I started a blog for just my poetry...

http://www.poemesdejacques.blogspot.com/

Guess what I'm listening to right now. None other than Tchaikovsky's thundering and pensive 1st movement to his first piano concerto in Bb minor. I'm at Capernwray and have enjoyed my last week and a half of spring school. There are about 70 new people, and I have really enjoyed getting to know them...a lot of great guys especially. The lectures have been A TON more academically stimulating. My favorite is this series right now on 1 John. Also the guest lecturers this week have been very inspiring...good for me to see their passion for what they believe and their heart for God's saving work in the world. Some other highlights of my time here.
-My good friend wrote a song called "highlight" that I think of every time I (over)use that word.
-I went to the Lake District, Bowness on Lake Windermere (which I just learnt not to spell as it is pronounced). We went rowing in the rain, and then when we should have been drying we went swimming! running and jumping off a peer into the absolutely freezing water. Yes, I did jump out the farthest into the lake, but then I made the quickest B-line (leading the way of course) to the shore. I was able to preserve my dignity by doing a couple butterfly strokes before my arms froze off, so I could emerge from the water in Michael Phelps likeness. We all did, three americans, a brit and a spanish woman, a splashing mess of screaming, high-fiving, roaring, and shivering. Then came this English lady down the beach. She was with her dog, of course...and also typically said something ironic like, "It looks a bit cold." It was a fun day.
-I led a worship team last sunday...and it was really nice. Three of us also did a bit of scripture drama, although we were asked to do it so last minute it wasn't as effective as it could be...but I'd really like to do more in the future.
-My nightly routine of spontaneous theatrical performances (with Faye, an English friend) in the main hallway has continued. it's funny to see the new spring school people's reaction, but they seem to be accepting, and even interested in watching. One funny story...
It was not during the night, when we perform, but rather Faye and I were rehearsing a bit in which she runs and jumps into my arms and I try to lift her. And so, with her a distance away, I shouted, "Faye, come into my arms," and she ran, jumped, was set down, and booked it out of the room. While I was figuring out where she went off to, I noticed that Sue, a very friendly but conservative older lady from Yorkshire on the Bible school staff was shouting my name. When I turned around she said, "What was That!" Embarrassedly, I said, "Oh, we were just doing a bit of acting." She replied, "Next time act out something that doesn't require so much PASSION!" I'm still trying to figure that out...but the funniest of it was that she took time out of her lecture that evening to tell the whole school the story...so people have been wondering what's going down between Faye and I.
-Many of the students are doing a casual Bible study on the book of Ephesians and it has been really interesting and helpful for me.
-I'm doing a drama piece this Saturday for a youth evening at the school, about Jesus' sacrificial love. I'm excited because that theme is so tied into the story of why I believe. Pray that it's effective. I'm playing Jesus. It's a cool little sketch. I'm also excited about the barbecue before, weather permitting. I don't like the phrase "weather permitting."

That's most of what's been going since I've been back. Even though I just started the new term...seven more weeks seems such a small amount of time...and it's actually very daunting to think that I'll be leaving England soon, all my friends here, and going away to university again. But I'll be glad to come home, and see everyone, and am glad to be here at Capernwray. I really enjoy it.

On April 14th we took the Eurostar through the chunnel to London, where we were picked up by my uncle and aunt (who are living in england this year) and taken to Wales to visit some english missionary kid friends. It was on the train that I completed my first poem since my Lenten hiatus...about a modern art museum in Paris. It's a little dramatic...and therefore dark. It'll be nice to get back into practice.

See my heart hung like plaster on a wall:
The life that clung was captured in a room.
For though I see the dead in every tomb,
Still colors glimmer life in every hall.

Laughter had cracked it's margin from the pain,
For springtime now was opening in the trees.
Bright eyes were like the water Monet sees;
I saw my life and saw it all again.

The vamping strokes of pavement soft as two
Who, naked, counter coldly in their arms
Are looks, impressions, where dead love once grew
And curled a town above the streets' alarms.
I saw this life once stoic be made new
As those who rest in peace life's gravest charms.

