I'll tell you a secret: I'm a food junkie. Especially when it comes to fruit and sweets, I lose all control.
I've come to the right place.
The produce department at the grocery store here is easily double or triple the size of the average Michigan one, bursting with unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, or unfamiliar varieties of familiar ones (did you know there are several different varieties of avocado and broccoli?) Brazilians also know how to do sweets the right way, making them not mildly sweet but fully, richly delicious.
I have tried such a great number of interesting new foods that I could probably write a blog entry every single day solely about the cuisine encountered. It's THAT good. However, for the sake of not filling this website with pages upon pages of banana descriptions (by the way, even average bananas are SO flavorful here), I'll spill all the beans here.
Speaking of beans, they're absolutely the staple of a typical Brazil diet, along with rice. Almost every meal includes these two foods in some capacity. Brazilians know how to cook these to be delicious.
I'll break it down into some food categories for easy navigating! Hope you have some food handy, because you will likely be hungry by the end of this.
BY THE WAY: this blog is very long, I'm sorry. I just couldn't keep anything out. Please skip around as desired, but know that the beverages, fruit, and corn categories probably contain the most unique information.
Beverages
Juice. It is THE beverage. At the house, we make fresh juice 2 or 3 times a day. At restaurants, at food stands, at parties, juice is usually the only option available, and there are some weird ones! Cashew juice, strawberry juice, mango juice. Watermelon juice is my favorite, and I recall asking throughout my childhood why watermelon juice wasn't widely popular when watermelons are so juicy. The question hasn't dissipated here. It's divine. Passion fruit-mango juice is incredibly refreshing, and we had orange-apple-lime juice the other day which I feel should become queen of the universe.
Pop is available here, but not widely popular.
Also, something I find odd is that meals are eaten without beverages. The thought is that the liquid takes up room where the food could have been, so people will feel full prematurely. Immediately after the meal, the juice is served.
Here's a quick recipe to make juice in a regular blender! (That's how they do it here.)
1. Take away undesired peels, rinds, or shells. Seeds can stay.
2. Put the fruit in the blender, and add water until it's almost covered.
3. Blend until liquefied.
4. Pour it through a strainer into a pitcher. The tiny strainers with the handle and metal mesh work best.
5. Add sugar (because the water takes away some of the natural sweetness).
6. Enjoy!
Fruits
I've tried so many new fruits; my absolute favorite is called caqui (persimmon in English, but I didn't know that so to me it will always be caqui!) It looks like a tomato, but it's very sweet and slimy and very fun to eat. Another very delicious fruit is called pinha - cherimoya in English (why do we have so many long, complicated names for these foreign fruits??) Despite it's ginormous seeds, it is dreamy, though I fail to find the words necessary to describe its taste.
Passion fruit and goiaba (guava) are also fruits that are very popular here that are a bit more difficult to encounter in my end on the world.
Oranges are green, but they taste very similar to the orange ones. And oddly enough, they are still called oranges despite their greenness.
There is great confusion when speaking about lemons and limes, as there is only one word for them in Portuguese - limão (pronounced lee-moan, more or less). Unfortunately, the fruit that is called simply limão happens to be what we call a lime. Regular lemons are called Sicilian limes. And what they call lemon juice, I call limeade. All conversations I have tried to have about either of these fruits has resulted in mass confusion.
It has been surprising how many things I dislike in the USA that are delicious here! For example, pineapple. I can force it down, though it's never my favorite. Here though - oh my goodness!!! A civil war broke out in the house over the last piece, and there was a very good reason for that war! It's beyond delicious. There are little saws on the leaves of the pineapples, which I don't recall in the USA, so maybe they're a different variety. (But then again, I've never bought a pineapple in the USA, so I may be very wrong about this).
Fruits can be dangerous, too! There may not be flying snakes here (contrary to André's persuasions), but there are attacker fruits. I. Am. Now. Terrified. Of. Cashews. Cashews grow attached to a giant fruit. Each individual nut is attached to it's own fruit the size of a small apple (no wonder cashews are so expensive!) The fruit is popular for juice here, and we bought some to try. Naturally, I had to get the cashew out of the shell, so I took a knife and started sawing away. A white oil emerged, covering my hands. Turns out this oil is related to poison ivy, and 4 weeks later, it continues to be a very bad experience. And I never did get to the cashew...
Veggies
Vegetables are pretty similar to those in the USA. The only huge difference I can note is that there are several varieties of a few vegetables I didn't know had several varieties. Like cucumbers and zucchini. Sure, I knew of salad cucumbers vs. pickle cucumbers (or maybe those are the same?) Here, they come in every possible shade of green.
Broccoli also has several varieties. And there is a very spicy lettuce variety called rucola (arugula in English) that takes me by surprise whenever I accidentally encounter it in a salad.
Squash is also popular, and is used in a variety of delicious desserts!
Corn
Yes, corn gets its own subtitle.
I always knew and loved corn on the cob and corn muffins, but here they take corn to a whole new level.
Like corn juice. Seriously the most delicious beverage that has ever touched my lips. It is creamy, made with milk, and oh so sweet. We even made our own the other day, and it was so easy and good!
Corn popsicles are heavenly. Pamonha is delicious (cheese covered in this warm cakey corn stuff). And corn cookies are now my preference to the traditional flour-made ones.
I never would have expected corn stuff to be good, but I found myself craving it every second of every day after I tried it.
Dairy
Milk tastes different here. It is sweeter and has a totally different flare to it. As milk containers differ around the world, I'll also mention that it comes in small bottles or cartons, and is not kept in the refrigerator until after it is opened.
Cheddar cheese is very difficult to find here, and is very expensive when it is encountered. Several types of parmesan and mozzarella are easily found here. And grilled string cheese is a thing!
There is one type of cheese that comes in big half-moon chunks and is "the" cheese. I don't know if it has a widely known name, and the only thing I can compare it to is Mexican cheese. White liquid cheese is also common, and a delicious addition to tomato sauces and goiaba desserts.
Bread
Fresh potato bread is the best!! And their form of cinnamon raisin bread is far softer than ours. Warm egg and cheese between the raisin bread is simply the best! We also bought fresh French-style bread to eat with our cheese fondue on International Women's Day, and there is nothing like it.
An interesting sidenote is that I have not yet encountered a toaster here. I should probably ask about that.
Cheese bread, a traditional Brazilian favorite, consists of bread in the shape of a ball filled with cheese. And pastels, which technically aren't bread but I don't know what they would be considered, are cheese-filled thin pastries that are deep fried. They are even awesomer when paired with the corn juice.
Meat
Meat is an integral part of the Brazilian diet, and it looks to be very tender and delicious all the time. Octopus was included in a seafood dish the other day, but other than that it's pretty standard. I'm a vegetarian though, so I don't really have the authority to comment!
Sweets
Nothing else matters. Skip the rest of the blog. Read here.
My sweet tooth has tripled in size, and any self-control I had before coming here has flown out the window.
Mostly due to the widespread use of condensed milk. It had its own layer in the birthday cake. It is the staple ingredient in the peanut candy we had. It is in donuts. And... Guys, I'm in love.
Ice cream is always self-serve, so a person can try as many types as they want to each visit. The only problem with this, as I've discovered, is that they all melt together and it becomes difficult to distinguish one from another. Truffle ice cream is my favorite, with corn ice cream making a close second. There is also papaya, blackberry, passion fruit, coconut, and several varieties of chocolate and vanilla.
Fried bananas, tapioca cakes, churros with doce de leite, carolinas... The deliciousness never stops.
P.S. McFlurries here are the same as Mexican ones, which I once ate while walking through a thunderstorm and didn't even care if I got struck by lightning.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
To be an American Abroad
I'm famous.
And I don't say that in some self-centered way. I mean I have legitimately had people hiding their faces and freaking out as if they just met their favorite celebrity.
It's pretty bizarre, actually.
Before I started traveling to different countries, I thought every country produced all their own music, movies, and TV shows. I believed this because I had not known of any media that was popular in the USA that wasn't created in the USA, so I figured every other country was the same way. False. The USA is absolutely the media capitol of the world, and almost everybody watches and listens to American media that may or may not be translated (or have voice overs) in their language. Disney channel with the actors' and actresses' mouths moving to English but with strange voices speaking Portuguese? It's odd indeed.
