new year. new start. new recipe.

so far i've been a very bad blogger in the year two.thousand.ten.
this is my first entry, and today is the last day of the month.

i guess i've been unmotivated. there are really no excuses to be made. because, we all know, you make time for the things that are important to you.

so i think i've decided that sharing lil' snippets of life in the form of thoughts, questions, quotes, photos, recipes, song lyrics, dance clips, and more is important to me.

sooo i'm resolving to be a better blogger. i'll try anyway. since it's important to me to share life with people all around the world, world, world, i figure this is one tool to do just that.

my housemates, which now include my parents and my two new sisters: fern & hanna (from bangkok and berlin, respectively), and i enjoyed this zucchini soup recipe, taken from my favorite cookbook: 'extending the table: recipes and stories from argentina to zambia in the spirit of more-with-less' this week.

it is wonderful. and easy. and comes from deutschland. which i'm missing quite a bit these days.

Zucchinisuppe

*This thick, mild soup can be served hot or cold. In winter, I'd go with the hot option... maybe as an appetizer or lunch soup?

Melt in saucepan:

• 1/4 c. margerine (50 ml)

Add and sauté:

• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  

Add:

• 2 & 1/4 c. zucchini, shredded (550 ml)
• 2 c. vegetable stock (500 ml)
  

Simmer 12 minutes. Add:

• 1/4 t. salt (1 ml) or to taste
• 1/4 t. basil (1 ml)
• dash of pepper
  

Add:

• 1/2 c. white wine (125 ml) (optional)

Place soup in blender and puree until creamy. Add:

• 1/2 c. plain yogurt (125 ml)

-- From: Maren Tyedmers: Minden, Germany

this is eurasia.

we wanted to 'go out with a bang' for our final project with the eurasia communications team.
so here it is: our stop-motion project to show not only the diversity of eurasia but also the ways in which youth from every field are participating in the Kingdom.



it was true collaboration.
quite the labor of love. but so worth it in the end.

taizé day in stuggart.

on 10 october, we took the baden-württemberg regional ticket (up to five travelers covered for € 28!) up to stuttgart for:

Prayer and meeting in Stuttgart:
The communion of the Church: going towards one another

we joined our voices with fellow brothers and sisters who had also made the pilgrimage for this gathering. the article linked above highlights all of the youth that came, but i really saw all ages present. making our song one. a beautiful picture of the Church in deutschland.

this prayer (from the most recent taizé newsletter) is being echoed by brothers and sisters on all continents. may we join too. in both word and deed:

Christ Jesus, seeking to follow you, we understand that you call us to forgive, again and again. And faithfulness to your Gospel can kindle in us such a passion for forgiveness.

no strangers anymore.

while updating my couchsurfing [cs] profile this week (elle & i are trying to score a place to stay in prague in two weeks time!), i decided to fill in the cs field that asked:
'personal philosophy: what is your personal philosophy? why do you live your life? feelings? thoughts?'

whew. i could write a novel. we all could. but this patty griffin lyric came to mind instead. it says so much. in so few words.

...and we'll grow kindness in our hearts
for all of the strangers among us
'till there are no strangers anymore...

-- Patty Griffin
(song: 'No Bad News' from the album 'Children Running Through')


so for now. that is my philosophy.
on life.
on community and humanity.
on sharing and travel.
on hospitality and embodying a spirit of 'welcome'.
on listening and learning from one another.
on movement and growth.
on love in action.
and on and on...

well, have you?

and, have i?
have we?
.smiled.

[foto circa june 2008: stockholm, sweden. click to make bigger.]

known by her name.

i love taizé. love, love. two different visits, in opposite seasons -- summer and winter -- have shaped me. tremendously. in following the updates from taizé sites around the world, i came across this beautiful portrait of community. read it. soak it in. such truth about humanity! and sharing life! may we too live in such a way... wherever home may be.

