Monthly Archives: August 2010

The rise of the temp agency and the fall of the lower class

August 28, 2010 – 8:58 am
By Alex Henderson | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

I read in last month’s edition of the Economist that the European progress toward creating better conditions for workers has recently been brought into question. This doubt which the author wrote about has to do with the sovereign debt crisis and other deficit problems underway in Europe. The sovereign debt crisis unfolded in Greece where the country neared bankruptcy earlier this summer. A different debt issue in France is also to blame for their pension reforms which, in a reversal of historical trends, forced the raising of the retirement age. The progress toward better working conditions which the magazine refers to is the mandatory five weeks of paid vacation, the mandatory thirty-five hour work week, and a retirement age of sixty, all of which are associated with lenient European labour policies. The magazine said that the recent crisis in Greece and the reform in France are both sharp wake-up calls for their dream of progress. He further states that this “progress” in labour is an illusion and that these lenient policies are in fact suffocating industry and innovation in European business. It appears that his overall conclusion is that wherever such “progress” exists, economies will always run towards an unsustainable point.
The author of that article certainly may have been expressing an underlying ideological bias against socialism or forms of it. I do see his point, however, that lenient policy towards workers can be stretched too far with predictable negative consequences. I cannot accept all his rhetoric against worker’s rights/benefits though. Perhaps this has to do with my witnessing of an issue related to this discussion in North American business which I think is morally unacceptable.
This issue I refer to involves companies all across industrial heartlands of this continent using temporary agencies to reduce their labour costs and improve their flexibility. The people who are the subjects of these cost-cutting methods are usually immigrants, the working poor, high school drop-outs, addicts, alcoholics, and other lower class individuals for whom there is no other suitable option for full-time employment. When I see these people working minimum wage for years (literally) and never getting “hired-on” with the company, and having a third of their potential wage garnished by some idle temp agency somewhere, it infuriates me. There has to be solutions that incorporate what Europe has sought in worker’s rights and benefits, albeit founded on conditions which make current business ventures viable and new business attractive.

Europe Full Circle

August 28, 2010 – 8:50 am
By Joel S. | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Returning to the normalcy of home life, and being once again immersed in familiar routines and in the mundane, it is strange to imagine that I was once in the most majestic of places, such as Florence, Italy. It wasn’t long ago that I was in Salzburg, standing inside Adolf Hitler’s hidden bunker. It was only a month ago that I was in Bruges, Belgium, gazing up at the wondrous St. Salvator Cathedral. There are parts of this trip for which the memory of them now seems almost surreal, like a dream, because of its great contrasts to the Canadian living experience. There is already a longing within me to return to what I had encountered in Europe, with the constant exposure to history, its ancient beauty, and its cultural magnitudes.

I DARED to share this feeling with a group: if there is anything that I have grasped from the Europe trip, it is that the world is so much bigger than myself. Think about this. Not only are you but one human being amongst billions who dwell the earth, each with their own story and unique cultural heritage, but you also live on a tiny planet amongst an entire universe that is indescribably more immense. The thought of being like a speck of sand on a grand, cosmic beach is something that scares me at times, but it also leaves me in awe. And I am left in awe from being on the Europe trip, because I am now fully aware that the earth is a grand and intricate place; there is much to learn about it, and so much to experience. I can no longer imagine keeping any part of myself boxed in, when everything within me now acknowledges that there is so much more. Looking at the view from the top of of Montserrat, Spain, is one of many experiences that confirmed this understanding.

Unable to Avoid

August 28, 2010 – 7:59 am
By Cara T. | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Now that I’ve returned to Canadian soil and answered the repeated question of what my favorite moment and place was, life is ‘normal’ again. This feels strange and I find myself bringing up anecdotes and quotes whenever I can slip them into conversations. Aside from the obvious great experiences gained from a trip like this, this trip taught me to process my experiences. I have always been one to avoid sharing my thoughts or writing them down in a journal, I would simply brush it aside and move on. The problem, I now realize, with this method is that I lose opportunities to grow. Through the mandatory journaling and debrief sessions througout the trip I was no longer able to avoid processing what I was experiencing.  I am far from being natural at this, I have yet to be a nightly journaler, but now I can at least tell you reasons that make my favorite moments so significant to me.

experiential learning, material culture, myth

August 24, 2010 – 12:08 pm
By Matt C. | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Three things that stick in my memory from this trip are experiential learning, the importance of material culture and how myth has been used and is still being used to this day. There are many other things that I learned on this trip which are also significant but these three stick out particularly to me.

I learned how important experiential learning was and how enjoyable it can be. When I had thought of experiential learning prior to this trip I always thought of learning from one’s mistakes, something that I think I am a pro at now. But on this trip I learned how one can learn from all experiences, especially the good ones; one doesn’t always need a negative situation to learn something valuable.

