This blog title might be deceiving - it sounds like my post will be more philosophical and profound than it really will be... talking abstractly about the journey I've been on. Sorry, that's not what it's about!
I know my posts have been scarce lately - sorry to those who keep looking for updates! Things have been busier than I thought they would be. Things at school really picked up for a few days - between teaching, grading, basketball (practice and conditioning), writing workshop, and other little things that come along, I have actually felt very busy with school lately.
But the most time consuming project has been the work I'm still doing for PhD program applications. Although the applications were finished and submitted in December, the process requires continual effort even after the applications have been sent. Starting in January and continuing to this day I have been having phone interviews with professors and students at a number of schools. At the height of it all, I was having 1-2 interviews on the phone each day. That may not sound like much, but when it's in the midst of everything else, when it required switching my brain quickly from Liberia to one PhD program to another PhD program, it became really draining. Most of my online time has been spent responding to emails, reading about programs and professors and students and cities, etc.
The good news, however, is that all of the work has not been in vain! I have heard back from all but one school, and am waiting on a final decision from one other. Here's the quick rundown for those interested:
UVA: We talked and decided we were not the best fit for each other - aka, did not get an offer.
Georgetown: The only formal rejection to date.
Penn State University: Accepted, but I have officially declined that offer
Michigan State University: Accepted
Vanderbilt: Accepted
NC State: Accepted
NYU: Accepted
University of Illinois - Chicago: Interviewed, should hear a decision this week or the next.
University of Michigan: No word, but that's OK... I like my other offers :)
So now I'm coming down to decision-making time, which might prove to be the toughest part of this whole process yet. I'm not complaining - having to decide between all the amazing schools is a wonderful dilemma to have... but it's the next 4-5 years of my life, so I want to end up in the right place. The good news is, I don't think there's a wrong place, and no matter where I go I'll have moments when I'll wonder what my life would be like if I went somewhere else. It's crazy and a little stressful and so exciting all at once - I'll update again when I make a final decision.
We are down to just a little over 3 months left here in Liberia (we're pretty sure we're leaving June 11th), so I will try to be more faithful in posting here. In the meantime, I'm trying not to spend too much time thinking about next fall and concentrate my attention as much as I can on the amazing place I'm already in and enjoying every moment of life in the LIB!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
It's Gonna Be a Hot One
One of the great things about living in one place for (almost) a year is that you get to experience that place in every season - not just a week or a few months out of a year. For example, I lived in the Netherlands one year from August to December. I got to experience a touch of summer, the fullness of fall, and even flirted briefly with winter. I was able to experience a decent sampling, but ultimately I totally missed the spring, which I hear is the best time to be in the Netherlands (think fields of tulips).
Coming to Liberia, I knew that I could expect warm weather year round, but I was anxious to see how that played out and all the subtleties and fluctuations of Liberian weather. I grew up in Florida, a tropical weather locale, so I imagined it would be much the same. Mostly warm and humid, but slight changes and occasional spurts of something a little different.
Today I am here to report that Liberia truly does have 2 seasons, at best. Largely referred to as Rainy season and Dry season, I have come to think of them as two parts of the same season: "wet and hot" and "no rain and hot". Rainy season begins sometime in the spring... I have heard estimates as early as March and as late as July, and lasts throughout the summer until October or November. During the rainy season the rain is almost constant. There are reprieves now and then, but to see the sun is rare and to have a whole day without rain is even more unlikely. I expected the rainy season to be somewhat cool, but after experiencing it I would describe it as "less hot." The most striking thing about the Rainy season is the humidity... it is unreal!! Mold grows on walls in a matter of days, and even a container of Morton salt left on the counter quickly disintegrated due to moisture.
Once the rain clouds move out, the sun moves in and dry season has arrived. Dry season is less humid, although still muggy. The sun is strong and it feels like my skin is burning after about 1 minute standing outside without sunscreen; after all, Liberia is only about 6 degrees off the equator. Dry season is very, very dry - it literally does not rain for the entirety of dry season, and it is very strange if even a few drops happen to fall. Dry season begins when rainy season ends - sometime around November, and goes until the rains come back. I hear that March is the hottest, so I'm really not too excited about March.
