Bikes and Iranians on Capitol Hill
There’s this place in Seattle called Capitol Hill. In sight but not easy reach from SPU, its magnificent houses and distinctly European feel has always intrigued me, but lacking a direct bus route my visits have been few and far between.
But tonight was different. Tonight I had a bike and five friends.
We journeyed up the daunting hill to a beautiful independent movie theatre showing the French film “Persepolis,” a graphic-novel turned movie about growing up in Iran. Beautiful film. Makes you really question the morality behind what leaders the US has chosen to support in the past. Was helping overthrow an autocrat simply to have the country turn into an oppressive theocracy a good idea? Not so sure…
Our attention then turned to finding a coffee shop, which in Seattle isn’t terribly difficult, but finding one to accommodate 6 people on a Friday night is. With some searching we settled on Ladro, the hip Seattleite café known for its orange cups and terrific coffee.
Sitting and talking made me realize how blessed I am here. I have a group of friends who care enough about me to invite me to a movie, and systematically go through their bike-loving friends until they found a bike I could use. I have a group of friends who are much more intelligent than myself, a group that I have a lot to learn from, a group that makes me laugh and reminds me of how being in community lights the fire of joy in my heart.
On the ride home, with the cold wind biting my face, I realized how great it is to be alive , to be in Seattle, to breathe in the crisp winter air, to get off campus, and see the Northwest stars.
But most of all I realized that I need a bike.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thanksgiving...and stuff.
Thanksgiving last year=lonely, at school, pity party.
Thanksgiving this year=fun, friends, good food, beautiful environment, relaxation, sleep, pleasure reading.
Can you tell which one I prefer?
Anyways, to escape from vague terms like "beautiful environment," I'll let you know how my thanksgiving was spent. (Mostly through pictures).
We (Marissa, Tyler, Lerin, Hannah, Myself) spent Thanksgiving day at Lerin's Granddad's house on Puget Sound, near Port Ludlow, WA.
Chuck (her Granddad) built the house by hand, and it's location is impeccable. A stone's throw from the beach, with beautiful white capped mountains in the background, and intense, blue water in the foreground.
He had a Ham radio, which he didn't hesitate to explain in detail (and practice) to me and Tyler. I love the wealth of information stored up in old people, and it seems like a very simple task to have it all pour out: ask a question, and listen as they indulge you for as long as they feel necessary.
I am not good with names. As evidenced by my misstep in calling Lerin's mom, who had introduced herself to me as Carolyn, Deborah. I'm not sure where I pulled that name from. Not sure at all.
We rode a ferry back to Seattle. First time for me on a ferry. It was breathtaking, in several ways. First, the cold, fast winds that whipped us as we looked out over the rails. Second, the haze covered Mount Rainier towering over a silhouetted Seattle skyline.
Now we're back at school. Just over a week left. This week's been pretty silent, but the guns should start going off Friday when I get my Finals assignments and the reality of studying hits.
Here are some pictures (Marissa took most of them) from the weekend.
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001161&l=dbb0a&id=1076310089
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=65349&l=ca24b&id=1058250068
sorry, it wouldn't let me put any on blogger, and it wouldn't let me create a web album. so you'll have to deal with facebook.
Much Love,
Brent
Thanksgiving last year=lonely, at school, pity party.
Thanksgiving this year=fun, friends, good food, beautiful environment, relaxation, sleep, pleasure reading.
Can you tell which one I prefer?
Anyways, to escape from vague terms like "beautiful environment," I'll let you know how my thanksgiving was spent. (Mostly through pictures).
We (Marissa, Tyler, Lerin, Hannah, Myself) spent Thanksgiving day at Lerin's Granddad's house on Puget Sound, near Port Ludlow, WA.
Chuck (her Granddad) built the house by hand, and it's location is impeccable. A stone's throw from the beach, with beautiful white capped mountains in the background, and intense, blue water in the foreground.
He had a Ham radio, which he didn't hesitate to explain in detail (and practice) to me and Tyler. I love the wealth of information stored up in old people, and it seems like a very simple task to have it all pour out: ask a question, and listen as they indulge you for as long as they feel necessary.
