My favorite place in the world

Listen…hear gentle lapping sounds of blue clear water. Feel the sand beneath your feet. See the shells beneath the wet surface of the ocean. Feel the wind in your face whipping your hair around. Gentle rolling dunes from the nearby ocean create small mountains. The sunsets there are among the most beautiful colors you will ever get to see.  It is quiet town, but not sleepy. It is productive, working through out the day and resting when evening comes. The quaint village life seemed so simple and beautiful that it seemed hard to be true. I often wondered to myself as I biked through the villages, if this life they lived do they take it for granted? Do they see its beauty? Do I? I have heard there are seals here, but I have not yet been able to go. Every moment here is too precious, everything breathe I take I found myself taking in the beauty God had created. It is here that I have discovered a quiet peace in a way I’ve never felt before. There wasn’t any demanding deadlines, there’s no rushing to do, all I had to do was bike to my favorite places…alone. With no one with me, to discover who I am for myself in God. I will come back here. You see Texeles to many is just a place where there’s no skyscrape building, or factories  and there’s not much to do here other than bike. It is unchanged, protected by the waters surrounding it. To me it was a chance of a life time, the gentle drawings of my Beloved beckoned me. Texeles is just an island, but it is an island created in God’s beauty.

June 25...last day in Rotterdam

This is my last day here in Rotterdam. Tomorrow we leave at 9:00 sharp. I am sad to leave. Finally, I have gotten used to Rotterdam and have learned my way around. Professor Duren has given me permission to walk around by myself providing that I stay very close Stayokay. I can not tell you the freedom I felt as I walked in broad daylight exploring on my own. Rotterdam, in the day is quite safe.
Yesterday, I went with Ben to Euromast. You can see for miles! I have heard that you can see as far as Belgimn. The trip was definatly worth the hour walk and the tired feet that remained with me the rest of the evening. If anyone is ever able to get to Rotterdam, go to the Euromast. It is worth the money and the time. The is definatly a life time memory that will stay with me forever. My pictures does not do it justice.
Today we visited a musuem. It was a lot of fun. For the first time our graphic design class really got together and just hung out. I mean we do get together at breakfast, but afterwards everyone does their own thing. It was a treat and I enjoyed most of every moment.
My packing is almost done for Texel. Although I do wish for a couple more days in Rotterdam, I am excited about Texal. Lacey and I have decided to buy bikes since we’d most likely just ride them the entire week that we are there. I’m looking foreward to bike everywhere instead of walking.
I am so excited! A friend said that she’d might be willing to come to Delft, where the church is. I have to find where it is and give her a little bit more information so she can definatly make up her mind. I hope she’ll come! She is great fun.

When I am saftly in Texel, I will write more! Till then afscheid (good bye).

Tellings of my doings

June 23, 2010

My classes are going well. It helps keep us busy, but not very much. There’s only one thing I could ask, I wish Rotterdam was safe enough for me to explore on my own. The truth is I dare not step foot out of the stayokay residence without having someone with me. Perhaps I am being over reacting, but I rather be safe than sorry. One thing I do know, when I get home I’m traveling. I’m going to discover new places in my own home…places that those who have lived there all their may have over looked. There’s always something new.
Last night I entered into a home of the Dutch people originated from India. There I tried Indian food for the first time in my life. It was SOOOOOO spicy, but it was wonderful. I ate as much as I dared while gulping down water. I didn’t feel so bad when the others in my group also said the food was spicy. For anyone who knows my palette can probably imagine the fire in my mouth.
The trams are exciting. I felt as if I was flying and often daring let go of the railing as the electric trams lurched to a start. Plus the nighttime adventure on the way to a friend’s home made it exhilarating for me. I breathed in the night freedom and happily soaked in the new places with the company of friends from my study abroad group.

Here in Rotterdam

On June 20, 2010 I wrote:

Today marks a second day of being away from home. Yesterday had been all traveling, and been shuttled to and fro from both trains and trams. As we went to board our first plane, I discovered that my plane ticket did not have my name on it and so professor Duren and I went back to the helpful service counters to correct the issue. Apparently, they had never faced a ticket not having a persons name, however in a short amount of time they were able to help me and we were soon on our way through the security. Both planes were late, the second plane we has shifted through 2 different pilots to be able to fly. I was glad my luggage was overall light for we had lots of walking and crammed into tight places.

I have made good friends in my group. Our group gets along with each other overall pretty well. I now know all of them by name.

