful feeling to see them all again and as tired as I was, I was still able to share some stories with them on the way home.
So here I am, back home after 10 of the most challenging yet incredible weeks of my life. Adjusting to life back home has certainly not been easy. On my run today, I noticed two things that are quite different from running in Klemtu. Number one, even with this "cool" 80 degree weather, the humidity makes running a lot more difficult. Number two, I'm going to have to give people time to get used to my waving and saying a perky "hello" to them as I pass them on the street, a practice that was the norm in Klemtu. I'm just trying to enjoy every minute of being home and take some time to slow down and reflect on all I have experienced. I look forward to connecting with friends and family in these next few weeks and thank you again for all of the love and support. My experience would not have been what it was without all of the prayer you covered me in. Hope to see you all again soon!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Week Nine update and the end of my time in Klemtu =(
Well friends, this will most likely be my last official update from Klemtu. I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I really can not believe how quickly the time has gone and writing this post is incredibly bittersweet. Last Tuesday, June 30, was Brent and Tiff's ninth wedding anniversary. I asked them a few weeks back about their anniversary and they told me that since they have a tendency to forget the official day, they now both set the alarms on their phones to go off the morning of the big day. In fact, they told me that the first year they did that neither of them knew the other had set an alarm until their phones went off at the same time. Anyway, Tiff made her famous chow mein for the occasion and had me over to share in the meal. After dinner, we headed up to the field for a family fun night marshmallow and hot dog roast. There was an excellent turn out and we talked around the fire until close to midnight.
Wednesday was Canada Day and everyone had the day off from work. I was invited to a birthday party picnic out at Pidwell Reef, which is a beach on the south end of Swindle Island that is about a half hour boat ride from Klemtu. We loaded up two punts full of people and food and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we rode along the coast on a gorgeous day. Without a doubt, the highlight was when we saw two pods of killer whales. There were about nine total that popped out of the ocean and gave us an incredible show. Tiff was able to capture some of it on video and I've put it up for your enjoyment! We got there around lunch time and ate both lunch and dinner out there. Pidwell Reef was on a white, sandy beach and we had a great time playing in the water (I actually just watched as I was too much of a chicken to test the cold water), playing baseball, drawing in the sand, and simply enjoying each other's company. It was a wonderful day that I was quite sad to see come to an end.
I began phase one of cleaning out the house on Thursday. I then went for a run (no wolves this time) and stopped at the hotel to see what it looks like on the inside. The rooms were quite nice and they all have a really nice ocean view (your kind of place, mom). Afterward, Tiff and I walked up to the pond to pick up her girls and head down to the band store to get some items for the camping trip. It was getting pretty late by the time we were done and so we decided to order food from the cafe' to take back to Tiff and Brent's. Tiff managed to order me a "Klemtu burger" without me knowing and we had a pretty big laugh as I attempted to eat it back at their house. It consists of two very large hamburger patties topped with mushrooms, bacon, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and ketchup. Tiff got a nice picture of me trying to take a bite out of it but I don't think it's going to make it on the blog. I got through about half of it before it was time to head up to the field for soccer (definitely not the best pre-game meal). It was a pretty warm day and I had a hard time getting the kids to come out of the shade to play, but we managed to get a small game going. After we finished, I headed down to the youth center to help Tiff get some more stuff together for the camping trip and print off permission slips. We did as much as we could to get ready, and then I headed home to rest up for what was going to be a very fun weekend.
Tiff and I both got up early Friday morning to get everything packed up and ready to go for the camping trip. It was quite a long process and we ended up filling up the back of a truck with all of the food and gear for the trip. We then loaded up a punt with the majority of our stuff and took about half of the kids out with us to Marvin Island. The other half stayed behind with chaperones checking in on them until the boat could make it back to get them. It usually only takes an hour to get out to Marvin Island, but because our punt was so full and the seas were a little rough, it took us two and a half hours. We got pretty wet but we all had a good laugh about it and were just that much more thankful when we arrived. We got there a little after supper time and unloaded our stuff into the cabin. Half of the group stayed in the cabin and the other half stayed in tents. Even though we were in a cabin, it was a real camping experience as we had no electricity, plumbing, or running water. The views from the island were spectacular and the sunset was perhaps the best I have ever seen. We sat around the campfire and then attempted to go to bed around midnight, but were kept up most of the night by the sounds of whispering and giggling teens. I felt like I was back in junior high at a sleepover where you stay up all night talking. I finally fell asleep around four and was able to catch a few hours of sleep before getting up to start the next day.
Saturday was another beautiful day and I was one of the first ones up so I went outside and read on one of the rocks along the ocean. Once everyone started getting up, we had lunch and went outside to play a very funny game that one of the chaperones taught us. The object is to not laugh or smile while the other team does all they can to make you do so. I was not very good as I hardly made it two steps without bursting out into laughter. We then took a punt out to a spot known as Kwa Kwa. Once we got past the slippery rocks, we made it to a nice open area that was great for swimming as it contained fresh water and not salt water. This time I sucked it up and jumped in for a lap to the other side. I didn't last long, though, as the water was quite cold. We then headed back and tried some of the fish head stew that Brent had prepared. Apparently the head of a fish is the most flavorful part, which was a fact that I was not aware of as I have never seen anyone eat the head. Even though we didn't have any propane, we decided to make a meal for the kids that evening. I was in charge of the rice, and with a little bit of help it turned out just right after cooking it over the fireplace inside the cabin. We also had salmon that was a total team effort to prepare. Clark cut the fish to personal steak size, Tiff seasoned the fish, I wrapped it in aluminum foil, and Brent cooked it over the fire. It was a really tasty meal and the kids were very pleased. We finished the meal with s'mores and then played night games, which also brought back some fond memories from my youth. We ended the night with a game of "spoons" before we headed to bed. This time, I slept soundly through the night and was very glad to have a full night of sleep.
We woke up Sunday morning, had breakfast, and then cleaned out the cabin and packed up to go home. It was quite time consuming as we had brought a lot of stuff with us and had a lot of kids staying in the cabin, but we finished shortly after lunch and then loaded up the punt to head back to Klemtu. The ride only took an hour this time and was quite smooth except for a few bumps as we neared our destination. We then unloaded all of the stuff, had dinner, and then I headed to church for my last Sunday night service. A church group from Hope, BC had just arrived on the ferry that day and I was very happy to meet them all at the service. One of the women played the piano and we had a wonderful time of musical worship. They were all excellent singers and their voices lit up the church. Nan Violet made multiple comments to me about how wonderful the singing was. I spent some time after the service talking to a few of the men from Hope and two of the Klemtu church leaders and then headed to Tiff's for some lemon meringue pie. I then headed home for a long overdue shower and a much anticipated sleep in my comfortable bed.
After getting some stuff done Monday morning, I headed over to Tiff's with some of the other camping chaperones for crepes, which were delicious as always. I then cleaned out some of my food and then headed to Nan Violet's for one last visit. I brought her a bag of sugar along with a couple other items I thought she could use with all of the baking she does, and she told me that she was so thankful for the sugar because she had just run out of it that morning. Pretty cool the way God works. She gave me a napkin holder and cross that she had woven and I gratefully accepted. We then hugged goodbye and I told her I hope to see her again next year but that I would definitely see her later. I then had Tiff`s family and some other friends over for a final meal at my house. I continued on with the breakfast theme and made french toast and fruit and jello for dessert. We then played spoons and had some of Brent`s famous popcorn mixed with seaweed before everyone headed home for the night.
It is now Tuesday morning and I am getting ready to start packing some of my things. I leave Wednesday afternoon on a small seaplane, trasfer planes in Bella Bella, stop in Port Hardy, and then onto Vancouver. I will then stay a couple of nights with the Markloffs (who I stayed with before I left for Klemtu) before taking the red eye home Friday night and landing in Indianapolis Saturday in the early afternoon.
God has stretched and challenged me in ways I have never experienced, and I am so thankful that He chose to send me out on this journey 10 weeks ago. I have developed some of the most genuine relationships in such a short amount of time, and it is going to be very difficult to say goodbye. With that said, I plan on coming back to visit next summer and hopefully bringing my family with me to meet the friends I have told them so much about. Klemtu is a beautiful place with wonderful people and I will forever be grateful for the hospitality they showed me while I was here. And so I sign off from Klemtu not with goodbye, but rather with a see you later, friends.
Wednesday was Canada Day and everyone had the day off from work. I was invited to a birthday party picnic out at Pidwell Reef, which is a beach on the south end of Swindle Island that is about a half hour boat ride from Klemtu. We loaded up two punts full of people and food and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we rode along the coast on a gorgeous day. Without a doubt, the highlight was when we saw two pods of killer whales. There were about nine total that popped out of the ocean and gave us an incredible show. Tiff was able to capture some of it on video and I've put it up for your enjoyment! We got there around lunch time and ate both lunch and dinner out there. Pidwell Reef was on a white, sandy beach and we had a great time playing in the water (I actually just watched as I was too much of a chicken to test the cold water), playing baseball, drawing in the sand, and simply enjoying each other's company. It was a wonderful day that I was quite sad to see come to an end.
I began phase one of cleaning out the house on Thursday. I then went for a run (no wolves this time) and stopped at the hotel to see what it looks like on the inside. The rooms were quite nice and they all have a really nice ocean view (your kind of place, mom). Afterward, Tiff and I walked up to the pond to pick up her girls and head down to the band store to get some items for the camping trip. It was getting pretty late by the time we were done and so we decided to order food from the cafe' to take back to Tiff and Brent's. Tiff managed to order me a "Klemtu burger" without me knowing and we had a pretty big laugh as I attempted to eat it back at their house. It consists of two very large hamburger patties topped with mushrooms, bacon, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and ketchup. Tiff got a nice picture of me trying to take a bite out of it but I don't think it's going to make it on the blog. I got through about half of it before it was time to head up to the field for soccer (definitely not the best pre-game meal). It was a pretty warm day and I had a hard time getting the kids to come out of the shade to play, but we managed to get a small game going. After we finished, I headed down to the youth center to help Tiff get some more stuff together for the camping trip and print off permission slips. We did as much as we could to get ready, and then I headed home to rest up for what was going to be a very fun weekend.
Tiff and I both got up early Friday morning to get everything packed up and ready to go for the camping trip. It was quite a long process and we ended up filling up the back of a truck with all of the food and gear for the trip. We then loaded up a punt with the majority of our stuff and took about half of the kids out with us to Marvin Island. The other half stayed behind with chaperones checking in on them until the boat could make it back to get them. It usually only takes an hour to get out to Marvin Island, but because our punt was so full and the seas were a little rough, it took us two and a half hours. We got pretty wet but we all had a good laugh about it and were just that much more thankful when we arrived. We got there a little after supper time and unloaded our stuff into the cabin. Half of the group stayed in the cabin and the other half stayed in tents. Even though we were in a cabin, it was a real camping experience as we had no electricity, plumbing, or running water. The views from the island were spectacular and the sunset was perhaps the best I have ever seen. We sat around the campfire and then attempted to go to bed around midnight, but were kept up most of the night by the sounds of whispering and giggling teens. I felt like I was back in junior high at a sleepover where you stay up all night talking. I finally fell asleep around four and was able to catch a few hours of sleep before getting up to start the next day.