I am not good with names. As evidenced by my misstep in calling Lerin's mom, who had introduced herself to me as Carolyn, Deborah. I'm not sure where I pulled that name from. Not sure at all.
We rode a ferry back to Seattle. First time for me on a ferry. It was breathtaking, in several ways. First, the cold, fast winds that whipped us as we looked out over the rails. Second, the haze covered Mount Rainier towering over a silhouetted Seattle skyline.
Now we're back at school. Just over a week left. This week's been pretty silent, but the guns should start going off Friday when I get my Finals assignments and the reality of studying hits.
Here are some pictures (Marissa took most of them) from the weekend.
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001161&l=dbb0a&id=1076310089
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=65349&l=ca24b&id=1058250068
sorry, it wouldn't let me put any on blogger, and it wouldn't let me create a web album. so you'll have to deal with facebook.
Much Love,
Brent
Sunday, November 04, 2007
I am now without beard.
Completely shorn for the first time in about three years; prepared for a November without shaving, celebrated by many across the nation.
I took my transformation into a 12 year old boy (which i was for halloween) in stages.
I first stopped at the awkward 15 year old moustache stage for a day, to go to the Brand New concert.
Then in finished off the shave, while annihilating my sensitive neck in the process.
That's pretty much as exciting as my life has been in the last little while.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
HiMy Mommy came to visit me at school.
Yay!
Here are pictures
'
http://picasaweb.google.com/BrentinParis/MommyComeVisit
Brent
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Hello All.
Sorry I abruptly stopped my blogging at the end of May. June was heinously busy; filled with a visit from the parents, an unexpected visit from a friend from the States, the loss of a wallet, a trip to Lisbon and Spain, then many goodbyes.
Coming home was amazing. Although I do periodically miss France, 'adjusting' to life in the United States took little to no effort as I was surrounded by those I love most. I was able to work at Camp Elim for 3ish weeks, find my new career in giving plasma, and visit Wyoming on a road trip with Tyler.
This blog is just to update you (for the last time) on the happenings in my life. I just moved in to my room, which I'll be sharing with tyler, at Seattle Pacific University. Life is good. I'm excited for the new year to start and to experience the adventure that is college.
Thanks so much for all your support throughout the year. It meant a lot to me. And thanks for your commitment to reading my sometimes not very interesting blogs.
I love you all and hope you all the best!
(click this link to see pictures of the new dorm room) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000971&l=d15cd&id=1076310089
All the best,
Brent
Sorry I abruptly stopped my blogging at the end of May. June was heinously busy; filled with a visit from the parents, an unexpected visit from a friend from the States, the loss of a wallet, a trip to Lisbon and Spain, then many goodbyes.
Coming home was amazing. Although I do periodically miss France, 'adjusting' to life in the United States took little to no effort as I was surrounded by those I love most. I was able to work at Camp Elim for 3ish weeks, find my new career in giving plasma, and visit Wyoming on a road trip with Tyler.
This blog is just to update you (for the last time) on the happenings in my life. I just moved in to my room, which I'll be sharing with tyler, at Seattle Pacific University. Life is good. I'm excited for the new year to start and to experience the adventure that is college.
Thanks so much for all your support throughout the year. It meant a lot to me. And thanks for your commitment to reading my sometimes not very interesting blogs.
I love you all and hope you all the best!
(click this link to see pictures of the new dorm room) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000971&l=d15cd&id=1076310089
All the best,
Brent
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
“To the left, to the left…”
I’m trying to write this blog while listening to Irreplaceable by Beyoncé, but it’s not working very well, because I just have this constant urge to dance, but can’t because my host dad’s in the next room, and then by the time I settle down and look at my Microsoft Word screen the song is done and I am forced to start it again.
I am currently in the process of preemptively packing all of my things because of my host brother’s arrival from Brazil on Thursday. I don’t really like packing. I have way too many books.
These blogs should really get written more often, because after a certain point I don’t feel like doing them because so much has happened and I tell myself it will be too hard to explain it all. This is one of those times. But here I am. Typing away.
