Relay for Life

Saturday night I participated in Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society.  It started at like 5:30 pm Saturday evening, and finished at like 5:30 am Sunday morning.  I didn’t sleep last night.

The event in itself was so much fun.  They had activities going on all night and groups performing at all hours.  I participated in a zumba class, which constituted about half the people dancing in the center of the track, played Frisbee pretty much all night, and walked countless laps.

Zumba in the middle of the night

Sam, me, and Liz walking around the track

At midnight they held the Luminaria ceremony in honor or memory of cancer patients and survivors.  This is always the most touching part of Relay for Life, because each person is there for a reason, for a loved one, or for themselves, or for a friend.  Cancer affects more lives than just the person it resides in.  And that is why we must work so hard to find a cure.

Luminaria lining the inside of the track

The ceremony revolves around hope.  Because we must keep hoping, keep praying, and keep believing in able to find a cure and eradicate cancer.

Huskies: 1; Cancer: 0

We raised $138,000 as of yesterday for the American Cancer Society.  Our goal is to raise $200,000 by August.  If you would like to donate, or learn more about the American Cancer Society, you click here.

This is a fight that is going to take everyone.  Cancer affects us all; it does not make distinctions between one person and another.  Only by working together will we succeed.  

My Life!

So these last few weeks have been kind of stressful.  I haven’t blogged too much on account of a couple 20 page lab reports*, three midterms, a variety of other tests and quizzes, and Ultimate Frisbee (more on that later).  On top of that, housing and class registration begins next week, which just adds to the stress, but I think I may have it all figured out now.

Next year I’m rooming with Sam, Janet, and Liz and I am SUPER excited about that!  Liz and Sam are both bio majors as well, and Janet is civil engineering with an environmental engineering concentration. 

The classes were a little trickier to figure out.  I came in with most of my base requirements filled, which is great because I can pretty much make my schedule whatever I want, but also not because then I have to decide what I want, and I’m not sure what exactly that is yet.  Because I already have 65 credits after my freshmen year, I have a ton of room for other classes that I want to take.  I’ve decided to minor in business for sure, since EVERYTHING is a business and it will be applicable in any job I decide to take.  I’m also thinking right now of pursuing an environmental science minor.  I’m not sure as of present if I want to go into the more molecular/biotech side of biology or into a more conservation/environmental field.  I figure if I take classes in both and try to get experience working in both then I’ll be able to decide based on what I actually like doing more. 

The problem I have been having with classes is that I want to study abroad.  I REALLY want to study abroad.  And I don’t want it to be a semester wasted academically because science classes don’t transfer back very well and I’ve already fulfilled all of my elective requirements.  But I found this program earlier this week in Costa Rica.  It’s a conservation biology semester abroad first doing research and then analyzing it and taking classes.  I’ll live with a host family for part of it, learn some basic Spanish, and get to see if conservation biology is something I would like to do for the rest of my life!  It meets my biology requirements, and although I could graduate about a year and a half early, I could still stay and take classes on the molecular side of the spectrum to get experience there as well.  I figure since I’m not losing anything and I’ve just got the rest of my life in front of me after college, I may as well stay here as long as I can.

So this weekend I mapped out my life for the next four years**.  I figured out what classes I can take when, when the best time to study abroad is, and when I’ll go on CO-OP.  I am so excited because I worked out a way to “do it all,” and not settle for anything less than what I can get from my time here.

Next semester, if scheduling*** works out, I’ll be taking the following courses:

Organic Chemistry 1 – “The course that separates those who think they want to be doctors and those who are meant to be doctors…”

Ecology – Required for both my major and my environmental science minor.

Finance – For my business minor

Environmental Ethics – I am so excited for this class!  I love ethics and discussing and thinking about problems that affect us all and I think it will be a great supplement to the rest of my science and math based courses.  Additionally, it works for my environmental science minor as well!

So that’s my life as of now.  I’m sure things will change, and I hope they do as I discover who I am, what I like, and what I want to be.

*I wish I were joking, but I’m not.

