Author Archives: madismith

born in Raleigh, NC; raised in Ottawa; family branches from Minnesota.

Banderas y mi origen verdad

August 15, 2011 – 8:40 pm
By madismith | Posted in 2011 Comments (0)

I’ve been back in North America for almost a month now. From busing across Europe, to the flight to Toronto, to my train ride home to Ottawa, and my flight back out to North Dakota, I’ve had quite the whirlwind adventure. Through the hustle and bustle of constantly moving from place to place, I have adopted a mentality I have never before found myself able to grasp.

I’m not a patriotic person. In fact, as a dual citizen, the concept of being patriotic becomes both more diluted and more complex. Which country do I identify more with? What is identity in culture? How can I be proud of coming from a first-world country? The latter question is the most troubling to me in the question of patriotism. However my mentality, as aforementioned, has come to a heightened state of existence.

Throughout our travels in Europe, I found myself captivated by flags. When we landed in Spain it was hard to believe we were in another country. Obviously it looks nothing like New Brunswick, but it doesn’t look entirely foreign either. It wasn’t until I saw the Spanish flag blowing in the wind that I fully realized we had made it. This theme was consistent for me on the trip. Each new place was made real to me by each new waving flag. Each culture, beautifully unique and captivating in its own way. Each place diverse and rich in history. Each place worthy of its identity as a nation. Though much was good, taking in so much culture slowly wore on me, and throughout the travels, I grew a little more weary day by day.

Something about traveling in Europe really brings out the beauty of calling Canada your home. Everyone there seems to have such a strong respect for Canada, such a strong sense of friendship. It wasn’t until Canada day in Paris that I found myself actually homesick for Canada. The real shock came to me in the homeland.

After returning to Canada and staying with Liam’s family in Kitchener a couple of nights, I began my trek home by train to Ottawa. I was in a sort of traveler’s shock. I was tired, but not worn out. Content, but ready to be home. Alongside my train, about two hours into the ride, a Canadian flag was waving in the wind atop a pole to the west. This moment was the most Canadian I’ve ever felt in my life. The peace dawned on me that no matter where I go, Canada is back home waiting for me. A strong, secure nation where I have family and friends. A stationary place to rest and regain myself before traveling again. For the first time in my life I think I truly understand the concept of national pride, though my version is without any sense of supremacy. I am simply thankful to have a home like Canada.

So here I find myself back to working in a western-themed town in North Dakota, located in my birth country. Back to being known as ‘the Canadian’, and for the first time with a sense of national pride without arrogance. Each morning at work, just after raising the American flag, I get to raise the Canadian one and remember what flags represent.

Traveler’s blessings,
- Madi Smith

Saint Judas

July 9, 2011 – 7:21 pm
By madismith | Posted in 2011 Comments (0)

An afternoon stop in Colmar, France led our group to see Grunewald’s beautiful rare altar pieces, which featured (among other things) a diseased crucified Jesus, and a tormented Saint Anthony.

What I was far more interested in, upon taking notice of them, were a series of panels done by Martin Schongauer on the life, betrayal, and death of Jesus. In his portrayal of the last supper, I noticed that the disciples were adorned with golden halos of sainthood- all except Judas. Of course, that would seem initially reasonable. We recognize Judas as a traitor, somehow worse in his sin than the others. His betrayal was perhaps more tangible to us. So why does Peter get a halo?

The bible says we all sin and fall short of God’s glory. Maybe we need to take a step back and reevaluate how we look at Judas.

Peace.
Madi

My pilgrimage through Assisi

June 7, 2011 – 10:38 pm
By madismith | Posted in 2011 Comments (0)

Today I roam Assisi alone. The city is on a mountainside, overlooking miles of farmland. After our visit to San Damiano church, where St. Francis himself first took up his ministry, we individually began our hikes back up to the city of Assisi. For the first time on this trip, I truly felt my pilgrimage coming to life. As a descendant of both German Catholics (mother’s side) and French Huguenots (father’s side), my journey has been one of truly attempting to dissect identity, specifically my own.

During my journey through Assisi, I encountered three South Korean girls about my age, who were self-proclaimed tourists. Through conversation and sharing with the one who spoke English, I learned that she too was a Christian, and we connected on many levels. I spent about half an hour with these tourists, and what I found changed much of the way I view tourists. They took their time everywhere they went, and were in awe at the beauty they witnessed. They greeted every nun they passed with respect. Though they weren’t on a proclaimed ‘spiritual journey’, they too are finding parts of themselves in travel; enjoying the world. I find that many of us, in travels, come to despise tourists.

Just as I can be both a descendant of Huguenots and Catholics, we are all inextricably bound in each other’s humanity. Just as St. Francis knew: we should learn to love, and not to judge. Where there is hatred, let us sow love.