Unfortunately, I'm a pretty terrible person to be representing the USA in a foreign country, because I'm not up on the media at all.
Excited children: WE KNOW AMERICAN MUSIC!!! *starts singing songs I don't know*
Guys, I listen to Spanish reggae.....
Excited children: WE KNOW AMERICAN MOVIES TOO!!!! *starts listing movies I've never heard of*
Guys, I watched Tarzan for the first time ever here with you, in Portuguese, yesterday.....
And then of course everyone is disappointed. I'm sorry!
And then there was the guy who was SO excited to meet me and after several hours he finally came over to talk to me, and his question was this: Do Americans drink tea like the British? Haha I love it.
And I don't say that in some self-centered way. I mean I have legitimately had people hiding their faces and freaking out as if they just met their favorite celebrity.
It's pretty bizarre, actually.
Before I started traveling to different countries, I thought every country produced all their own music, movies, and TV shows. I believed this because I had not known of any media that was popular in the USA that wasn't created in the USA, so I figured every other country was the same way. False. The USA is absolutely the media capitol of the world, and almost everybody watches and listens to American media that may or may not be translated (or have voice overs) in their language. Disney channel with the actors' and actresses' mouths moving to English but with strange voices speaking Portuguese? It's odd indeed.
Unfortunately, I'm a pretty terrible person to be representing the USA in a foreign country, because I'm not up on the media at all.
Excited children: WE KNOW AMERICAN MUSIC!!! *starts singing songs I don't know*
Guys, I listen to Spanish reggae.....
Excited children: WE KNOW AMERICAN MOVIES TOO!!!! *starts listing movies I've never heard of*
Guys, I watched Tarzan for the first time ever here with you, in Portuguese, yesterday.....
And then of course everyone is disappointed. I'm sorry!
And then there was the guy who was SO excited to meet me and after several hours he finally came over to talk to me, and his question was this: Do Americans drink tea like the British? Haha I love it.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Eu Não Falo Português (I do not speak Portuguese)
How to pretend to speak Portuguese:
1. Translate desired phrase into Portuguese as much as possible
2. If a word is unknown in Portuguese, say the Spanish word and hope it's close enough to be understood (9 times out of 10 it is)
3. If a word is unknown in both Portuguese and Spanish, either say it in English or leave it out completely
4. Speak slowly and in an accent that is supposed to be Brazilian but is in reality more like Kermit the Frog
5. Add charades
Like I said, I don't speak Portuguese. But surprisingly, this method works 99% of the time.
Although the other day I needed to convey that one of the kids was pooping, but I didn't know the word for it so I was stuck with charades. That was something I certainly never expected to check off my bucket list! Haha.
I've never been in a place where I needed a language so much. In Mexico, we had translators with us at all times. In Denmark, I encountered a grand total of one person who didn't speak English. Here in Brazil though, I've only met a total of 7 people who can speak English, so it's kind of necessary to know it to talk with anyone outside of that.
I've started volunteering at a place where NOBODY speaks English. There are tons of kids there, and they are all super curious and will bombard me with questions. Sometimes I understand and can answer, but sometimes I simply don't know a word that is vital to the question, so I can't. It's interesting to see how different people respond to this. Some people laugh and hug me; some people just give up and go do something else; some people speak louder and louder because that's probably why I can't understand; some people repeat the question 15 times even after I have expressed in multiple ways that I don't have the necessary knowledge to answer; some people get this very disappointed look and just stare at me while my heart breaks.
I've discovered that there is nothing in this world that physically hurts my brain more than spending 3 hours having multiple kids talk to me rapidly and in a foreign language at the same time. My brain just fries. It would be a challenge even if they were speaking English, but in Portuguese I don't stand a chance!
There are many people, though, who are willing to slow down their speech and act out their words to converse with me. I am SO appreciative of these people! It's so much better than remaining strangers!
Something that really surprised me about Portuguese is that things are said very differently than in English, so a direct translation often makes no sense. Somebody asked me a question the other day and I understood every single word individually, but the question still made no sense to me at all. I never imagined that could happen! For example, "everybody" is said as "todo mundo," which directly translates to "all world." I guess this is logical, but it would be bizarre to say in English "all the world danced" referring to the 20 people at the party...
Questions are hard, because I have to make sure I understand completely so as to not give any drastically false information (after accidentally telling somebody the other day that I have kids, I'm a bit more wary!) Statements are easier though, because I can generally grasp the main idea, then use the tone to decide in what manner I should respond.
It's definitely a journey, and I'm so appreciative that the people I encounter here are happy that I'm trying, rather than frustrated by my mistakes (although I'm sure they're frustrated on the inside!)
I hope you are all having wonderful days! And if you have time, start learning a foreign language, it'll be very worth it someday!
Tchau Todo Mundo(:
1. Translate desired phrase into Portuguese as much as possible
2. If a word is unknown in Portuguese, say the Spanish word and hope it's close enough to be understood (9 times out of 10 it is)
3. If a word is unknown in both Portuguese and Spanish, either say it in English or leave it out completely
4. Speak slowly and in an accent that is supposed to be Brazilian but is in reality more like Kermit the Frog
5. Add charades
Like I said, I don't speak Portuguese. But surprisingly, this method works 99% of the time.
Although the other day I needed to convey that one of the kids was pooping, but I didn't know the word for it so I was stuck with charades. That was something I certainly never expected to check off my bucket list! Haha.
I've never been in a place where I needed a language so much. In Mexico, we had translators with us at all times. In Denmark, I encountered a grand total of one person who didn't speak English. Here in Brazil though, I've only met a total of 7 people who can speak English, so it's kind of necessary to know it to talk with anyone outside of that.
I've started volunteering at a place where NOBODY speaks English. There are tons of kids there, and they are all super curious and will bombard me with questions. Sometimes I understand and can answer, but sometimes I simply don't know a word that is vital to the question, so I can't. It's interesting to see how different people respond to this. Some people laugh and hug me; some people just give up and go do something else; some people speak louder and louder because that's probably why I can't understand; some people repeat the question 15 times even after I have expressed in multiple ways that I don't have the necessary knowledge to answer; some people get this very disappointed look and just stare at me while my heart breaks.
I've discovered that there is nothing in this world that physically hurts my brain more than spending 3 hours having multiple kids talk to me rapidly and in a foreign language at the same time. My brain just fries. It would be a challenge even if they were speaking English, but in Portuguese I don't stand a chance!
There are many people, though, who are willing to slow down their speech and act out their words to converse with me. I am SO appreciative of these people! It's so much better than remaining strangers!
Something that really surprised me about Portuguese is that things are said very differently than in English, so a direct translation often makes no sense. Somebody asked me a question the other day and I understood every single word individually, but the question still made no sense to me at all. I never imagined that could happen! For example, "everybody" is said as "todo mundo," which directly translates to "all world." I guess this is logical, but it would be bizarre to say in English "all the world danced" referring to the 20 people at the party...
Questions are hard, because I have to make sure I understand completely so as to not give any drastically false information (after accidentally telling somebody the other day that I have kids, I'm a bit more wary!) Statements are easier though, because I can generally grasp the main idea, then use the tone to decide in what manner I should respond.
It's definitely a journey, and I'm so appreciative that the people I encounter here are happy that I'm trying, rather than frustrated by my mistakes (although I'm sure they're frustrated on the inside!)
I hope you are all having wonderful days! And if you have time, start learning a foreign language, it'll be very worth it someday!
Tchau Todo Mundo(:
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Pools, Cows, and Other Adventures
Yesterday consisted of watching older men swimming in their underwear and being put in prison by a witch.
Just another normal day...
OK, maybe not. I should explain. After a morning of independently studying Portuguese, I went with Carol to watch Luca's swimming lesson. There were so many cute little kids already swimming better than I could ever dream to, and it looked like such fun. Afterwards, Carol gave Luca a shower while I went back to the viewing area so as to not overcrowd the locker room. I was by myself sitting there watching the pool, when all of a sudden these men came and got in the pool. And male swimsuits in Brazil are the equivalent of underwear, by the way. So that was an experience.
And later, Isabela (almost 3) told me that I was a princess and she was an evil witch, and she promptly imprisoned me. There were only 4 unlocked doors leading to the room, so there was no hope of escape!