Also learning about material culture, and how almost anything that you see can be perceived or thought of as material culture. I have never thought about architecture, statues, art, etc. being able to tell a viewer about the culture of the people and time in which it was made and even where it is kept. Often we look to understand what we are told about objects but when thinking about an object as material culture one must learn to think about it out of context, for example why certain materials were used in the piece or work and maybe why the object was made in this particular way?

Finally learning about myth and its use has been very interesting. I have noticed the use of myth in many paintings, sculpture and literature on this trip. Paintings such as Two followers of Cadmus Devoured by a Dragon is a fantastic example, for it tells the story of the founding of Thebes. I realized myth is often used to make a place or person seem more majestic or powerful than they are or it actually is. If the story of the founding of Thebes was to be about some regular guy founding a town it would not receive as much attention or fame. Myth increases the value of a place or person by adding in unlikely information which makes it seem grander. Over all I really enjoyed the trip and wish I could experience it again.

Matt

So how was your trip?!

August 19, 2010 – 1:39 pm
By Alicia Farnham | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Oh, what a horrible question that is!  That inevitable question when you first get back, and see someone who cares about you and you know it’s coming; you almost hold your breath for it a little…and I hardly resent my friends and family for the interest they show in my life! On the contrary, I love them the more for it! But can I say it?  Can I really answer with just “It was great!” ?  How can I possibly infuse that inevitable five-letter response with an appropriate amount of joy, excitement, sweat, stress, claustrophobia, thoughtfulness, deliciousness, grumpiness, humour, laughter, tears, yawns and shivers, thrills and fears, discussion and adrenaline to express two months of travel on a continent I’ve only ever dreamed of?!  I can only respond with “It was GREAT!” and hope that each of those five pathetic letters can stand strong and shine with all the enthusiasm I can otherwise never express!

Europe was so great!

It was more than a vacation, but also beyond the scope of a school term.  Maybe a Scavation? A self-andthethirtyeightotherpeople-help get-away that stretches?  And it was the sights, and the smallest moments, those pinpricks of delight that are just impossible to convey to anyone else, that made it so great. I don’t even have any stories! Just anecdotes that make me sound like a complete braggart!  (When I was in Rome…… There was this shopkeeper in Paris…. Oh, the rain in London was…. See what I mean?!)

I cried a little when I stood outside this cathedral in Orvietto, watching a bunch of people kneeling of one accord.  I could have sprouted wings walking through Florence at sunset.  I’ve never felt so graciously humbled before as in this chapel, in front of this old wooden crucifix in Assissi.  That little poem ”They came for the trade unionists…” spoke something deeply into me. I beamed all the way through that town of Farnham. I went through the depths of despair in this city;  I was on top of a mountain in this one.  It’s all in the context, in the moment, that never-to-be-again moment, that not even I can recreate for myself just how my trip was!  Suffice it to be said, then, that I learned a lot, I saw a lot, I felt a lot, and it was GREAT!!

Wondering about David. (Jacques-Louis, that is)

August 19, 2010 – 9:35 am
By Sara C. | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

What Angela says is true: it’s hard to believe that we just experienced all of that. The Europe trip was incredible. Right now, we’re all in the midst of our post-trip studies. For me, this has meant that I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the French Revolution. Would I have ever thought that I would find the French Revolution interesting? No. But to my surprise, it is.

I remember being in the Louvre in Paris and seeing one of the rooms filled with paintings by Jacques-Louis David. Museum visitors crowded around his works. Great as they are, I look at them through a new lens now that I have learned a bit more about their historical context.

Earlier in his career, David painted in the neo-Classical style for the Royal Academy under King Louis XVI. Feeling jilted about his inability to achieve higher positions in the Academy, he joined the revolutionaries, voted for the king’s execution, and became something of a propaganda minister for the Revolution. In addition to painting at least four great works during those years, he put on festivals involving the torching of symbolic statues, the releasing of doves, and emotional speeches. In the midst of all of the chaos, backstabbing, and guillotining, David was using his incredible artistic ability to twist facts and sway the masses.

I say this because I know how easy it is to walk into someplace like the Louvre and put these artists on pedestals because of their great talent and skill. But based on my research so far, I have found his career to have striking similarities to that of Joseph Goebbels’, the Nazi propaganda minister that we learned about at the WWII bunkers we visited.

All of this is an excellent reminder of the importance of context. It also reminds me to be careful to use my giftings in ways that are founded on goodness, love, and truth. Finally, it’s a good reminder of the need for us to think critically about contemporary events.

Now just as a final note, I’ll say that there may have been some degree of necessity to the idea of revolution at that time in history, and there are ways in which contemporary Western citizens benefit from the events that occurred then, but its legacy is still rather mixed.