Saturday was another beautiful day and I was one of the first ones up so I went outside and read on one of the rocks along the ocean. Once everyone started getting up, we had lunch and went outside to play a very funny game that one of the chaperones taught us. The object is to not laugh or smile while the other team does all they can to make you do so. I was not very good as I hardly made it two steps without bursting out into laughter. We then took a punt out to a spot known as Kwa Kwa. Once we got past the slippery rocks, we made it to a nice open area that was great for swimming as it contained fresh water and not salt water. This time I sucked it up and jumped in for a lap to the other side. I didn't last long, though, as the water was quite cold. We then headed back and tried some of the fish head stew that Brent had prepared. Apparently the head of a fish is the most flavorful part, which was a fact that I was not aware of as I have never seen anyone eat the head. Even though we didn't have any propane, we decided to make a meal for the kids that evening. I was in charge of the rice, and with a little bit of help it turned out just right after cooking it over the fireplace inside the cabin. We also had salmon that was a total team effort to prepare. Clark cut the fish to personal steak size, Tiff seasoned the fish, I wrapped it in aluminum foil, and Brent cooked it over the fire. It was a really tasty meal and the kids were very pleased. We finished the meal with s'mores and then played night games, which also brought back some fond memories from my youth. We ended the night with a game of "spoons" before we headed to bed. This time, I slept soundly through the night and was very glad to have a full night of sleep.
We woke up Sunday morning, had breakfast, and then cleaned out the cabin and packed up to go home. It was quite time consuming as we had brought a lot of stuff with us and had a lot of kids staying in the cabin, but we finished shortly after lunch and then loaded up the punt to head back to Klemtu. The ride only took an hour this time and was quite smooth except for a few bumps as we neared our destination. We then unloaded all of the stuff, had dinner, and then I headed to church for my last Sunday night service. A church group from Hope, BC had just arrived on the ferry that day and I was very happy to meet them all at the service. One of the women played the piano and we had a wonderful time of musical worship. They were all excellent singers and their voices lit up the church. Nan Violet made multiple comments to me about how wonderful the singing was. I spent some time after the service talking to a few of the men from Hope and two of the Klemtu church leaders and then headed to Tiff's for some lemon meringue pie. I then headed home for a long overdue shower and a much anticipated sleep in my comfortable bed.
After getting some stuff done Monday morning, I headed over to Tiff's with some of the other camping chaperones for crepes, which were delicious as always. I then cleaned out some of my food and then headed to Nan Violet's for one last visit. I brought her a bag of sugar along with a couple other items I thought she could use with all of the baking she does, and she told me that she was so thankful for the sugar because she had just run out of it that morning. Pretty cool the way God works. She gave me a napkin holder and cross that she had woven and I gratefully accepted. We then hugged goodbye and I told her I hope to see her again next year but that I would definitely see her later. I then had Tiff`s family and some other friends over for a final meal at my house. I continued on with the breakfast theme and made french toast and fruit and jello for dessert. We then played spoons and had some of Brent`s famous popcorn mixed with seaweed before everyone headed home for the night.
It is now Tuesday morning and I am getting ready to start packing some of my things. I leave Wednesday afternoon on a small seaplane, trasfer planes in Bella Bella, stop in Port Hardy, and then onto Vancouver. I will then stay a couple of nights with the Markloffs (who I stayed with before I left for Klemtu) before taking the red eye home Friday night and landing in Indianapolis Saturday in the early afternoon.
God has stretched and challenged me in ways I have never experienced, and I am so thankful that He chose to send me out on this journey 10 weeks ago. I have developed some of the most genuine relationships in such a short amount of time, and it is going to be very difficult to say goodbye. With that said, I plan on coming back to visit next summer and hopefully bringing my family with me to meet the friends I have told them so much about. Klemtu is a beautiful place with wonderful people and I will forever be grateful for the hospitality they showed me while I was here. And so I sign off from Klemtu not with goodbye, but rather with a see you later, friends.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Week 8
June 30
Greetings, friends! Since it's been so long since my last update I will just get right down to business on the events of week 8. This was the last week of school and thus the last week for all the teachers. I told Tara that I wanted to have her over one last time before she left and that I really wanted to have seafood, and so we both prayed that seafood would come our way. Well, our prayers were answered as Tara was given bags of prawns and so she had me over for dinner on Tuesday night. All she did was steam them and add a little butter and they were absolutely delicious. I could have had a meal of just prawns! After we finished dinner, I headed up to the youth center a bit early to help Tiffany set up for a parent meeting we were having that evening. The meeting went really well as the parents had many wonderful suggestions and offered valuable feedback. We then let the kids in and played some games for the last hour or so before heading home for the evening.
Wednesday was the official last day of school for the students, and so I headed up to the school to help out in the primary class for the last time. We then opened up the youth center to an excited group of kids as their summer had officially begun. Wednesday evening we watched a movie and after we closed up I went over to Tiffany's for a crab feast. Tiff's stepdad had set up some crab traps that day and her mom brought four crabs over to their house. Tiff, Brent, and I each got our own crab and I got my first real experience in taking one apart. I will spare you the details, but lets just say it got a little messy when it came to breaking open the top part. But it was so delicious and it was a moment that I wanted to freeze in time...laughing and talking over a messy crab with Brent and Tiff.
Thursday was quite an eventful day. It started out pretty interesting when I was running on my usual running path. I was just starting my ascent up a hill when I saw something in the road about 100 feet in front of me. It was brown and my first thought that it was a dog, as it had similar features, but then I remembered where I was and that it was unlikely a dog would be this far away from home. The animal saw me coming and quickly ran off into the woods, but I literally stood there frozen for five minutes trying to figure out what it was and whether I should continue or turn around. Even though I had never seen a brown wolf, that was the next thought that popped into my mind. It still looked more like a dog than a wolf to me, but I figured I better not take my chances while I was alone in the wilderness, so I turned around and headed back. Thursday was going to be the night I would cook for Tara, and after I told Tiff that we had been praying for seafood she graciously offered me some of the halibut her dad had brought her the last time he visited Klemtu. I happily accepted and baked it in the same butter and Old Bay seasoning I used the last time. It was delicious and we even had some left over after we finished that Tiff suggested I give to Tara. We then headed up to the school so I could check my email before soccer started. While I was talking to one of the custodians at the school he told me that a wolf had been spotted around Klemtu a few times in the past week and that I needed to be careful while out on my runs. Well, that confirmed that I did in fact have a meeting with a wolf and to save my mom from having a panic attack before I get home, I decided I better take his advice and stick close to the community on the rest of my runs. We had a pretty good turnout for soccer, and after we were finished I went on a walk with Tiff, another one of our friends, and their kids. We walked down by the Big House and sat on some rocks near the water to watch an incredible sunset. It was breathtaking. We then headed back to her house and watched the first Narnia movie, which I was excited about as I had never seen it. I also got to have my first experience eating fry bread, which I would compare to a Brown County biscuit from back home. It was a wonderful end to a (mostly) wonderful day.
Tara's friend flew in Friday morning to help her pack up and accompany on her travels back home to Langley. Tara had me over for dinner that night so I could meet her friend and help her clean out her refrigerator before she had to leave on Sunday. It was one of the best leftover meals I had ever had. We had prawns, salmon, halibut...God certainly answered our prayer for seafood, eh? After dinner, I headed up to the Hall with Tiff for family fun night. We had a lot of fun playing all sorts of games with the kids. We then headed back down to the youth center and watched a little bit of Prince Caspian before I headed home to get ready for the first day of soccer camp.
Saturday morning was the first session of soccer camp. I split the sessions up by age group and the first session was for kids from kindergarten to grade 2. I did some drills to teach them the basics of soccer and we ended with a little scrimmage. The kids seemed to really enjoy the morning and learned a lot in the short time we were together. Since the next age group that was supposed to come after lunch didn't have as many kids signed up, I decided to let them come with the oldest age group on Sunday. I then headed to the youth center for some Rock Band before Tiff alerted me that freight had just come in on a barge and I better head down to the store before it was all gone. I got there in time to buy my last supply of milk, eggs, bread, and veggies. I then headed home to have some dinner before going back to the youth center for Rock Band. We closed up a little early that night and I went home to plan out the Sunday session of camp.
I woke up Sunday morning very excited to watch the U.S.A. play Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. I had Tiff and her family over for pancakes and we watched what turned out to be an exciting and close match. Even though the USA couldn't quite pull it out, it was great to see them competitive and it was a testament to how far USA soccer has come. We then headed up to the Hall for the Grade 7-adult portion of soccer camp. It was another very productive session and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly they caught on to the skills I taught them. They were having such a good time that they didn't want to stop when it was time to wrap it up. After we finished up, I headed down to the ferry to say goodbye to Tara and the rest of the teachers that were leaving. I was really sad to see her go, but we were hopeful that we could meet up for a little bit in the few days I will spend in Vancouver before flying home. Afterward, I went to help Tiffany unload the freight that had come in for the youth center and our camping trip that we are taking this coming weekend. Brent then cooked up a delicious salmon meal and I savoured every bite. In case you are keeping track, this was the fourth night of the week that I was blessed with seafood. After dinner, I went to church for a special memorial service in honor of a man who had passed away one year ago. It was a really beautiful service and it made me think of my grandmother, who passed away around this time three years ago. After the service, I went to the youth center to hang with the kids for a little bit before going back to Tiff's for a movie and to make up the schedule for the soccer tournament the following day.
Monday was the last day of soccer camp, and I thought a tournament would be a great way to end. I split the kids up into teams based on their age and rotated them through in a round robin format. At the end of the afternoon, the top two teams in the older age group advanced onto the finals later that night. Before the finals, our usual Monday dinner crew had a pitch in at Tiff's. I then headed up to the Hall with the camp T-shirts that had just come in and a big box of uniforms to give out thanks to the Fabbro family. The final ended up being really close and it was quite intense. It was a great conclusion to a very fun weekend of camp. I passed out the shirts and the uniforms and watched as the little kids were so excited to try on their new Carmel United jerseys. I didn't have my camera with me, but I will do my best to get a picture of them in the jerseys.
It is now Tuesday and I'm getting ready to head to the youth center with Tiff to clean up before the kids come. It is going to be a very busy and exciting week that I am really looking forward to. Hope all is still wonderful with everyone back home. Thank you so much for your continued support and I will see you all again soon!