We also spent a significant amount of time throwing flip flops at a bush and trying to get them stuck, which is actually a ton of fun. Unfortunately, Luca got his stuck on top of the carport, so I tried to knock it down with my flip flop, which went over the beam and landed....well, I wish I knew where. We haven't actually found it yet.
I'm fairly certain a cow was giving birth outside my window last night. There was some intense mooing going on. And every once in a while, a chicken gave a screech so loud and sudden that my body left the bed for a minute, and my heart would have won gold if there was an Olympic category for heart speed.
I closed the window because I didn't want to win gold, but I forgot about that this morning and promptly slammed my face into the glass. Luckily, it now has a nice nose print so that shouldn't be happening again anytime soon.
I took a walk around the neighborhood this morning. It is beautiful. Due to safety concerns, most of the subdivisions are gated with someone manning the gate at all times and a special card required for entry. The rest of the subdivision is surrounded by a tall wall, topped with barbed wire and security cameras. This makes them incredibly safe.
This afternoon we visited a community center that hosts a before/after school program (most kids here only attend school for half the day until they reach high school). The center reminded me very much of the centers we volunteered at in Washington D C. The kids are ages 5-12, and I'll be volunteering there starting Monday. Everybody there is SO nice, but I'm a bit nervous because not a single person there speaks English!!
I'm currently sitting in a beauty parlor and Carol is getting a massage that consists of having the hair on her head pulled. Apparently it's very painful, but it really relaxes the muscles.
There is a thunderstorm going on outside, but I wish there was a stronger word for it. I've never experienced thunderstorms as intense as the ones here. The skies just open and it's like there are faucets coming from every inch of cloud. The streets become river-like in a matter of minutes, and the thunder is absolutely ear-piercing.
Well, that's the news from Brazil. Hope everything is going wonderfully wherever you may be!
Just another normal day...
OK, maybe not. I should explain. After a morning of independently studying Portuguese, I went with Carol to watch Luca's swimming lesson. There were so many cute little kids already swimming better than I could ever dream to, and it looked like such fun. Afterwards, Carol gave Luca a shower while I went back to the viewing area so as to not overcrowd the locker room. I was by myself sitting there watching the pool, when all of a sudden these men came and got in the pool. And male swimsuits in Brazil are the equivalent of underwear, by the way. So that was an experience.
And later, Isabela (almost 3) told me that I was a princess and she was an evil witch, and she promptly imprisoned me. There were only 4 unlocked doors leading to the room, so there was no hope of escape!
We also spent a significant amount of time throwing flip flops at a bush and trying to get them stuck, which is actually a ton of fun. Unfortunately, Luca got his stuck on top of the carport, so I tried to knock it down with my flip flop, which went over the beam and landed....well, I wish I knew where. We haven't actually found it yet.
I'm fairly certain a cow was giving birth outside my window last night. There was some intense mooing going on. And every once in a while, a chicken gave a screech so loud and sudden that my body left the bed for a minute, and my heart would have won gold if there was an Olympic category for heart speed.
I closed the window because I didn't want to win gold, but I forgot about that this morning and promptly slammed my face into the glass. Luckily, it now has a nice nose print so that shouldn't be happening again anytime soon.
I took a walk around the neighborhood this morning. It is beautiful. Due to safety concerns, most of the subdivisions are gated with someone manning the gate at all times and a special card required for entry. The rest of the subdivision is surrounded by a tall wall, topped with barbed wire and security cameras. This makes them incredibly safe.
This afternoon we visited a community center that hosts a before/after school program (most kids here only attend school for half the day until they reach high school). The center reminded me very much of the centers we volunteered at in Washington D C. The kids are ages 5-12, and I'll be volunteering there starting Monday. Everybody there is SO nice, but I'm a bit nervous because not a single person there speaks English!!
I'm currently sitting in a beauty parlor and Carol is getting a massage that consists of having the hair on her head pulled. Apparently it's very painful, but it really relaxes the muscles.
There is a thunderstorm going on outside, but I wish there was a stronger word for it. I've never experienced thunderstorms as intense as the ones here. The skies just open and it's like there are faucets coming from every inch of cloud. The streets become river-like in a matter of minutes, and the thunder is absolutely ear-piercing.
Well, that's the news from Brazil. Hope everything is going wonderfully wherever you may be!
Monday, February 22, 2016
Brazil Beginnings
What an adventure this life is! I can't sing God's praises enough for allowing my fingerprint to be left all over the world. Little, insignificant me. Incredible.
Today alone, I have....
- had a 5 year old translating for me
- eaten the BEST BANANA of my life
- found a pastry delicious enough to name a kid after
It all started Friday as I went to the airport, a little late, after seeing my awesome little (and big!!!) cousins. What an awesome farewell(:
Luckily all the lines were short, and I made it through in no time. I didn't even have to be searched by the TSA this time! Hooray for not using explosive lotion!!
I had a direct, 10 hour flight from Detroit to São Paulo, and it was also my first red eye flight where the seat next to me wasn't conveniently empty. Turns out, it's super uncomfortable to sleep sitting up, especially when a strange person is sitting only inches away! In case you were wondering...
I arrived at GRU an hour early and made it through customs without talking to a single person, something that I imagine to be impossible in the USA. Then we had an impromptu game of hide and seek, as Carol went to a different terminal and it took us a while to figure that out! I also was attempting to explain to a security guard in Portuguese that I was looking for a person at the bank, and I didn't actually have any reason to go there if she wasn't there. Harder than it sounds!
I also met an Iranian family at this time, and they were very interesting to talk to. I only mention this because I never expected to converse with people from the middle east while in South America. I guess the world really is small(:
After Carol found me, we drove back to their house. It's a beautiful country. It took me a little bit to figure out who spoke English and who spoke only Portuguese - even within the airport this was a struggle. It has also taken me a little time to adjust to the culture, as it's a bizarre thing to jump into a family in an unfamiliar place. But everyone I meet is so beyond friendly(: I love them all!!!
The kids are SO MUCH FUN, but they are definitely still in the process of getting used to having a strange person in the house. I'm also discovering that it's difficult to play make-believe in two different languages...
We went to a fruitaria today, and there were so many fruits I've never heard of before. We got a bunch to try, and I'm STOKED! And the fresh juice is amazing.
And it is raining. And raining. So very much.
This of course is only a shadow of all that has occurred here so far, and the adventure will continue!
Boa noite(:
Today alone, I have....
- had a 5 year old translating for me
- eaten the BEST BANANA of my life
- found a pastry delicious enough to name a kid after
It all started Friday as I went to the airport, a little late, after seeing my awesome little (and big!!!) cousins. What an awesome farewell(:
Luckily all the lines were short, and I made it through in no time. I didn't even have to be searched by the TSA this time! Hooray for not using explosive lotion!!
I had a direct, 10 hour flight from Detroit to São Paulo, and it was also my first red eye flight where the seat next to me wasn't conveniently empty. Turns out, it's super uncomfortable to sleep sitting up, especially when a strange person is sitting only inches away! In case you were wondering...
I arrived at GRU an hour early and made it through customs without talking to a single person, something that I imagine to be impossible in the USA. Then we had an impromptu game of hide and seek, as Carol went to a different terminal and it took us a while to figure that out! I also was attempting to explain to a security guard in Portuguese that I was looking for a person at the bank, and I didn't actually have any reason to go there if she wasn't there. Harder than it sounds!
I also met an Iranian family at this time, and they were very interesting to talk to. I only mention this because I never expected to converse with people from the middle east while in South America. I guess the world really is small(:
After Carol found me, we drove back to their house. It's a beautiful country. It took me a little bit to figure out who spoke English and who spoke only Portuguese - even within the airport this was a struggle. It has also taken me a little time to adjust to the culture, as it's a bizarre thing to jump into a family in an unfamiliar place. But everyone I meet is so beyond friendly(: I love them all!!!
The kids are SO MUCH FUN, but they are definitely still in the process of getting used to having a strange person in the house. I'm also discovering that it's difficult to play make-believe in two different languages...
We went to a fruitaria today, and there were so many fruits I've never heard of before. We got a bunch to try, and I'm STOKED! And the fresh juice is amazing.
And it is raining. And raining. So very much.