**Subject to change at any moment.

***This is that very stressful time when you hope beyond hope that you can get into your classes even despite being so low on the totem pole.

I love my brother

And here is why:

Christmas 2002

Easter 2003

"Sue" (That's a T-Rex behind us)

Atlin, British Columbia

Somewhere on the coast of Oregon I think

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Prom 2010

Hawaii -- I love this pic :)

Christmas 2010

And a thousand other reasons I don't have pictures for.

And I miss my brother.

And seeing him is what I am looking forward to the most when I go home.*

*In just over a month!!!

Say a prayer for Japan

It’s so easy to forget about the world, to get caught up in life here, at a good university, with good food, and good friends.  But we MUST remember.  We are part of a much bigger picture.  Our world is so big, so huge, and yet so small and connected.  Connected in an infinite number of ways.

Disasters have struck in the past, and they will continue to strike as the earth changes.  We must be able to adjust to those changes.  Some changes happen very quickly, an earthquake, or a tsunami; others take time to produce their effect, global warming, or magnetic poles.

The effects of disasters last much longer than the duration of destruction.  Initially, help comes in floods, pouring in from all angles.  But a month later, the news coverage has moved on, those not affected have forgotten, and life “goes back to normal.”  But for those whose houses were washed away, whose livelihoods were destroyed, who are missing loved ones; life never goes back to normal.

So say a prayer for Japan tonight, say a prayer for Haiti, say a prayer for New Orleans, say a prayer for Sri Lanka, and say a prayer for all the other places hit by various kinds of disasters.  Say a prayer for those suffering, say a prayer for those hurting, say a prayer.  Say a prayer for our world, that we may come together to comfort instead of tear down, to love instead of hate, because we can’t do this on our own.  God is in control.

This is a letter someone forwarded to me, and it really hit home, so I’m going to share it.  I do not know the author, but I admire her greatly and pray she keeps faith in this difficult time.

Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,

First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you.  Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful. During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get 
drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets. Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. 
People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. 
People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone 
helped one another.” Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are 
constant and helicopters pass overhead often. We got water for a few hours in 
our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of 
caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group. There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.  Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently. And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no. They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I 
am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again. Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,

With Love in return, to you all,

Anne

And here is a link of some before and after pictures, I highly suggest looking at them.  It’s like someone took an eraser to the page and completely erased whole communities.

The Labyrinth

The season of Lent is one of transformation, as your old self is stripped away and you are made pure and holy. It is time to reconcile your life with God, and cut the worldly ties that bind you down. Doubt, fear, worries… “do not worry about tomorrow, for today’s worries are enough…” I feel like these specifically are tying me down and inhibiting my view of God’s plan for my life.

A labyrinth is a fixed path with only one route. There are no splits in the path or dead ends. There is one way in, and one way out. I know this ahead of time, but still find myself wondering where the path will go to reach the center. I try to follow the path with my eyes, but always end up getting lost. I only know where each foot is placed in front of me; the rest is left to trust. I trust that no matter what I see, God sees farther. I can glimpse the road ahead, see as far as the next curve, but after that life’s a mystery, and only God has the map. The labyrinth turns and doubles back. I follow next to my first path. A turn around, not a dead end, there is still a way out. Each trouble and obstacle is placed in my way for a reason. To make me stronger, so that when I surpass it I am one step closer to the ultimate destination. I stray away from the center, still following the same path laid ahead of me. Sometimes you have to get farther away from where you are going to end up in the right place. The footing underneath changes, the ground becomes hard, only to soften again later. Transitions are taking place, changing is inevitable. I finally reach the center, God’s center, where I am taken up in His arms in perfect love, and I am not worried, I do not doubt, I am not afraid, because “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.”

Lent

God has many faces.  Many faces that I witnessed walking up to the Alter this morning to get marked with ash.  The ash that represents our sins, our failures, our mistakes.  The ash that reminds us that “from dust we were created, and to dust we shall return.”  The ash that fills our hearts and pushes God out.  The ash that is to be washed away.

