Choraleers

I’m in the process of planning the end of the year banquet for the Choraleers and it’s all kinda bittersweet. I realize I only have one more year with this precious group of people. Sure, from time to time we get on each other’s nerves, but at the end of the day, we are a family that sticks together and encourage each other. We share laughs. We share heartaches. We share triumphs. We share failures. But at the end of the day the greatest thing we get to do as a group is minister to people and in turn get ministered to by the very people we’re singing for. I’m actually going to miss people next year. Let’s be real, sometimes people just get on your nerves. But for what it’s worth, I’ve shared a lot of nice moments with the seniors that are going to be leaving next year. Time goes by so fast and at a time like this I feel compelled to make better use of all the time I’ve been given with the people that God’s placed in my life. You can learn something from people if you just take the time to get to know them. You don’t always have to like the person, but we are called to love each other.

The banquet will be this Friday afternoon and I’m looking forward to it. We’ve got some great gifts prepared for our director and accompanist and the fellow officers. We’ve got a slideshow ready for people and are prepared for lots of laughter and reflection on past memories. It’s going to be a great time of fellowship.

Something New

There’s a new restaurant in town.

It’s name is…

wait for it…

SASSY BUTTS!!!

Yeh, my thoughts exactly. But I’m impressed. As a business major, I find it funny how I’ve begun to see businesses in a completely different light than I did before I really delved into my major and I was just another bright-eyed consumer. They’ve been really spreading the word about their business with word of mouth and having a visual countdown on their door until the Grand Opening, which so happens to be today! It’s neat because I actually have gotten to see this business employ and use the various marketing techniques I’ve been learning in my business classes. This is a good sign cause obviously I’ve actually learned something. ha.

I’ve already heard my friends making comments about the food and the service and people are satisfied! Finally, there is another eating option in the great metropolis of Due West, SC. I’m looking forward to making new memories there with my friends next year.

I plan to go there for dinner tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes!

SASSY BUTTS…sorry, I still can’t get over the name…

Great Conversation: A Gem of Erskine Life

I may have mentioned this before, but at the risk of repeating myself, I’ve just got to say that of all the things I’ve loved about being at Erskine, the community has been one of the most wonderful. Certainly, anywhere you go, it takes time and intentionality to form meaningful, deep, mutually-reciprocal relationships. (I had to remind myself of this during first-semester freshman year when, despite the great people around me, I worried that I wouldn’t ever have close friends in college.)

That being said, the great thing about college—especially about a school the size of Erskine—is that you very quickly form close bonds with fellow students as you live, eat, and study together on a daily basis. Now, by junior year, it’s impossible for me to count the number of times I’ve just chuckled to myself and thought, wow, this is fun. Studying diligently and growing intellectually are a huge part of college life. But in those moments between hours of studying, conversations begin that are fun and reinvigorating. In a landscape of challenging and often exhausting academic efforts, such exchanges are gems sparkling along the path of daily diligence. Maybe a friendly debate begins at lunch on a topic everyone feels strongly about but on which there are a variety of positions. The wonderful thing about being at a school Erskine’s size is that, almost anywhere you go, you’ll know people and have something to talk about.

Erskine students in “conversation” last night during the hilarious theatre production “A Night at the Asylum”

You might come across friends studying and ask a question about the book you’re reading, engendering animated an animated discussion of everything from politics to religion—topics you’re not supposed to mention at the dinner table, remember?—that lasts almost two hours until you look at your watch and discover it’s almost 2 a.m. The heart-to-heart conversations with girlfriends late at night in the dorm (I’m afraid I can’t speak for the guys, but I’m sure they have similar exchanges) are always fun as well. Wherever and whenever they take place, whether deep and serious or joking banter punctuated by laughter, conversations with friends are always refreshing or invigorating in some way. Indeed, such exchanges often galvanize me to think and study more deeply out of a desire to better learn why I have an opinion or hold a particular conviction with which a friend disagrees. Then there are just those times when my sides ache from laughing and I discover that, interestingly enough, sleep deprivation can act as an extremely effective substitute for laughing gas. Oh, laughter is good for the heart…as is meaningful conversation for the mind and soul.