Our professor decided that today, Sunday, would be our free day. So a group of us went to walk around which turned into a shopping trip for most of us. Afterwards, part of us went to the bar and drank beers except for those like me who is a year way from being away to being able to drink. We ate our packed lunches and enjoyed each other’s company and exciting found a free hot spot ( wireless) to contact family members and friends.

The windy weather has brighten our cheeks and there are sparkles in our eyes. My rain jacket has nicely kept me warm from the cold. The cloudy overcast skies have made perfect scenery for pictures.

Here in Rotterdam, there are many types of transportation. I can not really say which transportation is used the most. It seems everyone walk, bike, or dive. There are a lot of boats as well. These boats are not your normal dinky sailboat…these are fishing boats which are long, huge, and well…huge.

Tomorrow classes start. How thankful I am that it will begin at 10 right after breakfast. Our curfew is in the morning at 9 clock, basically we just have to be there for breakfast whether we eat or not. After class is finished then I think we have to do homework and whatever else we want to do.

I am doing really well. My legs are holding up from all that walking. I highly suspect that when I get home, I’ll be fit as fiddle. Perhaps I might be so use to walking every where that a walk to Wal-mart is just mere thing. 

Amsterdam~

I have always wanted to see a castle either in its glory or see its ruins where you have to imagine it  in its former splendor.  Often with larger estates there are colorful garden grounds that would be impressive to walk in. Researching places of interest in Netherlands led me to an enriching place to visit,  Muiderslot Castle in Muiden, located 22 minutes away from the hostel in Amsterdam.  Map.

Furthermore, in Naarden, a nearby town, there is an old castle-like church called Grote Kerk that might be interesting to visit in addition to or in place of visiting the castle. Except for climbing the tower, which from my understanding is  €2,50, admission for the church is free. Map.

A tad bit of tellings of my netherlands trip

Dear friends,
        I am getting rid of my travel blog. Keeping up with five blogs isn't fair to you nor to me since time is so short. Thus I am transporting my blog notes to here. Hopefully, I can start a blogspot travel blogwhere it'll be easily linked. Because I will hopefully be traveling again this summer, I do want a travel blog. Fingers cross and heart hoping. We'll see what dad says.

Scheduling...time

  Photograph found on stck xchng

Time...must be carefully guarded lest it be gone before you know it. There are no "free" time, you often have to make time. I have often overheard conversation where someone says when we have more time, let's have you over for dinner. Always I laugh silently to myself. There is no time in a sense, we have to make time. That is why a book called the scheduler is on deck day and night for us to record our times. 


Were it not for my schedule book, I would be knee high in trouble. Nay forget that, I would be WAY over my head. Thus it is extremely important for me to write it down in my book. It doesn't matter whether or not I look back, but at least I have a reference. 


Which brings me to a point. I am usually an organize person, I can't stand clutter. Neither do I like perfectly clean, well...unless it's my room then I love it almost perfectly clean.  Well lived in an organized fashion is my style. Yet...this season for some strange reason. I live in clutter no matter how hard I work to try to get myself organize. Especially on the weekdays. Good luck on trying to contact me during that time, especially on a tuesday.

Then it hit me...I've negeglated to write down orgazine room/closet. Or whatever I needed to get done. Something happens when I WRITE something down...it gets done.

On the side lines...this is why I write down my dreams, my amition, and my hopes. I go into details. Will they all happen? No. But there's a good chance that they will and when I look back I can marvel at the miracles that God gave me. Plus on the days I get confuse I look back and have a clearer perspective because I took the time to write them down. It is vitually important to me to write these things down. Something I need to do more of and more details.
Here's the thing, a good time keeper is a good researcher AND a good organizer at least with some form of time.

I usually keep my room company clean...most of the time. We all of one those days when it just explodes into messiness. But by the end of the week, I've got it company clean. It isn't because of room check either. Lately, I've skimmed with passing room-check and I hate it. I take pride in having my room clean especially with my "newish" comfortable and my "newish" room. Being a good stewardess of my room is something that I strive for. Hence is why  I 've labeled this blog scheduling...time.
You usually can't be a great stewardess of something unless you are a good time scheduler or at least not without balancing everything else.

To be honest, keeping a clean home is great. Everyone after a looooonnnnnggggg and very tiring day are delighted to come home to a sparkling clean home. But that isn't what life is about, constantly cleaning or even scheduling time. Life is about God...pure and simple. God is about you and others and quite frankly about Him. It's a you and Him relationship and loving others. But you gotta first love Him to truly love others. Time... also is a thing about priorities. At least this is what I have experience in the short years of my life.

