Jay ate something bad. He started feeling it as we were approaching Liverpool. While waiting in the passport line he headed straight for a chair. He was pale. Then he got up, butted in line and was told to get back. Another official in the desk nearby motioned to him, checked him in and then Jay left without looking back. I wondered what got into him. I found him again by the baggage claim. He told me he almost didnt make it to the bathroom before throwing up. We found our hotel, about five minutes´walk (we took a bus, not knowing how close it was), checked in, and Jay was sick all night and most of the day. It was okay, though. I caught up on sleep.
Around 5pm we went out to find the streets he wanted to visit. One bus took us quite a way, then we needed to transfer. We went to the next bus stop but couldnt find the bus we needed. A kind young woman walked us around the corner, down the steps, under the large street, up the stairs, down the street to the next bus stop. She showed us on the schedule which bus numbers to look for. Then she went back to her bus stop. We waited over an hour, and in that time, two appropriate busses passed by without even pausing. I was getting cold, the sun was going down and the breeze was chilly. Finally, a man joined us and expained that we had to flag the bus down by putting our arm out. Haha, silly us... Sure enough, the next bus stopped when Jay put his arm out. The driver let us out about two streets from where we wanted to go: Sydney Street. It was a short, narrow lane with houses right on the sidewalks, both sides. They were identical, only the doors were individualized. All were only one room, wide and two stories (3?) high. This is where Thomas Karran lived in Liverpool. Jay took pictures of every house! I was really feeling bladder pressure by then but there was no place to go. Jay approached a taxi to ask for directions, and ended up agreeing to ride to the next place of interest. He took us to #10 and #17 Holly Street. Number 10 was the LDS Church headquarters in 1840. It was just like the Sydney St. houses except it looked more prosperous and stood out amongst the houses around it. Number 17 was probably the home of Ann Ratcliffe´s sister. She was the one who recieived the body of baby Joseph Karran who died due to exposure. He died just before his family boarded the ship to Amercia. Her home is where the death certificate was signed. So little Joseph is buried somewhere in Liverpool.
The driver then took us to St. Peter´s church (Church of England) for Jay to take a few pictures. The he drove around a few streets to find a place to eat. We found a nice little Chinese restaurant called Ying Wu. We had sweet and sour chicken and leek and prawns with oyster sauce. Both were VERY good. The fried rice was very mild, which I liked. The meal started with sweet corn soup (egg drop) and rice crisps (like puffy chips). I ate most of them, as Jay still didnt feel ready for solid food. He drank three glasses of Coke and just sampled the food. The taxi driver had told us to call Delta taxis because they charge a flat fee. He said the hackney taxis charge on a meter-based fee. The restaurant people called the cab and it took us five minutes back to the hotel. We were close.
The bed looked good - it was calling my name. I checked on the "laundry" and found it read to be packed by morning. We went to bed anticipating spending some time downtown, seeing the docks, riding in the double decker bus, and going into some shops, then getting back to the airport for our even flight. We woke around 7:30, ready for the days´ plans. I thought to look at the printed itinerary and it said the plane would leave at 8:27 a.m. I said, "Uhhh, you´d better look at the schedule. I think we have a problem." Jay checked and said, "Uh Oh, what should we do? Shall we try to make it?" We had thought the flight was in the P.m. I answered, "Yeah, lets try." We hurriedly finished packing and to check out. The receptionist called a taxi, "We need a taxi. NOW," he said. In five minutes, we arrived at the John Lennon airport. We quickly walked to the information desk where they told us we were too late. We had to buy tickets for the noon flight, pay to check luggage. It was another U$100 plus. We bought Subway lunch and sat on the floor (no chairs) and had a picnic. I never drank a soda so fast! But we had to get rid of the fluids and there were no bathrooms or sinks anywhere, just bare hallways. Liverpool John Lennon Airport isnt very big. In an hour we would be in Isle of Man.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Arrival in Amsterdam
When approaching Amsterdam, The Netherlands, I adjusted my watch seven hours into the future to be on local time. It went from breakfast to dinner in 30 seconds. The plane was a little late, but we had seven hours in Amsterdam. I wanted to leave the airport and go into town. Jay was afraid , but I convinced him it was important to me, we had plenty of time and that people speak English. We found a locker for our carry-ons, found the trains to city center, patted our pockets to check on passports and wallets, then proceeded what felt like asking directions every 20 feet. Jay would ask, then turn to me for interpretation. He cant understand any English that is not American. Put that together with his lousy hearing aids! We asked a canal boat operator for directions to the Anne Frank museum as soon as we left the train station. It was a fifteen minute walk. We got to walk the brick streets, passing shops in Amsterdam city center. It was so beautiful. The buildings were old brick structures. Most of them were very narrow and four to five stories high and connected to the buildings on either sides. Each was different and obviously separate. Each had its own top floor and roof treatment. Each was occupied all the way to the highest windows. We passed three canals running through the center of each street. Each side had one-way traffic, a bike lane, and a sidewalk. There were more cyclists than cars. Old(er) ladies were just as agile on bikes as children on theirs. The sidewalks were made of bricks, were about two and a half feet wide, and were immediately butted up against public and private doorways. There were NO entryways. People sat on chairs on the sidewalk. Parked bicycles were everywhere. Every block had at least one pub with tables and chairs set up on wider portions of sidewalk. What we would consider an alley were actually named streets with more shops and residences.
