The sun rises in the Southeast

and sets in the Southwest.

At all points of the sunlit day, I can see the sun out of the south window of my office. That is truly bizarre to me. The sun never rises high enough to stare straight down at Chicago. In November, at any rate.

Latest news is that Yesica has scheduled Project Hope presentations at Kelly High School soon. This is a good thing, and I was excited about going, but then realized that the classes are at the same time as the HIV/AIDS training class I was going to attend for Project Hope. I was so excited about getting this training done because I've been here for three months, and have gotten to do very little of the things I will wind up doing.

So of course, the Red Cross cancelled the training classes. Maybe February, they said. Yesica and I kicked the concrete and complained loudly in that good-natured way that we both have. But I have to get trained soon for two reasons. One, Yesica does not have any trained peer educators now, which means she is managing Project Hope and giving all presentations by herself. The other peer educators will not be trained until next calendar year. Also, on a more selfish note, I'm tired of sitting in the computer lab all day and not really having anything consistent to do except for the art class, which is going well (more on that soon). So, we're taking matters into our own hands, and she is going to traing me so that I can start giving presentations, and I'll receive further training from the Red Cross later, as is possible.

Yesterday, as I was feeling sorry for myself for not having anything to do, I started grumbling about my missing art supplies. It took several weeks to get the supplies in, and then after about a week, I went downstairs to retrieve them for class, and the cabinet had a padlock on it. I talked to Sr. Angie about it, and my class made do, and time slipped by, and all I had was a general idea of "talk to Bridget Swenson". She's the Head Teacher of Dugan- one of our alternative high schools- the one I will be working with (more on that soon). She's very busy, and I've never even been over to Dugan so I didn't feel very comfortably just strolling on over in the middle of the day and saying, Hey, come take care of this for me.

So, yesterday, I went to the church receptionist office and said, "How do I go about meeting this woman?" Every time I've seen her, we've bumped into each other, but it's been two weeks since I've seen her last, and I need her help. So they got me on the phone with Dugan voicemail, and within ten minutes I was downstairs, being led to my art supplies. And I thought, it really is so much easier to take care of things yourself rather than waiting for your busy superiors to fix things for you.

Well, sometimes. Sr. Angie just came to tell me of the new projected date for my starting the computer tutoring program with the students from Dugan- Dec. 8. I have no control over whether things will actually start on this date, but then, neither does Sr. Angie. But apparently, Bridget Swenson will be receiving the training herself pretty soon, and then will pass it on to me, as well as a list of requirements for the students i will be working with. I am really excited about this starting. But this time, I won't hold my breath.

I feel like I've spent eight years waiting to get through school and everything and find a place to go do service work, only to get there, and continue to wait while things get set up for me to start. But the good news is that I get to go to the Project Hope presentations at Kelly. And soon, Yesica will train me to give such presentations. And soon, I will be working with troubled students in the alternative high school.

In the meantime, I saw two of my art students last night (well, one official student, Jaime, and Fredy, the nine-year-old who is not an official student, but who comes to classes every Monday and Friday anyway). I told them that we have our art supplies back. Jaime, who doesnt' talk much, just smiled and kind of bounced around. Fredy threw his paper down on the floor and yelled, "well it's about time!" It was hilarious.

But yeah, that's my life now... on the cusp of great things.

Still waiting.

I"m a little sick currently. Not feeling all that great. Which sucks, but that's life.

Good things are happening, though. We had a service group come to Holy Cross from a high school in Minnesota, and I was kind of their guide while they were here. The girls of the group also stayed at our house, so we spent a lot of time together. They were a really outgoing bunch, and were so open and relaxed about everything, that it helped me to open and relax in a way that I hadn't realized I wasn't.

What happened next was pretty cool. Monday last week, feeling all open and relaxed, I went to teach my art class. And right away, the class responded. They opened up- started telling me about their lives, what they were doing in school, things they were proud of... and it continued. Every day that I have worked since then, a new person has come and talked to me. Not like a stranger, but someone who I already knew or taught or worked with in some way. And we were already friendly, but now they seem to feel comfortable enough around me to really let me into their lives. It's really neat.

That thing I was going to do with Dugan school has been put off. The computers in the lab do not have the specs necessary for the program. So, a few more weeks, perhaps more. I'm learning that nothing here starts quickly. Nothing starts on time. For now, I'm going to see if there is anyone who specifically works to help the young adults of the neighborhood apply for college scholarships. If not, maybe I can do that. There is a definite interest in college here, but not many people seem to be going. Maybe they just need someone to help them get started. Who knows?

Prayers for Peace

We have Chapel every Tuesday night. Fabian is our Spiritual Coordiantor, so he designs them (our chapel nights). Last night, he placed newspaper clippings of the battles being fought around the world on the floor. On those, he placed broken bricks- symbols of destruction. And last of all, he placed candles on the bricks- symbols of hope. Then, we read the following twelve prayers...

