...and even in NYC, it is beautiful!!
Being in the city, and passing through busy areas, I never imagined the fall colors would be as beautiful as they are! When I get off the train every day in Brooklyn, and begin my walk to school, I pass a park on my right, along with trees down my particular sidewalk, and thank God for the beauty around!! It definitely makes me feel at home with all the trees surrounding. :).
The past few weeks have definitely been exciting, to say the least. Since last writing, I have planned a special mass for the bishop of Brooklyn to attend, a prayer service for our seniors, led 2 seniors retreats, volunteered with the students at our first service project, and attended a teacher conference!!
To begin, bishop's mass: at the beginning of the school year, my boss and I found out the bishop was coming to school. Needless to say, it was a big deal, and the first month of school was dedicated to creating the special mass. All in all, it went very well, and the students' behavior far exceeded my expectation. We also had a special assembly for the juniors/seniors, as well then another special group of 30 young men who met with the bishop to talk about vocations. Completing that mass and assembly lifted a huge weight off the shoulders of our office, and allowed us to continue planning for the year.
Next on the list was a prayer service: every year, it is a tradition for the seniors to receive a special "Senior Pin." With this pin comes a short assembly and prayer service, and you guessed it, Campus Ministry helped to plan it. Being in the same week as the Bishop's Mass, it came down to crunch time for planning this prayer service, but we heard nothing but positive feedback from all the faculty/staff/administration, plus students how nice the service was; definitely a spirit booster!! As a faculty member, I also received a pin from the seniors, saying "thank you for being here!" (or something along those lines).
After the prayer service comes Senior Retreats: as part of Campus Ministry, like I've mentioned before, we are responsible for planning the numerous day retreats for all our grade levels. We are beginning the year with our Senior class (Class of 2012). The theme revolves around looking towards the future, and all that comes with it. It is definitely at emotional, but the students have been receptive to the activities, without causing too many problems. My favorite part of the retreat is at the end of the day when we watch a movie; not because I enjoy not having to talk with students, but because the movie is awesome. We watch Pay It Forward. Though I have now seen the movie probably about 7-8 times, I still get choked up and shed a tear at the end. The theme, the characters, the whole movie is awesome, and definitely a recommendation towards anyone who has not seen it.
Second to last, service projects are very important to Loughlinites. For our first service project, we volunteered across the street at Queen of All Saints Health Fair. Our students helped set-up the health fair booths, and then got to spend the day walking around, scrounging up all the free stuff they could find. A quick math break; 12 high school students + a bunch of free stuff = lots of empty tables once the high school kids pass through. Lol. At the end of the day, the students were awesome, the church staff was appreciative, and I went home to relax and nap! :)
Lastly, I got to attend my first teacher conference; Brother Luke Salm, FSC Religious Education Workshop. The 2 day workshop brought together campus ministers and theology teachers from mainly the East Coast district, but also some others from across the country. A time to begin networking, as well as learn some valuable information for the coming service year, as well as years down the road for when I become a real "big boy" with my job! :).
It has definitely been busy with school and such, but I seriously would not ask for anything else. I love it!!
I wish I had an update for you on the girl who I helped with her homework, and the result of her quiz in class; she has not come back to find me yet and report, so I now begin the outreach towards her, to let her know that I do really care about how she is doing.
Also, an update on my fundraising...I REACHED MY GOAL AND AM STILL GOING!! There are just under three weeks left until I run in my half-marathon, so definitely time to still donate towards the awesome cause!! Any bit counts towards the larger goal of $52,000!! Thanks to all who helped support so far!! Check it out here!!
Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.
October 10, 2011
September 25, 2011
Let's Review...
...the past three weeks, because they have been such a blur!
I know in my last post I had commented about how I was hoping to update more regularly once school started, because I thought I was going to have more time, etc. For all of you laughing right now, you win! The last three weeks have been amazing, and have thrown me right into the school atmosphere of working with students, but man am I exhausted when 3:30/4 o'clock hits, and I begin my walk home.
