New Year's at Schloss Mittersill
Tanya was right--it’s time to write again! I’m back in Lithuania after yet another side-trip of a side-trip, this time to Austria via Prague. On the way back, Jared and I stopped in Vienna and Warsaw and we arrived in Klaipeda a few days ago. I’m writing this from a comfy living room couch, where I am watching an animated _Green Eggs and Ham_ with a four-year-old named Devin.
I’m not that surprised to find North American culture wherever I go (especially since I’m staying with a Californian family who works at LCC). What I am surprised about is how much I’ve been relieved to find it. Our Warsaw-Vilnius bus stopped at a random McDonalds in the middle of Poland, and I found myself quite happy with its familiarity and cleanliness. Then came an aftershock of disgust at myself. I think I’m reacting this way because being in Eastern Europe is my biggest culture jump so far.
Here’s a quick list of Lithuanian differences:
-Lack of personal space in public areas. Everyone stands close in line, bumps into each other with shopping carts, and no one moves out of your way. I had a full-on frontal collision with a middle-aged man a few weeks ago. There are no cushions of Canadian “sorrys.”
-Enormous, cold, Western-type buildings filled with expensive luxury goods.
-Delicious, fatty dairy products. Nothing is “low-fat.” The sour cream is 25% fat, and the milk is “chewable,” according to some ex-pats.
-No one smiles on the streets.
-Paper bus tickets that have to be punched in a metal clamp when you get on.
-Women of all ages dressed to the nines. I am especially impressed by how they navigate icy cobblestone in stilettos.
***
Let’s abruptly close that can of worms called “culture shock” (because there’s so much more to come). Instead, here’s something about the highlight of my trip so far: Schloss Mittersill.
Schloss Mittersill is a Christian retreat centre in the Austrian Alps. The Symons family has had connections there through the generations, and I’ve always wanted to visit. I missed Aunt Yvonne’s 90th birthday party there in October, but being there for the New Year’s house party was a good second best. These house parties last about a week or so and involve about 100 guests. It was quite a mix of people, everyone from families to young businessmen to elderly missionaries. We had lots of free time during the day, so we poked around the nooks and crannies of the Schloss, read by the fire, or did more active things like visiting Mittersill, and going for long mountain walks in the snow. One sunny day we even splurged and went downhill skiing (I combated my ten-year hiatus with serious chutzpah). In the evenings there were talks by Lindsay Brown and songs and more talks. I had a wonderful small group with people from Wales, Spain, America, Singapore, and the Czech Republic. The centerpiece of the week was our New Year’s masquerade ball, followed by a wild fireworks display on a _Sound of Music_ mountain.
The best thing about being at Schloss Mittersill was that it was a very specific preparation for the next step of my trip. Not only were my new friends keen to pray for me, but I providentially met up with someone who had been to Bangladesh for three years. We had several intense chats about the country--everything from insects to theories of evangelism.
So there you go. The Seuss cartoons have ended and I’m getting ready to head out for the evening. The next missive might be from Bangladesh. Thanks for keeping up with me, and every note I get from each of you makes me happy.
As a reward for reading through this oatmeal-tone post, here are some random pictures, including one where I look slightly creepy.
***
*The first two photos were taken by super-rad Valerie King.
I’m not that surprised to find North American culture wherever I go (especially since I’m staying with a Californian family who works at LCC). What I am surprised about is how much I’ve been relieved to find it. Our Warsaw-Vilnius bus stopped at a random McDonalds in the middle of Poland, and I found myself quite happy with its familiarity and cleanliness. Then came an aftershock of disgust at myself. I think I’m reacting this way because being in Eastern Europe is my biggest culture jump so far.
Here’s a quick list of Lithuanian differences:
-Lack of personal space in public areas. Everyone stands close in line, bumps into each other with shopping carts, and no one moves out of your way. I had a full-on frontal collision with a middle-aged man a few weeks ago. There are no cushions of Canadian “sorrys.”
-Enormous, cold, Western-type buildings filled with expensive luxury goods.
-Delicious, fatty dairy products. Nothing is “low-fat.” The sour cream is 25% fat, and the milk is “chewable,” according to some ex-pats.
-No one smiles on the streets.
-Paper bus tickets that have to be punched in a metal clamp when you get on.
-Women of all ages dressed to the nines. I am especially impressed by how they navigate icy cobblestone in stilettos.
***
Let’s abruptly close that can of worms called “culture shock” (because there’s so much more to come). Instead, here’s something about the highlight of my trip so far: Schloss Mittersill.
Schloss Mittersill is a Christian retreat centre in the Austrian Alps. The Symons family has had connections there through the generations, and I’ve always wanted to visit. I missed Aunt Yvonne’s 90th birthday party there in October, but being there for the New Year’s house party was a good second best. These house parties last about a week or so and involve about 100 guests. It was quite a mix of people, everyone from families to young businessmen to elderly missionaries. We had lots of free time during the day, so we poked around the nooks and crannies of the Schloss, read by the fire, or did more active things like visiting Mittersill, and going for long mountain walks in the snow. One sunny day we even splurged and went downhill skiing (I combated my ten-year hiatus with serious chutzpah). In the evenings there were talks by Lindsay Brown and songs and more talks. I had a wonderful small group with people from Wales, Spain, America, Singapore, and the Czech Republic. The centerpiece of the week was our New Year’s masquerade ball, followed by a wild fireworks display on a _Sound of Music_ mountain.
The best thing about being at Schloss Mittersill was that it was a very specific preparation for the next step of my trip. Not only were my new friends keen to pray for me, but I providentially met up with someone who had been to Bangladesh for three years. We had several intense chats about the country--everything from insects to theories of evangelism.
So there you go. The Seuss cartoons have ended and I’m getting ready to head out for the evening. The next missive might be from Bangladesh. Thanks for keeping up with me, and every note I get from each of you makes me happy.
As a reward for reading through this oatmeal-tone post, here are some random pictures, including one where I look slightly creepy.
***
*The first two photos were taken by super-rad Valerie King.
posted by Unknown at 08:26
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