In all its Colours and Shapes…

August 19, 2010 – 9:30 am
By Laura Copping | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

I have been home for nearly two weeks now and I still have not figured out how to answer the ever constant question of “How was Europe?”  I have been on a journey this summer; a journey to grow in knowledge and a journey to collect experiences. On it I have been surrounded by over thirty friends who have, with or without knowing it, aided in my journey. I have been presented with new thoughts, seen new sights, conversed with individuals far from the comfort of my home. Each of my senses has been involved in the process of experiencing these new places to their fullest extent. And after two months of travelling I am suffering from information overload. I have learned so much that I don’t know where to start when reflecting on the trip.

Perhaps the most surprising thing I have learned was how to have an appreciation for art. I recently wrote in a paper for Walter in which I said, “I’ve always had a 2-D appreciation of art. I would judge things based on the ‘would I hang this on my wall’ factor. It was very limited to say the least”. Through out this trip I have explored art in all its colours and shapes. I have questioned and re-questioned the many definitions of art and have wondered if it can be defined. What I’m saying is, I am no connoisseur of art, I’m just surprised that it is standing out so strongly in my mind.

leftovers.

August 18, 2010 – 10:28 pm
By Margaret Sider | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

So, we’ve been back in Canada for awhile…

As I finish up all the work from the Europe travel semester, I’ve been thinking a lot about the trip – its highlights, themes, what it meant to me, and some of the main things that I have gotten out of it.

At least, that’s what everyone else keeps asking me about…

And it has been pretty hard to sum up so far – but I think a lingering question that was left with me, as something we discussed a lot on the trip, is this —> What transforming moment are we a part of today?

We have studied all of these great movements – actions, people, thoughts, events and contributions that have changed the course of history, creating major shifts in the way people live and interact with the world.

Where do we see ourselves in this big picture?

How are we contributing to the patterns of the universe?

And how do we want to be contributing?

…

Mar.

Seeing Europe

August 18, 2010 – 5:22 pm
By Jonas Martin | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Well, it has now been three weeks since we returned from Europe, and I guess its time to say what all I learned from the trip. Well, in just a little more than 2 months I traveled through some of the most famous, and beloved places on earth. Saw the medieval streets of Carcassonne, the 16th century cityscape of Florence, the ancient history of Rome, the beer gardens of Germany, the Art Galleries of Paris, and rain of England.

Throughout all of these experiences I feel like I have seen every little aspect of Europe possible. I have seen the heritage and artistic moments like the art museums or the history museums. I have witnessed the famous European buffoonery that overcomes cities when beer and soccer matches come together. I have hung out at the local pubs or coffee shops where Europeans are known for just relaxing. I have driven through the smallest towns and have seen what people are actually like outside of the tourism industry. I have experienced everything from the stifling heat of Spain, to the dampness of Austria; from the poor in Bratislava to the very rich in Switzerland.

I feel like the trip really has covered everything. I honestly cannot think of one aspect of European culture, history, or identity that we did not cover. I mean we saw everything from Eastern European culture to British culture. The only thing I can think of that I wish I had seen a bit of was Scandinavian culture, but really I have nothing to complain about.  I am happy to be home, but I am thankful for the adventures I have had this summer.

The Best of Europe?

August 18, 2010 – 1:19 pm
By Katelyn Avery | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

That’s the one question that people keep asking me: what was the best part of the trip? What was your favourite city?

Then I look like an idiot because I have no answer. How do you condense eight weeks into three or four sentences? Simple. You don’t. We learned so much I’m pretty sure it’s still oozing out my ears. The academic side of things was broadening, while the intrapersonal aspect deepened my perspective, pushing my limits and asking me to move past my comfort zone. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not so great with that whole expand-your-horizons gig. I also know that I have to continually try to change that in order to keep growing as a person. SSU in general is pretty good about pushing the comfort zone, but Europe intensified that so that when I came home the atmosphere was almost cramped: Wyoming is not exactly ethnically diverse (You’re either Dutch or not-Dutch).

Additionally, I almost forgot that the Europe trip doesn’t end when you come home. You’re processing the trip through an academic filter as you write paper after paper about this great big messy experience. Honestly, it’s a good thing that I have skoodles of work to do. It solidifies this whole process in my head and as I write these essays, I have to think critically about the things I’ve seen, which isn’t exactly easy to do in Florence when you have a nice lemon and chocolate gelato calling your name.

Still, I do all this thinking, sorting through this whole trip. You’d think I’d have a favourite part of the trip. Yeah, I thought so too. All I can say is that Florence was fabulous, Rome was awesome (but hoooot), Venice was interesting, Paris was PARIS, London…I could go on and on forever. It’s a real problem when someone wants a ten-second answer.