This of course is only a shadow of all that has occurred here so far, and the adventure will continue!
Boa noite(:
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Red Tape
I have done a decent amount of traveling in my life thus far - family trips all around the United States, a mission trip to Mexico, a youth exchange to Denmark. So I figured going to South America would be a piece of cake.
But I realized something, and I realized it fast: I have never before been faced with the task of taking care of all the nitty gritty details of traveling. My parents would book the hotels and rental cars and all that good stuff for our family trips. My church took care of all the Mexico technicalities, like travel insurance and currency exchange, and the Lions Club took care of all that for Denmark.
So here I was, thinking it would be a piece of cake to hop on a plane and head for South America. WRONG!
First of all, there was the whole issue of the visas. I can't even begin to express how much I now despise visas! Both Brazil and Bolivia require USA citizens to have a tourist visa for entry. I was completing my Brazilian visa application during finals week, and it made my exams seem easy!
The applications themselves weren't necessarily hard, it was the documents that were required to accompany them that posed the difficulty. Here are the items that were required for both visas:
- A passport
- A passport sized photo, with very specific requirements for background color, lighting, direction of head, amount of hair touching face - even the facial expression has to be correct (no smiling allowed... but also no frowning allowed)
- A bank statement that proves you have enough $$ to sustain yourself - even if you're staying with a family and don't realistically need nearly as much as they require
- A signed letter of invitation from the host family, including very specific information such as family address, national ID numbers, jobs, etc.
- A copy of flight itinerary proving you will not be staying more than 90 days. This sounds simple enough, but when one of the tickets must be booked entirely in Spanish, and then the bank gets all suspicious and shuts down the debit card that is being used for the purchase (because I mean what American flies on Bolivian Airlines), it becomes a little more challenging.
- A money order for $160, and it has to be the through the USPS. No checks allowed.
And that $160? That's for Americans specifically, and it's only because that's how much we charge outsiders to obtain a visa to visit here. And it looks like almost everyone is required to get a visa to come to the USA!
Here is the price chart located on the Brazilian Consulate's website for Brazilian Tourist visa fees:
Below this on the website are several more charts for all the different types of visas that simply say
USA: <insert high cost>
All other countries: <insert significantly lower cost>
Definitely feeling the love here.
And actually, as far as Bolivia goes, we are one of the only western countries that is required to obtain a visa. Lowell Silverman, in his blog entitled "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (If I Must)," wrote the following:
"If you are a citizen of Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, most countries in Western Europe, Turkey, most of South America, and several other countries, congratulations! Bolivia likes your country. You don’t need a visa to enter Bolivia. Check your country’s specific documentation requirements like passport or ID for entry. Alas, poor Americans. Not only do US citizens need a Bolivian visa (unless they’re of Bolivian origin, apparently), but the requirements appear to be the most stringent of any country in the world."
(His complete blog can be found at https://lowellsilverman.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/obtaining-a-bolivian-tourist-visa/)
The other difficulty I had with the visas was that I couldn't get through to the Bolivian Consulate to ask my questions (I think they only have one or two phone lines, so they're almost always busy), and since I couldn't get in contact with them, I grew very nervous to send my passport to them. What if it didn't get back in time? What would I do?
So I made an unexpected trip to New York City. Luckily, I was in Connecticut anyway so it wasn't too much of an inconvenience, but I did manage to get sufficiently lost around Grand Central Station. The consulate was absolutely the nicest office I've ever been in, and the woman at the desk was one of the nicest people I have ever encountered in my life.
I had also made an unplanned trip to Chicago with my parents to go to the Brazilian consulate. This was very different from the Bolivian consulate experience. People were lined up outside the door before the consulate even opened! (Between Carnaval and the Olympics this year, they're experiencing a LOT of tourism!) And everything was extremely formal at the consulate, compared to the casual atmosphere at the Bolivian consulate. Everybody was very friendly, though!
And then on top of all the visas, I had to get specific immunizations with international certificates for reentry into Brazil after going to Bolivia (Yellow Fever), so that involved calling all the health departments in the thumb area and beyond.
And then there was the currency exchange, which is through my bank and wonderfully fast, but they didn't have as much Bolivian currency on hand as I needed, so that poses a problem.
And then there's insurance, and trying to get a new phone before I leave so I will have communication in case I get lost or kidnapped. I just wasn't expecting all of these technical details! It's overwhelming.
But it will be totally worth it!!
But I realized something, and I realized it fast: I have never before been faced with the task of taking care of all the nitty gritty details of traveling. My parents would book the hotels and rental cars and all that good stuff for our family trips. My church took care of all the Mexico technicalities, like travel insurance and currency exchange, and the Lions Club took care of all that for Denmark.
So here I was, thinking it would be a piece of cake to hop on a plane and head for South America. WRONG!
First of all, there was the whole issue of the visas. I can't even begin to express how much I now despise visas! Both Brazil and Bolivia require USA citizens to have a tourist visa for entry. I was completing my Brazilian visa application during finals week, and it made my exams seem easy!
The applications themselves weren't necessarily hard, it was the documents that were required to accompany them that posed the difficulty. Here are the items that were required for both visas:
- A passport
- A passport sized photo, with very specific requirements for background color, lighting, direction of head, amount of hair touching face - even the facial expression has to be correct (no smiling allowed... but also no frowning allowed)
- A bank statement that proves you have enough $$ to sustain yourself - even if you're staying with a family and don't realistically need nearly as much as they require
- A signed letter of invitation from the host family, including very specific information such as family address, national ID numbers, jobs, etc.
- A copy of flight itinerary proving you will not be staying more than 90 days. This sounds simple enough, but when one of the tickets must be booked entirely in Spanish, and then the bank gets all suspicious and shuts down the debit card that is being used for the purchase (because I mean what American flies on Bolivian Airlines), it becomes a little more challenging.
- A money order for $160, and it has to be the through the USPS. No checks allowed.
And that $160? That's for Americans specifically, and it's only because that's how much we charge outsiders to obtain a visa to visit here. And it looks like almost everyone is required to get a visa to come to the USA!
Here is the price chart located on the Brazilian Consulate's website for Brazilian Tourist visa fees:
Below this on the website are several more charts for all the different types of visas that simply say
USA: <insert high cost>
All other countries: <insert significantly lower cost>
Definitely feeling the love here.
And actually, as far as Bolivia goes, we are one of the only western countries that is required to obtain a visa. Lowell Silverman, in his blog entitled "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (If I Must)," wrote the following:
"If you are a citizen of Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, most countries in Western Europe, Turkey, most of South America, and several other countries, congratulations! Bolivia likes your country. You don’t need a visa to enter Bolivia. Check your country’s specific documentation requirements like passport or ID for entry. Alas, poor Americans. Not only do US citizens need a Bolivian visa (unless they’re of Bolivian origin, apparently), but the requirements appear to be the most stringent of any country in the world."
(His complete blog can be found at https://lowellsilverman.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/obtaining-a-bolivian-tourist-visa/)
The other difficulty I had with the visas was that I couldn't get through to the Bolivian Consulate to ask my questions (I think they only have one or two phone lines, so they're almost always busy), and since I couldn't get in contact with them, I grew very nervous to send my passport to them. What if it didn't get back in time? What would I do?
So I made an unexpected trip to New York City. Luckily, I was in Connecticut anyway so it wasn't too much of an inconvenience, but I did manage to get sufficiently lost around Grand Central Station. The consulate was absolutely the nicest office I've ever been in, and the woman at the desk was one of the nicest people I have ever encountered in my life.
I had also made an unplanned trip to Chicago with my parents to go to the Brazilian consulate. This was very different from the Bolivian consulate experience. People were lined up outside the door before the consulate even opened! (Between Carnaval and the Olympics this year, they're experiencing a LOT of tourism!) And everything was extremely formal at the consulate, compared to the casual atmosphere at the Bolivian consulate. Everybody was very friendly, though!
And then on top of all the visas, I had to get specific immunizations with international certificates for reentry into Brazil after going to Bolivia (Yellow Fever), so that involved calling all the health departments in the thumb area and beyond.
And then there was the currency exchange, which is through my bank and wonderfully fast, but they didn't have as much Bolivian currency on hand as I needed, so that poses a problem.
