I really didn't want to sit where I am sitting because I have nothing to lean on without falling off the seat. At least I'm not with complete strangers this time. But if I really wanted a comfy seat for napping, I feel like I'd have to sit by the window. Oh well. At least I can stretch my legs out.
Currently we're on our way back to SAU. We're in Michigan, but still about two hours away from school. The ipods are out, and everyone is basically asleep.
Can I go on a rant about that real quick?
It's my blog, so I really shouldn't have to ask. If you don't want to read about it or listen to it, then skip over it. It's really not that hard to do, but at least give me the chance to let out my frustration over this stupid thing.
My professor told us that in the vans she expected us to either be sleeping or talking to one another. That means no texting and no ipods. Ok, so two things about this, 1. My professor isn't hardcore, crazy strict. She's actually really fun, but she wanted us to be communicating with everyone and getting to know people. 2. I'm not in my professor's van. So naturally we can get away with things. Why am I included in that "we?" I really shouldn't be considering the fact that I'm only guilty of a few texts here and there. I didn't bring my ipod because I figured I could keep myself entertained. Apparently I didn't get the memo because almost everyone in this van right now is on an ipod. Dumb you guys, really dumb. I associate this trip being in some ways like Cedar Bend. You do not need your ipod and you certainly don't need to get on Facebook. You're not going to die. Frankly I didn't need my cellphone either. I think of my cellphone as being used for mostly emergencies and as my clock. The whole ipod thing kinda annoys me. To me (and I probably am guilty of it at times too (except today!)), it's almosst as rude as eating inn front of someone who doesn't have food at say a restaurant (it's polite, you know to wait until everyone at your table has their food). It's like, "Hey, look at me! I have an ipod and you don't!" It's rude really. I kinda wanted to check Facebook this weekend on someone's ipod, but I didn't ask just figuring no one would let me (and I really don't want what I just said to start an explosion of arguments or something because really that wasn't my intent). But hey, that's just an assumption. Now I could probably go on and on about how rude and selfish ipods are (mind you, I do have one too), but I think this rant has been long enough.
I think I need a nap.
Oh hello Spring Arbor University. No, I'm not really particularly excited to be back at school.
So what did happen this weekend?
So you know, I just realized something. I don't know if I'm actually allowed to say what happened this weekend because what happens in Chicago stays in Chicago. Please? Please tell us? I don't know if I'm actually allowed to. Actually I think I might blow up if I don't say anything. This is the best way for me to let it all out.
Where to start? At the beginning? In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth...that's not what I meant. But I do have a question that I just realized. In the beginning, did God create Hell too? I don't think the Bible specifies that. I'm seriously just wondering.
Ok, so I had to get up at the butt crack of dawn (I know such a lovely phrase and I totally stole it from Shelby) on Friday. I also got about 4 hours of sleep Thursday night. Oh lovely. And you know why? I could have gone to bed. I really could have. But then two people who will remain nameless decided that they were going to watch The Backup Plan (GOAT NOISES!) at 1:30 in the morning and decided to make me stay up with them. Needless to say, I went to bed at two and got up at six. It was painful. I didn't get my sleep deprivation headache though, so that's good.
I tried sleeping in the van, but that was a major fail, so we played games instead. Let's just say that I fail at singing songs like Ke$ha's Your Love Is My Drug. Is it really my fault that to me it doesn't sound like she's singing "your love" three times? It totally does not sound like that to me. Jump in my shoes for a second and listen to it from my ears. It really does sound like "because yes, your love, your love is my drug." It doesn't sound like the other way. I'm so disappointed in myself, so annoyed, and completely humiliated (even though I probably shouldn't be). And how did I learn this? We played this game in the van where we turn up the volume of an ipod and sing whatever song it is playing, but we have to know the lyrics pretty well. I don't think I will be playing that game again anytime soon.
When we got to Chicago, we went straight to a Hispanic neighborhood to talk to a pastor. It was really boring...well, ok, it was interesting to a point, but I was falling asleep due to my lack of sleep. The pastor talked about how his church is on the border of many different gangs. That kinda freaked me out. Is it dangerous for us visitors to walk down the streets then? No, we're actually probably the safest. They do have street fights that the church people go out and get involved in. I guess the philosophy is, would you rather be scared to death praying for an answer or out there trying to help out the situation? I don't know. It was kinda weird. In the basement, they had a boxing ring where they actually teach kids to box and fight. Surprisingly enough the kids don't want to fight and do gang stuff when being taught because they could get kicked out of the program for fighting out in the streets. The pastor also meets with the gang leaders altogether from time to time and they're all cool with each other. Who would have thought? That is just so cool.
Next we went to get lunch. We had Chicago style pizza, which I'm really not a fan of I've learned. I don't like the fact that they put the sauce above the cheese. It's just not right to me. Of course, I do hail from the cheese over the sauce land, so I'm not judging. It was just different and not what I'm used to. But you know different is good at times because it's good to try new things from time to time.
After lunch, we toured yet another church where we actually went to today. That put me to sleep. Actually I think everyone was falling asleep.
So then we rode the El to the hostel where we stayed. It was actually a very nice hostel. I heard some people talking about how their parents said to watch out in some hostels. This one was for international students and such. There were 8 girls in one room and another 8 in a different room. The guys all stayed together. The guy to girl ratio in this class is just not good. Haha, but the guys we do have are pretty cool. The beds were really comfy.