This time of Lent is a time to focus.  A time to bring God to the center, a time to cleanse our hearts and make them whole.  Something that only God can do.

            “Lent is our season of preparation work.

                        It is our time to spend with God,

                        scraping away all that is false and unhealthy,

                        allowing God’s light to shine into our wounds,

                        the gaping holes in our lives,

                        the cracks we try to hide.

                        And in that process,

                        God prepares us to receive a love

                        that will make us new.

                        God prepares us

                        for the bright and shining light of Easter morning.

                        God gives us new life.”

                                    EXCERPT FROM A POEM BY TORI HICKS

Though a solemn day, it is one filled with hope.  Hope for everlasting love and purity.  Hope the wonderment of God working in our lives.  It’s exhilarating, revitalizing, invigorating. 

“Fall slow tears and drown all my doubts and fears
And wash away my sin and shame in the flood of forgiveness and mercy.
Weep, sad eyes; my soul in repentance cries.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit with in me.
Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
Take all my iniquities upon You.
Have mercy on me, have mercy on me.”

Come, now is the time.  It is our calling to take up the cross and walk in Jesus’ name.  Remembering the suffering and pain, yet filled with love and peace.

“So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.  For he says, ‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’  See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!  We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute.  We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see – we are alive; as punished, and not yet killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

            2 CORINTHIANS 5:20 – 6:10

Pay it forward

Tonight I went to pick up Gigi* and had to wait awhile in South Station for her train to arrive. I noticed two things:

1) Apple is taking over the world. Seriously. Every single square inch of advertising space in South Station was completely devoted to Apple and the iPad. There were so many advertisements they were even hanging from the ceiling. It’s like, you think people would get the point and still hear about the iPad and what not with only half the amount of advertising they do. But then again, they are one of the most profitable businesses of all time, so they must be doing something right.

2) A man was walking around asking for money for a train ticket. Now this isn’t necessarily an abnormal site for a train station, at least in Boston, but still it isn’t something you really want to be happening. I’m conflicted whenever this happens, I want to give money and help them get home, but I don’t want to give money and have them go buy drugs or something. But how do you know the difference? I guess sometimes you have to just take a chance. Which is why my heart warmed when I overheard another man approach and ask how much more he needed for the train ticket, and conclude with “pay it forward.” That simple, random act of kindness; maybe it doesn’t turn out that great, but maybe it does. You’ll never know, you just have to take the chance and love.


*Which deserves a post all to itself, I am so excited she is here!!!

Cake is a sometimes food, pie is a way of life

This post I’ve been meaning to write for a while, but since I never got around to writing much in the month of February, and I have time now because I’m a plane, I’ll turn it into an overview my three favorite parts of February.

The Beanpot

Every year Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, and Northeastern play each other in “The Beanpot,” a hockey tournament held at the Garden.  Northeastern hasn’t won in 23 years or something like that, and Boston College is ranked number 1 nationally, and has won the majority of recent tournaments.  We played Harvard for our first game, and won to advance to the finals versus BC.  Everyone assumed we would be crushed, and was so surprised when regulation play ended and it was tied 6 – 6 with Northeastern a viable threat for the title.  Unfortunately BC scored first in sudden death overtime and won 7 – 6.  The next week however we played BC in the “Dog House,” Matthew’s arena, and won, which was sweet revenge, though still disheartening that it hadn’t happened the week prior.

The Beanpot of Comedy

I’ve written some other posts about Northeastern’s NU & Improv’d, the improv comedy club on campus.  Sometime in February they hosted the “Beanpot of Comedy” and preformed with three other schools.  The title of this post is my favorite line from that night, originating from a debate, a serious debate, over which is better – cake or pie.

In honor of that debate, and taking into consideration the fact that the debate is still not settled, I have added a poll on the right side of this blog.  Please vote!

The Northeast Quarterfinal A Cappella Championships

This blew me away.  I had never seen an a cappella group perform prior to this, and between Northeastern, Harvard, Boston College, Boston University, and Berkley School of Music for my first a cappella concert I think I got one of the best.  Berkley won the competition, and they should being a music school, but each of the groups that performed did a spectacular job in my opinion. 