At the fourth canal we came across the line of people waiting to see Anne Frank Huis (house). We chatted with a man and his wife from Spain (in broken Spanish/English) for about 10 minutes as we approached the house. It was just another narrow, three-story building in the middle of the block. We paid 6.50 euros each entry fee and then were free to walk from the lower business part to the very top hiding place. All the spoken recordings and written signs were in Dutch and English. There was no furniture. The building was one room wide by two rooms deep by four stories high. Mr Frank was in the pectin business, he put it in his partner´s name to protect in from the anti-Jews.
The floors were wide wooden planks, about 8 inch wide, painted or stained black/brown. Each room on the lower floors had big windows open to the outside. Further up VERY steep narrow steps in a narrow staircase were the hiding rooms. These windows were covered with thick black window covers that blocked out all light. It was quite dark and made the small rooms feel even smaller. These rooms may have been ten feet square. The next stairway was even steeper and the steps only 6-8 inches deep. I had to go up sideways, using the handrail for support. The first room had many of the pictures/postcards/movie star photos that Anne Frank put up to make it more cheerful. They were protected by clear plactic boxes. The kitchen was the size of a larger bathroom. Peter´s room was 6 by 8 feet with a ladder-like stairway into the center. It was so TINY! There was a little closet that held a very pretty toilet. It had blue flowers and vines painted on it. The sink and mirror were just outside the closet. Everything was soooo small!! All those people, all those years! And someone told the Germans about them just before the end of the war. It is important to keep these types of places available for people to see.
We had a Ben and Jerry´s ice cream at the snack bar then began the walk back to the train station. Jay was really in pain and my hips had had enough. The ride back by train was short - but not enough to rest as much as we needed. We made our way back through two train stations, to the airport check-in (show passports and boarding passes), collected our carry-ons, then Jay couldnt walk any further. He wanted a ride to the gate (D06G). We were directed to a transportation kiosk where it took talking to three people to get what we needed. One thought we wanted a ride into town and said it would be expensive. After about 10 minutes waiting, were called to the cart that had been parked just 20 feet away. The driver was so kind. She took us to where we had to go downstairs, went with us down the elevator, through the gate check (had to empty her pockets, get frisked, etc), then took us exactly to the waiting area. I gave her my Country magazine, and made Jay give her a tip. Everyone we approached for assistance was very gracious and helpful. It is sometimes hard to understand their English, though. I bought a small orange bag to hold my wallet. It cost 9.90 euros. From Gate D06G, we boarded a bus that took us out on the runway (five minutes´drive!). We climbed the stairs up into the small plane. The business section had six seats. There were two seats on either side. We slept most of the hour's flight to Liverpool, England.
At the fourth canal we came across the line of people waiting to see Anne Frank Huis (house). We chatted with a man and his wife from Spain (in broken Spanish/English) for about 10 minutes as we approached the house. It was just another narrow, three-story building in the middle of the block. We paid 6.50 euros each entry fee and then were free to walk from the lower business part to the very top hiding place. All the spoken recordings and written signs were in Dutch and English. There was no furniture. The building was one room wide by two rooms deep by four stories high. Mr Frank was in the pectin business, he put it in his partner´s name to protect in from the anti-Jews.
The floors were wide wooden planks, about 8 inch wide, painted or stained black/brown. Each room on the lower floors had big windows open to the outside. Further up VERY steep narrow steps in a narrow staircase were the hiding rooms. These windows were covered with thick black window covers that blocked out all light. It was quite dark and made the small rooms feel even smaller. These rooms may have been ten feet square. The next stairway was even steeper and the steps only 6-8 inches deep. I had to go up sideways, using the handrail for support. The first room had many of the pictures/postcards/movie star photos that Anne Frank put up to make it more cheerful. They were protected by clear plactic boxes. The kitchen was the size of a larger bathroom. Peter´s room was 6 by 8 feet with a ladder-like stairway into the center. It was so TINY! There was a little closet that held a very pretty toilet. It had blue flowers and vines painted on it. The sink and mirror were just outside the closet. Everything was soooo small!! All those people, all those years! And someone told the Germans about them just before the end of the war. It is important to keep these types of places available for people to see.
We had a Ben and Jerry´s ice cream at the snack bar then began the walk back to the train station. Jay was really in pain and my hips had had enough. The ride back by train was short - but not enough to rest as much as we needed. We made our way back through two train stations, to the airport check-in (show passports and boarding passes), collected our carry-ons, then Jay couldnt walk any further. He wanted a ride to the gate (D06G). We were directed to a transportation kiosk where it took talking to three people to get what we needed. One thought we wanted a ride into town and said it would be expensive. After about 10 minutes waiting, were called to the cart that had been parked just 20 feet away. The driver was so kind. She took us to where we had to go downstairs, went with us down the elevator, through the gate check (had to empty her pockets, get frisked, etc), then took us exactly to the waiting area. I gave her my Country magazine, and made Jay give her a tip. Everyone we approached for assistance was very gracious and helpful. It is sometimes hard to understand their English, though. I bought a small orange bag to hold my wallet. It cost 9.90 euros. From Gate D06G, we boarded a bus that took us out on the runway (five minutes´drive!). We climbed the stairs up into the small plane. The business section had six seats. There were two seats on either side. We slept most of the hour's flight to Liverpool, England.