Hindu Prayer for Peace
Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real.
Oh God, lead us from darkness to light.
Oh God, lead us from death to immortality.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all.
O Lord God Almighty may there be peace in Celestial regions.
May there be peace on earth.
May the waters be appeasing.
May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all.
May all beneficent beings bring peace to us.
May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world.
May all things be a source of peace to us.
And may thy peace itself bestow peace on all.
And may that peace come to me also.

Buddhist Prayer for Peace
May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings
of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid
and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power,
and may people think of befriending one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless,fearful wildernesses
- the children, the aged, the unprotected - be guarded by beneficent celestials,
and may they quickly attain Buddhahood.

Zoroastrian Prayer for Peace
We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world:
that understanding triumph over ignorance,
that generosity triumph over indifference,
that trust triumph over contempt, and
that truth triumph over falsehood.

Jainist Prayer for Peace
Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the
Gospel preached by all the Enlightened Ones.
The Lord has preached that equanimity is the Dharma.
Forgive do I, creatures all,
and let all creatures forgive me.
Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity.
Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world.
Violence in fact, is the knot of bondage.
"Do not injure any living being."
This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable
way of spiritual life.
A weapon, howsoever powerful it may be,
can always be superseded by a superior one;
but no weapon can, however,
be superior to non-violence and love.

Jewish Prayer for Peace
Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the paths of the most high.
And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into pruning hooks.
Nations shall not lift up sword against nation - neither shall they learn war any more.
And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.

Shinto Prayer for Peace
Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us,
I believe, are all our brothers and sisters, why are there constant troubles in this world?
Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us?
I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon
puff away all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains.

Native African Prayer for Peace
Almighty God, the Great Thumb
we cannot evade to tie any knot:
The Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees;
the all-seeing Lord up on high who sees
even the footprints of an antelope on a rock mass here on earth.
You are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call.
You are the cornerstone of peace.

Native American Prayer for Peace
O Great spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you;
To your messengers in the four winds, and
to Mother Earth who provides for your children.
Give us the wisdom to teach our children
to love, to respect, and to be kind to each other, so that they may grow with peace in mind.
Let us learn to share all good things that you provide for us on this Earth.

Muslim Prayer for Peace
In the name of Allah the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the Universe, who has created us and made us into tribes and nations that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other.
If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace,
and trust God, for the Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things.
And the servants of God, most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in Humility, and when we address them, we say "PEACE."

The Baha'i Prayer for Peace
Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity.
Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech.
Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.
Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew upon the soil of the human heart,
and a fruit upon the tree of humility.

Sikh prayer for Peace
God adjudges us according to our deeds, not the clothes that we wear;
That truth is above everything, but higher still is truthful living.
Know that we attain God when we love, and only that victory endures in consequences of which no one is defeated.

Christian Prayer for Peace
Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be known as the Children of God.
But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To those who strike you on the cheek offer the other also, and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well. Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask them again. And as you wish that others would to do you, do so to them.

New Job

Just this past Saturday I finally opened my mouth to express a concern I had about my "saving the world" position. I didn't feel like I was helping the teens of Back of the Yards enough, or maybe not in the right way. Hardly anyone ever comes to the turoring in the afternoon, so most days I sit there and read or write or hang out with the kids who come in to check their email. And I know it's good to have someone around, for stability's sake and what-not, but I was getting bored.

So I said this. Outloud. To people who have no control over such things in my work- my housemates. But having said it outloud, things began to change. Yesterday, Sr. Angie came and told me that Dugan- one of Holy Cross' alternative high schools- is starting a program for teens who can't really get into alternative high schools. They'll be able to work on course credit on a computer until they can qualify to join Dugan.

So, starting in about two weeks, I'm going to be working with two teens daily from 12:00-4:00. Sr. Angie said my main job isn't so much to make sure they finish their work accurately, but to sit with them, ask them how they're doing, what's going on, how they're feeling. Be supportive. And also help them with their work. So, of course, I am really excited about this.

Sra. Vampira

I made my way to the Salvation Army that morning (see below), to find what costume I could find. But it was just shy of 10:00, so the SA was not yet open. So instead, I made my way to the grocery store to spend off the last fifty dollars of our grocery money on stuff for next month (we are getting good at this whole budgeting thing). I bought flour and sugar and canned goods. Then I went down the Halloween Stuffs Aisle, and found the last package of face paint that came with vampire teeth. There was one other option- the last package of face paint that didn't come with vampire teeth.

And that's the story of how I decided to be a vampire for Halloween.

Then, it was back to the Salvation Army to complete the costume. I found some really slick pants, and if I could have found a slick coat or blouse to go with it, I could have been one of them newfangled modern vampires in those movies that are so popular with the kiddies nowadays. But instead, I found an off-the-shoulder black velvet dress that was only two sizes too big for me. It was 7 dollars, but it looked really cool when I tried it on over my clothes (they don't have dressing rooms at this one), so I got it despite the obvious over-pricing.