Week 1: This week was basically focused around Orientation for the new students at Bishop Loughlin, and me too! My theater degree definitely came in handy when telling the students about where to go in school, and saying it with confidence. Its not to say that I lied to the students, but more, if I was unsure, it sounded better if I said it with confidence, and then told them who to ask next if I was wrong! :). Also during this week, I was introduced to my family, inside my particular house. I have been mentioning this House System for the past few weeks, and can explain it a little more now too: our school is set-up like Hogwarts from Harry Potter. We have 8 separate houses that represent 8 important people in the history of the high school or Lasallian world. My particular house is Cordero, named after San Miguel Cordero, the saint whom the San Miguel schools are named after! I have a group of 24 students who I meet with every Wednesday morning for a half-hour, doing different activities that revolve around of theme for the year - building a community of leaders! At the end of the weekend, it was Sept. 11, it was a very different (in a way) feeling being in NYC for the 10th Anniversary. As part of the community, we watched the beautifully done name reading and dedication of the memorial, and then went about our day. To think I am living so close to where the attacks happened truly put it into perspective, and made me do a little extra reflecting that day.
Week 2: FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!! As any student is on their first day of classes, I got the same feeling. I awoke with plenty of time to shower, pick out the shirt and tie I would look spiffy in, and then headed downstairs for morning prayer, breakfast with the roomies, and packing of lunches, before having to be out the door by 6:20-25 am. The students and faculty were so warm and inviting that I couldn't help but love going into work every day, and doing the ministry that I do! As if the first week wasn't exhausting enough, I spent the weekend on retreat with a group of 15 student leaders from our Campus Ministry/Lasallian Youth Group, planning out the different events they wanted to do for the year! Though definitely exhausting, it was a great opportunity to get to know my students, and they get to know me. I felt much more confident going into school the next week, knowing many more students names, and saying "hi" to them in the hallway.
Week 3: As was the anticipation for the first day/week of school, it quickly wore off, and I slipped into waking up with just enough time to shower and get dressed before rushing downstairs in time for prayer, rushing the lunch, and grabbing breakfast for the walk to the train! Its amazing how much can change in just a week! This morning-rush aside, it was yet another successful week at school, building and developing relationships with the students! No matter how tired I may be from the train ride, or not enough sleep the night before, I find energy from the group of students who are waiting outside my office every morning. To already have a group of students who are "regulars" is awesome! Lunch time is definitely my favorite time of the day (and its not just because I get to eat my awesome lunch), but, like myself in high school, the students come into our office, and eat and gossip all period long! Its amazing how much you can learn about the latest happenings of BLMHS during the short lunch period with a group of Juniors of Seniors.
One particular story that stuck out to me this week, happened after school, when a group of students were working on their homework in our office, and the motivation and energy was flowing, I didn't want to kill it, though I was ready to go home! For these students to not have to bring home homework is the best thing ever! One girl asked me if I liked math, telling her it depended on the subject, and she informed me it was geometry; my response was, "To be honest, I hate it, but I would love to sit down with you, and we can try to work on it together!" Her face lit up, like no one had ever said something like that to her before. So, we began to work on the homework, and it was more basic algebra than geometry, and that I was good at. The first few problems I was speaking out most of the steps, and she would just write them down, but she slowly became comfortable with the procedure and wanted to work them out on her own. Following the examples I had written, she began to understand, and I could see her face begin to lighten up! After completing the assignment, and getting all of the answers right (from what I could tell), she informed me she had a quiz the next day, and with that I made her do a few more problems to make sure she really understood it. Getting those equations right as well, she proceeded to give me a huge hug, and tell me she thinks she might actually pass her first math test or quiz since being in high school. I encouraged her she would get more than just the 65% she was expecting, and land among the 90-100% range. To see the excitement in her face was indescribable! I wait in anticipation to see the grade she got on her quiz!!
