Winter Warmth

I think that any college student would agree that if there was one thing they would take to a desert island above all else, it would be their laptop. That is provided that the desert island had reliable high speed internet, or at least some free wifi access. The laptop is the college student's life, and that's no joke- class work and socialization happen here, procrastination and hobby. And my laptop is currently sitting in the ITS office, riddled with a trojan that has even defeated my anti-viral software. Thank god for the computer labs!

It's been a wonderful week here at school. Friday, local elementary schools sent about 100 5th grade students to SU for a "day of service." The kids all gathered at our student center and made Valentine's day cards for the elderly and blankets for the homeless. Otto the Orange was on hand giving out "OttoGraphs" and entertaining the kids all day. My service fraternity was there too, helping facilitate the event. I got assigned to a table of boys that were all certain they were the next rap stars or football heroes. It was a tough crowd, but I earned their respect right away by smoking them all in turn at thumb wrestling. And yes, I am proud that I beat an entire table of 5th graders.

Being with the kids was great, but I was in for an even better day Saturday. For Christmas, Justin got me a cross country ski lesson and rental from a local state park. Saturday was cold, crisp and sunny and we set off early in the morning for our 10 am ski lesson. The park was amidst acres of dairy farms, and the wind blowing across the fields spun the snow into little twisters. Our instructor, Gary, was the type of man you probably only find in places like Upstate New York, or maybe Alaska and Maine. This guy lived for the cold and explained to us how one of his favorite hobbies was scuba diving- under the ice layer of frozen lakes. He was a great instructor and I think he was thrilled to see kids at the park. Most people there were middle aged, parents with kids or retirees. We made friends with everyone there, and I couldn't be more impressed by the kindness and generosity of the whole park staff.

Cross country skiing was definitely difficult! As a downhill skiier I thought I'd have my act together but that was not the case. The littlest slopes and hills sent me tumbling, and it's so easy to criss-cross the long, narrow skis! After our lesson we were freezing, but the park had a huge lodge with a fireplace. We got some hot home-made chicken noodle soup for lunch and pulled up a huge adirondack chair next to the fire. It was wonderful, but we decided to get chilly one last time before going home- on a sleigh ride! The notion was romantic, but most of our company on the hay-covered sleigh was in the ages 3 and up crowd. All the same, the Belgian horses were beautiful and gentle and the woods were lovely. It was a magnificent day.

The next big event on the calendar is of course, my birthday! I'm planning a Dinosaur themed bash for a few friends, and I've wiped out the dollar store of any supplies that might have a Tyrannosaurus or a Volcano involved. I'll be sure to post pictures, but for now enjoy the scenes from skiing!

Peace and Love!

Welcome Back

Back by popular demand, the Aventuras- or Adventures- of my young life.

I was proud of the consistent blog that I kept during my travels in Spain, and apparently more people enjoyed it than I imagined. Mostly because of my Grandpa's wishes, the blog is back- this time under a more generic name so that I can continue writing as long as my life is interesting. And hopefully, that will be for a long time.

This blog won't be an online diary, or an opinion column. Consider it more a "Weekend Update" of my life, in place of mass emails. You can expect pictures, stories, jokes and accounts of all my day to day victories and blunders. And so, I begin!

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I've been back at school for only a week now, and this semester definitely has a different vibe than any before it. At present, there's way more free time on my hands, but the responsibility surrounding the upcoming "G word" on May 10 (ground rule: we don't ever say the real word out loud) is an-ever intimidating presence. The job hunt seems to be the only thing anyone ever talks about. It's kind of like how in high school, everyone starts talking about prom in January, even though the event itself isn't till May.

Tomorrow, I'm going to have to seriously prioritize my life and make some decisions about filling in the rest of my semester. I've made the decision not to work, even though I see the cash dribbling out of my account. I feel like I'll have the rest of my life to work, and I can spare 3 more months of sloth.

I am still making sandwiches though- this time, for the homeless. I finally signed up for the sandwich ministry at church that I've been thinking about for a while. Every other week, I'll put together lunches for the homeless in Syracuse. It will be one of the many service projects I plan on doing this semester. In addition, many of you know that I will have my hands full as the PR chair for this year's Relay For Life. I'm really looking forward to all the opportunities to reach out to the community and make this year's event for the American Cancer Society the most successful ever!

Finally, I'm seriously considering reengaging the Sudanese refugee community in Syracuse. It was such a big part of my life for my first 3 years here. The program I used to work for dissolved last semester, leaving me frustrated and ready to forget about the whole thing. But there are other opportunities available to work with high school students or adults, and help open the doors of education for them. In the very least, my knitting needles will be clicking, making scarves for refugee kids, along with the other talented knitters in my service fraternity. Imagine what a shock it must be to move from Africa to SYRACUSE! The kids are in serious need for winter gear, and we hope the scarves we make serve not only to warm them, but to welcome them personally to their new home in America.

To end on a lighter note, Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tonight, I'll be going to a party where the theme is "I have a Dream." You have to dress like your dreams: some kids will have "SU Football National Champs" T-Shirts on, others will be wearing a sign saying "employed." I'll post pictures soon- and you'll all see my deepest and most profound dream for many years.

Peace and Love!