Dean and Ginny

Wow! It has been far too long since I posted on here. Turns out my days are filling up with stuff quite nicely and blogging took a back seat. I apologize. I will be caught up very soon and will do my best to stay caught up. A lot has happened in the last week-and-a-half!

On Tuesday night last week (2/22) the older, retired pastor of Hope Valley Uniting Church (where I am working) invited me over for dinner. His name is Dean and his lovely wife is Ginny. Dean is a very wise man and an immense asset to the Uniting Church denomination still to this day. I had a wonderful time talking with him and his wife (for nearly 4 hours). I look forward to learning much from them. They also fed me well--fresh fish for the win!

Dean is the father of Kynan, who is the executive pastor at Hope Valley. I will tell you more about him in a later post.

In Christ,

Chris

Wading through Quail

So I have been reading through the book of Numbers lately (the one in the Bible). It has been good to look at it again, as I usually breeze through whole junks of the OT when I am doing devotional. I mean...come on...who reads Numbers when you have a Pauline epistle just a few hundred pages forward? But it has been good. In typical "Scripter" fashion, I have been drawing many neat lessons and parallels from the text. In typical "Scripter" fashion, most of these have been horribly useless or absurd. For example, I was stunned by this passage in Numbers 11:31-35. The people of Israel had been complaining bitterly about all the stupid Manna they had to eat--why, God, couldn't you send some meat! Moses is getting sick of hearing them complain and cries out to God in despair. God gives him elders to help minister to the needs of the people (lesson: God provides, but often takes us to the very edge of our comfort zone to force us to rely on him). But, more so, he promises to give the people meat. Yay! That is great, right? Wrong. He promises a whole month's worth of meat. He promised meat until "it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you" (Numbers 11:20). And he was true to form: He sent quail on the land and they died over the camp spreading "about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground" (11:31). Imagine that! Just imagine it for one second. Now, my Hebrew measurements aren't exact. But two cubits is about 36 inches deep--that's 3 feet! Unbelievable, small children could drown in that mass of Quail. Imagine wading through it. What a smell! What a mess! Quail, three feet high, as far as the eye could see--a day's journey!

The lesson of the story. Be careful what you ask for...you just might get it :-).

In Christ,

Chris

Net Ball

Yet another new sport from Australia: Net Ball. On Monday night I went and watched one of my new friends here play Net Ball at her social club. (A small note about club sports: These are a lot more important here in Australia than at home. It seems everyone is part of a club team somewhere doing something. There is something physical to do literally for everyone who wants to. This is sad that we don't do this as much in America because so many good athletes and people wanting to stay fit just stop after their time in high school sports. I have come to really appreciate that part of Australian life. Granted, it could simply be the fact that I am in a city with lots of people and facilities to do social sports, but it just seems like they do more of it here). Net Ball is very interesting. Imagine ultimate frisbee and basketball had a baby--you would have something close to net ball. The game is basically played on a basketball court with two nets on either ends up in the air. Unlike a basketball hoop, there is no backboard. So, when shooting a "goal," one must toss it up and have it go directly into the basket. I think shooting would be really hard for someone like me who relies on a backboard to make shots in basketball. The person with the ball cannot run with it. They must pass it down the court just like in ultimate frisbee. Unlike frisbee or basketball, however, every person has a specific role and a place where they are allowed to be on the floor. For example, only a couple players on a team can score a goal because they are the only ones allowed within the shot zone. Likewise, only a couple of players can defend their own goal because they are the only ones allowed in it. The rest have to be available for interceptions and passing. I don't quite understand the positions perfectly yet, but the basics of the game are simple--pass the ball, shoot a goal. All players must stay 3 feet away from someone with the ball. Possession of the ball alternates between teams regardless of who scored the last point. Play goes until one team scores, they take the ball back to the center and the opposite team of whomever started with it last time starts play again.

Just like the game of footy which I mentioned earlier, I leave it to you to go youtube some footage if you are interested, as written words do not really capture a game well. This video is very helpful and I encourage you to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBuxsRnU50A . But it was interesting and fun to watch and relatively simple--a good game for just playing with friends. Who knows? Maybe I will get a chance to play while I am here.

