I was racing my friend Kyle with our suitcases on the way to our hotel in Prague. The back and white Czechered sidewalks had some potholes and I “ran” into one and rolled my ankle (2nd time since this summer). My pho-fiancé Ian carried me across the threshold of our hotel while my other wonderful classmates carried my bags. Kim ran to my side with ice, ankle braces, and more ice. It was a big deal folks.
I haven’t told y’all much about our trip leaders, but they are incredible. Ken and Kim Khilstrom two of the leaders who are professors from Westmont. They travel with us, teach us, and completely take care of us. They are two of the most caring and generous people I know. Ken tells jokes more frequently than anyone, and half of them are just downright inappropriate, and we love them. He is a true Physics and World War II NERD. Very laid back, very enthusiastic, and a joy to be around. Kim has redefined cute precious adorable sweet and all of the above for me. She is all of those things and more. She takes care of all 43 of us (and Ken) so well and has this nervous giggle that is to die for. And the best part of about them is that their love for the Lord and for each other is evident in everything they do. Everything.
Anyways, I am in Prague!! I have heard countless incredible things about this city. All of them include the word “beautiful”. I am in one of the most beautiful cities on the planet- that is pretty damn cool. (It’s completely dark right now as I sit with my foot elevated and icing, so I cannot actually testify to that yet).
We spent less than 24 hours in Dresden and it was really a great time. Once we checked into My Bed Dresden (yes, that was our hotel) we went straight to a brewery for dinner. Now let me tell you, that was Germany. We sat in long tables, with cute candles and water as we picked at a little salad… and then the real meal came. There were GIANT platters of 3 different forms of potatoes, gravy, ham, sausage, corned beef, chicken, schnitzel, more sausage, sauerkraut, and more sausage. SO MUCH MEAT! And to think I am a pescaterian back home. I literally had to lie down on a bench because I had wrecked myself by eating so much. Dessert came out. It was a deep-fried something dough with ice cream, whipped cream, applesauce, and cinnamon. And then we had beer. We ordered two 5-liter barrels of beer that you pour out yourself at the table.
Here is a picture of my dear friend David and I at the end of it all:
Our tour of Dresden today was so good. Gabriel gives us a tour of each city on the first day we have there and they are my favorite part of this trip so far. Really though, I learn so much from him. Gabriel is a British Oxford graduate who has worked as journalist for BBC and now works as tour guide for most of Western Europe (he teaches our art course but could cover any course he chose). He truly is one of the most intelligent, helpful, sarcastic, and honest people I’ve ever met. He also walks and talks faster than anyone I’ve ever met (and you should see how fast my mother can walk)!
If you don’t know anything about Dresden, let me tell you the little I do. Before WWII Dresden was one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was known as the Florence of Northern Europe because of its riverside layout and beautiful Baroque buildings. The Allies literally leveled the city with bombs in WWII, destroying the entire city and killing about 40,000 civilians, mostly women and children. Due to the Ally bombing tactics and the city’s defenselessness, they created a natural phenomenon which is a called a “fire storm”. In a fire storm the bombings were so precise that they created a vacuum, ensuing a fire so hot (1000 C) that it melted the infrastructure of buildings and every floor collapsed which brought down every single building.
I am learning the horrors of war in this semester. And there are many. War holds so many aspects to it- there is strategy, there is politics, there is economics, there is costs and proportionality, and then there is death. Oh there is death. I am learning about the man-made sport of death. The millions of lives that could have been. The people that never lived because of war. The suffering and anguish of their death.
I have no answers for war. I will not sit here and tell you that I am a full pacifist and that all wars are worthless. There is evil that must be stopped in this world and I seriously am not attempting to put on false humility when I say that I have NO idea what to do about it.
But I know that I hate this. The death of millions over often empty ideals, mere target cities, and strategies of war. Children of God. Valued souls and bodies. Loved and lonely people. Gone.
That is all I can tell you for now. The ice on my ankle has melted now.
No comments:
Post a Comment