One of the brothers living in Bangladesh writes:

"When we as brothers welcome others, we welcome a great diversity of people. Little by little, we have learned to understand that we are not welcoming "the poor", "the disabled", or "a beggar"; we are welcoming persons. We are not welcoming "a station boy", but someone, and he is happy when we call him by his name. A woman who comes often, who can hardly walk, and who begs, is not "a beggar". She is "Mrs so and so". She is happy when she is known by her name.

And when we eat together - it is often at the midday meal that we welcome - each person introduces himself or herself. Sometimes there are thirty of forty of us, and we pass the plates, and one or two decide how much to put on the plates. And when everyone has their plate in front of them, sitting on the floor (we eat with our fingers), those who do not belong to the fraternity or to the group of young adults who live with us, introduce themselves, and give their names. Little by little we have discovered that these moments when each person says their name are moments of joy, moments that are quite different from times when we do something for others, or when we speak. It is someone who says, "I am so and so", and we are sitting here together."

we are sitting here together.
thanks be to G-d.
joy indeed!

crepes perfected.

if you want to enjoy some sweet or savory crepes, then follow this link below.

basic crepes, baby.

i've perfected this recipe in the last year, and the only substitution that i recommend is vanilla soy milk instead of dairy milk. it just gives it this subtle little yum! believe me.

i also like this recipe because you can adjust the measurements (u.s. or metric) based on which continent you're currently crepe-ing-it-up-on. in addition, you can adjust the servings amount, and it recalculates it all for you. easy-peasy.

for savory ingredients i typically go with: onions, garlic, mushrooms, & eggplant sautéd in olive oil (add some spice too!). then add to warm crepe, along with your favorite shredded cheese.

for sweet ingredients: nothing beats nutella and bananas. but jam, honey, peanut butter, or other fruit varieties are good too.

bon appétit!

wait, do you live in germany or switzerland?

the answer would be both.

are you scratching your head over that one?
believe me, i've tried my best to understand this conundrum
in the past six months that i've called 'the büs' home sweet home.
just read the wiki description about büsingen here.
it explains it way better than any of my attempts.
although the fotos are helpful as well.

die schweiz.
dann büsingen in die mitte mit trauben (grapes).
und deutschland.
so.happy.together.
and who whadda' thunk?

for now, i am taking a six-week break from the büs.
a vaca' from europa as well.
here they call this a 'holiday'.
which is actually a much better term.
the focus then is not on what i'm vacating,
but rather on where i'm journeying to...
which would be the states.

the büs wishes all travelers a 'gute fahrt.'
go ahead, laugh it up. at least giggle.
definitely one of the funnier deutsch phrases.
it means a good drive. a good ride. a good journey even.
all.of.the.above.
and everyone's heard 'auf wiedersehen', right?
but this phrase, too, is much richer than simply 'goodbye.'
it literally means, 'until we see again.'
now isn't that nice?

[notice how the german flag is surrounded by the swiss flag... real clever design.]

dear lil' village,
thanks for letting me live in two countries.
simultaneously.
i've carved out somewhat of a life here.
which i'm very grateful for.
and although you've gotten under my skin,
i'm still ready for holiday.
but don't worry --
i'll.be.seeing.you.
soon.
auf wiedersehen.

deine (yours),
marte

the subject of mushrooms

Last summer when I returned from Europa, Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life both challenged and inspired me to live more local with more sustainable eating practices no matter where I may call home. [Note to prospective readers: at points you have to push yourself to keep reading, since Kingsolver can and does spend pages just describing asparagus, but the journey with her family to deliberately grow/eat locally for one year is absolutely worth it.]

Now, after living in Europa for the past six months, I've returned multiple times to a Speaking of Faith interview where Krista Tippett talks with Barbara Kingsolver about this year of food life. Such good stuff. Here's the full podcast, if you want to listen in for yourself: The Ethics of Eating

Below, taken from the podcast, describes a bit of what I love about Europa -- just one of the things I hope to glean from my time spent here...

