polderpalooza

And she's back!

2009-07-30T11:58:00.005-04:00

I will make no promises. I will not pledge to blog daily, weekly, or monthly. Instead, I will merely note the fact that, hey, here I am, right now. Whether or not the blogging will stick? That's a matter I will leave to three foreboding women with the scissors and the string.

What have I been up to lately? Well, I hang out with this guy a lot. I finished coursework. And now I'm reading for my preliminary exams, to be taken every Thursday in October. (Please do not mention in the comments that October is only two months away, or I will have to run screaming from this blog for another year-long hiatus!)

Anyway, here's my random-thought-for-the-day-while-reading: analogy! Such a useful concept! In my neck of the scholarly woods, arguments are often made about influence ~ that one creation story influenced another, that one work of historiography is a polemical response to another, etc. These claims -- though sometimes likely, and occassionally irrefutable -- must be supported vigorously, because to argue for influence is quite difficult when one's source material is spotty, redacted, and chronologically ambiguous. However, lately I've come across an increasing number of arguments for analogy rather than influence. In other words, instead of arguing that the writer of the vision reports in Daniel had a coffee table collection of Ugaritic myths at his or her disposal, it is perhaps equally useful (and less epistomelogically problematic) to observe the analogies between them. John Collins does this in his introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic literature, to wit: "the issue is not the exact derivation but the kinds of allusions involved" (p. 19). Furthermore:

If the "one like a son of man" who comes on the clouds in Daniel 7 alludes to the Canaanite figure of Baal, this is not to say that he is idenitified as Baal, or that the full story of Baal is implied. It merely suggests that there is some analogy between this figure and the traditional conception of Baal. (emphasis mine, p. 19)

My interest in allusion and analogy is related to the plausibility of what I like to call the there-was-something-in-the-air theory. Again, rather than arguing for influence, it seems more likely that, within and across certain eras (and especially between neighboring cultures), some traditions and ideas and archetypes and mythic images remain in the air, enduring for generations. Scribes and storytellers breathe these in and out; the literary evidence for this phenomenon comes to us clothed as analogy and allusion (among other things, I'm sure).

Brandon recommends reading this when prelims are done, to explore analogy in light of the findings of cognitive science. Sounds like fun to me! (Then again, reading anything that's not on my reading list sounds like fun at this point in the summer!)

With Bells On

2008-10-13T11:56:00.002-04:00

Lately, I've found myself repeatedly using the expression "I'll be there with bells on." Curious, I googled it, and found this. Personally, I use the expression to convey enthusiasm not just for parties, but for any meeting or gathering (business or pleasure). With the expression, I want to convey the fact that not only will I be there, but I am supremely looking forward to it.

This would be a fun phrase to use ironically, would it not? Say, when making an appointment with the dentist? "Root canal tomorrow at 10? I'll be there with bells on..."

Weekly Wordle

2008-10-08T16:25:00.005-04:00

I recently became a member of Atlanta Mennonite Fellowship. During the worship service this Sunday, the commitment of new members will be formally acknowledged. Given that fact, I've been thinking lately of AMF's covenant: here is the covenant itself, and below, a word cloud thereof:

(Click to enlarge.)

Back, with measuring cups

2008-10-07T14:01:00.004-04:00

My blog called me this morning in tears.

"Jackie," the blog said, "How could you? It has been nearly seven weeks! I thought we had really gotten somewhere over the summer. Our relationship had ... blossomed. I though you had grown, changed even. I thought we were in this for the long haul this time. I thought ... "

"Blog," I answered, chastened, "You are correct. I have been negligent in my commitment to you. I understand if you can't take a chance on me again, but I hope you will. 'Cause honey, I'm still free."

My blog graciously consented to give me a second chance. My hope is that you, dear reader, will as well.

Confession time: I have a thing for measuring cups and mixing bowls. It doesn't matter how many I own; I always feel like I could use just one more set, especially if they are thoughtfully designed and splashy like these. Don't you just want to snap them up? Unfortunately, the price is on the astronomical side. What is it with this penchant of mine for overpriced kitchen items? Psychological insight, anyone?

Done

2008-08-22T23:35:00.009-04:00

Being done feels like ...

Or maybe ...

Then there's...

Ahhhhh. Time for bed. Sorry for my absence. My body, having permission to completely relax, is a stranger to me. My head is cloudy, my back is achy, I am sleepier than ever, and sudden movements are disturbing to behold and impossible to execute. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel less like a zombie encased in jell-o, and more like a functioning participant in the world around me.

A girl can dream! And I think I will. Good night!

EDITED TO ADD
As of now, I have posted more this month than I did in all of 2006.

What was up with me in 2006?

cue scary theme music

2008-08-21T06:02:00.001-04:00

I am awake.
And preparing to leave.
To go get some breakfast that will make me smarter.
Exam is at 9.
See you at 12 (or soon thereafter).

Serenity

2008-08-20T16:21:00.005-04:00

With my Hebrew exam approaching in T-minus 16 hours and 39 minutes, I need some. Not to mention an iPod full of tunes to psych me up. Like "Holding Out for a Hero" by Frou Frou ~ the hero being, this time, my own superspeedy translational powers!
I know you are in there somewhere!

Time for a deep breath and one last dive into the Exam Preparation Pool, Olympic-sized, with all sorts of iced lattes and assorted grammars and lexicons floating about. See you when I emerge!

Flikr Magic!

2008-08-19T12:50:00.000-04:00

I took this photo of my friend Katrina when we traveled to Poland together 2 years ago. I was diggin' the reflection. So the other day on my flikr site, I did some photo editing to play up that aspect of the photo. First, a simple crop:

Nice. How about even closer? With a bit of color saturation action?

Ooooo! Interesting!

Here's the other eye. (See my arm there?)

Which photo is your favorite? Au natural, cropped or one of the funky shots?

P.S. I'd like to give a shout-out to this blog posting. Go PeaceBang!

Wordle 3

2008-08-18T20:10:00.003-04:00

This is the most beautiful word cloud I have ever seen. For obvious reasons, it did not originate with me!

Wordle 2

2008-08-18T14:47:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Frank's comment on the previous Wordle, I present: the book of Genesis (as translated by the Jewish Publication Society).

Weekly Wordle

2008-08-18T00:00:00.003-04:00

Apparently there is no end in sight to the things I've got a hankering to wordle.

Ta-daaaaa! Presenting my class notes from a lecture on fasting in the Hebrew Bible.

Procrastination Revelation

2008-08-16T17:04:00.003-04:00

While not studying last night, I re-discovered how much I like Rubens.

If...

2008-08-15T19:17:00.006-04:00

If I ever decide to spend $219.34 on a soup pot, I will buy this one.

