Saying Goodbye

I told my friends months ago that I'd return to the States in the fall, but I was slow to have a countdown. I knew leaving would be hard and I didn't want to rush things. Was I excited about leaving? No. But in a weird sense I knew I shouldn't stay. After returning from Italy, I thought we'd start our youth clubs again but due to my pending departure we chose to postpone it. Though I would have loved to start the clubs, it was nice to have time for me to go door to door to say goodbye to the kids and their families. I had held off as long as possible actually saying goodbye to people because i had a hard time realizing I was actually leaving. My days were full but not demanding. I enjoyed spending more days in ASHA, our charity shop and with many of our volunteers back in school, the work load was heavier. I spent most evenings seeing different friends from this last year. My last week, I had three dinners with Indian neighbors and their families in the community. It felt weird to say goodbye. Once you’ve lived somewhere you get in the habit of thinking you’ll see them “around” or “next week”.



The reality of leaving hit me in waves, periodically rising suddenly out of seemingly mundane circumstances-taking my last bus ride, walking past certain streets, hearing Indian music, working at our charity shop, or simply having breakfast with my Indian family. During my last Sunday night, these waves came in abundance and the “tide” rose leaving me overwhelmed. I didn’t fight or ride the waves, I was knocked over-such was the loving affirmation of having 80 friends gather to say goodbye, shower me with cards and gifts, and tell me what I mean to them. Many of them welcomed me as a strange immigrant, brought me into their homes, and in time shared their doubts and dreams, hopes and fears. A year ago I did not know anyone in London; now I know so many and saw ongoing growth in many friendships up my last day leaving: it was not easy to leave, I will miss them.
I walked through downtown London the next afternoon and wandered through streets and sites from my first visit, four years ago when I first had an inkling about living here. Now I have and what an adventure it has been.

Leaving London

I left London September 23rd, the exact day my visa expired, three days short of a year. I had told my friends in the summer I'd be returning, but I was slow to have a countdown. I knew leaving would be hard and I didn't want to rush things. Was I excited about leaving? No. Why am I leaving? Why did I come in the first place? I came to be equipped and shaped in what I want to do in life-love a city through caring for those in transition. Specifically I came to learn and understand South Asian culture within the British context. Knowing both cultures' beliefs and history was crucial, and demands much more than a year's time. London is a unique place. Its hostility to belief, frustration with the influx of immigrants (especially students) and loss of the classical education is met with having an intriguing history, being the gateway to the western world, and marvelously/tragically being the crossroads of the world. That is all big picture commentary. I wanted to see how it looked on the ground, with specific people, in a specific community, with very real, tough transitions and decisions. It is an experience I will never forget and forever be grateful for.

I came with many considerations: teaching, full time work with a charity, council work, career advising, tutoring but in all of those areas I knew I needed further equipping. I also knew I wanted to know my context before simply jumping in with both feet. I got to know the context well enough to feel confident about staying but the simple truth is that that equipping I was talking about was not available. Plus having an expiring visa limits lingering too long on possibilities. I can definitely see myself returning. When, how, where and with who are questions to sort out in the meantime.

Casting aside those future ambitions for a few weeks in Italy was nice because it brought clarity to why I want to do all these things. I want to find joy in what I do and bring joy to others. Everyone does, we just call this different names: vocation, calling, career, purpose in life, etc. Few people venture into the deeper levels of joy; it is convicting and troublesome because it demands community, it demands something/someone larger than yourself. Ask the burnt out humanitarians, teachers, activists, hippies, whoever pours themself out for the world without others being with them and all of them together learning of the higher order of things (God, ethics, a political party, economics, whatever) and clarifying, refining their role within it. Or ask the indifferent, contentedly lazy or "all-wise", armchair skeptic about the deeper levels of joy and they may try describing it but the listener knows they have never tasted it. At times like these, we see more clearly the difference between knowing something experientially and knowing it as merely as data. Though we might be world's apart, we are similar in wrestling with the grey, the mess, as we seek to regain a sense of wonder and hope in a broken world...My unique experience in London made me be honest about the struggles of life while dwelling on and clinging to the hope that only Jesus gives; relishing His grace

July Kids Club!