Barbara Kingsolver: It's so interesting to me when I'm in Europe and spend time with my Spanish friends or Italian friends, and they are working people too. They're women who are working in offices or, you know, they're editors or are laboratory scientists. And as soon as they're out of work, they head straight for the market. And they go down to see what fish has come in or what greens do they have now at this season. And even at high-powered business lunches with editors in France — this has happened to me so many times — these women in their fashionable shoes and business suits will stray from post-colonial literature over to the subject of mushrooms. And, you know, there's no shame in their enthusiasm for cooking. They feel that cooking for their families is a really important part of who they are. This, I think, is that, at the heart of the problem for a lot of us, anyway, I think I belong to the generation of women who grew up thinking that walking away from the kitchen was walking away from some kind of slavery, you know? It's how we think about it.

Krista Tippett: Yes, you're right. If we thought of cooking as this great pleasure that we could look forward to at the end of the working day, I suppose that would change it.

Barbara Kingsolver: If we look at it as family time, as entertainment, as a spiritually enlightening even, you know, if we look at it as a destination rather than a rock in the road, I think we would do more of it. And not every day, maybe not on Monday nights, OK, but definitely on Saturday.

we want you!

Look how cool our Eurasia Communications team is... don't you want to join the fun? We need more volunteers and soon. Steve is done, so we actually need more males at this point. I mean I love Amy and Simone with all my heart, but we could do with some added testosterone in the office. You feel me on that one?

Here's our new flier to recruit more volunteers. If you click it, it will get bigger and you can even distribute it around. Please do actually! Thanks, thanks. Seriously let me know if you, or someone you know, might be even slightly interested... Switzerland is calling your name. I can hear the cow bells ringing now.

fahrrad!

[along the rhine with junior, circa february '09]

today i get to say goodbye to 'junior'...
and let's be honest, jr. really wasn't all that good to me.
jr. was two sizes too small.
jr. left me stranded on the side of the road while
amy and i had to yank his chain back into place.
we had to use rocks and sticks and our she-power to do it.
it was no easy task; jr. could be pretty unaccommodating.
jr. wasn't open to change; when i tried to up the gears
upon approaching an incline, he threw a fit.
click-click-click, click-click-click. no luck.
oh pah-leaze jr., grow up! but he just wouldn't budge.
in the end, all the greased-up promises and perpetual coaxing
got us nowhere. -- nowhere, i tell you.
needless to say, i was left feeling pretty glum,
ride-less and depressed.

• ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ •
but then someone new came along.
daaaaaaaang. oh, no he di'nt.
could this be what i've waited for?
everything i've dreamed and hoped for?

saddlin' up... giving him a go.

oh, boooyyy. -- mmmmm-hmm.
you betta' believe it.
pure and total joy.
i didn't know it could be this good.
built-in headlight, complete with a generator.
a jolly lil' bell to greet friends or passers-by.
an added shelf for groceries, picnics, books or treasures.
and just my size. just.my.size.
'yazoo'. he's foreign.
ya-zoooo, hunny.
we're gonna' live it up here. here, in the büs.
what grand adventures lie in store.
this one's made of love.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

spring's wonder.

Before summer begins officially (that is, the northern hemisphere summer solstice), I must give thanks for the gift that spring was this year.

Thank You,
Giver of All Life
who alone
brings new
seasons
to pass.

I remember when I returned to the Büs in mid-April, after having spent the end of Holy Week and beginning of Easter in Spain, Portugal, and France, it was like I was returning to another world. Spring had exploded. There was no other word to describe the color and blooms and blossoms that greeted me from every corner of the earth. Lent had ended. Spring had come. Easter was here. Glory be.

It felt like this:

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.
-- Rainer Maria Rilke

mmmm. hmmmmmm.
most recklessly.

Who better to quote from than Rilke? I have fallen more deeply in love with him the past few months.; Living in Europa makes his words come to life all the more. Standing in places that inspired him are sacred. I get to journey with him here. I keep hearing about more and more people who studied Deutsch just so that they could read/translate Rilke. That's what he does to people.

I like this too.
a lot.

