My Days Start with Chocolate Cereal

Bonjour les amis! It’s been another great week in Paris! I’m happy to say that I am almost fully accustomed to the rhythms of Parisian life, and even without the use of one leg. My day typically involves waking up around 7:30am or so (that’s about 1:30 in the morning for you!) and eating a big breakfast of chocolate cereal. It has become my staple food here; very common, very good, and very full of caffeine-rich dark chocolate. After my breakfast, I usually rush off to catch a bus just down the street. Although I live in the far western corner of the city, the bus that I take actually goes direct from my road all the way to the Panthéon, which is right next to my classes.

Every morning I take two hours of grammar class with the most diverse group of young people I’ve ever encountered. In my small class alone there are students from Turkey, Austria, China, Brazil, Norway, U.S.A., Spain, Korea, Germany, Greece, Columbia, and of course Canada:). It’s been such an experience to interact with these people and to learn more about their respective cultures. And the interesting part is that amongst all the variation in language and culture, the unifying factor between us all is...French! The simple fact that we have all come to improve our French makes it easy to meet and speak to people that I may not otherwise have had had the chance to meet because of language barriers.

After grammar class ends at noon I head out into the busy streets of Paris to grab lunch at one of the nearby boulangeries or patisseries. Sandwiches and baguettes are both cheap and practical. You can easily purchase a fresh, full-sized baguette for under a Euro ($1.50). In Paris, and especially in the student quarter, a lot of people eat their lunch “à emporter”: meaning that they eat it either walking or sitting on a nice park bench near a fountain. Luckily I have both those options available to me and I don’t always have to rush. Depending on which week it is, after grammar class I will either find myself in a phonetics lab speaking French with a professor or in the International Student Library finishing that day’s homework.

Three days a week I also attend conferences or lectures that are held in one big hall; usually with more than 200 other international students. The three that I chose are: French Art, the History of Paris, and “la Sorbonne dans la ville”. In my opinion, the greatest advantage to studying in Paris has been being able to see the art, architecture, and museums that we hear about in our classes. Just this week, while studying the works of Eugène Delacroix with a friend, I was able to actually go to the Louvre and see his most famous paintings in the original. What struck me, even more than the detail and the vivid colours of Delacroix’s work, was the overwhelming size and scope of each of the paintings. Many of this 19^th century artist’s masterpieces covered entire walls bigger than the glass front of the Peter Turkstra Library. Seeing this sort of thing in person is an amazing experience and I hope to able to return to Louvre in the near future. It is the sort of place where you could spend days exploring at length and still have things to see. A bientôt!

A Rainy Day

Today was just another rainy day at Redeemer, but I happened to have a midterm which I finished fairly quickly and my only other class was cancelled today! (what are the chances!?) It was really nice because I have lots of homework but also because a lot of the girls in my dorm were also at the dorm today so we got a chance to hang out. I had my hair braided, we had neighbours come over and hang out and we talked about whether we would prefer burial or cremation- yes random I know! It ended up that I am the only one who would like to be cremated… don’t worry it was a very funny conversation which left us all laughing and not doing any homework!

The year is wrapping up with only 3 more weeks left of class and 2 weeks of exams. Everyone is getting pretty excited for the summer ahead although the search for summer jobs is becoming stressful. Tonight there is an undefined worship service; It happens about once every few months and it’s an opportunity for those who worship God in a different way to share that with the student body. At the last one there was a prayer labyrinth, paint and walls covered with paper all the while having people come up and share their worship through dance, pictures, song, etc. I am very disappointed that I will be missing it because of work but I’m sure it will be a blast- it always has a great turnout.

I cannot wait for the tennis nets to go up on the courts outside; playing tennis is one of my favourite activities to do on campus and with a bit of sun and those tennis nets I will hopefully be out there soon. There is actually quite a few tennis players at Redeemer; last year we tried to have a tournament, but it was too close to final exams. I guess we should have the tournament in the fall if we’d like to get a good amount of people out there!

I just signed up to usher for the upcoming play “Rookery Nook.” I’m taking my art core, which is Theatre 103, and it requires that we get involved in the play in some way so I’m ushering and I’ll get to watch the show for free as well. I remember last year’s play, "The Fiddler on the Roof," was absolutely amazing so I’m looking forward to this one as well. Tickets to these productions are also a great gift idea for family (and they aren’t expensive).

A Visit to the AGO

Last Wednesday my Art History class had the pleasure of taking a visit to the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). Believe it or not, this was only the second time in my life (I think) that I have been to the AGO. I would recommend this destination to anyone and everyone who has some sort of interest in the visual arts or in History. (I didn’t manage to see the King Tut exhibit, but I hear it is quite something!) The AGO is home to 79,000 works of art -- spanning from 100 A.D. to the present. Some of the most treasured European masterpieces cover the walls of this building, including Anthony van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough, Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and René Magritte.