Pleased and Dazed

2008-08-14T17:10:00.007-04:00

I am pleased (or, as the kids say, totally geeked out) by the new little doohickey in my sidebar (scroll down a bit), called a flagcounter, which records the number of visitors to this site per country. The numbers are discrete: the counter only records each reader one time, unless that person happens to check this blog from several different computers, in which case it will log one visit per computer. I like that: a realistic representation of actual readership. And, as I have had issues in the past with blogging regularly, I'm finding this flagcounter to be oddly motivating. There are people out there who actually read what I write! Or at least they have read it once! Well, probably some of the them clicked on the site by accident. But still! One of them lives in Israel! And another in Italy! And then there are the people I actually know, the Americans, the Canadians and the Dutch! I cannot let them down!

Oh, if you click on the widget, you can get your own for free.

Props to Erin, where I saw it first.

I am dazed because one week from today I have to take the departmental biblical Hebrew exam here at Emory, and my eyes and brain and heart and (as the ancient Hebrews would add) liver and kidneys are a bit overwhelmed with the preparation I've done until now, and the seven full days yet to come.

Jackie logs off blogger, turns to her Hebrew Bible, and commences with the nail-biting.

EDITED TO ADD
I also spruced up my sidebar a bit, removing a few old lists and paring down some of the current ones. Still too much? Feedback welcome!

To Suffer Damage

2008-08-13T12:55:00.002-04:00

"When the Japanese mend broken objects they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold, because they believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful."

~ Barbara Bloom

Latest LOL

2008-08-12T23:31:00.002-04:00

"If life gives you lemons, save the receipts."

~ Stephen Colbert

Won't you mooch with me?

2008-08-12T17:13:00.007-04:00

Gotta love it. I joined yesterday and already have swapped two books. It's a marvelous recycling program for booklovers who can bear to part with some of their tomes; the only cost of membership is that of postage! Anyone want to join me in the bookmoochiverse?

It is not a bookswapping site per se; you do not have to give and take on a 1-to-1 ratio, though you are encouraged/required (?) to give away at least 1 book for every 2 you mooch. There's this nifty little point system that protects from overmooching, too. To wit: Every time you give a book away, you get one point; in turn, books "cost" one point each. Additionally, every time you post a new book to your inventory of giveaways, and every time you leave feedback for a book received, fractions of points are added to your account, and they add up fairly quickly. International mooches require more points, but those doing the shipping are rewarded with extra points too.

Tammy, I am gonna call you out on this! I think this website is perfect for you, for the following reasons:

1. You prefer to purchase used books.
2. You never keep books after you read them.
3. You are always interested in obtaining new and interesting books to read.

So whaddaya say? Won't you mooch with me?

Lydia, what about you? Frank? Alison? MarsGirl? Donnamo? Bueller? Anyone?

Caroline Herring

2008-08-11T16:19:00.004-04:00

I love her music, especially tracks 4 and 11 on this CD. These tunes have gotten me through many a long day of translating and late night of paper writing. Highly, highly recommended! Bonus: she lives just around the corner, so I get all kinds of chances to hear her live.

Weekly Worldle

2008-08-11T14:05:00.007-04:00

Presenting the itinerary for an Emory-sponsored educational tour of Turkey for which I am signed up!

EDITED TO ADD: I can't tell you how excited I am that I figured out how to link to the Wordle in a more aesthetically pleasing manner. Compared to this slim post, isn't my previous worldle-posting an eyesore?!

I am Bohemian Rhapsody

2008-08-09T13:23:00.002-04:00

Which apparently means I go for bright, eclectic, and a tad bit luxurious. Goodwill meets the finer things, I guess!

What's your design DNA?

Props to How About Orange.

Happy Birthday ...

2008-08-08T00:00:00.005-04:00

...to my dad!

This photo was taken two years ago, when my aunt, cousin and I surprised my dad in the middle of the night to eat cake. I had just gotten home from ... Kansas? I think it was Kansas, where I was visiting a couple of churches to speak about my time in the Netherlands. I arrived back in Ohio as my dad's birthday commenced around midnight. So together with my aunt and cousin (who had picked me up at the airport), I stood outside my parents' bedroom door and started singing! They both arose, ever the good sports, and we enjoyed some cake together.

Dad looks pretty awake for a wee-hours-in-the morning photo, doesn't he?

Today my dad turns 74. Happy Birthday Dad!

EDITED TO ADD: Need I point out that today is 08/08/08? I love that type of thing. It's almost as cool as my Grandpa Stuckey's birthdate on 09/10/11.

Latest LOL

2008-08-07T23:31:00.002-04:00

"Take everything I say with a grain of salt, because my new sponsor ... is salt."

~ Stephen Colbert

Advice, Unsolicited

2008-08-07T12:49:00.009-04:00

So here I am, at my favorite diner, having placed my order for the scrumptious Silver Dollar Breakfast (two buttermilk silver dollar cakes, two sweet potato silver dollar cakes, two eggs, roasted turkey breast, grilled potatoes and an orange slice), and trying to get online. The diner's free connection is on the fritz, so I'm borrowing an AT&T connection from Starbucks next door. This is the same connection I use whenever I hang at Starbucks, since, as a registered Starbucks card holder (sounds like more of an honor than it is, believe me), I get 2 complimentary hours of internet every time I darken the door. Not to mention free refills on regular or iced coffee.

Anyway, the guy next to me, who is closing down his computer, notices that I am using AT&T. The following conversation ensues:

"You can use the Rise & Dine connection for free, you know."

"I know, but it's not working for me.

"I was just on it and it was fine."

"OK, maybe I'll try again. But this AT&T connection is free for me too, since I have a Starbucks card."

"But you realize it's only free for like an hour after you make a purchase."

"Actually, I've been able to use it for several hours at a time."

"But you go in and you buy the card along with your coffee, right? And then it's only good for an hour."

"No, if you have a registered Starbucks card, the AT&T connection is complimentary. You just have to register your card online and use it once a month."

"Oh."

"It's a new thing."

"I always use TMobile. Their connection is so much better. AT&T's phone service may be better, but TMobile's data service is phenomenal. They have this blah blah blah and then there's this blah blah blah. And Verizon blah blah blahdiblah blah. You know Verizon uses the CDA system while the others use the TDA system blah blah blah some more blah blah. Oh and did I mention that the connection here is free?"

Oh dear reader. Why oh why does a complete stranger feel the need to intervene in my wireless habits? And why oh why does he assume that I am completely clueless, incapable of making a choice unless he enlightens me as to the intricacies of wireless providers? I mean, his initial impulse to make sure I knew that the diner's connection was free was a nice gesture. But am I not correct in thinking that the above conversation could have been ... well, shorter?

"Live and let live" is apparently a lesson lost on this guy.

Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better.

What's your favorite ABBA song?

2008-08-06T17:37:00.004-04:00

This is mine.

In seminary, when we talked about interviewing for jobs with churches, I thought this would be the perfect interview song for new pastors fresh out of school with zero experience.

Honey, I'm still free.
Take a chance on me.

Take a chance, take a chance, take a take a chance chance.

Calling All Fans ....

2008-08-06T15:18:00.003-04:00

... of The Office.

Dan Schreiber just published a compelling piece on the most embarrassing boss ever.

Seminar Paper Wordle

2008-08-04T15:22:00.004-04:00

Here's a Wordle of a seminar paper I wrote last year:
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http://wordle.net/

Special Delivery

2008-08-03T22:27:00.006-04:00

It was waiting for me at my apartment door.