I know this is long, long overdue but I finally got some photos from our summer kids club-Son Rock Kids Camp! We had over 80 kids come at the end of the July, school years 2-7. The place was packed. It was only four days, Tuesday through Friday but everyone had a blast. A group of high school students from the States came to lead different stations in our building in Kenton: arts/crafts, music, discussion/small games, and story time. Since I was organizing the week, I was overjoyed to have 18 local teenager volunteer to help lead four groups of kids separated by age. Each group had a color and name: purple-bears, green-eagles, red-wolves, blue-chipmunks. Hilarity ensued when the oldest group found out they were the chipmunks but didn’t feel as embarrassed when I announced that I was the “big chipmunk” leader. We tried to work the camping theme into every aspect of the week. We began each morning gathering as an assembly and then proceeded to a nearby park for outdoor games for an hour. We finished by rotating around four stations. The stories got kids involved
I had a fun time that week; largely due to the amount of help. We had a day to train the volunteers and have them connect with their American peers. Every afternoon a group of the student leaders played different sports outside. Even in the summer, rain can come at any moment in London so we were praying for a good week. Thankfully it rained only one morning. The American team did a great job with the stations and all the kids made sure they arrived early to get started ASAP. The parents were very thankful to have their kids at the camp instead of on their computers all day and asked if we could extend the camp another week maybe next summer we will…

There were many highlights that week but one that stands out is our Parent’s Night. Two wonderful mothers in my neighbourhood have always made the dinner and surpassed everyone’s expectations despite having almost 200 people! We had a slideshow and summary of the week, a prayer and then just mingled for a few hours. After getting so much time with the kids, it was nice to meet their parents. Many of them expressed their gratitude and wondered how we did all of this with only £8 cost for the week. Almost half of the kids were at the summer camp for the first time. It is definitely something I would enjoy doing more of, and having help makes it much easier to consider.
I knew it was a good week when two months later I saw some kids in the park and they yelled “Ben, Ben! When are you having another camp?” Yes it is tiring and demanding but very worth it.

I knew very little about Sicily before going: a fun character in Princess Bride, old ruins and the mafia. But thankfully when it comes to traveling, who you know matters more-like a family living there. I landed in Palermo, took a bus into the city and a bus across Sicily to Catania. It was a beautiful drive, what stood out most was the vast open space. It was so nice to have a family take an interest in me and my time in London, show me around, and include me in their routine. I didn't check with them but I'm going to go ahead and tell you who they are: the Stiegler family!
I arrived Thursday and settled into their home. That evening I was invited to go cycling with the father and his friend. I borrowed a cycle and gear. It was one of many times to follow in which I felt spoiled. We climbed some hills and could see for several miles at the top...no cities. After cycling the streets of London, going to the countryside of Sicily was a dream come true!