The AGO also has a solid collection of modern art. While most of us are immediately impressed by the meticulous brushwork, hyper realism, and incredible detail of many classical paintings, we are sometimes unsure of how to approach the more modern, experimental pieces. I think this is my favourite part about the AGO (and most art galleries).

In one room you will find a Claude Monet or Rembrandt, and in the other, a conceptual piece, made up of a pile of rocks and Cheezies. That’s right, rocks and Cheezies! While it might be tempting for some to simply view the more bizarre, conceptual pieces as nonsensical or pretentious, we must remember that many of these modern works are not designed to simply shock or confuse us. The artist is usually setting out to do much more. A lot of the time, the artist is asking the viewer to consider the rigorous process that went into making the sculpture or the painting, or pushing us to consider what the piece is saying about the culture we live in and the society that we conform to or resist. One example of this was the pile of rocks and Cheezies.

I later learned that this sculpture was commenting on the way our modern society tries to hide or cover up the way we have abused the natural world and turned it into a consumerist urban jungle without a solid foundation. The pile of rocks could not conceal the bright orange Cheezies peeking through, suggesting that we can’t cover up what the way have abused, polluted and commercialized our environment. You don’t have to love modern art, but I do think everyone should take a few minutes (if given the chance) to at least think about what the more peculiar pieces are trying to say.The Cheezie sculpture was a great example of this. Some definite food for thought to be found! And now I’m hungry for Cheezies...not sure if that was what the artist intended.

In conclusion: take advantage of field trips like these! You get to ride a yellow school bus and everything! Also, the price is often affordable, and the experience will likely be well worth every penny!

Redeemer: Need I Say More?

Flip flops and tank tops, basketballs and volleyballs, the bright sun shining, laughter and smiles, rollerblading and biking, running and walking, sun-tanning, and of course, a few classes here and there. These are just a few of the activities that I have seen occurring numerous times over the past week on Redeemer campus.

Once spring hits, you can be sure that more on-campus students will be outside than inside. The beautiful weather this week really provided a good break in the midst of a crazy semester. Only one month of classes to go! Feelings of pressure to do well in classes and tensions regarding summer jobs are high, and in some cases, the emotional rollercoaster has reached top speed. Of course, it is times like these that God uses to open up the door for new experiences, for pressures to be relieved, and for tensions to be calmed. For me, and for a lot of other people I’m sure, the bright and shining sun this week provided both intense relaxation and an opportunity to revel in God’s wonder and majesty in the middle of a hectic day, week, and month.

I also attended Coffee House this Thursday night. Whenever I attend one of these, I am amazed at the different acts that Redeemer students perform. A little Avril Lavigne, a skit regarding Campus Visit Days at Redeemer, some comedy here and there, a video competition, and of course, some more comedy. What also struck me this time was the openness of one particular student. One student shared a song that he had written for his older brother who passed away suddenly in December. His song spoke of hope, renewal, and truth. As he sang, tears were flowing freely from many people’s eyes, and hearts were being opened to the power of God. One student, who has experienced heart-wrenching pain at the loss of his brother, has taken all that he has learned and used it to bless his fellow students.

That is what is so unique about both Coffee House and Redeemer in general. We have so much opportunity here. We have so much freedom to share our experiences, to talk with others about hard situations we are facing or burdens we are carrying. We have been blessed in that our community has grown closer and closer over the years, and I am positive that God’s love is evident in our school, on our campus, and in the hearts of the students, staff and faculty that attend or work at Redeemer. There is no doubt in my mind that Redeemer is a powerful place and that God truly is at work here.

Friends at Redeemer

Last night my friends and I went to Kelsey’s to celebrate my 20th birthday. It was so much fun to have a bunch of girls together and to catch up with everyone. I’m pretty sure that at one point we were all talking at once and were getting fairly loud! Almost everyone goes to Meadowlands to get off-campus, so Kelsey’s wasn’t exactly original, but it’s close and cheaper than other places- as students we always appreciate that!

Some ladies were over at our dorm last night; they were here for one of the campus visit days where you stay overnight to get the real experience. They were checking out our house and I had a chance to chat with them. I just remember when I visited Redeemer for the first time: I thought it was the smallest school considering my high school was bigger and I remember being surprised at how many guys there were. But my favourite part was how friendly people were; especially compared to the high school I was at where girls glared at you as you walked down the hallways. I find when I walk down the halls at Redeemer that it is just a different atmosphere, a more inviting one where people are more likely to smile.

Now, I would say my favourite part about Redeemer is the friends that I’ve made. I’ve never been able to talk about God so easily with friends; He just pops into our conversations. We are all in a different place in our walk with God so it’s such a great support system. Devotions are a great time for us to get together and talk about God, but it is in the moments when we are just hanging out that we have the best discussions about our faith and convictions.