Oh, the tantalizing first glimpse of fabulous orangeness!

Orange!

Whoah.

See the tiny little "beans" inside?

It's big, alright.

Big and comfy.

Not to mention cozy for reading.

What can I say ... I think I'm in love!

In the Midst of Studying Hebrew ....

2008-08-01T21:38:00.019-04:00

... I've been able to fit in some fun.

Today, I baked 5 dozen cookies and an apple pie. First apple pie of my life! I used my Grandma Stuckey's recipe.

Before baking ....

And after...

Most of the cookies and the whole pie will be sold at the bake / yard sale my church is having tomorrow.

Usually, me baking = havoc wreaked on the kitchen.

There you have it. Havoc. Here's a close-up.

So much fun!
Earlier in the week, I had another kind of fun:

Though it was less fun when the Braves lost 3-12. But nonetheless, my companions Katie, Ingrid, Jamie and I kept things hopping with our operatic singing and discolike moves in the stands. It was Katie's birthday! She is in the foreground, below.

Oh,and I do believe I had promised you some more Ohio pics:

There was farming. I mostly observed.

There was a birthday dinner. Mmmmmmm. My mom's mashed potatoes with hamburger gravy. Plus homemade applesauce. Corn, frozen from last year's garden, and kohlrabi fresh from this year's.

Then there were the cakes. Can you read the message hidden in the candles?

It was good eats.

My great-nephew Aiden especially liked knawing on the kohlrabi.

Ah, evening drives along straight-as-a-ruler Ohio country roads!

I also enjoyed a great 24 hours in the fun city Columbus with my good friend Frank. We ate Turkish food, we ate Polish food, we ate Western European food, we ate the best ice cream in Columbus. (Their signature flavor "salty caramel" is to die for!) We bought used books. We chatted far into the night. Who could ask for anything more? Well, I guess you could ask for a picture, but I forgot to take one.

I do have a picture from the family get-together at the historic Wyse homestead: my dad with three of his siblings, on the farm where they grew up.

Yay Blogger!

2008-07-31T01:31:00.003-04:00

Check out the new sidebar to the right, entitled good reads...

Voila! A selection of blogs I read daily! The 10 most recently updated appear by default; if you want to see a more complete list, there's a link for that at the bottom. I'm loving the utter up-to-the-minute-ness of it all!

Design Tips

2008-07-30T19:39:00.002-04:00

In another life, I would be into design. Gotta love these tips. Props to one of my favorite bloggers.

Today's Sermon

2008-07-27T11:23:00.004-04:00

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I couldn't resist!

For some reason, I can't get the visual above, but click on the link for the wordle.

Wordle

2008-07-27T11:11:00.007-04:00

Click on the above image for a close up.

What is it? A word cloud of this very blog. Make your own, using a blog or any text at all! I'm thinking of wordle-ing a sermon sometime, to distill its "true" message. :-)

Wordle your world.

I Believe!

2008-07-25T23:13:00.005-04:00

Just got back from seeing the movie. "Amen" to Roger Ebert's review. No fancy footwork, no mind-blowing CGI, no superheroes or monsters (excepting the human ones). IMHO, that's what makes this movie work. It's not Batman, and you don't want it to be. It's Scully and Mulder, together again.

Critics say it's like watching an episode of the series writ large. Well, trust me ~ if you were (are) a fan of the TV series, that is not at all a bad thing.

Yay X-Files! Yay creepy theme music! Yay scary moments when I sucked in my breath and said "oh dear"!

Apparently, Chris Carter said that if this movie does well, he hopes for a third. Perhaps it will be released on 12/22/12? You know, the date of the next alien invasion?

PS ~ Poster source here.

Me, Again

2008-07-25T15:13:00.002-04:00

Modern Art Museum by dumpr.net

Me, museumified

2008-07-25T15:08:00.002-04:00

Art Museum by dumpr.net

2008-07-23T12:20:00.007-04:00

Mouth Melting Maraschino Madness

Were M-n-M's a memorable part of anyone else's growing up years? I remember when the most exciting color in a bag of M-n-Ms was green. After all, that was the only color separating M-n-M's from their butterier cousins, the Reeses Pieces. Yes, at that time, there were two shades of brown M-n-M's! (Might that have something to do with the 1970's and the decade's inexplicable embrace of brown decor?) I remember the thrilling appearance of the first red M-n-M's, and their subsequent hasty removal from grocery store shelves as the dye was suspected to be a carcinogen. Later, I remember when we got to vote for the next new color ~ blue or purple? (Blue won.) As a teen, the release of peanut butter M-n-Ms rocked my world completely. Almond M-n-M's were a close second.

All that to say, I'm a pushover for any new kind of M-n-M. (I love the dark chocolate variety in the purple package they came out with last year.) Today I happened across Wildly Cherry, a new limited edition that tastes just like those chocolate covered maraschino cherries that come in fancy satin boxes. Yay!

Oh, and at the M-n-M website, you can become an M-n-M! Joy!

(Anyone prefer Smarties to M-n-M's? The jury is still out for me.)

2008-07-22T15:37:00.009-04:00

Earlier this month, while in Ohio ....

I turned 33,

saw some old friends,

took a drive with the top down,

hung out with farflung family members,

and even took a turn in the pulpit.

Aren't the visuals lovely? Thanks to Luana and Peg for their creative response to a few of Jesus' parables as recorded in Matthew. My sermon was titled: "Seeds, Pearls, Yeast and a Fishing Net." If I was studying New Testament instead of Hebrew Bible, you can bet I'd be writing on the gospels. Nothing against Paul, but the spare, unornamented gospel narratives are the ones I would want with me on my desert island. Along with the entire Hebrew Bible, of course!

More Ohio pics coming soon ....

2008-07-09T22:59:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Anne!

With an e.

2008-06-28T16:08:00.004-04:00

Otherwise known as ...

1.YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car):
Cuddles Batavus

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe):
Peanut Butter Crocs

3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal):
Orange Fish

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born):
Ann Wauseon

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name):
Wys-Ja

6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
Green Latte

7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers):
Jesse Chester

8. STRIPPER NAME (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy):
Lilac Reeses

9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):
Kraus Kensington

10. SPY NAME (your favorite season/holiday, flower):
Winter Daisy

11. CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now):
Blueberry Shorts

12. HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree):
English Muffin Maple

Props to Julie

2008-06-27T14:53:00.004-04:00

Judas, Corrected

As promised yesterday ...

excerpt from The Death of Judas by Paul Claudel
translated from the French by polderpalooza herself, corrections by her French instructor in red

It was something of absolute seriousness, a deep interest. I wanted to be sure; I wanted to know where He was going. At his side, when He called me, I was really compelled to suppose that He clearly knew what He was doing. In order to follow without hesitation, I sacrificed my family, my friends, my wealth, my position. I have always had a kind of scientific or psychological curiosity, call it what you want, and at the same time a taste for adventure and for speculation…. I took the bait. Moreover, I am not the only one to let myself be taken. I dare say that among the Twelve, it was I who was by far the most well-educated and the most distinguished. I was a credit to the group. Needless to say, there was Simon Peter – one would not have had the heart to dismiss him or to deny him first place. One had only to look at his lovely eyes like those of an affectionate dog, and this grimace like that of a child who will cry when addressed with the reproaches, which came for him quite often when it was his turn. As for myself, I was always correct. I did my duty, one could not have asked more of me. Otherwise, it was a mess. All the same, my judgment, my manners, my knowledge of the world and the Scriptures, and my know-how with the customers were appreciated. I was one of the first to achieve the rank of Apostle, one of those around whose neck a cord was placed, what you now call a stole.