Greetings, friends! Since it's been so long since my last update I will just get right down to business on the events of week 8. This was the last week of school and thus the last week for all the teachers. I told Tara that I wanted to have her over one last time before she left and that I really wanted to have seafood, and so we both prayed that seafood would come our way. Well, our prayers were answered as Tara was given bags of prawns and so she had me over for dinner on Tuesday night. All she did was steam them and add a little butter and they were absolutely delicious. I could have had a meal of just prawns! After we finished dinner, I headed up to the youth center a bit early to help Tiffany set up for a parent meeting we were having that evening. The meeting went really well as the parents had many wonderful suggestions and offered valuable feedback. We then let the kids in and played some games for the last hour or so before heading home for the evening.
Wednesday was the official last day of school for the students, and so I headed up to the school to help out in the primary class for the last time. We then opened up the youth center to an excited group of kids as their summer had officially begun. Wednesday evening we watched a movie and after we closed up I went over to Tiffany's for a crab feast. Tiff's stepdad had set up some crab traps that day and her mom brought four crabs over to their house. Tiff, Brent, and I each got our own crab and I got my first real experience in taking one apart. I will spare you the details, but lets just say it got a little messy when it came to breaking open the top part. But it was so delicious and it was a moment that I wanted to freeze in time...laughing and talking over a messy crab with Brent and Tiff.
Thursday was quite an eventful day. It started out pretty interesting when I was running on my usual running path. I was just starting my ascent up a hill when I saw something in the road about 100 feet in front of me. It was brown and my first thought that it was a dog, as it had similar features, but then I remembered where I was and that it was unlikely a dog would be this far away from home. The animal saw me coming and quickly ran off into the woods, but I literally stood there frozen for five minutes trying to figure out what it was and whether I should continue or turn around. Even though I had never seen a brown wolf, that was the next thought that popped into my mind. It still looked more like a dog than a wolf to me, but I figured I better not take my chances while I was alone in the wilderness, so I turned around and headed back. Thursday was going to be the night I would cook for Tara, and after I told Tiff that we had been praying for seafood she graciously offered me some of the halibut her dad had brought her the last time he visited Klemtu. I happily accepted and baked it in the same butter and Old Bay seasoning I used the last time. It was delicious and we even had some left over after we finished that Tiff suggested I give to Tara. We then headed up to the school so I could check my email before soccer started. While I was talking to one of the custodians at the school he told me that a wolf had been spotted around Klemtu a few times in the past week and that I needed to be careful while out on my runs. Well, that confirmed that I did in fact have a meeting with a wolf and to save my mom from having a panic attack before I get home, I decided I better take his advice and stick close to the community on the rest of my runs. We had a pretty good turnout for soccer, and after we were finished I went on a walk with Tiff, another one of our friends, and their kids. We walked down by the Big House and sat on some rocks near the water to watch an incredible sunset. It was breathtaking. We then headed back to her house and watched the first Narnia movie, which I was excited about as I had never seen it. I also got to have my first experience eating fry bread, which I would compare to a Brown County biscuit from back home. It was a wonderful end to a (mostly) wonderful day.
Tara's friend flew in Friday morning to help her pack up and accompany on her travels back home to Langley. Tara had me over for dinner that night so I could meet her friend and help her clean out her refrigerator before she had to leave on Sunday. It was one of the best leftover meals I had ever had. We had prawns, salmon, halibut...God certainly answered our prayer for seafood, eh? After dinner, I headed up to the Hall with Tiff for family fun night. We had a lot of fun playing all sorts of games with the kids. We then headed back down to the youth center and watched a little bit of Prince Caspian before I headed home to get ready for the first day of soccer camp.
Saturday morning was the first session of soccer camp. I split the sessions up by age group and the first session was for kids from kindergarten to grade 2. I did some drills to teach them the basics of soccer and we ended with a little scrimmage. The kids seemed to really enjoy the morning and learned a lot in the short time we were together. Since the next age group that was supposed to come after lunch didn't have as many kids signed up, I decided to let them come with the oldest age group on Sunday. I then headed to the youth center for some Rock Band before Tiff alerted me that freight had just come in on a barge and I better head down to the store before it was all gone. I got there in time to buy my last supply of milk, eggs, bread, and veggies. I then headed home to have some dinner before going back to the youth center for Rock Band. We closed up a little early that night and I went home to plan out the Sunday session of camp.
I woke up Sunday morning very excited to watch the U.S.A. play Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. I had Tiff and her family over for pancakes and we watched what turned out to be an exciting and close match. Even though the USA couldn't quite pull it out, it was great to see them competitive and it was a testament to how far USA soccer has come. We then headed up to the Hall for the Grade 7-adult portion of soccer camp. It was another very productive session and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly they caught on to the skills I taught them. They were having such a good time that they didn't want to stop when it was time to wrap it up. After we finished up, I headed down to the ferry to say goodbye to Tara and the rest of the teachers that were leaving. I was really sad to see her go, but we were hopeful that we could meet up for a little bit in the few days I will spend in Vancouver before flying home. Afterward, I went to help Tiffany unload the freight that had come in for the youth center and our camping trip that we are taking this coming weekend. Brent then cooked up a delicious salmon meal and I savoured every bite. In case you are keeping track, this was the fourth night of the week that I was blessed with seafood. After dinner, I went to church for a special memorial service in honor of a man who had passed away one year ago. It was a really beautiful service and it made me think of my grandmother, who passed away around this time three years ago. After the service, I went to the youth center to hang with the kids for a little bit before going back to Tiff's for a movie and to make up the schedule for the soccer tournament the following day.
Monday was the last day of soccer camp, and I thought a tournament would be a great way to end. I split the kids up into teams based on their age and rotated them through in a round robin format. At the end of the afternoon, the top two teams in the older age group advanced onto the finals later that night. Before the finals, our usual Monday dinner crew had a pitch in at Tiff's. I then headed up to the Hall with the camp T-shirts that had just come in and a big box of uniforms to give out thanks to the Fabbro family. The final ended up being really close and it was quite intense. It was a great conclusion to a very fun weekend of camp. I passed out the shirts and the uniforms and watched as the little kids were so excited to try on their new Carmel United jerseys. I didn't have my camera with me, but I will do my best to get a picture of them in the jerseys.
It is now Tuesday and I'm getting ready to head to the youth center with Tiff to clean up before the kids come. It is going to be a very busy and exciting week that I am really looking forward to. Hope all is still wonderful with everyone back home. Thank you so much for your continued support and I will see you all again soon!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Week 7
Greetings friends! Again, I'm sorry that the blogs are starting to get more delayed, but I am trying to get them written and posted as fast as I can. Anyway, last week was another great week and certainly full of activity. On Tuesday, Tiffany finally made it back to Klemtu after she chartered a boat from Bella Bella with some of the other Klemtu people that were stuck there. I was so happy she made it home safe and sound. We watched "Contact" that night at the youth center as she had just purchased it while she was away. She also brought me back a really nice necklace and my very own Canadian shirt complete with the Canadian maple leaf. I am almost officially Canadian now, eh?
Wednesday morning I did not make it up to the school because I wanted to bake a cake for a big dinner that was going on up at the Hall that evening. After finishing the cake and getting some other things done, I went over to a friend's house to help her set up for her daughter's 6th birthday party. The basement was decked out in Hannah Montana paraphernalia and I helped her get all of the yummy treats ready for the kids to come over. They all arrived shortly after school let out and I helped chaperone while they watched "Bolt" and played games. I even got to lead them in my own rendition of the Hokey Pokey. After the party, I rushed home to grab the cake and bring it up the Hall for the dinner. One of the women had just graduated with her Education Coordinator diploma and there was a big dinner to celebrate. After dinner, there were speeches and some traditional Indian dancing. Tiff and I then went to the youth center and played some games with the kids until it was time to close.
Thursday was a day off and we made plans to have a big pitch in at Tiff and Brent's that evening. I convinced one of Tiff's friends to make lasagna, Tiff and Brent were going to make corn on the cob, and I was to make an angel food cake. Shortly before dinner, we learned that our lasagna provider was no longer going to make it, so we had to make a quick change and decided to have nachos as our main course. It ended up being a great meal, as odd as it may sound. The corn on the cob was really good, and I told Tiff that I am a pretty harsh critic when it comes to corn on the cob since it is so good back home, but it definitely got my stamp of approval. After our meal, I had to hurry up to the Field because it was soccer night. Although I was unable to get the goals and it took us awhile to get going, it ended up being our most competitive match as a bunch of the workers from the hydro ended up coming to play. We only played for an hour or so, but it was a lot of fun and good to play at a high level. After our game, I went to the Hall to help with some of the set up for the school graduation celebration that was going on the next evening. I didn't stay too long as I was feeling pretty tired from the days events, and I was home and asleep in no time.
Friday was another busy day that started with me volunteering at the school. After lunch, I opened up the youth center but closed early so I could go home and get ready for the graduation ceremony and dinner. As I mentioned in the last post, the kindergarten graduates and high school graduates are both honored at the end of the year and Tiff's youngest was one of the ones graduating from kindergarten. I got to sit at their special table reserved for family and friends of the graduate and enjoyed watching Tiff's daughter receive her diploma in her pink cap and gown. After the graduates were honored and given their diplomas, we had a dinner that was prepared by one of the teachers and his students and watched slideshows of the graduates. After dinner, there were speeches and awards given out to deserving students in each grade. It was a wonderful evening and I took a lot of pictures that I unfortunately will not be able to post until I get home. The celebration went pretty late and since we were only able to open up the youth center for a couple hours, we decided to watch a movie instead of playing Rock Band.
Instead of making pancakes Saturday morning, I decided to try my luck at french toast. I called my dad to get his recipe and ended up making some pretty tasty french toast for Tiff and her family. After breakfast, we headed to the youth center and played our usual round of Saturday afternoon Rock Band. I then went over to Tiff's for Chinese food and we watched a movie until it was time to open up the youth center again for the evening round of Rock Band. I continued to work on my skills on the drums and am now pretty solid on medium difficulty. I'm sure you are all quite impressed by this.
Sunday (Father's Day) morning, Tara and I decided to go on another trek to the hydro, but this time we were determined to make the challenging hike up to the lake that contains the water they are using to generate the electricity. Tara fearlessly paved the way through trees and bushes and we made it pretty far until we ran into a road block. We had been following the pipeline, but were forced to turn around when we realized the pipe was no longer close to the ground and we would have to crawl across it not knowing where we were headed. Disappointed, we made what turned out to be the more challenging descent down the mountain. We decided that we would have to try again, but this time with someone who had already done the hike. After we got back, I called my dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day and then went to Tiff's for crepes, bacon, and eggs that she had made for Brent's Father's Day breakfast. We then had our last round of Rock Band at the youth center before going back to Tiff's for a Father's Day dinner with Brent's mom, dad, brother, and his family. We had turkey, stuffing, rice, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and cranberry sauce. Anybody hungry yet? For dessert, Brent's mom made her famous pineapple upside down cake and Tiff made a delicious apple tart. We even had ice cream, which made me very happy as it was only my second time having it since I've been here. I then went to church for what would be Tara's last service in Klemtu, as she leaves the following Sunday to go back home. She got the chance to share how much she has enjoyed her time in Klemtu and how thankful she is for her church community, and I know we will all be sad to see her go. After church, I went to the youth center to watch a movie with the kids before calling it a night.