Pre-Mission Vacation (2011)
In June 2011 Jay and I were caught in a great whirlwind. We managed a wedding, a two-week trip to Isle of Man and Norway, and preliminary applications online for a Church mission.
I have just found the entry for that time in a journal and would like to share our experiences with anyone interested. I enjoyed reminiscing, maybe some of you might, too.
28 June 2011. Hooray! Roger and Suzanne were sealed in the Manti Temple on Friday morning. around 11:00. Most of our family was there, and many of Suzanne´s large family, too. We stayed overnight in a house rented out during the pageant. It was a victorian house filled with antique or classic furniture and knick-knacks. It was very nice. Post marriage luncheon was pulled pork sandwihes and Jello salads provided by Suzanne´s family. Then we went to the church in Ephraim for the reception. The food was good. There were two chocolate fountains. The kids ate most of it. Jay´s cousin Beverly Karren Winters and her husband Carl invited Jay, Louise and me to spend the night. We were very tired so accepted their offer. Finding their home was HARD!! They live in Pleasant View. Pleasant it might be, but it is on one of many dirt roads way up in the mountain. We searched for a couple of hours, stopping for directions at numerous homes. Finally at ten minutes to eleven, we found it. It´s a beautiful log home. Power is provided by solar panels. It is REALLY out in the ¨boonies¨! We left the next day, picked up Esther and Adele in Provo (Lori and Bennett had a motel room there.) We didnt know there was supposed to be a family lunch at 1:00. We didnt get home till three. We unloaded the pick-up and rushed over to Lynette´s to help set up for the openhouse. Lisa came with the lasagna and salad around 5:30 or six. We were busy making chicken salad croissant sandwiches and cutting up fruit for the chocolate fountains. A lot of people came, it was a nice party. We were exhausted. I had to teach Primary and play the organ the next morning, and I sang in the choir.
Monday we cleaned and packed for our trip to Isle of Man and Norway. We had Family Home Evening that went on to around ten. Tuesday we left at 7:00 to take Louise to the airport and then checked in for our flight to Atlanta. Our flight was uneventful, with the usual snack:drinks and choice of cookie, peanuts or crackers. We watched Big Momma. The plane was late and we had just an hour to find the gate for Amsterdam. It wasnt very far. Jay went to the bathroom while I checked in with boarding pass and airport. Then I went to the bathroom. I saw Jay at the boarding door, which I thought was unusual because he needs to be together to be safe. So I boarded and found our seats, but he wasnt there. I thought maybe he was seated somewhere else, but I didnt see him anywhere on the plane. I walked back up to the desk and there he was, sweating and worried. His nervousness has made him blind and deaf. We settled I and relaxed. Dinner was served: fish or chicken. We both chose fish. It was strange: the fish was all mixed up in mashed potatoes.
A young Bangladeshi man sat next to me. He wanted to chat. He asked if I had grandchildren. I told him 25 and then explained that we have nine children. It took him a moment to digest that. He muttered to himself, "Nine children." He asked if I was Catholic. I smiled and said, "No, I am Mormon." He then wanted to talk about my beliefs and we conversed pleasantly for about 15 minutes. He was a little familiar with our beliefs, he explained that he had a friend long ago who was LDS. His father is Christian, his mother is Muslim. Then he wanted to sleep.
Sleep was difficult for me. Jay and I are too big for airline seats so if one folds one´s arms the other isnt awakened by another's movements. Hah! The woman in front of me reclined her seat as soon as we took off so there was very little room for me to wiggle at all. In the middle of the night I got up and noticed that her two seat companions were gone and she was stretched out across all three seats, asleep. I was kind of irked. I raised the reclined backs so Jay and I had a little more room. Later, after people were beginning to stir, I was sleeping with my head up against the seat in front. I felt the seat trying to recline so I kept pressure against it till she quit trying. (sweet revenge). Breakfast wasnt very good. Oh, well...
Continued on the next installment......
I have just found the entry for that time in a journal and would like to share our experiences with anyone interested. I enjoyed reminiscing, maybe some of you might, too.
28 June 2011. Hooray! Roger and Suzanne were sealed in the Manti Temple on Friday morning. around 11:00. Most of our family was there, and many of Suzanne´s large family, too. We stayed overnight in a house rented out during the pageant. It was a victorian house filled with antique or classic furniture and knick-knacks. It was very nice. Post marriage luncheon was pulled pork sandwihes and Jello salads provided by Suzanne´s family. Then we went to the church in Ephraim for the reception. The food was good. There were two chocolate fountains. The kids ate most of it. Jay´s cousin Beverly Karren Winters and her husband Carl invited Jay, Louise and me to spend the night. We were very tired so accepted their offer. Finding their home was HARD!! They live in Pleasant View. Pleasant it might be, but it is on one of many dirt roads way up in the mountain. We searched for a couple of hours, stopping for directions at numerous homes. Finally at ten minutes to eleven, we found it. It´s a beautiful log home. Power is provided by solar panels. It is REALLY out in the ¨boonies¨! We left the next day, picked up Esther and Adele in Provo (Lori and Bennett had a motel room there.) We didnt know there was supposed to be a family lunch at 1:00. We didnt get home till three. We unloaded the pick-up and rushed over to Lynette´s to help set up for the openhouse. Lisa came with the lasagna and salad around 5:30 or six. We were busy making chicken salad croissant sandwiches and cutting up fruit for the chocolate fountains. A lot of people came, it was a nice party. We were exhausted. I had to teach Primary and play the organ the next morning, and I sang in the choir.