That’s all I can remember at present from February, my mind is too full of everything that happened over spring break.  But seeing as it’s March now I’ve got even more to write about*, before the tsunami of work and studying hits me full on!

*If I survive this week.

The Final Days

My last three days in Ecuador I spent outside of Otavalo.  Thursday morning we got up early and caught a bus to Quito (2 hours), then caught another bus to Mindo (another 2 hours), where we went zip-lining!  This was so much fun!  13 cables were strung across a ravine way high up in the air.  Here are some pictures!

Getting ready to go!

So much fun!

"Mariposa" or butterfly

Don't look down!

The view from the last cable

After zip-lining we took the bus back to Quito (2 hours again) and then took a bus then a trolley (which really was another bus and took about an hour and a half) through Quito to the south bus terminal.  There we ate dinner and then boarded another bus to Manta (8 hours) that traveled through the night.  5 buses, 2 taxies, 1 trolley and a total travel time of 15 and a half hours later, we arrived in Manta.

Friday and Saturday we spent at the beach.  Friday we went to a small, secluded beach with a Junior Youth group and Saturday we went to a more popular beach.  Here are the pictures of that typical college spring break at the beach minus the red plastic cups*.

Friday at the beach

The Junior Youth group

SUN!

This is one those reasons why I could live in Ecuador

Best friends James Bond style

Saturday night Valerie and I boarded a bus back to Quito (9 hours) and arrived at the airport early in the morning.  I flew home, and Valerie took another bus back to Otavalo.

Overall I had a fantastic trip.  The worst part** other than leaving was going to see the Black Swan Friday night because I’m a chicken and those types of movies, though not scary for most people, freak me out.  So afterwards we had to watch another non-scary movie, which ended up being The Last Song, which was pretty much just an overload of another emotion, which you could guess if you know me and have read that book/seen that movie.

I loved Ecuador, every minute I spent there.  A perfect spring break!  Now only 6 more weeks and I’m done with my freshmen year of college!  Time is flying!

*Because none of us drink

**Actually the worst part occurred about a half an hour before I said goodbye to Valerie and went through security.  I was sitting on a bench watching our bags when someone tapped me on the shoulder and asked me something in Spanish.  I replied and said I didn’t speak Spanish but my friend would be back any minute and she could.  Then the lady got up and left immediately and 10 seconds later Valerie showed up.  During that brief interlude when I had my back turned on our bags, someone stole Valerie’s backpack, and we weren’t able to find the person.  That kind of put a damper on our morning, and I hope hope HOPE that Valerie was able to recover it after I left – it was such a bummer!

Life in Otavalo

The wonderful thing about our planet is that you can go anywhere in the world, experience totally different things in completely different places, and still relate to the people of the area in some way or another.

Though the living, the food, the transportation, the clothes, the language is different, I still feel like I belong, that the people here are really just like me, despite outer appearances.

So here are some ways things are different, because that’s probably what everyone wants to hear about.

1) Rice.  I have been eating a TON of rice.  Probably more rice in the last four* days than in the rest of 2011 combined.

2) Bread.  There’s a bakery about five minutes (walking) from where I’m staying with fresh rolls and all sorts of yummies every morning for 12 cents each.  I’m in heaven!

3) Fruit.  I love fruit.  Especially fresh fruit, and exotic fruit, and cheap fruit.  All of which is in abundance here.

4) Housing**.  Though there are places that are similar to housing you’d find in a city in the US, there are also houses built in the traditional way, and others that are kind of a cross between the two.  Here are some pictures of where I’m staying:

This is our corner of the house

The kitchen/dining room/living area

Valerie in front of her bed

My bed and the AWESOME sign that
Valerie, Kendy and Dagmar made for me!

I’d take a picture of the whole bedroom, but there’s a laundry line strung through the center of it cutting it in two for the picture.  The whole house is the kitchen/dining room/living area, the bedroom/laundry dry room, and the bathroom.