Also, as a more humorous section, I would like to provide you with some experiences I have had in these first few weeks:
I know in my last post I had commented about how I was hoping to update more regularly once school started, because I thought I was going to have more time, etc. For all of you laughing right now, you win! The last three weeks have been amazing, and have thrown me right into the school atmosphere of working with students, but man am I exhausted when 3:30/4 o'clock hits, and I begin my walk home.
Week 1: This week was basically focused around Orientation for the new students at Bishop Loughlin, and me too! My theater degree definitely came in handy when telling the students about where to go in school, and saying it with confidence. Its not to say that I lied to the students, but more, if I was unsure, it sounded better if I said it with confidence, and then told them who to ask next if I was wrong! :). Also during this week, I was introduced to my family, inside my particular house. I have been mentioning this House System for the past few weeks, and can explain it a little more now too: our school is set-up like Hogwarts from Harry Potter. We have 8 separate houses that represent 8 important people in the history of the high school or Lasallian world. My particular house is Cordero, named after San Miguel Cordero, the saint whom the San Miguel schools are named after! I have a group of 24 students who I meet with every Wednesday morning for a half-hour, doing different activities that revolve around of theme for the year - building a community of leaders! At the end of the weekend, it was Sept. 11, it was a very different (in a way) feeling being in NYC for the 10th Anniversary. As part of the community, we watched the beautifully done name reading and dedication of the memorial, and then went about our day. To think I am living so close to where the attacks happened truly put it into perspective, and made me do a little extra reflecting that day.
Week 2: FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!! As any student is on their first day of classes, I got the same feeling. I awoke with plenty of time to shower, pick out the shirt and tie I would look spiffy in, and then headed downstairs for morning prayer, breakfast with the roomies, and packing of lunches, before having to be out the door by 6:20-25 am. The students and faculty were so warm and inviting that I couldn't help but love going into work every day, and doing the ministry that I do! As if the first week wasn't exhausting enough, I spent the weekend on retreat with a group of 15 student leaders from our Campus Ministry/Lasallian Youth Group, planning out the different events they wanted to do for the year! Though definitely exhausting, it was a great opportunity to get to know my students, and they get to know me. I felt much more confident going into school the next week, knowing many more students names, and saying "hi" to them in the hallway.
Week 3: As was the anticipation for the first day/week of school, it quickly wore off, and I slipped into waking up with just enough time to shower and get dressed before rushing downstairs in time for prayer, rushing the lunch, and grabbing breakfast for the walk to the train! Its amazing how much can change in just a week! This morning-rush aside, it was yet another successful week at school, building and developing relationships with the students! No matter how tired I may be from the train ride, or not enough sleep the night before, I find energy from the group of students who are waiting outside my office every morning. To already have a group of students who are "regulars" is awesome! Lunch time is definitely my favorite time of the day (and its not just because I get to eat my awesome lunch), but, like myself in high school, the students come into our office, and eat and gossip all period long! Its amazing how much you can learn about the latest happenings of BLMHS during the short lunch period with a group of Juniors of Seniors.
One particular story that stuck out to me this week, happened after school, when a group of students were working on their homework in our office, and the motivation and energy was flowing, I didn't want to kill it, though I was ready to go home! For these students to not have to bring home homework is the best thing ever! One girl asked me if I liked math, telling her it depended on the subject, and she informed me it was geometry; my response was, "To be honest, I hate it, but I would love to sit down with you, and we can try to work on it together!" Her face lit up, like no one had ever said something like that to her before. So, we began to work on the homework, and it was more basic algebra than geometry, and that I was good at. The first few problems I was speaking out most of the steps, and she would just write them down, but she slowly became comfortable with the procedure and wanted to work them out on her own. Following the examples I had written, she began to understand, and I could see her face begin to lighten up! After completing the assignment, and getting all of the answers right (from what I could tell), she informed me she had a quiz the next day, and with that I made her do a few more problems to make sure she really understood it. Getting those equations right as well, she proceeded to give me a huge hug, and tell me she thinks she might actually pass her first math test or quiz since being in high school. I encouraged her she would get more than just the 65% she was expecting, and land among the 90-100% range. To see the excitement in her face was indescribable! I wait in anticipation to see the grade she got on her quiz!!