Despite my naturally warm-natured disposition (I get hot too easily) and the constant heat which leads to constant sweating, I do love Liberia... but that doesn't mean I wouldn't change her climate a little if I could. On days when I'm sitting on a beautiful beach in January looking out over the crystal clear water and admiring the bold black rocks along the shore, I really can't complain. That said, if some of you in the South want to ship some of your snow over here, I'm sure we could all benefit from an averaging of our extreme temperatures!
Coming to Liberia, I knew that I could expect warm weather year round, but I was anxious to see how that played out and all the subtleties and fluctuations of Liberian weather. I grew up in Florida, a tropical weather locale, so I imagined it would be much the same. Mostly warm and humid, but slight changes and occasional spurts of something a little different.
Today I am here to report that Liberia truly does have 2 seasons, at best. Largely referred to as Rainy season and Dry season, I have come to think of them as two parts of the same season: "wet and hot" and "no rain and hot". Rainy season begins sometime in the spring... I have heard estimates as early as March and as late as July, and lasts throughout the summer until October or November. During the rainy season the rain is almost constant. There are reprieves now and then, but to see the sun is rare and to have a whole day without rain is even more unlikely. I expected the rainy season to be somewhat cool, but after experiencing it I would describe it as "less hot." The most striking thing about the Rainy season is the humidity... it is unreal!! Mold grows on walls in a matter of days, and even a container of Morton salt left on the counter quickly disintegrated due to moisture.
Once the rain clouds move out, the sun moves in and dry season has arrived. Dry season is less humid, although still muggy. The sun is strong and it feels like my skin is burning after about 1 minute standing outside without sunscreen; after all, Liberia is only about 6 degrees off the equator. Dry season is very, very dry - it literally does not rain for the entirety of dry season, and it is very strange if even a few drops happen to fall. Dry season begins when rainy season ends - sometime around November, and goes until the rains come back. I hear that March is the hottest, so I'm really not too excited about March.
Despite my naturally warm-natured disposition (I get hot too easily) and the constant heat which leads to constant sweating, I do love Liberia... but that doesn't mean I wouldn't change her climate a little if I could. On days when I'm sitting on a beautiful beach in January looking out over the crystal clear water and admiring the bold black rocks along the shore, I really can't complain. That said, if some of you in the South want to ship some of your snow over here, I'm sure we could all benefit from an averaging of our extreme temperatures!
Friday, February 5, 2010
I'm Still Here!
Hello faithful readers. Sorry I have not been a faithful blogger. After Passport ended, things seem to have stayed really busy and I just haven't made the time to write in a while. Not to say there's nothing to write about - I have lots of ideas, it's just a matter of getting them out of my head and onto this blog!
In the meantime, I thought I would post a quick update. We are now wrapping up the third week of fourth period, which is hard to believe. Two more weeks and then we are testing once again! Classes are going pretty well, and I'm hoping to continue to see improvement in my students throughout this semester. More than anything, I hope to see increased critical thinking. I just want my students to think about what they're doing, not just to do things because someone else said to do so.
Last week (Jan 25 - 30) was spent in Ghana, another West African country about 2 countries east of Liberia. Ghana has not had the setbacks caused by civil war that Liberia has experienced, so Ghana is more developed than Liberia. We (Ann Elizabeth, Ottolee Menjay and me) spent the week in the capital city of Accra, which is actually really really big! We flew in at night and AE and I were amazed by how far the lights stretched out over the land - as far as we could see! Sadly, on the way to the airport to leave for Ghana I started feeling bad and by the time I went to bed the first night felt awful. Turns out I had Malaria, which sounds very scary and can be if not treated, but is not too bad when you are quickly treated. So I went to the doctor and was tested and treated the next day, but much to my frustration, I never did feel 100% while in Ghana, resulting in a less adventuresome spirit and far fewer "I want to see and experience everything" activities. On the bright side, it could have been much worse and I was able to see a good bit of the city. In places it looks much like Liberia, but in other places in looks more like an American or European city. There are multi-lane, wide, nicely paved streets and an advanced system of traffic lights, roundabouts, highways, etc. We even got to go to a mall one day, do some shopping, and see a movie in an actual movie theater!!