Back at Erskine

Enjoying a meal at a local "Mom and Pop" restaurant in the great metropolis of Belton shortly after my return.

It’s been rather a while since I wrote last, probably because I’ve been busy transitioning from “Spain life” back into  life at Erskine—a transition that has kept my time happily filled with catch-up coffee dates, time spent getting to know freshmen I only briefly met during fall orientation, and moving back into the dorm. There certainly are things about moving back to Erskine after having been abroad that are disorienting. (For one thing, I’m “the new kid” in some ways, while the freshmen now have a semester of Erskine history under their belt for which I was absent.) Overall, though, it’s been incredibly fun to jump back into the swing of things here in good ol’ Due West. And although lots of amazing conversations and times with friends have been had since I got back, one particular incident from this evening is what I’d like to share at the moment.

You see, as much as I loved Spain and wouldn’t trade the experiences I had there for the world, I also greatly missed Erskine, in large part because the community God has blessed me with here is so very special. Honestly, it took being away from Erskine for me to realize how truly amazing it is. Not because it’s a perfect school, nor because I’m always 100% happy every day here (I mean, we live in a fallen world), but because being far from home has shown me what an incredible blessing it is to be surrounded by so many encouraging friends who are all came to Erskine for the same reasons I did. Now, don’t get me wrong—there is quite a lot of ideological diversity on Erskine’s campus; and that’s a good thing! There’s a great contrast, however, between finding a handful of Christian friends in Spain and, at Erskine, being surrounded by a vast number of like-minded friends who challenge me, encourage me, and support me.

One fun January outing was an evening at the home of Erskine's Admissions Operations Coordinator (who also happens to be a fabulous cook and hostess)...

This evening, for example, I was wrestling inwardly with a bit of an existential crisis regarding my future calling (a crisis I would imagine not a few college students have experienced right around this time in their educational career).  I’ve always thought this was the vocation God was calling me to, but now I don’t even know…and maybe this isn’t what I’m meant to do for reasons x, y, z…but if it’s not, then what IS He calling me to? Etc., etc. Like a badly authored bit of stream of consciousness writing, these thoughts were racing through my head as I walked into my dorm a few hours ago to find an unsuspecting friend on sitting at the desk on lobby duty. Since I’m usually terrible at keeping whatever thoughts are consuming me bottled up, some of the aforementioned stream of incoherent thoughts and questions began to spill out.

Under Amanda's tutelage, we cooked a delicious meal together. Here are Rachel and Rebekah cutting up the potatoes.

So what did my friend—who happens to be a kind and insightful psychology major—do? She had me sit down and talk through my life plans and goals with her. And of course, since I’m at Erskine, I can already predict that this was one in a long series of conversations which I’ll doubtless have with various friends as I process and they advise, direct, and ask helpful questions. The simple fact that there are a large number of wise, well-adjusted, and caring individuals who will all listen as I babble and give me solid, Biblical advice in response is just a mind-boggling blessing. Living on a campus surrounded by friends who challenge, encourage, and care for me every day is such a delight. College is indeed a unique season of life. And like any other part of life, college is also largely what one makes of it. Erskine just happens to be an especially wonderful place in which to do that. “We always thank God for all of you…We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.

The scrumptious dinner we made. And there isn't even a picture of the coffee-cake pound-cake we made for dessert. Yum.

