Home in Boston, Adventuring in Switzerland

The rest of my time in Boston was pleasurable. Henry was back! and so was his house and his family. My good friend Amanda came from Minnesota via bus and train (30+  hours commute; The US is big.), and Faith was in town visiting from Balitmore! The four of us, three of us when Faith departed, decided to form a click. We then executed that decision perfectly. We spent an entire week doing nothing but visiting book stores, sitting in bookstores, playing board games, sitting in coffee shops and ice cream shops and forcing employees to uncomfortably ask all costumers who have been playing Risk for more than an hour (six hours) to please consider leaving so that others could enjoy their ice cream. What else did we do? We rode bikes! And we were treated to delicious dinners by Henry's mother one night and my father the next. It was a good week. Unfortunately, I don't have a single photo.

First week back in Germany was deadly slow and stressful. I fumbled a lot with the language, I fumbled a lot with my thoughts, and I fumbled a lot with application forms and websites that had never been taught concepts of clarity. Luckily my first week back in Germany was only 4 days long, like any week. Then came Friday and the weekend! I'd been looking forward to this weekend for while. Marina and I and her parents were to go hiking in Switzerland/France. Due to life and its unpredictable illness bubbles, Marina's parents could not join us. This was a shame. Nevertheless Marina and I had a very nice hike in the Jura Mountains, a range on the Swiss/French border. Fortunately, I DO have photos from this trip! Here they are.

 Left of that stone is Switzerland. Right of that stone is France.

 Ms. Kartographie and a map!

 Horses, the first French speaking horses in Switzerland that we encountered. Into the Francophone we go.

 I think these trees are wicked cool.

 Switzerland and/or France.

 This is the village of Pleigne, Switzerland, where we resided Saturday evening.

 Also Pleigne.

 Hello!

 Hello x2.

 Switzerland is gorgeous.

These cows were not dangerous.

There you have it! Photos from Jura.

Next up: bike rides, the death of the Seven Dwarfs, Stuttgart, Lörrach, general updates.

Good night for now! :).

Pictures and July 12th

Hello! This post will take you through the past two and a half months. It will then end with thought, something I have not included in a blog post in a French minute, reflecting on today, July 12 2012, the fourth year anniversary of my mother's death.

Vacation in Boston, 23.04-10.06:

Vacation kicked off with slow but chill days at home, preparing for the hiking trip with my dad, running into Nick Fountain at REI (wonderful highlight), trying to clean up my room. Things like that. Very homey things. Very nice, very weird. There are things that still click like home in Boston, and things that don't. My first couple days I sloshed around in many non-clicking things.

My dad and I then spent a day automobile-scurrying around New Hampshire trying to see family. We saw Jack and Becky at camp. That was sunny. We saw Leo and Margie, Bri and Grammy at Margie and Leo's new place. That was exciting. They have a big, big house built in 1848. The house has wrinkles and makes noises but seems to be very playful. It will be exciting to see what becomes of it in its new relationship with two grown persons from 2012. I wish I had pictures from this visit but I don't. Someone does. Perhaps you could send them too me?

On a rainy Monday Morning my dad and I set off for Crawford Notch, where we would start our 4-5 day hike of the Presidential Range, White Mountains, New Hampshire. Lots, Lots, and Lots of mountains and trees. Very, Very tiny dot on a map nonetheless. Cars and planes make the world seem pretty small. They also make the world seem kind of weak. Feet make the world seem vast and strong, a real, breathing planet offering so much to ants and humans without being able to tell the difference. (Trains make the world seem fantastical! Fawns and Hippogryphs live through train windows. Trains are how you get to Narnia and Hogwarts.
I don't know much about boats.)

On our first morning we reached the Mizpah Hut. I do not have a picture of this hut because I am silly. In the hut there was a dining room, a kitchen, bunk rooms, and six people. The people were summer volunteers, setting up for the new season. Officially the hut was not open. Dad and I enjoyed a nice meal that we cooked on a camping stove from 1971 (approximation) that I would never again trust to bring on a backpacking trip. We then decided to hike on, despite rainy and rumbly weather, in hopes of finding a camping spot closer to Mount Washington. I only have one picture of this hike. It is just above treeline and it is foreshadowing. It is this one:

The wet gray rocks are wet gray rocks. The vertical wet gray rock is my father.

