9.29.2006

Hometime...

I had such an awesome day yesterday. I got to go home and visit with the fam!!! yay!
Even though it wasn't even one full day, it was still good to see everybody. I love going home...funny how much you miss interacting with the people you grew up with until you don't see them all the time. I also got my laptop that my Dad slaved over! (Thanks Dad!) I won't get internet until Monday, but that's ok. I can live without it for the weekend...maybe not, but I can go to the computer lab still.
My friend drove me back to college, and she's going to stay over tonight, which will be really fun because I've never had company before!
I only have homework for three classes left, so I'm going to try to work a little bit on that tonight.
So, for now, I love you all and take care!
Love, Ash

9.27.2006

Well, reading through a commentary on Genesis(or any college-level commentary for that matter) can be quite a task. I went around to other apartments and asked some girls if they had a dictionary so I could look up the word "talionic",and, with no success, looked up the word on dictionary.com. Well, of course they didn't have "talionic", but they had the word "talion". The definition...well, if you want to know look it up for yourself(yes, I'm going to be mean.) Anyway, the definition itself had a big word I didn't know, so I had to look up the meaning of it. Then, looking up the meaning of it, found another big word I didn't know the meaning of. Looked of the meaning of this word, and, in the definition, it used the word itself!! I mean, how stupid is that? We were always told that when writing a definition you have to use other words to define it. Man, it repeated the word about 3 times. So, needless to say, in a long, drawn out, and sort of round-about way, I found the meaning to the wonderful and crazy word.
At least that's the only word I haven't known in this commentary. In our commentary about the book of John in the Bible, within about 40 pages I had to look up 100 words that I had never seen in my life or couldn't remember the meanings for because we don't use them in everyday English vocabulary. As my Hermeneutics(Bible Interpretation) teacher always says, "WELCOME TO COLLEGE!!!"
Welcome to college is right. I never thought of myself as a thinker, but now I have no choice but to become one. Wow, what a challenge.
Anyways, better get back to my reading. Just thought while I was on the computer I would write a quick little blog.
ttyl, and take care
Love, Ash

9.26.2006

Tonight's a little chipper than normal weather-wise. I kind of like it, knowing that it's not "snow" weather, but it's like the nice crisp weather of fall.
I'm finally going home this week-end! I think this is what...my third week here? no, my fourth. So, I'm looking forward to seeing my fam, even if it's only one full day...still excited! Plus, I'm getting my laptop, which Dad has faithfully been working on for me, getting it all upgraded and stuff that he does...Thanks Dad!!!
I got a wedding invitation today...for a wedding that's on October 8!! Hey, it's ok, I already knew that I was invited and that my friend was marrying. He's just really really late at getting them out. That's ok, I was so excited to get it! And I am so going! And definitely putting the beautiful invitation on my wall to decorate it...I know...I'm weird!
Well, don't think I should be up this late, but still have some work to do for tomorrow's 8:15 class...Entao, boa noite!
Love, Ash

9.23.2006

Missions Moments and a Concert

Every Friday night at my school(maybe it's every other Friday night) the missions committee brings in someone to talk about missions. Last night a representative from Wycliffe Bible Translators came...he had a really good presentation, and he doesn't actually do the translation, but his specialty is linguistics, so he was showing us different things to do with that. It was really interesting. There was also someone there who has been in Brasil for 11 years, and came back a year ago, so I could speak some Portuguese to him(although he doesn't remember as much as he used to)
Then after that, we hosted a concert here last night, but it was all screamo Christian rock stuff...very interesting, let me tell you. I don't really like it. Two guys that we go to school with, Drew and Kevin, are in a band that isn't screamo, it's actually really good, and they're playing in Peterborough tonight. So after the concert was over, they were practicing with their band for tonight for about an hour. Me and some of the girls from my dorm(about 5 of us) went into the chapel to watch them practice...they are REALLY REALLY GOOD!!!! Honestly I would buy a CD of theirs. It's so cool when I think about it, I go to school with 2 of these guys! Apparently a record label offered to sign them on, but Drew said he would only do that if they were a big record label. He said he'd drop out of school so fast and just do his band...hey I would too if I were that good in a band!!! They're awesome!
Anyways, I have to go and do some homework.
Love, Ash

9.22.2006

I really love autumn. Honestly, it is my absolute favourite time of year. It gets so beautiful, all the different colours of the leaves, and the smells and vibrancy. It's funny how being back in Canada I start to remember all the different smells that I forgot about in Brasil. Like, for instance, I smelled snow in the air the other day. I know, I know, it is WAY too early, but it was so crisp and it just reminded me of snow. And then there's the smell of wet leaves, that nauseating smell of decay. However, it is so common in the fall, that you can't help but learn to like it.
The colours remind me that God is the best artist of all. His imagination surpasses everything that we could even dream of. I love it!
Love, Ash

