now, to clarify, i do not want to be one of those flightly people who has these multiple blogs that they keep jumping between. i don’t want to lose you, abandon you, or hide from you but this blog was always something a little more short-term.
THANK-YOU for reading.
THANK-YOU for commenting.
so all this to say, you can now find me back at http://jayleneadriel.wordpress.com/
a few days ago i found something amazing on iTunes. because my current location has such fast internet, this amazing thing could be mine for just $2.99. i thought about it for a while, wondering if it was really worth it, then decided “yes, of course it is!”
any guesses?
well perhaps i will just tell you. for 2.99 i bought the videos of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 vancouver olympics. and i have already finished all almost 6 hours of it… turns out that 1am is a great time to be patriotic.
:D
as i was watching all of these videos i was reminded of a few things…
-i love my country
-i am canadian
-canadians are slightly ridiculous
-one day, i really must be an olympics volunteer
i would have to say that my favourite segment of the opening ceremonies would either be the slam poetry or the crowds of ‘protesters’ chasing gretzky down the streets of vancouver in the rain.
favourite of the closing is definitely the canadian stereotypes showcase; complete with giant inflatable beavers, dancing mounties, and a hysterical buble.
.
THANK YOU CTV for bringing me back to the homeland and making me feel like i belong!
.
I
AM
CANADIAN
mystery 1 |ˈmist(ə)rē|noun ( pl. -teries) 1 something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain
faith |fāθ|noun1 complete trust or confidence in someone or something
life |līf|noun ( pl. lives |līvz|)1 the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganicmatter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functionalactivity, and continual change preceding death
stereotype |ˈsterēəˌtīp; ˈsti(ə)r-|noun1 a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particulartype of person or thing
believe |biˈlēv|verb [ trans. ]1 accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of
wish |wi sh |verb [ intrans. ]feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable; want something that cannot or probably will not happen
travel |ˈtravəl|verb ( -eled , -eling ; also chiefly Brit. -elled, -elling)1 [ intrans. ] make a journey, typically of some length or abroad
oppress |əˈpres|verb [ trans. ] (often be oppressed)keep (someone) in subservience and hardship, esp. by the unjust exercise of authority
become |biˈkəm|verb ( past -came ; past part. -come )1 [ intrans. ] begin to be
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what are the definitions of you?
in these past 5 days i have…
been in 3 different countries
rode planes, trains, and buses
used ‘plan c’
asked more people for directions than ever before in my life
got lost in an endless market
ate yogurt for dinner 4 times
used starbucks as a meeting place, restaurant , hotel, and internet cafe
organized and led the travel of 12 people from israel to turkey (not taking the easy route).
some scattered thoughts about all this in the midst of it; this life that i have chosen to live is pretty crazy. i fit no boxes, it is my dream to transcend stereotypes. and yet, i find myself following right in them at times. i was created for this. my community that surrounds me really is flexible, which has been a great blessing. i have done the “amazing race” many times over in these past days. sleeping for 4 hours on a bus while sitting really is enough. a blue passport is such a privilege. turkey has more tourists than i ever thought it would have. i can see why they come though. my hiking sandals that i wear every day will forever categorize my style as outdoor-sy. my canadian pride runs deep. it is possible to run out of words. people will always be surprising to me. my camera would like more intentional exercise. there is a reason why i stick to day-time talking to people. yogurt and oranges will always a great dinner make. buying flight tickets is exciting. mum and aaron are going to spain, and i am jumping over from italy to meet them! jazz is only soothing for so long. windows are presents to me from God. nervous butterflies of doubt do go away with time.
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a man in the blue mosque, istanbul
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then tonight i take a bus to ephesus.
and life.
goes.
on.
on wednesday night we went into Jerusalem to go to The Big House (on the Mt. of Olives) and do the overnight prayer watch. this place has 24/7 prayer going on every day of the year and we went and volunteered our time so that the staff could sleep through the night. (which i hear is a pretty novel idea to them)
jerusalem’s newest outdoor mall at night
i have been practicing taking candid portraits lately, thus you may see more in this post
megan
i believe this was at 3am
we got kinda tired at this point, and so went out onto the balcony and danced and ran around
morning after, in a garden near where Jesus was buried
emily, in more candid portraits
a flower in that same garden
i’m trying to make up for my lack of photos of naomi
overall it was a wonderful, very long day in jerusalem. full of praying, and walking, instant coffee (for other people), earl grey tea (for me) and building into our relationships with each other.
this year’s birthday was unlike all the ones before it in that i celebrated it here in Israel. however it was also closely connected to many of the ones of the past in that all the decorations were red, and/or hearts. it was a wonderful day, and a hilarious party!
i must say that the best part of my day was when i came to the table, found my name-card, and at the same time found that somehow my amazing, Wonderful, AWESOME! father had somehow sent me roses. this is something he has done for many many years (the number of flowers equaling the age i am turning) however i did not think that it was going to be possible…
but.
he must be a miracle-worker,
or something.
.
(love you daddy!)
everyone was invited by this hanging on the board
the wonderful writing that made me cry; they were happy tears
anne, layne, and leah are quite the decorators
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ps – i really don’t think that i am old enough to be 19…
i feel the need to make a clarification for one of the points of my last post; i have no desire to meet the jonas brothers in the coming year.
that was most definitely a big joke.
HUGE
really huge
.
okay, mumma?
are you now satisfied that you raised this girl up right???
LOVE YOU!!!
these are dreams and goals i thought up early this morning that i want to focus on and achieve in this birthday year of dreaming…
~~~
Witness a miracle.
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Hug someone every day.
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Write essays for fun.
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Learn how to cook some really good chicken.
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Be caught taking a stolen glance.
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Find myself in an awkward silence.
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Have an increased sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
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Dance under a streetlight in Europe.
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Resolve conflict, not just agree to disagree.
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Meet the jonas brothers.
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Learn more French.
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Take 3 photos that I am truly proud of.
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Be more obvious about how much I love all my family.
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Search out and pray into what college could look like in my future.
.
Not wear makeup.
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Read more deep and intelligent books.
.
Pack lighter.
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See a double shooting star.
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Ride in a rickshaw.
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LOVE more deeply and with less caution.
.
Get a haircut I really like.
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Continue blogging.
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Memorize the book of Philippians.
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Wear a skirt at least once a week.
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Dream.
.
Change something in the world.
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Listen to unkown artists.
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Drink a whole cappacino.
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Make every moment an adventure.
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Host parties.
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Be fair trade aware.
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Get the cracks out of my heals.
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Every action infused with passion.
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Learn something new every day, and keep a record.
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Cultivate creativity.
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Drink more water.
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Be more than a ball of positive energy bouncing around the world.
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one week ago i got on a bus in cairo and went on a 16 hour journey to bethlehem. this past week has been filled with bible reading, walking, cooking our own food(!!!), and traveling around to different sites. so far we have visited…
church of the nativity
solomon’s pools
shepherd’s field
cremisan monastery
jerusalem
old city
rampart’s walk
wailing wall
david’s tower
jericho
healed springs
&
dead sea.
often when at these places it feels very surreal. the connection of physically being in a place that holds so much history is a hard one to make in my head.
God’s presence richly fills this land despite the walls, separation, and conflict. it is a beautiful thing to witness.
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a few photos from jerusalem day…
this girl, is so canadian
just wanted to make sure that you all knew.
:D
i wore these mitts, this toque, and my olympic shirt all day long
i even got them excited
so there you have it
the truth is out,
i LOVE my country
GO CANADA!