We had three people from other cores join our group because they can't go with their own group, and I'm sad that they aren't in our core anymore because they are such cool people.
Friday night, we went to dinner at a place I can't remember the name of yet they had a really good chocolate cake shake, which was chocolate cake blended in with a milkshake. So good!
As we were walking to the subway, a bunch of cyclists passed us yelling, "Happy Friday!" to us. It was really cool. I think we should do that in Spring Arbor. That would be pretty epic (NOT!) because we'd have like 10 people doing it. Friday night was my first experience with a subway and the El train too.
The play we saw was good. It was called the Invasion of Skokie. It was about Neo-Nazis coming to Skokie, Illinois in 1978. I liked it, but it really didn't have much of a conclusion. We got to meet the actors and actresses as well as the writer of the play after the play, which was really neat.
Then we took the subway back to the hostel. I saw a mouse down there on the tracks, but no giant rats, which is I guess what I had expected to see.
Is it just me, or do I say "then" and "after" a lot? Maybe I'm just self-conscious, but it's probably really happening.
When we were back at the hostel, my introvert side really kicked in. I had been hanging out with people all day, and then I had to share a room with 7 other girls. It's one thing if it's just my roommate and I, but 7 girls all at the same time was overwhelming.
Now, speaking of my introverted side, it's shining again right now. Shelby just came in here and I don't know what she was talking about, um, I think about being bored. Anyways, I gave her a look, but I totally didn't mean to. It really wasn't intentional. I should not be blaming my swaying on this, but I am feeling rather sick right now. I feel like I'm still swaying from riding the El all weekend. I have a headache from it, and I probably shouldn't say, so maybe I won't. I've been around my core class all weekend and I just need a break. I feel like I've seen them a lot tonight already. I'll probably see them all week in random places. The same thing happened with Cedar Bend last year.
Yesterday was an overwhelmingly long day. We had to be out the door by eight, so we could go look at murals in a Hispanic neighborhood. I was sorta falling asleep, but it was some really cool art. Then we went to the homeless shelter where we helped for a little bit serving food and talking to people. I didn't serve food, so I did have the chance to walk around chatting. I had a culture shock moment when talking to a single mother who was 22. She asked me if I had any kids and I said, no, that I'm only 19. Big mistake saying "only 19" because I could have kids at 19. Girls get pregnant. It happens. I was just shocked that she was 22 because she looked a few years older than that. In my high school, girls would get pregnant every year, but it wasn't a whole ton of girls. Then at SAU, you don't really hear about girls getting pregnant or anything. It was just so different. What you see on tv might be the closest thing you have to things like this. I mean that in that I watch Teen Mom occasionally on Mtv, so I guess I just wasn't expecting what I saw. I don't know.
The food the people were served was so appetizing. I wanted to join in and eat with them, but instead we went to a Thai restaurant. Could I please just have a hot dog? The food was interesting and different. I really wasn't a fan of it, but it was another good experience.
There was one dish that came out and I had said that I wasn't going to even say what it looked like to me. One girl at my table said that it looked like angel hair noodles. So I opened my big, huge, overly open mouth, and said it did look like hair. I'm sorry I'm so blunt and not very tactful most of the time. Geez, I tell it how it is.
At least I didn't say what I was really thinking. It did look like hair, but it looked like a big glob of wet, blond hair that you have to pick up out of the shower because you shed too much.
No, I didn't say that, but now aren't you glad I didn't really say what I was thinking? You should be.
Yesterday afternoon, we met with a female pastor who went to SAU. She answered a lot of our questions about gangs and ministries and just Chicago. She was really tall and really funny. This was also our chance to finally talk about our experiences, but we were only allowed to pick one thing that really got our attention and stuck with us.
Free time! We had 5 hours to walk around crazy, cold Chicago and do whatever we want. Shelby, our friend Candace, and I spent a lot of time in the 4-story Borders. I had only been joking about staying in there for so long, but at least it was a warm spot. We had dinner at this place called Soupbox (I just realized that it's spelled Soapbox in my journal), which had really good soup. We wandered around a bit and finally went to Starbucks just to hang out when we got really bored. Oh yeah and we went into the American Girl store. I haven't been in there since 4th grade and I didn't bring my dolls either. Sad day!
Finally we met back up with our group and headed back to the hostel.
Oh a few random tidbits from this Saturday. On one line we got on, it went from the subway to the air, which was really different. I didn't know it was possible.
And also yesterday, there was a Cubs game, so the El was pretty crowded sometimes. We were on it when people were coming from the game and there was this drunk guy who was acting so goofy. It was awkward at times.
I also noticed that whenever we got on the El, people would ask us where we were from and what we were doing in Chicago. I think it's because they saw the big group and were curious. It was cool answering their questions. There were, I feel like, a lot of people in Chicago from Central Michigan University.
Today, we went to church at the second church we visited on Friday. It was almost completely African American. It was really different. I didn't know any of the songs and the sermon kinda sorta put me to sleep, but I'm so sleep deprived, but it was a good morning service.
After church, we left because we lose an hour traveling back, and we wanted to get back as soon as possible.
And I think you got my play by play already about this.
I'm sick and tired (quite literally!). I hope I don't have to go hardly anywhere in the next couple of weeks because I just need a break from all these traveling daze. I need to catch up on homework too...ugh!