And then there's insurance, and trying to get a new phone before I leave so I will have communication in case I get lost or kidnapped. I just wasn't expecting all of these technical details! It's overwhelming.
But it will be totally worth it!!
Monday, January 11, 2016
Washington D.C. Urban Intensive
Wow, what a week it has been! It feels like a month, solely as a result of the incredible amount this week has held.
I spent this week participating in the college age Urban Intensive hosted by Center for Student Missions (CSM), which is an incredible organization by the way. I had actually been really debating about whether I should do this program, as I had originally signed up for Denver but it was cancelled due to lack of people. Then one night, God took me for a drive (i.e. I got the intense feeling that I should turn left instead of right, and God showed me all the wonders of downtown Port Huron until I decided I was passionate about urban environments. Definitely felt God's presence big time!) Then I got home and discovered a bunch of paychecks I had forgotten to cash, so it was paid for. Thanks, God!
We stayed in the basement of a church, showers complete with a "sound portal" to the street so all the bustle could be heard. (I don't know if you've ever listened to the conversations of strange drunk men while you were showering, but it is an interesting experience indeed! Hahah.)
Here's a brief overview of each day! I have far too many stories to fit here, but I'd love to share the excess ones personally if you're ever interested!
SUNDAY 1/3
- up at 4am to catch my flight
- lotion set off the airport security alarms, so I had to go through a whole long process involving full luggage searches and a pat down (another adventure in living, I suppose!)
- arrived in D.C. and promptly took the wrong suitcase off the round.. I felt like Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother as I meekly put it back
- went adventuring through the city for 5 hours! (I probably should have brushed up on my knowledge of D.C. before going, as I immediately sent my dad a photo of the national library asking if it was the White House...) P.S. The Washington Monument is super huge in real life, so although it appears to be only a couple blocks from the Capitol Building, it is in fact a mile away and one should not attempt to walk there and back in 20 minutes...
-CSM introductions and dinner at yummy Thai restaurant
MONDAY 1/4
- presentations and articles about poverty and the corruption present in the main D.C. homeless shelter
- prayer tour of the city
- kicked out of the car on a random street corner with nothing more than $2 each for dinner and a key to the church. Facing a far more mild form of the poverty others face daily, we were surprised to discover how difficult it was to find a restroom that could be used without making a purchase, and the lack of food variety available for less than $12 total for the meal (for 6 people).
- walked past a man in the park.. He was completely surrounded with bags and covered in blankets, sitting upright, shivering uncontrollably.
TUESDAY 1/5
- another informative presentation about child poverty nationwide
- community food giveaway at Children of Mine - awesome to talk to all the friendly people as we gave them food
- returned to Children of Mine to be a part of the after school program. Homework, reading, dinner, and a place to safely hang out. The love poured out on the children there is indescribable!
- dinner at Vietnamese restaurant with the best jack berry smoothies in the universe. Also learned how to say "thank you" in Vietnamese!
WEDNESDAY 1/6
- meeting at Bread for the World (an amazing organization fighting both domestic and international hunger by targeting the root causes of it) to learn about our congressional meetings Friday
- visit to Orr Elementary where I was spent time with a 2nd grade class. The kids were SO outgoing and friendly! I unintentionally created chaos as all the kids were fighting to sit next to me (and I did nothing to make them like me, they were just that welcoming!) At one point, I had 6 girls petting my head obsessing over the softness of my hair hahah (that area of town is rather segregated, so they don't encounter many people with hair that's not black)
- one girl in that class particularly struck my heart. She was extremely behind in math and had no interest in doing it, but she was incredibly intelligent! I asked her if she gets help with her homework, and she told me that she has 9 siblings and only sees her dad on Wednesdays, so she has to spend all her time at home helping her mom with her younger siblings. The only time she can do homework is in the car on the way to school, but she can't even focus because her siblings are screaming. This is a child who is so incredibly smart, but she is getting left behind due to her family life, which is totally out of her control. This makes me sad.
THURSDAY 1/7
- heard from the people who started a super diverse community church in the area. They offered great insight into urban ministry
- headed to Anacostia, one of the more dangerous regions of D.C. Even the grocery store had several security guards at the door
- headed to Brighter Day Ministries in Anacostia and helped with the after school program. The kids were SO CUTE and I had fun break dancing with some of the little ones. I think I spent the majority of the afternoon as a tiger.
- as I was pretending to be a horse, the kids who were trying to ride said horse suddenly froze, staring at my head. Then one murmured, "You have gum in your hair." So that was an adventure.
FRIDAY 1/8
- Bread for the World for further instruction on our congressional meetings
- we were set loose in D.C. to go to our appointments with staff of our representative and senators! I met with people from Candice Miller's office, and stopped by my senators' offices in attempt to get meetings. We were discussing some specific terms we wanted in an upcoming bill relating to American child hunger. (I'm not going to go into anymore detail about these meetings, but they were SUPER COOL and I would be totally thrilled to tell you all about them sometime!)
-aimlessly wandered through the Senate buildings, then went to the Capitol and Botanical Garden with one of the girls in my group, running through each as they were closing
- debrief at Bread for the World
- dinner at Busboys & Poets, complete with the penguin joke :D
- touristy night... White House, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial... and gelato!
SATURDAY 1/9
- breakfast, devotions together, and prayer over each other
- goodbyes. It was SO SAD to leave, because all of us grew so close over the week! There were 4 of us participating, plus 2 leaders...and each and every one of them is an absolutely incredible, fun, godly, inspiring woman!
- to the train! And that was a whole new adventure in itself..
For some reason, it wouldn't let me post photos from my tablet, so here is a link to a photo album that corresponds with this post. https://goo.gl/photos/Hj7k12DEurUGL81A8
I spent this week participating in the college age Urban Intensive hosted by Center for Student Missions (CSM), which is an incredible organization by the way. I had actually been really debating about whether I should do this program, as I had originally signed up for Denver but it was cancelled due to lack of people. Then one night, God took me for a drive (i.e. I got the intense feeling that I should turn left instead of right, and God showed me all the wonders of downtown Port Huron until I decided I was passionate about urban environments. Definitely felt God's presence big time!) Then I got home and discovered a bunch of paychecks I had forgotten to cash, so it was paid for. Thanks, God!
We stayed in the basement of a church, showers complete with a "sound portal" to the street so all the bustle could be heard. (I don't know if you've ever listened to the conversations of strange drunk men while you were showering, but it is an interesting experience indeed! Hahah.)
Here's a brief overview of each day! I have far too many stories to fit here, but I'd love to share the excess ones personally if you're ever interested!
SUNDAY 1/3
- up at 4am to catch my flight
- lotion set off the airport security alarms, so I had to go through a whole long process involving full luggage searches and a pat down (another adventure in living, I suppose!)
- arrived in D.C. and promptly took the wrong suitcase off the round.. I felt like Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother as I meekly put it back
- went adventuring through the city for 5 hours! (I probably should have brushed up on my knowledge of D.C. before going, as I immediately sent my dad a photo of the national library asking if it was the White House...) P.S. The Washington Monument is super huge in real life, so although it appears to be only a couple blocks from the Capitol Building, it is in fact a mile away and one should not attempt to walk there and back in 20 minutes...
-CSM introductions and dinner at yummy Thai restaurant
MONDAY 1/4
- presentations and articles about poverty and the corruption present in the main D.C. homeless shelter
- prayer tour of the city
- kicked out of the car on a random street corner with nothing more than $2 each for dinner and a key to the church. Facing a far more mild form of the poverty others face daily, we were surprised to discover how difficult it was to find a restroom that could be used without making a purchase, and the lack of food variety available for less than $12 total for the meal (for 6 people).
- walked past a man in the park.. He was completely surrounded with bags and covered in blankets, sitting upright, shivering uncontrollably.
TUESDAY 1/5
- another informative presentation about child poverty nationwide
- community food giveaway at Children of Mine - awesome to talk to all the friendly people as we gave them food
- returned to Children of Mine to be a part of the after school program. Homework, reading, dinner, and a place to safely hang out. The love poured out on the children there is indescribable!
- dinner at Vietnamese restaurant with the best jack berry smoothies in the universe. Also learned how to say "thank you" in Vietnamese!
