Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
It has been awhile.
My lack of posting has been, for the most part, inexcusable. The past month or so has seemed to be less fun-filled and action-packed as its predecessors, which has in turn forced me into the mindset that if it is not a good story, it is simply not worth writing about. However, I have come to realize that every single day here in an adventure in its own right. I now figure that there are in fact plenty of things to write about, even if they don’t take up the entire blog page in length. This story is not only for you, the reader – but a sort of ‘memory bank’ for myself and Paul – and a testimony for the future.
There have been a few changes to the work routine since my last post. Firstly, it has got noticeably slower. The pool at the Hyatt is no longer brimming with bikinis, boardshorts and the occasional and decidedly-hideous ‘Euro speedos’. The predicted guest drop-off, while initially a rather pleasant change, has resulted in the cut-back of plenty of hours and staff. This came as no surprise considering the seasonal nature of the hotels occupancy. However the rate at which ours have been cut back did a little. We were under the vague impression that our hours would stay reasonably solid throughout the winter, yet we seemed to be getting fewer and fewer days’ work. Thankfully, we were recently given the opportunity to job share. We are now hosting at the restaurant on property at the Hyatt, which is a welcome change and exciting to get some experience in another area of the hotel – as well as wearing some classy get-up.
Indeed, the slow-down in work has meant that we have had much more time just to hang out. This has been particularly refreshing, in that our social schedules have been noticeably busier of late. Chilling with friends has been at a premium, and we also decided to join a life group at the local church which has resulted in the meeting of a bunch of sweet new people who we now see at least once a week, sometimes more. However, there is a catch 22 to all of this. Unfortunately, a lack in work hours inevitably results in a shortage of funds. What money we would like to be saving for future escapades across the US has been cut down a fraction, limiting the options we have for our travels. It’s not all bad, though. We can always look for some more part-time work, and figure it out from there. So that is that.
We most recently enjoyed our second American Thanksgiving, the first having been when we dropped south of the Canadian border into the state of Montana a year ago. For the uninformed, Thanksgiving is a North American Holiday traditionally being a time of giving thanks to God for the harvest and to others for our many blessings. For us, we were blessed by being invited to the Johnson’s household for thanksgiving lunch and dessert with their family. Matt and Mark were some of the first Californians we talked to during our first week here when we bumped into them at church – and are still our good friends today. Here, we communed and shot a few darts, before barely making a dent in a feast of roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, fruit and vegetable salads, cheesy broccoli bake and – of course – a rather large roast turkey doused in rich gravy. The night concluded with games of ‘horseshoe’, music, a ton of dessert, general mingling and catch-phrase amidst fits of laughter as us boys dominated the competition in emphatic fashion. Yeah!
Another rather interesting note is that Paul and I have been living in the US for half a year now. In fact, it is over eight months since we first landed into LAX with only our suitcases and guitars in hand, and a whole brand-spankin’ new country to explore. It’s crazy to think just how fast it has all gone, and, how now we don’t really want to leave – not yet at least. Indeed, we do not consider the fortunes and experiences that we have had thus far to be of mere coincidence. We firmly believe that our journey has been directed by a force more than our own desires and aspirations, and are continually seeking Jesus through prayer and by learning to listen for His voice. It is truly refreshing to know that amidst all of the uncertainty associated with living this constant, nomadic-esque lifestyle is a Being who is ultimately in control of it all. We thank God for that.
Unsurprisingly, the next month is going to be defined by change once again. Our roommate is heading east to start up a business, so is moving out of the place. As of today, we cannot really justify continuing to live here. We do not own any of the furnishings in the place, so if we were to stay we would be left hopelessly looking for a roommate that would need to accommodate us with a fridge, couches, kitchen utensils and preferably an extra-large flatscreen TV. But it’s not an inconvenience. Rather, we see the whole situation as a ‘shake-up’ – and a catalyst for change. Indeed, moving places has really become our forte. Since beginning our overseas expedition, we have moved places six times, and lived with over twenty different people altogether. This next move represents the continuation of the adventure. So let’s pack our things and go. Are you ready?
There have been a few changes to the work routine since my last post. Firstly, it has got noticeably slower. The pool at the Hyatt is no longer brimming with bikinis, boardshorts and the occasional and decidedly-hideous ‘Euro speedos’. The predicted guest drop-off, while initially a rather pleasant change, has resulted in the cut-back of plenty of hours and staff. This came as no surprise considering the seasonal nature of the hotels occupancy. However the rate at which ours have been cut back did a little. We were under the vague impression that our hours would stay reasonably solid throughout the winter, yet we seemed to be getting fewer and fewer days’ work. Thankfully, we were recently given the opportunity to job share. We are now hosting at the restaurant on property at the Hyatt, which is a welcome change and exciting to get some experience in another area of the hotel – as well as wearing some classy get-up.
Indeed, the slow-down in work has meant that we have had much more time just to hang out. This has been particularly refreshing, in that our social schedules have been noticeably busier of late. Chilling with friends has been at a premium, and we also decided to join a life group at the local church which has resulted in the meeting of a bunch of sweet new people who we now see at least once a week, sometimes more. However, there is a catch 22 to all of this. Unfortunately, a lack in work hours inevitably results in a shortage of funds. What money we would like to be saving for future escapades across the US has been cut down a fraction, limiting the options we have for our travels. It’s not all bad, though. We can always look for some more part-time work, and figure it out from there. So that is that.
We most recently enjoyed our second American Thanksgiving, the first having been when we dropped south of the Canadian border into the state of Montana a year ago. For the uninformed, Thanksgiving is a North American Holiday traditionally being a time of giving thanks to God for the harvest and to others for our many blessings. For us, we were blessed by being invited to the Johnson’s household for thanksgiving lunch and dessert with their family. Matt and Mark were some of the first Californians we talked to during our first week here when we bumped into them at church – and are still our good friends today. Here, we communed and shot a few darts, before barely making a dent in a feast of roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, fruit and vegetable salads, cheesy broccoli bake and – of course – a rather large roast turkey doused in rich gravy. The night concluded with games of ‘horseshoe’, music, a ton of dessert, general mingling and catch-phrase amidst fits of laughter as us boys dominated the competition in emphatic fashion. Yeah!
Another rather interesting note is that Paul and I have been living in the US for half a year now. In fact, it is over eight months since we first landed into LAX with only our suitcases and guitars in hand, and a whole brand-spankin’ new country to explore. It’s crazy to think just how fast it has all gone, and, how now we don’t really want to leave – not yet at least. Indeed, we do not consider the fortunes and experiences that we have had thus far to be of mere coincidence. We firmly believe that our journey has been directed by a force more than our own desires and aspirations, and are continually seeking Jesus through prayer and by learning to listen for His voice. It is truly refreshing to know that amidst all of the uncertainty associated with living this constant, nomadic-esque lifestyle is a Being who is ultimately in control of it all. We thank God for that.
Unsurprisingly, the next month is going to be defined by change once again. Our roommate is heading east to start up a business, so is moving out of the place. As of today, we cannot really justify continuing to live here. We do not own any of the furnishings in the place, so if we were to stay we would be left hopelessly looking for a roommate that would need to accommodate us with a fridge, couches, kitchen utensils and preferably an extra-large flatscreen TV. But it’s not an inconvenience. Rather, we see the whole situation as a ‘shake-up’ – and a catalyst for change. Indeed, moving places has really become our forte. Since beginning our overseas expedition, we have moved places six times, and lived with over twenty different people altogether. This next move represents the continuation of the adventure. So let’s pack our things and go. Are you ready?
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