Shortly after this photo lightening and rain descended on the mountains and my father and I descended back into the trees. We stood there and waited for a short hour. We were in the storm(s). Normally when we say, we were in the storm, we mean, we were directly under the storm. This time I mean we were in the storm. It was scary. i did not like it.
As to avoid elevation and petrification, we scrambled back to Mizpah Hut, made a deal with the six people there, and spent the night. We cooked wonderful food and ate it. We enjoyed being dry. We slept in bunks.


The next morning we worked off our stay by scrubbing things. Then we were off to Mount Washington, this time with better weather. Here are some pictures from day two (Mixpah Hut to Lake of the Clouds, to Washington, to the Perch).

 This is in fact exactly where we stood the day before for an hour trying to seek coverage from the storm. The tree had already been struck in a previous storm but we didn't notice it for the first twenty minutes of residence. Then we thought... well, lightening never strikes the same place twice right? That must be true.

 Approach to Mount Washington.

Lake of the Clouds Hut. Lunch spot.

 "Stop. The area ahead has the worst weather in America. Many have died there from exposure even in the summer. Turn back now if the weather is bad. White Mountain National Forest."

 Top of Mount Washington!

 The Perch. Day Three: climbing down the other side of Mr. Washington

 Tent! Last Day: the last day consisted of

 a bridge

and waterfalls. Then a hitched ride back to Crawford Notch and a car ride back to Boston. The trip was beautiful and fun. It was challenging, anstrengend. Physical challenges provide such a sense of satisfaction. I recommend them.

My preamble to this blog post was presumptuous. I would be a good politician. I'm half way through my vacation in Boston and I'm going to bed. To think I would catch up to mid July! I would like to relate other happenings, I shall try and do that in succeeding posts. For now though, a couple words on July 12th.

I don't have too many memories of my mother. This saddens me sometimes, but that's just the way it is. People forget things. That's okay. Memories serve great functions as historical reminders and anchors in stability, but they don't do too much more than that. The strongest way for me to revive my mother's presence is to remember who she was as a person, to realize that she has shared and given her traits to those around her, myself included of course, and to try and embody these characteristics. My mother was loving and caring. She always took others into consideration, and tried to walk in everyone's shoes. She was a giver of love and a light-hearted warm-hearted caretaker for those around her. Trying to act on those traits is what keeps my mother present, and I'm happy with that.

Now! What can Faith do for you?

Have a wonderful day! 

Until soon, I hope,

Ben.

HIKING IN GERMANY

Just Photos.

 Miltenberg.

 Umpfenbach.

 Very poor photo, hard to see what this is. It's a solar field. Like a crop field, but full of Solar Panels. Harvesting the Sun.

 Anja und Eran.

 Freak.

 Kybfelsen, Freiburg.

Lyon and Taizé

Before I come to my vacation in France, here is a snapshot from a thriller concert I had with the VAG Wind Ensemble.

We played Jesus Christ Superstar. And a piece called "Cream of Clapton" arranged for brass.

For our next concert (Sometime in June, save the date), we are playing Schlager. That's to say, folk chart toppers. It will be grand.

France:

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, while the birds were sleeping and the city rested in the moonlight, our apartment blitzed and bustled with activity, as Eran prepared for his flight to Israel, and Anja, Marina and I readied ourselves for an early departure to Lyon. After a power-hour sleep, it was off to pick up Chrissi and head into the land of French.

We arrived at thirteen o' clock and were warmly received by Marina's loving grandmother, waiting for us at the door. We were seated at the table and served a four-course meal while we shared life stories. After getting to know each other a bit, the four of us youngins hustled into the city to meet CAITLIN!

My wonderful friend and heart-healer from Madison. Caitlin has one of the most cheerful laughs I know, and one of the beautiful-est voices too. It does my mind good to hear them :).