Wales was really nice. We were in a nice cozy house in Cardiff. We did some fun things like go to a coal mine and I slept long and hard...sometimes necessity is not necessarily exciting. But the best part was when my uncle and I drove into Swansea to go to the Dylan Thomas Center and be in the town he was born. The Dylan Thomas Center was probably the most meaningful museum experience I've ever had...up there with like the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. It was so good to see that other people revere him as much as I. In fact, the museum has all the elements that I would put in a Dylan Thomas museum: a huge mural with all sorts of pictures of him and his quotes that biographers love...thorough detail of his life..including some of the controversial or scandalous aspects...projections of his poems on the walls, clippings from reviews in which literary critics debate the merits of his genious...recordings of him reading his famous poems (although "the force that through the green fuse drives the flower" was sadly excluded, along with the "alterwise by owl-light" sonnet sequence...to make way for sentimental poems like *cough cough "do not go gentle into that good night")...and some actors in the original cast of under milkwood talking about their experience under his direction. I LOVED IT!
Last was a good day with my uncle, aunt, and cousin in Bristol visiting missionaries (what else would we do?). But I really enjoyed it...they all were genuinely interested in getting to know me, and I learned a lot about them and, even though we were in England, more of what it's like to live day by day as a missionary. I especially liked a moment of powerful prayer after dinner one night when we prayed for eachother and our futures. It was a good way to go out of my travels and back to Capernwray--with a renewed sense of God's blessing, presence, and the power of relationship with him.

France: Okay, so Denmark is very difficult to get out of. It takes a whole day..even to get to somewhere like Hamburg..not plausible. So in a moment of furious travel planning before my trip began, my cousin and I bought some crazy last minute cheap ryanair flight tickets that didn't altogether make sense, but did get us out of denmark and into france. I would like not to go into embarrassing detail. It should suffice to say, for those of us who are myers-briggs inclined, that both my cousin and I are intuitive-feelers..and I am a P. But I will tell you that I saw the fourth epic sunrise of my life. The first was just before the grapevine before I had a great time at Magic Mountain while in Jr. High. The second was the sun rising over the Red Sea on my way to Djibouti in 2006. The third was a gift from God on my sad last day at Catalina last summer. My fourth, back to my travels, was watching the sun rise over the Alps. It was just amazing seeing all the peaks quietly open up with specks of pink. beautiful. but, as I've said before, I gave up writing poems for Lent, and this was only the 7th of March. I probably wouldn't have written though, a photograph would better express the significance of the sight for me.
But we made it in France...and through more ordeal...Lyon: our destination. Now this was well-funky. Bethany had like 6 friends in Lyon from a French camp she worked at, and although I could tell that they were very fun, and great friends for spending their Easter vacation with her, showing her and her cousin Jacques all around etc. etc....the thing was they all spoke French, and very quickly. I could speak, many important things even did I have to communicate (like pass the sugar, where are the toilets?, what did the cops want?..yes that's part of a true story) but I had no clue what was going on the rest of the week. I also got a little sick and was bed-ridden one day. However, I did have a good chat, in French even, with a nice middle-aged man who was kind enough to realize that French wasn't my first language and spoke slowly.
So...I got better and we went to Ville Franche, the most beautiful place I've either ever been or remember to have been. The way I describe it is it looks like pictures of Tuscany I've seen in travel brochures...kinda. It even reminded me of California a bit. Here's what it was all about: broad, lilting hills, budding trees, yellow castles, middle ages churches, and sweeping dormant vinyards, cast in perfect golden sunshine and crisp spring air. We stayed with a missionary friend of Bethany's, and what revived my spirits even more was the fact that she spoke French the way I like: understandable. I wonder if it was weird for Bethany that I suddenly knew what was going on again. Hehe. Jack's back. This missionary was crazy! She took us immediately to a high ropes course off in the hills. So I got acquainted to much of the countryside upside down...or jumping from log to floating log in the shaking trees. We also did a lot of French things though...like eating cheese and hiking (that's when my camera bit it and didn't recover) and riding TGV's. We met a delightful West Virginian family on the way to Paris. The mom was in many ways like my mom. Like she gave us travel information and emergency phone numbers to call if you're a student traveling alone. And then we were in Paris.
Paris was my favorite city of my trip, but I never say it because it's a bit of a cliche. The highlight was seeing my sister, Catherine! for Easter. We went to evening mass at the notre dame cathedral and went out to dinner. It was so nice to see immediate family on Easter, and we had a good time together. I also enjoyed staying in montmartre (..."but ah paris!) and the last day where we just slept and ate the whole afternoon in the park under the Eiffel Tower, walking around a bit, but only to find bigger patches of sunny grass on the other side. I also had a delightful croque monsieur that evening, when the eiffel tower was all tripping with it's lights. It was a good way to leave continental europe in my mind.