Monday we cleaned and packed for our trip to Isle of Man and Norway. We had Family Home Evening that went on to around ten. Tuesday we left at 7:00 to take Louise to the airport and then checked in for our flight to Atlanta. Our flight was uneventful, with the usual snack:drinks and choice of cookie, peanuts or crackers. We watched Big Momma. The plane was late and we had just an hour to find the gate for Amsterdam. It wasnt very far. Jay went to the bathroom while I checked in with boarding pass and airport. Then I went to the bathroom. I saw Jay at the boarding door, which I thought was unusual because he needs to be together to be safe. So I boarded and found our seats, but he wasnt there. I thought maybe he was seated somewhere else, but I didnt see him anywhere on the plane. I walked back up to the desk and there he was, sweating and worried. His nervousness has made him blind and deaf. We settled I and relaxed. Dinner was served: fish or chicken. We both chose fish. It was strange: the fish was all mixed up in mashed potatoes.
A young Bangladeshi man sat next to me. He wanted to chat. He asked if I had grandchildren. I told him 25 and then explained that we have nine children. It took him a moment to digest that. He muttered to himself, "Nine children." He asked if I was Catholic. I smiled and said, "No, I am Mormon." He then wanted to talk about my beliefs and we conversed pleasantly for about 15 minutes. He was a little familiar with our beliefs, he explained that he had a friend long ago who was LDS. His father is Christian, his mother is Muslim. Then he wanted to sleep.
Sleep was difficult for me. Jay and I are too big for airline seats so if one folds one´s arms the other isnt awakened by another's movements. Hah! The woman in front of me reclined her seat as soon as we took off so there was very little room for me to wiggle at all. In the middle of the night I got up and noticed that her two seat companions were gone and she was stretched out across all three seats, asleep. I was kind of irked. I raised the reclined backs so Jay and I had a little more room. Later, after people were beginning to stir, I was sleeping with my head up against the seat in front. I felt the seat trying to recline so I kept pressure against it till she quit trying. (sweet revenge). Breakfast wasnt very good. Oh, well...
Continued on the next installment......
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Our Trip to the End of the World, Day Three
Just an additional narrative about yesterday: We had a couple hours before the van came to pick us up, so we decided to find some lunch. It was pretty cloudy and quit cool but not cold enough to wear a jacket. Boy, did we make a mistake! It started to sprinkle about the time we found Chocolatta, the place that had sandwiches as well as lots of chocolate goodies. By the time we sat down it was raining. It took so long to get our lunch that we had to have it "para llevar" (take out) and we had to walk (Jay cant run with his bad knee) six blocks in pouring rain and gusts of wind. We arrived, completely soaked and dripping, with just enough time to completely change clothes, hang up the wet ones, and get down to the lobby. It was an experience we laughed about but dont want to do again.
We boarded the travel bus to Porto Natales for more adventure. It is even farther south. We made sure to have all our cold weather clothing this time. We were able to see lots of the Patagonian countryside. It is sheep country for sure. We saw countless flocks and some were very large. Most of them were heavy with wool. We saw a few small herds of cattle, and a mounted cowboy and his dog working a group of cattle somewhere. The biggest surprise was the rheas. There were lots, usually just one or maybe two at a site. I got my camera out to get a picture, but was unsuccessful. The bus was moving too fast and we'd pass before I had time to spot and aim. Then I saw a group of about 15 all resting near a fence by the road. Unfortunately I didnt get a shot and they were the last ones we saw. A little late I saw a fox running and it literally flew over a bush in its way. There were a lot of backpacking trekkers on the bus, and lots more all over town. This is a pretty popular place for tourists.
We (all 8) went to lunch and then divided according to what we wanted to do. I had a seafood soup for lunch. It was full of clams, oysters, calarari and small bites of fish. Jay had a soup that looked just like mine, but had a palm-sized piece of fish. Nearing the end of his soup, he found a funny looking shell - a barnacle. We joked that it was a tooth: maybe from a Shrek-like girl, or the tooth from the chef, or maybe a gift to replace his own gap. The Roberts have been paying for Sister Onate, and the Laymans for Ida. That led to joking that Jay and I are looking for a stray woman who could be our beneficient. The waiter laughed out loud when we asked if the chef had lost his tooth. This shell was about three-fourths inch across and again that in length. One end was flat, the other end had several pointed sharp edges.
We spent the rest of the day shopping, resting, and tomorrow we will take a boat ride.
We boarded the travel bus to Porto Natales for more adventure. It is even farther south. We made sure to have all our cold weather clothing this time. We were able to see lots of the Patagonian countryside. It is sheep country for sure. We saw countless flocks and some were very large. Most of them were heavy with wool. We saw a few small herds of cattle, and a mounted cowboy and his dog working a group of cattle somewhere. The biggest surprise was the rheas. There were lots, usually just one or maybe two at a site. I got my camera out to get a picture, but was unsuccessful. The bus was moving too fast and we'd pass before I had time to spot and aim. Then I saw a group of about 15 all resting near a fence by the road. Unfortunately I didnt get a shot and they were the last ones we saw. A little late I saw a fox running and it literally flew over a bush in its way. There were a lot of backpacking trekkers on the bus, and lots more all over town. This is a pretty popular place for tourists.