Two Saturdays ago (the 12th), my school had this ‘oversized gathering’ (aka party) with another school at a club here in Paris. A couple exchange student friends came with me, which saved me as I would have been forced to dance to techno all night with my French friends. But as any good American is trained to dance to rap because of high school dances, we had fun dancing how we wanted. We are exchange students, so we do what we want anyways. It was extremely hot and I perspired copiously. But, you’ll be pleased to know I cut my hair yesterday for the first time since December, so if it so happens that you are dancing near me in the near future, I will be sweating much less. Our night was filled with much more than sweat. It also included fun, confrontation with French people who didn’t like my enthusiastic dancing during 50 Cent, falling asleep in the grass next to an old church while waiting for the Metro to open, and many laughs.
As I got home around 6 in the morning, I slept as much as possible on Sunday (which means until 1 o clock, when my host dad called me for lunch). My friend Elizabeth (exchange student from Cali who was on my EuroTour) was in town with some other exchange students, as she was leaving a few days after for the states. We hung out in a park and then got kicked out because of a severe weather warning, although the sky was perfectly blue and it was sunny out. Go figure.
That night I had an amazing Table Group at Justin’s house. Justin, Taro, Jean (his name is really spelt NDJsomethinsomethin, but I’m not going to even attempt it, although I just did) and I had a great time picking apart 1 John and throwing ideas off each other. Taro brought some German sausages and German beer, which we consumed with pleasure. All a night really needs is some 1 John, German gastronomy, and community.
Thursday was a holiday (although I’m not sure which one, all I know is that I got out of school, which is all I really need to know). Signe (exchange student from Iowa in northern France) was here with some other exchange students (including my friend Lorca from N.Carolina). We sat talking near the Eiffel tower for a while, then did the European thing and got Kebab for lunch, all the while meeting another exchange student Sarah (in my district, from S. Carolina) in the process. We then walked around Montmartre. Sarah left, Signe and I got cheap pints, and then I went home and ate. Successful day.
My good friend Andrew from church was on vacation in China until Thursday, and I hadn’t seen him since Easter, so it was high time Friday night for a reunion. We went to a bar with some of his fellow Fulbright scholar friends, then made an intensely late (but delicious) dinner for one of his friends and her boyfriend who had just arrived that night from Ecuador.
I thought I was saved from waking up early on Saturdays as I finished with my sport class last week, but Saturday morning started at a solid 7:30 in order to meet Andrew and Paul at 8:30 to pick up our bikes for our excursion into the forest. We had been talking about doing something with just us guys for a while, so it felt relieving Saturday as Andrew, Paul, Taro and I got on the train to Fontainebleu (château outside of Paris) to spend a day riding bikes through the forest and enjoying each others’ company. The whole biking aspect turned out to be a bit more difficult as expected, as fold-up city bikes with tiny tires and wheels aren’t exactly designed to perform on forest trails made for mountain bikes. Our optimistic expectations for finishing the 5 hour loop in 4 quickly turned into constant comments on my part concerning how imperative it was we stop for food, and constant ‘let’s just find this spot’ by our German-Japanese tracker, Taro. We stopped for the long awaited picnic in a boulder field, and just spent time talking, watching lizards, and trying to take group photos. Riding through the forest made me realize how much I miss the outdoors. Sometimes in Paris I just feel so cooped up and claustrophobic because of all the gray buildings that seem to constantly encircle me. It’s really good to get out and smell the roses every once in a while, even though we didn’t see any roses.
(Almost done). Sunday we had a church wide lunch. I discovered that Leffe Brune is infinitely better than Leffe Blonde. I also realized that I’m going to miss the beautiful people at my church more than I know. (beautiful as in, their hearts, not as in ‘I’m only going to miss the good looking people at my church). We also make good food as a church (well, not me…they), which I will equally (not really equally) miss.
I’ve lost all motivation in school. It feels good.
Brent
27 days
I’m trying to write this blog while listening to Irreplaceable by Beyoncé, but it’s not working very well, because I just have this constant urge to dance, but can’t because my host dad’s in the next room, and then by the time I settle down and look at my Microsoft Word screen the song is done and I am forced to start it again.
I am currently in the process of preemptively packing all of my things because of my host brother’s arrival from Brazil on Thursday. I don’t really like packing. I have way too many books.