So. What’s your favourite part of Europe? :D

There and back again…again

August 18, 2010 – 9:00 am
By Lois Craswell | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

You know how at the end of Lord of the Rings when Frodo just isn’t the same when he comes back to the shire, as if he just doesn’t fit in anymore? Well in a way I feel like Mr. Frodo. There are huge differences between myself and Frodo but I won’t get into detail about that.  I just know that I have been changed from this Europe trip for the better and I really miss it.

I knew that I was going to love Europe and it is evident because almost every place that I went to I said to myself , ” I could live here for a little while.”  I really did not want to leave because it was not reality. I did not have to worry about everyday problems and for two months; I traveled around with people that are amazing; I saw things that I would never have been able to understand unless I saw them first hand; and I have been changed, for the better.

The problem with coming home right after a trip like this is that people here don’t know what I have experienced, and after five minutes they aren’t interested in what I have to say anyway. Also when you change so much and the people back home have also changed but in a different way than you, there is a difference that is hard adjust to. I hope that the change that I see in myself is a change that my friends and family can see in me too, because this trip was one of the best experiences that I have ever had  and I wish that it could have lasted forever.

So maybe I won’t make so drastic of a move as to go to the Grey Haven like Mr. Frodo, but going back to school and to a community that experienced the same things as me, will be just want I need to return to Europe–if only in my memories.

Life is one big Adventure

August 18, 2010 – 8:01 am
By Lucas Walters | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)
Thinking about all the things that I have experienced this past summer, I look back and think of how privileged I am to have seen so many wonderful places. A trip like this one is full of so many experiences; being able to spend an afternoon walking through Paris, climbing the Arc De Triumph or seeing Big Ben and the black cabbies in London, and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea in France are all wonderful things that I was able to experience during my trip. The fact that a community can go pack up and travel together for almost an entire summer is incredible. Getting into the daily rhythm of moving from one campground to the next, finding time to relax on the bus or have a conversation was really neat.
Being back home and seeing friends again, having them ask me how my time in Europe was, I find my self finding it hard to condense such a huge trip into a few words, other than it was awesome. Hiking through the Alps, drinking a bold roast espresso in Italy, or hanging out on the Michelangelo Steps watching the sun slip below the skyline are all experiences that I will remember for a long time. I read Donald Miller’s new book while I was on the trip, and I found myself wanting to talk and write about my experiences. He talks about his experiences and the importance of experiencing life, and of telling a good story.
After a summer of traveling I feel like I will be able to tell some pretty neat stories. Walking through countless museums, city centers and cathedrals, I am thankful to be home, and thankful to once again find routine and enjoy the rest of my summer.

Take Risks. Live purposefully. Love unconditionally.

August 17, 2010 – 6:00 pm
By Dan Snyder | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Why do we travel? Why is it such a big selling point that at St. Stephen’s University I got to spend 2 terms going around the world with my class? Well, it could be the Belgian waffles, Austrian schnitzel or Italian gelato. Or it could be Michelangelo’s David, Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace or the rugged hike in the Swiss Alps.

It’s also been the moments like: forging deeper friendships while in conversation on the beach in Barcelona; swing dancing in front of the Eiffel tower; interviewing a kind older couple in Strasbourg (in French!); learning about international law from a PEI-er working in Paris; standing au naturel under a cool, refreshing waterfall at Lauterbrunnen; missing the last bus in Vienna and walking back to the campsite with a friend.

But I think most of all it is the formation of deeper relationships. I found that after being with a group of 40 people camping in 10 different countries over 8 weeks, it was a really humbling experience that showed me at my weakest  at times and brought out my strengths at others. I’m not usually an emotional person, I tend to keep to myself, so it was really unusual that there were moments of laughter and tears, pain and ecstasy. (Just kidding, my life is always a roller coaster!) But in the midst of this, I’ve had friends around me that I could rely on and in turn I found that by passing along encouragement and being available to others, it made the trip a really rich time of building friendships and caring for each other.

I believe that community is made stronger by reaching out and intentionally making better friendships with people you’re not as close with. This requires sacrifice, time and it also means not expecting anything in return, otherwise it wouldn’t truly be giving. I think that might be what Jesus is getting at when he says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). It may not involve taking a bullet for someone or literally dying for them, but it does require selflessness and constantly trying to value others above yourself.

And just as I am imperfect, I am realizing that I need to love people where they are at, not where I want them to be or, if only they were different. I also learned that time is short and you need make the most out of every moment; you never know if you’ll have the opportunity next week, next month or next year to have a great chat with a friend, so have it today and don’t live with regrets!

Take Risks. Live purposefully. Love unconditionally.