We (all 8) went to lunch and then divided according to what we wanted to do. I had a seafood soup for lunch. It was full of clams, oysters, calarari and small bites of fish. Jay had a soup that looked just like mine, but had a palm-sized piece of fish. Nearing the end of his soup, he found a funny looking shell - a barnacle. We joked that it was a tooth: maybe from a Shrek-like girl, or the tooth from the chef, or maybe a gift to replace his own gap. The Roberts have been paying for Sister Onate, and the Laymans for Ida. That led to joking that Jay and I are looking for a stray woman who could be our beneficient. The waiter laughed out loud when we asked if the chef had lost his tooth. This shell was about three-fourths inch across and again that in length. One end was flat, the other end had several pointed sharp edges.
We spent the rest of the day shopping, resting, and tomorrow we will take a boat ride.
Our Trip to the End of the World, Day Two
Jay went to breakfast, I chose to sleep. He came back, we slept more. I woke up, ate three ginger cookies I had baked, then finshed all the yarn I had brought on the baby afghan I am making. The van picked us up at 11:30 and drove for an hour and a half, mostly on dirt roads southward. We passed a big open-pit coal mine. The coal is mined, loaded onto a ship and taken up the coast to Vina del Mar to be processed. We turned left from there and followed the coastline to the end of the earth. Finally the bus stopped and we got out to walk about a mile (2 km) on a wood-slat-walkway down to the beach where we hoped to see penguins. It was cold and the wind was blowing pretty hard. I was wishing I had my coat and mittens, headband and scarf. (I left them at the hotel). I was feeling especially cold, because when Jay and I went to lunch we were caught in a rainstorm complete with wind and thunder, and were thoroughly soaked. The first penguin we saw was just a few feet off the path, sitting in the opening of its burrow. It kindly posed for many pictures. We had been asked to speak quietly, and move slowly as to not startle the penguins. About ten yards farther on, we came to an observation blind where we could look out on 10-15 penguins standing on a sand bar. As we watched, they waddled to a small pool, jumped in and swam to the next sand bar. We took lots of pictures.
It's hard to believe that we REALLY !WERE only 200 miles from Antarctica, and that we were seeing real penguines that look like the ones always pictured. It is hard to believe we are at the end of the world, the place we never dreamed we would see!
On the way back, we spotted rheas, a silver fox on the run, and big, brown rabbits. There were some large birds, too, sitting on a fence post. We dont know what thery were.
On the way back we asked the guide to take us to where the ship replicas were so we could take pictures. The place was closed, so we did the best we could with our telescoping lenses. Fifteen minutes after arriving at the hotel, we met again to go to dinner. I had salmon Wellington, asparagus with a lemon sauce, and au gratin potatoes. It was very good. Jay had a seafood soup and really liked it. Since we had to leave early the next morning we packed and went to bed. We still had wet clothes from the rain, so I used the hairdryer to dry them.
It's hard to believe that we REALLY !WERE only 200 miles from Antarctica, and that we were seeing real penguines that look like the ones always pictured. It is hard to believe we are at the end of the world, the place we never dreamed we would see!
On the way back, we spotted rheas, a silver fox on the run, and big, brown rabbits. There were some large birds, too, sitting on a fence post. We dont know what thery were.
On the way back we asked the guide to take us to where the ship replicas were so we could take pictures. The place was closed, so we did the best we could with our telescoping lenses. Fifteen minutes after arriving at the hotel, we met again to go to dinner. I had salmon Wellington, asparagus with a lemon sauce, and au gratin potatoes. It was very good. Jay had a seafood soup and really liked it. Since we had to leave early the next morning we packed and went to bed. We still had wet clothes from the rain, so I used the hairdryer to dry them.
Our Trip to the End of the World, Day One
March 4 (Monday) I did the few dishes we had used, then at 8:00am we took our suitcases down to the street where the van was waiting to take us to the airport. Eight of us were going: Van and Millie Layman and their friend Ida Murphy, Sister Rina Onate (that n has a tilda over it), Perry and Frances Roberts, and Jay and I. After checking in at the airport, we waited about 30 minutes before boarding. The plane was Sky Airlines. It was very nice; I think the seats were a little larger, and there seemed to be more leg room. Each row was six seats divided by the aisle. All announcements were in Spanish AND English.
We were served two meals, not just pretzels and soda. I really liked the first - some kind of pinkish ground up meat in a croissant roll, fruit cocktail, a very nice kind of cookie, and a choice of sodas, juices, coffee, tea, wine, or something stronger. I chose orange juice. We had a short stop at Puerto Montt to exchange some passengers. Until then Jay and I had the three-seat row to ourselves. A young lady joined us for the rest of the way. Shortly after take-off, we were given our second lunch. There was a choice between pasta and "beef". I chose beef and wish I hadnt. It was a pastel de papas (ground beef, 2 olives, a slice of hard boiled egg, topped with unseasoned mashed potatoes. Chileans sprinkle sugar over the top. I scraped two-thirds of the potato off and ate the rest. The rest of the meal was the same as the first, and I had Coke.
It took about four hours total before we landed. We picked up our suitcases then found our guide. He was holding up a sign that said, "Layman 8". I always wanted to be looked for at an airport with a sign held up. Before going to the hotel, the guide took us on a tour of the area and city. We followed the coastline of the Strait of Magellan and could see Tierra del Fuego on the other side. It is a large island. We glimpsed the replica of Magellan's ship and next to it the beginning replica of the Beagle that Charles Darwin sailed on. They were very small by today's standards.