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
-- Rainer Maria Rilke

thanks be.

bike it baby.

Hello all. Please read this nytimes article (shout out to Meg & Bridge for passing it on to me) about a German town (only a few hours from where I live) that has decided to forgo all automobiles. Bikes only. Pretty sweet. People are living intentional. I really applaud their efforts. I probably should take a journey up to see the town for myself... not in a car, mind you. : )

In German Suburb, Life Goes on Without Cars
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
A young development in Vauban illustrates a trend of planning communities to thrive without automobiles.

you can dance if you want to

So my mom just sent me the link to this video, and I immediately knew it was worthy of posting on here. We've all seen the group-choreographed vids' on youtube, but this one has found a special place in my heart. It's especially pertinent because:

1. I'm becoming more and more convinced that my one constant these days is a train station. I live in them. I even stopped at the very station that this video takes place in while passing through Belgium last summer. Euro train stations are always a-buzz, always a-flutter, and this video does the atmosphere, my seemingly one true constant, justice.

2. I'd say the number-one reason why people knock musicals is because they argue that "it's just not realistic to have people spontaneously breaking-out in song and dance". Oh contraire. After watching this video, you'll see why the ol' "realistic" argument is just rubbish. Rubbish, I tell you. It's obvious that song and dance, whether choreographed or spontaneous, is simply a normal part of life. I know it is for me.

3. Um, hello -- this is the Sound of Music! Do.rey.mi.fa.so.la.tee.do in Europa! And to top it all off I'm going to Austria this weekend! I'll be in Vienna and then Salzburg... I'll be standing (and of course dancing) in the very places that made this song so beloved, so treasured. Life-long dream being fulfilled here... after having the line about 'my birthday being on Tuesday and wanting a pink paracel' and all that jazz quoted to me too many times to count, it's about time I explored Salzburg first-hand.

Here I come!

all around us

there is so much i want to share on here. so much to say. and so much to catch up on. but for now, this will have to suffice:

more and more, i am seeing the truth that there are saints all around us... everywhere you go. living in a million and one different contexts. but living such real and full and bold lives. i was able to see and simply be with such people this past week.

there's the two sisters in lisbon, portugal, age 50 and 60, who decided last fall that they wanted to open their home up to the kids in their neighborhood... teaching them in creative ways and loving on them by simply sharing life. these kids probably wouldn't be inclined to step into a church building, but they're experiencing community through the intentionality of these two sisters.

then there's the volunteers i met in madrid, spain; one from tijuana, mexico (we know the same people from there!) and one from nicaragua. both women, in their mid-20's, moved to madrid for a two-year commitment to build relationships in a totally new place by partnering with a local church and various community groups in the city. yes, they both were spanish speakers, but they entered a totally new cultural context in spain and have learned and loved with such openness and humility and grace. they both just love people. period. in word and in deed. they refer to their work as, "the gospel of friendship." amen and amen.

and then there's my new family member; my sister francine. francine opened up her home to my friend jenna and i while we spent time in montpellier, france. what rich hospitality. it's difficult to formulate into words how much her life and her creativity sparked something in me. francine shows me what i want 60 to look like: sanding a table and then repainting it eggplant purple, picking up fresh bread from the nearby bakery for guests, an ever-eagerness to hear someone's story, long walks in the cool of evening, allowing myself the grace to still take risks... francine is planning a solo backpacking trip in the states for the late summer - i reeeeeeally hope we get to see each other in colorado! francine loves. that was a complete thought there. she loves. loves being alive. loves tapping into creative energy through her artwork. loves her church. loves sharing her story. loves listening to other people's stories. loves helping. loves sharing. loves the creator, the sustainer, the giver of all life.

i realize now that the three examples that came spilling out were all from women; of course i don't espouse that one gender has more to offer the church than the other, but i guess for me, i seem to connect most quickly with women who are living lives of risk and purpose and even adventure in their local context. i love seeing that age is no issue for them; there's no thought of, 'oh, i'm too young to be doing this,' or 'i'm too old to be doing this.'

they just live life. and love life. and love people. deeply and truly and beautifully. if you look, really look, the saints are all around us.

knie: deutsch for 'knee', except this is a circus

An afternoon with the Swiss National Circus in Schaffhausen = sehr fantastisch!