The other downside of the trip to Ghana was that at the end of it, Ann Elizabeth had to go back to the States for a few weeks. While in Ghana she was able to see a doctor about a small problem she noticed, and the doctor recommended she go back to the States to see another doctor and possibly have a small procedure. So AE is now back in FL/AL and getting things taken care of as quickly as possible. She is doing fine, and the problem is not an immediate danger - just something that needed to be taken care of. She should be back here in Liberia by Feb. 22nd at the latest, but perhaps even sooner if possible.
In the meantime, I am back at Ricks and finally getting back in to the routine of teaching, basketball, and everything else that goes on here. We had a basketball game yesterday which we won - due to forfeit, but we won all the same ;) There was a group here from First Baptist Columbus, GA from Jan. 25 - Feb. 3, so I was able to spend a little bit of time getting to know them. One member of the team is actually staying for 2 additional weeks, so I think we will help to keep each other company while we are each living on our own! Currently I am very grateful it is Friday and am looking forward to a weekend of rest and fun as I spend a couple days in town with friends.
I will try to update more - thank you all for sticking with me through this journey!
In the meantime, I thought I would post a quick update. We are now wrapping up the third week of fourth period, which is hard to believe. Two more weeks and then we are testing once again! Classes are going pretty well, and I'm hoping to continue to see improvement in my students throughout this semester. More than anything, I hope to see increased critical thinking. I just want my students to think about what they're doing, not just to do things because someone else said to do so.
Last week (Jan 25 - 30) was spent in Ghana, another West African country about 2 countries east of Liberia. Ghana has not had the setbacks caused by civil war that Liberia has experienced, so Ghana is more developed than Liberia. We (Ann Elizabeth, Ottolee Menjay and me) spent the week in the capital city of Accra, which is actually really really big! We flew in at night and AE and I were amazed by how far the lights stretched out over the land - as far as we could see! Sadly, on the way to the airport to leave for Ghana I started feeling bad and by the time I went to bed the first night felt awful. Turns out I had Malaria, which sounds very scary and can be if not treated, but is not too bad when you are quickly treated. So I went to the doctor and was tested and treated the next day, but much to my frustration, I never did feel 100% while in Ghana, resulting in a less adventuresome spirit and far fewer "I want to see and experience everything" activities. On the bright side, it could have been much worse and I was able to see a good bit of the city. In places it looks much like Liberia, but in other places in looks more like an American or European city. There are multi-lane, wide, nicely paved streets and an advanced system of traffic lights, roundabouts, highways, etc. We even got to go to a mall one day, do some shopping, and see a movie in an actual movie theater!!
The other downside of the trip to Ghana was that at the end of it, Ann Elizabeth had to go back to the States for a few weeks. While in Ghana she was able to see a doctor about a small problem she noticed, and the doctor recommended she go back to the States to see another doctor and possibly have a small procedure. So AE is now back in FL/AL and getting things taken care of as quickly as possible. She is doing fine, and the problem is not an immediate danger - just something that needed to be taken care of. She should be back here in Liberia by Feb. 22nd at the latest, but perhaps even sooner if possible.
In the meantime, I am back at Ricks and finally getting back in to the routine of teaching, basketball, and everything else that goes on here. We had a basketball game yesterday which we won - due to forfeit, but we won all the same ;) There was a group here from First Baptist Columbus, GA from Jan. 25 - Feb. 3, so I was able to spend a little bit of time getting to know them. One member of the team is actually staying for 2 additional weeks, so I think we will help to keep each other company while we are each living on our own! Currently I am very grateful it is Friday and am looking forward to a weekend of rest and fun as I spend a couple days in town with friends.
I will try to update more - thank you all for sticking with me through this journey!
Friday, January 22, 2010
I Give In - I'll be a Tourist for One Day
We started off the journey at the site of the Hotel Africa. Hotel Africa was built for the 1979 OAU (Organization for African Unity) Conference and was the first 5 star hotel in Africa. It was probably 8 stories tall, located right on the beach with a view looking toward the Freeport and central Monrovia, and even a pool in the shape of Africa. Sadly, the hotel was completely destroyed during the war, I believe sometime in the 1990s. We had seen this hotel from a distance when we first arrived in Liberia but had not had the chance to see it up close until this weekend. We were actually able to walk around inside the hollow shell of a building. It was so strange to be in this building and see remnants of what it once was - a shard of beautiful tile on the floor; the bare bones of a once gourmet kitchen; the now algae ridden water in the old pool; statues of elephants both missing trunks. As I made my way carefully through this seemingly alternate reality, I think I was suddenly very aware of the reality of war and the extent of this particular war's destruction and decimation of the land. My heart felt heavy in my chest, and I just kept asking myself, "God, how can we do this to one another?"
