Thursday, October 14, 2010

I’ve returned – to no internet!

I have arrived back to Berlin ready to get back to work after a whirlwind and lovely visit to see my son and his wife in New Zealand (which is an absolutely STUNNING place!)

And I arrived to no internet …

The Team had been debating changing phone lines – and as in most things – it is never an easy or fast process.  So the old phone number is no longer active.  We’ll have to get that off the website.  And we don’t know our new number yet.  We might be reconnected by Friday.  But I’m not holding my breath.

In the meantime, I have to go to a cyber café to access my internet.  So if you are trying to communicate with me – it will take longer than normal for a response.

So what shall I talk about?

I could say so many things about New Zealand.  I am so happy I had to opportunity to go.   I had to save up lots of quarters – it is an expensive flight and I was amazed at how expensive things in general are there … ouch.  So I’m not sure if I’ll ever get another chance – unless I someday win the lottery… (But if I ever hope to win the lottery – I might need to start buying tickets!)

That aside – it was a fabulous trip.  Firstly – it was great to see Paul and HeaYoung.  It had been nearly two years.  They had spent their first Christmas together in Iowa – which happened to also be just before I moved here.  I can’t believe they have been married two years already.  And that I have been here that long too.  Wow.

So I got to see my son and his bride on their home turf.  And what a beautiful place it is!!  It is so green.  So fresh.  There is so much ocean.  And so many sheep!  Ha-ha

People are friendly – the food is good.  The only odd thing was that practically everything closed up by 3 or 4 p.m.  And even earlier on the weekends.  You could find a few bars (but we weren’t really interested in that).  But even restaurants were hard to find.  Unless you wanted fast food fish and chips.  This gets old.

It was a fast two weeks.  We did get to see lots of the island.  And it truly is beautiful.  We walked black sand beaches, hiked to waterfalls and mountains amongst the sheep sometimes … we got to drive on the OTHER side of not only the road, but also the vehicle.  And they drive FAST there.  On curvy mountain roads usually.  A bit un-nerving at times.  I love my son, but he really drives fast.  I sometimes closed my eyes!  Even HeaYoung asked him to slow down a few times.  Sigh.

But I’m back now.  Without internet so it makes things more difficult.  But I spent the majority of my first day back in ‘meetings’ with various members of the Pastoral Team, and we even went out to a community for an impromptu meeting with their Directiva.  And I’ve already made a trip to Usulután to check some prices in the Ferreterrias there.  And now I’m in a cyber café trying to get some things sent.  I’ve saved some time (and therefore money) by writing a bunch of emails in a Word Doc and just cutting and pasting them into an email.  Ever frugal: me.  And I’ll read a bunch of emails, take notes and compose more emails tonight to send tomorrow from the cyber café if we don’t actually get our internet by then. 

So as normal – I arrived in Berlin with both feet running.  Which is how I prefer it of course. 
Enough for now. 
Talk to y’all later!   

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