Nearing the city, we stopped at a high point with a good view of the Strait and the city. There was a table there with sweaters and hats and scarves for sale. Jay and I each bought alpaca pullover sweaters, Millie bought a beautiful knitted cardigan, for $10,000, or U$20. We drove into town, toured a "founding fathers' home and heard the history. This home would be the equivalent to Brigham Young's home in Salt Lake (without the pool table room ;D). The city plaza was just a block away, so we walked to it, shopped at the kioskos set up there. I bought a lapis lazuli penguin and then our guide told us he would take us to a place where things would be cheaper (he never did).
In the center of the plaza, called Plaza de Armas (every city has one), is a big monument. Magellan is at the top, and the next lower level to his left and right are native indians of Tierra del Fuego and of Patagonia. We took pictures, lots. Almost finished with our tour, we had only one more stop) the mausoleum cemetery. It was all mausoleums and tall, sculpted evergreens. It looked kind of like a mini city because they all looked like old office buildings. The trees were all trimmed and trained to grow in the same shape. There was a double row of them separated by a gravel path. It felt like it went on forever (kind of like the mirrors in a temple lealing room). Sister Frances (who has a pacemaker) and I (with bad back) posed for some Alice in Wonderland type photos and then held hands and skipped down the path till we ran out of breath.
Finally we checked into Rey Don Felipe hotel, room 105, ground level. It's a nice room with a king-size bed, fridge, TV, phone and nice clean bathroom. At 7:00pm all eight of us walked about six blocks to Cafe Brocoli (the front was painted in broccoli greens). I ordered aphrodisiac soup because it sounded the best, and gnocchi with mushroom sauce. Neither was particularly good, but we had some fun taking pictures with my spooning up the soup. The broth was good, the fish was tough and dry. It didnt affect me, however, as I fell asleep as soon as we hit the pillows.
We were served two meals, not just pretzels and soda. I really liked the first - some kind of pinkish ground up meat in a croissant roll, fruit cocktail, a very nice kind of cookie, and a choice of sodas, juices, coffee, tea, wine, or something stronger. I chose orange juice. We had a short stop at Puerto Montt to exchange some passengers. Until then Jay and I had the three-seat row to ourselves. A young lady joined us for the rest of the way. Shortly after take-off, we were given our second lunch. There was a choice between pasta and "beef". I chose beef and wish I hadnt. It was a pastel de papas (ground beef, 2 olives, a slice of hard boiled egg, topped with unseasoned mashed potatoes. Chileans sprinkle sugar over the top. I scraped two-thirds of the potato off and ate the rest. The rest of the meal was the same as the first, and I had Coke.
It took about four hours total before we landed. We picked up our suitcases then found our guide. He was holding up a sign that said, "Layman 8". I always wanted to be looked for at an airport with a sign held up. Before going to the hotel, the guide took us on a tour of the area and city. We followed the coastline of the Strait of Magellan and could see Tierra del Fuego on the other side. It is a large island. We glimpsed the replica of Magellan's ship and next to it the beginning replica of the Beagle that Charles Darwin sailed on. They were very small by today's standards.
Nearing the city, we stopped at a high point with a good view of the Strait and the city. There was a table there with sweaters and hats and scarves for sale. Jay and I each bought alpaca pullover sweaters, Millie bought a beautiful knitted cardigan, for $10,000, or U$20. We drove into town, toured a "founding fathers' home and heard the history. This home would be the equivalent to Brigham Young's home in Salt Lake (without the pool table room ;D). The city plaza was just a block away, so we walked to it, shopped at the kioskos set up there. I bought a lapis lazuli penguin and then our guide told us he would take us to a place where things would be cheaper (he never did).
In the center of the plaza, called Plaza de Armas (every city has one), is a big monument. Magellan is at the top, and the next lower level to his left and right are native indians of Tierra del Fuego and of Patagonia. We took pictures, lots. Almost finished with our tour, we had only one more stop) the mausoleum cemetery. It was all mausoleums and tall, sculpted evergreens. It looked kind of like a mini city because they all looked like old office buildings. The trees were all trimmed and trained to grow in the same shape. There was a double row of them separated by a gravel path. It felt like it went on forever (kind of like the mirrors in a temple lealing room). Sister Frances (who has a pacemaker) and I (with bad back) posed for some Alice in Wonderland type photos and then held hands and skipped down the path till we ran out of breath.
Finally we checked into Rey Don Felipe hotel, room 105, ground level. It's a nice room with a king-size bed, fridge, TV, phone and nice clean bathroom. At 7:00pm all eight of us walked about six blocks to Cafe Brocoli (the front was painted in broccoli greens). I ordered aphrodisiac soup because it sounded the best, and gnocchi with mushroom sauce. Neither was particularly good, but we had some fun taking pictures with my spooning up the soup. The broth was good, the fish was tough and dry. It didnt affect me, however, as I fell asleep as soon as we hit the pillows.