- Madi

Post-Asia Withdrawals

December 18, 2010 – 8:31 pm
By madismith | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

It’s been nearly two weeks since our time in Thailand ended. We parted ways in two groups in Hong Kong, and slowly lost each other on connecting flights along the way home. Instead of going straight home after Asia, I opted to first stay for a couple weeks in British Columbia, as i’ve never been before.

One of my first experiences in Vancouver was figuring out the transit system with Nygel. It is quite similar to Kuala Lumpur’s, except that it costs nearly 14 x the price. We payed $7.50 each to take the skytrain into Vancouver city from the airport. In our Thai pants and t-shirts, transfered from train to train to bus, and walked in the 5ºC weather another few blocks to Sam and Megan Wollenberg’s. I crossed a high-traffic road, dodging around cars, completely forgetting how things work in Canada. I am so accustomed to darting across traffic that i didn’t even give it a second thought.

One of the most immediate differences here in Kelowna is the difference in poverty. Though there are homeless people living here, they are living in different conditions. There are food and sleeping shelters, along with street churches geared toward the homeless. Though not all of the needs of the homeless can really be met, this system is much more helpful and considerate than anything i ever witnessed in Asia. It also pains me deep in my conscience to see teenagers spending $15 to go to a bar show, and choosing Starbucks over the rampant cheaper local and fair trade shops.

The open nature of the Thai (and Lanna) people, combined with their desire to share their culture with us, were drawing features to cause someone like me to want to spend an extended amount of time there. Think about it: If you asked a SEAsian immigrant living in North America why they moved here, would they have the same impression of North American people?

Southeast Asian people have something real good going on. Watching their interactions amongst their families, and how close they hold each other to their heart (and very being), has really made me miss my family. I can’t wait to fly home to my family tomorrow.
//MADi

Bahasa Inggeris

November 5, 2010 – 10:56 am
By madismith | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Malaysia has been a completely different experience from the Philippines. Kuala Lumpur is a rich city, greatly impacted and economically aided by the tourism industry. We rarely see poverty here, except the occasional series of huts off the side of the highway. Our main exposure here is to the urgency and chaotic nature of city life. The transportation system has proven to be beyond impressive, and we’ve all adapted quickly to the multi sky-train system. We can easily and freely travel from one end of the city to the other, and see everything in between.

The night-life is rich and diverse, and our afternoons in the train station and downtown reveal a unified multi-culturalism that rivals Canada’s. Indians, Chinese and natives of Malaysia live diversely, in great harmony. We are learning what it means to be a pilgrim, and not a tourist, which grips many of us here much more than the Philippines. Witnessing white tourists from all over the world traveling Malaysia has shown us the errors of a tourist, and has shown us what we do not want to be.

While I travel the city, often with Nygel, I see Nygel’s passion for hearing and knowing every person’s story. As Nygel referenced this morning in our devotional, from the words of J. E. Mason: we want to hallow a place, not leave it hollow.
//MADi

Poverty and Pamilya

October 21, 2010 – 8:35 pm
By madismith | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

The Philippines is nothing like I expected. In Manila, poverty and riches sit as close as salt and pepper. The contrast presents itself immediately before you. Shanty towns rest on the front steps of TV stations. Whole families live in the gardens of department stores. The poverty overwhelms the people, who cry out for change in their city. This message resonates throughout the churches, lectures, and artwork.

Far away from Manila in my current homestay, I enjoy the simple life amidst fields of rice with Julia Roebbelen, my homestay mother Lanny and her husband Joseph, my 8-year-old twin brothers Jian and J-Lord, and my 9-year-old sister Lei. Life is magnificent with no running water, and as the kids speak no English, we communicate in much hilarity through animal noises. Family (pamilya) is the beautiful central support system in Filipino culture.

Byebye for meow,
//MADi

I’ll be back.

November 30, -0001 – 12:00 am
By madismith | Posted in 2010 Comments (0)

Chiang Mai, Thailand. What a city. In the three and a half weeks we’ve spent here, it has become a sort of home away from home for many of us. The freedom of riding in open-sided transport, day after day has, alone, been enough to make the experience entirely unique to any culture I’ve been exposed to.

As Chiang Mai is in Northern Thailand, many of the locals identify themselves as “Lanna”, rather than Thai. The Lanna kingdom, historically speaking, identifies more with Burma than with Siam. Because of this, I believe it is only fair to say that we’ve learned about Lanna culture, in our time here so far.

The people have been amazing, and their ability to carry on their everyday lives content, despite disagreements and issues with their governmental and social systems, is truly remarkable. The family systems here often reveal a “family business” as an integral part of each household. My homestay, for example, was a farming family. The parents ran the farm, the wive’s sisters, brothers and nieces sold the produce in the local markets, and my homestay sister played a role in several “odd-jobs” of sorts.

The experience here has been too much to summarize in a blog, but I’ll just say this: The Lanna people are amazing, and I now have real and lasting friendships with peers here. I know I’ll be back someday.

Werd.
//MADi