9.18.2006

The Retreat

Not sure if I mentioned anything about this, but there was an all-school retreat to a camp nearby this past weekend. I went, and I'm so glad that I did. Most of the freshman went, but only a few of the seniors went. We left on the Friday night, and came back yesterday afternoon.
We did lots of stuff...had a pastor come from a local church and he spoke about our goal of Bible college and many other things...he was very good. On Saturday we played lots of crazy games down by the beach,played some soccer, and tetherball. I can't say that I like tetherball very much, it's kinda hard... But anyways. Thankfully I got all of my reading done before I left so I wouldn't have to do that on the retreat...however, there were quite a few people who did bring their homework with them. I felt bad for them because they couldn't quite relax like the rest of us.
Well, back at it steady today. Although I haven't done my questions for Hermeneutics tomorrow, so I should go and do that. Anyways, take care, everyone
Love, Ash

9.14.2006

Oh...college...

Yes, I'm starting to find out just how difficult college life can be, and I'm not talking about living in residence...I am talking about the reading!!! Now I understand why they give us reading weeks and stuff like that! (Actually I don't even think our college give us reading weeks!)
Anyways, so I'm up to my eyeballs in reading and assignments stuff. It seems like all I do now is read read read. But I am really wanting to do well in school for once in my life, so I hope that I can keep up some good habits.
Other than that, I am enjoying being here. Sort of feeling grown up,cleaning, making my own meals, having to manage my own time WISELY...crazy stuff.
Well, hope everyone is doing well.
Not sure who else reads my blogs, but just gonna say a little shout out to all the people I'm pretty sure read it:Nan and Pops, Oma and Grandpa, Tom, Mom and Dad, Stef, and if I didn't say your name, then leave a comment so I can know who's reading this!
Love, Ash

9.11.2006

First day of classes...

Hey all, wow, it's been a while since I've written anything. I had my first 2 classes today, Genesis and John. It was interesting let me tell you. I can't believe the classes are 2hrs and 45 min.!!!! Craziness. But, I'm so glad to be taking these classes, especially Genesis, and learn more about the book in the Bible where God created the world, and many other fascinating stories.
Thankfully my teeth are feeling better, and I can now chew on both sides, but still foods that are pretty tough(can't eat a nice roast beef or anything like that, unless it was really tender).
Anyways, that's all for now.
Hope you all are doing great.
Love, Ash

9.06.2006

College life is really great. I am absolutely loving living in residence. It is an interesting experience living with so many other girls that I don't know. But we are slowly starting to get to know each other. I got my books yesterday (all 10 of them) and also got my schedule. I have 2 classes a day, and have Thursdays and Fridays off. Now I just have to find a job or something to do on those days so I don't get bored!!
Thankfully my mouth doesn't hurt as much anymore. I can only chew on the left side of my mouth though...it's interesting. But the braces aren't rubbing on the inside of my cheeks as much as they were before, so that helps relieve most of my pain.
Today was a spiritual emphasis day to get ready for the school year(it starts tomorrow) We had a pastor come and he talked on our theme verse of this year(which is 2 Peter 1:5-7) So it was basically 2 church services, one before lunch and one after lunch. The one after lunch we had in the city park. It was very nice.
Now we have free time to prepare for classes for tomorrow. I have no classes though, so that's good!
Well, take care, and will write later
Love, Ash

9.02.2006

AAARGH....braces!

They're really hurting today...I woke up thinking there is really no point eating anything that I can chew on, because barely biting down sends pain shooting through my whole mouth. So, just ate a yogurt and downed a nice cold class of water that accompanyed my tylenol. We're good to go now. Woke up at 8AM, and I'm hoping to start cleaning my room now, and getting all my clothes together. Last night mom put together food for me, while I sat there and watched, and told her to stop giving me all her food! I know that they love me, and they don't want me to starve until I get a job to pay for my own food.
Well, I should go before I get distracted by the Internet and find other exciting things to waste my time with!
Take care,
Love, Ash

9.01.2006

Hi everyone...today I got my braces on. Not too sure what I think of them yet. They're interesting, and thankfully they don't hurt yet, but I'm sure they probably will later this weekend. I got clear ones on the top so they don't look too metal. Kinda nice.
This weekend is going to be busy, so not sure when I will be able to write again. Probably next week sometime.
I was able to spend some time with some of my friends and stuff before I left again, so that was nice.
Hope you all are doing well.
Love, Ash