A Word for the Hesitant Missionary
Elder Uchtdorf in the Liahona, February 2013 (and probably the Ensign, too) said this:
1. Be a light (why are you so happy?)
2. Be conversational (work the church ito your conversations)
3. Be full of grace (have charity and kindness)
4. Be filled with faith (let the Holy Ghost testify through you. Just
open your mouth)
5. Every member a missionary (stand as a witness of God at all times)
If you find this interesting, you might want to go to www.everyday missionaries.org. It was an immediate ahah moment for me that has given me the courage to "just open (my) mouth"
1. Be a light (why are you so happy?)
2. Be conversational (work the church ito your conversations)
3. Be full of grace (have charity and kindness)
4. Be filled with faith (let the Holy Ghost testify through you. Just
open your mouth)
5. Every member a missionary (stand as a witness of God at all times)
If you find this interesting, you might want to go to www.everyday missionaries.org. It was an immediate ahah moment for me that has given me the courage to "just open (my) mouth"
Irony?
The world has a new Catholic pope. His chosen papal name is Francis I.
The week prior to his election, I found a quote by St Francis of Assisi that I liked enough to enter into my journal. I share it with you:
"PREACH THE GOSPEL AT ALL TIMES AND
IF NECESSARY, USE WORDS."
The week prior to his election, I found a quote by St Francis of Assisi that I liked enough to enter into my journal. I share it with you:
"PREACH THE GOSPEL AT ALL TIMES AND
IF NECESSARY, USE WORDS."
Missing Things
Santiago is beginning to grow on me. I am going to miss it when we go home. I like the dogs and the crowds and the construction and the buses and the traffic and the hole-in-the-wall shops and the caracoles (type of shopping mall) and waiting for an earthquake (temblor)....
I will miss our guards and joking with people and everything all locked behind fences, and church meetings where I dont understand anything being said. I will miss living across the street from the temple, and all the missionaries and church employeees we meet and greet....
I will miss the little Primary and will wonder how Matteo is doing. I will miss shopping at Lider and the feria and walking and bussing to and from them with our little red cart. I will miss people coming up to us and telling us they are Mormons, too, and prove it with a good Mormon handshake, special glow on their faces, and showing us a peek of their garment....
I will miss the bus rides, the bus entertainment, feeding the pigeons at the bus stops, people offering their seats to us, balancing when there are no seats as the driver jerks and throws us off balance. I will miss the simplicity of our life and apartment that locks with two keys and the door knog is in the middle of the door....
I will miss the elevators, especially the one in our apartment building. It cant take more than three people or it will stall between floors and that is claustrophobic, and the mosquitoes that seem to like the elevator...
And I will miss our little red cart on wheels that has gone everywhere with us every day but Sundays...
I will miss our guards and joking with people and everything all locked behind fences, and church meetings where I dont understand anything being said. I will miss living across the street from the temple, and all the missionaries and church employeees we meet and greet....
I will miss the little Primary and will wonder how Matteo is doing. I will miss shopping at Lider and the feria and walking and bussing to and from them with our little red cart. I will miss people coming up to us and telling us they are Mormons, too, and prove it with a good Mormon handshake, special glow on their faces, and showing us a peek of their garment....
I will miss the bus rides, the bus entertainment, feeding the pigeons at the bus stops, people offering their seats to us, balancing when there are no seats as the driver jerks and throws us off balance. I will miss the simplicity of our life and apartment that locks with two keys and the door knog is in the middle of the door....
I will miss the elevators, especially the one in our apartment building. It cant take more than three people or it will stall between floors and that is claustrophobic, and the mosquitoes that seem to like the elevator...
And I will miss our little red cart on wheels that has gone everywhere with us every day but Sundays...
What Is Your Relationship with God?
Again, I was reading an old Deseret News that found its way to my apartment. This one is an article about how our perception of what God is like can affect how we feel about ourselves. There are five perceptions:
1. Authoritative
2. Benevolent
3. Critical
4. Distant
5. No God
What we perceive can influence our mental health. Wanting to know the Loving God that is taught in our Church,I have struggled with numbers 1,3, and 4. I also think one's relationship with God has something to do withthe type of parenting we experienced. (And maybe the type of parenting we do??) This may be something I want to explore further.
In the article, the author says, "traditional therapists have long dismissed religious and spiritual experiences as delusions that dont reflect a person's actual mental state. ...to ignore beliefs is to risk ignoring a possible source of an individual's pain and suffering."
1. Authoritative
2. Benevolent
3. Critical
4. Distant
5. No God
What we perceive can influence our mental health. Wanting to know the Loving God that is taught in our Church,I have struggled with numbers 1,3, and 4. I also think one's relationship with God has something to do withthe type of parenting we experienced. (And maybe the type of parenting we do??) This may be something I want to explore further.
In the article, the author says, "traditional therapists have long dismissed religious and spiritual experiences as delusions that dont reflect a person's actual mental state. ...to ignore beliefs is to risk ignoring a possible source of an individual's pain and suffering."
What Kind of Parent Are YOU?
In the Desert News, December 9, 2012, there is an article on page P3 that I found very interesting. Lois M. Collins writes about 4 parenting cultures that reflect the story of America's families. I would like to quote the descriptions of the four types of parenting. As you read them, decide where you fit and ask yourself if you are happy with your parenting. I found that they overlap and that I seemed to fit into all of them to some degree. I dont think any of them are to be condemned; they undoubtedly will all produce children who make their own choices in life.
The Faithful
"20% of American parents, adhere to "divine and timeless morality" from traditional Christianity, Judaism or Islam to give them a strong sense of right and wrong. They try to preserve moral order, raising "children whose lives reflect God's purpose. They talk often with their kids about faith, have family devotions, attend church and pray before meals. ...A number of the Faithful attitudes line up with stereotypes of conservative Christians, e.g. use spanking, strongly disapprove of gay marriage or sex outside marriage, and the women embrace the role of homemaker. The Faithful want their famlies to be warm and emotionally supportive and think men should put family before their career, just as women should.