Grade: 49/50. I guess my quirkiness wasn't too over the top after all!

This morning I took the official Graduate Division of Religion French competency exam. I feel like it went well, but only time will tell. However, I do know for sure that I am done with French for the summer! Yahoo!

2008-06-26T13:19:00.008-04:00

Lots Happening

1. Welcome to the world, little baby Joshua! Today you are one day old! I can't wait to meet you.

2. I ate Sushi in this restaurant a couple of nights ago to celebrate my friend Leslie's birthday. Wouldn't ya know it: I love Sushi! Who knew anything could be so fun to eat? Each bite is a self-contained precarious little party on two sticks. It's like cookies, but healthy (and with sticks). I had some with asparagus and some with softshell crab (that was an adventure, with the edible legs all breaded and sticking out the ends) and some with everything but the kitchen sink. No kitchen sink, and no fish eggs either. I wasn't brave enough to try the fish eggs.

3. I have an almost empty living room at the moment. Just a couch, a futon, a lamp, a TV stand and a TV. The futon is being moved out tomorrow. I plan to spend the weekend stretched out on the floor. Maybe I'll do some cartwheels. This empty-living-room-syndrome is the result of the ever adventurous and annually inevitable housemate transition period. N moved out (miss you dear!), taking furniture with her. J and J have only just begun to move in. And M is away for the summer (miss you too!). So, right now, it's just me, the aforementioned items, and some newly steamed wall-to-wall carpet. I'll have to find someone to poke (facebook friends?): there is static electricity to be mustered!

4. For my French take-home final, I translated a really entertaining, fictionalized passage about Judas. Yes, the Judas, the guy who gave 30 pieces of anything glittery a bad name. I'll post it below, and tomorrow, when I get the corrected version back, I shall let you know how I did. Okay then, one psychological profile of Judas Iscariot, comin' right up! Personally, I think this translation is kinda quirky. Hopefully not quirky enough to disturb the one grading it.

excerpt from The Death of Judas by Paul Claudel
translated from the French by polderpalooza herself

It was something of absolute seriousness, a deep interest. I wanted to have a clean heart; I wanted to know where He was going. At his side, when He called me, I was really compelled to suppose that He clearly knew what He was doing. In order to follow without hesitation, I sacrificed my family, my friends, my wealth, my position. I have always had a kind of scientific or psychological curiosity, call it what you want, and at the same time a taste for adventure and for speculation…. I took the bait. Moreover, I am not the only one to let myself be taken. I dare say that among the Twelve, it was I who was by far the most well-educated and the most distinguished. I was a credit to the group. Needless to say, there was Simon Peter – one would not have had the heart to dismiss him or to deny him first place. One had only to look at his lovely eyes like those of an affectionate dog, and this grimace like that of a child who will cry when addressed with the reproaches that came for him quite often when it was his turn. As for myself, I was always correct. I did my duty, there was no more wondering about that. Otherwise, it was a mess. All the same, my judgment, my manners, my knowledge of the world and the Scriptures, and my know-how with the customers were appreciated. I was one of the first to achieve the rank of Apostle, one of those around whose neck a cord was placed, what you now call a stole.

2008-06-23T23:34:00.009-04:00

Inauguration of the Summer of Blogging

Here I go with my summer of blogging! Sorry for the delay.

I would like to begin by sharing quotes from someone who makes me laugh. Last week, he opened his show by declaring: "This is the dawning of the age of Colbertius (kohl-bear-ius)." Tonight the following got my goat: "Guests of the Colbert Report are housed in the luxurious Crashing With Friends." All this from the Peabody-award-winning satirist who invented the word "truthiness," which (rumor has it) appeared in a New York Times crossword puzzle last week. I love the guy!

So far, my summer has been very French. I am taking an intensive French language course: French for Reading Comprehension. Today I translated 375 words by Paul Riceour, which felt like a milestone. Class ends Thursday; I am taking the Religion Department competency exam on Friday. If I pass, I will have fulfilled both departmental modern language requirements. You see, I consumed a German grammar on the boat last summer:

Thus thorougly grammatified, and assisted by my knowledge of Dutch, I was able to wend my way through the German reading exam last summer.

In some ways, it is odd to learn to read a language without necessarily learning to speak it. Throw some Ricouer at me, and I and my 5-pound dictionary will have a little party. Throw my self toward France and ask me to order a baguette, and I will be overcome with fear and trembling. Hopefully someday I will have the opportunity to gain some confidence in baguette ordering et. al. That said, if anyone needs to buy some cheese in the Netherlands, I'm your woman!

EDITED TO ADD:
Colbert ended his Report tonight with the words: "I hope you've enjoyed watching me for the past half an hour. Now it's my turn to watch you." (followed by intense wordless stare)

2008-04-25T18:36:00.005-04:00

May 12

That's right, folks. The little something I like to call "insanity" and which is otherwise known as "life in the first year of a PhD program" will be wrapping up in just over 2 weeks. Which means that in a mere 17 days, I can embrace my identity as a blogger again! At least for the summer!

Here's looking forward to that moment.

Until then,

Jackie, who bought her first energy drink today, and wonders if this is the first act on a slippery slope leading to caffeine addiction

2008-03-10T20:13:00.002-04:00

I know.

I know, I know, I know, I know!

I am guilty of blogging negligence. I do want to right this wrong. But I gotta say, this Ph.D. program threatens to be the death of my already-not-so-flourishing blogging life!

*sigh*

In the meantime, check out this fantastic article on the Really Terrible Orchestra, sent my way by my new friend Susan!

2008-01-25T14:36:00.002-05:00

Jackie in Real Life

So my very favorite restaurant in all of Atlanta so far is Rise-N-Dine, just a stone's throw from campus. Up until yesterday, the reasons for that were simple: fanstically tasty, healthy food; friendly and efficient service; and an atmosphere that was funkily comfortable. Yesterday, another reason was added to the list: I made a new friend! You know, like it happens in the movies. I was sitting at my own table; Adam was sitting at his. I asked the server for a bit of cream for my coffee; Adam offered me his. I asked if he was a student; he said he just graduated from seminary. Delightful conversation ensued. E-mail addresses were exchanged. Today I received an invitation to hang out with him, his fiance and his roommate sometime soon.

Does this really happen in real life? Do people just walk into cafes and make new friends? Apparently so!

Oh, yes. I have not forgotten my NY Resolution. Blogging about my transatlantic journey will happen this weekend.