I got home and tried it on again. I pulled the off-the-shoulder sleeves up onto my shoulders, and it still looked good, even though it was a bit on the uncomfortable side where my underarms were concerned. I slicked my hair back, painted my face, put in the teeth, and voila! Vampire costume for under 11 dollars.

The haunted tunnel was way-cool. The kids really decorated it up well. Of course, by the end of the night, some of the boys decided it would be way scarier if they turned off all the lights on their end of the tunnel, and they jumped out from complete darkness, rather than spooky surroundings. And they could not be convinced by anyone that this was not the case. They even talked later about how people "were more scared in the light!" Ah well.

We made some kids cry. I realized quickly that I could not wear the teeth when I was leading young kids through. They would be too scared to enter with "Sra. Vampira", as Sr. Angie dubbed me. The first kid I took through got too scared, even holding his father's hand, and we had to turn back early. The fright made several kids cry. Some of them were clinging to their guides for protection. They were only allowed to go through once, because after that, they would get too bold, and start messing with the characters. But Sr. Angie let a group of them go through twice, because they went to the trouble of running home and putting on face paint so she wouldn't recognize them. It was a lot of fun.

After I got home, I walked over with Daena and Fabian, Michael and Valerie to the Loyola house to visit their party. Daena was dressed as a crook, and you really do just have to see the mask she had. It was all rubber, the top like a green cap, with a black eye mask and big rubber ears sticking out the sides. She crept instead of walked, with a napsack of beer slung over her shoulder. Fabian was a demon. He stopped in an alley to knock on a stranger's lighted window, and just sat their, waiting for them to pull the curtain back. Nothing happened, so we continued to walk. But then the front door opened, and this guy steps out, and asks with a mafioso accent, "Can I help you?" I had never heard those words sound so threatening before. But Fabian had a demon mask and a battle axe, so he approached the man. Eventually, the guys started laughing, but we watched on for several minutes, waiting for a resolution to the bizarre situation. I had pulled the sleeves off shoulder, and was, I would like to think, a rather regal looking vampire. Michael wore his regular clothes. Val was in her pajamas. We were just going to stop in. Only Daena and Fabian were going to party.

The only really interesting thing that happened the rest of that tired night for me, was hearing the story of the mystery box at the Loyola house. Loyola has a kind of volunteer, work/study type thing going on for teachers in Chicago. One of the houses is two blocks from us, and Fabian teaches with two of the people who live there. They've been at the house about as long as us, just over two months.

They have a box in their basement living room, attatched to the wall. While decorating, one of them decided to find out what was in the box, so she climbed up on a chair, and tried to pry it open. It wouldn't budge. Then, they noticed what is apparently hair coming out of the top of the box. Like, a clump of human hair. They still can't get the box open, but they've decided there is a dead body in it. When I saw it, the hair-substance was still there, and the box had bright orange lettering across is that said, "Happy Halloween".

We had inservice Saturday that included hummus, tortlini, and donuts. Oh, and we're going to get part-time Americorps credit for this year. Two thousand something dollars tuition credit each. And no, that wasn't part of the original deal that we signed on for. Bonus!

This morning we all went to mass at Holy Cross and saw the altars for Dia de los Muertos. They were beautiful. Uncharacteristically, Fr. Bruce did not speak any English at all at mass, so over one-half of the volunteers could not understand him. But the other thousand people in the church could, so I guess that's what matters.

Then we went to eat at this place we saw last night that serves breakfast all day. This was our community outing for the month (two days in, and already that's over with ;)

The food was really good. It was like any Southern breakfast eatery except that the food wasn't dripping with lard, and did not make me even a little sick later. It was quite tasty. The atmosphere.... left something to be.... was less than.... was down right weird. No, really. It was weird. i don't even know that I can describe it, so that kind of makes this a pointless story. Let me try. There was one woman, who was the daughter of the cook, and she starting talking loudly to us as soon as we walked in from across the restaurant. So that we couldn't talk to each other at all. She told us her life's story. The waitress was a much older woman, who kept bringing us more and more toast. The cook, the mom of that first lady, kept coming by and asking if everything was okay. The first woman kept trying to give us honey. Then, her husband and son come in, and she yells at her son for "not talking English", because he was using street slang. So he yelled at her to get out of his restaurant (thirteen-year-old sarcastic-like). Then her husband gets some food, and she tries to bring him some honey, and the boys yells about how she always trying to give everyone honey. And the other woman is still bringing us toast. And the mother is still asking us if everything is okay. And the woman tries to bring us honey AGAIN.

Michael and I were quietly discussing how I could come here and write, if I could be left alone to do it, when we overhear Daena advising Phil to come get coffee every morning before work for awhile in order to get an idea of when the woman is not there, so then he and Val would know when it was safe to come for breakfast together.

Oh, and it was called Jocko's.

Then, tonight, Daena strapped her brother's roller-blades onto my feet and I roller-bladed around the house. And I didn't fall all the way once!

So we're going to try and go roller-blading together on Tuesday. See how that goes.