-Dan Snyder

The Return

August 17, 2010 – 5:08 pm
By Ariel Smith | Posted in uncategorized Comments (0)

I was thrown right back into the middle of my Canadian life as soon as I stepped onto BC soil.  It has been comforting, yet exhausting and I’d honestly rather be walking endlessly through European streets, museums and cathedrals.  The intense experience of traveling for two months with such a big group has made it that much more difficult to transition into a slower, less crowded living pace.  I have loved coming home because it has allowed me to find new peace, which has forced me to think about more specific experiences of the last two months.

The glimpses and sparks of meaningful space, important conversations and moments of peace in and amongst such historically or architecturally beautiful areas are what I have been remembering the most.  I took my time walking through the Louvre while we were in Paris and sat in the courtyard of one area of the massive building to try and gather all of the information and art that was thrown at me while wandering the museum.  It was moments like these on the trip which allowed me to become more present and involved in the experiences I was having and to motivate me to be responsive even when I was feeling exhausted from the travel, study and community.

I had a short break when I arrived back home, and now I have been working on a fruit and vegetable farm that has given me loads of time to think about what Europe 2010 has meant to me.  I am still trying to process all of the incredible experiences, but I am so thankful that I was able to take the trip and share it with the SSU community.

Spelling Skillz

August 17, 2010 – 11:23 am
By Isaac | Posted in uncategorized Comments (1)

Well, this is it. The last blog that i will write for this trip. And let’s face it, the rest of my life. The life of blogger is quite exciting, too exciting in fact. Thats why I am unable to continue on this long and lonesome road. I need security and peace and stability in my life. Not a constant barrage of demands to write more blogs.

Europe has taught me a lot of things this time around. Unfortunately, it did not teach me to be an excellent speller. Thats one thing about the Europe trip that I realized since being home. The trip teaches each of us a lot of things, but not everyday practical things. Things that we won’t realize until later in our lives.

In a way I am so glad that the trip can do this in my life, but on the other hand I just wish I was a speller.

Only Shadows

August 16, 2010 – 6:00 pm
By Hudson D. | Posted in uncategorized Comments (0)

“It’s been less than a month since I left Europe!”

I keep telling myself this over and over and yet I can hardly believe it. As of right now so many aspects of the trip seem like shadows of the real thing. The only lingering reality of the trip is the work that follows it. Despite the fact that the trip has begun to dissolve into nothing but memories there is still so many times I see its effects in my day to day life. As I make my way through my life on a daily basis I am reminded of things I have learned on the trip. Whether it’s in passing a church and I realize I know what makes the distinction between Gothic or Romanesque architecture. I certainly didn’t know this before. Or if it’s realizing that a painting in a familiar building I’ve seen hundreds of times is in the Baroque style. Or when I’m picking a beer or wine out at the store and I see dozens of selections I’ve had from their place of origin. All of these are things that have all too easily escaped my grasp until now and certainly escape the grasp of many other people around me. Since the trip I have been taught to more actively engage the world around me and attempt to understand the intricacies and details of even the simplest things. The experiences I had in Europe will always be a part of my life in that they shade and color how I understand different parts of the world around me and that I will never be able to forget.

A little less then tanned

August 16, 2010 – 3:00 pm
By Aaron Rasenberg | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Well as most of you know I broke my arm on the last night before we were to fly back to Canada. So that made things interesting. Not being able to work has given me plenty of time and freedom to visit old friends around Ontario. This allowed me to be an observer for a while longer and take in the sights of my familiar Canadian countryside. As always I am looking predominately at buildings, allowing my renewed interest in architecture to guide my eyes across intersecting planes, proportions, and ornamental details. But now I have a problem. Europe has spoiled me. A land so old and so full of history that the manifestations of European culture in art, architecture, and literature, have literally chronicled the advancement of humanity and civilization. When you reach a certain elevation on a mountain the foothills fade into obscurity. And now back in Canada the urban landscape is tasteless and unimpressive before my enlightened eyes (and less dramatic).

A beautiful sight has never seemed so foul, but now I have begun to change my opinion. Europe has inspired me and I have the advantage. An unspoiled landscape, a fresh canvass. Untouched raw materials that I am determined to spoil with my own selfish ambition. What I have before me is what early settlers saw when they sailed to Canada, a new start, an opportunity to create a new civilization, to carve their own version of humanity out of fresh marble. I will follow in their footsteps, I will take this land and raw materials and a new vision to create something beautiful and build up Canada’s architectural heritage. So the plan goes…

I may blame Europe for ruining Canada for me, and I may have lost a little pride in my home country, but what I have lost there, I have gained in oportunity. Traveling through Europe, and what seemed to be time, has given me the academic background and experiential lessons to explore the possibilities of my future. Amen.