2008-01-01T17:22:00.002-05:00

2008: Cozy and Lazy

So far, I could best describe 2008 as cozy and lazy. I am in Elkhart, staying at the home of friends, one of whom authors the blood-stained lintels. It snowed 9 inches last night and hasn't yet let up. I am wearing my fuzzy orange slippers and typing this on a borrowed MacBook. I slept in, drank coffee, ate egg-bread (otherwise known as egg-in-the-hole) and a whole banana and some christmas cookies and bits of chocolate. I reclined on the couch and read. I talked on the phone. I chatted with my friends. Today has been cozy and lazy and pretty perfect. We are making chicken curry tonight, and continuing to stay in. Not leaving the house feels great.

I am bad at resolutions, New Year's or otherwise. In spite of that, I resolve to blog more in 2008 than I did in 2007. Seeing that I posted 54 times in 2007, a mere once-per-six-days posting average would achieve this rather modest goal. (I won't even bother to menton the scandalously infrequent 23 postings of 2006, and how easy that was to best last year!)

It seems appropriate to begin 2008 by reflecting on 2007. By far my most unique experience was my 12 day transatlantic journey by means of which I returned stateside from 5 years in the Netherlands. I took more than 1,000 photos during those 12 days (excessive, I know) all of which are available on my flikr account in the collection entitled "transatlantic voyage." Take a peek if you'd like, though I'll be posting highlights here for those not inclined to wade through the massive number of images.

Here's preview of what's to come...

IMG_3167, originally uploaded by polder.palooza.

the PZM Isolda, my 12-day home, docked in Cleveland on July 23, 2007

my parents, my bike, and myself, in my cabin

an example of the magnificent Polish food we were served

the view

2007-12-07T12:36:00.001-05:00

Of 3-wheeled cars and love at first sight

Golden Earring is a Dutch band that reached international reknown in late 60s. Their 1973 video for the hit song "Radar Love" is ... well, let's just say it will render you speechless. Go ahead. Enjoy.

2007-11-08T16:43:00.000-05:00

Best Brownies-in-a-Box Ever, and Mr. Bento

Those who know me well know that I am not a cake snob. Although there's nothing like cake (or brownies) made from scratch, some of their boxed siblings are not to be sneered at. My most recent discovery? These brownies. Put two tablespoons of the mix into a small bowl and add a tablespoon of vanilla yoghurt, stir well, microwave on high for one minute and ~ abracadabra! ~ a single serving of chocolate-y fugde-y pudding-like brownie goodness. And, wonder of wonders, if you go here you'll see that this mix is even available in my little hometown of Archbold, Ohio! Who knew?

On a related note: I recently invested in a Mr. Bento lunch jar, and it is rocking my lunchtime world. Put warmed up leftovers in the two larger containers, and they stay warm for 4-6 hours! Put fruit or veg or dessert in the two smaller containers, and they stay at room temp, even though they are stored within the lunch jar in very close proximity to the warmed-up items. Oh, the wonders of insulation! Today I made a single-serving brownie in one of the smaller containers (I let it cool before packing my lunch jar so as not to disrupt the delicate temperature balance). The other containers held a cut-up apple, leftover casserole and leftover noodles. Yummy and much more fiscally responsible than spending upwards of $8 at the student union.

PS -- if you think I'm excited about my Mr. Bento, just take a look at these folks!

2007-11-02T19:36:00.000-04:00

You Are a Red Crayon

Your world is colored with bright, vivid, wild colors.
You have a deep, complex personality - and you are always expressing something about yourself.
Bold and dominant, you are a natural leader. You have an energy that is intense... and sometimes overwhelming.
Your reaction to everything tends to be strong. You are the master of love-hate relationships.

Your color wheel opposite is green. Green people are way too mellow to understand what drives your energy.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Comments about the accuracy of the above description are indeed welcome. :-)

2007-10-24T23:19:00.001-04:00

Let's hear it for the insightful blogging of Frank!
Hopefully yours truly will climb back on the blogwagon any day now ...

PS -- Check out my wee mee in the sidebar to the right!

2007-10-07T11:34:00.001-04:00

What do you think of my new haircut?

2007-09-27T15:23:00.001-04:00

Serenity

Not every boat you come across is one you have to take;
Sometimes standing still can be the best move you ever make.
~ Sarah Brightman

2007-08-28T15:56:00.000-04:00

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

2007-08-23T19:01:00.001-04:00

What I Learned on my Second Day of School

1. In the near future, Emory is going to become an iTunes university.
2. Prominent figures who will be coming to Emory this semester include Barbara Kingsolver, Elaine Pagels and the Dalai Lama.
3. Tip: arrive at your classroom 20 minutes before teaching. Take time to yawn, do (basic) yoga, or massage your jaw muscles. Vocal/body warm-ups -- as well as good posture -- are essential unless you want to strain your voice 15 minutes into the period. (This strikes me as good advice for preachers too, especially those in smaller congregations who don't use mics.)
4. It is common for undergrads at Emory to make collaborative multimedia blogs as assignments for class. Who knew?
5. There is much more that I hope to check out at Emory, including their Women's Center, theatre offerings, and the current special exhibit at the Carlos Museum.

2007-08-22T20:15:00.001-04:00

What I Learned on my First Day of School

1. According to (nearly) everyone who addressed us today, the most important thing you learn in grad school is time management.
2. "Sweet tea" in the South takes "sweet" to a whole 'nother level. I thought my mom's iced tea was as sweet as it could get; not so!
3. There's a student who looks exactly like David Duchovny. I am neither kidding nor exaggerating. Crooked smile, mysterious eyes, well-defined jaw line: Fox Mulder all the way.
4. One of the best ways to discourage plagiarism is to give your students assignments which are as specific as all-get-out.
5. It is possible for a biostatistician, a behavioral psychologist, and a biblical scholar to come up with a course on sustainability that might actually be teachable.

2007-08-22T07:03:00.000-04:00

First Day

Today is my first day of school. I'll blog more tonight to let you know how it was.

Oh yeah, and the boat rocked! I'll blog about that too in the coming days and weeks.

2007-07-10T21:40:00.000-04:00

14 Days Off

Today I board the boat.
Tomorrow I set sail.
I'll be back online in about 2 weeks.
Until then ... happy summers all!

2007-07-10T03:46:00.000-04:00

Today...

... is my last full day in the Netherlands!

P.S. Happy Anniversary Tammy and Jim!

2007-07-08T05:26:00.000-04:00

If you've got to travel, travel slowly

Click here for an interesting discussion on the environmental benefits/detriments of slow travel. I must be honest, my motivation for traveling slowly had lots to do with the uniqueness of the experience, the dearth of cheap flights this month, and the fact that I can take 100 kg of baggage plus my bike along with me and less to do with my concern for Planet Earth. However, Planet Earth is potentially the most important of all considerations when considering how (fast) to travel. Oh, and here's a great FAQ regarding freighter travel.