Friday I went into Catania Market early while it was quiet. It was full of different colors and smells. The prices were actually alright and I got a nice piece of pottery for 1 euro. We had a small snack for breakfast. It was one of the few markets I went to with fresh seafood. In was interesting to know that a few years ago while digging to build a foundation, the city discovered some Greek ruins. We went back and met another family from the Navy base there and headed to Mt. Etna. The family has three girls who were all happy to orient me to the mountain and a cool house on the way up (see pic). After about an hour exploring the hills, it rained-a torrential downpour. We were soaked and headed home a little earlier than expected. Later that evening we went to the castle at Moda for gelato with a few families. It was a cool night and there was a festival going on with costumes, instruments, fire and choreographed dancing but we were tired and didn’t stay as long as we had wanted to.
Saturday we went to the beach at Fontane Biance. It was crowded but we got a paddle boat and explored a bit. Their dad knew of a good place to jump off a rock, about 25 ft up. He was brave enough to dive off, I just jumped. It was a hot day and compared to everyone else, as you'll see in another photo, I was pretty white. We went out for pizza in Nicolosi that night.
Sunday we were invited to an Italian man’s house. It was breathtaking-the covered patio, outdoor kitchen, clear blue pool with an amazing view of the plains below, orchards surrounding the property…and that was before the food was brought out! There were about 8 kids there, so they all kept me busy making sure I used the pool to our full advantage. We had the full 4 course meal and I had a hard time resisting more at each stage. The children had almost endless energy running around, jumping, swimming, racing, and playing with the inflatable shark I blew up for them. We were all full after a few hours. The whole day was a slice of heaven-wonderful food, fun and fellowship, most of us took a nap on the way back.
Monday after dropping off Katherine at swim practice, Becky and I drove to the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento. It was a scorching day! The ancient ruins were in remarkable condition. A Christian ruler built a cathedral around the temple of Concordia, keeping it free from the elements for centuries until the 18th c. when the cathedral was torn down-leaving the temple as it is today. These temples are located along a high ridge overlooking the sea which had a long wall fortified for protection. The temple of Zeus was in complete ruins, scattered rumble of what was once an immense structure. The sheer brilliance of the engineers to create such structures was amazing. I soaked in as much I could in a few hours and rested in the shade with a gelato!
That night I went to my very first swim meet. It was a “fun meet”(a prep for a real one).. I cheered on some kids from the families I had met during my time. Seeing an 8yr old swim smoother, faster and stronger than me was pretty humbling.
My last night we joined another family and went to Taormina, a city right next to the ocean atop high mts. There was a concert that night at the coliseum so we didn’t get to go inside. I loved the character of the whole place-the narrow, steep, twisting roads, the unique and colorful shops, the panoramic vistas. We had dinner at the Granduca, overlooking the ocean. I ordered swordfish for the first time. It was wonderful! I slept well that night with a very satisfied stomach.
My final highlight of Sicily was playing MarioKart Wii with the family I stayed with. I had played a few times with some kids in my neighborhood in London but it was very nice to kill some time, joke around, and get good enough to win more often! what part of italy are Mario and Luigi from?…

Trip to Wales

About a month ago I had a friend invite me to join him in a hiking challenge in Wales: www.welsh3000s.co.uk Our goal was to summit and survive 15 3000ft mountain peaks
in Northern Wales within 24hrs. I had never been to Wales so I had no idea what to expect. I had missed the outdoors immensely since coming to the UK last fall and a drive in the countryside just does not cut it. Thankfully he had been to the area before, so I didn’t have to be too prepared. I borrowed gear from some friends. We knew we needed to do it sometime this summer while the days were long and chose last weekend to go. We planned on getting up there, camping and then going for the 15 the next day and camping the next night if we needed to and then maybe do a day hike our last day-far easier said than done.

Due to weather predictions, we drove up last Thursday afternoon and camped near the base of Snowden around 10pm. It was due to rain Saturday morning, so we figured we were safe with food, water, our bivy bags and some basic supplies until then. We slept alright that night and started off pretty early to Snowden. It was disappointing to learn on our way up that there is a railway that goes all the way to the top and has a café…not very rewarding in my view. We walked up in the fog and mist and started our long hike. From Snowden (1) we went to Garnedd Ugain (2), which was pretty easy. We had to tediously maneuver over boulders on a steep ridge to get to Crib Goch (3), which was incredibly dangerous with the winds and our backpacks. During our descent back near sea level on the road, I sprained my ankle, which was pretty embarrassing. Soon after, my friend Mark slipped and fell landing his knee on a big rock. It was rough way to complete our first set of peaks. I rested a bit and then pressed on, up a thistle-covered field toward Elidir Fawr and Y Garn. These had rocky summits but grassy areas around them. The crucial moment of the day came after completing these peaks: Mark’s hurt knee prevented him from continuing and he offered to return to the car and meet me at the end of the 15 peaks, about 6 miles from the last peak either that night or the following morning. It was the first time Mark had to turn back on an expedition, I would miss his company during the rest of the trip.