Monday morning I woke up and went down to watch the school parade in celebration of National Aboriginal Day (which was actually on Sunday), a day of recognition of the cultures and contributions of the First Nations people of Canada. I then went to visit with Nanny Violet and she invited me to stay for lunch. I felt guilty sitting down while a 95 year old woman prepared tea and lunch, but she wouldn't have it any other way. After wonderful conversation, I headed back home, went for a run, and prepared spaghetti for the Monday night pitch in at Tiff's house. After dinner, we went to Melody's for a bonfire and marshmallow/hot dog roast. I was so excited to have s'mores as this is one of the Brown family's favorite things to make. It was the perfect night for a bonfire and we sat around talking until late into the night.
It is now Tuesday and as of tomorrow, I only have two weeks left here in Klemtu. I know I've said this before, but I really can't believe how fast the time has gone and I am not ready to say goodbye to my friends here. Hopefully time will start to slow down a little bit and I pray that I will make the most of the short time I have left. I still love and miss you all back home, though, and am looking forward to seeing you again very soon!
And Happy Birthday to my best friend, Betsy! Love you friend and hope you have a wonderful day!
Wednesday morning I did not make it up to the school because I wanted to bake a cake for a big dinner that was going on up at the Hall that evening. After finishing the cake and getting some other things done, I went over to a friend's house to help her set up for her daughter's 6th birthday party. The basement was decked out in Hannah Montana paraphernalia and I helped her get all of the yummy treats ready for the kids to come over. They all arrived shortly after school let out and I helped chaperone while they watched "Bolt" and played games. I even got to lead them in my own rendition of the Hokey Pokey. After the party, I rushed home to grab the cake and bring it up the Hall for the dinner. One of the women had just graduated with her Education Coordinator diploma and there was a big dinner to celebrate. After dinner, there were speeches and some traditional Indian dancing. Tiff and I then went to the youth center and played some games with the kids until it was time to close.
Thursday was a day off and we made plans to have a big pitch in at Tiff and Brent's that evening. I convinced one of Tiff's friends to make lasagna, Tiff and Brent were going to make corn on the cob, and I was to make an angel food cake. Shortly before dinner, we learned that our lasagna provider was no longer going to make it, so we had to make a quick change and decided to have nachos as our main course. It ended up being a great meal, as odd as it may sound. The corn on the cob was really good, and I told Tiff that I am a pretty harsh critic when it comes to corn on the cob since it is so good back home, but it definitely got my stamp of approval. After our meal, I had to hurry up to the Field because it was soccer night. Although I was unable to get the goals and it took us awhile to get going, it ended up being our most competitive match as a bunch of the workers from the hydro ended up coming to play. We only played for an hour or so, but it was a lot of fun and good to play at a high level. After our game, I went to the Hall to help with some of the set up for the school graduation celebration that was going on the next evening. I didn't stay too long as I was feeling pretty tired from the days events, and I was home and asleep in no time.
Friday was another busy day that started with me volunteering at the school. After lunch, I opened up the youth center but closed early so I could go home and get ready for the graduation ceremony and dinner. As I mentioned in the last post, the kindergarten graduates and high school graduates are both honored at the end of the year and Tiff's youngest was one of the ones graduating from kindergarten. I got to sit at their special table reserved for family and friends of the graduate and enjoyed watching Tiff's daughter receive her diploma in her pink cap and gown. After the graduates were honored and given their diplomas, we had a dinner that was prepared by one of the teachers and his students and watched slideshows of the graduates. After dinner, there were speeches and awards given out to deserving students in each grade. It was a wonderful evening and I took a lot of pictures that I unfortunately will not be able to post until I get home. The celebration went pretty late and since we were only able to open up the youth center for a couple hours, we decided to watch a movie instead of playing Rock Band.
Instead of making pancakes Saturday morning, I decided to try my luck at french toast. I called my dad to get his recipe and ended up making some pretty tasty french toast for Tiff and her family. After breakfast, we headed to the youth center and played our usual round of Saturday afternoon Rock Band. I then went over to Tiff's for Chinese food and we watched a movie until it was time to open up the youth center again for the evening round of Rock Band. I continued to work on my skills on the drums and am now pretty solid on medium difficulty. I'm sure you are all quite impressed by this.
Sunday (Father's Day) morning, Tara and I decided to go on another trek to the hydro, but this time we were determined to make the challenging hike up to the lake that contains the water they are using to generate the electricity. Tara fearlessly paved the way through trees and bushes and we made it pretty far until we ran into a road block. We had been following the pipeline, but were forced to turn around when we realized the pipe was no longer close to the ground and we would have to crawl across it not knowing where we were headed. Disappointed, we made what turned out to be the more challenging descent down the mountain. We decided that we would have to try again, but this time with someone who had already done the hike. After we got back, I called my dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day and then went to Tiff's for crepes, bacon, and eggs that she had made for Brent's Father's Day breakfast. We then had our last round of Rock Band at the youth center before going back to Tiff's for a Father's Day dinner with Brent's mom, dad, brother, and his family. We had turkey, stuffing, rice, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and cranberry sauce. Anybody hungry yet? For dessert, Brent's mom made her famous pineapple upside down cake and Tiff made a delicious apple tart. We even had ice cream, which made me very happy as it was only my second time having it since I've been here. I then went to church for what would be Tara's last service in Klemtu, as she leaves the following Sunday to go back home. She got the chance to share how much she has enjoyed her time in Klemtu and how thankful she is for her church community, and I know we will all be sad to see her go. After church, I went to the youth center to watch a movie with the kids before calling it a night.
Monday morning I woke up and went down to watch the school parade in celebration of National Aboriginal Day (which was actually on Sunday), a day of recognition of the cultures and contributions of the First Nations people of Canada. I then went to visit with Nanny Violet and she invited me to stay for lunch. I felt guilty sitting down while a 95 year old woman prepared tea and lunch, but she wouldn't have it any other way. After wonderful conversation, I headed back home, went for a run, and prepared spaghetti for the Monday night pitch in at Tiff's house. After dinner, we went to Melody's for a bonfire and marshmallow/hot dog roast. I was so excited to have s'mores as this is one of the Brown family's favorite things to make. It was the perfect night for a bonfire and we sat around talking until late into the night.
It is now Tuesday and as of tomorrow, I only have two weeks left here in Klemtu. I know I've said this before, but I really can't believe how fast the time has gone and I am not ready to say goodbye to my friends here. Hopefully time will start to slow down a little bit and I pray that I will make the most of the short time I have left. I still love and miss you all back home, though, and am looking forward to seeing you again very soon!
And Happy Birthday to my best friend, Betsy! Love you friend and hope you have a wonderful day!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Week 6
June 16
Hello everyone from rainy Klemtu! This rain has actually come as a surprise as we had two plus weeks of nothing but sunshine. I was beginning to wonder when the rain was going to return to make everything green again, and so here we are on our second day of rain. Unfortunately, with the rain has come fog, and there are 14 people who have been stranded in Bella Bella since Monday and unable to fly into Klemtu until it clears. Tiff happens to be one of those people, as she went to visit her sister on Vancouver Island for her big high school graduation. I talked to her a little bit ago, and she said they are going to try to charter a boat to come in this evening. I sure hope so because I can't take another day without her!
Anyway, onto the week 6 recap. Monday was a day off and "Jon and Kate Plus 8" night at Tiff and Brent's. We had a pitch-in with a taco bar and baked beans. I tried to recreate Grandma Dot's famous baked beans, but they didn't quite have the same zip as they do when my mom makes them. After dinner, we headed up to the school to work on some things for Jamie's graduation, which is coming up this Friday. There is a big celebration at the end of the year for both the high school grads and the kindergarten grads, and Tiff's youngest is graduating from kindergarten. I'm really excited for this big event and will be sure to give a detailed update after the weekend. We were at the school pretty late, so I headed home afterward and went right to bed.
I helped out in the primary class Tuesday morning and then went to Tiff and Brent's for lunch where we had the yummy leftovers from taco night. We then headed to the youth center in the afternoon to clean and get ready for the kids to come. After closing up, Tiff had me over for spaghetti and garlic bread at their house, which was outstanding. I made some of my best batch of chocolate chip cookies yet and brought them over for a tasty after-dinner treat. We then went back to the youth center and watched a movie with the kids before heading home for the night.
Wednesday morning I was back at the school, but then headed right over to Tiff's to say goodbye to her before her plane left for Vancouver. I told her to have a wonderful time with her family, but that she was not allowed to leave me again during my final weeks left in Klemtu. I then headed to the youth center and did my best to hold down the fort in her absence. The kids certainly missed her as much as I did, as they were constantly asking "Where's Tiff?" and "When is she coming back?" Hopefully they asked these questions because they really wanted her back, and not because I am a lousy replacement.=) I'm sure it was because of the first conclusion.
Thursday brought another day off and I was happy for the opportunity to get some things done I had been wanting to accomplish. It was another beautiful day and I was able to go on a long run on my usual running path. I am getting so spoiled by the cool weather with no humidity, and fear I will be in for a rude awakening when I get back to sticky Indiana in July. I also had Tara over for dinner that evening and I cooked a Mexican-themed meal. I told Tara that I was trying to get into drinking tea, so we talked over some Earl Grey after the meal, and I actually found it to be quite enjoyable. She cringed when I was about to use hot water from the sink and said every tea-drinking person would roll over in their grave if they saw me, and so we boiled some water over the stove. I told her that I am turning into my best friend Betsy, who constantly drinks tea. I used to make fun of her for it, but I may just have to join her for a cup when I get home. I then headed up the field for soccer night, and was happy to see a much better turnout thanks to the cooler weather. We even had one of the hydro workers join us. After we could no longer stand the flies (which are horrible here) we called it a night and I was in bed at a reasonable hour.
Friday morning I was back at the school, and then headed to the youth center like normal to open up for the afternoon. Friday evening I had "family night" up at the field and the recreation director opened up the youth center for the guys to play "Halo." I headed back down to the youth center around 9:30 and started right in on Rock Band 2. It was quite a busy night and I did my best to make sure everyone got plenty of opportunities to play their favorite instrument. Very tired from the long day, I headed home a little after midnight and went right to sleep.
I made myself an omelet Saturday morning and then headed out for a nice run down my running path. I then rushed home to shower and get ready to open up the youth center for an afternoon of Rock Band. The kids were starting to tire from Rock Band 2 so I put in the original Rock Band Saturday evening. They then said they were tired of that Rock Band, so I promised to put the new one back on the next day.