Also, as a more humorous section, I would like to provide you with some experiences I have had in these first few weeks:
- I was talking with my Cordero family about how I am training for a run, and I think running is the most pointless physical activity ever. A student then proceeds to tell me that he really enjoys running, and from the other side of the room, I hear one of my students say loudly, "Maybe you can bring the sumo wrestler out with you, and teach him your tricks!" Being that I crack jokes myself about me running, I couldn't help but think this student was inside my brain, making the joke for me.
- If anyone has had best luck on their first day of school, it can't beat the luck I had: I grab an apple for the walk to the train, but find when eating, there is a bug crawling through my apple. My roommates asked if there was a hole on the outside of the apple, and I proceeded to tell them, "Yes, but I just ate it."And then, I continued to eat my apple, but on the walk to the train, I dropped my apple on the sidewalk before really being able to finish it. And then, once at the train station, I swiped my card, not listening for the noise to say it cleared, rather running right into the turn style, causing pain to areas that need not be mentioned. And then, the train arrives, but it has no air conditioning, thus feeling like a sauna. And then, I transfer trains at my stop, and the next train doesn't have air conditioning. AND THEN, on my way home from work, I stepped in the biggest piece of gum, my foot slipped out its shoe. With my luck that day, I should've entered the lottery. :/.
- Falling asleep on the train after work is never a fun experience. During my second week of school, I feel asleep 4 out of 5 days home. I knew that I fell asleep because every time I woke up, there was always new group of people sitting around me, from the time when I first got on the train. Needless to say, there are probably pictures of me floating around the internet, sleeping on train, sprawled out, catching flies with my mouth open. Ha.
Update on the Monster Dash Fundraising: I am almost at my goal of $1,000, but I don't want to stop there! Thanks so much to all those who have sponsored me thus far, and thanks to all those still hoping to donate! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
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Look how official I am in the Main Office of BLMHS!! :) |
Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.
September 6, 2011
"Hurricane Irene" + Labor Day Weekend...
...equals my last week of freedom before work starts!
As I mentioned in the last post, Hurricane Irene was making her way towards the Tri-State area, thus leaving us here in the NYC Metro area to a panic. The city went crazy about trying to get everything prepared to weather the storm, and survive. Here at Bedford Park, we took necessary precautions towards getting all of the important food items in the house; milk, bread, eggs, and beer! The last three seem to be no problem, but it seemed with the first one, milk, every time someone would leave the house, they would return with a gallon of milk. Let's take a quick math break: 7 gallons of milk + 1 predicted hurricane + 1 possibility of power outage = 1 big problem. As a community, we made it our responsibility to drink as much of that milk before the storm hit, so as to not have spoiled milk, in case of a power outage. Luckily, Irene didn't stay long in our neighborhood, if at all. We had a light sprinkling of rain one night, waking up to a small bit of wind the following morning. Being that the hurricane was amped up to be so much stronger, I would say it was somewhat of a letdown! :/.
With that excitement aside, I had to figure out what I was going to do with my last week of freedom before all the fun of work began up, and my sense of a social life dwindled away. On Monday morning, Kenny, Stephanie and I set out for the Ground Zero area again, as well as making a stop to visit Battery Park. While walking around Battery Park, Kenny and Stephanie suggested we take the Staten Island Ferry, and seeing that none of us had actually used this fun mode of transportation, we made our way towards the loading station. The large boat is used primarily by tourists, but its true purpose is to transport residents from Manhattan to Staten Island, and vice versa. Along our beautifully short boat ride, we were able to pass a very well-known monument...
...LADY LIBERTY! Seeing this gorgeous babe will be receiving cosmetic surgery next month, I wanted to be sure to see her before that all happened. Hoping the surgery goes well for her, I am hoping in my coming years of service to go inside the statue, and climb to the top! :).