(continued...)
After Amsterdam, Bethany and I took a series of long trains to get to Copenhagen. I've learned that Denmark is impossible to reach by rail. (Mark 10:27) But we made it and were greeted at the Copenhagen H station by Elizabeth, another friend from Capernwray. She showed us around the city. I thought it was great. From our hostel we had an excellent view of some of the downtown. We had a cool time. We took a cool canal tour. I was NOT impressed by the little mermaid statue, but it was interesting to see it and hear all the things that have happened to her, especially her head, over the years. It was a bright, sunny day, continuing the good weather I had for nearly every day of the whole month. **am I in California? I really enjoyed going to Christiania...the free city situated in a beautiful part of copenhagen. The best way I can think to describe it would be like a huge people's park, a little more classy, and filled with Danes. I have to say Danish hippies impress me more than their Berkeley counterparts. I had a good cup of coffee and a traditional danish ice cream bar (no weed, although I almost bought a cookie before I started thinking what might be in it), and we walked along the river and looked at all the cool houses, bikes, and artwork.
After a couple days in Copenhagen, Bethany and I went to a village in the hills outside of Aarhus, where we stayed with the family of Jan, a danish exchange student who lived with my dad's family in the 70s. This was one of the best, unexpected parts of my trip, because I learned so much from this danish family about my family, especially about my late grandparents. It really felt like I was with family. I hope to see them all again. I really liked the kids...one was a lot like my brother Daniel. We had amazing danish pastries...mouth-melting carbohydrate-crispy sugar spirals! BRILLIANT! We also went to the (ersatz) highest point in denmark..."sky-high mountain"...this little hill...(like the parking lot was only 100 yards from the summit. but it was beautiful.
After Aarhus, we joined Elizabeth again to go really far up north where I can't pronounce the names, so I don't know where it was (I also couldn't pronounce the Danish names when we were in the South). We had a blast...beaches and sand dunes...biking through the forest and more beaches...cool danish church on sunday and the best ice cream I've had in a long time. I'd really like to learn Danish and go back often...stopping in Germany, of course, on the way.

(continued)...
After Ansbach in Franconia, I went further south in Bavaria to Munich. I have a friend from Capernwray who lives there, and two other women from Capernwray were visiting her. So it was the four of us for a couple days near the end of March. I remember Elizabeth (my munich friend) showing us all a ton of churches the first day I got there, probably because I expressed some interest, but my interest in old european churches (as well as any european museums) has dwindled away over the month. However, there was a very disturbing church of note. What happens when one is German and survives a frightening ship wreck and sees many die, and, wishing to thank God for his rescue using his architecture design skills, builds a house of God? A dark spirally church, with spiky gilded doors, black boat frescoes and lots of skulls, some with swords stabbing creepy looking angels. But it was interesting to think about what it would be like to go to some of the nicer looking churches. I think that would be really cool. That day playing Deutsch monopoly (which is very different, although I couldn't resist saying things like GIVE ME NEW YORK...FREE PARKING! the whole time. by the by, i won...having taken possession of my dad's favorite, the green ones). After that we went to an excellent restaurant where I had more sauerkraut and pork schnitzel. It was great to see more Capernwray friends and we stayed there a long time talking and sharing really good desert. It was the best when this clear American showed up and said, "I hear you talkin' English..Where're y'all frooommm?" And I was so excited I answered, "WE'RE FROM AMERICA!!" but then looked around the table at my friends who were: English, Canadian, and German (the start of a joke maybe) and after some recalculation added, "Actually, just me, but it's SOO great to see another American in this country." For as much as I like Germans and Bavaria, I do feel pretty homesick these days. There is nothing like northern california...more on that later.
I stayed at a German couples' house who spoke little English. The last night they dressed me up in Bavarian clothes, took pictures of me, and invited me back for Octoberfest...I'd love to go, just don't know when the next time I'll be free to go to Germany in September. I also went to Salzburg, Austria for a day, but it was a cold, rainy Sunday and very uneventful. my favorite part was the famous horse statue closed off with a giant box around it. I think their rebuilding it. typical. However, I ate the most gorgeous apple streudel and got a good picture of me eating a mozart ball chocolate in mozartplaße in front of his statue.