I noticed that the forecast was calling for rain the next week so I made sure to get a run in Sunday morning while it was still dry. Sunday was also freight day, but it was a little different this time since the ferry would not be coming in until the afternoon. The summer ferry that stops in Klemtu is called the "Queen of Chilliwack" and it is a big deal when it comes in because you can go on board and buy things from the gift shop or eat in the cafeteria. After finishing up Rock Band in the afternoon, I headed down to the Band store to get some fresh produce. I was elated to find the blueberries in a tub twice as big as the usual one and for less money! I also stocked up on milk and eggs and headed back home to get ready for the Sunday night church service. The speaker for the evening continued on in Genesis and we sang some songs from the hymnals. I also got the chance to meet the man who owns the construction company working on the hydro project. After church, I went to the youth center and put on a movie for the older kids allowed out after curfew.
Yesterday (Monday) was the start of my seventh week here and another day off. It was a wonderful day right up until I learned that Tiff was not going to make it in as planned because the weather would not allow the plane to leave Bella Bella. Instead of cancelling our plans for dinner and Jon and Kate night, I made my meatloaf and scalloped potatoes and brought them over to enjoy with the rest of the Monday night crew. After dinner, we had some of Brent's delicious cake he made with the fresh rhubarb he picked next to his house. The only other bad thing about Monday was I learned that my computer that I could not get to restart was most likely not going to work again until I got home and had someone take a look at it. With that said, I will no longer be able to use my computer and will do my best to update the blog regularly, but no guarantees! Alright, got to go eat some dinner, but I hope all is well and I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Happy Father's day to all the fathers and especially Big Al Brown on Sunday!
Hello everyone from rainy Klemtu! This rain has actually come as a surprise as we had two plus weeks of nothing but sunshine. I was beginning to wonder when the rain was going to return to make everything green again, and so here we are on our second day of rain. Unfortunately, with the rain has come fog, and there are 14 people who have been stranded in Bella Bella since Monday and unable to fly into Klemtu until it clears. Tiff happens to be one of those people, as she went to visit her sister on Vancouver Island for her big high school graduation. I talked to her a little bit ago, and she said they are going to try to charter a boat to come in this evening. I sure hope so because I can't take another day without her!
Anyway, onto the week 6 recap. Monday was a day off and "Jon and Kate Plus 8" night at Tiff and Brent's. We had a pitch-in with a taco bar and baked beans. I tried to recreate Grandma Dot's famous baked beans, but they didn't quite have the same zip as they do when my mom makes them. After dinner, we headed up to the school to work on some things for Jamie's graduation, which is coming up this Friday. There is a big celebration at the end of the year for both the high school grads and the kindergarten grads, and Tiff's youngest is graduating from kindergarten. I'm really excited for this big event and will be sure to give a detailed update after the weekend. We were at the school pretty late, so I headed home afterward and went right to bed.
I helped out in the primary class Tuesday morning and then went to Tiff and Brent's for lunch where we had the yummy leftovers from taco night. We then headed to the youth center in the afternoon to clean and get ready for the kids to come. After closing up, Tiff had me over for spaghetti and garlic bread at their house, which was outstanding. I made some of my best batch of chocolate chip cookies yet and brought them over for a tasty after-dinner treat. We then went back to the youth center and watched a movie with the kids before heading home for the night.
Wednesday morning I was back at the school, but then headed right over to Tiff's to say goodbye to her before her plane left for Vancouver. I told her to have a wonderful time with her family, but that she was not allowed to leave me again during my final weeks left in Klemtu. I then headed to the youth center and did my best to hold down the fort in her absence. The kids certainly missed her as much as I did, as they were constantly asking "Where's Tiff?" and "When is she coming back?" Hopefully they asked these questions because they really wanted her back, and not because I am a lousy replacement.=) I'm sure it was because of the first conclusion.
Thursday brought another day off and I was happy for the opportunity to get some things done I had been wanting to accomplish. It was another beautiful day and I was able to go on a long run on my usual running path. I am getting so spoiled by the cool weather with no humidity, and fear I will be in for a rude awakening when I get back to sticky Indiana in July. I also had Tara over for dinner that evening and I cooked a Mexican-themed meal. I told Tara that I was trying to get into drinking tea, so we talked over some Earl Grey after the meal, and I actually found it to be quite enjoyable. She cringed when I was about to use hot water from the sink and said every tea-drinking person would roll over in their grave if they saw me, and so we boiled some water over the stove. I told her that I am turning into my best friend Betsy, who constantly drinks tea. I used to make fun of her for it, but I may just have to join her for a cup when I get home. I then headed up the field for soccer night, and was happy to see a much better turnout thanks to the cooler weather. We even had one of the hydro workers join us. After we could no longer stand the flies (which are horrible here) we called it a night and I was in bed at a reasonable hour.
Friday morning I was back at the school, and then headed to the youth center like normal to open up for the afternoon. Friday evening I had "family night" up at the field and the recreation director opened up the youth center for the guys to play "Halo." I headed back down to the youth center around 9:30 and started right in on Rock Band 2. It was quite a busy night and I did my best to make sure everyone got plenty of opportunities to play their favorite instrument. Very tired from the long day, I headed home a little after midnight and went right to sleep.
I made myself an omelet Saturday morning and then headed out for a nice run down my running path. I then rushed home to shower and get ready to open up the youth center for an afternoon of Rock Band. The kids were starting to tire from Rock Band 2 so I put in the original Rock Band Saturday evening. They then said they were tired of that Rock Band, so I promised to put the new one back on the next day.
I noticed that the forecast was calling for rain the next week so I made sure to get a run in Sunday morning while it was still dry. Sunday was also freight day, but it was a little different this time since the ferry would not be coming in until the afternoon. The summer ferry that stops in Klemtu is called the "Queen of Chilliwack" and it is a big deal when it comes in because you can go on board and buy things from the gift shop or eat in the cafeteria. After finishing up Rock Band in the afternoon, I headed down to the Band store to get some fresh produce. I was elated to find the blueberries in a tub twice as big as the usual one and for less money! I also stocked up on milk and eggs and headed back home to get ready for the Sunday night church service. The speaker for the evening continued on in Genesis and we sang some songs from the hymnals. I also got the chance to meet the man who owns the construction company working on the hydro project. After church, I went to the youth center and put on a movie for the older kids allowed out after curfew.
Yesterday (Monday) was the start of my seventh week here and another day off. It was a wonderful day right up until I learned that Tiff was not going to make it in as planned because the weather would not allow the plane to leave Bella Bella. Instead of cancelling our plans for dinner and Jon and Kate night, I made my meatloaf and scalloped potatoes and brought them over to enjoy with the rest of the Monday night crew. After dinner, we had some of Brent's delicious cake he made with the fresh rhubarb he picked next to his house. The only other bad thing about Monday was I learned that my computer that I could not get to restart was most likely not going to work again until I got home and had someone take a look at it. With that said, I will no longer be able to use my computer and will do my best to update the blog regularly, but no guarantees! Alright, got to go eat some dinner, but I hope all is well and I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Happy Father's day to all the fathers and especially Big Al Brown on Sunday!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Technical Difficulties!
Hello friends,
Just wanted to let you all know that I am having some computer issues and may not be able to get my laptop up and running again until I get home. I will definitely keep posting updates, but it will just take me longer to get them up because I can't just do it from home anymore. But I am still doing well and I will put up a week 6 update as soon as I can! Love you all and talk to you soon!
Ali
Just wanted to let you all know that I am having some computer issues and may not be able to get my laptop up and running again until I get home. I will definitely keep posting updates, but it will just take me longer to get them up because I can't just do it from home anymore. But I am still doing well and I will put up a week 6 update as soon as I can! Love you all and talk to you soon!
Ali
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Week 5 Pictures
Cruise ship making a stop in Klemtu
Klemtu vs. Bella Bella softball game
Whoops
Construction at the hydro
Monday, June 8, 2009
Week 5 Update
Even though it is overcast today, we had the most incredible week of weather in Klemtu. Seven days in a row of sunshine and it got up into the 80’s for a few of those days. It reminded me of summertime in Indiana. It made conversation pretty predictable, as nearly everyone I passed mentioned how hot it was. It also made the kids pretty happy, as they got to swim in the pond for the first time this year.
Monday night was our welcome home dinner for Tiff, Brent, and the kids, and I brought meatloaf, corn, and mashed potatoes over to celebrate. Mel brought chicken legs and stuffing, so we had a grand feast. After dinner, we had a “Jon and Kate Plus 8” marathon and listened to stories about their trip to Vancouver. We then watched one of the movies they purchased on their trip and had Brent’s famous popcorn. I was so happy to be back at their house and told them they are not aloud to leave for that long again.
Tuesday morning I was back at the school to volunteer. I hadn’t been there the past week because of my solo duties at the youth center, and was really happy to be back with the kids. The principal decided that the most help was needed in the primary class, so I was also happy to be back with Tara’s K-2 group. Tara invited me over to her house for dinner that evening on one of Brian and Mary’s last nights in Klemtu. After working at the youth center, I headed over to Tara’s and we had a wonderful meal. For dessert, Tiffany’s mom (who lives next door to Tara) brought over homemade pastries that she had just made that afternoon. It was quite a treat! I then headed to the youth center for the rest of the evening. Afterwards, I went to Tiff and Brent’s to try out “Rock Band 2” that they had just purchased in Vancouver. Although I could’ve stayed all night playing the new songs, I was really tired from the long day and headed home to get some rest.
Wednesday was “100 day” for the K-2 class, which meant it was their 100th day in school for 2009. The whole morning was dedicated to fun “100 day” activities, highlighted by show and tell with the 100 items they had brought in from home. After school, Tiff and I worked our normal hours at the youth center and then I went over to Tiff and Brent’s for dinner. We had a delicious meal of salmon, rice, and fried seaweed. We then played a few more songs on Rock Band 2 before opening up the youth center for the evening. I left at 7:30, though, to go to a Bible Study at one of the elder’s houses led by Brian and Mary. It was their last night in Klemtu before heading up the coast to Hartley Bay. We had a wonderful evening of singing, praying, and hearing a message from Brian. I was really sad to see them leave, but told them we would keep in touch and hopefully see each other again in the near future. Please pray for their safety as they continue their travels up the coast!
Thursday was another wonderful day outside, with the temperature reaching the 80’s, and also another day off for me. Tiff made her famous chow mein for dinner, which was quite yummy. I made some lemon bars for dessert and had to restrain from eating too much as it was another soccer night at the Field. I headed up to the Field and set up the goals, but half an hour later I was still the only one out there. A few of the kids came up and I asked where everyone was, and they said it was way too hot for soccer. I couldn’t blame them, as swimming at the pond did sound more appealing than playing soccer, but I was bummed not to be able to play. I brought the goals back down and hung out with some of the kids for a little bit, then I headed home and called it an early night so I could rest up for a long day on Friday.
I spent Friday morning at the school and got to listen to a presentation on Abalone given by the scuba divers who mark, measure, and count them. Abalone are sea snails that have become quite a delicacy, especially now that they are an endangered species. I really enjoyed the presentation, and was especially impressed that five, six, and seven year olds were able to focus and sit still for an hour. They did an excellent job. After lunch I headed to the youth center, and then I went over to Tiff and Brent’s for dinner before Friday family fun night. Since it was such a nice evening outside and cooler than the previous night, we decided to go up to the Field to fly kites and play some soccer. We headed back down to the youth center around 9:00 and found a line of kids waiting at the door for the opening night of Rock Band 2. It was pretty funny to see all of them so eagerly waiting. I was also pretty excited to have a new selection of songs for the kids to choose from. We closed up at midnight and I went home to get some sleep before another busy day on Saturday.