Re-arranging again :)

Hello my friends,
      Please bear with me as I am converting my blog into a more comfortable space. I am trying to make this blog as simple as possible and easy to read. We all have hectic days where we just don't want to deal with extra stuff and want to read or find other blogs quickly and effectively, while knowing the type of blog you are about to read. Thank you for your patience.

Encouraging others

Surprising enough this has become a hard subject for me, I have gotten more and more confuse in these last two years. When I was younger, I rarely thought ill of anyone. I just loved people mistakes and all. Now that I am older I find myself in a harddriven world that expects either for you to fall flat on your face or do the impossible...that tear you apart and critized you. I have learned it the hard way, and it breaks my heart. Why can't people just love one anotoher and encouarge one another. One more question when IS the right time to (loving) rebuke and how can you lovingly encourage someone while rebuking them at the same time? I guess that was two questions. But never the less. These questions are important to me. How do you apply grace to someone who may or may not know they're doing wrong? I know rebuking when it is needed is right. I know I sometimes need a "spanking" when I do, I rather have it then ruin myself and fall into disgrace. Yet, there a lot of times I need a whole lotta grace.  There two things in play, one is what does God say and the other is what is your heart motive. Cause if I am all about the gotta look good on the outside, but fail to look on the insde, boy hope I pad my britches and high tail it out. Because I am no better off then the person in sin...come to think of it, I would be sinning. I can't eat my cake on a high horse. Translation: don't play the high and mighty card and expect to be granted the "good job trophy". No, no, no.
But if I listen to God and ask Him to clearly define what and when I should do something and truly care about the heart of the person, I say it'll be just fine. You know why? Cause He's doing all the work and He's gonna make it right...might take his sweet time, but in the end it'll be JUUUUUSSSTTT perfect. Then I get to eat my cake and enjoy it immensely.

Going out on a Limb

Go with me out on a limb here and indulged my girlish fantasy. Of all the Disney movies I ever watched there was one that I would watched again and again. While other girls dreamed of knights and princes...I dreamed of the beast. The a warrior as I dubbed him. Funny how I was SO disappointed to find that he was a prince. My bubble burst. I didn't care about royalties....only the fact that he was a leader who learned a lesson that would behove all of us to learn. But anyways...I'm not here to talk about princes, knights, or men in general. I wanted to talk about belle...and her heart.


Belle...was "alive" to me. I could relate to her. I saw people for people and I saw the possibility of what and who they can become. At, the tender age of seven or eight I was moved a little to be "like Belle". My silent world was alive with noise. I didn't engage in conversation...but I watched. There much I didn't like to see and but I saw the good in everyone. As Samwise once said " There that there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for." This quote is especially true as I have gotten older and it is harder for some odd reason to find the good quickly.
Belle in a sense was like that to Beast. Here, this selfish, spoiled beast had hurt and anger in his heart, and yet Belle saw the good in him. Of course it took a while for her to like him, but still. Her love for her father cost her something in the beginning and the won her one of the greatest gifts she could ever imagine. She took a chance and sacrificed so that the one that she dearly loved would live.

But I also related to the beast. Now I am no means ugly by any stretch of the imagination. I wouldn't call myself drop dead gorgeous either, but I love who I am and I appreciate the looks I do have. So when I am talking of the beast, I am not talking of his physical stature. Rather I am talking about who He was and how people only saw him for the outside. They would not take time to get to know. Of course before Belle came into his life, they would have been correct. But he changed truly and honestly. The town people had no grace for a beastly beast, they instead fed on empty gossip which in turned killed a man. My point being, how often do we take the time to know the person on the inside. Do we offer a chance of grace to them? Some people won't change...people like Gaston who is cruel to the core. But what if when God whispers in our hearts, and we took that chance?  Sure, we might have to sacrifice, there might be tears, and angry words. But if we press on, just maybe because we refused not to give up that person comes to Christ, or perhaps decided to truly give his heart.

However, there comes a point when we have to break off. Belle did. Her love for her father almost cost her the love of her life. Ironic isn't? How her exact love for her father brought her to the beast, and how her love for her father took her away. But there's a flip side. The beast had grown to love Belle, and HE let her go. She realized how much good was in the beast when she went away. A fresh perspective I would like to say. Sadly, it isn't always the case. Sometimes we have to break away, because if we don't we cause not only harm to the other person to ourselves as well.

There is so much more I could say, but this a gist of what I have gathered from this movie. Granted, I haven't seen this movie since last year, but the major points have always stuck with me since I was a little girl. Just more advance in concepts of my points have grown since I have grown older and hopefully wiser.