Everyday life

Der Alltag kann schon bedrückend sein wenn es immer das gleich ist. Besonders in diesem Semester fehlt es mir an Motivation und Unternehmungslust. Heute war jedoch ein guter Tag, und dafür bin ich dankbar. 
Oft vergessen wir, besonders in schweren Zeiten, dass Dankbarkeit erfrischend ist. Ich habe so viele Gründe dankbar zu sein! Wofür kannst du dankbar sein oder jemanden von Herzen danken?


Gestern als ich nach Hause kam viel mir auf wie wunderschön der Schnee fiel. Das Strassenlicht leuchtete und sanfte kleine Flocken tanzten im Wind. Oft sind wir zu beschäftigt und wir nehmen uns nicht die Zeit kleine Wunder und Schönheiten zu genießen. Es lohnt sich jedoch kurz stehn zu bleiben, und einmal kurz aufzuatmen, während wir von der Schönheit Gottes gegrüßt werden. 

http://www.sodahead.com

 Beauty is all around you - you just have to find it.

Storytime

"Story telling is a dying art" is what one of my peers said during a class this week. That made me think, and I came to the conclusion that he is right. This inspired me share a story that I heard this week.

It is actually the story of my Psychology and Learning professor, he shared it with us on the second day.
He grew up in Zimbabwe and lost his eyesight at age 5 after he had measles. However, his father was determined to provide his son with a proper education. He sent him to a Catholic church were he was taught by Jesuit teachers. He was taught how to use braille so he could study what other students were studying. He said that the school environment had been positive and that his peers were accepting and his teachers encouraging.
He proceeded to attend university in Zimbabwe and after that was offered a scholarship to study in Canada. He got his doctorate at the university of Toronto and is now teaching in Winnipeg. He and his wife have 4 children (if I remember correctly).
He visited his hometown a few summers ago and the community members asked him to help them to build a new school. At first he was hesitant and did not know how he would be able to help. Nonetheless, he contacted a few people, talked to them on the phone and asked for financial support. The people in this community asked to be provided with the finances, they were willing to make the brick themselves and do the labor free of charge. UNESCO ended up giving the community the financial support for the school building. The school was named after the last name of our professor to show the communities appreciation for his efforts.
This secondary school gives the students in the villages close by  the chance to go to school. Before they had to walk of ca. 10 km in order to attend school which was a challenge for them since often they would arrive fatigued. Not to mention the walk home, which was also dangerous since in the open country they would find no protection against wild animals.

Here is a man, who has a disability, and is a true fighter. Not only to fulfill his dreams in the face of stereotypes and biases - but also to provide others with hope and a chance to get an education. This story motivated me to think beyond my faults and limitations. It once again affirmed the fact that one person can make a difference, and that something that to us might seem like a struggle or a limitation might turn out to be a rich blessing for others.

A New Year

Welcome everyone to my blog! As I was thinking about this upcoming year I became strongly aware of the fact that it will hold many challenging yet exciting new opportunities, decisions, and experiences. I want to share the most important experiences that shape my thinking and my life with my friends. This blog is also a means of communicating with my friends that live miles away but are close to my heart. I hope people will comment on the posts, share ideas or thoughts and be encouraged by it!

I started classes this week, YES, it is my last semester! With the start of the new semester things seem to pick up, the pace is faster. I stayed in Winnipeg for the holidays and had Christmas with my Canadian family. After Christmas I spent some time in Calgary. I went to a student conference organized through Power to Change.  I was very busy since I was invited to lunches and dinners and met with my friends who were part of the 2011 South Asia project. This did not leave me a lot of time to explore Calgary. However, one evening we ran around and admired the Christmas decorations that were still up. I loved the combination of older historical buildings next to newer and more modern buildings.

 This evening I met up with my friend J. who returned from Germany while I was in Calgary. It was lovely hearing some of her stories. Talking over skype is great, but to sit at Starbucks and catch up after a whole year is SO much better. She was a nanny for a year and also had the chance to travel to a few amazing places in Europe. I now own a scarf from Vienna! I love gifts that come from specific places!

EIN NEUES JAHR
Hallo Freunde und Verwandte!
Da jetzt wieder die Uni anfängt fliegt die Zeit nur so dahin. Endlich bin ich im letzten Semester und ich kann es kaum erwarten  meinen Titel in den Händen zu halten!
Ich werde von Zeit zu Zeit einige Mitteilungen, Neuigkeiten und Erlebenise an diesem Blog mit euch teilen. Ihr könnt eure Kommentare in der Sprache hinterlassen die ihr möchtet, solange es entweder Deutsch, Spanisch oder Englisch ist.

Ich verbrachte Weihnachten in Winnipeg mit meiner canadischen Familie. Danach war ich einige Tage auf einer Studentenkonferenz in Calgary die durch Power to Change organsiert wurde. Obwohl die Konferenz vollgepackt war mit Vorträgen und verschiedenen Aktivitäten habe ich es trotzdem sehr genossen. 

Ich hatte die Gelegenheit mich mit einigen von den Studenten zu treffen die im letzten Sommer auch in Südasien waren. Die Stadt hat mir besonders gefallen da viele ältere und modernere Gebäude nebeneinander stehen. Die weihnachtlich ausgeschmückten Strassen waren besonders schön. 

Heute habe ich mich mit meiner Freundin getroffen die ein Jahr in Deutschland war. Sie arbeitete als Kindermädchen und hatte auch die Gelegenheit einige schöne Orte in Europa zu besuchen. Sie hatte mir einen Schal aus Österreich mitgebracht. Ich fand das ganz nett von ihr.