I woke up somewhat early Saturday morning to put a cake in the oven. A group from Bella Bella, which is a community not too far from Klemtu, were coming in that day for a softball game, and I was in charge of getting a team together. I also volunteered to make a cake for the luncheon we were hosting for them when they arrived. After finishing the cake, Tiff and her family came over for pancakes. We then headed to the youth center and I dropped off the cake for the luncheon. The Bella Bella boat arrived around 2:30, and I headed over to meet them and have a little of the lunch we had prepared before everyone headed up to the Field for the game. There was plenty of sunshine, but the wind up at the Field made it feel a lot colder than it was. Unfortunately for our Klemtu team, the Bella Bella team had apparently had a lot more experience playing softball. Let’s just say most of their innings at bat ended with the “seven run rule”-a rule that I was thankful was put in place. I’m not sure what the final score was, but I believe we managed to score a few runs and we had fun laughing at ourselves, which is what really matters. Tiff and I then rushed home to eat before opening up for another late night of Rock Band. Exhausted, I went home and fell asleep in no time.
Sunday morning was the first overcast day in a week, which worked out perfectly because Tara and I had planned on walking out to the hydro that morning. If you remember seeing the pictures I posted of my running path then you know that is the path that leads to the hydro, which is a project that will eventually generate more power for the community of Klemtu. Tara and I packed a bag for lunch and began our hike. It took us a little under an hour to get there, which was shorter than I thought it would be. It was really cool to see all of the work they had been doing out there, and I took a few pictures that I will put up soon. On our way back, we stopped at the highest point on the trail to eat our lunch, and a few minutes into eating Tara spotted a whale! It kept popping up out of the water to breathe and we sat and watched in awe. Tara told me that she was just praying the other day that she would see a whale before she left because she had never seen one before. We thanked God for answering her prayer so quickly, and I was so happy to be a part of the experience. We then made the hike back and I headed to the youth center for the last round of Rock Band. After eating dinner and getting a few things done at home, I went to the church for Sunday night service. We sang some hymns and enjoyed a message about the beauty of God’s creation, which was so fitting as we had just seen the whale on our hike. I then headed to the youth center for a movie and went straight home to get some rest.
Today is Monday and another day off, and I am just getting ready to put some baked beans in the oven to bring over to Tiff’s for a pitch in. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I will talk to you soon! Thanks again for all of the wonderful support!
Monday night was our welcome home dinner for Tiff, Brent, and the kids, and I brought meatloaf, corn, and mashed potatoes over to celebrate. Mel brought chicken legs and stuffing, so we had a grand feast. After dinner, we had a “Jon and Kate Plus 8” marathon and listened to stories about their trip to Vancouver. We then watched one of the movies they purchased on their trip and had Brent’s famous popcorn. I was so happy to be back at their house and told them they are not aloud to leave for that long again.
Tuesday morning I was back at the school to volunteer. I hadn’t been there the past week because of my solo duties at the youth center, and was really happy to be back with the kids. The principal decided that the most help was needed in the primary class, so I was also happy to be back with Tara’s K-2 group. Tara invited me over to her house for dinner that evening on one of Brian and Mary’s last nights in Klemtu. After working at the youth center, I headed over to Tara’s and we had a wonderful meal. For dessert, Tiffany’s mom (who lives next door to Tara) brought over homemade pastries that she had just made that afternoon. It was quite a treat! I then headed to the youth center for the rest of the evening. Afterwards, I went to Tiff and Brent’s to try out “Rock Band 2” that they had just purchased in Vancouver. Although I could’ve stayed all night playing the new songs, I was really tired from the long day and headed home to get some rest.
Wednesday was “100 day” for the K-2 class, which meant it was their 100th day in school for 2009. The whole morning was dedicated to fun “100 day” activities, highlighted by show and tell with the 100 items they had brought in from home. After school, Tiff and I worked our normal hours at the youth center and then I went over to Tiff and Brent’s for dinner. We had a delicious meal of salmon, rice, and fried seaweed. We then played a few more songs on Rock Band 2 before opening up the youth center for the evening. I left at 7:30, though, to go to a Bible Study at one of the elder’s houses led by Brian and Mary. It was their last night in Klemtu before heading up the coast to Hartley Bay. We had a wonderful evening of singing, praying, and hearing a message from Brian. I was really sad to see them leave, but told them we would keep in touch and hopefully see each other again in the near future. Please pray for their safety as they continue their travels up the coast!
Thursday was another wonderful day outside, with the temperature reaching the 80’s, and also another day off for me. Tiff made her famous chow mein for dinner, which was quite yummy. I made some lemon bars for dessert and had to restrain from eating too much as it was another soccer night at the Field. I headed up to the Field and set up the goals, but half an hour later I was still the only one out there. A few of the kids came up and I asked where everyone was, and they said it was way too hot for soccer. I couldn’t blame them, as swimming at the pond did sound more appealing than playing soccer, but I was bummed not to be able to play. I brought the goals back down and hung out with some of the kids for a little bit, then I headed home and called it an early night so I could rest up for a long day on Friday.
I spent Friday morning at the school and got to listen to a presentation on Abalone given by the scuba divers who mark, measure, and count them. Abalone are sea snails that have become quite a delicacy, especially now that they are an endangered species. I really enjoyed the presentation, and was especially impressed that five, six, and seven year olds were able to focus and sit still for an hour. They did an excellent job. After lunch I headed to the youth center, and then I went over to Tiff and Brent’s for dinner before Friday family fun night. Since it was such a nice evening outside and cooler than the previous night, we decided to go up to the Field to fly kites and play some soccer. We headed back down to the youth center around 9:00 and found a line of kids waiting at the door for the opening night of Rock Band 2. It was pretty funny to see all of them so eagerly waiting. I was also pretty excited to have a new selection of songs for the kids to choose from. We closed up at midnight and I went home to get some sleep before another busy day on Saturday.
I woke up somewhat early Saturday morning to put a cake in the oven. A group from Bella Bella, which is a community not too far from Klemtu, were coming in that day for a softball game, and I was in charge of getting a team together. I also volunteered to make a cake for the luncheon we were hosting for them when they arrived. After finishing the cake, Tiff and her family came over for pancakes. We then headed to the youth center and I dropped off the cake for the luncheon. The Bella Bella boat arrived around 2:30, and I headed over to meet them and have a little of the lunch we had prepared before everyone headed up to the Field for the game. There was plenty of sunshine, but the wind up at the Field made it feel a lot colder than it was. Unfortunately for our Klemtu team, the Bella Bella team had apparently had a lot more experience playing softball. Let’s just say most of their innings at bat ended with the “seven run rule”-a rule that I was thankful was put in place. I’m not sure what the final score was, but I believe we managed to score a few runs and we had fun laughing at ourselves, which is what really matters. Tiff and I then rushed home to eat before opening up for another late night of Rock Band. Exhausted, I went home and fell asleep in no time.
Sunday morning was the first overcast day in a week, which worked out perfectly because Tara and I had planned on walking out to the hydro that morning. If you remember seeing the pictures I posted of my running path then you know that is the path that leads to the hydro, which is a project that will eventually generate more power for the community of Klemtu. Tara and I packed a bag for lunch and began our hike. It took us a little under an hour to get there, which was shorter than I thought it would be. It was really cool to see all of the work they had been doing out there, and I took a few pictures that I will put up soon. On our way back, we stopped at the highest point on the trail to eat our lunch, and a few minutes into eating Tara spotted a whale! It kept popping up out of the water to breathe and we sat and watched in awe. Tara told me that she was just praying the other day that she would see a whale before she left because she had never seen one before. We thanked God for answering her prayer so quickly, and I was so happy to be a part of the experience. We then made the hike back and I headed to the youth center for the last round of Rock Band. After eating dinner and getting a few things done at home, I went to the church for Sunday night service. We sang some hymns and enjoyed a message about the beauty of God’s creation, which was so fitting as we had just seen the whale on our hike. I then headed to the youth center for a movie and went straight home to get some rest.
Today is Monday and another day off, and I am just getting ready to put some baked beans in the oven to bring over to Tiff’s for a pitch in. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I will talk to you soon! Thanks again for all of the wonderful support!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Week 4 Update
June 1, 2009
Greetings sports fans on an absolutely gorgeous day in Klemtu! The temperature is in the 70’s, the sun is shining, and a nice, cool breeze is blowing the leaves on the trees outside my window. AND it’s my day off! All in all, today couldn’t be any better (unless you all could be here to share it with me).
Week four has come to a close and it’s on to week five, which crazy enough, marks the halfway point of my time here. As I mentioned in the last blog, last Monday was my first time ever cooking fish. To answer your question you posted on the blog, Amber, I have not been formally trained in halibut cooking, but I was able to use my resources to serve up what turned out to be an almost perfect fish. I started with the internet to find out how long and what temperature to cook a fish like halibut, called my parents to confirm, and used the most essential ingredient, which is Old Bay seasoning mixed with butter, and brushed it on the halibut. I invited Brian and Mary Crumback and Tara over to share in this delightful meal, and they all agreed that it was outstanding. I share this with you not to show off (although I was quite proud of myself) but to encourage everyone who is afraid to cook fish that if I can do it, anyone can. The fact that it was caught the day before right out of the Pacific didn’t hurt either. Tim and Scott, you will also be proud to know that my brown rice turned out just right this time. That extra 25 minutes made all the difference. My company stayed for a couple hours and we had a nice conversation, then they headed home for the evening and I enjoyed the rest of my night off with some Monday night television and some reading.
Tuesday was my first weekday at the youth center without Tiffany, and I had high hopes that it would go as smoothly as the weekend. There were no problems in the afternoon, but the evening was a bit more challenging as I think the kids were starting to realize that Tiff would be gone for awhile and that I was the equivalent to a substitute teacher in school. No major problems, I just learned that I would have to be a little more forceful with them than I had been in the past. As many of you know, I struggle with confrontation and have a hard time getting kids to stop doing something they’re not supposed to be doing. With these traits, you may be wondering why I spent four months as a substitute teacher. But once I got a few of the kids to stop getting out of hand, they all seemed to settle down and I had no problems the rest of the night, and I had absolutely no problems on Wednesday.
Thursday was another day off, and like most days off I decided to cook a meal and invite some friends over. It was time for spaghetti in the meal rotation, and I invited Melody and the Crumbacks over. It had been pouring down rain all day, so I had planned on moving Thursday night soccer into the Hall, but I found out that the Hall was closed so they could set up for a birthday supper being held the next night. With no other place to play, I went ahead and cancelled the game and instead hung out with Melody awhile longer. This was apparently an unpopular choice with the kids, as I had about five of them come to my door and ask why we weren’t playing soccer. I guess they are way more hardcore then I am when it comes to playing soccer in wet, muddy sand. I promised them that we would play the next night for family fun night, and this seemed to appease them for the time being.