This is a photo of: Chrissi, Anja, Caitlin, and Marina on the Garden Steps by the Notre Dame.
Caitlin and I in Lyon! Lyon has two rivers. I was very pleased with this. I miss water.

After a too short but nonetheless extremely satisfying three and a half hours with Caitlin, it was back to grandma's for dinner. Marina's Aunt joined us too! And we ate well. There's so much home when eating with a family. The family and house radiates with history, sunshine and life. Language barriers were hard to notice due to; Marina being a heroic translator, everyone possessing some minimal capacities in everyone else's language, and because laughter is very, very easily understood. That is a good thing.

Chrissi, Me, Anja, Michèle, and Marina in the family garden.

The cake (remains of) that Anja, Marina, and Chrissi baked and brought to Lyon. I beat eggs for 5 minutes, but that was my only contribution.

---

Taizé!!

A full Wednesday, a great night's sleep, and Thursday we were out the door to get to Taize by ten.

What is Taizé? Taizé, in my words, is a Christian, spiritual retreat. That idea is the vague impression I had before I went. Hopefully a concrete description of daily life with help paint the picture more accurately.

8:15 is morning prayer/service. Further description to follow.

9:00 is breakfast. Lots of bread, butter, and jam. Strange powdered tea. Tasty.

10:00 is small group discussions. A small passage from the Bible is read. Break into groups of 5-12 people. Discuss.

12:20 is afternoon prayer/service.

1:00 is lunch. Lentils, or noodles. Bread. Tea. Orange. Cookie.

2:00 is choir practice.

3:00 is cleaning. Groups are assigned tasks, tasks are completed. Bathroom cleaning, hall sweeping, etc.

5:00 is tea time.

6:00 is workshops. Various themes. We went to one on Etty Hillesum, a Jewish born Hollander who was killed at Auschwitz. Terrific lecture. Here's a take-away paraphrase of Etty's that she wrote in her diary (now published); 'our one moral responsibility is to find our inner peace, and to share that peace with those around us.'

7:00 is dinner. Dinner is similar to lunch.

8:30 evening prayer/service.

We went to church three times a day. The church was great. A non-ornate hall with a candle-lit front, this church had no prominent altar and no pews. The floors were carpeted and everyone sat on them, including all the Brothers from the monastery. There was no leading figure in the service, no priest. The services consisted entirely of song and silence. There was no preaching. In fact, there was no speaking all, other than a very short reading of a Bible passage. No commentary. Simply song, and silence. It was meditative and clearing. We were in church each day for a total of 4-6 hours, but nothing felt like drudgery or impatience. We just sang, and held silence.

The church was never locked. Anyone could go in whenever they wanted. If there were people in the church, there was song in the church. The services had no end point; they ended when everyone left. For one evening service, we stayed until 11:15, almost three hours. As we left, there were about thirty people still in the church, and the singing kept up strong. One night we went on a walk. We passed by the church a little after 2 am, and there were people inside singing. How lovely! A community full of song and silence.

There is a lot that I took away from my three and a half days in Taizé. The one thing I'll mention is something I realized while I was there and continue to realize now that I'm back in Freiburg. My head was so incredibly clear in Taizé. Clear and content, not empty. I didn't have a single worry or thought about what I had to do in the upcoming days or weeks. There was no weight to my mind, no volatility. Simply a clearness. I would love to go back someday, and hope I can find this ultimate clearness more often in the multi-directional spin of my life here in Freiburg.

Photos from Taizé:

Anja and Chrissi in Hall 10. Dinner time!
Me and Marina, also in Hall 10, also dinner time. Tea in Bowls. Mmm Powdered Tea in Bowls. :)
Entrance to Taizé.
Beautiful France. Countryside surrounding Taizé.
Sheep make funny noises.
The Girls.
:) Happy Happy! and Peaceful.
Walking around Taizé after watching the sun go down.

Now I'm back in Freiburg, but still enjoying vacation. Trying not to rush :). I'm planning a trip back to Boston, May 23-June 10th. I'll post more when I've solidified the trip.

Enjoy the weekend! and Happy Easter!

:)

Ben.