As I mentioned in the last post, Hurricane Irene was making her way towards the Tri-State area, thus leaving us here in the NYC Metro area to a panic. The city went crazy about trying to get everything prepared to weather the storm, and survive. Here at Bedford Park, we took necessary precautions towards getting all of the important food items in the house; milk, bread, eggs, and beer! The last three seem to be no problem, but it seemed with the first one, milk, every time someone would leave the house, they would return with a gallon of milk. Let's take a quick math break: 7 gallons of milk + 1 predicted hurricane + 1 possibility of power outage = 1 big problem. As a community, we made it our responsibility to drink as much of that milk before the storm hit, so as to not have spoiled milk, in case of a power outage. Luckily, Irene didn't stay long in our neighborhood, if at all. We had a light sprinkling of rain one night, waking up to a small bit of wind the following morning. Being that the hurricane was amped up to be so much stronger, I would say it was somewhat of a letdown! :/.
With that excitement aside, I had to figure out what I was going to do with my last week of freedom before all the fun of work began up, and my sense of a social life dwindled away. On Monday morning, Kenny, Stephanie and I set out for the Ground Zero area again, as well as making a stop to visit Battery Park. While walking around Battery Park, Kenny and Stephanie suggested we take the Staten Island Ferry, and seeing that none of us had actually used this fun mode of transportation, we made our way towards the loading station. The large boat is used primarily by tourists, but its true purpose is to transport residents from Manhattan to Staten Island, and vice versa. Along our beautifully short boat ride, we were able to pass a very well-known monument...
...LADY LIBERTY! Seeing this gorgeous babe will be receiving cosmetic surgery next month, I wanted to be sure to see her before that all happened. Hoping the surgery goes well for her, I am hoping in my coming years of service to go inside the statue, and climb to the top! :).
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Irony?! This is where I was standing when I was traveling across the water onto Staten Island! |
After taking the ferry back to Manhattan, we began a day of historical sight-seeing (my mother was very proud!) It began at Fraunces Tavern, the sight where George Washington said goodbye to his troops. After walking around the museum, and seeing it was close to lunch time, the three of us decided to stop by the bar, and enjoy a brewski with George Washington, as well as share in a small "mini" meal (all the names of the dishes for lunch began with the word MINI). After lunch, Kenny and I parted ways with Stephanie, and continued to explore the lower part of Manhattan, seeing parts of Wall Street Stock Exchange, JP Morgan Chase's original house, Trinity Church, as well as making a stop again at St. Paul's Chapel, across the street from Ground Zero.
After revisiting some of the already seen sites, the "find historical buildings as you go" walking tour brought us into China Town, leading us to Five Points (the location/neighborhood from Gangs of New York), completing out our day at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum! The museum allowed for Kenny and I to go back in time, and understand what it was like for families to live the way did during the times of immigration, and segregation of the mid-1800's in New York City! After having such an awesome tour guide, we decided to become members so as to be able to enjoy the other awesome stories and visits provided through the museum!
Being that this day of sight-seeing was very exhausting, I took the next 2 days to relax before having to head into work, and finally be able to begin my year of service! My first official day of work was Sept. 1! The day began quite nice, making it into the neighborhood early, allowing for the chance to find a local coffee shop, with awesome bagels! :). Being the first day, as with an educational field-ish, it was a basic overview of the school year, and what to expect from my job. I was also able to meet some of the students who were considered leaders of the school through Campus Ministry and Student Council! Though it was only a short, 5 hour day, I came home exhausted, wondering what a full-length school day might be like!