2007-07-06T17:30:00.000-04:00

6 more nights

I will be sleeping in my Dutch bed for 6 more nights. Whereupon I will embark upon 14 nights of sleeping aboard a boat much like this one.

2007-07-02T08:27:00.001-04:00

Pippi 2.0

Yesterday's lazy Sunday afternoon led to experiments with hair and an eyeliner pencil. This is me and my friend Mirjam.

2007-06-28T16:54:00.000-04:00

You Only Live Once

OK, who among you hasn't wanted to try this?

Last week we had our final gathering of the kids' club at the inloophuis before the commencement of summer vacation. We followed our usual pattern of:

1. gathering: sitting in a circle and chatting for a bit about whatever blows our hair back
2. reading a story related to the day's theme
3. doing something creative, usually involving markers, paint, scissors, glue
4. playing games, indoor or outdoor, depending on the weather

The spontaneous hand-painting occurred during phase 3, obviously.

During phase 4, we went outside. The kids wanted to play "War." In spite of my Mennonite reservations, I did not protest, for I must admit, I was curious as to what sort of cultural phenomenon I was about to witness. (Does this make me a bad missionary, or a good one?) The children proceeded to use sidewalk chalk to draw out a map of five "countries" on the blacktop (I believe they were Holland, Belguim, Germany, Amsterdam and Almere -- the distinction between countries and cities wasn't entirely clear for all participants). Then the kids took turns dropping a piece of chalk onto their five-part map. Then everyone, except the person upon whose country the chalk had landed, started to run around chaotically. The remaining person waited a bit before yelling: STOP! The runners froze. If the non-runner could stre-e-e-e-etch out and touch one of the others while her feet were still safely within the boundaries of her own country, then the tagged runner had to draw a chalk circle around her feet: that encircled area thus became a new "territory" belonging to the conquering country (ruled by the stretchy person). This process was repeated several times. Then everyone gathered back for another go at chalk-dropping. All in all, an interesting game, reflective of the Netherlands' colonial past, no? We only played it for 10 minutes before surrendering (no pun intended) our piece of blacktop to the older, tougher soccer crowd -- but they were kind enough to wait until we were ready to leave before taking over. So I'm not sure how the game ends: I assume the one with the most territory wins.

Here's a few photos of War:

2007-06-26T16:41:00.000-04:00

Things I'll Miss About Holland 4

Only in this country can one happen upon a bright orange mangled-up bike draped serenely across a flower bed within walking distance of the train station.

2007-06-25T08:50:00.000-04:00

This is what saying good-bye looks like.

2007-06-24T05:06:00.001-04:00

Romance on Psalm 137

St. John of the Cross wrote this in response to Psalm 137. My friend Frank sent it to me in response to a post I wrote on artifacts at the British Museum. There is a longing-for-home in this poem which speaks to my uprooted soul, although I am confused as to which home it is for which I am longing. Perhaps it's Home-with-a-capital-H that this poem speaks of, longed for in some way by all creatures.

By the rivers
of Babylon
I sat down weeping,
there on the ground.
And remembering you,
O Zion, whom I loved,
in that sweet memory
I wept even more.
I took off my feastday clothes
and put on my working ones;
I hung on the green willows
all the joy I had in song,
putting it aside for that
which I hoped for in you.
There love wounded me
and took away my heart.
I begged love to kill me
since it had so wounded me;
I threw myself in its fire
knowing it burned,
excusing now the young bird
that would die in the fire.
I was dying in myself,
breathing in you alone.
I died within myself for you
and for you I revived,
because the memory of you
gave life and took it away.
The strangers among whom
I was captive rejoiced;
they asked me to sing
what I sang in Zion:
Sing us a song from Zion,
let's hear how it sounds.
I said: How can I sing,
in a strange land where I weep
for Zion, sing of the happiness
that I had there?
I would be forgetting her
if I rejoiced in a strange land.
May the tongue I speak with
cling to my palate
if I forget you
in this land where I am.
Zion, by the green branches
Babylon holds out to me,
may my right hand be forgotten
(that I so loved when home in you)
if I do not remember you,
my greatest joy,
or celebrate one feastday,
or feast at all without you.
O Daughter of Babylon,
miserable and wretched!
Blessed is he
in whom I have trusted,
for he will punish you
as you have me;
and he will gather his little ones
and me, who wept because of you,
at the rock who is Christ
for whom I abandoned you.

EDITED TO ADD: The only part of the poem that rubs me the wrong way is that Babylon is personified as a "daughter" whom the poet asks God to punish. However, I do not hold this against St. John -- he was in a long line of saints and theologians who personfied Babylon as a female -- and I hope you don't either.

2007-06-18T06:07:00.000-04:00

Tormented by Visions of Flight

Take a listen to the closing number from the concerts given by my choir, the VU Kamerkoor, this weekend: Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine by Eric Whitacre. We sang in two stunning churches: the Pieterskerk in Utrecht (more than 950 years old and with acoustics that don't quit) and the Domincuskerk in Amsterdam (a mere 114 years old). That's not an experience I am likely to repeat in the US anytime soon!

To the left: the poster advertising our concerts, which featured choral works which didn't exist yet 10 years ago. New music. Of the 8 pieces we sung, two were accompanied by organ, one by a CD soundtrack, and the rest were acapella.

I shall miss this choir, along with my orchestras. I am planning to audition for musical groups at Emory; I hope they are as rewarding as the ones I am leaving behind.

2007-06-16T05:17:00.001-04:00

Stichting Aap

Last week my co-volunteers and I at Inloophuis de Ruimte visited Stichting Aap, a sanctuary for 'exotic animals' -- most of whom have been abused or mistreated and some of whom were purchased by well-meaning folks wanting a unique pet who later realized that these animals were never meant to live in enclosed spaces. This charitable organization gives the animals medical attention, resocializes them, and when possible, places them in refuges/reserves all over the world. The animals received by Stichting Aap are too traumatized to ever function in the wild.

Prairie Dogs! They had been purchased as pets and proceeded to bite everything in sight to smithereens, including their owner's finger. Cute they are, but domesticated they are not meant to be.

An ape, enjoying his territory.

Evening snack. Yum!

Stichting Aap is located in my own lovely town of Almere, and they are working at opening another 'branch' in Spain. As far as I know, they are unique in Europe, and perhaps in all the world, in terms of the kind of work they do and the kind of animals for whom they do it.

2007-06-15T13:48:00.000-04:00

Worth a Thousand

2007-06-09T12:58:00.000-04:00

Poll the Audience

So when I relocate to the other side of the pond, what should I do with the title of this blog, seeing as I will no longer be living on a polder but will (hopefully) still be living life to the palooza-est?

My options are as follows:

1. Don't change it. A polder is, more than anything, a state of mind.

2. Change to: Georgiapalooza. Rolls easily off the tongue.

3. Change to: Atlantapalooza. Because the whole 6-syllable thing is kinda cool.

4. Change to: Something that starts with P and is relevant to my new life as a PhD student in Hebrew Bible at Emory in Atlanta... 'cause I'm rather attached to the alliterative effect of my current title.

5. ???

2007-06-04T09:44:00.000-04:00

This is a honeybush...