After a semi-traumatic experience at the Wringley Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus in San Diego a few years ago (all of the PLNU RA's were required, yes required to go), I swore I would never go to a cirucs again. But then I heard from some Swiss locals how incredible their National cirucs was, and they were right! Amy and I scored tickets in the cheapest seats, and it was totally worth it. The acrobats were absolutely phenomenal... like blow-your-mind unbelievably good.

I think my jaw remained dropped through most of the show. It was pretty unreal. And the poster advertisting this year's show is a pretty sweet design too, no...?

piece o' couch will do.

It's official.

I'm a real couch-surfer now. My new travel friend from work, Amy, and I joined the couch surfing community a few weeks ago in hopes of scoring a place to stay when we flew up to Berlin for Bob Dylan. And after a lot of searching and what felt like endless requests (Berlin has more users on couchsurfing.com than any other city in the world!), we found a place to stay -- and just in the knick of time. The place we found was not your standard house/apartment but really more of an intentional community; intentional in the sense that they want to practice real hospitality. And they really do.

At 'Project Volunteering', it was more like your typical hostel experience where you're sharing living quarters with strangers (but soon strangers turn to friends -- well that's the hope anyway); I think we had about 12 people crammed into every imaginable space on the floor/mattresses/couches in the living room of a Euro-style flat. The photo above is what the living room looks like without anyone in it. So you can use your imagination to creatively fit 12 travelers into that space. : )

As soon as we arrived, we were welcomed in by our contact and literally told to "make ourselves at home". So we tried our best to do just that... The permanent members of the home are friends from various countries who wanted to create a shared space that would always be open to travelers by offering the true gift of hospitality... like 365 days a year. Read all about their efforts and their dreams by going to the Project Volunteering web-site; you'll definitely want to peek at their ideas and practices described on each page. This is a real community of hospitality... I've never seen nor experienced anything quite like it.

Word to Berlin. Word to experiencing hospitality from strangers. And word to couch-surfing (look into it yourself -- no matter what corner of the globe you may find yourself in; of course be wise and be safe, but be adventurous too!)

I can't wait to keep this up in my travels... no hostel fees and new friends in new places... why didn't I use this site before now?!

workin'-it.

So this is me at work. In case you wanted to see what I do all day. Basically, I play with our web-site (try not to pull my hair out in the process) and work on the Eurasia newsletter: Where Worlds Meet. I like what I do. And I like the people I work with. And hey, did I mention I like where I work... as in Switzerland? Or Germany? Depending on which answer I feel like giving... I kinda' live in both places, both countries at the same time. Which is weird, I know. I'll post another blog about the complexities of Büsingen sometime.

If you want to check out our web-site (don't judge, 'cause it's a continual work-in-progress), click here: www.eurasianazarene.org

Let me know what you think...

lavatory-lovestory

Alles Liebe zum Valentinstag...

The Deutsch greeting for Valentine's Day is so much better (yes, better) than the English greeting on this day. It basically translates to, "All love at Valentine's Day". Nice, huh? I sure like it.

I've been in Europe for over two weeks now (photos & posts concerning both Taize and Büsingen are pending... I need to get on that), and it feels like home. It really does; I'm not just saying that. A new home for the next six months... It feels pretty natural to be here, but at the same time, I have to remind myself that I'm actually living here – and not just passing through.

For those who have traveled a bit in Europe (henceforth to be referred to as Europa -- the Deutsch spelling) you've no doubt experienced the "pay to pee" policy in public restrooms.

It often costs a couple Euros to use the facilities -- especially at big train stations and various tourists’ attractions. So, you always have to be prepared... because when you gotta' go, you gotta' go. Am I right? While you might think this is an absurd policy, think again.