As for homework, I told the girls visiting for the campus visit day that it can build up quickly and is different compared to high school, although not everyone’s marks go down and not everyone freaks out during the first midterm season. Speaking of midterms, I have another math midterm this Friday which I’ve started studying for; a lot of the content is on the study of primes and also counting techniques (This is a course that computer science students also take). I will be picking courses for next year in the upcoming week. I’m almost done my core courses and I’m very excited to be taking my first education course in the fall! Only about 6 weeks to go until school is done, everyone is counting down since the weather outside reminds us of the long summer ahead!

Great is Thy Faithfulness

This morning in my devotions, I was reading from Joshua 24 – when Joshua, as a final act of his leadership of the Israelites, renews God’s covenant with them and reminds them of God’s faithfulness in the past. This kind of reminds me of what happened in Chapel this past week.

President Cooper gave a testimony of God’s faithfulness to Redeemer University College during his time as our president. As a first year who didn’t know much about Redeemer’s history I was amazed to hear of how God’s hand has guided this school right from its founding in 1982, to its breakthrough in 1998, to now. Actually the “breakthrough” story was really inspiring to me. Prior to 1998, Redeemer was only able to offer a Bachelor degree of Christian Studies. We had the program in place for the Bachelor of Arts and Science, but it was not recognized. So one day, Pres. Cooper went to a meeting ready to fight for our right to offer these degrees. But when he got there, he found that no one was opposed as all knew Redeemer alumni and knew that they were just as good as any other undergraduates. It’s like God went before us and already won the battle for us. Pres. Cooper is quoted in The Crown on this topic saying, “That really was the moment in Redeemer’s development when it felt like the heavens opened and God smiled on us. If you know the inner workings of how that came to be, then you know how God’s fingerprints were all over that.”

I know many students are sad to see Pres. Cooper leave after so many years of great service to our school and being our leader through so much growth. Since that 1998 breakthrough, our school has more than doubled and has expanded to include 52 denominations – not just Dutch CRC kids. (lol) But as we look at the past and reflect on how God has lead us through so much, we also look to the future and realize that God will continue to guide us through our next president Dr. Krygsman.

Dr. Krygsman also gave a testimony at chapel about how he was called to be our new president and shared with us a bible verse. In Philippians 3 we are encouraged to run the race, pressing on towards the goal to win the price for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. I know that God will continue to cultivate growth in Redeemer through Dr. Krygsman and I am excited to be a witness to that in my next couple of years here. We concluded our chapel with singing Great is Thy Faithfulness. God will continue to be faithful to us and we are blessed to be witnesses and recipients of his great faithfulness!

I am also excited because of the Campus Visit Days that have been happening this week as all high school students are off on March Break. These prospective students are the future of Redeemer and are currently just getting a glimpse of Redeemer’s wonderful community and education, but just wait until next year. Then they will be fully immersed in the great riches of a Christian education that is more than just studying but a better understanding of our life as God’s servants. It’s amazing!

I can also look back on my year at Redeemer – last year this time I was just another student getting lost in the halls on a Campus Visit Day. And I can see God’s faithfulness to me as he led me through the application process, finishing Gr. 12 exams, paying for university, finding me an awesome dorm, and making me grow so much spiritually and academically. God is so great and everyone here at Redeemer has their own testimony to God’s faithfulness. It is my hope that all the prospective students this week will get to become a part of Redeemer’s testimony to God’s faithfulness.

Wow! This has been quite an eventful few weeks in Paris. Classes are fully underway at the Cours de civilisation française and that started to create a rather dependable routine for me, that is until something came along to jostle that consistency.

This past weekend I was invited to go on a trip to Disneyland Paris with my student residence here in France, and in the process of trying to catch a train I was late for... I ran a little too fast and jumped a few too many steps. Luckily, the fall didn’t result in a broken ankle but I will be relegated to walking with crutches for the next few weeks. The irony of it all is that Paris is a city renowned for walking and cycling as the primary modes of transit. This is both an ironic and humbling experience for me. I know God has many lessons for His people on the other end of such self-inflicted accidents. The great part of the day was that, in the end, I was still able to see most of Disneyland Paris (although mostly by sitting down) and to really enjoy another different experience.

France so far has been anything but predictable. My time could be well described with these words: incredibly exciting and incredibly diverse. The weekend before Disneyland I had a chance to get to know better some of the young adults from our church “L’Église Évangélique Baptiste de Paris-centre” or as most people call it “Rue de Sèvres.” The people at this church have been incredibly inviting and have extended so much grace to us visiting Canadians. It is really exciting to see a group of Christians in this country who are so involved in loving and welcoming new people.

Our outing with some of the young adults a few weeks back was hiking and rock climbing in an area just outside of Paris called Fontainebleau. It is a beautiful spot that really takes you out of the noise and the business of the city and brings you to a place that could easily be mistaken for Northern Ontario. The landscape was gorgeous and the rocks were climb-able! We spent our day climbing, hiking, talking and eating packed lunches and snacks all outside under the warm sun. It was a great day to remember and I can’t wait to do it again!

I’m having the other Redeemer students over for dinner tonight at my residence so I better go start making dinner. It’s tacos tonight!