The game is a big deal in Australia among social clubs because of its ease of play. It is also a good co-ed game. Professionally, it is more like Volleyball in America--that is, people only really care about the womens' net ball teams.

The Australians certainly have some unique games. Footy is almost exclusively an Australian thing. Net Ball, however, is played throughout the British Commonwealth I am led to understand. It is interesting that I had never heard of it before. I like sports so I am glad to learn new ones.

In Christ,

Chris

Creepy Crawlies

Australia--if the sharks don't kill you, the rest of the wildlife will. Pretty much every snake in Australia is VERY venomous (in Michigan there is only one). Plenty of the spiders are also pretty nasty. Unlike Michigan, however, where the infamous Black Widow and Brown Recluse are rarely seen, the venomous varieties of Australia seem to be around every corner! Haha...it certainly makes me check my clothes and shoes every morning ;-).

I hate spiders. Anybody that has seen me around them knows this very well. I inherited my Dad's phobia and it has always plagued me. South Australia is known for a few pretty nasty one. The first, the Huntsman is just nasty looking. It has no venom and doesn't harm people, but it can jump and grow to some obscene proportions. Ugh....I saw my first huntsman the other day on the back door of my house. Jon tells me it was a young one and nowhere near full size--which begs the question: where is mom and dad? Still, it was one of the largest spiders I have ever seen in the flesh! I would estimate 3 1/2 inches from one leg to leg. I snapped a picture...and jumped very high when it started to move. I am glad it did move though because it wandered down into the corner of the floor and brought us face to face with an infamous "Red Back." Two scary spiders + one location = Get me out of this country! The Red Back is Australia's equivalent to the Black Widow from what I can tell--it is looks the same, with a distinctive red spot on its abdomen and is very venomous. A bite could easily kill you if not treated rather quickly. The one in the corner was about the size of your big toe nail. But I stemmed my nerves and took a picture of both posing quite nicely. Then we killed them :-). Yes!

Just a few days later, and around the spot I ran across another, much bigger Red Back. This one was probably 1 1/2 inches from leg to leg. Maybe a bit more? I snapped another picture and killed it with my flip-flops. I felt rather satisfied with myself. I may grow out of my phobia a bit, but I doubt I will ever appreciate the site of these nasty critters. Ugh...the thought of them sends shivers down my spine.

In Christ,

Chris

Food and WIne Festival

On Sunday last, after the two morning services, Jon and Katie wanted to go to the Food and Wine festival (part of the huge Fringe festival). This was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, actually. Basically, they shut down a huge city street and set up the festival up and down it. There were tons of booths selling glasses of wine (of which I did not partake--though it seemed appropriate at a Wine festival that I take a picture with an empty wine glass) and a ton more selling food (of which I did partake). Jon and Katie bought us Salt in Pepper Squid--which I had never had. It was really good actually, like a chewy chicken nugget ;-). I like Seafood a lot and don't often get it in the states. I am eager to try all I can get here.

The coolest part of the festival were the live bands. At several points along the road they had stages set up and the bands, for the most part were pretty good. One was absolutely outstanding. Two bands stuck out to me. The first, Georgia Germein, was an all girl band with a wonderful lead singer with a gorgeous voice. Check her out: http://www.myspace.com/georgiagermein . The second band was a sweet blues/soul/jazz/fusion band called Mr. Goodnight. They were unbelievable. One of the tightest, most technical bands I have ever heard (which makes sense, as most all the members are conservatory trained musicians). Check them out: http://www.mrgoodnight.net/site/

Other than the music, there were also cooking demonstrations and little things like that. I enjoyed the afternoon. Then we went to evening church.

Speaking of church, this past week I was officially introduced to all three services as a new intern, helping out wherever possible. I was happy with how this went (they interviewed me on stage and I had opportunity to explain parts of my testimony) and how warmly I was received. The Church here is just superb. I miss Hillsdale Free Methodist a lot, but I am glad for an inviting church family here, eager to take me under their wing and help me discern some things.