From Hotel Africa we drove to the nearby Unity Conference Center, once home to Liberia's House of Representatives. The conference center is now only used on a limited basis, and is still in tact. The biggest problem the conference center experienced was looting. Luckily, this structure was not hit by the rockets and missiles that took out Hotel Africa. We were lucky enough to get a short tour inside the Conference Center where I was most impressed with the artwork hanging on the wall - see my pictures to see it for yourself!
After hotel Africa we took a break to grab lunch at a Barbecue place in town - really good!! - and then ice cream. We drove past Liberia's capital hill, the executive mansion (comparable to USA's White House), Court House, etc., and then made our way up to the highest point in Liberia and home to another formerly great hotel in Liberia, Ducor International. Ducor opened sometime in the mid-50s and was also quite a beautiful hotel in its heyday. I think the highlight for me of Ducor was the view. Standing on the patio area on the second floor, we could see out over the ocean, parts of Monrovia (all of Bushrod Island), the Freeport, even back toward Hotel Africa (where we earlier stood looking toward Ducor!). It was an incredible view, and so interesting to be able to look out over Monrovia from an aerial vantage point. We also had the pleasure of meeting a man named Moses there who began working for Ducor in 1976 and worked his way up to head of security before the hotel shut down. Moses was even able to show us a brochure preserved from sometime in the 80s, I believe, showing all the amenities Ducor once offered. Although not in ruins they way hotel Africa was, Ducor was still a reminder than no structure in Monrovia was untouched by the war - even the seemingly impenetrable. Please see my pictures - they describe way better than I can!
After Ducor we went into town and were uber-tourists: we went to an area by the American Embassy where they sell lots of souvenirs, crafts, etc., and bought some fun keepsakes. After that we walked around Benson Street, the place to go for clothes, fabric, etc. We even had time to visit Providence Baptist Church, the church founded by the freed slaves who landed in Liberia in 1822. Parts of the sanctuary we visited - the walls, the pulpit, the bench behind the pulpit - have been there since the church's founding in the 1820s. We were lucky enough to catch one of the church's staff members there who was able to give us a tour - it was like stepping into history!
After that, we were all exhausted and went to meet up with Olu for dinner. We had a good time just sitting around, talking, sharing stories and ideas and dreams, and generally enjoying one another's company! It was a long day - especially after a week of camp - but overall very educational, interesting, and definitely thought provoking.
Did I mention you should check out my pictures (I'm uploading as I type this!): http://picasaweb.google.com/holly.wegman/ATourOfMonrovia#
Monday, January 18, 2010
Free for All!
It is hard to believe it is already Monday and we are back in school! The long Christmas break - 4 whole weeks - seems to have really flown by. But no time has passed by quite as quickly as our week hosting Passport Liberia here on Ricks' campus. We had almost 100 students share in a week of learning and fun and worship and work and general craziness (in the good sense, of course) here in Liberia.
I don't really know where to begin to summarize our week of camp. So much happened! Sunday was our opening day; the campers arrived, registered, and settled in to the girls' and boys' dorms. For some of them, this was quite normal; for others, however, staying in the dorm was a new and exciting experience. That evening after dinner we all gathered together for Opening Celebration, a time of excitement and celebration of the week we are preparing to share. Afterward, the campers met with their Bible study groups for the first time - groups consisting of girls and boys from all different grade levels, many of whom would not typically spend much time together during the regular school year. After Bible study time we gathered together again for Vespers, a short worship service to prepare ourselves for all that God would teach us throughout the week.
The next 4 days were packed! We all gathered together for morning celebration to begin each day. It amazed me how much energy the campers seemed to have each morning - genuine energy, not energy feigned to give the appearance of excitement. From there campers would spend the morning and afternoon in three different activities: Bible study, recreation (low ropes course), and missions.