...and it makes a mighty fine tea (see my 'sipped in 2007' sidebar).

On a related note, sometimes I make myself a nice, warm, inviting cup of tea or a sweetly steaming cup of coffee and I set it down on the kitchen counter or the living room side table to cool. Then I proceed to forget all about it until hours later, when it's as lukewarm as all get out. Does anyone else have this problem?

2007-05-30T09:56:00.001-04:00

Chocolate? Caramel? Vanilla? Enchantment!

Now, in addition to peering over my shoulder at the movies I see and the books I read this year, you can take a peek into my teacup. Scroll down and check out the sidebar.

2007-05-25T10:17:00.000-04:00

'Tis the Season...

... to visit Jackie!

Or, less egocentrically, to visit the tulips, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Europe more generally.

In the past 2 months I've enjoyed visits from...

Adam Nofziger, whom I've known since we were both in the nursery at Lockport Mennonite Church. Here we are enjoying those infamously yummy Flemish fries (with mayo and peanut sauce).

Seminary friends Tanya and Kevin Kurtz Lehman -- here they are, looking fabulous nearby a fantastic gelato shop which is itself close to the Albert Cuyp market.

And most recently: Aunt Janice and Faye in a truly Dutch moment. They are in the south of France currently, and will be returning with their friend Alice tomorrow night for another 2 days/3 nights in the NL before heading back to North America.

Visitors are fun! I hope people still come to visit me when I live in Atlanta, which I fear may be slightly less exciting than living near Amsterdam. Except for my Dutch friends, of course, for whom Atlanta will be the much more exotic of the two locations!

2007-05-21T09:59:00.000-04:00

Things I'll Miss About Holland 3

Playing clarinet in two wind ensembles, the Symfonish Blaasorkest ATH and the Waterlands Blazers Ensemble.

Thanks to Fabchannel, everyone can enjoy the ATH's latest concert here, in which we accompany Ge Reinders, a folk singer from Limburgh (one of the Netherlands' provinces). When Ge talks, it's in Dutch; when he sings, it's in Limburgs, a dialect of Dutch. I'm sitting right behind him in the video...

2007-05-11T08:46:00.000-04:00

Things I'll Miss About Holland 2

These cookies. These too.

2007-05-05T11:49:00.000-04:00

Things I'll Miss About Holland 1

These candies. Not the salmiak flavor, but most of the other varieties.

2007-05-01T09:35:00.000-04:00

Advertisement (1890)

Click to enlarge.

2007-04-26T11:04:00.000-04:00

French Toast Girl has the most beautiful blog I've ever seen.

2007-04-25T10:33:00.000-04:00

Click here for a blog of note.

2007-04-24T08:07:00.001-04:00

This really works!
The writer is not exaggerating. This is the closest thing to magic I have ever conjured up.

2007-04-21T08:55:00.000-04:00

(up)Rooted

What a lovely Saturday today has been so far. This morning, a friend unexpectedly stopped by for a cup of coffee. Then I walked to the city center to run some errands and get a haircut and some groceries. The weather is fine (16C/61F - how symmetrical!) and it seems that everybody in the city is outdoors enjoying it. I ran into several folks that I know in town, in spite of the fact that more than 180,000 people live in this city. These past five years, I have experienced anew that cities don't have to be places of anonymity: there is community here. Days like today make it difficult to leave the Netherlands. I am rooted here. I know people and they know me. Even so, the process of uprooting has already begun: one box of books has already arrived in the US ahead of me, six more are on their way, and I'm looking into tickets back (I may be traveling by boat!). I have two and half more months of Dutch life ahead of me. I plan to enjoy every moment -- well, maybe not every moment, considering the hours of writing left to be done on my thesis. But I'll do my best.

Oh, in case anyone doesn't know: I'm going to be moving to Atlanta in August to study here within this department. Even in the midst of feeling wistful about leaving the NL, I am looking forward to settling in there.

P.S. The title for this blog post was inspired by/stolen from these folks.

P.P.S. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller of Mennonite Mission Network.

2007-04-20T04:56:00.001-04:00

Fresh Readings

David Plotz is blogging the Bible. The whos, whys, and whats can be read here. Props to Brent for sending me the link.

2007-04-18T07:04:00.001-04:00

London 12/12

Each friend represents a world in us,

a world possibly not born until they arrive,

and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.

- Anais Nin

I have blogged about Ancient Near Eastern tablets, flights over the Thames, movies, books and games. But for me, the best part of being in London one month ago was the renewing of friendships (not to mention meeting a few great new people too). In the end, that is what made my vacation a vacation. That is what infused me with energy upon my return, and inspired this series of 12 posts, which is now, finally, complete.

2007-04-16T09:03:00.000-04:00

London 11/12

Well, the penultimate London tidbit to share with you all is my discovery of this London shop, which may perhaps be my favorite place to shop for clothes on earth! (I'm speaking of the shop on Oxford Street, specifically.) There, I indulged in the tunic pictured above. Here in the Netherlands, I like to shop here for clothes and here for everything else.

Where oh where will I shop when I move back to US in just a few months?!? I must focus on the positive: the US beats Europe hands-down when it comes to affordable second-hand stores. So: I will shop at Goodwill. Yes!

2007-04-08T13:41:00.000-04:00

London 10/12

In a few short years, I am hopefully going to be able to read tablets like this.

2007-04-06T03:43:00.000-04:00

London 9/12

More breath-taking artifacts from the British Museum:

Ancient Philistine pottery.

Looks nearly as fun as War on Terror!

2007-04-03T18:13:00.001-04:00

London 8/12

Some board games are more dangerous than others. If you dare play War on Terror, you may end up with Evil plastered all over your forehead. In London, some friends and I spent several hours one Sunday figuring this game out. If I gave board games stars, I would give this one 3 out of 4. Recommended as an entertaining way to get educated about the crazy turn our world has taken. Apparently, WoT's creators, who are peaceniks from Cambridge, have been banned from some game conventions because of the controversy surrounding WoT. Read The Guardian's coverage of the game here.

2007-04-03T06:15:00.000-04:00

Bibliographic Interruption

Please excuse this interruption of the 12-part London series.
I just want to point out my nifty new search widget entitled 'on my bookshelf ' (scroll down, on the right).

Go ahead, search my library. You know you want to!

2007-04-01T10:49:00.000-04:00

London 7/12

I bought two books while in London, received one as a gift and borrowed another.

The first book I bought from Metanoia Books, the book shop affiliated with the London Mennonite Centre, where I was staying: and that book is The Human Being by Walter Wink. The human being Wink writes about is none other than Jesus. This promises to be a provocative book which builds on Wink's Powers Trilogy but ventures beyond what some would consider acceptable Christology. I've only read one chapter, but am already intrigued. As soon as I finish (and the title of the book subsequently appears on one of my new sidebars!), I'll let you know what I think.

The second book I bought for a fiver at a second-hand book market near the Thames: and that book is The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever by Stephen Donaldson. It's actually a compendium containing the first three books of a 10 book series (only 7 of which are currently published). My friend Vic recommended this series to me as some of his favorite books of all time, so I couldn't help but snap this volume up when I discovered it at the market.