Seeing that school was closed the next day for holiday weekend, the community and I traveled to the A-Frame house, about an hour north-ish of Albany, to meet up with the other LV's who are serving along the East Coast (minus the Rhode Island girls who were not able to attend). It was a weekend of relaxation, kayaking, swimming, and different yard games! Kenny, being the awesome outdoorsy man that he is, convinced me to go out on the Hudson River with him and try kayaking. I had sat in a kayak before and maybe completed 2 swift motions with the paddles, before feeling that I was not able to do it. This time was different, and Kenny was convinced that I was able to make it upstream to go and see the beautiful waterfalls! The first minute seemed to look promising, until my kayak began to fight back, and not want to cooperate (notice how I put the blame on the inanimate object versus myself, knowing that I am far more competent than it). In the end, my kayak was not working with me, specifically not wanting to turn left, thus resulting in naming him Zoolander! Ha.
Besides Zoolander and I not being able to agree, the weekend was very enjoyable, and provided for a nice ending celebration before the commotion of the school year kicks in!
Today, Tuesday, felt to me as my first official day going to work, and serving the Loughlin community!
Being on the other side of the education table, it felt kind of surreal to be a part of the important, motivational teacher meetings, providing encouragement for the coming school year, and with our students! To think I was tired on Thursday, after a short 5 hour day, seemed to be an understatement, after coming closer to a typical work day! The feeling was sheer exhaustion when I left work, and to add onto it, the rain outside made me feeling like Eeyore walking to my Subway station (which in the rain, seemed forever and a day away!)
Looking back on the last week and a half, it has been enjoyable and rewarding, and has provided a sense of reflection going into the new school year! I will forever cherish the awesome sights I was able to see, and the memories I was able to share with my housemates! I know that as the year goes on, the draining nature of the job will ware off, and my social life will come back into existence. For now though, it is beginning it hibernation early!
Lastly, I wanted to remind everyone about the LV Races; LV's Running Scared Monster Dash 2011! Just 52 days before I embark on 13.1 mile journey, I never dreamt of doing! Don't forget the incentive of a personalized, autographed photo with every donation received. More incentives/prizes to come!
Wanting to send a special thanks to all of my family and friends who have been praying for me, as well, as creating a strong support system! Without you, I would not be enjoying myself as much as I am so early in this year of service! I love you all! :).
One last last thing before signing out: for all of you Lewis folk who remember Bartholomew Josiah from last year, I believe this comic, found in the New York Daily Post last week, sums up our relationship for the 20 days we were together...
Sorry this turned into such a long post, I promise to make the coming month's ones shorter!
Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.
August 25, 2011
"Operation Paint My Room" and Natural Disasters...
...has consumed my life for the past week!! :).
Let's start with the fun that was had last weekend, on a mini vacation; Narragansett, Rhode Island! Bro. Ed was on a retreat out in that area, and invited us to come along, and stay with the Brothers for the weekend, and while they were in retreat, we could go hang out at the beach...
...and we did! The beach was beautiful, and the weather was spectacular! Only complaint is cold water, but that's the ocean so there's not much I can do about that, right?!
While in Rhode Island with community, we called up the girls who were volunteering IN RI, and met up with them, sharing stories of the first few weeks of service. Needless to say, it was an enjoyable weekend, and much needed relaxation from all the hard-work I've been doing at school (sarcasm... :/ )
It was then back to the community, where I presented to Bro. Ed the idea of painting my room. When I first suggested this, it sounded like a brilliant plan, and was all excited to no longer be staying in the back, attic room, with all white walls. I looked at the inventory in the basement, of what we had, and compiled a group of paint cans of what I thought would work. The final color choices (as described through my eyes) are: salmon-y orange-ish, and battleship grey-ish blue.
Salmon-y Orange-ish, and final posters hung on the wall... |
Battleship Grey-ish Blue, and more wall hanging goodness... |
Aside from painting my room, my week up until tonight, was somewhat dull unless we talk about natural disasters hitting the East Coast!