Some Visual Highlights…

August 16, 2010 – 1:04 pm
By Shelley Perry | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

For those of you who want some visual highlights to go along with these blog entries…here are just a few memorable moments!

Visiting Montserrat monastery in Spain

on the beach in Barcelona

Laura and Ariel at the Amphitheater in Arles

Hudson take a leap in front of the Roman Aqueduct (Pont du Gard)

Isaac hard at work, Vatican City, Italy

Medieval Walled City of Carcasonne

Margaret in Venice, Italy

Leaders take a break for some coffee in Vienna

Katie, Lois, and Cara explore the Swiss Alps

Some choose to explore the city of Zurich by bicycle

Julia, Margaret, Brianna, and Kristel at the Eiffel Tower

Brianna and Margaret pose in front of the Louvre in Paris

At Vimy Ridge, France, learning about Canada's role in WWI

Dave LOVES Bruges, Belgium

Some spent an evening in London taking in a show

Lucas in London!

Withdrawl

August 16, 2010 – 12:00 pm
By Daniel Thiessen | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Coming home from Europe after spending over 2 months there really is quite a shock. The main difference was that we were nearly always surrounded by people, whether that was people from our group or the swarms of tourists. Now back in St. Stephen there are very few around in general. In Europe we were constantly receiving stimuli from many sources, the noise of cities, art museums and old buildings. Now all the stimuli I’ve been getting is from this computer screen that our homework has me locked in front of. I’m a bit conflicted on how I feel about this change, part of me misses the action packed days in Europe, but part of me is enjoying the slower pace of home. I’d love to spend more time talking about this, but honestly I have 5 other assignments that I should be working on that were due a few days ago.

I’d Go Back in a Second!

August 16, 2010 – 10:08 am
By Genevieve | Posted in uncategorized Comments (0)

*SIGH*  Being back in Canada is great. Seeing and speaking with friends and family who were not on the trip with me has been wonderful.  Sleeping in a bed with a foam mattress, pillow and a feather duvet, rather than in a tent is superb.  And not having to force a crusty baguette with processed meat and cheese into my stomach for lunch everyday is such a relief.  As I write this blog, the days amount to 3 weeks since I’ve been back and although I appreciate and love having my daily comforts and routines reinstated, I would do it all over again if I had the opportunity.

There’s so much to tell that it’s too much.  So many ideas, insights, questions and memories I’ve swept through over a period of 2 months that to even recount them all is…  it feels impossible.

I fell in love so many times in 60 days it’s a wonder my heart is not breaking from being apart from it all.  And even though I am thankful right now to have space and time to myself, daily I miss my tent-mate, my bus-buddy, my cooking-team and every other person I traveled with on this trip.

So what did I learn?  I’ve learned that I can fall in love with a sculpture as I stand before it and become mesmerized by its beauty, emotion and true humanness.  I’ve discovered a love and appreciation for some art not only for the art itself, but also from finding out about the artists: who they were, their stories, why they painted what they did.  I’ve learned that having knowledge of the history behind buildings and cathedrals: why they are so important to be maintained (in some cases rebuilt) over hundreds and hundreds of years, can deepen my level of appreciation and understanding of their significance. Whether it be people, places or structures their stories are important.  I have also learned that friendships can grow between the least expected of people when given a chance.

Everyone and everything has a story.  Knowing the stories can transform our ideas, perceptions, and judgments giving us a possibly deepened appreciation for the person or thing, or simply broaden our understanding and cultivate a change in our thinking.

It’s been ride!  Thanks TEAM Europe 2010!!

A Thousand Beginnings

August 14, 2010 – 7:32 pm
By Katie Ironside | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

At this moment I am sitting on the floor of my living room back home, seeking relief from the humidity and heat in the gentle breeze of a nearby fan. I am trying to write this final blog, my last published account of what I experienced and learned during two months studying in Europe, and finding it rather difficult to put my jumbled thoughts into words. Slightly out of frustration, I tell my mother that this blog has had ‘a thousand beginnings’— then I pause. The name seems fitting, and I roll with it.

This past Europe trip was an amazing opportunity to delve into the culture and history of what was once the very heart of the Western world. Seeing the artwork of Renaissance greats like Michelangelo and Raphael, listening to the music of Franz Liszt, solemnly passing through war sites and memorials— it was all the beginning of a new and richer understanding of both mind and spirit.

Also, in the midst of this whirlwind European tour I was given a glimpse of what could be: of different cultures and worlds that I might choose to call home in years to come. In this realization that I could really live in Europe, another beginning is made.