WEDNESDAY 1/6
- meeting at Bread for the World (an amazing organization fighting both domestic and international hunger by targeting the root causes of it) to learn about our congressional meetings Friday
- visit to Orr Elementary where I was spent time with a 2nd grade class. The kids were SO outgoing and friendly! I unintentionally created chaos as all the kids were fighting to sit next to me (and I did nothing to make them like me, they were just that welcoming!) At one point, I had 6 girls petting my head obsessing over the softness of my hair hahah (that area of town is rather segregated, so they don't encounter many people with hair that's not black)
- one girl in that class particularly struck my heart. She was extremely behind in math and had no interest in doing it, but she was incredibly intelligent! I asked her if she gets help with her homework, and she told me that she has 9 siblings and only sees her dad on Wednesdays, so she has to spend all her time at home helping her mom with her younger siblings. The only time she can do homework is in the car on the way to school, but she can't even focus because her siblings are screaming. This is a child who is so incredibly smart, but she is getting left behind due to her family life, which is totally out of her control. This makes me sad.
THURSDAY 1/7
- heard from the people who started a super diverse community church in the area. They offered great insight into urban ministry
- headed to Anacostia, one of the more dangerous regions of D.C. Even the grocery store had several security guards at the door
- headed to Brighter Day Ministries in Anacostia and helped with the after school program. The kids were SO CUTE and I had fun break dancing with some of the little ones. I think I spent the majority of the afternoon as a tiger.
- as I was pretending to be a horse, the kids who were trying to ride said horse suddenly froze, staring at my head. Then one murmured, "You have gum in your hair." So that was an adventure.
FRIDAY 1/8
- Bread for the World for further instruction on our congressional meetings
- we were set loose in D.C. to go to our appointments with staff of our representative and senators! I met with people from Candice Miller's office, and stopped by my senators' offices in attempt to get meetings. We were discussing some specific terms we wanted in an upcoming bill relating to American child hunger. (I'm not going to go into anymore detail about these meetings, but they were SUPER COOL and I would be totally thrilled to tell you all about them sometime!)
-aimlessly wandered through the Senate buildings, then went to the Capitol and Botanical Garden with one of the girls in my group, running through each as they were closing
- debrief at Bread for the World
- dinner at Busboys & Poets, complete with the penguin joke :D
- touristy night... White House, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial... and gelato!
SATURDAY 1/9
- breakfast, devotions together, and prayer over each other
- goodbyes. It was SO SAD to leave, because all of us grew so close over the week! There were 4 of us participating, plus 2 leaders...and each and every one of them is an absolutely incredible, fun, godly, inspiring woman!
- to the train! And that was a whole new adventure in itself..
For some reason, it wouldn't let me post photos from my tablet, so here is a link to a photo album that corresponds with this post. https://goo.gl/photos/Hj7k12DEurUGL81A8
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Camp Excerpt...
So I just found this blog that I started to write at the camp in Denmark but never finished! Camp was so much fun and so busy that I never quite found the time to write blog entries there. But I thought I would post this partial blog now! Written on July 28th. And yes, the ending is rather abrupt, but something happened and I was called away!
Even as I am sitting here writing these words, I have no idea what this blog entry is going to be about. I was just asleep on the bus a few minutes ago when suddenly an orange was dropped into my lap and I jolted awake to find several of my fellow campers standing around me watching and laughing. Hmmmm...not quite sure what to think about that one. So now, as I'm far too tired to read a book or do anything else (and I don't dare go back to sleep), I decided to stare at this lit up screen and write a blog entry.
Even as I am sitting here writing these words, I have no idea what this blog entry is going to be about. I was just asleep on the bus a few minutes ago when suddenly an orange was dropped into my lap and I jolted awake to find several of my fellow campers standing around me watching and laughing. Hmmmm...not quite sure what to think about that one. So now, as I'm far too tired to read a book or do anything else (and I don't dare go back to sleep), I decided to stare at this lit up screen and write a blog entry.
So... I guess I'll write about camp!
This is no ordinary camp. There are 28 of us here and we represent 19 different countries.
The flies outnumber us at least 4:1 (there is a pig farm not far from the camp) and while sitting here in the
The end!
The end!
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Proud to be an American
To be completely honest, I never thought I would be writing anything with this title. Ever. I have found myself so frustrated with the USA in comparison to other countries for many years, particularly in attitudes and environmental efforts (or rather, lack thereof). However, in coming to Europe, I have begun to appreciate many aspects of the United States that I never realized were unique before.
Like talking to strangers. I love it. I will ride the city bus simply because I want to hear the life story of the person sitting next to me. If I'm standing in line next to someone, I'll strike up a conversation. I guess I never realized how culturally unique that is until I asked a gentleman how his day was going while we were waiting for the bathroom. He said it was going well, then informed me that he is from Denmark. Of course this was no shock considering we are in Denmark, so I kind of took it as a message that they don't do that here, and that I was an obvious foreigner for starting a conversation. After we left, my Finnish friend told me how surprised she was to see someone start a conversation with a stranger. Is it truly that odd? Everyone I asked from Europe and Asia also said it would be unusual in their homes countries; they would sit on a bus for 5 hours without saying a word to the person next to them. I love that in the USA I can talk to strangers on a daily basis without anyone thinking it's weird.
The other major thing that I've grown to really appreciate about the USA is our ability to choose what culture and climate we want to live in. If I want to live somewhere that is warm all year round, I can pack up my bags and move to Florida or Arizona, and it's not that big of a deal. If I lived in Denmark (just an example, but this can apply to any European country) and wanted to move somewhere warmer, like Spain for example, it would be an intense process; I would have to learn a new language, become accustomed to an entirely new culture and way of living, and go through a whole big process to become a citizen. I truly appreciate the freedom I have in that aspect of living in the USA.
The USA is made fun of a lot, and when I first arrived at this camp, I was honestly a bit embarrassed about it. Now, after seeing the differences, all embarrassment is gone. I wouldn't want to call anywhere else in the world my home.
Like talking to strangers. I love it. I will ride the city bus simply because I want to hear the life story of the person sitting next to me. If I'm standing in line next to someone, I'll strike up a conversation. I guess I never realized how culturally unique that is until I asked a gentleman how his day was going while we were waiting for the bathroom. He said it was going well, then informed me that he is from Denmark. Of course this was no shock considering we are in Denmark, so I kind of took it as a message that they don't do that here, and that I was an obvious foreigner for starting a conversation. After we left, my Finnish friend told me how surprised she was to see someone start a conversation with a stranger. Is it truly that odd? Everyone I asked from Europe and Asia also said it would be unusual in their homes countries; they would sit on a bus for 5 hours without saying a word to the person next to them. I love that in the USA I can talk to strangers on a daily basis without anyone thinking it's weird.
The other major thing that I've grown to really appreciate about the USA is our ability to choose what culture and climate we want to live in. If I want to live somewhere that is warm all year round, I can pack up my bags and move to Florida or Arizona, and it's not that big of a deal. If I lived in Denmark (just an example, but this can apply to any European country) and wanted to move somewhere warmer, like Spain for example, it would be an intense process; I would have to learn a new language, become accustomed to an entirely new culture and way of living, and go through a whole big process to become a citizen. I truly appreciate the freedom I have in that aspect of living in the USA.
The USA is made fun of a lot, and when I first arrived at this camp, I was honestly a bit embarrassed about it. Now, after seeing the differences, all embarrassment is gone. I wouldn't want to call anywhere else in the world my home.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
A 3-year-old Dane
I cried today. I shut myself in my room and just let the tears fall. Why? Because I have an amazing friend whom I have grown to love with all my heart the last couple weeks. And I have to say goodbye to him tomorrow. Possibly forever.
The internet has connected our world so much that it's easy to say goodbye to adults, because it's not really goodbye; I'll see them on Facebook tomorrow. With kids, it's truly goodbye. Sure, I can see photos and videos of them as they grow up, and maybe even talk to them again someday. But there's no relationship in that. There's no play, no sand castles, no rolling each other around the yard. It's all distant.