I stopped to eat some lunch and tape up my ankle and bandage up a developing blister before heading up a long rocky hill to Glyder Faur(6). Unlike the previous 5 peaks, which gave wonderful views and had clear trails, there was nothing scenic about #6 at the top, just a pile of stones. This was something that would become more and more common through my hike, making me really feel like Frodo or Sam going through Mordor, thankfully without the fire or hot steam (or smeagol of course). Step after step was on solid rock pounding my feet seemingly through my old pair of boots. Hobbit feet are more durable I guess. YET the day itself was beautiful, the sun came out, the mountainous landscape with sea in the distance was lovely. I pressed on to Glyder Fach (7) and Tryfan (8). Tryfan was not a bad ascent, the descent however was treacherous, I basically rock climbed down a steep bowl to get to the next range
I have to be honest; at that point my feet were hurting. It was a gorgeous day but I knew that completing the 15 peaks would be harder than I thought, and take more out of me. I would have loved to have a friend to complete it with. I was tempted as I passed a pub on the road to stop but with 7 more peaks to go and being on my own, I played it safe and pressed on. The hardest ascent was next to Pen yr Ole Wen (9) I was literally rock climbing most the way up with my backpack on, a little scary at points. I was told that after conquering #9, it is much easier from there just time consuming with progressive ascents and descents. They were right. I reached Carnedd Dafydd (10) and Yr Elen (11) within an hour or so. Carnedd Llewlyn (12) took a bit longer but there were amazing views with the sunshine out on the way. I ate dinner at the top of Foel Gras (13) at 8:30pm but it was already cold and foggy. The trail had been almost impossible to follow and I had used landmarks from the map to guide me. With the heavy fog and dimming light, I asked a group up ahead where the next peak was, they pointed me to the left.

Over an hour later after reaching the summit the fog lifted enough for me to see they had led me to the wrong peak, I had to turn around and return to where I had dinner-2 hrs wasted! Black skies and fog made me decide to get behind a stone wall, roll out my sleeping bag, get into my bivy bag and catch some sleep for a few hours, praying that God would help me find the right way in the morning! It was 10:30pm. It rained for a while, but I actually got some rest and my feet needed the break. I left around 5:30 and hiked far, far right (as my best guess) into the dense fog. Within 30 minutes I reached Garnedd Uchaf (14) and in another hour I reached Foel Fras (15). All in all I had an extra 30 minutes in the 24hr challenge. As I slowly walked down the steep grass slope after Foel Fras, the sun broke out, the fog lifted and I had a majestic view of the whole area- a nice little gift from God. Six miles later after passing sheep and wild ponies, I followed a river to the park where my friend sat in his car waiting for me.


We were a bit more worn than expected and with imminent rain two hours later, we decided to head home instead of staying another day. I was hungry, tired but glad I completed all the peaks (plus 1) safely and could look forward to a shower, meal and mattress at the end of the day.

Canals, parks and Wimbledon

Last Monday we had a beautiful day in London so I thought I'd explore a little. I had cycled east from Alperton into and through central London to the Thames so I went west this time on the Grand Union Canal east down through Southall to the Thames at Brentwood. The canal was scenic until i came to Southall, where it looked like a dump. They've been raising funds to clean it out with little support. (see pice with yellow sign).

After reaching the Thames I cycled down to Sion Park hoping to see the Butterfly House, but was disappointed to find out that it was moved. I cycled to Kew Gardens but didn't go inside, that will be another day. I went on down to Richmond Park, the main cycling hangout in London due to the nice pavement, open roads, rolling hills and scenery. I sat down for a bit, broke out a map and decided to explore the Wimbledon area and go by the stadium. There were some beautiful parks with trails and the occasional horse trotting past. Wimbledon stadium was packed. I had some friends who were inside watching for the first time. They were leaving the country the next day, so it was a nice sendoff.

I found out the first major difference between Seattle and London: humidity. I could not believe how much I was sweating! I stopped for lunch at a pub to watch Wimbledon, since I couldn't find a good vantage point around the stadium. I must have had 5 glasses of water! As I watched the players run all around the court I felt very lazy. I played tennis about 2 weeks ago and enjoyed it but definitely could use some lessons. I'd be happy if I even got my racket on a 143mph serve! (I watched some of the men's final on Sunday. It was amazing to see those two guys play for almost 5 hrs! it was a battle, definitely the best match I've ever seen.) I watched the girls and guys' matches until around 3, filled up my water bottle, crossed the Thames at Hammersmith and rode up to Kenton. It was a good day's ride.

Bournemouth!