What else began on this trip? My appreciation for art, a renewed sorrow for the state of North American culture, a new appreciation for quiet time and personal space—catalyzed by those two months abroad. And at the same time I have also begun to understand the great value of my home in Ontario and of the family and friends who shape me there, as well as the influence in my life of small-town St. Stephen. Certainly I had considered why I love these places before, but not until now did I realize how deeply I have been molded by them—just as I have been molded by the different peoples and lifestyles I witnessed in Europe.

Beginnings, renewals, great changes and small—an experience of learning and of transition.

That is what Europe gave me; a thousand beginnings.

Europe in Review

August 13, 2010 – 11:18 am
By Lindsay McKay | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

The Europe 2010 Travel Program ended weeks ago and as I write the final assignments for our courses, I cannot help but reminisce about the wonderful time that I had while I was there with my friends. I think back to the Friday spent exploring Barcelona and the evening of hanging out in Carcassonne. I remember the leather market in Florence and seeing the David for the first time. I recall staring at the beautiful mountains in Zell am See and exploring the streets of Dresden and Munich. I remember the moment that I saw Marc Chagall’s stained glass windows in Zurich and the mountains of Lauterbrunnen. The Eiffel Tower at night, the stars in the sky in Belgium and the absolutely wonderful city of London.

I won’t soon forget my time in Europe and the experiences that I had there, good and bad. This is what makes SSU’s programming so unique and valuable: the unique travel study programs. Thanks to SSU, I have been to both Asia and Europe, learning hands-on as I went. That is by far the best and most memorable way to learn, through experience. So, as I say goodbye to my SSU travel terms, I wait until the travel bug bites again and see where it takes me next and I am thankful that SSU has taught me how to travel well.

Lindsay

The Rock From Which I Was Cut

August 13, 2010 – 11:00 am
By Tira Ingersoll | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

As I go about life at home, writing papers at the library and working at the plant nursery, as my family and old friends ask questions about my summer and my time in Europe, I am forced to look back. I weigh gelato flavours against one another to give my opinion on the best ones and quickly evaluate all the coffee I had so I can say which country had the best. As I look back it is easy to live in the past, to wish I’d spent more time doing this or that, to wish I could be sleeping on the ground in a tent with Lois instead of sweating, carrying trees and loading manure into people’s vehicles. It’s easy to wonder why writing papers and serving irate customers does not compare to strolling the streets of Europe soaking in the culture or eating a sandwich beside the Eiffel Tower.
There is a healthy way to look back and a destructive way to look back. Isaiah 51:1 says, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord…Look to the rock from which you were cut…Look to the quarry from which you were hewn.”
I think this verse offers two applications for myself specifically and perhaps others reading this…
1) Remembering Europe and the time we spent there, the people I spent it with, what I learned (academically and about myself) and using that knowledge to help shape my time here at home, to remember the way we did life in Europe and apply it here at home.
2) My experience in Europe was coloured by the theme of restoration (specifically the Frauenkirche) and as I think about the “stages” that I’m processing, the time has come to be at home with my parents and brother, to look back to the rock from which I was cut – to my parents, to my Heavenly Father–and to allow them to speak life into me; to allow God to define me.
I am on the path of restoration. Europe was the beginning of this journey and God is my companion.

love what is good for you

August 12, 2010 – 7:25 pm
By Brianna Kocka | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Another Chapter of Waiting

August 12, 2010 – 3:00 pm
By Julia Roebbelen | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Every time that I find myself back in Oakville, I feel like I am waiting for something, or recovering from something. So now, I’m recovering from Europe, and waiting for Asia.
What do I do in the mean time? These times can be so meaningful, if I let them. I tend to find myself right back in the social, party scene, and sometimes I lose sight of the things I have just come back from learning. The application of this education is sometimes harder than we are led to believe. But if I am to start this movement, this tidal human ocean, this wave-making of a revolution, it starts with speaking out, against society, against the norm, and showing the world what I’ve learned and what we can become.
Easier said than done.
I want to move, I want to inspire, but it’s so hard to get those feet walking for the first time.
So what is there to be done? We have to get off our sofas and go outside, and talk to people, and meet someone new, and say, “Hey look at this great idea I’ve got, share it with me.” And then they’ll share it with someone else, and it’s like “Pay It Forward” all over again, but with a reformation of thought–a reformation of the mind, heart and soul. It’s engaging in a life that is worth living, exploring art and history and religion and community and politics and the ebb and flow of our lives, of their lives–how their lives intermingle with our lives like the phosphorescent particles in the ocean, and how that can be so simply beautiful. How we as a species can be so beautiful just by being, but in being we must also do, and in doing we create a mass amount of good and love and intellect and pure joy.
I’m going to try it.