Engaged Progressive
"21% fall into this category. Morality centers on personal freedom and responsibility. They see few moral absolutes except the Golden Rule. They value honesty, are skeptical about religion and trust what "feels right," also allowing others moral latitude. They are the least religious.... They are pretty optimistic about today's culture and their children's future, hoping to help them become what the researchers call 'responsible choosers.' Their children get more freedom. By 14, they know about birth control, by 15, they surf the Web without supervision and by 16 they watch R-rated movies. They are politically liberal, support gay marriage, value tolerance and 'believe the playing field of life should be relatively fair and even.'
The Detached
19% fall into this category. Parents let kids be kids. They are skeptical of the 'old certainties' of the Faithful, but are just as skeptical about the views of the Engaged Progressives. They are primarily white with blue-collar jobs, no college degree and lower income. They are less happy in their marriages, not particularly close to their children and think they are 'in a losing battle with all the other influences out there.' They spend less than two hours a day interacting with their kids and when they have dinner as a family, it is often in front of the TV. They dont usually monitor their kids' homework and their kids tend to have lower grades than those of the other parenting cultures. They are pessimistic about the economic future and their children's opportunities and 'seem resigned.' They say they believe in God, but dont attend church and religion in not an important part of their children's lives.
American Dreamers
This makes up 27%. They are optimistic about their kids' opportunities and abilities, and, even with relatively low household income and education they 'pour themselves' into raising their children and giving them material and social advantages. They try to protect their kids from negative social influences and strive for strong moral character. This is the most common family culture among blacks and Hispanics. They are more likely to be women, believe in God and claim religion as important but 'embrace a live-and-let-live morality when it comes to other people.' They voice opinions. Two-thirds of them are married, but they feature more single parents and count more on extended-family support. They are'very close' to their children and hope to be best friends some day. 'Compared to other parents, they are just as likely to offer their children praise and encouragement, but they are more willing to discipline them - by scolding, giving time-outs, threatening spanking, and spanking."
This leaves 13% called other. This is not discussed. Having read these descriptions, I can identify families for each of them, and I find I am less judgemental. We have no right to judge others; we only can make our choices and the judge ourselves. BUT...dont judge yourself too harshly. Every individual who comes to Earth has the divine right to free agency. Let God be the final judge; you will find that He will be less harsh with you than you are with yourself!
The Faithful
"20% of American parents, adhere to "divine and timeless morality" from traditional Christianity, Judaism or Islam to give them a strong sense of right and wrong. They try to preserve moral order, raising "children whose lives reflect God's purpose. They talk often with their kids about faith, have family devotions, attend church and pray before meals. ...A number of the Faithful attitudes line up with stereotypes of conservative Christians, e.g. use spanking, strongly disapprove of gay marriage or sex outside marriage, and the women embrace the role of homemaker. The Faithful want their famlies to be warm and emotionally supportive and think men should put family before their career, just as women should.
Engaged Progressive
"21% fall into this category. Morality centers on personal freedom and responsibility. They see few moral absolutes except the Golden Rule. They value honesty, are skeptical about religion and trust what "feels right," also allowing others moral latitude. They are the least religious.... They are pretty optimistic about today's culture and their children's future, hoping to help them become what the researchers call 'responsible choosers.' Their children get more freedom. By 14, they know about birth control, by 15, they surf the Web without supervision and by 16 they watch R-rated movies. They are politically liberal, support gay marriage, value tolerance and 'believe the playing field of life should be relatively fair and even.'
The Detached
19% fall into this category. Parents let kids be kids. They are skeptical of the 'old certainties' of the Faithful, but are just as skeptical about the views of the Engaged Progressives. They are primarily white with blue-collar jobs, no college degree and lower income. They are less happy in their marriages, not particularly close to their children and think they are 'in a losing battle with all the other influences out there.' They spend less than two hours a day interacting with their kids and when they have dinner as a family, it is often in front of the TV. They dont usually monitor their kids' homework and their kids tend to have lower grades than those of the other parenting cultures. They are pessimistic about the economic future and their children's opportunities and 'seem resigned.' They say they believe in God, but dont attend church and religion in not an important part of their children's lives.
American Dreamers
This makes up 27%. They are optimistic about their kids' opportunities and abilities, and, even with relatively low household income and education they 'pour themselves' into raising their children and giving them material and social advantages. They try to protect their kids from negative social influences and strive for strong moral character. This is the most common family culture among blacks and Hispanics. They are more likely to be women, believe in God and claim religion as important but 'embrace a live-and-let-live morality when it comes to other people.' They voice opinions. Two-thirds of them are married, but they feature more single parents and count more on extended-family support. They are'very close' to their children and hope to be best friends some day. 'Compared to other parents, they are just as likely to offer their children praise and encouragement, but they are more willing to discipline them - by scolding, giving time-outs, threatening spanking, and spanking."
This leaves 13% called other. This is not discussed. Having read these descriptions, I can identify families for each of them, and I find I am less judgemental. We have no right to judge others; we only can make our choices and the judge ourselves. BUT...dont judge yourself too harshly. Every individual who comes to Earth has the divine right to free agency. Let God be the final judge; you will find that He will be less harsh with you than you are with yourself!
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