A Saturday Outing

Yesterday morning I went to have breakfast with my friend Sandra. She is one of the wonderful Spanish friends God has brought into my life since my arrival in Alicante, and it has been such a pleasure getting to know her. How did we meet? Randomly enough, while waiting in line at the TAM (Transporte Alicante Metropolitano) to recharge our bus cards (though not randomly at all, considering how our good God cares for His children!). When I first saw Sandra, I figured that this confident-looking, beautiful Spanish gal would hardly be much interesting in talking to me. But I said “hello” anyway and asked her where she was from, and as it turned out, she was extremely friendly and happens to be studying English as part of a tourism management degree. We exchanged phone numbers then, and from there we’ve developed a wonderful friendship that I’ve no doubt will continue once I’ve flown back to the States.

Sandra and I

Sandra, like a number of patient friends here, has the uncanny ability—or, perhaps more accurately, makes a concerted effort—to speak in a way that is crystal clear and refreshingly understandable. (Which, considering my level of Spanish is quite an accomplishment on her part.) And if I am ever confused by a particular word or phrase, she is quick to catch on and to explain until I am un-confused. Sandra and I enjoy talking about all manner of different topics, but we also often end up simply discussing numerous different words, phrases, and language-features of both English and Spanish—a fascinating exercise for anyone who loves language. It has also been incredibly interesting to learn about Spanish culture from her. We talk about topics ranging from travel and entertainment to politics and systems of education, and I always come away from our get-togethers with an enriched perspective on Spanish culture. Sandra possesses an infectious sort of curiosity about the worl
d and a lively interest in travel and culture that seems to rub off on me when I’m with her.

During yesterday’s breakfast, after we’d chatted for a bit, Sandra kindly invited me to launch into a somewhat heated account of the difficulties I’ve been having with my prepaid phone. (I won’t bore you with the details, but basically, be careful if you ever use a prepaid phone in Spain—companies will swindle you for all you’re worth if you’re not careful. Such is the price of naivety, I suppose.) Anyway, once I’d explained, Sandra kindly offered to accompany me to the mobile phone store, which she subsequently did. Next, she took me to H&M and helped me shop for winter clothes. Several times during our three-hour outing, I felt the need to tell her that she really didn’t need to accompany me and that she should let me know if she had things to do and needed to go. Her response was, unvaryingly, that she wasn’t in a hurry and that she would be delighted to come with me. Which brings up a cultural characteristic that has repeatedly caught my attention
since I’ve been here: the Spanish always seem to have time for people. I mean, when was the last you accompanied someone while they ran errands or—as various neighbors have done when I’ve been with Spanish friends—woken up from a Sunday-afternoon nap to invite people into your home for tea and a spontaneous visit? This is type of hospitality and selflessness with one’s time that, to me anyway, seems comparatively rare in the US. It is, of course, important to be a good steward of one’s time and to strike a balance between focus and fellowship. But perhaps our priorities have become a bit skewed when we can find time to watch our favorite TV show each week, but don’t have much time to really love people and share our time with them? It’s food for thought, at any rate.

Cooking Adventures

One of my favorite ways to spend time with friends at Erskine is making a meal.  Although going out to get food is also enjoyable, there is just nothing like spending a couple of hours in a dorm kitchen making dinner, or even just something sweet for an evening snack.  This weekend I did this twice, first with dessert and then dinner.

My tasty final product - Tarta de Santiago.

Friday evening, after our dinners had settled, I made a Spanish cake with some friends.  La tarta de Santiago originated in the northwest of Spain, in the province of Galicia.  The capital of this province is Santiago de Compostela, location of tomb of St. James and also named for him, and one of the first cities that I visited while living in Spain.  While we explored the streets, there were tons of pastelerías selling, among other things, these tasty cakes.  They are sweet almond cakes topped with confectioners sugar, traditionally sprinkled around a cut-out of the St. James Cross.

The cake turned out very well, despite being unable to find pre-ground almonds in the store, and grinding them all ourselves!  Unfortunately, our next project on Saturday night did not turn out so well, leading to lots of adventures.

Last night we attempted to make a tortilla de patata, a delicious egg, potato, and vegetable dish commonly used in picnics in Spain.  I was excited for another delicious Spanish dish, and everything went well at the beginning: peeling, dicing, and partially cooking the vegetables, whipping the eggs. . . until we got to cooking the entire thing.  After combining the vegetables and eggs, we put it all in a skillet, and started frying.  Shortly, we knew something was going wrong.