Saturday June 26th about 80 of us from Harrow left on a coach to Bournemouth. Many of us had been praying for the nice sunny weather to hold out, conscious of how rare it is to have such a long streak of heat in London. A bunch of kids in my youth clubs wanted to go but one of the najor schools at rescheduled their summer fair to the same day:( yet we wouldn't have had space since the bus filled up over a week before going! the skies were grey as we left...
We arrived at the beach around 11:30 and the sun was blazing! we had many families with us and it was fun to see the kids run through the waves, play in the sand, make castles, throw frisbees, screaming their heads off with delight. I remember one little girl, around 3 laughing while slapping her hands in the waves over and over not realizing how cold she was (her lips were blue and her teeth were chattering uncontrolably.
It was my first time to the seaside in the UK and I felt pretty white when I took my shirt off and went for a swim. A group of us guys dragged a few people into the water whether they were ready or not (see pic). We had a Harrow v. Southall volleyball match that got a little intense as we debated different rules. The net must have fallen at least 6 or 7 times!
We ate lunch, ran around, ate ice cream, walked on the pier. It was a perfect day to go to the beach. Rain, thunder and lightning greeted us in Harrow when we returned. Evidentally there was a huge hail storm and several inches of rain while we were gone! I'm glad we missed it. anyways I didn't take many photos, I still need to work on remembering to take more.

Kids Club

At the end of May I helped with a kids club in Southall which was a very enjoyable time even though I am mentioning it a month late. Truth be told I was waiting to get some photos from people before making this post. I had never been part of a kids club before, either as a participant or volunteer. Nonetheless I was excited to help lead the 8-9yr olds, the Blue group, the LIONS!! They were an energetic bunch and definitely hard to handle at times but it was a privilege to lead them. We played kickball, basketball, football and a bunch of indoor games. Initially we had 24 kids in my group and only 1 girl. Thankfully we had 5 more girls by the last day, and 30 kids overall!

Several different moments stick out in my mind like trying to form a train and having one of them right me a thank you card but the best was on the last day. We finished with outdoor activities that were messy: a water balloon fight, having whipping cream pies stuffed in my face and hair, sliding on a tarp with oil, ice cream, water, whipping cream, and banana…I was a mess!
I had a fun time and was glad to experience the kids club since I’ll be leading one in Harrow in a few weeks. We decided to cap it at 80 kids since already I had 17 sign up this last week! Thankfully I know several older kids in the community who are willing to help out. It will be controlled chaos.
Well enjoy the pics, there are too many stories to tell…

Picasso Exhibit

I went to the “Challenging the Past” Picasso exhibit at the National Gallery Thursday. Often when I go to free galleries and museums in London, I am overwhelmed with how much there is to see. I wander around aimlessly trying to soak in whatever interests me over centuries of art, invention and history. Though I periodically stop and try to educate myself on certain things, I normally end up leaving without capturing much. This is all especially true when I visit the National Gallery. But when I pay for something, my whole experience dramatically changes. It had been a while since I paid to visit something in London, and this exhibit was worth it.
How was it different? I enjoyed focusing on the particular theme of a particular artist because I came away appreciating and understanding something specific. I had taken an art and music appreciation course in college, which skimmed over the entire history of music and art in “the west”. The only thing I could really remember from Picasso was cubism, his abstract shapes, vibrant colors, sometimes grotesque portraits, and fascination with women. I remember some famous paintings like “Nude Descending a Staircase” and “Glass and Lemon”. I had understood him to be rebelling against the past way of seeing the world and portraying that world in art. Compared to the artistic giants of the past, Picasso didn’t fit. My memory was correct at points but I was definitely glad to revisit this great artist’s life and work.
As a student of history, I naturally am drawn to understanding Picasso’s background, who influenced him, what events surrounded his life and how all of that shaped his work. Even though this is just my memory, I admit that I sound like a curator already. The main theme for the exhibit was “Challenging the Past”. I was comforted to learn that I was not the only one who was confused about what to do with Picasso. I had thought of him as a painter but he also did prints, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, and even textiles. The basic thesis for the exhibit is that his themes, styles, and content were a challenge relating to, not breaking from, the past. View the Gallery of paintings here: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/picasso/slideshow/default.htm . ("they didn't like my hyperlink for some reason) The “Cubism” he started, which pushed the limits on this thesis in my opinion, especially since he refused to write about his work, preferring to let his art speak for him-which easily leads to an interpretive “grey” area. He was a student of his artistic heritage and was very concerned with establishing his place within that tradition.
Pablo Picasso was born in the avande garde setting of Barcelona and always retained and valued his Spanish identity. The Blue period (1901-1904) had gloomy, sad paintings mostly in blue and blue-green. The suicide of his close friend and trip through Spain are said to be a major impact. He also spent some time in Paris. The Rose period (1904-1906) is identified by a more cheery, light hearted tone with pink, orange and rose colors depicting carnival characters, the favorite being the harlequin, a kind of jester wearing checkered patterned clothes. Picasso also reflected Gozal’s theme of women washing and working with each others’ hair at this time. He had a brief period of African-influenced art shown in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Upon seeing this painting you can see why this transitioned his move into the Cubist form. 1909-1912 brought Analytic cubism which used brown and grey colors. He and Georges Braque looked at aspects of reality as objects with shape. Cubism developed a multiplicity of perspectives which had different planes or facets like in “Seated Nude” 1910. I really liked “Glass and Lemon” even though it is hard to spot the glass and lemon at first. Synthetic cubism (1912-1919) was the initial use of collage as fine art and reminded me of other creative works done by my sister, especially “Violin and Bottle” With his models/muses, I liked “Fernande with Black Mantilla”, the shrouded women had a Hispanic influence. His seated portraits reflected an El Greco style at times, especially with the elongated features.
Random notes: Picasso took his mother’s surname b/c of the resemblance to his favorite artist Poussin, (17thc. painter). In 1918 he married his first wife, a ballerina named Olga Khokhlova. By 1923, their relationship was cold, seen in his portrait “Olga with Fur Collar”. His second wife was Jasqueline Roque, his volumptuos source for revived sensual still lifes.