- Earthquake: while Kenny and I played stay-at-home volunteers (kind of like stay-at-home mom's) and baked cookies all afternoon, an earthquake shook parts of NYC and beyond. I personally, did not feel any of the shakes or after shocks, but saw it explore all over facebook, and became curious. The best part of this whole earthquake drama was reading the papers the following day, and seeing all the panic on people's face! The best story: an 18 year old bride rushed out of City Hall on the Lower East Side, waiting to get married, because her soon-to-be husband wasn't answering her calls, and the phone was "dead". It came to be discussed later, that the bride knew her fiance´ was on the local subway train headed to City Hall, but its all she could think to do when she felt the shaking. Society is falling apart right in front of my eyes out here...
- Hurricane Irene: big talk has been flying about the upcoming Hurricane Irene, set to hit the East Coast/Tri-State Area within the next day or two...people are going nuts out here! Evacuations have been planned, and stores are being bought out of all the products people are told to get. Yes, I am glad people are stocking up and playing it safe, but if you listen to the news, we are at a now Category 1, which results in heavy rains (8-10") and mighty winds (60-80 mph). If you ask me, that sounds like a great activity for a Saturday afternoon; document the storm as it passes by (be sure to stay tuned to find out my discoveries...). All in all, I will be safe in the storm in our awesome house, on top of a hill, documenting every moment! :)
Turning the tables completely, I want to send a reminder about the LV Races 2011, which will be taking place Oct. 29, 2011 in the Twin Cities! :). As a dedicated rookie runner, and the support of my housemate Kenny, at this present time, I will be running the half-marathon (yes, fat kid running is enough entertainment to last a lifetime...). I appreciate all forms of prayer and support as I continue on the path to success. Currently, there are 62 days until the race, and Kenny and I are feeling good about completing training properly, as well as beasting the half-marathon! If looking for the site to sponsor me, follow here! As an incentive to donate, with every donation I receive, I will be sure to send you a personalized, autographed photo of myself at the completion of the race, IN FULL COSTUME, proving that I completed the race, and loved all the support you provided for me! :)
To turn the tables one last time, today began the beginning of a long journey towards breaking one of my fears: bicycles! After learning I didn't know how to bike because of fear I had, Kenny made it his responsibility to teach me how to ride, seeing as he just finished being awesome and biking a quarter of the country! After the many attempts on the sidewalk outside our house, there was one successful, full rotation of the pedals before I freaked out, squeezed the brakes, and threw my feet down. It is a nice thought knowing I enjoy people watching, but really it is now the neighborhood who is watching me make a fool of myself. I am determined to master this skill before Kenny's second year of service ends, no matter how foolish I look!
Christopher Hueg
Lasallian Community
2850 Marion Ave
Bronx, NY 10458
Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.
August 19, 2011
Everyone needs a little R & R!!
This last week provided for a bit of relaxation and less running around than what has been happening the past 2 weeks. I did, however, still get out and tour around parts of the city I hadn't seen yet! :).
Sunday, after the LV Riders arrived, a delicious meal was shared, and we decided to watch a movie as an extended community. The choice: 500 Days of Summer. For those that have seen it, you can testify to how awesome the movie is. For those that haven't, I suggest renting it, and enjoying.
I have 2 favorite parts to that movie:
Sunday, after the LV Riders arrived, a delicious meal was shared, and we decided to watch a movie as an extended community. The choice: 500 Days of Summer. For those that have seen it, you can testify to how awesome the movie is. For those that haven't, I suggest renting it, and enjoying.
I have 2 favorite parts to that movie:
- "Day 34: Darling, I don't know how to tell you this, but there is a Chinese family watching us from our bathroom." (if you have seen the movie, you understand. if not, i don't want to spoil the awesomeness of the quote, so i'll let you discover for yourself!!)
