Days 60-51

Day 60: A crest made of coins

One of the firsts things you notice when first using British tender is that they all look different from American tender.  It seems like an obvious statement, but it one of the hardest things to get use to.  It took forever for me to get use to saying pounds instead of dollars.  The notes change size and color based on the value.  5s are smaller than 10s. 20s are purple. 10s are orange. (Many people here have told me American bills all look the same because of the size and color.) Even the coins come with different sizes, shapes, and colors. A small detail you don't realize while using British tender is that if you take the small change and rearrange it, the coins complete the royal coat of arms.  I like having all the different states/territories of the US, but having a hidden puzzle in the coins are fun.

Day 59: Protests cause Eurostar to be cancelled

I'm still getting used to how geographically close I currently am to a lot of news stories, but there are several times that I am forced to realize the proximity.  A couple months ago, there was a smog warning due to pollution coming from France over the English channel.  Today I was reminded again as St. Pancras was filled with stranded passengers when Eurostar had to cancelled its services due to protests in Calais.  I'm not clear on what the protests are exactly about, since I've heard different stories from different sources, but the most common story was it was a protest about the companies that use the Calais ports. (This would be the first of two transportation protests I'd witness in a week, since the London Tube workers went on strike on 9 July, completely shutting down the London Underground.)

Day 58: Marylebone Station

Whenever I come to London, for work, pleasure, or training, the first place I arrive to is always Marylebone Station since this is where my train arrives.  If you come during rush hour, you'll find this station full with commuters, but generally it's fairly empty since it's a relatively small station.  I personally love this station since it was a great personality.  You walk through huge, open iron wrought gates into a open air station.  There's a glass ceiling over the train platforms that let in natural light, and there is often a person playing on the public piano while they wait for their train.

Day 57: Term cards and tickets

Part of my job here involves creating term cards, advertisements, tickets, and notices to hand out to youth, adults, and anyone else interested.  It takes a lot more effort than you would think to find the right photo and font, add all the information, and then have several people okay it before printing.  It might sound very menial, but in the long run it's the tiny details that can make the most difference.  These projects are usually my responsibility, although Kat often helps with term cards and any tweaks needed before giving it to Tim for approval.  The back and forth for approvals has made me appreciate graphic designers' work a lot more, and this responsibility lets me have fun with visual designs.

Day 56: Making pepparkakor

This year has been a year of experiencing new traditions and customs,but it doesn't mean I haven't had a chance to share some old traditions from my family with the people in my community.  Making food I usually make with my parents, such as the Christmas cookies pictured, and sharing them with people was a good way to combat homesickness and share with friends what my life in the US was like.  It was often the first time that I made these recipes without my parents, but it helped me feel close to distant family and friends and connected to new friends.

Day 55: My house key

One of my favorite parts of the house I live in is my house key.  Before this year the only time I saw a key like this were the giant keys hanging on the door to my grandmother's laundry room door.  From what I've seen these keys are fairly standard fare when it come to houses along with a second, more modern key.  I guess it's the small things in life.

Day 54: Resonate service

Today was the last day of the high school worship service, Resonate. Over the past ten months I have spent almost every Sunday night in this room participating in a worship led by youth, games, and prayers with the youth.  At the end of each night, worship is always followed with a quiet time for those who wish to pray and a fellowship period when we get to talk with the youth.  Resonate would not happen without the youth volunteering to take a part of the leadership and volunteers being there to offer a person to talk to and clean up afterwards.

Day 53: Church of Reconciliation at Taize Community

I had the great fortune of spending a few days in the Taize Community in France, which I didn't think I would have as part of my YAGM year.  Many of you may know of the Taize prayers which are used in worship services throughout the world, but not many people know about the community from which they come.  Taize is an ecumenical monastic community started in the second half of the 20th century, and now young adults, and older adults, come from around the world for the prayer services, which happen three times a day.  The emphasis is on silence, repetitive chants, and reflection.  When not in prayer services, everyone, including pilgrims, participate in Bible studies, work teams, and workshops.  It's hard to put into words the experience of praying in several languages with 3,000 people from various religious backgrounds, but it was a spiritual experience.

Day 52: My dirty, stinky, calloused, blistered feet

It may seem odd to post a photo of my feet, especially since they're on dirt, instead of a sunny beach or cliff over looking the sunset, but my feet are my transportation 90% of the time.  I walk almost everywhere I go, sometimes meaning a hour commute or more, and, when I'm not walking, I'm taking public transportation, or, when I'm really lucky, getting a lift with a friend.  I love being able to walk (almost) everywhere, and it's definitely going to be an adjustment going back to the US and driving (on the right side, no less!).  My feet have never been more bruised, bloody, and blistered, but I've never been more appreciative of my dirty, stinky feet.

Day 51: Breakfast at Taize Community

The meals at Taize are very simple, like everything at Taize.  You line up in a disorganized clump of thousands of people to receive bread, some vegetables, a piece of fruit, some cheese, protein, and a biscuit, and then walk around the grounds looking for a bench, curb, or wall to sit while you eat.  The breakfasts are even more simple.  You get a piece of bread, butter, two pieces of dark chocolate, and a bowl of tea/cocoa.  It wasn't much, but it got you ready for the day.  I might have to adopt this breakfast for everyday because if Taize (and YAGM) taught me anything it's to appreciate simplicity.