In Christ,

Chris

Trying to lose weight

I figured I would take advantage of the fact that the Australians eat a lot less than I usually do (and that I have no money with which to buy additional food) to lose some weight. Now, I am by no means huge these days, but the last two years of college, sitting every night, working on papers almost exclusively have not exactly helped me maintain my weight. It's funny because my good friend, Dr. Stewart, always told me it wasn't until AFTER graduate school that he started gaining weight--I was starting too early!

So why not try to lose some while I am here, eh? Jon's father has a decent little gym in their garage with some free weights and a couple of machines. We have been going over there pretty regularly to lift. The run to his parents' house is the "Australian Treadmill" he says :-). I am certainly out of shape though...*whew.* Something to work on I guess. Moreover, the weather is nicer here than in Michigan to be outside and active. I can't wait for the Australian winter, then it will be PERFECT out for a Michigan man like me. Perhaps I will leave some of my bad habits behind for good.

In Christ,

Chris

The Fringe

So in my last post I talked about the Fringe Festival starting here in Adelaide and how I was to go to the opening ceremony (with a parade and concerts) despite the fact that it was raining a ton. Jon had planned it as a young adult Church event so there was no way we could really not go. But the rain never let up an it made the whole evening quite the wet experience. Moreover, the amount of rain Adelaide got that day was somewhat record setting. They were not prepared for such weather at the festivities and so they ended up canceling the parade and many of the shows. This was alright though, as the energy and vibrancy of the night was still well intact. People were buzzing everywhere, costumes, street performers, you name it. We spent a fair bit of time walking around the Fringe festival grounds--referred to as "The Garden of Unearthly Delights" and I had a really good time soaking it all in.

As promised, a quick word about the Fringe (which, to be honest, I still don't quite understand). The Fringe festival takes place in several locations throughout the world and is marketed as a festival showcasing the "fringes" of society. As such, most things involved with the fringe are a little bit risque, scandalous, edgy, colorful, etc. It is not as bad as...say...Carnival in South America, but the spirit of the event is similar. It is a celebration of life, in all its artsy, beautiful, (hedonistic?), glory. The Fringe festivals have thousands of acts--cabaret, comedy, theater, music, visual art, circus acts, etc. It is massive and scale and a little hard to grasp, to be honest.

The Adelaide Fringe lasts runs almost a whole month--from the 18th February to the 13th of March. Besides the acts associated with the Fringe, there are many other side festivals related to the Fringe but which are massive events in and of themselves. For example, the Food and Wine Festival and Womadelaide (a weekend long celebration of world music). The city is a bustle of excitement. Every day of the month there are many shows to attend and they take place all over the city (not just in the main gardens). It has also attracted some weird people here. The flamboyant, colorful dress certainly has no end. Nor do the cross-dressers and the like. As I said, this is a celebration of living life on the Fringe.

That said, the Fringe isn't all bad. You shouldn't think of it as jut a bunch of half-naked people and truly depraved entertainment. Thought that exists, there are many fine acts as well. The festival celebrates the arts and with thousands of acts, there are plenty of great musicians, shows, and comedians to choose from. Jon, Katie, and I are hoping to attend several of the events (as much as I can justify paying for actually--thought they are all fairly cheap). It will be fun and I am sure I will let you know what happens there. But now...perhaps...you understand the Fringe as well as I do.

But back to my life: After we stood in the rain for awhile, the students got sort of bored, wet, and miserable. Though i was having a blast laughing at the outrageous outfits, we decided to head back to Jon and Katie's and have a game night instead. We played Apples to Apples and Catch Phrase. Let me tell you something, it is hard to play Apples to Apples (an American game) with Australians. I never stopped to think about how much the game is tailored to an American audience! There were dozens of cards they literally had NO idea who/what it was. Thus, something I thought was funny usually got passed over rather quickly in favor of something they might no better. I still had fun, but it was a good cultural lesson. Little things I take for granted in America are not so in Australia.

But I made some great bridges with the students and feel like they enjoyed having me around. This was a good first step.

In Christ,

Chris