- Who wouldn't enjoy being this happy and in love?! (click me)
On Monday, seeing that we had first timer's from the ride in NYC, Kenny and I decided to go out into the city with them, and show them some awesome locations! We first let them experience the Subway system, and then headed towards Central Park. I was able to experience the actual park part this time of Central Park, unlike last time. Ha. While walking around, we saw some famous parts of the park that are easily recognizable when walking through them. For example, the line of oak trees that create a canopy has been used in several films, and actually while walking through, they were filming a segment for a film that was in French. To say I was "on-set" makes me think my theatre degree is being used for something. ;). Also, the giant fountain in Central Park used for the final shot in Enchanted's "That's How You Know" as well as Home Alone 2, and Step-Mom. After venturing through Central Park, it began to rain, and we headed towards F.A.O. Schwarz Toy Store. To be a kid, running through there is a dream come true. Plus, the big attraction: giant keyboard used in the movie "Big"!!
Monday night, we decided to stick with watching a movie as extended community, but settled upon a scary movie. The ghost stories from Philadelphia came back up, and thus landing a choice of scary movie. Many of you who know me understand that I do not like scary movies at all!! My roommates during senior year wanted to watch a scary movie with me, but it never happened. Needless to say, I suffered through it, and surprisingly found myself screaming only in the last scene of the movie. Oh yes, the movie we chose was Paranormal Activity. That night, it was funny to walk upstairs and see all of the lights on in the rooms where people were sleeping, because of fear of turning out the lights. I, however, did not join their club, and was able to fall asleep without the lights on! :).
Tuesday was extremely relaxing, sleeping in and bumming around the house. It was also my night to cook dinner, and man was it delicious. How can you go wrong with steak on the grill, grilled corn and asparagus, and cheesy, garlic mashed potatoes! Mmmmmm. The meal ended with delicious carrot cake cupcakes and cream cheese frosting, courtesy of Kelly Towns, one of the National Riders for LV's Ride!
Wednesday provided for another Broadway show! Waking up early morning, Glenna and Kelly (National Riders) wanted to rush a show. We headed out of the house, and went for the Gershwin Theatre where Wicked would be playing an afternoon matinee. We entered our names into the lottery for front row seats, but unfortunately came out empty handed. Looking at the schedule, we found Phantom of the Opera was also showing an afternoon matinee that day, and headed towards that theatre. It was this moment I was able to see how comfortable I am in the city, being able to navigate the streets, and get to our next theatre without wasting too much time! We purchased our tickets, enjoyed a quick lunch at John's Pizzeria across the street before the show, and then the curtain rose. WHAT A SHOW! I have enjoyed listening to the music for several years, and now being able to see it live, painted so much more of a picture for me! I still look in awe at all of the technical elements of the show, and how ahead of it's time it was when it first opened! I catch myself looking around the theatre while watching sometimes more for tech elements than the actual actors. I guess that is another thing I can credit towards my awesome theatre education!
Being the riders last night in our community, we decided for a little laughter that evening. What better way to come together and laugh, then WII SPORTS!! Everyone got involved playing bowling, golf, and tennis. That evening, I learned how competitive the community gets over the games, especially Brother Bill! I am definitely going to have to take lessons from him in tennis and golf. I don't think he has lost a game since he started. (Dad, he will give you a run for your money when you come to visit...)
Finally, Thursday, Kenny and Stephanie were heading into their school, LaSalle Academy, located in the village of Manhattan, and invited me along to join. After stopping in to show Stephanie the school, we walked around the neighborhood, and got to see things a normal tourist wouldn't venture to find. Kenny introduced us to his favorite Thai restaurant, not far from the school offering amazing lunch specials! We also then walked back towards the Subway, first stopping in his favorite independent bookstore, and spent some time exploring!
Here you can see just part of my favorite area of the bookstore: a section dedicated just to scripts! :). The shelves for this portion extended quite a ways, and I can't wait to go back and explore more of the store!
We ended the night with a community viewing of Memphis: A New Musical on our Netflix account! (Yes, this is the musical I saw my first weekend here, but we wanted to enjoy it again, so we watched it!). The whole community life is totally coming together, and I am really enjoying my time here, looking forward to all the new things that I am going learn over the next year!
For the weekend, we are heading to Narragansett, RI to spend some time at beach resort as a community, and enjoy a relaxing weekend with the Rhode Island volunteers as well!
Until next time...
Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.
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