some brief notes on his direct relation to older artists which I won’t give much detail on:
Velasquez: 17th c. Spanish artist “Las Meninas”, placed in the center of Prado in Madrid.
He humorously distorts the artist and royal family
Manet-“luncheon on the Grass” 1863 which alluded to another painting by Rafael
Picasso did a series of his own version-a huge controversy
Ingres-“aangra” heavily influenced his muses/models
Poussin-17th c. “Rape of the Sabines”
Picasso alluded to this with WWII and the Asian wars with themes of innocence, brutality and outcry (he also made perhaps the most famous anti war painting)
Delacroix-“Women of Algiers” clothed women facing threat
A very colourful portrayal with all kinds of shapes and angles with only one women being identifiable

Even though the place was completely silent, there were probably many minds like mine-buzzing as they processed what they saw. Ok, so I admit my thoughts were more random than most!

Cycling Canals in London

We had gorgeous weather Saturday and Sunday but Monday was a mix of rain, wind and sun which actually reminded me of Seattle. Nonetheless, I decided to explore the canals through London. I started off by cycling from Harrow to Alperton and hopping on the Grand Union Canal towards Paddington. It was a pleasant ride along the water, with only a few boat homes. It was quiet and I saw swans, mallards, Canadian geese and some heron. The path was paved in most places since it was next to a canal it was very flat.
There is great contrast along the canals. In some places the water was filled with rubbish and oil and moored boat homes with all sorts of things tied to them with personal gardens and junk piles close by-creating more of a trailer park atmosphere. In other areas, like Little Venice, each boat was immaculate, cafes were nearby and the water was clean with carefully maintained plants on the side. While cycling alone the canals I also saw skate parks, industrial and commercial areas, schools, and markets.




It took 35 minutes to get from Alperton to Little Venice and from there I took Regent’s Canal towards the River Thames. After about 20 minutes I arrived at the Camden Lochs. I really like Camden Town. There is a great market and square with loads of character. It is the main highlight of the journey on the canals in my opinion. After that point, there is nothing really worth noting, besides feeling the accomplishment of reaching the River Thames at Limehouse Basin 50 minutes later. Regents Canal has a more narrow path than the pre-Little Venice branch, in addition to having more people crowding the road way. Also at at least four points I needed to explore on the roads to reconnect to the canal. Every couple minutes you needed to duck under a bridge to stay on the path but by in large the canal is accessible. It was nice to not be pressed for time, to be able to stop on the way and see different places and see new areas. I hope to use the canals more as a scenic entrance into central London than the roads, though they are a bit slower. There are still more areas to explore and though they don’t compare to Venice or Belgium’s canals, I think I’ll still enjoy them. Hopefully I can bring some friends along next time.