swiss chocolate part 2

last of the "owed" posts! woohoo!

so, on my sunday in my short trip to switzerland, i went down to the lugano area to the lakes. i rode trains and buses through some beautiful areas all surrounded by the swiss alps. the mountains rose up beside the roadway (except when the roadway was in a tunnel cut through the mountain) lush and green as if God had experimented with how many different shades of green He could make. an occasional waterfall surprised as melting snow traveled its way down the mountainsides. the lushness gave way further up the mountains to barren rock and finally to snow capped tops. it was breathtaking. and throughout the journey were small colorful villages tucked into the bases of the mountains. no neighborhood associations that require the rooftops to all have uniform shingles or a bland color palette to choose from when painting the outsides of cookie cutter homes. there was color everywhere...from the primary outside color to the shutters surrounding the windows to the flower boxes overflowing with flowers at the windows to the shingles, each home different than the next. it was so pleasing to my eyes.

as i travelled, the language of the announcements changed from swiss german (or perhaps the announcements where in "high" german) to italian...two of the four official languages in switzerland. i arrived to lugano and found my way down to the lake. there was a beautiful garden wandering alongside one part of the lake and i enjoyed wandering through it. peeking in windows of shops closed because it was sunday! (gasp...what a concept!) and just relaxing. that evening for dinner i enjoyed a pizza and a glass of vino (b/c those things translate quite easily as far as this non-italian speaker is concerned). the pizza was quite yummy, the wine so-so, and the dinner a bit lonely as no one around spoke english. that night there was a terrific thunderstorm with frequent rolls of thunder as lightning flashed all about. and that was my day in lugano.

pictures above are the lake, a sidewalk chess game and one of the flowers in the garden.

swiss chocolate part 1

ok, my final "owed" post about my time in swizterland. but i'm splitting it into two parts so really i kind of owe one more ;-) hehe

i arrived to zurich on 4 july and stood for a few minutes in the airport waiting for timon's train to arrive (yes, in the airport for a train...it was across the building). while i was standing there i worried if i would recognize him. it had been several months since i had seen him. and i worried about how we would get on (again b/c of the several months since i had seen him). but then he walked up and of course i knew him and i quit worrying b/c i was in swizterland! with timon! we pretty much straight away got back on a train going back the way he just travelled to "pick me up" from the airport. since we were conversing in english (as i don't speak swiss german) we were marked as tourists which was fine for me but i think t. was a bit annoyed by being marked as a tourist in his own country. when in fact, he was just being a good host and not speaking to his visitor in a language she didn't understand. i spent the first half hour on the train just revelling in being with my friend again and then realized here was this beautiful country passing by in the windows and i hadn't even been looking!

timon's town is surrounded on three sides by the swiss alps. and they are breathtaking. i would like to see them some day in the winter when more than the peaks are covered in snow. after we went to his home so i could drop off my stuff and meet his parents (delightful people and obviously the reason timon turned out so well) we met up with t's best friend, phillip, and a friend of phillip's, chris (who is also from texas) and went to a castle that is visible from timon's home. the plan had been to take the cable car to the top of the mountain but the clouds were obscuring the mountain tops. the castle was not a large one and it still had a village attached...inhabitants approximately 15. the boys were quite intrigued by the large collection of guns and swords. (boys will be boys after all). there was even a wedding in the courtyard with people dressed in traditional swiss outfits.

after the castle, we sat in the sun (and i didn't burn despite the high altitude so it must be the african sun itself) eating ice cream. there is something to be said for living in a town instead of a huge city...many people waved a greeting as they drove or walked by, knowing either phillip or timon or both. after this, we headed back to t's house where his mom had prepared racletta for us (a traditional swiss meal consisting of potatoes with melted cheese poured over it...and that doesn't really describe it well...they have a little grill thing that is just for melting the cheese...just go to switzerland and try it sometime! grin). it was quite yummy. afterwards, we went for a walk in the dusk/dark and i wished i had had my camera b/c the moon was rising over the castle as we walked and it was quite beautiful.

skip sunday there b/c i headed down to lugano to visit while timon's church held a youth day. (i haven't been youth in a while and also, it would have been mean to expect him to entertain me and speak english when everyone else was speaking swiss german and new visitors to the church, etc). my day in lugano will be part 2

so, monday back with timon and we just hung out at his home. by monday, the awkwardness of silence between friends who haven't spent time together in a while was gone. there were moments of comfortable silence and lots of fun chatter as well. in fact, we got so caught up in chatter that i missed my bus to the train to take me to richterswil where i was going to be spending the night. his friend phillip graciously lent his car so timon could take me to the train and there we had a very long and a bit awkward goodbye. since it was a rushed affair to get to the train, we said goodbye and i got on the train but then the train didn't leave for several more minutes so we were just there looking at each other and occasionally waving goodbye and grinning. it finally got so silly i opened the door and said this is a very long awkward goodbye and you should just go. he agreed and i watched him walk away even as the train started moving. sad.

pictures are of me with timon and phillip in his home, the table set-up for racletta (note the spoon/spatula things by each plate which held the cheese that went into the grill to be melted then poured over the potatoes) and a clock spire and town shot of the town where t. lives.

sock golf

another "owed" post.

although we are quite blessed with what we have available to us on the ship (running/clean water, a roof over our heads, internet, good food, etc) we do have a few things that we have given up (apart from families and friends and homes) to come here. things like movie theaters or golf courses or well, you get the idea. and we also have to come up with ways to entertain ourselves here b/c there is only so much you can do in the city and on the ship.