Home

August 11, 2010 – 2:31 pm
By Angela | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

“Another summer day has come and gone away, in either Paris or Rome and I wanna go home…”

Well, truth be told, when I was in Paris and Rome I didn’t feel that way. I was quite happy to be where I was and it’s hard to believe that it ever happened.  It feels as if the things we did and saw, the different worlds we experienced never happened…like it was all a dream.  But it wasn’t, I really did travel around Europe for two months, with a group of people I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen on my own, though it was partly due to the various personalities that our group worked so well…I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I have never seen so much art in my life, and I may not be able to visit another museum or gallery for a couple of months lol.  Oh, and thank you leaders…every time I go any where now can’t help but think “bus buddy and tent mate!” only to realize that neither my bus buddy or tent mate are here.

I’ve learned so much on this trip, about others, about myself…and I’m not really sure if I’ve even really broke the surface yet.  I’ve met people and seen places and things that I never could have dreamed of…and it was amazing to see how God worked in and through us throughout our travels and experiences. In many ways it’s hard to describe a trip like this (though I’m happy to show pictures and tell stories to any who would like)  I feel blessed to have been a part of it, and grateful to all those who worked so hard to make it a good trip.

So thank you, one and all…those on the trip, behind the scenes and those who were praying for us while we were gone.

now…if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more assignments to finish :)

God Bless

~Angela

more hardcore than SSU travel terms?

August 9, 2010 – 12:07 pm
By Kendall Kadatz | Posted in All Things Travel, uncategorized Comments (0)

I’m impressed at what our students experience during their travel terms, but honestly, this guy is off the charts. I’d like to see him write a research essay though.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/08/09/brazil.amazon.hiker/index.html?eref=rss_travel&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+rss/cnn_travel+(RSS:+Travel)

Gracias.Merci.Grati.Danke-Thanks.

August 3, 2010 – 8:08 am
By Katie Ironside | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

It’s been a while since I wrote that last blog, and so much has happened since then that I could barely hope to account for it all. I have seen a vast amount of art, some which has truly moved me and some which I have simply had to pass by. I’ve tread the streets of Venice and Paris and have breathed in the fresh air of the Alps. I have also witnessed vestiges of the horrors that our species can inflict on each other at the Dachau concentration camp and in the mines and trenches of Vimy and Ypres.

And I would love to talk to you about all of these experiences next time we meet.

For now, though, I am more inclined to write about my experiences with the people who have made this time in Europe most memorable. What a great blessing it has been to get to know my classmates and leaders better through conversations, funny moments, shared museum fatigue, and academic growth. Even though we don’t always get along, it has been a great journey.

Besides these, I have also enjoyed the brief interactions with strangers along the way. Like sharing a bit of our culture with two Portuguese women in Italy over a bowl of homemade stew, or talking about literature with a German student name Axel on a train ride through Switzerland. And how fantastic was it to meet fellow Canadians working at Vimy Ridge, learning the history and importance of the battles that took place there from our nations’ perspective? Or just a few days ago, when we were able to share sandwiches with three hungry-looking men as we sat on the grass outside of a Belgian church; though they may have been drunk and were playful in the acceptance of the food, the sincere ‘thank you’ as we left spoke of the measure of good that had just been done.

It’s moments like these– people like these– that make travelling a real blessing. I think that if I were to focus only on the art, architecture and history of each place we have visited, I would be missing out on the most important experiences. Perhaps that is why I don’t know how to write well enough about those parts of the trip… though they have been important, they haven’t made my time in Europe what it is. People, relationships are key. And I think I’ve seen each country all the better by seeing it through the eyes of those I have met along the way. To each of these: thank you.

WWI – Thoughts

August 2, 2010 – 2:58 pm
By Jonas Martin | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Since I was young I have always considered myself a bit of a World War II buff, and never gave much thought to World War I, at all. Since coming to Belgium however I cannot stop thinking about the atrocities committed during that war and how unnecessary the whole thing really was.  My interest began to peak for this during our visit to the Canadian site at Vimy ridge, and how interesting, and sad it was to see the bunkers where the men fought, slept, lived and ultimately died. I was particularly shocked at life expectancy of the front line runners as being between 5-7 days upon arrival, even more the fact that many of them were volunteers.

What really bummed me out is I felt all these soldiers we see buried at the Canadian memorial and in the mass army graves, is how these men died for nothing really. World War I was a war fought over ego’s, and false senses of nationalism and superiority. In the Flanders Fields museum there was a quote by Winston Churchill that said “I wonder what would happen if all of a sudden all of the soldiers went on strike, and all the world leaders would have to find another way of settling their differences.” The whole thing really makes all the mass graves a lot more depressing knowing they all died in a pointless war, in a war that was supposed to end all wars – there have been armed conflicts somewhere in the world, every single day since the end of World War I.

Jonas