Also, there’s a dog that lives on the roof, and chickens in the backyard.

5) Climate.  You would think it’d be hot here, but really it’s not.  Otavalo is at about 8000 feet elevation***, so it’s cool at night and warms up enough in the day to be comfortable in shorts and a tee shirt, but is not oppressively hot.  Generally it’s sunny in the morning and sometimes rains in the afternoons****.  There’s no need for either air conditioning or heat.  It’s the perfect temperature!

6) The market.  I know there are lots of markets all over the US, but I really like the markets here.  Besides the fruit market, which I’ve already said that I love, there’s the other market with all sort of stuff.  Today I went shopping Ecuadorian style!  Thankfully Valerie was there to translate for me.  Just about everything was handmade with vibrant colors and cultural taste. 

A street near the market

7) Carnival.  The first week or so in March (and the last in February in anticipation of the coming weeks) are “Carnival.”  I’m not really sure why they have this celebration, or what it means, but it gives children free range to throw water balloons and spray foam at people passing by.  So much fun!  

Regardless of these superficial differences however, the people are just like you and me, living a different way.  I love that I can travel to the southern hemisphere and still make friends with other people, even though we don’t even speak the same language.

Today was my last day in Otavalo, tomorrow we’re going to Quito to go zip-lining, and then from there to Manta where I’ll spend my last few days in Ecuador on the beach!

 

 

*FOUR!!! Oh my gosh I’ve already been here FOUR days!?

**I figured I should mention something besides food…

***I’m not used to this…  For the most part I’ve been ok, though sometimes my feet fall asleep more often than they did at home.  Running or hiking becomes more difficult and I get out of breath more easily.  Yesterday I played tag with the kids and today I played some soccer at the Institute, and both times I was dying for oxygen.

****Because it rains a lot and there’s no way to really dry anything out, everything is always damp.  Clothes don’t really dry unless you hang them in the sun, and that’s hard to do when it’s raining.  There’s a mold that persists no matter what you do, and everything smells slightly mildewed.

Que mas ve*!

My last two days here have been incredible!  Both days I went to school with Valerie.  Here are some photos from school.

We're teaching English!

Outside the school buildings

Juice! Everything comes in bags here.

The segundo debasica class singing for the Ayyam'i-ha celebration

Yesterday after school, we went back to the Institute for the final day of the Intensive.  It reminded me of the last day of church camp, happy and full of joy because everyone had such a great time and grew spiritually, but sad too because everyone had to leave.

Jose Louis and Jose Louis playing at the closing of the Intensive

Sitting outside on the steps of the Institute

Today after school Valerie and I went to the fruit market**.  I LOVED IT THERE!!! And everything was so cheap!  We bought tons of fruit for like four dollars.  After that we went to the waterfall, “Peguche.”  Here are some pictures from our hike!

Taken from the first bridge looking at the falls

Valerie and I on a rock above the falls

I'm all wet

I LOVE YOU VALERIE!!!

JUMP!

JUMP HIGHER!

Today is the last day of Ayyam’i-ha, and so there was a Feast and Ayyam’i-ha party tonight.  The Feast happens every 19 days, and the end of each Baha’i month.  After the Feast, Valerie presented the community here with a guitar and amp as a gift from the Baha’i community in Alaska.

Wladimir*** with the guitar

The night concluded with a dance, “san jwan” which pretty much consists of everyone shuffling around in a circle with the musicians at the center playing the same phrase of music over and over again and randomly bursting out with shouts in Spanish that I didn’t understand.  Everyone seemed to be having a great time though!

San Jwan

Tomorrow our plan is to go to the beach!  I love it here!

*Everyone says this.  I’m still not really sure what it means, but it’s something like “Hey what’s up!?” I think…

**I think I just found my second favorite place on the planet (Hatcher’s Pass will always hold the favorite title)

***Wladimir kind of speaks English, so I’ve talked to him a lot.  I really like everyone here!