The third book Vic gave to me. It is one of his own: Sign of the Manipogo. (It's also available on amazon here.) Vic has written two novels, the second of which is as of yet unpublished. I very much look forward to reading them both!

A book which I borrowed from my hosts and read in its entirety was Short Cuts, a collection of short stories upon which the identically titled movie is based, which I blogged about earlier. I recommend the collection of stories just as highly as the film. Raymond Carver exudes brilliance.

2007-03-31T06:24:00.000-04:00

London 6/12

While in London I spent a mind-blowing day at the British Museum. Most of the aforementioned mind-blowing occurred while encountering artifacts like this one: an ancient Assyrian relief sculpture depicting Israelite captives playing their harps nearby a grove of trees. (Click to enlarge.)

Viewing this image both awed me and broke my heart. I remembered Psalm 137:

By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion.

On the willows there we hung up our harps.

For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? (NRSV)

When I first viewed this piece of art last week, I was impressed by how the faith expressed in the Hebrew scriptures was grounded in concrete, earthy experiences - many of which were tragic. Here is a portrayal of Israelite musicians: conquered, captive and marginalized as 'the other'. I could only gaze in sadness and wonder as the real, lived experience behind this artifact (and the psalm) leapt forward, demanding my attention. Today, as I think back to my afternoon in the museum, I wonder about the real, lived experiences of the 'captives' in Western societies. I chose to emigrate to Holland; many immigrants leave their homeland against their will. In what ways are they required to sing their songs in order to 'entertain' the powerful majority? In what ways do we use others to satiate our own 'need' for mirth? By refusing to take seriously those who are different, how do we impoverish our own souls?

2007-03-28T18:36:00.001-04:00

London 5/12

While in London I was enthralled by Kathy's stories about her experiences in Israel/Palestine with a Christian Peacemaker Team delegation from 20 November to 1 December 2006. (Krista participated in a similar delegation in January of this year.) Check out photos of Kathy's amazing journey here.

2007-03-28T18:24:00.000-04:00

London 4/12

Hold your own movie night, just like my London friends.
Use these questions as a guide.
Read more about Vic's perspective on film here.

2007-03-27T19:53:00.000-04:00

London 3/12

Top: Janelle and me.

Bottom: Heather, me, Kathy, Vic.

2007-03-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

London 2/12

My week in London was filled with good things, some of which were movies. The friends I was visiting (named Vic, Kathy and Janelle -- photo forthcoming) are enthusiastic about films, to put it mildly. Every Saturday, they host a movie night; we watched Half Nelson. Vic's brother Walter references it briefly here, in the inaugural post of the blog authored by both Vic and Walter. A couple of days later, several of us watched Short Cuts, my first Robert Altman film besides Gosford Park. Short Cuts is based on the writing of Raymond Carver, whose short story Cathedral is one of my favorite short stories of all time (although Short Cuts did not draw upon Cathedral). The next day Vic and I went to the cinema to see Inland Empire, which Vic reviews here. Additionally, the lot of us watched several episodes of Northern Exposure on DVD.

My one-sentence reactions to these various cinematographic experiences?

1. I recommend Half Nelson, which I found to be ultimately hopeful and quite funny in places. However, the hope is framed by a postmodern bleakness which some in our group didn't find believable.
2. I highly recommend Short Cuts, which I found equal parts energizing and sobering, and which is a stirring interpretation of Raymond Carver's work.
3. I side with Vic on Inland Empire: I don't regret seeing it, but I wouldn't necessarily see it again (at least not for a very long time). I wouldn't recommend seeing it unless you are in the mood for a (mostly) inaccessible work of art (for art it is!) which (largely) substitutes images and impressions for plot and character. It does have some good quotes, like what Nikki said about the men she had been seeing:

Some men change. Well, they don't change - they reveal. They reveal themselves over time, you know?

4. Northern Exposure is great TV. If you can get your hands on the DVD, watch it.

2007-03-22T18:06:00.000-04:00

London 1/12

Tonight I returned from a week's vacation in London. It was fabulous. I have resolved to post 12 times about it, starting now. My deadline is 12 days from now. 12 posts, 12 days. Let's see if I can do it.

The first of the twelve: a photo essay, which I like to call Self-Portrait on Millenium Bridge X4 (aka The Thames and I). Bonus points for non-London readers who can identify Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and Blackfriars Bridge in the backgrounds.

Related pieces include:

Self-Portrait in Miniature, with River and Bridge

Self-Portrait at Gabriel's Wharf, Amongst Woodland Creatures

Self-Portrait, Airborn, Passing Big Ben

2007-03-09T18:12:00.000-05:00

Welcome New Bloggers
Two friends of mine have started blogging.
Why don't you visit Brent -- whose blog is nothing if not eclectic -- and Vic and his brother Walter -- who blog about movies? Tell them Jackie sent you.

2007-02-16T10:57:00.000-05:00

This little guy made me a Great Aunt today!

Welcome to the world, Aiden Daniel!
I can't wait to meet you.

2007-02-07T04:57:00.000-05:00

Another nifty euro company...

...from which I purchased an umbrella.

Reisenthel

2007-01-30T09:14:00.000-05:00

Retro Amsterdam

I recently purchased a couple of nifty bags designed by this retro Amsterdam company, and this one too. They use mostly vintage fabrics from the 1960's and 70's. Check 'em out. If you're as addicted to bags as I am, these websites should be a treat and a half for you. If you're in the Amsterdam area, be forewarned: the quaint shop on the Haarlemmerstraat that sells both companies' products is closed on Tuesdays and Sundays, even though their website indicates otherwise! If you don't live in the Netherlands, they deliver to your door for fairly reasonable prices.

2007-01-25T05:56:00.001-05:00

Stories from Hebron

I've mentioned Krista's blog before, but I want to mention it again, as she just spent a couple of weeks in Hebron with Christian Peacemaker Teams and has quite the story to tell.

2007-01-22T16:38:00.000-05:00

Odds and Ends

For some great blogging about the vacation I enjoyed with my parents, Tammy the Hippie and Shok the German, see Tammy's blog. There are pictures too!

For a random glimpse into my library, check out the new widget near the bottom of the sidebar (scroll down).

polderpalooza

And she's back!

With Bells On

Weekly Wordle

Back, with measuring cups

Done

*cue scary theme music*

Serenity

Flikr Magic!

Wordle 3

Wordle 2

Weekly Wordle

Procrastination Revelation

If...

Pleased and Dazed

To Suffer Damage

Latest LOL

Won't you mooch with me?

Caroline Herring

Weekly Worldle

I am Bohemian Rhapsody

Happy Birthday ...

Latest LOL

Advice, Unsolicited

What's your favorite ABBA song?

Calling All Fans ....

Seminar Paper Wordle

Special Delivery

In the Midst of Studying Hebrew ....

Yay Blogger!

Design Tips

Today's Sermon

Wordle

I Believe!

Me, Again

Me, museumified

cue scary theme music