These blogs should really get written more often, because after a certain point I don’t feel like doing them because so much has happened and I tell myself it will be too hard to explain it all. This is one of those times. But here I am. Typing away.
Two Saturdays ago (the 12th), my school had this ‘oversized gathering’ (aka party) with another school at a club here in Paris. A couple exchange student friends came with me, which saved me as I would have been forced to dance to techno all night with my French friends. But as any good American is trained to dance to rap because of high school dances, we had fun dancing how we wanted. We are exchange students, so we do what we want anyways. It was extremely hot and I perspired copiously. But, you’ll be pleased to know I cut my hair yesterday for the first time since December, so if it so happens that you are dancing near me in the near future, I will be sweating much less. Our night was filled with much more than sweat. It also included fun, confrontation with French people who didn’t like my enthusiastic dancing during 50 Cent, falling asleep in the grass next to an old church while waiting for the Metro to open, and many laughs.
As I got home around 6 in the morning, I slept as much as possible on Sunday (which means until 1 o clock, when my host dad called me for lunch). My friend Elizabeth (exchange student from Cali who was on my EuroTour) was in town with some other exchange students, as she was leaving a few days after for the states. We hung out in a park and then got kicked out because of a severe weather warning, although the sky was perfectly blue and it was sunny out. Go figure.
That night I had an amazing Table Group at Justin’s house. Justin, Taro, Jean (his name is really spelt NDJsomethinsomethin, but I’m not going to even attempt it, although I just did) and I had a great time picking apart 1 John and throwing ideas off each other. Taro brought some German sausages and German beer, which we consumed with pleasure. All a night really needs is some 1 John, German gastronomy, and community.
Thursday was a holiday (although I’m not sure which one, all I know is that I got out of school, which is all I really need to know). Signe (exchange student from Iowa in northern France) was here with some other exchange students (including my friend Lorca from N.Carolina). We sat talking near the Eiffel tower for a while, then did the European thing and got Kebab for lunch, all the while meeting another exchange student Sarah (in my district, from S. Carolina) in the process. We then walked around Montmartre. Sarah left, Signe and I got cheap pints, and then I went home and ate. Successful day.
My good friend Andrew from church was on vacation in China until Thursday, and I hadn’t seen him since Easter, so it was high time Friday night for a reunion. We went to a bar with some of his fellow Fulbright scholar friends, then made an intensely late (but delicious) dinner for one of his friends and her boyfriend who had just arrived that night from Ecuador.
I thought I was saved from waking up early on Saturdays as I finished with my sport class last week, but Saturday morning started at a solid 7:30 in order to meet Andrew and Paul at 8:30 to pick up our bikes for our excursion into the forest. We had been talking about doing something with just us guys for a while, so it felt relieving Saturday as Andrew, Paul, Taro and I got on the train to Fontainebleu (château outside of Paris) to spend a day riding bikes through the forest and enjoying each others’ company. The whole biking aspect turned out to be a bit more difficult as expected, as fold-up city bikes with tiny tires and wheels aren’t exactly designed to perform on forest trails made for mountain bikes. Our optimistic expectations for finishing the 5 hour loop in 4 quickly turned into constant comments on my part concerning how imperative it was we stop for food, and constant ‘let’s just find this spot’ by our German-Japanese tracker, Taro. We stopped for the long awaited picnic in a boulder field, and just spent time talking, watching lizards, and trying to take group photos. Riding through the forest made me realize how much I miss the outdoors. Sometimes in Paris I just feel so cooped up and claustrophobic because of all the gray buildings that seem to constantly encircle me. It’s really good to get out and smell the roses every once in a while, even though we didn’t see any roses.
(Almost done). Sunday we had a church wide lunch. I discovered that Leffe Brune is infinitely better than Leffe Blonde. I also realized that I’m going to miss the beautiful people at my church more than I know. (beautiful as in, their hearts, not as in ‘I’m only going to miss the good looking people at my church). We also make good food as a church (well, not me…they), which I will equally (not really equally) miss.
I’ve lost all motivation in school. It feels good.
Brent
27 days
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