well, thanks to whoever thought of it but justin and lorah for setting it up, we played a full 18 hole course of sock golf on sam's birthday in late june. WHAT is sock golf you ask??? sock golf is a game of golf played with a "tee" (a piece of paper saying tee box here for hole 1) and a "ball" (a rolled up pair of socks) and a "hole" (another piece of paper that you must tag with your "ball"). this doesn't sound very exciting i'm sure but give it a second. hole 1 started on the half stair between decks 5 and 6 and the hole was across the midships lounge on the wall on deck 6. hole 2 required you to go around and then down a set of stairs. one hole you had to hit the soda machine from a deck above. several went up and down and around flights taking us literally all over decks 3-7. some were just long holes down full length corridors.

honestly...i have no talent at sporty stuff and really, this didn't in the least sound fun before we started (i only did it for my dear friend sam). but it was amazingly fun. i didn't have a great score b/c i have zero hand-eye coordination but it was fun.

the pics are: my golfing party miriam, justin, sarah and i. justin action shot tucked up on the ledge. sarah action shot down the stair. and sam the birthday boy and winner.

doctors bligoni and edoh

another "owed" post

a few weeks before my vacation, "d" ward became the pediatric ward. we had two little boys side by side who both had the same procedure, one a few days after the other. although they were a couple of years apart in age, they were similar in stature. and they both had beautiful smiles (no photos of them, sorry). so, one day to keep bligoni still during ward devotionals, i handed him my stethoscope. he was so excited and kept trying to hear everything (heart, knees, arms) but edoh was very jealous of this attention. so i grabbed a free stethoscope for him. one of the other nurses came over after devos were complete and said, "doctor, i need your help" and they were thrilled that they were now doctors. so, we made them fake ID badges, put one glove on each of them, hung the stethescopes round their necks like real doctors and they carried their catheters in the other hand and went round examining the other patients and nurses. it was so cute to see. and days like that make the sad days a bit easier to bear.

i am including a picture of one of my favorite kiddoes this year, julienne. he came in with a tumor that had made his face look as if it had melted and although his face isn't perfect now, it is better after the tumor was removed. he was such a snuggle bug while he was here.

spicy ladies

ok, one of my "owed" posts.

we recently had a group of very "spicy" ladies aboard the ship as patients. they were ladies with a vesico-vaginal fistula (or vvf). in their homes, families, culture--they were outcasts. they had all come from up north and spent a week or two together in the hospitality center bonding. they, in essence, became each others' families. and, they were introduced to these strange yovos (white people) who live on a ship and seemed to love and care for them despite the language barrier and the fact that they were "wet" (or constantly leaking urine).

we've had fistula patients aboard the ship before. but this group, probably b/c of their bonding time in the hospitality center, were especially spicy. each victory of someone being "dry" or defeat of someone going to the ICU was experienced by the whole group. they cheered each other on during pelvic floor exercises. one of the ladies, ramatu, who later came on as a day volunteer, would lead them up and down the corridor marching and singing a military chant as they got their daily exercise. it was good to see them marching (literally) single file up the corridor chanting a freedom song each carrying their catheter.

when the ladies are "dry" we hold a ceremony called a dress ceremony on the ship for them. they are each given a new dress and have makeup done and hair done (ususally though their newly done hair hides under the elaborate headdress) and come in to the ward singing and they are able to share their stories and they are prayed over and given a few small gifts that speak to the healing and newness that they have in their physical bodies but can also experience in their spiritual bodies.

this group of ladies added their own touch to the dress ceremonies. even those who were still recovering from surgery and weren't leaving the ship dry "dressed" for the ceremony. they would have a shower and put on a clean gown. and then used their towels to create a headdress.

so, the "spicy" comes from taylor who calls people with that extra verve spicy and these ladies were definitely spicy. it was great having them on the ship. they radiated joy.

prayer please!

please pray for my mom...she's in the emergency room with low blood pressure, slurred speech and shortness of breath. thanks.

back on the ship

so, everyone always asks how your trip was when you get back from vacation...it was great and active but not necessarily anyone but me would enjoy.

friday--hung out with my dad and linda, got a pedicure, a couple of aunts/uncles and a cousin came over for dinner.
saturday--to lubbock. went to see star trek with holly. hung out with the family.
sunday--went to see transformers 2 with greg. hung out with the family.
monday--doctor's appt with mom, hung out with the family, went to connor's tball practice, went to greg's basketball game. em and janet drove in from roswell to hang out for a couple of hours (i am soooo blessed to have such great friends!)
tuesday--errands (now i remember one of the things i hate about living at home), hanging out with mom, connor's tball game.
wednesday--watching swimming lessons for connor and alyssa, lunch with melissa/rachel/linda (high school friends), hanging out with the family...CHICKEN FRIED STEAK!!!
thursday--another doctor's appt with mom, a little bit more time with the fam and then back to dallas. dinner with dad, linda and kelly.
friday--to walmart to buy a new bag because my luggage developed a hole and repack in the parking lot before getting on a plane for much too long.
saturday--arrive to paris, fly to zurich...timon waiting for me at the airport! (more about switzerland in its own post)

so, jam packed time at home. doing things that were wonderful to me but maybe not anyone else's ideal vacation. i came back not much more physically rested but i am more emotionally recharged. it was good to see family and a few friends. 11 months is too long to go without seeing them.

i have experienced a bit of culture shock going both directions...mostly price and abundance in the u.s. and switzerland. getting on the plane to come back to africa...the fact that africans don't have personal space so if they are hanging over into my seat, no big deal, right? and the everyone wants to be your friend as soon as you land in africa. but i'm back and ready to jump into work tomorrow.

hmmm, is it bad that i am now up to 4 IOU posts??? coming soon! and i'll try to add some pics of me with the kids when holly sends them to me.