Now I've befriended many a child in my time here on planet Earth, but there's something different about this little boy. I mean of course there are differences between every child, but the obvious thing here is that he speaks about the same amount of English as I speak of Danish. Which is practically none. And he is quite the talker! He talks and talks, sometimes about the most random things! (We were on a walk today and he informed us randomly that he doesn't like onions.) So here I am playing with him and he keeps talking and talking and I have absolutely no idea what he is saying to me. But somehow, we make it work. We read body language until we both know exactly what we are doing. And it's amazing.
We have played hide the Lego person (AKA throw it in the garden and make Katie walk barefoot all over the wood chips and pine needles until it is found, then repeat the process), drums, catch, roll the person, and so much more.
And what's funny is that he keeps talking to me, in Danish, even though he knows that I only speak English. He taught me a word today (kept repeating it until he was satisfied with my pronunciation, then informed his mom that he was teaching me), yet he still talks to me in Danish and assumes I'll understand.
I've grown to absolutely love hearing that little voice saying "Nej, Katie!" (Pronounced NYE, Cat-ee) even though it means I'm doing something wrong. I've tried countless times to get said phrase on video, but it never seems to happen when I expect.
To really emphasize my point, I've begun making exaggerated sound effects to go with my actions. Whenever I lift something heavy, I accompany it with a pained "oof," etc. When Bertil decided to roll me around in the grass, he accompanied each push with an oof. Not a pained oof, just saying the word, as if that's what is to be said whenever any type of heavy work is done. Cracks me up!!
Anyway, I just find it completely amazing that I became such good friends with this little boy with an entirely different culture and language. God is amazing at connecting the most unlikely of friends.
...please pray for me if you get the chance, as I predict more tears in the future of tomorrow.
Thanks for reading!
The internet has connected our world so much that it's easy to say goodbye to adults, because it's not really goodbye; I'll see them on Facebook tomorrow. With kids, it's truly goodbye. Sure, I can see photos and videos of them as they grow up, and maybe even talk to them again someday. But there's no relationship in that. There's no play, no sand castles, no rolling each other around the yard. It's all distant.
Now I've befriended many a child in my time here on planet Earth, but there's something different about this little boy. I mean of course there are differences between every child, but the obvious thing here is that he speaks about the same amount of English as I speak of Danish. Which is practically none. And he is quite the talker! He talks and talks, sometimes about the most random things! (We were on a walk today and he informed us randomly that he doesn't like onions.) So here I am playing with him and he keeps talking and talking and I have absolutely no idea what he is saying to me. But somehow, we make it work. We read body language until we both know exactly what we are doing. And it's amazing.
We have played hide the Lego person (AKA throw it in the garden and make Katie walk barefoot all over the wood chips and pine needles until it is found, then repeat the process), drums, catch, roll the person, and so much more.
And what's funny is that he keeps talking to me, in Danish, even though he knows that I only speak English. He taught me a word today (kept repeating it until he was satisfied with my pronunciation, then informed his mom that he was teaching me), yet he still talks to me in Danish and assumes I'll understand.
I've grown to absolutely love hearing that little voice saying "Nej, Katie!" (Pronounced NYE, Cat-ee) even though it means I'm doing something wrong. I've tried countless times to get said phrase on video, but it never seems to happen when I expect.
To really emphasize my point, I've begun making exaggerated sound effects to go with my actions. Whenever I lift something heavy, I accompany it with a pained "oof," etc. When Bertil decided to roll me around in the grass, he accompanied each push with an oof. Not a pained oof, just saying the word, as if that's what is to be said whenever any type of heavy work is done. Cracks me up!!
Anyway, I just find it completely amazing that I became such good friends with this little boy with an entirely different culture and language. God is amazing at connecting the most unlikely of friends.
...please pray for me if you get the chance, as I predict more tears in the future of tomorrow.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Dansk? English?
I made a list. I know 55 Danish words. Now envision a dictionary, envision a single page of a dictionary. 55 words is nothing, right?
Although 55 words is definitely better than nothing...
I guess I wasn't quite expecting there to be so much of a language barrier. 86% of the population of Denmark speaks English, so I figured I'd be fine. Granted, I haven't exactly run across many people who DON'T speak English, but EVERYTHING is in Danish! All the signs, all the newspapers, all the surrounding voices.
I feel like a small child at times. I can't just read the street sign; I have to ask someone what it says. The adults discuss what we are doing next, and I have absolutely no idea what they are saying, so I blindly follow until someone decides to clue me in on the plan.
I personally think this is awesome. Yes, there have been times when I've felt a little lost, a little lonely. But it is an incredible experience! How many times have I wished I was a kid again!? Well here I am!
Also, I finally found a practical use for all those times I pretend to be listening but am actually lost somewhere deep inside my head. At those times, I give a generic response based on the tone of what is being said. Here when I don't have the option to listen, the only thing I CAN do is exactly that. It's a skill that comes in rather handy indeed.
I figured since everyone here could speak English, they would. What I have discovered though is that although they can speak it, it's somewhat difficult, or rather it doesn't come as naturally or easily as Danish. I can definitely speak Pig Latin, but ask me to communicate using only that for a day and I think I would lose my mind. I think it's very similar for Danes with English.
'Miay oinggay otay rytay otay peaksay nlyoay igpay atinlay orfay neoay entencesay. Yep, already going crazy with this.
I took a minor survey of a few people to ask how they felt about speaking English to me. Some people were happy about it - they had been wanting someone to practice their English with. Others informed me that their head hurt from translating all their words to English in it.
I just find all of this, this experience and these discoveries, to be extremely interesting. I hope you do too!
Farvel/moin/hej hej!! (Yes, I know 3 ways to say goodbye. That has to count for something!)
Although 55 words is definitely better than nothing...
I guess I wasn't quite expecting there to be so much of a language barrier. 86% of the population of Denmark speaks English, so I figured I'd be fine. Granted, I haven't exactly run across many people who DON'T speak English, but EVERYTHING is in Danish! All the signs, all the newspapers, all the surrounding voices.
I feel like a small child at times. I can't just read the street sign; I have to ask someone what it says. The adults discuss what we are doing next, and I have absolutely no idea what they are saying, so I blindly follow until someone decides to clue me in on the plan.
I personally think this is awesome. Yes, there have been times when I've felt a little lost, a little lonely. But it is an incredible experience! How many times have I wished I was a kid again!? Well here I am!
Also, I finally found a practical use for all those times I pretend to be listening but am actually lost somewhere deep inside my head. At those times, I give a generic response based on the tone of what is being said. Here when I don't have the option to listen, the only thing I CAN do is exactly that. It's a skill that comes in rather handy indeed.
I figured since everyone here could speak English, they would. What I have discovered though is that although they can speak it, it's somewhat difficult, or rather it doesn't come as naturally or easily as Danish. I can definitely speak Pig Latin, but ask me to communicate using only that for a day and I think I would lose my mind. I think it's very similar for Danes with English.
'Miay oinggay otay rytay otay peaksay nlyoay igpay atinlay orfay neoay entencesay. Yep, already going crazy with this.
I took a minor survey of a few people to ask how they felt about speaking English to me. Some people were happy about it - they had been wanting someone to practice their English with. Others informed me that their head hurt from translating all their words to English in it.
I just find all of this, this experience and these discoveries, to be extremely interesting. I hope you do too!
Farvel/moin/hej hej!! (Yes, I know 3 ways to say goodbye. That has to count for something!)
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Cultural Differences
Life and culture in general are very similar between Denmark and the States. BUT, there are some very notable differences:
- Rings - I wear a ring on my right ring finger, simply because that's the only finger it fits on. Here in Denmark, a ring on the left ring finger means engaged, and on the right it means married. So I guess everyone who looks at me thinks I'm married...
- Cars - The majority of the cars on the road are station wagons. I find this kind of ironic, since I've often heard people get made fun of for having a station wagon in the States. I was told they are popular because cars are more expensive here but people still need lots of space, so the station wagon is a happy medium between space and decent pricing.
- Architecture - The architecture in general is amazing and very advanced here, but the roofs are the most different. Often, I could fool myself into thinking I'm in the USA still...but then I look at the roofs and realize I'm very much in Denmark.
- Meals - I've noticed the most drastic cultural differences at the dinner table. Meals are very slow, and when they are done everyone sits there for a very long time, even if not much can be found to talk about. I've been told that the average dinner at a restaurant is about 4 hours long! There are also differences in table manners. Everyone eats with their knife in one hand and fork in the other (there is no cutting eveything ahead of time and then setting the knife down). Napkins remain on the table except at a restaurant.