Each day in Bible studies the campers learned about a different freedom: freedom from the need to prove themselves, freedom from shame, using their freedom to free others, and freedom to become who God has created them to be. Out on the ropes course, the students had to work together to accomplish a number of challenging tasks. They had to trust one another, work as a team, and think creatively about solutions to seemingly impossible problems. I was amazed by how well everyone did on the ropes course and believe that there were definitely some life lessons learned out there! For our mission projects, the students were building incinerators of red brick and mortar (a mix of dirt, cement, and water) where trash from the campus can be burned (it is currently thrown in the bushes or piled on the ground and slowly burned in an open fire). Although the incinerators (3 total) were not completed during the week, significant progress was made and the students at Ricks will work to finish these projects over the next few weeks. These new structures will certainly help us to be free from trash!
Each night we all played together at a party - "rec party" on night one (fun running around outside), a dance on night two, learning the Grand March (a traditional Liberian dance) on night three, and a variety show (Ricks' Idol) on night 4. The campers really had a blast at these, and it was fun for me to be able to dance with some of my students and have them see me outside of the role of "strict Ms. Wegman" for a few days!
We also celebrated in worship every night, singing songs, praying new prayers, hearing scripture, and learning from sermons preached by a different person each night. I even had the opportunity to preach one night - a first for me, but an experience I definitely enjoyed. Worship was truly moving. There were moments when I would begin to feel frustrated because worship did not look exactly like I thought it should - it was noisy and somewhat chaotic, not quiet and reverent as I often think of worship. But the noise and the energy and the soul that went into each night made worship a truly meaningful and essential part of Passport. I hope the campers were able to experience God in a new way each night through a new and different kind of worship - I know I did.
Finally on Friday we wrapped up with a short Bible study and a celebration of all that happened throughout the week. We sang some favorite songs from camp (YMCA was amazingly popular!!) and gave final challenges to the campers. We closed by taking lots of pictures in front of the school and saying our goodbyes.
Passport Liberia 2010 seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye, similar to my overall time here in Liberia. But it was a truly great week spent discovering the freedom each of us have in Christ. Check out my page on Picasa for pictures (and more on the way ASAP!)!!
I don't really know where to begin to summarize our week of camp. So much happened! Sunday was our opening day; the campers arrived, registered, and settled in to the girls' and boys' dorms. For some of them, this was quite normal; for others, however, staying in the dorm was a new and exciting experience. That evening after dinner we all gathered together for Opening Celebration, a time of excitement and celebration of the week we are preparing to share. Afterward, the campers met with their Bible study groups for the first time - groups consisting of girls and boys from all different grade levels, many of whom would not typically spend much time together during the regular school year. After Bible study time we gathered together again for Vespers, a short worship service to prepare ourselves for all that God would teach us throughout the week.
The next 4 days were packed! We all gathered together for morning celebration to begin each day. It amazed me how much energy the campers seemed to have each morning - genuine energy, not energy feigned to give the appearance of excitement. From there campers would spend the morning and afternoon in three different activities: Bible study, recreation (low ropes course), and missions.
Each day in Bible studies the campers learned about a different freedom: freedom from the need to prove themselves, freedom from shame, using their freedom to free others, and freedom to become who God has created them to be. Out on the ropes course, the students had to work together to accomplish a number of challenging tasks. They had to trust one another, work as a team, and think creatively about solutions to seemingly impossible problems. I was amazed by how well everyone did on the ropes course and believe that there were definitely some life lessons learned out there! For our mission projects, the students were building incinerators of red brick and mortar (a mix of dirt, cement, and water) where trash from the campus can be burned (it is currently thrown in the bushes or piled on the ground and slowly burned in an open fire). Although the incinerators (3 total) were not completed during the week, significant progress was made and the students at Ricks will work to finish these projects over the next few weeks. These new structures will certainly help us to be free from trash!
Each night we all played together at a party - "rec party" on night one (fun running around outside), a dance on night two, learning the Grand March (a traditional Liberian dance) on night three, and a variety show (Ricks' Idol) on night 4. The campers really had a blast at these, and it was fun for me to be able to dance with some of my students and have them see me outside of the role of "strict Ms. Wegman" for a few days!