Although the eggs were setting properly, there was a mysterious steam coming from the bottom of the pan, but since it didn’t smell like anything was burning we let it continue and hoped for the best.  Bad idea.  Turns out the oil did not do its job, and the eggs on the bottom were sticking (and starting to burn) to the bottom of the pan, so when we went to flip over the tortilla a bunch of the vegetables on top came off onto the pan and the eggs stayed!

Long story short, it turned out to be a mess of eggs, potatoes, onion, and tomato that was more like an omelet than my beloved Spanish dish.  After several minutes of fiasco trying to save the dish, several students and our resident director coming in to make sure we hadn’t started a fire, we ate the misshapen dish, finishing the meal off with some of the leftover cake from the day before (at least the dessert turned out well!).  Despite the small calamity, it was a fun two evenings of cooking and fellowship, and it sure makes a good story.

The End of the Year…and Summer Begins

Wow. I can hardly believe that my sophomore year of college is over. This year has been one full of learning, growth, and an abundance of blessings. And now, strangely enough, I’m delighted to be at home. I say “strangely enough” because, although I dearly love my home and family in Columbia, I so enjoyed the experience of living at Erskine (my “second home”) this year that I rarely wanted to leave, even for a weekend. There were always fun events to attend, dear friendships to cultivate, and—of course, unfailingly—there was intellectually stimulating and challenging homework to complete. And I was generally loath to leave all of that behind in order to spend four hours driving…even if the driving allowed me to visit my family for the weekend.

I say all of that as a caveat to avoid giving the impression that I don’t absolutely love Erskine–because I do. Consequently, I could not possibly have anticipated, during the school year, how refreshing and wonderful this summer season would be. What am I loving about summer thus far? Spending with my amazing family and friends here in Columbia, relishing my mother’s incredible cuisine, fitting back into rhythm of family life, and being surrounded by books, to name a few. (Perhaps that last comment about books doesn’t make much sense, considering that I just spent eight months at an academic institution…but you see, as much as I appreciated the material I read for classes this year, there’s nothing like wandering through a house full of books of every sort, ranging from child-friendly fiction to medical dictionaries and rich works of theology. A library, of course, is a close approximation, but there’s nothing like a house full of books hand-picked by those clos
est to you.)

I’m also enjoying—and, in the interest of full disclosure, being quite challenged by—the new job I began this Monday at a nearby law firm, Sweeney, Wingate, & Barrow. I’m both excited about my job as a “runner” (which includes everything from making coffee to filing stacks of case documents) and rather overwhelmed. I’m excited because I love the atmosphere there and am thankful to be a part of such a welcoming, close-knit community (an apropos setting after spending a year at a school like Erskine!). At the same time, I’m coming to realize that diving into the working world after years of doing little aside from either studying or mission work (during the summer) is, well, tough.

I give you full liberty to laugh and call me a wimp for admitting this, but um, even a seven-hour work day leaves me exhausted. Yep. Of course, most new things are difficult at first, and any work becomes easier over time. Even so, working regularly causes me to realize with renewed fervor that, while I’m still a student, I don’t want to take for granted the precious freedom I have to spend my time largely as I choose! My tendency during the school year is to think I’m terribly busy…which is often true, but ultimately, only to the extent to which I allow myself to be busy. In other words, although managing one’s time as a student may be challenging at times, as I taste “real life” a bit, I’m realizing how extraordinary is the freedom one has as a student to spend time reading and exploring intellectually—a freedom which will become increasingly elusive after graduation. Which is why I’m hoping to become a professor and stay in school forever…Kidding. Wel
l, only a little. At any rate, the summer has begun well and will, I trust, be a refreshing time of growth and fellowship before I head off to Spain in the fall. Until then, adios mis amigos!