Adventures in bloomers…

For those of you familiar with my horribly un-green thumb, you’ll be pleased to know that a green leafy plant I bought now has TWO pretty white flowers on it. It’s the first time I’ve bought a plant without flowers that has actually grown some. Very good sign.

In other news, I just finished reading John Stackhouse’s book Timbit Nation: A Hitchhikers view of Canada. (John Stackhouse from the Globe and Mail, not from Regent College). It provided an interesting appraisal of Canadians and their country. I’ve met many people who have much in common with the nice (and some not-so-nice) folks who gave him a lift. It also made me a little nostalgic for the Canada of my youth…and oddly enough, the Canada of my parents’ and grandparents’ youth. Is it possible to be nostalgic for something you haven’t experienced? [ I suppose if Soul Asylum can be homesick for a home they’ve never had, I can be nostalgic for a past I’ve never had]. I’ve just put it down, and am sleepy, so I don’t actually have much else to say about it. As with most books, it usually takes me a day or two to process, then I likely won’t bother writing about it again. (Unless it’s for a course, and I have a paper due.)

I’ve now plucked “The Queen of the South” off the communal shelf, but I know nothing about it. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow if it’s worth going beyond the first chapter.

Adventures in Surprising Combinations…

Before I actually get to the purpose of this post, I thought it would be nice to tell you all how lovely it was to fall asleep last night. My bedroom window was open, so I could hear rain pounding against my balcony windows, in a soothing swoosh,swoosh, drip, splat sort of way. My room was full of the sweet aroma of my blooming Jasmine plant, and crisp fabric-softener softened pillow cases. It was just one of those super-pleasant, spring is coming kind of sleeps. Ahhhh.

This morning, when I woke up and checked my e-mail, I discovered an advertisement forwarded by one of the other teachers. To might delight, a Mexican restaurant has opened in Gyeongsan (very close to my home!) and as I perused the menu, I was astonished to find poutine on the menu of a Mexican restaurant. Apparently, one of the co-owners is Canadian, and couldn’t resist adding it to the menu. I hope to go try it out sometime this week. I’ll let you know how it is!

Adventures in Revolutions…

Back at the beginning of February, I mentioned I was reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. If you have ever been frustrated, put off, or disenchanted with the Christian Church in North America, it’s well worth the read. I should have been finished it long ago, but I put it down for a while to stew. I picked it up again last weekend, and was struck by this quote from Kaj Munk, a Danish pastor killed by the Gestapo in 1944:

“… remember the signs of the Christian Church have been the Lion, the Lamb, the Dove, and the Fish … but never the chameleon.”

I fear that in an attempt to seem more appealing, the church in North America has become a chameleon. Some are changing to seem trendy and hip, others to become more like the glossy mega-churches who place a higher value on a new sound system than they do on feeding the poor, or fighting for justice in their own neighbourhoods. Just a thought.