Friday I got an invitation to attend my first Klemtu supper. It was one of the little girl’s birthdays and the community had a big dinner to celebrate up at the Hall. There must have been 100 people there and the Hall was decked out in birthday decorations. Like many people in Klemtu, the young girl loves Elvis and so there was plenty of Elvis paraphernalia and even an Elvis cake. It was a pitch-in, so there were about eight long tables full of every kind of yummy food you could imagine. There was also a wide selection of desserts, which I had more than my fair share of. I even got to eat some ice cream, which I have been missing! After the supper, I opened up the school gymnasium for a nice game of indoor soccer. Although it was a little crowded in there, that didn’t stop the kids from having fun and we played for almost three hours. I even introduced them to a game of hand ball, which they enjoyed as well. Instead of watching a movie afterward, the older kids conned me into letting them play Rock Band for the last couple of hours, which ended up being a good thing because there were way more kids there than would have been if we had watched a movie.
I got up Saturday morning to a beautiful, sunny day, and so I went for a run down my favorite running path. I took some pictures while I was out on my run, which I have already posted for you all to see. The views are incredible! I don’t think it will be quite the same running around the trail of Bridgewater (although the trail around Bridgewater is lovely, Steve.) I then opened up the youth center for a couple of rounds of Rock Band. After eight hours of Rock Band, I headed straight home and was asleep in no time.
Sunday morning was freight morning. It was a good thing that I didn’t need much, because by the time I got there around 11:00 most of the goods were gone. As I was leaving the store, I ran into Brian Crumback and he invited me out on his boat for a cruise up the channel, which I gladly accepted! On the boat were Brian and Mary, Tara, nanny Violet, and me. It was another beautiful, sunny day and the water was so calm. We cruised out to the tip of Swindle Island and back. I was also able to see my running trail from the water and see just how far away I have been to the end of the trail. It looked like I had made it a little over halfway, but I would still have a long way to go to get to the end. I took lots of pictures and will post them soon. After a nice cruise, we came back in time for me to open up the youth center for the final round of weekend Rock Band. Later that night, Brian preached a wonderful sermon at the church that seemed to resonate with all of us. I then headed back to the youth center for movie night before ending another busy, but fun weekend.
Tiffany, Brent, and the girls got home today and I couldn’t wait to see them! I headed down to the dock with Tiff’s mom and Brent’s grandma and we waited for them to come in. It took a little longer for them to land than they had anticipated, but we didn’t mind too much because it was such a beautiful day and nice to sit out on the dock. I am so glad they are home as I have missed them so much! They have practically adopted me as a member of their family and it just wasn’t the same without them here. I have a meatloaf in the oven right now and am getting ready to head over to their house for a welcome home dinner. I better get going, but I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and congrats to all of my teacher friends who have finished the school year!
Greetings sports fans on an absolutely gorgeous day in Klemtu! The temperature is in the 70’s, the sun is shining, and a nice, cool breeze is blowing the leaves on the trees outside my window. AND it’s my day off! All in all, today couldn’t be any better (unless you all could be here to share it with me).
Week four has come to a close and it’s on to week five, which crazy enough, marks the halfway point of my time here. As I mentioned in the last blog, last Monday was my first time ever cooking fish. To answer your question you posted on the blog, Amber, I have not been formally trained in halibut cooking, but I was able to use my resources to serve up what turned out to be an almost perfect fish. I started with the internet to find out how long and what temperature to cook a fish like halibut, called my parents to confirm, and used the most essential ingredient, which is Old Bay seasoning mixed with butter, and brushed it on the halibut. I invited Brian and Mary Crumback and Tara over to share in this delightful meal, and they all agreed that it was outstanding. I share this with you not to show off (although I was quite proud of myself) but to encourage everyone who is afraid to cook fish that if I can do it, anyone can. The fact that it was caught the day before right out of the Pacific didn’t hurt either. Tim and Scott, you will also be proud to know that my brown rice turned out just right this time. That extra 25 minutes made all the difference. My company stayed for a couple hours and we had a nice conversation, then they headed home for the evening and I enjoyed the rest of my night off with some Monday night television and some reading.
Tuesday was my first weekday at the youth center without Tiffany, and I had high hopes that it would go as smoothly as the weekend. There were no problems in the afternoon, but the evening was a bit more challenging as I think the kids were starting to realize that Tiff would be gone for awhile and that I was the equivalent to a substitute teacher in school. No major problems, I just learned that I would have to be a little more forceful with them than I had been in the past. As many of you know, I struggle with confrontation and have a hard time getting kids to stop doing something they’re not supposed to be doing. With these traits, you may be wondering why I spent four months as a substitute teacher. But once I got a few of the kids to stop getting out of hand, they all seemed to settle down and I had no problems the rest of the night, and I had absolutely no problems on Wednesday.
Thursday was another day off, and like most days off I decided to cook a meal and invite some friends over. It was time for spaghetti in the meal rotation, and I invited Melody and the Crumbacks over. It had been pouring down rain all day, so I had planned on moving Thursday night soccer into the Hall, but I found out that the Hall was closed so they could set up for a birthday supper being held the next night. With no other place to play, I went ahead and cancelled the game and instead hung out with Melody awhile longer. This was apparently an unpopular choice with the kids, as I had about five of them come to my door and ask why we weren’t playing soccer. I guess they are way more hardcore then I am when it comes to playing soccer in wet, muddy sand. I promised them that we would play the next night for family fun night, and this seemed to appease them for the time being.
Friday I got an invitation to attend my first Klemtu supper. It was one of the little girl’s birthdays and the community had a big dinner to celebrate up at the Hall. There must have been 100 people there and the Hall was decked out in birthday decorations. Like many people in Klemtu, the young girl loves Elvis and so there was plenty of Elvis paraphernalia and even an Elvis cake. It was a pitch-in, so there were about eight long tables full of every kind of yummy food you could imagine. There was also a wide selection of desserts, which I had more than my fair share of. I even got to eat some ice cream, which I have been missing! After the supper, I opened up the school gymnasium for a nice game of indoor soccer. Although it was a little crowded in there, that didn’t stop the kids from having fun and we played for almost three hours. I even introduced them to a game of hand ball, which they enjoyed as well. Instead of watching a movie afterward, the older kids conned me into letting them play Rock Band for the last couple of hours, which ended up being a good thing because there were way more kids there than would have been if we had watched a movie.
I got up Saturday morning to a beautiful, sunny day, and so I went for a run down my favorite running path. I took some pictures while I was out on my run, which I have already posted for you all to see. The views are incredible! I don’t think it will be quite the same running around the trail of Bridgewater (although the trail around Bridgewater is lovely, Steve.) I then opened up the youth center for a couple of rounds of Rock Band. After eight hours of Rock Band, I headed straight home and was asleep in no time.
Sunday morning was freight morning. It was a good thing that I didn’t need much, because by the time I got there around 11:00 most of the goods were gone. As I was leaving the store, I ran into Brian Crumback and he invited me out on his boat for a cruise up the channel, which I gladly accepted! On the boat were Brian and Mary, Tara, nanny Violet, and me. It was another beautiful, sunny day and the water was so calm. We cruised out to the tip of Swindle Island and back. I was also able to see my running trail from the water and see just how far away I have been to the end of the trail. It looked like I had made it a little over halfway, but I would still have a long way to go to get to the end. I took lots of pictures and will post them soon. After a nice cruise, we came back in time for me to open up the youth center for the final round of weekend Rock Band. Later that night, Brian preached a wonderful sermon at the church that seemed to resonate with all of us. I then headed back to the youth center for movie night before ending another busy, but fun weekend.
Tiffany, Brent, and the girls got home today and I couldn’t wait to see them! I headed down to the dock with Tiff’s mom and Brent’s grandma and we waited for them to come in. It took a little longer for them to land than they had anticipated, but we didn’t mind too much because it was such a beautiful day and nice to sit out on the dock. I am so glad they are home as I have missed them so much! They have practically adopted me as a member of their family and it just wasn’t the same without them here. I have a meatloaf in the oven right now and am getting ready to head over to their house for a welcome home dinner. I better get going, but I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and congrats to all of my teacher friends who have finished the school year!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Views from my running trail
Klemtu in the distance
The part of the path I have yet to reach...stay tuned
Monday, May 25, 2009
Week 3 Update
Hello everyone! Today marks the beginning of my fourth week in Klemtu, and yes, time continues to fly by. My last post was on Sports Day weekend, so I will catch you up to speed on this past week. As I mentioned in my previous post, last Monday was a Canadian holiday and so all of the kids had the day off of school. I met Tiff’s kids up at the field and kicked the soccer ball around with them a little bit before going home to start dinner. I made another round of meatloaf and brought it over to Tiff and Brent’s house to enjoy with the whole family. It was a great meal and I stayed to watch the finale of “Dancing with the Stars” and the season premier of “The Bachelorette,” both guilty pleasures I enjoy with my mom and my other reality show loving friend, Mary Beth.
As Tiff and her family would be going out of town on Friday, we spent Tuesday and Wednesday working at the youth center but also making sure I had everything I would need to run the center in her absence. Tuesday evening, Tara from the school invited me over for dinner at her house as it was the last night her mom would be in town visiting. I really enjoyed getting to know her mom and I also got to try curry for the first time. I was a big fan and will be adding it to the list of foods to eat when I get home. Tara’s mom also told me that a church group from her hometown would be coming to Klemtu in July and most likely staying with me. I gave her my contact information so they could call to find out what they need to bring. Hopefully I will still have some food left when they arrive!
Thursday I was invited over to Melody’s for a birthday celebration dinner for her boyfriend. There were lots of people there and the food was so good! Mel made lasagna that was outstanding. There was also fried rice, chow mein, spaghetti, salad, vegetables, fruit…you name it! I had to leave pretty quickly after dinner, though, for the second annual soccer match at the field. The turnout was not quite as good as the previous Thursday, but we still had a good match and everyone really enjoyed it. I headed back to Mel’s after the game for dessert and to hang with everyone on Tiff and Brent’s last night before heading to Vancouver.
Tiff, Brent, and the kids left for Vancouver via plane Friday morning, making me the sole person in charge of the youth center. I also get to watch their fish while they are gone and I am happy to have a pet for a week! Although I was a bit nervous to run the youth center without Tiff, Friday afternoon went just fine and I headed home to get ready for Friday family fun night at the Hall. The point of family fun night is to give the younger kids something fun to do with their families on a Friday night. We played several variations of tag and some other games recommended by the wonderful Jeff D. and the Grace Outreach team, and then ended the night with some indoor soccer. Once the little kids headed home for curfew at 10:00, I went back down to the youth center to watch a movie with the older kids until midnight.
Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day, and I took full advantage by going for a nice, long run in the morning. I then went to the youth center to set up Rock Band, and am happy and a bit surprised to say that I was successful. We played Rock Band until the break for dinner, and then came back after dinner for another five hours of it. I am happy to report that I have upgraded to medium level of difficulty on every instrument except for drums, which if you saw my solo I’m sure this does not come as a big surprise.
Sunday morning was another beautiful morning, and I decided to hike back to the lake I discovered on my first week here. I then came home to watch the end of the Indy 500 and was glad to see Helio pull off the win. I then went back to the youth center for the final afternoon of weekend Rock Band. I was pleasantly surprised when Brian and Mary Crumback from NAIM’s “Mission Boat” stopped by the youth center and invited me to dinner on their boat “Solitude.” We had a wonderful dinner of rice and stir fry and I really enjoyed getting a chance to talk with them. After dinner, we headed to the church for Sunday service where Brian gave the message. They told me that their boat would be parked down at the dock for awhile and that I could stop in any time. I will definitely be taking them up on that offer! I then headed to the youth center to watch a movie with the older kids, and went back home to go to bed after a good, but tiring weekend.
Today is Monday and a much needed day off, which actually corresponds with everyone’s day off back home for Memorial Day. One of the older kids brought me some halibut that I can not wait to cook for dinner tonight! It is my first time cooking fish so I will be sure to let you all know how it goes. I hope everyone had a wonderful 3-day weekend and I will write again soon. Thank you again for all of the kind notes and words of encouragement…you all are wonderful!
As Tiff and her family would be going out of town on Friday, we spent Tuesday and Wednesday working at the youth center but also making sure I had everything I would need to run the center in her absence. Tuesday evening, Tara from the school invited me over for dinner at her house as it was the last night her mom would be in town visiting. I really enjoyed getting to know her mom and I also got to try curry for the first time. I was a big fan and will be adding it to the list of foods to eat when I get home. Tara’s mom also told me that a church group from her hometown would be coming to Klemtu in July and most likely staying with me. I gave her my contact information so they could call to find out what they need to bring. Hopefully I will still have some food left when they arrive!
Thursday I was invited over to Melody’s for a birthday celebration dinner for her boyfriend. There were lots of people there and the food was so good! Mel made lasagna that was outstanding. There was also fried rice, chow mein, spaghetti, salad, vegetables, fruit…you name it! I had to leave pretty quickly after dinner, though, for the second annual soccer match at the field. The turnout was not quite as good as the previous Thursday, but we still had a good match and everyone really enjoyed it. I headed back to Mel’s after the game for dessert and to hang with everyone on Tiff and Brent’s last night before heading to Vancouver.
Tiff, Brent, and the kids left for Vancouver via plane Friday morning, making me the sole person in charge of the youth center. I also get to watch their fish while they are gone and I am happy to have a pet for a week! Although I was a bit nervous to run the youth center without Tiff, Friday afternoon went just fine and I headed home to get ready for Friday family fun night at the Hall. The point of family fun night is to give the younger kids something fun to do with their families on a Friday night. We played several variations of tag and some other games recommended by the wonderful Jeff D. and the Grace Outreach team, and then ended the night with some indoor soccer. Once the little kids headed home for curfew at 10:00, I went back down to the youth center to watch a movie with the older kids until midnight.
Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day, and I took full advantage by going for a nice, long run in the morning. I then went to the youth center to set up Rock Band, and am happy and a bit surprised to say that I was successful. We played Rock Band until the break for dinner, and then came back after dinner for another five hours of it. I am happy to report that I have upgraded to medium level of difficulty on every instrument except for drums, which if you saw my solo I’m sure this does not come as a big surprise.
Sunday morning was another beautiful morning, and I decided to hike back to the lake I discovered on my first week here. I then came home to watch the end of the Indy 500 and was glad to see Helio pull off the win. I then went back to the youth center for the final afternoon of weekend Rock Band. I was pleasantly surprised when Brian and Mary Crumback from NAIM’s “Mission Boat” stopped by the youth center and invited me to dinner on their boat “Solitude.” We had a wonderful dinner of rice and stir fry and I really enjoyed getting a chance to talk with them. After dinner, we headed to the church for Sunday service where Brian gave the message. They told me that their boat would be parked down at the dock for awhile and that I could stop in any time. I will definitely be taking them up on that offer! I then headed to the youth center to watch a movie with the older kids, and went back home to go to bed after a good, but tiring weekend.
Today is Monday and a much needed day off, which actually corresponds with everyone’s day off back home for Memorial Day. One of the older kids brought me some halibut that I can not wait to cook for dinner tonight! It is my first time cooking fish so I will be sure to let you all know how it goes. I hope everyone had a wonderful 3-day weekend and I will write again soon. Thank you again for all of the kind notes and words of encouragement…you all are wonderful!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sports Day Weekend
As I mentioned in my previous post, this past weekend was “Sports Day” weekend in Klemtu. It was a weekend that brought the whole community together to have fun and celebrate physical fitness. It kind of reminded me of track and field day that we had when I was in elementary school, except all ages got to participate in the events. Here is a recap of the weekend:
Friday night kicked off the weekend with a dance up at the Hall, and Tiff and I signed up to be chaperones. Other than the little kids, who ran around and danced until it was time to go home, it looked a lot like a middle school dance with little dancing going on amongst the older kids. They had food and refreshments, gave away lots of prizes, and did fun dances that looked like the Canadian equivalent to the Chicken Dance. I got the chance to bust a move to “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and “Ice Ice Baby.” All and all, it was a great night.
Saturday morning was supposed to be the parade, but rain forced the events to be moved inside and the parade was postponed until Sunday. Starting at 11:00, there were events for boys and girls from toddlers all the way up to adults. Some of the events were the 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 3-legged race, potato race (you had to balance a potato on a spoon and run to the finish line), walking race, and skipping rope. There was extra incentive to participate, as first place for each event in every age group received $5.00, second place got $4.00, and third place received $3.00. Some kids as young as five or six must have walked away with close to $100 at the end of the weekend, although most much preferred the ribbons we handed out over the money. Also, every time someone participated in an event, their name was entered into a drawing in their age group to win a bike that would be raffled off at the end of the weekend. Carolyn and Katie, you would be proud to know that I got first place in the walking race thanks to our daily speed walking warm-ups at Brebeuf. We finished up around 4:30, went home for dinner, and then opened up the youth center for a few hours of Rock Band.
I had Tiff and her family over for pancakes Sunday morning before the events began. I then made a quick trip to the Band Store (fresh produce had just come in that morning) and hurried down to the waterfront to watch the parade. The kids decorated their bikes, scooters, and wagons and dressed up in their most creative costumes to walk up and down the waterfront. They went all out on the decorations as there was a contest for the best costumes. After the parade, the events started up again, except this time we got to be outside. They went through the same cycle of races as the previous day in the morning and afternoon, and then had a half mile run, mile run, tug of war, pie eating contest, and canoe race. I entered the mile run and was happy to take second place and collect my prize of $30! I hadn’t run a mile that fast since college and had forgotten how good that burning sensation in the lungs felt…okay not really, but the cash prize helped ease the pain a little. Once all of the events were over, awards and prizes were handed out, including about eight bikes that were raffled off in each age group. All of the bikes were donated through the health budget, and many kids left with a big smile on their face! After it was over, I headed back to the house for dinner and went to the church for Sunday night service. I finally was not the first one to arrive, and even came in a little after the service had begun. There is really no format to the church service here, which I have found very refreshing. We shout out our favorite hymns and sing them until there are no more requests and then one of the church elders shares whatever is on his or her heart and opens it up for anyone to share how God has been speaking to them. I leave feeling refreshed and ready to start a new week focused on God’s will.
Today (Monday) was Victoria Day in Canada, which is a federal holiday celebrating the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Everyone had the day off and enjoyed a beautiful day of sunshine in Klemtu. Tomorrow is my first day with a different grade at the school, and I’m looking forward to interacting with a new group of kids. Have a wonderful week and I will be sure to post again soon!
Friday night kicked off the weekend with a dance up at the Hall, and Tiff and I signed up to be chaperones. Other than the little kids, who ran around and danced until it was time to go home, it looked a lot like a middle school dance with little dancing going on amongst the older kids. They had food and refreshments, gave away lots of prizes, and did fun dances that looked like the Canadian equivalent to the Chicken Dance. I got the chance to bust a move to “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and “Ice Ice Baby.” All and all, it was a great night.
Saturday morning was supposed to be the parade, but rain forced the events to be moved inside and the parade was postponed until Sunday. Starting at 11:00, there were events for boys and girls from toddlers all the way up to adults. Some of the events were the 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 3-legged race, potato race (you had to balance a potato on a spoon and run to the finish line), walking race, and skipping rope. There was extra incentive to participate, as first place for each event in every age group received $5.00, second place got $4.00, and third place received $3.00. Some kids as young as five or six must have walked away with close to $100 at the end of the weekend, although most much preferred the ribbons we handed out over the money. Also, every time someone participated in an event, their name was entered into a drawing in their age group to win a bike that would be raffled off at the end of the weekend. Carolyn and Katie, you would be proud to know that I got first place in the walking race thanks to our daily speed walking warm-ups at Brebeuf. We finished up around 4:30, went home for dinner, and then opened up the youth center for a few hours of Rock Band.
I had Tiff and her family over for pancakes Sunday morning before the events began. I then made a quick trip to the Band Store (fresh produce had just come in that morning) and hurried down to the waterfront to watch the parade. The kids decorated their bikes, scooters, and wagons and dressed up in their most creative costumes to walk up and down the waterfront. They went all out on the decorations as there was a contest for the best costumes. After the parade, the events started up again, except this time we got to be outside. They went through the same cycle of races as the previous day in the morning and afternoon, and then had a half mile run, mile run, tug of war, pie eating contest, and canoe race. I entered the mile run and was happy to take second place and collect my prize of $30! I hadn’t run a mile that fast since college and had forgotten how good that burning sensation in the lungs felt…okay not really, but the cash prize helped ease the pain a little. Once all of the events were over, awards and prizes were handed out, including about eight bikes that were raffled off in each age group. All of the bikes were donated through the health budget, and many kids left with a big smile on their face! After it was over, I headed back to the house for dinner and went to the church for Sunday night service. I finally was not the first one to arrive, and even came in a little after the service had begun. There is really no format to the church service here, which I have found very refreshing. We shout out our favorite hymns and sing them until there are no more requests and then one of the church elders shares whatever is on his or her heart and opens it up for anyone to share how God has been speaking to them. I leave feeling refreshed and ready to start a new week focused on God’s will.
Today (Monday) was Victoria Day in Canada, which is a federal holiday celebrating the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Everyone had the day off and enjoyed a beautiful day of sunshine in Klemtu. Tomorrow is my first day with a different grade at the school, and I’m looking forward to interacting with a new group of kids. Have a wonderful week and I will be sure to post again soon!
Monday, May 18, 2009
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