We also celebrated in worship every night, singing songs, praying new prayers, hearing scripture, and learning from sermons preached by a different person each night. I even had the opportunity to preach one night - a first for me, but an experience I definitely enjoyed. Worship was truly moving. There were moments when I would begin to feel frustrated because worship did not look exactly like I thought it should - it was noisy and somewhat chaotic, not quiet and reverent as I often think of worship. But the noise and the energy and the soul that went into each night made worship a truly meaningful and essential part of Passport. I hope the campers were able to experience God in a new way each night through a new and different kind of worship - I know I did.
Finally on Friday we wrapped up with a short Bible study and a celebration of all that happened throughout the week. We sang some favorite songs from camp (YMCA was amazingly popular!!) and gave final challenges to the campers. We closed by taking lots of pictures in front of the school and saying our goodbyes.
Passport Liberia 2010 seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye, similar to my overall time here in Liberia. But it was a truly great week spent discovering the freedom each of us have in Christ. Check out my page on Picasa for pictures (and more on the way ASAP!)!!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Passport Liberia 2010
This will be just a short post to give you all a quick update.... the reason my post must be so short is that we are currently in the midst of Passport Liberia 2010!!
Many of you might know about Passport from the States, but if you haven't ever heard of it, it's a Christian youth/kids camp... you can check in out at passportcamps.org
This week we are having camp here at Ricks. Right now we have almost 100 youth and 12 staff - 6 American and 6 Liberian. Camp started on Sunday and will continue until Friday afternoon. I'll update with more details as soon as I can - but I wanted to let you all know about this very exciting time at Ricks!
Many of you might know about Passport from the States, but if you haven't ever heard of it, it's a Christian youth/kids camp... you can check in out at passportcamps.org
This week we are having camp here at Ricks. Right now we have almost 100 youth and 12 staff - 6 American and 6 Liberian. Camp started on Sunday and will continue until Friday afternoon. I'll update with more details as soon as I can - but I wanted to let you all know about this very exciting time at Ricks!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
New Year, New Adventures, New Friends
The days in 2010, however, have been a bit more exciting. We made some new friends last Sunday (friends of a friend of Ann Elizabeth), and they invited us to hang out in Monrovia for a few days. They are all here working on construction of the new US Embassy in town, and they are all, strangely, from Birmingham (where Ann Elizabeth lives). We went over to their compound in town on Friday and spent the evening grilling out and watching/attempting to watch some college bowl games on TV.
Saturday morning we woke up early and headed out to Bong County (in the heart of Liberia) to see a waterfall. It was a 4 hour drive, about 3 hours of which were on pothole covered paved roads and about 1 hour was on a bumpy dirt road. It was a long nauseating drive, but seeing more of the country including a beautiful waterfall was well worth it. The waterfall was beautiful and was surrounded by enormous trees - not quite the size of Redwoods but darn close. When we arrived there was another group already there, and we all awkwardly stared at each other from afar until we finally started talking... turns out they were mostly Peace Corp volunteers from all around Liberia. There were about 10 people in their group, and we sat on rocks in the midst of the waterfall, enjoying the sun and good conversation with one another. They were all in their bathing suits and finally I decided I couldn't resist - did a quick change behind a rock and swam at the base of the waterfall. It was quite cold, but in the heat of the sun it felt amazing. We finished the day off with some packed PB&J sandwiches, chips, cookies and brownies. Then we headed back for Monrovia, a long drive that would have been much worse had it not been for good conversation with new friends. That evening we just hung out at our friends' compound, ate pizza, watched TV, and continued to talk for hours.
One thing that has amazed me, throughout my time here but especially in the last few days, is how readily and completely people have befriended us and taken us in. From the moment we arrived at Ricks, the entire community became our surrogate family. Now these new friends - people we met only a week ago - have been amazingly hospitable and welcoming. We have spent two nights with them, been fed, been given hot showers and air conditioning and all those little amenities that seem small but also feel like home. Each person we have met - from strangers at a waterfall to mutual friends to people we meet along the path at Ricks - has been nothing but warm and kind and loving. I feel as if we live in a place where you never meet a stranger - southern hospitality to the max. This is something I will miss terribly when we leave.
So far the new year - both 2010 year and my 25th year - have brought nothing but goodness and fun and adventure. I am grateful already.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