- Water - It costs money in restaurants. Only about 5 kroner, which is less than $1 USD, but still. And refills are not free.
- Time - Speaking of meals being slow, everything is actually rather slow! Not in a bad way, the Danes just like to take their time and avoid rushing, yet they are still prompt. One day we were going to be leaving the house at 11, so they said breakfast would be at 9. And they all get dressed and everything ahead of time. What!?? I would have called for breakfast at 10:45 ...and gotten out of my pajamas after.
- Toilet Paper - I mentioned in my last blog that the toilets are cool... did I mention that the toilet paper is cool too? Each square is 150% bigger than a square in the USA (yes, I did the math), and the roll is flushable!
- Bicycles - They're EVERYWHERE! Everyone watches out for them on the roads, there are bike lanes on almost every road, and there are so many bike trails I legitimately got lost on them!
- Random Trees - I keep being surprised by the random trees in the middle of the road. The cars have to go around them. They are either in the middle of the road for decoration, or on the sides bringing the road down to one lane and forcing the cars to slow down and be cautious of pedestrians and bicyclists.
- Traffic Circles - There are far more traffic circles here than intersections that look like this +. This was the most obvious difference that I could see flying in. Some of the traffic circles have 6 or more roads attached to them! And there is always something interesting in the middle of the circle.
- Stoplights - On the rare occasions when there is not a traffic circle, there is a stoplight. I have not seen a single stop sign. The stoplights flash yellow and red before turning green!
- Greetings - When walking down the street, people who pass each other do not acknowledge each other at all! Apparently, if a person says hi to someone they don't know on the street, they will seem creepy or weird. I'm going to seem super creepy and weird, because I can't seem to break myself of the habit!
- Hanging Out - I basically ask everyone I meet where they have traveled to and how they liked it. I was asking about the UK, and someone said they thought relationships weren't as personal there because no one ever invited friends to their house, they always go to a restaurant or something to meet friends. I said it is largely the same in the USA, because inviting people over involves cleaning the house, and it is far easier to just go out than it is to clean the house! They all laughed, but I don't think they had ever thought of that! Every house I've encountered here is spotless, so that's not an issue for them.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
7 in 1
Here, I'll take a photo of the keyboard to show you!
I titled this blog "7 in 1" because I have 7+ blog entries I have wanted to write but have not found the time for. So, rather than do 7 different entries, I made the executive decision to write them all in one. I hope you enjoy!
A God's Eye View
I really enjoy flying because when I look out the window, I get a glimpse of what God sees. I see all the fields and the houses and the cities. I see the clouds and the cloud horizon line. I see the sun rise and set, and the moon out there. Quick sidenote: we were over the Atlantic ocean in the middle of the night, the most deserted and dark place to be, and I looked outside and saw the moon directly out my window. It followed us until the sun rose. I thought that was amazing.
...something white and fuzzy just walked by outside...what in the world?? Anyway, sorry. Distractions.
Back to what I was saying, I look out the airplane window and I feel like I can see life. I can see everything from a totally different perspective. Even flying into Detroit gives me a new perspective on my own life and how it compares to the lives of others elsewhere.
Brandon Heath must have felt the same way when he wrote the song "Give Me Your Eyes," (at least I assume he wrote it...) because it begins by talking about looking out the airplane window and then the rest of the song is about seeing through God's eyes. If you don't know this amazing song, I recommend looking it up! One of my favorites...and one of the 4 I can play on guitar!
Love at First Flyover
This is kind of awkward, because this title actually refers to the Netherlands. When we were nearing Amsterdam, the pilot informed us that the runway was busy and we had to do some circles, so I got to see a lot! The first thing I saw was a giant wind farm with 43 windmills. I thought it was super cool...and then I saw the ship right next to it. Apparently, some people were so against the windfarm messing up their good views that they decided on a compromise to put the windmills in the ocean. What even!
The fields were all in super interesting shapes, and the cows had an abundance of space to roam in! There was a train and oh so many bicyclists! I have never seen bicyclists biking on a bike path on the side of the highway next to an airport in the USA.
I can't even explain all that I saw, but I found everything unique and in a way that was incredible. Definitely on my list to return to.
I unfortunately didn't have time to explore any further, as my first flight was 30 minutes delayed, so upon exiting my plane I had 25 minutes to get through customs and to the opposite side of the airport in time to board my next flight. And despite all the broken escalators up which I had to carry my freakishly heavy carry-on suitcase, I MADE IT!!
The USA Outside USA Borders
I continue to be impressed by how much things inside the USA are known outside the USA. In Mexico, there were so many things around that I had thought were distinct to the USA, I can't even remember all of them. Here, the amazement continued. A Dutch guy, about my age, sat next to me on the flight from Holland to Denmark. At one point, he quoted Eddie Murphy and proceeded to explain the entire plot of the movie to me. He next brought up Conan O'Brien and said he watches it everyday. What!?? I had no idea anyone outside the USA watched those things.
By the way, this guy was fluent in English and heading to Denmark to visit his girlfriend. I asked two questions: How did you learn English, and how did you meet your girlfriend if she lives in a totally different country?? The answer to both was video games. Kind of cool how video games are connecting our world.
When I arrived in Denmark, I was informed that the majority of the movies they watch are from the USA with Danish subtitles. I never thought about movies in other languages! I never realized how narcissistic I was until I began to travel and see that everything I thought was distinctly American is indeed not.
Not Spanish
I never thought coming to Denmark would improve my Spanish, but I guess life is full of surprises. The grandson of my host family, Bertil, is three. He knows zero English. I know approximately 5 words of Danish. For some reason, I have it in my head that anyone who doesn't speak English must speak Spanish, so I kept talking to him in Spanish accidentally.
Even the Toilets are Cool
They really are. They've got this button on the wall where you can choose how big the thing you just deposited in it was, and it will use the appropriate amount of water for the job. The water shoots from the sides in a big spiral so quickly!! I'm totally going to take a video one day. It's THAT cool.
The showers are cool as well, so cool in fact that I had no idea how to use it. It was getting dark and I couldn't read what the labels said, so I decided to turn on the light ...I couldn't figure out how to work the lights either.
Most Epic Playground...Since Ever
IT WAS AMAZING!!!! There were these giant tubes all over that I only got stuck in a little... and there were awesomely creative swings, a mini rock wall, and thsee little pathways that would be perfect for the ultimate round of fox and goose!! ...I may have gotten lost in the pathways...
I have to admit, this spell check thing is really making me question some of my spellings!
I somehow managed to accidentally delete this post before, only saving part of it. So it has been changed, involuntarily. Very sorry...
Monday, June 29, 2015
Post-Departure Panic!!
"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Right now happens to be the time to panic!! I leave for Denmark in THREE DAYS and my camera charger is nowhere to be found at the moment. That's a problem...
Three crazy days remain between present time and the time I fly across the Atlantic Ocean! I can't even believe it. The word "excitement" does not even come close to describing how I feel at this moment!!!! :D (Although "stress" might not be too far off - there is much to do between now and then!)
I have no idea if I will be updating this blog at all during my adventure. I don't want to mentally live in a blog. I find that if I blog too much, my mind is focused more on what I will say about a certain event later rather than actually living in the moment and fully experiencing it as it happens. A goal for this trip is to find a balance. So final answer: I have no idea if I will be updating this blog at all or not, but it's worth checking (if you're interested!) Or you could just wait and I'll tell you stories in person when I return... :D
Looks like I might be a bit lonely on the flight there...
I've never seen such a deserted airplane seat before! At least I won't be too cramped in.
SHOUT OUT TO THE LIONS CLUB FOR SPONSORING THIS EXPERIENCE!!! Especially the South Park Lions for being my sponsor club (and for being super nice and fun when I visited!), Dave Wineman for rushing all my paperwork through the system the day before the deadline, and Debra VanTol for making all the arrangements with Denmark! Thank you thank you thank you!! I appreciate each and every person who has helped make this trip of a lifetime possible!!
And now, I must go find my camera charger. We have been searching the house for the past hour (that might be an exaggeration, I really don't know, but that's how long it feels) with no luck. Time. To. PANIC!
God's got this.
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