In most of Europa, higher education is virtually free or close to free. While traveling in Deutschland this past summer, a friend asked me, "Would you rather pay for your entire college education or have to pay to use the toilet now and then?" Umm, yeah. That's not a hard question for me; no deliberating there -- especially as student loans are already staring me down and will be for the next 10 years... eek. I opt to paying for die Toilette.

So, in honor of both love and lavatories today, I present my new favorite short film for your viewing pleasure. It's a Russian film (by Konstantin Bronzit), but not to worry -- there's no dialogue. Instead it uses all non-verbals to convey the story, quite brilliantly actually. Also, take note, Lavotory Lovestory is in the running for an Oscar right now (in the Short Film category). The Academy Awards are on February 22nd -- one week away. There are a lot of good short films this year (nytimes: Oscar Shorts, Low-Hype and Sweet), but I think I'll be rooting for this one.

You can't help but smile... It is simply de-lightful.



All love to you and yours today!
{Because pouting on Valentine's Day is soo overrated. Get over it (this is me talking to myself); celebrate life; and love people. But, remember, you (still talking to myself) should celebrate life and love people every day of the year... I guess we might as well emphasize the fact of the matter today though. Right? Sure; why not.} ♥

vienna waits for you

Last night, while I was driving, Billy Joel's song "Vienna" came up in the shuffled selections from my ipod, and it was just what I needed to hear.  In an interview, I heard him explain why he wrote this song and why Vienna was a metaphor for the way he wanted to approach life... as well as the realization that he didn't want his life to just slip by...  I feel ya' Billy.  I feel ya' big time.

I have so many dreams, so many ambitions, but even with those, I'm asking, "Where do I go from here...?"  These three weeks in San Diego have been such a gift -- space for both reflecting and asking hard questions while processing with people that I love and respect so much.  And while the world suddenly seems so open to me now that everything in Riverside has dissolved, I still am mourning all that has transpired in the past few months.

Mostly, even while I am in a season of grieving and introspection, I want to live fully in the moment -- again, to embrace what is present... to not let life pass me by.  And while I have months suddenly at my disposal, I want to take advantage of them... to travel, to explore, to try something new, to be shaped by something unfamiliar -- to have another adventure.  And as much as it is hurting to be leaving not only San Diego now, but the state of California altogether (that is just crazy), I think I am walking forward, making the best decision in the midst of crazy and unexpected circumstances, and taking advantage of some time to be immersed in the blanket of a Colorado winter.

A friend recently told me, "The world is your oyster right now."  And, I like that, a lot.  I think that same sentiment can be found in these lyrics from the piano man.  And, since I am exploring the possibility of serving as an Au Pair in Europe, who knows, maybe Vienna really is waiting for me?  : )  (Austria is one of countries that I've been seriously considering.)  As, I listened to this song last night, after saying goodbye to such treasured friends, not knowing when or where we'll see each other again (this is killing me!), I was comforted to know that: life is still there to be seized - in every season, in every place, and that, my friend, is the kind of person I want to be.  "When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?"

Oddly enough, this song confirmed that I made the right decision to be in Colorado for the month of December, as well as again confirming that I made the right decision to be in San Diego during this month.  Today, it's still so difficult to be leaving San Diego, a city that is full of so many people and places that I absolutely love... that have become home to me for the past five years... but Billy's helping me get through today.  Sing us a song.

Slow down you crazy child
You're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart tell me why
Are you still so afraid?
Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You better cool it off before you burn it out
You got so much to do and only
So many hours in a day

But you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want
Or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through
When will you realize...Vienna waits for you

Slow down you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight (tonight)
Too bad but it's the life you lead
You're so ahead of yourself
That you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you're wrong
You know you can't always see when you're right (you're right)

You got your passion you got your pride
But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize
Vienna waits for you

Slow down you crazy child
Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while
It's alright you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize...
Vienna waits for you.

And you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want
Or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through

Why don't you realize...Vienna waits for you
When will you realize...Vienna waits for you