Amsterdam: I spent two days in Amsterdam before heading up to Denmark. Mixed feelings. It was a beautiful city, with canals and cool architecture (i knew nothing about amsterdam before). However, the city was also very gross. My dutch friends at capernwray laugh at me when i tell them i didn't know my hostel would be in the red light district...that was weird. I met up with my cousin Bethany the second day, but for the first night it was a bit weird walking to and from my hostel, being beckoned by ethereal dutch ladies from storefront windows in the gathering shadows...luckily food was the only thing I indulged in (and not food from "coffee shops") We did one of the new europe free tours the second day...not as good as the one we did in Scotland earlier this year...for the same reason. There is a lot of good history to amsterdam i'm sure, beyond "look at the smallest house in the city, "here's the biggest bridge" and "this cafe has the BEST cannibus." I did take a really informative canal tour the first night...with all the bridges nicely lit and some cool history. By far the best part of my time in Amsterdam was the Van Gogh museum. (this was when I still liked museums.) I just really enjoyed what i saw of his work and it was cool to hear his story. I'd like to learn more about him.

Hi...I think I can begin talking about my travels this last month...don't know how long it will take me, but i'll get there. (I'll keep posting as I go)
To begin...at the beginning (or the end if you catch my under milkwood allusion *See Wales)

Germany: My favorite country. I know i've talked a bit about Berlin. It was great going around with three good friends from Capernwray and one's little brother. Berlin was an awesome city. Very clean and diverse--by atmosphere, ethnically (i.e. the bomb food like doners which we ate every day), varied history etc. I don't remember the name, but there was a really cool, giant church near Alex the radio tower featured in the 2nd Bourne movie. It had some cool statues (well, A LOT--it's Germany). my favorite was the reformers circling the pews, even upstaging the 12 apostles a bit. CALVIN, LUTHER, ZWINGLI all serious, holding books and stuff, and then there was this one i've never heard of smiling at the congregation. very funny. that's how i want to be portrayed when i'm a reformer. this church had a cool dome and we could walk around it outside, seeing the whole city by day. Later in the week we did the same thing in the Reichstag dome at night, seeing everything we'd seen the last four days. It was excellent.
After Berlin we went to a small village outside of Ansbach in Bavaria (actually it was Franconia if your eager to catch me in a historically charged technicality). That was great. It was where my German friend Phil lives, in a huge farm house with his family and other jolly German borders. We ATE so well. all sorts of schnitzels and sauerkraut glowing golden, beckoning me to partake. Some highlights were eating with an old german lady phil knew who spoke english well enough to call me "Jack the Ripper" and talk about poetry and elementary school teaching in Boston. (I would love to live in Boston, even just to be able to ride subways...i love subways.)
We also went to Dachao, one of the first concentration camps, and longest lasting. I was very impressed and moved by the holocaust memorial in berlin, and it was good to go deeper and learn more. I also enjoyed, well, loved the youth group at a local church i went too. Only Germans would spend three hours pouring over scripture, discussing the holy spirit, and then stay till 1:30 in the morning to laugh and hang out together. I met my long lost relatives the Thiel sisters...(one was named Katherin Thiel...which is my sister's name) they pronounce it Teel. I would really like to go back to Franconia and see them and Phil again. It was sad to leave, but I would not trade my time there for anything (in addition to doing a lot more cliche things that sound travel booky and such)....more on the rest of germany following...